“Looking for me?” I asked.
Simmy stopped yelling and turned around to face me. Dad stood near the bedroom door, brows furrowed and arms crossed. He was staring at me.
“Where did you come from? How did you get there?” she demanded.
I sighed and smirked at her. “Take a guess,” I replied, glancing at Dad and then back at Simmy. “What do you want?”
Simmy straightened up and raised an eyebrow at me. “Bring out who you’re hiding here, Azora.”
“Hiding?” I pursed my lips. I knew it. There was something fishy about how she allowed Japen into this room yesterday, and the way she locked the door, not letting Japen escape the mansion last night.
Simmy smirked at me. “You had someone with you earlier, didn’t you?”
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
Her brows furrowed, but before she could say anything, Dad spoke up. “Did you have someone with you earlier, Azora?”
I took a deep breath. “It was just me. Did you see anyone else besides me, Dad?”
He sighed and nodded, then turned to leave the room. Dad slammed the door behind him as he left. I was left alone with Simmy in the guest room. I looked at her; she had a sour expression on her face that made me smile.
“So you let him into this room? You had a plan,” I said, disdain evident in my voice.
She glared at me. “Where is that boy, Azora?”
“Why should I tell you?” I smirked at her. “Your plan failed. You’d better come up with a better one next time.”
I walked over to the mirror near the balcony, sat down in front of it on the chair, and reached for the comb. I hadn’t realized all my belongings had been moved into this guest room.
If that was the case, they should have just locked me in my own room. At least then they wouldn’t have needed to bother moving my things.
“I know Japen is here, Azora. He didn’t come out of this room last night!” Simmy insisted.
I looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and she was glaring at me, just as she always used to.
I nodded. “Of course, you locked the door. How was Japen supposed to leave this room?”
I pushed the chair back and stood up. My hair was still wet, and I planned to blow dry it later.
“Where is he, Azora?!” Simmy demanded, irritation in her voice.
“He’s not here, so leave.”
Of course, Japen wasn’t in the bedroom because he was hiding in the wardrobe. I stared at Simmy. She was furious, but she couldn’t do anything to harm me. Dad would be furious with her if she tried to hurt me.
“I’ll prove you had someone here, Azora.”
I sighed and smiled wickedly at her. “You’re the one who let him in, so why are you acting like this? If anyone’s to blame, it’s you, Simmy.”
“You!” She pointed a finger at me. “Just because you spread your legs for that boy, have you forgotten how to respect your elders? Maybe you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to, Azora? I’m the one who raised you after your mother died, so show some respect!”
My smile faded at her words. Spread my legs? I laughed bitterly. “I’m sorry, but I’m still a virgin, unlike you, who’s ready to sleep with Dad. And don’t worry, after all these years, any debt I owed you was repaid when you tried to seduce Dad, Simmy. So don’t point your finger at me.” I kept a straight face as I clenched my fist.
Simmy glared at me once more, then turned and walked toward the door. She slammed it shut, and I heard the lock rattle as she secured it from the outside.
I gritted my teeth and stamped my foot in anger. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my emotions. I couldn’t let Simmy get under my skin. If she knew her words affected me, she’d be overjoyed. I refused to admit defeat.
I slowly took another deep breath before walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge. I stared at the floor, unsure of what to do next after what had just happened.
Japen’s safety was still in my hands, and I wasn’t sure how long I could keep him safe with me. If only someone would open that door and let Japen escape the mansion, I’d be at peace.
But who could I trust to help me?
I glanced at the tray of food they had left for me. The meal was only enough for one person, so I grimaced. It wasn’t enough for both me and Japen.
I reached for my phone on the bedside table and opened my contacts. As I scrolled through the numbers, one name caught my eye and brought a smile to my face.
Anya. Yes, Anya. How could I forget about her?
I called her number, but she didn’t pick up. My brows furrowed. How dare she ignore my call?
I tried calling her again, but there was still no answer. Reluctantly, I called Dad’s number.
It rang a few times before Dad answered. “What do you want?” he asked.
“I want more to eat. The food wasn’t enough. Have someone bring another meal here.”
There was a long silence before Dad spoke again. “Fine.”
“Wait!” I exclaimed. “Just have Anya do it.”
“Anya?”
“The new maid I barely know. Let her handle it. I don’t want to see your woman, Dad.”
“My woman?”
I rolled my eyes. “Simmy,” I stated matter-of-factly. “I don’t want Simmy coming into this guest room, so please, do me a favor since you want to keep me locked up. Let Anya bring me food and give her the key to this room.”
“Ah,” I heard him sigh. “Simmy isn’t my woman. And Anya will handle your needs from now on.”
I was torn between relief and sarcasm at his words. Simmy wasn’t his woman? Yeah, right. I didn’t believe it.
But then Dad added, “I’ll keep the key to that room, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t want Simmy to have the key, but I didn’t want Dad to have it either. I pursed my lips into a thin line.