Chapter 1 Escaping Hell

Bang!

The sound of the gun cut through the air as Alana pulled the trigger, the bullet barely passing by Roy's head and hitting the door behind him.

"You crazy bitch," Roy spat, making an attempt to move closer to her.

"Foolish idea, don't you think," Alana muttered, pointing the gun directly at his face. "One more step and you will find the next bullet in your face."

Roy stilled, gulping nervously when he saw the seriousness in her eyes.

And he was right to fear. After years of abuse, Alana was ready to leave this hell and she would not hesitate to put anyone down who got in her way.

With the fresh cut on her lower lip from being slapped by the man that same morning, and the plaster on both wrists from her sister's twisted attempt at entertaining herself, Alana's resolve was clear. She had been living with monsters and it was time to end her suffering.

"Baby, Alana dear, please put the gun down," Stephanie, Alana's mother, pleaded.

"I am not your baby. I never was and I never will be. Now tell your husband to move if you do not want to become a widow again," she said coldly, not even bothering to glance at her mother.

Stephanie gasped at the cold words.

"Alana, what has gotten into you?" Lilith, Alana's stepsister, asked from behind her mother. She was using the woman as a shield in case any bullet came her way.

"Move, Roy. I will not repeat myself," Alana warned for the last time, completely ignoring the words of her mother and stepsister.

The two women were of no importance to her.

With a clenched jaw, Roy finally stepped away from the door, clearing her path. Alana grabbed her roller bag, dragging it behind her as she walked toward the door, the gun still pointed at her stepfather Roy until she stepped out.

"You will regret this," Roy yelled from the door.

Alana halted for a moment before bursting into a chuckle. She faced him, still laughing.

"Me, regret leaving?" she said, her laugh fading. "The only thing I will regret today is not putting a bullet in your head and frankly," she paused and kissed her gun, "I am still considering the idea, so keep talking, Roy. Just keep talking."

Roy fell silent.

This entire scene was a complete shock to him. He never believed a day would come when Alana would stand up to him and even put fear in him.

"I thought as much," Alana scoffed as she turned, striding toward the gates.

At last, she had severed half of her ties to this family. Her flight to New York was already booked, her new life waiting for her.

...

Taking a deep breath, Alana reached out and rang the bell. Within seconds, she spotted the butler, a middle-aged man, making his way toward the gate.

The man stopped in his tracks, confusion and surprise mixing on his face when he saw Alana, but he quickly resumed walking and opened the gate.

"Young miss," the man exclaimed. "You have grown so much," he added as he eyed her from head to toe.

Alana smiled at his expression. "Mr Brandon," she greeted.

The man quickly retrieved her bag and gestured for her to go in.

Her eyes scanned the compound as they walked. Things were still the same as she remembered.

"We were not expecting you until next week, young miss," Brandon said as he unlocked the door to the room she normally stayed in whenever she visited.

"I wanted to settle in sooner than later. I would have called my aunt to inform her, but I just got a new phone a few days ago and I do not have her contact yet," Alana explained, and Mr Brandon nodded in understanding.

"Your aunt is at work now. I will inform her of your arrival immediately," Brandon said as he set her luggage by the side of the bed.

"If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me." Alana nodded before he left the room.

After the man left, she unpacked a few of her things before deciding to freshen up.

The butler came back an hour later to inform her of her aunt's return.

Alana dressed up properly, wearing a long-sleeved shirt to cover her wrists, lest her aunt start asking questions, before heading downstairs.

"Oh my God," Rosalind exclaimed when her eyes met Alana descending the stairs.

Alana smiled warmly at her aunt, who was overwhelmed with excitement.

Rosalind could not control her joy as she squeezed her niece in a tight hug.

"I cannot breathe," Alana complained when her aunt tightened the hug too much.

"Oh, sorry." Rosalind immediately pulled away. "You must be starving. Come, I asked the cook to make your favorite," she said as she pulled her toward the dining table.

"Where is Ryan, Aunt?" Alana asked after looking around for her cousin.

"He is probably out partying with his friends. He never comes home on weekends," Rosalind replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Alana nodded.

"Have you called your mom since you arrived?" Rosalind asked in the middle of their conversation.

Alana paused for some seconds.

"No," she replied tightly.

"Okay." Rosalind did not push further as she noticed Alana's stiffness.

"If you need anything, dear, please tell me. I will always be here for you, okay?" Rosalind said softly, and Alana nodded with a tight smile.

Her mood was already ruined by the mention of her mother. She subconsciously placed her hand on her wrist, something Rosalind noticed.

Alana only saw her aunt during breakfast and dinner, and most of the time, the woman kept giving her pitiful looks, which she found uncomfortable.

...

Monday finally arrived, and Alana eagerly prepared for her morning class. The butler dropped her off at school, and she felt fortunate that the university had accepted her transfer despite it being the middle of the semester.

After her last class, Alana stopped by a cafe to grab something for lunch. She placed her order and received it within a few minutes.

As she grabbed her food and prepared to leave, her phone buzzed with a notification. Just as she reached for her phone, she accidentally bumped into someone, spilling her drink on the stranger. Alana gasped when she saw the mess on the man's trousers.

"I am so sorry," Alana immediately apologized, her voice filled with genuine remorse.

"Are you fucking blind?" the man's cold voice thundered, causing her to flinch.

"I did not mean to. It was an accident..." Alana's words stopped in her throat as she raised her head to look at the man's angry face.

To her surprise, the man before her was the most handsome she had ever seen. His captivating green eyes mesmerized her, framed by long, beautiful lashes.

Some of his dark brown hair fell to the side of his face, accentuating his features. His jawline was perfectly chiseled, and his lips had a soft pink tint.

"Quit drooling, you dumb bitch," the man snapped.

Alana instantly snapped out of whatever daze she was in. Did he just call her dumb? She could not even bring herself to think the word.

"You do not have to be so rude. I already apologized, and if you were not blind and probably stupid, this would not have happened." She glared back at the arrogant man.

She saw his jaw flex, showing the anger within him. He moved closer and grabbed her jaw unexpectedly, causing her eyes to widen as her heart began to race.

"Alana?" another male voice called from behind the man.

Surprise flickered across Alana's face as she turned toward the source of the voice. It was Ryan, her cousin.

His own surprise matched hers, clearly not expecting to see her in such a situation.

"Roman," Ryan said, his voice calm but urgent as he approached. He placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Let her go. She is my cousin. Eyes are on us."

Roman's grip on Alana's jaw loosened as he processed Ryan's words. Confusion flickered in his expression when he realized the connection. He slowly released her, though anger remained in his eyes.

Alana stepped back, her hand moving to her jaw as she tried to regain her composure. She glanced between Ryan and Roman, her mind racing with fear, relief, and confusion.

Would this man have hurt her if Ryan had not intervened?

Before she could think further, Ryan grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cafe.

The atmosphere inside remained tense as onlookers kept their eyes on Roman.

Roman finally glanced around the cafe, only to find every eye locked on him.

"Fuck," he muttered before exiting the shop.

This incident would definitely reach his grandfather's ears.

He entered his car parked outside, and his driver immediately started the engine.

"Where to next, sir?" the driver asked.

"My penthouse," Roman responded.

He leaned back and shut his eyes.

Why was his luck so terrible? And that girl. All of this was her fault and she still had the audacity to insult him without fear. He would make her pay somehow.

Forget the fact that she was his friend's cousin. No one spoke to him like that.