Chapter 05

AUTHOR'S POV

After scaring the hell out of her and leaving her suspiscious about his real motives, Jackson went back to his seat and buckled up for the landing. He went back to his usual robotic self easily, like nothing happened at all.

His words ' He is far more worse than your father ' were still echoing in her mind, again and again. It was the first time in her life, that Jackson had acted like this with her. The flash of emotions in his eyes for a mere second, were making her feel anxious.

She had been sitting in front of him, staring outside; trying to ignore him as much as possible. There was something bugging her mind...Like the gut feeling she felt, when she opened her apartment's door. Something was telling her, that something huge was coming up her way. It was not like her life was any good, but she had a feeling that her life was about to take a turn for the worst.

The wheels of the private jet, touched the ground of her home country...A place she loved and dreaded at the same time.

It was so funny to her...How she was afraid of everything and everyone she loved or hated.

Just as the plane stopped moving, Jackson got up from his seat, unbuckling his seatbelt and stood at the side, waiting for her to do the same. Tilting her head, she gave him a last look; an observing one. What was it that he had wanted to tell her, in that code words of his? She had known Jackson enough to know, that he had never said anything without having a meaning behind it. But like always, his face didn't betray any of his emotions; as he stood there with his hands folded behind him.

Giving up on her futile attempts, she stood up raising her head with confidence. She knew, she was defeated the moment she stepped on this plane. She was going to be caged forever in a world and a place she hated, but she still had something left in her.

That was her will.

The will to never give up and bow down to anyone, not letting them bring her down; even if he was her own father. Her father had unconsciously ruined her plan of escape from the hell, but she was going to find another way. Even if it meant agreeing to everything her father wants from her, she will do it...She will do it, until she finds a way out of his claws.

Determined to keep herself strong this time and not crumble down to the ground, she moved past Jackson and started going to the exit.

With her first step down the stairs of the jet, she was met with the familiar sight. Two black Rangerovers and one black Audi with tinted windows, was waiting for her. Moving down with confidence and hiding her real self with the same facade she had learned to cast over her, she moved to the Audi in the center. All the guards standing beside the car, bowed their heads down in respect or more like fear of her father.

As she sat down in the car, Jackson followed her shortly and sat down on her other side; just to make sure she doesn't attempt something funny like she had done numerous times in the past, only to be met with grave consequences.

The cars took a turn and started moving to their destination. Gulping down her fear and nervousness with the saliva, she looked outside the window. Everything still looked the same...The only one who had changed was her.

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The cars slowed as they approached a huge gate made of gold bars, which opened automaticaly. Ana raised her head shaking her thoughts and looked up at the mansion in front of her.

It was a huge castle like mansions. They were driving smoothly through a long driveway around a fountain, which stood proudly in the middle. The whole place was surrounded with people, wearing black suits. They were guards, the prying eyes.

Nostalgic...was all she felt being here.

“ Home ” Whispering to herself in a trance, Ana missed the side look Jackson gave her, after hearing what she said.

She was lost in her own world...

The world in her mind...

The world of memories, which was cruel...

As the cars stopped, someone hurriedly opened her side of door and she stepped out in a trance. She felt like, she was floating on air. Unconsiously, her eyes went to yard beside the pool, over which there was a huge balcony.

Her breath hitched standing frozen on her place. Everyone's heads were bowed low in her respect and they failed to notice the expressions that crossed her face in a flash except for Jackson who saw everything; he knew everything.

Her eyes were refusing to move from that particular place, as an image flashed in front of her eyes.

In that second, she saw the flash of memories again. It was raining heavily and a body was laying on the ground at the exact place, with blood covering the whole space; gushing out from the body, as rain poured hard, washing everything away...

The blood

The truth

The emotions

Everything...

It was hard to breath again and her hand instinctively went to her throat to claw away the hands, that were holding her breath, but there was nothing.

Someone placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped up from her place, breathing heavily.

She looked around herself. There was nothing there. The day was clear so was the ground and everything around her. No one was holding her throat either, but the sensation was still there...The sensation, she had felt for years and she was probably going to feel it for the rest of her life.

“ Everyone is watching! ” Jackson leaned a little towards her and stated in a low voice, conscious of not letting anyone hear it.

Gulping to pull herself together, Ana turned towards Jackson, who was still looking at her. Her face was pale, indicating that she was not feeling well, but he ignored it. Jackson's eyes travelled to her hands, that were slightly shaking. Noticing his stare at her hands, she clenched them together and started moving away from him.

Something was urging her to look back at that specific spot again but she resisted that urge. It was not going to do her any good. She didn't wanted to go down the memory lane at all...It was not good there.

As Ana stepped inside the house in a rush ignoring everyone who showed her their fake respect, she met with no one to welcome her to her so-called home. A bitter smirk made it's way up her face and she stood at the entrance, looking around for a second.

Everything was still same here...The golden magnificient chandeliers hanging by the ceiling...The red carpets covering the stairs, that went up on both way, leading to the upper floor...The luxurious paintings hanged on the walls...Everything seemed luxurious and perfect as always...Just like it should be in the house of a Billionaire.

“ You should go to your room and rest for a while! You will have to join your family for a dinner shortly...” Jackson stated from behind her, making her nod to herself.

Taking steps towards the stairs which were going to lead her to the upper floor where her room was, she tried her hardest to not think of anything at all. Being here, the only thing she was going to do, was to avoid herself...Avoid any contact with her inner self...

“ Sir! Boss has called you to the headquarters immediately! ” Ana stopped in her track, when someone adressed Jackson behind her in a hurried and huffing voice.

Turning around, she saw a guard standing in front of Jackson, with his face going red.

Jackson gave Ana a side look, “ What happened? ” The guard gulped, as Jackson inquired from him.

Ana frowned at his condition. It looked like, he had seen a ghost.

The guard glanced at Ana and bowed his head a little.

“ Beast trespassed our headquarters and kil-killed Jacob! ” Shaking slightly, the guard informed Jackson whose eyes went wide along with Ana.

Jacob? Was not he the son of her father's partner Arnold? Beast killed him? Ana frowned with wide eyes.

The guard stole an uncomfortable glance at Ana again, which made her frown deepened. Jackson noticed this too, so he glared at the guard.

“ What else? ” Jackson knew this was not all. Something else had happened for William to call him like this. It was not like William Adams would have cared for the death of his Partner's son.

The guard stole another glance in Ana's direction, who was watching everything with burning curosity, but his constant glances were creeping her out.

“ Beast l-left a note that made Boss furious...” The guard trailed off and Jackson impatiently stepped closer to the guard, imtimidating him with his scary expressions.

“ What did the note said? ” Despite his annoyance, Jackson's voice was still calm and collectice. He was treading on thin ice right now and Ana could see right through him. Something was wrong here...Her mind was telling her that something was extremely wrong.

Clenching her hands in her fist, she anticipated the guard's next words.

“ The note st-stated ' I am coming to get your most precious possession soon, William Adams ' ” Stuttering, the guard repeated the same words, he had first read on the note, that he found by Jacob's mutilated body. He was killed in a way, which had shooked him up.

All his fingers were severed and placed smootly beside his fingerless hands in a way they would have naturally connected to his hands...

His eyes were gone from his eye sockets and they couldn't find them...

His head was bashed several times, to the point; he was almost unrecognizable...

A shiver ran up the guard's spine, reminiscising the horrible sight, that he was never going to forget.

Stepping away from the guard, Jackson turned his head to stare at Ana, who still looked confused.

“ What? ” Shrugging her shoulders, Ana asked Jackson, finding him looking at her, with the serious look in his eyes. Why was he looking at her?

“ It's you! ” Jackson muttered to himself, which didn't go unheard by Ana, who was standing just at a little distance from him. The guard knowingly bowed his head down.

“ What's me? ” Ana pointed a finger to herself confusedly, getting uncomfortable under Jackson's piercing eyes.

Sighing, Jackson strolled towards her, stopping just a few inches away; staring directly in her eyes.

“ William Adams's most precious possession is... ” Jackson stopped midway to observe Ana's confused expressions. She looked too oblivious standing there. He wondered if he should tell her or not.

“ ...His eldest daughter Anastasia Adams! ” He completed the sentence and looked down, missing the look of disbelief and shock on Ana's face.