"Your family is finally reunited, Dre. Isn't it great? Shouldn't we be celebrating?" Dmitri said to his friend, a smile on his face.
"Shut up, you twat. There are bigger things to focus on" Dominic said.
"A little fun wouldn't hurt, Mr Grumpy pants. So, what d'you say, Alex?"
"I'm not really up for a flamboyant celebration, but my mum obviously wants it. We just have to be on guard" Dre responded.
"Andre?" Alicia said, knocking on the door of his study.
"Come in" he said and she walked into his study, dressed in an aqua blue dress with her hair in loose curls.
"You should get dressed for dinner tonight, Andre" she said.
"Alright, mum"
"Alicia?" Dmitri said.
"Yes, dear?"
"Are we invited?"
"Of course. Andre, darling, why didn't you invite your friends. Don't be rude" his mum said.
Dre narrowed his eyes, glaring hotly at Dmitri who merely shrugged.
"Remind me why I'm friends with you, again" Dominic huffed, glaring at Dmitri.
"Because you love me"
Dominic rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.
..
Dinner was awesome. To Ellise, bonding with the family felt really nice. Exhausted, she retired to bed with Dre.
By the time she awoke the next morning, she was met with Dre's absence. She stretched across the bed, yawning tiredly.
Brushing her messy bed hair away from her face, she went to the bathroom and took her bath. Thereafter, she got dressed in a white dress, her hair in a french braid. Her phone began to ring from it's position on the nightstand. She picked up the phone, smiling when she saw that the caller was Diane, one of her friends at school.
"Hey, Girlie" Diane said.
"Hey, Diane. Good morning" Ellise responded as she began to walk towards Dre's bathroom, seeing that Dre was in there, shaving his stubble. He had a white towel around his waist.
"Hey, handsome. Morning" she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind.
"Morning, Sunshine. Did you Sleep well?" He asked
"I did"
"Quit the lovey dovey greetings, you're on the freaking phone with me" Diane groaned.
Ellise chuckled and placed a light kiss on Dre's bare back, admiring the fitness of his body.
"Stop being jealous" she said and Diane laughed.
"Oh well, I suppose you're with your boyfriend"
"Of course"
"I suggest you leave there now, it's time for girl talk" she said.
Dre raised a brow and his gaze locked with Ellise's. "Excuse me" she mouthed and he nodded before she left the bathroom.
"So, what do you want to tell me, dear girlfriend" Ellise chirped.
"Have you seen today's papers yet?" Diane asked.
"No, not yet" she replied.
"There's a big news going around about your boyfriend"
"Are you sure?" Ellise asked, her brows creasing up.
"New York's youngest billionaire, Alexandre Loides.... isn't it?"
"Yeah...."
"You should see the papers, Call me if you need someone to talk to" she said and the line went dead. Ellise took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before going to Dre's study. Sure enough, the unread papers were on his desk. She grabbed the first one and opened it. There, on the middle page was a giant photo of her boyfriend dressed in a grey suit and crisp white shirt with his hair in a bun. He looked very attractive. Everything was fine until she saw the captions.
---NY's YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE IN A RELATIONSHIP SAGA.
---ALEXANDRE LOIDES IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH ELLISE SUMNERS, HIS CAPTIVE.
---ALEXANDRE LOIDES, A GREEN SNAKE UNDER GREEN GRASS?
---MISS OLIVIA TURNER ENGAGES IN SECRET AFFAIR WITH ALEXANDRE LOIDES.
---WHAT AN EROTIC SIGHT. OLIVIA TURNER KISSES HER SECRET LOVER IN PUBLIC.
"Oh my God...Alexandre" Ellise breathed, eyes wide.
"Ellise?"
She turned around with a start, her heart hammering hard. Dre was standing there, dressed in a white T-shirt and black jeans.
"What's wrong, Ellie? You look quite shaken up"
She inhaled shakily, fighting the tears that threatened to spill.
Her poor Dre.
His reputation had just been ruined because of her.
"I'm sorry" she sobbed.
He embraced her and she held him close, knowing that this might be the last time she would be able to hold him like that.
"Calm down, my love. You're trembling" he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm so sorry" she cried, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Sh. No crying. Please stop crying" he said.
"It's all my fault" she cried.
"Ellie, you're scaring me"
She gave him the paper.
"You should see for yourself" she said. He looked at her, confused.
"What is this?" He asked, still looking at her.
When she didn't say anything, he began to read the paper. Ellise watched as his expression transformed from a calm one to a shocked, pensive and tortured one. It broke her heart to see him like that. He dropped the paper, his breathing strained as he paced back and forth.
"Dre, I didn't do anything. You have to believe me" she said. He ran a hand through his hair, dejectedly.
"Why is this happening? How?" He muttered without sparing her a glance.
"Dre, you have to believe me. I didn't do this. I wouldn't do that to you" she said, tears still rolling down her cheeks.
He sank into a couch, burying his face in his hands, tension radiating off him like waves.
"I know this isn't your fault. I know you wouldn't do this to me. But, how did this happen?" He said, yanking at his hair in frustration.
"I have a hunch that Olivia did this." Ellise said and Dre groaned in frustration, rubbing his temples. He rose to his feet again, his jaw clenched.
"The police is going to come after me, sooner or later" he said and her heart sank.
"No, Dre. I can't let them take you away from me!" She cried, holding onto him with her head resting on his chest.
"It's fine, my love. I'm not going to rot in prison. I'll get out of there soon enough" he said. She broke down into pained sobs. The thought of him spending a night in jail scared her. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to reassure her that he would be fun.
"I'm scared, Dre" she cried when she heard the sounds of sirens.
"Don't be" he said, cupping her cheeks. "We will survive this, okay?" He said, wiping away her tears with his thumbs.
"But, you and I know that you aren't quite healthy enough to be in jail" Ellise countered.
"I'll be fine. I just need you to be strong for me. You are my strength, do you understand?"
Ellise nodded slowly.
"I love you Dre, I love you so much" she whispered.
"I love you too, Ellie" he said.
The door opened and Alicia walked in with tears in her eyes. "Xandre, did you kidnap Ellise? Did you force her into a relationship with you?" She asked.
"Mum..."
"No, he didn't. I fell in love with him not because he asked me too. He didn't kidnap me either. He saved me" she said.
"The police is here"
Dre embraced her again, but she held on to his shirt, stopping him from leaving.
"We can run away" she said.
"Running is not an option, my love. Only cowards run away from reality" he said.
Alicia broke down and Ellise watched with tears as the police handcuffed Dre.
"He's going to be okay. I know how much my son loves you. We'll get him out of this mess" Alessio said, hugging Ellise.
"Go, your parents are demanding to see you" he said. Cecilia squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Everything is going to be fine. Be strong" she said.
There were reporters everywhere. Among the small crowd that had gathered in front of the Loides' property stood Ellise's parents. Alessio embraced Alicia as she cried her eyes out. Feeling terrible, Ellise stood there, unable to stop the tears as the cops took her man away.
"Honey, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Her mum asked, embracing her.
"He didn't! He cares for me more than you do" she replied, her heart aching.
"I'm sorry for being such a horrible mother" she cried.
Ellie's father hugged her, but she didn't react. She felt numb.
"I love him" she sobbed.
"Oh honey" her mum said, holding her in her arms.
"You're not seeing him anymore! He kidnapped you for goodness sake! He's going to rot in jail!" Her father said.
"No, please. Don't do this! He didn't kidnap me. I love him and he loves me too" Ellise cried.
"I'm sorry" her mum said, rocking her in her arms.
Ellise knew they wouldn't understand how much she was hurting. She didn't expect them to.