Six

NAYA'S P.O.V.

I felt the familiar sting of tears as Zade pulled the last piece of glass from my arm. I was too shocked to say anything sassy to him, he was also helping me so that was a point in for him. I guess maybe he wasn't that bad. 

I tried to suck in a breath through my nose, but my lungs felt constricted. It all happened so fast, one moment I was sitting, the next something was breaking and tearing my skin. I didn't know who he was or what he wanted, but there was a man. I could barely see his face because he had a cloth covering his face like an assassin.

"What the hell made you think you could freaking break a window for no reason?!" Zade snapped as I stayed silent.

"Zade you need to calm down and let..." he cut the elderly doctor off, and moved from me like I burned him. Can’t say I was disappointed.

"Calm down? She hasn't even been here for less than a few hours, and she's already causing a lot of trouble. Damn it! I should have done it when I had the chance to!" His voice was laced with anger as he stared daggers into my eyes before he turned around and left.

Though I know the glass breaking will certainly make him annoyed, I mean it was worth a lot, but he had some intentions to do something which he was stopped from doing.

Now that... has piqued my curiosity. 

"Careful," I whispered as the doctor rubbed something against my wounds, which hurt like hell. "... Zade," I called out, which made him freeze at the door and turned slowly to look at me with anger written everywhere on his face.

"What is it?!" He snapped.

"I wouldn't intentionally break a glass and get myself hurt, you moron." I onky wanted to explain myself but seemed like my mouth had other plans. He was being an asshoel so I didn’t even feel bad for it.

"Did you Just..." I cut him off.

"I wasn't done talking. Someone broke into the room and the moment the door flew open he threw himself off the balcony." he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he looked at the window and back at me with suspicion.

"What did he look like?"

"I have no idea" his lips curved into a deep frown as his attention moved back to me and his ears made a weird movement which I assume to be a genetic trait.

"You could have died, and you didn't even know your killer!" He snapped once again, and goodness knows I was going to lose it with this asshole.

"And you would have been the happiest man to walk the face of the earth..." I saw the series of emotions that traveled back and forth in his eyes, but then he quickly switched back to their normal cold look. "Don't look at me like that, you never. Wanted me in the first place..."

"Doc Ethan, can you please leave us?" He asked politely, which made me raise an eyebrow for I know this is certainly not the man I forcefully married. He was up to something.

The moment the doctor shut the door, he locked it and turned to look at me. I could have sworn that I saw his eyes turn black and back to blue, it happened so fast. Perhaps it was just a reflection of light.

"The wounds on your arm..." He grabbed the now bandaged arm, which made me scream in pain and the tears I have been holding rolled down my cheek. "... Your father might have sold you off like a bag of goods, but little did he know that your downfall is closer than it seems." his voice sent shivers down my spine as he whispered into my ears, but I shook it off.

"Let go of..."

"No one dares to speak when I do. You are trying my patience, woman and trust me when I say your blood will soon be used as the next paint in a paint bucket if you aren't careful." The only thing I could hear was the best of my heart and the sound of his breath.

"I..."

"Quiet!" His voice and his words did nothing but reminded me of my parent's relationship, so I stayed quiet.

I couldn't help but see myself in my mother's shoes. I had watched them fight for years, but she never said a single word and I never understood why till now.

I know I've always taken pride in being an exact copy of my father but this time I feel the pain my mother felt within the depth of her heart, but she never said a word because she was blinded by love.

Looking to the ground and away from his eyes, the image of the woman I loved appeared in my vision. Lovely and sweet will be a complete understatement when it comes to describing my mother, but who cared?

No one...

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not knowing what else to do anymore, and I saw the smirk that immediately replaced the frown he held ever since he got here.

"Next time, know where you stand."

"Don't need to worry, there won't be a next time. He was dressed as an assassin. I saw nothing but his Hazel eyes and grayish hair." I walked past him and headed to a quiet place I had found earlier that wasn't my room.

Completely ignoring the immense pain I felt in both arms, I sat down in the corner as tears rolled down my face like droplets of rain against the window glass.

I couldn't take this anymore. I knew I said I was going to get out of here, but it seemed to me that the more I try to find an escape route the more I keep getting lost.

I have barely been here for twenty-four hours, yet I feel like a prisoner who had stayed in here for more than a decade yet neither is his release date near nor his punishment being reduced.

I might hate Zade for everything he had done to me or what he was planning to do, but truth be told he wasn't lying in any way. My father had sold off within the blink of an eye.

I wish my mother was still here...

"Are you ok?" I jumped at the voice and I turned to see the exact copy of Zade, but I was certain this wasn't Zade in any way. The softness in his eyes was something that devil could never replicate.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine." I wiped the tears on my face and wiped my hands on my skirt, "... Sorry, but who are you?" I asked curiously, and he let out a small smile.

"Louis, Zade's little brother." I raised my eyebrows in shock. I would be lying if I say the men of this house weren't fine as hell. "... I believe you're Naya?" Oh great, he knows my name.

"Yeah, that's me. I guess you don't need to stay twenty-four hours in a house before you become popular." He let out a laugh.

"I was unable to attend the wedding, so we didn't meet earlier. What are you even doing here?" He asked as he pointed towards the door, gesturing for us to go out while he maintained distance.

Jeez! I never knew the Montgomery household could have such manners. Looking at Zade, he didn’t exactly sell them right.

"Just looking around. I mean, I'm new here. I want to get to know more places... Where is that?" I pointed towards a dark door that seemed to be out of reach.

"No one is allowed in there. That's been the rule ever since I was born, so I don't know." Though he kept a straight face, I knew too well that he was lying, and I will not hesitate to check that out later.

He took me on a tour around the entire house, but something had me very curious... Their mother's portrait. I would not deny even in the next century that she was stunning, and I could see where the brother's got their beauty from, but her backstory is what triggered me.

Louis didn't want to say anything about it for some reason, and because I just couldn’t mind my business and I have zero sense of self preservation, I made a mental note to find out all I can about her. My father said this house was very dangerous, but I was at a point where I didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Well I would have loved to take you outside, but I have some work to attend to with my brother."

"Thank you for the inner tour, it was lovely." I beamed.

"You're welcome, I'll see you at dinner." he gave me a warm smile before leaving, and I walked back to where I had seen the portrait of their mother to give it a closer look.

I knew I had seen something written on the frame, but Louis seemed to be very uncomfortable staying there, so he had to leave. I stopped and hid the moment I saw Zade coming toward me.

God help me... I held onto my necklace and the moment he left I let out a sigh of relief before heading toward the picture.

Her dark brown hair was laying on her shoulders as though it was the reality of the woman, and her piercing blue eyes were everything I ever dreamed of. I could easily tell that she was a legend, but I had no idea what her story was.

Ex Favilla Nos Resurgemus (From the ashes we will rise)

It was written in Latin and I was confused. What exactly does that even mean? From the ashes, we will rise above a portrait.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder which made me jump in fear and I saw that it was Zade with my eyes widened, but I immediately composed myself not wanting him to suspect anything.

"How are your wounds?" His voice was rather soft which is so unusual, and I knew that he was up to something, but what could he possibly want from me?

"Healing, but I'm fine." The power held within his eyes made it extremely hard to look at him for some reason I don't even know.

"Go to the room, now." I shivered when he spoke. His voice sounded husky and I was a sucker for that. I forced my mind to get out of whatever dirty place it went so I could ask why, but he gave me a look that made me reserve my comment and just went along with what he said. 

I was about to leave and head back to the room I was taken to when he said, in that same voice. "My room," he said before walking the other way, and my heart couldn't stop itself from beating so fast. Something compelling to do exactly as he said, though I wanted to defy him.

I took a deep breath and walked towards the room. I wasn't sure about what room was his, but when I got into a dark one I confirmed that it was his because I could feel his presence and I couldn't find the switch.

"Zade I know you're in here and as much as I hate to admit it. I'm not a fan of dark rooms, so please turn the lights on." I said, but all I got was silence in return. "Zade pl..." I felt a pair of lips on mine.