Page 11 of The Truth Between

“Freedom is an illusion,” he said coldly. “You’re alive because I chose to keep you alive. You’re still able to take your next breath because I’m allowing you to do so. You’re here because I brought you here. And you will remain here until I decide otherwise.”

6

IRIS

Icouldn’t believe I’d done what I did, but there was no time to dwell on it. Stepping out of the shower, I shivered as cold air assaulted my wet skin. The contrast between the warmth of the water and the slight chill in the room was enough to jolt me out of the small reprieve I’d had as a result of the best shower I’d had in who knows how long.

As much as it pained me to admit it, it included the orgasm I’d given myself as well. What would have made it better is if I’d been alone. Soren stood there studying my every move, thinking who knew what. Then again, I didn’t care what he thought unless it meant he was going to kill me.

Soren didn’t bother to grab my towel for me, not that I expected him to. No, he just stood there with his hands crossed over his chest, glaring at me. I turned away from him and snatched the towel off the bar. I quickly wrapped it around myself, happy to have hidden my body from his hungry gaze.

“Get dressed,” he barked, his voice sharp, as if I was inconveniencing him. His tone was different from the praise he’d just given me for doing what he wanted. No one told him to stay in here with me while I washed my body. I picked up the pile of what I hoped would be comfortable sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt.

I quickly threw the garments on and realized that while they were comfortable, they were extremely big. I rolled the waistband of the sweatpants down as far as I could in an effort to get them to fit me better, but it didn’t work. I rolled my eyes and looked back up at Soren.

“Are these your clothes? Couldn’t snap your fingers and buy something better than this?”

“What? Would you rather I gave you Eden’s clothes?”

His question nearly made my eyes pop out of my skull. I didn’t even know Soren knew I knew his wife’s name, so that was surprising enough, let alone him throwing out the fact that he could have given me clothes that previously belonged to a dead woman.

I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind. Soren didn’t make any moves to show that he was going to continue, as if he was truly waiting on an answer from me.

“No, I don’t want her clothes,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “These are absolutely perfect. Nothing wrong with them at all.”

“Thought so. Now it’s time to head down to breakfast.”

“Wait. I’m eating… with you?”

“It’s either that, or I’ll chain you back up and have Franklin deliver your food in the basement.”

I fought the eye roll and scream I wanted to let loose. Honestly, the former option was tempting because I didn’t want to see Soren’s face if I could help it. It caused unnecessary stress and the desire to strangle him with my bare hands. “Lead the fucking way,” I muttered.

Soren’s glare sent a shiver down my spine, but he didn’t say another word. He turned and walked away, and I could only hope that he was leading me to the dining room.

As I followed him, I took the opportunity to look around, this time not for aesthetic purposes but to get a layout of the house to plan my escape. I wouldn’t act out now because the last thing I wanted to do was piss him off. Even though I wanted to express every single one of my emotions, I needed to reel myself in and remain cool, calm, and collected.

As we walked through his home, the silence between the two of us was more than welcomed. It gave me more time to concentrate on my surroundings as I created a mental map of the place in my mind. I’d found what I thought was the entrance of his house and made a mental note of it. I eyed the windows as well in case that was my only option for getting out.

Finally, we arrived in the dining room, where a long table had two table settings with a bunch of food in the middle. The food that my eyes danced over was enough for a feast.

“Sit,” Soren said as he gestured for me to take a seat at the end of the table. He walked farther into the room and sat at the head of the table, putting a lot of distance between the two of us. With a heavy sigh, I sat where he told me to. My stomach growled at the sight of all the food, but I also couldn’t help but wonder why the hell all this food was made in the first place if it was for just him and me.

The table contained a bunch of different foods, including flaky croissants on a big white plate and a bowl of fresh fruit. I noticed that there were strawberries, blueberries, and slices of mango in it. It was the most inviting thing in the room.

Next, my eyes landed on the bacon. It was cooked perfectly for me, not too crispy but not too soft either. The eggs next to it looked super fluffy. Everything on the table looked as if it had come out of a food magazine.

I glanced at the cup of black coffee and glass of water that had been placed near my table setting before I glanced at Soren. He was in the middle of serving himself some food and started eating without a word or a glance. I followed his lead and started dishing out some food for myself. The first bite was even better than the sandwich I’d had yesterday, and my body was happy that I had even more food to consume.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a woman who had a blend of silver and black hair pinned back into a low bun and an apron over her clothes walked into the room. If I had to guess, she looked to be older than both Soren and me, maybe in her fifties or sixties. She immediately walked over to Soren. “Is everything to your liking, Mr. Grant?”

Soren nodded. “It is, Molly. Thank you.”

Molly gave a small nod and walked back from where she came without bothering to glance in my direction. Had Soren given everyone working here strict orders not to talk to me?

“Eat,” Soren said, bringing me out of the daydream I’d found myself in.

I stared at him for a moment before I stood up and began to put things on my plate. It took me multiple attempts to remind myself that I needed to maintain my composure. However, once again, Soren’s presence made me want to lash out. I shoved the food in my mouth and nearly moaned.

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