Chapter 5

Liana's POV 

    I was stunned. It didn't happen pretty often, but when it did, then best believe that it was worth it. Right now, I wasn't even sure that was the right word to use. Worth it, didn't even come close. 

I blinked back a couple of times, still not wanting to believe the magnificent palace in front of me. It's sky high rooftops seemed to be touching the tip of the clouds and sky, and thanks to sky high windows, it looked nothing less than something straight out of a modern fairytale. 

“I take it you like it then?” Kieran spoke up, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned to him immediately, and I didn't miss the amusement dancing in his eyes. “It tends to have that effect on people.”

“You said you were taking me home.” I retorted. I was in no mood for games, and only when I'd gotten a satisfactory answer, would I indulge in any of his games. “Your home.”

“Yes.” He drawled, uncertainty lacing his voice. “I fail to see your point, Liana.”

My name tumbled past his lips with such velvety goodness, it took me a while to recover from the jolt of electricity that spread through me. 

“This isn't your home.” I snapped myself out of it, and just in time too. “Why are we here? What did you bring me here?” 

“How do you expect me to answer so many questions at once?” If I'd thought he was only rude, I guess it was time to add infuriating to the list too. “We're here because this is where we're meant to be. Are you happy now?” 

“No!” I shrieked. I was far from happy and he knew it. If anything, I was confused and a tad bit scared.

 What if he was a kidnapper and this was just their lair? Or worse, a murderer who needed new and crash organs to harvest? What if…”

“Are you going to keep standing there, Princess?” He cut through my thoughts again, but this time, I didn't miss his outstretched hands. “Or are you coming with me?” 

My gaze darted to his hands. They were rough and calloused, and I could say they were two times bigger than mine. For a moment, I wondered what the feeling of his palm would be like, how soft they would be or not, how….

Liana. Stop it. I mentally chided myself. 

“Fine then.” He spoke up again, forcing my eyes to jerk back to his face. With the most nonchalant tone I'd ever heard, he added. “suit yourself.” 

A small part of me really thought Kieran wouldn't leave me out here, until he did. After making sure the car doors were locked, he shoved the key into his pockets, before walking towards the huge gates. 

It took me a couple of seconds to realize that he was really leaving me, and when it dawned on me, I sprinted after him immediately. 

“Wait.” I yelled at the top of my lungs, but he didn't listen. If anything, he increased his steps all the more. “Kieran wait.” 

I cursed underneath my breath as I forced myself to catch up to him. Luckily for me, I was able to make it past the wrought iron gates before they were shut again. 

It was already getting dark, and even though a lot of unplanned things had happened to me today, sleeping in the wild and open, wasn't one of them. 

If I'd thought that the mansion looked gigantic, then I clearly had no idea what I was getting into. Now that we were inside the compound, the palace looked more beautiful than ever. A garden spread around the compound, with a variety of flowers I wanted to get lost in. A water fountain sat at the middle of it all, and I could already imagine the moonlight glistening on the surface at night. 

Someone huffed ahead, and I took it as a sign from Kieran that I'd already done enough sightseeing. He didn't stop, but he reduced his pacing just enough so I could catch up to him. 

“Kieran, I…”  he ignored me before I could get any more words out. We stepped inside the palace, and I was floored. Chandeliers glittered everywhere as they cast their warm glow on the wooden floors. More modern furniture were scattered about, and the more I stared, the more I was forced to admit that this entire setup was starting to look comfy. 

I and kieran’s journey didn't just stop there. I followed him as we rounded what seemed like a million hallways. 

“We're here.” Kieran announced after what seemed like forever. “Make yourself comfortable.”

He was gone before I knew it, but it did give me time to take a glance at where he'd brought me: a fancy bedroom. 

Fancy wasn't even the right word to describe it. A huge queen sized bed sat in the middle of the room, it's lacy curtains dangling from the poles holding the beds up. From here, I could see how soft the duvets were, I could almost feel it too. A huge wardrobe was propped up by the side, alongside a vanity and an even bigger bookshelf. 

My jaw hung low at how beautiful it was, and in summary, it was nothing short of a room fit for a princess. 

I was still in the process of taking it all in when something hit me. Kieran was yet to tell me why we were here and where we really were, and he was already gone. 

I had no knowledge about the place, and would definitely wind up lost if I decided to go after him. 

“Shit.” I muttered underneath my breath. I wanted to go after him. I wanted to comb all the rooms in this place till I found Kieran and demanded he gave me answers, but my body screamed otherwise. 

All it took was one last glance at the bed for me to decide. I was going to rest first, then find Kieran later. 

*********

A small groan slid past my lips as I slowly stirred awake. My head hurts, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Slowly and gently, I peeled my eyes open, just to come face to face with a room that looked nothing like mine. 

Where was I? 

Panic clawed at my throat, but luckily for me the memories came rushing by almost instantly. 

How father had given my spot to Samantha, how he'd slapped me, how he'd locked me out and left me with nothing but ….

“You're awake.” Someone cut through my thoughts, and at the right time to if you asked me. My instincts jumped to Kieran, but I quickly realized I was wrong. “Here, you should eat something.”

“Who are you?” I stared at her as she shuffled some items on the huge tray in front of her. I must have stared at the meals for too long, because my stomach let out a loud growl. “Sorry about that.”

“It's okay.” The lady gave me a small smile. “I'm Maya. Would you like some dessert as well?” 

I nodded even before my mouth could move. As she served some portions into a much smaller plate, I couldn't help but think back to how father treated me like a slave in my own house. 

I couldn't remember the last time I ate the moment the food was ready. Once I was done cooking, I was mandated to serve everyone and wait till they were done eating. Even after that, I had to make sure I was done with all of the chores in the house, before I could eat anything. 

A wave of sadness washed over me, but I tried my level best to push it aside as quickly as it came.

“Thank you, Maya.” I collected the plate from her. My mouth watered just from staring at the meal in front of me, and without wasting any more time, I dug into the meal. “This is delicious.”

“Thank you.” She smiled again. “Kieran had no idea what you liked, so I just had to improvise.”

“Kieran?” I blurted out almost instantly. “I want to ask you a question, and please you have to answer me.”

“Who is he and why has he brought me here?” I asked again, before she could cut me off. “Please tell me and….”

“I'm sorry.” I didn't miss the change in her tone. “But I can't do that.” 

What the hell was I going to do now?