"The Master was very firm, Mistress. I can't let you go," Mrs. May said, her voice soft as she offered another spoonful of porridge.
"Mrs. May, he's just worried I'll run. If you lock the bedroom door, I'm still trapped in the house, right? Please... my wrists are losing blood circulation." Evelyn's eyes were wide and brimming with unshed tears.
Mrs. May hesitated. She felt sad for the girl. She was still young, and girls her age tend to be more stubborn. Slowly, the housekeeper set the platter down, walked to the bedroom door, and turned the key, making sure the door was locked Then, she returned to the bed and untied the silk tie from the girl's wrist.
The moment she was free, Evelyn bolted for the bathroom and Mrs. May breathed a sigh of relief, hearing the sound of rushing water. But inside the bathroom, Evelyn wasn't washing up. She was grabbing her essentials and stuffing them into a mini suitcase she kept hidden under the vanity.
Downstairs, the staff was busy setting up lunch for Erica when a figure flashed before her eyes. She looked clearly and saw Evelyn sprinting toward the front door, suitcase in hand.
"Mrs Thorn! Stop! Mr Thorn said—"
Slam!
The heavy door shut before the staff could reach it. The girl panicked and ran upstairs, only to find the bedroom door locked from the inside. When they finally broke in, they found Mrs. May gagged with a scarf and tied to the headboard exactly as Evelyn had been.
Mrs. May "struggled" against her bonds, putting on a performance that would have made Erica jealous. Once untied, she rushed to the phone to call the master of the house.
At Thorn International, Michael's private phone buzzed as he stepped out of the board meeting.
"Mr Thorn, the Mistress has run away. She took her luggage."
Michael's grip on his phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. Evelyn Meyers, you really have the nerves!! He couldn't believe his ears.
Evelyn, meanwhile, was pushing her little scooter to its absolute limit. she didn't head for the train station; she parked the scooter in a quiet park, left the keys at a nearby convenience store, and called the only person she knew, Jade.
"Jade, my scooter is at the shop on lines Street. The keys are at the Convenience store opposite it. Please help me fetch it after work. Don't ask questions, I'm leaving for a while."
Before Jade could open her mouth to ask questions, Evelyn hung up and turned off her phone. She hailed a taxi and gave the only destination that offered a clean slate: The International Airport.
By the time Michael's assistant, Dominic, tracked her ticket destination to Germany, the plane was already a silver speck in the clouds. Michael stood at the terminal window, watching the runway. He didn't chase her. He knew her habits, she'd use her credit cards. And he would track her. He'd let her have two days of silence to cool her head.
Evelyn landed in Germany. She checked into the Venice Holiday Hotel, unaware that back in Arise City, Erica was already hiring a private investigator to track her every move.
"She's at the Venice Holiday," Erica purred into the phone. "Make sure she never wants to come back to Arise City. And there should be no traces."
Unaware of the people tracking her life, or maybe she didn't bother to care. Evelyn spent her first day exploring the City she was in.
As she wandered around the City, she passed by a bustling street that was filled with envoys. It looked like a government event. Not giving a mind to it, she squeezed her way along the crowd and continued down the road.
While, Evelyn squeezed down the crowd unconcerned. The man speaking on the podium stared at the figure of the familiar woman, wondering why she was here and Alone.
Three hours later, as Evelyn stood on the street, waiting to catch a Taxi, a long black Limousine pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing the man from Earlier.
"Miss Meyers, get in." His voice was a rich, magnetic baritone.
"My- wait, I don't know you!" Evelyn protested as the door was being opened for her.
"Miss, please," the attendant said respectfully. "The Chancellor shouldn't stay in the open for long. Please enter."
Evelyn climbed into the plush leather interior, her heart racing. "Where are we going? And how on earth do you know my name?"
Julian Sin leaned back, his gaze lingering on her face. It had been over a month since he'd seen her in Arise City, and she was even more captivating in the golden light of Germany.
"I'll take you back to the Venice Hotel," he said softly. "As for how I know you, you have a very forgetful memory, Evelyn."
Julian let out a low, melodic laugh that made Evelyn's breath hitch. In the dim light of the car, his sharp features and commanding presence rivaled even Michael's.
"It seems your memory is as short as your temper, Evelyn," he said, his eyes twinkling behind his sunglasses. "The last time we met at the Outlets Hotel in Arise City, you were quite drunk. You clung to me and refused to leave with Michael. Don't tell me you've forgotten hugging me.
Evelyn felt a flush creep up her neck that had nothing to do with the wine she'd tasted. "I... I apologize. I had far too much to drink that night."
"Clearly," he smiled, though his gaze turned serious. "Did that man really let you come here all alone? On my turf?"
The car pulled into the guarded entrance of the Venice Holiday Hotel.
"Won't you invite me up for a glass of Wine and a chat ?" Julian asked, his tone teasing but his eyes searching. As he stared at the girl in front of him, he couldn't knock off the nagging familiarity he felt from her and the unusual feeling of wanting to be close to her.
"The Chancellor must be a very busy man," Evelyn replied, stepping out of the car with a polite but firm smile. "I wouldn't want to cause an international incident by keeping you."
As Julian Sin watched her walk away, the smile on his face went away replaced with his stoic and indifferent expression. He signaled to his assistant "Keep two men on her floor. Ensure she is safe, but stay in the shadows."
Evelyn spent the next few days in a daze of sightseeing and excursions. On her fourth day, her phone buzzed with a message that made her heart skip: "Wife, it's time to come back home."
She ignored it. She wasn't ready to face the accusations and the "Queen" Erica just yet. To spite him, she posted a carousel of photos to her Instagram.
Hours passed and Evelyn became hungry. As she contemplated what to order, there was a knock at the door and an attendant in a uniform rolled in a cart. "I don't remember ordering for service?" She eyed the attendant and the cart.
"Compliments of the hotel, Miss Meyers," he replied smoothly. Evelyn nodded and looked away putting back her focus on her phone as the attendant exited the room.
Evelyn took a few bites of the food as she focused on her phone. But within ten minutes, the room began to spin. Her limbs felt heavy, and a terrifyingly familiar heat began to crawl under her skin. It was the same feeling she'd had when her ex, Tail Watson, had drugged her, but this was more violent.
"No..." she gasped, fumbling for her phone. But, the phone slipped from her numb fingers and skittered across the carpet.
The door clicked open. Two men she didn't recognize stepped into the room, their expressions predatory. Evelyn tried to scream, but her voice betrayed her.
Outside in the hallway, Julian's undercover bodyguards saw the men enter. One immediately dialed his number. "Sir, Miss Meyers is in danger. Two men have breached her room."
"Break in! Now!" Julian roared, already throwing on his coat and heading for his car. "Secure her safety. I'm on my way."
By the time the Julian arrived, his bodyguards had the two intruders pinned to the floor. Evelyn was rolling on the bed, her face flushed and her breathing ragged.
"Take them to the private holding cells," Julian ordered, his voice hard and cold. "I want to know who sent them before the sun rises."
He approached the bed. The moment his hand touched her shoulder, Evelyn grabbed his wrist with surprising strength. "It hurts... I'm so hot..." she moaned, her eyes glazed with the effects of the drug and Julian's heart hammered against his ribs. He had been born with everything, money, power, status, but he had never felt a pull like this. He looked at the woman who had rejected him, now clinging to him for relief.
"I've got you, Evelyn," he whispered, pushing her hair away from her face.