Chapter 218 - 21: Picking Her Up

The car was parking by the road imposingly. It was dark and gloomy, giving an ominous feeling. And in fact, it was ominous.

Kate approached and asked outside the half slid down window, "What is it?"

Ed said as a matter of course, "Picking you up to go home. Get in."

"No. I will take the bus."

"You think I wanted this? It is my boss' idea. Hurry up."

She had to pull the back door open and get in.

Ed drove very fast, and the car sn.a.k.e.d its way among the sea of traffic as a fish would. No traffic rules were obeyed. Kate's heart was bouncing up and down with the risky turning and advancing. Soon she felt something was not right. "Where are we going?"

"Seaside villa."

"For what?"

"You will live there from now on."

"No," Kate said decisively. It was too tyrannical of him. She protested sternly, "I will not go there."

Ed said indifferently, "I am just executing his order. It is useless to talk with me. Go talk with the boss."

"I will talk to him."

Ed paused to steal a look at her from the rearview mirror and passed her the phone.

Kate took it and said she didn't know his number.

"Press 1."

Kate dialed, and after a few seconds of music, it got through. Tristan's low voice with impatience came to her ear. "What is the matter?"

She was too excited, and her breath was ragged. "Fox, it is too much of you!"

"Kate?" He was surprised but turned quiet immediately. "I will talk to you when I get back. I am busy now."

"I will not go there."

Tristan was silent for a moment and said, "Do you think this is something that can be negotiated?"

Kate was startled and ground her teeth. "Don't go too far."

He laughed lightly and turned cold. "It was a gesture of thanks to you. We will settle it later." And then he hung up.

Kate listened to the beeping sound as her c.h.e.s.t moved up and down. She had nowhere to vent her anger. Until the hand stretched from the front, she gave the phone back mechanically. After she got back to her senses, she screamed, "Stop the car. I want to get out here."

The car didn't slow down at all. She turned to open the door, but it was locked. Ed pressed the lock button just in time. He frowned. "Are you crazy? Jumping out? You think you are immortal?"

Kate's rare emotional outburst subsided at his shouting like a leaking balloon. She sat back, weakly.

Ed felt pity for her glazed expression and said, "Stop fussing. It is a matter of sooner or later."

Kate turned to him blankly, and Ed's expression became awkward in the rearview mirror. "Well, last time, I offended you…sorry."

Kate didn't know which time he meant, but she was not in the mood to find out. Her mind was focused on how she could get through tonight.

It was dark when they arrived. Kate didn't notice this was the place Max admired when they went to the seaside with John. She was muddle-headed when she got out of the car and followed Ed to the door of the villa.

Somebody received them respectfully at the door. It was a middle-aged woman who looked familiar. She called her Miss White and got her the slippers to change. She even reached her hand to take her bag for her, but she was not used to being waited upon, and she dodged her.

The woman didn't mind and led her upstairs warmly. She opened the door to one room and asked her to go in. She told Kate the bathwater was ready, and she pointed to a change of clothes. Before she left, she asked if Kate need anything, to just call her.

Kate stood in the middle of the room, lost in thought. The room was bigger than her whole apartment. Even though the dr.a.p.es, the sheets on the bed, the carpet were a warm color, she felt the room was cold. Then she realized the woman was the one who brought her breakfast after her nightmare of torture.

She had been avoiding the memory of that night intentionally. If she could, she would remove it from her memory thoroughly as that man instructed her to do that time.

But it was he who dragged her back to this again.

***

Kate didn't go to the bath. She sat on the couch immediately, feeling her body transition from trembling to numbness. She didn't know how many hours had passed.

She was used to sleeping early and getting up early, and she became drowsy. While half dreaming and half awake, Kate felt somebody touch her on the shoulder.

She woke up immediately and saw Tristan standing in front of her and reprimanding her. "Why not go to bed?"

Looking at her clothes, he frowned. "Not taking a shower yet? Hurry up. Go take a shower."

Seeing no reaction from her, Tristan laughed, "Need my help?"

He reached his hand to Kate, but before he touched her, she jumped up like she was being burnt. "No, I will do it myself."

After she took a shower and came out, Tristan was sitting on the couch with his dark night-robe. His hair was wet; obviously, he had taken a bath in the other bathroom. Tristan's dress made him different from how he usually appeared but not less scary. On the contrary, it made Kate more alert in such an environment.

The next second, Kate was shocked. She saw him playing with a white cell phone.

"It rang all the time just now." He explained carelessly and then raised his head to look at her. "The policeman gave this to you?"

"You saw him again?" It sounded more like an assertive sentence than a question.

Kate didn't answer.

Tristan continued slowly. "One is so devoted, and one is so considerate. I am almost moved to tears." And then he changed. "But you seemed to forget what I said."

As he said that, Tristan threw his hand backward gracefully, and there was a white shadow flying over in the air, and it fell on the corner of the room. Kate chased it with eyes, and she moved to it too, but she just ran one step before his arm stopped her.

Tristan's action was too fast, and it happened in just a tenth of a second.

Kate was thrown into the bed and bounced on the soft mattress.

When her body met the mattress, the memory of that horrible night came back to her. Her will to revolt was woken up. Kate shouted, "Why should I mind you? I have the freedom to see who I want to see."

Tristan looked at her from above and spoke as a matter of fact. "I am entitled to do so. You are mine."

"I am not." Kate denied.

Tristan smiled and said gently, "How old are you? You have such a poor memory. Let me help you recall it."

He bent down to her. Kate struggled in anger and didn't stop speaking, "I am not. It is true I owe you one hundred thousand dollars, but I have not sold myself to you for a whole life. You don't get to decide my life. I don't want to stay here…"

As she was speaking, Tristan put his hand on her neck and put a finger against her lips. "Hush."

"Good to know you owe me. It is time to pay now."

Seeing her want to open her mouth again, he changed his face and said, "Don't make me be harsh."

It was a threat.

Having seen his viciousness and brutality, Kate believed he could break her neck easily if he wanted. And she could imagine his face if he did it-that would be expressionless.

The threat worked immediately.

The man started to unbutton her top. He did it with care and even like a gentleman.

Soon Kate was completely n.a.k.e.d.

She had never been fully nude in front of a male. His gaze itself made her feel shameful. She said, "Turn off the light," in a way between pleading and order.

It was ignored. And she had to put her hand on the face to cover the light.

Kate was quite skinny, and it was even more accentuated when she laid down. Fortunately, her shape was feminine enough to offset the weak point. Her belly was moving up and down because of her anxiety.

Tristan put his hand on it, and it stopped moving immediately. Looking down from above, her ribs were visible, and her b.r.e.a.s.ts were flat. Indeed, they were too flat.

He put his palm on one side of her b.r.e.a.s.t and slowly closed his fingers, and felt a small bulge under his palm.

He frowned and muttered, "It is small." And then he seemed to unconsciously rub the pink tip with his thumb as its owner trembled and made a muffled sound.