Chapter 4

Layla’s POV

My body felt weak, my head spun as I tried to hold my eyes open. It’s not been working. I needed to open my eyes at once.

Strangely, I remembered the events of last night.

The bed under me felt soft against my bare skin. I felt the distance of the bed with my hand which I’m suddenly able to move after what felt like forever of being awake on this bed, numb. Nothing. There was nothing next to me. I finally opened my eyes but the whiteness of the bed and the ceiling blinded my eyes so I shut them again.

After a few minutes of trying to regain my strength, I opened my eyes again, this time squinting them to adjust to the room’s brightness before slowly pulling my body into a sitting position. I looked around me and discovered that I was inside a wide room. Everywhere was white. From the doors to the ceiling to the walls. The floor is translucent, a couple of lanterns standing afar, reflecting golden lights in the room. I didn’t see anyone, didn’t hear anything.

I remember being dragged from my house yesterday. Or was it earlier today? I’d been sedated, possibly but was it possible for me to wake up this early?

I remembered the look on my parents face as they gave me off to some man, I remembered how I’d struggled to break free, how they’d bundled me into their car and everything turning black. The thought of my parents giving me off to some men in order to pay off their depths hurt me deeply but the deed was done and there’s nothing I can do about it. Now I was in some porch house, without an idea of where in the world I was.

My eyes falls on my body. I wasn’t wearing my red hoody anymore, I was in a white sundress. I could smell the strong fragrance that came off my body and the room. Everywhere smelled so nice. Where the hell was I?

My phone…

I frantically began searching for my phone under the bed duvet, under the pillow, on the bed’s table stand, but nothing. What was I thinking? He’d be a fool to leave my phone with me after kidnapping me to some God knows place. I’d be sure to contact the police or someone.

I pushed the duvet off my exposed legs and tried to cover my upper body with my arms, feeling too exposed with the dress’s spaghetti strap. I wasn’t wearing bra anymore. My heart raced as I tried to remember ever changing my clothes. But I couldn’t. I was passed out all night last night, it wasn’t possible for me to change my dress. And I smelled like I’d taken some nice shower. I cringed at the thought of that man taking off my clothes and bathing me. God no.

I ran my hands over my body to feel any change. What had he done to me?

Suddenly, I heard a beeping sound coming in from the glass doors before they slid open, a lady walking in with a tray of cup in her hand. I’ve never been so glad to see a person in my life before. She’s tall and pale, with full wavy red hair which she pulled up in a ponytail, her long legs running out of the black mini skirt she wore, her high heels leaving thuds every step she took. I noticed the big smile she had on her face as she approached me.

“Good morning. you’re awake,” she said with a broad smile, bending down to drop the tray on the bedside table.

I had so many things to say at once, so many questions that needed answering. “Where am I?” I asked her frantically.

Ignoring my question, she points a cup to me and said, “Drink this. It’ll help you feel better.”

“I don’t want that! Where the hell am I?” I asked gingerly.

“You need to take this and calm down, okay?” she repeated, fueling my anger.

“I’m not calming down! Where the hell am I?” I screamed.

“You need to calm down okay? It’s better for you.”

Better for me? I didn’t understand what she meant by that. I think there’s something sick happening here.

She puts out the cup and takes the tray, before saying to me, “The boss wants you to rest and he’d be with you shortly. He has some business he’s attending to in the meantime.” And she walks out, the door sliding shut behind her.

The boss? Who the hell was she talking about? The image of that man who appeared to be the leader of those men in black suits last night appeared to me again. Everything slowly started to make sense. I pictured his face and it was like he was standing right there with me right now.

My fears turns into anger, bubbling inside me as the woman’s thudding steps disappeared. I looked towards the large balcony doors and it was easy to see that it’s been locked. I grit my teeth angrily before going back to searching for my phone. Damn it, I should have asked that woman! Seeing as she is tired all my questions, she probably wouldn’t have provided me an answer too if I’d asked her about my phone. Was I expecting her to just hand it back to me?

I screamed at the top of my voice angrily as my hands dug underneath the pillow, searching frantically for my phone. I felt frustrated by the minute, my head spinning from the scream. I didn’t care if he was hearing me. In fact, I needed him to hear me screaming and come in here. maybe then I could escape.

I didn’t know what exactly he plans to do with me even though my parents had shamelessly sold me to him but I wasn’t going to be a part of it, wasn’t going to sit passively and let him claim me like some bag of body.