Page 21 of Captured Beauty
I sighed.
Even though I had agreed to be here in order to save my dad, and didn’t regret it, I was lonely. While I didn’t have a lot of friends, I missed basic human contact. I was now weeks behind in my studies. Finals would be approaching soon and if I missed them I could kiss this semester goodbye. Kairus hadn’t given mepermission to leave when I brought it up to him last night. His whole behavior caught me off guard.
He was so angry when he caught me in the garden. Part of me thought he might strike me when he came into my room afterward. I thought maybe I could seduce him and get him to soften up, but when I touched his face, everything shifted.
It was then I realized the scars ran deeper than his skin. A tormented darkness passed through his eyes before he scrambled away from me as if I had the plague. Lifting my hand, I brushed it over the marking on my shoulder that matched the one on my breast. I shouldn’t like that he had marked me again. Any normal person would be repulsed by his actions, but I was learning maybe I wasn’t as normal as I thought.
When I finished the living room, I started for the hall. The room I learned to be his office was off limits, so I skipped that door and moved to the next.
It took a few hours, but once I got down to the last two rooms on this floor I was exhausted, in dire need of food, shower, and a nap.
I went down the hall next to the kitchen where two doors were. The hall was dimly lit. I frowned and looked around. I went to the first door and attempted to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Leave that room.” I jumped and spun around, seeing Lillian behind me.
“What?”
She looked behind me at the door. “That room is Mr. Navarro’s private sector. Only he is permitted inside. This entire wing is closed off to him only.” I squinted.
“Why?”
She gave me a blank look. “You ever heard the expression curiosity killed the cat? Finish what you’re supposed to be doing and leave this wing alone.” She turned around and waltzed off.
Pushing out a heavy breath, I turned and stared at the door again. Moving away from it, I went to the other one. My teeth sank into my bottom lip and I glanced over my shoulder, making sure Lillian was gone.
With my heart pounding loudly, I grabbed the two door handles and pushed them open. My mouth dropped and my eyes grew large as I scanned the tall, built-in bookshelves. While not all the shelves were filled with books, there were a good amount inside. I wasn’t even sure what kind they were but it looked like a mini library. Stepping in further, I inhaled the smell of books and musk. It was clear the room hadn’t been used recently.
Stepping toward one shelf, I lifted my hand and brushed it across the leather spines. They were dusty but all seemed to be in good condition. I’d always loved to read since I was a kid. My interest in a variety of genres grew the older I got. With school kicking my ass and worrying about my mom, I had less time for it than I would like. Still, reading was one of my first loves.
I did a three sixty and felt some tension leave my body. Maybe being here in my lonesome wouldn’t be so bad after all.
When I stepped out of the bathroom into my bedroom, I felt a lot better after having a shower. I pulled the towel from my hair and my curls sprang out. Wetness hit my face. I really needed to grab my things from my house if I was going to be here for the next six months. He had Lillian bring me a few essentials and outfits to wear, but I wantedmy things.Kairus hadn’t made it clear if I could leave the house or not, but it would be crazy for him to think I would stay trapped in this house the whole time with no communication with the outside world.
I looked around the room. It was going on six in the evening. For the past couple of days Kairus didn’t come back home until around nine or ten. I had time to spare. Mostly everyone would be gone by now, leaving me alone, outside of Lillian, of course. She was like a damn fly I couldn’t get rid of.
Quickly I got dressed. I couldn’t do much with my hair, so I threw it in a ponytail of messy curls.
Leaving the room I quietly walked down the stairs, making sure to keep an eye out for Lillian. She was like a shadow, always popping up out of nowhere.
When I saw the coast was clear, I crept to the door I knew to be his office and slowly reached for the door. I held my breath as I turned the knob. Joy filled me when I saw it was unlocked. Hurriedly I stepped inside, shutting it behind me. I exhaled a deep breath and looked around the room. Nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary.
I rushed to his large desk toward the back of the room and searched it. I hoped he had a house phone or something I could use to at least check in with my parents. I knew by now my mom had to be worrying since I hadn’t been around to see her. I wasn’t sure how my dad explained my absence to her.
Some of the drawers were locked as I tried to open them. I yanked one of the top ones open and exhilaration filled me when I saw my phone.
“Yes!” I grabbed it quickly. Pressing the side button, I prayed it was charged. I darted my eyes to the door.
When my phone lit up, I watched as my notifications flooded the screen. I saw a few from my mom and the majority were from Jatavia. There were also a ton of notifications from Elite. I knew I couldn’t stay in here at the risk of being caught. Making sure everything was how it was before I came in, I hurried out of the office with my phone clutched to my chest.
“What are you doing?” I jumped inches away from the steps.
Spinning around, I folded my arms, making sure to tuck my phone to keep it hidden.
“What do you mean?”
She squinted. “Why do you look like you’re up to something?”
My brows furrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just doing a last minute inspection to make sure the house was clean enough for Kairus.”
