Prologue

"Strip!" He hissed coldly robbing her of her breath as she froze in her place. Her eyes went wide in trepidation.

She didn't move. She didn't even dare to breathe. Her brown eyes gazed at him blanched.

Maybe she heard him wrong. She tried to comfort her heart.

Axel tilted his head ever so lightly and the mere act had her heart coming to her mouth in terror.

"Did you not hear me, slave? I said f*cking strip!" He growled, sounding inhuman.

Slave.

She was his slave. Of course, she had been his captive all this time. No free person was ever kept in restraints. Why did his words hurt her so much? They were like an acid-dipped dagger going straight through her heart.

"Didn't you hear me?" He questioned.

She flinched at the icy tone. Her hands trembled as she clutched the shirt more tightly to stop the quivering.

She couldn't bear to look into those ruthless grey spheres that held the promise of her destruction.

"S...sorry," her voice was a low whisper. Barely even audible to her ears but he heard it.

She didn't know she said that. What was she sorry for? Sorry for her existence? Maybe. This would make sense. But would her apology make any difference?

He let out a puff of smoke as he tapped on his cigarette to get rid of the residue.

"I can't hear you," He snickered, causing her to jolt in fright as she wrapped her arms around her trembling body.

"Sorry," her voice was louder but shaky.

"Kneel," He said. The calmness in his voice gripped her heart in dread.

Without another word, she kneeled in front of him. He called her a slave. She was expected to do as he commanded. The only reason she'd do it was that she wanted to free her brother and if she would die today, she won't be able to do that.

"Put your palms on the floor," His thick voice resonated in the dark room.

Gulping down the lump in her throat she placed her palms on the floor. It was humiliating as she kept her gaze fixed on the floor.

But somehow she was glad. The fear was too much, crackling all around her.

"Now crawl to me," He said icily and her whole body tensed.

She blinked and her tears fell on the tiled floor blurring her vision.

Crawl. So he wanted to show her her place, which was an animal. A slave pet maybe. Why did it hurt her so much? She should've expected nothing else from him then why did she feel despair? 

She could feel his intense gaze drilling holes in her body. Evelyn felt claustrophobic under his scrutiny. She just wanted to run away. So far away that he could never find her.

"Evelyn," the way he said her name had fear sneaking into her bones. Without thinking much she got up to her feet and made a dash toward the door.

She was barely able to open the door when it slammed shut and a big calloused hand was pressed on the door beside her head.

Her eyes widened and a new set of tears kissed her cheeks. Her heart thumped in her ears as she held her breath in absolute terror.

"I...I s...swear, I d...didn't do a...anything," She croaked out, trembling.

"Did I allow you to talk?" He whispered in a thick baritone. His hot breath hit her ear shell and she flinched badly.

Her whole body tautened up when she felt his front pressed on her back.

His free hand grabbed her arm in a hard grip as he roughly turned her around and slammed her back on the door making her wince. She closed her eyes tightly.

Axel placed his arm on the door above her head as he leaned down to look at her but her silky honey locks were like a curtain.

The next thing he had her cheeks in his grip, four fingers on one side and his thumb on the other before yanking her head up.

Axel peered at his favorite items. Her quivering chin and trembling plump lips. 

His dark gaze glided to her wet lashes. Those big brown eyes were confined to him.

"Open your eyes," He ordered. His hot breath fanned her face and she could smell alcohol on him. 

"Open your eyes, Jewel," He husked that nickname causing her insides to churn in fear.

She could feel it. The crackling aura of immense power and domination oozed out of him in waves and it forced her shoulders to shrink. 

Never in her whole life had she been this scared of anyone before. But the man in front of her wasn't human because he possessed no heart and no mercy for her.

What did she ever do wrong to deserve this?

"I... I... didn't k...kill him. I... I... swear-"

He pressed his finger on her juicy lips, shutting her up abruptly.

"Open your eyes or else," The warning in his voice was lethal as her eyes shot open wide only for her breathing to stop when her terror-filled eyes met with the golden specs in his eyes.

He would kill her now.

"Why do you look so pale?" He asked casually, peering down at her.

His thumb stroking her lips caused her to gulp the knot bulging in her throat.

"I haven't even started anything yet," He muttered, sounding deranged.

"Now, Jewel. Are you stripping or do you want me to rip your clothes?" He sneered ruthlessly.