Chapter 16
1544 Words
Jade quickly put on her oven mitts and opened the small oven in her tiny kitchen.
A wave of hot air brushed against her face as she pulled out a tray of freshly baked bread.
She smiled to herself at the achievement. She was still learning, but she had come a long way.
“Oh my!”
She quickly set the tray on the counter and rushed to the pot on the stove, turning off the heat.
A sigh of relief escaped her when she realized the beef hadn't burned.
“Now for my soup.”
Picking up her woven basket, she stepped out of the cabin.
Her little cabin stood on a gentle hill. She had fallen in love with it the moment she found it. It was peaceful and surrounded by beautiful meadows.
Wearing simple farm sandals and carrying her basket, she set off for the nearby market.
Most of the area was farmland, so everyone bought fresh produce directly from the market.
She found her favorite stall almost instantly.
Jade hadn't been there for more than a month, but she was already familiar with the town and its kind people.
This was the life she had always wanted.
A little house on a hill. Fresh food. Friendly faces.
Not that she wanted to be a farm girl. No. She simply wanted a peaceful, luxurious life.
“Bambina! ¿Cómo está hoy?” a man greeted in heavily accented Spanish.
It was Simón.
He looked every bit the Spaniard, from his physique to the thick moustache that completed the look.
“Simón!” Jade smiled brightly. “I'm fine. A very good day to you too.”
“Oh, my señorita, pareces una diosa,” he complimented.
She flushed.
“You don't look bad yourself, Simón.”
He grinned.
By now, she was used to his endless compliments.
“Oh, Miss Jade,” he said. “How can I help you today?”
“I want to make soup, so I need some corn, carrots, peas, broccoli, radishes, and... do you have butter?”
“Simón has everything you need.”
He happily began gathering her order.
“I sure hope that soup tastes good. Simón would like some too.”
“Hmm, I don't know.” She shrugged playfully. “Maybe if Simón gives me a discount...”
“Say no more, Miss!”
They both burst into laughter.
“You know you're welcome anytime,” she said as she picked up her basket.
“See the beautiful princess later. Adiós!”
“Thank you, Simón!”
Jade happily made her way back to the cabin.
Thanks to Simón, she had found the place in the first place. He had been the first person she met when she decided to settle there.
He helped her clean the cabin.
He helped her move in.
And he never asked for payment.
He felt like the big brother she never had, always looking out for her without expecting anything in return.
This was the kind of affection she wanted.
The kind that came without conditions.
Without hidden motives.
Finally, everything was falling back into place.
Jade stopped abruptly when she noticed the cabin door slightly open.
Her basket slipped from her hand.
She couldn't decide whether to run for help or investigate.
Simón was strong enough to handle almost anyone.
Then Carrie stepped out of the cabin.
Jade instantly turned to run back toward the market.
But the moment she spun around, Raquel was standing behind her.
Shit.
No.
No!
Her heart began racing.
Her gaze darted between the two women.
Both were dressed in black tactical gear.
“Are you done running?” Carrie smirked as she approached.
“Leave me alone!” Jade shouted, tears instantly filling her eyes.
There was no escaping this.
She knew it.
This was it.
“Please.”
She turned to Raquel.
“Please. I don't want to go back to him. I'm happy here.”
“I love seeing you like this,” Carrie said with a smile.
Jade tried to run.
Raquel caught her effortlessly and threw her into the meadow.
“Please...”
Carrie pulled out her gun and pressed it against Jade's head.
“You've frustrated me enough, Jade! All you had to do was be a good girl. Now I have to babysit you. If it were up to me, I would've killed you myself!”
She struck Jade across the face with the gun.
“Easy,” Raquel warned.
“Oh, please.”
Carrie rolled her eyes when she realized Jade had passed out.
“I'm tired of cleaning up her mess every single time.”
“It's not your decision, is it?” Raquel replied as she lifted Jade over her shoulder.
“And that's exactly what pisses me off! I can't believe you're actually supporting Xavier in this.”
“He knows what he's doing.”
Raquel adjusted Jade's weight as they waited for the helicopter to land.
“Above all else, he's your boss, Carrie. That alone should matter.”
Carrie followed her toward the helicopter, visibly irritated.
---
Jade slowly opened her eyes.
She expected to find herself in a familiar room.
Instead, she found herself somewhere that looked like an abandoned warehouse.
No.
A dungeon.
A sharp pain exploded through her head when she tried to move.
That was when she realized she was tied up.
“Argh!”
The throbbing only got worse.
She looked around again and spotted another woman tied to a chair some distance away.
The woman was blindfolded.
“How was the trip to the mountains?”
Xavier's voice made her jump.
Jade turned.
There he was.
Standing against the wall.
“Xavier...”
“Jay?”
The woman suddenly spoke.
Jade's eyes widened.
“Lilie?”
“Yes!” Lily cried.
Jade immediately looked back at Xavier.
“What are you doing with her?!”
Xavier casually walked over and shoved a gag into Lily's mouth.
She tried to protest, but her voice was silenced.
“Leave her alone!” Jade cried.
“Lilie, listen to me. You'll be fine, okay?”
Lily nodded frantically.
“What are you doing with her?” Jade demanded.
“I simply decided to punish the person who helped my wife escape.”
“If you want to punish someone, punish me! Xavier, let her go!”
“Is that an order?”
“She did nothing wrong!” Jade pleaded. “Please. I'm here now. I promise I'll never run away again. I'll behave. I'll do everything you say. I swear.”
Deep down, she knew exactly what he was capable of.
“You're not very good at keeping promises, Jade.”
He knelt in front of her.
“I'm sorry.”
More tears spilled down her cheeks.
“It won't happen again. Please let her go.”
“But if I do, she'll help you again. She'll help you fool me, steal from me, and run.”
“No! No, no, no!”
Jade shook her head desperately.
“That was all me. She had nothing to do with it.”
“She's a bad influence on you.”
“Please, Xavier...”
“Shut up!”
He rose abruptly.
Only then did she notice the gun in his hand.
“Please.”
“I thought maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt,” he said with his back to her.
“And the moment I did, she stabbed me in the back.”
Jade trembled.
“All thanks to her stupid friend.”
He laughed softly and pressed the gun against his forehead.
“Xavier...”
“This is all your fault, Jade. I warned you, didn't I?”
He turned around.
“This is on you.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Where's your ring?”
Jade froze.
“You sold it for five hundred thousand dollars.”
He laughed again before suddenly grabbing her by the throat.
“How dare you?”
His grip tightened.
“How dare you sell your wedding ring, you b***h?”
Without even looking behind him, he raised the gun and fired.
The sound shattered the air.
Jade's heart stopped.
Lily was right behind him.
Fresh tears rolled down Jade's cheeks as fear rooted her in place.
“I warned you.”
Xavier cupped her face.
“This will keep happening until you finally understand that you can't run away from me.”
He stepped aside.
Jade's gaze landed on Lily.
The bullet had pierced her forehead.
Her head hung backward.
Blood stained the wall behind her.
“Lily!”
Jade screamed.
“No!”
“You monster!”
She fought against her restraints.
“I hate you! How dare you kill her?”
“I'll never forgive you! Never!”
Several men entered the room and carried Lily's body away.
One of them looked strangely familiar.
Simón.
Jade's eyes widened.
She slowly turned toward Xavier.
That bastard.
He had known all along.
He had placed Simón on that hill.
Xavier pulled out her wedding ring and slipped it back onto her finger.
His touch felt disgusting.
“Monster,” she spat.
Then everything went black.
Xavier had knocked her unconscious.
- Writer
