Becoming The Rich Heroine

CHAPTER 48 : LIED

"You're so cute," Algaz said, "I want to kiss you."

Bella blushed and then nodded. She leaned forward and kissed Algaz.

"That was so good," Algaz said as he pulled back.

Bella nodded and then smiled.

"Come on," Algaz said, "we should get back to the house."

***

The next morning, Bella woke up early. She felt excited because it had been a week since she arrived at Algaz' house. She took a shower and went downstairs. She saw Algaz sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Hi," Bella said.

Algaz turned around and smiled.

"Hello," he replied.

Bella stripped the meat from the body and then handed it over to Algaz. Then she set off to look for more food.

"Wait," Algaz called out.

Bella turned around and smiled.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm going back home," Algaz said, "you can come with me or not."

Bella stared at Algaz.

"Can I really go with you?" she asked.

"Yes," Algaz replied, "and it's up to you whether or not you want to come along."

Bella nodded and then smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

Algaz nodded and then started talking about how she could make her way back home. He told her that she shouldn't go back until she had mastered all the skills needed to survive in the world. After dinner, Bella went up to bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

Algaz smiled and nodded.

"Good night, Bella," he said.

Bella smiled and laid down on her bed. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest. She felt safe knowing that Algaz was there with her.

***

The next day, Algaz woke up early. He went downstairs and saw Bella sitting on one of the benches in front of the house. She was looking out at the forest and smiling.

"Good morning," Algaz said.

Bella looked at him and then nodded.

"Good morning," she replied.

Algaz smiled and walked over to her. He smiled at her and then placed his hand on the side of her face.

"You're so beautiful," he said, "I can't believe that you let me touch you."

Bella blushed and looked away. She felt embarrassed whenever Algaz talked about her beauty. She couldn't believe that he liked her.

"You should take care of yourself," Algaz said. "The world isn't safe for someone like you."

Bella nodded and then smiled at Algaz.

"I'll be careful," she said.

Algaz smiled and then wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek and then led her to the door.

"Goodnight," he said. "Sleep well."

Bella nodded and then followed Algaz out of the room. She looked back one last time and then closed the door behind her.

***

The next day, Algaz woke up late. He went downstairs and saw Bella sitting on one of the benches in front of his house. She was staring at the forest and smiling.

"Good morning," Algaz said.

Bella nodded and then smiled at him.

"Good morning," she replied.

Algaz smiled and then went over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Bella smiled and laid her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Later that day, Algaz woke up and looked around the room. He saw Bella sleeping next to him and smiled.

He slowly reached out and touched her hair. He was amazed by how soft it felt in his hand. He ran his fingers through it and then smiled as Bella stirred awake.

"Hello," she said.

Algaz smiled and then gently kissed her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Bella smiled and looked around the room.

"I'm fine," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Algaz replied. "I've been thinking of leaving soon."

"Leaving?" Bella asked.

"If I leave now," he continued, "it will be easier for me to travel around. There are fewer people who can track me down."

Bella nodded and then glanced at Nicholas.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

Nicholas nodded.

"Ask me anything," he replied.

Bella took a deep breath and then spoke.

"Algaz told me that he doesn't trust you," she said. "Is there any truth to it?"

"No," Nicholas said. "I'm not like the other people in this village."

Bella nodded and looked at Algaz.

"I think you should let him go," she said.

Algaz nodded.

"I know," he said. "But I can't afford to lose you too."

Bella smiled and hugged Algaz tight. She kissed him and then let go of his arms.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

Algaz nodded and then motioned for Bella to follow him. He led her back to his brother's house and locked the door behind him.

"Good night," he said.

Bella smiled and nodded. She then turned around and followed Algaz to his room. Once they reached the bedroom, Algaz turned off the light and lay down on his bed. Bella climbed onto his bed and curled herself next to him.

"I wish I could sleep next to you," she whispered, "but I know that I can't."

Algaz smiled and looked at her. He then placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed it tight.

"I understand," he said, "so I won't ask you to. Come lie next to me instead."

Bella smiled and then stretched out next to Algaz. They both laid on the bed and looked at each other.

"I love you," Bella said.

Algaz nodded and then looked down at the floor.

"I know," he said. "I love you too."

Bella smiled and cupped his face. She then kissed him on the forehead and laid her head down on his chest.

"I'm glad that you're here," she whispered.

Algaz smiled.

"I'm happy too," he said. "Now, go and sleep next to my brother."

Algaz helped Bella get ready for bed and then lay down on the bed next to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and fell asleep.

Bella smiled and lay her head on his chest. She listened to Algaz' breathing and tried to fall asleep as well.

"Good night," she whispered.

Algaz sighed and then tightened his grip around Bella's waist.

"Good night," he whispered back.

***

The next morning, Algaz woke up and saw that Bella was gone. He looked around the room and saw that she had left a note on his bed.

Algaz read the note and smiled.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see you yesterday," it said. "I hope you're feeling better."

Algaz smiled and wiped the tears off his face. He picked up the note and then walked downstairs to the kitchen. There he found Sophia sitting on one of the chairs.

"Hi," she said. "How are you doing?"

Algaz smiled and then sat down next to her. He took a deep breath and looked at Sophia.

"I'm fine," he replied. "How about you?"

Sophia smiled and looked at her son. She then turned to face Bella.

"Hello," she said, "my name is Sophia."

Bella nodded. She felt nervous meeting Sophia for the first time. She looked at Sophia and then went over to her bed.

"I'll leave you two alone," Nicholas said. "Algaz, you can come back any time you want."

Nicholas smiled and then left the room. Algaz sat down next to Bella and held her hand.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Bella looked at him and then touched his cheek.

"I'm happy that you're here," she said. "You make me feel safe."

Algaz smiled and then cupped Bella's face.

"I love you," he whispered.

Bella smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you too," she replied.

Algaz smiled and then opened the door.

"Let's go home," he said.

***

Nicholas watched as Algaz and Bella left the house. He looked at Bella and then sighed. She looked happy, but he knew that she would soon become depressed again.

"Don't worry," he whispered to himself. "This will all be over soon."

He then turned around and walked back to his room. He took a deep breath and then sat down on his bed. He began to think about the day he had spent with Algaz. It seemed like such a long time ago, but he was glad that it happened.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Algaz' face. He smiled and then sighed.

"I'm going to miss him," he muttered.

He stood up and walked over to the window. He looked down at the town and then at the sea. He could see a few ships sailing in the distance.

"I wonder how things are going in the city," he said. "I wish I knew."

Nicholas smiled and then looked at Bella.

"I'll teach you the basics of sword fighting," he said. "Just so you can defend yourself whenever you're in danger."

Algaz nodded and then looked at his brother. He noticed something strange about him, but he couldn't quite figure it out.

"Algaz," Nicholas said, "you look different today."

Algaz nodded and looked away from his brother. He knew that he was hiding something, but he didn't know what it was.

"I'm sorry," Nicholas said. "You're not allowed to speak about it until I tell you."

"I understand," Algaz said.

Nicholas smiled.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and clean myself up. I'll see you both later."

Algaz nodded and then watched as Nicholas left the house.

"You know," Nicholas said, "I think you're starting to grow on me."

Algaz laughed and shook his head.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Everything will be okay."

Algaz walked outside of his brother's house and back to the village. He looked at Bella and then smiled.

"I have to go," he said, "but I'll see you soon."

Bella nodded and then watched as Algaz disappeared into the darkness. She felt a tear fall from her eye and roll down her cheek.

"I'll miss you," she whispered.

Bella went back inside of Nicholas' house. She sat down in one of the chairs and then laid her head on the table.

"What was that for?" Nicholas asked. "I told you to stop crying."

Bella shook her head and looked at Nicholas.

"I'm not going to cry," she said. "I'll never cry again."

"Why not?" Nicholas asked. "Didn't you hear what I said? You're a slave now. You can't do anything without us."

"I know," Bella replied. "And that's exactly why I won't cry. Because I've accepted that I will never have freedom again."

Algaz sighed and looked at Nicholas. He knew that Bella was the one that he loved more than anyone else in the world. And deep down, he knew that she loved him too.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

Nicholas nodded.

"Of course," he replied.

Algaz placed his hand on Bella's shoulder and then turned around. He looked at Nicholas' hands and saw the scars all over them. He remembered how they felt on his own body.

"You should clean your wounds," Algaz said, "they're starting to look infected."

Nicholas nodded and stood up. He walked to the bathroom and washed his hands. Once he was done, he returned to the room and grabbed a towel. He wiped off his hands and then laid back down on the bed.

"So," Nicholas said, "what do you think of my home?"

"It's nice," Bella replied.

She walked over to the window and looked outside. She saw the sun setting in the distance.

"It's beautiful," she said.

Bella turned around and looked at Nicholas.

"Thank you," she said, "for bringing me here. It has been an adventure."

Algaz nodded.

"I'll come back soon," he promised.

Bella nodded and then smiled at Algaz. She hugged him tightly and then let go of him.

"I'll wait for you," she said.

Algaz smiled and then walked out of the house. Bella followed him outside and watched as he disappeared into the woods. She looked back at Nicholas and smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

Nicholas shrugged and then sat down on his bed. He stared at Bella for a while until she walked away from the house. Then he stood up and went over to his desk. He picked up the bottle and poured himself a glass.

He took several sips of the liquor, then put it down on the table and walked upstairs. He walked into his bedroom and lay down on the bed.

He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. But he couldn't. Instead, he stared at the ceiling. He didn't even notice that he was having a nightmare until he woke up the next morning.

Nicholas woke up and slowly sat up in bed. The entire room was spinning and he felt sick. His stomach gurgled and he curled up in pain.

He looked over at the bedside table and saw that his glass was empty. He looked over at the window and saw that the sun was rising.

"Where am I?" he muttered.

Nicholas stood up and walked over to the window. He threw open the curtains and looked outside. He saw that the sun was shining brightly.

"I don't understand," Nicholas said. "I thought you said that your home was somewhere else."

Algaz sighed and then turned around. He walked over to Nicholas and then placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I lied to you," he admitted. "This isn't my home."

Nicholas looked at Algaz in shock and then looked at Bella.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not really your brother," Algaz said. "But I'm still related to you. This is my brother's house. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do," Nicholas said. "But why did you lie to us? You told us that you were married to Bella, but you're not."

Algaz sighed and then looked at Bella.

"I'm not married to her," he said.

Nicholas and Bella both looked confused. They couldn't figure out what Algaz was talking about.

"How will you ever be able to leave here?" Nicholas asked.

Algaz smiled and then pointed at Bella's face.

"I have to teach her how to fight," he said. "And I can only do that here."

He glanced at Nicholas.