The days and nights dragged on with each tick of the clock. Adelaide couldn't leave her house on her own will, the only places she went was the formal events her parent's went and placed she had to go like business associate meetings that required her presence if they invited families over.

She limited herself to only eat  in her room when her parent's were not home and it became unbearable when she was given cold shoulders and obvious looks of pity from the staff.

Everyone in the house were given orders to not talk to her if not needed and only reply with a curt nod or a shake of the head.

Adelaide was suffocating in her own room, slowly losing her mind to the punishment her parents have given her. She had nothing to do and even her phone held no interest with no one to message.

She was desperate to get out.

The door creaked and light shined through Adelaide's room. "Ms. Adelaide ?" Ivory had said.

Adelaide ignored her, staring at her window with no emotion lingering on her face. Her eyes were locked onto the green grass down below and the men that stood guard with their backs straight, their eyes hooded from the world to see.

"Ms. Adelaide. I have brought you your lunch. Your parents have left a note for you." She pushed the small cart toward her young miss.

The white sealed envelope sat beside the plate full of salad and pesto pasta. The maid waited for her to acknowledge the food or her presence but neither came as Adelaide continued to stare at the window.

She heard the maid let out a deep sigh and she could feel her eyes staring at her from behind. Adelaide was tempted to ask her for answers and for advice but feared that talking to her might get her fired or worse.

"You must eat, the food will go cold," she said, gesturing to the plate that was placed right beside her bed.

"Ivory, do you forgive me?" Adelaide muttered quietly.

Her focus remained on the window as she uncrossed her arms, using one finger to trace patterns onto the glass.

She moved around the cart to stand beside her young miss. Adelaide's eyes flickered over to her maid's bun and noticed the black hair that was slowly turning a lighter shade of brown.

"I should be the one appologising, look at what they have done to you. At least they left the country for now."

Adelaide's head snapped to her maid, her eyes widening. "They left the country?"

"Yes, Ms. Adelaide. Their flight was early this morning, headed to Italy," Ivory informed her. Adelaide let out a sigh of relief and it eased the worry the maid was feeling.

"When will they come back?" Adelaide asked, her body anxious to go do something. Anything other than having to stay in this room.

"I'm not sure, they informed us to suit to your needs for the time being and that I shall be the one to watch over you." Ivory moved away from Adelaide and grabbed onto the white envelope that was placed on top of the cart. She walked back and handed it to her.

"From my parents?" Adelaide said, taking it from her maid and flipping it over. Her fingers traced over the cursive outline of her name.

Ivory nodded.

Hesitant, she opened the envelope. She was hoping it would not have instructions for her to meet with business associates. Carefully, she took out the folded paper and sniffed at the sweet scent of roses.

She knew the letter was written from her mother. She couldn't resist not having anything related to the red colored flower.

With a deep breath, Adelaide's eyes traveled to the ink on the white sheet, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.

Adelaide,

Your father and I have to leave for Italy for a few days to settle an agreement we have with one of the best businessman in their country. We have decided you learned your lesson by now, that you are not like those teenagers who can go anywhere they want. Like teenagers that have nothing worthy of themselves but their hormones, sexual encounters and their means of wasting time. You are not one of them who goes to public places that do not suit what we are. You are an heiress, never forget that.

We will be back soon. If you embarrass our family name again or disobey our instructions, we will not hesitate to show you another lesson.

Elizabeth Callahan

Her mother's penmanship was perfect, no letter out of place. It irked Adelaide how she could feel the eyes of her mother as she read it, almost as if she was in front of her, speaking to her of what she can and cannot do.

"Did they inform you about their absence?" Ivory asked.

Walking over to the nightstand, Adelaide placed the envelope neatly on top. "Yes, they did. They also mentioned how I'm allowed to leave the house as I pleased," she lied.

"One body guard is assigned to stay with you at all times except your room."

"But what about the rest of the guards?" she had asked. Adelaide knew there were at least three standing outside the doors of the house and more at the gate.

"They are ordered to protect the house as they are not bodyguards but guards of the house," Ivory replied. A few seconds of silence followed after them when Adelaide moved away from the window and sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes were focused on a spot on the wall and her fingers fiddled with each other. Ivory decided it was her cue to leave.

"I have duties to attend too, Ms." The young Callahan nodded at the maid, not minding her as she left the room. When the maid closed the door shut, it squeaked but Adelaide paid no mind to it as her thoughts were too focused on the fact that her parents were gone.

They would leave on business trips here and there but usually they take her with them. If not, then usually they fill her up with lessons or special events such as entertaining a few of their friends but not this time, nothing was written in the letter that stated she had to do something. She didn't want to do anything yet she had nothing to occupy her time.

An uncomfortable feeling settled in her gut. For the past few days, she had been constantly staring at the newly added contact on her phone. He was invading her thoughts; his words, his actions and the sentence he had said to her before he left.

"Why would he even say that?" she said aloud. The questions rang through her head a few times. She wanted to know why he had joined her in the boat ride or why he had made goosebumps appear on her skin when he kissed her cheek.

Unconsciously, she touched the spot where his lips had been. He caused adrenaline to pump through her veins but confusion and worry would still linger through her thoughts.

She grabbed her phone, unlocking the screen as her fingers hovered over his contact. "Now or never," she uttered quietly. Her nerves acting up as she typed a messaged, her fingers hesitating before she hit the keypad. Sucking a deep breath, she hit send.

Adelaide waited. Moving to the table where she had placed all her educational books she needed for home study and then she sat there. The phone in the middle of everything, she tapped her fingers against the hardwood as she waited for him to reply.

Her stomach grumbled and she walked back to the small cart placed beside her bed. She grabbed the plate full of pasta and although it wasn't as hot as she liked, her growling stomach couldn't wait.

Midway her bite, her phone lit up. A notification popping out from the screen. Adelaide swiped right, her phone asking for her password before she could read the text. The apple logo appeared on the screen, the background white. Her phone had restarted itself and Adelaide huffed in annoyance.

"Mierda," she said, her spanish knowledge leaking onto the curse word. Grabbing onto her phone once more when her home screen appeared, she typed in her password and then she was able to read the text, her heart beating a mile per minute.

Luke: You finally texted me, Sweet. You've taken such a long time.

Adelaide: I didn't know what to say.

His reply was instant.

Luke: doesn't matter a hi would've been great, plus I haven't seen you in a while. .

Reading the last message, she felt her face heat up. "Oh," she said.

She was about to text back a reply when her phone buzzed again, indicating another message had been sent.

Luke: meet up with me.

Adelaide: where?

Luke: Go with me to this .. competition

Adelaide: I can't. I can't go out of the house.

Luke: don't lie, it's bad to lie, sweet. You shouldn't lie to me.

As much as Luke believed she was lying, Adelaide knew she couldn't leave the house unless she wants a worse repeat of what happened after she left without her parents permission even if she lied to her maid telling her should could leave.

Adelaide: I'm not. I have a bodyguard and guards watching my every move. My parents would be furious if they know i've left to god knows where

Luke: bullshit. give me your address, I'll come get you myself.

Horror struck her face and her fingers tightened on her phone. If he comes, her parents would know straight away and then she would be in really bad trouble.

Adelaide: dont, please.

Luke: don't you want to see me?

Adelaide: I don't even miss you

Luke: you and I both know that's not true, you texted me because you missed me, because you wanted to leave that house, didn't you?

She didn't know what to feel, or what to think. Granted, she started thinking about how he would show her how fun it can be without restraints but how can he when they had her on a tight grip like a rare animal caught in a hunter's cage.

Luke: no reply means yes, sweet. I'll come pick you up, give me your address.

She was torn in two. The smart decision was to ignore his reply and divert the topic but her instincts were telling her to give into him.

Adelaide: You won't be able to get me out of the house either way.

Luke: try me.

With a sigh, she texted back her address, a little hesitation evident as she typed. Adelaide wondered if she was making the right decision, if he could even get her out of the house without anyone knowing.

Hours passed by and her foot started tapping onto the hardwood hardwood floor, her eyes darting back and forth to the door and to her phone. He was taking too long.

Speaking her thoughts, she said, "Where is he?"

Not wanting to wait any longer in her room, she walked out the door, the face of a middle aged maid appearing in her line of vision.

"Where you going, Ms. Callahan?" she said.

Swallowing her saliva, she held her head high. "Around the house," she said, her voice strong and with authority.

With a court nod, the maid pointed to a man leaning beside the staircase, his hair black and his clothes a dark grey color with black pants. "Very well, Raider will be following you from a distance, Ms."

Nodding, Adelaide made her way downstairs, the man walking a few steps behind her. She kept looking back as she descended down the steps.

Once they were down the steps and into the main hallway, Adelaide walked herself to the back garden, the summer breeze hitting her and the smell of roses and different kinds of flowers brought a small smile on her face.

She could feel the bodyguard that was assigned to follow her move closer, his footsteps quietly moving but she could see him from her peripheral vision.

"My, my I do say lass. That your house is a mansion fit for a king and a queen." The man had said, walking step by step beside her.

"Royalty would be worse," she replied, it startled her that he would make such a comment as well as call her lass. No body guard she ever met acted that way.

Adelaide failed to notice how his hair was a dark blue, only when she looked at him that his hair came to her vision and he noticed it. He smiled, his pearly white teeth appearing on his face.

His footprints marked themselves on the ground as he moved forward. He stopped moving when her expensive perfume could be smelled and the little mole she had underneath her left eyebrow could be seen.

"I'm sent by Luke Valentine," he replied back to her. His facial features were hardened, unreadable.

"How- what?" She kept looking at him from top to bottom, her eyebrows scrunching.

A deep chuckle came out of his mouth and Adelaide watched as he stuffed his hands into his pocket and pulled out the phone that was vibrating against his palm.

"I'm supposed to bring you to your wanker," he told her and she noticed his fingers typing rapidly against the keyboard.

"Luke?" she asked.

"That you are right. Now c'mon. Take my hand and let's go to that piece of shit."

"They're going to know that I left, the guards, they'd tell my parents," she mumbled, her eyes darting back and forth towards his hand and to the door of her house. She was waiting for the maids, guards or to a body guard to find out that the man in front of her was not the real one her parents must've hired. Her parent's would never hire a man with blue hair, how her maids did not know that, she wasn't sure.

He scoffed. "I've got it covered, the cctv cameras are jammed so they won't have proof. Either me or Luke will deal with your maids when we get back," he told her, his australian accent becoming more prominent.

She sighed, twirling pieces of her brown hair with one finger. "Why is he doing all of this?"

Smiling at her, he shook his head. "Are you really asking me why?" With the tone he used to ask her, he made it seem like the answer was right in front of her face.

"I met him a few times. I don't know why he's so interested in me," she replied.

"You can ask him the answer to that. Now c'mon!" He rolled his eyes and took her hand, pulling her towards him so that they can exit her home and into the car he parked beside the gates.

"Wait!" She stopped walking.

He groaned and Adelaide noticed the impatient look he had on. "What is it this time?"

"What's your name? and Why are you doing this for him?" Adelaide asked. That was one of the things that was running through her mind. She knew the text Luke sent her said he'd pick her up but she didn't expect him asking another to get her.

The blue haired man narrowed his eyes at her and he looked at her with such seriousness it made her unconsciously step back.

"Luke wanted you out of the house didn't he?" Adelaide nodded. "Well, why do you think I'm here? I wasn't hired by your parents to be your bodyguard. I just came here an hour ago."

"Then what happened to the one they did hire? And why couldn't he come himself?"

"You ask too many questions." His lips were in a tight line. "But I'll answer it anyway," he said, leaning closer to Adelaide so that he was right beside her ear.

"Luke wants you to go with him, He was occupied and I wasn't so I took care of it. Regarding your bodyguard, well .. let's just say he isn't in the way anymore," He whispered, his accent trailing over every word, creating chills that made goosebumps appear on her skin.

"isn't in the way?" she repeated.

"Darling, Luke always has to have his way, nothing would stop him even that weak bodyguard. Besides, right now, you're this new shiny diamond he has taken an interest in. I didn't want to miss seeing who that person is, " Adelaide could feel his phone vibrating inside his pocket. "Though, when people get in the way of his shiny diamond, Adelaide, he's going to do everything he can to get them off his back."

"What did you do to the bodyguard?" Her thoughts were going crazy. Everything he was saying felt like double meanings and that scared her.

"I told you, I took care of it."

This time, he pulled her so they'd start walking again and Adelaide complied. Chills ran through her bones and suddenly, she grew worried of what 'taking care of it' meant.

She was in dangerous territory, stuck between going back to a house that held her restrained or following a man that was going to take her to another man that she couldn't seem to figure out.

The blue haired man stopped in his tracks when they came face to face with the guards but he only showed them a photo on his phone then their faces turned pale, they blinked and they let both of them through. Adelaide was terrified, she didn't know how that was possible, why the guards were so scared and most of all, if Luke really did send this person to get her.

With a shaky voice, she tugged on his sleeve as they walked towards the matte black car parked beside the gates.

"What?" he said.

"What's your name?"

He rolled his eyes, opening the passenger's seat for her to get in but Adelaide stood still, refusing to get inside. "For God's sake, it's Montano, alright lass? Now get in."

Complying she sat inside, her stomach in knots as she worried of what must have come to her bodyguard and to what Montano showed her guards.

When Montano started driving the car further and further away from her house, only then did Adelaide notice a white shirt sticking out of the glove compartment in front of her .

A blood smeared white shirt.

author's note:

longest chapter I've written so far!
please do tell me about what you think
of the chapter. this is my first book &
I'm ecstatic its reached 4k reads. I'll try
to plan everything from start to end but i just
need more inspiration. anyway,

qotc: what's your input on montano?

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- thea