“You’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, you’ll shift to a new apartment.”
I frown. “Who says?”
“Your father and brother.”
“Let me talk to them,” I mutter. Then it dawns on me my phone is in my bag. My bag is still in that restroom.
“The code is 110246.” He points toward a lift across the parking area. “Press it on that lift. The penthouse code is the same. I’m not interested in standing in a parking lot, but you can stay here if it entertains you.”
With that, he turns and walks toward the lift. The car door shuts behind me. The driver steps out, and leaves the parking lot. I remain standing there, frozen. I could take a cab to the university, but I don’t have any money.
Reluctantly, I make my way to the lift and punch in the code. Only then does it hit me, the first four digits are my birthday.
What a coincidence.
The lift opens to a corridor. I enter the code again and step inside the penthouse.
My breath catches. I take a quick look around the gorgeous space, the huge windows showing the city below, the shiny floors, and the stylish furniture, and then my eyes land on him. He’s sitting on the couch in the center of the living room, positioned to face the main entrance, watching me.
The weight of his gaze makes my skin prickle. Is it because the drug has seriously messed with my head, or is he actually watching me all the time?
I choose to believe the first option, because there’s no reason for the second to be true. I walk toward him, forcing my strangely misbehaving nerves into submission.
This is the first time we’re staying in such close proximity, and I’m not liking it even a bit. I want this to be the last time. If possible,I want to never see this man again in my life.
I sit down on the side couch. Not for a second have I met his gaze, and not for a second has he averted his eyes from me. The awareness of it messes with my already frayed nerves.
“When did you talk to my papa?” I ask, staring straight at the wall of glass in front of me, where the New York night sky stretches endlessly. I never thought I’d find something about this city beautiful.
He doesn’t answer.
I look at him. For a moment, we just stare at each other. I don’t let the moment stretch any longer than it already has.
“When did you talk to my papa?” I ask again.
His lip curls at the corner, just a little. “On my way to the club where you werepartying.”
“What did he say?” I ignore his comment about partying.
“He said you need to live somewhere safe, and you need a security team. Since you can’t take care of yourself, someone else needs to get the job done.”
I’m not someone whose life is always in danger. My father is no longer in power. That’s why I wanted to live like any other researcher who came from outside to attend this research program at the college. Apart from me, there were only three others who came from outside; the rest were researchers from this university. The college had arranged accommodation for all four guest researchers on campus.
But my papa made a deal with me, if I put myself in any kind of danger, he would either drag me back home or place me under security.
“But the place I’m living at is safe.” It’s a hostel with ten rooms; currently, only four of them are occupied.
“It’s not,” he says calmly.
“Why not?” I argue.
“You are the only female in that building.”
“So?”
“So you won’t live there with three other men. It’s not safe,” he drawls.
“Did you tell my papa about that?” I ask, because I told him nothing about it. “And how do you know all this?”
