"Lennon, where are you?" Jade asked hurriedly. The mention of the redhead made Gideon jump to his feet.
"Give me the phone," he demanded, extending his hand. "I want to talk to her."
Jade gestured for him to wait.
"Thank God," the blonde exclaimed, running a hand through her hair. "Yes, okay, we'll head over there now."
"What happened?" Maximiliano asked.
"I'm not entirely sure. We need to go get her quickly…"
The four of them left the mansion—Gideon in his car and the others in Maximiliano's. Jade gave her friend the address, and within half an hour, they were parking in front of a luxurious apartment building.
They entered the lobby where the security guard had already been authorized to let them in. He gave them a code to access the elevator panel, along with the floor number. They rode up in heavy silence.
The blonde glanced sideways at Gideon. He looked tense, his muscles stiff, and his jaw tightly clenched. He radiated pure fury. Jade looked away when the elevator dinged, signaling the doors had opened. They stepped out toward the penthouse, and the girls looked around in awe.
She would have liked to take in the details, but now wasn't the time. They searched for Lennon and found her sitting on a couch, drinking what looked like tea. Beside her was a man who stood up upon seeing the visitors.
The girl was wearing a coat and loose-fitting pants that apparently belonged to her rescuer.
"Good evening," he said.
"Good evening," they replied.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Jade rushed over and hugged her.
The redhead accepted her embrace, on the verge of tears again.
"It was horrible… They tried to take me… them," she sobbed, reliving the terror of the moment.
"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Nerea asked, coming closer.
"They slapped me when I tried to escape," she replied, breaking the hug. Everyone could see the cut on her lip, and her cheek was still red and slightly swollen.
"Savages," Gideon muttered through clenched teeth. He stepped closer to Lennon and gently took her by the chin, inspecting her face.
"How did you find her?" the brown-haired man asked. "Maximiliano Anderson," he introduced himself, extending a hand.
"Jannis Rayson," he replied, shaking it. "And to answer your question, I accidentally crashed into the car they were in. I got out to check if anyone was hurt and found Lennon running away from some men. She asked for help… and here we are."
"Good thing I memorized your number, because I still don't know the mansion's address," the young woman remarked.
"You're safe now," Gideon assured her. Jade noticed a certain tenderness in the brown-haired man's gaze toward her friend. She narrowed her eyes at that.
"Thanks for everything. I'm Jade," she said, extending her hand to Jannis. "Nice to meet you. This is my friend Nerea," the brunette gave a small wave, "and that's Gideon Lewis, Lennon's boss."
"The pleasure is mine. Would you like something to drink?" he asked.
They all declined.
Lennon was talking with Gideon, Nerea was laughing with Maximiliano, and the blonde had stayed with Jannis.
He was tall, with honey-colored hair that shimmered with golden tones. He looked like a magazine model, and his hazel eyes were stunning. His face was framed by a neatly trimmed beard that made him even more handsome.
"The dress Lennon was wearing got torn, but she insisted on washing it because she said it could still be fixed," he commented, handing over a garment bag with the dress inside.
"I'm not surprised. I think it's time for us to go. It was a pleasure, Jannis," she smiled.
"The pleasure was mine."
Jannis saw everyone out at the door. Lennon left with Gideon, and the girls went with Maximiliano…
Dominick
After leaving the room, he went to his own where he took a long shower, got dressed, and headed straight to the bar.
He walked into the establishment and glanced around for a few seconds. Music was pounding from every corner, and people were dancing nonstop. He approached the bar and took a seat.
"What would you like to drink, sir?" the bartender asked.
Dom lifted his head.
"A double whiskey, please," he requested.
He dropped his head into his hands. He was tired and irritated, feeling strange. Something was missing. He had an immense unease that wouldn't let him think straight—it kept circling in his mind and he simply couldn't make sense of his situation.
He had missed her a lot, no doubt about that. But that didn't mean he wanted her beyond sex... That couldn't be true!
He shook his head several times.
"Here you go, sir," the man behind the bar handed him the drink, which he downed in one go.
"Give me another," he said, and the bartender nodded. That one was followed by others, and others, until he could no longer stay on his feet.
"Sir, I think it's best if you don't drink anymore," the bartender suggested.
"W-what's your name?" he asked, letting out a laugh and resting his head on his arm on the counter.
"Willy, sir," the young man replied, handing out a few drinks and returning to Dom.
"Willy, g-gimme another," he demanded.
The boy had no choice but to obey.
A woman had sat next to him. She was blonde and wore a tight red dress. She looked like a goddess, she was that beautiful.
"This is the last one," the young man warned, handing him the drink. "I'll figure out how to get you back to your room."
Fifteen minutes passed where Dom just stared into space, analyzing his situation, trying to convince himself that his personal life was fine. That's how he saw it—but he didn't feel it...
Once again, that empty feeling settled in his chest.
The boy came over to collect the empty glass.
"Why are women like that?" he asked, this time without slurring or stumbling over his words.
His question caught the girl's attention and made Willy frown.
"What do you mean, sir? I don't understand," the boy admitted while drying some glasses.
Dom smiled.
"They're the worst kind of deceivers," he declared—and again, it seemed like he hadn't drunk that much at all—"they trap you with their beauty, paint you a world full of pink and color, and then they betray you. They're harpies," he scoffed.
"Not all of them, sir," the boy replied with a smile, prompting Dominick to raise an eyebrow. "My girlfriend is the sweetest girl I've ever met."
"Enjoy it while it lasts..." he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"If you're right, then all men are just cheaters who see women as nothing but sex objects, right?" the woman cut in, clearly annoyed by the way he was talking about her gender.
"And isn't it true that most of the time, men are thinking about sex?" Dominick snorted. "Everything is a transaction. Love is just a vain illusion that many fools believe is real—because it's easier to live in denial than accept the harsh truth."
"Sounds like you're quite the expert," she said sarcastically, staring at him.
He stood up and got closer to her, invading her personal space.
"I was one of those fools."
He bumped his shoulder against hers, but whether it was on purpose or not, even he didn't know.
He left the bar, bitterness flooding him. In the end, he always ended up thinking about her—about her betrayal. The pain was still there; it just came in waves.
As he walked down the hallway, memories of the good times flashed in his mind—the laughter, the kisses… the passionate touches. Without realizing it, he found himself comparing her to Jade...
He had to admit, they were very different. But then came the memory of the kiss she gave Christian, and rage clouded his mind.
He turned down a hallway and bumped into someone—a woman. He looked her up and down. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember her.
"Hey, handsome," she smiled flirtatiously, placing her hand on his chest. "You never came looking for me, and we didn't get to finish what we started."
"Do I know you?" he asked with a frown. The girl pouted in annoyance but quickly recovered.
"I'm Camila." He still didn't remember. "No matter. Want to finish what we left hanging that day?"
She leaned in and brushed her lips against his.
He narrowed his eyes. He couldn't deny the woman was beautiful, but she was a bit too forward…
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the hallway. They got into the elevator in silence. He pressed the button for his floor. For some reason he couldn't quite explain, he felt incredibly irritated. The chime announced their arrival.
They stepped out, and the girl was practically being dragged by him. They reached his room, and Dominick opened the door, pulled her in, and shut it behind them.
Without giving her a chance to react, he kissed her roughly and led her to the bed, throwing her down onto it. From where he stood, he looked down at her with fury in his eyes.
"Is this what you want?" he asked, climbing onto the bed and ripping open the buttons of her uniform. For a moment, the girl was startled—Dom's eyes looked like they were on fire. He kissed her, attacking her lips and shoving his tongue in like an animal. "You want to be my slut," he growled, wrapping his hand around her neck—but not squeezing hard. "You want me to treat you like what you are."
One of his hands traveled between her legs, touching her sex and feeling the wetness.
"Yes," she gasped, reacting to the touch of a man who was clearly furious—he looked transformed. "I want to feel it all."
"You don't deserve to be touched," he said, moving her panties aside and beginning to pleasure her with his fingers. Camila began to moan. "You don't deserve it because you're not her."
The girl didn't seem to care.
And he, watching her face twist with pleasure, realized he didn't like her—because she wasn't her. He only wanted to cause those expressions to her. Jade… who, as stubborn as she was, refused to acknowledge what she felt.
Camila was on the verge of climax when Dominick withdrew his fingers and wiped them off on the sheets.
"Get out," he said, standing up.
"What?" the girl looked confused.
"I said get the hell out," he hissed.
"Why?" she stood as well and approached him. "We can have a good time together, just let me…" He stopped her hand as it moved toward his crotch.
"I told you to leave," he snapped, gripping her wrist tightly. She winced. "I don't want to fuck you. You don't do anything for me. Do you see an erection here?" He gave a wicked grin. "You're bland." He dragged her to the door and opened it. "Get out and take whatever dignity you have left—and please, stop offering sex to every man you see around here."
"Why are you doing this?" she shouted, tears filling her eyes.
For a second, he felt guilty. He shouldn't have said that—he'd gone too far…
"Because you're not Jade," he muttered, distant.
"You'll regret this! You bastard! Go find that bitch!" she screamed, shedding her fake hurt expression. The girl was truly angry now. "Go find that slut who just sleeps around with everyone…"
Dom grabbed her by the neck.
"Don't you ever talk about Jade like that again," he growled, squeezing Camila's throat. She struggled to breathe, but Dominick looked possessed—like the devil himself. "She's more of a woman than you'll ever be, and more than any of the maids in this hotel. Wash that filthy mouth before you dare speak about her again—or I swear, you'll see what I'm capable of."
He threw her, and she landed in the hallway.
"Asshole!" she shrieked.
"Whore," he growled. "I don't want to see you. And you better avoid me, because if not, I'll make sure you're fired. And stop talking about my woman—or you'll regret it."
Dominick slammed the door shut with a loud bang. He ran his hands over his head. He shouldn't have done that. What he should've done was just sleep with her and then send her on her way. Because by not doing it, and by reacting like that when she insulted the blonde, it only meant one thing: Jade was starting to matter to him… and that was impossible.
He stripped off all his clothes and headed to the bathroom. He started filling the tub, then returned to the bedroom to look for alcohol. This time, he was going to drink himself into unconsciousness… even though deep down, he believed that alcohol was the only way to drown—and kill—what he was beginning to feel.
"I won't make the same mistake twice…"
[...]
Jade
Monday, February 20th
"Hey, Nerea, I'm bored," the blonde sighed. She hadn't done anything all day except eat—and that was because Maximiliano had told her she didn't have to work until Wednesday…
She was accompanying Nerea while she cleaned rooms. She had wanted to help, but her friend didn't let her.
"Go shopping," the brunette suggested.
Jade burst out laughing.
"Shopping?" Jade shook her head. "With what money? I can barely afford anything lately…" she trailed off, then suddenly jumped up. "Shit!" she screamed.
Nerea stopped what she was doing when she saw her friend's horrified expression.
"Jade, are you okay?" she approached. "You're really pale."
"I completely forgot," she whispered, dropping onto the couch and covering her face with her hands. "I was supposed to pay the bank on Friday… and I forgot. With everything on my mind, and then Dad…"
"Don't worry, it's the first time you've been late. They can't hold that against you," Nerea tried to reassure her.
"Nerea, they were very clear. I couldn't be late on any payments, or they'd send a warning—" she looked up, "to my house."
"Shit. Janeth doesn't know you mortgaged the house, does she?" Nerea placed her hand on Jade's head.
"No. She doesn't. I made her sign the paper without knowing what it was. She could sue me… and knowing that bastard Elías, he wouldn't hesitate to convince her to do it."
"Don't worry. Let's call Alicia. She can check the mail."
"All right."
Jade called her sister. Although Alicia was happy to hear from her, Jade was distant, cold, and curt. Not surprising—she was still upset with her sister. She asked her to check the mail for any envelope with the bank's seal. Luckily, Alicia found one. Janeth had spent the night at the hospital taking care of Allison, and Elías had been on shift all day.
"Put it in my room, please, and don't open it."
"All right. Do you think we can talk…?"
"Later," Jade cleared her throat. "I'm busy."
She hung up, feeling bad for treating her sister that way…