His Sweet Karma

Chapter 4

                                                                                         MAHALIA

Ryder’s face became distorted as he frowned but that didn’t make him ugly at all. “I said I’m sorry about that. I won’t do it again, Mahalia!” he said in a low but firm voice, obviously trying to control himself from blowing up in my face.

I pushed my empty plate and took the saucer with baklava and ate it. Just after a few chews, my heart settled inside my chest. God! I shouldn’t be so angry with him. It would just give me stress and I didn’t want to get stressed! That is not healthy. I tried my best to calm down and enjoyed the food instead.

“I’ll have the rest of these packed and have it delivered to your apartment. I also have some more added to these so you wouldn’t need to go out for Christmas.”

I didn’t comment even though he treated me like a beggar now. It hurt. Of course it did! How could he and his mother take away what was supposedly mine? I wanted to scratch his handsome face, really! But I just fisted my hand on the table and took deep breaths.

Just breathe, Mahalia, my brain advised.

“I know you want to stay home.”

I didn’t comment on that.

“Can I spend Christmas with you in your apartment?” he requested.

“Do you think I’d like that, Ryder?” I said through gritted teeth.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it go through his nose. I could see his ears go red, a bit.

“You know I live with Sarah, thanks to your witch of a mother,” I added.

I saw his Adam’s apple move when he swallowed. Who knows what he was thinking now? I was badmouthing his own mother. But I was just saying the truth. She was nothing but a gold digger, sent me on the streets with nothing and still wanted to crush me under her heels until now. Maybe she’d have me killed in no time for all I knew just to secure my father’s wealth in her own greedy hands.

“I asked her to make you come back to the mansion, Mahalia. I swear I did but she didn’t want to hear any of it!”

I snorted. “Huh! And why would she? She threw me out already, Ryder. Why would she take me back in?”

His eyes went darker and sharper as he gazed at my face. “If I was there when she did that, I wouldn’t have let her do—”

“Ah! Spare me your explanation, Ryder! You never told me that months ago! If you did care for me, you would’ve done everything to make me go back there a long time ago, not now. But you never care! You’re just telling me that now because you want something from me. And you want me! Well, newsflash! I don’t want you, I don’t want to do anything with your or your mother but I swear I will take back what’s rightfully mine!” I stood up, sending the chair back and it made a scraping sound on the floor. “Now we’re done having dinner, give me my father’s coin.” I extended my left hand to him, palm up.

He just angled his face up a little to look at me since he was tall and needn’t to do more than that. “No, I want you to come with me to our family’s hotel.”

“What?” I was horrified to hear it. “Why?” I added though I already had a hunch.

“You spend the night with me or I’ll throw your father’s coin, Mahalia.”

“Are you blackmailing me again?” I spat in vexation but I stepped back. “How could you do this to me, Ryder?”

“You come with me or not, that’s up to you.” He rose from his seat as well, provoking me with his blue eyes.

“Damn you, Ryder!” I grabbed my jacket and marched outside.

He stayed for a bit in the restaurant arranging some things or whatever. I didn’t care. I was walking on the street in the cold winter night and I couldn’t care less if I froze to death. I couldn’t give myself to him in exchange for the coin! I’d have to go insane first before I’d go to him and have s*x with him! That shitty bastard!

I felt someone grab my arm and drag me. “Let me go, Ryder!” I beat his arm and chest but he didn’t care about it. Neither did he care about people staring at us as he dragged me to his expensive sports car. He almost pushed me inside, locked the doors to secure me inside before he got in and sat behind the steering wheel.

“Buckle up, Mahalia,” he advised coldly, eyes straight ahead.

I didn’t move as he ordered. Then he turned his head to me, with eyes so hard. I thought he was not the same Ryder as before. He was even more demanding, intimidating, harder and… manlier?

“Buckle up or I’ll kiss you.”

“You bastard!” I hissed and moved my hands fast to put on the seatbelt.

I could almost see the amusement on his face. But maybe I was wrong.

He turned the engine on and drove off to the family’s hotel, which the Miller Group owned. It was one of mine. But now, it wasn’t. It was just Ryder’s and his mom’s. It made my heart twist painfully inside my rib cage. It hurt so much that everything my father worked for just went to the hands of his widow and stepson, leaving me his very own daughter with nothing!

Tears welled up in my eyes as the car smoothly traversed the traffic in downtown Chicago. The beautiful Christmas lights that decorated some establishments and residential buildings just blurred as we passed by them. People were still bustling on the streets, doing their own thing, and some drivers in their private vehicles were in a hurry to go home to have more time with their family before Christmas Eve comes.

Right now, I never felt so lonely in my life. And I never felt so oppressed than at this very moment. How could God put me in such a very bad predicament? I didn’t deserve this, did I? I never killed someone, I never bullied anyone and I never took something that wasn’t mine. But why was I being punished like this? Why was I having this kind of suffering? I was not just orphaned but I was thrown out of the street with nothing on me but the clothes on my back and an overnight bag that carried a few of my personal essential things.

I sniffled and noticed Ryder look my way. However, he didn’t say anything. The class-A jerk! My tears just ran down my face.

“Mahalia…”

“Don’t talk to me!” I snapped at him.

“Why don’t you give me a chance, huh?”

I gave him a disgusted look. “What chance, Ryder? Are you out of your mind?”

He sighed and slightly shook his head while his hand gripped the steering wheel tighter, showing the knuckles white. Before I knew it, we already entered the underground parking lot of the hotel. He turned to me with burning gaze.

“Why can’t you even like me back, Mahalia? Am I not man enough for you? Not responsible enough? Do I have a disgusting smell? Do I have bad breath? Do you think I’m a Mama’s boy? What? Tell me so I would understand!” His blue eyes begged me, trying to comprehend why I never gave him such attention that other girls were so much willing to give him—they maybe even want to offer their soul to him like he was the devil himself just to get what they desire the most.

I looked at him with tear-stained face. “Because you’re just a brother to me, Ryder.”

“f**k it!” he cursed and punched the wheel, making the car horn holler loudly in the process. Some people in the parking lot were alarmed and got curious, looking our way. “I’m not your brother, Mahalia!” He angrily got out of the car and opened the passenger door. He closed it when I was out and dragged me into the private elevator that was only used by the Millers.

“Let me go, Ryder!” I tried to wrench my hand out of his hold and thrashed. I could feel his hand digging into my flesh and the skin went red. I was sure the bruise would become visible later.

But he didn’t listen to me. He just punched the penthouse button, which was all the way up to the fiftieth floor. This skyscraper was one of my father’s achievements about three years ago. Now, it was one of the best hotels not only in the state but in the whole country.

I kicked his shin but he didn’t seem to feel the pain and didn’t let go of me. “Let go!”

But I was talking to a wall that was gripping my wrist so tight. His eyes were focused on the digits that glowed red. The elevator kept climbing up and my heart was already in my throat. I didn’t know how I could run away from him. I rested for a bit before I slapped him in the face, sending his face to the other side.

He gave me a threatening glare as he clenched his jaw. “Don’t do that again, Mahalia! I’m warning you,” he said, controlling his temper. But I knew he was already on the edge. Just that I didn’t care so much now. I wouldn’t ever sleep with him even if he was the last man on Earth! God help me!

When the elevator reached the penthouse, he dragged me out and followed the wide hall toward a vast room. I barely even noticed the spotless modern interior design, the two landscape paintings on the metallic gray wall and others as he pushed me inside and locked the door. He took off his winter jacket fast as well as his business jacket, vest and dress shirt.

“I’m going to make you mine tonight and you’ll change your mind for sure, Mahalia,” he said breathlessly and advanced closer to where I stood, in the corner next to the bedside table where a small lampshade was on despite the dim recessed lights in the ceiling.

“You’re crazy, Ryder!” I said, throwing the lampshade to him but he easily dodged it.

“I promise I’ll make you the happiest woman, Mahalia. Just give in to me,” he urged with a raspy voice. I could very well see the evidence of his desire in his frontal area.

“I don’t want you, Ryder!” I told him again.

God! Why was he so persistent like this? I really, really think he needs a shrink!

“Don’t come any closer!” I picked up the cordless phone and started to dial 911.

However, Ryder was fast to snatch it away from me and threw it across the room. He didn’t even bother looking where or what it hit. When I looked, the flat screen TV was already knocked down to the floor. Great! I hoped someone heard it and would call the police. But I guess they would come too late. I was all alone right now.

I screamed for help but he just smiled like a maniac that he was. “This is a soundproofed room, Mahalia. Your voice will just become hoarse but no one will ever come and save you. You’re mine tonight!” He lunged at me and threw me to the bed.

My heart raced that I thought I couldn’t breathe anymore. I saw him come on top of me and began to tear my clothes from my body. I pushed his hands away from me and even tried to kick him but he was fast to grip my thigh and put all his weight on me, trapping me good.

God! He was so heavy and I could barely move. “Please, Ryder! Don’t do this to me,” I cried, tears rolling down the side of my face.

“But I want to do this to you so badly, Mahalia. I love you so much!”

I sobbed and didn’t want to believe him. If he did really love me, he wouldn’t force himself on me and wouldn’t hurt me!

“Please believe me, Mahalia!” he begged. His pleading eyes probed mine as he trapped my hands above my head and began to kiss my tears away.