Chapter 3: Fear (II)

*Flashback*

"Ella do not talk to anyone else except me. Only I can protect you, Ells!" James said while having a rather hard grip on my hands.

"But James, I want to have friends! I want to live like a normal kid! And for the sake of dear heavens I'm 16 now!" cried Ella. She was getting frustrated now. James always did this to her, not letting her play nor talk to anyone else except him.

Ella really looked up to James like a brother, but this was getting out of hands now. It was almost like her life was all at James' hands and it was his to do anything with, and this made Ella furious.

"Who was he to approve of who she was talking to or not," Ella thought.

James had just caught Ella conversing with Drew, the village hunk who apparently had a crush on Elle. It was adorable really, but Ella had no idea about it. James was livid. He ran towards Drew and punched his jaw and kept on punching him. Drew was all bloody now.

Ella screamed "James! Let him go, please!! Don't hurt him!"

But James did not listen to her and continuously kept on hitting drew.

"She's mine! You being a peasant have no right to even look at what's mine!" saying this he gave him the last blow and stoop up.

James hazel brown eyes were black now, his whole body was shaking in anger. He quickly marched towards Elle who was crying and then grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip and hugged her.

"If you talk to anyone else but me Ella, I won't hesitate to do this again."

Ella kept on sobbing.

Ella was so hurt by his behaviour. She did not like anyone treating her as an object so she tried to get away from him and screamed "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!! You do not own me, James!"

James had never felt angrier in his life before. He was obsessed with Ella. He loved her and she was his, and of course, he could not let anyone else take what was his.

He slapped Ella.

The world seemed to stop for Ella. She felt a sharp pain in her cheek. She could not believe what had happened right now. James had hit her! He was mad! Ella started to cry more now

"I love you, Ella. And you fix that in your brain. YOU BELONG TO ME AND ME ONLY. And if anyone gets close to you or tries to take you away from me! I will Kill them Ells. Nobody can separate us. We two are made for each other."

Ella felt like she was about to faint. She now knew that James wasn't her brother like figure. He was crazy. So she did what anyone would have done.

"I don't love you, James. I never will!" saying this she ran.

She reached her home and locked her room. She was so scared to even go out now. Ella cried herself to sleep that day.

The next day her mother and father told her that James and his nanny had left the village due to certain circumstances.

Ella still remembered that it was Jame's birthday today, he was going to turn eighteen, but his disappearance gave her heart peace. She was free or so she thought.

_Flashback end_

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King Elijah held Ella's jaw and then smiled the most sinister smile. That smile could have chilled bones, and Ella felt fear fill her heart.

"I was hoping to catch you in the ball my love, but it seems like fate has other plans" saying this, he grabbed Ella's black hair and started to drag her to his room.

He had planned on making Ella his in the ball to come, but getting her earlier was just like adding a cherry on top.

He hadn't gotten over Ella's rejection and was still obsessed with her. Her house was always looked over by guards and he always got reports on her. But now Ella was back in his hands, moreover, she was in his castle! Now, she would know his real identity.

Elijah's mind filled with the punishments stored for his dear Elle. After all, she had disobeyed him and she was surely going to pay for it.

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