NIRELLE - Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Lucien walks in as if he owns the place; of course, he does, but this is supposed to be my room. He ignores my question and walks straight to me, reading everything I had written down. I close the book, but I know it's already too late, as I can tell he has read it.
"Were you contemplating taking up my offer?"
"No," I shout, but that is not going to change the fact that he already saw it. "I did not write that," I say, and the lie flows freely even though it sounds ridiculous.
"Are you hiding someone else here?" he asked in a teasing tone.
I pause, pressing my lips together and staring at him. This man had acted like I was invisible for the entire day, and now he was teasing me? Why? Why was he here?
"Did you bring me up?" I ask and he nods. "Thank you, but next time there is no need for you to do that," I say, and he does not like it. I can tell from the way his mouth shifts slightly.
"I can't let my wife sleep on the couch when she has such a luxurious bed," he says. The word wife is foreign to me, and even though this is my second night, I can't help but be uncomfortable with it.
"You don't need to be kind to me; I know the reason you brought me, you know the reason you brought me here," I say as if I had just discovered it. "It's into like I can sleep in it." The words come out in a murmur, and I try to study his face to see if he heard me, but his reaction does not tell me anything.
"It does not change the fact that you are my wife." his voice is smooth. He moves and plants himself on the bed as I swirl in the chair to face him.
"What are you doing?"
"I think we still have a lot to talk about," he murmurs as he tests out the bed, shaking it a bit.
"You want to talk at midnight?" I ask and he nods.
"I told you I would be here." he is acting as if I am the strange one for forgetting what he had said. "You want to help me, but you are hesitating. Why?"
"Why do you think I want to help you?" I can't believe that is the route I had decided to take. He had seen my scribbling, and I was still acting as if I were oblivious. Maybe because I was yet to figure out my feelings properly, too. Why do I want to help him? Was it because of what Theo said? Was he cunning? Did he send Theo to water the ground? "You are sly," I say before he can respond to my earlier question.
"What?" his tone is hard, and his face tells me he doesn't like my accusation.
"You sent your right-hand man to make me believe you were doing this for a good cause," I say, letting out a long sigh. "I have to say you both are good because he managed to convince me, and you just happened to show up when I had gotten out of bed?" I look around the room, and he joins me.
"What are you searching for?" he asked, and I stopped staring at him, hoping he'd break and stop acting clueless.
"The cameras you have set up to watch me"
"I do not have cameras set up," he is truthful, and I can only tell by the tone of his voice. I do not want to believe it, but I have nothing to go on. "Why would I do that? i am not a sicko." he stands up from the bed and stares at me.
"I won't lie; I brought you here because I thought that after all you went through at the Thamore's residence, you'd be a great weapon against your father, but it seems you want to cover for him, and that's okay; I can understand family relations."
He begins to walk to the door, and I stand up, pushing the chair back so it hits the table. "Is that all you came here to say?"
"I want you to help me, but I can't force you." he stops and turns to me. "I do not want to manipulate you because if I do, then I would be the same as your father."
His words warm my heart. Enoch did far more than abuse me sexually; he abused me in every way he could find, and it broke me. The version of the woman standing here is not someone I think I can recognise at all. "What would happen to me if I refused to help you?" I ask, wanting to verify Theo's claim.
"Nothing"
"Nothing? What does nothing mean? Would I have to get a divorce?" I ask.
"Do you want a divorce?"
My mind spins out of control at the thought that if I get a divorce, then it means I would have to go back to the Thamore mansion, and I know it's only been a day, but this newfound freedom is something I never want to let go of. But if I stay here and don't help him, how can I ever live with myself?
"You can have whatever you want; I don't mind," he says when he notices how frozen I was on the spot.
"Why are you being so kind?" he takes a step forward as if he wants to say something, to confess something, but then he stops himself and walks to the door.
"Good night, have a good night," he says, shutting the door behind him.
I gulp as I stare at the door gently, and then, without thinking too much about it, I walk up and open the door, seeing him at the end of the hallway. I call out to him and walk towards him. He waits till I get to him, and I nod my head.
"Okay, I will help you." I see his face light up as
if he had just won. "At my terms"