Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 132: Hiding For Dear Life !

Chapter 132: Hiding For Dear Life !

Hearing the door close quietly, Samantha’s eyes fluttered open upon sensing Ivan’s exit from the room. Enduring the pain that had been ruthlessly inflicted on her poor back, she carefully pushed her body up into a sitting position, and there was a slight trace of worry in her eyes as she couldn’t forget about what Ivan had just told her... not like she didn’t try to forget it and get some sleep, but presently, she didn’t feel like going to bed as there were too many issues that plagued her mind.

Rising from the bed, she sauntered towards the table and poured herself a glass of water. Her throat had ran dry just thinking about her tangled predicament, but when she took a sip from the cup, her mind inadvertently drifted to the way Ivan had fed her water using his mouth, and the slight scandalous image appearing in her head made her cheeks blush instantly, whilst she quickly dropped the cup to discard it from her wits.

"I must be losing my mind." Samantha concluded on that fact, taking it to be an aftereffect of the beating she had received today. Whenever she made the slightest mistake to think about Ivan, his kisses and his unfamiliar affections towards her lately, it left her heart drumming in ways that neither felt bad or good. She shouldn’t let herself fall like this, they weren’t fit for one another, but the more she planned on keeping her feelings to herself, the stronger it grew.... And her main question was, why him?

Letting out a sigh that expressed her exhaustion, Samantha’s gaze darted to the closed doors, and she wondered where Ivan was going to, or if he would return for the night. Since he wasn’t here to monitor her like an overprotective Lord which he was, this would be her one chance to sneak into the orb room and confirm for herself if all what he said was true, cause as much as she wanted to believe it, her mind would not accept it until she sees some evidence that proves his statement factual.

Opening the doors as quietly as she could, Samantha peered out first to ensure the path was safe before stepping out completely. Closing the door behind her, the candles in the corridor-way were about to die out, making it appear dimmer than usual, but that wasn’t enough to stop her from visiting the orb room.

Quietly making her way through and reaching the upstairs railing unnoticed, the familiar voice of two people conversing had Samantha immediately crouching on her knees out of instinct so she could hide. Knowing the voice that presently spoke had to be Ivan’s, Samantha peeped through the railings only to see he was conversing with no one else but Lord Draven.

The mere sight of him nearly had her gasping out in fear, but she had slapped her mouth with her palm before she made any sound that would expose her presence to the two of them.

"Her existence is not meant to be!" She heard Lord Draven say to Ivan, almost as if they were in a heated argument. "She needs to return to what she truly is now out of my way so I can rectify the mistake your Father has made!"

Although she didn’t hear the full conversation, Samantha could guess that they were talking about her, and she should have listened to her instincts that warned her about the Four Lords retaliation. Knowing she needed to find a place to hide until he leaves, Samantha quietly returned to the corridor, but instead of entering Ivan’s chamber, she chose a different one since her instincts told her Lord Ivan’s chamber wouldn’t be the safest place to hide in as of now.

"Here we go."

Locking the door after entering one of the free rooms, Samantha tried to stay silent as she backed away from it. This particular room was shrouded with a shadowy darkness, making it difficult for her to see anything properly unless she strained her eyes, but as she kept moving backwards, her senses at full alert, Samantha’s pupils widened when she felt something crawl under the skin of her feet, and when she couldn’t hold it, a short panicked cry escaped her lungs as she nearly jumped out of her skin in fright.

Turning around in a swift motion to see what it was, it turns out it was only a scarf that was lying on the floor, saving her from having a heart attack.

"Thank goodness!" The relief that washed through her over-sensitive nerves nearly had her dropping to the floor, but she found her resolve soon enough. Currently, her situation has left her numb to the pain in her back.

"Deep breaths, Sam. It’s nothing." She emboldened herself, whilst patting her chest gently so she could calm her racing heart. But what if it is just her overthinking everything? Maybe he never came here for her and she just assumed he did. It’s possible...isn’t it? No?

A soft gasp escaped her lips when she heard footsteps just outside the door. Whoever it was certainly wasn’t heading for the room she was in, and when she dared to lean her ear against the wall so she could listen, she could hear the doors to Ivan’s room burst open, causing her heart to sprang in reaction, but when she listened, hoping to hear Ivan’s voice so she could open the door and go meet him, there was nothing....just a silence that didn’t sit well with her.

The only sound her ears could process presently were the sounds of her drumming heartbeat. Taking a deep swallow, Samantha held her breath when she heard the earlier footsteps exit Ivan’s room. Unlike how they moved at a faster pace earlier, the footsteps had suddenly slowed down, as though whoever was walking within the corridor was now taking his/her time to scout her presence.

She could hear several rooms open outside, making her heart rate quicken, and Samantha immediately stepped back from the door when she felt the door knob move, as if the person outside was trying to figure out if they could step in or not. If it was Ivan, she knew he would call out her name, or at least, alert her with the sound of his voice, but this person outside remained quiet, making her guess it had to be someone else.

Looking around the room hastily for a place to hide, Samantha’s gaze darted towards the adjoining room. Without waiting, she hurried in that direction and immediately closed the door after entering, but when she turned around to see where she had stepped into, it appeared to be a balcony that, shockingly, had no balustrade for support.

Wrong move!

Turning around so she could unlock the door, Samantha paused when she heard the main door burst open, and her face drained of all colors as she impulsively backed away from the door, but in that brisk attempt to get away, she eventually lost her footing and felt her body drop to the ground. Letting a painful hiss, she tried to regain her balance to stand up again, but her leg had slipped down the edge of the balcony, and in the blink of an eye, she was hanging on dear life while the rest of her body lingered mid-air as she swung her feet. Her dress fluttered with the wind, threatening to pull her into the void below.

"No! No!" Samantha tried to pull herself back up with the strength she could muster, but she could feel her hands losing grip, her knuckles turning white with fear. When she was starting to sense her own end, she suddenly heard a familiar voice speak from inside, igniting her hope.

"Where did she go??"

"I-Ivan!" Samantha didn’t hesitate to call out his name as she struggled to pull herself up. "I’m in here!"

"Samantha?!"

Hearing Ivan call her by her real name almost had her forgetting that that was her actual name. Looking below, the height difference had Samantha’s eyes growing wider in fear, and she turned away. Unfortunately, her grip kept slipping no matter how hard she tried to hold on, and when the door to the balcony eventually burst open to reveal Ivan, her hand slipped.