Fell in your own trap

Xander couldn’t believe his eyes. The girl standing in front of him was not his Eve but...

“Giselle?”

He whispered, still in a trance as he removed her veil with trembling fingers and lifted her chin to look at her face. But no sooner their eyes clashed, than rage swelled inside his heart.

“Yes sweetheart,” Giselle uttered and flashed him a smirk.

Flashback

“What are you waiting for, Boss? Let’s blow her brains out. She is no longer useful and if she lives then she will only be a nuisance for us.” Hunter whined and looked at Dylan who unlike him was relaxed. Giselle on the other hand was horrified.

“NO!! PLEASE. I did what you said. I also helped you rescue Mrs. Clarke. Please don’t kill me.” She cried and grabbed Hunter’s legs but he jerked her off.

“My gun opened your mouth, bitch. Shame on you, despite being a woman you let a man exploit another woman. Helped him in his nasty plan, and let him hold her mother hostage, in your own fucking home. You sold your morals over a few bucks and even inveigle your mother into it. You didn’t let her eat and treated an old woman so brutally. Don’t you feel remorse? You choose loyalty over humanity and to serve whom? That crazy psychopath?” Hunter spat in disgust. He was a gangster even his heart bled after witnessing Mrs. Clarke’s state. They kept her confined in a dark room with no electricity, no ventilation and even starved her to death. Hunter doesn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if Brandon and Dylan haven’t found her in time.

Giselle shot him a glare. Puffing out her chest, she walked closer to him and spat, “So what? Aren’t you serving a Mafia lord? You are no better than me.”

“You bloody-”

“Enough”

Dylan growled rendering them silent. He then stood up from the chair and walked towards Giselle. She looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“What’s the deal between your father and Xander?”

Giselle turned outrageous, “That’s none of your business. You’ve got what you wanted.”

Dylan was amused by her tough act. Despite being at gunpoint the girl couldn’t leave her sass. Her rebellious side always finds some way to overpower her.

“You know there’s no point in concealing. Just spill so that I can consider saving your life or I would have to accept Hunter’s words because you’re really of no use to me. I’ve got what I wanted.” He rasped. His lips twitched in a smirk watching the color draining off her face.

“What’s the guarantee that you wouldn’t back out?” Giselle asked him ignoring the fear that his words stirred inside her.

“That depends on your honesty,” Dylan remarked and crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her. His eyes shone with mischief.

Giselle lowered her head. Clenching her fist, she squeezed her eyes shut, “Fine. Xander is helping my father upgrade his rank.” She confessed with gritted teeth.

“I knew it,” Hunter enthused and looked at Dylan who smirked in approval.

Tears flooded her eyes but Giselle drank them. She didn’t want to deceive her father but her life was at stake. Everything was going according to the plan and she was close to bringing it to fruition but maybe she forgot that it was Dylan whom she was dealing with. The man who would scour the earth and bleed the world to death if he didn’t gets what he wants. And that one person has always been Evelyn. Be it the past or the future, only she has the power to rip off his sanity.

A cold shiver ran down her spine when Dylan took a menacing step in her direction making her cower back.

“You don’t want me to expose your father?”

Giselle stared at him bewildered. She whipped her gaze to him only to see his stern eyes dead set on her face, eagerly waiting for her response.

“Of course, I do.” She blurted without any hesitation.

Dylan nodded, “Fine. I will let you and your family live only if you do one simple task of mine.”

Giselle was delighted. Her happiness knew no bounds. With a wide smile dancing on her lips, she walked closer to him.

“What I have to do,” she chirped.

“Marry Xander.”

“What?”

All her happiness turned to dust. The smile instantly faltered from her lips and her jaw clenched.

“What? No way.”

“Fine. Hunter kill her.” Dylan didn’t give her time to think and turned to his heels. Giselle was flabbergasted as she stared at Hunter who stormed towards her like a predator. She immediately walked past him and ran to Dylan before blocking his way.

“NO, NO STOP!! WAIT PLEASE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY MARRY HIM?”

“Take Evelyn’s place and I wouldn’t expose your corrupted father. Fail, I will make sure your parents go through Hell.” Dylan seethed in a dangerous tone that gave her chills.

“But what about Xander? Even if I accept your condition, he is free to reject me.” Giselle put forth her point.

“For that, I need to talk with your father. Your role is to just say yes, I will handle the rest.” Dylan told her, this time a bit calmly. Giselle wasn’t convinced but it was not like she had a choice. Sighing, she nodded.

“Good, now call your father.” He instructed her and glowered at her, challenging her to defy him.

Giselle looked away. Swallowing her rage, she called him.

“Hey Ginni, what’s wrong?”

Giselle bit her lips; her grip on the phone tightened.

“Dad, I-” But before she could say something Dylan snatched the phone from her hand taking her off-guard.

“I want you to marry your daughter to Xander Knight, Ashton” Dylan simply cut to the chase. Ashton on the other hand was staggered, his eyes widened in shock.

“Dylan? How the hell you’re there? Who let you out?” He shot questions at him in one go as he jumped from the chair.

“That’s not important,” Dylan mused, “Listen, I don’t want any fights. Xander Knight is marrying Evelyn who is my wife against her will and I am going to save her.” He grated. His eyes turned pitch dark.

“Stop your bullshit,” Ashton spoke with clenched teeth, “What are you doing with my daughter? I dare you, hurt her and I’ll-”

“OR WHAT YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!”

Dylan roared furiously startling Giselle who quickly stepped back from him.

“Here, I am trying to strike a deal because I don’t want to get my hands dirty and you’re fucking testing my patience. Listen well, I will save my wife no matter what happens. Then I wouldn’t care if the bullets strike your daughter or your wife. I will take Evelyn with me but not after killing every soul that has gathered in the church to be a part of that fucking wedding. It was my duty to warn you now don’t blame me for the carnage because gangsters don’t give a fuck about human lives.” Dylan seethed emphasising every word to make it clear that he wasn’t making any empty threats.

“No, you won’t,” Ashton sputtered, his voice shaking as sweat trickled down his forehead.

Dylan let out a hollow chuckle, “Oh I will. And I wouldn’t stop here. My next mission would be exposing you to the world. Your daughter told me that you are condoning this injustice because Xander had stuffed your mouth with dollars and is even helping you with promotion. Now tell me, am I wrong Detective?”

Ashton gulped down his saliva. Dylan smirked at his silence.

“What? Got nothing to refute?” He mocked him.

Ashton clutched the phone tightly, “What do you want?” He muttered under his breath. Dylan was ecstatic at his submission.

“Threaten Xander to marry your daughter. He shouldn’t back down no matter what happens. Escort Evelyn safely to me and after that Brandon will take charge. Once the marriage is done, you would let him leave without any scratch.” He ordered in a dominant tone.

“Fine but I want your word,” Ashton demanded.

“Do as I say and I will keep my end of the bargain. I already said I don’t want blood on my hands. I am capable of saving my wife but I want Xander out of my way and your daughter is the key to it.” Dylan spoke and looked at Giselle who was shivering.

“So, do we have a deal?”

Ashton raked his fingers through his hair. He wasn’t willing to sacrifice his daughter but at least marrying her to Xander was better than pushing her to the jaws of death.

“Yes.” He agreed with a heavy heart.

End of Flashback

Xander gripped Giselle’s forearm and pulled her closer to him not even bothered that he was creating a scene in front of the world.

“Where’s Eve? What the fuck you are doing?” He shouted in her face.

“Who’s Eve?” Giselle feigned confusion and looked at Ashton. “Dad, what is he saying?”

Xander looked at her with dipped brows. He followed her line of sight.

“Ashton?”

Xander muttered but what shocked him was his attire. Ashton was dressed in a tuxedo instead of his uniform.

“It’s nothing Ginni,” Ashton spoke and strutted closer to them. “Perhaps my son-in-law is in a playful mood.”

Xander gaped at the duo in shock. “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO??” He grounded his molars and was ready to jerk her hand away when Ashton gripped his arm firmly.

“Say one more word and I will tell everyone that this marriage was against Ms. Clarke’s wish.” He threatened him while eyeing him darkly.

Xander glared at him with fierce eyes, “Weren’t you involved in this too? Don’t forget Eve’s mother is locked in your house.”

“She fled,” Giselle answered him this time. Xander immediately shot his head in her direction, shocked to the bone.

“What? Who did that? Dylan?” He queried and looked at her for an answer but Giselle only rolled her eyes.

“We don’t want to go into details.” Ashton cut him off, “Marry my daughter or be ready to end behind bars. Choose fast.” He stipulated and flashed him an evil smirk.

Helpless and burning in fury, Xander looked past them when his eyes fell on Brandon. Hope sparked inside his heart. He opened his mouth to call him but the sinister glint in Brandon’s eyes halted him.

“You fell in your own trap,” Brandon mouthed to him and smirked at him who stared at him with a heartbroken expression.

Betrayal and hurt flickered in his eyes when he realized that he was tricked. A lone tear escaped his left eye.

He lost the game which he had started.