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MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 58
Cheska Morning has come. The clock on the wall indicates 7 AM. And I still haven’t got any sleep at all. How could I? With Andrew curling behind me, caging me. He’s now outside the room, probably taking a shower after locking the door so that I can’t go anywhere. I look around, hugging my knees on the bed. There’s no other way out besides the door. There’s no window where I can see sunlight coming through. This is like a prison, making me feel like I have a claustrophobic even though it’s never in my record. Andrew opens the door, making me startled. He’s only wearing shorts, a towel around his neck, his hair still wet. He glances at me, making me look down in fear before he reaches for his clothes inside the closet. The moment I look back up at him, he’s already dressed in a pair of jeans and a green polo shirt. My heart leaps as I’m hoping that he’ll be leaving soon. There must be something that I can do while he’s away. He grabs his backpack and slings it across his shoulder be
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 59
Cheska I reach for my clothes, which I just found earlier inside Andrew’s closet. That guy even hid them there, and I feel sick all over again. Does he expect me to stay undressed for him? After wearing back my jeans and blouse, I sit on the bed and clutch my dead phone tightly in my hand, waiting for Drake. I don’t know where the hell this place is, how far it is. Earlier when I sent Drake my location, I was too in a rush that I didn’t remember the location in the map. But since Andrew still plans to go to college from here every day, it can’t be that far. I don’t even have any idea what this place is. Is this a house? Or an apartment? While I’m waiting for Drake, half an hour feels like hours. I don’t blame him if the streets are filled with traffics at this busy hour. I just hope that he’s driving carefully and will arrive here safely. The thing I fear the most is if Andrew suddenly comes back. I shake my head, trying not to fill my mind with the worst scenario. But then, I va
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 60
Prince Andrew ends up in the hospital. And I end up spending the night at the police station. That bastard is fucking lucky that I didn’t kill him, because before I could do so, three policemen came to stop me. I remember roaring like a mad person when they pulled me away from Andrew, who was already bleeding to death when the emergency response team from the hospital took him with the stretcher. My hands shaking, I look down and bury my face in them. What the hell am I doing here? I shouldn’t be here right now. I should be with her. Cheska. Cheska. Cheska. She’s the only thing in my mind now. I can’t imagine what she’s feeling at the moment. She must be scared, not knowing that to do. She must be broken. Hopeless. Alone. To settle the matters with the police, I’ve called my lawyer, whom I know from a friend I worked with for one of the influential companies I did my project with. He’s good, so I expect that the police can give me some dispensation once they find out that Andrew
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 61
Cheska The ride to California has been tremendously long. Of course, we move halfway across the country. But finally, we’re here. Drake pulls in when we reach his place. I get out of the car and look up at the house standing before me, the ray of morning sun upon me eyes making me wince as I block it with my hand. So, this is the house that Jake has rent for him to live in California. It’s a mid-sized traditional brick grey townhouse with a gable roof, and it has two storeys. It looks really nice. Drake steps up toward the entrance door and opens it for me. “Welcome to my house.” He smirks. I gape as I step inside. The interior looks more contemporary compared to the exterior. The house is filled with neutral colors and clean design lines, but there are some bold accent colors on some pieces of furniture. It looks super comfortable, and my body absolutely gives in after long hours of journey. I feel like I can just sink into one of the couches and sleep there. “Good to know that
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 62
Cheska Today is my second day in California. It’s early morning, and I’m setting up my new cellphone when Drake emerges in my doorway. He’s talking to someone on the phone before handing it to me, making me wonder who it is. “ It’s your friend Kate,” he says. “ She got my number from Prince.” The mentioning of such name still makes my heart drop. I sigh and take the phone from Drake. “Hello?” Kate’s cries fill my ear as soon as I speak, and she goes frantic. “Oh my God, Ches. Are you okay? How are you doing over there?” A soft smile tugs at my lips. I miss her. It feels like ages since the last time I heard from her. This girl is worrying about me like I’m dying. “I’m okay. Don’t worry.” “God, I never thought that – “ she stops talking and starts sobbing. “If only I’d figured it out earlier.” She’s speaking about Andrew. There’s a guilt in her voice, and I want to tell her that none of this is her fault. Before, neither of us realized that Andrew was such a psychopath. We thoug
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 63
Cheska Later in the afternoon, Fiona and I finally finish settling all my belongings in place. It's time for her to get back to her apartment, and I can sense that Jake's mood darkens once he knows that she's going to leave soon. Too bad for him, Fiona doesn't seem to consider another option. There's this mystery about Fiona that makes me understand why Jake is drawn to her. It's like she's doing this push-and-pull thing with my brother, which rarely happens because girls usually fall hard and fast when it comes to him. There's definitely so much more than meets the eye between them. When he sends her off at the front door, Drake says, "Thanks, Fiona. Couldn't have done it without your help." "No problem, Drake." Fiona smiles, and haven't I told you before how breathtaking her smile is? It's the kind of smile that belongs to the supermodel Barbara Palvin. So pretty. "Bye, Cheska." She waves her hand at me, and I wave back. Drake looks like he wants to give her a goodbye kiss, but
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 64
Cheska As soon as Drake comes back from work, he visits my room. I sigh, closing my laptop. Drake leans back against my door frame, still in his office attire. “ Are you sure, Ches?” he asks me the question once again. I nod. This past week, I've been spending time with my laptop to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. And finally, I've found a light, filled with hope for my future. A way to achieve my dreams. "You know, I never thought that something like this would ever happen, but-" he falters, and I give him a hopeful look. A soft smile touches his lips. "As long as it makes you happy, I'm fine with it." Relief washes over me. I thought that he would be reluctant to accept my idea at first, butI always know that he's going to be supportive, as long as it's the best for me. I stand up from the chair, approach him and hug him, making him sigh. "Thank you, Drake. I always know that you're gonna be on my side." When we pull away, I do see the sadness in his eyes. Regrets
MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN 65
Prince It’s been three days since I arrived in California, and the first thing I do once I get up this morning is to visit Drake’s house again. I look up to the same window, only to find that the curtain is still shut. Drake steps out of the house to go to work again, but this time when he looks at me, he just sighs, shaking his head in disbelief. He gets into his car and drives. Clenching my fist on my sides, I call her again, “Cheska!” But still, there’s no response. I find myself standing alone on the street again, but my yearning to see her doesn’t change. In fact, it becomes even stronger. I will wait, Cheska. I will. I will still be here. The afternoon passes by, and now, the sky has become dark. Earlier, I was away just to grab some lunch, and now, I’m still standing in the same spot, in front of this house. I turn my head when I notice Drake’s car pulling in. And the first thing he does after he comes back from work is scrutinizing me. He shakes his head again before wal
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