Novel ✪ Memory Corruption (R-18) (Book 1 and 2 Finished) (Book 3 on release now)

Not that though There are chapters from mid to end that hit me hard when I was writing and I didn't even get into detail yet
I mean, it is still bad, but I guess the most explicit has already been shown, I don't intend to go back to that.

 

But you promise for happy ending i looking foward

 

Dear readers, I'm late =(
Just got home and still have to prepare dinner and eat, then revise the chapter =\ sorry for that, I'll try to make it up next week, but todays chapter is gonna be late

 

Take ur time dear
Im reading other story to keep my patient.
Dont worry to settle down first

Tq in advance

 

Chapter 9


If Lion was a potential ally, Bob proved to be a guardian angel. It took almost one week, but the blond head popped inside her room again, already wearing a smile and she couldn't help but answer it with a small shy smile, even if it had absolutely no emotion in it.

When he took his hand from his pocket and brought out a yellow rose, she was divided between being impressed and feeling bad about the fact that the beautiful flower would die, since he had picked it for her. When she asked him where he had taken if from, not having the guts to scold him for killing it, he explained that Daniel kept all sorts of flowers in the gardens, which he would order to be changed according to his mood when he noticed them.

After Bob started to feel more comfortable around her, they chatted a bit about him. It was only after the third encounter that Belle found out he was a childhood friend of Ryan's cousin, Vincenzo. Belle was baffled to find that the man, who was apparently some kind of mob boss, was Ryan's cousin. The name didn't suggest any connection with Japanese ethnicity, so she guessed he was from Ryan's mother's side of the family. The man seemed disconcerted when he realized Belle didn't know a thing about Vincenzo or Domenico, and refused to say anything more about them.

-Just tell me this… Has Desmond ever told you something about… -Bob pressed his lips and looked down, sighing and cursing low, then clicked his tongue and nodded to himself. -Has he ever said anything about “baby girl”?

-What? -Belle creased her eyebrows.

-Nevermind. -He frowned and looked away, lost in thoughts.

-Who's “baby girl”? -Belle got more annoyed than she felt entitled to. Her mind raced and she guessed it was either a close friend of both Ryan and Vincenzo, or a lover from one of them. Unfortunately it was more likely to be Ryan's. -Tell me, Bob!

-No. -He said with a face that let her know that he wouldn't take orders from her. -Let's change the subject, I was just curious.

Like Lion, Bob got into the Palace by accident. After pretending to be an avid follower for a couple of months, he was invited to go through a trial to be selected as a knight. His mission was to kidnap and torture a CEO from a pharmaceutical company that had refused to supply them, and get the material within a tight deadline. Belle tried to keep her mouth shut as Bob described the operation, which had involved threatening to kill the man's wife and two kids, who happened to be inside the same vehicle as the poor man. He had managed to get the codes and keys needed to access the materials without having to hurt anyone, but didn't mind hiding that he would've tortured the guy to have it, hadn't him cooperated right away.

As soon as Bob got to the meeting point to report the mission’s success, he was hit from behind and had a sack pulled over his head. He tried to fight back, assuming they were trying to kill him, but someone told him not to resist and that he would be taken to the Lord.

Believing it would finally reveal Daniel's location, he played along and hoped Vincenzo's men wouldn't come to his rescue and would just follow him instead. Unfortunately, Daniel's men identified one of the cars and there was a messy shooting in the middle of a deserted highway.

Bob managed to take the sack away from his eyes, but still had his hands tied and was unarmed, so he had to watch in horror the whole situation.

-I saw my pals fighting for their lives, while trying to rescue me, and could do nothing to help. I watched my best friend get shot in the neck. I still don't know if he's alive or not. -He creased his eyebrows. Belle just looked away, thinking about Bill and Chloe, with her eyes brimming. -I want to go back as soon as possible, so I can be sure he's fine. He's a tough man, I really believe he held on fine.

Fortunately, the conflict had helped Bob, instead of condemning him. In the end, Daniel had interpreted the attack as a failed attempt of intervention from the police, and, since he believed Bob had almost been arrested, he trusted that he wasn't a spy.

Bob told Belle he had had to commit a few violent crimes under Daniel's command, but thankfully firmly believed all of the times he had had to maim or kill someone, it had been someone faithful to Daniel, which, in his opinion, made it right and fair.

Belle tried to lead their conversations to another path, since she didn't want to argue with him and realized they couldn't have any similar opinion about what was right or wrong concerning crime and law.

Through him, she got a much more detailed idea about how things were maintained in that huge mansion. The sponsorship came from a variety of places, from corruption schemes with politicians to apparent philanthropist donations from churches and NGOs. Bob believed that some of those donors didn't really know what they were donating for, and that most of the ones who knew about it, were actually laundering money through Daniel, giving away massive amounts and getting a part of it back through weekly donations from a huge number of stooge accounts.

Belle sighed when she heard about it. Daniel had mentioned a similar idea when they were very young, about how easy it was to fool the TFI if you used churches or NGOs as intermediaries. When Belle had questioned him about if it wasn't blasphemous to considering using religion or charity means to launder money, he answered that God didn't care about money, and that if he ever got his hand on a fortune, he would use it to make the world a better place and to spread the Lord’s words, so it would all be forgiven.

This, above all else, had certainly been the main reason for Daniel's influence inside the terrorist group. Although Belle hated to admit it, Daniel had a gift for oratory, for charming and convincing people to listen and even agree with him. When he wasn't acting like a lunatic violent dictator, he had a charismatic air, and if the person didn't know him, they could believe he was the most benevolent man that had ever stepped on Earth.

He behaved very confidently and said things with certainty and without any inhibition, so it was hard to contradict him if you were insecure and self-conscious, which Belle had always been, before she had met Ryan and doctor Fontaine.

Also, Daniel somehow always managed to mirror his interlocutors' behaviors, which led people to relate to him. Belle had noticed those traits the first time he had confronted her aunt. She remembered pretty well how her aunt had approached him with the intention of demeaning and threatening him to force him to get away from Belle, but ended up backing away and asking him to leave her be, instead. He had not only intimidated her, but made her feel like he was right and she was wrong.

Those things were clear in other occasions too, like in school, since all the teachers and even the principal showed a solemn respect for him, and at the café they used to go to, where, as far as she knew, Daniel was the only customer who had his drinks put on the cuffs, for no apparent reason. Sometimes Daniel would take weeks to pay his accumulated bills, but the owner didn't really seem to care about it.

-I wish I had a way of helping Ryan… I need to find a way of making it easier for him to come and get him. -Belle sighed and bit her lower lip.

-Well, all we'd need to do is to find out the coordinates to the Palace. But I'll tell you, I've been trying ever since I got here, and I'm starting to think it's impossible. Fox and Destiny, both are taken out of the palace, not very often, but it has happened on more than one occasion. They didn't have any chances of getting the location.-Bob shrugged. -Fox even tried a brainiac technique with his watch, I wouldn't even know how to explain, but it didn't work, they took the watch before he got out of the palace. And Destiny was in big trouble recently. Apparently they found out the FBI was keeping track of her with drones, infrared devices and some other crazy shits. I don't know why Daniel didn't kill her yet, but I heard they are still trying to get her out of radar and that there was some serious shooting. A cop was killed.

-Is Destiny a nurse named Diana? -Belle jumped to the opportunity of getting confirmation. -She’s tall, long black hair, her skin is…

She tried to describe the woman without letting show her jealousy and without having to use the words “gorgeous” or “sensual”, but Bob interrupted her.

-All I know is that she's a nurse, but I have no idea of how she looks or what's her name. They say Daniel has a weakness for her, because she manipulates him a lot. -He smirked. -They say she's hot too, but I can't confirm, she left the palace before I was brought. I heard she tried to take care of the girls, but it infuriated Daniel and he forbade her from getting near them.

-So she isn't here now? She can't communicate with Daniel, then? -Belle needed to know that, because she was one of the people who could reveal that Ryan was still alive and where he could be found.

-No, as I said, she's compromised, because the FBI is trying to keep track of her. I really believe Daniel will eventually kill her. -Bob sighed. -It's a pity. I mean, we all knew it was a possibility when we signed in, she can't complain… But it will still be sad, ‘cause Fox is really fond of her, he told me they've been together for more than a year now.

Belle's eyes opened wide and Bob scoffed.

-I know, he was supposed to be on a mission, not taking her to bed… But you know, shit happens, a guy is investigating someone, then has to approach them to conquer their trust and one thing leads to the other… -He gave her a knowing smile. -I'm pretty sure you know how it gets…

Belle blushed and hid her face in her palms, which made him chuckle and apologize repeatedly until she put her hands down. Her eyes were brimming from shame, so he put on a straight face and apologized for real before moving on with the explanation.

-I don't even know how much he's gonna get screwed for it, but he doesn't seem to care, he really likes her. -Bob shrugged. -And then he got word that you two could be in Florida, of all places, with Daniel spreading fast and strong there… He moved the world until he managed to convince Daniel to send her there.

Belle tilted her head. This was new. Desmond certainly didn't know about it. So the reason why Diana had been to Florida was because Corey had plotted to send her there, because of them? Why would he do that? Did he know Diana would recognize Ryan if she met him? Perhaps it was his plan all along, to have Diana being the one who would tell Daniel where to find her and putting Ryan back as a target, all at once. Her anger toward Corey only grew and she wanted to tell Bob about it, but gulped it down.

-Maybe you could find a way to get the location through Daniel… You could chat with him about the place, maybe he'll let it slip by accident, at least the name of the city, maybe? -Bob grimaced. -I don't have a lot of hope, but… If he does tell you, you should tell me, so I can try to find a way to reveal the location to my boss and Don Domenico.

-Or to Ryan and the FBI. -Belle nodded. -But think about it, Bob… We need to first find out how to communicate with them, anyway. There's no use in finding the location if we can't do anything with it. Daniel will probably kill anyone if he so much as suspects that the person knows the location. If we find it out, we need to let them know as soon as possible, so Daniel can't stop us.

-My idea was to make it be known by every single motherfucker in this place as soon as we found it out. I wouldn't be surprised if that worm put a bullet to his head as soon as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop us from getting free. -Bob smirked and Belle involuntarily held her arm. -But you're probably right. We need to be sure that we'll have means of delivering the message to people outside the palace too.

-Yes, I think that's the right way to start. -Belle nodded, still very conscious of the scars in her forearm.

They sat in silence for a while, then Bob lifted his head and smiled at her. She raised her eyebrows, as if asking him what happened.

-I think I know how to do it… -He nodded vigorously, then thought about it a bit more and lifted one shoulder, seeming a lot less certain. -Or at least I know someone who certainly could do it.

-Who? -Belle wasn't sure if it was a good idea to trust anyone who had that power. If that person were really on their side, they would've already communicated with the authorities and asked for help.

-I'll first make sure he can, then I'll come and tell you, alright? -Bob pressed his lips as if he regretted saying anything at all. -But… Look… I really believe you can use Daniel's delusional beliefs about your connections to God, if not to get the coordinates, to change things here, for the best, if not completely, at least a bit.

-I want to believe that too, Bob… I'll do everything I can, but sometimes I feel like he just pretends to believe in God… Sometimes I think he just uses other people’s faith.

Bob creased his eyebrows, as if he had never thought about it, but had suddenly realized it made sense. When he left the room the crease was still there, and Belle was left wondering what he was thinking about.

As soon as he walked in, on another occasion, the blond man inquired her about how Daniel came to meet her and get so obsessed with her. He was so straightforward that she could bet the questions had been bothering him for a good while.

Belle had never talked to anyone about it, not even to Ryan. Either due to shame or just because it had never felt important enough, the idea of sharing the whole story with anyone had always felt weird. Still, she needed Bob's help and empathy, so she swallowed her pride and explained as best as she could.

Bob sat at the table and ate a piece of the chocolate cake Daniel had brought her that morning, while she narrated the events, starting with her parents’ death and how she had to go live with her aunt right after.

Once her aunt had realized her parent's lawyers would keep coming regularly to check on Belle's condition and would control how she spent the money, she had moved them to a smaller house, hoping to be able to hide the girl for a while.

Belle shivered as she remembered how traumatic it had been, to move without any warning, in a rush, in the middle of the night. Her beautiful piano, one of the few things that had survived the fire, had been left behind, as all her toys and books. They moved from mansion to mansion, then to penthouses, but her lawyers would track down the money and get to them.

The solution then had been to sell her mother's jewelry and find a stooge to help hide their identity in the transactions. Her aunt's boyfriend was the one who had arranged everything, from her “discreet” admission into her new school, to concealing their connections with the new home, a beautiful two story house that had cost Belle almost two million dollars.

At the time, Belle didn't really care for the money or the friends she was leaving behind, since the loss of her parents had left her in a lethargic state that lasted for months. Belle was too ashamed to explain the details about her suicidal thoughts, but by his pitiful expression he had probably realized it would come to this. Since he didn't ask, she also didn't tell him about the messy first attempt.

When Bob asked her why her mental state hadn't been addressed before arrangements for moving to another place, she explained that her aunt didn't seem to notice or care, and had ignored Mr. Alesky’s and Mr. Stenfel’s urges to take her to therapy. The two lawyers were the most insistent when it came to her well-being, although the whole team had helped track down the money and find her aunt all the times she had run away, which became easier as they noticed she wouldn't leave New York State.

-How many times did you move? -Bob creased his eyebrows. -For a kid, it had to be traumatic…

-I think it was almost ten… That house she bought, it was the one we stayed longer, so I adapted as best I could, and when we moved from it I'd still go to the same school, so it wasn't that bad… I studied with Daniel there, for about a year and a half. -She bit her lower lip, looking down. -The time right after that, I just knew it would happen… I felt it, so I packed my things one week before. I warned Daniel and a teacher that if I disappeared, it would be because my aunt had taken me somewhere far away. The teacher didn't believe me, but Daniel did, and he found me a couple of weeks after we moved.

-I still don't understand why you two are so close… -Bob made a face and corrected it. -Were so close.

Belle sighed and thought about it before trying to explain. Daniel had approached her with a story that she wasn't certain if it was true anymore. Since she had joined in the middle of the term and her admittance had involved a generous donation to help build a library, Belle was welcomed by the principal in front of the whole school in an embarrassing way. It was Sports Day, and she had attended classes for almost a month already, but the principal had thought it would be a great idea to call for a standing ovation for the only girl who was sitting without her parents on the bleachers, to welcome her and thank her for her generosity.

Needless to say that she had melted in her seat and had tried to become invisible for the rest of the day. It wasn't that difficult, since the kids had avoided her and the few adults that would approach would only ask her where her parents were, and when she answered that they were dead, would make cow eyes and ask her if she wanted to join their kids and play with them instead, which would only make her feel even more embarrassed and shake her head vigorously every time. After the third or fourth time it happened, she would tell them the cemetery address instead of explaining they were dead, which had at first confused them, then had made them walk away, instead of pitying her.

-You were a proud chick, even that young. -Bob chuckled. -I heard you have a sharp tongue. Did you have it by then?

-I don't have a… Who said that? -She frowned and he laughed as silently as he managed to. -I'm serious! Who the hell told you that?

Since she had raised her voice a bit, he put his index finger to his lips, urging her to shut up.

-Chill! Fox told me. He said you're handmade for Desmond, that you shut him down when he's out of control. I never met someone who matched his temper when he's angry, I don't want to see you mad. -He shook his head and put both hands in front of his mouth to stop from bursting into laughter when he saw her outraged expression. -Please don't bite me.

She glared at him and pushed the cake out of his reach as retaliation for his behavior.

-I'm sorry, Princess, I didn't mean to say you have a quick mouth… I guess the right expression is quick witted. Is it any better? -He lifted one shoulder and smirked. -So no one wanted to be around you, and the ones who tried to, you pushed away… Where does Daniel come in?

Belle was still pissed, and the fact that he seemed to think Corey was a trustful ally worried her a lot, but she told him how Daniel had approached her, supposedly with the intention of meeting her father, for whom he had an idolatry. She had given him the time of the day specially because of it. He hadn't asked her why she was alone, hadn't asked anything about her or about the donation, just had approached and told her that he was a huge fan of her father and would like to meet him if she could make that happen. The curiosity had overcome the sting in her chest and she just tried to understand why that random boy would love her father so much, since, as far as she knew, he didn't really like children other than herself.

For what Daniel told her, her father had helped his own father build a construction company from the ground up, financing it and helping him connect with his first clients.

He had never explained, though, how the two had met. Belle didn't really ask about it. Just learning about Daniel's admiration was enough to make her feel connected to her father, since she hadn't really had the opportunity to witness the results of his philanthropic projects.

Daniel seemed to place her father on the same level as he would place God, and when he learned about his death and that Belle didn't have any siblings, his devotion was immediately directed to her, although a bit dimmer at first. He acted like he wanted to shield her from the world.

At first he would just look for her on the corridors, sit beside her during lunchtime or events, but when Belle was transferred to advanced classes and the intellectual gap between them started to grow, he studied harder until he too was moved to advanced classes, and wouldn't leave her alone, from the time she got to school to the moment she left. Since some of the students resented her for getting in late and being almost immediately placed in all APs available, his friendship was more than welcome, and eventually became exclusive.

-But then you had to move again, right? -Bob got up and pretended to be checking under the table, just for precaution, in case someone got in to check on them. When Belle nodded, he tilted his head. -Why?

She gulped and hesitated when she remembered that, around that time, her aunt had invited her shady boyfriend to live with them. Belle was terrified of him because, although she was only twelve years old, he would sometimes eye her up and down and nod, as if approving her body's development. Fortunately, he wouldn't touch her, just say improper things to ever say to a child or look at her in a way that made her feel unsafe. Her aunt wasn't stupid and realized it pretty quickly, but her immediate solution had been to lock the girl up in her room for most of the time she spent home, saying that her presence caused unnecessary drama between her and her boyfriend.

-When I thought I couldn't take it anymore, I ended up confiding in Daniel about it, since I didn't have the guts to tell an adult. I was afraid they would think I was provoking him, because that's what she said I was doing. I didn't want people to think I was a slut… -She grimaced after saying it and her cheeks burned. -I told him I couldn't sleep and that I couldn't concentrate in class anymore, because I kept having those bad thoughts. He smuggled a handful of relaxing pills from his mom, I mean, that's what he told me he had done, but… Well, I think that by then it was really his mother's pills, he was just ten. I took them when I felt really bad and it helped me, but the problem was still there, I just wouldn't react bad to it, because my brain wasn't aware that I should, you know?

Bob nodded but it was clear that he thought she should know better than to take someone else's medicine. She was too ashamed to defend herself, but argued that she was just a child and didn't know who else to trust but Daniel. Noticing her discomfort he just told her to go on with the story and let the subject die.

On the rare occasions Belle had to leave the room, to help on house shores, even though they had two maids, since her aunt believed that manual labor would help the girl “build character”, physical abuses weren't rare, from spilling hot water over her legs, only to make a point that she shouldn't be wearing skirts or shorts, to blatantly ripping off generous amounts of hair, under the pretext of brushing it or pulling it up in a ponytail.

-I think that's kind of when I started to hate when people touched me… I never knew I had that problem till recently, but I do hate it when someone touches me without my permission. -She murmured and brushed her hair to one shoulder, running her fingers through it, as if to appease herself. The length was shorter than she was used to, so she weirdly let her hand fall to her lap when the unexpected sensation of brushing air made her feel stupid. -He had a habit of taking strands of my hair and sniffing them, brushing them on his face, it was really, really creepy. I remember I had trouble sleeping for a time after he moved in, because I was afraid she would come in the middle of the night and cut my hair very short, just to make him stop. I guess I saw it in a movie or read it in some book… Now I know I should have been much more afraid of him being the one who could come, instead of her, but… I didn't think about it by then, I didn't even know it could happen.

-Did he abuse you? -Bob had been frowning for a while, but now he looked really angry.

-No, it was all very subtle… I felt bad, but didn't know why. I didn't know much about sex and those things, so he would say things I didn't really understand, expecting me to get embarrassed, but I would just blankly stare and hope he would shut up. -She looked down. -I knew something was wrong, but she made it seem like I was the problem, not him.

-Damn, I don't even know what to say, really… It's so bad, and I can't say I'm really surprised, I've heard of shit like that happening. She should've protected you. Thank God he didn't go for it.

-Yeah, later I found out that's how most cases happen… I had a friend that suffered for almost a year in the hands of her stepfather. She told her mother right after it happened for the first time, but her mother didn't believe her, thought she was making it up to get attention, so she just shut up and endured it, till the day her mother caught him. -Talking about Chloe made her chest hurt, so she just shook her head and got back to the subject at hand. -Well, my aunt made me believe I was doing something wrong to make him do those things, so I tried to change and to stay away from him, but…

Due to those abuses and her general discomfort with staying home, Belle started to spend extra time with Daniel, either in the school’s brand new library, or in his house. Bob was surprised to find that her aunt only got angrier about the solution, since the couple started to argue over her. Her boyfriend would complain about Belles absence, accusing her aunt of being irresponsible and often pointing out the lack of attention the woman was giving to the kid, especially since her parent's will made it clear that, in case something happened to Belle before she completed twenty-one and named an heir, all their belongings should be transferred to their NGOs and the council should elect a sole owner among them.

As soon as Belle was forbidden to go anywhere aside from school, and got a strict schedule that didn't really allow her to stay there after class, the man finally started to get handsy, although not explicitly sexual. Her aunt eventually got more insecure than jealous and her rage shifted from the girl to the man, so, after a lot of fighting, screaming and throwing things at each other, the man decided to walk away before one of them committed a crime.

In the end, her aunt blamed her, as she did every time one of her brief relationships had flopped, saying that Belle's mother would be proud of her, for continuing her legacy of ruining her chances of being happy.

Around that time, Belle started to get interested in learning about law and justice, and came up with the idea of emancipation, with Daniel's help. He would incite her, saying that her aunt wasn't taking care of her, but keeping her prisoner and abusing her, physically and emotionally.

It was all true, but Daniel convinced her that the situation could only get worse and would come up with theories about things her aunt could do to her in order to get the money and get rid of her. Belle just feared her aunt even more, and started to distance herself from the woman as much as she could, which made their coexistence even more difficult. As a consequence, their communication also became impossible and at some point their coexistence turned into pure moral and psychological aggression from her aunt and apathetic silence from Belle.

The breaking point was when the jewel's money dried out and Belle decided she wouldn't sign any check without first analyzing and approving the expenses it would be destined to cover. Desperate about the girl’s new attitude, her aunt immediately pulled her out of school and moved to a much smaller apartment, where she kept the girl permanently.

The first time Belle left the apartment after they had moved in was on her second attempt. There was no way of avoiding the subject this time, so she just described everything in the coldest way possible, from the moment she had locked herself inside the bathroom with the knife, to when the paramedics had reanimated her inside the ambulance. She had been half conscious through the whole process, although she remembered it as some kind of dream or movie.

-Shit… -Bob made a horrified expression and immediately looked at her arms. -How? Why? I mean, I understand why, but… Shit… Did she stop? Did she put you back into school? Damn…

-Not really, she had to call an ambulance, I was admitted in a hospital and all, so… My lawyers found me. -She shrugged.

-And they took you.

-They couldn't. It would be bad for the image of the enterprises if word came out about what had happened, so they couldn't sue her or involve the police. They started the procedures to take me off of her custody, but they knew it would be worse if I stayed with my uncle… -Bob didn't ask why, and she didn't really feel like explaining. -So they made a deal, she would keep me under her custody temporarily, until Mr. Stenfel, one of my lawyers, could get a way of legally adopting me. I was supposed to get back to school and meet them regularly so that they would make sure I'd be ok… But she started dating that rich guy and took me away again, out of New York, this time, to Seattle. They had plans of moving to Canada, but something went wrong with his businesses, so he had to stay a bit longer.

-And I guess her treatment toward you didn't get better… -Bob shook his head, finding it all very absurd.

-Her boyfriend was very respectful, at least, but he didn't really like kids, so he made it clear that I wasn't welcome in his home if I didn't behave, but that we'd get along, as long as I kept quiet and didn't cause him trouble… -She bit her lower lip. -I tried to accept it all, I really did, but the problem was that they wouldn't let me go to school and my aunt wouldn't let me apply for the tests of the homeschooling program. He bought me a lot of books, and even helped me with my research for emancipation, even though I think he didn't know what he was doing… Sometimes I felt like it was gonna be like that forever, like I was gonna be a prisoner until I turned twenty one. And I was sad, and kind of didn't see a reason to live anymore.

-You tried again.

Belle nodded.

-Did you cut yourself again?

-No. She didn't take risks with blades anymore. -Belle looked down. Remember the pills I told you Daniel got me? I still had about a dozen of them. I took them all at once.

Bob shook his head and made a face.

-I hope you know better now… That was pretty stupid. -He looked down. -My brother survived an overdose and I don't think he's ever going to completely recover. His brain is half dead.

Belle nodded and sighed. She didn't believe there was cocaine in the pills at the time, but she had no idea of what it was made of. There was no way of telling what the consequences could've been and she was glad she had apparently gone scatheless after overdosing with it.

-I guess I… I think I had hopes that I wouldn't die… That they'd have to take me to a hospital again and I would get the chance to ask for help and get free. -Belle shrugged. -But I know I was ok with dying too… I don't know, it's kind of blurry now, sometimes I look back and it sounds… Stupid, or just doesn't make sense. It's as if it wasn't me.

-I think I understand you… I never did something like that, but… When I was young, sometimes I would feel like nothing in my life had meaning. Then it would go away a week or so later, and then come back twice as strong, it was overwhelming sometimes…

-How did you make it stop? -She was genuinely curious. It was something that scared her, the thought that those feelings could come back strong enough to make her try again.

-I've found God. -He smiled broadly. -Not that crazy bastard’s God, but true God, love, care… It rescued me completely.

-How can a… -She tried to find the right word, but didn't think there was one. -Gangster? How can someone that kills people believe in God?

-I'm not a gangster, I'm an associate of a businessman. It just happens that his business sometimes involves taking someone down. -Bob said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. -I never killed for pleasure… I only do it if necessary, for my family and my life. I would never kill an innocent person. We actually don't kill that often, ok? It's only in the worst case scenario.

-I don't really believe there's a difference… If you believe in the Bible, you'd have to follow the Ten Commandments, shouldn't you? -She had thought about bringing it up to Daniel, and was eager to test it with someone else first, just to know what kind or argument she would have to take down. -It says you shouldn't kill.

-It says you shouldn't murder. If the person deserved it, it's not murder. -Bob shook his head with a serious expression. Belle opened her mouth to protest, but he lifted his index finger and interrupted her. -You won't change my mind. My family needs me. I won't stop, not for all the money in the world or for anything else. God will forgive me for every sim, because he knows I never killed an innocent.

Belle stared at him with a blank face. She could bet Daniel would have a much more passionate and elaborated answer about it, so there was no point in insisting.

-You're taking circles to get to how Daniel came to be this close to you. -Bob showed a bit of irritation. -I'm gonna have to leave soon, get to the point, did they take you back to New York after your aunt took you to the hospital?

-She didn't. -Belle sighed. -She got very angry at me and said that she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

-What?

-Her boyfriend called a friend, who was a doctor, and his wife, who was a nurse. They treated me with Naloxone and monitored me for a couple of weeks… My lawyers sued them both and helped other patients sue them later, and they both eventually lost their licenses. I don't really feel bad for them…

Bob agreed, seeming outraged. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, then he encouraged her to go on.

-How did they find you, then?

-They didn't… Daniel did and tipped them. -Belle gave him a bitter smile when Bob raised his eyebrows. -He had this friend, Trevor… He was sort of a hacker. He found her on LinkedIn and invaded her phone. I don't know how it works, but he said it was easy, that he had tried it through her email and it hadn't worked, but he sent her some messages and she eventually clicked on something that revealed her phone’s location.

As soon as the attorneys found her, Belle declared she wanted to emancipate herself and disinherit her aunt. She was grateful for Daniel and Trevor's help, although she didn't really like the guy's vibes, and when she got back into school with him, this time on the same grade as him, since she couldn't skip all the grades directly to highschool, they became inseparable.

Bob left the room with a gloomy mood, as if he hadn't really liked what he had learned. Belle thought about everything feeling like she had just gone through one of the therapy sessions with doctor Fontaine, only that a feeling of not getting closure was strong in her chest.

 

Meet Belle's aunt...

 

Yes.. This chapter all about belle's aunt
How daniel come to her life. But its really hard for them to locate the palace. I wonder how ryan will solve this after 4 month
Tq dear

 

Ok so Destiny was Corey's new girlfriend that no one at the FBI had a clear picture of, interesting.
Belle found out that Ryan and Vincenzo are cousins but mistakenly assumed that they must be related through his mother’s side.
Daniel’s father and Belles’s father were connected and if I recall Ryan was investigating Belle’s father and probably found some shady stuff. I wonder if it’s all connected to Daniel’s cult? It seems that he is using religion as a front to launder money, traffic drugs and girls and God knows what other bad things? As for Belles’s backstory, talk about being in the company of bad people, first her aunt and her creepy boyfriends, then Daniel.
Poor Belle, she just seems to jump from one cess pool to another. Ryan seems to be the only sane thing that has happened to her. Let’s hope that he finds her soon but based on the first chapter of Book 3 things are just going to get worse

 

Dear author did you reach the part where Ryan finds the location of the palace?? If so can you tell us which chapter that would be..

 

That's a huge spoiler, but I understand that you're eager to get out of here xD

Spoiler: When Belle and Ryan reunites

I'm still adding information so the chapter might be pushed forward, but to the moment, the reunion happens on chapter 15. It won't be pushed farther than chapter 20 for sure, but I expect it to get closer to it if I have to add more info in dialogues or descriptions

 

Me wanting to get out?? LMAO. You have no idea the number of times I visit this page during the day.
TBH I miss Ryans and belles time togther that's why

 

I agree with @Riiii , our dear author has no idea how many of us practically live here anxiously waiting for the next update!
While we are all waiting for Ryan and Belle’s reunion, there are still alot of things that they need to sort out so that they can start to heal. I see trust as a big elephant in the room as it has been broken on both sides. Belle certainly broke Ryan’s trust by lying and sneaking away from him which led to her capture. Getting the bottle of whiskey for Ryan’s birthday was not really the motivation, we all know that she went with Aaron to the liquor store to protect Noah from being beaten or killed by Aaron. Ryan also broke Belle’s trust by not being truthful about his family. Right now Belle is preoccupied by Daniel finding out the truth that Ryan is still alive and will go through any measure to keep Daniel from finding out the truth. Ryan is now consumed with finding Belle and bring her back home. I can only imagine his inner struggle of wanting to strangle her for being so reckless and locking her up and never leaving her side until Daniel is dead and buried.
BTW, did Ryan really follow through on his threat to quit the FBI? I don’t think that it was confirmed that he went through with it. We only know that Riviera and Lucas had not been able to reach him after Belle was taken.

 

Oh, that's awesome to read, I'm often worried that the dark theme will push you away=\ You're gonna like Belle's dreams, then

 

Now im reading online finish novel when theres nothing left but love. It start with some scandal about married couple turn out to be some dark crime drug smunggling human trafficking, illegal organ transplant, kidnapping, really sick me during this journey to end this novel. 1800++ chapter. Im reading backward to ease my emotion. But after sometimes i manage to read again with more patient because it just author imagination. Im always into something i read. Keep rewind in my head. So i manage to read your story and other story because after all it will happy ending at the end

Sorry for babbling out of topic

 

Wednesday is my fave day.. Im cant wait

 

Patiently waiting for update

 

Chapter 10


Bob greeted her with the usual smile two days later, when he was selected to inspect her room again, bringing a peony, that he hid under his jacket. This time she gathered enough courage to ask him to stop destroying poor flowers to please her, and he seemed upset by her scolding, but was soon smiling once again, ready to chat.

That morning, his curiosity was about Ryan, and how they had met. Belle was excited to relive their story, but at the same time felt too ashamed to share details. Still, Bob made her feel comfortable and, at some point, offered her a deal: he would share stories about Ryan's early days in exchange for their love story.

Without thinking twice, she jumped at the opportunity and told him everything about the explosion, the pill’s withdrawal and how she came to stay at Ryan’s. The man seemed to find it very surprising, and explained that, from the way Vincenzo had told him about their relationship, he had thought the two of them had been together for years.

-Why would you assume that?

-Well… Desmond was always kind of… Womanizer? I don't think that's the right term… More like a stud… -Bob looked down. -No, this definitely isn't the right word. He wouldn't chase for women, actually. They just came and he made sure to let them know that it wouldn't last, especially when he got a bit older, around twenty one, twenty two. Sometimes he was kind of cruel.

-How old was he when you met?

Bob furrowed his eyebrows and looked up.

-That's weird, I feel like I've known him all my life. But I guess he was thirteen, fourteen, around there. I remember Vincenzo wanted to get rid of him and tried to convince me to help him without Don Domenico's knowledge. I was only fifteen, I had just started the rituals to get in, and my partners were all twice my age, so I was kind of a wimp… I asked my father what he thought about it and Don Domenico got really mad. Vincenzo got butthurt and wanted to end him anyway… It would've been a tragedy, good thing I convinced him not to kill him.

Belle gasped and Bob's cheeks burned red.

-Look, it's not that bad, Vincenzo was young and had a temper… More than he has now, I mean. He was just trying to take care of his little cousin as best as he could… She was really upset, we thought Desmond was trying to take advantage of her, and the age gap just made everything worse, so… -He stumbled on the words, as if trying to explain himself, then shut up and pressed his lips for a couple of minutes. -I can't say much about this, really, none of them would take it lightly if they found out I talked about this with anyone, so…

-It's alright, I won't tell him… You said there was an age gap and that it was a problem, was she younger than him?

-I really can't talk about it, Belle… It would be a big problem. I have explicit orders not to, it could cost my life. She's the treasure of Don Domenico's family. It could cost my whole family lives. Please, forget about it.

Belle sighed. She was really disappointed, because she always wondered why Ryan had so much trouble accepting the age gap between them. Almost being killed because of something similar sounded like an acceptable explanation. Still, Bob seemed to be very distressed about it, and she didn't want to push him away.

-Ok… So Ryan was with that girl, whose cousin is Vincenzo... Did I get it right? -She tried to put the pieces into place, even though it didn't make sense. - You and Vincenzo, Ryan's cousin, wanted to hurt him for that…

-Hold on, I didn't want anything! I was young, but I wasn't stupid. If anything, I saved Desmond's ass! After I told my father, he told Don Domenico and everything was solved. They protected him. -Bob shook his head vigorously. -I'm not telling you anything else about it, ok? Let's talk about something else.

Belle thought about it for a couple of minutes, but guessed that she couldn't persuade him into giving information about his boss, and that she didn't want to know about things that could incriminate Ryan, so decided to take the conversation through a healthier path.

-Have you met his brother? Were you friends too?

-No, he didn't like to mix the families, he wanted us to keep our distance from his mother's family. -Bob shook his head with a solemn face. -Which is pretty bad, Vincenzo has a heartbreak about it till today. He feels like Desmond is ashamed of him.

It looked like he wanted to say more, but shut his mouth instead. Keep distance from his mother's family? So they are from Ryan's dad’s side… How?

-I don't get it, Bob… Is Domenico really Ryan's uncle? Is he married to his father's sister? -It was the logical explanation. Maybe his grandmother had had a girl after her tragic story with the Japanese man who had abandoned her.

Bob looked like a cat that had tangled himself in a ball of wool that he himself had destroyed. He tried to start his phrase a lot of times, gesturing with exasperation and cursing himself under his breath for talking too much.

-Belle… Look… Desmond can be very protective and kind of… Possessive, when it comes to the people he cares about. -Bob looked down and sighed. -I guess it only got worse after his brother died, but… In a general way, he kind of keeps people in imaginary separate vaults he creates in his life... Don Domenico once told Vincenzo it's a self defense tactic, that he believes Desmond thinks that by doing that, he'll make sure he won't lose everything at once, in case something happens to one of them.

Belle was shocked by hearing that. She remembered his desperation when Marrie had shown her pictures of his parents and how badly he would react every time she tried to know more about his past, but had always interpreted it as if he had just been trying to push her away.

Could it be that Ryan was in fact trying to put her “in a vault” as Bob had just explained? Or was he just ensuring she wouldn't be able to open those vaults?

-Is “baby girl” inside one of those vaults, Bob? -Belle pressed her lips, feeling the jealousy burn her insides.

He didn't answer, but Belle didn't need him to. She watched as he grimaced and looked down. An urgent knock on the door startled them both and Bob jumped to his feet, rushing to the bathroom, to pretend he was checking it. Belle stayed at the table and pulled a piece of paper and crayon to draw.

-His majesty is on his way here, Princess.

-Thank you, Jack. -She smiled and he smiled back, closing the door right after. Jackal, according to Bob, could be trusted, although he was very young and a bit inconsequent.

After some minutes Daniel got in, heading directly to the bathroom without sparing a look in Belle's direction. She got up and sighed, foreseeing violence. His bodyguards didn't stare at her for long, giving their backs to her and watching the door right after a quick inspection of their surroundings.

-Princess. -Bob nodded, before rushing out of the room. Apparently Daniel had dismissed him.

-So? How is my beautiful Princess feeling today? -Daniel tilted his head as he looked her up and down.

This was new. Usually his bodyguards would wait outside while he beat her. She felt a shiver run down her spine when she thought about the possibility of those men being there to hurt her under his command. Even then, she kept her head up and glared at him.

-Like a prisoner. -She said with a firm voice. Daniel seemed disconcerted but forced a chuckle and walked in her direction.

-I bring great news, then, my love. We're going out for a walk. -He took her chin in his hand, pressing her cheeks with his fingers in a way that forced her to pout. -If you behave, that might happen regularly.

Belle felt excited and apprehensive at the same time. She wanted to see as much as she could of the palace, to be able to make her plans, but at the same time feared he would take her somewhere terrible, like the Plates.

-But a princess can't walk around wearing that… -He reached out and picked at her thin goon. -So I'll have you dressed, and then we'll go.

He gave her a gentle smile and kissed her mouth. She did her best not to flinch away, but kept her mouth shut tight.

Daniel left the room with his bodyguards, and four women came in. To her surprise, they spent what felt like hours doing her hair and make up, then helped her get inside a long sleeved orange dress that reminded her of one of those Indian wedding dresses or a medieval queen dress. It was considerably heavy. The fabric was thick and the stones were real, not made of plastic. Some of them were bigger than her thumb. She got tired just from walking inside her apartment, and refused to wear the high heels they offered her.

When they brought a huge pair of earrings that felt like they would split her earlobe, she refused to wear them too. The maid handed it to her, trying to convince her that the beauty was worth the pain. It was the size of her open palm, made of gold and tiny orange opals. Beautiful indeed, but certainly not something she would ever want to wear.

The woman made a face and rolled her eyes as she walked away with the monstrous pair of earrings, but a few minutes later she came back with a box containing five options of jewelry sets for her to choose. She picked a discreet pair made of round natural sunstone and a matching necklace.

Daniel came in and tried to convince her to put the high heels on, claiming that she had to get used to them so she wouldn't embarrass him in front of important investors later, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sustain the weight of the dress while trying to keep her balance. He was clearly displeased, and for a moment she thought he would hurt her for that, but after a while Daniel gave in and ordered one of the women to provide her flats that fit her.

A good while later, they were walking down the corridor, escorted by a procession of bodyguards and maids.

There was no access to their quarters through the elevators, so after she had to go down the stairs wearing the heavy dress, Belle was damp with sweat, out of breath and longing to get back to her bed. Daniel showed close to no empathy toward her, complaining that she was looking ugly as a pig and that she wasn't smiling enough. Indeed, she wasn't smiling at all.

When they turned in a corner and finally stopped in front of the elevator, Corey joined them. Daniel greeted him with a nod after he bowed, but Belle stiffened her back and shot him a murderous look.

They got down by elevator to the ground floor and Corey offered her his arm to lean on when she started to limp slightly from the ankle that had been sprained almost a year before. She ignored him only because she was too tired to scream at him, but wished Bob or Lion were with them to help her. Her whole body hurt as if she had exercised for hours. Daniel kept a fast steady pace, ignoring or really unaware of her suffering.

Suddenly he stopped in front of a wide garden in a square open area. She looked up and saw the sky, then noticed that the place they had come from was some kind of large tower of sorts, like a short building with a wide single floor attached beside it. In the distance, she could see the tip of another tower to the other side. The place was really huge.

Daniel watched her as she looked up, assuming she was watching the skies, and approached her to hug her from behind. Belle involuntarily leaned against his chest, since the weight of the dress was making her feel like she could pass out at any moment.

-You see how beautiful she is? The first thing she seeks, in a garden full of beautiful distractions, is God high above. -Daniel chuckled as a group of his followers gathered around them.Then he leaned and whispered in her ear. -Do you want to sit there on the bench, my love? You look a bit tired.

Belle nodded vigorously. She wasn't a bit tired. She was dying from exhaustion.

As soon as they got close enough, she collapsed into the bench and only then managed to look around. There was a small artificial lake where koi fish were swimming here and there. Some were all white and others had blue or black stains in their backs and sides. She had never seen a fish of this type that wasn't orange or red. Daniel followed her gaze and his smile widened.

-Beautiful, aren't they? Do you see that pink one? It will eventually purify and become white. -He nodded toward a smaller one that was slightly pink. -Do you wanna feed them?

She wanted to, but didn't feel like she would be able to get up so soon.

-Later. This dress weighs too much, I can barely breathe. -She huffed to make a point. -And it's hot too. I'm feeling like I'm gonna die.

She looked away and took in the flowers. They were all violet, blue and pink colored, as if someone had tried to match the fish’s colors or vice-versa. Suddenly Daniel yanked her arm, making her jerk her head to look at him.

-You should've told me you didn't like it! -He hissed, with his face full of anger. She stared at him with a confused expression. -You are a damned princess, you have to tell me when someone does anything wrong to you!

She blinked and creased her eyebrows.

-I thought you knew. You even tried to force me to wear high heels with it! This dress probably weighs thirty pounds or more. I thought you had it made like that on purpose. -She frowned, not bothering to keep her voice low. -You can't blame me for doing what you told me to without questioning it after terrifying me when I don't!

Daniel stared at her with his mouth half opened. He seemed out of words for a moment, then burst in rage.

-Why the hell would you think I'd do it on purpose?

Because you're crazy and cruel! She took a deep breath to swallow her first answer, then lowered her voice.

-To make me suffer. -She sighed and he backed away a bit. -To punish me.

Daniel stared at her with eyes full of sorrow.

-I would never make you suffer, Belle. -He creased his eyebrows, as if she had said something insane. He looked hurt and confused. -I would never, ever, harm you. I love you.

Belle stared at him for a few seconds, momentarily too dumbfounded to speak, then started to list everything bad he had done to her over the past two weeks, from sending Trevor to torture her and kidnapping her, to burning her hand and slapping her around.

He listened with a stern face, and waited a bit after she finished before putting a hand over her cheek and pulling her toward him until their cheeks touched. The followers, who were too far away to be able to hear their exchange, let out sighs of appreciation and murmurs of excitement at the sight of their idol cherishing his bride-to-be.

-I was not harming you, my love… I was punishing the Devil inside you. You should learn to differ. I would never hurt you. -He closed his green eyes and made a face. -Can't you understand? I'm doing all of this… Everything you see around you, it's only for you.

-Are you raping girls for me? -She tried to push him away, but he held her by her nape.

-They are not being raped, put that on your mind, the Devil is trying to trick you! -He let go of her and huffed with irritation. -They are not being forced! They like it! They are not like you!

-Are you this delusional or are you just pretending to be? -She frowned and he got up.

-Out! All of you! I don't want anyone here, except for the scout. -He waved his hand angrily at the crowd. Belle watched as guards, knights, cleaning staff, maintenance staff and the maids all walked away.

Daniel stared at her with an angry face for a while, then turned to one of the few knights that had stayed.

-Get me a knife. Or scissors. Now! -He shouted when the knight didn't move, seeming confused with the order. At his angry glare, the boy jumped and ran toward them, putting the knife he had pulled from his hip in his Lord's open palm. Daniel clicked his tongue and the boy ran back to his position. He grunted and turned to her. -Get up. On your feet, it's an order.

Belle got up with difficulty and stared at him, trying not to show any signs of fear, even though her legs were trembling slightly, most due to the sight of the knife gripped in his fist than to the weight of the dress.

Daniel took a deep breath, then knelt in front of her, his piercing green eyes pinned into hers. He looked down at her skirt and lifted it over his head. She gasped and tried to back away, but he tugged at the fabric and she had to lean on his shoulder to avoid tipping over him.

-Stop! -Belle screeched. -Daniel, what are you doing?

She tried to push his hand down, almost cutting herself in the blade he was holding up along with the embroidered fabric, while his other hand lifted layer after layer of the silky skirts under it, until it reached her bare skin. She felt his fingers running up and down the insides of her thighs, stopping inches from her crotch.

-This shit is really heavy. And you're sweating, so disgusting… -Daniel groaned, lifting the skirt even higher. -What were those fuckers thinking?

Suddenly, he got to his feet, pushed her to force her to sit down again, and started to rip the dress. He was trying to use the knife to cut through the fabric near the middle of her thighs, only the outer layers, where the stones were embroidered, but the position was unfavorable and the tip of the blade would come dangerously close to her belly and chest over and over again. She was terrified.

-My Lord? -Corey's voice startled them both when he spoke very near. Daniel stopped midway the movement of stabbing the fabric again and turned to face him.

-I don't remember ordering you to approach, Fox. -Daniel's tone was calm, but the knife he was holding firmly in his fist made it sound like a threat. -You'd better have a good reason to step up.

-My Lord, if you'd allow me, could I do it for you? -Corey pressed his lips. -I just believe your highness wouldn't like to be seen in that position, doing a servant's duty at open sight, my Lord.

Daniel thought about it, then offered him the knife. Corey took it with both hands, then laid it at the bench, right beside Belle. A second later his eyes flew to hers and he retrieved it, then gestured for the knight who had brought it to take it back. When the knight was already running back to his initial position, Corey took a switchblade from his boot and started to cut the fabric, looking for Daniel's approval now and then. He circled Belle to cut the hind part and she got goosebumps for having him standing behind her back with a sharp blade in his hand. When he was done, he put the switchblade back in his boot and held the cut fabric out for Daniel, but he just snatched it from his hand and tossed it inside the lake with irritation. Belle gasped, afraid that the fish could be harmed, but they all managed to swim away.

-Better? -Daniel tilted his head at her, flicking his hand to dismiss Corey.

Belle stared into the redhead's face as he walked away, but he didn't look at her.

-Is it better or not? -He insisted, grabbing a fist of her hair near her nape and pulling it to force her to look into his eyes. -I don't want your eyes on another man, do you get it? Fight that fucking demon and put out that fire you have between your legs!

Belle blushed and stuttered, trying to explain that she was not staring at anyone with any interest.

-I hate him. -She tried to explain herself. -I don't have any fire anywhere.

-Tell that to the virginity you threw away. -He frowned. Then he looked up and tilted his head. -Unless… Did he force you?

Belle was silent for a moment, trying to decide if it was worth telling him the truth or not. Bob's and Lion's numerous urges came to her mind and she nodded timidly.

-Did he? -Daniel's face lit up with a wide smile, then he eyed her with suspicion. -But you told me you loved him. On the phone, you said I had killed the love of your life.

-I also told you what he did to me, didn't I? -She looked down, trying not to remember the nasty details of the narrative she had been forced to tell him. -I was confused.

-You were possessed. You might still be, some knights told me you moaned his name in your sleep, more than once, when you were in the Plates. -He grunted, although his mood was clearly up. -But now you're telling me you didn't want it, then? You didn't like it, not even a bit?

Belle just nodded and he pulled her by her nape again, this time to smack a kiss in her cheek.

-Good girl. I knew it. I knew you'd get free of that demon, I prayed so much… -He nodded vigorously. -You must be ready, I think…

-Ready for what? -Her heart pounded and she backed away, afraid of what he could mean.

-To meet the investors. -He raised his eyebrows. -To take your righteous place at my side as the ruler of this place. And, in the future, of this country.

Belle wasn't sure what he meant by meeting investors. She hoped he wasn't talking about being naked in a sauna with greasy old men.

-Are you gonna take me back to New York? -She knew that wasn't the case, but couldn't let him know that she had information about how meetings were held.

-We'll never go back to New York, or near it, my love. There are too many sinners there. -Daniel brushed her hair to lock it behind her ear, then made a face and pulled it back to cover her scarred eyebrow. -I'm throwing a festival this week and the next. You know this week is important to me…

He eyed her as if to check if she would remember about it. She did. The third week of October was Chemistry Week. Daniel always had an enthusiastic attitude about it and Belle always paid him company in every symposium and other events that caught his attention during that period. The smile that sprouted in Daniel's face when he realized she did remember about it gave her shivers.

-And the week following that will be exclusively devoted to you, my love. We'll celebrate your arrival and the dawn of a new era. -As he spoke, saliva accumulated on the corners of his mouth, as it had happened when he had found out Belle wasn't a virgin anymore. This time, though, instead of ire, his face showed desire. -It will be the first time we'll be seen as a real couple. You need to make them see that we are meant to be and that you will be a perfect submissive wife, Belle. I'm counting on you for making a good impression as a woman, more than just your looks.

Belle sighed and he glared at her, but when she nodded he smiled and leaned to kiss her mouth. Out of better ideas of how to get rid of the situation, Belle turned her head and sneezed.

-Are you cold? Should we get you back to your room? -He sounded something between annoyed and concerned. -I know it's hard to hold back, but when you're in public you shouldn't do those things. You're embarrassing me.

-Do what? Sneeze?

-Yes.

Belle just stared at him, unsure if he was joking or not. She decided it wasn't worth trying to argue about, so just nodded and looked away.

-I wanna see the rest of the palace. I wanna know what's in that tower and what else is in this one. -She pointed and looked around. -I also wanna visit the kitchen if it's possible.

It would be nice to check if Vanessa was there and if she was fine.

-You can't walk around like that. -He shook his head and pointed to her dress. -You're a queen. You must be flawless.

-Tomorrow, then?

Daniel tilted his head as if considering if there were reasons not to grant her wish.

-Ok. But we need to get your dresses ready for the festivals. I'm gonna send you people and you're gonna help them know what's better for you. -He picked at the fabric he had cut and made a face. -I won't accept any excuses. If you allow them to make a dress that is too tight, too heavy, too scratchy or whatever the pickiness you come up with, you're gonna wear it the whole night with a smile on your face and your head up. Did you understand?

She nodded and he looked away with a huff.

-How are the investors getting here? -Belle asked after a while.

-Why do you wanna know? -He eyed her suspiciously. -They won't have the opportunity to sneak you out, if that's what you're thinking about. And I have people looking for your husband, Belle. If I find him, he'll go through hell before dying. And he will die. I'll bring you his head if you insist on wanting to go back to him.

-I didn't say I wanted to go anywhere. I just asked you how they'll get here. -She frowned. -You're being paranoid.

-You still have a demon inside you. I can't trust you. -He reached out to pick a flower and started to pull off the petals. -They'll come by plane. From all over America, and some will even come from other countries. I have trustworthy investors in Dubai that sponsor the air trips. The airplane we used to get you here, it's theirs.

-So those investors won't come in their own planes? -She tried to find a way of getting useful information from that talk.

-No. I can't afford to let them know our location. If they want in, they have to agree to go through inspection before coming, not bring any weapons or electronic devices and travel with all windows shut. -Daniel finished destroying the first flower, then threw what was left inside the pool. Belle sighed when stretched his arm to pick another one. -It's very unlikely that some of them will refuse. If they do, they're out. I never had to kill any of them because of that, though.

-So they are brought here as prisoners too… -She murmured to herself.

-Don't say stupidities. They are brought as guests and treated well. -He rolled his eyes and threw the flower into the pool and picked another one. -They can leave whenever they want. But they pay a high price to be here and to enjoy what entertainment we can offer. They won't want to leave until I tell them they have to.

Belle nodded and looked away. Daniel muttered something to himself and stared at the flower, lost in thoughts. After a while he murmured that the sun was almost gone and that he wondered what time it was. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her.

-Can I come with you, to greet them when they arrive and before they leave?

Daniel's head snapped up and he looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

-Do you really mean it? Do you want to come with me?

Belle nodded and he pressed his lips, lost in thoughts. After a while, he gestured for a maid to bring them a glass full of small shrimps for them to feed the fishes. He helped Belle get to her feet and, after making sure the weight of the dress wasn't bothering her anymore, followed her to the pond.

Belle would check his face from time to time while watching the colorful fishes swimming to the surface to enjoy their meal. There were at least ten of them. She wondered if Daniel could guess her intentions about knowing exactly when those investors would get to the palace and when they'd leave.

She'd need help. Lots of help. She hoped Bob’s friend would really be able and willing to help them communicate with the FBI. If that was really the case, they had a golden opportunity of making it.

Bob had already given her the information that it was possible, and now Daniel was about to grant her the means to make her plan work.

-Are you thinking about plotting something against me, Belle? To ruin my image with my investors or to try to convince them to take you back to Florida? -He was still lost in thoughts, but she knew he was expecting an answer, so she immediately shook her head. -Why, then? You said you didn't want to assume the leadership of your father's business, why would you want to become a protagonist in mine?

Belle was confused. She didn't remember ever saying that she wouldn't assume her responsibility as CEO of her parents’ enterprises. She did indeed confide in him about how she believed it would be tiresome and sad, since she wouldn't have someone to share that responsibility and to support her, like her father had had her mother and vice versa. That didn't mean she'd leave that burden for someone else to carry. It only meant that she knew the extent of the sacrifice she'd have to make, in order to honor her parents’ name and legacy.

-I don't want to take your place, Daniel. I just thought it was important to you to have me by your side. I thought I would be helping, by showing them I supported you, that's all. -She pretended to be offended and threw the shrimps a bit farther from where they stood, to illustrate her irritation. -I won't talk about it anymore, if that makes you angry.

-No, you're right. If you behave, that will probably show them how solid we are and, since we'll marry, knowing that your patrimony will soon belong to me, they'll probably want to invest even more…. -He smiled from ear to ear with a dreamy air. -I just thought it was
weird that there would be no collateral…. I thought you'd expect something in return, but I forgot who I was talking to. Sometimes you're too good to be true, my love.

Daniel took a step in her direction and reached out to try to hold her by her nape, but this time she was somehow waiting for it and turned her back to him, then circled the pond, keeping her head down.

She knew he had been about to try to kiss her, and was desperate to find a way to stop him from doing that for good. Her dedication in reading the Bible in the last week had been exclusively with the intent of finding a passage that would forbid unmarried couples to kiss and touch each other. Her efforts were fruitless, though, and now she was trying to come up with a reason for him to decide he was the one who didn't want to do that anymore.

-I'd like to concentrate on feeding them now… -Belle murmured, showing him the half empty glass. She tossed a few of them very slowly, watching the fishes as if they were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Daniel approached her and snatched the glass from her hands. -Do you wanna feed them too?

-No. -He glared at her and when she lifted her head to look him in the eyes, all she saw was anger and hurt pride. He turned the rest of the shrimps into the water and started to walk away. -We're heading back. You're gonna have your dresses ready and tomorrow I'll take you to welcome the new knights. It will be the test to see if you can behave decently, at least once in a while.

Belle gulped at his disdainful look and he walked ahead, leaving her behind, then turned and tugged her by her arm to force her to keep up with his pace. When they passed by Corey, he eyed her with pity or mockery, she couldn't really say which, but either way it fueled her anger toward him.

-We're going back to her bedroom. I want ten new dresses made for her by the end of the week. -He instructed one of the maids. -Tell them they gotta be exactly as she wants them. I want to approve the design beforehand, though, just to make sure she won't wear something immoral or too simple.

He didn't wait for the woman's reply, just kept walking and tossed the glass for Corey, who catched it and handed it to the closest maid before rushing to escort them.

-Fox, you'll wait in my quarters. I need to talk with you about something Belle proposed. -He sighed when Corey catched up with them and she creased her eyebrows. -I'll need you to analyze the pros and cons of her idea.

Belle's heart sank. The cop could guess what she was planning to do and snitch on her, or he could simply tell Daniel not to allow her to witness the men's arrival and departure out of pure spite. Her plan was now in the hands of the man who had betrayed Ryan and got away with it. She had no hopes of it working anymore.

Her gloomy mood only got worse when they got inside her room and Daniel announced she'd have to memorize three verses at once. Belle gulped down her tears of frustration and concentrated on her task.

 

Im happy with belle pov. But seem long way to go. Many planned ahead but i thought it not gonna happen with 1st chapter that had been read about belle getting worst. I hope she safe from getting assault by daniel or other investor. Waiting in pain for next chapter. Tq

 

I’m confused here, if Daniel believes that agent Desmond is dead, then does he think that Belle went off and married Ryan Herrera after she left New York? So does he believe that these are 2 different persons? So if he believes that Belle is married, then doesn’t her “husband” stand in the way of him marrying Belle? Is this why he wants to kill her husband so she will be free for him to marry? And what happened to the commandment “Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife”? I am sure that Daniel will have some twisted justification to get around this.
Regarding Belle’s virginity, is Daniel obsessed with the fact that Desmond took away her virginity (presumably he abused her) or is he obsessed about Belle having sexual relations with her husband which would be expected and acceptable? Can our dear author @GiBro provide some insight on what Daniel is thinking?

 

I inspired the character in a bunch of crazy people I had contact with during the last 3 years and that baffled me with their lack of basic human empathy by using faith and religion to support the most gruesome opinions and desires, like, for example:
That black people were enslaved by their own and given to the Europeans as war slaves, therefore racism doesn't exist and shouldn't be addressed;
That women shouldn't complain about being treated differently, since the Bible says the wife should be submissive to her husband (I tried to argue a bunch of times that there are no such statements in the Bible, but they not only don't point out which passage they are using to support their theory, but tell me I shouldn't have a say on it, because my opinion is biased);
That people with physical disabilities should be euthanized, because they represent a cost to the society;
That homosexuality should be a crime/is a disease;
That poor people should be sterilized so they wouldn't cost so much to the government.

yeah, believe me, about 20 to 30% of my country right now think like that (the same is probably true in your country too). They all vote for the same pieces of shit, by the way...

So, Daniel's thing is: he doesn't believe in any fact that goes against his will. He's not dumb. He knows science. He knows how to build a new religion and is doing that. At the same time he believed in a God, and needs to justify his actions (probably more to himself than for that God or others) so he doesn't expect punishment.

About Desmond vs Herrera, he firmly believes they are different person. There are some reasons for that, that are gonna be addressed later, but basically:
-He believes Desmond is dead. All his sources, including Belle, confirmed that information.
-He has people that should know exactly what Desmond looks like and who he was, who had contact with him, saw him and talked to him, and none of them reported any physical resemblance. In fact he still doesn't know that the Herrera who was supposedly trying to join them and her husband are the same person, since he didn't give his first name as Ryan. (Spoiler, he used his father's name, Alejandro)
-He doesn't know if the marriage is official or not. Corey and others had tried to suggest that it was a fake marriage, an act. The fact that Belle doesn't say anything about it keeps him with the doubt. But with Ryan it's different, because she said he abused her and calls his name in sleep (since he doesn't know her husband's name, he's assuming she's dreaming of Desmond).
-I don't believe anyone will relate to Daniel (I hope not). I meant him to be a caricature, a personification of madness and cruelty, just like Max's father. No logic involved, just selfishness and lack of empathy in a general way.