His collateral

Chapter 9

The temperature in the room was low. So low that she could still feel the cold even with the blanket pulled over her body. The remote control for the air conditioner rested on the vanity table a few steps away but she had no energy to retrieve it.

A loud yawn escaped Elena's mouth as she turned to her side. Her eyes widened at the realization of what she had just done.

The food.

Still untouched. She swallowed hard, staring at the tray. The soup must have gone cold by now. She slowly peeled her gaze from it, shifting her attention to the suitcases on the floor. One lay open with clothes spilling through.

Her thumb lifted to her lips and she nibbled on it. She had never been messy with her clothes and hated to see her things out of place. A walk in closet was a door away yet she wouldn't unpack. Unpacking meant she had accepted the terms of Lucien Black.

A loud noise rose from her stomach, cutting off her thoughts. She sighed softly, her gaze returning to the tray. She had to eat something otherwise she would be unable to sleep tonight.

The bread rolls.

Her eyes lit up. Yes. She could eat those. That didn't count as eating his food in her dictionary. It was simply borrowing a snack to conserve her energy. Her survival.

Elena slowly sat up, her back resting against the headboard as she reached for the covered dishes. A sound outside the door caught her attention and her hand froze midway as she listened.

A knock followed. Heavy and sharp. Nothing like the soft hesitant ones during the day. She quickly pulled her hand back, adjusted her posture and crossed her arms.

The door opened soundlessly. Lucien entered. Their eyes met the moment he stepped in. He held the door open for Anne as she followed carrying a fresh tray.

Elena's breath caught, her lashes fluttering.

He looked different. Completely different from the man she had met last night. Slightly relaxed but still commanding. His clothes were casual — grey sweatpants and a black tank top. Her eyes moved to his exposed arms unconsciously. Dark ink caught the light. A snake coiled expertly, drawn and detailed, wrapped around a set of Roman numerals tiny and almost invisible.

Her eyes narrowed in an attempt to read them.

Then it hit her.

A clean sharp scent drifted across the room. Her senses recognized it immediately. The shower gel. The same fragrance she had used this evening. She bit the inside of her cheek, averting her gaze. She shouldn't be noticing things like that.

"Drop the tray and take the old one." She heard him instruct Anne.

Elena watched her carry out the order without a word and leave the room quietly. The click of the door shutting behind her was loud in the silence.

She could feel his gaze lingering on her. Steady and unhurried like he had all the time in the world.

"Why have you refused to eat?" He asked, voice calm and casual.

Elena's jaw tightened. "Why should I eat food served by my abductor?" She fired back immediately.

Silence fell over the room. Then Lucien laughed. Low and unrestrained. Not exactly mocking. More like genuinely amused by what he had just heard.

"Abductor?" He said, inching closer, stopping a few metres from the bed. He leaned forward, his voice lowering. "You agreed to stay."

"I changed my mind." She snapped. "Aren't I allowed to?"

"No." He said flatly, straightening. "You should have left when I gave you the chance the first time."

Elena felt the sting of tears threatening to fall. She turned her head, blinking them away. He was right. It was all on her for believing Jason whose words were nothing but lies.

"Eat." He said, eyes sweeping over her. "Starving yourself will do you more harm than good."

With that he turned and walked to the door.

"I won't." Her voice was barely more than a breath.

Lucien's hand froze on the door handle. Slowly he turned to face her, his expression darkening.

"I won't eat your food." She repeated stubbornly, lifting her gaze to meet his. "How do I know it wasn't poisoned?"

Something unreadable flashed through Lucien's eyes. Without a word he strode back to the bedside table and uncovered the plate. A grilled chicken wrap, warm and neatly folded, sat at the center of the tray alongside a glass of orange juice.

He picked up a wrap and bit into it slowly, his eyes never leaving Elena. The movement was unhurried, almost controlled, and she felt something coil tightly in her chest.

He set the remaining piece back down and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

"Satisfied?"

"No."

"Elena." He called her name quietly. "I will not watch you starve yourself in my house. Eat the food."

"Or what?" She challenged though her voice came out slightly less steady than she intended.

"Or I'll force it down your throat."

The room went quiet.

Elena studied his face. The indifference earlier had disappeared completely. His expression was straight and blank. She knew better than to dismiss a man's threat when his eyes looked like that.

"Lu." A girl's voice called from outside followed by a sharp knock. "There's someone here to see you. He says it's urgent."

Elena's gaze shifted from Lucien to the door. A visitor? At this hour?

Lucien stood still for a moment as though he hadn't heard anything at all.

"Eat." He said, his tone leaving no room for argument, before walking to the door.

As he pulled it open a girl in yellow pajamas stood on the other side, her eyes darting immediately past Lucien's shoulder and into the room, landing on Elena.

"Who's that?" She asked curiously.

"No one." Lucien replied, pulling the door shut behind him.

Elena stared at the closed door.

No one.

She exhaled slowly, her eyes dropping to the tray beside her. The grilled chicken wraps sat exactly where Lucien had left it. The glass of orange juice catching the dim light beside it.

Her stomach growled.

She silently sat there for a long moment, pride and hunger waging a quiet war inside her chest.

Hunger won.

She reached for the wrap.