Chapter 36

A splitting headache attacked me as soon as I opened my eyes. I groaned in pain, feeling like after the wonderful night I had with Dan, I’m being punished for it. I think his ancestors are punishing me for the failed binding ritual.

I turned to where he was sleeping, but the bed was empty. I looked around the room, confused and kind of rejected. “Really?” I spoke out loud, wondering if he really thought that after what we had last night, the best thing was to wake up and disappear? Men.

I woke up and made my bed, took a bath, and decided to just wear my robe and go sit outside on the balcony. The weather today is just perfect, the birds are singing, the sky is blue, it's perfect to sit outside. I went downstairs, made myself coffee, thinking it would help with the headache, and I was thinking about how sad this kitchen looks without Anna when I heard shuffling from the main door.

I heard the door shut and footsteps followed. I stood at the door watching. The entrance to the kitchen faces the dining room, and anyone who is going upstairs has to pass by the kitchen doorway, but I already knew it was Dan. I wasn't expecting anyone else, and the staff here was trained not to be seen by me. I never see anyone, but everything is always on point.

“Hey, I was wondering where you went,” I said, smiling as Dan walked. He smiled back and walked towards me, and pecked my lips. My smile widened, and my insides danced as his lips touched mine. “I had some errands to run, and I thought I should quickly do everything before you wake up, so I can come back before you wake up. I didn’t wake you up, did I?” I immediately shook my head, wrapping my arms around his neck, his hands softly hung loosely on my waist.

“Why did you want to come back before I woke up?” I questioned, curious to know. “I just wanted to spend the day with you and also kiss your beautiful face with kisses.” I giggled excitedly, “Aww, that's so sweet, love.” We shared a kiss, and I was smiling like an idiot this whole time, not believing what was happening. I’ve been waiting for this man to love me like this, and he didn’t, but I’m happy that he came around.

Well, I am the king of romance.” I laughed, breaking from the embrace. “Do you want coffee?” I asked as I walked to the coffee machine, and he quickly shook his head. “Okay, something to eat?” I asked, immediately regretting it. I have never made him food. What if he doesn’t like anything I make? “I will have something to eat, and all three of us will have something to eat. I’m taking you out for lunch; you should get dressed in decent clothes.” He said looking at my robe, I chuckled as I looked down at my robe, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Okay, that sounds great.”

“No rush though, we can go when you are ready.” I nodded. “I didn’t take a shower, so I’m gonna go and do that. You can stay here and so your thing.” I nodded and took my coffee and walked outside to the balcony so I could relax before doing anything else. I really needed to clear my head after yesterday.

I sat down on the chairs, leaned back, closed my eyes, and listened to nature. I was thinking about how my life has been in turmoil for the last few months when I heard sounds coming from inside the house. I stood up and followed the muffled noises I was hearing. I passed the kitchen and the dining room and noticed a small door leading to what looked like a basement. I stood there, my hands on my belly, trying to think of my next move.

I thought about calling Dan to come and investigate, but what if he is the one making the noise inside? I took one step and grabbed the handle of the door, yanking it open. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were witnessing. I stared in shock as Stephany was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Two men were with her, another standing in front of her with bloody hands, and another was standing by the wall with a gun in his hand.

My breath hitched in my throat. How did these people even get here? I screamed for Dan, scared that these people were invading. Why are they torturing Stephany? Are they burglars? I heard loud footsteps coming down the stairs, and the two men were just staring at me with a bored look on their faces while Stephany looked to be half awake and half dead. “Call the police! I don’t even know how to say it.” I said, shouting at him, unable to calm myself down. Dan looked at me and back at the men and sighed.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Call the police, this should be illegal!” I said my voice was cracking at the end. At this point, I just wanted to cry my eyes out from being scared. “I know them.” I stared at him, confused. “Dan, what do you mean you know them?” He sighed once again, he took my hand and tried to make me follow him. I yanked my hand from his grip, anger coursing through my veins. “Are you crazy? Why would you have people beat a woman to death!?” I shouted, unable to hold myself as I was realising what was happening.

Dan shot me a glare and walked away. I followed behind, wanting to give him a piece of my mind. “Is this who you are? You are evil!” I still shouted following him as he led me upstairs. We reached our bedroom, and he closed the door behind me.

“Will you let me explain myself?” He said, looking irritated, My anger only got fueled by the look on his face. “Why do you look irritated? I’m the one who should be annoyed with you, not the other way around.”

“Emerald, I didn’t do anything to that woman downstairs. I found her like that on the road and just thought I should take her downstairs and those men to check on her.” I formed my hands into a knuckle to avoid slapping him across the face, feeling that would only initiate war. “Do I look that stupid to you, huh? Let me show you what I can do.” I said, immediately walking away from him, angrily stomping down the stairs. I was about halfway down the stairs when I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen that caused me to stop and hiss out in pain.

“Can you stop for a minute and calm down? You are putting yourself and the baby in danger because of a person who tried to kill you. Is it really worth it?” He said holding me to stop me from falling, I glared at him, removing his hand from me, and continued walking. “You should ask yourself, is what you are doing worth it?”

“Emerald, she had it coming. I won’t let her get away with what she did, she almost killed you if it wasn’t for that witch. No one threatens what's mine and gets away with it.” He said with an angry voice so much that it made me calm down a bit and think about what he was saying. “But you also don’t have the right to torture someone like that,”

“I do, when they mess with my loved ones.” I rolled my eyes knowing that hearing him say that he loves me is not the first time and he never means it so I will not take him seriously. “You need to let her go,” I said raising my eyebrows at him waiting for him to say something.

“No, I don’t think I can.” He said forming his lips into a thin line and looked away. “What do you mean you don’t think you can? I just gave a reason why you shouldn’t be doing this, you could get arrested.” I said trying to put some sense into his head, he shook his head refusing to change his mind.

I stared at him in disbelief at how heartless he is, a few minutes ago he was the sweetest man I have ever met and now he has a woman locked up in the basement with two men. All in the name of protecting? Is this how it’s supposed to be when you are protecting someone? “I’m going to free her myself.” I walked away, and he followed in my footsteps. I tried the handle of the door, and it didn’t open.

They locked the door, I turned to him, and he was looking at me with this emotionless look on his face. “Can she at least get her wounds checked and food?” He didn’t say anything, but I knew that meant something. I quickly walked away to look for the first aid kit and some bandages. I’ve never cleaned anyone’s wounds, but I will do my best.

I looked all over the house for the first-aid kit, not finding it and I ended up in what looked like Dan’s office. I stepped inside and looked around for anything that might help, I stopped looking around when I saw a letter in a cabinet with a bold capital letter written “Emerald Peterson.” My heart started racing, a million questions going through my head, why is a letter written my name on his desk?

I slowly opened the letter, scared that whatever was in there might shatter the whole trust I had built in the last 24 hours with Dan. Inside there was a receipt with a sentence scribbled on the bottom, the receipt was money wired into an account in my name, an account that I don’t remember opening. I almost died when I read how much this person sent, ten million dollars.

I read the sentence scribbled down in cursive writing, a writing that reminded me of someone. “I miss you, peanut. Mandy Peterson.” That’s the last thing I remember before my mind went blank.