Chapter 57

Priscilla's POV

I spent nearly an hour chatting and eating with my friend Nicolas, and in that time, I completely forgot about the long and tiring day I had. Mark was a great companion, and being around him was always a pleasure. His infectious energy and constant happiness made it hard to feel anything but joy, which is why I cherish our time together.

"Thanks, Mark. Spending time with you made me forget all my worries. I really appreciate it," I said, beaming with gratitude.

"Friends don't thank each other, do they?" Mark replied with a smirk.

"Okay, you're right," I chuckled. "Goodnight and thanks for lifting my spirits. I was feeling down today."

"Goodnight, and say hi to everyone for me," Mark said as he drove away. I waved goodbye and made my way back inside the house. I hoped that my Max had already gone to bed, as I didn't have the energy to deal with him at the moment.

The lights were already turned off, indicating that everyone had gone to sleep. I sighed and started making my way upstairs. As I reached my room, I opened the door and stepped inside. After locking the door, I searched for the lighter and, once I found it, I switched on the lights in my room. To my surprise, I saw Max sitting on the couch in my room. What on earth was he doing here?

"What are you doing here?" I asked, as I walked to the bed and placed my bag on it. I turned to Max, who was glaring at me.

"Where have you been?" Max asked, his tone was cold, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"How is that any of your business? I don't remember answering you about what I do," I retorted back with the same cold tone he used on me.

"Oh really ? You don't answer me now! Have you forgotten that I was the one who took you to the streets and brought you to my own house?" Max asked, and I let out a loud scoff.

"Did I ask you to bring me to your house?" I snapped. "Listen, Max, don't even think that you've done me a favor by bringing me to your house. I didn't ask you to bring me here; it was your decision, not mine. So, don't you dare try to rub salt in my wounds by reminding me that you brought me from the streets? You've already made my life miserable enough, and now the world is calling me a gold digger because of you. Don't tell me that bully sh*t when you're the reason behind all of this."

Max sneered sarcastically. "I don't think the world is wrong at all. Maybe you're a gold digger. Maybe you're just waiting for an opportunity to show your true colors. I mean, you're befriending all my friends, and they're all wrapped around your finger. Your tricks seem to be working, don't they? Mark offered you a job with no experience, and Nicolas won't leave you alone. He's stuck to you like a fool. I misunderstood you. I thought you were different, but now, I don't think so. I don't even know how many men you slept with just to get money. Your mother was sick, right? And you needed money for her medications?"

As Max's hurtful words hit me, my stomach hardened, and my knees weakened. I had to hold onto the corner of the bed for support. I couldn't believe he was saying these things to me.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just a street kid, a gold digger who trapped you with these babies. I slept with Mark so he would offer me a job, and I slept with Nicolas so he could be my friend. You're right, Max. I'm nothing but a characterless woman who spreads her legs everywhere. I'm so disgusting that you can't even stand to be around me for a second. But don't worry, I won't let you suffer because of my presence. I'll make things easier for you," I said, fighting back tears.

Without giving him a chance to respond, I walked towards the door. Unlocking it, I ran out of the room, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't bear to tolerate such insults just because I came from the streets. I'd rather go back to the streets than endure more of this bullshit.

As I reached the gate, the guards were present, standing watch.

"Open the gate. I need to go out!" I said firmly, my tears still falling.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Sir said we shouldn't let you leave," the guard replied nervously. I glared at him.

"Do you have a death wish?" I asked, my gaze intense.

"N-No," he stammered, clearly scared. "Open the gate!"

The guard quickly walked to the gate and unlocked it. Without saying a word, I ran out of the villa. I had reached my breaking point and couldn't take any more.

Max's POV

Running my fingers through my hair, I regretted saying everything I had said to her. I was angry that she had spent the evening with Nicoles instead of having dinner with me as planned. My anger had gotten the best of me, and I had spoken without thinking.

Suddenly, my phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts. Without checking the caller ID, I answered it.

"Sir, Ms. Priscilla has left the villa. She didn't seem well at all. She was crying and angry," the guard at the gate informed me.

As I listened to his words, my stomach twisted. How could they let her out at this hour? "I want you to find her and bring her back here within the next five minutes," I said, trying to control my anger. Why would Priscilla leave so late at night, especially since she was pregnant? Although I knew that I had hurt her with my words, did she have to act so recklessly?

I hurriedly left Priscilla's room, dialing Nicolas's number as I made my way out of the house. He picked up the phone quickly.

"Nic, I need you to track down Priscilla's location. She stormed out of the house," I said in a rush.

"Max, what did you do to her? Why would she leave the house alone at this hour?" Nicolas asked, sounding concerned.

"I said something I shouldn't have said. She got angry and left," I explained, hoping she wasn't far away. It was late at night, and she went out all alone. It was all my fault.

"Damn it, Max! What's wrong with you? She was already upset about the news, and you made it worse. Have you lost your mind? If anything happens to Priscilla, I won't ever forgive you," Nicolas said before hanging up. I regretted saying all those things to her; I didn't know what came over me.

"Sir, we couldn't find Ms. Priscilla. It seems like she disappeared into thin air," the head of the guards said, panting.

Before I could say anything, my phone rang again. I answered without checking the caller ID because I knew it was Nicolas.

"The GPS tracker has been turned off. It's not working, which means Priscilla removed it from her hair and destroyed it. We can't find her anywhere. And it's all your fault, Max. I don't know why you don't think before acting. You hurt her so badly that she doesn't want to be found," Nicolas said, his words causing a sinking feeling in my stomach. What have I done?

"I didn't mean to hurt her, I was just angry, that's all," I tried to justify my mistake. But deep down, I knew that I could never justify what I had said to her.

"I know why you were angry. You thought that Priscilla and I were dating, right? Now listen, there's nothing between me and Priscilla, nothing at all. We're nothing more than friends, Max. I don't know when you became so narrow-minded, or maybe you're in love with her and became jealous to see me with her. Which one is it?" Nicole asked over the phone, and my heart skipped a beat. I'm not in love with Priscilla, that's for sure. I don't know why I was angry.

"Nicolas, instead of lecturing me, why not come here and help me find her? Don't you think that would be a great idea?" I asked impatiently. It was all his fault. Had he not gone out with Priscilla, I wouldn't have gotten so angry.

"Of course, you would say that because you're in the wrong. I'll be there in 20 minutes." Nicolas said and hung up the phone. After instructing the guards to gather all my men to look for Priscilla, I made my way inside the house.

"What's going on, Max?" Liz asked, standing by the couch in her pajamas as soon as I entered the sitting room.

I sighed and replied, "Priscilla has run away."

Liz frowned, her voice filled with disbelief. "Max, I'm not foolish enough to think that Priscilla would do that for no reason at this hour! What did you say to her?"

Her tone grew louder and her face reddened. My chin trembled as I tried to explain what had happened. Liz's eyes widened in shock and her face turned pale. "Max, why would you say something like that to her? How could you? Did she come here willingly, or did you bring her here under pretenses? Now you're calling her names? I mean-"

Liz ran her hands through her hair, visibly angry. I lowered my gaze, biting down on my lower lip. I had no defense. None at all. I was just a spineless jerk, a sadist who had been cheated on by two women.

"If anything happens to Priscilla, I will never, ever forgive you," Liz snapped, her anger palpable. "Trust me, I will never forgive you. You better find a way to bring her back home. I don't care what you do."

She stormed out of the house, and I couldn't help but raise my voice. "Where are you going?"

Liz stopped and glared at me with cold eyes. I couldn't recall ever seeing her this angry. "Do you want me to sit here and do nothing like you? Of course, I'm going to look for Priscilla. It's not safe for a 19-year-old pregnant girl to be on the streets at 11 pm. Unlike you, I still have my wits about me."

With that, Liz left the house, leaving me to reflect on my actions.

"I just saw Liz leaving with a car and a few guards. Where is she going?" asked Nicolas, who was entering the house. I quickly made my way to him, feeling anxious.

"She went to look for Priscilla. I think we should go too. I'm so worried about her. It's late at night and she's alone," I explained, my heart beating faster with fear. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her.

"I've already sent 100 guards to search for her. But first, we should try to reach the location where the tracker stopped working. Maybe we'll find out where she went," Nicolas suggested, and I nodded in agreement. We left the house, hoping to find Priscilla safe and sound.