Chapter 4 Sold

Fiona woke up to the silence of her bedroom. Everything was just as she left it, with no signs of Lorenzo in the room. The bolt she refixed on her door three days ago was still in place. So, Lorenzo hadn't forced his way into her room. Nothing was amiss except for the silence that dominated the space. The kind of silence that clung to the walls and wrapped itself around a person's thoughts.

The silence however lasted for just a few seconds as her ears began to pick up the silent buzzing of the home appliances and the sounds of the house staff working. She lay still for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the mild light filtering into her room and over her face through the curtains. Immediately, her mind went back to the night before and as if on command, her heart began to thud. If Lorenzo hadn't come to her room yet, didn't it mean something dangerous was waiting for her beyond that door? She couldn't shake off the feeling of fear that clung to her like wet clothes. Dirty wet clothes.

She silently got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. The cool tiles under her legs did not soothe the anxiety that flowed through her veins like blood. She was welcomed by the sight of Dwayne's suit and for some reason, she wished he was here for and with her right now.

She turned on the shower, letting the water run until it was warm enough, then stepped under the stream. She let the water wash over her, hoping it would ease her mind, but the heaviness in her chest remained unyielding. Refusing to go anywhere. How would it leave?

Lorenzo had not come to her room even though she was certain that he knew she was at home. It was unlike Lorenzo to not have created a scene by now. Only a fool or outsider would tell her that was good news. It meant something sinister was coming. Something big. Lorenzo was just giving it time to brew.

Why had he not come to her room? It made no sense. The fact that there had been no punishment, no mention of the disastrous meeting, no chaos... Why was Lorenzo keeping his cool? The questions gnawed at Fiona. The fact that Lorenzo hadn't reacted in any way felt worse than it would have if he had flown into a rage. In fact, Fiona knew it would have been better to get punished by him than to have to wait silently like this in anxiety.

She dressed quickly after bathing and chose to wear something simple. Quite frankly, she threw on the first things her hands touched as she reached into her wardrobe. Khaki shorts, and a sea blue blouse. A fit that would help her to blend into the background, and avoid drawing any attention. Her hands shook slightly as she buttoned up her blouse and adjusted her shorts. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being prepped for something horrible. She had that stomach-wrenching feeling that something terrible was lurking just around the corner.

However, she couldn't stay in her bedroom forever. Even though it was an idea she had started considering.

Steeling herself, she opened her bedroom door and made her way downstairs. As she walked down the staircase, she could see Lorenzo seated at the dining table, sipping what she guessed to be coffee, and she gulped. Almost missing her step.

Lorenzo looked up as she approached and his expression was eerily unreadable.

"Good morning, Fiona," He greeted, his voice steady and calm, and Fiona paused before responding,

"Good... Good morning, Lorenzo. "She replied and he turned back to his phone. Scrolling through it as he drank what she could now smell and identify as coffee.

She took a seat beside him, her movements almost robotic, but Lorenzo paid no mind to her. The house staff soon arrived with breakfast, setting down plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh fruit in front of them.

Fiona's appetite seemed to have woken up before her, taken the morning bus, and went as far away from her as possible. As she stared at the meal in front of her, hunger left her vocabulary and the only thing she could feel was the fear pulsing through her veins. She wiped off the sweat that had formed on her forehead, and she stole glances at Lorenzo as he started eating.

She forced herself to eat a few bites, trying to appear normal, but as she chewed all she could hear was her heart thudding in her ears.

Silence stretched between them, and it only magnified Fiona's discomfort. The tension in the air was so thick that it felt like a hot butter knife would slice through it perfectly. Yet Lorenzo made no move to address the previous night's events. Fiona glanced at him several times, searching his face for any sign of anger or irritation, but his face remained disturbingly unreadable. Shockingly showing no sign of anger and these sent fire alarms screaming in Fiona's head.

As the house staff cleared the dishes, Fiona pushed her plate away. There was still food on it but she was in no condition to eat properly. In fact, she was so nervous that the little bit of food she managed to eat was threatening to come back up. With fear chewing at every atom of her existence, she stood up sluggishly, intending to leave, and finally, Lorenzo's voice stopped her.

"Fiona, " he called and Fiona became an ice sculpture. Staring at her brother as her heart began to threaten to rip out of her chest and bolt.

"We have another meeting tonight. Make sure you're dressed appropriately. "He said and Fiona's heart sank at his words.

The idea of attending another meeting, particularly after the chaos of the last one, filled her with dread. She had so many questions and her fear had reached its limit. She turned to him, mustering the courage to speak, and she let the words roll off her tongue.

"Lorenzo, I-I'm not sure I'm comfortable with going to another meeting, "She said with her voice trembling slightly.

"I'm not feeling too well today. "She quickly added to pacify any anger her first statement may have caused.

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed, but his expression remained neutral.

"I'll get you some medication," He said, and Fiona gulped.

"Besides, you don't need to do much. Tonight's meeting will be held at home. "He replied and this time, Fiona was certain she felt her heart stop.

She watched as Lorenzo stood up and walked out of the dining room, leaving Fiona alone with her fear and the bitter feelings assaulting her stomach. The thought of having another meeting, and then having the meeting at home worried her. Lorenzo has never had a meeting in their house. In fact, Lorenzo never has meetings in quiet places. He always chose places with loads of distractions so the clients would not be able to focus. So, why would he want a meeting at their home? Especially after the events of the previous night?

She looked around and noticed that the security around the house had doubled. There were guards at every corner. And each one never took their eyes off her when they saw her. It made her feel like Lorenzo had set them up everywhere to ensure that she couldn't leave the house. The mere thought of it made her stomach churn with fear. It was as though the house itself was holding her in with no means of escape. She could feel something ominous coming, and she felt like she was at the center of it all.

As the day dragged on, Fiona tried to distract herself from the horrible feeling inside, but her mind kept returning to the sense of impending doom. She returned to her room after taking a look around the house, and her anxiety only deepened with each passing hour.

When evening approached, Fiona dressed in the outfit Lorenzo sent up to her. A green, skimpy address that showed a lot of cleavage. But this time, there was no makeup crew. They didn't come. She did her makeup herself and stared at her reflection for what felt like hours as her mind delved into a rabbit hole of thoughts and memories of times when things were better. Times when it was just she, her mother, and her father. Long before her stepmother and Lorenzo came into the picture.

Soon, a maid comes to call her, and she comes back to earth. Her legs tremble in her heels as she stands up and she takes a deep breath. Bracing herself while praying to God for a miracle. Before heading downstairs, she took the card Dwayne gave her the night before from under her bed, and slipped it into her bra, its presence felt like a small comfort amidst her growing dread.

Taking another deep breath, she walked out of her room and descended the stairs with every bit of grace and composure she could muster. She made her way to Lorenzo's office, and as she walked in, a feeling of nostalgia hit her hard. The grand office once belonged to her father. But now, it was Lorenzo's domain.

Lorenzo, who had his gaze on some papers, looked up at her as she approached him, and he pointed with all his fingers at one of the chairs in front of him.

"Sit. "He ordered, and Fiona silently obeyed. As she looked around, she noticed it was just them in the office.

"Where... Is your business partner? "She questioned as Lorenzo looked back down at the papers in his hands.

"On his way. "He replied, and Fiona's brows creased. She stayed silent for a while, wondering what was going on.

Finally, Lorenzo looked up at her again, this time through his lashes, and Fiona gulped. She watched as he leaned back into his chair, crossed his legs, and clapped his fingers before dropping his hands on his legs.

"I think I've left you in the dark long enough. It's high time I brief you on what's going on before your owner arrives. "He spoke, and Fiona's brows creased.

"Owner? "She questioned, and Lorenzo began to laugh like a psychopath.

"Yes, baby sis. You've been sold. You didn't really think I would let you scot-free after the stunt you pulled last night, right?

Running a business is a lot harder than you know. I've been swimming in debt and on the brink of bankruptcy for such a long time. And you just keep causing me trouble upon trouble, so... I sold you.

He likes you a lot and offered a handsome amount to get you. Now, tell me. Would a proper businessman say no to such a deal? I get paid to finally have peace. "He spoke and Fiona froze. Suddenly, the door to the office opened and Lorenzo's face lit up.

"Look. He's already here! "He announced and when Fiona turned to see who walked into the room, she froze.

"You!? "