Chapter 5

Eden stared at the ceiling of her room, lying on the bed with her hands and legs lying limp on the soft bedsheet. She kept thinking about what happened a week ago in the penthouse. It was established at that point that she cannot kidnap anyone else, she had learned the lesson. Sophia was still not talking to her and Natalia was still freaked out and acting distant from everyone. Only Grace understood what this meant for Eden. She would either have to marry Carter or run away and give up all the luxury that was so dear to her.

Eden recalls her phone call conversation with Grace a day ago.

‘It can’t be that bad, you’ll just have to bear the old sack until he dies and then you will basically be a queen,’ said Grace.

‘If you know me at all, you know I will never give my father the satisfaction of making me waste my life on someone I don’t love,’ Eden replied. ‘Besides I don’t want the entire world to think that I am a gold digger.’

‘Which you actually are,’ Grace said jokingly.

‘Bitch, I’m going to kill you.’

Grace chuckles but suddenly her tone changes.

‘What are we supposed to do if the Masons call us for the favour we owe them?’ Grace asked, her voice glum and scared.

‘I have no idea what we’ll do. It’s possible they might ask us for sexual favors.’

‘Or to murder someone.’

‘Or rob a bank.’

‘We’re screwed aren’t we?’

‘Royally screwed.’

Eden squirms at the thought of doing something like that for the Masons. She needed to think about something else, to rid her mind of all the stress. She gets up and walks over to her guitar, an acoustic beauty that her mother gifted her when she was 5. Her mother, Martha Brown, was divorced by her father when she was six years old. Alfred had discovered that Martha had cheated on him multiple times throughout their marriage, even after Eden was born. 

He told her that her mother was a chronic alcoholic too and tried to abuse her many times but was stopped by him. Eden does not have the best memory of her but she always remembered her being sweet to her and she does not trust her father anyway. However, after the divorce, Alfred got full custody of Eden on the grounds that Martha was unfit for raising a child owing to her unhealthy drinking habits.

Eden starts strumming her guitar, humming along to the tune of the song Colors by Halsey.

You're dripping like a saturated sunrise

You're spilling like an overflowing sink

You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece

And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink-

Eden’s song is interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She walks over to her bed, picks up the phone, and looks at the caller ID. It said ‘Private Number’. She had been anticipating this call but she did not know it would be so soon.

She picks up the call and hears the familiar, deep voice.

“Good afternoon, Miss Brown. This is your ex-captive speaking. How are you doing on this lovely day?”

“Cut to the crap Mason, why have you called me?” Eden snapped at him.

“Touché. Fine, I call to redeem the favour that you owe me.”

Oh boy, here it comes.

“I believe it will benefit you just the same as it would for me.”

Eden, more curious now, stayed silent, cueing him to go on.

“How about we chat about this over some evening tea? I will send a car at 5:00 PM sharp, wear something nice.”

“Sorry, I’m not in Los Angeles right now, I’m visiting my grandmother in San Diego,” Eden lies through her teeth.

“Oh. That’s too bad. I’m sending a car anyway in case your Grandmother doesn’t come back from there and moves to San Diego from Florida, where she has lived her entire life,” said Bennett. Eden could hear the smile on his face as he spoke. “I did my research. Even if you were not lying, my private jet would pick you up from San Diego because this is urgent. Be ready at 5.”

With that, he hangs up the call, leaving Eden bewildered. 

He found out about my deceased Grandmother too?! And ‘wear something nice’?

At 5, Eden put on a grey sweatshirt, a pair of old baggy jeans, and some worn-out flip-flops. Ah yes, this is just fine.

Eden walked out to see a black Range Rover in front of her house. Sighing deeply, she walked over to it and got in. Throughout the whole ride, Eden thought of all the possible favours he could ask her, some of which made her shudder. She mentally prepared herself, reassuring herself that after she gets it over with he would not bother her anymore.

In about 15 minutes, the driver pulls into the parking lot of one of the most expensive apartment complexes in the city, HWH Luxury Living. She is escorted by the driver straight to Bennett Mason’s apartment.

When she walks into the room, she sees Bennett standing there with a smile, ready to greet her. She did not like the way how happy he looked. He was wearing a white plaid shirt and black pants, with the shirt being transparent enough for Eden to make out the outline of his abs. She tears her eyes away from his torso to his face, and she could not deny that he looked extremely handsome, which she had not noticed when they were in the penthouse

He walks over to her and plants a kiss on her cheek, placing his hand on the small of her waist. She is immediately reminded of the kiss that they shared at the party and she jerks away from him. He pulls his hands away, making a gesture of giving up. He motions her to sit on the couch and seats himself across her.

“Just cut to the crap, no bullshitting, and just name whatever it is that you want,” Eden says, not wanting to stay too long.

“Marry me.”