Bond

Chapter 2.

Bella's pov.

I woke up only to meet the strange environment pictures in my head, accompanied by this terrible headache and tones of echoes ringing in my head. Using my hands to support my head, I looked around. I tried to sit up on the bed but then I discovered my hands and had been tired up to some limitations. Blinking several times, I tried to remember what had happened, but my mind was blank.

I took a deep breath and tried to sit up, but my hands and feet were tied to the bed frame. Panic set in as I struggled to free myself. The door creaked open, and a man walked in, his face obscured by the shadows.

"Well, well, well, Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," the man said in a smooth, silky voice.

"Who are you, and why am I here?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

The man chuckled. He knew I had forgotten the entire scene. That was what he wanted because he didn't want to live with the guilt of attacking me. "Now, now, no need to be rude. I'm Mat, and you, my dear, are my guest for the foreseeable future."

"Oh really? A Guest? I'm a prisoner, you kidnapped me!" I exclaimed, trying to break free from her restraints.

Mat simply smirked at her. "I prefer to think of it as a temporary arrangement."

I disregarded what he has to say and then tried to make him have some little fear in him, "am sure you know my father is wealthy and with that wealth, he can recruit the whole security personnel in this state. It's only a matter of time before you cut it better if you let me go at this junction" I said and he smiled. And then suddenly Mat's expression turned cold. "I wouldn't count on that if I were you. You are in my world now, and in my world, things work a little differently. Even if your family knows that you are here, I can assure you that they won't be here."

His words made me realize that things do work differently indeed. I should have been found by now but here I am. Tears flow like waterfalls from my eye. I tried to conceal them but I couldn't just help it, I realized that Mat must be the so supreme violent mafia lord as he is portrayed in the community might even be more than that.

I looked around and saw the dish on the table, then I had the bluey vision of me being dragged into the car in the dark of the night, the vision of me spending time laying in the bed in the room and it dawned on me that I have spent a lot of time in this room. I pointed to the dish on the table and ask, "Did I eat that"

“I believe so. I brought it for you last night, so you must have eaten it out of hunger." Mat said, but this time, he didn't smile. He realized that I had remembered something.

"I must be such a fool to do that. Does that has anything to do with the blurry visions and memories am having?" I said looking at him trying to see if I can get any hint from his demeanor even if he said nothing.

To my surprise, there was no change in his face and he said nothing, "You drugged! e and ! made me forget everything? You are such a devil" I added immediately.

"You don't need to get yourself worked up. I only added sedatives to the food because I knew you won't sleep and you might get dark circles. I don't want your beautiful face to be disfigured by the dark circles." Mat replied calmly. Half of what he said was true and the other half were lies.

“Why would you care? Why..." I stopped midway when I felt a sharp pain in my throat. He walked closer to me with looks of concern on his face, they looked genuine but to me, they seem fake, I stretched out my hand and gestured a stop signal to him but he does not seem to be the type of person that follows protocols as he kept walking towards me.

"Seems you have enough blood to bleed again tonight," I said trying to sound more daring. His face brims up as he wears a smirk that seems genuine this time, he walked towards me and tried to help me up.

And just at that moment my stomach made its usual sound, "Let's get you cleaned up and get you some food. Seems your stomach speaks for you" he said and then he helped me up.

I hesitated for a moment, but the rumbling of my stomach convinced me to follow him. I had to stay strong and wait for an opportunity to escape. As we walked down the hallway, I took the opportunity to take in my surroundings. The mansion was huge, with ornate decorations and expensive-looking furniture. However, I could also see signs of neglect, as if the place had been abandoned for a long time before being occupied again.

Mat led me to a large room with a table set for two, and I couldn't help but wonder who the other person was. Mat poured two glasses of wine and gestured for me to sit down.

"Please, eat. I promise it's not poisoned," he said with a wry smile.

I hesitated for a moment before taking a bite of the pasta in front of me. It was delicious, and I couldn't help but wonder how someone like Mat had access to such high-quality food.

As we ate in silence, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Mat was being civil, almost charming, but I knew better than to let my guard down, I have to find a way to escape this pleasing torment. After the meal Mat offered to show me around the vicinity as he noticed that I am curious about the environment, "this could be my shot of knowing my way in and out of this prison" I said to myself as I accepted his offer.

Looking around I noticed that The mansion is a sprawling, three-story building made of stone and brick, with a grand entrance guarded by two burly men armed with guns. Looking around the house I noticed that it is more guarded than the presidential house would have been. Mar must have more men at his side and father is no match for him, I still have my hopes high with my escape plans.

In the building, his office was located on the first floor which is only accessible to a few of his men, and the hallway was heavily guarded. I noticed through the voyage the only place less guarded is the kitchen and that is my only ticket out.

After we are done with the tour without saying anything to each other, Mat led me back to my room and locked the door behind me. I waited for a few minutes before trying to implement my escape plan. This time, I managed to untie herself from the bed and made my way to the door, but just as I was about to turn the doorknob, the door flew open, and Mat stood in front of me, blocking my way. It seems as if I have been placed under watch and he has been waiting for me to make my move so he can make this show of himself.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you," Mat said, his voice cold and menacing.

I took a step back, my heart pounding in her chest. "Why are you doing this to me? What do you want from me?" I asked, her voice shaking with fear.

Mat's expression softened for a moment, and he took a step closer to me. "I'm sorry, Bella. I can't tell you why I'm doing this. But I promise you, you'll be safe here. And I'll make sure you're taken care of."

I narrowed my eyes, not trusting a word he said. "You're a liar. You kidnapped me, and you're keeping me here against my will. That's not taking care of me. My dad will be so worried about me that my friends won't stop weeping. What do we do about them?"

Mat sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know you don't trust me, and I don't blame you. But please, just give me a chance to prove to you that I'm not your enemy."

I shook her head. "I don't want anything to do with you. Let me go, and I won't tell anyone about this."

Mat's eyes hardened, and he took a step closer to her, his hand reaching out to touch her face. Bella flinched away from him, but he grabbed her by the shoulders, his grip tight.

"You're not going anywhere, Bella. You're mine now, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you here. Don't make me do something we'll both regret."

I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. I felt helpless and alone, trapped in this mansion with a man who was capable of anything.

Days came after days, and I tried to escape several times, but each time, Mat caught me before I can get away. He never hurt me in any way, but he made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to do so if I tried to attack him again.

Despite my fear and desperation, I start to notice something strange about Mat. He was kind to me, almost caring, but he also seemed to be haunted by something, something that he couldn't talk about. I wondered if there was more to him than met the eye.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore then I asked him. "Mat, why are you doing this? Why did you kidnap me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Mat's expression turned serious, and he sat down next to her on the bed. "I can't tell you everything, Bella. But I can tell you this. I had no choice."