Grace had finished exploring the west wing of the mansion. It felt wrong to stay there. She needed to leave, to get back to work. She had to follow a lead to the nurse who attended to Mrs. Bernard. She checked the clothes that Mary had left in the room.
"There are expensive materials. I can't wear them." She said as she folded the clothes and kept them back. She wore her old clothes. It was torn but manageable. Her eyes scanned the room for her bag. She found it on the couch along with her notebook. She picked them up, tied her hair, and walked toward the door.
She stepped out of the room. She saw the same man who stood by the door. He had a dark shade on, so she couldn't see his eyes. She walked past him to the entrance of the mansion. As she reached for the handle, a deep voice stopped her.
"Good morning, ma'am." The voice began, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't step outside."
She turned. A tall man in a black suit stood beside the door. He had an earpiece and a serious face.
"I need to go," Grace said.
"I am sorry, ma'am, but for your own safety, you can't leave the mansion." The man replied politely. "Mr. Cole gave orders. You are not to leave the house until he returns."
Grace couldn't believe what she heard. "Excuse me?"
"The orders were clear, ma'am, you should rest and stay indoors. For your safety." The man said politely.
Grace felt her anger rise. "For my safety? You mean to say that I am a prisoner now?"
"No, ma'am," the man said as he kept a straight face, "But Mr. Cole said it was not safe outside yet."
Grace took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, but it did not help. "This is not his decision to make. I can take care of myself." She said as she turned to open the door.
"I am sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you do that. We have been given orders to make sure you stay in the mansion. Don't make this hard, ma'am."
She stared at him for a few seconds, then stepped aside. "Fine, then tell your boss he is being ridiculous. I am not some child who needs protection."
The guard did not answer. He only stepped back to his position near the door.
Grace walked back into the living room, fuming with anger. She dropped her bag on the couch and began pacing. "Unbelievable," she muttered. "He thinks he can control me, too."
She went to the window and looked outside. Two guards stood near the gate. The mansion felt like a golden cage.
Her mind started racing; she thought about the story, the files, and the nurses she was supposed to meet. Every hour she wasted here was another chance for her leads to go cold. She pressed her hands against the window.
She remembered the look on Donald's face the night before. The way he held her when she cried. For a second, she believed he cared. But now, he was keeping her locked up.
Grace turned away from the window, "I do not need his protection." She said to herself. "I need answers."
She sat on the couch as she pulled out her notebook from her bag. The cover was torn, but it still held her clues. She flipped through the pages until she found the name of the nurse she had written down the day before.
Grace stared at the names for a very long time. Ms. Raymond and Mrs. Elizabeth. They were the nurses on duty the day Mrs. Benard was admitted to the hospital. Grace had planned to find them this morning. But now, she is stuck here, trapped by orders she never agreed to.
The day slowly came to an end, and Donald was still in the office. His phone kept buzzing, but he ignored most of the calls. His focus was on the reports and files on the table. He knew something was wrong in the company.
He called Collins again. "Any progress?"
"Not yet, sir. But we traced the van to a fake address. The driver's ID was false. We are still checking the surveillance cameras."
"Keep checking," Donald said. "And make sure Grace is safe. No one touches her again."
"Yes, sir." Collins said.
When the call ended, Donald sat back in silence. The weight of the day pressed on him. He knew his mother wouldn't like what he was doing. She never liked it when he acted without her approval. But this was different. This was personal now.
He stood up to Grace. He felt uneasy leaving Grace all alone when those men still roamed freely. He made his way to the elevator. He stepped out of the Cole Group building, signaling his driver.
"The mansion." He said to his driver. The car sped off.
Grace sat by the window, staring at the tall gate. She wanted to escape. But every time she stepped out of the room, the guard's eyes turned to her slightly, their eyes sharp. She decided to wait.
The silence in the mansion made her so restless. She knew she didn't belong there; she didn't fit. She looked at the note on the table again and whispered under her breath, "You cannot lock me here forever, Donald Cole."
The sound of the engine drew her attention to the window. She walked towards the window and saw Donald's car. Her eyes lit up. She admired him from a distance. His straight face and perfect body.
"Focus, Grace. Not now, you have to leave this mansion." She said, but she couldn't take her eyes off him. He looked up, and their eyes met. Grace stepped back, almost hiding from his gaze. Her heart was beating fast.
"Why did I do that? What is wrong with me? Why do I feel this way?" She whispered. She stepped towards the window, but he was no longer there. She tried to look for him. It was like he disappeared. The door opened behind her.
She turned back in shock. It was Donald. Her heart raced. His eyes were sharp. He stepped forward as she stepped backward. Silence filled the room; the atmosphere had changed. Her feet got stuck under the rug, and she slipped, but Donald caught her.
"Are you okay?" he said as their eyes locked. His voice made her heart race faster.
"I'm not… I mean, I… Donald?" She said.
Donald straightened. "We haven't been able to find those men, but I promise we will find them," Donald said as he walked towards the table. He was expecting Grace to say something or probably scold him for locking her in the house. But she remained silent.
"Grace?" he said.
He turned as their eyes locked. "You seem lost. Are you okay?"
"I am fine." Grace said.
"I am sorry I ordered my men not to let you out. You have to stay indoors for now until all of this is settled." Donald said as he opened the bowl on the table.
"No, I can't stay. I have a story to chase. I have a job and a life. I can't stay here. I need to leave." Grace said. Her words were sharp.
"I can let you out there, Grace. I won't be able to leave with myself if anything happened to you." Donald replied.
"Donald, this is wrong. Keeping me here against my will is wrong. You don't understand. Every second I spend here, my lead goes cold. I need to…"
"You can't leave, Grace, and that's final." He said, his words were sharper and his voice louder. His face was filled with anger and concern. "You have to understand, if all you say about Cole Oil is true, then you are in danger. I don't know who is behind it and what length this person could go." He said as he walked closer to her. "You are my responsibility now and until this whole thing has died down. Cole's mansion is the safest place for you. Also, you need to eat for your bruises to heal."
His phone rang. He picked the call.
"Sir, we found something. You may want to see this." Collins said.
Donald's eyes widened as he walked out of the room, leaving Grace standing confused.