chapter 17
1070 Words
Lana stood outside the dining room, staring at the closed doors.
Her hand hovered near the handle before falling back to her side. John had headed back after she got to the door to check on the repairman.
What if he was inside?
The thought alone made her want to turn around and head straight back to her room.
At least there she could avoid him. she didn't have to endure his cold stares and cruel remarks.
She shifted nervously from one foot to the other.
Maybe she could skip breakfast or she could tell John she wasn't hungry.
Maybe...the door suddenly opened and lana jumped.
A maid stepped out carrying an empty tray and nearly collided with her.
"Oh!" the maid exclaimed.
"S-Sorry," Lana stammered.
The maid smiled politely.
"Good morning, Miss Lana."
"Good morning."
Flustered by being caught lingering outside like a suspicious criminal, Lana quickly slipped past her and entered the dining room before she could lose her nerve.
The moment she stepped inside, her eyes immediately scanned the room.
The head of the table was unoccupied. Relief washed through her so suddenly that she nearly laughed.
He wasn't there, thank goodness.
The tension left her shoulders instantly and only then did she notice the breakfast spread before her.
Her eyes widened. the table was covered with enough food to feed a small army.
Fresh pastries, eggs, bacon, fruit, pancakes, toast and freshly squeezed juice.
The aroma alone made her stomach growl, she quickly took a seat.
Two maids were arranging dishes nearby.
"Good morning," Lana said politely.
The women looked pleasantly surprised.
"Good morning, Miss Lana."
She offered them a small smile before turning her attention back to the food.
Within minutes she was completely absorbed in breakfast.
The bacon was perfectly cooked, the pancakes practically melted in her mouth and the orange juice tasted fresh.
she soon forgot about Damon Carson and about being trapped and everything. She was simply hungry.
The maids quietly excused themselves and left the room.
Lana barely noticed them leaving, she was too busy reaching for another piece of toast.
A few minutes later, someone entered the dining room.
She didn't notice that either, at least not immediately.
Damon stood near the entrance with his arms folded across his chest.
His blue eyes settled on her, she looked callmer and less frightened.
The expensive clothes suited her surprisingly well and most irritating of all...
She appeared completely unbothered.
As if she hadn't nearly fallen off the side of his house the previous night.
Damon watched her for several moments.
She didn't even realize he was there.
His jaw tightened before he finally spoke.
"Good morning."
Lana nearly died. The piece of bacon she had just bitten into went down the wrong way.
She coughed violently and her eyes watered instantly.
"Oh my God..."
She grabbed her glass of juice and coughed again before she slowly turned around and there he was, walking toward her looking as annoyed as ever.
Lana wanted to cry. Why? Why was he here?
The universe clearly hated her. Damon stopped beside the table.
A frown appeared on his face.
"You choke every time I speak."
"Maybe stop speaking."
The response slipped out before she could stop it and both of them froze. Lana immediately regretted it.
Damon raised an eyebrow and shhe looked away.
which made him scoff.
Then he calmly pulled out a chair at the head of the table and sat down.
"Continue."
Lana stared at him. continue? How?
The man was sitting directly across from her looking like he wanted to declare war.
Her appetite vanished instantly andd the room became silent.
Damon reached for a cup of coffee and lana stared at her plate.
he drank his coffee and she stared harder at her plate.
Finally, she gave up. Slowly pushing her chair back, she stood.
Damon's eyes immediately lifted to hers.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm done."
"You barely ate half of it."
"I'm full."
"You're lying."
Lana clenched her jaw, everything about him was irritating.
She turned and started toward the door but his voice stopped her.
"Lana."
She froze and her shoulders tensed.
The warmth she'd felt during breakfast disappeared instantly.
When she turned around, Damon was already watching her.
His expression had hardened. The playful irritation from moments ago was gone.
"I meant what I said yesterday."
Lana's stomach dropped.
"I don't care."
His eyes narrowed at her.
"You should."
Silence stretched between them before he continued.
"You are not leaving this place."
The words felt like chains wrapping around her chest.
Damon continued not a bit about what his words were doing to her.
"You can't leave the grounds without my permission."
Lana's hands slowly curled into fists.
"I don't need your permission."
"You do now."
Her anger flared, he had no righy.
"I am not your prisoner."
"You tried escaping."
"Because I am your prisoner!"
Damon's jaw tightened, her stubbornness slowly infuriating him.
"Try it again and you'll regret it."
The warning echoed through the dining room and she felt her entire body shaking not from fear but from rage.
She was tired of being controlled and threatened.
Tired of everyone treating her like she was responsible for her father's mistakes.
Slowly, she turned around to face him completely and her eyes burned with rage.
Damon immediate saw the anger, the hurt and resentment in her eyes and for some reason, it made his chest tighten.
Lana pointed directly at him.
"You know what?"
Damon raised an eyebrow.
"You are the worst person I have ever met."
His expression darkened.
"You lock people up."
She took a step forward, her rage increasing.
"You threaten them."
she took another step, not faltering
"You treat them like they aren't human."
Her voice trembled with fury.
"You are a monster."
The words landed like a slap and the entire room became deadly silent.
His face became unreadable but she didn't care. She was done.
Without another word, she spun around and stormed out of the dining room, the doors slammed behind her.
The sound echoed throughout the mansion and silence followed.
Damon remained seated, motionless, his coffee untouched and his gaze fixed on the doorway she had disappeared through.
A monster.
The word lingered in the room long after she was gone and what irritated him most... Was that a part of him wondered if she was right.
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