It's been a few weeks I barley come out of the room, forgoing meals and exploring for just staring at the white walls.

Alex comes in constantly trying to talk to me trying to get something out of me. I could laugh at their attempts at getting information.

Right on cue Alex waltzes in. "Good morning Nova!" He says happily. "How are you doing this morning?"

I look at him as he gives me a huge smile "I hate the color white, did you know that? It's my least favorite color maybe it's because I've stared at it for so damm long. My mom loved white, she said it was a simple color went with everything. I hate it." I don't know why I said that but he just stares at me his eyes scanning the white room.

"Ash can get someone to change the room is you want." He says sitting down beside me at the door of the bed.

"Maybe it's a reminder of my past maybe it's all finally catching up to me."

I've been here for over a week and that's the first thing I've said to Alex since the day I stormed out of Ashers office.

"What's catching up to you Nova?" Alex asks me confused.

I drop my head in my hands ignoring Alex's question. Why hasn't Matt come for me yet? He should know I'm gone, where is he?

"Has Matt even tried to get me back?" I ask Alex raising my head to look at him.

"He's been quite, since we took you." He says honestly.

"Why did you take me? I have nothing to give you, just let me go please." I beg him.

"I can't Nova you know that." I shake my head looking back at the white walls.

One of the guards pushes open the door looking at me and then Alex. "Signore, Asher richiede la sua presenza immediatamente. Ha detto qualcosa sul fatto che la azioni sono scomparsa e Matt ha fatto la sua mossa." (Sir, Asher requests your presence immediately. He said something about the stocks going missing and Matt making his move.)

"Grazie." Alex says before following the guard out of the room and down the hall.

"I don't speak Italian." I grumble.

————

I find myself back at the library laying on the floor even though there's plenty of chairs in the massive room. My brows furrow at the books laying open in front of me.

"What're you reading?" I gasp looking up at the door Asher stands there again.

"You keep showing up here, don't you have better things to do?" I say going back to the book.

"I asked a simple question, Nova no need to be hostile."

"Sorry." I say quickly maybe too quickly because he raises an eyebrow at me.

"I was only joking Nova. What are you reading?" He asks again.

I ignore him, he walks closer crouching in front of me and picking up the book from me. He laughs looking at the title. "Italian dictionary?"

"I don't understand Italian." I say shrugging repeating the same words I've been saying all week.

"I know, why do you think the men around here speak it so much."

I huff out a breath sitting up from the floor. "I want to have something to do, this is what I chose. I want to understand everything you all say."

He smiles shaking his head. "As much as I enjoy your efforts this isn't going to teach you anything your not really obtaining anything."

"Cazzo." I say smiling.

"Ah, the book did teach you something. I wouldn't walk around saying that though the men here have big egos they might think you want their dicks." I roll my eyes taking back my book from his hands.

"Go away." I tell him.

"Alex told me you talked to him today, he said you told him you hated white? That your past was catching up to you what does that mean Star?"

I shake my head as I stand up and walking y the door taking the book with me. "You run away from your problems too much Star." He calls after me.

I turn to look at him debating how to answer but I know he's right, he knows he's right. "I just want to go home."

"We haven't done anything to you Star, have you thought about that? What has he given you that makes him any better?"

"He hasn't kidnapped me." He frowns.

"Nova, he trapped you. Here your not stuck in whatever Matt had you in your more free here than with him."

"Your wrong." I say.

He only shrugs walking by me "am I?" He asks before leaving me alone.

He is wrong, he can't be right I won't let him be right, he's not right.

————

When Alex comes in today he sits down beside me again, I don't bother to look at him.

"I don't want to be stuck here anymore." I've been saying those words to myself all my life, I've always been stuck Asher was right I was never free.

"There's a pool outside." Alex says hesitantly.

I shake my head, "your inviting me to hang out with you? Alex I've been alone my whole life, trapped in the darkness with no way out I don't need someone to take me out of it anymore. I've been stuck in the darkness for so long that I became the darkness."

"Nova," he starts but shuts up immediately before standing up quickly. "Follow me." He says urgently.

"What?" I quickly follow him, he speed walks down the halls before slamming his palm on Ashers scanner and throwing the door open.

"What the hell Alex!?" Asher asks from behind his desk.

"She's losing it." Alex says huffing out a breath. "She needs to do something she's been stuck her whole damm life Ash she's going fucking insane."

Ash looks at me "I don't have the time Alex do whatever you want I don't care."

A smile spreads on my face as tears threaten to surface. I must look insane. I feel insane. "The big bad Asher can't spare a thought for the girl he kidnapped how cute." I spin on my heel walking away back to my room.

————

"Daddy! We want to show you a dance we made!" A little girl runs up to her father wavy black hair bounces behind her back as she goes to her fathers desk.

She smiles rocking back on her heels waiting for her father to look at her. "Nova come here!" The girl yells.

Another smaller girl, runs in to her sisters side. "You know he's busy." The smaller girl whispers to her sister.

"He's always busy." She argues "he can spend five minutes watching our dance Nova it's only fair."

The girls father looks up from a paper frowning at them. "Girls, go play outside my office please. You know your not allowed in here and I am very busy. I don't need your nonsense distracting me from work."

"But father!" The older girl yells. The younger one grips her sisters hand begging her to listen and leave it alone. "You never spend time with us! We never see you! Your always in here. Please father just this once!" The girl begs tears running down her face.

"SHUT UP!" Their father roars slamming his hands on the desk. "Leave me the fuck alone you useless brats!"

The older one finally allows her younger sister to pull her away. "He never has the time." She cry's. "He doesn't even love us Nova."

I gasp sitting up. I run a shaky hand through my hair and wipe the fresh tears from my face. I did not need that this morning.

I look at the clock on my bedside table it's five am. Of course it's five am. I sigh walking over to the window and throwing open the curtains.

The suns barley awake too. I frown looking down at the pool Alex mentioned yesterday. Pool sounds like a good plan to me.

A few minutes later I'm standing at the edge of the pool in a blue bikini I found in my closet. I close my eyes diving into the cold water and sinking down to the bottom.

I stay down at the bottom for what feels like forever until my lungs beg me for air. Before they give up I push myself up to the surface gasping for air.

"You know it's five in the morning." Asher stands at the edge of the pool watching me, he has a white dress shirt on with pants and his usual black shoes. His shirts sleeves are rolled up on his arms and the top couple of buttons are undone exposing his chest.

"Do you wear a suit every single hour of the day?" I ask him paddling over to the edge to hold myself up.

"Yes." He says casually. "Now please tell me why your in the pool this early? I don't particularly like to be disturbed this early about you sneaking off. Poor guards thought you might try to kill your self."

"Why are you awake this early?" I ask him ignoring his question.

"I'm always awake early Nova. Your not though. You don't even leave your room until late."

"Stalker." I mumble. He raises an eyebrow at me in question. "How'd you get that scar on your eyebrow?" I ask him. "I never it noticed until now. is it new?"

"Yes, I've always had it Nova." He's clearly annoyed that I keep changing the subject.

"Don't need to be so snippy your the one who interrupted my swim. Don't get your panties in a bunch Asher." I roll me eyes.

I sigh climbing up out of the pool Asher watches me as I grab a towel from the pool chair and wrap it around myself.

"Your fucking skinny as hell." He mumbles looking at me.

I stare at him for awhile before releasing a breath. "I don't want to be here anymore. Please just let me go."

"Why are you trying so hard to leave? Are we really so horrible that you want to go crawling back into Matthews bed." Asher asks me.

"I love him." I know how pathetic I sound to him but I do love him and I want nothing more than to be in his arms.

"You may think that Star but you've never felt love. You've only felt possession one day you'll realize what they taught you was wrong and that you never loved him."

"He loves me." I whisper to myself.

"Does he? Or are you just something he can easily control." I look into Ashers eyes frowning.

I stepped away from that life I stepped away from them controlling me. Matt loves me. He has to love me. I love him. Right?