"Now you can get out." His voice cut off her mind like a sword. She got up after he released her hands and without any hesitation, left his room. She wasn't stopping anywhere, was leaving the whole mansion, with her determined strides; If it hadn't been a woman to interfere, "Mistress, your room is in the opposite way." Ella glared at the woman, who was a maid. She stood there for a few seconds, her eyes glancing at the entrance of the mansion, knowing that she won't be able to go out now with those bodyguard goons present, she turned to get to the designated room. As he said, she was given a guest room, not her own. She tried not to react about it, but it was bothering in her mind somewhere. As soon as the maid left, she closed and locked the door, checking the windows to have them locked, she took out the phone she had strapped inside her inner thigh, only to find out 28 missed calls from Nick. She was sighing about it when he called again. Getting inside the bathroom, Ella turned on the shower and the tap, while answering the call.
"Good lord, Ella! Where are you?"
"I'm fine, Nick. Don't put a search party on me now." She joked the last part to cheer up his mood. He was seriously concerned.
"Answer my question damnit!"
"The palace. I'm staying here." She said to him calmly, while keeping her ears perched on the door for any other noise.
"What!? This is not what we agreed."
"I'll explain you everything tomorrow. I have to go now. I'll see you later." Saying that Ella hung up and switched off the phone. Now that this was taken care of, she can calm her racing heart. She turned off the tap and stripped herself to get in the shower.
The day's events were going through her mind. She still didn't believe that the idiot had put so much money just to find me! That just made her want to strangle him; heir or not who in the right mind would waste such amount of resources. As she was going through their conversation, she couldn't put out that information of her life being in danger. Why did he say that he did it to save her life? Maybe he was still playing tricks with her mind. Just how he did always.
But importantly, she felt hurt about the time he told her to get out of the room. At one point he used to worship her wishes, he cared, made her feel loved; that could be why she was finding it difficult to put him out of her system. Just like how she was unable to put her father away from herself completely. She knew he didn't act as the loving father to her, but he did everything to protect her with his own ways. Such confusing thoughts led Ella to believe that she herself was a big puzzle to crack for. When did her held back tears mixed with the water flowing down, was unknown to her.
Wrapping the robe from the bathroom closet, Ella came out into the room, to find her hand bag on the bed. She had completely forgotten about that, while talking with Daisy. Maybe she had passed it over here. She changed herself up and was sitting in the middle of the bed, thinking about what was needed to be done next.
A knock interrupted her thoughts and the same maid came in saying, "Dinner is ready mistress."
Ella was about to refuse, when she changed her mind, "Okay."
The dining room had its own memories which passed her mind like turning the pages of a book. When she had celebrated small moments with her mother and some friends, when she had made a cake for everyone including the servants. Most of her moments here were memorable, with the love she had received from the cooks that each day was made special for her. Who said you have to be happy with luxurious things, it's the small things that matter and capture a large part of the memories.
Until the Master of the house arrived down, he was presented with the dazed look on her face. The screeching of the chair jerked Ella off. Looking around, Roy had entered the dining and sat at the head of the table. She pushed down those memories and went to sit on the other side of the table, opposite to him. The food was served eventually, and both ate in silence. None too keen to start a conversation with the other. If it wouldn't have been necessary, Ella would not have joined him down too. She cleared her throat to gain his attention, but he deliberately ignored her. She still said, "Tomorrow I'll need to go out. Just wanted to inform you." Expecting any answer from him, she was waiting but when it didn't come; she let the matter be. At least she had notified him about her plans; dwelling in that fact she finished her dinner and left the room. While she passed through his chair, as the door for the dining room was close to where he sat, "What for?"
Ella raised her eyebrows to that with her lips curled up, she didn't turn to him but answered, "Shopping."
"You didn't bring your clothes on your 'trip'?" He mockingly said.
"Actually, it got lost on the way." Ella said wanting to let him know what she meant.
"That's okay. You don't have to wear anything here. I'll be fine."
Ella got furious at his statement, thankfully she was not facing him to let him know how much his words affected her, "Sure. I'll grace the reception of this palace that way. I'm sure there will be more than required propositions, if I present myself in the board room." She played back.
"The car will be arranged." Listening to that Ella headed out when he spoke again, "If I see him anywhere near you Ella, you wouldn't want to know what I'll do." That did it. She turned back inside the room towards him, where he was seated as though he hadn't threatened her.
"You don't control me or my life. I will talk to whoever I can, whenever I can and wherever I can", She said that pointing her finger to him. All her vented anger was bubbling on the surface. Roy calmly pushed back the chair and got up from it to face her angry eyes, "Do you trust me Elle?" Her hand dropped to her side and she chuckled at his question.
"Do you hear what you're saying?"
"Answer me."
"I don't trust you."
"You sure? How about I kill him when I find him close to you?" Ella didn't say anything about that rather she asked, "Why are you after him? He just brought me here, and it was coincidental for us to meet at one place."
"What white lies! If I didn't know you better, I would have believed them", Roy said while stepping closer to her. Ella knew she had to put aside the matter, than give him a reason to create more damages.
"It's up to you. I have to get my beauty sleep to hunt clothes tomorrow." Ella finally exited the dining room, all the while knowing that Roy's eyes followed her till she had turned away to the corner from his sight.
Reaching the guest room, which she was clearly not going to tell as her room; she locked the door, double-checked the windows and sat in the middle of the bed. She missed her mother. All she felt was trapped with everything. The more she tries to go away, the more something pulls her right back in the hole.
Exhausted by the day's events, she closed her eyes willing the sleep to take her away far to a place with no problems, no fights, only peace.
The next morning Ella thought that her fate was truly playing with her; with Roy being her ride for helping her shopping. Expecting the off look on her face, while she sat in the car with him in the back, Roy gave her a bright smile which was absolutely not reciprocated.