— Will you beat me to death? — I squeak. I don't want my voice to sound like this, but strong Juliana has lost her strength alongside the betrayal of the Saint. Now I am again the Timid Doe I was before.
— No, — my stepfather chews on his lips and approaches. — I'll keep it for myself. I'll sell it. Whatever I want. You're useless, Juliana. Trash! — he says slyly. — Do you remember the partner who saw you in a wedding dress? Ah, those were the days… You would become his wife, or mistress, it doesn't matter.
— Please, — I whisper.
I don't know why I'm begging. I don't know what I'm asking for. My gaze falls on the open door of the trailer. If I can somehow trick him, switch us places, I might have a chance to escape. To hide. To get lost in the forest.
— Undress, — he commands again. — I've long dreamed of trying you too.
— Dad... — I stammer. This word escapes uncontrollably, but still.
— Dad? — he arches an eyebrow.
He lunges at me, turns my face to the wall, and starts pulling down my jeans. I scream. Panic washes over me and makes me choke in despair. Wild pulls my hair with such pain that darkness creeps into my eyes. I push against the wall with my hands and fall back onto him. We both crash to the floor. For a moment, I wonder how quickly I manage to spring back to my feet and dash for the exit. However, my stepfather grabs my ankle and yanks me towards him. I try to grab onto the wall, find something to cling to, but I can't. I fall and painfully hit my chin on the floor. Wild is already climbing on top of me. I kick and scream, cry, and repeat to myself over and over that I won't give up until the very end. I won't let him do what he desires.
The man tries to turn me onto my back. Accidentally, I knee him in the groin and watch as he releases me and grabs that spot. He grimaces in pain and curses. I crawl back and quickly get up. For a second, darkness clouds my eyes, and my temples pulse. My body breaks out in a sweat. But I push through, darting towards the exit, bursting outside, splashing mud everywhere. I run and scream. I can't stop. Panic disorients me. I can't even hear any sounds except for my own heart, drowning in despair and fears.
Around the corner, a few black cars come speeding towards me. I abruptly stop in the middle of the road and can't comprehend what to do: fling myself into the forest or run away from them? The doors of one of the cars open, and Vlad steps out. The first thing I notice is the blueness of his eyes. The blueness and... fear.
— Juliana, — I read his lips. I shake my head. No, he abandoned me! He left me! — Juliana, — now I hear his low, deep voice, — stop, I'm begging. Don't run away, okay?
I can't. My body trembles. Panicking, I turn my head towards the forest. Then I look back at the cars. I see that the doors of the other vehicles begin to open, but Vlad waves his hand, and they close again.
— My Timid Doe, I beg you, — he raises his hands, turning his palms towards me and takes a step forward.
Slowly, the Saint approaches. I, on the other hand, remain standing still. Frozen. It feels like I'm not even breathing. When he's within arm's reach, I ask:
— You abandoned me? The stocks...
— I was looking for you, — he says cautiously and moves one step closer. He waves his hand, and the other cars drive past us, speeding towards the carriage. — Your security and the tracker stopped thirty kilometers from here. We searched… didn’t find you.
— But Wild said you were ignoring... I heard everyone was ignoring! I heard you handed me over to him! What matter — the stocks and Milana! — I panic-shout.
— While there was a silence regime, we were searching for you in the vicinity of the bag. Understanding that you weren’t there, I called him. It’s a lengthy process. I had to work out in nature to trace the call, and to do this, I had to involve everyone I know. Everyone, Juliana, — he says calmly as always. — I had to dedicate time to this as if I didn’t want to hasten the search. I counted every second. Every!
— Seriously? — I squeak.
— Did you think I abandoned you?
— You handed me over to him, — it doesn't immediately register, and I realize that tears are streaming down my cheeks. — You were going to leave anyway…
— We talked about this, — he replies with a struggle in his voice, — I changed my mind. I realized that I won't leave.
— You said not to rush because it’s not the end yet... Maybe… maybe you changed your mind? Your stocks, the deal is done, Milana is under protection!
— I also said we have yet to reach the end.
— And what was it supposed to be?!
— Your father will sit, — he states firmly. — For all his actions, Juliana. Now with much worse conditions. And I'm not sure if he'll survive in prison.
I narrow my gaze.
— Not sure if you're planning to arrange his death?
— The second.
— So?
— I didn't change my mind, Juliana. I'm not leaving. I'm not abandoning you. I came for you. If there were no other options, the stocks would have already belonged to Wild again! The choice, as always, remains yours.
— Why did it take so long? — I sob.
Vlad closes the distance between us and embraces me. He squeezes me tightly and kisses my crown. Repeatedly, he whispers a multitude of sweet nothings. He strokes my back. Kisses. Whispers. Strokes again.
I choke on my sobs. Fear pours out as salty tears and shakes my whole body.
— I'm sorry it took so long.
I pull away. I look into his dark blue eyes and can't believe that it's all real. He's here. He searched for me. He didn’t abandon me. After all, he didn't abandon me...
— I thought it was all over, — I barely manage to move my lips.
There are too many emotions. They swirl like a whirlwind in my heart and prevent me from focusing on anything.
— I thought he would rape me, — I barely squeeze out. — If I hadn't run out... If I hadn't run out!...
Vlad looks at me with anguish. So much pain in his eyes, and I pull him into myself. For some reason, the man no longer looks indifferent, even despite the silence. On the contrary, deep down in his soul, there’s no less fear boiling in him.
He gently takes my hand and pulls me once more into his embrace. I want to break free to see him. To look into the blueness and drown, and drown there. I need to absorb the male strength to push out my own fears.
— Forgive me for this past day, — he murmurs into my ear, not letting me move, — I thought it was all over. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
— You promised he wouldn't harm me again, — I stammer. — You said you wouldn't share the plan because we were all safe. But he harmed me!
— I'm sorry, — he again utters in a low voice. — I didn’t know, — he digs his fingers into his hair, — that you were using his card. I couldn't even imagine such a thing because after you entered the academy, I left my card with the money. For you.
— I didn't see it, — I sob. — You didn’t give me anything…
— I left it in the living room. And then you came with Katrin. The money was charged several times… — he murmurs, tracing the tip of his nose along his temples, inhaling deeply. — I thought it was you. When I wasn't home, I always left cash, just in case. Later, when Wild said he found you through the card payment at the café… I realized everything. Katrin took the card, and you didn’t know about it. I just didn’t know how to say it right so that you could use the money without shame. By the way, Milana, when she didn’t wait for you, was pulling her hair out. She didn’t know what to do at first, so she called Katrin. But she didn’t know where you were.
— Did she call? — I manage to calm down a little.
— Everyone, after Katrin. Then she came to "AMB" and almost destroyed the office. Timur and I were at a directors' meeting, but my sister interrupted it.
I don’t reply. Finally, I manage to calm the wild fear and panic in my soul. I nestle closer to Vlad and breathe in the familiar scent. The Saint doesn't stop touching me. He doesn't stop caressing, leaving soft kisses everywhere he can. And I breathe warmth amid the cold autumn forest. I breathe in the colors, the scent of the car's interior, the forest, and such a safe danger for me.
— I will never forgive myself for you being hurt by your father for the third time, — his voice reaches my ears. — Never.
— He’s not my father.
The Saint sighs. With relief even.
— Did you know for long?
— When I got into his car, — I stammer. For some reason, I'm not surprised Vlad knew about it earlier. — I thought it was Milana...
— Then you won't mind my plan? Or do you have other ideas?
I raise my head and look at the Saint's face.
— I'm not against your plan, — I cut softly. — He deserves everything you've prepared for him. Even worse.
— And that doesn't scare you? The cruelty doesn’t scare you?
I manage to smile crookedly at the fear in the man's eyes.
— No. Sometimes justice is cruel, isn’t it?
At that moment, engines roar behind us. In a few seconds, they drive past, avoiding our couple, and disappear around the bend. Only one car stops nearby; its driver doesn’t turn off the engine.
— They took him, — the Saint concludes. — Let’s go, Juliana. We're going home.
His words warm every bone inside me. I had almost lost hope again. I was scared again that I was useless to Vlad. I fought to escape but knew my heart was broken, even though I chose Milana over myself. So now, sitting in the back seat of the car with Vlad and riding in his warm embrace on the way home feels a thousand times more pleasant.