CHAPTER 46
LILY’S POV
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling groggy and weak as I twisted a little on the large silky surface I found myself on. My breath hitched a bit and I blinked, confused as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings I found myself. It screamed of opulence and luxury; a grand room filled with golden decor, sky-high ceiling, velvet curtains, and chandeliers that sparkled softly in the dim light. I lay on a silky, king-sized bed adorned with plush pillows and bolsters, far more luxurious than anything my body has ever rested on, and the air that enveloped me felt so crisp and light I could float away.
Managing to pull my heavy body up to sit at the edge of the bed, a slight wince escaped my lips as I clutched my throbbing temple to feel a small gauze bandage over it. I also noticed plaster bandages covering various injuries on my body; both sides of my leg, the inside of my elbow and my arms.
As I assessed myself, I realized I wasn’t wearing the same clothes as before. Instead, I was only dressed in an oversized white button-up shirt over my thin underwear. Whoever brought me here had taken off my clothes and cleaned me up. I sort of cringed at the thought of that since it was obvious the shirt I was putting on belonged to a man.
A chill ran down my spine as I wondered where I was and how I got there. The last thing I remembered was that crazy taxi driver pointing a gun at me. I heard a gunshot, and I passed out but I didn’t find any bullet wounds on my body which means I wasn’t hit. Everything else after that was all hazes and blurs. What actually happened? Did the bullet somehow fire back at the man or did someone else kill him and then bring me here?
Restlessness filled my mind as I pushed myself up from the bed. I got up too quickly and that made my head spin and my steps unsteady but I managed to keep my control. I began pacing around the luxurious room like I was going crazy, panic building up in my chest. The thought struck me hard like thunder-I couldn’t shake off the feeling that Robert had found me and taken me. I couldn’t think of anyone else.
If that was the case then I needed to discreetly leave this place. Who knew what he planned on doing to me? How he’ll exert his revenge. Plus, with everything happening, my kids weren’t safe either. I needed to get to them. I can’t let Robert find out about them. He may take them away from me or worse, hurt them to get back at me. He wanted me to abort when I was pregnant with them nine years ago. I won’t be surprised if he does something to harm them because he won’t care about them. I needed to get to my children. We had to leave this city immediately to a safer place where Robert would never find us.
Racing to the wide, tall windows, I moved the velvet curtains to see it was raining heavily outside, the droplets tapping against the glass panes of the window. It was dark and eerily quiet as if it were the middle of the night. But I won’t let that hinder me from getting out of here and to my kids.
In a flurry of emotions, I looked around for my clothes but couldn’t find them anywhere. I couldn’t leave the building dressed like this. I’ll die of cold before I could even get home to my kids.
Frustration gnawed at me as I groaned and dug my fingers into the roots of my hair, disheveling it. That was when the door opened and to my greatest surprise, I saw Noah carrying a tray laden with food.
Dressed in a black tank top that revealed his toned arms and grey sweatpants that fit him just right, he looked stunned on seeing me and the mess I had caused while looking for my clothes.
“What…?” I grimaced, my face contorting in shock. This place belonged to him and not Robert? He was the one that brought me here? How?
“Hey, you’re up,” he said with a gentle, caring smile on his face as he entered and dropped the tray on top of a small fancy table at the top side of the bed.
“How are you feeling now?” He asked with extreme concern as he kept his gaze on me.
Instead of answering him, I growled at him, remembering what he did to me. How dare he bring me here against my will and ask me such a question after he cruelly fired me without hearing me out first? I now despise him for that. I can’t even believe I planned on accepting his dating proposal if he asked me out again.
“How dare you?!” I slashed the words at him like a sword from my throat. “How you dare you bring me here, cook for me and ask me that after you kicked me out of your company like I was some stray dog?”
As my gaze drifted to the tray on the small fancy table by the side of the bed laden with chicken and vegetable soup, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit bowl and juice, my mouth watered and my stomach roared with so much hunger the sound was almost heard.
After I made that pizza for the kids, I didn’t have time to take mine as Noah had called for me. Despite the hunger gnawing at my intestines and the tempting look and aroma wafting from the food, I remained stoic, looking away like I didn’t care. No amount of food will make up for what he did to me. No amount of food will change the fact that I was still angry at him.
“Calm down, Lily. Hear me out first. Let me explain. After that, you are free to judge me and do me whatever you want. I don’t mind. Just listen to what I have to say first.”
He approached cautiously and tried to hold my arm but I shot him a cold sneer and beat his hand off, taking a step back away from him as if he was virus.
“Don’t bother because there is nothing to explain,” I said, my voice icy. “I thought you were different, that you’re someone I could actually trust and rely on, but you’ve shown me you’re just like everyone else from my past. Where are my clothes? I need them. I can’t stay here. I’m leaving-I need to be with my kids.”
“Are you nuts?!” He stared at me wide-eyed. “It’s the middle of the night and it’s been raining heavily with thunderstorms for the past two hours. There is no way I’m letting you risk your life by going out there.”
“Going out there is better than staying in there with you,” I replied nonchalantly. “Now, where are my clothes or do you want me to turn this house upside down in search of them?…”
“If you can stop being stubborn for just a second and hear me out!” Fed up and frustrated with my attitude, he snapped, causing me to look away defiantly in an exasperated silence.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed exhaustively, apologizing for his sudden outburst. “But this is a matter of life and death. Don’t you want to know what happened to the man who wanted to kill you in the bush? Don’t you want to know how you got here alive and well?”