Chapter 60

Chapter 60
AVA’S POV

I stared at the closed door of my room for what felt like hours, though barely ten minutes had passed since Damien left with my phone still in his possession. My fingers twitched restlessly at my sides, itching to reach for a device that was no longer there. It wasn’t just a phone to me; it was my link to the outside world, to Lila, to my mother… to the version of myself that wasn’t trapped inside these mansion walls.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my breath uneven. Damien seized my phone. The thought kept replaying in my head like a bad song stuck on repeat. And the worst part? I couldn’t even understand why he reacted the way he did. Was it anger? Possessiveness? Fear? Whatever it was, it left me shaken.

I rubbed my palms over my face. “What kind of contract did I sign?” I whispered into the empty room.

I remembered the hurried way I’d signed the contract on that first day. The way Damien’s cold eyes had watched me, unreadable and distant. At the time, I thought I was entering a temporary job—ninety-nine days of hell, maybe, but still something I could endure. What I didn’t expect was this… this constant tension, this sense of being watched, controlled, swallowed whole by his world.

I stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the mansion grounds stretched widely—beautiful, manicured, peaceful. Too peaceful. Beautiful things could be cages too, and right now, this place felt like one.

My thoughts drifted to Lila. My only comfort in all this madness.

Should I try to sneak out? Just for a day? Just long enough to tell her I was fine, to hear her voice, to ask why she recommended me for this job secretly. Maybe she didn’t know it would turn into this… whatever this was.

But sneaking out wasn’t easy. Damien had guards. Cameras. People who answered him without question. The last time I tried anything impulsive, it ended with him confronting me in the hallway, his voice low and filled with disappointment. The memory still stung.

I bit my lip. The idea of sneaking out seemed foolish.

What about inviting Lila over?

That made more sense… maybe. If Damien allowed it. If I could even communicate with her without a phone. Maybe I could borrow a staff phone? But anyone who helped me without Damien’s permission risked losing their job—or worse. The power he held here wasn’t small.

I walked back to the bed and flopped down, staring at the chandelier above. Ninety-nine days, I reminded myself. I had survived some already. I could endure the rest… right? But the way Damien had seized my phone made the remaining days feel like years.

Was this job worth it?

My mother’s fragile face flashed across my mind. Her medical bills. The hospital. The nights she coughed so much she could barely speak. And suddenly, yes—yes, it was worth it. Because even if I felt trapped, even if Damien’s unpredictable mood swings scared me sometimes, I knew I was doing all this for her.

Still… it didn’t erase the ache of missing my freedom.

I stood up again, restless, pacing the room back and forth. “Okay, Ava, calm down,” I muttered. “Think clearly.”

The contract didn’t explicitly say I couldn’t have visitors. At least, I didn’t remember seeing that part. But the way Damien behaved, it was hard to predict his reaction. What if inviting Lila put her in danger? What if he thought I was plotting something? What if—?

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

I stiffened. “Come in,” I said cautiously.

Maria, one of the housemaids, stepped in with a tray. “Ma’am, Damien said I should bring your lunch to your room today.”

My eyes widened slightly. Lunch in my room? That wasn’t normal. Damien always insisted on meals being taken at the dining table unless he was unavailable. So why keep me here?

“Thank you,” I said, trying not to sound uneasy.

She placed the tray gently on the table. Before she turned to leave, she hesitated, glancing at me like she wanted to say something.

“Maria?” I asked softly.

She lowered her voice. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

The question hit harder than I expected. I swallowed, giving a small smile. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”

She nodded, though her eyes said she didn’t believe me. Then she walked out quietly.

As soon as she left, I locked the door and exhaled shakily.

Damien was definitely angry. Or trying to keep me away from something. Or someone. Maybe he thought I would run if I stepped outside. Maybe he didn’t trust me anymore after what he saw on the phone.

My chest grew tight again.

The thought of sneaking out suddenly didn’t seem so crazy. I walked to the wardrobe and opened it, staring at the clothes hanging neatly inside. If I changed into something simple… maybe a hoodie and jeans… I could blend into the crowd outside the estate gate. The guards usually didn’t question staff members leaving.

But they always questioned me.

Because I wasn't a staff. I was… whatever Damien wanted me to be. His companion? His responsibility? His burden? His contract-bound partner?

The label changed every day.

I sat on the floor and leaned against the bed frame, pulling my knees to my chest. “This wasn’t how my life was supposed to be,” I whispered.

I missed the small things—the sound of traffic outside my apartment, the freedom of walking anywhere without permission, the feeling of being able to pick up my phone whenever I wanted. Here, everything felt monitored.

A sudden wave of frustration washed over me. I stood abruptly and walked to the mirror, staring at my reflection.

“You need to do something,” I told myself firmly. “You can’t spend the rest of the days like a prisoner.”

And that settled it.

I would try to see Lila. Even if Damien didn’t approve. Even if I had to whisper through the gate or pass a message through someone. I needed her. I needed to hear a familiar voice, to remind myself that I still had a life outside this mansion. That I wasn’t lost yet.

Then another thought hit me—one even more unsettling.

Why did Damien seize my phone?
Why did it bother him so much?
What did he think I was hiding?
Or… what was he hiding?

The questions piled up, one after the other, until my head ached.

I walked to the window again, staring at the gate far beyond the gardens.

“Ninety-nine days,” I repeated with a shaky laugh. “Just ninety-nine days.”

But deep down, I feared something I couldn’t admit out loud.

What if Damien didn’t plan to let me go when the days were over?

What if, without realizing it, I was already too deep?

And what if… part of me didn’t want to leave anymore?

That thought scared me more than anything else.