Capturing The Little Belle

Chapter 5

“ Sir…….,” Davis spoke in a respectful tone. He was standing behind the lawn chair on which Ashton was sitting. It was 9-0 clock in the morning.

Ashton acknowledged Davis's presence behind him but he kept on petting his boy's titan and prince that clung to his legs.

As usual, he was in a bad mood. He was just shocked about how she could betray him like that, what were the guards doing all the time and who the hell was that man to whom she had given it.

He had always thought that she was weaker and older, but the shock she had given him was deep, and the rage this lion was holding inside would soon come out once she was in front of him.

“ f**k…., ” Ashton spoke in an angry tone.

The cars were already waiting for him. For others, it would simply be a long and tiring journey, but for him, it would be more than that. It's been years since he last visited that place. He hadn’t planned anything yet. What if they snatched her from him? What if they find her? Would it all come to vein just in a moment, all these years he had been hiding her, and now it all would be destroyed in a second.

“ Sir……, ” Davis spoke again in a polite tone, growing a bit impatient as he had been waiting for Ashton's response for quite some time.

“ I know…..., ” Ashton spoke in a rude tone. He patted his boys and stood up, suppressing his thoughts.

As he stood there, the weight of uncertainty and dread settled upon him like a heavy fog, and memories flooded his mind, reminding him of the risks he had taken to hide her.

He was walking towards the main entrance where his cars were waiting for him. As he reached closer, the cars lined up before him, ready to embark on the long and treacherous journey to the place he had avoided for so long.

The memories of tying those tiny hands together played like a broken record in his mind. Each step he took forward seemed to amplify the vividness of that particular scene. The image of her in that dirty school uniform, her face stained with tears, haunted him relentlessly.

He knows that he had been very cruel but he had to do it because it was the only way to take revenge. She was the only dearest thing to them. She was the one for which his father had been betrayed by his partner, she was the one for which his parents got murdered, and she was the one for which he was deprived of his rights, his property, and his house. He was deprived of his education and was all alone there seeking shelter and solace in a world that had turned its back on him.

He would have been a different personality, he would have been a kind soul, and he would have lived happily with his parents by his side, but it all got snatched from him slowly as the news of Mrs. Jackson’s pregnancy spread around. The behavior of those around them started to change, his father got played and their family had to suffer.

The bond between Mr. Knight and Mr. Jackson had been forged through years of friendship, growing up together, and sharing countless memories. From their days as schoolmates to building their own families, their lives have been intertwined.

As adults, they both embarked on the journey of marriage and, while Mr. Knight experienced the joy of becoming a father with the birth of Ashton, Mr. Jackson found himself grappling with a growing sense of insecurity. The success of their building company seemed to be directly tied to the presence of an heir, and with no child of his own, Mr. Jackson's worries deepened.

The once pure and harmonious friendship began to strain under the weight of envy and apprehension. Mr. Jackson couldn't help but feel overshadowed by Ashton's birth, fearing that one day everything they had worked for would solely belong to the Knight family.

Though he struggled with these feelings, Mr. Jackson tried to hide his insecurities, maintaining a facade of contentment. However, beneath the surface, resentment brewed, tainting their once unbreakable bond.

While Mr. Knight experienced a smoother journey in both his personal and professional life. Mr. Jackson found himself wrestling with the sense of being left behind. The dreams they had shared as young boys, of conquering the business world together, seemed to slip away as the disparity between their circumstances grew.

The friendship that had once been a source of strength and support faced its greatest challenge. After 16 years of waiting, finally, Jackson heard the news for which he was waiting impatiently. Jackson's long wait and anticipation for this news triggered negative emotions within him, specifically cruelty and greed. He thought that for years he had worked for nothing and now the time had arrived to get what had always belonged to him. Jackson felt that he had contributed significantly to the success of the company and deserved recognition or reward. Consumed by these emotions, Jackson committed something very inhuman and unforgivable.

" sir....., " Thomas spoke bringing Ashton back into reality. He is Ashton's protective guard who accompanies him during his travels. He was showing Ashton the route that they were going to take, but Ashton was preoccupied with his thoughts and memories, seemingly disinterested in the route that Thomas was showing him. Ashton's neutral face was clearly indicating that he might be struggling with internal emotions or memories that he would rather forget.

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" Here drink it .................., " Belle spoke in a worried tone. She was putting the spoon filled with water in Lucy's mouth as she had not eaten anything since the day before. Her throat was getting enlarged with swelling, making it difficult for her to eat anything. Her condition had got worse and it was all clear that she was almost taking her last few breaths these days.

Lucy was satisfied that she had entrusted Peter with a letter to be delivered to a foreigner who was arriving that day. She had specifically requested Peter not to read the contents of the letter and instead deliver it directly to the foreigner. Her satisfaction stemmed from her belief that Peter would fulfill this task as promised.

But something was strange. Peter had not arrived yet. Last night, he took the letter from Lucy and promised her that he would come back to inform her that he had fulfilled the responsibility she had given him. it was almost noon and the foreigner arrives early in the morning. He will be gone by now. Lucy's eyes were all fixed on the door, she was just waiting to see a glimpse of Peter.

On the other hand, Belle's worry about Lucy's condition weighed heavily on her heart. As her only relative, Lucy held a significant place in Belle's life, and the thought of losing her was unbearable. Belle herself was a complex mix of bravery and inner brokenness. Deep down, she carried the remnants of a haunting childhood nightmare, the scenes of which were both vivid and blurry, leaving her with fragmented memories.

For years, Belle had struggled with the trauma stemming from that incident, desperately attempting to make sense of the lost memories and the impact they had on her life. She longed for solace and understanding, hoping that Lucy could provide some answers or perhaps share similar experiences. However, whenever she approached Lucy about these matters, Lucy dismissed them as mere illusions or bad dreams, refusing to acknowledge the gravity of Belle's emotional turmoil.

Little did Belle know that her life was on the brink of a dramatic and unforeseen shift. The universe had conspired to bring forth a series of events that would test her resilience and reveal the depths of her strength. She would see the new world, the world she was unaware of, the world that would change her and her identity.