Chapter 7 Overprotective Mom
Dandelion.
“Where the hell have you been, Dandy!!” Lilian’s voice exploded through the speaker so loudly I jerked the phone away from my ear.
I winced. “Can you calm down? You’re going to make me deaf.”
I knew she'd be really worried.
“Calm down?!” she shrieked. “CALM. DOWN?! You disappeared for a whole night! I called your father and that witch Margaret, even your manager Leona but no one knew where you were!, I thought....I thought you were dead!”she whispered the last line.
Her words stabbed me right in the ribs, I shivered as I remembered the coldness of the water on my skin.
If only she knew how close she had been to being right.
I swallowed, forcing my voice steady. “Lily….I’m okay.”
“No. No, you are not okay.” Her voice broke on the other end. “Where are you now? Tell me, Send me your location, I’ll come pick you up right now. I mean it, Dandy, don’t play with me—”
“Lily,” I whispered, “you can’t pick me up.”
There was a pause. A long, fragile pause.
“What do you mean I can’t pick you up?” she asked slowly. “Are you… are you in trouble? Did someone kidnap you? If a man is in that room, cough twice—”
“Lily!” I whisper yelled.
She finally went Silent again.
I sighed and sank into the edge of the massive queen size white bed beneath me and rubbed my temples.
I had been holding myself together since I stepped through the gates of this penthouse.
But hearing her voice.... someone who still cared if I lived or died, it lifted something inside me.
It gave me a strand of hope, and it made me regret trying to end my life in the first place, heck the others wouldn't have cared if I ended up dead, they'd carry on with their life, like I didn't exist at all.
“I’m safe,” I finally breathed. “I swear I'm really safe, so you don't have to worry. I’m in a….house.”
“A house?” She sounded instantly suspicious. “What house? Whose house? Are you with Chase? Dandy, if you went back to that bastard—”
“No.” I cut in sharply. “Never. I’d rather eat nails than go back to that backstabbing monster”
"Good."She exhaled in relief, then quickly hardened. “But then whose damn house is it?”
I hesitated.
How was I supposed to explain this?
How was I supposed to say:
'Oh hey Lily, I’m staying in the private penthouse of the cold-hearted richest man in our continent, Alexander Graham, CEO of ECO Oils, heir to Graham Corp and with whom I just signed a mutual benefit, marriage contract with.”
She would faint.
Then resurrect just to faint again.
I exhaled.
“Lily,” I said gently and swallowed “if I tell you now, you’ll get in your car and break down the gates.”
“GOOD. That’s exactly my plan, now hurry up and spill it.”she demanded
I sighed, unfortunately it's still too early to cause a scene and I'm sure that demon would definitely not tolerate any unwanted visitor, especially since it was part of the contract, rule 15 if I remember correctly.
“Lilian, Let me meet you tomorrow. I’ll come by to your house and tell you everything. Every single detail. I promise.”
She inhaled sharply, I heard it.
The disappointment.
The fear.
The frustration of someone who had spent a whole night imagining the worst, I felt every single emotion.
“You promise?” she whispered, I'm very sure she had lots of questions, but they just have to wait till tomorrow.
“I promise,” I whispered back. “No stone left unturned.”
Another long silence followed.
Then...
“Fine. But if you lie to me, Dandy… I swear I’ll drag you by your hair.”
Despite everything, the contract, the humiliation, the anger lodged deep in my chest, I laughed. A small, broken sound, but still a laugh.
“I miss you,” I said softly, a soft smile still lingering on my tired face.
“I miss you too, Now tell me at least something. I just can't help but feel worried, Where are you dandy?” she asked, restrained worry still evident in her voice, she still wouldn't relax until she's at least sure that I am truly safe.
I glanced around the room, the unbelievably spacious bedroom Walter had escorted me to. I let out a weak breath.
“I’m in a penthouse,” I answered.
“A WHAT?!”
“Not that kind,” I snapped quickly. “A… private one, Very private. Apparently, I’m staying here for a while until some arrangements are made.”
“What arrangements?” she demanded.
“You’ll know tomorrow,” I said. “Just trust me for now.”
“Dandelion—”
“Lily, please.”
At last, she exhaled in defeat. “Fine. Describe it then. I need to at least picture where you are.”
So I took another breath and looked around, I realized I hadn't really looked around properly, so this time I really looked, every detail, every design and furniture were all meticulously done.
“It’s….beautiful,” I said slowly taking in the entire view of the bedroom setting. “The bedroom here is bigger than my bedroom back at home. And so far the beds here are enormous." I said while observing the size of the bed, it was just like the other bed I found myself in when I woke up from unconsciousness.
" Beds?" Lilian cut on, gosh I got carried away, I can't let her know I had tried to kill myself, she'd freak out and insist on coming here.
"Oh, I only saw another one in another room while entering this one, the door was left open" I lied stiffly, hoping she wouldn't notice.
She mouthed an "ok?"
I continued immediately "Everything looks expensive. There’s this chandelier hanging from the ceiling, glass or crystal, I'm not sure, but it sparkles when the lights hit it. The couch by the window is white velvet. Actual velvet. And the view….”
I stood up from the bed and walked closer to the floor-to-ceiling window and pushed aside the sheer curtains.
“The whole city is underneath me,” I whispered. “I can see the skyline, even the traffic lights from up here. It all feels surreal.”
Lilian let out a low whistle. “Are you sure you weren’t kidnapped by a billionaire?”
My throat tightened.
If only she knew how dangerously close she was to the truth. Again.
“Well,” I said shrugging awkwardly , “Mr. Walter said this is Ale.... A private penthouse, so I guess that's why everything looks expensive and perfectly done.”
“Wait a minute. I heard you said Ale, who's Ale, or what's Ale?, and who's Mr Walter” she quipped enthusiastically.
I almost choked.
I had to think fast or else this call won't end tonight, and she might even drive here if she gets too excited.
“It's a man and his....uhm boss,” I answered carefully.
“That sounds suspicious"she replied instantly, My eyes widened.
"Dandy you're not lying to me are you!?" She quizzed in a sharp dramatic tone.
I walked back to the bed, sinking into it's softness, still staring at the chandelier, well technically I wasn't really lying, Alex is indeed Mr Walters boss, apart from the bed question, I don't think I told any other white lie.
“please Lily, try to understand me, I really can't tell you anything until tomorrow.”
Dead silence, she was contemplating. Or probably brewing up another batch of questions.
I Really can't tell her yet, and I have to end this call, if not one way or the other she would definitely force words out of my mouth.
If I told her that I signed a contract for a secret marriage, and to Alexander Graham, also in his penthouse, she would go berserk.
“Dandelion.”
Her voice was dangerously calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
Gosh, now she knows I'm hiding something big.
I quickly backpedaled. “Lily—Lily, relax. It’s not what you think.”
“I’ll explain tomorrow!” I practically shouted. “Please. Just…. trust me for one more night.”
She was breathing heavily.
Scared.
Confused.
Worried, so many emotions.
But....slowly she calmed.
“One night,” she said firmly. “And then you tell me everything. I don’t care if the sky falls. you will talk.”
“I will,” I whispered. “I promise.”
Another pause.
Then her voice became softer.
“Are you alone there?”
“Yes.”
“Is it safe?”
I looked around the luxurious room.
The soft furry rugs.
The silent air-conditioning.
The faint scent of lavender.
But Safe?
In a man’s prison made of diamonds?
Under a contract I didn’t fully understand?
I sighed.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“That’s enough for now,” she said, as if accepting defeat. “Get some rest, Dandy. You sound exhausted.”
“I am.”
“Call me the moment you wake up.”
“I will.”
We said our goodbyes.
The line clicked.
Silence swallowed the room whole.
What would I do without Lilian, look at her worried over me like an overprotective mom.
And yet my own blood, people I call family treat me like trash.
I lay there for a moment, staring at the glass or was it a crystal chandelier. Its light reflected in a thousand small fragments across the ceiling, as if mocking the broken fragments of my life.
Walter’s words echoed in my mind:
'You’ll be staying here until the arrangements for the secret marriage are ready. Then you’ll be moved to the Graham estate. That is where Madam Winifred Graham lives.'
Alexander’s grandmother.
The woman I was supposed to fool.
The woman I was going to pretend to be a loving wife before.
A fake bride.
A contract wife.
A liar walking into someone else’s world.
I had signed my name on paper…
but I had no idea what I had truly signed up for.
I shifted on the bed and glanced at the closed door.
I hadn’t even explored this penthouse yet.
I’d been too busy being angry.
Too busy being scared.
Too busy being human.
For now I was tired after the heavy meal I had before calling Lilian, the first meal I ate Since the scandal.
Who knew depression would make me go hours without eating proper food.
I sighed.
Maybe when I get the chance… I’d walk around and Look at the halls.
To learn the place I was now trapped in.
I closed my eyes.
For now….
All I could do was breathe.
And pray that I haven't made the biggest mistake of my life.