Chapter 25 Why the rush?
Over two months ago, Karen made a tough decision after receiving a text message,
"You can change your mind if you want because my help isn't for free." Without hesitation, she replied, ‘It’s worth the risk.’ The moment she entered that Maybach, she knew there was no turning back.
Roger would never love her, so there was no need to crave his love when his heart belonged to another.
“Are you sure about this?” The man who had introduced himself to her hours ago as Van asked her. She took a deep breath and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s not worth it. Let me know your conditions.”
With no other words spoken, Van stepped on the accelerator. “Where are you taking me?” She was slightly nervous, but if this man wanted to hurt her, he would have done so already.
Besides, he was the reason she was still alive. Just a little delay and she would have died from suffocation when the pillow was pressed against her nose, and for that, she owed him a lot
“To somewhere Roger will never find you,” he retorted. Karen swallowed hard. She needed the space to get over any feelings she had for Roger, but this man mentioned that his services aren’t for free, and she needed to be certain before accepting any help from him.
“And your terms?”
“Why the rush?" His gaze remained fixed on the road, causing Karen to give up. About forty minutes later, he pulled over in front of a small, cozy house. Karen frowned subtly.
"What are we doing here? I should be out of the country." With Roger refusing the divorce, she had no right to leave unless she could secure a powerful attorney to force it.
"That's exactly what Roger would expect. Trust me, he will find you faster anywhere near an airport."
Karen felt anxious. The Roger who had saved her many times at home and in college was different from the one she lived with now. She had seen enough of his different sides to realize he had a very complex personality.
Sometimes, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye. "What about a private jet?" She asked hastily.
Anything seemed better than this, and looking at the man, she believed he could make some arrangements, considering he had managed to deal with those three men at the hotel without attracting police attention.
Even though it was to protect her, there would have still been legal implications if he didn’t pull the correct strands. "Can you afford it?"
His question made her consider her current situation. He was doing her a favor, so how could she demand more?
"Sorry, but I can work. I learned to hack from a late friend, and once I refine my skills, I can repay anything you spend on me. Consider it a loan."
Even though the car door was unlocked, she did not attempt to get out until he explained to her. "Roger is more skilled than you realize."
Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear the confusion on her face. "What I mean is, he will find you if you leave this country because even private jets must comply with certain aviation rules."
He couldn’t reveal that Roger owned an aviation company as well and that the guy was dangerously wealthy. If his identity was exposed, even Van would not have the same control as before.
"I never realized bodyguards were so powerful," Karen murmured. It felt like she was going up against the most powerful cartel. Van felt sorry for her. He could only do as much as she was willing to accept.
"You will be safe here and can stay for as long as you need." He got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her, and she reluctantly stepped out.
The property was filled with lush greenery, with about eighty percent of the land covered in beautiful trees, flowers, and lawns, while the house itself occupied only twenty percent of the land.
From a distance, the house was barely visible. "It's stunning," she acknowledged as she strolled along the paved walkway lined with natural lawns.
Van picked up her bag from the booth and gestured for her to follow him. "Indeed, he agreed, but I have to leave in a few hours," he explained.
He needed to stay longer, but the messages he was receiving made it impossible. Karen felt fear and disappointment wash over her at his words. The recent encounter with those men had left her shaken, but Van saw through her emotions and comforted her.
"Don't worry, no one will attack you here," he reassured her.
As they entered the small house, Karen found it charming and asked, "Does this belong to your daughter or someone else?" It resembled a real-life dollhouse, a childhood dream come true.
The interior was decorated in shades of lemon green and yellow, which Karen found stunning. Van, who had been stoic until now, smiled warmly.
"No, this is my wife's little hideout. It's the only house that can't be traced among the others, but she doesn't mind."
Karen felt relieved to learn that he was married, easing her worries about getting involved in any contract marriage scenarios she had read about.
Van appeared to be around thirty years old, and she was certain he was not yet forty.
"Do you have children?" Karen asked, picturing him playing with little kids. However, as she looked into his eyes, her heart skipped a beat. They were just like Rogers’.
Could they be related? Aside from the eyes, there was nothing else except their well-built bodies, but that was a sign they perhaps loved to exercise.
“You ask so many questions, but don’t worry, you’ll get to know me better. I’m more interested in knowing about you. Tell me about your relationship with your family. Not every detail was captured in your file.”
By the time Karen finished narrating her relationship with her parents and Tonia, an hour had passed, but something very important caught his attention.
“I didn’t get information that you two were married.” This part of the deal would make things difficult for him.
Karen couldn’t take the blame. “He forced me to sign the papers, and I agreed because I thought I was pregnant.”
It would have been easy to keep Karen hidden from Roger if she were single, but marriage posed a greater challenge.
As a married man himself, he would kill anyone who kept his wife from him. Quickly, he typed something on his phone. ‘You never told me they were married.’
The response took a few seconds. ‘Sorry, I knew you wouldn’t help if I did. Do you have her?’
A frustrated sigh escaped him as he put the phone away. “You have to return to him, at least until you have successfully dissolved the marriage.”
Karen was shaking her head. The look in Roger’s eyes when she mentioned divorce wasn’t something she was ready to face. He could be nice and caring, but also fierce and scary.
“I can’t. Please help me. I’m willing to do anything.”
“You still love him, don’t you?” He could see it in her eyes, but can she admit it?