Hayden continued to watch me closely from across the table. I could feel his bright blue gaze burning into me. With a resigned sigh, I started scooping random mix of food from the dishes onto my plate. I wasn’t even interested about what had been served. All I wanted to do was shove enough food into my mouth and down my throat so that Hayden would be satisfied.
After that, I’m going to squeeze some answers out of him and get my ass out of here!
I munched on the food without tasting it as my renewed determination started taking over. After eating more than decently enough, I picked up the glass of water and gulped down its entire content. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand like a barbarian before placing the glass back down on the table with a loud thud.
"I’m done eating. Can we talk now?" I announced as I stared back into his cold blue eyes.
"What do you want to talk about, Malissa?" Hayden asked emotionlessly.
As if he doesn’t already know what I wanted to talk about. Where should I even start?
"You called the school and told them that I was sick? You had my classes cancelled for the day..." I said, astounded by the ridiculousness of his actions.
"So, what if I did?" Hayden replied without a care.
"That’s crazy. You shouldn’t have done that. I need to work. My students were waiting for me," I complained.
"That doesn’t matter anymore," he muttered passively.
"Of course, it matters. It may not matter to you, but it matters to me!" I cried out loudly.
"Why does it matter?" Hayden asked coldly.
"Huh? Of course, it matters. I have a life and a future that I’m working hard to build. Why can’t you understand that?" I snapped.
How can he not understand something so simple?!
"You chose a life associated with the mafia. How long did you think you could go on teaching those young kids?" Hayden asked as his eyes narrowed at me.
Once again, Hayden glared at me and shook his head as if he couldn’t believe how I didn’t understand something so simple.
"Sweetie listen, if the normal laws applied you and I wouldn’t be in this situation. Your parents wouldn’t have died like that. Your life wouldn’t be a mess and you wouldn’t have to make the choice that you’ve just made. You’re part of this world now, Malissa, and there is no turning back..." Hayden said before he smiled charmingly at me.
"Let me out...I want to go outside..." I pleaded.
"There’s everything that you need in here. Why would you need to go outside?" he asked as he cocked his head to the side.
"What?" I mumbled.
"If there’s something that you want, you can let Auntie know and she’ll get it arranged for you. I already instructed her to make you feel comfortable here. I doubt that you would want something that my money cannot buy," Hayden said with a carefree shrug.
"That’s not the point at all. Hayden, let me out of here!" I cried out desperately.
"That’s not possible right now," I stated without any empathy.
"Why? Why are you locking me up in here?" I asked again.
"Don’t you already know the answer to that?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow at me.
"Is it because I met Ethan?" I said softly.
"Good. So, you do know," Hayden affirmed.
"I told you that I didn’t want to meet with him. I didn’t do it on purpose..." I began explaining again.
"It doesn’t change the fact that you met him, and he started giving you ideas..." Hayden replied passively although his words cut pretty deep.
--To be continued...