C13 Biding Her Time

Determination strengthened Annabelle as she sat down to the food they served for her.

At first, she wondered if they had drugged it, but soon enough, she discarded the thought.

She had come to realise one thing; if he wanted her dead, she would be dead already.

What she didn't understand was why he wanted to help her.

She was sure he had his selfish reason, and she knew she didn't stand a chance if she kept fighting him head-on.

There was a time she wouldn't have believed she could escape Tate’s grip, yet here she was.

If she could do that, she could survive this too.

“I just need to get strong first” she thought as she put the omelette in her mouth.

She tasted nothing as she fixed her gaze on her plate and chewed.

She needed her strength to survive this. To get her strength back, she must eat and use her medication.

That she would do.

She raised her head and gave the man across her a sweet smile. “Thank you for…”

“Finish your food.” He said tersely.

Annabelle clenched her teeth together in the semblance of a smile. Then she nodded and lowered her gaze again.

Bastard. How could he do this to her?

Here she was eating while she had no idea what was happening to Cathy!

“Calm down.” She warned herself as she scraped as much omelette as possible off the plate and crammed it into her mouth.

“Try not to choke, will you?”

She didn't look up as she nodded and chewed hurriedly.

She would give him all the obedience he asked for.

She would bide her time and learn all she could.

Then she would run as fast as she could as soon as she got an opening.

She would find her sister, and they would forever get away from people like him.

Controlling bastards who could decide to do whatever they wanted just because they were bored.

Bored. How she hated that word.

“I wouldn't have looked twice at your mother if I wasn't so bored.” Tad had said to her one day when he was bruising her body.

Yet here was another one who was acting as he wanted because he had nothing better to do with his time.

Annabelle felt her hand tighten on her fork and she visibly relaxed it before she could do any damage to her hand.

She had no idea where all this new rage was coming from.

It was as if, from the moment she had stabbed Tade, her extreme emotions had been unleashed.

“I need to keep calm” she repeated to herself, and stylishly looked upwards to see if he had seen her clenched hands.

Her breath backed up in her lungs when she saw his eyes on her hands.

“He had seen it,” she thought with dread, and for a moment she couldn't look away from his commanding gaze.

Finally, she tore her gaze away from him and crammed the remaining meal into her mouth.

“What is wrong with me?” She wondered breathlessly as she quickly chewed and swallowed.

She had requested the omelette because she thought it would be easier to eat, but now she wasn't so sure.

Her stomach felt queasy, and it seemed like the food was trying to crawl up her gut.

She swallowed hard and gulped down mouthfuls of the cold water before she finally looked back at him.

“I have done what you asked. Can you help me now?” She asked carefully.

“You look like a mess. You need to have your bath and change into something better. Someone will help you with that.”

Annabelle bit back the retort on her tongue and said, “Won't you at least listen to what I have to say first? My sister could…”

“Do as you are told first, and you can talk all you want.” He said without looking up from his phone.

He pressed a bell close to where he sat, and the door opened almost immediately.

Annabelle was expecting to see Judith but someone else entered.

It was a young blond lady with admiration in her pale blue eyes as she looked at him, “You called, sir?”

“Get her bathed and dressed immediately. Be careful of her injuries.”

“Yes, sir.” The lady said immediately.

Annabelle almost rolled her eyes at the reverent look in her eyes.

“What is it with everyone worshipping the ground he walked on?” She wondered in annoyance.

Then she looked back at him as something else occured to her. He was seated right there like he had no intention of leaving.

She stammered out, “You… you want me to bathe and get dressed while you are here?_

He turned his attention to her then. The scathing look he gave her burned a trail down her body as he looked at her from head to toe.

Annabelle felt both cold and feverishly hot at the same time.

The lady had taken the mini-table away from her front so she had nothing to hold on to as the weird sensation in her body, made her feel lightheaded and strange.

Then his eyes came back to hers and she couldn't look away.

She saw a hint of mocking amusement in his eyes as he stood up.

She felt her back hit the back of her chair without realising that she had moved backwards.

Which made her only feel more foolish when he didn't come towards her and simply turned towards the door.

She was still staring at the door long after it had closed behind his broad back.

“Miss, the bath is ready, ma. Come with me.”

Annabelle gingerly followed the lady into the most sophisticated bathroom she had ever set her eyes on.

Guilt swamped her as she wondered how scared her sister might be now while she was being treated like a special guest by a dangerous man.

*******

Annabelle barely glanced at the rows of elegant dresses on the rack waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom.

As much as she wanted to protest that she was not here to bathe in a bathroom that looked like heaven or dress like she was heading to a party, she knew there would be no use in arguing.

She had promised herself once again that she would do all it took to get to her sister as soon as possible. And that involved doing as he said until she was strong enough to carry out her plans.

So, she smiled gratefully at the lady and chose the dress that matched her gloomy mood the most.

A black, knee-length gown piped with glittering sequins at the armhole.

It whispered luxuriously against her skin and settled gloriously on her. If the situation had been different, she might have appreciated the silky beautiful dress.

But the situation wasn't different, and it felt like a weight on her as she had no idea what his game was about.

Just a game of boredom? She was sure she would soon find out.

She rejected the lady’s offer to help her style her hair and instead pulled her hair back into a ponytail yet keeping it loose in a way that it wouldn't pull at her wound.

The lady brought her matching sequin-dotted slippers.

“What is your name, please?”

“I am Maria, miss.”

“Will you take me to him, Maria?” Annabelle asked as she dredged up a ghost of a smile.

“Right away, miss. Please, come with me.”

Annabelle looked away from the two men standing at the door as they stepped out.

Movements from below caught her attention and as she looked downward, her eyes met with the cruel man she had seen earlier.

Her heart slammed into her ribs when she saw the stain on his shirt.

She didn't want to believe it, but she just knew that couldn't be ketchup.

Behind him, a man was dragging another whimpering man with him.

The locked gaze was fleeting, but it kept Annabelle rooted to a spot even after the front door had closed behind the men.

What is…

“Miss? Mr Cazador is waiting for us,” Maria said with a hint of worry in her voice.

Unable to get her mouth to work, Annabelle merely nodded before reluctantly following.