Sandra peeped inside the room, her curious eyes took a quick survey of the interior before they settled on Cece. She was wearing a white button-down shirt with a royal blue pencil skirt, her hair tied in a tight ponytail, and very little makeup adorned her face. She resembled a schoolgirl who had come out in the world for the very first time. Cece noticed with a hint of astonishment, the evil vamp-woman vibe that intimidated her during their very first meetings had somehow dissipated. She wondered whether Gavin's actions had something to do with it.
Sandra smiled sheepishly when their eyes met. "May I come in, Miss Rose?" She asked in a very soft and delicate manner like she was addressing a flower.
Cece nodded. She was lying in a foetus position, which made her look much smaller than she was. With the cramps and uncomfortable wetness between her legs, she felt too weak to say anything else to greet her. She tried to smile, hoping it would make her look less miserable. She failed, which was evident from the sad and pitiful way Sandra laid her eyes on her.
"Gavin sent me home today. I'm here to take care of you," she said apologetically.
"Sorry about the inconvenience. I just need some tampons and a clean dress to wear." Cece thought a little, taking advantage of Sandra's silence and added, "And a ride home."
Sandra shifted on her feet uncomfortably. Hesitance and sympathy were drawn on her pretty face. Cece waited for her response; a negative one was more likely, she thought. If Gavin had sent her to provide the essentials, that would mean he'd been thinking of keeping her captive for longer. Did he think of it spontaneously or was it a part of his plan?
"I know what is going on in your mind," Sandra said sadly.
"You know what is going on in my mind?" Cece asked, aware of how sarcastic it sounded.
"Gavin is not a bad person, definitely not the kind of man who enjoys hurting women. He has always been so gentle and kind towards everybody that when I heard everything about last night I couldn't believe my own ears." Sandra's voice broke a little.
"Where did you hear everything?" Cece asked timidly. She tucked her face in the blanket. She had an inkling of how Sandra might have known about everything. She remembered the few cell phone cameras flashed and recorded her humiliation.
Sandra, as if knowing Cece's mind, stayed quiet.
"I really need the things," Cece mumbled feebly. She didn't want to sound demanding, but she knew how her tone had changed when she opened her mouth.
"Sure, I have brought the things you need with me. Gavin was not able to tell me everything, I guessed most of them. Here," Sandra handed her a bag. "I will leave you alone. Please get freshen up, then we'll eat something."
Cece felt a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't tell Sandra that she had already eaten. For once, she had considered throwing away the food he bought for her. A bowl full of congee, she loved eating such simple food. Did he remember her choices and preferences? Or did he think of the woman in his bed? She still couldn't wrap her head around the existence of Ruby—or Cece, as he shared—and the fact that she had some connection with Cece.
Cece changed with some difficulty. The cramps were worse this time. She changed into the dark brown dress and dropped her ruined nightdress into the laundry basket. Her reflection on the mirror brought the sense of shame and self-pity back to her. Whatever she felt towards Gavin this morning was faded completely now, and in its place were just the recollections of the last night and this morning, all of which felt like a burden in her chest.
She splashed some cold water on her face. Sandra had brought a toothbrush and toothpaste for her. She thanked her internally. Once decent, she dragged herself outside where Sandra was working on her laptop while waiting for her.
"Thank you," Cece said, with sincere gratitude. "I feel better now."
"Good. I have ordered pizza. Don't know about you but I am famished."
Sandra's undisguised efforts to lighten up the mood was not missed by Cece. She would have dismissed it, but she needed the warmth of another person. It was perfunctory, though, she scolded herself. She wouldn't get too carried away. Her logical self was still alive and very much conscious.
"I just realised that we've never talked in an informal setting." Sandra smiled nervously.
"If it hadn't been Gavin, we never would," Cece said. She sat down and grabbed the cushion extended towards her by Sandra.
"I always thought you're a sweet girl, a little timid in nature but sweet nonetheless," Sandra said. "Do you want to watch TV or something?"
"You're on the first name basis with Gavin. Do you know him that well?" Cece asked abruptly, catching Sandra off guard.
"We were in the same friend circle. I do know him very well," she said. After a pause, she looked outside the windows and sighed wistfully. "To be honest, I could never be his friend. My parents worked in his father's estate. They even met there, fell in love, and then I came into this world. So, in a way, I was born with the fate of serving Gavin."
Cece eyed Sandra closely, the way her expressions changed from happiness, to nostalgia, and then to sadness. She had never been so open towards Cece before. As Sandra herself admitted, they had never talked in an informal setting before. Cece couldn't remember seeing Sandra without make-up or that fake smile of hers too.
Sensing Cece's gaze on her, Sandra turned to her. "Gavin is a great guy. He has never made me feel that I am beneath him, or I have to serve him. He actually asked me whether I wanted to join his company. It had just started those days. Did you know Gavin started this company when he was in college, in his father's old study?" Cece shook her head.
"You wouldn't know this. He has never told anyone about his initial days, so there's nothing on social media."
"What about his girlfriend?" Cece dropped another question on her, for which Sandra was obviously not prepared. She fell silent.
"Did Gavin ask you to stay with me and test the waters or something? Because if that is the case, then you should be prepared for these questions."
Sandra's face fell. She straightened her back and looked at her with a defiant stance. "He did not ask me to do anything that isn't included in my job profile. He only asked for my help to get you the things you needed because I am the closest woman to him. He has an important meeting today so he cannot bother himself with small things, and believe it or not, you are not the centre of his life."
The moment the words came out of her mouth, Sandra's eyes changed. Regret, shame and embarrassment made her face darker. She lowered her head for a moment and looked up at Cece again, with an apologetic tone she said, "I am sorry. I didn't mean it to sound so harsh and rude. It's just that—"
"You feel protective towards him," Cece concluded. "I should apologise too. You have been kind to me and I just attacked you for no reason. I am sorry!"
The conversation was broken by a mechanical sound, a lot like a calling bell.
"What's that?" Cece asked. Sandra smiled at her innocent question and gestured towards a rectangular screen on the wall. A man's face moved on the screen.
"There is someone at the gate of the apartment entrance asking permission to enter the penthouse. When I allow him, he will come up." Watching Cece's confusion, she said again, "I ordered pizza, remember? It's the pizza guy. Give me a sec," She stood up and fished a small wallet from her handbag.
The pizza turned out to be a particularly delicious diversion. Cece almost forgot to ask when Sandra would get her a ride home, or just let her go out from this hi-tech castle. Sandra too, quite unexpectedly, turned out to be a talkative woman. She told Cece how she learnt to cook, and the day she realised her love for Italian food. Cece mostly listened to her, with occasional noddings, and small sentences to keep the one-sided conversation going.
"Can you tell me more about Gavin?" she asked when Sandra started asking questions about Oliver. Apparently, they had been keeping tabs on her whereabouts and the people she was hanging out with for the last month. Cece carefully avoided spilling information about Oliver. Gavin and his efficient team were going to do that anyways, she didn't want to be the one to do it.
"What to say about Gavin? He was fun, kind of a nerd, extremely stubborn when it comes to something of his choice, a huge fan of the Scream series…, he is just like the others, a little good-looking." Sandra ate the last bite of pizza and smiled. "Judging from your experience, I am sure that your mind has made a villainous image of Gavin in your mind. Trust me, he is the opposite of that."
"I don't know," Cece said honestly, and it felt good to open up, even though it was a tiny crack. "The way he dragged me here last night, I can't imagine any good traits about him. But when he came in front of me—" Cece stopped talking. She could not admit that to this woman. She might think of her as opportunistic, using love as an excuse.
"These confusing emotions are mostly the result of Ruby and her mind. I think assimilation has started."
"What does that mean?" Cece frowned. Assimilation of what?
Sandra drank some water and then she suggested, "How about I tell you how he fell for Ruby?"