Find A Way
A week had passed since Gina was brought to the mansion.
She had killed time by either sketching on the notebook or watching TV in the living room.
Adrian had left since that day, and Gina had overheard him speaking on the phone that he was going on a business trip, while she was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat.
She had seen new cups of that same ice cream but hadn’t dared to even glance at it twice.
Gina would sometimes cringe at the thought that she was the only one in the mansion, atop the tall mountain surrounded by a large forest. But she preferred that thought to living with the monster who had married and made her life hell.
Tired from watching TV all day, Gina had decided to tour the mansion today.
When she stepped out of the huge door, the crispy autumn wind breezed past, prompting her to wrap both arms around herself.
It was deep in the autumn and when she glanced up at the sky, night had almost fallen.
Gina had lost track of time, and she could clearly remember that her grandfather’s birthday was around this time each year, before winter.
Too bad she couldn’t get any notification reminding her of the actual date, without her phone.
She strolled past the huge water fountain making sure to keep a distance from the splashing water which was now as cold as ice.
On reaching the table where Adrian had dined with his friends a few days ago, she sat on one of the chairs and rubbed her palms together.
Her expression was gloomy and she let out a heavy sigh. She had to find a way to leave this mansion or else if she didn’t show up at her grandfather’s birthday party, she was sure that the old man would get suspicious and wouldn’t stop pestering her father until he spill out the whole truth.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
And if that happens, she wouldn’t want to imagine what would arise. Her father was only trying to protect the family’s business, and she doubt her grandfather would understand.
Deep in her thoughts, Gina decided she must find a way, without alerting Adrian. He had gone for a week now and might not return any time soon.
With that in mind, she stood up and continued touring the place, stopping first at the huge bushes of flowers in different shapes, which were almost dying.
There was not much to see as the mansion was mostly filled with flowers. On the left side of the mansion at the farthest corner, stood a large glass garden.
The transparent glass looks old and even the soil pots inside we’re dried with no trace of vegetables or even flowers.
Gina stopped in front of the glass with a frown, her hand grazing its dust-covered surface. From the corner of her eyes, two handprints were imprinted on the glass.
Her attention was completely diverted to the handprints which belong to a child.
‘Were there people living here before?’. Her brows furrowed.
The handprints were green, a total contrast to the white paints used on the mansion.
Concluding that people might have lived there before, Gina pushed the thoughts at the back of her mind and walked away, as the sky had started turning dark.
On getting back inside the building, Gina began to formulate a plan to leave the mansion without alerting Adrian.
After taking her bath, she went inside the kitchen, cooked herself some noodles, the only thing she had been eating since the Butler left.
After eating to her satisfaction, Gina went to every door in the mansion but found them all locked except for Adrian’s room.
She hoped she could find anything that would help in her escape plan.
Exhausted from wandering the place all night, Gina had to follow her last option and entered Adrian’s room.
The familiar scent engulfed her senses immediately she stepped foot in the room.
Gina clenched her fist, her hands trembling. And the other hand wandered to the wall, for the light switch.
After turning on the light, the first thing that caught her attention was the vanity mirror which still had the female cosmetics.
Walking forward, she searched all the drawers and even the bedside tables but could only find some documents and notes.
And when she was rummaging the last drawer of the bedside table, she came across a small frame and instantly paused.
Gina took out the frame in wonder. Inside it was a pretty young woman who had blonde hair just like hers.
She was wearing exquisite makeup with a soft smile plastered on her face. The purple dress that barely reached her knees perfectly hugged her outstanding figures. And her matching purple heels accentuated her long slender legs.
Beside her was Adrian who wore a black business suit. His hand was on the girl’s lower back and his usual stoic expression was not there, replaced by a small smile that reached his eyes.
Gina could not help but gape for a few seconds. It seems like they were in a gala and the picture was taken on a red carpet.
She had also attended such events in the past, so she could recognize them well.
Putting the picture back into the drawer, Gina continued with her search as she couldn’t be bordered with his love life.
However, her search was fruitless and even the telephone on his bedside table couldn’t reach through any contact, just like the one in her room.
She had made sure to carefully put everything back into its position so he wouldn’t get suspicious when he returns.
On her way back to her room, she continued racking her brain for any possible escape plans. But suddenly paused in her footsteps. “Wait…”
Gina’s widened eyes darted rapidly across the ceiling hoping that surveillance cameras were not set up anywhere.
Her heart began thumping and she had to go back to all the places she had searched, and even Adrian’s room to make sure her assumptions were not right.
She finally sighed in relief and flicked away her sweats on sighting no camera. By then, she was fatigued all over and had to drag her legs back into her room, left with only one last plan in mind which she had to execute very early the next morning.