CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

(Elisa's POV)

My eyes were heavy, my knees quivering beneath me, threatening to give out as I struggled to withstand the final hours of my punishment. Just as I felt my vision blurring from the strain I was forced to endure and the immense hunger I was plagued with, the timer finally went off, signaling the conclusion of my punishment. My gaze landed on the clock delicately placed in the hall, it was already midnight. I struggled to help myself up but it proved difficult as my legs had long gone numb. The head maid and the rest of the staff just walked past me as their job had already been completed. Feeling helpless and incredibly dizzy, I laid softly on the ground as I patiently waited for my legs to regain functionality. Plagued by my exhaustion, I drifted off to sleep, awoken only a few hours later by the throbbing headache inflicted by my head injury.

“Does it hurt?” A familiar voice questioned. As I looked up to see who it was, I was met with the worried gaze of Damian as he stared down at me with concern. “Here, take these?” He continued, shoving an outrageous amount of pills into my mouth, forcing me to swallow as he handed me a glass of water before leaving to fetch something for me to eat. “you can't take medication on an empty stomach, I'll go get something for you to eat” he voiced, already half way out the door. It was only after he left that I noticed I was in his bedroom instead of mine. My head had already been bandaged and I wasn't in my blood stained clothes anymore. I tried getting up, needing to use the rest room but my legs were still too sore to move, causing me to fall to the ground with a loud thud. Conveniently Damian returned only a few minutes later. “What happened?” He asked, rushing to pick me up from the cold ground. “Restroom” I spoke hesitantly, my voice barely audible as I lowered my head in embarrassment. “I need to use the restroom”. A smile tugged at his face as he picked me up, heading towards the bathroom in silence, trying not to worsen my embarrassment. “Stop” I called out, forcing him to halt at the entrance. “I'll go by myself” … “are you sure?” He questioned, urging me to accept his assistance but I refused, making my way into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

He waited patiently for me to finish before helping me back to the bed, where a whole 5 course meal was presented to me. “The kitchen staff were already asleep so I cooked them myself, I wasn't sure what you'd like so I included options”. I was too hungry to pay him any mind, stuffing my mouth full without any hesitation. It was only after noticing his soft gaze that I uncomfortably expressed my gratitude. “Thank you” I muttered inaudibly, but he seemed to understand as he smiled back in acceptance. Just as he got up, headed for the bathroom to take a shower, I thought to ask the question that's been bothering me since I woke up. “Damian, who changed my clothing?” He smirked in amusement as he responded. “I did”.

“Okay” I blurted out, trying to hide my embarrassment as I avoided his gaze. Already done with my meal, I nestled deeper into his bed as I enjoyed the comfort of his soft mattress. Damian had just returned from his bath with only a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still damp, body glistening with moisture, further defining his abs and toned physique. “If you continue staring with that intensity, your eyes might pop out” he teased, a playful smile tugging at his lips. Before I could even respond, a sudden knock on the door silenced our banter. We both exchanged a look wondering who it could be at such an odd hour. Damian's expression instantly darkened as he swung the door open, glaring at the familiar figure standing in front of him. “What're you doing here?” he questioned, his patients visibly wearing thin. “Is that anyway to speak to your uncle?” Leonard mocked, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he forced his way into the room. “Luckily for you, I'm in a rather good mood today, so I'll let your blatant disregard for common authority slide just this once.”

“Why are you here?” Damian repeated, taking a stance In front of me, shielding me from Leonard's intense gaze. Leonard's smile widened in amusement as he helped himself to a glass of water, before taking a seat at the opposite side of the bed, his cold emotionless eyes locked onto mine as the words escaped his lips, slowly but clearly. “I'm here for her”. Damian immediately dragged me off the bed, pulling me into his arms to support me as my legs were still weak from my earlier punishment. “Sorry to disappoint you uncle but Elisa won't be able to converse with you today, so please leave” Damian responded, his hold on me tightening with each passing second, it was almost as though he was afraid I would slip away.

“Oh, is that so?” Leonard voiced, mocking Damian's retort. “Why don't we let her decide?” Leonard continued, both their gazes shifting to me as they awaited my response. Just as I was about rejecting Leonard's offer to chat, he interrupted. “Before you decide, I'd like to hear your opinion on the strangely placed bookshelf at the end of the hallway in the north wing of the estate” Damian's face twisted in confusion and annoyance as he continued verbally attacking his uncle. I was stunned into silence as I pondered on Leonard's words, wondering how he managed to find out. “How did you find out?” I questioned, my voice trembling as I barely managed a sentence. Leonard let out a cold laugh as he responded. “If you're interested in finding out, then you're going to have to come with me”