chapter 16

Roselyn Bell

When Adriet returned he wasn't in his best mood but he had no right to be mad at me. I decided just to ignore him. He gave me a glance and went inside his closet. I had managed to find a white shirt and short. I heard a knock on the door and then a lady entered with few clothes in her hand. She kept them on the couch and left. I just stared at the window blankly. Adriet unlocked the closet and came out wearing blue denim and a white shirt with a beige blazer.

"Bell" he calked out for me but I didn't feel like responding. "Now you are giving me a silent treatment" he sighed and came and stood next to me, "Look Bell I know I am not the nicest person around to talk to. But if ware going to live together you have to trust me," he said.

"Trust? Please Adriet it would be better if you don't talk about trust" I replied bitterly, "I trusted you but you never told me the truth"

"Fine I'll tell you everything once we reach New York and don't argue me upon that because I won't listen to you," he said firmly, "Right now change your clothes we are going to keep your bags and leave" he left no room for argument. But how was I supposed to leave my mother when she wanted me the most. I lazily walked up to the bed picked up the clothes and went in the washroom and changed my clothes. I looked at myself in the mirror and realised how bad I looked. I had bruises on my face. My side of my lips had dried blood stains and my forehead. I touched and immediately regretted because of the pain. My eyes were gloomy and showed tiredness. I quickly splashed some cold water no matter how cold it was outside tamed my hair and went outside. I had covered most of my bruises with my hair. Adriet looked up at me.

"Let's go," he said and we made our way outside. The house was really big it had a very modern touch to it. I saw Adriet was already outside waiting for me with his luggage beside him. I quickly made my way towards him. When he saw me he got in the driver's seat and I sat beside him and drove off from there.

"Was that your house?" I asked to which he just nodded I took a deep breath and looked ahead of me. The road which usually had melted snow was now covered with melted snow. I wasn't able to come up with a really good excuse.

"We are here" I heard Adriet saying. I quickly got out, "You don't have to come I'll be back soon," I said to him and went inside. The door wasn't locked I could hear distant whispers from inside. I made my way inside the house. I saw my mom, Lukas, Cole and my grandmother and my aunt along with Rachel sitting in the hall.

"Look who's here" it was Rachel who made that comment. My mom rushed towards me and hugged me.

"Roselyn darling are you fine" she hugged me and wiped my face she gasped as she saw my bruises, "How did this happen," she asked.

"Nothing mom I am fine" I replied.

"Oh honey" she hugged me.

"Mom I am going back to New York," I said.

"Why but what's the hurry," she asked, "And tell me where were you for past five days and how did you end up like this"

"There's nothing to worry... I am fine" I pulled back from her and went upstairs.

"You see that's the difference between the blood relati-"

"Mom she will hear it" moma scolded.

"Then let her," she said and quickly closed the door behind me. I quickly packed all my stuff and zipped my bag. I went near my window and saw Adriet outside the car leaning casually looking up at me. He gestured me to come down I nodded and went away. On my way out I saw a photo of me and Lila hanging on the wall. I decided to take it with me. When I came down they looked at me in horror.

"Roselyn" Cole asked, "You didn't mean like, going now, did you," she asked.

"Well, that's what exactly I meant" I replied and hugged her. Lukas just gave me an understanding look.

"If you had to leave then why did you even come back," my aunt asked. I just decided to ignore her. I looked at my mom and gave her a smile which she returned with that I went out. On my way out I saw a lot of wet mud in our back yard I knew what it was. I went there and knelt down. I can't believe I lost my one true friend someone who would listen to all my babbling without a word. Maybe a few barks in between but that was it. I wiped my tears and went away. I saw Rachel seductively touching Adriet's torso. Maybe Adriet was also enjoying it as he wasn't removing her hand. I stamped my feet a little while walking so that they know my presence and stop with their PDA.

"Roselyn," Rachel said as she smiled fakely, "How insensitive of you to leave your mother like this" she scoffed, "Thank god as to what gran decided about you. You don't really care about your family you only think about yourself" she looked down upon me and went away. I didn't really care as to what she thinks or anyone I don't care about them.

"What" I looked up at Adriet who was giving me a pity look, "Why are you looking at me like that," I asked while chuckling. He just gave me a questioning look, "I am quite used to her taunts that's what she always does when she sees me" I said as I kept my suitcase at the back of the car, "Shall we leave" I asked. He nodded and we drove off to the airport.

"Don't forget your promise?" I said as we made our way inside the airport.

"What promise," he asked.

"That you will tell me everything," I said.

"You don't forget anything, do you," he said in his velvety voice as the fog escaped his lips.

"Not really" I smiled at him as he looked upon me.

"Mr Rashnikov" the pilot greeted him and shook his hand, "Ms Bell" he shook his hand with me. Adriet then guided me inside the plane.

"No bodyguards today," I asked.

"No" he smiled at me. I sat near a window seat making sure that I don't get bore like last time. Adriet took a seat in front of me. We quickly fasten our seat belt and the plane took off. When the seat belt signs were finally off a stewardess came and gave Adriet his laptop and few files.

"Would you like to have anything sir?" she asked.

"No thank you" he replied. She started to go when he called her out, "Natalie you didn't ask Ms Bell," he said as he set his laptop up.

"Sorry sir," She said and turned to me with a bitter smile on her face, "What would you like ma'am," she asked.

"Nothing thank you" I replied and turned away. When she left, "This was the second time," I said as I looked up at the working figure of Adriet.

"Second time what," he asked he was busy typing something on his computer.

"That a lady talked to me rudely in your presence" I just sighed and he chuckled, "Okay now tell me," I said and he nodded and turned the laptop towards me. There was a picture of Xavier Ivanov. How did I know well all the news channel and newspaper contained his picture for past few weeks, "I know how he looks Adriet" I said while rolling my eyes. He turned the laptop towards himself and clicked something and then turned the laptop again towards me. There was now another picture on the laptop. A much younger and good looking person. I gave Adriet a questioning look.

"That's your brother," he said, "Well half brother to be precise. I came to know about him a few days back when you were abducted by Robert. He is one of those people who is trying to find you," he said.

"One of those people," I asked.

"There is then Xavier's brothers, his son and you know political rivals and people like that," he said.

"And how do you know that," I asked.

"I have my ways"

"Of course you have your ways," I said.

"Roselyn" he tried to reason with me.

"No it's completely fine," I said, "Is it really about his will if they want I'll sign where ever they want I just want to get out this mess" I sighed. I was having a really normal life but now I am in a deep mess.

"Look Roselyn there is nothing to be worried about," he said as he came and sat next to me.

"And what makes you say that," I asked.

"I don't know" he replied giving my hands a little squeeze, "Don't worry you'll be fine trust me," he said with a lot of care which was really new to me.

"So why did you approach me," I asked.

"I have my reasons," he said.

"You and your reasons" I rolled my eyes.

"Look Bell I can tell you everything as long as you don't question me" he replied.

"Fine" I gave up.

"So you see everything that was in the will is now yours," he said, "All his property his business bank balance all is yours," he said.

"So you these people want me to kill so that they can have all the property to themselves," I asked.

"Took you long enough to understand," he said.

"If they really want it then I will give it to them I don't want anything from his illegal business" I replied.

"Well here's the catch," he said as he opened another file and showed it to me. It was Xavier's will, "No other family member can have access to these properties other than you they can only have access to this in the extreme condition when you are dead," he said as I read through the will. It stated that he had property worth 20 billion dollars.

"So I can't even get rid of it," I asked.

"Well not legally," he said, "You know the whole of Ivanov family is now a political figure in Russian and I am sure they don't want to take any step to tarnish their image" he replied.

"But won't that be illegal if they kill me" I asked.

"Well not all the inside stories come out in public" he replied.

"Why are you helping me with all this," I asked.

"I have my personal grudges against the Ivanov's," he said in a dead-serious tone.

"Do you mind asking me" his jaw clenched and I held his hands, "Tell me" I tried to pursue him?

"I can't," he said.

"Please" I requested him. He took a deep breath.

Adriet Rashnikov

"I was nineteen" I started, "My dad was a powerful man in Russia back then we had a really big mansion in the outskirts of Moscow, we still do. My father was a big businessman he had many people working under him there were fewer family members in our house and more servants" I chuckled, "My mother, my gran and father used to live together until I moved to States with Ross for my higher studies"

"I thought Ross was your business partner," she said.

"No," I said, "His mother is my maternal aunt, she married an American" I stated.

"So he is your cousin," She asked.

"Yes-"

"It doesn't seem like I mean he is very nice and carefree and polite and you are so cold and calculating and rude and inconsiderate and-"

"I get it do you want me to continue or....."

"No please," she said.

"So Ross and I were studying at Harvard when we came to know that our parents were killed in a mass shooting. Ross believed it but I did I knew there was much more to it. So when we went back I talked to my gran but she wasn't convinced that it was a pre-planned conspiracy. I wanted to know the truth what had actually happened and the biggest clue was that the sudden downfall of my father's empire" I said.

"So that was the reason that made you feel that it was a conspiracy," she asked.

"Yes" I replied in a blunt tone, "I had been looking into my father company records and there have been no financial loss or anything so it was kind of odd for a company to suddenly collapse just because of the death of the owner"

"So did you found something," she asked.

"Yes. I came to know that the shooting was a pre-planned event. My parents and Ross's parents were supposed to die." I stated.

"And who had planned it?" she asked hesitantly as if she knew the answer.