In the morning,

Alisha woke up feeling as though she was in someone's embrace, only to find herself face to face with a man.

Overwhelmed with grief, she cried out, "Who killed my Lucky? And why am I only wearing a shirt? Where are my clothes and undergarments?" Her tears flowed uncontrollably as she believed that her love had been taken away from her.

Startled by the sound of her cries, Alex jolted awake from his sleep and angrily shouted, "Who dares to wake me up? Do you want to die?" Hearing his harsh words, Alisha's tears intensified, and she sobbed even harder.

Alex strained to listen to her cries, and amidst the sound, he realised that he had his angel right there with him. Her voice, even in distress, was like music to his ears. Without hesitation, he gently lifted her onto his lap, disregarding the slight lift of her shirt caused by his sudden action. With a commanding voice, he asked, "Why are you crying, Angel?"

"Let me go, you murderer! You killed my love." Alisha cried out in pain.

Alex's anger flared, and he demanded, "Who is this Lucky you speak of?",

"My dog". In between sobs, Alisha managed to utter it.

Alex's anger subsided slightly, but a tinge of jealousy crept in as he questioned, "How can you call a dog your love?"

Alisha defended her affection, saying, "He is my love. My mother said he is like a brother to me." Alex realised that her mother had influenced her perspective.

Desperate to be released, Alisha pleaded, "Let me go! Why did you change my clothes? My mother said no one can touch me without my permission."

Alex's thoughts raced as he remembered that he had even bathed her.

"And I'm not a baby! How can you just take me in your lap? I'm 18 years old." Alex thought to himself, "This girl has surely lost her mind", Alisha continued.

Taking advantage of the moment, Alisha stood up from the bed .

Enraged, Alex gritted his teeth and growled, "Did I tell you to stand up, Angel?"

"You're not my teacher, who gives me permission to leave his class or stand up like that. I'm not in school anymore; I'm in college, sir," Alisha retorted,

Alex sighed and corrected her, "I'm not a sir. My name is Alex, and I'm 25 years old."

"Oh! Similar names, Alisha and Alex. And you're a big Alex at 25." Alex acknowledged the age difference but thought, "Let it be. Who said I wanted her?"Surprised, Alisha exclaimed,

His conscience chimed in, "she is lost with her screw"

Ignoring his conscience, Alex said, "Your name is Alisha."

"I'm not going to tell you my name. I never tell strangers my name." Alisha declared.

Alex facepalmed and thought, "She already told me her name when she joined Alisha with Alex. She's just being difficult. She told her name yesterday too. This is hilarious."

"Okay, don't tell me your name is Alisha," Alex smirked.

"Oh! So you know my name. Can you read minds?" Alisha exclaimed.

Alex thought sarcastically, "This confirms she's a patient who ran away from a mental asylum."

Ignoring her comment, Alex asked, "So, why did you come here?"

"My pet came here last night. I followed him for a walk, but he ran away. I got here looking for him, and then I found him. You killed him, even though I told you not to," she, with her teary eyes, answered.

Alex's anger flared, and he retorted, "He's not your love; he's just a dog. And why were you roaming around at night? Where were your parents?"

Alisha explained, "My mother asked me to take him for a walk." Alex questioned her mother's decision, "How could your mom take such risks and let you roam around at night?"

Inquisitively, Alisha asked, "Are you from the crime investigation department?"

"What?"

"You're asking questions like them, so I thought you might be able to help me." Alisha clarified.

Alex mentally facepalmed,"What are you even thinking?.

"I'm not thinking about anything. It's you who's asking." Angrily, she replied .

"Just shut up!"

Immediately, Alisha stopped crying, afraid of his anger. She hiccuped and apologised, saying, "I'm sorry."

Alex questioned her mother's decision, "How could your mom take such risks and let you roam around at night?"

"Are you in school? You're 25 years old." Sarcastically, Alisha asked.

Irritated, Alex replied, "No, I'm not in school. Don't test my patience."

Alisha continued, "So, are you in college?"

Frustrated, Alex snapped, "No, I'm not. I already have several companies."

Alisha remarked, "So, why would I test you?"

Annoyed by her nonsensical comments, Alex's anger grew, more and more .

"Do you have a fever?"

"No."

"Then why do you look like a tomato?"

"I'm angry because of your pointless chatter, girl!" Alex screamed in her face.

Alisha defended herself, saying, "What do you mean pointless? I'm talking sensibly."

Alex thought to himself, "If this is sensible, I wonder what her nonsensical talk would be like."

His conscience mocked him, "Oh, so you want to hear her talk?",

"Just shut up!"Alex snapped back .

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Alex angrily responded, "Who told you to leave?"

"Nobody, but it's basic manners not to stay in a murderer's home. I'm going to complain to the police that you killed my love." Alisha explained.

"Do you even know what you're saying? The police won't charge me for killing a dog, and even if I killed you, they couldn't do anything." Alex, with shock written on his face, questioned

"Oh, Mr. For murder, the police can do anything. They chase criminals and punish them. I've seen it in movies."

"Thud."

Alex rose to his feet, his hand connecting with Alisha's cheek in a resounding slap. With a firm grip on her hand, he pressed her against the wall, his voice seething with anger.

?"How dare you leave," he exclaimed, his voice laced with fury.

Confusion clouded Alisha's face as she asked, her cheek swollen from the impact, "Is this some kind of truth or dare game we're playing?" She struggled to comprehend the sudden assault.

Frustration etched on his face, Alex retorted, "Damn it, why do you have to be so clueless?" His voice dripped with exasperation.

Defending herself, Alisha replied, her voice filled with determination, "I'm not clueless. I'm right because you said 'how dare,' but we're not playing a game, so why would I dare? Yeah, I have to go."

Alex sighed, his mind swirling with questions. "Why does she have to leave?" he wondered, his thoughts racing.

His conscience taunted him, reminding him, "Because she doesn't belong to you. She can go wherever she wants. What do you want, huh?"

Another sigh escaped Alex's lips as he responded, "Are you planning to go outside naked?"

Alisha demanded, her voice firm, "Oh yeah, give me my clothes."

Relinquishing his grip on her hand, Alex instead held her waist, causing her to wince in pain. She pleaded, "Let go of me. You are hurting me with your nails here yesterday. Please, it's painful, just leave."

Releasing her waist, Alex attempted to inspect her wound, but Alisha grabbed his hands, asserting herself. "Hey, nobody is allowed to touch me without my permission. I told you that before, and you're doing it again," she reminded him, her annoyance evident.

Frustration welled up within Alex as he retorted, "How dare you try to stop me."

Alisha stood her ground, her voice unwavering as she replied, "It's not about daring. It's about what's right."

In a fit of anger, Alex grabbed Alisha's hair, his voice laced with menace as he threatened, "If you open your mouth again, I'm going to cut your tongue."

Silent and fearful, Alisha remained quiet, her heart pounding in her chest at his menacing words.

Releasing his grip, Alex commanded, "Go take a bath. I am going to send someone with clothes." Alisha obediently left the room.

Entering the bathroom, Alisha proceeded to take a bath. When she emerged, she found a girl waiting for her. Judging by the clothes she held, Alisha deduced that she was the maid.

Polite and respectful, the maid handed her the clothes and said, "Ma'am, here are your clothes."

Alisha expressed her gratitude and inquired, "Whose dress is this? How did you know my size?"

"The dress was ordered by Sir from a boutique. Please wear it now," the maid replied, her tone courteous.

Alisha proceeded to change into the dress, feeling a sense of curiosity about how they knew her size.

Alex entered the room and casually stated, "You can leave now."

The maid trembled slightly, quickly exiting the room.

"I told her your size," Alex stated matter-of-factly.

Perplexed, Alisha asked, "How do you know my size?"

"When I bathed her, I memorised every inch of her body. Her red hair and red eyes are simply captivating, as if they were a gift from God," Alex pondered, his thoughts drifting.

Interrupting his musings, Alisha repeated her question desperately, "I'm asking you something."

"I don't like it when people ask me questions," Alex replied, his eyes narrowing as a smirk played on his lips.

Innocently blinking her eyes, Alisha countered, "Why? Didn't your teachers ask you questions in school or college?" She brushed her hair aside, her gaze fixed on him.

Changing the subject, Alex suggested, "Let's go eat."

Alisha shrugged, following him to the dining table.

As they sat at the dining table, Alex's mother arrived home, her eyes immediately drawn to Alisha's beauty.

Curiosity piqued, Alex's mother inquired, "Who are you? And why are your cheeks swollen?"

Alisha pointed towards Alex, her voice tinged with pain, as she replied, "He slapped me," the memory of the assault still fresh in her mind.

Shock registered on Alex's face at her bold honesty, his anger intensifying.

Fury consumed Alex's mother as she scolded him, "Why on earth did you slap this girl?"

"Alex, she's still a child! Why can't you understand that you can't raise your hand against women? First, you injured the servant's arm, and now you slapped this girl. Why can't you control your anger? Why do you always end up fighting?" Alex's mother exclaimed, her voice filled with disappointment.

Gasping, Alisha asked, "What? He injured a servant's arm?"

Alex clenched his teeth, pleading, "Mom, please don't bring up that topic again, okay?"

Sighing, Alex's mother thought, "He's not going to listen. Let it be."

Turning her attention to Alisha, she asked, "Child, what is your name?"

"I don't tell my name to strangers," Alisha replied, her voice firm.

Alex's mother's stern gaze met Alisha's, as she asserted, "Child, I am older, and you must respect your elders."

Apologising, Alisha conceded, "Sorry," before adding, "My name is Alisha."

Curiosity getting the better of her, Alex's mother questioned, "Why are you here, Alisha?"

"Yesterday, my dog accidentally entered your house. I came to retrieve him, but your son shot and killed him. I fainted, and when I woke up, he had changed my clothes and made me sleep in his room. He also injured my waist by digging his nails into it," Alisha explained, leaving no detail unmentioned.

Shock washed over Alex as he witnessed her boldness in speaking the truth.

Growing angrier, Alex's mother demanded, "How could you kill a dog, Alex? Why did you change this girl's clothes and make her stay in your room? And why did you hurt her?"

In a fit of rage, Alex shouted, his hand slamming onto the dining table, causing the glasses to shatter and his hand to bleed.

Fear gripped both Alisha and Alex's mother at the sudden outburst.

"Mom, I don't want to answer. You're irritating me," Alex shouted, his frustration evident.

Stepping forward, Alisha reached out and held his injured hand, concern etched on her face. "You're injured," she stated, her voice filled with genuine worry.

Alex was taken aback, as his mother had never approached him when he was angry. Yet this little girl had the courage to do so.

As Alisha's dress became stained with his blood, Alex attempted to pull his hand away, but Alisha held on firmly.

Alex's mother watched in astonishment, realising that her son had never allowed any woman to touch him, let alone change his clothes or tend to his injuries. Yet here he was, allowing this girl to do so, even in his anger.

"Aunty, please give me the first aid kit. His injury needs to be treated first,"

"Darling, take this first aid kit", Alex's mother tenderly passed the first aid kit and softly urged.

With utmost care, Alisha led Alex to the sofa, then knelt before him to attend to his injury. As she tended to his wound, Alex's gaze never left her.

"She's my guardian angel. Unfazed by my blood staining her dress, she cares only for me," Alex pondered, looking at her with newfound admiration.

Alex's mother noticed a longing in his eyes, something she had never seen before, a desire he kept hidden. She understood he yearned for this girl, yet she feared that his darkness might consume her purity.

"If Alex truly desires something, he'll stop at nothing to attain it," she thought, her mind troubled by it.

Once Alisha had finished dressing Alex's wound, she gently declared, "Alright, I must be on my way now. Mr. Alex, promise me you won't harm yourself or others."

Alex snapped out of his daze, but her words ignited a storm of anger within him. "How dare she lecture me as she leaves?" he seethed silently.

"Alisha, at least change your dress; it's stained with blood," Alex's mother advised.

Alisha paused, then replied graciously, "It's alright, Auntie. My mother must be worried about me too. I didn't return to the orphanage last night either."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise, and he questioned, "You're an orphan? But when I asked before, you said you had a mother. What's the truth?"

Alisha smiled softly, explaining, "I'm the eldest at the orphanage, so I call the owner 'mother.' But Mr. Alex, I want you to know something. In all my life, I've never met anyone as cruel as you. You took an innocent life, and I hope never to cross paths with you again."

After Alisha's departure, Alex's thoughts consumed him. He realised his angel was an orphan, and her words cut deep. "Yes, they all think I'm heartless," he contemplated. "But her words sting. She left me in this abyss, taking her radiance with her."

Alex's mother watched him silently, knowing he desired Alisha. She believed she could be the beacon of hope he desperately needed.

Alex storms out of the house, his mind consumed by one question: "Why has my angel left me?"

He spots the negligent guard who had failed in his duty, allowing an intruder into his home. Anger courses through Alex as he approaches the trembling guard, declaring, "You haven't forgotten what I told you. You will pay for letting that intruder into my house."

The guard stammers,"I'm sorry, sir," as he continues to tremble.

"You know that Alex Sharma doesn't forgive mistakes," Alex asserts, watching the guard's fear intensify.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Alex's conscience taunts him about his initial indifference to the girl. He responds with a dismissive shrug, saying.

"So, your punishment..." Alex begins, his voice dangerously calm, "how about death?"

"Sir, please don't! I have children to feed, a wife, and an ailing mother who depends on me for her treatment," The guard pleads.

Alex remains unswayed, saying, "It doesn't matter to me. I pay you to do your job, which you didn't do properly."

The guard's tears flow freely, catching the attention of Alex's mother, who comes outside to investigate the commotion.

Approaching Alex, she asks, "What happened? Why is the guard crying?"

"Mom, he's going to die today because he didn't do his job when someone intruded into our house."

His mother, shocked by his response, implores, "Alex, he's a human being. How can you take a life for a mistake?"

"That's precisely why I'm punishing him, Mom. Because he's human, and this world has no room for those who make mistakes," he retorted.

His mother tries to reason, "Alex, making mistakes is part of human nature. They teach us, and we learn from them."

Alex remains resolute, saying, "Mom, there's no place for forgiveness in my dictionary. This is my final decision."

His mother, deep in thought, contemplates how to save the guard. She eventually says to the guard, "You can go."

The guard leaves, still trembling and in tears, leaving Alex furious. Through gritted teeth, he asks his mother, "Why did you do that?"

His mother explains, "The guard made a mistake, but you met that girl, right?."

"I know, so what?"