𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝
After Kiara and I fighting over who gets to shower first and me winning, I stand under that warm water for a lot longer than I expected to. Using the expensive products left for us and hopping out to let Kiara in, I then dry off.
I let my towel dried hair air dry into it's natural blonde waves and I slip into my size of the satin forest green dress, looking at myself in the mirror.
The green dress isn't quite as long as the red floor length gown, the material settling around my thighs with a dangerous slit up one of them. The dress has thin gold straps that compliment my golden locks and it plunges down on my chest, showing off a lot of cleavage. It is a lot more daring than the red, a lot more me.
While listening to the water run in the bathroom and staring at my own reflection I notice something that makes me take a step back from the mirror.
I think I've spent more time smiling here in this dress while being held captive than the whole month I spent on that island with people that I call my family. It's now that I realise what being with Rafe really meant for me, for what I wanted in life.
I want to be free and I can't stand rich people, but I don't want to be broke for the rest of my life. I don't want to keep running until I die, running from eviction notices, running from piling up bills, running from working three jobs, running around after my little brother playing treasure hunters while the real world chases after us relentlessly.
All I want is to wear pretty dresses and drink cocktails with my friends before going home to the man I love who will always be waiting for me because he's fucking crazy about me.
I want Rafe.
The bathroom door opens and I wipe away the tears that had tracked down my face, laying down on the bed with a deep sigh.
"You okay, Ads?" Kiara asks me in concern as she shuffles into her red dress.
"I'm fine, Kie" I try to assure her, but she doesn't seem convinced.
The younger girl sits down next to me and places her hand on my arm, looking down at me with a warm smile.
"It's okay if you're not okay, yknow? You don't always have to be the one that's okay just because you're older" Kiara lets me know and I smile softly, taking a hold of her hand.
"And that is why you're my favourite this week" I reply and she smiles.
"Yeah?" She asks happily.
"Of course" I nod in confirmation.
A firm knock at the door causes us both to jump to our feet and Kiara grabs my hand anxiously. The maid enters the room and takes a look at us both, nodding in content that we've changed.
"He's ready" She informs us.
She exits the room and we rush to follow her through the halls and down the stairs. She leads us to a room and Kiara enters first as I give the maid a sarcastic grin before she leaves us alone.
"Uh, excuse me? No, I knew you and Ward were behind this shit" Kiara snaps and I spin around in confusion.
"What are you talking about? You trying to weasel in on my deal? Is that what's going on?" Rafe fucking Cameron retorts.
I stand in my spot at the door, staring at the man in pure awe and my heart races, beating wildly against my chest. He looks a little different, he's buzzed off the hair that I loved and he stood in front of me wearing a suit.
The Cameron boy quickly spots me behind Kiara and he freezes in his one place, looking at me in disbelief.
"Adelaide?" He chokes out.
"Rafe" I breathe in what I can only describe as relief.
"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know" A man's voice speaks up, gaining our attention.
"Who are you?" Rafe questions.
"Me?" The man smirks, pointing at himself as he approaches us "My name is Carlos Singh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Cameron"
"And Miss Carrera, Miss Maybank, I do apologise for the rough tactics in bringing you here" He says to Kiara and I "But please, come. Sit down"
"Come now, I don't bite" He jokes when he notices our hesitation.
My eyes naturally flit towards Rafe and he's already looking right at me, waiting for me to make the first move. I squeeze Kiara's hand which is still in mine and follow Mr Singh into the other room.
"Rough tactics. What about me?" Rafe wonders aloud.
"Yes, Mr. Cameron, false pretences. But the ends justify the means, I'm afraid" Carlos states as we enter a seated area "Sit down. We have a lot to talk about"
Kiara sits down in a seat on the right side of a side table while Rafe sits on the left side of it, leaving me stood to pick which side to sit on. Rafe and Kiara both look at me expectantly and I panic, sitting my ass down on the table between them.
"There is plenty of seats if you'd rather sit more comfortably, Miss Maybank" Carlos informs me and I smile in an overly sweet way.
"No, thank you. This is great" I assure him and I can swear I catch the ghost of a smile on Rafe's face while Kiara rolls her eyes.
"Why are we here?" Kiara asks.
"Well, Miss Carrera, Mr Cameron, Miss Maybank, we share certain interests, you know. Objectives" Carlos tells us.
"Is this not about the cross?" Rafe then asks.
"It is. Tangentially, it is about the cross, but it's also about something much, much bigger than the cross" Carlos explains "By orders of magnitude...the completion of a grand quest"
"Another fucking treasure hunt?" I ask in disbelief and Kiara pats my thigh gently to quiet me down.
"You see, the story goes that 450 years ago, a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked the Spanish soldier, "Where the beads came from," the Spanish soldier replied he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado" Carlos dramatically tells us.
"And for the next 450 years, people tried to find that gold, you know. They tried. Conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes, entire nations. All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow" The Singh man continues "Thousands of lives laid on the pyre of gold fever. And it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task. To bring full circle a quest that has gone on for almost 500 years"
"Perhaps...perhaps the greatest quest in the history of the western hemisphere, you know" He adds on "And you three...you three are going to play a part in that"
"What about you, Ms. Carrera? Are you interested in history?" Carlos asks Kiara as he sits down.
"I'm more of a future person" Kiara answers in a snarky tone and Rafe groans in irritation.
"That's a great answer" I chime in and Kiara smiles at me.
"Yeah, I didn't listen to a word you said, okay? How much you gonna keep philosophising?" Rafe snaps.
"You are direct, aren't you, Mr. Cameron?" Carlos chuckles.
"What do you need from us?" Kiara questions.
"I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want" Carlos says vaguely.
"That something is...?" I ask curiously.
"An old manuscript" He answers "A diary, actually"
I think that I actually feel my heart stop dead and my eyes fall to Kiara who looks at me with just as much worry as I feel. He wants Denmark Tanny's Diary, Pope's ancestors diary.
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Rafe frowns, glancing at me as if I'll tell him.
"This is ridiculous. I don't know anything about a diary" Kiara huffs out.
"But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?" Carlos asks.
"Listen, man. Kie and I are kinda followers, y'know? We don't really lead much these days. I'm retired from this bullshit actually" I explain to the man who doesn't seem to believe a word I speak.
"Look, we want to help you, but we can't" Kiara shrugs.
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that, you know. Because unfortunately, I don't believe you" Carlos says to us "You and your friend here couldn't have found the cross without it"
"He's not my friend" She states.
"He's actually my ex" I correct the man.
"Your ex?" Rafe scoffs at me.
"We can't all be friends, you know" Carlos hums.
"Look, this is ridiculous. Okay? I'm out and she's coming with me" Rafe declares, standing up and tugging me with him "I don't know anything about a diary, okay? So-"
Rafe and I are stopped from leaving the room by a man hold an automatic rifle and my eyes widen in fear as the boy holding my arm pulls me a little closer.
"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron?" Carlos asks rhetorically, sounding mad as he stands up and walks towards us "Do I look like a fool to you?"
"Not at all, sir" I reply out of habit, hoping to calm the man down before he does anything hasty.
"You have the cross. She and she friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary" Carlos says matter a factly before pointing to Kiara and then me "And if you really don't know, then I suggest you convince your friends to tell me"
"Once I have the diary...you'll be free to leave" He adds simply.
The man then leads us up the stairs and into a bedroom, ushering us inside as one of his guards stands at the door.
"Enjoy the grounds during your stay" Carlos tells us "I must warn you, though. I'm not a man of infinite patience. You have one day"
"Go to the window for a little demonstration" He orders, patting Rafe's shoulder "I think you'll enjoy it, you know"
I watch as the man exits the room and his guard starts pulling the door closed, causing me to panic but I stay completely still.
"Hey. Hey!" Rafe shouts as he rushes to the door, him rattling the doorknob and banging his fists against the door "You're just done talking? Hey!"
I hear the key being twisted, the door locking and I turn to Kiara in disbelief.
"It's locked" Kiara states as Rafe tries to open the door again.
"You're wasting your time and energy" I tell the man, grabbing his arm and tugging him away from the door before he fights it.
We both join Kiara at the window and I don't see anything at first, I only hear shouting.
"Get off me, man! I didn't do nothing, man!" A guy shouts desperately and I recognise him as Jimmy Portis.
"Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe questions.
"We know him. It's Jimmy Portis" Kiara answers, looking worried "He was trying to help us"
"What the hell are they doing?" I ask in a panicked tone.
The guards take Jimmy onto the patio from the grass and Carlos approaches where they were stood before turning, looking up at us and taking a gun out of his waistband.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Rafe mutters out.
Carlos walks up onto the patio and it feels as though everything starts moving in slow motion. He cocks his gun, pressing it to Jimmy's chin and pulls the trigger with no hesitation.
I flinch from the noise but I don't hesitate to yank Kiara away from the window, not letting her watch as Jimmy's body falls limp to the ground.
"This diary. Hey, no bullshit" Rafe speaks up, gaining Kiara and I's attention "Don't bullshit me. Okay? Do you have it?"
"Addy?" He presses when neither of us answer.
"No" I lie.