His Rose

His Rose: 5

جولة الباطل ساعة وجولة الحق إلى قيام الساعة
Falseness lasts an hour, the truth lasts until the end of time

Rose

I open my eyes before falling down onto the ground—hitting my arms hard. Groaning, I use both of my palms to try and push my body up as I look around, seeing that I'm in an unfamiliar dark room. My eyes wander around the room until they landed on Elia who is currently standing near the glass window; smoking his cigarette.

My mind goes entirely blank. What happened yesterday? Who injected drug into my neck? I thought. I've had enough of being held like a prisoner. Elia might have saved me from Gonzales but I am never free from anything. Even with Elia, I feel trapped and yet I feel like I've gotten myself involved into something that I shouldn't have.

As I was about to call out his name, he cuts me off by turning around to face me. I watch his every movement as he pushes the curtain slightly; letting some sunlight in. I continue to look up at him and he does the same—not uttering a single word.

''What happened yesterday?'' I ask, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

''I guess it's no longer your concern.'' He replies, exhaling the smoke through his nose, eyeing deeply into my eyes.

No longer my concern? I was involved, for fuck's sake. What kind of drugs is he on now? Does he not remember that I jumped off the freaking mansion because he forced me to and I had to run away as far as I can just because someone was running after me? Does he not remember all of that?

Elia walks towards me, crouching as soon as he's close enough. He runs his thumb on my cheek—earning a sigh from me but I push his hand away, making him look down on the ground, clenching his jaw, ''Look, Elia. Why am I even here anyway? Why did you even pay one million dollars for me? If you think that you own me now, you're wrong.'' I stand up, walking away from him.

I stop walking and I hear him standing on his feet, ''I don't own you, Rose. No one owns you.'' Then, I turn around, feeling unsatisfied myself.

''Then why the fuck am I here?''

He smokes once more, clenching his jaw longer this time, ''Does it even fucking matter?'' I flinch at the tone of his voice but I remain calm, not wanting him to sense my discomfort. ''You should be fucking thankful that I got you out of that shit hole. You shouldn't question why you're fucking here or why the fuck did I pay one million dollars for you.''

I stand still even though our faces are inches apart. My heart starts to beat faster at the sight of him—at the sight that I never get the chance to see until now. Maybe Elis was right, I barely know anything about Elia. Maybe being a gentleman was one of his acts. I really did underestimate him.

From up close, I can smell the cigarette but I'm used to those things. I've smelt worse. He continues to look into my eyes while I look away as much as possible; I couldn't stand this. I couldn't stand being near him. ''I can't be thankful if I don't know the reason.'' I reply, my voice low.

To my surprise, he steps back, ''I didn't even want you here. I shouldn't have brought you here nor wasted my money on you. You should have just stayed where you belong. That would have been easier for both of us, wouldn't it?'' He says.

I try to seek for any lies by staring at his expression but all I see is a cold-hearted Elia. Probably the true Elia. I breathe out, trying to come back to reality—trying to realise that this isn't a freaking fairy tale and I'm not Cinderella, ''Let me go, then.'' I answer.