Chapter 57: Chapter Fifty-Seven

JOANNE-

I was crying furiously in my room, my chest heaving up and down as I tried to conceal the tears.

Bailey had made no attempt to feel sorry for me.

The door was pushed open, and Theo walked inside. "What did she say to you?" He entreated.

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have let you meet them," Theo said ruefully.

"It's okay," I added. "It's not your fault. Thank you for letting me meet her." I wiped my tears.

It instantly gave me more room to never stop feeling sorry for her.

She has hated me for years.

And I've been here all along, thinking she didn't deserve any of these.

When all she was scared about was snatching a life she thought I was enjoying,.

"I'm sorry, they've been sent back," Theo added.

I wiped my tears and took a deep breath.

Theo and I remained quiet and just let our thoughts settle in with the silence. Maybe me, because I couldn't tell what he was thinking as he glanced at me once or twice.

"It's all going to be okay," he sighed.

"Hopefully," I mumbled.

I froze when Theo moved closer to me and helped me move a strand of hair that was almost blinding me.

"Th-thanks," I croaked out.

"Yeah." He nods.

He remained in the same position. She stared down at me, and I stared back.

He looked like he had a lot to say, and honestly, I didn't think I was ready to listen to any of it.

Not because I had anything against his words, but because I would rather go to sleep now and wash off all Bailey had said.

"Joanne, I feel like I can...

The knock on my door cut him off, and Trinity walked in, making him immediately take a step back.

"What are you two doing?" She asked with a non-approving smile.

"Nothing," I sighed. "Is something wrong?"

Trinity glanced at Theo, who nodded and said, "I'll take my leave."

-

The moment Theo left, Trinity turned to me with a sigh of disbelief.

"I can't believe you," she snarled.

"Theo, again? You know Hardy doesn't like that."

"Yeah, right," I said, rolling my eyes.

"You look like you have something to tell me. What is it?"

"Hardy wants me to get you ready so you can both leave." Trinity walked around me to undo the ropey belt behind my dress.

"Leave?" I pressed. Drying my eyes completely.

It's good that Trinity didn't notice my tears.

"Yeah, in about an hour. You have to hurry." Trinity's hand was fast on my dress.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I don't know; Hardy just walked up to me and told me to get you ready." I couldn't see her, but I could tell she shrugged.

"So we're leaving alone, just the two of us?"

"I guess," she said, spinning me around and starting to help me take off the dress from the front.

_

In no time, I was dressed in another outfit. This time a summer dress that seemed too light for the weather as the day was drawing nearer to coldness.

A thick jacket was immediately given to me, and as the maids helped with my hair in a slicked-pack ponytail, I was ready to leave with Hardy.

Almost matching my outfit with his white and black outfit too. Hardy nodded when I walked up to him, looking ready to go.

A sports car drove in front of us the moment we stepped away from the mansion, and an unknown man walked out with the car key.

"Thanks," Hardy nodded at him and beckoned him to help him fix our luggage into the car's trunk.

The air was parched and it made the air super chilly. You could feel the hotness and coldness simultaneously.

After setting up our luggage, we got into the car.

Surprisingly. Hardy would be driving.

So it would be just the two of us?

No Theo?

No-one?

"Where are we going?" I managed to ask after snapping on my seatbelt.

Hardy glanced at me and turned back to turn on the car's ignition.

Watching him Ignore my question like I never asked. I nodded.

That was hard for me.

At least he didn't yell like a maniac or seethe through his teeth, saying none of it should be my business.

"Thanks," I smacked my lips to remind him that he never answered my question.

He didn't seem to stress about me and just checked the rear mirror before hiring the car on the road.

"Get comfortable; this is going to be a very long ride." Hardy stated this as his hand worked firmly on the steering wheel.

-

Hardy wasn't joking when he mentioned the ride being very long.

After two hours on the road, with me taking a short or maybe a bit long nap in between the rides, Hardy pulled over in front of a hotel, where we were attended to immediately.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and gawked at the men taking out our luggage.

One of them pulled the door open for me, and his smile was stretched so wide that I got a flash of Cheshire Cat on my mental screen.

He beckoned for me to walk out of the car with his fancy-looking hand and an expensive wrist watch around his wrist.

The hospitality seemed a bit extreme, and I didn't dare to hate any of it.

"You're here," A way older woman, probably older than fifty, dressed in a dashing suit, walked up to us and pulled Hardy into a hug. She was very small compared to Hardy, so the crazy height difference made the hug awkward.

The woman walked up to me next and then turned to Hardy with a surprised look.

"Bensimon. You didn't tell us you were coming with a partner," she blinked.

"Oh, that's Joanne," Hardy said nonchalantly, tapping something on his phone screen.

Just Joanne?

"Well, if you had told us sooner that you were coming with someone, We wouldn't have placed down your usual. And all the suite rooms and rooms are fully booked." The woman doesn't look entirely happy.

"It's okay, Cheryl." Hardy finally looked away from his phone. "Joanne's my fiancé; we can squeeze into a queen-sized bed. This vacation was spontaneous."

Vacation?

The Cheryl woman suddenly gasped.

"Fiancé. My goodness!" She clapped and pulled me into a hug.

I tried to hug her back, but she let go of me and beamed at me.

"You're one pretty woman," she beamed.

"Thanks; I think you're prettier." I smiled back.

She blushed heavily and waved her hand across her face.

"Oh well," she said, turning to Hardy. "Room services are on the house; please make yourself comfortable. And welcome to Hotel Hydra.

We were escorted to our room, which I noticed was just one small cosy room compared to the hotel's other rooms, and I noticed everyone was treating us with the highest level of respect.

As our luggage got into our room, the day started to go gloomy, and the almost silent thunder grumbles started to take over the sky.

Hardy was standing in a corner of the room, making a call that didn't put him in a good mood, while I just looked around the room like a lost child.

A sudden vacation with no one but me.

What was Hardy on to? He didn't even care to bring his most trusted buddy, Theodore.

I would never know what was running through Hardy's mind, but whatever he had in mind, I hope it would be for a good cause.

As I let my mind wander, with the men still helping with our luggage going in and out of the room, I picked up Hardy's gaze at the far end of the room, which was on me.

I wanted to look away immediately, but I decided not to. I held his gaze. And looked at him.

I looked at him like I actually wanted to.

He was still on his phone call, but his eyes didn't leave mine either.

His hunter eyes started to say so much, just staring at me. And before I knew it, a creepy, sly smile took over his face as he let his eyes look me up and down.

The fuck?

I looked away and looked back at him, and he rested his lips in another corky grin that sent a wild, indescribable message that made me shiver.

-

*