“This toast is to be eaten.” It sounds like a command as he puts the plate on the nightstand beside me. Then he gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t you dare not eat.” And he leaves the bedroom.
While I wanted to spend the entire day sleeping, or at least taking a long nap, to avoid this terrible motion sickness, my online classes have taken all day long, throwing such a wish out the window. Even with the medicine I took, the imbalance has been very strong, especially during the afternoon, as it seems we are crossing a tumultuous part of the Atlantic. Jeez, I can’t imagine how the European explorers managed to sail on their caravels for months and survive. Fortunately, by the evening, the sea has finally calmed down, so we take the opportunity to have dinner in the dining room rather than in bed like we did the past two nights. This time, though, I decide to dress a bit more fancy. And by fancy, I mean wearing a summer dress instead of a pair of jeans. Once I’m ready, I realize I have been wearing the plug for more time than instructed, so I take it out before heading to the dining room. I wasn’t expecting the dining table to be so formally set, like in a proper fine-dining restaurant. I also notice the bossa nova song playing through the speakers and the gold-colored lights coming from the crystal chandelier, all doing wonders to create an intimate atmosphere. It reminds me a bit of our dinner in Rome, but with a view of the ocean. Although, as I look out the windows, it’s too dark to see anything outside.
“Oh, Miss Van Gatt dropped the comfy jeans tonight?”
I turn around and see Alex, always so perfectly dressed, sporting a slim white shirt and dark blue pants.
“Ah, yes, well, now we are finally inaugurating the dining room.”
Standing still in front of me, Alex reaches down and takes my hand before pulling me to him. I feel his other hand slide behind my back, and as he starts slowly pacing back and forth, I know in that moment that we are about to dance and sway to the sensual beat of this Brazilian melody. Memories from our evening in Rio start running through my mind as I recall everything we’ve gone through to finally get to where we are now.
“Remember that dinner when Diana was singing?”
His totally random question confuses me. “Um, yes…”
“I’m the one who suggested to your dad to hire her.”
My eyes widen in surprise at his revelation. “Oh, really? Wow, that makes more sense now.”
“I wanted to make sure you’d have a good evening.” Then Alex spins me around for the sake of spinning, and I’m all here for it. As our eyes lock again, he asks, “Would you like her to sing at our wedding too?”
“Yesss,” I hiss just as fast. “And this time, my favorite song won’t be ruined thinking you’re leaving.”
His lips curve up, a sparkle twinkling in his eyes. “I promise, this time I’m not going anywhere.” The conviction in his voice makes me smile in return. Then, as I glance over his shoulder, I find the steward waiting for us with our starters in his hands. Alex follows the direction of my stare, and after seeing him, we stop dancing and go back to the table.
Normally, one of stewards pulls out my chair for me to sit, but Alex is in the mood to do it tonight.
As the steward puts my plate in front of me, he says, “For the starter, we have a crispy tofu with marinated zucchini and cucumber gel.” My face lights up at the harmonious colors and varying textures of the dish. I’m pretty sure Alex would’ve preferred anything but tofu, but his efforts to enjoy vegan food is really a big turn-on for me. “Enjoy.” And the steward leaves us by ourselves.
As I cut a portion of the crispy tofu, my eyes lift discreetly toward him, and I can’t resist watching Alex be entertained by his plate. When I think how he comes from a family of hunters, it truly amazes me what he has done for me.
“Thanks for doing this,” I tell him.
His gaze comes up to meet mine. “Doing what?”
“This. Like, I know if you were having dinner with someone else, you’d be eating fish, lobster, or something from the sea, but you are eating tofu…”
Letting out a quick laugh, he knows exactly how true this is. “I don’t mind eating something different once in a while. I’ve been eating fish, lobster, and everything in between my whole life.”
After he takes a bite, I can’t help but ask, “Is it good?”
He observes me for a moment, a smirk rising on his face. “Well, I’d rather have steamed lobster with lemon and herb butter sauce, but it’s edible.” And I knew there would be a joke coming.
“Very funny.” I take a mouthful, and to me, it’s absolutely delicious, packed with light and fresh ingredients, including a taste of citrus, which complements the Asian flavors in the tofu glaze.
“By the way, did you manage to watch your classes with the VPN?” he asks. I know how much he stressed about it. I had to download a VPN on Sunday, and Alex told me multiple times to connect it to an IP address in Switzerland.
“Yeah, it was alright. A bit slow sometimes, but it was okay.” And remembering that tomorrow I have Public Economics with the group, I say, “Um, you know, I’m gonna have Public Economics tomorrow. And, um, Matthew and the group will be connected…”
“Can they chat with you?”
“Um, no, they can’t, but they will know I connected to the class, and I wanted to make sure we don’t run into problems if I do so.”
Alex starts ruminating over my question. “If you want me to be honest, I don’t think you should attend that class.” I was kinda expecting that answer myself. “I’m already worried enough about any tracking information you are leaving behind when you connect to the others.”
I nod pensively, knowing that, in the end, we can never be too prudent. “Okay, um, maybe I can skip that one. It doesn’t count toward my grades anyway…”
His face lights up with a smile. “That’s the wisest decision.” And he picks up his glass of wine, taking a sip. “Thank you.”
We’re both quiet for a while as we finish our respective starters.
“Petra?” he asks suddenly.
“Hmm?”
“Now that you are no longer living with your dad, are you getting this degree because you want to, or is it still to please him?”
The truth is neither one nor the other. “Um, actually, it’s one of the requirements in the inheritance contract I signed with him,” I tell him.
His eyes widen in astonishment. “An inheritance contract?” he repeats, quite baffled. And I nod at his question before taking a sip of my water. “Why do you have one?”
“Well, because he threatened to disinherit me if I moved out and lived elsewhere.”
Alex puts down his cutlery, his jaw clenching for a moment before he bursts out, “That’s insane.”
“Yeah, and getting my degree at Columbia is one of the requirements. Dad is totally obsessed with that. I don’t know why…”
His eyes drift away for a moment as he ponders it. “I think he’s very emotionally attached to that school. It was a dream come true for him when he moved to New York to study there.”
Oh, I shouldn’t be surprised that Alex knows so much about my dad’s life. Quite curious to know more, I ask him, “Do you know how he ended up there?”
“My father paid for his scholarship,” he says casually.
And my jaw drops at his answer. “Hendrik Van Dieren?” Alex just nods in return. “He paid for my dad’s tuition?”
“To be precise, our family office paid for it.”
“Oh… I didn’t know that.” I lower my gaze, a bit dazzled by the revelation. “You know, I never met my grandparents. Dad has always been so mysterious about them,” I tell him.
His lips curve slightly up, but he doesn’t say a word. After all, I’m probably not saying anything he doesn’t already know. As I keep my eyes glued on him, he utters, “Your dad comes from a modest background.”
“Did you know them?”
“A bit,” he says as the steward comes in to remove our plates. “They were farmers from the n
orthern part of Rouveen.”
I try to appear unsurprised, but I’ve got to ask him what is on the tip of my tongue. “So Dad was closer to Hendrik?”
“Well, my father was his boss and mentor.” He pauses for a beat, staring at me for a moment. “And then your dad followed me when I decided to do things on my own.”
I narrow my eyes in confusion. “But why? I mean, why did he follow you and not Hendrik?”
But the steward is now placing our main dishes in front of us. And stealing our attention, he says, “For the main course, we have mushroom risotto with truffles and vegan parmesan.”
The sight and smell of it makes my mouth water. After all, this is one of my favorite dishes ever. I’m sure Alex told the chef. There is no way he would’ve known himself.
Once the steward leaves, Alex is already holding his fork, ready to take a bite, but I remain patiently staring at him for an answer. “So? Why did he follow you and not Hendrik?” I ask again.
Alex looks up at me, holding his fork halfway to his mouth. “Because we both wanted the same thing—to build something of our own.”
“And how did your dad react?” I ask, before he can taste his food.
He heaves a sigh of annoyance. “Why are you so damn curious?” But he finally brings his fork to his mouth.
And I can’t help chuckle in return. “I’m just trying to understand how my dad ended up trusting you so much, leaving his mentor behind.”
He picks up his white napkin to wipe his mouth, and then drinks some of his water. “What about you?”
“Me?” I ask, blinking twice.
“Why did you end up trusting me so much?”
As I don’t have an immediate answer, I simply say, “Shouldn’t I?”
“Why do you trust me?” he asks again, our eyes locking.
I thought I’d need more time to find the right words, but no, my instinct already knows why. “Because you showed me I could.”
“See? You’ve got your answer.”
Chapter 36
Atlantic Ocean, October 29, 2020
Petra Van Gatt
Alex was right, and I hate him for that. I recall how the first day over breakfast, he’d told me I would get used to wearing a butt plug. Well, it’s impressive and terrifying what our bodies are capable of. But even though the size M has been manageable, I don’t intend to switch to the bigger one. Absolutely not. It looks terrifying to me. He hasn’t checked which one I have been using anyway. As I get dressed, regardless of his instructions, I again put in size M instead of the L. Then I put on a pair of comfortable jeans and a top, and head outside for our breakfast on the terrace. To my surprise, I find Alex and the captain talking in the living room. As their eyes alight on me, they both greet me, and Alex doesn’t waste any time announcing, “We will be arriving at our destination around five p.m.”
My lips twist into a smile full of excitement, and I can’t wait to see where we are heading. Then, as I reach the terrace, I feel a light breeze touching my hair and skin. And as I look around, I notice the sliding glass is wide open. The breeze is warm though, which is not usual. Once Alex steps onto the terrace, I can’t help but ask, “How come it’s so warm and sunny today?”
“Well, that’s the beauty of sailing. Yesterday was cold and gray, and today is the opposite.”
I pass by the table and chairs and cross the terrace to go out onto the deck. There, the strong sunlight beams on my face and on the deck floor. “It’s getting really warm outside,” I tell him, squinting my eyes at the brightness. Then I look ahead, seeing the frothy water the yacht leaves behind, and I wonder if the water is also just as warm.
After breakfast, knowing I’m running late for my online class, I grab my laptop and my iPhone and head outside to the main deck, where I lie on a lounge chair by the pool. The devices recognize the Wi-Fi provided by the satellite and connect immediately. Suddenly, though, a notification pops up on my iPhone with a new voice message. That’s weird though—no one knows my new phone number. Since I have zero contacts saved, I only see it’s from an American number. And without waiting any further, I press play and listen to it. The first sound I hear is a loud breath out in exasperation, but then my heart jumps, recognizing the voice.
“Petra, it’s Emma, I hope you are doing well and that you are happy and safe wherever you are.” A flow of emotion rushes through me at hearing Emma’s voice. She sounds worried and way too serious. “Um, your parents came to my house with your friend Matthew and his dad.” WHAT! They are insane! My heart can’t stop racing in apprehension. I swear, if they did something to her… “He’s the attorney general of New York, in case you didn’t know. Yeah… it’s pretty fucked up. Um, they asked me if I gave you a phone and if I know where you are. I denied everything, but I’ve got the feeling there is an investigation going on, and I don’t think it’s safe for you guys to come back.” There’s a pause while Emma takes a deep breath in and out. “I overheard them talking about a tracking device or something.” Oh gosh, my body freezes at her words. “Be careful, babe. Love you.” And the voice message ends.
Oh my goodness. I feel the urge to call Emma straightaway and ask her if they did anything to her. But I force myself to stop. Alex was clear I couldn’t reach out to anyone, as it could leave traces of our location. But what if they threatened her? What if she is in danger? What if they locked her up? My parents are beyond crazy. But I know it’s mainly Mom who is the driving force behind all this. Indeed, behind her sugary voice and sweet little smile, that woman is pure Machiavellian evil. Blowing out a breath, I play the voice message again, and force myself to analyze every word coming out of her mouth. This time, though, the first thing I notice is that Emma doesn’t mention even once if she is okay. The Emma I know always starts a message talking about herself and how amazing her life is wherever she is. Not hearing that is a huge red flag. I keep listening and pause after she says, “Yeah… it’s pretty fucked up.”
There is a lot of hesitation in her voice as she talks about Matthew’s dad. Like she is apprehensive to reveal something. What is she afraid of though? The Emma I know is blunt, direct, and doesn’t shy away from anything. The more I listen to her voice, the more I feel the urge to call her. Decision made, I run back inside the boat, searching for Alex.
I find him in the living room, sitting on the sofa, a bunch of papers spread out on the low table in front of him.
And without wasting any time, I say, “Emma sent me a voice message.”
“What?” he utters almost automatically as his gaze meets mine. “How does she even have your number?”
“You didn’t give it to her?” I ask instantly.
“No, I just gave her the phone and told her to give it to you.” Alex pauses, thinking something through. “I guess she called herself from it to save your new number.” And he lets out a loud rush of air in annoyance. “Damn it.”
“It’s okay. Um, my parents went to her house along with Matthew and his dad.” And I think it’s best to disclose the rest. “His dad is the attorney general of New York, by the way.” I pause, gauging his reaction, but Alex doesn’t seem surprised. “Did you know that?”
“No, I had no idea.”
“Oh, okay. Um, Emma told me there’s an investigation going on.” Words are hard to get out amid my racing heartbeats. “I need to call her to find out more.”
“Petra, you know the rules.”
“I have to talk to her,” I insist. “I need to make sure she is safe.”
“I’m sure Emma is doing alright.”
“How?” I snap back. “How can you be a hundred percent sure? From her voice message, it doesn’t seem so.”
“Getting in contact with anyone is dangerous,” he says mechanically. “If there is an investigation going on, the first thing they want to do is trace our location. If you call her, her phone records will show where the call has come from. We can’t risk it.”
“I can’t stay here without knowing how she is doing,” I
tell him, my emotion stuck in my throat. “We have to do something.”
“I’ll call my lawyer in New York. He’s the only one I trust there, and he will reach Emma on your behalf. Alright?”
The idea that again I have to go through a middleman, especially to talk to my best friend, doesn’t sit well with me. But I guess for now I don’t have much of a choice. The last thing we need is for my parents to find us. And knowing how stubborn my mom is, she is most likely searching every single corner on earth to find me.
“Alright. Can you give him a message for her?”
“Sure.”
Then I grab my iPhone and start typing relentlessly in my Notes app the first things that go through my mind: Emma, I’m fine and safe. I miss you so much, but unfortunately Alex said it’s not prudent to call you. Please tell me if you are safe. Are you still in New York? Are they blackmailing you? Do you know what Eric is doing? Please be careful and run away from my mother! Do not believe a word she says. She’s manipulative, and her sweet little voice sounds like she’s harmless. But she’s crazy! She tried to implant a tracking chip in me! I love you, P.
“Hey…” I peer up and find Alex standing in front of me, rubbing his fingers over my cheek to calm my apparent nervousness. “I know it’s hard, but we need to be as diligent as possible.”
I find myself staring into his piecing blue eyes, but a sudden wave of panic flashes through me. Images of Dr. Nel taking the syringe out of her briefcase along with a little flask containing the tracking chip fill my mind. And I recall how Dad didn’t even blink. He just stood there, assisting in one of the most horrific moments of my life, totally indifferent. It’s unbelievable how he has changed so much with the threats and influence of Mom in New York. And I’m scared, so scared, that Emma will find herself in the same situation.
“When will I be able to call her?” I ask him as I send the message to his iPhone through AirDrop.
Alex takes a quick glance at his screen, acknowledging the receipt of my text. “When I’m sure it’s safe to do so.”
Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter Book 2) Page 35