Chapter 36 Lesson Taught
Chapter 36 Lesson Taught
The drive back was silent.
Charles didn’t say a word, not even when I tried. I turned to him once, hoping to see something in his face, but there was nothing, his eyes stayed fixed on the road. The headlights flashed on the room.
The air inside the car felt heavy. Every breath I took sounded too loud. I kept replaying what had happened, if he hadn't come, I could have lost my life but it was all his fault, his enemity game with Matteo. I dug my nails into my laps and gave him another look but he didn't react, he didn't say anything neither did he look back.
By the time we reached the mansion, it was already past midnight. The gates opened without a sound, and the guards lowered their heads as we drove in. The rain had stopped, and the air was more cooler.
Charles parked the car near the main entrance and got out without waiting for me. I hesitated for a second before following. My legs were still shaking when I stepped into the hallway.
The lights were dim, everywhere was silent, I was waiting for him to speak.
Charles shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the couch, he didn’t look at me.
I took a slow step closer. “Charles…”
He turned around. His eyes were dark, they stared into my soul. “Do you have any idea what you just did tonight?”
My voice caught. “I was only trying to help.."
“Help?” He let out a low laugh. “You almost got yourself killed.”
I swallowed. “I didn’t think they’d find me.”
“That’s the problem.” His tone sharpened. “You don’t think. You act. And every time you do, someone gets hurt.”
I looked away. “I just wanted to save my parents.”
He stared at me for a long time. “And you think running into a trap would save them?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat was tight, and shame burned behind my eyes.
Charles exhaled, a slow controlled breath. Then he walked closer until he was standing right in front of me. “I don’t want to punish you, Elena.” His voice was quieter now, but it wasn’t soft. “But I can’t keep letting you do whatever you want.”
Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. “What are you going to do?”
He didn’t reply. He turned away, grabbed his phone, and stepped out of the room.
I stood there, staring at the empty space he left behind. The clock ticked somewhere in the distance, each sound louder than the last. I didn’t know what to expect when he came back , shouting lecturing me again.
Minutes passed, I heard footsteps then the door opened. Charles walked back in, calm as before, holding something in his hand. A phone.
My brow furrowed. “What’s that?”
He placed it on the table in front of me. “Yours.”
“I already have a phone.”
He looked at me, his eyes cold. “Not anymore. You’ll use this from now on. I’ll know where you go, who you talk to, what you do. No more secrets. No more wandering off.”
My heart skipped. “You’re… tracking me?”
“I’m keeping you alive.”
I shook my head slowly. “That’s not life, Charles. That’s control.”
He didn’t flinch. “Call it whatever you want. You made me do it.”
The weight in his voice made my stomach drop. I wanted to scream and fight back but he'll always be ten steps ahead. And I owe him my life.
He turned to leave, but then paused near the door. “Check the phone,” he said quietly. “You’ll understand why I’m doing this.”
Then he walked away.
The door closed behind him, and silence filled the room again.
I stared at the phone for a long time. It looked new, sleek, black, untouched. My hands trembled as I picked it up. The screen lit instantly, there was only one app. The phone had no contacts or message, just a single folder named “For You.”
Something inside me whispered not to open it, my hands trembled. I dropped the phone then I picked it back, I clicked the folder open then a video started playing.
At first, it was blurry. The camera shook like it had been recorded in a hurry. Then it focused on a dim room, a black chair with a man sitting on it, his eyes opened widely and blood rolling down it cheeks. I zoomed the video and saw Ryan.
Ryan is dead?