Chapter 13
Paige POV
I have spent days locked away in this room, not wanting to see neither Miguel nor Arlington, because my body was starting to betray me, letting in a new emotion, one that tingles up my spine every time I see them or hear their names. Mary and Priscilla check on me now and then, but I haven't seen or heard Arlington, or... Miguel, it's like I was ignoring them, but they too were ignoring me. What was going to become of me, was I going to become my mother, or worse, a maid working for Crown for my entire life, didn't my freedom matter? Why does it have to be like this, living to pay off my mother's debt, it's unfair if you ask me. On occasions, Mary tried to manipulate me to come downstairs and out in the garden, an innocent trait I am sure she picked up from her master, but instead, I sent her away, telling her I wasn't feeling well, so I could stay locked up here. It was beautiful outside, it was but I— I just need time to think.
“Good morning,” Mary twisted the doorknob, pushing it open “Morning Mary, everything ok”
“Everything is fine, Mr. Crown wants to see you... In his office,”
Why did he want to see me, did he finally decide what to do with me since I am not much of a help to him finding Morris, the man was never my stepfather, just a man who was having sex with my mother, “Where is Priscilla?” I inquired, Mary and her always travel in a pair, it's odd not seeing her this morning, I thought,
“Umm...” I noticed how uncomfortable she got, “She's sick,”
“How sick? She seemed fine yesterday,”
“Fresh cold, you know how it is out in the countryside, you might never know,”
“A little cold can't make someone bedridden Mary,” I pressed on, I just had a feeling she isn't telling the truth,
“Has I said, you may never know Paige... How dangerous the smallest things can be,”
“I see. Tell Crown I will be right down,”
“With pleasure,” she mumbled, before strolling away,
Just when I thought we all were getting somewhere over the past few days, it's right back to how it first started, with secrets and lies, they are hiding something and I want to know what it is. Standing from the bed, a smile crept up on my face as I stared at my reflection, I was no longer as skinny as I was before, I was eating more here, and it started to show, my hips have widened, thicken with flesh, and my skin... It was no longer pale and brittle, I guess those milk baths are helping, I was looking better, feeling better... But I was still a prisoner.
Rinsing my face with water, I lightly pat it with a towel, drying off the excess water. Time to go downstairs, I thought, time to face Arlington. Twisting the doorknob, I closed the door softly behind me, taking a deep breath before climbing down the stairs.
“You must be Paige,” an old man stood at the bottom of the steps, with fold hands behind him, who was he, it was my first time seeing him, and he appears to be fit for his age too, with thick biceps, blended hair of black and grey, matching his mustache as well.
“Yes— yes I am, and who are you,”
“I am Sebastian, Arlington's advisor,”
“Like his right-hand man?” I was now standing across from him,
“No, that's Miguel,”
Something in my stomach did a flip, my lower abdomen got weak just hearing his name, was I fond of Miguel? Or was it Arlington? But the most important question is... Why was I liking these men more than I should, what was it that sparked my sudden interest.
“Oh,” I mumbled,
“Come... Right this way,” he gestured his hand down a path, how was it morning and still it remains dark. Saying nothing I walked with Sebastian, he had his hands tucked behind him still, slowly walking next to me.
“I have to be honest Paige, I don't like you... And it's nothing personal, really, it's just that I know who you are... Your mother and... I know men will be looking for you, ready to pick a fight with Arlington if they have to, and— what I am trying to say is... There is no place for you here,”
How can someone that appeared to be nice changed so quickly in the blink of an eye, I never knew my feelings about someone could deviate that fast, Sebastian was a mean man, I don't like him, stopping before a wooden door, I glared at him, watching the smirk on his face disappear,
“Here we are—”
“For a middle man, you are very mouthy, and from what I see you can't approach Arlington with your opinion... Because they don't matter, so you came to me instead, hoping I would crack, because to you, I am a damaged girl, but know this, I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me to be,” I knocked lightly on the door,
“Come in,” I heard Arlington groaned Twisting the doorknob, I made my way inside, slamming the door shut in Sebastian's face. Standing over to a bookshelf was Miguel, Arlington glancing down on his desk, probably at a document I wasn't sure what it was. None of the men acknowledge my presence, they were pretending as if I didn't exist, “Why am I here?” I cleared my throat, I was growing uncomfortable, and I didn't know why, nothing happened between me and them, yet still part of me felt guilty... I was guilty about how I was feeling.
“Sit,” Arlington looked up, unreadable eyes staring at me,
“Why—”
“He said sit,” Miguel jumped in,
Swallowing hard, I sat down slowly, my heart pounding out of my chest trying to figure out what was this about, I haven't seen them in days and now this did Crown finally decided he was going to kill me, was this the end of my journey.
“The other day, you ask me to help you... Fake your death, why?”
“I— I know it would be better for you and me... both, what I am trying to say is, with me dead you don't have me to shake people off your back, get into fights and endless wars, and me... I would get a fresh start, even if it means never leaving here,”
Sliding a few photographs across the desk to me, I blinked a few times when I looked down at the first picture, it was the man... From Morris's drop-off. Memories of that night began to resurface in my head, the sounds of ongoing gunshots, the boy I killed, Peter, everything... Everything was coming back and all it took, was one picture.
“Tell what happened that night Paige... I know you were there,”
“I— I guess Morris wanted to teach me a lesson by sending me there that night,” I mumbled, still staring down at the photos,
“I didn't even know Morris was trading cocaine... And next thing I know they wanted me... And there were gunshots... And—”
“Ok—” he raised his finger, “it's ok,”
“Morris men fired first... And that bought us enough time to take cover and...” my lips trembled, I could feel the tears pouring down my cheeks, “They were going to take me, and I didn't want to go back to Morris either, so I ran... Tried to escape, but a man... A boy... We fought, I was trying not to get shot, and the gun went off, he died, and I lived, escaped, but they caught me later that night... Then you rescued me,”
“That's the real reason why you want me to fake your death?”
“Yea, if I die, then I would have to spend my life hiding, especially if you do release me from here, I want to free... From my mother's debts, my past... Everything,”
He kept silent, staring at me with soft eyes. Glancing behind me, he signaled to Miguel with his finger, he wanted him to leave the room. Looking over my shoulders I watched as he hesitates, before leaving the room silently.
“I want to help you, Paige... I do,”
“Sebastian doesn't share the same thoughts as you, in fact, he told me upfront, that he didn't like me, or like my mom... Why?”
“That's just how he is... When you have spent your whole life being disappointed by people, over and over again, eventually you will feel nothing for them... Not even mercy,”
“But you showed me,” I mumbled, watching him as he stood from his chair,
“No I didn't,” he came around to where I sat, “I know you went through a lot, and I promise... I will protect you,” he knelt in front of me, caressing my cheeks,
“You can't protect me... They will find me Arlington, they will...”
“Then let's go with your plan...” He mumbled, “Let's kill you.”