Chapter 15 – Celine
He’d been avoiding me.
I wasn’t entirely sure why, but that had been the pattern. Ever since he fucked me, he hadn’t had a proper conversation with me. We no longer ate together in the dining room, and our paths barely crossed anymore. Even when they did, he’d just nod and move on.
It hurt my feelings, and I hated myself for letting his negligence get to me. I was supposed to have seen this coming from a mile away. Men like Artur Tarasov weren’t to be trusted with anything. Let alone something as fragile as the human heart.
He never cared for me. He only wanted to smash. All those small gestures were nothing but tactics to bait me. And as the stupid, naive girl that I was, I fell for it. Artur was very good at making the whole process seem random and unplanned.
Gosh, I was such an idiot!
Despite his current attitude, I couldn’t help reminiscing on that fateful night every now and then. He’d made a woman out of me and made me feel more alive than I had ever felt before. His touch had opened my eyes to things that I’d been missing out on.
Now, all my body craved was him.
I wanted to feel him inside me again, to taste his tongue in my mouth and his lips on mine. But I couldn’t let myself go down that rabbit hole because he’d proven to be a dick. A big, veiny one.
Because he’d decided to avoid me, I made up my mind to let him see how much his actions were affecting me. I figured the best way to get back at him was to act like I, too, didn’t care. Like I didn’t give an actual fuck.
I moved about the place more freely nowadays and even forced myself to smile more often. This was supposed to throw him off the edge and leave him baffled. And I was almost certain it would work because men like him always loved being in charge.
Once he realized that I wasn’t affected by his nonchalance, he’d have no choice but to end the stupid game.
Every day, I put my body under subjection, denying it the very thing it craves. It was always a battle whenever I felt the urge to play with myself. Refusing was never an easy task, but at the end of the day, I learned that I had more control over my desires than I gave myself credit for.
He’d had his way with me. So what?
What was the big deal?
He didn’t take me by force. It was mutual.
I’d willingly given him my innocence, and we both enjoyed ourselves. It was pointless to feel used and played because I knew exactly what I was getting into. Regret was a luxury I couldn't afford. The deed was done. I enjoyed it while it lasted. Now, it was time to move on.
If Artur expected me to wallow in self-pity, then he had something else coming.
My carefree attitude during this period was enough to make him question who had used whom. And that was the goal. He reveled in the feeling as much as I did. And so, I wasn’t going to let anyone gaslight me into believing they stole what I willingly gave.
No.
That morning, before dawn, I woke up feeling thirsty and decided to grab a bottle of water. I wiped the remnants of sleep from my eyes and got out of bed. The marble floor was cool beneath my feet as I stepped out of my room, heading toward the kitchen.
I strolled down the hall, yawning and stretching, my hair a tangled mess. As I passed by his master bedroom, I stopped in my tracks, brows knitting together.
“Fuckin’ bastard,” I cussed under my breath, flashing the middle finger at his door.
Less than a second later, I picked up my pace again. My feet pounded against the red carpet that floored the steps as I descended the long, curved stairs.
I’d barely made it to the kitchen when something caught my eye in the living room. A car key was carelessly tossed away on a coffee table.
I froze in place, recognizing who the keys belonged to. Hilda.
She was the housekeeper.
I didn’t know housekeepers owned their own vehicles until I arrived here. But she wasn’t the only domestic staff that had a car in this mansion. The chef and the chief maid both had their own rides as well.
Honestly, I was shocked the first time I found out. I didn’t think it was a thing. But I was wrong.
There were two explanations for this. It was either that he got them the cars or that he paid them well enough to afford them. Either way, it was admirable.
Since I already knew what Hilda’s car looked like and where she often parked it, a daring thought crossed my mind.
What if I grabbed those keys and made a run for it? What’s the worst thing that could happen? This was my chance to attempt a prison break.
Don’t be stupid. The plan is dead on arrival, my voice of reason chipped in. This place is a fortress. It’s swarming with guards. How’re you gonna get away?
Guards.
I glanced at the wall clock and remembered something crucial. During the early days of my stay here, I’d once tried to find a pattern in the way the guards operated. I found a loophole in their shift routines.
I wasn’t 100% sure about my thesis. But based on the intel I’d been able to gather, security was often slack during these hours.
I can do it.
No, you can’t. This is a bad idea. Need I remind you that you have absolutely no idea how vast this forest is? You could get lost. Or worse!
I shoved the negative thoughts to the back of my mind and drew a deep breath. My hands flew into my hair, deftly styling it into a messy bun.
Then, I made the boldest move I’d ever made in my life. I dashed toward the coffee table.
In a jiffy, I snatched the keys and sprinted through the living room. Luckily, the door was open. What were the odds? Too focused on the mission, I didn’t stop to think.
I ran outside, sprinting with all my might toward the garage where Hilda’s car was parked. The cool wind whipped against my face as I moved, the crescent moon hanging somewhere in the sky.
At the press of a button on the key holder, the vehicle beeped to life. I saw it parked separately from the others and hurried over. Everything was happening so quickly, and my heart was pounding loudly.
I got in, started the engine, and drove away. With nervous glances over my shoulders, I checked to see if anyone was following me. But to my surprise, no one was. I floored the vehicle down the serpentine driveway, fingers tightening around the steering wheel.
When I got to the gates, I expected them to be locked and was already figuring out how to leave the compound. But fortunately for me, they was only closed. Not locked.
I slammed on the brakes, rushed out, and parted the gates just enough to let my vehicle pass through. Once that was done, I returned to my car and drove out of the estate at high speed.
“Woohoo!” I screamed, ramming against the steering wheel in joy.
What had seemed like an impossible task turned out to be a piece of cake. With my headlights on, I accelerated on the lonely road snaking through towering trees.
“You did it, girl!” I rejoiced, laughing. “You escaped!”
Did you, though?
I wanted to ignore the voice, but it wouldn’t shut up.
Think about it: Shouldn’t you have drawn someone’s attention by now? You stole a car, the key to which just so happened to be sitting on the table.
Your point, exactly?
You didn’t escape. He gave you a free pass.
Those words cut through me like a knife, especially because I was starting to see the sense in that.
You don’t find it suspicious that the front door was left unlocked, that you started the engine and the sound didn’t alert the guards? The voice paused, then continued, Speaking of guards. How many did you spot tonight? That’s right. None.
My expression began darkening by the second.
Even the estate gates weren’t locked. Come on, Celine, put the pieces together!
I hit the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt halt. Just like that, my joy was cut short—stolen by what seemed like the truth.
But why?
Why would he let me go?
Was he tired of me? Did he do this to get rid of me after taking what he wanted?
And how did he know I was going to attempt an escape tonight? Because I never planned it. I only acted on impulse.
Pissed, I sat in the car, wondering what game Artur was playing. I thought about what to do; should I keep going, or should I turn back toward the mansion?
My scowl deepened. “Fuck it.” I revved the car’s engine and then stepped on the accelerator.
Since he wanted me gone, there was no point staying back. Besides, this was the freedom I’d been craving for the longest time.
I drove on.
One hour later, I was still driving through the dense forest with no sign of civilization in sight. Fatigue started setting in as I traveled from dawn to sunrise, unsure of where I was or where I was headed.
To make matters worse, my tank was running low, so I could run out of gas any moment and be stranded on a lonely road. At this point, I was starting to sweat on my forehead because it was clear I was lost.
Then the worst happened.
I ran out of gas.
“You gotta be shitting me,” I mumbled, slamming the back of my head into the headrest. “Fuck!” I yelled out in frustration.
You should’ve listened to me and just stayed back.
Seething in silence, my grip tightened around the steering wheel, my jaw locked in anger. Confused, I remained in the car with the windows wound down, thinking of my next move.
That’s when it dawned on me why I wasn’t chased; they knew I wasn’t going to escape.
I sat there, waiting for someone to find me and come pick me up. It was clear now that this was the end of the road for my little escape plan. So, I waited.
The sun had risen by now, its golden rays filtering through the trees. My heart skipped a beat when I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle behind. I looked through the rearview and realized it was one of Artur’s black SUVs.
He pulled over by the sidewalk, gravel crunching beneath his tires. The engine died, the driver’s door opened, and he stepped out of the car.
I was right. It was him.
Dressed in his signature black suit, he walked toward my parked vehicle, shoes scuffing against the pavement. I sat there with my arms across my chest, fuming silently.
Artur halted outside my door. “What happened? Are you lost?” The mockery in his tone couldn’t be any more glaring.
“I’m not speaking to you.” I shot a stern glare at him, opened the door, and stepped out.
He laughed quietly.
“You think this is funny?!” I snapped, my voice laced with frustration.
“You tried to run away but ended up getting lost. Yeah, it is kinda funny,” he answered, his expression somewhere between anger and amusement.
“Well, I wouldn’t have tried to run away if you hadn’t….” My voice trailed off into silence.
He tilted his head slightly to the side, eyes squinting. “If I hadn’t what?”
“Never mind,” I said, locking my jaw.
“Fine,” he said. “Get in the car.”
My scowl deepened. “You get to order me around.”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he warned, his voice deep and husky.
“Or else what?” I looked right at his face. “You’ve ruined me already. What more can you do?”
Silence.
His lips parted as though he wanted to respond, but ended up saying nothing.
“In case you haven’t noticed, Artur, I’m not afraid of you anymore.”
“Good for you.” He hesitated for a moment. “Now, get in the car.” His tone left no room for further arguments.
Reluctantly, I walked over to his vehicle and got into the front passenger seat. I fastened my seatbelt. My face was set in a frown, with my arms crossed over my chest.
Without a word, he got into the car, started the engine, and drove back toward the estate.