“Janice!” Maggie called out. “I might have to leave you to go to the town square alone.” “I'll be with you in a minute!” Janice yelled as she did the button of her dress. The ladies had heard of the famous fundraising event for victims of natural disasters that often happened during this time of the year and decided to attend after receiving permission from the Queen. Also, Maggie was invited especially to grace the event as the newest addition to the royal family and a guest speaker. Janice barely found something decent to put on, since most of the clothes in her bag now seemed a tad tight for her growing bump. “I'm not even big yet, and none of these fits again!” She groaned, tossing a gown she had tried in the box next to her. She plucked a gown she borrowed from Maggie's closet and donned it. “This is better.” She mumbled, swirling in front of the mirror. Janice was glad she could fit into Maggie's dress, and it surprised her since the latter was bigger than she. “You look l
Janice awoke the next afternoon to a soft kiss on her cheeks. Her nose flared at the familiar musky cologne that wafted to her nostrils. She opened her eyes slowly and let out a sigh as she spotted Jules at the foot of the bed. His hair looked dishevelled, and she noticed he had discarded his tie and jacket, leaving only the inner shirt which was rolled. “When did you arrive?” Janice murmured, groggily, whilst sitting up. She braced her back with a pillow and groaned as she kneaded the muscle at the back of her neck. She had met with the Queen earlier before she came back to bed to do some training on how to maintain an excellent posture. Five heavy books were atop her head, and each had toppled to the ground the moment she took a step forward. The queen had hissed, scolded, and insisted she did it over again, even though Janice had looked like she might pass out from standing for too long caused by the rigorous activity. It had taken up to two hours for her to get the book to
Janice galloped as fast as she could on the mare she had seized from the stable. She was glad the black stallion, Dillon, which she had seen Jules ride often, hadn't knocked her down as it was in the same place. But it had wanted to create an alarm, which made her jet off as soon as she got there. Also, she had glimpsed the castle guards pointing torches to where she was. And she believed they saw her. That damned horse! It was just like the master Janice mulled. Her stomach cramped, and her hands gripping the rein of the mare seemed like it would fall off at any time. Janice felt like stopping, at least to fill her lungs with air. But she knew the guards following her trail would catch up with her in no time if she did. “I should have taken the car.” She groaned. She figured it was a bad idea and would have got caught if she had gone in Maggie's car. Before her take-off, she had been anxious about getting married to Jules. Heck, she had even imagined what would happen in the
Jules pinched the bridge of his nose as he passed by the narrow hallway. He halted, and his ears twitched as he heard murmurings from the maids in the kitchen about the disappearance of his bride, and he doubted if it would ever stop. He was aware of everything going on in the castle, and even in Cherview as a whole. Also, He knew it would stop only when Janice comes back. It was already a month, and he hadn't heard a word about her whereabouts, not even from the costly private investigators he had hired. It looked as if she had disappeared from the surface of the earth, and he doubted if he would ever find her again, much less see his child born. His chest tightened, and he clenched his hands at the thought of losing his heir. If he hadn't been tired that night, he would have noticed her going out because he was not a heavy sleeper. More so, Jules believed Janice might have added something to his food to make him that sleepy the night she had fled. His eyes rolled when a maid t
Steam wafted out of the spout of the kettle that was on the cooker as Janice ambled inside the kitchen. She picked a teacup from the metal rack and placed it on the wooden counter. She added a tea bag, milk, and a cube of sugar to taste before pouring the simmering liquid inside. Janice walked back to the living room, stirring the contents in the cup. Her gaze travelled to the window again, and she grimaced as she spotted another car that might have arrived while she was in the kitchen. Since yesterday, she had been under house arrest. It had startled Janice when she wanted to go to the beach, which wasn't far from where her cottage was. And the first sight that had greeted her the moment she opened the door was Jackson's face, one of Jules's loyal watchdogs. She knew she wouldn't be able to run forever, and she was glad she had enjoyed her freedom while it lasted. The door of the car went ajar suddenly, and Janice wondered who might be in because she could only make out brown
Janice winced as she came to. Her back hurt, and a tear slid down her cheeks as she rolled onto her side. She glanced around but didn't see Jules. She only saw the darned belt he had used in whipping her on the swivel chair. Further, she didn't know if it was calming or alarming to know Jules had acted like a cave dweller. However, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction that she would succumb to whatever he wanted of her. She trudged into the bathroom limping, discarded the robe from her body before glimpsing at her reflection in the mirror. She grimaced as she saw the broken skin and bruise that might leave a scar after it healed. Janice glared as she noticed the steam rising from the water in the bathtub. “No amount of glare would change the fact that you are headstrong, Madame.” Janice swirled as she heard his voice. “Stop calling me that absurd name. My name is Janice.” “And no amount of pleading would make me forgive you for what you did.” She retorted, scowling. Then, let
Janice ambled outside. She lifted a brow as Jackson intercepted her on the way. “So, your master asked you to restrict my movement even to the beach area?” A blush crept on his cheeks, and he shook his head. “Then, step out of the way because I have no intention of going anywhere.” Janice let out. Jackson frowned as he gazed at her, perhaps to know if she was saying the truth or not. Whichever it was, she didn't care. Seeing as there was no way, she could flee again whilst they surrounded her. Reluctantly, he stepped out of the way and ordered the rest to do the same. Janice rolled her eyes as she sensed their gaze on her. Still, she didn't stop to glance at them for once. The clean wind ruffled her hair. She pulled the robe she donned tighter around her body, and she let out a deep breath as the golden sand felt warm on her slippers clad feet. Janice squinted as she noticed a voluptuous brunette stroking sunscreen on Jules's body. Her face contorted in a scowl, and she wondered
She had been right, Janice mulled, glaring. As soon as it was dawn, Jules dragged her out of the cottage. Just like the first time, he had compelled her out of her house. However, he didn’t let her pick anything this time around. A groan escaped her opened mouth as she gazed out of the window that wound down. She rubbed her clammy palms on the flowering gown she donned, as well as dabbed her forehead with the hanky she had collected from Jules. Her lips were sticky, and her throat, parched. Janice realized she hadn’t taken any water since last night. Moreover, she believed if she decided to take anything now, it could make her situation worse. She'd end up vomiting. “Do you want Jackson to stop by, so you could take a walk?” asked Jules. Janice glanced at him, she rolled her eyes at the concerned look on his face. If she didn't know him, she would have thought he cared about her well-being. Also, her eyes darted around the location they were in, before staring at him again. S