Marked by the Devil

Chapter 4

“Some people say he’s the devil himself. He is a multi-billionaire and he owns countless industries round the globe. No one knows his first source of this crazy money.”

Wendy picked it up from there. “If he wants something, he gets it no matter what it is. He goes nowhere but work and home. People in the mansion say they’ve seen him with horns…”

“And others said he has a long spiky tail…”

A long spiky tail? The picture of a golden devilish statue was flashing in my head. I shook that scary thought off. What the heck was that? 

“… He’s killed countless number of people and always gets away with it. No one is allowed to work in the mansion for more than five years. It’s because he doesn’t age. He decided to stay in Olia because he’s been banned from every other place. People don’t even know he lives here.”

Ana cleared her throat. “He has no certificates, no identity cards, no passports and no world records. He’s like a ghost. He also has no finger prints and no true face. Nora is the only one who knows the truth about sir because she’s been staying here for a long time. And she is the only one who has neither green eyes nor black hair.”

When they finished, I didn’t know how to react. So I burst into laughter. It was the funniest thing I ever heard in my life. I had never heard such a crazy formed up story since I was born. 

I had to give it to them. “That is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. You really believe that s**t? I don’t believe you.”

“That’s what I first thought when I was employed in the mansion. I saw red smoke emitting from his room one day, when I got closer to it. I started coughing…”

Red smoke releasing from the box I opened. It had a choking smell. I couldn’t help but cough…

“… Are you okay, Lexa?” Ana asked worriedly.

“I’m… fine.” The introduction of this man gave me weird memories that I knew I never had. I didn’t want to talk about him anymore. “Look, there’s the mansion.”

We got down from the taxi and went into the mansion.

Lot’s POV

I held the clock, watching how the second hand ticked and tocked. I could always move the hand of my clock to reach my desired time but I loved to wait for this. The anxiety building up in me would burst in no time.

That was what I wanted. 

But I wanted her more. I wanted her more than I wanted to conquer the world. Conquering the world was always my top priority. This time, Alexa was. 

If I could wait for 547 years, I could sure wait for a few more minutes. I got use to human feelings during my stay on the earth. Emotions made humans differ from the other creatures of the world. 

That was why humans lived through all the death phases, making them one of the few species left on the face of earth. Wolves went extinct. Witches were killed by me. I hated those cackling and ugly things. Mermaids still existed, but they evolved and hid themselves below humans’ reach.

Fairies were destroyed by the angels when they wanted to be the only kind on earth. 

Those same angels were the ones who cast my ancestor on earth. I hissed at those horrible memories. They weren’t my memories but I didn’t want to have anything to do with them. I had so many memories that didn’t belong to me. I didn’t want to recall them.

Vampires… they were my next favorite to demons but only a handful of them are alive. They are among humans and they don’t even know it. Ogres lost the war between them and the animals of the world.

Every strain of living things had their story to tell. Dragons were cast to my dimension. I didn’t want them at first but they turned out to be very useful.

I faced the clock once more, watching time pass.

Lexa’s POV

Nora heaved a great sigh of relief when she spotted me. “Thank God you’re here. Put on your uniform and rush to sir’s room. You only have six minutes!”

Her too? “What’s the biggie about this? Why does he even want to see me?”

Nora threw my uniform at me. “Hurry up and put it on.”

I sniffed my uniform. “Jasmine?”

“Sir, asked me to do so?”

I smirked. “Anyone who loves jasmine can’t be so bad.”

“Won’t say that if I were you,” Wendy whispered in my ear.

<Oh please> I speedily put on my uniform and went to his room.

I couldn’t help but think why he wanted to see me. I laughed again at the story Wendy and Ana told me.

“The devil? Pfft. If he’s the devil then I’m God’s own daughter.” 

I sighed with a smile and looked at the uniform I was wearing. It was shorter than it should be and firm too. I wondered when I would get used to this. It was taking too long.

The smell of jasmine filled everywhere I passed. That was one thing to smile at. Eventually, I reached his room. I stood in front of the door and placed my hand on it. 

I was so brave till I finally reached there. I began to worry. What if Wendy and Ana’s story was true? Did he want to kill me?

I wanted to turn back and run away when I heard… “Come in!”

I turned to the door. How did he know I was there when I didn’t knock? 

The voice was ridiculously familiar. I couldn’t place it. My stomach knotted and my heart raced. My hands were too shaky to open the door. I lost my breath when I heard footsteps from the other side, coming towards the door.

The doorknob turned…

Lot’s POV

I knew she was the one. I heard her from hundred meters away. She was already two minutes late but I didn’t care ‘cause I knew she was on her way. 

The jasmine scent was undeniably hers. I couldn’t wait to see her.

My heart stopped when she reached the door. I was confused when she hesitated to open the door. Why wasn’t she opening it? Did she remember something? Did she know it was me? 

“Come in!”

Her reaction to my voice was unexpected. I could hear her heart throb. Her body was quivering. She wanted to turn around and run.

I stood up and walked towards the door. The closer I moved, the stronger her scent got. The excitement in me was liberating. She stopped in her tracks. She didn’t move again.

Did my presence affect her?

I placed my hand on the knob to open the door. I can’t remember the last time I opened the door for anybody. She was worth it. She was special. She was my Alexa.

I took a deep breath, knowing she was still there and opened the door. 

My breathing doubled. Adrenaline was pumping into my blood. Damn these human emotions. 

I raised my head to see… Alexa. 

The girl in my nightmares.

The girl in my dreams.

The girl whom I waited 547 years for.

The girl who left me in pain.

The girl who killed herself to hurt me.

The girl who refused to be my mate!

I suddenly felt anger. She left me to sob for 547 years. Worst of all, she refused to be mine. No one refuses the devil. How dare she?! 

I had so many mixed feelings. My inner devil wanted to burst out but I controlled it. I felt anger, pain and love. It made my blood boil. I hissed.

But when I looked into her eyes, the love cooled the boiling anger. How could I get angry at those beautiful green eyes? But how could I forgive those lips that said they weren’t mine.

It was a split confusing moment. I didn’t know how to react.

Lexa almost lost her breath when she saw sir. 

He was breathtaking. She had never seen anyone so glorious in her eyes. It… it gave her a memory. A very striking and painful memory she couldn’t recollect. She was seeing flashes till it came together…

He was beautiful. She had never seen such unworldly beauty in her life. Not even a vampire’s handsomeness could match with his beauty.

His lips were like no other. Looking at them alone could enchant her into kissing him. His glassy red eyes were like never before. She’s never seen anything with red eyes before. His hair was dark… darker than black.

His figure was dangerously beautiful. He wore a white prince shirt and free black *pantaloons*. If this was the devil, then was the storybook lying. What about the golden statue?

She was about to fall but he caught her. He holding her hand reminded him of the time he carried her dead body. 

No, he didn’t want to remember that now. She was back and that was the most important thing.

He placed her on his bed and couldn’t stop staring. He’s known her for 559 years. 

Lexa shot her eyes open. The first thing she saw was him. 

She whimpered and jumped off the bed. “What are you trying to do?”

She eyed him deadly. That was the same way he eyed her in the palace. 

“Wow. You’re still feisty.”

“Excuse me? I don’t know you. I just work for you but don’t think you can try anything with me and get away with it.” He wanted to say something but decided against it. He didn’t want her to get scared of him. “Nora said you called me here.”

“She’s the senior nurse to you.”

Lexa almost forgot who she was talking to. She wouldn’t show him respect because people said he was the devil or because everyone was afraid of him but because he was her payer. She needed that money to take utmost care of her mum.

She needed it now, more than ever. “I-I’m sorry, sir.”

Her tongue stung itself in saying those words. She’s never worked under somebody. She was always self-employed since her accident. Things had changed.

“Call me Elliot.” She raised her head sharply, looking at him in surprise. The name. That name triggered something deadly. Her neck nipped. She searched for the source of the pain. “Those two marks on your neck, have they always been there?”

“Y-yes sir? They’re birthmarks.”

He smirked. “I see.”

He knew she wouldn’t remember anything about him but that wouldn’t stop her from the triggers and memory flashes. He knew she had them because of his presence. It was written all over her face. 

“Sir, what do you need me to do?”

He wanted to make this fun and slow. 

He hopped on the bed and opened his phone. “What else? Clean up the room.”

He’s so weird. I mean, why call me up to do the same duty but in your presence instead. Complete weirdo.

She picked up the broom to sweep.

“No, arrange my bed first.” 

He wanted her to suffer a bit. She made him wait for 547 years; he’d make her suffer for a few days. 

She dropped the broom and moved closer to his side. “Sir, can you… please…”

“You want me to get up from my bed?”

“But sir?”

“Why are you so persistent? Get to work.”

“Why me?”

“What was that?”

Lexa shook her head. “Nothing, sir.”

She went to the farther side of the king-sized bird and began tucking it in. Lexa hoped he would move before she reached his side but he didn’t budge. 

She hesitantly went to his side and fluffed the pillow, while on the bed. Lexa took a peek into what he was watching. He was scrolling through different photos of hot models.

Lexa wanted to say something but kept her mouth shut. She attempted to climb off the bed but she lost balance and almost fell… for the second time. She almost fell because Elliot caught her on time.

Lexa had no idea why she kept falling. Her whole body would lose balance when she was close to him.