The House

It's been almost three hours and Asher still hasn't showed up in the office today. Bella sits on her desk and bites her nails being nervous. She agreed to help him yesterday. Well it was a clever decision since he said that she doesn't need to finish all of the papers if she agrees to help him. That sounds like a manipulation as well. But...nevermind.

She still wonders what his plan is going to be though. Imagine if he asks her to murder his wife? Well no, stop, you're going too far now. She sighs dropping her head on the desk and stays like this for few minuets. But Asher still doesn't show up. She opens her laptop and starts scrolling through his schedules. The office is a little bit chaotic today, given the fact that he hasn't come yet.

Few minuets later, Nick shows up in front of her desk. Bella puts her phone down lazily and smiles at him.

"Hi," She mumbles softly.

"Hey, what are you doing here all alone?"

"Just waiting for my boss to come," She rolls her eyes.

"Why hasn't he come yet though?" Nick asks placing his hands on her desk in a flirtious way. She eyes up at him as he does so.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You are his PA..."

"So?"

"So that means you will know why."

"But I don't know..."

"I think you should check up on him then."

"And how do I do that?"

"Call him or visit his house?"

"I neither have his phone number nor his address."

"Oh Bella, you're so bad at this job."

"Excuse me???" She gets defensive this time, raising her eyebrows.

"C'mon I'm just kidding," Nick smiles nervously, "But hasn't he given you any personal card?"

"Yes he has."

"Check that. It has his address and phone number. Call him up."

"Okay. Let me see," Bella opens her bag and rummages through her stuff, "I don't know where I kept it."

"Bella...that's a vip card. Reserved for his closed ones and his PA only. Even I don't have any access to it. You're telling me you didn't keep it in a safe place?" Nick asks her in disbelief.

"Shut up I found it," She exhales feeling a relief when she finally finds the card. She looks up at him and gives him a bitchy smile, "Now can you go? Let me do my work in peace please." She shuts him off and focuses on her phone. This guy had the nerve to call her bad for this job. Even if he's right about it, he shouldn't have said that.

"Okay okay," He pulls back with his hands up, "See you later then," He doesn't forget to show her a sweet smile before leaving the place. She sighs and just rolls her eyes.

She then brings up her phone and types down his phone number. But he doesn't pick up. She tries again. Same result. Again. No answer. She lets out a groan in frustration and takes her bag to go and visit his house this time. Anderson Palace...Devil's den would be a better name instead, she whispers to herself.

It takes almost half an hour for her to arrive at his house. She fixes her hair and dress to look manageable before opening the car door. Damn even the cars have his name curved on them. She gets out from their office car and heads towards the entrance. The guards check up her id and then let her in. They also search her bag. Seriously?

Bella's mouth falls open as she enters the main area this time. It's a huge huge house. A palace actually. She notices several guards around the yard as she heads towards the main door. Who is this man? Asher Anderson? A mafia or something? Or else how did he achieve so much at this early age? She gulps down feeling nervous. Her legs don't want to move. They feel shaky. She shouldn't have come here. It was Nick's idea right? She's going to kill him.

Nothing. Not a single soul. Does anyone even live in this house? Bella looks around like a lost puppy as she takes small steps around the lavish living area. Everything looks so expensive in this room that she feels like a dirt herself. She notices the huge shiny flower vase on the corner. It looks like it's made of gold. No no this doesn't look safe here. This is your chance Bella, leave before you get killed. She panics inside her head and decides to go home. She hurries towards the door but gets bumped with someone. Shit...

"Again?" Jennifer snaps at her with a pissed tone.

"I'm so sorry ma'am. I didn't see you coming I-"

"What are you doing here?" She gives Bella a skeptical look.

"Sir...Mr. Anderson didn't come to the office today so I decided to check up on him," Bella says with a polite tone.

"Who are you? His friend? Did he ask you to check up on him?" Jennifer snorts at her face eyeing her outfit. Bella feels like she should die out of humiliation at this point. Seriously though, why does she need to check up on him?

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I'll leave," She looks down feeling embarrassed.

"Girl. Wait," Jennifer stops her, "Since you're already here go and meet up with him. He's in the library," She says being annoyed.

"Okay Mrs. Anderson. Thanks!"

Bella turns around to go to the library room this time. But where the fuck is the library room? How's she supposed to know? She takes small steps towards the corridor. Luckily, she finds a maid cleaning the portraits on the wall and decides to ask her about it.

"Excuse me. Can you please tell me where the library room is?" She asks and the short girl looks up.

"Who are you miss?"

"I'm Bella, Mr. Anderson's personal assistant."

"Oh sure. Let me take you there," The maid nods and asks Bella to follow her.

"Thank you," Bella smiles at her when she finds the library room. The girl nods again before leaving for her chores.

Bella takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. But there's no answer. She can still hear his voice though. Knowing the fact that Asher is inside and he's still not giving any response to her words, she decides to pull on her wild side. It's Asher, what's he gonna do? She has done worse in front of him. She groans and opens the door with a loud thump and screams, "What's wrong with you sir?"

And then her mouth falls open when she notices two old men inside the room with him. She gasps and places her hand on her mouth. "I'm so so sorry."

"Bella? What are you doing here?" Asher looks up to see her face and she frowns. His whole face is red and swollen with marks. Is he crying? Who are these men? Mr. Asher Anderson is crying? She feels her heart shattering for some unknown reasons.

"Who are you?" The old man beside him shouts at her and Bella turns around to see his face. Why's he shouting like that? She's not deaf.

"I'm Mr. Anderson's personal assistant," She says with a meek tone. These men are scaring her.

"What's the point of keeping these chicks when you can't do what we want from you," The man shouts at Asher this time. Bella's eyes widen seeing him act like a baby boy in front of this pathetic old guy. He's not even trying to fight back. Is this the same person who intimidates her at the office?

"Bella leave," Asher's soft voice makes her heart feel overwhelmed. He looks so vulnerable. But why?

"Why'd she leave? She's your personal assistant. She's as responsible as you. Hey girl come inside and lock the door," The old man snaps at them. Bella hesitates at first but seeing his face she does as she's told to.

She goes and sits down beside Asher like a robot. Calm down. Everything is alright here. You'll be safe. God maybe he's really a mafia? Or else why are these men threatening him? She gulps down and looks up to see the other guy. He looks happily unbrothered by this whole situation.

"Listen you piece of shit," Bella's eyes widen as she hears the man insult Asher like this, "You better give me a grandchild by this year or else I'm going to name my properties to someone who actually deserves it. You are a shame in the name of men."

"I'll try dad," He says with a broken voice and Bella screams inside her head. His dad? Talks to him like this? Grandchildren? What the fuck is happening here?

"Look at you boy. You're so embarrassingly annoying. I can't believe I adopted this pathetic shit. MEN DON'T CRY," He shouts again and Asher's body winces, "Be a man. Be masculine. People must fear you," He holds Asher's face with his hands aggressively. Bella makes a fist of her hands hearing these words. How can someone be so narrow minded? Her heart aches to hold Asher's hand and tell him that everything is going to be fine. He's perfect the way he is. But she can't. Now she understands why he always acts like this at office.

"See...Look at him. He makes me feel so embarrassed. I feel embarrassed to call him my child. He's not my child anyway. Do you know he was adopted?" The man looks at Bella again, "All of these properties that I have given to him. These are all mine. He doesn't earn a single penny of his own."

"I have worked hard to achieve all of these. You can't discredit my hard work like that," Asher fights back with his broken voice, he tries to gather some courage because of Bella's presence.

"If I hadn't provided you with my wealth then your hardworks wouldn't have worked boy. I have given you my name, my reputation and my money."

"That was your responsibility. You took my responsibilities when you adopted me," As soon as those words come out of Asher's mouth he gets slapped hard across the cheek.

Bella gasps and looks at them in disbelief.

"You bastard. How dare you talk to me like that?" The old guy holds Asher's collar this time.

"Mr. Anderson," Bella breathes out holding the man's hand and requests him to stop with pleading eyes.

He pulls back and wipes his hands with his handkerchief, as if Asher is like a dirt to him.

"You better work on what I've told you," He seethes with anger, "And you," He looks at Bella again, "These words must not go outside these walls. Or else consider yourself dead," He says with a stern voice and leaves the room. The other guy stands up from his seat smirking and follows him behind.

When they finally go out, Bella turns around to see Asher's swollen face.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see this," He says looking down in his hands. His voice cracks as he speaks. Bella whimpers not knowing what to say at this point. 

"That was- that was not fair," She breathes out and holds his shoulders finally, caressing them gently. She looks at him for few seconds and then pulls his body into a tight warm hug.

A huge sob escapes from his mouth as he hides his face inside her hair, the sweet smell of her strawberry shampoo makes him feel safe.

"You don't deserve to be treated like this. I'm so sorry," She whispers softly as he keeps crying on her shoulder.