Chapter 117
"Miss Jacqueline, good morning," one of them said, pushing forward. She was holding a tray laden with every different breakfast dish, chosen and set out in such a manner as to be inviting for Jacqueline to eat.
"Really, you must get your strength back," said another maid, her voice soft like silk but with an edge of steel underneath. "You have eaten practically nothing so far, and we are all very concerned about you.".
She looked at food and then shook her head, heaving herself to an upright position with some effort. "I.I don't think I can eat," she replied, barely above a whisper. The sight of the food soured her stomach, sourly reminding her of everything churning inside.
The room went silent; the maids exchanged furtive glances, their eyes awash with misgiving. One of them, seeming very indecisive, set the tray on the bedside table gingerly, perhaps to stay in Ms. Devereaux's hand in hope that she might change her mind.
"Please, do not trouble yourselves," Jacqueline hushed, her voice low and modulated, looking sideways at them, giving them the faintest apologetic smile. But her mind was elsewhere, locked onto Penelope's words, which seemed to ring within her like some insistent drumbeat.
She tried to banish the thoughts as rubbish, but somehow, something the words said by Penelope touched something deep inside her head. "Your real parents are still alive." The line replayed itself in front of her, not invited or welcomed. "No," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "I buried them. I remember the accident
She slung the covers back and swung her legs over the side, ready to be up and out of the room, to go to her sister and protect her from whatever shadows might be lurking.
"Miss Jacqueline," one of the maids protested, her eyes wide as she stepped forward, blocking Jacqueline's way with a look of gentle determination. "Please… you're not allowed to leave."
Jacqueline came to a dead stop in front of the maid, disbelieving and frustrating stares, and stiffening up. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice icy with reined-in anger. "Not allowed?"
The maid nodded, casting her eyes down. "It's Master Alessandro's orders. He said you needed rest and shouldn't leave the room.
Alessandro?" Jacqueline's fists clenched at her sides, and the rise of anger flared hot and searing within her. "Where is he? I need to speak with him immediately."
"I'm afraid he's away at the moment," another maid replied, her tone almost contrite. "But he made it very clear we were to ensure you stayed in here. For your safety.
Jacqueline's lips seemed to flatten out. Safety? Alessandro had gone way too far this time. With an abrupt turn of her body, she stalked over to the bedside table to grab her phone, but instead met an empty spot where the device usually lay.
"Where is my phone?" she exclaimed, already turning to the maids with a rising voice. They looked at each other warily and said nothing, further confirming her suspicion.
"Did he…?" Her words trailed off as her mind began to put two and two together. Alessandro had taken her phone. She was unable to call anybody for help. She was unable to ask after her sister.
"Damn it," she fumed, the storm inside her - a storm of anger, of fear-was building up.
One of the maids dared to step forward. "Please, Miss Jacqueline," she said softly. "Master Alessandro only wants to protect you. He thought it best if you stayed-"
"Best?" Jacqueline cut her off sharply. "I'm not a prisoner here, and I don't need anyone deciding what's best for me. Least of all Alessandro.
Another maid's face softened in sympathy. "Perhaps if you rest a little longer, he'll come back soon and explain everything to you yourself."
Jacqueline shook her head, feeling the panic start to take hold once more. "It's not about rest or safety. My sister." She trailed off, not about to reveal fully her thoughts to the maids but desperate to get out. "I need to leave. Right now.
Apologetically, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss Jacqueline, but we have strict orders. We can't let you leave."
"Miss Jacqueline," he said respectfully, yet inflexible, "our instructions are precise. You're to stay inside your room for your protection.
Jacqueline was about to lose her patience. "And who ordered this? Alessandro?" She laughed in bitter mirth, her arms folding themselves defiantly. "Who gave him the right to put me under house arrest like this?
The guard said nothing. His face was impassive. "It's for your protection, ma'am. He is very concerned about your well-being.
She stared at him, her mind wrestling between fury and the scantiest trace of guilt. But the anger came out on top. _If Alessandro imagined he could run her life this way, he had another think coming._
"I don't want his protection," she said, coldly. "And if he was really worried, he'd know I had to see my sister."
For a millisecond, the guard's eyes flickered, but he didn't budge, wordlessly reinforcing his orders.
She spun back into the room, pacing as she fought to regain some semblance of control over the situation. Her mind was a jumble-a tangled maze of Penelope's revelations and Alessandro's stifling protection. Then she looked around the room, and for the first time, something essential fell into place: Alessandro had underestimated her. He still thought he could protect her, that he could restrain her within these walls.
That, he would find out soon enough.
The maid reached out tentatively. Her eyes were soft. "Please, Miss Jacqueline…Perhaps something to drink? Or maybe just tea for the nerves?"
She shook her head, heaving a sigh. "No, thank you," she said in a soft, polite voice, trying not to show her emotions. Her eyes fell on the tray of food that lay untouched, and though appetite was lost, she knew she needed strength if she were ever to find her way out of this.
The maids fluttered around her, indecisive, feeling the weight of her anger, yet somehow sensing her exhaustion. One of them finally gestured toward a cushy chair by the window. "Perhaps a bit of fresh air might help clear your mind, ma'am," she ventured softly.
She whispered to herself, I'll find a way out. And I will protect my sister.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
