Chains & Roses

Episode 6

Erina’s POV:

When I went downstairs, he was already there. Already started having his dinner. As he detected my footsteps, he started interviewing me with a cold stare.

“Why was I late?Not on time?” Da da da.

“I was in the shower,” I simply replied.

Then he started giving me advice like a physician that he eats , sleeps on time;he is so punctual. I have to join him for dinner on time every day.

Whatever. Some useless talk. Nobody used to tell me what to do when I was at home. Now he? How dare was he ?

“I am going to bed. If you need anything, ask the guard,” he spoke.

“Hmm? Now? It’s just 9.” I asked. I was a night owl. 9 pm was just evening for me.

“Yeah. I have work to finish tomorrow. My world doesn’t work for a reckless person like you,” he said to me.

I knew he was criticizing me. But I didn’t have any other option but to tolerate him. It was insufferable. He was insufferable indeed. No wonder why he was single.

“Erina, forget everything that I said to you in the car and in your room and ..uh..sorry for touching you,” he said.

I was just stunned for a while that Adrian Rossi just apologized to me. The man who was feared by almost everyone but God.

I kept staring at him , my lips parted with surprise. He didn’t mean any of the words he said to me. Was it all fake? Yeah, that was what he just said.

“I wasn’t in my senses,” he said, so he left. Leaving me alone in the dining room with the maids, I couldn’t really understand this Adrian, who was a man of his word.

What just happened to him? If he didn’t mean any words or touch, then why did he touch me like he felt it?

“Such a terrible actor.” I muttered to myself. The mansion just fell asleep after he left for his room. It was like he was the sun that lit every room he entered.

Suddenly an idea popped up in my head.

“ESCAPE”

Escape from the mansion. Freedom from this prison. I had the whole night to prepare for the escape.

After he left, I finished my dinner quickly and headed right back to my room.

There was a giant balcony at the end of the corridor which was on the back side of the mansion. Actually, it was fortunate for me to escape from the mansion from there because guards weren’t really active on the back side at night. Especially at midnight. Even though the whole mansion was properly protected by guards.

As I entered my room, I grabbed my phone to text Louis. Because he was the only one who could help me at that time. I didn’t want to disturb dad because I knew he wasn’t mentally stable on that day. Not even after all of these. I didn’t even call mom or any of my friends because they might not be able to handle my situation. Louis was one who was in my mind.

“Hi, Louis. It’s Erina. I need your help. It’s urgent.” I texted him and was waiting for his reply.

“Hey! you okay?” he replied after a few minutes. He always replied to me on time and because he was really into me. I knew that but I never liked him that way. He was just a really good friend to me.

“Not really. Mr. Adrian brought me to his mansion because he had some conflict with dad and that landed me in this position. I will tell you everything later. Now, listen. I will escape from here today.” I texted him back.

“Alright. Tell me what will I do? Can I call you now?” Louis replied right away.

“No,no,no. Don’t call me.I can’t talk to you now. Just ….could you come to his mansion with your car at midnight? To the back gate of the mansion where the garden is. To pick me? The address is at

Villa Horizonte Azul,8

Rua dos Condes de Almada, 1400-032, Lisboa. Can you come? Please …Louis.” I wrote to him with a hope in my heart that at least Louis would not disappoint me.

I collected the exact address from a guard before coming to my room.

“Sure, I can. I will come to help you , Erina. Don’t Worry.” he wrote back, adding a red heart emoji at the end of the text.

“Thank you, Louis. So, be there at around 2:00 am. I really owe you a big favor. I love you , Louis. You are my best friend.” I ended the text there with a relief in my heart. At least, I had someone who had my back when I needed someone the most.

“I love you more, Erina.” Louis texted, but I had already put my phone down. My mind was racing and my heart was throbbing with random thoughts of what ifs.

“What if I got caught ? What if Adrian saw me, then that was gonna be the end of me.”

I collected a few long thin blankets from the closet cabinet to help me get myself down off the balcony.

It was 1:45 am. I went to the balcony to check everything was okay before the final move. It was cloudy all across the sky ; maybe it was about to rain. Suddenly it started dripping with strong wind.

“Miss, Erina?”