Chapter 8

Max's POV

After paying for the cake, the lady packed it, and Priscilla and I left the store as it was about to close. Once I opened the car door for her, I got in and Priscilla began to unpack the cakes, savoring each bite with a carefree happiness that I couldn't seem to find. Even though I had known Nelly for half of my life and we were always together, something had gone wrong between us and it hurt so much.

"I eat cake or chocolate when I'm feeling stressed or sad. It helps. You should try it too, you look so stressed out right now," Priscilla said, snapping me out of my daze.

"I don't like eating too much sugar because I don't want to lose my body shape," I replied. Priscilla laughed, seeming to understand my point. Watching her enjoy the cake, I realized how I could lift her mood when she was feeling down - cake or chocolate.

"I see. Do what you want," she said, finishing her meal before placing the plastic bag beside her and falling asleep in the car seat.

After arriving at the villa and parking my car out front, I picked Priscilla up and carried her inside along with her mother's ashes. "Park my car in the garage," I instructed the guards at the entrance before heading upstairs to Priscilla's room.

I laid her down in bed and grabbed a blanket, tucking her in tightly. After turning off the lights, I headed to the bar and poured myself a whiskey. Since catching Nelly and my uncle, I've had trouble sleeping and was hoping the alcohol would help me drift off.

I lost track of time, caught up in my thoughts. Suddenly, I heard screaming coming from upstairs. Worried, I rushed up the stairs to find Priscilla thrashing about in her sleep, moaning and kicking the air.

I ran to her side, trying to wake her up. "Priscilla, wake up," I called out, shaking her gently. She jolted awake, panting heavily and sweating profusely.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to soothe her.

"I... I killed them… I.. I killed them." she whimpered. "I'm a murderer." She broke down in sobs and I pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling sorry for her as she cried uncontrollably.

"Priscilla, calm yourself... I am here," I assured, gently massaging her back. The cause of her distressing nightmares remained a mystery, known only to the divine.

She drifted back into slumber within the cradle of my arms. With utmost care, I laid her on the bed, preparing to depart her chamber. However, she clutched my hand, her plea escaping her lips in a slumberous murmur.

"Mother, please don't leave me... You are aware that I cannot sleep without you." Priscilla's words, spoken in her sleep, mistook my identity for that of her mother. I could not abandon her alone. I had accepted responsibility for her well-being, and it was my duty to attend to her. Her being healthy meant that my child was too. Thus, I settled upon the bed beside her, observing her tranquillity slumber. In this state, she seemed transformed, shedding her feral nature to reveal a sorrowful young girl. What had happened to her? Why did these nightmares plague her? Whom did she strive to stop? And what did she mean by uttering those haunting words, "I have killed them ?" Could it be that she had truly taken a life? Even if such were the case, I maintain my belief that there must exist a justifiable cause behind her actions.

Priscilla's POV.

I narrowed my eyes at the beam of sunlight streaming into the room through the windows. With a deliberate motion, I opened my eyes and surveyed the surroundings. Max was seated at the edge of the bed, his head resting against the headboard, eyes closed. Goodness, not those nightmares again. My eyes widened in shock. I hope I didn't utter a word about that night. I rose from the bed, careful not to disturb him. I lacked the energy to face him. Making my way to the closet, I noticed that this room was unfamiliar. When did I even arrive here? I couldn't recall anything. I opened the closet and discovered it was filled with men's clothing. Opting for a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt, I closed the closet and proceeded to the bathroom.

Emerging from the shower, I cautiously opened the door and descended the stairs, only to find no one in sight.

A mischievous idea crossed my mind - if I could escape while everyone was still asleep, they might not find me. But leaving would mean giving up studying and having no place to stay. Plus, with my mom gone, those people might catch me. Should I stay or go? I don't trust Max; he wanted something from me, but what? I think leaving is the best choice to avoid trouble. I approached the entrance and saw the sleeping guards. Carefully, I opened the door and stepped outside. As I reached the gate, I noticed the guards were wide awake. So, I decided to jump off the walls. Leaving sooner rather than later seemed like the wiser option.

As I was about to climb the wall, a deep voice startled me and I stumbled and fell to the ground, feeling a sharp pain on my butt.

"Ouch," I screamed in pain.

"Where do you think you're going, Priscilla?" Max asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I...I wasn't going anywhere. I was playing hide and seek," I lied through my teeth.

Max frowned at my lies, seeing right through them. "With who?" he asked, perspicaciously.

I looked around, a mischievous smirk playing on my lips. "With the guards," I pointed to the guards standing behind Max, and their eyes widened in shock. "I woke up early, and when they saw me, they begged me to play with them. They said they wanted to relieve their stress caused by their boss...they said you torture them so much, so they wanted to play a little game to help them relieve stress," I lied through my teeth, secretly seeking revenge for telling on me to their boss.

"Boss, she is lying," the guards all begged at once.

"Max, please believe me. They even threatened that if I didn't play with them, they would shoot me with their guns. I'm just a tiny girl who is scared of guns, so I agreed," I said, faking my sobbing.

"Sir, we didn't. She is lying. Please believe us," one of the guards said.

"Max, please believe me. Just look at how huge they are and how small I am. They pointed their guns at me," I said in a sobbing tone.

"Is what she is saying true? If it is, then you are all fired," Max said, glaring at the guards.

"She...we didn't do any of the things that she mentioned," the guard said.

I bit my lower lip, worried about the possibility of them losing their jobs because of my silly lie. I couldn't be that heartless.

"Max, don't fire them," I said. "I'm the one lying. I came out here for some fresh air, and when my eyes fell on the walls, I couldn't resist looking at them," I lied again.

"If you don't tell me the truth, I will fire them!" Max said calmly.

I swallowed hard, realizing I had to tell the truth.

"Well, when I woke up, everybody was sleeping, so I thought of running away from here. You know I don't want to stay here, and I couldn't resist the opportunity," I said, pouting.

Max sighed and walked towards me, standing in front of me. "Give me your hand," he said, and I frowned, wondering why he wasn't angry with me. I took his hand and stood up with his help.

"You should drop the idea of wanting to escape. Get used to living here with me because I will never let you go," he said. "Breakfast is ready. Come on." He made his way inside the house, and I followed him.

"Good morning, everyone," I said with an awkward smile.

"Morning, dear," Granny said with a smile.

"Hey, Priscilla, where did you go so early in the morning?" Liz asked.

"She was playing hide and seek," Max replied as he pulled out a chair for me. My face was red with shame.

"With who?" Larry asked, frowning.

"With the guards," Max replied, and everyone burst into laughter, except for Max and me.

"Priscilla, were you trying to run away?" Liz asked, laughing.

"You're such a funny girl, my dear," Granny said.

"I wasn't trying to run away. I was just playing with the guards," I said, with a red face. Everyone laughed even more.

"Please, stop laughing at me now," I said, pouting my lips in a slightly exaggerated manner. I knew that what I wanted might seem silly to others, but their laughter was making me feel ashamed.

As we sat there, Lurry suddenly announced, "Bye guys, I'm running late for school. I'll catch up with you later." She gracefully rose from her chair, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed out the door.

Liz, who had been engrossed in our conversation, sighed and said, "I wish I could spend more time with you, Priscilla. But duty calls, and I have a company to run. Goodbye for now." She stood up, picked up her bag from the couch, and made her way out of the room.

Granny, who had been quietly observing the scene, chimed in, "I think I'll take a little nap, my dear. You know, as I'm getting older, sitting for long periods becomes quite uncomfortable." With a gentle smile, she slowly made her way upstairs to her room.

Feeling a surge of happiness, I exclaimed, "When I finish eating, Granny, I'll give you a soothing foot massage. I promise it will make you feel much better." The thought of bringing her comfort brought a genuine smile to my face.

Granny, touched by my offer, replied, "That sounds lovely, dear. Now, go ahead and enjoy your meal." With that, she gracefully ascended the stairs, leaving me alone at the table.

As I surveyed the spread of food before me, I couldn't help but marvel at the abundance. "There's so much food here," I remarked, my eyes widening in awe. I turned to Max, who was sitting across from me, and asked, "Are you planning to finish all of this?"

Max, with a friendly grin, responded, "Well, aren't you going to eat too?"

I nodded and replied, "Of course, I'll have my share. But I don't usually eat such large portions."

"But yesterday you ate 10 different cakes alone," Max remarked sarcastically.

"Wait, is the reason you brought me here to be nice to me and fatten me up so you can take my kidney and sell it?" I asked him, feeling a bit silly but not trusting this guy.

Max choked on his saliva and started coughing. I quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to him, which he gulped down.

"You are crazy, Priscilla," he said once he had calmed down.

"Can you blame me though," I asked as I started dishing up food on my plate.