Preview:

Xaiden came back to America to meet Ella and to help her. He wanted her to be safe and for that, he wrote a letter to her father. He also asked Jessica to help him meet Ella and he did meet her. After a few conflicts, they were able to start a new beginning. Ella was happy and thought that everything was going to be fine but then she received a threatening call from someone.

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Ella's POV.

It had already been two days since that horrific call that I received. Those words still constantly revolving in my mind, that voice still lingering in my head and my body would shudder just by shifting those words to a reality, to my reality. He did say that my end is coming and I could feel that whatever this end of mine would be, it was near and this mere thought was enough to make me believe where I was standing now.

During all this time spent with Xaiden, I had forgotten that who I was, and what I am meant to be. After a year, when he returned and we started our another beginning, I had forgotten that I was nowhere near to being a normal perfect girl. I wasn't born a normal girl and never will be, no matter how much I wished for it, no matter how much I yearned for this, I can never be one of those teenage girls spending time with their boyfriends or going on countless dates, and making their heart bloom with love and new emotions.

What people called luxuries became my prison. What people called luck became my dark fate and what people called love became my secret. I was caged up by my own fate, in my own life. A cage that was unable to open and whose key did not exist. This was my reality, my past, my present and my future. I would always be that girl having a lot of people at the bay of killing her, a girl who would never know which day might become her very last one.

I paced around my room lost in the thoughts. I wanted to tell someone about the call that I received two days ago but didn't know how or to who to. I have noticed that dad wasn't his usual self since the time he had come into my room to hug me. It was so sudden and I was still confused not knowing the reason behind his sudden action. I don't think I could talk to him about this matter and I couldn't tell my friends as well. They still don't know about the real me and I don't want them to know too. I couldn't bear to lose them again. The year spent without them was like a punishment for me and I didn't want that punishment to repeat.

If after knowing who I was and what my reality was, if still, they would want me to be by their side as their friend, I don't think I could do that either. In my world, we shouldn't have any weakness and I don't want to drag them to my hell. A simple normal person can't survive in this dark place that we casually call home. This darkness, this underground mafia world was my home and every inch of my single appearance, and I would never want to drag them in this mess too.

I must take care of it own my own...

"Ella!" A knock came followed by my name.

"Come in," I called.

Mom came in followed by dad. This was strange. They had never visited my room together before. This was weird. Once they both entered, the atmosphere of my room turned into a dark humid one. The tension was evident in the air.

"Mom? Dad?"

I looked at them and stood up from my bed. Mom sat on it and patted the place beside her. I sat there while my dad drew a chair near the edge of my bed and sat just in front of me and my mom. Now, this was more than just strange and awkward because the expressions on both of my parents showed something different, something out of place. Dad's forehead was creased while his eyebrows furrowed and mom's face looked so weary. After a few moments, she would let out a sigh and then rub my hand slightly and gently. I don't know what was going on here or what they wanted to say to me. My heart was beating unusually as a deep nick of fear was starting to build inside me.

"Mom? Dad? What..." I sighed. "Are you guys ok?" I asked my own parents if they were okay while I myself wasn't close to being fine. I was threatened not more than two days ago and whenever my phone would ring, I would be scared to go even near it. My phone became my deepest fear in those two days.

"Ella!" Dad started by calling out my name. I straightened up and tried to gather up my courage which was even hard to find. He continued, "We'll be moving from here. You, your mother and I."

What? What was he saying? I... I guess I did hear him wrong because the lines that I just heard from his mouth couldn't be true.

"Mom? What is happening?"

"Ella! My dear daughter, your father is right. We are moving." Mom caressed my hair but I wasn't in a mood of that.

This was wrong. How could I just leave this place? I thought this was going to be our end to continuous moving. When I was seven, we moved from America to Australia. Why? Because the situation here was really dangerous as a war was going on between the mafia's empires. For the safety of me and my mom, dad sent us to Australia where we spent two years while he stayed here to handle down the problematic chaos. After those two years, we were sent to London because dad came to know that my life was endangered there, someone had known who I was.

To hide me and to keep me safe, he made us flew to London as our home country was still not a safe place. He visited us a few times there but they were mostly short visits. After three years of hiding in that city and changing many names, my dad let us come back. We finally settled here as a family when I was twelve, and the Austin family became the most powerful and greatest family. I thought now my life would become a bit easy to live but I guess I was wrong.

"Ella?"

I didn't reply. I was lost in thinking. If I do leave this place, I'll have to say goodbye to my friends and Xaiden. I got what my heart desired for so long and now I had to say goodbye to it once again? How could I?

"I can't." Those were the only words that left my mouth. My mind was not ready to leave everything once again, my friends, my love, my house. I couldn't leave this all.

"Mom! I don't want to go,"

"My sweetheart, it's for the best. We can't stay here, your life is in danger." Mom tried to reason. I continued to shake my head to a no. I didn't want to leave this place, I wanted to stay here.

"Ellen!"

"No, dad! I'm tired of running. I'll stay, I'll fight." I stood up. I knew that I was afraid and the thought of blood-shed was terrorizing but I had to be here because the thought of being apart from Xaiden was a greater fear. I couldn't be apart from him when we just started our another new beginning. I couldn't just leave him. To be apart from your loved one is the greatest agony and I have been through this one time and I don't want another one.

"No! You are young and fragile! You won't stand a chance in front of those bloody hounds!" I flinched at my dad's angry words. "Dad, but still..."

"No more excuses! It's final! We are leaving tomorrow night! All arrangements are made!" Dad's every word was firm and final. I couldn't say no because I didn't have a say in this matter now. The only thing I could do was cry.

"D-Dad..." I paused. I gulped down the tears that were threatening to escape my eyes. "Dad, at least... can I meet my friends one last time?"

"No! No one must know about it. It should remain confidential."

Dad stood up and left my room after saying his final decision. I stood there still at the same spot. We'd be leaving tomorrow and I don't know when we'd return back. I knew that when I'd reach to some that place, I'd be given a new identity. I won't be able to contact my friends or Xaiden. I would once again be left all alone.

"Princess,"

"I want to be alone," My voice a mere whisper. Tears cascading down my cheeks and my throat all choked up. I wanted to cry. This fate of mine was so cruel. Why I had to be born this way? Why I had to run and hide every time? When would this all be ended? I wanted to end this, I wanted to end it all. I wanted to live a normal life.

I moved towards my washroom and going in, I locked the door. I sat in my bathtub and bringing my knees to my face, I buried it in. I couldn't stop myself from crying. No matter, how strong I managed to make myself, I just couldn't. I was a weakling at the mercy of my father and my bodyguards. My whole life, I'd be running and hiding. I didn't want this life. I hated it.

Xaiden's POV.

My phone rang for the fifth time and like other times, I didn't pick it up. My dad was calling me again and again and I knew what could be the reason, but I still didn't pick it up. I changed my phone number to escape from him, but still, he managed to find it. I knew it that it would be hard to escape from him, he had me all controlled and no matter how far I'll try to escape, he'll pull me back into that hell.

After ringing again and again, it stopped. I sighed and rested my head on the back of my chair. I closed my eyes, trying to think of a way to escape and to help Ella. I knew what I was doing was called betraying your own clan and I knew what punishment I would be given for that. But still, my heart couldn't see her getting hurt. I rather die than to kill her. She was my love and my everything. Why our paths had to be crossed? Why our fate played a game with us?

Ah... right. I was at fault here. I shouldn't have chased her. I should have just remained at a safe distance from her, I shouldn't have fallen in love with her but I did. It all would have been easy if we haven't known each other. I would have killed her easily. I would have avenged my mother and would have conquered the Austin empire. My heart would have been filled with just hatred for her.

But I messed it all up. I fell in love with her slowly and unknowingly. My heart now filled with desire, love and longing. My body aching to hold her in my arms and now all I wanted was to protect her. To keep her safe, away from all those enemies that her father has.

The only problem now was how? I was powerless now, I couldn't help her no matter how much I try to. I couldn't go to her no matter how much I wanted to. I was stuck in nowhere with nothing with me.

I placed my arm above my eyes still thinking about what to do. A sudden knock came and I jerked up. My heart sped up and my eyes widen in fear. Who could it be? Dad? Did he manage to find out about me? No! How could he? Did he track my location? No! It can't be.

There came another knock but I stood still. It was best not to answer. Maybe they'd leave on not receiving an answer. After continuous knocking, it stopped. I didn't move. Silence engulfed my surroundings and my breathing started to become normal. My heartbeat getting its normal pace and I let out a sigh of relief. I guess it was just a false alarm.

At once, a loud sound of bang came followed by something crashing and then some men yelling. I quickly opened my drawer and drew out the gun. I loaded it and taking it with myself, I slowly moved towards the door. I could hear things crashing and banging and footsteps ascending towards me. I leaned against the wall hearing them coming closer and closer.

This was it. I had no idea who it was or what they wanted from me. But I knew, they only came here to find me. I couldn't escape now, I was trapped. It was to live or to kill. The only thing I could do now was to face them and face my fate.

I heard someone kicking my room's door. I had it locked but I could see that lock was not going to keep up long. I had my gun ready to fire and my body ready to attack. There came another voice of thud, and my door opened by the force. It dangled against the hinges which were almost broken now. A man came in all dressed in black and thankfully he didn't notice me due to the darkness of the room. I knocked him out on the floor by hitting his head with the back of my gun.

I heard someone yell and his voice sounded familiar. I heard someone yelling 'sir, there's someone here' and then more footsteps came towards me. A man came in and looking at his partner's unconscious body, he stooped down. I took this as my cue and put a gun on his head.

He turned his head to look at me and then I felt something cold pressed against my head one afore another. It felt like more than two guns were pressed against my head. I knew I was outnumbered because there was probably more than one person but I couldn't just die without a good fight.

"Don't kill him yet," I heard an authoritative voice and it did sound familiar.

I had my gun targeted on his man while my head was a target of their two men. I heard footsteps coming towards me and then he came and stood in front of me. I lifted my head to see the boss of these men. My eyes widened on seeing his face. A dangerous expression on his face and his eyes glaring at me.

He found me.

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Who could it be?

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