Chapter 4

I sighed, utterly confused.

One thing was certain I had lost everything. The only thing I had left was my phone.

I looked around as the other students hurriedly called their parents to come and pick them up.

But who did I have to call?

My aunt lived miles away from campus. I couldn’t bring myself to call her. Ever since my father died two years ago, she’d done everything she could to make me feel like I wasn’t a burden, but I could never shake that feeling.

No.

I couldn’t trouble her again.

Then I remembered Henry.

Even though I’d seen him earlier with another girl and had promised myself I wanted nothing to do with him anymore, he was my only option. I’d lent him money a while back. Maybe if he sent it back, I could at least book a room for the night while I figured everything else out.

I dialed his number , it rang thrice. Just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, he finally picked up or so I thought.

“Hello?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the chaos around me. “Can you please send me the money I lent you? I really ne—”

I was cut off.

“Don’t disturb us,” a girl’s voice snapped. “He’s sleeping. We’ve been very busy enjoying ourselves. Call tomorrow.”

The line went dead.

I froze.

“That jerk,” I muttered under my breath.

What was I supposed to do now?

I hadn’t cried at all , but the moment it truly sank in that I had nowhere to go… the pain crashed over me.

A tear escaped before I could stop it.

Suddenly, I felt someone gently touch my shoulder.

I turned around.

“Bella…”

Without saying a word, she pulled me into a warm hug.

I hadn’t even thought of calling her. How could I? She had her own life.

“I saw the news,” she whispered, pulling back just enough to look at me. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped my tears. “I’m so glad you’re okay, my love.”

I nodded weakly.

“But… my things,” I whispered. “Everything I own is gone.”

She sighed sadly.

“The important thing is that you’re alive. That’s all that matters, okay?”

I nodded again.

“Come on,” she said, squeezing my hand. “Let’s get you home. We’ll figure everything else out later.”

“No, Bella,” I said quickly. “I was just going to book a room for the night—”

She immediately cut me off.

“Come on. You’re coming home with me. There’s no way I’m letting you stay out here alone. What kind of friend would I be?”

Truthfully, it was a blessing.

I had nowhere else to go.

The only reason I hesitated was because I didn’t trust myself around Marcus… not while living under the same roof as him.

After a long pause, I nodded.

“Will… will your dad be okay with it?” I asked nervously.

Bella smiled.

“He’s the one who drove me here to pick you up. He’s handling something at the moment, but he already knows you’re coming.”

Relief washed over me.

“Thank you, Bella,” I whispered.

“It’s nothing,” she replied with a gentle smile, brushing my hair away from my face.

Marcus didn’t take us back himself. I guessed he’d gotten busy.

Oddly enough, I felt relieved.

Instead, Bella and I booked a cab and headed to her house.

It was only the second time I’d been at their house after all these years. We were neighbors and best friends since childhood but Dad and I had moved to another state after my mum’s death.

As we stepped inside the massive mansion, memories came rushing back.

Bella smiled warmly.

“Make yourself at home. Do whatever you want, because this is going to be your home… at least for now.”

I smiled faintly and followed her upstairs.

She opened the door to a spacious guest room.

“This will be your bedroom.”

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured.

Then my eyes drifted across the hallway.

The room directly opposite mine.

The very room I’d mistaken for a bathroom days ago… only to walk in and find Marcus standing there half-naked.

Heat crept into my cheeks at the embarrassing memory.

Trying to clear my doubt , I glanced at Bella.

“Is… the room opposite mine your father’s?”

She nodded.

“Yeah. That’s Dad’s room. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to knock.” I frowned a bit .

“ Is there any problem? “

“No… no problem,” I answered with a forced smile.

But deep down…

I knew exactly why I had asked.

Bella stayed with me for a while, talking about random things until my mind finally stopped racing.

Exhaustion eventually claimed me, and before I knew it, I drifted into a deep sleep .

But hours later an unusual thirst pulled me from sleep in the dead of night. My throat felt parched, and the unfamiliar room only amplified the discomfort. I slipped out of bed, wearing nothing but the borrowed oversized T-shirt with no bra and the shorts. The house was quiet, the hallway dimly lit by a single nightlight.

I crept downstairs toward the kitchen . Reaching for a glass on the high shelf, my fingers fell short. Suddenly, a taller arm extended past mine, easily grabbing it.

I gasped, spinning around.

Marcus.

He stood so close that my nipples, hardened by the cool air and sudden panic, brushed against his chest through my shirt. I couldn’t bring myself to look up into his eyes. My gaze dropped instead to his gray sweatpants, where the unmistakable outline of his cock pressed against the fabric. He wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Heat flooded between my legs instantly.

“Ella,” he murmured, voice low and smooth. “Are you okay?”

I nodded quickly, cheeks burning.

“Why won’t you look at me?” he asked softly. “I hate when people avoid my eyes.”

I forced my gaze upward, heart hammering. “It’s okay… the wound, I mean. It’s fine. Better. Uhmm… not better—”

I was stammering, words tumbling uselessly. He stepped even closer, his body heat enveloping me. I could feel the hard length of him pressing against my stomach now, thick and insistent.

“I can make you feel better, you know,” he whispered, lips brushing my ear.

I froze, my pussy throbbing with forbidden need.

Before I could respond, his hand rose, thumb slowly rubbing over my nipple through the thin shirt. A sharp jolt of pleasure shot through me. I wanted to scream, to run, but his touch held me captive, like a spell I couldn’t break.

His other hand slid down, cupping and squeezing my ass with firm possession. I let out a shaky gasp.

He began rubbing his hard cock against me in slow, deliberate strokes, the friction driving me wild.

“Does that make you feel better, little Ella?”

I didn’t know how to answer. This was my first night here, and I was already coming undone. He nipped at my earlobe, still kneading my ass while grinding against me. I could feel myself growing wetter, juices soaking into my shorts.

Then his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of my shorts, moving carefully, mindful of my wound. They found my slick folds and slid inside me with ease. A soft moan escaped my lips.

“You’re dripping wet,” he growled, voice dark with satisfaction. His thumb found my clit, circling it with devastating precision.

“Daddy?”

Bella’s voice sliced through the moment, filled with betrayal. She stood there, staring at us with wide, hurt eyes.

My heart stopped.

I bolted upright in bed, sweating and panting, my chest heaving. Thank God. It was just a dream.

But the evidence between my legs was real. I was soaked, the ache from the dream still pulsing through my body.

But a deep voice startled me .

“Ella?” . Marcus stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, and it looked like he had been watching the whole time. “Did you have a nightmare?”