All Chapters of The Cage He Called Love: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I gave myself a long, long vacation and moved to a small town tucked away in the southwestern mountains.Every day, I woke up whenever I pleased, then ate and went for walks.I got a new phone and a new number. No one knew I was there, and no one there knew who I was.I felt completely at ease.One afternoon, the elderly woman next door told me about a diner in town that made amazing pulled pork sandwiches. I rode my bike for a whole hour just to try one.I had barely taken two bites when someone called my name."Eden?" I looked up and saw a man standing a few steps away.It was Benjamin Radcliffe, my former fiancé. We had not seen each other in years. His features had not changed much, but he had grown much thinner.My hand paused halfway to my mouth.What a coincidence. I had finally shaken one off, only to run into another.He hurried over. "It's really you?"I leaned back in my chair and smiled. "What, Mr. Radcliffe, did you think I died a long time ago?"His expression

What happened after that was straight out of a soap opera. The fall had left Benjamin in a coma. He lay in a hospital bed for two whole years before he finally woke up.When he did, he finally got word of me, only to find out I had become Mrs. Graves.He went to see me once in secret and saw how devoted Alistair and I seemed to be. He thought I had truly fallen in love with Alistair, and he did not dare to disrupt my life.Once his health improved, he moved overseas and started over from scratch, building everything up bit by bit. He never wanted to be in a position again where someone could take his phone, lock a door, and decide the rest of his life for him.All these years, though, he had kept someone watching out for news about me. He thought that if Alistair ever treated me badly, he would at least have the means to take me away by then.Not long ago, when Scarlett went public with her relationship in such a high-profile way, he saw the news and booked a flight home on the sp

I fixed Alistair with a cold look and slowly rose to my feet. "I've had enough fun, and it is time to go home. Just not to your home."Alistair's expression darkened, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Eden, how many years do you think that little bit of money your grandfather left you will last? Don't you know how much you spend? What happens when it runs out? You're going to count on this loser to support you?"He jerked his chin toward Benjamin.Benjamin's expression changed, and he clenched his fists and started forward.I held him back. This was between Alistair and me, and I did not want him getting involved.I looked Alistair straight in the eye and said coldly, "You're right. The money my grandfather left me isn't enough to blow through forever. Money can make more money, though."The smile faded from Alistair's face. "What's that supposed to mean? What are you planning?""I'm going back to Port Ardley."I looked at him and said firmly, "I'm going t

That day, Benjamin had to deal with his business overseas and could not come with me. I went to the bridal boutique alone and stepped into the fitting room.The moment I shut the door, a hand reached out from behind me and clamped down hard over my mouth and nose. I fought with everything I had, but I quickly lost consciousness.When I woke up again, I heard the familiar sound of waves.The bed, the curtains, and the vanity were all exactly as I remembered them. Even the glass on the nightstand was just as I remembered it.I was back on the island."You're awake?" Alistair sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch my face.I slapped his hand away. "Alistair, have you lost your mind?"He did not get angry. He only looked at me and smiled. "Eden, I got scared. The more you shine, the more I fall for you. When you look at me, though, it's like you're looking at a stranger. Now you're even going to marry Benjamin."I fought down my disgust and shifted away from him. "So

I struggled against him and raised my hand to strike."Eden, it's me."The familiar voice stopped my hand in midair.I looked up. In the dim light of the dock, I could finally make out his face. It was Benjamin. He was soaked to the bone, his hair still dripping, with several scrapes across his face. His clear, bright eyes were fixed on me without blinking."Benjamin!" I threw my arms around him and clutched the back of his shirt. "I knew it. I knew you'd find me."He held me just as tightly, his arms trembling. "That's right. I found you."He lowered his head and rested his forehead against mine. "Six years ago, I couldn't find you. Six years later, I did."I nodded through my tears and reached up to touch his face.He was real. This was not a dream I had conjured up after being locked away for too long.He let go of me and looked carefully at my face, then at the wound on the back of my hand. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"I shook my head. "I'm fine."I glanced back toward