Chapter 7

Rose struggled to open her eyes, as she woke with stretching and yawning, it was the start of a new day, a new life. One that she hadn't planned for or took out time to deliberate upon. She'd have to learn all that she needed to with the decision already made.  

As she sat up, still  half awake, she noticed a difference to the room where she was. The walls were painted with a different color, the desk, tge doors and windows. She looked down at where she lay and noticed the bedsheets were also different.  There was something familiar  about where she was. This was the room where she had her bath, the previous night.  This was the room he showed her before he suggested they sleep together In his.  

She began to wonder how she got from his room to this one. Rose wasn't a light sleeper, although  she was obviously tired from the activities of the previous day. The busyness of that day had sapped all the energy from her. But still how was she carried From one rooi into another without waking up.

As she turned to the other side, trying to sit sideways on the bed to see if she could recall, anything from the previous night apart from all that transpired before her sleep. She couldn't put her head around how she ended up in the room and not his. 

As she sat up, driving her hands through her hair, making it fall on her neck in curly tangles.She had fixed it into a bun the night before, but it wasn't looking like half of what it had been previously. 

Rose noticed a note folded in a way that it stood in half on the table just behind the bed. 

It was a note from Sebastian.

" Good afternoon my dear Rose" "afternoon?" Rose exclaimed with her eyes wide open, as she reached for her phone. It was really noon, half an hour past the hour of two. She felt a flush of embarssment ad disgust for herself flow through her. Even as a student with more work load and undeniable stress, she never slept until noon, even when there was nothing to do, and no schedule whatsoever.

Removing her eyes from her phone, she looked back at the note and continued reading.

" I Know you must be tired, and I guessed this was the time you'd be waking up" , so I made everything ready for you when you eventually wake up".  When you're ready, everything is at your disposal, I'll be back tonight from work, and we'll have some time to spend together".     

"It wasn't a mistake to choose you, still thank you for choosing me".  "Sebastian"

She looked away from the note, and said out loud. "She didn't mention anything about how I got to this room". "I guess I'm not supposed to think much of it, '' she said, getting up from the bed where she sat. 

There was also a way he ended all of his sentences, in a weird way. The previous night was. "We have all the time we need '' and now thank you for choosing me, "it wasn't a mistake to choose you"..   She shrugged absentmindedly, and walked towards the bathroom.

Rose wasn't going to let her paranoid self dictate what she believed in, especially about a person that has done nothing but help her in all the ways anyone could.  Right after the death of her father, she decided only to be positive and pessimistic, as she saw and experienced the struggle he went through, and still he ended up dying.   

She had blamed herself for his Death, because he had to work extra jobs when she was admitted into Chesterfield college.  The new job cost him his life.  Rose had lived with that guilt for years,  but she decided to let it go. 

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she headed out of her room, walking through the long hallways, towards the living area. It was the first time she would be in Sebastian's Mansion. Even though she suggested that she visit since they were going to get married, he insisted on hotels and rented apartments for his meetings with her, lasting only for a few hours.  

Sebastian, as she had noticed, was a man that didn't compromise, all that they were and now are his plans, suggestions and ideas. This made her almost all the time tense and worried.

No matter how much she tried to believe that he was her guardian angel, she always felt indebted and at the mercy of this man that she had married.

She used to be confident and bold, very outspoken, but for the past few weeks everything that she thought she was seemed to be lost, especially in Sebastian's presence. He never forced her to do his bidding, buy something about his mein, was uncompromisingly compelling.

As she walked through the halls, she couldn't help but notice the sophistication of every single detail, 

The gigantic pillars and exoticness of the furniture. She also noticed that the Mansion was quiet. She could barely hear the sounds of vehicles or the busyness of the city. 

Rose came to a halt, as she noticed the dining hall, specially decorated , as she approached the table she could see all kinds of food and fruits drinks and desserts.   She noticed a note on the table and it read.

"I didn't know what you like to eat for breakfast, so I got you everything", enjoy". 

Her heart fluttered and she couldn't help but blush as she smiled at the note. 

"I'm definitely going to take some pictures," she said out loud. As she reached for her pocket, she remembered that she left it on the bed In her room.

She headed back to retrieve it, but then noticed the beauty and serenity of the compound from the windows. As she approached the door, reaching out to the knob, she squeezed it open but  there was no response.  Reluctantly she tried another door, squeezing the handle, but nothing happened.

Suddenly she heard a voice from behind her.

"Rose ma'am" the voice echoed.

She turned in shock to see who it was. It was a woman, it looked like she was in her early sixties. 

"Hello" , Rose Said, her voice trembling from shock.  "I didn't see you there"

The woman responded, as though she didn't hear Rose. " I'm sorry, but you can't go out".