Chapter 4 HIS GOOD SIDE

It was ten o'clock in the evening when Kade Villanova, halfway through his dinner, suddenly remembered something: he had a woman locked up in the guest room upstairs.

"Edna," he called the old housekeeper.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Did you bring food for my guest earlier?"

The older woman nodded slightly, eyes glassy as if she were about to cry.

"Why do you look like that, Edna?" he asked, frowning.

"W-well, sir... When we entered her room earlier, we found many of your expensive figurines shattered on the floor. And she refused to eat. She said she wants to die. She's still asleep now and hasn't woken up since."

Kade let out a long, irritated sigh upon hearing this.

"Let her be. If she doesn't want to eat, fine. If she wants to die, then we'll bury her."

He snapped, clearly annoyed. But deep down, part of him wanted to go upstairs and check on Zaira, persuade her to eat, and calm her down. Still, his pride wouldn't allow it.

No woman had ever been born who could bring him to his knees.

"Where am I?" Zaira whispered to herself as she slowly opened her eyes to pitch darkness.

She sat up, groaning when her stomach suddenly rumbled painfully. Hunger clawed at her insides.

"Ouch," she winced as her injured knuckles brushed the wooden headboard.

And then, the memories returned-she was in the lair of that demon of a man who had locked her up.

She had punched the mirror earlier, causing her knuckles to bleed.

Zaira climbed out of bed, fumbling until she found the light switch near the door. The room brightened, and her eyes immediately landed on the small table where food had been placed earlier.

But the food was gone.

Only an empty plate remained. The rice and delicious dishes that had once been there had vanished.

Her heart sank. She knew it-this was all part of that devil's plan. He wanted her to starve. He wanted her dead.

"Arrrgh!" she clutched her stomach again as the hunger pangs returned in full force.

She slowly turned the doorknob and peeked through the narrow opening. From the hallway, she spotted the large antique clock hanging by the stairs, past midnight.

Everyone was likely asleep by now, including the maids.

Moving like a thief in the night, she quietly slipped out of the room, carefully descending the stairs. She tiptoed through the house, searching for the kitchen.

But disappointment hit her hard-there was nothing.

No leftovers, no snacks, no fruit, nothing she could heat up. She opened the fridge, only to find raw ingredients that needed cooking. Her frustration grew. If she had cooked now and had gotten caught, her chances of escape would have disappeared completely.

Zaira sat at the kitchen table, sipping only water. She needed a plan.

She couldn't act recklessly-this man wasn't stupid. He'd surely told the guards to keep an eye on her. If she wanted to escape, she needed to know the house's layout, inside and out. She had to observe. She had to be smart.

Her phone was gone too-probably hidden by that devil.

Was Killian, her boyfriend, worried about her now?

"Didn't you say you wanted to die? And here you are, barely a day without food, and already you're falling apart?"

His deep, mocking voice cut through the silence behind her.

Zaira froze.

She forced herself to stay calm, exhaling slowly to ease the fury building inside her.

She turned to face him-and nearly fell off her seat.

He was wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a white tank top.

"Pervert!" she spat, then turned away in disgust.

Kade glanced down at his clothes, then back at her, eyebrows furrowing.

"What's so indecent about my clothes? Haven't you ever seen a man in boxers before?" he taunted.

"It's too inappropriate! Ugh, stay over there. You're embarrassing," she replied coldly and stood up to leave.

"Wait-"

"Ouch-!"

They spoke simultaneously as he grabbed her arm to stop her.

His hand landed on her injured knuckles, and his expression instantly shifted.

Blood had dried across her skin. His brows drew together as he stared at her wounds.

"Is this how she handles anger? By hurting herself?" he wondered silently.

A flicker of sympathy crossed his face. He could let Zaira go. He could end this now.

But something inside him didn't want her to leave. He didn't understand it yet-why he wanted her to stay.

"Where are you taking me this time?" Zaira asked nervously as he gently pulled her toward another room.

She glanced around as soon as they entered.

There was a large bed, a stretcher, medicines, and medical equipment-everything she usually only saw in hospitals.

"So, you're a doctor," she muttered.

He smiled at her comment, and her heart skipped a beat.

His deep dimples appeared, enhancing his already annoyingly handsome face.

"No. My twin's a cardiologist. She's the one who set up this mini-clinic here in our vacation home."

Zaira blinked.

Wait... twin? She's a woman?

She watched him retrieve medicine from the cabinet.

"Sit down," he said softly, pointing to the couch.

She obeyed, and her gaze wandered to a large portrait of a woman on the wall.

The woman looked just like him, dressed in white, but she lacked the dimples.

"So where's your twin now?" Zaira asked curiously.

"In New York, with our other siblings," he answered casually, now seated beside her.

"Other siblings? So you have a lot of brothers and sisters?" she asked, surprised.

He chuckled.

"Yeah. My dad loved my mom too much-they had many of us."

Zaira winced suddenly as the alcohol stung her wound.

"Ouch!"

"Oops. Sorry," Kade said gently.

To her surprise, he leaned down and blew softly on her wound-tenderly, like he cared.

For the first time, Zaira realized kindness was hiding beneath this man's beastly facade.

She found herself staring at him.

She might have been one of the many women falling in line to catch his attention if he weren't such a devil inside.

Kade, too, paused mid-motion when he noticed what he had done-he had apologized.

He quickly wrapped the bandage around her hand, stood up, and walked out of the room without another word.

His face was serious again, but inside, something had changed.

He touched his chest.

Was this woman... softening his heart?