Chapter 5: Misunderstandings

Shannon woke up in yet another unfamiliar setting, her body sore and a throbbing pain between her thighs. Sitting up abruptly, she glanced around the room, memories of passionate sex flooding her mind. The room suddenly felt warm, her cheeks flushing as vivid recollections played out like scenes from an adult video. She slapped her face with her palms, trying to snap out of it and regain her composure.

The room was kind of dim, with the curtains shut tight, so she couldn't really tell what time it was. It had this big, open vibe, keeping it real minimalist with just the basics in terms of decoration and furniture. The walls of the room were dark gray and there was this artsy little lamp on the bedside table that looked like it was straight out of a designer's workshop, not some store-bought stuff. And there was this huge black and white painting hanging on the wall across from the bed. At first, it simply looked like a close-up face of a woman who was sensually touching her neck, but when she squinted in the low light, she realized there was way more to it. It must be some sort of mixed media that the pattern of the hand was different from the details on the face. What’s more stunning were the eyes, its details were so intricate that it looked like a million stars were inside its irises showing how vast a person's eye can be. It was a very beautiful painting. It wasn’t imposing on the first look but upon staring at it closely, it gets more enticing. 

At the end of the wall, there was this doorway that probably led to the walk-in closet and bathroom, the same one where Ezra had helped her bathe. She was dead tired, practically drifting off to sleep, but she managed to stay alert last night, still keeping an eye on her surroundings.

Heat crept into her cheeks again as she recalled the sensation of someone else washing her. Even though Ezra had mentioned it wasn't his first time caring for her like that, for her, it was a whole new experience. She still couldn't quite grasp why she was feeling so brazen at a moment like this. Virginity was supposed to be this sacred thing, so why had it felt so effortless for her to let it slip away?

Then she couldn't help but remember how Ezra seemed almost god-like, with those piercing silver eyes, his soft, attractive hair, that chiseled body, and that masculine scent... Any woman would probably lose their mind over someone like him. And not to forget, he was seriously gifted in certain departments. The ache between her legs was a reminder, and she could still feel the intensity of him thrusting into her over and over with his, well, impressive member. Her whole body tingled with heat as she recalled how he brought her to orgasm for the first time. It had been mind-blowing, and now she found herself craving it again.

Shannon shook her head, trying to push aside those thoughts and focus on the present situation. She was getting way too distracted by memories of her first time.

"So, what now?" Shannon muttered to herself.

She had managed to escape from the mansion, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up with her again. She needed a plan, and she needed to involve Ezra in it, no matter what. Despite only meeting him recently, it felt like she'd known him forever because of James. He talked about Ezra and his family constantly, as if they were old friends, but Shannon didn't have that same connection with Ezra, having only met him a few days ago.

How on earth was she going to convince him to help her?

***

The door from his room creaked open barely at 6 am, stirring Ezra from his restless state. He had been in the living room since 4 am, unable to sleep as he pondered over the identity of the woman who had occupied his room during the night.

When Shannon emerged from the room, clad in his oversized shirt, she looked dangerously seductive, her curves accentuated by the white fabric. Ezra nearly choked on his coffee, his anger and confusion almost melting away in that moment. But he shook his head, trying to rein in his lust and focus on the matter at hand.

"You've got some explaining to do," Ezra stated firmly, dropping a stack of papers onto the coffee table. He scrutinized Shannon closely, attempting to decipher any clues from her body language, but found himself getting lost in her attractive body instead. With a hard swallow, he turned away, determined not to be swayed by her any longer.

Shannon limped over to the coffee table, gathering the papers and settling onto the couch across from Ezra. As she sifted through the file, she shook her head in disbelief.

"This isn't true. I've been locked up in the attic for ten years, and if it weren't for James, I would have lost my mind," Shannon insisted, her voice trembling with emotion.

"How am I supposed to believe you?" Ezra retorted skeptically. "You don't have anything in your name except the clothes on your back when you arrived here. There's not a single photo of you anywhere except when you were eleven. So, how am I supposed to trust that you're the real Shannon Christensen? For all I know, you could have just used James to deceive me."

"I... I don't know how to make you believe me," Shannon admitted, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "All I know about you is that your family was once close to James, and you drifted apart after ten years. He hasn't heard anything about your family since their last correspondence."

"Ten years ago, my parents died," Ezra stated bluntly, his tone devoid of emotion.

"So did my father. That's probably why James couldn't go and reconnect with your family because he's been too busy taking care of me," Shannon replied, her voice tinged with sadness.

Ezra stared at Shannon, torn between wanting to believe her and his natural instinct to doubt people. He couldn't just trust her based on this information alone. While his family had indeed been close to James, it had been too long since they'd seen each other, and Ezra was eager to reunite with his old friend.

"Where's James?" he asked, his tone expectant.

"He... he's probably dead," Shannon choked out, her voice thick with emotion.

Ezra narrowed his eyes suspiciously, her answer was the last straw.

"I don't believe you. I'm sorry, but my help ends here. I have serious trust issues, and I don't want to add you to the list," Ezra stated firmly.

He returned Shannon's clothes to her, along with one of his smallest coats to keep her warm and cover her nightgown. He also handed her socks and house slippers, unwilling to let her walk barefoot.

"After you change, I'll drop you off at the bus stop." He announced before getting up from the couch. 

"But I have nowhere to go!" she exclaimed, desperation creeping into her voice as she reached out and grabbed his arm, fear gripping her tightly.

"I don't care," he said sharply, forcefully removing her hand from his arm before striding over to grab his car keys from near the door and heading out.

Shannon's heart sank at his words. She had wanted desperately to convince Ezra, but without any evidence to prove she was the real Shannon Christensen, she felt utterly helpless.

***

They pulled up in front of the bus stop, positioned at the intersection at the bottom of the hill where Ezra's mansion loomed above. Shannon's hands trembled uncontrollably as she sat in the passenger seat, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on her. Despite her efforts, tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over as they left Ezra's place behind them.

Ezra shifted in his seat and pulled out a couple of one hundred dollar bills from his pocket, handing them to Shannon.

"Consider this payment for last night. I don't want you coming back to me. If you do, I'll call the cops and get a restraining order," he said firmly, his tone laced with harshness, leaving no room for negotiation.

Shannon could only nod silently, her emotions too overwhelming for words. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she opened the door and climbed out of Ezra's black Porsche 718 Cayman. The car's color mirrored the darkened sky, adding to the somber atmosphere that enveloped her.

The weather matched her mood as raindrops began to fall around her. She hurried to seek shelter under the bus stop's canopy at the street's intersection.

Though Shannon saw Ezra as heartless, he felt a pang in his chest as soon as she left the car. He berated himself for letting her get close and lowering his guard. He had never wanted emotions to come into play with people, but the way this woman was affecting him made him angrier by the second.

With frustration, he pressed down on the gas pedal and sped away from the bus stop, rain pounding heavily against the car. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he caught a final glimpse of Shannon's small figure huddled under the shelter, shielded from the downpour.

***

"Yo, Ezra, what's up? I thought you were on vacation," Yosef Tooley, the band's drummer, rapped, his hand dancing through the air as if following the beat. "So why the hell are you here?! Trying to rub it in our faces that you've got the luxury to chill while we grind away with these recordings?" As the band's resident clown, he tried to playfully swat Ezra's head, but Ezra had already moved five paces ahead, seemingly unfazed by the gesture.

"What are you, some kind of ninja? Sometimes I swear you're a ghost, the way you move around so quietly and effortlessly," Yosef exclaimed.

"Don't you ever get tired of talking?" Ezra replied dryly.

"Nope, I was born this way. So spill, why are you here?" Yosef persisted, his curiosity piqued.

"I needed to blow off some steam, and this seemed like the only place to do it. There's this tune playing in my head, and I need to get it out before it disappears into the netherworld," Ezra explained, picking up his guitar from the corner of the practice studio and starting to pluck a few chords.

"Oh... I'm intrigued. Why does that sound so sensual and sexy to me? Did you just get lucky?" Yosef teased. "You always start composing songs like this after getting laid! So who's the lucky lady?"

Ezra hadn't even noticed it had become a habit–composing music after a steamy encounter. But this time, it wasn't just about the sex, there was something more to it that he couldn't quite grasp. He felt a mix of betrayal and hopelessness as if he were somehow the villain in the situation.

Shaking his head, he tried to tune out Yosef's chatter as he continued strumming his guitar.

It wasn't until past midnight that he realized how absorbed he'd been, caught up in composing, catching up with his bandmates "The Accord," giving approvals for promotions, and rehearsing new songs, before finally checking his phone.

Opening it up, he found several missed calls and messages from Noah and Kayden.

+3 messages+

8:40 am, Kayden:

I just saw your message about heading to the studio. I'm at the airport, but I'll make my way there right away to drop off the stuff you asked for.

9:30 am, Kayden:

I dropped off the stuff at the front desk, they said you were composing. Let me know if you need anything else.

10:18 pm, Noah:

I've sent you some updated info about Shannon via email. As for James Sycamore, is he someone important to you? It looks like he passed away three days ago.

Upon reading the last message, it felt like a sudden shock of ice-cold water. Ezra wasted no time and immediately dialed Noah's number.

"Noah, what do you mean James is dead? How did it happen?" Ezra demanded urgently.

"It made the news a couple of days ago. The family butler of the Christensens died in an accident. He fell from a three-story ledge and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital," Noah explained.

Ezra was speechless for a moment before he asked, his voice strained with anxiety, "Is there any news about Shannon Christensen?"

"There's something strange going on at the household, Ezra. According to the private investigator, on the day James died, a woman was seen running out of the mansion on several CCTV cameras in the area. She was wearing just a nightgown and was barefoot. I'm not sure if it's related to the butler's death, but if she was involved, shouldn't it be treated as a crime scene and investigated as a possible murder? However, there's been no report of a woman fleeing the household, and the incident wasn't reported to the police. There hasn't been any further investigation," Noah relayed.

"Tell the investigator to dig deeper into the household," Ezra instructed firmly.

"On it. Anything else you need from my end?" Noah asked.

"I'll let you know if there's anything else," Ezra replied before ending the call abruptly. He jumped out of his chair, grabbed his coat, and rushed out the door.

He had to find Shannon.