Juliette POV
When I got back inside the room I went directly to my suitcase and got my sleep wears out of it. After changing into my blue shirt and full pants. I lied down on the bed and waited for sleep to overtake me. Moments from the morning came flooded into my mind. I tossed around in the bed hoping that if I slept I would no longer have to bear the pain that I was suffering but unfortunately nothing seemed to be working because I wasn’t feeling sleepy at all. So, I got up and sat on the bed for some minutes. I didn’t even have a phone to pass some time.
My eyes fell on the clock that was on the opposite wall. Half past one in the midnight. I sighed and thought about walking inside the room for some while till I feel sleepy. Getting up from the bed, I went to the other side of the partition only to notice the door. Then I thought about getting some fresh air from the balcony.
I went there and opened the door to the balcony. As soon as I did that my hair blew backward because of the cold breeze that hit me on my face. I felt relieved and took in a deep breath to control my nerves. The scenery was beautiful from the balcony. We were away from the main city but still, I could see lights from where I stood. The mansion was surrounded by trees as if an attempt to remain hidden.
There was a small table with two chairs on the side of the balcony. I went there and took a seat on the chair and sat for some minutes feeling the cold air relaxing my tense nerves until I felt sleepy. A yawn escaped my mouth as I stretched my arms in the air and got up from the chair. Making sure, that I closed the balcony’s door I went back to the other partition of the room and lied down on the middle of the king sized bed sprawling my hands and legs in all direction before drifting off to sleep.
I tossed around but couldn’t, I felt as if I was caged or being stopped from tossing around. It somehow made me suffocated. Moaning and groaning in irritation and my eyes blinked several times adjusting to the light. Stretching my arms in the air, I tried to get up when I realized something on my torso.
“What the-” I said and looked at what it was.
“An arm?” I thought and looked at the owner of the owner sleeping next to me.
“Zachary” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“I know that you are awake! What do you think that you are doing?” I asked with my hoarse voice and tried to push him away.
“And why are you shirtless?” I groaned and tried to push him but to no avail did he even budge.
“Zachary!” he didn’t even open his eyes. I stopped wiggling and looked at his face. He was sleeping on his belly with the side of his face on the pillow, his hair messy and falling on his forehead, mouth slightly open and anyone in my place would have thought he might be deep in sleep but I knew the truth. He was awake. He is the type of person who wakes up early in the morning without any reason. I looked to the side and read the clock to be eight in the morning.
“What is he still doing in the bed?” I thought.
“Zachary! Hey! Wake up!” I tried to get myself free from his grip but it looked as if he was tightening his grip knowingly.
“What the hell! Ow! Zach- oh my goodness! Okay, I can’t breath!” and I smacked on his back using my left free hand.
“Zachary!” I pinched on his side.
“Ow!” he flinched this time and opened his eyes glaring at me.
“Good Morning to you” I smirked and bat my eyelashes sweetly at him.
“Will you remove your arms around me? Why are you even in this bed? Do you not own a shirt?” I pushed him but all he did was glaring at me.
“What?” I snapped.
“Who told you to sleep in the middle of the bed? You could have slept on your side!” he said in his morning husky voice that made me umm.
“Well I- Excuse me? You could have taken the other bed!” I stated the obvious.
“Oh just shut up and let me sleep. I am tired” he said and closed his eyes.
“Well duh sleep who is even denying you not to sleep? Just let me go. Remove your arm from me” I said crossing my arms across my chest.
“Zachary!” I snapped when he didn’t respond.
“Zachary I’m telling you! Remove your arm this instant or I will-”
“Or what Juliette?” he mocked me and tightened his grip even more.
“O-r-r-r I-I-I will you please remove your arm? I will sleep on my side from next time. I will make sure okay?” I sighed.
“Juliette,” he said slowly and I looked back at him. His eyes were still closed and he was inhaling and exhaling softly. This was the first time he called my name so softly. Other times he would just scold or snap at me. I felt my heart beat rising instantly. What is happening to me? How does any of this make my heart beat rise?
“Uh?” I waited for him to speak.
“You are an idiot” he completed.
I looked at him with a stoic expression.
“What?” I thought.
“Zachary!” I snapped and I was ready to kill this asshole of a man this instant.
“Get ready!” he said as I watched him buttoning his blue shirt up.
“Why?” I asked still laying on the bed holding the pillow close to my chest.
“Do what I say Idiot!” he said and went to the wardrobe and got his suit out of it.
“Stop calling me an Idiot!” I snapped as I threw the pillow at him which hit him on his back and fell on the floor. I marched up to him and pushed him to the side and took my suitcase which was next to the wardrobe and walked into the bathroom all the way glaring at him while he put on his suit and looked at me weirdly.
I took a good shower and brushed my teeth. After I was done I went to my suitcase and pulled out a brown high neck midi length bodycon dress and my black coat out of it. Putting my dress on, I looked at myself in the mirror when I fully ready. I had put on a nude brown colored lipstick with some eyeliner and mascara and I had done my hair into a side fishtail braid. As I got out of the bathroom I saw him ready sitting on a chair in the hall scrolling through his phone.
He was wearing a black suit with navy blue button up shirt underneath and black pants, shiny black shoes and his hair as usually sleeked back perfectly.
I went to the wardrobe where I recalled putting my beige boots last night. I wore it and threw my braid to the side and looked back at Zachary to find him already looking up at me. He looked up and down before his eyes fell on my braid and he narrowed his eyes at me.
“What?” I asked slowly feeling intimidated by his gaze.
“Nothing,” he said and got up and shoved his phone into his pant pockets.
“Let’s go then,” he said and I nodded removing the curls of hair that fell on my cheeks behind my ear.
He stood on his place and bit down on his lips before nodding and walking towards the door where I followed him and we both walked out of the house.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we sat inside the car while putting on the seat belts. Zachary just looked up at me while he put his seat belts on and then looked straight before he started the engine and we rode off.
I looked out of the window to find us driving out the mansion and then on the main road. I looked back at Zachary and saw him concentrating on the road. Biting down on my lips, I looked out of the window for the silence was disturbing me.
“What is he up to?” I couldn’t help but think.
My thoughts wandered off to Emmett. I hissed at it, I should really start calling him by his real name. Nicholas. Nicholas, it is. I wondered where I would have been, where my life would have taken me if I had never met Nicholas in my life. Would I had ever met Zachary then? Coming to think about it, I came across Zachary only because Nicholas was his enemy. Would we ever turn up friends if we hadn’t met under that circumstances?
I looked back at Zachary. He had his one hand on the steering wheel while other was on his forehead. He looked as if something was irritating him. It was still morning but he looked tired as if he hadn’t taken rest from a long time. I wonder what had been causing him distress.
“I can’t do this!” I heard him and all of a sudden the car stopped with a screeching sound coming from the wheels as I felt myself jerking forward due to the sudden stop but thankfully the seat belts saved me.
“Oh my goodness! Zachary?” I asked confused as I watched him wiping his face using his handkerchief. The air conditioner was on but still, he was sweating.
“Wh-What happened?” I asked slowly.
He looked at me and then put the handkerchief back inside his pocket.
“Nothing,” he whispered and he drove the car again.
The whole way I kept on looking at his weird behavior.
“What is wrong with him?” I wondered. He would occasionally turn up to me but he remained tight-lipped. His behaviour was giving me odd assumptions and all of a sudden my mind kept on nagging about where he was taking me.
Is he taking me somewhere to hurt me?
No, can he hurt me?
Will he hurt me?
I clutched the fabric of my dress and bite down on my lips. My fingers kept on twitching and unwantedly my eyes stung because of tears that threatened to fall off any moment. Was I scared?
The car came to a halt before a building. The building had its name in bold letters “Sullivan Real Estate” I got out of the car and looked up at the building. The building stood intimidating the buildings nearby and guessing from the name, it was Zachary’s office building.
So this his workplace?
He handed over his car keys to the guard and the guard got inside the car and drove away perhaps for parking. I followed Zachary inside the building where everyone bowed or greeted him “Good Morning.” While some were looking at me cautiously and with confusion. I guess they don’t really have any idea who I was.
We opened the door of the elevator and got inside. I stood outside, not able to move my feet. Memories of what happened last time in that furniture shop came flooding into my mind. What if it stopped again with us inside?
“No!” I spoke and I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead only imagining my condition if the elevator. I saw the door of the elevator was about to close when Zachary kept his hand stopping it from closing.
The door slid opened and he looked at me questionably about why I was not getting in. His lips moved as if he was about to say something but then he stopped in the middle and made a face as if he recognized what was my problem.
I waited for him to snap or scold me but something different happened. He got hold of mine hand and pulled me inside. A gasp escape my mouth when I collided against his hard chest.
“No!” I said and turned around wanting to leave the elevator but he held me by my waist and made me turn back to him. I clutched his shirt tightly closing my eyes when I heard the door of the elevator shutting with a ping sound and I felt when the elevator moved with a jerk.
“God!” I thought. I felt him tightening his grip on my waist pulling me closer to him.
Why is he doing this? Is he trying to save me? Why?
My eyes flickered open and I looked here and there before looking up at him. He already had his eyes on me. I felt him holding my hand that was clutching his shirt. He looked straight into my eyes. Deep brown eyes boring into mine as I felt my breathing increasing.
What is going on?
The elevator stopped and the door pinged open. Realizing that, I jerked up in my place and removed my hands from his hold. I gulped down the lump that formed in my throat and biting my lips I took in a deep breath in.
What is going on?
He cleared his throat and walked out of the elevator. I rubbed my forehead before following him.
“Good morning sir!” it was Cosmina. She wore a peach-colored business suit and pencil skirt with a white shirt underneath. She had left her blonde hair down today and she held the tab in her hand and she looked back at me.
“Doamnă! Good Morning” she bowed her head.
“Good Morning Cosmina,” I said to which she smiled.
“Is he here?” Zachary asked ignoring her greetings.
This man!
“Yes, Sir! el este aici (he is here)” Cosmina said and looked at me before saying “în acea cameră (in that room).”
I stood there not even understanding a word. Were they talking in a code language? Of course Romanian but why are they talking in Romanian when both of them know that I don’t understand a single word.
Cruel world!
“Come!” Zachary said and I raised an eyebrow and looked at him when he forwarded his hand for me to take. Not knowing what to do I took his hand and he held my hand firmly before speaking something to Cosmina in Romanian. I wanted to hit his head with the heel of my boots. I don’t understand anything.
He looked back at me and then pulled me closer to his side.
“Make sure nobody disturbs us. It’s an important meeting” he told this to Cosmina and she nodded in response. Zachary walked further which looked like it was the direction to his cabin. We stopped before a door on which it was written in bold letters “Ceo Mr. Sullivan” I looked back at Zachary wanting to question him if it was his room but stopped when I saw him all tensed up.
“Go in!” he said and I held myself from asking why me first? Turning the door open I walked in and was about to look back at Zachary if he is coming or not when my eyes fell on the person who was sitting on the sofa and stood up as soon as he saw me.
“Dad?” I heard my croaking voice and tears fell down my cheeks when he walked up to me.