The next morning, I wake up to the sound of footsteps in the cottage. I look over to Greyson who is still sound asleep. Could Lorna really have sent someone to tidy up while we are still sleeping. I get up quickly and walk to the kitchen while tying my robe around my waist.
The cottage is empty. There is one cupboard in the kitchen that is not properly closed and the front door is ajar. A cold shiver runs down my back. Am I being paranoid? Surely Greyson has only his best guards around the place.
I walk over to the cupboard that is partially open. Nothing seems out of place. I close the cupboard softly and walk to the front door. I cannot see anyone on the pathway or anywhere from the front door. I wrap my hand around the cold doorknob and pull the door closed softly.
I take a deep breath that comes out in shudders. I feel fear. I haven't felt this way in a while. The last time I really felt this way is when Marcella left me in Paris. It felt like I was being watched all the time. It also felt like everyone else knew what was going on and they looked at me with great pity.
I close my eyes and mentally shake myself. I cannot drown in those memories. My life is now finally what it would have been had Marcella never intervened. I promise myself I will not let paranoia take over this vacation and plaster a smile on my face.
I will go to Greyson and we will make plans for the day. It will be a good day and nothing will spoil it.
I open my eyes and freeze. The sight through the front door glass pane makes my blood run cold. I lift a shaky hand to my mouth as I stare into Marcella's cold hard eyes.
Marcella, standing on the front porch, glaring at me through the glass door, is just as threatening as a man standing there with a weapon aimed at my forehead.
My voice catches in my throat. I want to yell at Greyson but I cannot utter a word.
A slow smile appears on her mouth. She lowers her chin slightly but doesn't take her eyes off mine. My heart is racing and I can feel my legs trembling.
A low cry escapes my mouth. I am unable to form any words. I can only hold onto the doorknob, fearing that she would come to open the door.
"Ellie!" I hear Greyson's voice coming from the hallway. I turn to look at him. He is rushing to me.
I look back to the porch. She is gone.
My body trembles uncontrollably. I let go of the doorknob just as Greyson reaches me and I collapse into his arms. He holds me while I calm down in his arms.
"Elie, what happened?" The worry is evident in Greyson's voice.
"Marcella" I look up at Greyson, "She was here, on the porch"
Greyson goes pale, then red. The anger he feels is showing on his face. He holds me at arm's length and watches me intently. He then let go of me and storms to the bedroom. I follow him, afraid to be standing in front of the door where Marcella can see me.
In the bedroom he grabs his phone and dials a number. The moment the other person answers he starts barking orders at him. Everything is happening at a rapid pace.
There is a sharp knock on the door and Greyson storms to the front door.
The head of the security team comes in with two other members of the security team. They walk briskly through the cottage. Their faces all have the same expression. They are searching, focussed, hunting. I am very glad I am not the person they are searching for.
They clear out of the cottage. The head of the team turns to look at Greyson. They do not exchange words. He nods and leaves. Greyson turns to look down the hallway and notices me still staring at him.
"Pack!" he barks and opens the door and steps out of the house.
For a moment I am scared of being alone. Then it dawns on me that there are now so many security searching around the cottage that Marcella would not dare to come close again. Right now.
I pull my luggage cases from the wardrobe and start packing my things into it. I pull the clothes from the hangers and fold them roughly to place them in the suitcase. I do the same with Grayson's things. I put the suitcases near the front door. The only thing still in my wardrobe is my wedding dress.
I grab my vanity case and head to the bathroom. I throw all my things into it and put Greyson's things in his bag. I drop the bags by the other bags near the front door. I quickly head back and search every room to see if I have left anything behind. As I turn to leave the bedroom, I see the wedding dress in the wardrobe. I grab the hanger and head to the front door.
The weight of the dress pools at the bottom of the clothing bag it is zipped up in. It must have fallen off the hanger. I lay the bag across the couch and unzip the bag to hook it on the hanger again.
I reach for the dress but as I try to pull it out, there are only slithers of material in my hands. My dress has been shredded. Greyson enters the cottage to find me standing with the slithers in my hands.
"What is that?" He asks, staring at the ripped material in my hands.
"My wedding dress" I tell him. I can see the colour draining from his face.
"That is very aggressive behaviour" he tells me as he dials a number on his phone.
"Right now!" Greyson barks into his phone.
The head of security comes into the cottage and takes the largest of the bags. A second security member comes in to take the rest. I leave the shredded dress on the couch.
Greyson takes my hand and pulls me outside. He slides a protective arm around me and we follow the head of security and the other security member to the small air strip.
"Did you tell them to double check the plane?" Greyson asks the head of security.
"Yes sir. We brought in a new plane." He answers in short spurts over his shoulder.
"Was there a problem with the first?" Greyson asks in turn.
"Just a precaution." The head of security replies. As he says this, he looks over his shoulder directly at Greyson. Greyson's mouth thins even further.
"Don't lie for my sake!" I pull at Greyson's arm. He stops and turns to me.
"What?"
"You are all clearly worried. There is a lot going on here and nobody is telling me what it is. I can see the way you look at each other. I can see the nods and little shakes of your heads. You think you are protecting me but the only thing that can really protect me is if you tell me what is going on. That way I will know if I see anything out of place."
Greyson looks at the head of security and nods.
"The plane has been tampered with ma'am. It would have been able to lift off into the air but it would not have been able to cross the waters. There is a storm brewing also, if one gets lost at sea in these conditions it would be difficult to be rescued." He looks at Greyson who nods again.
"She knows if I am on that plane, you will be too?" I ask Greyson. He nods at me.
"She knows if she kills me, you will die too?" Greyson nods again.
"Has she ever tried to kill any of you before?" I watch Greyson as a great sadness crosses his face.
"No, she has escalated. She is not trying to protect us anymore. She is only trying to get rid of you." Greyson gives me a hug.
"Sir, we need to leave now" The head of security says with an urgency in his voice.
Greyson pulls me towards the plane again. As we near the plane two men run towards us to get the luggage from the security team. They load it into the plane and help us to get into the plane.
The pilot greets Greyson and confirms our destination before he takes his seat and gets the plane started. We lift off the small airstrip a few moments later. I still have the feeling that I am being watched. I hold onto Greyson's hand tightly.
I have no idea where we are going, but anywhere away from that island and away from Marcella will be the perfect destination.