Chapter 15 Vivian
Elodie's POV
Seeing Nelson like this, Vivian immediately put down her spoon, a playful blush rising on her face. She quickly walked over, picked up the suit jacket from the sofa, stood on her tiptoes, and draped it over him in a natural and intimate gesture. "Why didn't you dress properly after your shower? What if you catch a cold?"
Her voice sounded coy to me, like she was scolding a thoughtless lover.
Nelson let her adjust his collar, but his eyes stayed on me the whole time, as if observing my reaction.
What reaction could I possibly have?
It felt like an invisible hand was crushing my heart, the pain radiating through every part of me.
So this was where he'd been these past few days—with another woman.
And I'd been stupid enough to worry that something had happened to him.
Angry and upset, I knew this man didn't belong to me, yet I still couldn't control the torment of my emotions.
I couldn't watch anymore and turned back to my room.
I buried myself completely in the soft blankets. That tiny flame in my heart had been doused by this bucket of cold water, leaving only cold ashes.
Elodie, you're such a joke, fooling yourself over and over again. When will you finally wake up?
That's what I was thinking, but my ears were perked up listening to the sounds outside. After who knows how long, there was a knock on the door.
I jumped.
"Come out and eat." It was Nelson's voice.
I wrapped myself tighter, replying in a muffled voice, "I'm not hungry, thanks."
Silence outside the door for a few seconds, then his voice came again, "I don't want to say it a second time."
I didn't want to deal with him and rolled over with my back to the door.
After he had sex with another woman, now he comes here showing me pity? I don't need it.
I knew this inexplicable jealousy was unreasonable, but thinking about how he was my young Lorenzo, I couldn't be generous about it.
My silence seemed to exhaust his patience. I heard him making a phone call outside the door, "Rod, contact the family doctor to come over. She seems to be sick."
I sat up abruptly from under the blankets.
Call a doctor? Was this man crazy?
I was just throwing a little tantrum, and he was going to make such a big deal out of it.
I threw off the blankets, got out of bed, and quickly walked over to open the door.
Nelson was leaning against the doorframe. Seeing me come out, he put away his phone, those blue eyes looking me up and down. "I thought you were going to starve yourself in there."
I didn't bother responding to him and walked straight toward the living room, only to find that in the huge space, only he remained. That woman called Vivian and her sickeningly sweet perfume had both disappeared.
On the dining table were a few simple foods—sandwiches, milk, and a small fruit salad.
"Where is she?" I still couldn't help asking coldly.
Nelson pulled out a dining chair, gesturing for me to sit, then picked up a cut sandwich and shoved it into my mouth without giving me a choice, blocking all my unspoken words.
Caught off guard, my mouth was stuffed full, and I could only glare at him.
He watched me chew leisurely, "Try it, how does it taste?"
The sandwich had tuna and vegetables, tasting fresh and delicious, but I wasn't in the mood to appreciate food right now.
I swallowed the food forcefully, "Just okay."
"Vivian made it," he said casually.
I instantly became unhappy again, but didn't dare show it too obviously, afraid he'd get angry and throw me out.
He seemed to see through my thoughts and calmly picked up another sandwich, bringing it to my lips, "Try this one."
I turned my head away.
"I made this one," he said simply.
I paused, looking at him skeptically, but still opened my mouth and took a bite. The taste was completely different from the previous one, but equally good.
"Vivian is a business partner of mine. There are some things I need her help with," Nelson looked at me, finally offering an explanation. "Next time she comes, you don't need to be polite to her."
That stifled feeling in my heart dissipated somewhat, but I wasn't going to give in. "She's your guest, why shouldn't I be polite to her? Besides, whether I'm polite to her or not, what does it have to do with you? And why would you care what I think?"
"Of course it matters. You're my hostage now. I have to ensure the hostage's physical and mental health and emotional stability. Otherwise, how can I negotiate with you?"
What's this hostage thing about?
Wasn't it because he was afraid I'd tell people about him killing someone?
I glared at him as he pushed a glass of warm milk in front of me, nodding his chin toward it. "Drink it."
Looking at him, that bit of resentment in my heart surfaced again. "Mr. Nelson sure knows how to treat a 'hostage'—gifts, food, the works. People might get the wrong idea about us."
He didn't speak, just stared at me steadily, making my heart race.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming somewhat awkward, my phone rang at the worst possible moment.
Seeing the caller ID on the screen, my expression changed instantly.
It was my mother.
I instinctively declined the call, my palms breaking out in a cold sweat.
Nelson keenly noticed my abnormal reaction. "Why aren't you answering?"
"It's nothing, just a telemarketer." I frantically placed my phone face-down on the table.
But the phone rang again persistently.
I knew I couldn't avoid it, so I picked up my phone and walked to the balcony to answer.
"Elodie! You've got some nerve, don't you? Hanging up on me!" Taryn's shrill voice instantly came through the receiver, making my eardrums hurt.
"Mom, I was busy just now."
"Don't give me excuses!" Taryn's tone was full of impatience. "Let me ask you, what's going on with you and Alex? Did you two break up?"
My heart sank. What I'd been dreading had come.
Had that idiot Samantha, unable to deal with me, gone to complain to my mother?
"Yes, we broke up." I answered calmly.
"Broke up?" Taryn's voice suddenly shot up, filled with incredulous anger. "Who told you to break up? Elodie, are you out of your mind? Do you know what kind of family Alex comes from? Do you know how much effort I put into sucking up to his mother so you could get close to a guy like him? And now you just break up like that?"
A barrage of questions came at me like cold arrows, each one piercing my heart.