Blindspot

Trust Is Earned

Irritated, Danzel also pulled to his feet. He was about to follow her and demand an answer when a voice interrupted their one-sided conversation.

"Hii, Baby," they both turned around to the chirpy voice.

A tall blond was standing by the door. The woman was wearing cotton shorts and a white top. She had a smile on her face and eyes twinkling as they stared at Danzel. She was a stunner. 

"I missed you," she said as she bounded over to Danzel and threw her arms around him. 

"Sydney," Danzel acknowledged coldly but didn't hug her back. Inessa watched the scene unfolding in front of her. 

It was clear she was more than just a friend. Whereas the girl was beaming with happiness, Danzel looked impassive. It seemed as if she was hugging a stone. 

She watched as the woman rose to the tip of her toe and brushed her lips lightly against his while having her arms locked around his neck. The girl's smile faded as she stared into his glowering eyes.  

Provoked by her sudden action, Danzel unlocked her arms from around his and harshly pushed her away, fixing her with a glare. 

The girl bit her lip and looked away. She knew he didn't like being kissed on the lips. But she was so overwhelmed after seeing him that she couldn't hold back.   

Inessa didn't notice the tension between them. She put her dish away in the sink and started towards the exit, not sparing a glance at the lovebirds. She felt nothing.  

"When did you arrive?" she heard the woman's voice fading as she furthered towards her room.

She stayed in her room the whole day, moping over her life. There was no one she could talk to. Not here, not in this whole world. 

Danzel had let her keep her phone but going out of her free will was still a far-fetched dream for her. The mansion was surrounded by strict security measures along with guards installed at every step of the way.

She sighed and dialed Louis. He was the only one who still hadn't betrayed her. But the boy was growing up and so he didn't have much time for his older sister. He talked to her for a while but disconnected half an hour later as he had football practice. The boy would have regretted doing that if he knew what his sister was going through. 

Her family was living a happy life. Louis told her that her dad had recently bought another farm to expand his business. He had thrown a party to celebrate that. Inessa's heart ached. He had just lost his son-in-law and his daughter was being framed for it. Anya was out on a trip with her boyfriend as usual and her step-mother was enjoying her moments of fame after being associated with the Lavignes. Now it was a different matter that Lavignes had severed the relationship from their side. Because of her.

Inessa wanted to paint. Her hands were itching. The painting was her only solace. But she had no colors nor canvas. The woman had millions in her bank but she wasn't in a position to use them. 

So she settled for sketches. There was a pen stand on her table and a diary. Andrei and she used to do it together. They would sit against a giant apple tree and draw on sunny days while munching on the ripe juicy apples that would fall from above. It was their favorite pastime. How simple and beautiful those times were. She missed her childhood. She missed Andrei.     

She drew Andrei, she drew their time together when they were mere children. It somehow eased the excruciating pain in her heart. It felt good. Her lips quivered as fat dollops of tears stained the thin sheet of paper. Remembering his was both painful and relieving. He was in her every good memory. If only she could undo everything.