You hurt me the most

“Get down Eve,” Xander spoke in a stern tone as he eyed the stubborn girl who was sitting beside him. Evelyn ignored him and kept her eyes fixed on the window following the trails of the water droplets cascading down the glass pane.

Xander was keen on executing his plan. The demons inside his head had no mercy for any of the wrongdoers. Xander couldn’t afford the slightest mistake, especially at this crucial point, so he decided to be his sole companion on his journey. Xander didn’t want to rely either on Brandon or Giselle whom he had assigned to keep Mrs. Clarke in check. He took everything in his hand and to expedite his plans, he forcefully brought Evelyn to the shop to buy her a wedding dress despite the raging storm.

“I am asking you one last time, get down. Don’t provoke me to use force.” He grated, his hold tightening on the steering wheel.

Evelyn on the other hand snorted and turned to face him, “What more can you do other than force me? You stooped so low that you threatened me to obey you or else you will hurt Mom. Now I am sure you didn’t earn my father’s trust; you must have earned it under duress. Can’t believe I thought about marrying you?” She muttered angrily and rolled her eyes before turning her head to the window.

Xander on the other hand was enraged. Her words stung him badly. Frustrated, he clasped her jaw and forcefully made her look at him.

“If you know me so well then you must know that I am not giving vague threats. I will seriously hurt her if you disobey me.”

A loud smacking sound resonated, and his face swung to the side. Evelyn slapped him hard; tears ran down her eyes freely. Xander clenched his jaw as he rubbed his throbbing cheek.

“I am no damsel in distress that I can’t defend myself and neither you are any goon whom I should fear. You are following Dylan’s steps thinking that it will lead you to me then you are so damn wrong. I can’t be fooled twice.” She sneered and pulled out the seatbelt and hurriedly tried to get outside the car. Evelyn was like a raging ball of fire. It was confirmed that he had lost her mind and deep down it also scared the shit out of her.

Her ears perked at the sound of the door locking. Her stomach churned as her fear snowballed.

“HELP!! SOMEBODY HELP!!” Evelyn started banging her fists on the window. She was terrified. She kept screaming for help when she felt his cold fingers grazing her nape. Revolted by his touch, she instantly tried jerking away his hands when Xander grabbed her nape tightly and swirled her around to face him. Evelyn was shocked, her eyes widened to the size of saucers watching his dark eyes.

“You just don’t listen.” Xander seethed on her face and pulled her closer. Evelyn matched his glare and started pushing his chest.

“I won’t. You are a psychopath. I can’t believe I trusted you once. You are worse than Dylan.” She snarled tears filling her eyes. Deep down she wished it to be a nightmare. How can a person deceive his entire personality? He was such a nobleman.

“Apart from trusting you, I respected you the most. You gave me hope that not every man is like Dylan. You changed my opinions and made me think that I deserve a gentleman. Your image, your worth in my heart was so high that I can’t even describe it. Even when we fought, I didn’t find a single man like you in the past two years. Someone who was a nice, sweet, and respected woman. But Dylan was right. He told me once that all three of you are the same. Just one accepted his true nature and lived it while one disguised himself to cheat the whole world. You not only deceived me Xander but everyone who once loved you.”

“I DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE!!!”

Xander thundered as he slammed his palm on the steering wheel. Evelyn was startled but yelped when he pushed her to the window and hovered over her. Resting his palm on the glass pane beside her, he glared down at her.

“I love you, Evelyn. Can’t you see that? Do you think I am loving hurting and tormenting the girl whom I desire? But you forced me to take this step. You just keep running back to Dylan forgetting everything.”

“That’s my choice,” Evelyn objected, “You can’t decide what’s right and wrong for me. I understand that you’re afraid and concerned that I will make the same mistake again but you have no right to impose yourself on me in the name of protection. If Dylan requires my consent, so do you. You have no right to marry a woman against her will. It is wrong legally too no matter how hard many times you deny it.”

Evelyn retorted while looking straight into his eyes. Xander curled his fingers, his eyes turned pitch black.

Evelyn inched closer to his face; her eyes were shedding tears but she didn’t blink once, “Keep denying but deep down you also know that it’s wrong. But you just won’t admit and I will never submit. I also want to see to what extent you can go but let me make it clear to you, if you dare touch a single hair of Mom, I will kill you with my own hands.”

A deep silence engulfed them. None of them back down from the intense staring battle. Evelyn noticed the way his brows dipped, she was sure that her words struck his heart and triggered his humanity which he had lost somewhere. She was confirmed that Xander would now stop his madness.

And that’s what happens. Her eyes lit up when Xander exhaled a loud sigh and moved back giving her some space. Evelyn also sat properly watching his blank face.

“Fine,” he breathed out increasing her expectations.

“I give you two minutes. Accept me.”

“What?”

Evelyn was bewildered. Did he just tell her to accept him?

“I give you two minutes. Accept me, say that you will marry me and I assure you I will stop my threats.” Xander reiterated, this time a bit slower so that she understands. His eyes which were boring holes in her face turned stony.

But his words only made her fly off the handle. Evelyn raised her hand ready to smack some sense inside him once again but Xander gripped it in midway. She hissed as he grabbed it tightly and pulled her closer to him with a jerk. That was completely unexpected as she went crashing on his rigid form while Xander snaked his hand around her waist and looked dead in her eyes.

“Come on say it.”

“YOU’RE INSANE!!” Evelyn screamed, agitated, and started struggling in his hold.

“Did you even hear a word I said to you? You aren’t Xander, you can’t be.” Her emotions went in haywire. Evelyn tried to find some warmth in his eyes but it was nothing, just a sea of bone-chilling darkness.

“I swear Eve I will stop but you have to accept me. I have come too far and I won’t return until I have you. Yes, I am mad and will go to any extent to have you. I also admit that I am wrong but I swear once you accept me, I will turn everything normal.” He make it sound as if it was so normal. Evelyn on the other hand internally flinch as the man was giving weird, creepy vibes.

“Normal? So, if I agree, you won’t threaten me and if I don’t you will kill my parents? Are you even listening to yourself? You can’t do that and you know it.” She said and scoffed. Evelyn was confident that Xander wouldn’t stoop this low, he would never hurt Maria.

“I know what I am capable of,” Xander husked, shattering her hopes. Evelyn gaped at him in shock.

“It’s in your hands, Eve. Either you accept me willingly and we’ll have a grand wedding full of flowers and champagne or else-”

“Or else what huh??“, She raged, having enough of his psychotic ass.

Xander smirked and cupped her chin before rasping the words that shook her whole world.

“Or I would drag you to the aisle that would be bedecked not with flowers but with your parents’ blood.” He said and moved back while smirking conceitedly at her horror-stricken face.

“You would do no such thing,” Evelyn gritted.

Xander nodded and fished out his phone. She watched him with furrowed brows as he typed something and then turned the screen to her. Evelyn shot him a questionable look.

“Go on. See what my limits are.”

The iciness in his voice pierced her skin. But still, she managed to compose herself and scanned the screen.

Her heart dropped to the pit.

“You can’t do this,” Evelyn shrieked horrified, and lunged at Xander.

The video showed Maria tied to a chair. Her hands and legs were also bound with a rope and her mouth was gagged as she cried helplessly watching the man who had his gun pointed at her forehead.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are so desperate to have me” Evelyn finally exploded giving him the satisfaction that he succeeded in breaking her.

“So, what’s your answer?” Xander dodged her questions and in turn, shot her with his same question.

Her brown hues shone with resentment and contempt, “You aren’t a criminal. You can’t kill someone. You have the support of the cops right; do they know what you are doing?”

Evelyn didn’t drop her weapons and fought with him head-on. She failed to understand how come Xander was openly threatening her without any fear. He can be apprehended for what he was doing; this was against the law and she knew for a fact that he had no links with the underworld. If he wasn’t like Dylan then how come he was forcing a girl to marry him by using her family? There was definitely something wrong or he might have a powerful backup.

Evelyn eagerly waited for his answer but Xander just pulled back his phone and dialed a number.

“Kill her.”

“NO!!” Evelyn screamed, her heart almost stopped as she quickly grasped his phone and ended the call. Xander let her as he simply watched her.

“You can’t do this.”

“Why not? And to make it clear to you that I am not joking,” his expression turned glum, “I am serious so don’t you dare challenge me. I am asking you once again, will you marry me happily or should I stick to the hard ways?” Xander broached, his eyes were unforgiving.

A tear slid down her blotched cheek. Evelyn finally surrendered as she knew that there was no escape. She failed to recognize him and ended up getting deceived once again.

Xander raised a brow, waiting for her answer. Her heart broke into a gazillion pieces watching his beautiful almond eyes that once used to flutter her heart. He wasn’t a bit bothered and that killed him.

She nodded while looking into his eyes. Showing him how much he broke her.

“That’s what I expected.” Xander smiled proudly and cupped her face before wiping her tears. Evelyn said nothing and gently removed his hand from her and wiped her tears on her own.

She was disgusted, traumatized but most importantly helpless. The pitter-patter had stopped by now clearing the sky. Xander unlocked the door and climbed out of his car before rounding to her side. He opened the door for her and extended his hand for her to take. Evelyn saw it but refused. She alighted the vehicle on her own and headed inside the shop half-heartedly.

Xander curled his fingers into a fist, his jaw clenching. Swallowing the rage, he slammed the door shut and followed her inside.