It was the day before Christmas Eve.
I woke up early in the morning, thinking I was the first one up until I went to the living room.
Nathaniel, Chris and another man I didn't recognize were setting up a Christmas tree almost as tall as I was. They didn't notice my presence right away. My habit of sneaking around wasn't easy to shed.
"You're lucky we found this one, you know," Chris said, pushing his blond hair back as he straightened up. The Christmas tree stood near the French doors of the balcony, a cone of plain green.
"I owe you. Thanks man," Nathaniel said, dusting his hands off on his jeans.
The third man slumped on the couch, one of his arms draped on its back. "It's way too late to be setting up a christmas tree, Nathaniel."
His voice was cold. I had a feeling it was his usual tone. The sun wasn't up yet, and the man's hair looked a soft brown under the orange glow of the standing lamp in the corner. He pulled a phone from his pocket and scrolled through it.
"I've never set one in my place before, so it just slipped my mind until I saw it in Claire's house a few days ago. I didn't know it'd be this difficult to find." Nathaniel crouched on the floor, opening up a box of what looked like christmas decorations.
I touched the back of my pants. My knife was back in my room. Just when had I started going around the house without it?
I was about to go back for it, but I stopped myself. No. I needed to start living my life like a normal person. I was safe here. I didn't need a weapon on me even at home.
I smoothed my hand over the fuzzy pajamas. Was it proper to meet them in my pjs? The pants and long sleeved shirt were decent, the color a uniform beige, so I didn't bother to go back and change.
Quelling my feelings of unease at the presence of the two men in the living room, I cleared my throat, catching their attention.
"Good morning, Daphne," Chris said, his smile creasing his cheeks.
Nathaniel stood up. "Did we wake you up?"
"No, I wake up early," I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. 6 A.M.
Chris sat down next to the new man who hadn't taken his eyes off me. They were an intense gray. While Chris' gaze was mellow and warm, his was cold and calculative.
"Right. You already know Chris," Nathaniel said. "This is Alister."
"Daphne," I said with a nod. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," he said, and looked back at his phone.
"As you see, he's the least chatty of the three of us," Nathaniel said with a smirk. Alister spared him a cold glance, no words leaving his lips.
"Yeah, don't take it personal. He's not trying to be rude to you," Chris said. "He's rude to everybody."
While Alister ignored them, I bit back a smile and headed to the kitchen. "Would you guys like some breakfast?"
"I'm starving." Chris groaned from the living room.
"Make your own damn food," Nathaniel grumbled, joining me in the kitchen.
"It's okay. I don't mind." I took out the ingredients for a large breakfast from the fridge after setting the coffee machine.
Despite Nathaniel's earlier words, we worked together in the kitchen preparing breakfast for everybody. I didn't feel as anxious as I would've expected in the presence of two strange men. And I realized with a start that it was because of Nathaniel.
Why? Maybe because I knew him enough by now? Because I knew he'd never let anything bad happen to either Mark or me?
My hands paused their task of whisking the eggs, and I glanced at him. He was flipping pancakes a few steps from me.
I couldn't believe it. I actually felt safe around a man.
Nathaniel caught me looking and raised his brows. "What is it?"
I blinked. I had been staring at him for too long with my head cocked to the side.
"Nothing," I said, and resumed beating the eggs.
"Don't make the hash browns too crispy," Chris called from the living room. Nathaniel and I shared an amused look and continued cooking.
*** **** *** ****
Chris and Nathaniel chatted their mouths off during breakfast. Mark was still asleep, so it was only the four of us.
Alister gave an input on rare occasions, other than that he stayed quiet and passive, his face a perfect emotionless mask.
The topic somehow drifted to chess. Both men looked surprised and a bit skeptical to find out Mark had defeated both Nathaniel and Craig every time they played.
"I'd love to see you play against him," Nathaniel told Alister after we all had our breakfast and moved to the living room with second cups of coffee.
I sat on one of the armchairs, sipping the warm drink. The sun had risen, and a beam snuck through the French doors, falling right over my feet. I dug my toes in the plush carpet, reveling in the warmth.
"I don't think he'll be up anytime soon," I said, leaning back. "He stayed up late yesterday."
"Reading again?" Nathaniel asked and I nodded.
"He's determined to finish the entire series," I said, remembering with a smile how engrossed he was in the Lord of the Rings series.
"I can play a game, though," I said, looking at Alister.
He raised his brows. "Chess?"
He actually looked surprised. I almost rolled my eyes. What? He expected I wasn't good at it because I was a woman?
"I didn't know you were good as well?" Nathaniel said with a smile.
"I've been playing with Mark ever since he could," I said.
And that was how I found myself sitting across a chessboard from Alister, leisurely sipping on my cup of coffee while he rubbed his jaw with an affronted expression. His brows tugged low on his eyes, darkening the gray.
"Now this is something I want to see every morning," Chris chuckled, watching the game intently with Nathaniel from the couch.
"Shut up," Alister grumbled, irritated. It was the first hint of strong emotion I had seen him display all morning. I considered that a win in itself.
I lifted the cup to my lips again to hide my amusement. Alister was in a tight spot. Per my estimation, he had five to six more moves before checkmate. It felt good making men rethink their views of women's intellects, no matter how unconscious his judgment might have been.
I had been playing with Mark for years. Chess had been a daily activity in our lives back in the House. The checkered board had been our escape. While I wasn't as good as Mark, I was confident in my game.
Thirty minutes later, Chris and Nathaniel were stifling their laughter. Alister gaped at the board, his hair disheveled from how many times he ran his hands through it and his shirt sleeves rolled up.
"And that's a checkmate," I said.
He held up his hand. "No, wait."
I shrugged. "There's no way out of this one," I said. Looking at the others, I lifted my cup. "More coffee, anyone?"
Chris and Nathaniel couldn't hold in their laughter anymore.
"Dude, this was really good for you," Chris said between guffaws. "You're always beating us in chess to the point it got boring."
"That's a good way to put your ego in check," Nathaniel added, his eyes bright when they landed on me. He winked. I shook my head at him.
Alister looked between Nathaniel and Chris. "You realize that if she beat me in an hour, you wouldn't last thirty minutes on the board against her."
Chris' and Nathaniel's smiles dimmed down several watts. Nathaniel shrugged. "True. I never last more than thirty minutes against her brother."
"You should brag more often about your chess skills, Daphne," Chris said. "Don't be too humble."
"It's disgraceful to brag with Mark around."
Nathaniel hummed his agreement. A serious glint entered his eyes. "Chris, how are the papers going?"
"So far so good. They'll probably be ready around late January."
Wow, that was fast. "Thank you, Chris. For everything."
"Don't worry about it. Just take care of this guy." He slapped Nathaniel on the back while he was drinking coffee, making him spill it all over his pants.
"Thanks, man," Nathaniel grumbled. He stood, his face annoyed as he inspected the damage to his pants. Chris laughed, even Alister cracked a smirk.
I smiled. This felt good. Having fun without the bitter knowledge that I would be someone's toy at any moment hovering over my head. It felt liberating.
Mark woke up after Chris and Alister left. He was pleasantly surprised when he found both Nathaniel and I decorating the tree. Skipping his breakfast, he proceeded to help us with decoration.
By the time lunch rolled around, the tree was all set up and twinkling, and strings of light hung on the walls of the living room, giving it a magical feeling.
Nathaniel and I prepared a quick lunch while Mark played on his tablet. We worked in easy silence, already used to each other's movements in the kitchen. And after lunch, I convinced Nathaniel to leave the kitchen to me and Mark. He went into his office to work.
It was the first time I had Mark do any chore. Back at the House, I rarely allowed him out of our room unless I was with him. But we were no longer there. He had to learn how to take care of himself now that our lives were relatively more stable.
Surprisingly, he didn't complain. I showed him how to dry the dishes, and he did so while I washed them. We could've used the dishwasher, but I wanted him to have the experience of doing them with his hands first.
I was folding the dish towel when Mark tugged on my top.
"Daphie? Play chess with me?"
I smiled at him. It had been a while. "Sure."
We sat around the small chess table and started a game. We fell into our own world of black and white squares and sixteen players. My mind focused on the game, a trance I had missed where nothing existed but the chess pieces and the different scenarios the game could go with every move.
The light darkened into late afternoon when Mark finally cornered me for the second time. I sighed, tipping my king on the chessboard. "Fine. Your win. Again."
His smile was brilliant. He set up the pieces in their proper place. I stood and stretched my limbs with a groan. Ah, that felt good.
The café was closed until the new year, and having this much free time made me feel a little lost. The night would fall soon. Might as well start on dinner. As I moved to the kitchen, Nathaniel emerged from the hallway, a pep in his step.
"What do you want for dinner?" I asked.
"How about going out for dinner?" He said.
I looked at Mark. He was glancing between Nathaniel and me. "Mark? Dinner out?"
He looked down, his fingers flicking on his thigh.
"We can have ravioli?" Nathaniel said with a grin. My brother perked up. He nodded vigorously. Ever since Nathaniel made Ravioli one Saturday for dinner, Mark had fallen in love with it.
"Great! There's a really good Italian restaurant close by," Nathaniel said right as the doorbell rang. "I'll go see who it is."
"Are you expecting someone?" I called after him, walking to stand beside Mark.
"No," he called back, disappearing into the entrance hallway. Claire's cheerful voice filled the house.
"I made some beef pie and got you guys some," I heard her say, her footsteps following as she walked in.
"I was planning on taking them out," Nathaniel said as they both appeared.
Claire put the container on the island. "Oh, really? Where are you going?"
"Alfonso's," Nathaniel said.
Claire's eyes widened and she grinned, eying me with a devious glint in her eyes. "It's a good thing I showed up, then. Nathaniel, put the container in the fridge, you can have it tomorrow. Daphne, come along, let's get you guys dressed."
She already disappeared down the hallway leading to our room. "Come on, now, we don't have much time," she called.
I looked at Nathaniel with raised brows. He shrugged, his smile amused. I took Mark's hand and we followed her.
Mark put on a new blue sweater and dress pants, and went ahead to the library while I dressed. Claire was excited, her eyes bright and eager as she rummaged through the walk-in closet.
Mark and my clothes barely filled in half the space. The closet was more of a small room, with dark wood shelves, a vanity, a carpeted floor and spotlights on the ceiling.
Claire pulled out a white dress that she had bought for me on our shopping trip. I had argued then that the dress was too nice, that I wouldn't have any reason to wear it, but she'd just shushed me and pushed me to the fitting room. She had ended up getting me two more dresses on top of it.
Now, she held up the flowing dress and grinned at me. "Here it is. It's perfect, isn't it?"
"Um... it's just dinner Claire," I said. "Isn't it too much?"
"Nonsense." She gave me the dress and stepped outside the closet. "That restaurant is a bit fancy so it'll be just fine. Call me when you're done."
I changed into the dress. It was an elegant, off-white color with a square neckline and long sleeves. The top was fitted, flaring down at the hips in a skirt that fell below my knees.
I looked at the full-length mirror in the corner, smoothing my hands down the soft material. I loved how comfortable and elegant it was, but when I looked at my reflection, I couldn't help the sense of wrongness that pinched my guts. It felt like deceiving the world. A prostitute dressing up like a princess. I twisted my lips and looked away.
"Claire," I called.
She burst into the closet with a small bag and a white coat in her hands. She paused and gave me a wide grin. "You look absolutely gorgeous. I had Craig bring up some stuff."
She put the bag on the vanity, hung the coat and looked at me, her smile dimming. "What is it?"
I blinked, smoothing my hands down the dress. "Nothing. It's a nice dress."
"Not too nice for you," Claire said, taking me by surprise. Her eyes were warm when she took me by the shoulders and turned me to face the mirror. Standing slightly behind me, she asked, "what do you see?"
I shrugged, my eyes flickering over my form. "Someone playing dress up."
She shook her head and met my eyes in the mirror. "I see a beautiful, strong woman. A survivor. One who is building a new life for herself and her brother. Don't let your past define you, Daphne. You can only move forward if you let yourself. Now," she put her hand between my shoulder blades and pushed gently. "Straighten your back and lift your chin. There, much better."
The girl in the mirror stood a little taller, looked a little more proud. Claire squeezed my shoulder. "You made it out, Daphne. That place doesn't hold any power over you, not any longer. You are what you decide you will be. No one can take this away from you except yourself."
Letting her words sink in, I slowly nodded. I hadn't even realized I was doing it. I had made it out of there, but parts of me still clung to that old life, that old way of thinking. Whether it was because of guilt or shame, I didn't know. But I needed to break out of those chains.
I took a deep breath. A survivor. A strong woman. A new life.
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting at the vanity with Claire standing behind me, fixing my hair in a low bun with what felt like a dozen pins. Strands of soft brown escaped the bun and framed my face strategically. Claire had also done my makeup, a dab of lipstick, mascara and a touch of blush on my cheeks.
"I've always wanted a younger sister," she said, putting the final touches on my hair, "I guess I had my wish after all."
I blinked back the emotions that stung my eyes and smiled. She had no idea what her words meant to me.
After she was done, I slipped my feet into a pair of nude low heels, Claire's.
Claire opened a velvety black box, showing a pair of stunning pearl drop earrings with what looked like a diamond stud.
Wide-eyed, I held my hand up. "It's really not necessary, Claire. What if I lost them?"
"Don't worry about it," she replied, already putting them in my ears. I glanced at the mirror. The way that simple piece of jewelry added a glow to my face was truly magical.
"Perfect!" Claire said, clasping her hands under her chin with a proud smile.
"Thank you," I breathed out and hugged Claire. She was surprised for a second, no doubt because it was the first time I had initiated physical contact, then she hugged me back tightly.
You're welcome, sweetie. You're welcome," she pulled back, blinking fast.
She picked the white coat and we went to grab Mark from the library. He looked at me for a long moment then said. "You look pretty, Daphie."
I grinned. "Why, thank you. You look handsome yourself."
He giggled, and we followed Claire to the living room where Nathaniel was wearing a hole in the carpet by his pacing. He turned towards us. "Finally, Claire. What took you guys so... long..."
He blinked at me, lips slightly parted. I tugged self-consciously at the sleeves of the dress. Nathaniel cleared his throat, never taking his eyes off me. For some reason, I didn't feel disgusted or afraid under his gaze. I actually felt... flattered.
Dressed in a gray suit, his hair brushed back, Nathaniel put his hands in his pockets and gave me a smile. "You look... nice... I mean, you look gorgeous."
Claire snorted. Nathaniel glared at her.
"Thank you," I replied.
"Well, then. Get going," Claire said, opening the white coat for me. I slipped it on. Soft and warm, it reached down my shin and tied at the waist.
I put my phone in its pocket and paused, glancing back at the room. My knife was in the closet. Should I go back for it?
Nathaniel and Mark were already in their coats and waiting. "Daphne? Did you forget something?" Claire asked.
I looked at Nathaniel, took a deep breath and shook my head. "No. No, I'm good."
**** *** **** *** ****
"Mr. Maxwell," the receptionist, a young man in a crisp suit and slicked black hair, rushed towards us with a welcoming smile. His polished shoes clicked on the gold-veined white marble, the sound pronounced over the soft hum of opera music coming from beyond the glass doors separating the reception desk from the dining area.
"Daniel, I hope there's a table for me," Nathaniel said. The receptionist snapped his fingers, summoning a waiter.
"There's always a table for you, Mr. Maxwell," the receptionist said. "May I take your coats?"
I grabbed my phone from my pocket and surrendered the coat to the care of the receptionist. The waiter accompanied us. The music was only slightly louder inside, and the smell of fresh bread, cheese and garlic made my mouth water.
Our steps were muted by the beige carpet underneath. The restaurant was busy, but the size of the sprawling dining area and the way the tables were set apart to allow private conversation made it feel less crowded.
Our table was near one of the large windows. Nathaniel pulled my chair for me. I raised my brows with an amused smile and sat in the red-upholstered chair. Then he helped Mark adjust his chair closer to the table before sitting down himself.
The glass vase on the table sparkled under the soft lights of the chandeliers overhead. From the atmosphere and the customers' clothes, it was clear the fancy restaurant was frequented only by a privileged fraction of the city's residents.
I relaxed. The place wasn't loud, it wasn't crowded, and I liked it that way. Even Mark looked comfortable. The nearest table was several paces away.
After we ordered, I let my eyes drift to the other customers. Everyone was exquisitely dressed. I fit in perfectly.
"You like it?" Nathaniel asked.
"Yes," I said. "It's... calm."
Nathaniel nodded. "That's one of the reasons this place is my favorite. It's private."
"I can see that."
"Markie, you like it here?" Nathaniel asked Mark. Mark looked up at him for a few seconds. He was starting to grow bold with eye contact, especially with Claire and Nathaniel.
"It's not loud," he said, then smiled, looking at the table, "and I get to eat ravioli."
Nathaniel and I both chuckled.
"Yes, very delicious ravioli," Nathaniel said, his grin warm.
My eyes drifted around again. Right then, a group of four women walked inside. They looked like models. The waiter accompanied them to a spot a few tables away from us.
"Do you think about going to college?" Nathaniel asked.
"At some point, I guess." My eyes flickered to Mark. "But I want to take care of everything else first."
Nathaniel nodded his understanding. "What do you want to study? If you get the chance to go."
I bit the inside of my cheek, watching my finger smooth over the white table cloth in front of me. "I don't know. I never had the time to think about it seriously. There are so many things I want to learn..."
Nathaniel was staring at me with an unreadable glint when I looked up. I smiled and he returned it before looking at Mark. "What about you Mark? What do you want to study?"
Mark's eyes fixed on Nathaniel. "I like math."
"Hmm, that's very interesting. Not a lot of people can say that," Nathaniel said. "You're very smart, you'll do well in whatever you study."
"I know," Mark said in a careless manner that had both Nathaniel and I stifling laughter. I bit back my grin, looking to the side, only for my eyes to notice that group of model-like women looking our way.
One of them was looking at us with features contorted in rage. I raised my brows. Wow, one would think we killed her puppy.
"What's wrong?" Nathaniel asked, following my gaze. As soon as his eyes found the women, he squeezed them shut and turned his head the other way, cursing under his breath.
I didn't have time to ask questions. The next second, the woman was standing over us, tall and annoyed. Big hazel eyes framed with thick lashes and lips as red as her dress.
She schooled her features into a pleasant mask as she looked at Nathaniel. "Nathaniel. Long time no see," she said, pushing a wavy lock of hair behind her ear.
"Tiffany," Nathaniel acknowledged, his voice colder than the arctic.
Tiffany. The woman's name registered and I had to bite back a smile. It was probably the same girl Claire had talked about.
Tiffany's expression soured when she didn't get any more recognition from Nathaniel, but she quickly recovered. "Can we talk, sweetheart?"
Nathaniel looked at the ceiling as if asking for divine intervention. When the heavens didn't respond to his plea, he looked at Tiffany with blank eyes.
"There's nothing to talk about. Now if you'd please excuse yourself. I'm having a private dinner here." He kept his tone polite, but anyone could see he was annoyed.
Anyone except for Tiffany, apparently.
She put her hand on his shoulder. Something flared in my chest. I had the sudden urge to break her wrist.
I took a deep breath. Okay... where did that come from?
"Baby, we haven't met in a while. I understand you're a busy man, but you can't be too busy for your girlfriend," she said in a low voice. Not low enough for me, though.
Nathaniel shrugged her hand off and fixed her with a cold look. "Tiffany, I think I was perfectly clear about what the kind of arrangement we had. Now, as I said, I'm in the middle of a private dinner. Go back to your table or I will have them escort you outside."
Tiffany's brain finally decided to join the party. She straightened up and smiled sweetly. "Fine. Later then."
She swayed back to her table, but not after sending a nasty look my way.
I sipped on my water to hide my smile. But Nathaniel noticed. "It's not funny."
A chuckle escaped me as I looked at him. "I'm sorry, but that was very entertaining." I shook my head in disbelief. "I just can't imagine you'd be in a relationship with someone so..."
"stupid," Mark finished and I stifled a laugh, even Nathaniel coughed to cover his.
I made myself look stern. "Mark, sweetie. We don't call people stupid."
He shrugged. "Okay, then. Can we call her slow?"
I put my hand on my mouth. Nathaniel's shoulders shook. Mark looked pleased with himself. "Mark!" I said, struggling to keep my composure. "It's not nice."
"Anyway." Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Like I said. We weren't in a relationship. At least, not the kind that you're thinking."
I wanted to ask him how he knew what I was thinking, but the waiter arrived with our dinner. Besides, the conversation wasn't exactly appropriate for Mark's ears.
The topic of conversation switched again. We each enjoyed our dishes. The appetizers were gone in a blink, and our main course soon followed. The creamy pasta and the seared salmon tasted heavenly on my tongue. Mark was drowning in his ravioli.
When Nathaniel asked which one was better, his or the restaurant's, Mark replied honestly, saying that the restaurant's was 'way better'.
As we waited for dessert, I squirmed in my seat. I needed to use the bathroom. But I didn't want to leave Mark alone. My bladder tightened. Ugh.
"I need to use the washroom," I said, making Mark look at me with wide eyes. "Can you stay here with Nathaniel? I'll be back before you know it, okay?"
Mark looked at Nathaniel, and his shoulders eased a fraction. He nodded. "Okay."
The bathroom was nothing short of lavish, but I didn't notice anything until I relieved myself and got out of the stall.
I took in the marble flooring and sinks, the large mirrors and mood lights, and the newly familiar woman inspecting her reflection in the mirror.
Tiffany.