Chapter 018
175 BONUS.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Julia” Damien said as he pulled up in front of a grand warehouse.
It was off–site and surrounded by bushes. I internally shivered at the thought of being lost here, but there was no other choice. Atlas ruined Damien’s business because of me and if I could fix that, why not?
“We could have come tomorrow, It’s late”
I shrugged and exited the car “Don’t tell me you’re scared of the dark,” I joked, walking toward the warehouse. “Besides, we don’t have time to waste. You said it yourself. We have two weeks. If I can see the previous projects and get the design details, I can create the prototype in a few days and full production can start.”
I turned to him, raising an eyebrow when I realized his eyes were lost on me. “Earth to Damien. What is wrong with you?
He broke into a soft smile. “You are so special.” He admitted and my heart skipped a beat. “So, so, magnificent and confident, and Julia. “He closed the distance between us. “Any man who walks away from you is not just blind but the biggest idiot in
the world”
Ifroze as he leaned to kiss me only for someone to hunk. I flinched and we turned to see a black car
“What was that?” Damien snapped, and I frowned at his reaction. It was almost as if his mask slipped for a moment but when he turned to me, a soft smile on his face, I killed those thoughts.
“Come on,” He said and we walked in together
I gasped at the designs and we started looking through cabinets for previous sketches. Some candles were lit around and Damien casually pointed out that electricity in the area was down so some caretakers must have left them there.
It made me feel uneasy but I pushed it aside, and co continued searching.
of” I said as I pulled out the prototype from some damaged documents. “Damien? I found it!”
“Bingo!” I
I called out to him, standing up Damien’s
‘s eyes widened in horror.
Julia-
“Yes! I know! I found it? I bounced on my feet t as a familiar smell reached my nostrils.
“No, Julia, that’s not it. It’s on fire. Just listen to–
“Tue? There’s no o fure I am serious, look at it-
“Not the document, you!
u‘ Your shawl is on fire Julia
“Ah! Help‘ Help” I jumped around, wrestling the shawl off me before Damien tugged it off and threw it on a pile of papers.
Rookie mistake
A candle caught it, the papers erupted into flames and it slowly dawned on me that we were trapped in a burning warehouse
Damien didn’t bat an eye, He scooped me up and raced to the exit before it could catch fire as well. We gasped for air as cold
jan my hands through my hair, breathing heavily My eyes scanned the area and before they widened Something was wong Something was missing
“We should get to the car, what are you looking at?”
The
“Yes, we need to go
“The car is not there, Damien!”
+25 BONUS
The brown–haired man finally turned and his
shoulders sagged “What? Where did it go?”
What if the fire spreads?”
“It’s getting late, we can’t be stuck here! What if
He walked over to me and touched my shoulders “You are right, come. We’ll get a lift. We’ll figure this out.”
I nodded and we walked toward the road, trying to flank down cars but neither stopped. Just as my heart dropped into my stomach, the familiar black car from before stopped in front of us.
“Hey! Kind sir, we need help and-” My words died in my
mouth when the window wined down and our eyes luck.
Of course. Of course, it was him. Who else could it be? It was him. Atlas Volkan himself!
7 Was he here to make fun of me?
He was the one watching from before and now?
“A little birdie told me you needed some help?”
“No. We don’t need help”
“Oh, okay.” He was about to speed off when Damien’s voice broke through.
*Julia, I think we should just take his ride, okay?” Damien pleaded. “He is asking so nicely after all. Besides, it is getting late- “Can’t you see he was stalking us? He!” I snapped, pointing a finger at Atlas, he reached to bite it and I retracted almost immediately.
How dare your
“Julia, come on, let’s get in Damien added, glancing at the sky, “It will rain soon.
I nodded begrudgingly and entered the passenger seat, fuming. Atlas kept a smug grin on his face as he glanced at his side mirror before speeding off just as Damien was about to enter the car.
My neck snapped to him, “what was that about?”
“I offered you a ride, not charity. He’s a man, he’ll find a way. You are a delicate woman. If you get drenched in the rain, you’ll have like twenty–five sicknesses the next day.” He stopped. “Enough, you are making me ramble,”
My stomach churned and my nostrils flared. My fingers clenched and unclenched. “The audacity, the sheer act, the-
Who did this man think he was?
“Stop the car! Stop the car right now!”
My forehead creased as the sound of the car doors locking filled my ears Atlas‘ eyes never left the road.
“You planned this, right? To come here and play hero? What if something happens to Damien?”
Clava
Atlas turned to me “One, I didn’t plan it, and before you say I did it to Clava, I am somehow behind this. You weren’t in when it caught fue Two, if he gets kidnapped, mugged, or killed Good riddance, he’s using you anywhere and he had a
te ahead of him. Capish?
–
My sew hung loose for a few seconds as Atlas drove into another mansion. It had to be one of his many properties.
but, what did he mean by I was not in Clava? Did that mean he was innocent and he wouldn’t hurt me?
I shook my head at my thoughts Atlas loved Lovie Atlas loved Lovie He hated me He hated me so-
“Are you going to sulk about your life with Damien, or will you come out?”
blinked before retiring that Atlas had opened the door
ve with him?”
“See, I have better aim at opening the door than that idiot. How do you survive
I rolled my eyes and got out, brushing past Atlas into the house. “Once the sky stops crying, I will leave this place!” I promised, plopping down on the chair.
“Here,” Atlas said, handing over a document.
My eyes widened when I realized it was the prototype for Clava. This was exactly what
hat we r
needed to do-
“Ah, a ah! Not so fast Atlas retracted his hand.
+25 BONUS
“Where did you find the prototype?”
only has pr
prototypes. I
“Prototype?” Atlas scoffed, looking offended for a moment. “This is the original, Julia, That thing only always have the original. I am always one
“Listening to you makes my blood boil so hand it over-
“I have a condition”
“That is?”
“You’ll forget about that annoying man and come back home.”
“I also gave you a condition. Divorce or an open marriage “I stood and we were an arm’s length from each other. “You refused, remember? Which means that we are in an open marriage. I am not leaving Damien
“Ew! Disgusting” Atlas gagged and I frowned.
“What?” ] raised an eyebrow
“The way sounds on your lips.” He waved off.
“Ah, see? See the difference?”
I stared at him for a few seconds, shocked beyond belief. If it was my past life, I would have thought he was being petty and jealous But that would be before he cut the call on me while I was dying, or before he let me drown in the pool.
No matter what I was seeing, the truth remained the truth. Atlas didn’t love me, right? So… why was he doing this?
Why is he following me and trying to help me? Why did he look for the original document even though he knew it would be helping his opponent?
Atlas, who had only ever been driven around, drove into the bushes and I wanted to believe something, a part of me, stupid one, wanted to believe that he was jealous.
Even though we can never be anything, I want to think that I did mean something to him.
“Honey? Are you coming up – ohi, Julia?”
the
I spun around my heart leaping into my mouth as I traced her lingerie and Atlas‘ white shirt lingering on her slender body
