"Christian...I remember him. He's arrogant as fuck. Met him once at some diner party had heard so much about his work, wanted an audience with him just for him to walk past me like a freaking nobody" Micheal said then he dropped the glass loudly.

"Collins is playing a dangerous game with me. He thinks I would let that property go and to Christian of all people. Hell no!!" Ella listened quietly eating her food.

She overheard the conversation between Mr Collins and Micheal. Dimitri had interrupted them in the room, informing him of Mr Collins' arrival. After Micheal had been through with her, he left her to go downstairs. As she walked to her room in her robe, she could see the old man who was looking upstairs. She decided to hide behind one of the pillars to eavesdrop on their conversation.

She could tell the man was just being shady and she knew he was in the brink of death if he continued down the dishonest path he was going. She had heard of Christian, but never met him. Her husband was egotistic there was no way he would let this go.

That same night, almost close to midnight, Ella was sitted in the parlor dressed up in a crimson red satin dress with a deep V neckline with a daring thigh high slight. She wore dangling gold earrings, a bracelet and a simple necklace. Holding a gold sparkly clutch purse.

Her arms crossed, tapping her ankle strapped heel on the floor,impatiently. Her makeup was simple with just a bit of powder and blush with some pink lipgloss.

'So he makes me dress up for some stupid event just to make me wait here for almost an hour' she thought to herself. Micheal had instructed her to get ready for some dinner party but now he was no where to be found.

"Fuck this" she stood up ready to go to her room when the doors flung open. "Ellaaaa!! Come on baby, let's go, let's go party!!" Micheal shouted drunkenly. Ella turned around to see her husband in a dark blue tuxedo but his bowtie was all messed up and hair let down.

It was obvious he was tipsy "Micheal, you're drunk there's no need to go for this event" Ella saw this as an opportunity not to go anymore but Micheal didn't seem to budge "In the car now. The guards are waiting outside already" Micheal demanded turning to leave. Ella sighed adjusting her dress as she followed Micheal.

The hall glowed with liquid gold, chandeliers bleeding firelight across marble floors polished enough to mirror the guests. Silk drapes fall from the ceiling like rivers, while tables float under their own spotlit halos, stacked with exotic drinks in crystal glasses.

The guests were dressed extravagantly like a gallery of living art. Dresses ripple like whispers, jewels scatter light across the room, and suits mold to bodies with ruthless precision. Conversations move in currents every smile feels rehearsed, every gesture engineered to dominate or disarm.

She walked side by side with Micheal, she felt a bit overwhelmed, her palms a bit sweaty. Ella never liked going out with Micheal because he was an open flirt looking at everything in a skirt while she just stood there looking like a fool. She moved to the bar tired of standing as her husband spoke to his business associates.

She took drink after drink watching the exotic dancers, dressed in colorful costumes, trying to enjoy herself a little, ignoring some of the loud chatter "Ella come over here" Micheal shouted from where he stood "Ella!!" He shouted again, everyone staring at him.

Ella sighed going to him "I'm here, I'm here" she said smiling tightly "You must be Ella. I'm Griffin pleasure to meet you " one of Michael's associates said bring his hand forward. He looked like he was in his 30s, he was young looking with a full beard.

"Yes, uh same, pleasure is mine" she said shaking him and Micheal immediately noticed this gesture and dragged Ella's lower arm bringing her closer to him violently.

"Mind yourself Ella, don't whore yourself around here" he said through his teeth, squeezing her arm. "Griffin, you should know her father is some scruffy old man who couldn't keep his business in check. He had to beg me to help him. Aren't I the nicest guy ever" Micheal taunted as he took a gulp of his whiskey Griffin felt awkward and decided to change the topic.

"About the restaurant in downtown LA I think it needs some remodeling don't you think?" Griffin said sipping his drink, but Micheal wasn't even paying attention as was staring at a girl who walked past them. Ella noticing this became even more uncomfortable and decided to excuse herself.

"Uhm...if you would excuse me, I need to use the bathroom " Ella said softly and Griffin nodded with a small smile, but as she turned to leave Micheal still held on to her tightly not letting her go and whispered in her ear "Don't let me begin to wonder where you flew off to" Ella just stared at him for a short while saying nothing and walked off.

Ella walked into the bathroom sighing loudly. Turning the faucet on, she washed her hands frantically trying to get the prints of his hands out. She stared at her reflection gripping the side of the sink. She felt trapped.

"Ugh!! That that...that bastard. He mentioning my father all for what exactly just to put me down even more??" Tears gathered in her eyes but she refused to let it fall.

She was frustrated with her situation she just wanted the ground to swallow her. Micheal never failed to remind her about her father and what had happened, mocking her but she couldn't do anything about Micheal, she was powerless against him.

When she first got married to him she had tried to run away that night but he found her and locked her in the dungeon for 2 days and her father had even gotten beaten up. Now she has been married to him for almost 2 years but she still couldn't accept that this was now her life.

She was being held captive, her life was no longer hers and Micheal never failed to remind her of that. "I can take your life whenever I want to you are living by my mercy" Micheal would often say. He was playing God.

Running her hands through her hair she sighed. She wanted to scream, to shout out her pain but she couldn't. She was trapped in something that wasn't even her fault. Something she had no control of.

She was a compensation for her father's problem. Her own father betrayed her. Now she was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb at the mercy of Micheal and no one was coming to save her, she was all alone.

She washed her hands more gently this time and turned it off and dried it. Applying more lipgloss staring at herself saying " Everything will be fine" with that she walked out of the bathroom only to bump into something hard.

She was going to fall, closing her eyes shut ready for the impact but she didn't, instead she felt a hand wrap around her waist.

She opened her eyes to see a pair of green eyes, the most captivating she had ever seen. Shocked she stood up straight but the person didn't let go of her waist. She cleared her throat. "Uhm...I'm so sorry I didn't see you" she apologized looking away, avoiding his eyes.

"oh no I apologize it's my fault ...are you okay?" The stranger asked, his voice was deep but smooth. "Uh no...I mean yes yes I am" Ella didn't know why she was nervous but she was.

She looked up to him and she realized how tall this person was. He was wearing a white collar shirt, the shirt wasn't buttoned all the way up and his silver necklace peeked out, a black waist coat with a fitted black suit. He had a look of elegance, calmness too but dangerous too. His wavy hair not too long or short was styled in a mullet but she could see his tattoo right under his ear but she couldn't tell what it read.

He took her hands slightly caressing the bruising on her hand with his thumb, her heart hitched as he did that. "What is an angel like you doing with such a demon like that?" he asked staring right into her eyes. Ella looked at his hands on hers "What..." she looked up at him in confusion, her brows knitting together, wondering what this stranger was talking about.

"You heard me. You can't possibly be in love with the buffoon. Money?"he continued with a flirty smile. Ella was taken aback by the question, she never really thought of what people thought was going on between her and Micheal. Most ladies looked at her with pity, some with obvious envy, some don't even acknowledge her presence at parties.

She frowned at him. She felt offended by his question and took her hands away from him "It's none of your business. You do not know anything about me" she glared at him.

'If Micheal sees me with this man he's going to kill me. I need to leave here' Ella thought to herself in worry looking around. She was about to walk away but he used his hands to block her way.

"Uh Mister, excuse me I need to leave" she said not looking at him but he came closer to her and there was barely any space between them, she turned her face to him in even more confusion. "Is there something that you need? If not, I have to go back to the party".

He moved closer, his grey eyes staring straight into hers, his gaze made her weak and she stood frozen. It felt like he was staring straight into her soul and studying all that there was about her. He brought his hand to her face, moving her hair behind her ear with his right hand resting on her cheek. When he did that she flinched a little but his touch was very gentle something Ella wasn't used to.

He noticed this and bent down to her ears, "I'm not going to hurt you" he whispered, she shuddered at his words and how intimate everything seemed.

Her heart pounding and she couldn't understand why, even though he was a stranger something about him just made her at peace, he looked at her with a smile and then just steps back and slowly walks away the subtle fear in her eyes subsiding, his touch was gentle, something Ella wasn't used to.

"Your eyes...they're beautiful" he whispered and then bent to her height again like he was going to kiss her but he pecked her leaving his soft lips on her cheek a little too long and with that he moved away, his hands behind him. "Good bye Angel. A delight it was talking to you" he left leaving Ella wide eyed.

Her face was bright red. She cupped her cheeks with her hands. "What just...what just happened?" She looked around and saw on one. Her placed her right hand on her chest, trying to stabilize her breathing "Calm down Ella, calm down" She took a deep breath fanning herself with her left hand.

She turned back to the bathroom just to be sure she didn't look suspicious because of Micheal. Staring at her reflection, with a reassuring smile she finally left the bathroom.

She walked into the party and tried to act normal, taking steady breaths. She looked around, wondering if she would see the mystery man but to her disappointment she did not. 'Why am I even hoping to spot him. Ella get a grip of yourself'

Ella spotted Micheal and walked to where he was, hoping he was ready to go home "You took too long...tried to run away?" He asked her staring at her suspiciously "I had trouble finding the bathroom" she said looking right back at him so he'd stop asking questions.

Dimitri walked up to where they were speaking softly to his boss, Ella turned her face away but she could still hear them. "Sir, Christian is here" Micheal's face turned sour "What is he doing here, he never comes to these things. Must be here to spite me, the bastard. Where is he?" He asked Dimitri, he seemed agitated.

Ella didn't understand why Christian coming to the event was out of spite to her husband but then again most of her husband's thoughts process never made sense to her. She looked on as her husband and his assistant walked farther to the other side of the hall.

Christian was backing them, speaking to a red haired girl who was smiling and giggling a lot. Micheal approached him looking at him smugly. Putting up a look of pride. But Christian seemed unfazed by his presence "And you are?" Christian asked in a bored tone.

"Who am I?" Micheal scoffed at the question. "Micheal. The Micheal!!And you are the one trying to steal my property" Micheal said loudly. The guests stopped chattering and stared at them, whispering to themselves trying to understand what was going on. Christian remained calm.

"Oh you're the one that crab Is trying to give my property to. Well you see I can't steal what is mine, that's not how life works" he said mockingly staring him down. He turned back to the red haired girl who looked confused but she could continue her conversation with Christian.

Micheal's fist curled in anger, he had flashes of the last time Christian had ignored him, his eyes flared with rage and before anyone knew it Micheal launched at Christian and tried to punch him but Christian being fast and swift avoided his punch and Micheal fell onto the drinks stacked high on a table causing everything to crash.

"Christian!! Oh my God are you okay?!" The red haired girl shrieked, Christian didn't answer he just stared at Micheal struggle to stand up.

Guards began to gather them checking on Micheal. Ella didn't expect things to escalate so quickly, she walked hurriedly to where everyone gathered only to be more shocked and horrified when she saw the face of the person her husband tried to hit was the same person from the bathroom.