The Return of The Betrayed Heiress

Escape from death

Chapter Nine

Anastasia POV

The chattering from around me pulled my attention towards the entrance. Silver linings decorated the top of the gallery and dropped into thin ligaments at the base. The yellow-orange light lit the entire room. People, there were so many people around. Some passed with a smile on their lips but I only stared.

Where am I? I glanced down at my hands, inspecting my thin fingers. The ring on the left hand was a gift from my mother, a family heirloom but Daniel had stopped me from wearing it since we got married- Daniel.

My brows creased as I noticed that my ring finger on my right hand was bare, no customized diamond ring- No, I can’t have it. Daniel wouldn’t like it, it would upset him-

Images of falling flashed through my mind again and I halted to a pause, I shouldn’t be here. I couldn’t be here, I was falling, falling to my death because Daniel pushed me off the balcony.

“Anastasia!” A voice I never thought of hearing echoed around me, my heart sunk at the cruelty of hearing his voice at such a time. There was no way he’d be here. He couldn’t be

“Anastasia, honey- are you okay?” My father stood in front of me with his eyebrows creased as he stared at my ashen face. He was dressed in a black tux and his greyish blue eyes stared at me. His hands reached out and gently touched my chin, I closed my eyes as I leaned into a touch. I missed this.

“Anastasia, you’re scaring me, darling,” he said softly and I opened my eyes to find out someone had joined my father. It was a face I would never forget, although lighter and softer than when I first saw him- Damon still had those deep eyes.

“Is everything alright?” He asked turning from me to my father who was still staring at me. I realized that they were both waiting for me to respond.

“I am fi-” The rest of my words died out as a younger-looking Daniel Reed caught my gaze and walked up to me. He was here. He was-

“Anastas-” but my body was thrown back into the same shock of falling- it didn’t take long to be overwhelmed by the darkness.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Even with my eyes closed in the darkness, I could perceive that I wasn’t alone. There was slight shuffling in the background and then whispers. Where am I?

“What happened to her?”

“She was triggered by something,” A masculine voice that I can’t recognize stated. “But there’s nothing to be worried about, her health has improved and she’s stable. You can take her home when she wakes up.”

“Thank you, Doc.” My father said and footsteps echoed out of the room, and as the door closed I opened my eyes.

“You didn’t have to pretend to be asleep,” Damien said at the corner of the room where he sat. He was staring at his phone. I adjusted myself on the bed and rubbed my forehead which ached slightly.

“Are you okay?” He asked as he tucked his phone away, his eyes stared at me carefully and I stared back. It was elating to see Damien here, from the last time- time- My eyes widened as I jerked upright.

“Woah? Calm down, you have to rest.” Time, I needed to find time.

“What’s time, what's the time?”

“You’re fussing over time, relax. I have one right here.” He said and I relaxed while sitting on my lower lips. “It's Nine p.m,” He replied and my hands curled around my sides.

“No, not that, What is the date? What’s the year?”

“It's 23rd of March 2017?”

It's 2017? There’s no way that this is possible, there is no way I have gone back in time- five years to be exact. A lot had happened in the space of five years, I had lost Dad, married Daniel, became the company chairman, and not to mention- I died.

Almost.

“You look shocked,” Damien said and turned to him slowly. Damien- he was the last person who saw me alive before I went to Daniel. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked gently scrutinizing my face.

“Yeah-” The door opened and my father stepped in with a bouquet. I remember what they were because Daniel always sent them to me.

“Daniel asked that you have thi-”

“I don’t want it.” I rejected it as I glared at the flowers. My father seemed surprised by my answer but Damien seemed unshaken as he returned his attention to his phone.

“Oh- that’s a starter. Well, then I can tell him to leave if you don’t want him instead.” So he was here. Why? If it was the 23rd of March, that means we hadn't started dating yet-

“Did something happen between you two? A week ago you were blushing over the fact that he got you a ticket to a private show with your favourite band.” Yeah, I do remember that. Does this mean that everything that happened back then will follow through and repeat itself?

“I just- I just need some space.” I replay whilst playing with my fingers. I couldn't bear to see Daniel, not right now, not like this.

“If you don’t want to speak to him I can distract him while Damien takes you to the car, is that okay?” My father asked as he tossed the flower in the bin. My gaze landed on Damien who had paused with what he was doing. I remembered in the ‘future’ when Damien told me about knowing my father. What was his relationship with him now? This was the first time I was paying attention to him.

As my father set off to get Daniel busy, Damien escorted me through the back. He was careful and asked if I was okay with walking. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, my head still hurt and it was a miracle that I didn’t pass out as I climbed down the stairs.

As we walked past the doors and began heading to the car, my vision blurred as a shock went through my body making my knees buckle underneath me.

“Anastasia-” my name was the last thing that rolled off Damien’s lips and for the second time, I was in the arms of Damien Graham.