Chapter 5

•Evangeline•

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I don't know where I was. I don't know any of these people. I have been sitting in this room alone in the corner after the maids bathed me, they tried to get me to eat something but I couldn't. All I could think about was my parent's dead bodies, their dead eyes staring at me emotionlessly. Bile rose to my throat; I wanted to throw up; food was the least of my concerns right now.

All day long a lot of questions have been running through my mind. I needed answers, I needed someone to talk to. I needed to see my parents again. They deserve a funeral and proper burial and a final goodbye that I never got a chance to say.

There were a lot of people in this house, mostly, servants. They couldn't have the answers to my questions. I needed to talk to the woman who brought me here, what was her name? Bianca? That's what she told me.

I needed to know who they were. What do they want from me? Why am I here? What happened to my parents? Who killed them? What will happen to me? What are they going to do to me?

An unexpected wail bubbled up from my chest as I thought about my parents again. We had so many plans... I sobbed even more as I realized that we will never get the chance to be a normal family.

I miss them...

I miss them so much...

A knock on my bedroom door startled me, I wiped my tears away immediately and croaked out a rough come in. The same maid re-entered my room with a tray full of food. Her face contorted with pity as she approached me.

"I'm not hungry..." I whispered

I pulled my knees to my chest and dropped my head over them. I didn't feel like doing anything, a certain weight had settled on my chest. I felt like I was drowning.

"You need to eat."

I shook my head. "I can't... I just can't... I told you I'm not hungry."

Another knock startled us, I looked towards the door, and the same woman who had brought me here entered. I don't know why, but after seeing her, relief washed over me.

"Hey..." she smiled at me.

"Hi..." I answered

She nodded at the maid and the maid nodded back at her before she walked out of the bedroom. She approached me and settled down beside me.

"Eat," she said gently.

I looked between her and the tray full of food. I shook my head, telling her that I couldn't.

She sighed, her voice soft. "Why, Evangeline?"

I swallowed hard. "Who are you?"

"I’m Bianca, like I said. We’re here to help you. We won’t hurt you. But you need to eat, or Boss won’t be happy."

My stomach churned as I recalled the imposing, tattooed man. "Boss?"

"Yes, Nikolai Costello. This is his place. He wants to see you in his study after you’ve eaten."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back tears. "I don’t want to eat..."

She gently placed her hand on my knee. "Why not?"

My lower lip trembled, and my voice cracked. "I miss my parents..."

"Evangeline..." she sighed. "Your parents are gone, they are never coming back. Now you need to pull on your big girl panties and try to learn how to live without them" she picked up a bowl of soup from the tray and offered it to me. "Eat..."

"I have never had a meal without my parents... We always used to eat together..."

"I'll eat with you, will that make you feel better?"

I nodded and reluctantly took the bowl of soup from her hand, she sat there and shared a meal with me. After we were done, she stood up and offered me her hand.

"Come on, you need to go see Nikolai."

"Nikolai?"

"Yeah, come on."

I placed my hand in hers and stood up. I smoothed my dress and my hair and rubbed my eyes to get rid of the tears. She strolled out of the bedroom and I followed her silently. We stopped outside a large wooden door and Bianca turned to me.

"He's inside, keep your eyes on the ground and honestly answer any question he asks, alright?"

I nodded. "Okay..."

My legs trembled and my breathing got shallow. I don't know why I was so scared, no one here has hurt me. They all have been nice to me and whoever Nikolai was, I hope he was as nice as Bianca.

She gestured for me to go on inside. I looked at her alarmed. "You are not coming with me?"

She shook her head. "No, now go on," she pushed me towards the large wooden door.

With trembling hand, I turned the doorknob and the door opened. I held my breath as I walked in. I know Bianca told me to keep my gaze on the ground but curiosity got the best of me as I looked up at him. Fortunately, his back was facing me, I immediately dropped my gaze back to my toes.

I stood rooted next to the closed door, I could hear him pouring a drink. I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable, and so alone. My father's words rang in my mind on a loop.

The world is a dangerous place for someone as innocent as you, Evangeline.

A strange fear crept over me, maybe it was because of what my parents had told me all my life. What if all these people are nice and I'm making a big deal out of nothing? But the fear overpowered every other emotion and goosebumps crept over my back. I thought that if I moved, he would eat me alive.

The atmosphere of the room didn't really help my situation either. The thick curtains were drawn, and the room was dimly lit.

I made the mistake of looking at him one more time and my breath hitched as my eyes met his. For some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

He was leaning against his desk, facing me, a drink in his hand. He emptied the glass tumbler in a single go without taking his eyes off me. His eyes raked up and down all over me like he was studying me like I was not human but an odd creature that had caught his attention.

He placed the glass back on his desk and put his hands in his pockets, he was still leaning over his desk, his long legs stretched.

His dark black hair was tousled, he was wearing an all-black outfit. A black dress shirt, a black vest, black slacks, and a black suit jacket. His first few buttons were unbuttoned and I got a glimpse of the black ink that was also covering the back of his hands. I could imagine tattoos covering his entire body.

He stood straight, and instinctively I took a step back. I suddenly noticed how tall he was that if I stepped closer to him I'd only reach his chest.

"Are you just going to stand there?" he said.

My insides twisted with terror, leaving me frozen in place.

"Come closer," he ordered, his voice sharp, as if he enjoyed watching me squirm.

I remembered that Bianca told me to listen to his every order and answer his every question honestly. I braced myself and walked to him, halting when I was only two steps away from him.

He breathed out softly, appraising me up and down once again. "What is your name?"

"Evangeline Bolton" I answered

"And Elijah and Mary were your...?"

I swallowed. "My parents..."

"How old are you?"

"I turned eighteen last month."

Answer every single question honestly, Evangeline.

"Hm..." a deep masculine hum that was enough to scare me even more if that was possible. "I have known Elijah Bolton since I was born... he never mentioned you. I have been to his house a few times and I never saw you there before..."

My mouth dropped open, my heartbeat got erratic; I breathed in to calm my nerves.

How do I tell someone that I have spent my entire life locked up in a bedroom and I was only allowed to go outside of my bedroom when it was time for me to eat?

He took a step toward me and that made me step back instinctively. I looked at him through my lashes and saw his face. His expressions were hard to read but he looked almost amused, and I think I saw a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked around me in circles. His even strides reminded me of something, he looked like an animal, I have read about it and seen it on TV. He was stalking around me the way tigers do before they pounce on their prey and then devour them alive.

I swallowed as I felt like defenseless prey.

"Are you lying to me, Evangeline?" he asked, still moving around me.

I shook my head immediately. "No, no, I'm not"

He chuckled, the sound of his laugh made my skin crawl with fear. "I think you are... Elijah Bolton did not have a child. I don't like liars, Evangeline. Do you know what I do with liars?" he asked

I shook my head. "No..." my voice barely above a whisper.

He stopped behind me, I could feel the heat of his body creeping onto my back. "I punish them... very badly" he whispered in my ear from behind and my whole body visibly trembled.

My insides twisted with anxiety and fear, my eyes burned with tears, I kept them in but I could no longer control my hands; they were shaking in an odd trembling rhythm.

All I could hear were my dad's words — The world is a dangerous place and you are easy prey, Evangeline. You are innocent and naive and you lack physical strength. This world will chew you alive.

He was right.

Dad was right.

The tears I have been holding in slid down my cheeks. "I'm his daughter, I swear. He... he didn't let me leave my room. I have spent my whole life there, I was homeschooled, and the only time I was allowed outside of my bedroom was when we ate together breakfast, lunch, and dinner." I sniffled. "Only three times a day, I promise," I said in a single breath and hastily wiped my tears. "I'm not lying to you, I swear"

"Why?" his warm breath fanned the nape of my neck.

I sniffled. "He said the world out there was dangerous for me..." I wiped my eyes multiple times.

"Dangerous for you?"

I nodded. "He worked at a bank and he had a lot of enemies because of it"

"He worked at a bank?" He repeated my words but with a hint of sarcasm and amusement.

I sniffled quietly, tears threatening to spill from my eyes again. "Yes, my dad worked at a bank, that is what he told me, I swear!"

He finally stepped away from me and I released the breath I was holding in. He walked around me to get to his desk and settled in his chair. I looked at him through my blurry tear-filled vision. His elbow rested over the armrest as he traced his long finger over his lips. He kept staring at me like he was amazed or intrigued or disgusted, I really don't know.

"So, you have never been out of your house?" He asked

I shook my head gently. "No..."

His expressions were dark and mocking like he didn't believe me at all. "Your father worked at a bank and you have spent your whole life locked up in a room? Doesn't it sound a little ridiculous to you, Evangeline?"

I cried harder than before, streams of tears flowed faster than my heartbeat. "Why don't you believe me? I'm telling the truth... What would I get out of lying to you?"

"Do you know who I am?" his voice was gravelly low and dangerous.

I sniffled and shook my head. "No, I don't! The only people I ever knew were my parents... I don't want to know you," I whispered the last part.

He opened up a box and pulled out a cigar, the same cigar my dad used to smoke. I know it, I have seen him smoke it many times. He lit it up and blew out a thick puff of smoke. He looked at me for a few more seconds and then sighed.

"Go back to your room, Evangeline" he ordered, his tone authoritative.

I swallowed and turned to leave but stopped and looked back at him. "What are you going to do to me?" I asked the most important question that had been gnawing at the back of my mind.

His lips lifted from one side into a wicked smirk, his eyes were almost pitch black. "First, I'm going to find out if you're telling the truth or not then we'll talk about what I am going to do to you, you little liar"

I immediately walked out of his study. I shouldn't be afraid, I told him the truth. I hope he finds that out soon, so, he can apologize for not believing me.