Chapter 16 Girls stick together, right?
It was midnight and Isabella couldn't sleep. She kept tossing side to side with different thoughts banging on her head.
Daisy was curled up in her arms, her breath soothing and calming.
Isabella pulled away from her to stand from the bed since she couldn't sleep.
Her mind was jammed as she thought of what to do.
She couldn't possibly run when this place was crawling with his men. And Sergi?
She clicked her tongue at the thought of his name.
She gently pulled the room door open and closed it behind her.
She had to clear her mind and figure out a way to escape.
Just as she closed the door and turned, her back crashed against someone.
"Ouch," her mouth firmed an 'o,' as she winced.
Turning, she saw a very beautiful girl, probably the same age as her.
"Ummm..." She trailed off waiting for her to introduce herself.
"What are you doing awake in the middle of the night, Isabella?" Natalya asked, the dim light from the sconces flashed on both of them.
"Who are you?" Isabella asked, surprised that another person knows her name.
"Oh... I'm Natalya. I wanted to visit you before but I figured you would be sleeping, but here you are, awake and sneaking out." She laughed.
Natalya had this sisterly feeling towards Isabella. Probably because she didn't have one.
Isabella looked back at the door, concern marred on her face.
Their voices might wake Daisy and she didn't want that.
As if noticing her concern, "Follow me," Natalya said.
Isabella looked at Natalya who had already begun walking and followed her footsteps.
She pulled open a door and entered, gesturing Isabella to do the same.
Isabella was skeptical but she entered after a short deliberation that she wouldn't harm her.
"This is my room,"
Isabella didn't care to gape around the room, "Are you also kept here against your will?" She asked.
Natalya stared at her, "Actually, no. I've been living here since like forever."
Isabella's eyes widened, "what!" She gasped.
"You've been living with this cruel man for ages?"
"Nothing to be worried about. We're basically like family now." Natalya cleared her throat.
"Natalya, your name right?"
"Yes it is." She affirmed.
"Okay. How do I escape from here. I do not want to stay locked up in a mansion like a caged bird."
"You're telling me your secrets, Isabella. How are you sure I wouldn't tell, Nik."
"Well," she swallowed nervously, "Girls stick together, right?"
"Perhaps so. But you can't leave this mansion unless Nik, gives you permission. Don't be disrespectful to him anymore, Isabella. He was lenient with you by letting you stay in the dungeon for 2 days. It could have been worse. Nik, doesn't care about anyone, you have to be careful." Natalya warned.
Oh! She knew that Nikolai was a heartless man from the first day she had met him when he threatened to sell her sister off. Very disgusting and wicked of him.
She was already trying her best to keep her tongues tied.
"Are you trying to say, you can't leave this place even if you wanted to?"
"I can, Bella. I'm not a criminal or rather say, a person staying here against my wishes. Let's just leave it at that."
Isabella looked up and down at Natalya. She didn't look like she was bluffing. Even if she was there were probably some truths in what she said.
"But I can't live here. This house is suffocating and tiring-"
"Then just do as he says, he might allow you to leave the house some times. He's not a good man but he's not all that bad."
Isabella scoffed, 'He's the epitome of evil.'
"What does he want from you?"
"That's the problem. I don't know. He wanted my body before, but now he says I'm not good enough and that he has lots of whores waiting in line to serve him. I even proposed to offer my body for a whole month then after I leave, but he refused.
He also said if I want to persuade him, I should show my sincerity with my actions." Isabella gruffed.
Natalya just smiled, "You were wrong to propose anything to him, bella. Nikolai is the one who proposes anything and also he's quite territorial about his belongings and you belong to him, bella. He brought you here, so you are his."
"No, I'm not. I belong to no one except myself." She hissed and turned to walk away.
She followed, Natalya thinking she had some way for her to escape Nikolai's monstrosity and not endorse his behavior.
"Wait! Bella."
Isabella halted.
"I have a suggestion, for you." Natalya said which made Isabella to turn away from the door.
"And what's that?"
"You were rude and sassy to him. Nikolai wants submission -"
"Here we go again, I'm not submitting to him," Isabella cut off.
"You didn't let me finish. I love Nik... Not in that way," she said quickly, she didn't want no misjudgements.
"As a person. Not a lover." She paused before continuing, "I've known Nikolai for a long time and I know for a fact, he loves submission. Why don't you try it? At least, until he loosens his guards on you. Right now, even if you're not seeing them, his guards are watching each and every of your movements."
"Submit wholely to him and watch him do the same."
Isabella frowned, her eyebrows pulled together, 'Over her dead body.'
"I'm not doing all that, Natalya. He should go fuck himself." She walked out and headed back to her room where Daisy was sleeping.
As she laid back on the bed, her mind replayed the conversion she had with Natalya.
Was that truly a good suggestion. Should I submit to him or not? She quried inwardly.
Her eyes drifted to Daisy's soft features,
'If I do then he would never think of selling Daisy off again, right?' she mused, tucking in her hairs that covered her face. Her thumb stroking her cheeks.
She shook her head, there should be another way but Natalya's sug
gestion kept hitting the back of her head.
What should she do?