CHAPTER 14 THE AUDACITY
1350 Words
Lila walked out of the elevator in a robe.
Jonathan looked at her and immediately removed his gaze. “I’ll go downstairs now ma’am”
“I thought you were my guard.”
“Yes, but I’m not supposed to be here, besides you can’t escape from up here.”
“I insist you stay here. What if I get hurt or something?”
Jonathan paused for a moment, then replied “I’ll stay for a few minutes longer.”
Lila gracefully dropped her rope on a deck chair, revealing the bikini.
Exposing her well-defined curve and round breast. She took a moment to adjust the straps, a nervous flutter in her stomach as she caught Jonathan’s gaze flickering towards her before he quickly looked away.
“Ma’am, it’s not appropriate for me to be here while you’re—”
“Please! I just need someone to talk to. I’m about to go crazy in this Godforsaken place. So please” she interrupted, stepping closer to the edge of the pool. “It’s so beautiful here. Look at that beautiful sunset.” She said pointing up
He hesitated again, his brow furrowing as he glanced up. “I just don’t think of the young master...”
Lila rolled her eyes playfully, “It’s just a swim, Jonathan. Relax a little. You’re not going to get in trouble for doing your job, are you? You are just watching over me.”
Jonathan shifted awkwardly, he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of watching her swim, but he didn’t have much of a choice. “I’ll just stand by the door,” he mumbled, moving closer to the elevator.
“Fine,” she said, letting out a heave. With that, Lila slipped into the cool water, letting it wash over her from head to toe. She swam a few strokes, feeling exhilarated, as she looked back to see Jonathan standing by the door, arms crossed, still watching over her.
“It’s so cold in here!” she called out, her voice ringing with laughter.
Jonathan sighed but couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at his lips. “Just be careful, ma’am.”
“Right!” she said, pushing off from the wall to swim further into the pool. As she floated on her back, gazing up at the bright blue sky, she felt a surge of freedom. For the first time in a while, She was void of worries.
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Damien leaned back against the car seat, his expression was rather blank. He glanced out the window, but his mind was elsewhere. “Take me home,” he instructed Hakim.
Hakim shot him a sideways glance. “You have an appointment today, sir. With the psychologist,” he reminded him, as his eye locked with Damien’s through the front view mirror. “Are you sure you want to just drop it?”
“Hakim, when will you stop countering my every word? I am still your boss” he replied, giving him a cold look “It seems aging comes with loss of memory, but it will do you all the good in the world to never forget this piece of information.” Damien snapped, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Why was he so eager to go home? He needed a distraction from Lila, not a confrontation. “I don’t want to see her. I’m just tired,” he lied to himself, the words felt bitter in his mouth.
He hadn’t felt this kind of anticipation to go home before, not even during his time with Dianne.
“Is everything alright, sir?” Hakim asked cautiously, sensing the shift in Damien’s mood. “You seem…different.”
“Different how?” Damien retorted, the defensiveness in his voice obvious.
“Never mind, Sir. I’ll do as I am requested,” Hakim replied, carefully navigating a busy intersection.
Damien’s jaw tightened.
As they approached the estate, Damien felt strangely uncomfortable. “Park in the garage,” he instructed, trying to shake off the unease gnawing at him.
“Yes, sir,” Hakim responded, pulling the car into the underground garage.
As the engine cut off, Damien took a deep breath. He stepped out of the car and walked towards the mansion.
He immediately glanced up toward Lila’s room window, but it was dark.
“Hmm, is she sleeping?” he wondered.
As he entered the mansion, all the staff immediately became attentive, their posture straightening as they acknowledged him.
Greetings buzzed around him, but he didn’t bother to respond. “Tell Lila to meet me in my room in an hour” he instructed the head of the maid before walking past her.
He was abruptly interrupted by her Irish accent. “The young madam is nowhere to be found, sir.”
Damien locked his icy gaze on her. “What do you mean, ‘nowhere to be found’?”
“We searched the whole mansion for her and we couldn't find her, the last we saw of her was early noon. She didn't come down for lunch and we tried calling her for lunch but she was just nowhere to be seen” she replied, her voice steady despite the tension.
“Where is Jonathan?” he demanded, glaring at the lineup of maids, who were staring at the floor, visibly uneasy. “Are you all dumb?” he yelled when no one answered.
“We don’t know, sir,” the head maid admitted, her voice trembling slightly.
Damien stormed outside, frustration bubbling over. He approached the line of guards standing at attention. “Where’s Jonathan?” he barked, scanning their faces for any sign of knowledge.
One of the guards hesitated before answering, “I’m not sure, sir. I last saw him walking into the mansion with the young madam.”
Furiously, Damien’s gaze swept across the courtyard, he noticed the old man he had fired this morning standing awkwardly at the edge of the property. The sight ignited his irritation further. “What the hell are you doing here?” Damien snapped, striding toward him.
The old man froze, trembling like a leaf. “I... I just… I… The young madam said I could stay, sir.”
“Hakim!” Damien yelled, his voice sharp as a knife. “Tie him up and throw him in the dark room.”
Hakim stepped forward, his expression reluctant but obedient. He knew better than to question him at this time.
He moved to obey, gripping the old man's arm. “Come with me, sir,” he said gently, but the old man resisted.
“Please, sir, I’ll leave!” the old man pleaded, his voice shaking. But Hakim only dragged him further.
Damien stormed back into the mansion, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He made a beeline for his study. He flicked on the lights and approached the desk, his fingers hovering over the keyboard as he accessed the CCTV feeds.
He fast-forwarded through the footage, His eyes narrowed when he saw Lila walking close by Jonathan into the Elevator. They appeared carefree, chatting as they made their way toward the rooftop.
“What the hell?” Damien muttered, his irritation surging as he watched them.
He couldn't believe the audacity of Jonathan to walk so carefree with Lila to his private pool. His grip on the desk tightened as he replayed the footage, watching her smile as she entered the elevator. He felt bile rise up his throat.
There was no camera on the rooftop, so he couldn't see what happened next. The thought of Lila and Jonathan in his private space infuriated him.
Seconds later he was standing in front of the elevator, pressing the buttons severally in anger.
“Open the f**k!” he cursed, placing his folded fist on the wall of the elevator while the other tapped aggressively as he waited for it to arrive. The doors finally opened, and he stepped inside, his jaw clenched
When the doors slid open onto the rooftop, the sight before him horrified him.
"What the f**k?" he shouted in shock.
- Writer
