Chapter 8: Calantha's Escape Plan

The driver was waiting outside, Asher and Calantha entered the car, and the driver immediately took them to Asher’s private mansion, Rosé.

As soon as the car rolled, Asher rushed toward Calantha, wanting to kiss her. Calantha panicked, pushing him out instinctively.

“What’s the matter, are you afraid? Don’t worry, the driver can’t know what we’re doing right now,” Asher said in a charming low voice, pointing toward the glass that separated the two rows of seats in the car.

Calantha said nothing, she turned away from Asher’s gaze.

He felt ‘Selena‘ out of the ordinary, but only thought she was shy. Selena has always avoided being intimate with him in a crowded place. At first, Asher wasn’t happy about Selena’s attitude. She had to explain to him she would only be intimate with her husband. Gradually, Asher got used to it.

But that did not mean he did not feel insecure.

He wondered many times if Selena loved him or not, or if it was all because of their childhood engagement?

But for once, he felt that she loved him, too. That Masquerade Ballroom Dancing Party, ‘Selena’ didn’t refuse his kiss.

Today, they gave the wedding ring and became each other’s life partner, Asher did not want to wait any longer. He stared at Calantha, found her ears flushed. Asher smiled, graciously kissed her forehead. He said,

“This is the last time.”

After that, he sat down seriously. Calantha did not know what “last time” Asher was talking about, but she felt lucky that he stopped.

Calantha adjusted her dress, sat straight on her back, put her hands on her thighs, and stared at the cloudy glass.

They could not maintain this seriousness for over five minutes. Asher took Calantha’s hand, kissing it through the white bridal glove. Calantha felt uncomfortable, but she dared not ask Asher to stop doing it, nor to flinch rudely.

Asher repeatedly put kisses on the back of her hand that did not follow any rules. Then he put her hand on his lap and stroked it.

“You’re thin, Selena,” Asher looked at her and remarked.

Asher didn’t hear Calantha’s answer, but he kept saying,

“Why? Because you’re worried about the wedding? I haven’t been able to see you in two weeks. I miss you so much!”

Asher’s intimate words made Calantha’s heart beat faster.

It’s hard for her to calm down when she listened to them.

Calantha had enjoyed none romantic relationship with anyone, the work that had taken up her time.

This was her first time.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” Asher asked again.

“Selena, you have become my wife, mine,” Asher looked at her with keen eyes like a hunter.

…

Rosé was in a private forest in the suburbs. The fresh air here was a luxury for those who lived in the city.

Asher took Calantha’s hand, stepped out of the car, and opened the mansion’s gate.

When Calantha realized that no one else was in the mansion, she thought, “It’s good, It makes the plan easier.”

Calantha’s escape plan came up on her own. It’s sad that Selena didn’t tell her about Rosé except for its name, because she didn’t know it herself. Selena and Layla were too busy to come up with the perfect plan with her. They only have private drivers waiting for her at a certain location.

So, whether her plan’s success depended entirely on the luck she had.

Rosé was designed in the style of classical architecture, stunning and magnificent. Despite her lifetime of hard work, Calantha could not own a mansion like Rosé.

“This is my private mansion. You must want to see it too, don’t you? But leave it later, now let’s go up to the room,” Asher held her hand, came close to her ear, said. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

Calantha shuddered, she wanted to avoid him, but Asher’s muscular hand stopped her. For the first time, Calantha understood the feeling of “not being able to run away”, but it was not as desperate as she had once assumed. It aroused her as if she were a little animal captured by the hunter. But the little animal knew the hunter would not harm it but give it special surprises.

Calantha nodded, following Asher into his room.

As soon as they entered the room, Asher closed the door, and forced her against the wall and kissed.

Calantha couldn’t react to Asher’s actions. When she understood what had happened, Asher ended the kiss and cuddled her neck with his mouth.

“Asher,” Calantha called.

“Yes, mine,” replied Asher seductively.

“Is there wine or not?” She asked .

Asher raised his head, looking into her eyes, “For what? I don’t think we need wine to make this night more memorable.”

Calantha looked steadfastly at Asher. And just two seconds later, he gave up, “All right, I’ll go downstairs and get the wine.”

He said and did it right away. When he went down to the kitchen, he got a phone call from his assistant, Henry.

“What good news for today,” Asher gritted his teeth, said and hanging up.

When Asher returned to the room, Calantha had changed into a yellow duck patterned pyjama. Asher put two glasses of wine down on the only table in the room, and Calantha also thought how she could pour the sleeping pills she had into Asher’s glass.

“Selena,” Asher called.

“Yes.”

“I’ll change clothes and take a shower in the next room,” he announced and then immediately left the room.

His rapid attitude change puzzled Calantha, but she didn’t want to miss the chance. Calantha locked the door, pulled out a sleeping pill from the chest groove, and put it in a glass.

The pill fell into the wine, a little foam appeared at the bottom of the glass.

“It looks like a chemical reaction,” Calantha thought.

The driver Selena hired was outside Asher’s private woods, waiting for her. According to what Selena had agreed with her, the driver would leave in the middle of the night. If Calantha could not get out before midnight, he would leave to avoid Asher’s suspicions.

Calantha unlocked the door and sat in the chair, waiting for Asher.

Asher walked into the room and saw Calantha sipping wine.

He held the glass of wine, cheering with her, and drank half of the wine in the glass. Calantha looked at his actions. As he put down his drink, Calantha wondered, “When are the medicinal properties going to work?”

“This wine smells strange,” Asher remarked and sat down on the chair. “Stop drinking, it had gone bad.”

Asher did nothing after. Just two minutes later, he rested his face on his hand, closing his eyes.

Calantha smiled, calling “Asher, Asher..”

Nobody answers.

Calantha hurriedly fled, but she found that the large door of the mansion was locked.

“No way,” Calantha whispered.

“Where are you going?” Asher’s voice freaked her out.

He stood in the hallway, leaning against the railing, looking at Calantha sarcastically.

Calantha couldn’t believe what she saw, “What? But the drug…”

“The door is locked, Selena. Want to get the keys?”

Calantha nodded, watching him in panic. He walked down the stairs slowly, getting close to her.

“Where’s Selena?” Asher said angrily.