The scream of freedom

~Elena~

I felt a shiver run down my spine as our eyes met.

What was he doing here?

" Open up," I heard him say from outside the car. I hesitated at first because my instinct screamed caution. Since he had seen me laughing, it could pose a big threat to my plans. I was unsure whether to roll down the window or drive away, but he knocked again, more insistent this time.

‘’open up,’’ I finally opened the door, and he entered beside me and wore his seatbelt, Then he faced me.  ‘’Drive,’’he ordered.

I gave him a questioning look, and then he pointed forward, only for me to realize that Ariana was coming out of the restaurant and heading toward my car.

My heart skipped a beat, and she waved enthusiastically when her eyes met mine. I ignored her, started the car, and drove out of the garage in a hurry.

She was the last person I expected to see.

As I drove past her, she looked confused and continued waving, but I ignored eye contact and only focused on the road.

"Amazing!" he shouted as we got on the road. ''I’m glad I was able to convince you to drive faster," he said, but I didn’t respond because I didn't share his enthusiasm. Instead, my mind was racing with questions.

Why did he suddenly want me to drive away?

Was he part of their plan?

Is he connected to Owen and Ariana?

‘’Don’t worry, I bear nothing against you,’’ he said as if reading my mind. ''I just wanted you to leave the restaurant.''

I gripped the wheel tightly and looked away from the way for a split second and then drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, getting impatience, and when I turned my eyes back to the road, I asked a simple question. ‘’why are you in my car?’’

I had to know who my enemy was, and even though my instinct told me to trust him, I couldn’t yet because I had no idea who he was and what he could do to me.

I have trusted Owen in my past life, and it only led to my death.

‘’I saw you heading out, and you looked like you were struggling hard to keep it in and…’’

I cut him off. ‘’You saw me laughing in my car, right?’’ 

He nodded. ‘’not my business, but I just feel that you needed someone to talk to.’’

I looked at him again and gave him a questioning look, pondering why he cared about what happened to me. Even during my funeral, he was there, kneeling and praying for me. I couldn’t get why a man who didn’t even know me that well would care about me.

‘’Don’t give me that look,’’ he muttered.

I raised an eyebrow. ''What look?’’ I asked, genuinely puzzled.

Christian rolled his eyes and frowned, his face contorting into a comical mix of annoyance and irritation.‘’That is the look that you are giving to me. It's like you are trying to burn a hole through my soul with your skepticism,’’ he said, paused for a moment, then continued. ‘’ Don’t worry, you can trust me this time. I am not a bad person,’’ he said and smiled at me, his dimples showing on both sides. ‘’your secret is safe with me.’’

I looked away from him and focused on the road. ‘’sorry, I didn’t know that I was glaring at you.’’ I told him.

Even though he seemed like a good person, there was no way I could trust anyone again after everything that had happened to me and the years of consequences I had endured. "Do you want me to drop you off somewhere?" I asked, hoping to avoid dealing with him for the rest of the day.

He sighed. "Are you trying to get rid of me that fast?" He laughed when I started to respond. "Like I said, I’m not your enemy. I’m here because I want you to feel better."

"Why?" He cared so much for a reason, and I was determined to figure it out.

"You’re always so direct, aren’t you?" He chuckled, then heaved a deep sigh. "How Owen spoke to you in the restaurant wasn’t right. No one should be spoken to that way, especially a woman. I know how degrading it is..." He paused, looking out the window. "I’ve seen it happen to my mother before..." His voice trailed off, and I noticed he was tapping his fingers on the window as though trying to suppress memories. At that moment, he seemed vulnerable, surprising for the country’s largest company heir. For a second, I felt sorry for him.

"You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to," I said softly.

He nodded. "It’s all in the past now." He shifted in his seat and then looked at me. "What do you say we go somewhere and let it all out?" he suggested.

I shot him a glare, and he burst out laughing. "Not what you’re thinking. There’s a place I go to let out my anger—a special place."

"A special place?" I repeated, skeptical.

Why would he want to show me something so personal? Christian's acting made it seem like he knew me better than I did. Had we met before, other than at the hospital? I couldn’t remember seeing him at any events, but the familiarity in his tone made me wonder. "Why are you showing me a place that’s supposed to be special to you?" I asked.

"Because I think you need it," he replied.

"Are you forgetting you were just on a date with my sister, and now you’re talking to me about some special place?" I shot back.

He chuckled. "Trust me, Elena, I don’t care about that date. When she said you’d be there, I had to come."

I pressed further. "Why are you so interested in me? Do you even know me that well?"

Christian nodded. "Trust me, Elena. I know you more than you realize." The way he said it made me think back to the look on his face at my funeral. There was something sincere behind his words, but I couldn’t trust anyone yet.

Once bitten, twice shy.

"Where is this place you're talking about?" I asked. I needed it. After surviving death, I had to let out all the anger I felt towards Owen and my sister and for starting the revenge plan.

"Take a turn on your right," Christian directed.

With each turn, he guided me until we finally reached a bridge, where he told me to stop. "Welcome to the place where you can let out all your anger," he said.

I frowned, glancing around. Why had he brought me to a pedestrian bridge? "What are we doing here?" I asked.

Instead of answering, he got out of the car, walked to the edge of the bridge, and let out a scream.

"What are you doing?" I called, stepping out of the car. I looked around, checking that we weren’t being watched. Any paparazzi would kill for a story like this, and I didn’t want them using it against me. "What are we doing on a bridge?"

"This!" he yelled again, then turned to me. "Come on, I know you've wanted to do this—just scream it out!"

I hesitated, tucking my hair behind my ear as I walked towards him. "I don’t know… this feels ridiculous. We look like we’re—"

"Forget all of that," he interrupted. "Just scream it out!"

He pointed at me, and I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I let out a scream—loud and raw. For once, I didn’t care who heard. I was letting out the pain I’d held inside for so long, the torture, the betrayal. I screamed until my voice broke. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt lighter.

Free.

"This feels amazing!" I shouted, and Christian laughed, spreading his arms wide as he gazed at the sky.

"This is where I come whenever I feel unhappy," he said. "I scream my heart out because here, no one cares. No one notices me."

He was right.

We were in a forgotten corner of the road, where barely any cars passed. It was just us, and it was peaceful. The air felt different here—calmer.

"I’d love to do this again with you," he said suddenly, and I found myself unsure how to respond.

"I…" I trailed off.

"You don’t have to decide now, Elena," he said gently. "But I’ll be here if you need me." He sighed deeply, his eyes fixed on the setting sun. We stood there for hours, barely speaking, staring at the sky. I could feel his gaze whenever I glanced at him, and I couldn't deny its effect on me.

"I should head home," I said, checking my Rolex. My mind urged me to say more to him, but I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come out. I still didn’t trust him fully, and if I included him in my revenge plan, I had to study him first.

"Yes," he responded, turning to me. I quickly averted my gaze, unable to meet his eyes. I wanted to say more but needed more courage. "You can go ahead. I'll call my driver to pick me up." He gestured for me to leave, and I glanced around, seeing no sign of a car nearby.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "See you soon, Elena." He pointed towards the car.

I waved, then climbed into the car. Once inside, I looked at him through the windshield and noticed he was watching me, too. I quickly looked away, fastening my seatbelt. Without another glance, I started the car and drove away.

Throughout my trip back home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the consequences of my actions toward Owen and the rumors they would have created. I was ready to face them all, but I knew I had to deal with my family before I could conquer anything.

I wasn’t surprised when I got home and met everyone seated and waiting for me in the living room. Before I could say anything, my stepmother, Phaedra, headed toward me and slapped me in the face.

‘’what have you done?’’