Kiara:
When I open my eyes, I feel a sharp ache in my head, which makes me grab my forehead as I let out a loud groan. In that moment, the door to the room swings open, and I turn to see Rufus.
“You are awake,” he says, and I stare at him, unsure of what is going on.
The memories from the previous night flood in at once, causing me to crease my brows. Zane must have put something in my drink because that is the last time I remember being awake, but why would he drug me on my birthday? I question myself.
Rufus walks into the room, opening the drawer in the table in front of me. This is when I realize I am in a strange room. It isn’t the hotel in Greece nor my room at home, but the middle of nowhere.
“What the hell is going on, and where is Zane?”
The surge that goes through my head when I raise my voice makes me regret speaking. Rufus doesn’t answer my question. Rather, he walks to me, handing me aspirin and a bottle of water.
“Take it,” he says, and I glare at him with my brows crumpled.
I haven’t forgotten how he treated me when Zane threw me in prison. I know he is trying to protect his boss, but it seemed like a personal.
“If you do not feel comfortable with me, then I will place it on the nightstand and leave,” he says, but I do not say a word to him.
He places it on the nightstand and makes to leave when I speak.
“I’m hungry.”
He turns around when I say this.
“The food will be ready in about ten minutes, ma’am,” he says, and then he leaves the room.
My mind is still puzzled, but I grab the painkiller first because I need to get rid of the pain in order to think straight. As I take it, I throw my head backward, thinking of the logic behind being here. My mind begins to race, and I feel my heart palpitate as I imagine Zane being in trouble. I am still in my dress from the previous night, and it feels suffocating now, which makes me want to rip it off.
Without thinking straight, I get to my feet, then I make my way to the door. The moment I open it, I see Rufus a few inches away from the room.
“Breakfast is ready, ma’am,” he says.
“Can I at least change my clothes?” I ask, and he nods.
“Mr. Malibu has taken care of that, and your clothes will arrive soon,” he says, and I feel an untold sensation in my chest as he mentions Zane.
My stomach rumbles, reminding me I haven’t had anything to eat, so I say nothing to him, and I make my way down the hall to the dining room, where I see a variety of dishes set out on the table.
I sit down, and I dig in, trying to savor my pancakes and oats, but everything tastes bad in my mouth. My heart misses Zane, and at the same time, it is hurt. I want to know why he has done this. I want to know if he still loves me or if he is punishing me.
“Am I losing my mind, Moon Goddess?” I mutter as I push away the plate in front of me. “Why have you given me this burden to carry? My life was going to be a happy one; what went wrong?” I question, but there is no one to answer me.
“Is something wrong, ma’am?” Rufus’s voice cuts through my thoughts, causing my brows to become creased.
The only thing wrong is the fact he is a few inches away from me, and he is keeping the truth about Zane’s whereabouts.
“No… nothing,” I say, trying to keep my anger in check.
In that moment, I hear the front door being unlocked, causing my face to lighten up, but then my hope dashes when I hear a female voice. I can swear I smell Zane.
A plump lady walks in, holding some paper bags.
“Your clothes are here, ma’am,” she says, and I force a smile on my lips.
“Take them to my room,” I say before I turn to Rufus. “I noticed my phone is missing. How can I send a message to Zane?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“Mr. Malibu is the only one that can contact us,” he replies, then he stands straight again without sparing me a glance.
I nod, getting to my feet.
“You can do away with the food; I am full,” I say, then I make my way out of the dining room and down the halls of the house as I find my way back to my room.
There I find the plump brunette in the bathroom. When she spots me, she walks out with a smile hanging on her face, which only irritates me further.
“What’s your name?”
“Treasure,” she says, and I sit on the bed calmly. “Your bath is ready,” she adds, and I nod.
“Thank you, and I will need some privacy, Treasure. If I need anything from you, then I will let you know, but for now, leave.”
She nods as I say this.
The moment she leaves, I get to my feet at once, then I make my way to the bathroom, drawing the curtains to see that the window doesn’t have a protector, but then it is tiny. My mind is drawn back to when I escaped through the window in the clothes store. This is practically useless, but then I need to, I say to myself.
Without thinking twice, I climb onto the toilet seat and to the box, then I grab the window sill, lifting my entire body to sit on it, pushing my head through the small window and then my entire body.
I fall on the grass outside with a loud thud, then I get up and dust my body. I survey the compound, which is surrounded by flowers and one car. The car he gifted me on my birthday.
What is going on, Zane? I question myself.
Then I walk smoothly against the wall, crouching down when I get to the dining window. A few steps more, I hear Treasure’s voice shoot through the entire halls.
“Mr. Malibu will kill us if something happens to her!” As she says this, Rufus begins to yell, causing me to take to my feet.
I consider turning into a wolf, but I do not know what country this is. I run as fast as my legs can carry me, heading to the gate.
“Stop!” Rufus yells, and I morph into my wolf to gain momentum, but as soon as I get a foot close to the wall, I feel a jolt of electricity pass through my body, flinging me backward.
Rufus walks up to me at once with his gun, which he aims at me, pulling the trigger. At that moment, his phone rings, and he puts it on speaker.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” I hear Zane’s voice before I pass out.