Chapter 9 Confronting the princess

Nova pushed open the study door with a confidence that surprised even her. Gone was the nervousness that had gnawed at her these past few hours. As of now, she was all business. Bentley sat at the head of the desk, surrounded by files, a frustrated frown etched onto his face. Franco, his assistant, sat opposite him, the air buzzing with unspoken tension.

"Bentley," Nova announced, her voice firm. "I need to borrow your phone for a quick call, please."

A beat of silence followed. Bentley's gaze, sharp and assessing, locked onto hers. There was no warmth in his expression, but surprisingly, no outburst either.

Nova, determined not to crumble under his stare, continued. "I apologize for interrupting," she said quickly, hoping to defuse the situation. "You don't have to worry about anything. I can assure you that I didn't hear a word of whatever you two were having."  

The silence stretched, heavy and awkward. Nova shifted uncomfortably. These past few hours trapped in this mansion were starting to grate on her. The movies she'd watched were forgettable, the books unread, and even the stroll couldn't shake the boredom nudging at her. She just needed to talk to Chloe, vent her frustrations, and hear a friendly voice. At least.

'Umm, should I say something or should I wait for him to speak? I've been the one speaking. Nah, I think I'll wait.

A muscle in Bentley's jaw clenched – a sure sign of his mounting frustration. But before he could retort, Nova pressed on. "See," she explained, trying to lighten the mood, "I've been trying my best to stay entertained, but nothing seems to be doing it for me. Just gotta call Chloe, my girl, you know?"

Another tense silence stretched between them. Finally, with a barely audible sigh, Bentley rose from his chair. His movements were measured, controlled fury radiating from him. He strived towards Nova where she stood. His expression remained unreadable, an angry storm brewing beneath the surface.

Before Nova could react, his hand shot out, clamping tightly around her wrist. The grip was forceful, leaving no room for argument. Without a word, he began to pull her towards the stairs. Nova, surprised by the sudden action, stumbled slightly as he propelled her forward.

"Jesus Christ, Bentley, I'm gonna fall!" She said, but he didn't listen to her.

He reached the landing and opened the door to her room and dragged her inside before he made her sit on her bed with a mild push.

"The fuck, Bentley. What are you doing?" She retorted.

Bentley finally unleashed his tightly controlled anger. His voice, when he spoke, was a low rumble, devoid of warmth. "What is your problem, Miss Sinclair? Franco and I were in the midst of an important meeting when you chose to interrupt. While I understand the inherent limitations of your gender," he continued, his voice laced with disdain, "it would be greatly appreciated if you could attempt to exercise a modicum of decorum while under my roof." He paused, his gaze raking over her for a chilling moment. "I sincerely hope," he concluded, his voice barely a whisper, "that I won't come to regret the decision to allow you into my life."

Nova, momentarily stunned into silence by his outburst, finally found her voice. "I just wanted to use the phone," she said, her voice laced with defiance. "And frankly, I couldn't very well wait for your meeting to be over considering it's been going on for three hours already."

Bentley's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing further. With a rigid nod, he turned on his heel and left the room. Nova watched him go, confusion swirling within her.

"Is that it?" She muttered to herself.

A moment later, Bentley reappeared, a phone clutched in his hand. He tossed it onto the bed carelessly. "Consider this a loan, Miss Sinclair," he announced, his voice cold. "Remember the terms of our agreement. You are bound to me. Don't make me regret showing you even this much leniency."

With that, he turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him. Nova stared at the phone, her initial anger replaced by a little bit of happiness.

At least she now had a phone that she would call Chloe with. That was all that mattered to her.

"Women must have dealt with him so badly," she said quietly as she punched Chloe's number into her phone.

The calling tone rang and she muttered a prayer for Chloe to pick up. Fortunately, she did.

"Hello," Chloe first spoke. She sounded like she had just finished crying and Nova didn't need anyone to tell her.

"Hello Chloe," Nova's voice melted. This was usually the tone she would use when asking for something from Chloe, but now, it was just to ease the tension.

"Hold on..." A pause followed before Chloe continued. "Wait, Nova is that you?" She asked calmly, her heart already swelling with joy with the anticipation of Nova's response.

"Yes Chloe, it's me."

"Oh my God!" And what followed was screams of excitement and a long line of questions. "Oh my God, Nova, where are you? Where have you been? Are you okay? Who are you with? I heard you've been kidnapped. Is that true? Please tell me it's not true, and that you are not speaking to me using the kidnapper's number."

"Oh my goodness, Chloe," Nova laughed. "You can never change. It's not even been up to 1 day. And no, I haven't been kidnapped, neither am I speaking to you using the kidnapper's phone," she giggled.

Even though Chloe was older than her by 12 years, she was still that girly girl towards her. And of course at the right time.

"Please Chloe, can I at least know where you are? Your parents and I have been so worried about you. Your father is even more worried than I am. He's not been himself since you ran away," Chloe narrated to her.

Nova scoffed. "Indeed. Just a few hours ago, he almost sold me off to be engaged to Henry Carnegie without my consent and now, suddenly, the little papi bear is so worried about his little cub. Oh please..."

"But where exactly are you?" Chloe asked again, impatience evident in her voice.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Tell me."

"I am in someone's house. His name is Bentley Sterling."

"Bentley?"

"Yeah I know. He's named after a car." Nova chuckled but didn't seem like Chloe returned the energy. "Well, he seems rich. You know I'm not into the whole business empire thing so that's why I can't identify him. He seems to know my dad too well." She went on and on and on but there was no reaction or response from Chloe whatsoever. "Chloe? Chloe?"

"Was that my daughter on the phone, Chloe?" Nova recognized her dad's voice in the background. He must have heard Nova's phone call.

"Oh my God," she whispered, trying not to make her voice noticed by her dad.

"Answer me! Was that Nova?"

"Yes sir," Chloe's voice trembled.

"Now tell me, where is she?”