Chapter CHAPTER 12

Myself and Luke are seated on the dining as Laurel sets the table with our food.

"What's for dinner?" He asks and as I'm about to answer, Laurel begins to speak.

"Well, Luke, we were supposed to follow your meal plan today and we had already prepared that, but
your wife insisted we make another dish even if I told her not to." she says, eyeing me slackly.

"Excuse me, Laurel?" I turn towards Luke, "Please, I didn't know you had a meal plan or anything- she
didn't tell me anything." I say

Luke looks at both of us back and forth, "Natalie, you should have asked. We have certain rules here.”

I gasp in shock and utter disbelief. "I should have asked? I just told you, I did ask" I look at Laurel,
"Why are you lying?!" I yell. "Luke, she didn't tell me anything, believe me.”

Laurel is about to speak but Luke stops her, "Please, all I'm asking is that you should always ask until
you get used to how things work here. We don't waste resources like you do back in your house.”

I get up, dropping the napkin from my laps on the table. I couldn't believe Luke didn't trust me. He
doubted me and it hurt like hell. "Have a lovely dinner." I say before I leave for my room.

I didn't know why, but Luke's words to me really hurt me. I could understand why he wouldn't trust me
but I wasn't a liar and bringing up my family wasn't something I appreciated. Uncontrollable tears rolled
down my eyes. Now, I knew for sure that Laurel really had a crazy obsession with Luke and she'd do
anything to get me out of the way.

Entering my room, I'm about to lock the door, but Luke forced his way in. I rush to sit on my chair, still
crying.

"Natalie, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said at the table. Please, forgive me."



I ignore him completely, but he still continues talking, "Honestly, I wish the circumstances of our
marriage was much better. I would do anything for us to get along even for a moment."

I'm tempted to tell him to let me go if he wanted that, but something stops me. Instead, I ignore him
again.

He gets up to leave, but stops at the door. "It's a Saturday tomorrow. I'll be home all day. If you forgive
me by tomorrow maybe you can show up at the stables by 9 and I'll teach you how to ride a horse. If
you don't show up, I'll know you haven't forgiven me.” He leaves.

**

I lay on my bed, looking up at the ceiling as I think of everything that had happened in the last two
months. I hadn't heard from José or any of my friends from Dubois C, I hadn't heard from Aunt Ruth
and I certainly hadn't heard anything about my father. I knew he wasn't dead or worse off because if he
was, I'd have been contacted already, so I was half glad I hadn't gotten any calls from home. I hadn't
heard from my mother, but I had heard Luke talking to her multiple times. I was certain she must've
been calling to demand for more money.

My mind drifts off to Rocky, and I think off all the moments we had. The first time I set my eyes on him, I
had known that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I wasn't so sure about that now.

After successfully wearing my brown boots, I concentrate on my hair as I style it into front bangs. My
blond straight hair fell back, almost reaching my waist. I had a head full of hair.

I apply a thin but noticeable coat of pink gloss and some powder. It was a few minutes to nine and I
wanted to get there exactly by nine. Although, I wanted to seem a little difficult and go a little later, I
knew if I went too late, I'd miss him.



Entering the kitchen, the workers chorus good morning at once and my face lightens up. "Good
morning everyone, what's happening? What's for breakfast?"

Emmanuele dusts her apron, "Well it's Saturday so we thought you'd have some traditional shepherds
pie and some wine.”

I panic as I realize it's already a minute to nine, "Alright, Emmanuele, how do I get to the stables
though?" I ask, a bit anxious.

"Well you just walk straight down, take your left by the fountain and keep straight. You will find it there"
She says, a smile on her face.

*****

After much effort, I finally find the stables. I look around, but my mood drops as I don't see Luke
around. I didn't have a watch on me or a phone, but I knew for certain that it had past nine.

I'm still standing there when I feel breathing on my head and a body pressed to mine. Luke, my mind
races. We were dangerously close. My rump was against his manhood, my back on his chest and his
breathing on my body. I turn around and I look at him. He was really tall and I realized I was nothing
compared to tall beside him.

"Good morning," I say, consciously parting my lips.

"Good morning, Natalie. You came" He says

"Yes, yes, I did." I chuckle nervously. He smiles. "Shall we?" He asks and I nod.

After preparing the horse, Luke was helping me get on it. "Slowly.” He says as I try to set my foot on the
paddle. "Shall we?"



He guards the horse as it moves. "Her name is Milo, she's very dear to me."

I smile, ready to indulge in conversation with him. "I like her too. She feels soft.”

He laughs, "Milo's definitely not a softie.”

My face reddens at his reply, but I shrug it off. I wanted to talk about other things. "I hope you wouldn't
mind my asking but how did you become so rich?" I scan his face, "What do you do?"

"I'm not a drug lord if you're thinking I am," He says and I laugh. "When you're fueled by anger,
resentment, rage or whether it's your thirst for vengeance, it's impossible to not achieve your goal.”

I process his words, "So you were fueled by something?"

He stops the horse and turns to look at me. "Not something, everything.”

"Is that why you're always angry?"

"I'm not always angry, Natalie. My face might look it, but I'm usually happy most of the times. You just
don't let me share that happiness with you because you hate me.”

"Wait" I say, stopping the horse. "Help me down?"

I get down and stand directly in front of him. "I agree that we got married on very disturbing conditions
and you don't like my family, but honestly Luke, I don't hate you anymore." I say, giving him a light
smile.

He looks at me in shock, lips parted, "You don't hate me anymore?" He asks, "When?"

"It just happened, I don't think I'm that heartless to hate someone who constantly saves and helps me."

"As much as I want to believe you, I'm having doubts. I can't help it."



I tuck my hair behind my ear and scrunch my face in confusion, "Doubts?"

"Yes, doubts. You've tried to run away so many times, you've even made it clear that you'll do anything
to go back to your old life- his voice breaks, "Your boyfriend." He says and I notice his eyes becoming
red again.

I shake my head, "I understand that, but I don't want to do that anymore. My life now begins and ends
here, with you." I say as I hold his hand.

"How can I trust you?"

"You'll learn to. Eventually." I say, as I wrap my hands around his neck and tiptoe for a kiss. We kiss. It
was soft, gentle and slow. It lasted for a while. It felt like the world stopped and we were the only ones
there. The taste of his lips made me wonder what I had seen in Rocky.

After the kiss, there was peaceful silence as we walked to the river ahead of us. The silence was truly
calming.

"Let's sit by the tree." Luke says and we walk to sit by the tree.

"You go first." I say but he declines. "No, you go first," He smiles. He continues. "Say what's on your
mind first, then I will."

He declines again, "Ladies first. Always." and I agree.

"You know, I really didn't get to know you before we got married. I still don't know anything about you." I
chuckle. "And we're married."

He looks at me and I look away. "I wanted to say the same thing" He pauses and touches my hair. My
body freezes at his touch. He continues, "Well, ask me whatever you want to know and I'll answer them



for you."

"And as honest as you possibly can." I add. I continue, "I know your name is Lucas Carrington, Luke for
short, do you have a middle name?"

He freezes at my question but composes himself quickly. "Yes" he responds, "It's just Lucas
Carrington."

"You're how old?"

"Twenty five this year. You?"

"Twenty," say as we look at each other. I give a fake cough. "Your parents? Do you have siblings?"

"No, I don't. Well, I used to but something tragic happened to them. We were separated and I escaped,
but they were murdered, including my little sister" He says and I gasp. "Jesus, I'm so sorry- I didn't
mean to, I didn't know."

"It's fine."He smiles. "Whoever killed them deserves to die a horrible death. Did the police find the
killers?" I ask

"You think so?" He asks me. "Of course, you don't just go around killing people, they deserve it too."

"If you say so," He responds, a weird look on his face. It must've been a very sensitive topic for him so I
ask another question. One which had been bothering me for a while now. "Who's Laurel to you?" I ask,
"She's very close to you and she doesn't like me much."

"Laurel's father used to work for me a few years ago, until he died. He left her in my care and asked me
to always look after his daughter. There's no special relationship. If you think there's one,I assure you—
there isn't. My love for her is purely platonic." He says and I feel a sense of relief. "However, there is
someone I'm interested in."



My heart drops hearing those words, but that feeling disappears in a split second as soon as I hear his
next words. "It's you."


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