POV: Lianne
I woke up wheezing, fighting to replenish the air in my lungs. I felt my chest heavy like it was being stepped on by an elephant weighing a hundred times heavier than me.
‘Take a deep breath, ‘ I commanded myself.
I sat upright and scanned the room once again only to find that, yes, I was still in a bedroom inside Cain’s mansion.
‘What was the mansion’s name again? Ah yes, Soulisse Mansion.’
It wasn’t surprising that like Regaleria, this mansion had stood the test of time. It was good to know that a part of my past still lived in the present day however negative or positive the memories I had with them.
The food the butler had prepared was still readily available on the table, but he was nowhere in sight. Maybe he left when he saw me or thought he saw me sleeping.
My stomach grumbled on cue, but still, I opted not to take a piece of anything on the table. Better be safe than sorry.
I stood up and neared the vanity mirror. My reflection showed my uncombed locks and a hint of bags under my eyes. I looked awful, but nothing was compared to the undesirable kiss marks Cain left on my neck.
Damn him.
I can’t have Ruen see these. He’d likely get angry. But first things first, I’ll have to think about how to escape the room and find the necklace.
The vision I had earlier was enough to tell me about Cain. It had smoothed out every question I had about him.
The first vision showed our first kiss and it was enough to tell me Cain didn’t harbor an innocent infatuation anymore. He desired me more than just a friend or a sister and the second vision settled it. He yearned for me and desired me as a woman.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t acknowledge it.
I only saw him as a good friend. I treated him as my family — my brother that I had never had. I valued him. I respected him. I cared for him, loved him in fact, but not in a manner that he wanted from me. Not in that kind of way at all.
What my past showed me made all sense. So that was why I had an inexplicable feeling of attachment to him at the present.
With everything that we had gone through, I wanted to help him. Part of me considered his feelings. I was the reason why he did what he did in the past. He had driven himself mad because of his love for me and I couldn’t deny that it was half my fault. I should have been blunt with him. I shouldn’t have led him into believing I had intimate feelings for him too.
And that was what I’m going to do. I’m going to end this unhealthy obsession of his and I hope for the best that this would also heal him in the process. This was our second life. A second chance to live again and to do right this time. I want Cain to live and find a woman that will love him truly. I want him to be at peace, free of all the hatred and the pain of the past.
I want us to be friends again just like before. Cain was just a lost soul and I believe it my duty to save him from damnation.
But just in case he couldn’t be saved, I’ll have to think of plan B, and that was to take the necklace from him.
After a short nod at myself in the mirror, I walked towards the door. Luckily, it was unlocked. Either the butler forgot to lock it or I was allowed to roam around the mansion freely.
I knew that finding the necklace would be difficult considering I was inside an expansive mansion, but it was worth a shot.
I was about to turn the knob when I heard a knock on the other side of the door. Hastily, I ran back into my bed and acted as if I was still asleep. I heard the door swung open a second later.
With my eyes in slits, I managed to see everything that transpired. The butler entered accompanied by two maids. They were likely here to clean what was supposed to be leftovers of my meal, but I saw one maid bringing with her a large purple box that seemed heavy.
She placed it on a chaise lounge and then turned to the butler with her arms akimbo.
Just like her, the butler and the second maid were unsure what to make of my untouched food.
“Just leave it there. Maybe the princess will wake up later and find herself hungry, ” said the butler to the maids.
The two nodded in unison.
With a final look on my way, they went out of the room leaving the butler behind.
He stood unmoving near the foot of the bed for a minute and then I heard a short displeased groan from the back of his throat.
“Madame, you really should eat and replenish your energy, ” he said and then turned around to face me with a bow. “You need not act as if you’re sleeping.”
I let out a heavy sigh, feeling defeated.
“I’m sorry. I don’t intend to offend you or your chef but I choose not to eat the food, ” I answered just as I sat up.
“I can assure you Madame that the food tastes good and it is clean of any drug, ” he informed bluntly. “Mr. Von Cavill expects us to treat you well while you’re inside the mansion.”
“Thank you, Sir, but still… uhm, I’m not really hungry.”
The butler gave me a lingering look as if he wanted to argue with me or chastise me as to the importance of eating, but in the end, he opted not to.
“Very well, but I’ll leave the tray of food just in case.”
He gave me another bow and off he went without waiting for my response.
Just as he was at the door though, I hastily called out his attention.
“Uh, Sir?” He turned to face me again and raised a brow. “May I inquire as to where your master is right now?”
He released a long exhale first before answering. “As of now, Master Cain is in a business meeting in the study room, Madame. He will be with you at dinner later.”
“Oh, I see. Uhm, can I walk around the mansion for a while? I… ah… I needed some fresh air, ” I stated trying to act innocent. He need not know that I plan to scour all the rooms in search of the necklace.
The butler’s face looked doubtful for a moment. He glanced at his wristwatch and then back to me.
“Master Cain had strict instructions not to let you out of the mansion, Madame, so you are only allowed within the gates.”
‘Yes!’ My mind celebrated.
“Okay, thank you, Sir, ” I said with a nod.
“You are most welcome, Madame.”
He bowed low the third time and then exited the room.
After he left, I acted fast.
I tried to look for my missing belongings first. My cell phone mainly to actually text Jen about my current circumstance and to call Ruen and inform him that I was inside the Soulisse Mansion.
Not a surprise, I didn’t see my phone anywhere after rummaging in all of the cabinets.
My attention landed on the purple box on the bed and thought that maybe all my belongings were placed there.
I neared it and opened the box only to find a white card and a full-blown beaded gown.
‘Do me the honor of wearing this dress for tonight. ~ Cain’
Was the simple yet authoritative missive of my host.
‘Yeah right, as if I would wear it.’
He didn’t have to dress me up and make me look like a princess again, well not in this timeline so I walked out of the bedroom leaving the gown untouched and unappreciated.
Seven-fifteen.
That was the time the grandfather clock registered as I stepped out of my room. The clock stood opposite the door, towering above me like it was guarding the hallway for any trespassers.
My pulse suddenly quickened upon seeing the dilemma before me. Now, where should I go? I looked left to right, both hallways boasting a long and narrow walk leading to who-knows-where.
My gut told me to choose the right side, so without hesitation, I walked to it.
The hallway was lighted with classic light fixtures mounted on the walls. There were furnishings on the sides; ancient — most likely expensive — jars, paintings of landscapes, and elegant tapestries all I could see within my range of view.
The length of the floor was covered with a carpet with hand-stitched designs. Yes. I had seen these kinds of carpets before in a book I read in the Fortville City Library. It was a Kashmiri masterpiece. These carpets exude grandeur and royalty but holding a price tag of at least six figures per meter. Certainly, for Cain, money wasn’t an issue.
I negotiated the length of the hallway with ease until I found a room that looked like a music room. Its doors were wide open, inviting me to come inside. I scanned it, eyeing specifically for the necklace, and found nothing. I doubt Cain would place it here though.
Not a minute longer, I exited the room and headed for another one just across it.
The same thing happened. There was not a sign of the necklace anywhere.
Unfortunately, this routine went on and on for six more rooms until I found myself in the last room of the hallway.
It was closed, but the door was unlocked. Peeking slightly on the opening, I found that it resembled my bedroom with the fireplace in the exact same location, but the room had a bigger space. It visibly emitted an aura of manliness.
The chances of this being Cain’s bed chamber was minuscule, but I would wager it still. It was better to try than not try at all, especially while he was still away.
Without thinking, I stepped inside and continued my way in search of my heirloom.
***
POV: Cain Von Cavill
I hadn’t expected a business meeting at a time like this. This bloody Russian mafia boss didn’t take no for an answer. He wanted to deal with me ASAP to buy a large amount of the drug.
‘What the hell!’
I had already planned this night as a special one. I was supposed to stay inside Lianne’s room, converse with her, woo her again, and make love to her. I was supposed to give her the purple box myself and ask her to wear the gown for me. And then later, we would dine together in the garden gazebo where we had our first kiss.
Being informed on such a short notice that this mafia boss would like a meeting with me brought me great irritation.
In the end, I left Lianne’s room with a hard scowl on my face.
Drugging Lianne into submission was not my taste. Definitely not my taste. Yes. I like her pleading, begging in her own volition. But on the other hand, I didn’t want her to fight me. She had done so the last time and it left me bearing a throbbing pain on my manhood for the next two days.
The drug was my last option. I wanted to claim her and make her mine once and for all. I wanted to erase everything about our past and place new ones — good ones — enough for her to choose me instead of Ruen. And it would have been successful if not for, like I said, the Russian boss’ interruption.
It just ended with me kissing her, putting kiss marks on her neck as a sign of my possession.
I decided to accept the meeting with a plan in mind to finish it in a jiffy, but circumstances had evaded me from doing so. Now, my eyes jumped from my laptop’s screen talking with the eccentric Russian mafia boss to the security monitors hung on the wall where it surprisingly showed my princess apparently scurrying from one room to another. She may have been looking for the real emerald necklace.
‘Her effort is quite admirable, ‘ my mind commented.
“Send the product at the break of dawn and I will give you double the amount you requested, ” said the Russian boss effectively cutting my attention off from the monitor screen.
I looked at him, took note of his bushy beard and the many tattoos on his face, and chewed on his words. This man doesn’t beat around the bush.
“I’ll send the product now and then you’ll give me four times the amount I requested, does that sound good?” I quipped.
The Russian boss paused for a moment and then the corner of his lips curved into a devilish smile.
“Deal, ” he stated.
I gave him a nod and a smug smile. “Good, wire the amount now. Your shipment is already en route to your warehouse in Siberia.”
“I’ll have my Finance do that now.” He leaned against the monitor screen and gave me a wider smile. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Von Cavill.”
I nodded and then turned my laptop off.
My eyes quickly flicked to the monitor screen wherein it still showed Lianne in my bed chamber still rummaging my cabinets. I grinned in effect as a thought crossed my mind.
Maybe I should give her the real necklace.