"where are we?" Bella asked as they stopped in front of a big mansion, she was nervous when Daniel started going in like he owned the place, she knew that it's not possible for him to own such a big mansion hence, she was curious, "are you breaking into someone's house?"
Daniel scoffed at her question, "Don't you see I am opening each gate and door with a key? Is that how to break in?"
"Oh well...so?"
"This house belongs to a friend of mine, he is currently out of the country and wants me to occupy it until he comes. his only condition is to take good care of it"
Bella gasped in awe as he opened the door, the inside of the house left her speechless, "I...I...never knew you had a friend who is this rich"
"Er...em.... yeah.... actually, this is the only house left to him by his mother, and his mother had inherited it from her parents"
"Oh, I see" Gingerly, she sat on the sofa while Daniel went to the bar and brought a bottle of wine "Do you think we should be drinking his stuff?"
"Trust me he won't mind" he replied as he poured the scotch into two glasses and handed her a glass
Bella took a huge gulp and wasn't prepared for the taste and the burning feeling, she coughed and splashed the drink all over the sofa
"I'm so sorry" she pleaded as she started cleaning the sofa with her hands, "I didn't mean to dirty your friend's sofa"
"Leave it, my friend wouldn't mind" surprised to see how she was disturbed over a mere sofa. She kept on cleaning it and he got irritated, standing up from where he was seated, he grabbed her hands, "I said leave it" he clenched out
"Oh!" She responded, looking lost
"What I want to know is what Nicholas Calvin was talking to you about" that seemed to snap her out of her daze and if he wasn't mistaken, she suddenly grew paler to him and looked quite scared
"N...n.. nothing, I lost my way to the restroom and he was just giving me directions"
His eyes narrowed, it was obvious that she was lying, she looked so scared and agitated
"You know you can count on me right? If you're in any sought of trouble, you should tell me about it"
She stared at him for a moment, "why does your father hate you so much?" She questioned and it was Daniel's turn to be evasive, letting go of her hands, he grabbed his glass of drink
"Perhaps, it's because I am a constant reminder of his infidelity to his wife" he bit out and gulped his drink
"I'm sorry. What about your mum?" She asked so softly and innocently, she stared directly at him with her soft blue eyes and Daniel felt drawn to them
"She's dead" he choked out as the pain of that fateful day washed over him, his mother dying in his arms after being hit by an unknown vehicle, that day, he found out many things had led to his mother's death and he is out for vengeance and he must have his revenge, even if it cost him his life.
"I'm so sorry, I can imagine how painful it can be"
"What about yours?" He asked, staring at her
"I was told that they died in a fire accident" she replied as tears ran down her cheeks
"You were told?"
"Yeah, I was just a kid then and I don't even remember what they looked like, I do not remember anything about them although, I wished very much that I could because my aunt told me that I was right there with them when the incident took place"
"Perhaps, it's better that you don't remember, it hurts less that way"
They were both silent for a moment and she took her glass but this time she drank more slowly and cautiously
"Was that why you didn't finish college? Couldn't your aunt or other family members help you get a degree?" The question was sudden and she choked on her drink, once again splashing drinks all over the sofa
"I....I...had to stop college" she replied in between gasps, "I had my reasons and it's not what you're thinking"
"What are you hiding Bella? What are you so afraid of?"
"Nothing, I'm not hiding anything. Where's my bedroom, I'm tired and need to sleep"
"Someday,. I'll find out what you're hiding. Go up, take the second room by your right"
Without another word, Bella walked, leaving Daniel drinking all by himself.
*******************************************
Bella was sleeping when she suddenly had the feeling that she was not alone, cool air touched her face, and tried as she could to open her eyes, but she couldn't, she just kept sleeping.
"Daniel, what are you doing here?" She whispered sleepily and a feeling of strange deja vu passed over her. Her eyes suddenly snapped open just as a gloved hand covered her mouth and pressed her to the bed.
Her screams were muffled and she struggled against the hand, he was choking her, and very soon, she'd be too weak to struggle, she could feel her strength already leaving her, she groped for anything around her, anything that would alert Daniel and her hand hit something but she don't know what, it fell on the floor and she could hear the shattering sound, her attacker cursed and let go of her, "help me" she screamed just as the door swung open and Daniel came running in.
Her attacker quickly ran to the window and jumped off, he must have tied a rope through the window that allowed him to escape so fast.
Daniel brought out a gun and fired a shot, her attacker grunted, proof that the bullet has found a path in his flesh, Daniel rushed towards the window and watched the shadow of a man getting away, "Damn it" he cursed and heard Bella coughed, he would get to the bottom of this. Who had tried to kill her and why?
"Are you okay?" He asked walking towards her but she shifted away
"Why do you have a gun with you?"
"I heard you scream and thought you were in danger And I was right. Moreover, this isn't my gun but I'm glad my friend keeps guns in the house"
"Thank you, thank you for saving me" Bella hugged him as what just happened to her hit home, someone had just tried to kill her, she sobbed into his chest and he just let her, he would find out who the hell has the nerve to break into his house.