Freedom and the Beast

Prologue

Prologue

THERE WERE TWO kinds of ladies. The first was someone who dreamed of being a princess and marrying her prince charming. And they would live in a big castle happily ever after. The second one was someone who dreamed of wearing shiny dresses and enjoying the neon lights flickering under the starless night sky. She would not give a damn about rules and curfews because she was free. Free to do whatever she wanted.

I was the second type because I already had what the first type was wishing and dreaming for.

Princess gowns? Check. A castle? Check. A prince charming? Unfortunately, check.

I should be happy. It was what most of the girls were dreaming of. I should be happy. But how can I feel happy when all of those things weren't something I even dreamed of having?

I don't want princess gowns. I want a comfortable tank top and shorts. I don't want a castle. I want a freaking modern penthouse. I don't even want a prince charming, but somehow, he's also there.

I groaned when a call registered on my phone. I barely picked it up and clicked the answer button.

"What do you want, Hashim?" My voice was sharp as I talked to him.

"Please, Freeda. You know what I want. Come back home. Your family needs you here," he said from the other line.

"You also know what will be my answer: no."

He sighed. I could easily imagine his thick brows furrowing out of stress. "Your Nana is asking you to come home. It seems like her patience has gone thin. She wanted us to marry as soon as-"

I closed my eyes tightly as soon as I heard that word. For Pete's sake! They've been pressuring me and using Hashim to chase me across the world for three god-damned years just for us to get married! For what? For our bloodline to continue? That's stupid!

"Listen, Hashim," I said, turning up the volume of my voice when the door of the ladies' room flew open and the noise from the dancefloor entered inside. "Tell Nana to just look for somebody else to marry you. She should stop putting her faith in me. I won't marry you, Hashim. Not unless I'm dead!"

"But, Freeda! You're their only granddaughter!" I ended the call. I'm so sick of hearing those lines over the years.

I hid my phone back in my purse and stepped outside from the bathroom. I went straight back to my chair and leaned over the bar countertop. I felt the cold breeze touching my bare back as I flipped my long, curly hair over my shoulder. The world was already swirling under my feet, but I did not throw any attention to it.

"Another shot of tequila, please," I told the bartender. He smirked at me and started making my drink.

I sighed and looked around the bar. The lights were flashing all over the area, creating sharp lines on the faces and bodies of people who were enjoying their night. Most of them were ladies dancing across the dancefloor. Some of them were men chilling on their reserved couches.

My eyes landed on a familiar guy whose eyes were also locked on me. His arm was draped over the couch, and the other was holding a glass of whiskey, the rim of which was kissing his wet lips. There were two ladies squeezing their bodies on his rock-hard one. His attention wasn't on them. It was all on me.

I felt my throat go dry.

Damn it. Why was he even here? Of all the bars he's been a regular customer into, ngayong gabi pa niya naisipan na dito tumambay kung nasaan ako.

I looked away hastily when I realized that we've been strating at each other for a long time. I cleared my throat and straighten my back, smiling at the bartender who gave me my drink.