Chapter 4

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?"

Alistair Hendricks didn't need this kind of shit right now. Mainly because this kind of shit was very bad for business. After spending his entire day dealing with shit at the office, this was exactly the type of thing he didn't want.

"I'm saying, she left this morning, wanting to take a stroll and she's not back." His only son said in a particularly annoying manner, and his headache spiraled out of control. He soothed his brows with a rough hand, signaling for a maid to get his wife.

"And you couldn't have stopped her, or better still followed her?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "She's not a child, you know. She can take care of herself." He said, dropping down on a sofa. "I'm sure she'll be back. Maybe she got caught up somewhere."

"Did she take anything with her, a bag or something?"

"No, and it was why I didn't think anything of it. She really did look like she was just taking a stroll."

Alistair walked towards his small living room bar, pouring himself a drink. The hot liquid burned through his throat, although it did nothing to calm his beating heart. Jane was his smartest child. If she was going to do something, she'd do it extremely well.

He knew as well as they all did, that she didn't want this marriage. He didn't like to think of it as forcing her. In his opinion, she wasn't being very mature about it. The Price family was very well off. Not only was this going to help the company, but he would be making sure she was well taken care of for the rest of her life. She didn't have to understand it; she only had to go through with it.

But now she was missing. Jane had always been responsible. To think she'd leave the house for an entire day. Alistair threw his head back, letting the whiskey burn through his throat and into his stomach. She'd run away. There was no doubt about it.

"Darling, what's all this about Jane going missing?"

His wife, Selene, walked into the living room with his youngest child in tow.

She crossed the room to where he was standing to peck him on the cheeks before going to sit down.

"She left this morning and she's yet to come back." Matt replied.

Selene's eyes widened. She was silent a few minutes before she spoke, "Well, what are we doing? We have to find her. Why would Jane do something like his?"

The words were angry but Alistair knew underneath them lay the worry she was fighting so hard to suppress.

"I mean, it's not like you're forcing her to marry someone she doesn't love or anything." Grace piped up.

Her mother threw her a cold look, shutting her up. Alistair was silent. She'd taken her car. God knew how far she'd driven. She might've even left the country. He would start from somewhere at least.

Nothing was going to stop this wedding from happening.

No one, not even Jane.

***

Jane fell into the small bed with a thud, closing her eyes. Her body ached everywhere, and she was still hungry. That stupid man from earlier had probably been sent by the devil to torment her life. She hoped never to see him again or she'd kill him.

Didn't matter. She'd go downstairs in the morning for breakfast. Thankfully, she'd withdrawn enough money before she'd began her journey. Wouldn't have helped if she'd done it so close to the town because her father would find her before the sun rose tomorrow. Her eyes opened and she looked around the small space. It was nothing near her room at home but it was alright. It looked clean at least and she was only staying for a short while.

She sighed, sitting up. It was crazy, having to run away from home. Her parents would be worried sick and her sister, Grace, would be all alone. There was so much work piling up for her at the office, she knew her brother would fuck things up if she wasn't there. But it was the freaking twenty-first century. Jane wanted to scream. Arranged marriages weren't a thing anymore.

What happened to freedom of choice?

There was little she could do about it. It was either this or getting stuck with an ugly faced, potato head looking man for the rest of her life.

Maybe she could get a job. It was a small town and the people were very welcoming. Or she could visit the beach.

She took off her clothes, changed into a nightie she bought earlier at the store. She thought about Claire. She could go see her tomorrow, maybe take her up on her offer.

Her mind went to the infuriating man she met at dinner. He was handsome, alright, and he looked so good in jeans. Her thighs clenched. It'd been too long. She'd broken up with Elijah about two months ago and touching herself had never seemed satisfactory. The man had looked like someone who understood the mechanics of the female anatomy and would do very well in conquering whatever part he touched. His smile was contagious and it'd taken all of her self-control not to smile back.

She longed to know what his name was. She longed to tell him her name. Jane imagined how sweet it would sound rolling off his tongue. Blood rushed to her core and her nipples hardened beneath her nightie. Why was it suddenly cold?

It didn't help that she wanted to see him again and she probably would. It was a small town, anyway. Everyone probably knew everyone.

Jane frowned, hissing too long. But he was annoying as hell so no, she wasn't interested. If he hadn't been, maybe she might have considered following through with her wild thoughts.

If he was her only option, she was better off learning how to touch herself.