(Continuing scene from the previous chapter, Madilyn's words are cut off by the beast...)

"And who are you to order them, Madilyn Pearson." His voice was laced with anger, it was loud, he never shouted at me like that. It was hard, captivating and scary. It made Dean step back from me and Luke and Dorian stepped away from Madilyn who was ordering my bodyguards. Jon was not effected by his yelling, by his curt tone. He was, like always, carefree, looking around, not a bit scared of the Beast and eating the damn chips.

Jon's eyes caught mine and he smirked at me and sent a small wink. And not to mention, that thumbs up with him mouthing, 'She deserves it.' Which definitely put a smile on my face and reminded me off the reasons why I was close to him in those God knows how much days. But I remember yelling at him too, I didn't feel bad though because he was defending that hell.

Remembering that, my smile faded away and I looked at Madilyn, who's evil filled eyes were on the floor as she trembled when he forwarded towards her, seconds later he was hovering in front of her. She mumbled, her loud and crazy voice was nowhere to be found...instead I heard a little squeak. Hah, funny. "I-I...just wanted her to be in...control and-"

Immediately, she was interrupted with a groan which shut her up, "Why do you people think you have the right to control her? Who are you to control her?" He asked, well not that he was going to get an answer because he just wanted to make his point clear.

"Don't mind her, she must have drunk too much," Jon chuckled, Beast turned his head towards him and kept his eyes glued on Jon who was still devouring his chips and did not flinch even a bit.

As the Beast kept glaring at Jon, Jon offered his packet and wiggled his eyebrows at him, "Want some...you need such stuff to be honest." He shrugged as he got no response except the continuous glare and then again looked down to his chips and started stuffing his mouth with them.

Such a child. He had different shades. You are a mystery too, Jon.

Dean stepped up, grabbed Madilyn's arm and put her behind his back, though he seemed so disinterested and doing her a favor as if he was just obliged too. He spoke up, "You know her, right then just ignore her."

"Stop, Dean. I never signed up for you all to defend each other whenever someone from you disobey me or clearly do something that I've never ordered!" He hissed. Dean nodded.

"I get it, first and last mistake." Dean sort of apologized.

Beast rolled his eyes, oh wait, that was the first time he did something so normal when he was pissed instead of grabbing someone's hand or twisting it or giving a death glare. Rolled his dark eyes. That was too normal for our Beast.

Beast put his hand over Dean's shoulder, grabbed him tightly, I was sure of it. "You and I both know it wasn't the first. But make sure it is her last mistake." He turned to his left side, closer to me, but stopped in front of Adrian and Dylan, my bodyguards, "I ordered you both to stay away from her, this won't change."

They both nodded and without getting anymore hints, they left from there. Beast then did what he always used to do the best...giving everyone a death glare though no one except Jon was looking directly into his eyes and facing that look.

He was about to push everyone aside and get downstairs, Jon's voice stopped him, "But didn't Clarissa disobey you too like Madi did? Where is your outburst towards her?" What the hell! Was he on my side? Why was he provoking the sleeping Lion?

"She saw the fair share of it, Mr White." Beast answered. Did he just answer directly? Or I was just living a dream.

"If she had seen even the quarter of your anger, I can guarantee that she wouldn't be standing there so calmly." He pointed his finger towards me, the crumbling voice of the chips packet was irritating the Beast so he snatched that and gave it to Dorian who probably knew what to do with it. "Don't mess with my chips, boss."

Beast turned around, his eyes met mine for a split second, I guess he wanted to confirm if I was standing calmly or not. Then looking at Dorian, he spoke up, "Get all of them away from this house for a while. I am not in mood to bear your faces. Especially Mr White's." Dorian nodded and patted on Luke's shoulder who dragged Madilyn downstairs and then Dorian and Dean were walking downstairs after signaling Jon who was still standing in front of the Beast, like he was his diaper buddy.

Why are there mysteries everywhere?

I huffed and turned around to push the door of my room so that I could actually get a break from all of that, but before that a cool voice stopped me and I had to turn back to him, it was Jon's voice and the beast was also there, with his back facing me and his face towards Jon who was peering at me as he asked, "Did you see his humanity up there, is it still there or has he lost it? Does he still hold onto a delicate lily?" I raised my eyebrow at his knowledge. I thought no one was allowed to go upstairs then how was he aware of that painting? Did he paint it? I looked at him, boggled. My lips were parted but I couldn't form an answer. I frowned at him, questions raced in my mind and I knew it was of no use to shoot at both of them. They both wouldn't answer. Jon would have suggested to ask to Beast not him and our dear Beast wouldn't have answered!

Jon wiggled his brows at me, demanding an answer, "Uh-"

Obviously! he cut me off, the beast himself, he was the rudest person alive so he defined it, he left no chance to prove himself one, as the way he yelled and held onto the collars of Jon's coat...it yelled 'Rudeness'. He pushed him back with his force and Jon seemed to feel hurt by the wall that was behind him. But he did not wince, he only smirked at him. "Jon Darren White, get out of the house!"

"Okay. I was just curious." He punched the wall beside Jon which earned him a squeal from me and a huge grin from Jon. He left his collars, let him go and he did leave without provoking him more.

Without saying any word to me and looking at me, he ran his hand in his thick hair and for a few seconds, he stayed there, with his muscular back towards me. So I couldn't see what was he showing on his face. Silence? Anger? Sensitiveness? What? He then got going too, claiming each stair with power and more power. Surrounding himself with silence and an anger and mystery filled zephyr.

"Stop!" I raised my voice as I walked to the staircase.

"Look at me," I said, that time, I did not yell. I thought it was better to handle the beast with a bit of care that moment.

It worked, he tilted his head to his right side, though definitely he didn't look at me but it was still a progress considering I expected him to offer me his grave silence and to leave me unanswered. I walked down to him, I planted myself one step above his.

I asked, my voice was barely a whisper, "What's your name?" He then looked towards his way and stepped down, totally ignoring my question.

I stepped down too, that time, two more steps, I was standing on a step below the one above which he was standing over. I looked up at him, his disinterest was clear as a crystal in his eyes, his forehead had beads of sweat lining up over it, "Though you're no less than a beast but I can't just keep calling you that. I need a name."

"Why are you dying to call me by name? Are you planning to stay here forever without your constant search of escape," I widened my eyes at his statement, "what do you think I wouldn't notice the way you searched so many corners and drawers of this house? Remember always, you may not have your guards behind you 24/7, but you're always being watched. By me. Every part of this house has a camera, if you ever escape, it will be because of my permission. Remember that." I licked my lips, my throat went dry and I gulped hard to just get all of that whatever he threw at me. I nodded, slightly.

"Thanks for the early notice. But I need to know the name of the man who I will disobey time to time. It won't be fun when you and I are not properly acquainted." I stated and smiled at him. He must have seen me smiling for the first time. It was our second meeting and the first one was smile-less so yeah, first time.

"Clarissa, don't push me to a point where your beast loses his shred of mercy that is keeping you alive right now. If it wasn't for that, you would have been dead by now." He held the bottom of my face and pulled me closer and he himself leaned down, "And with no regrets or awkwardness may I add that...your smile...I have seen it a lot, and do smile a lot, it is healthy I heard." He smirked. Like a literal full smirk, not a small one like I saw before, just a smirk that Luciano, Mary, Dean and Jon could give. I thought his lips muscles were not capable of that.

Seen it a lot? How? "What do you mean that-" Again, he cut me off.

He whispered to my ear and then put me aside and continued to walk down, "Romeo."

"What?" I shouted.

"My name, Clarissa. It is Romeo." He shouted back, with a kind of mocking enthusiasm, with his voice laced with victory as if he achieved something in our conversations that day.

But I was looking like a shocked clown when I heard and processed correctly that the beast was named 'Romeo.'

That just did not feel right at all. Who else in the right mind would name that devil's spawn 'Romeo.'

Romeo.

Oh my God! My head was spinning, my mouth was still opened, my eyes blank and widened at his revelation, my hands and my entire body to be exact shivered for a few miserable seconds. He knew I would feel like that. That was why he smirked.

Bastard.

But suddenly a faint voice in my head reminded me of the same name, 'Romeo', It felt as if I knew the name. It felt as if I had heard it or read it somewhere. No, not the Romeo Juliet stuff but the same name 'Romeo' came to my mind as if I was acquainted with it in the same way I was acquainted with the Beast and I felt heavy and disturbed by that. The same feeling that the Beast gave me every damn time.

Did I know 'Romeo-The beast' before?

Oh no! I remembered from whom I heard that name and when. No! No! No way! I started panicking, in the same way I did when Romeo's men were knocking on my door and I was dead scared.

It can't happen. It can't happen! I started mumbling and my heartbeat raced faster than ever, I stumbled and then was about to fell but I saved myself, I felt the newly found revelation was a tight rope twisting around my neck, sucking my breath, snatching away my voice with which I wanted to yell, I crouched down on the stair, tears that were not found for sometime...they poured down to my face, my hand that was resting on my thigh, clutched my trouser so tight that my even my fingers felt pain.

I hiccuped, continuously, I couldn't yell and call for anyone, I was there crouched on the stair like a curled ball because even the air around me felt as if it was stripping me off of my dignity, claiming the parts of me that was supposed to be hidden and sacred. I felt being killed by the air that haunted me, I felt stabbed my invisible knives which were my memories. I felt dead just like I used to feel that time, when he used to play with me as if I was his toy. And his thought again in my mind just shut down my mind completely, my heartbeats were speeding up by passing minutes, my soul was being butchered by the tapes of horror that were playing in front of my eyes, those tapes of horror which were buried in my soul. Those tapes of terrible sins that he committed and whose price I paid and maybe I was still paying.

Along with tears, I could feel my body being cold as ice, I felt the sweating increasing, it all felt like the old times where I used to be helpless and alone, with my throat, my hands, my legs, my soul, my mind and my courage all tied up with the rope of terror. I couldn't take it anymore.

The more I tried to breath, the more I felt like I was drowning in a suffocating cage having no else but me and him. I wanted to get me out of it. I had it to. Or else I wouldn't survive, I yelled. I yelled so hard, continuously, with my hands covering my ears which didn't play me calling out for Romeo, but instead they played my loudest cries, my plea for help which I wanted to be heard years ago but unfortunately, I was alone in the cage that time.

At least in this cage I had someone; I had the beast. I had Romeo.

With that little shred of hope, I called out for him as loud as I could possibly do, praying that he might show a bit of mercy that he told he had for me. With my every fallen tear, the daggers twisted in my heart deeper than ever, my own screams from years ago were damaging my mind. It all started to come back. All of the suffering came back with the thought of him. The man who made me prefer Death over my rotten life. The man who killed me hundreds of time and always brought me back to life to tear me apart again and again. The man in front of whom I could prefer to spend my entire life in the hell made by Romeo. The man who was way worse than Romeo, who didn't keep me captive but still owned me as If I was a piece of meat, his punchbag, his toy...his slave.

"ROMEO!" That time, I called out for the only person who could save me from the misery that my memories were bringing me. I cursed myself for remembering them, now that I couldn't get them to stop playing in my head...I cried harder and harder so that I would faint and that torturing memories could go back to the deepest hole of my mind where they used to reside. Soon after a stream of tears, struggles to breath, continuous yelling...darkness engulfed me and then the back of my head hit the upper stairs, but still those memories never left my mind. Those worsened wounds left me with no any drop of blood and continued to bleed, continued to shatter my mind into millions of pieces.

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As Luciano's car got near and near to the place that turned Mariana to Mary, that burned Mariana in every way, that turned her to ashes, that forced her to turn into a walking dead person...her heartbeats continued to increase by every second that brought Mary nearer to her hell. 

"I think it is better if you stay at Kol's cottage and I go to Alfred." Luciano sensed the uneasiness brewing inside Mary who was continuously biting her nails and frowning at the road which was leading her to the place that marked Luciano as a sinner in her eyes. And he didn't want to ignite her hatred by making her go through the same shit he's threw her into. He didn't want her to face Alfred; her devil. He knew that Mary's wounds would be worsened by that and that would bring her pain again.

"As I said, Luciano...If I can face you, then he is nothing." Her voice laced with confidence that Luciano very well knew was a facade, it was to hide her worry, to hide her fear that she being stubborn didn't want to show to him— to the man who in her eyes was her sinner, worse than Alfred. 

He continued to drive and then after a few minutes, he stopped his car in front of small cottage, in front of that there were two benches on which three familiar faces were having coffee. Luciano's car made them turn their attention towards it, Luciano after giving a soft pat on Mary's thigh got out of the car. All of those three familiar faces who were a torment to Mary, they got up and had huge grins on their faces seeing Luciano. 

"Kol, Travis and fucking Nicki." She mumbled while watching them. Though their backs were turned to her and Luciano's face was visible to her, which had a huge grin too. Jerk, she thought.

She got out of the car and walked to them, she stood behind them and listened as Travis spoke up to Luciano, "Glad you're back bro, Boss was going crazy after knowing you got shot by some new gansta in town. How? Who were they?  How did you get shot in the first place? Where were you going?" Luciano smirked and probably thought about not telling them about Clarissa—the new obsession of Alfred being kidnapped by that new gangsta. 

Kol chuckled and stated, "It is quite a shock that you got wounded, but anyways...boss is actually mad about his favorite being the one to almost bite the dust." Luciano's mouth opened to respond to him but Mary didn't let him.

As she spoke up first, raising all of their attention and making them turn their heads towards her, "We all have already established the fact years ago that Luciano is never going to be his favorite. We all know his preference." Mary shrugged and sent a smirk towards Luciano whose expressions hardened at her revelation.

All three of them had their eyes widened and mouth opened, they were shocked to hear that familiar voice again, they were extremely surprised to see that familiar face who swore to never come back to that place. Travis spoke up first, catching everyone's attention and bringing back color in everyone's face, "What brings you here, Mary? Are you two a thing again?"

"Fuck off, Travis. You can always try to provoke me but you and I both know the outcome..." She got closer to him and punched his already beaten up face, "the outcome is like old times...your face, my fist." She stepped away and continued, "Don't ever let your bullshit mouth spill nonsense in front of me ever again." 

Nicki snickered when she noticed a slight cut over Travis' lips, Travis cursed at all of them, "Fuck you all."

Kol stepped towards Mary and smiled at her, it was warm and welcome and if she hadn't known him, she could have fallen for that fine specimen having gentlemen's style. "Hello, Mary. How are you doing?"

"Thanks for asking," She spat, and tilted her head to her left side, which was not blocked by Kol's muscular structure and she looked at Luciano who was befuddled, "Come on, you finish your work here please, instead of having chit chat with rubbish gang." 

"Hey, you're being cruel." Nicki's natural auto tune and robotic voice was not what she wanted to hear anytime in her life but life is cruel. Mary rolled her eyes at her and glared at Luciano who nodded at her and came to her.

"So, Kol...I was here to ask if the basement is not busy...you know what I mean, I am here to meet Alfred." Luciano got to his point and saved Mary from that torture that those three idiots could bring to her.

"He is not busy, he'd be delighted to see you alive..." Kol replied, then turning his face to Mary, he added, "And you would be surprise to him as well, why would you want to go back to the den of the Lion that once tore you apart like it was nothing."

"Maybe because I am strong enough and not afraid of him anymore." She smirked at them.

Nicki huffed, "Maybe you're stupid."

Mary laughed so hard, as fake laugh as Nicki's entire existence, it mocked Nicki and she spoke up, "Maybe stupid for people like you who actually love to be slaves."

"Hello, Mariana." A voice came from Mary's behind that snatched away her smirk and which made her eyes widened in shock, which made every part of body feel the pain of the worsened wound that was brought back by that voice. Her throat went dry, it had pins there as she gulped she could even feel the pain there. Some horrible clips started to play in front of her eyes, that voice, it enriched the suffering more, "My dear Mariana." That voice. That haunting tone of death. It shook Mary. It brought back the real Mariana Sanders for the first time in years.

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As promised, the update is here.

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What is your favorite moment from this? 

What do you think of Clarissa's situation that panicked her?

What do you think of Romeo? And his name revelation?

How's Jon's character for you?

Anyways, keep reading, it is like my dream project. Support it if you like. Don't miss anything, everything is a hint. I have given away a very important hint in this one, I hope someone catches it.