Betrayed Spotlight
Chapter 29: A secret

Chapter 29: A secret

Sarah’s eyes opened slowly as the morning sun crept through the heavy curtains. Her body felt like she had been hit by a truck. Every muscle ached, every bone felt stiff. The memories of yesterday crashed over her like cold water.

She sat up carefully in the big bed, wincing as her sore muscles protested. Her hair was a complete mess, sticking up in all directions. The maids had been so kind last night, helping her out of her dirty clothes and into this soft silk robe. The blue silk felt smooth against her skin, a contrast to the rough ropes that had bound her wrists just hours ago.

Sarah touched her wrists gently. There were still red marks there, but they were fading.

She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, trying to work out the stiffness. Then she moved to sit on the edge of the bed, her bare feet touching the cold marble floor.

Her mind drifted back to last night. The container. The fear. The other women. And then... Mason.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the moment Mason had appeared in that doorway. He had looked like something from a movie - powerful, dangerous, completely in control. The way he had held her, carried her, made her feel safe again.

"What if he hadn’t come?" she whispered to herself.

The thought made her shiver. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened if Mason hadn’t found her. If her father hadn’t told him where she was.

Sarah shook her head and stood up. She needed to stop thinking about the dark possibilities. Mason had come. She was safe. That was what mattered.

She walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale, her eyes had dark circles under them. She looked tired and fragile.

Sarah turned on the water and splashed her face. The cold water felt good, helping her feel more awake. She brushed her teeth carefully, the minty taste washing away the stale fear from her mouth.

When she came back to the bedroom, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," Sarah called.

A young maid entered, the same one who had helped her last night. She had a kind face and gentle hands.

"Good morning, Mrs. Liu

," the maid said with a small bow. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better, thank you," Sarah replied, even though it wasn’t completely true.

"What would you like to drink this morning? Coffee? Juice?"

Sarah thought for a moment. "Tea, please. I’m not really a coffee person."

Coffee had always been too bitter for her. She preferred the gentle warmth of tea.

"Of course, ma’am. I’ll bring it right away."

The maid left quietly, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Sarah sat in the comfortable chair by the window and looked out at the garden. The morning was beautiful and peaceful. Birds were singing in the trees, and the flowers were bright with morning dew. It was hard to believe that just yesterday she had been trapped in a dark metal container.

A few minutes later, the maid returned with a delicate porcelain teacup. The tea was perfectly hot and smelled like jasmine flowers.

"Thank you," Sarah said, taking the cup carefully in both hands.

The maid bowed and left again.

Sarah sipped the tea slowly, letting the warmth spread through her body. As she drank, her thoughts kept returning to Mason. She wondered if he was still home. It was only 7 in the morning - most people would still be sleeping.

But Mason wasn’t most people. He probably started his day early, like a soldier.

Sarah felt a sudden need to see him, to thank him properly. Last night she had been too tired and scared to say the right words. He had saved her life. He deserved more than just a whispered "thank you" in a helicopter.

She finished her tea and stood up, still holding the empty cup. She then decided to look for him.

Sarah walked quietly through the long hallways of the mansion. Her bare feet made no sound on the smooth floors.

She had been in this house for weeks now, but she still sometimes got lost. It was so big, with so many rooms and corridors. But she remembered that Mason had a home office on the first floor. Derek had shown her around a while ago.

As she walked, she tried to remember which door was his office. Was it the one with the dark wood? Or the one with the glass panels?

Then she heard a voice coming from behind a heavy wooden door. The voice was raised, angry. It was Mason.

Sarah stopped walking immediately. She knew she shouldn’t listen to private conversations. It wasn’t right. But something in Mason’s tone made her curious.

She moved closer to the door, holding her breath.

"...She’s safe, so I’d think about it, Mr. Chen."

Sarah’s heart stopped. Mr. Chen. As in her father?

Why was Mason talking to her father? And what was he supposed to think about?

Sarah pressed closer to the door, her ear almost touching the wood. She felt guilty for eavesdropping, but she couldn’t help herself.

Mason’s voice was cold and sharp, unlike the gentle way he had spoken to her last night. This was the voice of a dangerous man making threats.

The phone call ended abruptly. Sarah heard Mason’s chair scrape against the floor. He was getting up.

She took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open, trying to look casual.

Mason turned around as the door opened. His face was perfectly calm, but his eyes were still hard from the phone call. He didn’t look surprised to see her.

"You’re here," he said simply.

Sarah’s heart was pounding. She clutched the empty teacup tighter in her hands.

"Why were you speaking with my father?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "What does he want?"

Mason looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he turned back to his desk and straightened some papers.

"It’s none of your concern," he said coolly.

The words hit Sarah like a slap. Her face grew hot with anger.

"He’s my father!" she said, her voice rising.

Mason’s mouth curved into a small smile, but it wasn’t a kind smile. It was cold and mocking.

"Your father," he repeated slowly. "The same man who sold you off to settle his debts?"

Sarah felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She took a step back, her eyes wide with shock and pain.

"What did he tell you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did you offer him in the first place to make him help?"

Mason’s eyes grew even colder. He looked at her like she was a child asking stupid questions.

"That’s not your worry," he said dismissively. "Get ready. Zachary is waiting."

Sarah stared at him, her whole body shaking with anger and hurt. This was the same man who had held her so gently last night?

Why was he acting differently today?

She wanted to scream at him or maybe throw the teacup at his head.

But she could see in his face that he wouldn’t budge.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth.

She turned and walked out of the office, her back straight with anger. As she reached the doorway, she heard Mason’s voice behind her.

"Sarah."

She stopped but didn’t turn around.

"Be careful today," he said quietly.

Sarah didn’t answer. She just kept walking, her hands clenched into fists.

She went back to her room to get dressed. She was still angry, but she tried to push the feelings down. She chose a simple navy blue dress and flat shoes. Nothing too fancy or attention-grabbing.

When she came downstairs, Derek was waiting for her by the front door. He smiled when he saw her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Liu," he said politely.

"Good morning, Derek," Sarah replied, trying to sound normal.

"I have something to show you," Derek said, gesturing toward the door.

They walked outside, and Sarah saw a beautiful black car parked in the circular driveway. It was sleek and expensive-looking, with dark tinted windows.

"This is your new car," Derek explained. "And this is your new bodyguard."

A man stepped out of the driver’s seat. He was tall and lean, probably in his twenties. He had short black hair and intelligent eyes. He wore a perfectly fitted black suit and moved with the controlled grace of a trained fighter.

"This is Eli Zhen," Derek said. "He will be responsible for your safety from now on."

Eli stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully.

"Good morning, Mrs. Liu," he said in clear English with only a slight accent. "It’s an honor to serve you."

His voice was calm and professional, but Sarah could hear the strength underneath. This was a man who took his job seriously.

"Thank you, Eli," Sarah said, managing a small smile despite her bad mood.

Eli moved to open the car door for her. The inside of the car was luxurious, with soft leather seats and polished wood trim. Everything was clean and perfect.

Eli got into the driver’s seat once Sarah entered and adjusted the rearview mirror so he could see her.

"Where would you like to go, ma’am?" he asked politely.

"Zachary’s firm," Sarah said, giving him the address.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at a tall glass building downtown. Eli parked the car smoothly and came around to open her door.

"I’ll wait here, ma’am," he said quietly.

"Thank you, Eli."

Sarah took the elevator to the tenth floor. Zachary’s office was at the end of a long hallway lined with expensive artwork.

She knocked on the door and heard Zachary’s familiar voice call out, "Come in!"

When she opened the door, Zachary looked up from his desk with a bright smile.

"Sarah! Please, sit down."

She smiled and took her seat opposite him.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern. "You look... troubled."

Sarah hesitated. She hadn’t planned what to say.

"Something happened yesterday after I left." she said finally.

Zachary leaned forward, "What kind of something?"

Sarah took a deep breath. "I was kidnapped."

Zachary’s eyes went wide with shock. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Some men took me from the shopping center after I left my father’s place last night. They wanted money." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "But Mason came and saved me."

She didn’t tell him the whole truth. It was too shameful and too painful.

"My God, Sarah," Zachary said, standing up and walking around the desk. "Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"

"No, I’m okay. Just shaken up."

Zachary sat in the chair next to her, his face full of concern.

"You need to be more careful," he said gently. "Maybe you shouldn’t go out alone anymore."

"I know. Mason got me a bodyguard."

"Good. That’s very smart." Zachary was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Do you have any idea why they targeted you specifically?"

Sarah shook her head, another lie.

"Well, the important thing is that you’re safe now," Zachary said kindly.

He spent the next hour trying to make her feel better, talking about lighter topics and asking about her life. But Sarah found it hard to concentrate. Her mind kept drifting back to Mason’s phone call with her father.

Finally, Sarah stood up to leave.

"Thank you for seeing me, Zachary," she said.

"Of course. Call me anytime if you need anything, okay? Day or night."

"I will. Thank you."

Sarah walked to the elevator, her mind racing. When she reached the lobby, she stopped by the large windows that looked out over the city.

People walked by on the sidewalk below, living their normal lives. They didn’t have to worry about kidnappings or contracted marriages or fathers who sold their daughters to pay debts.

"What else is Mason not telling me?" she thought, watching the busy street. "Since he wouldn’t tell me, then I’d have to pay father a visit again."

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