Chapter 3

Something was wrong. Amelia sensed it right from the moment when the men coming after her stopped once they realized that she entered the Rolls-Royce.

Sweats broke out on her forehead as she gulped down hard and gazed at the young man who behaved as though she wasn’t sitting in the car with him.

“They stopped chasing me”, Amelia commented and waited to get a response from him. She was clouded in an array of emotions, and she didn’t know if it was preferably to smile, or get even more scared.

The awkward silence that enveloped the atmosphere in the next minutes only made her feel worse. That was when it dawned on her that she might have fallen into the wrong hands.

She bit her lips in regret and made to send a quick text to her mother. However, she debunked the idea when she recalled that they sold her out.

“You are tensed and it’s fine. I won’t bite you”, Alexander said from the front seat, stealing glances at her through the rearview mirror.

Amelia made to sigh out in relief, but his next utterance placed her in a state of utmost shock.

“At least, I won’t bite you now”, Alexander said in conclusion, ignoring the frightened look on her face.

Amelia rubbed her palms on her laps, breathing out hot air and chuckling in anxiety.

“I understand. But then, I appreciate your help this night. You have no idea of what happened to me and what my life would have been like if you didn’t come to my aid”, Amelia disclosed with a calm smile.

Alexander took note of her smile. It was like a sudden beam of sunlight illuminating the darkness around. Her eyes shone so bright and complimented her euphonious and somewhat delicate voice.

Still, he would rather not care…

“If only you could help me find a place to sleep for tonight. I promise to leave once it’s morning”, Amelia made the request that laid in her heart.

She swore that she could hear her heart threatening to pull out of her chest as she waited for a response from him. His silenced only added to the tension and anxiety.

“You may never have to leave”, that was Alexander’s short reply.

He returned his gaze to the road, ignoring Amelia, who was now sitting upright in confusion.

The man was strange and the aura he exuded was difficult to predict. First, he had asked her not to thank him yet, and then, he had ignored her for a long time. And now, he was telling her that she may never have to leave.

“Is he saying that he would provide me with a place to stay for as long as I want?” That was the question that swirled in her mind.

Again, she was drowning in a river of uncertainty and mixed emotions.

Suddenly, the car stopped and Alexander pulled out a white handkerchief. Amelia’s eyes widened as fear gripped her soul.

“You don’t trust every stranger you see on the road”, Alexander said and placed it on her nose, ignoring her intense struggle.

Her struggles didn’t last long because almost immediately, she passed out.

***

“The drug is taking so long to wear off”, Alexander sighed as he fixed his gaze on Amelia, who was sleeping comfortably inside his car.

He had drugged her to ensure that she had no memory of the road that led to his house. That was a security measure he took because his house was a private place which was very dear to his heart.

Alexander picked up a bottled water and sprinkled some of it across Amelia’s face. Almost immediately, she sneezed and sat up in a frenzy. “What is going on? How did we get here and how did I suddenly fall asleep?” She quickly asked as she jumped out of the car and looked around with a puzzled look.

“I drugged you and made you sleep until we got here”, Alexander informed her, without a bit of remorse.

“You took so long to wake up and that stressed me”, he hissed and made to start walking away.

Amelia sauntered behind him, blinking her eyes severally to remain awake, since the drug still had some effect in her eyes.

She stopped for a moment and looked around to admire the beauty of the villa.

Every corner of the wall was beautifully carved and designed with complete care. It had a combination of dark blue and spotless white paint that made it look like a royal castle.

The flowers at the far end of the mansion also complimented everything, and if there was one thing Amelia loved, it was flowers.

“You don’t have to waste the admiration for only tonight. There would be enough time to look around”, Alexander’s voice, pulled Amelia out of her fantasies.

“Are you allowing me to stay here for tonight? Why did you have to make me sleep?” Amelia questioned while Alexander scoffed and handed his keys to a man who had approached them with his head bowed.

“Show her the room where she stays for the night. She would be moved to the main room by tomorrow”, Alexander ordered a servant who nodded his head in understanding and gestured for Amelia to walk with him.

“Wait! Main room?” Amelia questioned, trying so hard to decipher what he meant by that.

“You are a guest tonight. You won’t be a guest forever”, Alexander replied with a smile that didn’t get to his eyes.

Amelia only smiled to conceal how uneasy she felt.

“Just for tonight. After tonight, I would leave here”, it was such an easy plan for her, or so she thought…

“You haven’t told me your name”, She suddenly asked Alexander, who was almost walking out.

Alexander smiled calmly and then, he let out a smirk. He wasn’t enjoying her company and she knew it. However, she thought that it was wise to get social with her savior.

“I’m Alexander”, he replied.

“I’m Amelia”, Amelia added swiftly and stretched out her hand for a handshake.

“No, you’re number eleven”, Alexander countered while Amelia’s eyes popped out in shock.

“What do you mean by that?” She asked with a shaky voice, but Alexander only smiled and walked away.

“Do have a pleasant night. You need to remember your first night here because that would help a lot in future”, Alexander said aloud and majestically walked into the house.

Amelia quickly looked around, and that was when it dawned on her; there would never be a means to leave. The compound was severely secured with CCTV and guards.

It looked like a prison, a magnified and exotic one…

“We should head to your room now, ma’am”, the young servant who has been standing said and with a puzzled look, Amelia sauntered behind him.

Her eighteenth birthday came with plenty of things and somehow, she doubted that she was ready for the situations that would arise in her life at that point.

Early that morning, she was happily having her birthday party, and at night, she was on the way to the unknown, with a man who had come to pick her up.

And now, she was with a stranger in his mansion that looked like a disguised prison. A stranger who had drugged her and made her to sleep…

“This is terrifying”, she huffed and walked briskly to catch up with the servant who was now ahead of her.

Despite everything, she was glad that she escaped from the bondage of the fat old man that had come to claim her earlier. She wanted to avoid caring if her foster father owed a huge amount of money, the punishment shouldn’t be placed on her.

“I made the right choice by escaping during that traffic”, she said to herself once her eyes met the room where she would be spending the night.

An image some distance away caught her sight. It looked like the old man who took her away from home. However, she shoved it aside as mere hallucinations that arose as a result of fear.

“Let’s enjoy our stay here”, she concluded and mouthed a “thank you” to the servant who took his leave.

Her room was nice and beautiful. With white painted walls and several art decorations hanging around, Amelia was certain she would have a great night after everything.

For some minutes, she cried her eyes out. She was alone in a new world she wasn’t prepared for, and she couldn’t help but feel worthless…

From the window, she caught sight of another wing of the mansion. However, something was strange about it. Inside the room, all she could see was young ladies; not one, neither two nor three.

They may have seen her from their angle because almost immediately, the lights went off, leaving Amelia to her room and the creepy night.