Secretly Mine
Chapter 99: A Much Needed Embrace

Chapter 99: A Much Needed Embrace

I woke up very early the next morning. My eyes were still red and puffy from all of the crying I did last night.

My room was a mess. The dress and shoes were still scattered on the floor, telling me that it wasn’t just a horrible nightmare.

I pulled out my phone to message the driver even though it was still very early.

"Sorry, but I refuse to stay in this house any longer than I have to," I whispered. After getting a confirmation message from the driver, I got up to get dressed.

Every part of me felt exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep. Mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.

I was in no mood to look pretty, so I haphazardly got dressed, putting on whatever I saw first. It was a similar case with my hair; I simply put it up into a messy bun and walked out of my room.

The driver seemed angry for being called upon so early and didn’t bother greeting me when I walked over. I was in no mood to care, and got into the car on my own, slamming the door shut.

There was an awkward silence the entire drive, so when we finally pulled up in front of Christian’s company, I got out on my own, without saying a word.

The driver didn’t waste any time and sped away, most likely to go back to sleep, while I walked over to the main entrance.

I opened my purse and pulled out a small key that Christian gave me the day I was stranded in the rain. He didn’t want that situation to repeat itself, so he gave me a spare key to the company, along with the security code.

As I entered, I locked the doors behind me and entered the security code so that the alarm wouldn’t go off. The motion sensor lights finally picked up my movements and illuminated the entire lobby, allowing me to finally see my surroundings.

With hurried steps, I made my way over to the elevator and up to my office. The only thing I could think of was occupying myself with my work to keep me from thinking about yesterday’s horrors.

Being at the office brought me an undeniable sense of peace. As soon as I sat down in my chair, I felt my entire body relax. This was one of the few places I felt safe-- a place where my family couldn’t reach me.

I quickly turned on my computer and buried myself with work.

-

About an hour later, the door to my office swung open. Christian burst in, catching his breath as he looked at me.

"Leslie, is everything okay? Blake messaged me earlier, saying someone had disabled the security alarm. Why are you here so early?"

His eyes were full of concern as he walked over to my desk with a concerned gaze.

As soon as my eyes met his, all of the resentment, fear, and sadness welled up inside of me. My eyes started to water before tears began to flow down my cheeks.

"Christian..."

I managed to whisper his name before I broke down crying.

Christian ran over to my side and placed his arms around me. "Leslie, tell me. What happened? What’s wrong?"

He pulled me into his embrace, holding me firmly against his chest. Being wrapped in his arms helped me calm down, but it still took me a few minutes before I could speak.

Christian waited patiently until I was ready, making soft hushing sounds to help me relax.

"I’m here. Everything is okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you," he whispered as he rocked me in his arms.

A few minutes later, I finally calmed down enough to look up at him.

"Christian...they made me...they made me get engaged...to him."

I cried the words out, making them barely understandable.

"What? Who?" Christian asked. His eyes widened as he looked down at me, visibly shaken.

My stomach tightened. It was difficult to say his name out loud, but I looked up to meet his worried gaze.

"Karl," I finally croaked.

Christian’s eyes flashed before turning cold. He gently pushed my head to his chest and gently patted my head.

"It’s going to be okay. I won’t let anyone do anything to you that you don’t want. Just give me some time."

His words brought the comfort I was desperately seeking. I broke down into tears once more, but this time I was grateful that Christian cared enough about me to help me out of this situation.

I felt Christian lift me into his arms...

-

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was beaming through the window. I was lying comfortably on the bed in Christian’s secret bedroom.

Christian was nowhere to be found, but I did find a small note on the bedside table.

[I’m in my office. I cleared my schedule, so feel free to walk in.

P.S. You’re beautiful.]

My lips finally broke out into the first smile since yesterday’s events.

I was grateful for the note because there were times when I wasn’t sure if Christian was in a meeting with others in his office and was scared to leave this room.

Taking my time, I first decided to take a shower since I skipped taking one this morning and felt a little gross.

The warm water from the shower helped relax me further, finally bringing me back into a normal state of mind.

Once dry, I went to open the closet where my things were and noticed that it was filled with completely new things. Dresses, skirts, blouses, and other more casual clothing hung neatly from the hangers.

This time, I let out a large smile. Christian’s thoughtfulness and care for me were something that I never wanted to lose. He made me feel special and cared for with his subtle displays of affection.

I chose an elegant black and white dress that was appropriate for the office, and went to open the closet that had shoes. As soon as I opened it, I let out a big laugh.

The entire cabinet was filled with LAYLA shoes. Everything I saw at the store yesterday was sitting inside, including the limited edition white shoes that I purchased.

"He wasn’t kidding when he said that I could buy anything I wanted. He bought me an entire store!" I giggled.

Before I knew it, tears were sliding down my cheeks once more. This time, however, it was due to good emotions. The feeling of being spoiled and thought of. It touched the deepest parts of my heart.