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Chapter 20
Marissa still couldn’t figure it out–what was the point of all this? Declan couldn’t keep her locked
away forever. Sooner or later, she’d leave. Why go through all this useless trouble?
But time had never mattered much to Declan. What scared him was the inevitability of her walking
away again—just like she did years ago. That’s why now, he clung to every second with her,
refusing to let any of it slip by.
By the third sunset, he showed up again—this time, with a whole delivery truck full of moth
orchids.
She’d mentioned them casually two days ago when he asked if there was anything she wanted him
to bring next time. Technically, Westbridge Heights‘ climate wasn’t great for orchids, but with the
right conditions and care, they could thrive.
And now, with so much idle time on her hands, Marissa had taken to gardening. She spent hours in
the greenhouse, gently transplanting each orchid with her own hands, trimming and arranging
them with delicate precision. Declan watched her quietly, only exhaling when he saw the genuine
enjoyment in her expression.
“Thanks,” she said after finishing up, turning toward him with a soft smile. He’d been standing patiently at the greenhouse door the whole time.
He waved it off like it was nothing, though the grin tugging at his lips was impossible to hide.
“As long as you like them,” he said, then added, “Anything you want–I’ll find a way to get it for
you.”
If it had been the Marissa who once loved Declan, those words might’ve touched her deeply.
After all, what’s sweeter than hearing the guy you love promise to get you anything your heart
desires?
But this wasn’t the same Declan, and she wasn’t the same Marissa.
All the love she once had for him had shattered the day he said she was just a sister to him, the day
he fought for Celeste and didn’t even glance back when she lay crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.
Since being trapped in this house, Marissa had noticed something strange–each day, the villa looked more and more like the one they used to share. Declan didn’t bring it up, and she didn’t
expose him. She simply smiled and played along.
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She went about her days quietly, tending to her flowers. After work, he’d come home, open his
laptop, and stay close by. At dinner, he sat next to her, always scooping food onto her plate like he
was still trying to win her over.
One day, he had to stay late at work and didn’t want her to be on her own, so he asked Tristan to
swing by and keep her company.
Tristan only realized what was going on after he stepped into the house and saw her.
“Wait, he actually locked you in here? Is he out of his damn mind?” he blurted before he could stop
himself.
Compared to his shock, Marissa was unfazed. She was calmly watering her orchids, not even looking up.
She raised an eyebrow at his reaction. “I thought you guys already knew.”
Declan had always been open with his inner circle. Whether it was his temper after the car accident,
his desire to get back with Celeste, or later, his sudden about–face wanting to start over with
Marissa he never really kept any of that from them.
So she’d assumed they all knew about her imprisonment, too.
But judging from the look on Tristan’s face, this was news to him.
He shook his head, still trying to process how calm she was. “Aren’t you about to get married soon? How are you not freaking out?”
She gave a half–hearted shrug. “What good would it do?”
Then she smirked, her voice dripping with dry sarcasm. “He took everything I could use to reach the outside world. Aside from keeping flowers alive, there’s not much else to do around here.”
That shut him up. Tristan opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.
He couldn’t tell Declan to let her go. And he couldn’t promise Marissa he’d help her escape, either.
Guys like him–sons of families tied to the Hawthorne Group–couldn’t risk crossing Declan. The
fallout would hit their whole family hard.
Luckily for him, Marissa wasn’t expecting anything. She wasn’t the type to beg.
And besides, she believed in Adrian. He wouldn’t leave her waiting too long.
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