Stepping into Den

★★★★★

He went ahead silently. There was a deep emptiness in Bella's eyes. She followed him slowly, carrying a lot of turmoil that had no name, only a sensation covered with pain.

"Why can't I be like him? Whenever he is around me, I always feel a lot of emotions and feelings. And the person didn't even care.

Neither is it his fault because I can't deny his warnings. Am I in love? How will I know? If yes, how can I erase these feelings?" Bella thought looking at the distance back.

"Miss," someone called Bella when her body was following Alexander naturally.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. It was a butler running toward her. She turned and waited for the butler to finish whatever he had.

"Miss, your room is on the left side," the butler politely said, giving her a small bow.

"Ow..I." Bella looked at her back and learned the man had already vanished from the place, leaving her and the butler for a chat.

She replied with a cough, "I don't know. So I followed Mr. Luther. Thank you for giving me knowledge. Can you take me to my room, please?"

"Yes, definitely. Come with me," replied Butler and went ahead. Bella followed him. Though she turned her head back in the hope of catching a glimpse of the man. However, only disappointment caressed the surface of her heart.

When she reached her room. The Same Butler informed her she would get her food in the room as Mr. Luther had informed them earlier. Everything she needed would be in her room. Isabella wanted to ask where Alexander's room was but she restrained herself from asking on the second thought. She didn't want to appear desperate or a girl with an ulterior motive.

With the butler gone, Isabella locked the door behind her and walked to the bed. She sat down, letting a sigh out. Thoughts were racing in her mind, fighting with her feelings, but she had no clue how to proceed intrinsically when everything was running out of her hands.

She dialed her father's number and waited for a second. The other side of the phone quickly received the call and said lovingly, "Good morning, sweetheart. Where are you? When will you come?"

"Good morning, father. I will come later. I am exhausted as I did not sleep well last night. So everyone decided to leave later after taking a little rest," Isabella said.

"That's fine. Take a rest. I was restless earlier, but now I am feeling excellent. I am going out fishing with the boys. And your nagging aunt went to visit someone. You won't believe how painful she is. Literally an intolerable woman. By the way, Bella, did you hear the news?" Bernard said along with a question and turned serious.

"Which one, Dad?" Bella asked, furrowing her brows.

"Last night a resort caught fire, and it's all over the news, including rubbish that some people were performing rituals when accidentally fire broke out. What nonsense," Bernard said in a disagreement voice. To him, the resort owner must be hiding something, something illegal, and the fire had covered everything.

Bella's throat filled with panic. Her father's question was abrupt for her heart to be at ease. However, she was certain that her father would know about that and would ask her questions about the resort to get assurance that they did not go there.

"I.. I... Don't know about it," Bella lied to her father, shutting her eyes tightly.

She didn't want to. She definitely didn't want to lie to her father.

"Alright, Bella. Take a rest. My friends are waiting. I'll talk later," Bernard said with a contented tone, as he knew his daughter was safe that mattered to him. Now, he can enjoy fishing.

"Yes, father. Have fun," answered Bella and hung up. She threw the phone aside and lay straight on the bed with her arms outstretched. Looking at the ceiling, she sighed incessantly.

"Why did Casey do this to us? What kind of cult group was that? Are they real?" Bella ran her finger through her hair. Suddenly another thought knocked on her head and she sat down, "Black Book. Does that book contain any information about rituals or cults? I want to read the book. Yes, I should."

"Did Casey read the book too? Because I knew her for two years, I've never felt that she was interested in these things. Damn it, maybe she did read. Maybe others too, like her." These thoughts frightened her. Although in the first couple of chapters she found nothing like cults or rituals, it had darkness in it. There may be some rituals or proceedings that hooked young people.

In no time, the sound of some splattering made her jump on the spot. She curiously went to the window and looked outside. It was a beautiful cottage surrounded by woods. Outside, there was bright greenery, but she heard something splash. However, when she tilted her body more outward, she saw a figure in the pool.

Her hold on the window panel tightened. Her slow heartbeat accelerated like a child who suddenly got their special candy. She was unable to divert her gaze from the view. Those pleased pupils followed the figure.

She wanted to go to him and talk to him about everything. Yet, she could not muster up her courage. Neither does her heart want to stay in the room.

"Calm down, Bella. He is not a monster. Talk to him. He didn't give you an answer, so you should pester him."

With determination, Bella left her room and made her way to the pool. Her steps were slower than a tortoise. Those beautiful hazel eyes were acting like a thief, roaming back and forth. Her often sighs clearly showed how nervous she was. This would be the first time Bella was stalking a man. She didn't want to; it was just her body that betrayed her.

Hiding behind a nearby wall, Bella peeked into the pool and saw Alexander soaring from the pool. His broad back with deep, dark tattoos enthralled her. Not only emotionally, but also physically, Bella found it hard to resist him. He was like a flame that could burn one's sense until she would ask for mercy.

"What should I do? Why is it so difficult? O, shit! Where is he going?" Bella cursed as she saw Alexander walk away from the pool, wiping his body.

She followed him on tiptoe, anathematizing her guilty heart. She just obeyed her body and soul or she would go crazy.

After walking a few steps, she watched Alexander enter his room and locked the door. Although her courage provoked her to follow him to the door, now she no longer knew what she would use as an excuse to enter his room.

Her feet tapped the floor continuously as well as her eyes wandered to catch butlers. In case they notice her, she will say that she has lost her way. It is better than acting unconscious, which she chose earlier.

Waited a few more seconds, then knocked on the door and heard his heavy voice, "Come in."

"There is no turning back, Bella. Hold your ground tight," Bella suggested to herself and twisted the door nob. It got unlocked easily, and she entered with a nervous heart.