If we don't have trust, we have nothing
Julia frowned staring at the person whose smile kept becoming broader.
"Good morning Mr Haward, Ms Harrison," greeted Mary still smiling.
Julia looked at her hand and saw she was carrying a small travelling bag. She frowned and briefly looked at Jason before turning her gaze to Mary still wondering what she was doing there with her bag.
"Is everything alright Mary?" Julia asked surprised but also concerned.
"Yes, everything is fine," Mary replied with a smile.
"Okay, so what brought you here this early morning?" Julia asked.
"Mr Haward asked me to bring all your stuff together with mine, here," Mary replied still smiling and Julia's eyes widened turning to look at Jason who appeared to be well composed.
"Jason, did you ask her to do that?" Julia asked with traces of anger in her voice.
"Yes," Jason replied calmly.
"Jason, what makes you think I want to move in with you? I have had enough of your bullying attitude. Can't I have the freedom to decide for myself for once? Must you always use your power to move me anywhere you want?" Julia yelled at him and stormed out of the dining room.
Mary was stunned as she had never seen Julia angry before. This is a side of her she had never seen. She was only used to her easy breaking down and crying side. Jason remains calm in his seat as he sips his cup of tea.
"Sir, what should I do?" asked Mary.
Jason without responding called for the housekeeper who quickly showed up in the dining room.
"Sir, you called me," replied the housekeeper.
"Help her send the things upstairs to my room and show her to her room," Jason instructed.
"Yes sir," replied the housekeeper and he quickly got to work with Mary assisting him with the movement of things.
Jason got up from behind the table to find Julia. He went upstairs to the bedroom but she was not there. He checked the bathroom and she was not there either. He stepped out of the bedroom closing the door behind him. He was returning downstairs when he spotted her standing at the window which was at the end of a small corridor opposite the staircase. He walked towards her and stopped just a couple of inches from her.
"Julia, I am your husband and your right place is by my side. How can I protect you when you are far away from me?" Jason asked.
"Protect me?" Julia repeated turning to face him. "From what and from who exactly?" she asked with a frown.
Jason stared at her quietly not replying to her question.
"Jason, you have hurt me enough. I came here to make sure you are okay. I think I have overstayed my welcome," Julia said and decided to leave.
Just before she could walk past him, Jason grabbed her by the hand stopping her from proceeding any further.
"Jason, please let go of me, or do you want to tie me up and dump me somewhere like you always do?" Julia asked making Jason frown.
"Julia, aside from that time, when have I tied you and dumped you somewhere?" Jason asked trying to control his temper.
"Oh, now you want to play innocent or do you think I will never find out?" Julia questioned.
"What are you talking about?" Jason asked.
"The warehouse," Julia replied.
"You think, I was the one behind that?" Jason asked.
"How gullible do you think I am?" Julia asked.
"Is about time you know the truth," Jason said, pulling Julia towards his small office in the house.
"Jason, let go of me," Julia cried as Jason pulled her towards the office but Jason ignored her cries.
Annoyed with her, Jason threw her onto the sofa once inside the office. Julia lost her balance and fell to the floor. Jason ignored her pacing up and down trying to calm himself. Julia got up and sat down on the sofa. Jason stopped and inhaled deeply calming himself. He heard her sobbing and he was instantly regretful of how he handled her just now.
"I am sorry," Jason apologised but Julia ignored him. "Julia, the warehouse incident wasn't me," he began.
"It was your stepmother?" Julia asked sarcastically.
Jason sensed from her voice she didn't believe him.
"Julia," Jason began but Julia cut in.
"I saw you, Jason," Julia said and Jason went silent making her believe she was not wrong.
Jason was trying to understand what her statement meant. He replayed the events of that day.
"It was a set-up?" Jason thought.
"Julia, who got you out of the warehouse?" Jason asked.
"Mrs Haward," Julia replied.
"Julia, how did you get to Florida?" Jason asked.
"James brought me," Julia replied wondering where he was going with his questions.
"Where did he take you," Jason asked.
"To your formal apartment to see Mrs Haward," Julia replied.
"Why?" Jason asked her.
"She, she, she told me," Julia began and stopped recounting all the times she got hurt.
"It was James and Mrs Haward. Jason always comes to save her," Julia recalled.
"Julia, I know our first meeting was not a pleasant one. Yes, I tied you up because I wanted answers to how you ended up in my bedroom and my bed. I don't get close to women," Jason said and Julia's eyes widened.
"I was his first?" Julia thought.
"You were different and you made me feel different. I knew nothing about love and was not even prepared for one. I never realized I was falling in love with you but I knew I didn't want any harm to come to you. I felt terrible seeing the scars on your hand after I tied you up in that room. I vow to myself not to do that to you again," Jason said.
"I found out you didn't come home after leaving my office and that is when we started looking for you. If you saw me at the warehouse, I came there to rescue you," Jason said.
Julia lowered her head realizing Mrs Haward played her.
"Mrs Haward told me, she came to rescue me from you," Julia informed him.
"Julia, and you believed her? Julia do you not pay attention to everything happening around you?" Jason asked her and walked towards her stopping just inches away from her.
Julia recalled the day she woke up in Jason's room. It was the only time he yelled and was violent towards her. He has since been gentle towards her. James attacked her twice, and Jason came to her defence. When Mrs Haward gave her that empty house to help her to start afresh and she got attacked by James, Jason came to rescue her and sent her to the hospital. She slowly got up and folded her lips feeling ashamed for concluding without thinking things through.
"I am sorry Jason," Julia said.
"Julia, I meant it when I said I love you. I know you love me too but if we don't have trust, we have nothing," Jason said.
"If all we have been through together we learnt nothing that will build trust between us, we have nothing," Jason said with traces of sadness in his voice which Julia noticed.
Julia hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"I am sorry Jason, I am sorry," Julia said.
Meanwhile, back at the Hawards, James kissed Fiona's forehead and told her he was going to the office and would be back at nightfall. Fiona went to take a shower and sat behind the dressing table applying some lotion to her skin. Mori saw James leave and she quickly called one of the guards upstairs.
"Go to Fiona, tell her James asked you to protect her and get her to move out of the room to the garden or something. You understand?" Mori said and the guard nodded and proceeded to carry on his assigned task.
The guard knocked on the door and Fiona responded by coming to the door.
"Good morning ma'am, boss James assigned me to protect you," the guard said.
"Oh, okay," Fiona said wondering what was going on.
"He asked me to show you something," the guard said. "Please come with me," he said and Fiona wondered what James was up to but she decided to follow the guard who led her to the garden behind the house.
Mori quickly used the spare key given to her by Mrs Haward to unlock Fiona's door. She entered and bugged her room with mini cameras. Outside Fiona was still wondering what James was up to as she waited on the guard.
"Boss James wanted you to see the garden," the guard said and Fiona frowned.
"Really?" Fiona replied and looked around briefly and decided to return to her room.
The guard called Mori and informed her, that Fiona was coming back. She quickly finished what she was doing and left the room locked. As soon as she entered her room, Fiona also entered the living room and walked straight to her bedroom unaware her room just got bugged.