Chapter 315: Chapter 315

"Are you sure that, this is Ian Thornston and not some lookalike? It’s bizarre that he is cuddling her in public like that!"

"What a stupid question! Who else would he cuddle but his wife?"

As Brianna watched the lovey-dovey interactions, she couldn’t help but think back to Royston.

’That stupid Royston could not get a single task done. Foolish! I can never trust anyone to get a job done! What a nuisance!’ Brianna smiled and winced as another alien thought crept into her mind, causing her pain.

She took one step forward and then called out to Ian, but he did not even react.

"I have some business to discuss with IAN!"

That got her the attention she was looking for as Ian slowly turned to look at her. She trembled from the intensity of the gaze, but Brianna had a mission and did not back down.

Ian turned back to Shelby and, in the full view of the curious crowd, gave a deep, short kiss.

"Let me take care of this. I’ll be right back."

Shelby blushed deep into her roots despite their relationship’s progress. She nodded, wondering why Ian would choose to kiss her in the full view of others, but she was still touched because she understood his reason.

Brianna stomped her foot in anger but still followed Ian as he walked out of the crowd towards one of the private rooms at the back.

’Despite everything, Ian is still taking me to a private room. I knew it! He wanted to put on a façade but still wants me! I mean, why would he send me that invite and this earring? He is such a tease!’

Brianna’s thoughts were all over the place as she followed Ian, and the door finally closed behind the two.

Ian headed for a comfy sofa that lined one end of the room and crossed one leg over the other. Brianna looked at him shyly but remained standing at the door. Ian’s aura was too imposing, but it somehow aroused her instead.

She couldn’t help but run her hands over her chest as if she wanted to discard her clothes. She felt too hot for some reason, but Brianna was not about to let something invade her time with Ian—never!

Ian was like that far mountain top that she could never reach, but to Brianna, Ian had left his wife in front of all the people out there and entered a private room with her. To her, that was already a win.

The door pushed open from the outside, and Currey came in with a tray.

"Please have a seat," he gestured towards one of the other seats in the room, making Brianna frown. She wanted to sit beside Ian, but Currey’s next actions shocked her into submission.

Currey had two huge ice pouches and handed them to Brianna to hold them over her cheeks. The cooling even made her eyes water.

’I knew that Ian liked me!’

She directed her words at Ian, totally disregarding Currey, who had brought the ice packs.

Ian’s eyes remained on her as he listened to her wild thoughts.

"There is something that I have been meaning to tell you. I don’t want to be blamed for this, but I cannot sit by and let you be deceived."

Ian tilted his head, and she smiled, still holding the ice packs on her cheeks,

"Shelby is my friend, and I don’t want to slander her, but I cannot watch her make a fool out of you! She is still in love with Royston... her crush from school! She ..."

Brianna continued to say ridiculous things about Shelby, and Ian watched on calmly. Ian understood one thing: Brianna had a hand in Royston’s visit, even though that was not explained to the other person.

He narrowed his eyes as she babbled on and on, and then, finally, she added,

"I’m so happy that you invited me. I knew you had feelings for me. - "

"You?" Ian scoffed, and his eyes turned cold. So cold that Brianna felt her hot skin cool down a notch.

"Huh?" She dropped the ice from her cheeks and felt the sting creep back. Brianna was confused but unsure of what was happening.

"You think that I would let you go after trying to harm my wife?" his voice was low, but the menace behind it was unmistakable as he leaned in, eyes cold and unyielding with a deadly glint.

Ian’s words cut through the air like a blade, and Brianna flinched.

’Harm my wife? Harm my wife?’ The words re-echoed in Brianna’s head, and she could not help but start to think wildly,

’Does he know something? Really? That cannot be! I covered my tracks, and that bitch, who got herself arrested, has no guts to rat me out. Maybe he is testing the waters? I must stand my ground.’ She could not help but cringe back as she thought of these.

Though Ian hadn’t raised his voice, the weight of his fury settled over her like a dark cloud, impossibly pressing down on her neck, making the once-confident girl cower. Her heart pounded with agony in her chest as a profound, primal fear coiled within her.

She had never seen him before, but one would wonder if Brianna had ever seen Ian up close to understand his character. His usual warmth was replaced by a steely coldness in her eyes. The intensity in his gaze made her feel small, vulnerable, like a trapped animal. Brianna did not like that.

She tried to comprehend, her mind racing, struggling to piece it together.

’Didn’t he love me?’ The thought echoed, confused and desperate.

’Are we roleplaying? Yes! Maybe we are!’ The absurdity of it struck her, but his expression had no playfulness. This was no game! The realization hit her hard, sending a shiver down her spine.

His silence felt oppressive, his presence overwhelming, and the gap between them suddenly seemed like an unbridgeable chasm. She could feel her breath quicken, the terror rising as she tried to make sense of what had changed, but no answers came—only the growing fear that she had crossed a line she never knew existed.

"You made my precious Elfin helpless with no aid in sight. You will have a little taste of that tonight. Do not worry... I will ensure you remember this feeling for the rest of your life!"

Brianna shrunk back, her heart thudding so much that she could not hear her thoughts. She couldn’t help but wonder who Elfin was. Did Ian have another woman somewhere?

Despite this, her eyes lingered on the glass of wine placed in front of Ian at some point as the wheels of her mind kept racing.

Ian’s eyes narrowed at her thoughts, and then,

Brianna was shocked out of her thoughts at that sharp voice, just as Currey stepped forward and placed his hand on Brianna’s shoulder. Just then, she felt cool air rush all over her body, and she looked around nervously, only to scream.

She scrambled back, forgetting about the cold air, only to bump into a man behind her. Brianna’s mind was a mess as she could not understand how they had gotten where they were.

Gone was the tiled floor, and in its place was cold dirt that made her heels sink. A cold exterior replaced the warm interior, and the mountainous terrains had replaced the bright room décor. She was on top of a tall mountain with thick dew mists all around her.

She screamed out again and scrambled to her feet to run but met Ian’s smiling face.

"Ia-n .... I – Mr Thornston..."

The wind howled around them in the semi-darkened place as she stood trembling at the cliff’s edge with nowhere to run to, her heart pounding. Her legs felt weak, barely able to hold her upright, as the ground beneath her feet seemed to tilt.

Brianna clung to herself, desperate for any semblance of stability or, better yet, sanity, but nothing could calm the terror coursing through her veins. Never in Brianna’s life had she experienced this. It felt like a dream, yet not. The stinging cheek pain told her that it was not a dream.

Ian crossed his arms, and a cruel smirk graced his lips as if watching a caged animal.

"What’s wrong?" I am no more IAN to you? he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I thought you were so brave and wanted to get into my bed. My wife is tons braver than you will ever be!"

He took a step closer, his eyes glinting with sadistic amusement. "This isn’t how you imagined it? Is it? It’s not all rosy but thorny? Mum and Dad can’t use the port to bargain for you anymore? Do you wish for them to come to save you? Save your energy for something else! You, all snide and vocal, now, standing here, on the edge, shaking like a leaf? What happened to the proud little Miss?"

Ian’s words cut through her like icy shards, the disbelief clouding her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. ’How could this be happening to me.’ She never imagined it would come to this—never imagined her crush would be !

"Go on, why don’t you take a step," he jeered softly, eyes locked on her, and Brianna knew at that moment that he was enjoying every bit of her terror.

"Since you were so decisive in letting my Elfin experience that, why don’t you try and see what happens next? Or are you too scared to face what’s waiting below? Such a chicken she was!"

Ian turned to Currey at that moment.

Brianna’s breath hitched, her pulse racing as his cruel taunts struck like a soundtrack to her nightmare.

She dropped to her bum, trying to crawl back and away from him but remembered that there was nothing behind her but the steep drop along the mountain’s side.

She stopped, and fresh tears ran down.

"I- I reall-y di-dn’t -"

"Tck, tck tsk! Still unrepentant...."

Ian smirked, and then the worst fears of Brianna’s life came to reality.

Currey, who had remained quiet and at the side watching, grabbed Brianna by her hair and threw her off the cliff edge like a ragdoll. Brianna’s eyes widened in shock.

Briannia’s screams reverberated off the mountain and the open valley space in between, but the two men looked on as if they were out for a very ordinary stroll.

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