It seemed like I was going crazy!
Not only did I follow Alexander to the masquerade ball without complaint, I was somewhat happy at the fact that he had approached me with a flower, planted a kiss on my cheek, and apologised.
It was not like Alexander to apologise, so it came as a shock.
"I'm sorry for what happened back there. It had to be done that way so my enemies would know not to mess with me. You look gorgeous as always", he said, planting a kiss on my cheek which went red immediately.
That was the magic trick that was used on me. That was all it took for Alexander to take me to the masquerade ball without me trying to argue. The only thing I did was collect the rose and nod at him to lead the way. But when he held my hand, I sank even more into his spell. I did not pull my hand away, I could not. I had no idea why I was suddenly being calm. Maybe it was because I was exhausted, and could not argue with Alexander, or maybe I was just under some sort of spell.
We were driven in a limousine in silence. I looked out of the window, while Alexander looked away from me. He had seen that I was totally calm, and had let go of my hands.
When we got to the location, I dropped the flowers in the limousine. This was a masquerade ball not some Royal meeting.
When we stepped out, Alexander held my hand again.
"Your hands are cold. Are you okay?", he asked.
How could I possibly be okay when I argued with him at the airport, saw him murder a woman in cold blood at close proximity, had to scrub blood from my skin, changed my dress and makeup again, and then he came in with flowers that matched my dress, apologized casually, and kissed my cheek like nothing serious had happened? How could I possibly be okay when I was happy about the apology, flowers, and kiss, knowing the kind of person he was?
"What do you think?", I asked, refusing to look at him.
There was a lot that stirred in me when I was close to Alexander. I did not like it.
"Tonight will be a memorable night for you, trust me. And remember, the most important thing is to make people truly believe that we love each other. It would help our image be held high, and help us overcome bigger problems", he said.
His voice was so low that it sent shivers down my spine. He had something planned. I could feel it. But I already had a memorable day, and was nervous about whatever he had planned.
But the good part was that if I could survive the night, and find out what Mia truly did, I would certainly leave the country. I would start my life somewhere else, and when I was sure that everything was smooth, I would make sure I helped the love of my life, Ryan, to relocate to where I would move to. I had about twenty four hours to do what I had to do.
I could only nod, and smile tightly as he led me into the ballroom. I could feel that he knew that I was tense, but he kept a perfectly composed face.
As I stepped into the grand hall with Alexander by my side, I was amazed yet again. The room shimmered like a sun-kissed palace, with walls and pillars clad in warm, burnished gold that seemed to glow from within. Above us, majestic chandeliers hung like constellations, their crystals refracting the light into a prism of multiple colors that dance across the floor.
The sweeping staircases, adorned with delicate filigree and gold accents, curve like golden wings, connecting the main floor to the balconies above. The air was alive with the soft rustle of silk and the gentle hum of conversation from different types of people, Business people, Royalties, wealthy actresses, footballers, and so on. But what got me excited was the fact that even with the mask, I was able to recognise a number of wealthy Businessmen that could pass as my client or sponsors were also present. It seemed like if I did things right, I would be able to grow my business. The hall was punctuated by the occasional clinking of glasses and laughter.
As I gazed around, I felt like royalty, surrounded by the elegance and refinement that only a place like this could offer. The masks that adorned the faces of the guests added an air of mystery and intrigue, making everyone seem like a character from a fairy tale or a legend.
Sometimes, I forgot that I was getting married to a Mafia boss because it felt like I was getting married to a King. Alexander made me feel like I was a Queen. That was not really a good thing because I was already in love with Ryan. Ryan was good for me.
Alexander's hand moved from my hand to the small of my back as he guided me through the throngs of people. I stiffened, and took a deep breath. Alexander's touch was melting. What was he doing to me?
"I see some people you can work with, I suppose you would want to talk to them. Mind if I walk you to them?", Alexander asked, our gaze locking amidst the mask we wore.
I nodded happily. My happiness was about the growth of my business. This was not about Alexander, or how he made me feel. Or so I thought.
As Alexander guided me to meet people and communicate with them, I felt a sense of belonging, as if we were part of this glittering world. Eyes were on us, even those of the royalties. I could tell the royalties stared at Alexander and me because I spotted Prince Jasper, the most popular prince in the world. I did not know much about him, but he seemed to be the only person Vivian had ever had a crush on, despite never having met him before. She had shown me his picture so many times that it was not hard to spot him, even with a mask. It was also easy to see that he was indeed very handsome, even with the mask on. Vivian sure had an eye for good stuff. I made a mental note to take a picture of him so I could tell her about it later.
The music swirled around us, a lilting waltz that seemed to match the beating of my heart. I felt like I was floating on a cloud of gold and magic.
The introduction with the Businessmen in the room went smoothly. I got lots of deals from a few people. This stirred more happiness in me. It turned out that the masquerade ball was not a bad idea after all.
We just finished speaking to Rowan, the richest man who deals with online businesses, when another man approached us, and Alexander's face immediately darkened as his grip on my waist tightened.
"Long time no see Alexander. I see you got yourself yet another toy to play with. You never seem to change", the man said with a chuckle.
Rowan excused himself like a gentleman should since he knew that the conversation had nothing to do with him, while my face reddened. How much of a jerk was Alexander that people thought all the women that he was with were just sex toys to him?
I tried to take slow and steady breaths. It was only a matter of time before I would slap anyone who referred to me as a sex toy. I loved sex, but I was nobody's sex toy, especially not Alexander's.
"This is my wife-to-be Maximilian. She's not a sex toy. And it's a pleasure to see you here. I knew you would make it here after trying to use a woman who may have been innocent to try sabotaging me", Alexander said, his voice calm as ever, but his grip still tight.
It clicked instantly. Maximilian was the person who had sent Jade to try to tell me something, or harm me - I had no idea. But the darker part of it was that Alexander knew Jade might have been an innocent woman sent by a man as evil as Maximilian, and since she posed a threat, he had ended her life. At this point, I did not know who to hate more: Maximilian for sending an innocent woman to do something evil, or Alexander for killing her to stop whatever evil plan she had intended to carry out.
Maximilian chuckled devilishly.
"What are you accusing me of this time? I have no idea what you're talking about", he said, claiming to be innocent.
But, even I saw through that lie. He definitely sent Jade to me.
"If you'd excuse me, I would like to take my princess to dance with me. This conversation with you is boring", Alexander stated flatly.
I was flustered. I knew Alexander called me princess just to convince Maximilian that we were in love, but it still got me nervous. What if deep down Alexander liked me, but was trying to hide it? A part of me wanted to find out if he did, but a part of me thought against it. It would have made better sense to try to find out if Alexander had feelings for me if I weren't already in a committed relationship with Ryan. Poor Ryan. I was always a step from cheating on him whenever I was with Alexander.
"I know you deal with many illegal businesses, and you're a head of a Mafia. But unlike the rest of the Mafia, you don't lay so low. The media knows you, but you have been able to paint yourself as a good person to a lot of people, and you have always been able to commit crimes without ever getting arrested. One day your time of reckoning will come, and not even your wealth would be able to save you", Maximilian said, with a smile.
He wanted to take Alexander down because he was a Mafia? Who was this man? Now that I looked at him carefully, he did not look like he was part of the Mafia. I was curious more than ever to find out what he had sent Jade to tell me.
Alexander held my hand as he made us walk out on Maximilian whose demonic smile had not faded.
"Who is that?", I asked, as Alexander led me to the floor to dance.
"Maximilian. My number one enemy", Alexander declared.