18. Bella

[Trigger warning: Sexual harassment/assault, depression, pain attacks]

Anastasia...

My head was currently against the headboard and my knees were not far from my chin. I was seated back on the pillow as I examined the room.

Last night I couldn't exactly see it but now I can, obviously because it was daylight. I woke up to find the curtains open and there was an everlasting, amazing, expensive scent that floated around the room.

The room was black. Everything was black, to be precise.

The silky covers were black, as well as the sheets. The walls were black, as well as the long linen curtains. On each side of this humongous bed I was lying on, were black marble bedside drawers.

The floor was of dark oak wood and a huge black, fluffy carpet was situated in the middle of the room. There was a huge TV mounted on the wall facing the bed and there was what seemed to be a lounging area by the door with two seats and one leather couch and what seemed to be a black marble coffee table.

I glared at the wall, that's all I could do. I didn't have the energy to move or the energy to do anything at all, the energy to sleep even. All I did was glare at the wall and feel my heart break at every thought I was having in my mind.

A knock on the door came through but I didn't have the energy to answer. I continued to face the wall and have a staring contest with it.

" King said I should help you prepare yourself for the day," I heard a familiar person say.

The person came into my view as they stood in front of the bed.

It was Dorcas.

Her face had a solemn expression but I didn't care. I don't have the energy to care.

" We bought you clothes and placed them in the closet. You have your own space there from now on. I got you toiletries as well. I'm not sure if you use a tampon or a sanitary pad, but I got you both," she said, but my focus was on the wall.

" I'll go prepare your bath before Danté comes and helps you," she said, and she moved away from my sight and I don't know where she went. After a few minutes, she came back into my view. " Let me help you go to bath."

I was numb so I didn't move.

I just stayed stagnant.

I felt something touch me and I flinched, causing the culprit to get frightened. I didn’t want anyone or anything to touch me.

Especially while I'm naked.

" I...I... need to get you to take a bath," she said, and I glared at her.

Why did I need to take a bath?

She reached out her hand again, and I hesitantly placed mine on hers. I crawled out of bed, naked yet again. She helped me walk into the bathroom.

There was a tub full of water and she ushered me towards the tub. She helped me climb inside the bath tub and I let the water surround me.

The water was soothing and calming, but I couldn't deal with the pain the water inflicted on my lower back and my knees. I groaned in pain and held on tight to her hand, probably also squeezing it too tight.

" I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Are you okay? Oh my...let me go call King!" she said before she ran out the bathroom.

I numbly pulled myself out of the tub and strolled towards the toilet and sat on the seat. After two minutes or so, the door flew open and there stood Tania's father.

He was in a black polo neck, black pants and those formal-looking shoes. A black bandana holding some of his curls. His expensive scent filled the bathroom immediately, causing my nostrils to flare and breathe him in.

Dorcas stood behind him. She looked fearful. King slowly strutted towards me but my body involuntarily started shaking and reacting the way it does when I'm in a state of shock or fear. I think he noticed this as he decided to turn in the other direction and walk towards the tub.

He stood there doing something in the tub before he stood straight and turned to face me.

My eyes fell on his black eyes and they were filled with something.

Something that shouldn't be seen in his eyes and didn't seem to belong there.

Guilt.

Regret.

Pity.

Pain.

" Should I still wash her?" Dorcas asked, but King was more focused on the staring contest we were having.

" No Dorcas. I'll help her," King said; he was looking at me.

" Are you sure?" She asked again.

I turned to face her and she looked skeptical about whether she should leave or not. Her eyes landed on mine and I glared at her. Her dark brown eyes reminded me of someone. I felt my heart break yet again.

I suddenly was up in the air, in the arms of the man that assaulted me like I was some disgusting thing. I didn't feel safe in his arms and I swear he felt that the minute I started shivering like some sick puppy. He groaned aloud as he walked me towards the tub and helped me sit in. The water now only reaches my butt and my knees didn't go underneath the water.

He quickly moved away from me and glared at me. He then walked out of the bathroom, not forgetting to bang the main bedroom door shut. I flinched as well as Ma Dorcas. She walked over to me and, with just a show of bath soap and a sponge, I nodded.

She then started washing me and then she rinsed the foam off my body. I flinched when she had to rinse my back as well as my knees. She then later washed my curls and washed the foam off before tossing my hair into a bun and wrapping a towel over my head.

She then pulled me up and wrapped a towel around my body before helping me climb out of the bath tub. We then slowly walked towards the bedroom and a pair of leggings and a very huge sweater were laid on the bed.

She ushered me onto the bed and I sat there butt naked. She then started applying cream all over my body and she even helped to apply the anti-perspirant. She disappeared into the closet before rushing out with a black lace set.

" I'm not sure if the bra will fit," she said.

In a way, I know I was supposed to feel insulted but I wasn't. My lip twitched into a smile and she was shocked when she saw it. She then threw her hands around my body and hugged me.

"You finally smiled."

I didn't respond to the hug. Again, I was numb. She helped me stand and helped me put on my underwear. I shoved the bra away and she nodded. She then helped me put on the leggings as well as the sweater. The sweater smelt expensive, musky and manly. I glared at her.

" This belongs to Ronaldo. He said he wanted you to have it," she said, and I frowned at her.

She then helped me put on the sweater and it was baggy. It reached just the top of my knees. She removed the towel and undid the bun before taking some cream and applying the cream to my curls and then she braided my hair into cornrows. She rushed back into the closet and came out with a pair of Adidas slides. She then took some body cream and applied it on both my feet and then placed my feet in the slides.

" Can we eat downstairs?" I finally said and her smile came back on her face. My voice was soft and a little hoarse.

" Yes. Yes. Of course. Do you want to brush your teeth now or after eating?" She asked.

" Now," I said, and she nodded.

She handed me a toothbrush as well as toothpaste and I walked to the bathroom. I stood by the vanity and started brushing my teeth. After I was done, I walked out the bathroom and found the whole bedroom tidied up.

" Let's go," she said, and I nodded.

I walked slowly behind her, minding my every step, but also, I had no energy to walk. We walked out the room and we went down the hallway towards what seemed to be an elevator. The doors slid open and we climbed into the elevator.

Soon we reached what seemed to be the ground floor and we climbed out of the elevator and I was awed.

The lobby was amazing. There were crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and, from this perspective, you see under the gapped staircase.

"Follow me," she said, and we walked out the lobby into the hallway surrounded by different corridors and there was a huge open-spaced kitchen and across the hallway was a lounging area. This mansion was amazing.

We walked to the kitchen and she told me to take a seat on the barstool. It took me some time to sit properly because those chairs were too high for some reason.

" What would you like for breakfast?" she asked with a warm smile embedded on her face.

She reminded me of my grandma. I realised I was crying when she was now by my side hushing me. My sobs ripped out of my throat while she was rubbing my back.

" It's going to be okay," she hushed, but I found it hard to believe because I was kidnapped and taken away from my brother.

Nothing is going to be okay.

" What about pancakes?" she asked and I just glared at her. I was in no mood to answer or even lift my head. "Pancakes it is."

After thirty minutes, she placed two huge pancakes on my plate and there was melting syrup on the pancakes. A fork was handed to me and a glass of cranberry juice.

" You need to eat to drink your medicine," she said.

" I'm full," I said.

I didn't want to seem rude, but staring at the food right now only made me nauseous.

" But you need to eat. King won't be happy about this," she said, and I glared at her. Her face seemed mortified for some reason as I shot daggers at her. I felt insulted by the fact that she had threatened me using the villain who had victimised me, as a means to scare me.

" Then you eat it," I responded. I could feel I wasn't being myself right now, but no one can blame me.

" Anastasia, you need to eat, please," she pleaded.

For some reason, I saw my grandma's face on Dorcas as she started pleading with me. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I slowly reached for the pancake and more came out as I stuffed the spoon in my mouth. I could barely see the pancake because of my tears, but I still ate it slowly.

All of a sudden, there was a commotion erupting from one of the corridors. Men emerged from the corridor, all in what seemed to be training clothes. I started freaking out and I dropped the fork back on my plate.

I felt unsafe when surrounded by men due to my past encounters and relationships with them.

Dorcas rushed up to me when she realised I was freaking out.

" Breathe. You are going to be fine," she tried to hush me, and I took deep breaths to calm myself.

" Granté, look who is here," I heard a familiar voice say and I froze.

That name and that voice, I knew it.

" Bella," he said, and I started shivering. I can't miss the confused look on Dorcas.

" What's wrong?" Dorcas asked. " Do you know him?"

" Bella," I heard him say again.

This time he was literally next to me. I started hyperventilating and when he touched my arm I shrieked, pushed myself from the chair and was now on the floor. Dorcas was now hovering over me as well as Granté. I started moving back with my palms on the marble floor, moving away from the monster.

" What's going on here?" A voice boomed from the other end of the corridor.

It was Ghost.

He was confused until he saw me on the floor and rushed up to me.

"Are you okay?"

" Please", that's all I managed to say.

My voice was so soft it came out more like a whisper. My eyes were moving from him to Granté and back to him. He suddenly seemed wary and frowned.

" Everyone go back to what you were doing. You have work to do!" he roared, and people started rushing out of the hallway and minding their business. Granté too decided to leave.

Ghost placed his arm under my knees and plopped me up with him. My hands were behind his neck and my head was lying on his chest. He then took me to one of the corridors and we ended up in the white clinical room. Danté was seated there, as if he was waiting for me.

" What's wrong?" Danté asked as he reached out to carry me, but Ghost moved me away from Dante's reach and growled at him.

What was he? A dog?

Ghost places me on the bed and Danté started doing his thing while Ronaldo held my hand reassuringly.

Come to think of it, I felt safe in his arms. I didn't shake or shiver like a sick puppy.

After a while, Danté stopped examining me.

He then handed me a pill and water. Ghost helped me sit up so I could drink the pill. I then took them in my hand and threw the pill at the back of my throat and started gulping the water. I then handed him the empty glass and he took it.

" You were having a panic attack. Luckily it wasn't that bad, so the pill I gave you will calm you down," he said, and I nodded.

" Why was she having a panic attack?" Ghost asked.

" I think that's a question you should ask her. At this rate, she might need serious treatment and therapy," Danté said, and Ronaldo growled.

" Why were you having a panic attack?" he asked, his face now calm and soft.

I looked away from him and glared at Danté. Danté stared back and it was like we were having a conversation with our eyes and it was a very serious conversation.

" She is not ready." Danté finally spoke up, turning to face Ghost.

I couldn't miss the loud sigh of frustration escaping Ghost's lips. Danté looked at me as if he was searching for something.

" Are you done?" Ghost asked.

" Yes, I am," Danté said before handing me a container filled with white drugs. " They are Anti-depressant drugs. You are slowly slipping into depression."

Ghost took the container and pocketed it into his pants. Danté helped me get off the bed and ushered me towards Ghost, who gently held me towards him while his other hand was grazing at the small of my back.

We walked out of the clinical room heading down the corridor towards the lobby. Voices boomed from the lobby and I couldn't miss the stiffening of Ghost's hand on my body. We finally emerged from the corridor to find King, Zeus and two other men standing in the middle of the lobby.

King was in a black tuxedo and white shirt with an open collar. You could not have missed how he had towered over everyone standing next to him.

Zeus was wearing a similar outfit to King’s and you could not have missed how tense he was.

They all turned to us immediately after emerging from the corridor.

If Zeus wasn't tense before, now he sure was.

His jaw was moving involuntarily and you couldn't miss the dark stare he gave me.

King, well he became more of Lucifer himself rather than a demon.

The two men didn't know what was happening, the same as me.

" I didn't know you would be back soon," Ghost said as we walked further into the lobby.

My head hung low due to fear and shame. I didn't want them to see my misery because, I swear, I think they can read minds just by staring into your eyes.

" Where did you come from?" King asked. The tension and strain in his voice evident .

" Danté. She had a panic attack but she won't say why," Ghost said before turning to face me and I looked up at him.

His eyes, fuck, his eyes.

He had light hazel eyes which revealed a certain emotion but I just couldn't decipher what it was.

I turned away from his gaze and returned it to the very expensive marble floor. I've never been good at eye contact.

" King?" Zeus shouted and I lifted my head up only to find that King was nowhere around us anymore, but he was now outside the door, not forgetting to bang it shut.

I flinched when the door came in contact with the door frame. Zeus sighed out loud before scratching his eyebrows.

" What's happening?" Ghost asked.

" Velenski is out," Zeus answered, and I couldn't miss how Ghost became rigid.

Who is this Velenski?

" WHAT?" Ghost roared, causing me to jump in fright. They all noticed this as they looked at me like I was some fragile egg.

" I'm sorry," Ghost apologised and I nodded.

" Velenski is out of prison. Good behavior, they say, and they assume he is rehabilitated, which I don't believe. Il re's men alerted him before he told King," Zeus said, and Ghost groaned, "it's been a week or two since he has been out. We do not know what his plan is."

" So, what's our plan?" Ghost asked.

" King needs to be in the right state of mind," Zeus said, before I felt his gaze on the top of my head.

Ghost's hand hardened at the small of my back, causing a slight sting as he pressed on my wounds. I yelped forward, almost bumping into one of the other men before Ghost held my hand back to stability.

" Sorry," he apologised yet again and I nodded.

" Sei licenziato," Zeus said, and the two men left. " I'm Lorenzo."

I lifted my head up when I saw his hand in my vision. I couldn't hide the fear I had for him, but I also couldn't hide the confusion as to why he felt he should give me his real name.

I looked at him, then the hand and tucked my hand behind my back.

" I'm Anastasia," I said softly, my eyes focused on the marble floor rather than on him. He moved his hand away before he sighed out loud.

" I know who you are, Miss Tory, but thank you for being polite," he said, his rich voice emphasising his foreign accent.

" I'm Ronaldo," Ghost said next to me and I nodded.

" Would you like something to eat?" Lorenzo asked, but I shook my head no.

" Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Ronaldo asked, but I said no. I then turned to face him when I remembered something.

" Why did you give me your sweater?" I asked softly as I looked up into his sandy eyes.

" Yeah, why did you?" Lorenzo asked. You couldn't miss the curiosity that lingered in his voice.

" Cause," Ronaldo said, more to Lorenzo than me, and I couldn't miss the disapproving look from Lorenzo.

" We need to leave so I will give you five minutes to prepare," Lorenzo said before he walked away.

I think he was older than Ronaldo. Ronaldo pulled away from me and decided to stand in front of me rather than beside me. A finger grazed my chin and he lifted my head up. His eyes were moving very fast as he examined me.

" Will you be, okay?" He asked me and I nodded.

He sighed out loud before hesitantly walking away from me and then jogged towards the elevator down the lobby. He climbed into the elevator and the doors closed behind him, leaving me alone in the lobby. I decided to go to the kitchen to make myself some coffee.

Sadly, I couldn't reach some cupboards and the counters were a bit higher than normal ones. I searched cupboards for cups but found nothing in the bottom cupboards. I started opening each top cupboard and finally I found the cups. I tiptoed and tried to reach for the cups but I couldn't, I was too short.

" You should have just called for me, Bella," I heard him say again and I froze.

I could feel his gaze fixated on my ass, causing me to feel uncomfortable even though the sweater covered it. I then felt him against my back, causing me to squirm as his hot breath sent chills on my neck. His arm reached past mine as he grabbed a cup for me and placed it on the counter.

He put his hands on either side of the counter, caging me in. I felt numb at this point and there was nothing I could do because he was probably twice my height and three times my weight, and I was thick. He was just bulky and scary.

His face hovered over my neck and he started planting wet kisses on it, causing me to squirm. One of his hands started traveling from my waist and down my thigh, causing me to freeze. A tear found its way out of my sealed eyelids. His other hand then found its way to my ass as he started molding it in hand.

" You are so beautiful," he muttered in my ear before nibbling it. " I can't wait to have you on my face."

Tears started streaming down my eyes. The hand on my thigh started moving up and down before he tried to part my legs, but I squeezed them tight. He chuckled in my ear as if I was challenging him and he liked the challenge. He squeezed my butt hard, causing me to shriek and lean forward over the counter with my hands balancing me.

" I like this position," he said before shoving his knee between my legs and pressing my back.

His hand found its way between my legs and he cupped me, causing me to whimper. He groaned before squeezing me and I jolted up, involuntarily shoving my elbow into his face. I quickly turned around to stand frozen when I saw the anger on his face.

" WHAT THE FUCK?" he roared in anger, causing me to shiver in response. " Oh, I'll teach you a fucken lesson!"

" Where's Granté?" Lorenzo's boomed from down the corridor, stopping him from launching himself at me.

He gave me a death stare and I whimpered under his gaze before he walked out of the kitchen and walked down the corridor where the voice boomed. I started panting and hyperventilating in the kitchen. My knees gave up on me and now I was on the floor crying. My head is buried in my lap while my knees are on my chest. I was rocking myself up and down like a madman. No one could hear me and no one would, because I cried silently.