Bought For A Baby, Kept For A Lifetime-Chapter 58: Hell

Friday night, Jasmine hurried into Anne’s apartment to find her getting ready to leave.

A sinking feeling made her stomach drop.

"Anne..." Tears filled Jasmine’s eyes. She’d been thinking about this for a whole day and a half, but she still couldn’t figure out what to do in order to help her friend.

Her only source of help was going back home, but even there she knew countless debts she swore she would repay awaited her. There was a blood debt, the debt of a vow and the debt of a broken soul, all that had yet to be paid, Anne was right, if she went back, it would be the absolute end for her.

She couldn’t save her friend from calamity, how could she when she hadn’t even been able to save herself?

Anne knew Jasmine was at a loss, hence she gave a bright smile.

"This is my weight to carry, Jass, my own responsibility. I will see it to the end so if you came to stop me from going tonight..."

"No, I know I can’t stop you. You already started this. I just came to do this." Immediately her words fell, Jasmine embraced Anne tightly.

This was the only thing she could do, give her friend support. Now, and later on when the effects of the contract she’d signed became severe.

When they broke off the hug, Anne gave her a warm reassuring smile.

"Everything will be fine, Jass, I promise I’ll be fine."

Jasmine sighed, "I wish I could have your optimism."

.....

Anne hesitated slightly outside the master bedroom when she got to the Black Thorn Manor.

Butler Jones had smiled excitedly upon seeing her.

"Miss Thompson, good timing. Master just arrived as well, he’s waiting inside."

She felt her heart tremble slightly upon being informed that the masked person was waiting for her inside.

The previous week she hadn’t gotten to see him, she didn’t expect he’d actually already be waiting by the time she arrived this time.

After waiting for a while, she knocked lightly, hearing a response and then pushed the door open and entered.

The room was illuminated with dim lights that made the whole room look warm and inviting. The king sized bed was well made with black sheets that had gold colored designs.

She sighted the man’s figure, donning his mask, sitting elegantly on the sofa.

The sheer grace the man exuded was effortless, like someone whose bones flowed with a deeply born aristocracy.

Something about him reminded her of royalty and she somehow felt as if he could probably be related to some modern royals.

"Why are you just standing there?" His deep voice, which was even made deeper by the mask, sounded.

Anne clutched onto her bag a bit tighter before making her way towards him.

"Last week Butler Jones said you weren’t feeling too well..."

This seemed to catch him off guard as his dark eyes flashed with something.

"Did he?" he queried with a low tone.

She nodded and then asked, "Are you feeling much better now?"

"I suppose. Sit."

"Huh?" She looked stunned.

The man patted the space next to him and repeated his words.

"Sit."

Anne awkwardly shifted and took her seat in the sofa next to him waiting for what would come next.

She was sitting stiffly as an awkward air filled the room, but perhaps she was the only awkward one because the man was still as graceful as ever. But the way they were both seated on either sides of the couch gave her a startlingly familiar feeling of the other day she’d been locked in with Andrew Sterling.

Anne caught herself short on this thought. Again, she was thinking about that arrogant man in relations to this masked person.

They were two different people, yet she would feel similarities between them.

Anne pushed off the thought immediately.

"I’ve come to a realization that the contract we drafted seems too vague."

Anne waited for the man to elaborate further after saying this, when he didn’t. She went on to ask, "How so?"

"I share a room with a complete stranger, it ticks me off."

Lowering her head slightly, she muttered, "I... don’t know what to do about that."

It was true that they were complete strangers. Yet they’d shared a bed once, and according to the contract would have to do so again. Of course Anne found it unsettling but that wouldn’t be the only thing, she found a lot of things unsettling about their contract, but she wasn’t in the position to complain.

However, it was quite strange that he was mentioning it now.

"My time is very important to me, Annelise."

She raised her head as he said her name. It took quite a while for her to reply, "I don’t wish to waste your time."

"I’m sure you don’t, that’s why you’ll answer all my questions promptly, no delays, no stutters, understood?"

He rose on the seat strolling casually with his hands held behind his back till he reached the windows. He seemed to enjoy the views, it was no surprise, she’d stood there too the previous week and it had felt quite thrilling.

"I understand." Anne quickly replied, wondering what kind of questions he had for her.

"Where were you born and raised?"

Anne frowned slightly at that question.

Wasn’t that a little bit too personal?

She had filled a personal information form when she first came here for the contract but the questions hadn’t been this personal.

What was this, an interview session?

But recalling that he said she had to answer quickly she shoved off her thoughts and answered.

"West lake, Verizon City." Did she have to answer more specifically than that?

Her father used to own a small house in West lake, both her and Kristen were born there.

"Hmm. Relatives?" He hummed indifferently then dropped his next question with the same amount of calm nonchalance.

Again with the super personal questions.

She wondered why he suddenly felt the need to question her. Was it truly because he wanted to get to know her because he felt uncomfortable being in the same room with a complete stranger?

"A little brother, he’s currently my only relative. We already lost our parents."

Yes, in her heart Kristen was her only relative. She would never ever acknowledge those people as her relatives again. Be it her father’s brother and his wife and kids, or her mother’s half sister.

None of them existed to her anymore. They didn’t exist in her painful moments and they wouldn’t exist in her joyful moments.

"Where is that brother now?"

His next question pierced through her thoughts again.

This time, she couldn’t bring herself to answer instantly like he’d instructed her to. That was because her eyes began to sting and her vision became blurred with tears.

The emotions rushed so overwhelmingly, her tears spilled without her own control. She didn’t want the man to hear her suddenly crying, he was merely asking her harmless questions, hence she hid her face behind her palms to conceal her tears.

What was wrong with her today?

She knew the topic of Kristen usually made her emotional, but most times if she was in front of strangers she could keep her emotions under control. However, lately, her emotions seemed to catch her off guard. They would swing faster than a pendulum.

She suddenly heard some footsteps and squeezed her eyes to let out all the tears gathered within them so she could instantly wipe them off and pretend she hadn’t been crying at all, but her eyes instantly welled up with more tears.

Feeling a shadow suddenly standing over her, she lowered her hands slowly and the masked person was standing right in front of her, both his hands extended to her.

Anne slowly looked up at his face with her tear streaked face.