Chapter 350: We Have A Problem

Sleep completely eluded Rebecca that night, because no matter how many times she closed her eyes or tried to convince herself that she needed to rest, her mind simply refused to quiet down, and every time she came close to drifting into sleep, the events of the previous evening would come rushing back to her, Adrian standing in her room, the way he had spoken about Derek, the strange expression that had crossed his face when the lanky man had whispered something into his ear, and, most importantly, the name she had heard him say just before the door had closed.

Michael.

She had spent the entire night trying to figure out our the two had met, she had run through every possibility of Michael and Adrian meeting and had come to a semi conclusion that they might have met through Celia.

By the time mid-morning finally arrived, Rebecca was completely exhausted, her eyes felt heavy from the lack of sleep, her body felt weak, and yet there was still no sign of Adrian.

She remained on the bed with her back against the headboard, staring blankly at the wall while her mind continued trying to put the pieces together.

After the phone call, Adrian had not returned the previous night, none of his men had come into the room, and even the young woman who usually brought her food and clothes had not appeared.

For the first time since she had been brought there, Rebecca had been left completely alone throughout the entire night, and although she should have felt relieved by the silence and the absence of anyone watching her, the uncertainty only made her more anxious because she had no idea what was happening outside the room or whether something had gone wrong.

She glanced toward the door again, wondering whether Adrian had finally decided to leave her alone, while another part of her feared that perhaps something had happened to him, although she hated herself for even having that thought after everything he had done to her.

Then, without warning, the sound of the lock turning broke through the silence, and Rebecca's head immediately snapped toward the door.

For a brief moment, hope flickered inside her at the thought that Adrian might have finally returned to continue their conversation, but the moment the door opened fully, her expression fell when she saw one of the lanky men standing there instead.

The man stepped inside and looked at her without saying anything for a moment, while Rebecca drew the duvet tighter around herself and leaned backward, she did not like the look in his eyes, and the man, noticing what she was doing, allowed a crooked smile to appear on his face before finally breaking the uncomfortable silence that had left Rebecca wishing she were alone.

"Stand up," he ordered roughly while Rebecca frowned, her body immediately becoming tense.

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

"Our boss is waiting for you."

Rebecca stared at him for a few seconds, her heart beginning to beat faster.

"Adrian?" she asked quietly, but the man gave her no answer, he simply stepped aside and waited for her.

She slowly pushed the duvet away and stood up from the bed, her movements careful as she adjusted the clothes she was wearing, but unlike the previous times when she had been afraid to leave the room, there was something different about her now.

This was the first time she was actually being allowed to step outside.

She looked toward the doorway, her curiosity battling with her fear, because although she desperately wanted to know what was outside the room, she also knew that stepping outside meant entering an environment completely controlled by Adrian and his men.

Still, she had to take the opportunity, because she needed to know where she was, she needed to understand the layout of the house, and perhaps, if she paid enough attention, she might eventually find a way out.

She walked toward the door, and the man immediately turned around and began walking down the hallway, with Rebecca following closely behind him.

The moment she stepped outside the room, her eyes began moving from one side of the hallway to the other, taking in every detail she could possibly remember.

The hallway was long and beautifully decorated, with large paintings hanging on the walls and expensive-looking lights illuminating the ceiling, while the floor beneath her feet was polished so perfectly that the faint reflection of their figures could be seen as they walked.

Rebecca tried to memorize every turn they made, she counted the doors they passed, counted how many rooms she could see, and even took note of the people they passed, but throughout their walk, she kept her expression as neutral as possible, pretending to be simply curious about the place while secretly trying to memorize everything she saw.

After walking for several minutes, they finally reached a large open space, and Rebecca involuntarily slowed down.

Her eyes widened in surprise and fascination as she took in the enormous sitting room before her.

She had expected some dark, isolated building hidden somewhere far away from civilization, perhaps an old house or an abandoned property where no one would ever think to look for her, but what stood before her was the complete opposite.

The place looked like an expensive beach house, with enormous glass windows that allowed sunlight to pour into the spacious sitting room, elegant furniture arranged neatly across the room, and decorations that gave the entire house a luxurious and almost peaceful appearance.

For a moment, Rebecca simply stood there, staring at everything around her as she tried to take it all in.

"This place..." she whispered under her breath, unable to hide her surprise.

The house looked as though it had cost an enormous amount of money, and the realization made her stomach tighten because it meant Adrian had planned this far more carefully than she had initially thought.

This wasn't some random place he had found at the last minute, this was a property that had required serious planning, and the thought that he might have been preparing for something like this weeks or even months before she was kidnapped frightened her more than the size or beauty of the house itself.

The man continued walking, forcing Rebecca to follow him, and eventually, he opened another door and they entered a large dining room.

Rebecca's attention immediately shifted toward the long dining table positioned in the center of the room, and there, seated comfortably at the head of the table, was Adrian.

The moment his eyes landed on her, a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Good morning, Rebecca," he said, his voice unusually calm.

Rebecca did not respond. She simply stared at him for a few seconds before walking toward the chair at the far end of the table and sitting down, deliberately choosing the seat that placed as much distance between them as possible.

Adrian's smile faded slightly when he noticed her reaction, but he did not comment on it.

The young woman who had been bringing Rebecca food walked into the room a moment later and immediately approached the table, and just like before, without saying anything, she began dishing food onto Rebecca's plate, carefully placing different portions in front of her before quietly stepping away.

Rebecca stared at the food without much interest, while Adrian watched her quietly for a moment before attempting to start a conversation.

"How was your night?" he asked casually. "Did you sleep well?"

Rebecca remained silent.

"You should eat," he continued, trying to sound relaxed despite the tension between them. "We have a guest coming later, and I don't want you sitting here without eating when they arrive."

Rebecca did not look at him, instead, she simply picked up her spoon and began eating.

Adrian watched her for a few seconds, realizing that she had no intention of answering him, he eventually picked up his own utensils and began eating as well.

For several minutes, the only sounds in the room were the faint clinking of cutlery against plates and the occasional movement of the dishes as they ate in silence.

Rebecca ate quietly, her eyes remaining fixed on her food, but halfway through the meal, Adrian noticed something.

She had barely eaten more than a few spoonfuls, and instead of continuing to eat, she was simply moving the food around her plate, pushing one portion from one side to another without actually putting it into her mouth.

Adrian slowly lowered his fork.

"Rebecca," he called, but she ignored him.

He watched her for another moment before speaking again.

"Don't you like the food?" he asked, and again, Rebecca said nothing, she simply continued moving the food around her plate, causing Adrian to sigh softly.

"Please, Rebecca, talk to me," he begged, and that finally made her stop.

She slowly placed the spoon down and looked up at him, her expression completely devoid of warmth.

"You want me to talk to you?" she asked, raising one eyebrow slightly, while Adrian nodded.

"Yes," he replied softly.

Rebecca stared at him for several seconds before asking quietly, "Then are you finally ready to tell me why you kidnapped me?"

Adrian's expression immediately changed when he heard her question, he leaned back slightly in his chair, staring at her for a few moments before finally replying.

"I already told you that I would explain everything later," he said.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed.

"When is later?" she asked again but Adrian did not answer.

She waited, several seconds passed and he remained silent, which only made her frustration grow.

"When exactly is later, Adrian?" she asked again, her voice becoming more serious. "Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Or do you simply plan on keeping me here until you decide that I deserve to know what is happening?"

Adrian said nothing, simply looking down at his plate, while Rebecca gave a bitter laugh when she realized that he was once again refusing to answer her.

"Do you even plan on telling me anything?" she asked, her voice sounding almost broken, and that finally caused Adrian to lift his eyes toward her.

"Rebecca..." he began, but she immediately cut him off.

"No," she interrupted, her voice shaking slightly. "Don't tell me to be patient again, because I have been patient for an entire week, I have been locked inside a room for days, I have been threatened with my husband's life, and now you have brought me out here and expect me to sit at a table with you as though we're having some normal breakfast together."

Adrian remained silent.

Rebecca swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to return.

"I deserve to know the truth," she said quietly. "Whatever you think you are protecting me from, whatever secret you believe you have a right to keep from me, I deserve to know why you did this."

Adrian opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say a single word, the dining room doors suddenly burst open and one of the lanky men rushed inside, breathing heavily, his expression tense and urgent. Adrian immediately turned toward him when he saw the look on his face.

"What happened?" he demanded.

The man looked briefly at Rebecca before turning his attention back to Adrian.

"Sir, we have a problem," he muttered.

Adrian's expression hardened immediately.

"What kind of problem?" he asked.

The man hesitated for only a second before answering.

"He's here."