Chapter 6- Gone

Isabella slammed the door shut behind her, her breath coming out in short ragged gasps. Her chest ached as tears blurred her vision. She leaned against the door, sliding down until she was curled on the floor. Her shoulders gently shook with every silent sob that escaped her lips. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to protect herself from pain.

She eventually pulled herself up and dragged her feet toward the bed. The sheets felt so cold that no matter how many times she flipped around, sleep refused to come.

She lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts scattered. "What are you hiding from me, Nikolai?" she whispered into the silence, but the only response was the waves crashing on the shores outside.

The night stretched endlessly but sleep was far from her. By the time the sky began to lighten and birds chirped, her body finally gave in to exhaustion. Her breathing slowed and without realising it, she drifted off to sleep.

The sun had already risen high above the sky by the time Isabella stirred awake. She blinked against the brightness before she sat up slowly, her muscles still stiff, and her eyes puffy.

Slipping out of bed, she changed into a simple sundress and tied her hair into a ponytail. The silence of the villa greeted her as she padded barefoot down the winding staircase. The thought of running into Nikolai made her heart quicken. She wasn't ready to face him after last night. Not just yet.

Instead, she was met with the comforting scent of baked bread and something savoury cooking in the kitchen.

"Good afternoon, Bella," a warm voice greeted her.

Isabella turned to see the same elderly woman from last night. She stood near the kitchen counter, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Despite her age, she moved gracefully, her silver hair neatly pinned up in a bun.

"Afternoon?" Isabella blinked in surprise. "I slept that long?"

The woman chuckled as she set a plate on the dining table. She gestured to the table. "I figured you’d be hungry, so I made you something light." She turned to leave but then, "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. You can call me Imelda."

After a few minutes, she came back with a glass of warm milk and set it before Isabella. "Is there something on your mind, You haven't touched your meal yet."

Isabella gave her a sheepish shrug, glancing around the house. "No, I just had a long night."

Imelda didn’t press on, instead, she sat across her, her hawk eyes sneakily scrutinising her. Isabella’s stomach growled breaking the silence of the room. She gave Imelda an embarrassed smile before she dug into her meal. "Wow, this food is so delicious," she exclaimed glancing at Imelda who only gave her a warm homely smile.

After taking several bites, she finally glanced up, "Is Nikolai around?" she asked carefully. As much as she didn't want to see him, she couldn't help but think of him.

Imelda hesitated slightly before answering. "He left early this morning for a business meeting, but he didn’t say when he’d be back."

Isabella frowned. "Business meeting? Did he tell you anything about last night?"

Imelda shook her head clueless. "No, but he seemed tired, or distracted, perhaps. It’s not uncommon for him though."

Isabella nodded slowly, picking at the toast on her plate absentmindedly as disappointment settled in her chest. She didn’t know what she had expected.

She pushed the thought away. 'Don’t be stupid, Isabella. He warned you to stay out of his business,' she thought to herself before sinking back on her plate.

But as the hours turned into days, and the days into weeks but Nikolai hadn't returned, uneasiness etched on her heart. The days stretched endlessly like the horizon Isabella stared at each morning. She couldn’t stop the gnawing guilt that took root in her heart.

Each morning, she’d walk downstairs hoping to see his broad figure emerge from the study or sitting by the fireplace, glancing up from a document, even scowling at her presence. Anything but this silence but the house remained quiet, only she and Imelda. Even Roman had vanished into thin air.

Imelda kept her company, chatting with her during meals and sometimes Isabella would slip into the kitchen to help her prepare their meals, even though mostly she was a little reluctant to accept her help.

On the twenty fifth day, the morning sunlight seemed duller, as if even the sun had grown tired of waiting. "Do you think I upset him?" Isabella asked that afternoon as she helped Imelda dust the bookshelves in the expansive library.

Imelda gave her a thoughtful glance. "Nikolai isn’t an easy man to read, Bella. He has been through things most people couldn’t imagine. He keeps people away maybe because he’s afraid of losing more than he already has."

"But I didn’t mean to offend him," Isabella murmured to herself, running her fingers over a magazine she had just stumbled upon tucked oddly between thick volumes of philosophy. It was a fashion magazine, glamorous and out of place. On the back cover was a photo of a young woman laughing in the sunlight in the beach. She looked so much like Isabella, with the same red-brown hair and hazel eyes as hers, and it stole the breath from her lungs. 'Why does this woman look like me?' she thought, but dismissed it.

"That woman is Rosa, Nikolai's late wife," Imelda said without glancing at her.

Isabella's heart dropped at the mention. She flipped to the first page, and a pressed flower fell out, its petals dried. She picked it up carefully, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

Imelda noticed the sudden change in Isabella, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Master isn't as bad as you may think he is. He is kind and caring, so don't overthink it. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Isabella managed a faint reassuring smile, but her thoughts remained frantic.

That night, after dinner, she walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the sea, the old fashion magazine in her hand. Suddenly, she glanced across the expansive garden, her heart thumping on her chest. She felt watched in the darkness, but when she didn't spot anyone, she sat on the balcony chair as the breeze rustled her hair. She hugged herself, watching the waves crash against the rocks far below.

She didn’t want to admit how much Nikolai's absence affected her. She barely knew him but in the time she had interacted with him, however awkward it may be, he had stirred something in her, a strange kind of pull that made her heart race when he was near, and disturbed when he was far.

"Nikolai. Where are you?"