Novel Palace
TAKEN
Mason sat on the plush couch of Ashley’s mansion, surrounded by his henchmen who were smoking and engaging in other unsavory activities. Ashley’s maid stood in front of him, holding a tray of roasted meat, her hands shaking with fear.
He leaned forward and reached for a piece, letting out a satisfied sigh as he chewed. “You know, I could get used to this,” he said between mouthfuls. “A nice mansion, good food, and a pretty little thing to serve me.” He smirked and grabbed the maid’s arm, pulling her close.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
“Don’t you dare drop that tray,” Mason threatened her. “Or I’ll have to fuck you.”
Before he could continue his lewd remarks, his right-hand man interrupted him by running down the stairs with a paper in his hand. Mason snatched it from him and read it with a scowl on his face. It was the divorce papers of Ashley and Noah.
“Foolish boy,” Mason muttered, tearing the paper to shreds. “Falling in love with the daughter of an enemy. And now he’s dead because of her.”
Mason was seething with anger. His uncle and cousin hadn’t left their property to anyone, not even him. He was tired of waiting for their lawyer to decide. As he ranted, he accidentally hit the tray of meat off the hand of the maid, who was barely holding it steady.
He glanced back at the maid, who was still trembling in fear. He grabbed her arm again, this time roughly pulling her close and kissing her forcefully. “At least I still have you,” he muttered, before being interrupted by one of his henchmen dragging a man into the living room.
“Boss, we found this guy lurking around the mansion like he was looking for someone,” the henchman said, shoving Detective Brad forward. Mason’s eyes flashed with anger as he stood up, towering over the detective.
“You think you can just come waltzing into my house?” he growled. “I don’t take kindly to trespassers.” He stepped forward, his fists clenched, ready to teach Detective Brad a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
Detective Brad was taken aback by Mason’s sudden outburst. The mansion, which was once Ashley’s, now belonged to this new, shady character. The bright living room was filled with the smell of whiskey, cigarettes, and a hint of blood. Detective Brad looked around, his eyes scanning the room for clues. The walls were adorned with expensive paintings, and the furniture looked like it had been imported from Italy. But there was something off about the place.
Mason sat back on the couch, his eyes fixed on the maid. She looked scared, her eyes darting around the room, avoiding contact with Mason’s piercing gaze. Mason pulled her onto his lap, and she winced in pain as he grabbed her arm. “That’s better,” he said, his voice slurred with alcohol. “Now, where were we?”
Detective Brad cleared his throat, trying to get Mason’s attention. “Excuse me, Mr. anonymous…I need to speak with Miss Gates about a case,” he said, his voice firm.
Mason laughed, his grip on the maid tightening. “I don’t care about that silly girl. She’s long gone, and this mansion is mine now. You should leave before I change my mind and have my men throw you out.”
Detective Brad took a step forward, his fists clenched. “I’m not leaving until I get some answers,” he said, his eyes locked with Mason’s.
Mason stood up, pulling the maid up with him. “You want answers? Fine. Here’s your answer,” he said, his voice dripping with venom. “I don’t know about her whereabouts, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. Now, get out of my mansion.”
As Detective Brad turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of something on the floor. He bent down to pick it up and saw that it was Ashley’s divorce papers. “This is Ashley’s,” he said, holding it up for Mason to see. “Where did you get this?”
Mason’s face turned red with anger. “I said get out!” he roared, his henchmen already advancing towards Detective Brad. As he was being escorted out, Detective Brad couldn’t help but wonder what else Mason was hiding in that mansion.
***
Xander pulled up in the dusty parking lot of an old hospital, the paint on the walls peeling off and the blinds on the windows rattling. Chris rushed out of the car with Ashley in his arms, her head lolling to the side. They ran inside the hospital, through the swinging doors and into the emergency room. The doctors and nurses immediately took Ashley from Chris and began working on her, leaving Xander and Chris to wait in the dingy waiting room.
Xander paced back and forth, his mind racing with worry for Ashley. Chris watched him, sensing something was off. “What’s going on with you, man? I’ve never seen you like this,” he said.
Xander stopped pacing and looked at Chris, a pained expression on his face. “I don’t know, man. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I can’t believe I care about her. She’s a monster, she tortured me, she sees me as a slave,” he said, his voice filled with despair.
Chris shook his head, “I know, man, but we can’t help who we fall for. I’m worried about her too. But you are in too deep, you’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got money, you can take off to a faraway place and start over. I’ll handle Ashley’s reaction when she wakes up.”
Xander looked at Chris, his eyes filled with sadness. “I can’t leave her, Chris. I can’t leave her like this. I can’t just run away.”
Chris sighed, “I knew you were going to say that. You always were the hero type. But we’re in a mess, Xander. We’re the ones who are supposed to die, not you.”
Xander shook his head, “I’m not leaving her, Chris. I’ll stay and face the consequences. I owe her that much.”
“Leave, Xander!” Chris shouted. “Ashley doesn’t deserve your kindness. She’s always exploited you, and you keep going back for more. You’re being stupid, man!”
Xander looked up at Chris, his eyes filled with hurt and confusion. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Chris said, taking a step closer to Xander. He grabbed Xander’s chest with his left hand, the bandages on his right arm scraping against Xander’s arm. “You like being tortured by her, don’t you? You like it when she uses you for sex.”
Xander recoiled from Chris’s touch, his face turning red with anger. “You don’t know anything about me and Ashley,” he said, his voice rising. “You don’t know what we have together.”