Saving the Villain

[ FLASHBACK ]

"Maxen Devilsin!" Cosette's shaking voice thundered, balling her hand into a tight fist.

There, several steps away from her was Maxen, grabbing Asher's collar. His fist was up and his knuckles were bleeding, but the blood wasn't his. It was Asher's, the person he was beating to a pulp.

Maxen turned his head in her direction, setting his eyes on the woman standing beside the sedan inside the empty warehouse he told her to meet. Despite the distance between them, he could clearly see the fury in her eyes. He noticed even the slight tremor of her shoulders.

"For this man…" he hissed as her reaction was enough to shake him, shifting his death glares at Asher. "... I'll rip his fucking face."

As soon as those words rolled out of his mouth, Maxen launched another punch at Asher. He was watching his strength, making sure Asher wouldn't pass out with just a single punch. Seeing that Maxen just lost his mind completely, panic swelled up in her chest.

"Maxen!" her screams echoed, storming to him until they were within her reach. "Stop this now!"

Cosette used every bit of her energy to push Maxen away, making him skip three steps away while Asher landed on the dirty concrete. Her eyes were watery out of anger, seeing how mangled and terrible Asher looked at the moment. When she moved her head in Maxen's direction, anger was the only thing that was in her eyes.

"You…" Cosette balled her hands into a tight fist, marching to him. She didn't waste a breath and threw her fist at him while yelling, "are you out of your mind?!"

What Maxen had done: abducting Asher Quinn and beating him up was something that shouldn't surprise her. Maxen was a mob, and a mob just like him was pure evil. Beating Asher could be considered the simplest form of punishment; killing him would be something so simple.

But for reasons she couldn't understand, Maxen suddenly had this interest in Mia, Asher's fiance. Things seemed just so abrupt and she couldn't understand why of all people, Maxen would fall for someone like that woman. She believed he was simply having a competition with Asher, and by hurting Mia, Maxen would get even.

Whatever Maxen wanted, Maxen would get. That was his motto.

Asher was the type Maxen hated the most. People who had everything from birth. Maxen was a bitter man and had used his vile energy in abusing power. Violence was where he was most powerful.

"Are you not thinking anymore?!" Cosette screamed her lungs out, unable to move her fist as he grabbed her wrist. She stopped, glaring daggers at him. "Maxen Devilsin, stop this madness right now. I'm begging you."

"Stop?" Maxen let out a dry laugh. "Why would I stop Cosette? Are you afraid I will get in between your little happy ending?"

"Happy ending? Did you snap already, Mister Devilsin?" Cosette ridiculed. "Don't make this about me, Maxen. Leave him and that poor woman alone."

Maxen frowned, arching a brow as he assessed her face. "And what would I get if I do that?"

"What?"

"Cosette, not because we fucked a few times, your words hold power over me." He blinked ever so tenderly. "You don't have to tell me what to do; I can't fucking stand people trying to control me. You are a businesswoman, so instead of asking, why not strike a deal?"

Maxen carefully scanned her from head to toe before holding her gaze. "Can you give yourself to me?"

"Hah…" Cosette let out a dry laugh, in disbelief at how he made her sound like an object he could own.

"I will stop ruining their pathetic lives, Cosette Blac. But in return, I will ruin you." His eyes blazed with madness and jealousy. "What do you think?"

"You…" she shook her head, eyes fixed on him. "... are crazy, Max."

"Hahaha!" Maxen burst out in laughter until he was hunching in. When he straightened his back, his eyelids drooped until they were partially closed. "You just figured that out now?"

"Max…" this time, her tone softened slightly as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "Stop… please."

"WHY?!" her soft tone didn't persuade him, but only triggered him. "Why would I stop, Cosette!? WHY?!"

Her breath hitched, making her neck turn taut. "Why are you doing this?"

"You ask yourself, Cosette. Why am I doing this?" Maxen tightened his grip on her wrist but loosened them before he could break her wrist. "I told you, Cosette Blac. If I find out you are toying with me, I will disintegrate you."

"Me!" She barked as a tear rolled down her cheeks. "You will disintegrate ME! Why are you making these people suffer?"

Why?

Maxen's ground his teeth as he glared daggers at her. Why was she asking him the reason? It was simple and obvious. Was she feigning ignorance? Or didn't she really have an idea?

"Why?" Maxen breathed out as his fiery eyes calmed down, replaced with nothing but helplessness. "Don't you really know the reason, Cosette Blac? Why I am going insane? Why I am drowning in this thing called jealousy? And why do I fucking want to put a hole in that damn head of yours, but instead shift my focus to other people?"

He couldn't kill her. That was why. Maxen could kill every single person in this world. Hell. He would burn this world. But he just couldn't bring himself to let a single flame reach her.

"Don't you really know?!" his voice echoed like a clap of thunder, making her flinch in surprise. "Cosette… why him? Why not me?"

Maxen didn't want to ask the stupid question: what was there in Asher that he didn't have? He already knew the answer. A ton. Asher was a successful businessman and came from a well-off family. Meanwhile, Maxen was a criminal. He might have wealth, but that wealth came from dirty money.

"I'm fucking losing my mind, Cosette." He carefully released her wrist and reached for her jaw, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Save me."

Cosette stared at him in silence, letting her tears flood her face. Her lips quivered as they parted, and what she said next made him freeze.

"Please let my papa go."