The Royal Contract

"What was your news again?" Cassie sweetly asked while they ate the breakfast he had prepared, still feeling the sting on her wrist.

She had to play her cards right if she wanted to escape Nick. She had to make him believe that she was still on his side. She could not allow him to know her plans.

The only thing that caused his ire was the thought that she was leaving him. He still had no clue that she had already betrayed him. She planned to keep it that way.

"Well, it seemed that our lovely couple had gone missing this morning. No one seemed to determine the whereabouts of the two." He explained as he shoved his mouth with a mouthful of toast and bacon from his plate. 

"Where did you get this information?" She was slightly alarmed, but she had to play it cool. He could not suspect that she had a vested interest in Alex.

Alex could not go missing when she gave him all her evidence. She was counting on him to correct the wrongs she had made in the past. It was also her only chance to be free from Nick forever.

Once she escaped, she could always run away from Nick. But she would be looking over her shoulders most of the time, thinking that Nick would come after her.

"I have my sources," Nick said, not telling her more since he was beginning to doubt her loyalty. 

After catching her with her bags packed, he knew that she planned to leave him together with the information she still was withholding from him. He could not allow that.

"But can you trust them?" If her instincts were correct, she could surmise that he had paid someone in Alex's payroll to report to him. That had always been his ammunition.

She had to find a way to tell Alex about this. She hoped that nothing terrible happened to him and Dani. She was counting on him to help her in her situation.

"Hold that thought." He wickedly smiled as his phone started buzzing. He snatched it on the table and quickly answered, hoping to hear more good news.

She continued to eat her breakfast, wanting to have all the energy she needed to keep with her charade. She could not let her guard down, especially around Nick.

She was confused by Nick's sudden change of expression. She could see the frown on his face as he continued to listen to whatever the person on the other line was telling him. She already could tell that it was not pleasant news. 

"Damn." He slammed the phone so hard on the table that she noticed the screen cracked. "Why can't you just die?" He mumbled to himself, but it was loud enough for her to hear him.

"What's going on?" She asked, putting a slight concern in her voice. She had worked hard on her acting, and so far, it had not failed her yet. She believed she could continue to fool him if she did her best.

He looked at her, assessing her. He still had hesitations on sharing things with her, but since she had already heard some of it. He might as well tell her the rest of the bad news.

"It would seem that Alex and Dani landed safely on a private island." He continued to tell her the rest of the news, disappointed that Alex was still alive.

Nick would have liked that Alex met his death in an accident. But he would prefer that he did not take Dani with her. Nick still had many plans for her. But knowing that Alex was well and enjoying his time was not what Nick had wanted.

She could feel his anger as he stood from the table and paced the room. She already knew he was trying to concoct another plan to make Alex and Dani's life miserable, just like him.

"Oh!" She felt a sudden gush of air enter her lungs as relief took over her body upon hearing the good news. 

Alex was alive, and he could still help her. It was all she ever wanted, especially now that Nick would not stop until he had exacted his revenge in the Hamilton and took everything they had.

"I almost thought that I had already rid myself of one of my thorns. But apparently, Alex was not that easy to eliminate from the equation. But I will find a way." He swore to her as he returned to his seat, calmer.

After a few more minutes, he started eating again, then drank his coffee as he watched her every move. "Any suggestions on how I can do that?" He asked her.

"What do you mean?" She played dumb, but she knew what he was asking her.

She could not help him like before, but he could not know that. She had to find a way to divert his attention away from all of this, just until she could figure out what to do.

"I want to get rid of Alex. Take him out of the picture. What do you suggest?" He talked to her as if he was only discussing a business strategy. But the way it sounded in her ears, it felt like he wanted Alex gone for good.

"Let me think of something." She needed to stall for some time. 

She swiftly moved out of her chair and sat on his lap. She hated doing this with every fiber of her being, but it was a necessary evil that she must do to survive.

It was her number weapon against him. She was hoping that it would still work on him, or else she was doomed. She would have no way to tame the beast that was now holding her gaze.

"Well, think fast. In the meantime, what do you have in mind?" He ran his fingers along her cheeks, down her neck, encircling it on her throat.

She could feel the slight pressure of his fingers on her skin, but she could not show him fear, or he might suspect something. He was already on edge. She could not start pushing him more.

"What about this?" She whispered in his ears as she leaned forward, running her tongue on the inside of his lobes. Then, she went further down the side of his neck, feeling him getting excited with her every seductive movement.

"Keep going." He encouraged her, missing the way she satisfied his cravings. It was one of the reasons he could not get rid of her. She knew how to please him, not like the other girls who shared his bed.

"As you wish." She pulled the nightgown off her body and worked on removing his shirt. 

He liked it when she played seductress, enticing him with her body. She moved her lips over his and played with his tongue until he finally responded with his domination. 

Her hands traveled down from his shoulder, running her fingers in the contour of his muscles. If he had been a nice person, she would have fallen for his handsome and physique.

"You are mine." He also began his exploration on her chest, claiming her as his property. "Only mine. Remember that." There was an edge on his tone, a warning. "We are in this together. Death is the only way out."

He had to ensure that she understood him. She belonged only to him. She could not run away because he would always find her. There was no place that she could hide.

When she failed to respond to him, he asked her. "Do you understand?" He stopped her from what she was doing, wanting her to acknowledge what he said. He pulled her face until it was inches from him.

She stared him in the face, looking directly into his eyes. She could lie to him through her teeth, but her eyes might give her away. So, she concentrated hard to make it seem believable before she answered.

"Yes, I am only yours." She emphasized the last word, hoping that he did not see through her facade. She continued to stare at him until he pulled her closer to give her a punishing kiss.

It was a show of power. "You better remember that." He said as he pulled away. He stood up, taking her with him. He pushed her to the bed, reminding her that he had the upper hand. "Show me that you are still mine."

He laid down the bed next to her, waiting for her to make the next move. She was his puppet, and she would act according to the strings he pulled.

But if he discovered that she was taking him as a fool, using him to her advantage. He would make sure that she realized her mistake. She would not get away with double-crossing him.

"Then, lay back and enjoy the show." She started dancing in front of him. She performed to him just the way he liked it. She was a good dancer, and her flexibility was what fascinated him.

She went on top of him, kissing him. She could not tell him how she despised him at the moment. All she could do now was convince him that she was still the same woman he could trust.

She suddenly realized that she used to be like him. Always not satisfied with what she had. She wanted to inflict so much pain on others that she failed to see reason.

But now that she saw a way out of her misery, she planned to grab it. With the help of Alex and maybe Dani, she might make it.. All she had to do was escape the prison he built around her.