Page 48 of His Beloved Princess
I would've never agreed to that suggestion if I had been in the right state of mind. I would've taken some time to think and process everything, and maybe I would've come to him and tried to listen to whatever explanation he wanted to provide. However, it wasn't an option while I was an absolute mess with a tornado of emotions swirling inside of me. I wanted that pain to go away, and he'd just given me the way out of his life without threatening me to never find another job or to destroy my future in general.
"Fine," I stated in aresolute voice, hiding my trembling palms in the long sleeves of an oversized sweater. "But I'm sitting in the front next to your driver."
"As you wish," he answered, but he didn't move to the door. He was standing in the middle of the living room as if his feet were rooted to the ground, and his scrutinizing glance only deepened my anxiety. I wanted to put this whole thing behind me so desperately that I was willing to spend the next hours in the small space of his luxurious car together. I only prayed that it wasn't Daniel who would drive or that I wouldn't have anybody to talk to.
Hastily, I grabbed my purse, phone, and shoes from the back terrace. I wanted to leave, yet a hand on my forearm stopped me.
"Are you sure about this, sweetheart?" my grandmother asked, worry written all over her wrinkled face.
"Yes, I'm done with him," I replied, kissing her cheek goodbye. She looked like she didn't believe my words, and honestly, I didn't believe them either, but I had to end this.
After working hours, I would have enough time to move my stuff from the office without a big circus. It would be more complicated with his apartment, but it could be done quietly. I hated being the center of attention, and the last thing I wanted was to be in every newspaper in the country because we broke up.
With all those theories, I was pushing thoughts about our dying relationship to the back of my mind. I couldn't show him how hurt or heartbroken I felt. I had to be strong and go through with this. Then, I would have time to cry and feel sorry for myself. And he could spend his spectacular life with that goose.
I marched through the entrance of my grandmother's house with my head held high. Without one glance in Bastian's direction, I yanked the front door of his car open and sat inside. I didn't notice his driver outside; the vehicle was also empty, yet I still didn't connect the dots.
Only when Bastian sat behind the wheel, turning the ignition on, did I realize I'd gotten into a ridiculously unpleasant situation. He flashed me a wicked grin and locked the doors so I couldn't run away. I opened my mouth to object because I sure didn't want to be alone with him, but I couldn't say anything.
My heart was intensely hammering in my chest, almost breaking my ribcage, and the sudden proximity of Bastian's body was overwhelming. I was mentally scolding myself for being stupid and walking into his trap.
Yet even when I could start yelling, kicking, and punching him with everything in me, the broken part of me was silently pleading with him to save this, to save us. But I wasn't sure if it was possible.
25
In the Middle of Nowhere
Bastian
Iwas on thin ice. I was risking our relationship with this stunt, and I wasn't sure how Electra would take it. However, I couldn't leave her alone. It wasn't possible for me to abandon her in her current state.
One thing was that she didn't believe a word I said; the other was even more serious. She was devastated and heartbroken. Her eyes were so sad that I wanted to cry when I saw her. And to top it all off, she looked like she hadn’t properly eaten in days. With my stupid decision, I damaged her more than she already was.
She will never trust a man again if I don't do this right. She would be forever alone.
This was something I couldn't allow to happen. She deserved to be happy. And I was ready to prove to her that I didn't cheat on her or lie to her. I wouldn't have been able to do that. I'd adored her since the beginning. I loved her before I even spoke to her. If my punishment was to never be with her, fine. But I would do my best to persuade her that she shouldn't push away the entire world just because someone made amistake.
"This is kidnapping," she declared firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. We were quiet for over half an hour. This was the first sentence she said since we left her grandmother's house. She was pissed. I noticed as she dug her fingernails into her jacket. If she could, she would probably murder me with her eyes.
"You got in willingly," I pointed out, earning a snort from her.
"You tricked me," she spat, turning to look out of the window. Under different circumstances, I would've reminded her who she was talking to and that the tone of her voice was unacceptable, yet I bit my tongue. I suppressed my natural reaction and chose a more suitable approach instead.
"Princess, we need—" She didn't let me finish. When those three simple words left my mouth, she snapped her head in my direction and cut me off.
"Stop calling me that!" she shouted, and my brows shot up. I tried, really I did, but I wouldn't let anyone yell at me or command me. She'd been crossing the line since I entered her grandmother's house, and I'd had enough of this bullshit.
I hit the brakes hard, and because she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, she almost smashed her face against the dashboard. I stopped the car, waiting for her to regain her composure, and exactly as I expected, she started to yell at me.
"Are you insane?" Her high-pitched voice was turning my insides upside-down, but I did my best to remain as calm as possible. "Do you want to kill me?"
"Get out of my car," I commanded sternly in the same tone I used when giving orders to her. It immediately affected her, yet as stubborn and hurt as she was, she just couldn't admit that I had a considerable advantage over her.
"Why in the hell would I do that? We are in the middle of nowhere!" She glared at me through narrowed eyes, but I noticed her nervousness. We were at least forty miles from her grandmother's house. The whole area had no cell reception, and we were surrounded by forest. It was pretty dangerous for anyone to go out a few minutes before sundown.
"Do you want me to drag you out?" I asked, my tone deadly serious. She didn't need to know that I would never do that or that I would never leave her alone in the woods. And if she had trusted me and knew me well enough, she would've been sure of that. However, instead of laughing in my face, I noticed fear and doubt in her eyes.
"You want to throw me to the bears and wolves?" She squeezed her purse in apparent disbelief.
