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2% Hellbound Heart / Chapter 8: Unthinkable

Chapter 8: Unthinkable

The world outside looked peaceful. 

When her eyes looked down, she saw the beautiful massive garden. She remembered when she used to play there with Ellaine happily – it was in the past when they were children. 

Now Ellaine was gone, and she was… 

Her gaze focused on the concrete pavement right below. She thought that anyone who would fall from this window would definitely die in an instant. This kind of height was enough, right? 

She felt her heart shudder at the thoughts that were crossing her mind. No… she must not be thinking about… but… no… 

Her knuckles turned white as paper as she subconsciously tightened her grip on the windowpane when that sinful voice jolted her out of her musings.

"You're not trying to escape by jumping out of that window, are you?" the voice had a cold edge to it.

Elle turned around with a start. Her eyes wide at the prince's sudden reappearance. It seemed that she was too out of it to not even hear him entering the room. But what was he doing here? She had thought he did not want to spend another minute in her presence. 

He was leaning on the bed frame across her. His stance was deceptively relaxed. 

"Jumping out of this window won't be called 'escape', prince Sebastian. It would be called 'suicide'." She finally spoke, clenching her fists into tight balls as she berated herself inwardly. She was remembering her promise to her sister, that she would never surrender just like that and that she would fight her way out of this hell until the end. 

It was still too early for her to give up. Not just yet. She must keep trying until she could no longer do so.

Holding his gaze, Elle straightened her posture. "Did you… already inform my father that nothing had happened between us?" she asked even though she was quite certain that it was the reason why he took such a long time in coming back. 

Before Sebastian could make any reaction, a soft knock echoed on the other side of the door again and his gaze finally moved from her face. 

The red-haired man from earlier stepped inside this time and looked straight at Sebastian. "Uhm, they're here sir." 

"Hey, Sebby!" a masculine voice thundered out before the door was pushed wide open. 

Then another tall man entered. He had the same raven dark hair and grey eyes and… just drop dead gorgeous. One look and she could tell he was definitely related to Sebastian. 

"I can't believe you have already made a scene that fast!" By the way the man spoke to Sebastian, it told Elle that the man must be in a higher position than the prince. But who could be higher up than Sebastian, the crown prince, than their king? And she had never seen this other gorgeous man's face anywhere! 

"You only arrived ahead of us for like… what? Two hours? And you've already…" the man trailed off as he looked meaningfully at Elle. He did not continue his sentence, but his eyes spoke volumes.

She could not help but keep still. He did not feel scary, but just like Sebastian, this man had that seemingly unnatural aristocratic air around him that could make anyone feel intimidated. It gave others the feeling that these people were superior to the masses in every way possible. 

Elle found that strange and intriguing because she had never felt this way towards other powerful leaders she had come across with before. 

"You must be… Princess Izabelle." The man asked, his gaze softened as soon as his eyes turned to meet hers. 

"Yes…" Elle nearly stammered when he smiled at her. 

"I'm Alexander Reign. I'm Sebastian's uncle." He immediately introduced himself, not stingy with his words. 

Elle had never heard of this person before. But he seemed to be really nice. His eyes did not look icy and cold at all. So unlike Sebastian. 

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Reign." Elle greeted him back, trying her best to just act normally, despite feeling quite embarrassed at her state of clothing at this moment, while meeting with these distinguished guests. 

"Well… I don't know what to say at all, Princess Izabelle but –"

"Uncle," Sebastian cut him off, causing Alexander to return his attention to him. "Has the host already shown you to your room?"

"Ah, yes. Your father is still talking to King Markus right now. I left after we've finished discussing about the main issue between the two of you." 

Elle's lips parted at what she heard. What? Her father and Sebastian's… what? They were talking about the two of them?! Why?! And why on earth was the king of Viscarria here as well? Was King Rudy of Viscarria not rumored to be gravely ill just a few weeks ago? 

Her heart thundered fast within her ribcage. It was hard for her to believe that not only the crown prince, but the King himself, was also here the night before her wedding. Were they really here to attend her wedding without prior notice?! That was just unthinkable! 

She felt like her mind was going to burst with all these unexpected happenings that suddenly popped out of nowhere. But what made her really feel like passing out was the talk that was going on between the two kings right now.

"M-Mr. Reign. Why… why were… I mean… May I know why they are discussing about me and Prince Sebastian?" Elle found her courage to ask, though she stammered through it. 

Alexander tilted his head a little. "Well, as soon as we arrived, your father came to us and told us the… well, everything that had happened between you two. He'd also explained to us the whole situation. I mean about your groom-to-be's rather ridiculous condition and that there was no way out of this other than having you two get married as the deed had already been done."


Chapter 9: Convenience

Elle's entire world seemed to spin dizzily before screeching to a full-on halt at the things Alexander had just revealed. Her mouth was partly hanging open and her eyes circled wide as she looked at him. Anyone looking at her could clearly tell that she was in total disbelief at the news she had just received.

"Th-there's no way King Rudy would agree to my father's demands… right?" she asked Sebastian who was currently unmoving and still wearing that poker faced expression of his. Elle could not even guess a single thing from the way he was behaving. She had hoped to gather some hints but alas, she had better chances looking elsewhere.

"Ah, don't worry about King Rudy, princess." It was Alexander who respond to her, smiling like he was so happy about what was going on. "The old man had been really dying to finally see Sebastian get married already. That way, he would finally be at ease once he passed on the throne to him. This actually came as a great welcoming news to him and also to us. Oh, wait a moment." he broke off as his phone vibrated inside his pocket.

He swiftly took his phone out and checked the screen to see who was calling. Before answering it, he looked at her and smiled. "My wife's calling… so, excuse me." He said and then turned around, patting Sebastian on the shoulder before he and the red-haired man left the room.

As soon as the door was closed after them, a silence so heavy it was nearly suffocating filled the room. Neither of them spoke to the other and neither seemed to want to be the first one to break the silence.

Sebastian did not say anything and just quietly walked towards the table by the bed and grabbed something that was on top of it. A lighter and a… cigarette. He smoked? Elle did not peg him for a man who smokes, given his clean-cut look and also there was no lingering scent of tobacco smell on his during her interactions with him earlier.

He perched himself at the edge of the table, his long legs crossing over the other at the ankles relaxedly as he lit up his cigarette. A click, then the flame brought near to his cigarette followed by a long drag and a puff of smoke. His movements were so precise, without any stumbling or extra movements. He was clearly a person that did not like to waste – be it in time, actions, or intentions.

He was doing his things so casually, as if she was not in the room with him at all. The worse thing was that she still could not read anything in his expressions at all. Even now when he was seemingly looking more relaxed.

However, Elle really did not need to read anything. She knew that he must be raging within him right now. There was no way this crown prince would want to be tied in a political marriage when he was still in his prime. More so, to a woman that he was not even in love with at all. And to top it off, a woman that he must have thought who had deceived him and orchestrated this marriage trap. He must be full of loathing at her by now.

But… she sincerely felt terrible that she was actually relieved with this turn of events. That with this hoo-hah, she was finally getting her wish of escaping her doom - her marriage with Brandon Haze.

She knew this was not fair at all to him, but…

Clenching her fists so tight that her knuckles turned white, Elle straightened and bravely took a few steps towards him.

Elle was aware that this matter between them was not quite set yet. If Sebastian declines to marry her, everything will fall into ashes again. Unlike her, this man was powerful enough to disobey his father. She could just feel that he was not the type of man who would be content to just sit back and get dictated by others so easily. She could just see it in those cold eyes that was now eyeing her silently. She shivered a little as she took the last few steps over to stand before him.

"Prince Sebastian," she started. She gathered every ounce of courage she had within her and opened her mouth to make her request known to him. "Please… marry me." She proposed. Her eyes gleaming with so much intensity as she stared unflinchingly into his serious eyes.

His hand that was still in midair as he brought his cigarette back to his mouth stilled after hearing her speak. His mouth was slightly agape as he took a couple of seconds to register what she was requesting of him.

"I know… that you don't want to get married for now – or ever. I am not certain if the hearsays are true, that you are… that you are not planning to marry because you are a certified womanizer and not a one-woman man. But even if that is true, I… if you marry me, I will not complain about it. Nor will I stop you if you wish to continue with your current lifestyle." She bravely said without any hint of uncertainty.

Elle wanted to make all these bargains to perhaps come to a compromise on this man agreeing to marry her. Because that was the only real way for her to finally escape the clutches of her hopeless father and the monster Brandon. There was no other way… if this man would not marry her, then she would really be done for. She did not want to think too much about what she could do if the situation turned out that way for now. She would cross that bridge when she gets to it. For now, she just needed to focus and put in all her efforts into making this arrangement succeed first.

"I am… I am offering you a marriage of convenience. Your uncle said that your father had been dying to see you get married so he could pass you the throne. As the next heir to the throne, a well-matched marriage is not something you could avoid. I am certain you are more than aware of that reality than I am. "


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