NovelEnglish
20- Movable staircase
Sarah’s pov
I think I am about to achieve something in near future. It was a hunch. I was this close to my success. To
my one and only fiancé.
Justin!
I did not know what went between that maid and Justin. However, for the first time in my life, I saw Justin
getting scared of something.
It was written on his face.
When she was calling that stupid Sean my fiancé, Justin did not want me to tell her that Sean was not
her husband.
Did Justin lie to her? Justin never lied in his entire life. Why now?
The way he tried to hold her when she went to Sean for attacking him. He was cupping her cheek so
gently when I entered his room, I won’t lie. I was hell jealous.
The way he was looking at her. Why?
I was his fiancée and he never looked at me like that.
Wasn’t it part of the contract that they were not allowed to communicate? She was not allowed to use the
bathroom in his presence.
She was supposed to spend this one year on a mattress.
So, why she was getting all the unnecessary attention from Justin? Something was fishy. She thought
Sean was my fiancé. That means she thought she was married to Sean.
I needed to talk to Sean.
“May we come in?” I looked up to find Nadia and Shella standing in the doorway, “Sorry. We knocked but
you were too engrossed in your la la land.”
They came inside and sat close to me on the bed, “You seem tense.” Shella asked with concern.
I told them whatever happened in the room.
“I think you are right. She must have thought that Sean was her husband. What I don’t understand is …”
Shella lifted her legs and sat cross–legs before me, “All this time she had been living in that room. Justin
was the only one going there. He was the only one visiting her. Is she that much dumb? Just imagine.”
By the end, they both were laughing which made me smile.
Justin never liked dense–skulled, giggling girls. He always liked someone who could carry out an
intelligent conversation.
I was sure the attraction Justin might be feeling towards her was temporary. Thank God, I was blessed
with friends like Nadia and Shella otherwise I might be scratching my head by now.
***
Ashley’s pov
It was Justin’s room and being a gentleman, he had left it for me. The maid who brought my meals used
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtto place the tray and I used to finish my whole plate.
Unintentionally, I was following all his advice. But now I was no more ready to confine here. I needed to
go out and find a job. Once I would be settled, I would ask them not to bring me any more food.
They wanted to constrain me because they did not want the news to go out that Deluca’s heir had not
only gotten married but also had a bride hidden inside his bedroom.
If that was the deal, I was ready for it. I won’t flaunt the fact that I was the wife of Justin Deluca.
My heart missed a beat when I thought of him. Two days had passed since we last met.
He did not attempt to set foot in the room. The room that belonged to him.
When I got done with dinner, I waited. I could no longer sleep as I took too many naps during the day.
Once I was sure that they all must have retired to their rooms, I got up and examined the window
umptieth time. I had already checked the height which was a bit more than the window in the Eden
Garden Orphanage.
Closing my eyes, I asked for help from God and started climbing the window. Once stepping outside on
the ledge, I stood straight and took deep breaths. I did not know after how many days, I was breathing in
the fresh air.
Making sure the window does not slide back, I put the blind frame back. As the room was dark so
anyone looking at the window from outside would never get the idea that the window was opened.
Not at least in one glance. I needed to take this risk if I wanted to be independent.
There was a drainage pipe going down all the way. I held it with all my might and started slipping down.
The moment my feet touched the ground I wanted to jump with joy.
Yes! I did it! This seemed to be the backyard of the house. I guess I could not use the gates. I looked for
some electric wires covering the walls. But there were none.
I prayed that there was no electric current running in the walls. I went to a bushy area and hid in it when I
felt a searchlight on my head. The guard must be observing the area. Once the search spot was gone, I
tried to climb the wall and got slipped landing on my back!
Urgh!
Why can’t they make a window that landed directly outside the house? Just like they show in movies. I
stepped back and went running to the wall trying to use my feet as quickly as possible. I did not want the
guards to find me under that bright searchlight.
Yes! After climbing it, it was no more difficult to jump to the other side.
It was the weekend and two blocks away the area was bustling with tourists and locals. There was a fair
number of teenage couples on dates.
I kept walking not sure where to go when someone tapped my shoulder from the back.
“Ma’am. You are blocking our way!” I literally jumped and spun around only to find a young
couple looking at me. I quickly got aside.
“I am sorry,” I muttered. By now I was feeling hell thirsty.
“You seem new here.” The boy who might be twenty or twenty–one years old of about my height asked
me, putting his arm around the girl. They both were young and cute. The girl was slim, dark–skinned,
and sexy while the boy was lanky and had blond curly hair.
His blue eyes seemed glassy behind those thick–rimmed glasses.
I licked my lower lip and nodded my head, “I just got shifted two blocks from here.” He frowned and they
both looked at each other.
“Two blocks away is the elite colony just beside Deluca empire. You are from there?” He ran his eyes on
me, examining me from head to toe. The girl beside him poked her elbow in his chest.
“Ouch, Ev!” I smiled because she just gave him a slight nudge. He was being over dramatic.
“Shut up, Elijah. That place is not only for rich people. She might be a servant or some house help’s kid.
And she seems thirsty too.” She opened her tote bag and offered me a mineral water bottle. I took it from
her and finished in one go.
When I removed the bottle from my lips Elijah was looking at me with a raised eyebrow, ” Thirsty! Aren’t
we?”
“I am sorry, Elijah.” Still holding the bottle, I waved at them, “I need to go. I am here to look for
something.”
I wanted to move away from there. They knew about the Deluca empire. They might know about Justin
too. Silly me! Who wouldn’t?
“Can you tell me what you are looking for?” The girl spoke to me. There was sincerity in her
and voice. But same was the case with Justin.
eyes
“I… I am looking … for a job.” I tried to flash a smile.
“What?” They both were standing there open–mouthed and then the boy whose name was Elijah started
laughing holding his tummy, “Girl! You are funny. Who looks for a job at night? Ha -ha.”
I did not have time for this stupidity.
“Thank you for giving me this!” I waved the plastic mineral water bottle in the air and was about to turn
when I heard the girl.
“Stop. Please stop.” She again shot that look in the guy’s direction, “I am Evelyn, and he is my boyfriend,
Elijah.”
“Hi, Evelyn. Hi Elijah!” I said with a bit of sarcasm in my tone. I did not want to stay here for long
otherwise they would certainly notice my crumpled clothes and then they might…
But I could not run away from everyone, anymore if I wanted to find a job.
“And you are?” Evelyn asked me, “And please ignore his rudeness.”
“I am Ashley. Ashley Walters.” Evelyn extended her hand for a handshake when I got done with my
introduction.
After the handshake, she gestured for me to walk with them, “Do you want a fancy job,
Ashley? Because right now we do have a job.”
Elijah turned his head to his girlfriend as if questioning her and then rolled his eyes when she wiggled her
brows.
“I just need to earn some cash. I need it badly.” I did not want to sound desperate, but I did
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmnot think I had a choice.
“Ok, Ashley. We own a small ice cream parlor.” This time Elijah spoke and thankfully he was serious this
time, “We sell fresh juices, shakes, coffee, and donuts but ice cream is the main attraction of our shop.
We have got two helpers who take care of it when we are away for our little me time.” He kissed Evelyn’s
cheek affectionately making her blush, “It’s twenty hours shop so we take turns. We keep it close on
afternoons. On weekends we run it for twenty–four hours too. Depending on the crowd.
Don’t worry you will be working in shifts. Sometimes, my cousin helps us with that. Right now, one of our
helpers is leaving the town and has resigned. So, unless you don’t find your ideal job, we can hire you.”
I could not believe it. I had gotten a job? Just like that?
They both took me to that small ice cream parlor where they explained how I needed to be vigilant about
its cleanliness. I needed to deal single–handedly with the cash counter and ice cream tubs mostly.
Coffee and shakes were handled by the other employee.
Making shakes was not my department for the time being. But I would be needing to get trained for that
as well.
I stayed there and they explained to me how to handle the cash counter. Filling the cups and the cones
with scoops of ice cream seemed fun.
I even started managing a few of the customers. Elijah whom I found a little rude initially proved to be a
sweetheart. He not only taught me patiently but also gave me tips about how to carry myself if I wanted
to face the crowd.
I even dropped some chocolate fudge ice cream on the counter but none of them complained
or made an issue.
Elijah immediately wiped it, “It’s ok. You will learn quickly. You are a beautiful girl, Ashley. Try to be
presentable. I don’t want anyone to make fun of your clothes. I can give you a little bit of advance
payment…”
“No, silly. Wait.” Evelyn stopped him and went inside the pantry of the shop.
When she came back, she had two skirt dresses, “These belong to a former employee. When she left
urgently, she did not have time to take her stuff. She was of your height and built. I think these should
serve the purpose.”
I did not know why a tear slipped down my cheek, “Thanks, guys.”
“Hey!” Elijah frowned at me, “Stop being emotional. Join from tomorrow night. We will
manage in the daytime.”
Before leaving that small Ice cream Heaven I hugged both of them excitedly.
I jumped on my way back to the Deluca Mansion. The way I was laughing hysterically all alone could
make anyone believe that I had gone crazy.
I was even singing a romantic song. However, when I reached the boundary walls of the Deluca
mansion, I stopped short.
There was a small, movable staircase, painted in white resting next to the wall. It had small wheels under
it. A uniformed guard was standing there beside it.
“I am asked not to let you jump over this wall, ma’am. You can use this to enter the mansion.“
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