Eight

My room, which usually brings me comfort whenever I feel burdened by life problems, now feels like a strange, lifeless space. I gingerly walk into it, taking one careful step after another until I get to my bed.

I stare back at it, remembering how it used to be warm and comfortable. How I used to roll around it all night while I think back to the memorable dates I had with Matt.

Or was it when we were planning the wedding? I would stay up all night, anticipating, while my body tingles with excitement as I await what will happen on my wedding night.

Sighing, I lower my butt on the edge, while my eyes roam around some of my things in the room. I don't know what to do with myself. I haven't ever since my wedding night.

My stomach grumbles, reminding me that I haven't had anything to eat since I came back to the house. Fighting Matt for over an hour has sapped all the energy I got from the food I ate at Jameson's place. Matt would have kept me longer in that room if not that I had mentioned Lauren's husband.

I don't have enough evidence to prove what I saw, but who would lie over something so serious? Matt knew that my words alone would be enough proof, hence him deciding to let me go. He had muttered something about getting back at me before the sun set, then he left the room, slamming the door behind.

When my stomach grumbles again, I begin crawling myself into a ball. I would rather die from hunger than allow myself to eat anything in this place. Just before I can finish settling my body in the position, something begins vibrating in my back pocket.

I spring up from the bed and end up landing on the floor. A tiny phone falls off my jeans and only then did I relax on realizing that it is the cause of my panic.

My still slightly shaking hand picks up the phone. I glance at the screen, a frown masking my face on seeing an unknown number calling.

Without further hesitation, I press the green button, "H-hello?"

"Are you okay, miss?"

My frown deepens when I do not recognize the voice speaking.

"Boss asked me to check up on you. This is the driver that took you over to your house earlier today."

"Ohh…"

"Are you okay, miss? You don't sound okay."

"I'm just…"

"Boss also requested I come pick you up just in case the plan goes south. So I am coming over now that I know that you are not okay."

My body is already getting excited to return to Jameson, until my eyes meet the door. The memory of how Matt had pushed me into the room a few minutes ago resurfaces in my mind.

"I can't…"

There is a slight pause in his voice, "You are already changing your mind about the plan? Boss won't be happy about this."

"I mean I can't come out of the house. I am locked inside."

"What?! Who did such a thing to you."

"My husband…" I answer dryly.

"Boss won't be happy about this," he mutters again.

The line remains silent for a while, at some point I start wondering how the phone got into my back pocket in the first place. Was it Jameson who slipped it in? He must have sensed that something would go wrong with the plan.

"Isn't there a way you can unlock the door?" His voice jolts me out of my thoughts.

My eyes go to the door. I rush towards it, a little hope flicking inside me as I try to push the door open. When it doesn't budge under my strength, I sigh in anger.

"You can't?"

"No." I cry to him.

"Alright. I am just outside your gate. How about I slip inside and try to get to your window. Will you be able to jump down?"

My eyes widen at his suggestion, "You want me to jump?"

"Of course. I will be down there to catch you and we can escape from there."

The calmness of his voice makes it seem like what he is asking me to do is easy peasy, except that my room is on the second floor and I might end up in the morgue with my head split into two by the time I am done jumping.

I begin muttering a prayer under my breath as I cross over to the other side of the room where the windows are. I open one of it and some fresh air breezes past my face and into the room. On looking down at the ground floor, I gasp.

"No–no, I can't do it. It is too high!"

"Look down and wave so I can locate which is your window."

I do as he asks and a few minutes later, he's standing right below me. He motions for me to jump.

Placing one shaky leg on the window panel, I swallow hard in an attempt to gain balance, which didn't work because I end up missing a step and the next thing I see is myself spiraling in the air before falling into a strong arm. We both end up crashing on the floor and rolling towards a flower pot.

I begin breathing heavily just as the butler is doing also.

"Sorry…"

"No problem. It is part of my job."

While I am still lying flat on the floor, trying to gather my bearings on what just happened, the man is already on his feet, dusting off the remaining foreign particles off his suit.

When he is done, he gives me a hand, "Let's go. We don't have all the time in the world to waste. My boss is an impatient man."

I grab his hand, also standing on my feet. My heart continues slamming hard in my chest as we try to sneak out of my father's mansion without being caught.

Knowing how much risk I am taking, especially after what Matt did to me earlier today, the fear of getting caught continues gripping me hard until when I finally enter the SUV waiting outside the gate.

I let out a deep breath when the car zooms off.

"You still look tense," the butler says as he casually glances at me from the rearview mirror.

"I am…" I agree with him.

"And you keep looking back," he chuckles, revealing half of his white dentition.

"What if they saw us leaving and start chasing after us."

"That won't happen," he says with assurance.

"And you know this how? Maybe it's because you don't know how tight my dad's security is."

"No matter how well they take their jobs, they will be too busy attending to the stray dog I killed and I left by the far corner of your mansion to notice your absence. Trust me, you are good to go for now."

His words make me calm down my wits. The rest of the ride is as swift as the one we had when he brought me the previous day. He leaves me to my thoughts. A low music playing on the radio, him minding his business while occasionally glancing at me.

A strange sense of peace and belonging washes over me as we get to Jameson's mansion. The driveway leading to the main mansion looks even more beautiful than the last time I saw it. I see him waiting for me as we reach near the front door.

His hands which have been stuck inside his pocket come out as he moves to open the door.

"Bella."

My breath cuts at the smooth rasp of my name from his tongue. A wave of nervousness washes over me as dots of sweat begin forming on my forehead.

"H-hi," I manage to stutter.

I gingerly climb down from the car. He sees me struggling with pulling out my other leg and offers me a hand.

A hit of electric wave tingles from my hand to the rest of my body just as his hand makes contact with mine.

"What is it? Are you feeling okay?"

I watch his eyes roam through my body as he checks me out. When it stops at a bruise on my right arm and stays there, I begin shivering.

"What happened to you?"

I don't know which starts making me tear up between the wound which has been stinging me like crazy or the softness of his tone as he inquires about it.

"My— my…"

"Davenport. That devil. He did this to you.

He starts pulling me through the front door into the mansion. We pass the large living room but I can barely have time to admire it before we reach a hallway that is equally decorated to a rich taste.

We enter a room I suspect should be his study and that is when he lets my hand go. The loss of contact opens an aching spot in my heart.

"Sit," he commands.

I obey him, sitting down on one of the chairs while he continues pacing around the room.

"This first plan seems to not have worked. We need to start the second phase of the plan."