ADIRA

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I screamed into the plush fabric of the pillow, my muffled screams filled with unrestrained frustration. Screaming out loud was a moment of catharsis—one I desperately needed right now.

As I raised my head, I glanced around the room, trying to process my new reality. The bright and airy ambiance of the room was a stark contrast to the dark, claustrophobic space I stayed in the previous night. When I woke up in this unfamiliar room, the sun had barely risen with soft light peeking through the gauzy cream curtains. As beautiful as the vibrant gold and blue décor looked, it still served as a cruel reminder of the freedom I’d just lost.

“Well, at least he had the good sense to give me a room with windows,” I muttered sarcastically to myself with an eye roll.

Not that it matters if you can’t go home, my brain reminded me.

“Home,” I whispered, the word leaving a sour taste in my mouth. A pang of longing hit me as I thought of my family—the same ones I couldn’t wait to escape before now. The irony doesn’t escape me.

I sighed aloud. I really needed to call Pen and my parents. As I thought about how worried Mama will be if I don’t call her within the day, my heart began to race, but as I started searching for my phone, panic set in.

After ten futile minutes of rummaging through the drawers and checking under the bed, I came to a depressing conclusion: I probably lost it during the messy shootout at the club.

Great. Just great. How am I going to contact my family now? I groaned, flopping back onto the bed. And I’m sure the devil downstairs will never hand over his to me. Ugh!

Determined to find a way to escape this place, I approached the window, peering out into the expansive grounds of the mansion to see if it was possible to use a makeshift blanket rope of some sort to climb out.

My heart sank when I spotted several guards, patrolling the perimeter, their stern faces and watchful eyes sending chills down my spine.

One of them even gave me a cheeky wave,

“Perfect. So much for my daring escape plan.” I muttered under my breath, waving at the man in defeat.

With a resigned huff, I moved to the bathroom to take a quick shower, hoping the hot water would cleanse away the latest nightmares I’ve experienced so far.

Standing under the cascade of hot water, I contemplated my grim situation. “I could always charm my way out of here,” I mused, a wry smile creeping onto my lips.

I am pretty charming, if I do say so myself. At least, I like to think so. I chuckled at the absurdity of my own thoughts. Ha, I couldn’t even charm a happy baby if I was offered a profitable investment partner in exchange.

When I was done showering, I wrapped myself in a towel I found in the bathroom cupboard and stepped out. Moving towards the large walk-in closet, I took a glance at the arranged pile of clothes Andronikos had purchased for me.

“What the heck?” I exclaimed, holding up a black bra and matching panties that were my exact size.

I don’t if I should be impressed or freaked-out that he got my size to a T. I mean, did he measure me when I was sleeping or something?

Shaking my head in disbelief, a mix of irritation and a feeling I refuse to acknowledge bubbling within me, I got dress in a casual outfit that was surprisingly stylish and comfortable. Immediately I stepped out of the room, I was greeted with the sight of Iason, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his expression a mix of annoyance and indifference.

“Just my luck,” I muttered aloud, giving him a side eye.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying but failing miserably at sounding casual.

“I was ordered to babysit you,” he replied flatly, not bothering to hide his distaste for me.

Ditto motherfucker, I sneered, I don’t like you too.

“Babysit? Seriously? I don’t need a babysitter!” I exclaimed, raising my voice in exasperation. “I’m not a child!”

“Tell that to the boss not me.” He shot back, his tone unyielding. “And besides, it’s not like you can go anywhere with all those guards stationed outside.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do besides ruining my day?” I shot back, crossing my arms defiantly.

“It’s none of your business whether or not I have something better to do,” he replied with a sneer.

I huffed, frustrated at my predicament.

“This doesn’t make sense! First, you tell me I can’t go back home and now I can’t even take a walk on my own outside? For fucks sake, I’m meant to be on a vacation. A sabbatical, if you even know what that means.”

Iason raised a brow in amusement at my complaints. “And where do you think, you can go to, hmm? This mansion is impenetrable— a perfect fortress to keep Andronikos’ enemies out or in as the case may be.” He said waving a hand in my direction. “You won’t get past the guards. So, you can stop plotting your escape.”

Damn it. How did he figure me out. I guess I’m that transparent, I thought with a resigned sigh.

Still needing to have the last word, I looked up at him. “If you want to challenge me, that wasn’t the best way to go about it.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’m not afraid of a few guards. I’ve faced worse things, trust me.”

“Like what? A bad hair day?” he teased, an annoying smirk on his face.

“Ha-ha, very funny. I almost died of laughter from your joke.” I deadpanned, my annoyance rising to the surface.

His tone suddenly serious, Iason leaned closer, “I’m not here to be your friend, I’m here to make sure you don’t try anything stupid.”

“Great, so now I’m being babysat by a glorified guard dog. How delightful,” I replied, tossing my frizzy curls over my shoulder dramatically.

I really need my hair products ASAP.

“And here I was hoping to make a grand escape, but I guess you’re just going to spoil my plans anyway.”

“Believe me,” he said, voice low, “it’s better you stay where you’re kept—right here in this house. You wouldn’t want to get on Andronikos bad side. At all.”

“I don’t care about his bad side,” I shot back, my frustration palpable. “Just let me go. You don’t even like my presence here and I assure you, I can handle myself.”

“Clearly,” he replied dryly, gesturing to the window where the patrolling guards stood. “And yet, here we are.”

Realizing he wasn’t going to budge, I turned away with a heavy sigh, my thoughts of escape growing more distant by the moment.

“I’m going to my room,” I muttered, feeling more drained than I did this morning.

When I got back to my room, I flopped onto the bed, my mind racing. “What now?” I asked aloud, staring at the ceiling. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, and the weight of my situation bore down heavily on my mind.

I need a plan. A good plan. What if I… No, that won’t work. Or I could just seduce the demon that put me in this situation. You’ve never seduced anything, Adira, I thought sarcastically. Well, there’s always a first time for everything. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door.

“Can you please leave me alone?” I groaned, not really wanting to deal with anyone, least of all, the demon’s hell hound.

“Just making sur you aren’t trying anything stupid,” his annoyingly calm voice said through the door.

“Just go away, Iason. You’ve made your point abundantly clear. I can’t leave this place. Good job” I shouted back with a mock clap, burying my face in the pillow once more and letting out another cathartic scream.

“Suit yourself then,” he laughed, entirely too pleased with my dilemma.

As I lay there, I felt a wave of frustration and boredom wash over me. I’ll just explore this damn mansion to abate the latter cause my frustration isn’t going to disappear anytime soon.

The halls of the mansion were expensively designed but yet had a homey feel to them. The juxtaposition of the two styles was a feat rarely accomplished by most interior designers and I had to reluctantly appreciate it. I looked through the lavishly decorated rooms, each one more beautiful than the last but unfurnished, until I stumble upon a soft pink room at the other end of the mansion. It was like stepping into a cotton candy dream.

The walls were adorned with delicate floral patterns, and plush neon pink cushions littered the bedroom floor.

“Wow, this is so… pink,” I said to myself, stepping inside with a horrified but amazed look on my face. I had begun to imagine what sort of unicorn puke sesh happened here when suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Before I could react, Andronikos burst through the door, his face a mask of anger.

“What are you doing in this room?” he shouted, catching me off guard.

“Um, just enjoying the décor?” I replied, feigning innocence. I figured, by his reaction, I probably wasn’t meant to be here but I just hoped he won’t take it too seriously.

“Get. Out!” he barked, enunciating each word. My heart sank to my stomach at his deadly tone.

“Wow, thanks for the warm welcome,” I muttered, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment and rage. Huffing in frustration, I turned on my heel, my heavy heart oddly weighing me down, and walked away. I’ve had enough of his bullshit. I didn’t need his permission or his attitude; I could do whatever the hell I want—including exploring a pink room, the equivalent of a unicorn’s shit house.

As I stepped back into the hallway, I realized that maybe it was time to stop letting him treat me like a doormat. Yes, he might kill me one day for my defiance, but I’m Adira and I’m not going to let anyone, especially not that demon, dull my sparkle.