Ch. 71..75: Forbidden Heat R18 Chapter 71-75

Chapter 71: Gotcha!

Edward guided me into the room before closing the large wooden doors behind us and locking it. I should be feeling scared to be locked in and alone with Edward in this unfamiliar room but surprisingly, I feel quite at ease and a little excited. The room was dark and cold except for some moonlight streaming in from a few windows. This room must be huge...

Edward left my side momentarily and soon the lights were on. The lights stung my eyes a little as my eyes adjusted to the light after being in the dark for so long. What I saw before my eyes surprised me to say the least. I wasn’t sure what to expect, probably a bleak and empty room that hasn’t been used for more than ten years. What I saw was a room frozen in time...almost literally.

If someone told me that a high school student was living here up until yesterday, I would believe them without any question. The room was clean but all signs of the owner of this room was still present and untouched. High school books, paper, pens and other writing materials scattered on the wooden desk. High school uniform bundled on the unmade bed. A high school uniform jacket laid on the back of the chair. Posters from bands popular from around ten plus years ago on the walls. Photograph in frames. Electronic gadgets from back in the days such as CD players and CDs scattered all over the coffee table. Thick science and mathematics textbooks in large piles on the floor stacked up against the wall. Sport uniforms, equipment and shoes spread on the floor along with a large sport bag. Magazines scattered on the black leather sofa...

“This...is your room?” I turned to ask Edward curiously.

“Technically, this was my bedroom. I lived here in this mansion and this wing belonged to me up until around high school,” Edward replied without providing much detail.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked. There must be some reason why he brought me here. The walk here was long, and we exposed ourselves to so much risk of being caught. I can’t imagine he would bring me here just to show me the room he used to live in.

“Why don’t I tell you a little story...” Edward whispered in my ear, and I felt goosebumps on my skin at the mysterious sound of his voice.

...

“Come over here...” Edward beckoned to me as he sat on the bed.

We’re not going to do it, right? I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I didn’t want to have sex with him, but I didn’t feel like this was the right time...or place. I hesitated as I stood planted to where I was.

“I won’t take advantage of you, I promise. Unless you ask me to, of course. Now...come over here,” Edward addressed the worry in my mind. This man can read me like an open book.

I swallowed and slowly walked over to the bed until I was standing hesitantly next to the bed.

“Gotcha!!!” Edward exclaimed as he grabbed my body, pulling me down into the bed. He pinned my body down beneath his as he lay on top of me.

“Edward!” I almost screamed at him.

“Hahahaa! I’m joking. Sorry, you looked like you honestly thought I was going to jump you, I couldn’t resist,” Edward said while laughing so hard that he turned red. He quickly got off me so that we were just lying side by side on the king-sized bed.

I caught my breath after calming down from the shock of his surprise attack. I honestly thought he was going to start seducing me after he pinned me down. Some time Edward can be playful like a child, I took mental note. We were both quiet for a while as I patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts and start telling me his ‘little story’.

“A boy lived here with his family, his father, mother, older sister and older brother. When the boy was young, he believed that his family was the happiest. However, when the boy got a little older, he started realizing that there was something very wrong with his family. His father was always busy at work and rarely came home. Whenever, his father came home his mother would get so scared and depressed. One day he found out why. His father had been beating his mother probably for the longest time and blaming her for whatever the children did wrong. As the boy and his siblings grew up, his father became stricter on their lives. Their education, social skills, hobby and pretty much everything. The boy’s mother faded into almost nothing. Her health deteriorated and soon she was declared insane and got sent somewhere to be locked away...” Edward recounted the story passionlessly. It was clear that this story was of himself and his family but the way he told it was so detached as if he really was talking about someone else’s business.

He took me into his arms, and I leaned my head on his warm chest. I didn’t say anything to disturb his story. I just waited silently for him to continue.

Chapter 72: The Boy

“The only decent thing about the boy’s childhood was the close relationship he had with his older brother. His older brother always took care of him and because he was 5 years older, he was very dependable. The fact that his brother was there also lessened the burden for him since his brother was their father’s heir who would one day take over and lead the family business,” Edward continued his story.

He must be referring to his relationship with Lucien. Lucien as the oldest male child was naturally made heir to his father’s fortune. It is no surprise that Lucien grew up into a very responsible man who dedicated his life to the family business.

“For the boy, his life changed drastically when after taking some tests he was revealed and confirmed to be what they called a ‘genius’. His father was thrilled to have a genius son and started making wild plans on how to use the boy. Even going as far as naming the boy as his official heir instead of his eldest son, ultimately, putting all the pressure of the succession on the boy. Soon after, the boy was isolated from the world to receive the best education. Things that brought him joy such as sports, friends and school were taken from him,” Edward paused a little. I notice that his eyes were off far away in another time and space.

I instinctively hugged him a little tighter as if to give him whatever comfort that I could. People always said that Edward was a genius, I didn’t know that they meant that literally.

“When the boy became a teenager, he negotiated and did his best to defend his normal life. He learnt advanced science and completed many research that would help the family’s business, in exchange for the ability to continue going to a normal high school. One day, the boy’s father and the Elders decided to lock the boy away in one of the family’s special research facilities even if they had to do it by force. With no other choices left, the boy decided to run away. It hurt him to leave behind his older brother and mother whom he loved but...” Edward continued telling me the story in a passive voice.

“What happened to the boy in the end?” I asked softly as I glanced up at Edward’s face.

“When his father and his men arrived in this room to get him, the boy had already disappeared into thin air. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t find the boy. For years the boy was never found. His father was unable to face the truth that the boy may never return and has since ordered for the boy’s room to be preserved exactly how it was left,” Edward answered.

So that was why this room was still in this state. Even after their father passed away, Lucien must have continued with his father’s wish of keeping this room exactly how Edward left it when he escaped this house. I see, so this was why Edward isn’t living on the family estate. However, somewhere along the line, Edward did return to re-establish his relationship with the family. I wonder what happened and why he sort of came back?

But more importantly, it can’t be. The boy successfully ran away? But...how?

As far as I could see, this room was quite regular apart from its large size. The room was pretty much square, it had luxurious furniture, it had balconies and it was connected to a bathroom. The layout was very similar to other bedrooms in this mansion. I doubt the boy got away by jumping off the balcony. To save us time and effort, I guess it would be best just to ask Edward.

I let go of Edward and sat up on the bed so that I could look down at his green eyes more clearly. I felt like I was getting close to the reason why he was telling me all this. Apart from wanting me to learn of his heartbreaking childhood, there must be something more he wanted to achieve in telling me this story of his.

“How did the boy...disappear into thin air? Please tell me, Edward,” I asked Edward slowly with narrowed eyes.

This is the reason you intentionally brought me to this room, isn’t it? We had to talk in this room and not somewhere else. You wanted to show me that there is a way that I can use to escape this mansion if and when I wanted. If I’m right, Edward must have used the same method to secretly enter the mansion tonight as well.

Edward stared deep into my eyes and smirked as his green eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Better yet, if you kiss me...I’ll show you,” Edward whispered lazily before closing his eyes as he waited for me to kiss him.

Chapter 73: Sweet Escape

Demanding a kiss in exchange for information is so like Edward, I thought as I looked down at Edward’s face. He still had his eyes closed as he waited for my kiss. His eyelashes are so long, and this scene is making me think of the classic kissing scene between Sleeping Beauty and the Prince except for the role is reversed and the Prince in this case was quite evil.

It’s just a kiss. I’ll give him a peck on his lips and then I’ll find out how Edward managed to disappear into thin air all those years ago. I leaned down slowly and then closed my eyes as I placed my lips gently on his. Just as I was about to remove my lips from his, I felt his hand at the back of my head holding my head firmly downwards crushing our lips against each other. Edward moaned a little as his lips attacked mine, parting my lips so that he could taste me. His tongue slipped into my wet mouth and mingled with mine as he hungrily sucked on my lips.

His armed pulled my body down so I was laying on top of his body as he continued to ravage my mouth. Maybe it was because we haven’t seen each other for a while, Edward seemed extra aggressive and passionate today. However, I doubt that he hasn’t been with other women in the time that we’ve been apart. His hand slid under my short nightgown to cup and squeeze my butt as his other arm hugged me to him.

“Edward...we...” I tried to speak while trying to stop our kiss.

“I missed you,” Edward whispered seductively before he continued to kiss me even more deeply. I couldn’t hold myself back much longer and I was moaning softly into his lips as we kissed. I felt his hand slipping down from my butt towards the sensitive spot in between my legs. Then his fingers found the opening of my pussy and started stroking me there gently. Ah...as always, his touch feels amazing...

“Edward, please stop...” I said in between a break in our kiss. We should stop before we...

“You’re already soaked here. You’re wetter than usual, is it because you missed me too?” Edward teased as his fingers slowly slipped into my hot hole. My hips jerked a little at the pleasurable sensation and my walls instantly clenched around his fingers. I need to stop this before I become a hot mess in his arms...

“Edward, please stop...we can...later,” I begged him in broken phrases interrupted by my lusty moans. His fingers were moving and wriggling inside of me, and it was driving me insane with desire.

“You’re right...,” Edward replied with regret in his voice. His arms loosened its hold on me, and I felt his hot fingers leaving my wet entrance.

I sighed a little with relief that we could get back on track. I was still panting a little from our make out session, but I knew I needed to pull myself together as fast as possible to continue with my mission.

“You got way more than a kiss. So, can you show me now?” I reminded him of our deal.

“I always keep my word,” Edward retorted a little grumpily.

I sat on the bed and watched as Edward got off the bed. He strode confidently toward the row of built-in wooden closets that lined one side of the wall. That sure is a lot of wardrobe space for a high school guy. Either Edward had a lot of clothes or...

“Sorry to let you down, but I had no part in building what you are about to see. This mansion is very old, and I guess during war times in the past, it was essential for mansion like these to have secret escape routes. My grandfather told me of this secret route when I was a little child although he didn’t tell me exactly where it was in this room. That wasn’t hard to figure out if you knew who built this mansion, his birthdate and therefore, his star sign,” Edward explained matter-of-factly as he stopped and stood in front of a pair of closet doors.

I got off the bed and joined him at his side. My curiosity is really getting the best of me. I don’t see how different this pair of doors is compared to the others.

“Aries. He was an Aries and if you look carefully here, you can see a small Aries star sign engraved here. There are other star sign symbols on other doors but since he was Aries, this must be the door,” Edward explained as he pointed to a very small engraving at the top of the door. I squinted my eyes to try to see the engraving he just told me about.

Edward opened the closet door and inside were his high school uniform. Just like an old trick from the movies, pushing the clothes aside revealed the wooden back of the closet. Edward removed the wood and there behind the back of the closet, were stairs.

“Take my hand,” Edward said as he opened his hand to me.

“We’re going in there?” I asked.

“If you want to get outside unspotted, then yeah...” he replied before grabbing my hand and yanking me inside.

Once inside Edward closed the closet door, arranged the clothes back as it was before then closed the back of the closet with the wood once again. We were now standing side-by-side in the dark at the start of a stairway leading down.

“Don’t let go of my hand,” Edward said as he squeezed my hand tighter in his. To be honest, it is dark, the space is small, and I was getting scared. I wouldn’t even dream of letting go of his hand in this situation.

Then there was light and I realized that Edward had just turned on a small flashlight. Someone came here well prepared, I thought. We walked down the stairs then into something like an underground tunnel. After quite a while of walking in the underground tunnel we emerged somewhere in the middle of what must be the estate’s general garden. Surprisingly, we walked so far that we were already on the edge of the garden. Even more surprising was the fact that there was a black car disguised in the darkness right there waiting for us.

Chapter 74: Eloping

Edward pulled my hand as we ran for the car. So, this was how the boy got out of the mansion. I wonder what other tricks the old mansion had hidden away. Perhaps Lucien knew of a couple of tricks himself? Wait, if the tunnel only led us as far as here and we had to take a car to escape. How did Edward escape the estate back then?

Once in the car, Edward wasted no time to drive away. Oh no, I didn’t think we would be leaving the estate together like we were eloping in the middle of the night. Plus, I didn’t even know where we were going and...

“Umm...Edward, wait! I don’t have proper clothes on! I didn’t think we would be leaving the house...” I said shyly as I looked down at the nightgown that I had on. Although not as short and not as revealing at the one I had on to seduce Lucien that night but this one also did not provide adequate cover. A bit too late, I know, but I tried to cover my breasts with my hands.

“I’ve got clothes for you in the back seat,” Edward replied with his eyes still on the road. He really thought all this through, huh? I remembered our first ‘date’ together. Back then he had clothes for me too. Loads of them.

“Edward, how did you escape after you exited the tunnel. Even we needed a car, right?” I continued to ask curiously, going down the list of my questions.

“You mean ‘the boy’?” Edward teased. He definitely has a way with words.

“Yes, I mean... ‘the boy’” I replied while secretly rolling my eyes.

“He had some good friends. One in particular was there to save him that night...” Edward replied without any further explanations. I decided to leave it at that. There was something else that I had to ask him.

“Where are we going?” I finally got to ask the burning question on my mind. We are speeding along the empty road, but I had no idea where we were headed.

“Where you want to go,” Edward replied smoothly.

“And where is that exactly? How do you know where I want to go?” I asked. Perhaps he really could read my mind.

“You wanted to ask me about the nightmare that you’ve been having lately, right?” Edward asked casually.

“Yes...” I replied. Guess there’s no point asking how he knew. Edward seems to know everything.

“I won’t answer your questions,” Edward stated flatly.

“Why not?” I asked in a panic. I whirled around in my seat to face him. Edward continued to drive, without looking at me.

“Because you wouldn’t believe me no matter what I say or how I say it. So, I’m just going to show you...or rather, you can see it for yourself. Seeing is believing, right?” Edward replied nonchalantly but his hand reached out to hold mine.

If I wasn’t wrong, he must be taking me to that cottage by the lake. That’s where he took me before all these nightmares started. Back then he asked if I could remember, and I couldn’t. I also didn’t know what it was I was supposed to be remembering. However, this time...perhaps, it would be different.

What is it that Edward wanted me to remember so badly? How is that in any way related to my nightmares? What will happen if I couldn’t remember...and what would happen if I did?

...

By the time we arrived at the cottage by the lake, it was the start of dawn. Edward helped carry the bag of clothes he had prepared for me. Based on the luggage he had prepared for me, it seemed like we would be spending at least a week here. I bet he bought so many clothes for me so that I had more than enough to choose from. Sometimes his level of care really gets to me but then again, this isn’t too hard if you’ve got the money for it. We headed into the cottage just like we did that day.

“Want to take a nap?” Edward asked lazily from the bed. He had already stripped himself of his blazer was now on the bed in his white shirt and jeans.

“Umm...” I hesitated.

“We hardly slept last night. Come sleep with me. Don’t worry...our ‘later’ doesn’t start now,” Edward addressed my concern while inviting me into bed with him with open arms.

I guess I’m feeling quite sleepy. Waking up in the middle of the night followed by our exploration and escape from the mansion did take up a lot of my energy. I could use some sleep. I got into bed and Edward immediately pulled me into a warm hug. He fitted his body against my back, and I could feel his warm breath on my hair. He kissed my ear and then the top of my head softly. It feels so relaxing in his arms...perhaps I did miss him too a little? This was the last thought that cross my mind before I feel asleep in his arms.

Chapter 75: True North

I woke up at the break of dawn with a sense of dread. Something was wrong. My gut feeling was confirmed when I visited Natalia’s room. Natalia is not in her room, and I couldn’t find her anywhere. No one has seen her since she retreated to her room last night either. Guards of the house and guards positioned at the estate’s outer gates did not see anyone suspicious entering or exiting the estate, Natalia included. Security camera search also came up empty. I hate to admit this, but it seems like Natalia has disappeared. Lucien is going to flip so hard when he finds out about this. I better find her and bring her back before he finds out. Heavens only knows how he would punish her if he found out...

“Where did you take her?” Reiner texted his top suspect. He did take her; the question was where?

He only knew of only one person who could slip in and out of this mansion undetected. That person also happens to have reasons to take Natalia. Nothing is truly a coincidence.

...

I woke up because I was hungry. When I opened my eyes, Edward was no longer with me on the bed.

Sniff...sniff...

I can smell some good food. I hope this isn’t just my imagination running wild because I am starving. I should get dressed. It must be sometime around noon now, I definitely slept in a lot. Rummaging through the bags full of newly bought designer clothing, I picked out something simple. An off-white lacy top and a pair of skinny jeans. Edward’s attention to detail is truly impressive, he also bought me shoes and underwear. All in the right sizes.

I walked to the living room after I got dress, guessing that Edward must be there. I did find Edward there but not quite as I was expecting.

“You can cook?” I asked, disbelief plainly in my voice. I stood with a hand on my waist as I stared at the sight of Edward wearing an apron and cooking in the kitchen. Compared to his usual posh appearance, this look seemed a little out of place.

“Do I look like someone who can’t cook?” he shot back without looking at me as he continued doing whatever he was doing.

“Yes,” I replied immediately without the need to think.

Edward shot me a look before redirecting his focus back on cooking. Since I was useless in the kitchen, I decided to take my seat and wait at the dining table. I’m so hungry.

When Edward was done, he served us food. Just like the smell, the taste was also amazingly delicious. I couldn’t help but compliment Edward to which he just brushed off like it was no big deal. We ate and chatted about random things. He filled me in on how my ex-comrades were doing at the lab. How some of the projects I was helping with flourished. He told me that some researchers were clearly surprised and upset that I had to end my internship early. It was good to reconnect back a little to the world outside of the estate, even if it was just through Edward’s words. I enjoyed working at the lab and I hope that someday soon, I’ll be more independent. I want to work for myself to support myself.

Whenever I thought of that dream, reality would ruin my mood. I’m just so far away. Right now, I just ran away from home to figure out the truth behind my nightmares. I am still supposed to be under house arrest as imposed by Lucien. As far as Lucien is concerned I shouldn’t be working because it wouldn’t make any difference to the family’s wealth. Great.

I looked over at Edward silently. Perhaps he is really the only one who would and could support me on the path to achieving my independent life. But what would it cost me?

‘I’ll marry you,’ Edward’s words rang in my head.

“Natalia...Natalia” Edward called my name pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yes...sorry...you were saying?” I asked while blinking rapidly. Edward just laughed a little at my absentmindedness.

“I have a present for you,” Edward said as he slid over a dark blue jewelry box in my direction on the table.

Well, this is pleasant surprise, I thought as I pulled the jewelry box towards me then lifting it up to open it. Inside was a gold necklace with a small star-shaped shiny pendant. The gold is real, and the shiny material is a star-shaped diamond, no need to ask. Star-shaped diamond are not common so Edward must have got this custom-made.

“Thank you. It’s beautiful,” I told Edward with a smile. It was true the necklace was beautiful.

“Can I put it on for you?” Edward asked as he got up to stand behind me.

“Sure,” I replied while handing him the jewelry box.

“All done. It looks wonderful on you,” Edward announced once he had put the necklace around my neck.

“What’s the special occasion?” I asked arching a brow at him. I wonder why he gave me this.

“I’m sure Lucien lavishes you with gifts like this all the time without needing a special occasion,” Edward replied with a smile as he dodged my question.

“Well, at least I can be sure that his gifts don’t come with ulterior motives,” I replied half teasingly. As for the other half, I was serious.

“hahaha! I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you. Do you like it?” Edward asked after laughing a little.

“Of course, this star is wonderful,” I told Edward with a smile on my lips.

“Do you know what the North star is?” Edward asked.

“I’ve heard of it. The North star always point north, and people can use it to determine direction. Something like that?” I replied. I think I read that somewhere, perhaps, in a magazine.

“Ok. Then do you know what the difference is between the North and the True North?” Edward asked, staring deep into my eyes.