| Chapter Four |

As Jacob pushed me to his guard and I was being dragged out of the living, his gaze was fixed on me and mine at him. I said whispered “Please help me” but my cries was masking my voice, I'm not even sure he heard my words.

I screamed, cried and pleaded. My voice broke and even I couldn't hear it clearly. My eyes grew sore and my body ached, I was heavy manhandled. Being dragged back into my room and locked up had to be the best thing to happen to me that day.

Even upstairs, I could hear his deep and and husky voice from so far away. His laughter... I laid down on my bed, and listened. I found myself falling for a voice. 

More of my attention was caught when I heard him ask of me. It gave me the feeling that it gives a girl in highschool when she learns that her crush was asking of her. But this sweet feeling faded when I realised my asking the wrong person about me; ‘What would the monster that calls himself my dad reply him?’

“I don't think it's important” Jacob replied when I pressed my ears against the door, listening...

“How so? She's your daughter, isn't she Jacob?” He sounded as if he was eating something.

I heard sounds of wine glasses and ceramic plates, “Mm-mm, she isn't. She is misfortune. I swear, Eric you would do worse if you were in my shoes” 

Eric was his name.

“Do worse? Do you even know me? Jacob if I was in your shoes, I would love her. Giving her no reason to rebel”

Then they was this laughter from Jacob that I despised, “Love?”

“Mm”

There came the sounds from the wineglasses again

“Eric, with all due respect, you're being crazy. You... would kill her. I know you”

He chuckled. I heard him chuckle. I could reply it over and over in my head. I tried to chuckled like him, mimicking him and sounding very ridiculously. I laughed at myself and thanked God that no one was there to hear or see me.

“You don't know me, Jacob. And I confirm it today. Cheers?” 

“Cheers”...

---

The last words of his I heard that day was when he was leaving. I heard him bidding farewell. Just then I remembered Jacob's plans for me. My room was facing the back of the house, on the third floor. If I am careful enough I'd be able to get outta here, besides I've done it before.

I climbed on the other side of the corridor's iron railing slowly going down to hold onto the ground of my room while getting my legs to on the railing of the second floor. I let go and I fell on the second floor's balcony which was the room of one of the workers.

I did the same thing again until I took a heavy land on the grassy surface of the back yard and scarred my left leg. I tried to stand but I noticed my knee was badly hurt, this pain was nothing though. I limped out to the front yard and I saw him boarding a Mercedes [?]

The thoughts came to me. I didn't have a life, I was forced to life as outlined for me. “What if I just kill myself?”

I watched the car start...

“What if I just try to kill myself from now on?”

It started moving slowly as it's speed accelerated...

“If I die then it'll stop...”

As it approached the gate and about to pass where I was, it already had the rate of acceleration that was possible of killing someone...

Then I ran for it.

“It'll all die with me... Right?”

In a slip second, my heart left my body and I was waiting for the hard hit. That one accident that I hoped would take my life. 

(Laughs)

I got hit...

My hearing blurred, and so did my sight. Lying on the ground there with my body under the car that was at a full halt, my head bleeding and my body aching. Is this really how death is like?

The driver rushed out of the car and ran towards me, he pulled me from under the car and laid me in his arms. Being held by another is alien to me, it doesn't happen often to me. Not even my own mother hugged and took me into her arms since she didn't stay to do that. But having someone truly worry about me is beautiful. Tears escaped my eyes..., “Warm--” I shut my eyes to take in feelings. It felt warm. 

He patted my cheek thrice to make sure I was alive, which I responded to by opening my eyes. Then, ‘The Man’ himself came outta the car and slowly walked towards us. I saw his lips moving, and the driver guy was responding. I smiled inside of me, for the first time, someone really care.

The man that had me laid me carefully on the floor and rushed out. I couldn't see clearly, neither could I hear clearly until Sir. Eric himself spoke directly to me for the first time.

“Can you hear me?”

I didn't respond, I just stared at him. He took of his jacket and placed it on the car, then squatted and took me into his arms. His heartbeats were normal, unlike others whom their heart would be beating fastly. So there's no sign of fear in him? Is there even remorse in his feelings? Well, I guess I did this to me and he has no reason to panic. 

I had my eyes on him, “Please help me. Please take me outta here with you--” I said barely audible. 

My strength was failing me. My limbs went numb, and my head ached.

He looked at me and rubbed my face, then smirked. “Take you with me?” He scoffed, “I don't think that's a request you want me to grant you”

Before I could reply, the guy returned with my father, step sisters, and more guards. Jacob pulled me up roughly from his arms.

“Be careful!!. She is clearly hurt!!!”

“No, she's not! She pretending. She's tried this before.” Jacob responded.

As I was about being carried inside by the guards, I reached for Eric and he took my hand.

“Wait, where to?” he asked.

 Jacob disengaged our hands with a slap of my hand off his, “Inside”

“Can't you see she's terribly injured and I have to take responsibility by taking her to the hospital?”

Jacob pulled him aside and told him how he doesn't have to worry about me or take any responsibilities. “You're my friend and I don't want to burden a very serious business minded tycoon like yourself”

“That's not the point”

“Why are you so worried for nothing, mm?” Jacob muttered.

I wonder just why the guard was carrying me over his shoulder when I'm loosing blood from my head. I was starting to feel dizzy and nauseous, like I could pass out...?

Jacob's words kept flowing, “Is it because I have a fruit that you want?”

I wanted to see Eric's expression but the expression of everyone else told me what it was like, plus the slow laugh afterwards and his answer that knocked me out.

“Yes!”

*****

✧Days Later✧

Days past by, I hadn't seen Eric again. No one spoke of him around me. I wanted to get out of here, in this house I'm basically an unwanted prisoner. Nobody liked me but nobody wanted me wandering either and getting exposed as one of Jacob's daughters. Only few knew me as a De L' Rosa.

Then, the day to meet my supposed betrothed— an old man who had pedophilic tendencies. It was a dinner gathering. Just being around him made me cry and cringe with disgust. I couldn't believe I'd be married to that. I didn't want to be married to that and I wouldn't be married to that. Half way through the gathering, I had already embarrassed Jacob over a dozen things, I broke things, I cursed and disobeyed. But all this just made matters worse for me, since it attracted him even more.

Then came the one that cracked the camel's back, I threw the insults at the face of the guests, both the old man, and his family members. I disrespected all of them and told them how perverted they were. My father was outraged when he saw my plans was working out. I left the table and ran to my room.

...

Not so long, 

“Diana De L' Rosa!!!!!”

My soul jumped outta my body. Fear clothed me and I wanted the would to open up and swallow me. Huge men barged into my room and dragged me out of the bedroom leading to the reopening of my healing wounds. They threw me outta the house while I was struggled and shouted...

This same men threw out my thing, kicking me out of the compound. Jacob was done with me. Outside the mansion gates I stood, “What if I get hurt out here by predators?”

As I banged at the doors and begged for forgiveness, no one answered me or came out for over an hour. I slumped at the gates tired and breathless. I almost passed out until I noticed headlights approaching the Villa. I stood and waited for it to arrive.

The car halted infront of me, “I remember this car”, I shielded my eyes from the bright lights that were hurting my eyes, preventing me from seeing the man that just stepped out of it.

It was the first man I fell in love with.

He stopped in front of me, he looked at me from the head to toe. His eyes scanning me....

He looked up and laughed, “Diana De L' Rosa, what do you want from me? Why you?”...

“Please help me”

For the third time!

*****