CHAPTER 11: She didn't even get to eat!

Emma found herself in a long hallway, trying to decipher her way around and out the house. As shocking as it sounded, she was beginning to feel lost in the maze that was the mansion.

With everywhere almost quiet and little to no sense of direction, she wondered if it was originally the plan- to get her locked up and confused until she gave in to the ridiculous request or demand.

Emma couldn't tell the particular room she came out from with the similar doors on the hallway and decided it was best she checked it all out. She needed to get her belongings and be on her merry way out.

Her phone was inside the room and she was determined to get it and head out of the bizarre mansion. While checking the doors, Emma found herself praying to meet Mrs Adams again and have her direct her out but she wasn't holding her breath.

If there was something she'd learned over the years, it was the reality of the need to work hard. Even as a dismissed heiress and closeted designer, she had managed to work up enough designs to help her predetermined big break.

Even if Colton was now engaged to her sister, Emma still held out hope on the fact that she was old enough to actually decide. She was strong enough to break out on her own, with or without his influence.

Coming from a family that produced shoes for a living over the past few decades, Emma was sure of the fact she wanted to become a designer for her parents shoe company. A company which was now headed by her step mother and sister.

Over the years, she had looked upon Talia with jealous eyes as she was given the privilege to be out front with her own designs. She didn't care that she had to do double work for something she didn't get acknowledged for and instead pulled the weights to produce a worthy collection for her breakout.

Emma always knew she was a designer. She could remember the one time her father called her a natural designer born from the womb of a designer. As cliche as it sounded, it was one of her defining moments. The one which made her determined to put in the necessary work for her evolution.

Today, she could proudly say she was great at what she did, having already birthed numerous designs and best sellers for the company in Talia's name. Her goal for this era of life was to finally be known as a designer for the Steele Shoes. To continue the legacy of her mother.

Emma couldn't help but notice the fact that the house had a colour scheme. The interior design of the mansion was unmistakably masculine. Black and white were the leading colours alongside some touches of other basic colours were added here and there.

She wasn't surprised as it so thoroughly depicted the personality of its owner. She couldn't still believe he'd asked her to marry him. Hmph! She was convinced it was a ploy to do something she couldn't quite place her fingers upon.

All these confusions only doubled her need to meet with her step mother. Why was she sent here? Did she know about the whole contract marriage deal?

Emma felt like there was a big loop she was missing out on. She didn't like the feeling of being left in the dark and instead chose to find her phone quickly and not dwell on other facts. She was finally inside the room she'd slept in and to her greatest surprise, the room had been cleaned out.

Everything was gone. The bed was made and everything was in place. Including the clothes she had left on the bed before going to join him in the dining. She remembered the food from earlier and her stomach growled once again.

She didn't even get to eat!

Emma pushed aside her personal needs and immediately headed into a frantic search. A search that proved abortive, causing her to come up empty and left her feeling totally anxious.

" Are you looking for this? " The elderly voice of Mrs Adams said from the entrance of the room.

" Oh yes! Thank you. I'll be taking it." She said, grateful that it was Mrs Adams. For a second she feared it was Mr Braxton. That man managed to leave her breathless as well as intrigued.

She somehow felt inferior to him and it annoyed her. Emma was all too ready to leave the place and she grabbed her phone from the hands of Mrs Adams.

" I've been asked to escort you out of the property. If you don't mind." The woman said to the surprise of Emma.

He actually let her go? The more she remained, the more she wondered if her step mother actually meant to send her here.

When she finally remembered the circumstances prior to her capture,she was left even more confused. What did Talia mean by giving her to a mad man? Surely they weren't talking about the dark and brooding gentleman downstairs.

" Sure, is he– is he still.." Emma tried to ask but couldn't quite get the words out.

" Mr Braxton left the property fifteen minutes ago." Mrs Adams explained when she saw her struggle. " I was asked to escort you out earlier than now but you seemed to have wandered away."

Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She was a free woman and didn't know what she was so anxious about. Anyways, it was time to return to her life.

" Thank you, please lead the way." She said respectively and without another word, followed her out of the room and the house.

" I believe you can find your way from here, Ms Emma. Hopefully, we will meet again. And in better circumstances." Ms Adams said before heading back into the house, leaving her to her devices.

Emma walked some meters before hailing down a taxi headed to Steele Shoes headquarters. Her step mother had a lot of explaining to do. They all did but she was going to confront her first. Find out why she was sent away.

Meanwhile, Asher was on his way to work when he got a call from Jason. He immediately accepted the call which came as a pleasant surprise to Jason.

" I need a new plan. Find another way out of this and get back to me." He said without as much as a greeting. He then proceeded to hang up before the voice of Jason rang out in refusal.

" Uh.. hell no. Wait a damn minute." He said through the speakers, " What happened with the lady? And so help me God, Ash. If you did something stupid, I'll smack your brains out." He said with contained fury. He'd been up all night gathering the requested information and so couldn't understand the need for another plan.

Except his friend did something. Which he had taken his time to forewarn him about before handing him the information.

" Don't get ahead of yourself. I don't like the idea of having her as the only hope. Find out more of what's going on in the Steele family structure and give me feedback. I need as much information as possible." He said and ended the call.

Asher wasn't in the mood for another lecture from Jason. There was a lot riding on the situation and he hated leaving his fate to the hands of others. He had let her go because he didn't want her to feel too important.

He needed to have the upper hand in whatever deal they were getting in and he believed giving it time was enough for him to come up with something more beneficial to him in the long-run.

The only downside was that time seemed to be running out. Rumors were spreading and his authority was beginning to be questioned. Something that didn't quite go down well with him, resulting in the sacking of some key directors during the early hours of the morning.

He earnestly looked forward to having everything under lock and key once again. But he knew he couldn't do that yet. Until he had the Steele lady by his side, he was going to up his game and navigate the Braxton Empire with a firm grip.

*****

Emma was in a cab headed to the Steele Shoes headquarters. As the car slowed to a stop in front of the magnificent steel painted building, she felt some sort of nostalgia and chills covered her skin.

She wasn't the least bit cold as it was summer time but stepping into a place she last visited when she was pretty much a toddler had that sort of impact on her.

Although she had been designing ever since she could remember, she never stepped foot in the corporate office. She could only remember coming here with her parents as a young child and staying in her mom's work station all through the day.

At the time she thought she was having fun but with time, she figured it was one of the infamous - ' take your child to work day.' She was grateful for it as it formed a huge part of the few happy memories she was opportuned to experience.

Emma came out of the cab, paid and beheld the gigantic vintage structure. The words Steele Shoes were boldly written in italics, formally introducing the most prestigious shoe company in the nation.