No amount of calling out his name made Gideon wake up. Dressed in the outfit meant for the gathering even after daybreak, she could only hug him tight and watch through the window. They pulled into a place that took her and Gideon two hours to travel from, and when they entered the gate, she could see a group of people waiting at the entrance.
If the circumstances were different, she would have enjoyed how small the house was. It was a two-storey building surrounded by a garden, freshly trimmed and clearly taken care of by an expert. The road that led to the door was made of white stones. Unlike the place she had been living in for the past few months, this place seemed very normal and modern. It was as if she had come out of a cocoon that had forcefully held her back, yet...
What will they do to him?
This thought rang in her mind. She should be happy that she is free, but is she really? Will Nathaniel keep their promise and let them leave?
The click of the car door opening jolted her back to reality, and a man dressed in usual denims ushered her in.
"Our young master informed us you'd arrive today." He introduced himself as Carl. "It's short for Carlos." His smile was wide, and his eyes were unpredictable.
Odette did not move a bit. She hugged Gideon closer to her chest and, at this, the man responded with an understanding nod and called out in his native language. Two men responded, and while Carl assured her that they would never hurt him, they carried the sleeping child in. She had no choice but to follow.
"We have prepared some food and clothes for you." A heavy English accent signified how things went around in this house. There were no maids or men she could count on anymore. Only a few men walked here and there, doing their own thing. No bowing, no formal attire—nothing that made her feel small—and yet the place she was taken to seemed big and dangerous.
"I want to wait until he comes." Odette stopped. "Please let me do that." Her desperation lay in knowing what happened at the mansion. Nathaniel could be the mastermind behind all this; he could be the reason Caius's gathering was ruined.
Carl glanced at her and nodded. "Very well, madam." He showed her the couch and the dining room, then pointed at the arched staircase leading to the rooms. "You can either change into something comfortable and wait, or..." He glanced from her toes to her head and smiled uncomfortably. "You can stay just like this."
Three hours passed, and she could not sit in the tight dress anymore. As she walked toward the room shown to her earlier, she realized the walls were painted a simple purple. The room was nothing much—a circular bed and a bookshelf, a study table, and large windows surrounding it. There were many clothes in her size and bigger in the closet, and she finally decided to take a wash, change, and walk down to wait for Nathaniel.
Gideon was still asleep.
She sat on the couch, now dressed in clothes meant to be worn at home. Every turn of the doorknob tightened her heart with worry. Every passing guard or stranger made her feel depleted. Suddenly, it turned, and a tall man walked in. He looked exhausted and had injuries on his face. Without a second thought, she jumped to her feet.
"Is he okay?"
Wait.
His eyes wavered and seemed to fixate on her.
She was taken aback. "I mean..." Odette looked away. "Is everything alright at the mansion?"
That face—she thought it was familiar. Nathaniel seemed to carry a great burden behind his eyes. They were empty, filled with silence and contemplation. Slowly, as if realizing she was present, he blinked and smiled gently.
"Yes, everything is fine there." He walked toward her and leaned in, earning a step back. "No one from our side got hurt... well, almost." His smile widened, and her heart feared the veil hiding his true nature.
"That's... that's good to know." Odette smiled back and turned away, walking toward the kitchen counter. She grabbed a glass of water, but a hand stopped her. Strong fingers snaked around her wrist and tightened.
"Aren't you worried about him?" His voice was deep, like a low, shaking mountain. His entire figure stood right behind her. Odette immediately turned around. Her surprised face met his still-smiling expression.
"You're not curious at all?" he asked.
"I mean, I am." She replied honestly, then looked at his hand and boldly demanded, "Can you step back?"
Nathaniel stared at her for a few seconds. He could see how she wavered within but was too scared to show it. This infuriated him. What exactly happened while he was imprisoned? Did she start to forget him? How did Caius manage to get closer to her?
"Odette..." How did his anger disappear so fast, replaced by gentleness and care? No one could tell what those eyes were thinking, what he was doing to her in his mind as they spoke. "I want you to know that I care for you. You don't know what type of person Caius is," he spat bluntly.
"I never asked what type of person he is." Her response was sharp. "I just asked you to step back."
He had never seen her respond so coldly, and it genuinely made him step back and sigh. How far should he go to make her never see that man's face again? He turned away and sat on the couch, looking out the window as sunlight seeped through.
"You have changed," he uttered. "Did he talk to you a lot when I was not there?"
His tone put her in question. She herself was not sure about the feelings piling up inside her. Her heart and mind were in constant battle. Memories flooded her, making every reaction feel drastic and dramatic. Whatever chaos ran within her—Nathaniel must not know.
She felt his gaze trace her form before meeting her eyes again. As if thinking aloud, he muttered exhaustively, "Those clothes were the right pick, I see."
I'm going to ignore that.
"We did talk," she admitted. "Mostly, we had the chance to clear some misunderstandings."
Nathaniel gave a mocking laugh, raising his eyebrows. "Is that so?"
"Yes, Nathaniel, that is so." She stepped closer. "I know you hate him, and there's a lot of family lore going around." She tightened her mouth before continuing. "Thank you for bringing me out of it." Her eyes held his. "Gideon and I will be going home tomorrow."
He blinked and stood up. All his remorse and anger vanished. With the face of an adult pleading with a child, he said, "You don't know how to go home from here, Ette." Holding her hand, he added, "Maybe you can stay here for a week or so until I arrange that for you?"
What
Odette scrunched her eyebrows. "Does it take that long to book a damn flight, Nathaniel?" She pulled her hand away.
"I will leave tomorrow. With Gideon."
Then she added, "If you won't let me do that, I want to be back at the Constantine mansion by tomorrow night."
Seeing the only person he admired leave like this made his heart ache. That pain triggered his outburst. "You don't know what type of person Caius is, Odette."
She stopped.
"I think it's time you hear about him..."
She was curious. She wanted to know. Most of all, she wanted an end to her emotions. Seeing this, Nathaniel smiled and ushered her to sit.
"It will take some time, and you might want to sit."