chapter 21

Chapter 21

I don't know why over everything emotion fear was always the first to surface even without our permission.

In our world, power and wealth drove everything.

I have seen two extremes as a result …..

The cold and manipulative type such as my grandmother and Danike.

Traits that were driven by the pull to stay on such worlds.

And then there is a guy in front of me who seemed to have gone mad but not for wealth or power and that was what feared

me

As selfish as it may sound, I didn't care for love. It wasn't part of the luxury I was given.

Any sensible person will do anything to climb up the ladder of power and wealth.

However, give it a few years and I already knew which category I was likely to fall in.

"Quit acting pathetic in front of a stranger"

My heels clicked as l twisted away from him and my hands lifted to cover my face just in time with a scream trapped in my throat.

His laughter boomed across the empty hallway.

I forgot my lessons on sword fencing: never turn your back on your enemy, no matter how guaranteed your victory was.

I whirled around with my breath heavy and my leg shaking.

I wasn't sure if my leg was shaking from me wearing heels for a long time or whether they were shaking from fear.

Sure enough his hands were empty of the long wine glass.

Glass shattered right in front of me with a loud crash, shards scattered all over the floor right at my feet.

"Are you so desperate for attention that you will go after a man with a wife and child"

I didn't care, I shouldn't ask, it was only the sudden fright that made me immobile as I stared at him.

Lies my head snickered, you want to know.

"Penelope Callaway was his very first ex fiance, didn't you know that? His expression settled into a nasty smile, so the Blackwell's did a job of covering it up if a manipulative, scheming bitch like you didn't know"

"You are right" my low reply came with a touch of anger " I don't know what you are talking about. May I leave now?"

I wanted to close my eyes and rub my temples.

There should be a limit on how much burden that was allowed to be added in a day.

Happy birthday to me I guess.

"Christabel don't act like you don't know me, don't lose your self respect for a piece of meat"

Give me a break lord.

"Thank you for your unsolicited concerns over my life, but I don't need it, rather you should worry about your mental health am not Christabel and I will be, I am the heiress to the Porter's empire Irene snow Porter don't forget it"

I turned away, forcing myself not to run away before my cool mask broke.

"I will get you back, we will be a happy couple again even if it's the last thing I do"

He whispered in a low voice behind me and it sent chills down my spine.

When I rounded the corner to the. Elevator I stumbled once,it wasn't because the heels were too high.

I have had years of poise and etiquette training and tutoring. I wished the problem was as simple as that.

This was the world I was born into and if I don't adapt quickly the consequences...

I straightened myself walking to the elevator with the dignity I knew I had.

But getting there I slammed my hands on the button. The elevator dinged once and opened and I stepped inside.

If I didn't hate this whole charade I was hating it now and ur was just the beginning.

Doing things that I haven't done before, covering up someone's mess and putting up a front.

And as distastes it was to be followed around by mentally deranged man that thinks am there home of a lover.

Should I leave things as they are and go and have all two hundred of our guests make my family a laughing stock by having them find out of Danike's misdeeds and infidelity in our soon to be union ?

My family definitely shouldn't know about any of this. But knowing the family I came from I won't be surprised if they already did.

Grandma for one.

A shaky laughter escaped my lips.

I could crumble now, I had to keep my head in check.

But if that crazy man was telling the truth…..

Now the first thing I had to do was simply get to Danike.

The program resumed in a few minutes and if we were MiA heaven forbid.

The elevator opened and I ran to the left .

Although I have never explored this hotel before, I knew his suite was on the left wing of the hotel and after another turn I stopped.

At the end of the hall stood an oak door, the golden plate bearing the name of the room was blank.

And so did my brain.

My feet started to move on their own.

My heel clicking on the black marble flooring, echoing like the ticking hands on a clock in my ear.

I stopped right at the door of the presidential suite and hands reached for the gold plated knob and before I could second-guess myself, I twisted it.

And I was quick to hear his voice. I had never heard this tone he was using to speak, at least not when he spoke to me.

"Penelope", he said softly "we shouldn't be doing this here"

It was like my own being was petrified on a spot, my blood stopped pumping into my veins.

Where was the warmth in my soul? I felt cold, everything inside me turned to a blizzard. Bitter poison was entering my mind and I was welcoming it.

"Why? Because of that little girl? Are you seriously marrying her?" Penelope's voice was shrill in reply.

There was a shuffle sound and I heard his voice again. " Irene Porter is the heir to Montego's fortune. Do you understand how big that is?"

My eyes closed on their own volition.

What was I doing to myself?

"What about me and your child?!"

And her tone had a touch of desperation tinged with sorrow and a mix of madness. It all sounded real.

I didn't understand how quickly Danike's tone shifted, turning cold " What about it? I made sure you're well taken care of and to think you had the guts to come here and cause this much commotion. Have you finally lost your mind —?"

"I have!" Penelope cried inconsolably " I have thrown away all sense of decorum for you and you are throwing me away like this?!"

It raised the hairs on my arm.

" I'm getting married", Danike said in an even colder tone, "you should stop embarrassing yourself"

" I have already taken it this far especially with your last fiance, do you really think I will stop now?"

What the hell was I hearing?

What does she mean by last fiancee?

Was she referring to Rivers?

In a parallel universe this would have never happened and if I could go back in time, I would have redo everything in my favor.

Danike Blackwell was a sick man, I didn't want to catch whatever brain infection this person had— what everyone around me apparently had.

What a farce.

My eyes shot open in realization, it had gone quite inside.

My heart kick started, pumping hot blood into my frozen viens.

I thought I had been caught . I closed my eyes in anticipation of what was going to happen…. But nothing.

My hands pushed the door open slowly, just until my hands could find the two forms.

And I was disappointed with what I saw, a manicured finger clung to his coat, the hands of the woman moving frantically from his coat to his nape and to his now messy hair.

The way their bodies moved, their faces stuck to each other, the woman facing in my direction, she could have seen me if her eyes weren't closed or maybe she had already seen me and was just pretending. Just maybe.

And filthy moans — something that I have never heard in my life.

I understood what was happening.

Strangely my thoughts had gone calm as I watched them for a few more seconds.

Calmly my hands pulled the door closed as silently as I could, and I turned away.

My steps did not shake, my back was straight as I strode away.

I walked back to the elevator so that I could go back to the elevator.

What do I do now?

I needed a plan. And fast.

I saw my reflection in the steel doors. My appearance was still to the nines but everything inside me was a circus.

It dawned on me that I couldn't cry or lament at my wretched luck or I would ruin my makeup. I'd stab myself in the eye before u saw myself doing that.

I don't need armor now, I need to be iron to the core.

The elevator doors opened and the first thing I saw was a man dressed in that staff uniform.

My smile was practiced.

I tilted my head to the side "yes? You are blocking my way"

He pulled something out of his coat pocket and held it out to me.

I ignored his hands and stared and stared at his face " you've put in a lot of effort into this. Props for your timing tho"

He cursed before dragging me out of the elevator and pushing the contents of his hands into mine.

"What are you—?"

He was already turning away "no need to thank me"

I glanced at my hands, a piece of paper and an old burner flip phone.

I quickly looked up and the man was already out of my sight but still in my mind.

But I was frozen, something was written on the paper. I couldn't be wrong.

I opened the paper.

I CAN HELP YOU ESCAPE.