Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 95: Hope

Chapter 95: Hope

Her scalp ached in pain, and her bones were clattering in fear, but she tried keeping it together.

He dragged her by the hair and then threw her towards the bed.

Belle tried scrambling off, screeching as her face hit the hard mattress. At first, she was hoping to try looking like a willing participant, but her face just refused to cooperate. As someone who has had no experience of seducing men, her body wouldn’t even stop trembling. Who would believe her attempt when she could barely even open her mouth?

"You’re making me really work for it!" Joseph sneered as he stalked over. His visage was made even worse by the dim lighting of the room, and Belle couldn’t help but mutter more pleas inwardly.

She was surprised at her ankle being gripped, only for him to remove her heels. He even threw them away as if ridding her of weapons. And she really felt that way because she was prepared to stab him with it.

Losing her weapons unnerved her, and she could feel her eyes stinging, threatening to unleash tears that this guy did not deserve.

Belle tried crawling towards the opposite side. She contorted her body despite his hold on her ankle, her fingers practically digging into the sheets, but it was all for nothing because Joseph just pulled her hard towards him.

She could feel him looming over him, like a monster ready to pounce, and the malice dripping from his stares overwhelmed her.

But she needed to hold on.

Just a little longer. Please.

Belle continued begging inwardly. She never wanted riches or anything fancy. She just wanted a safe environment where she could at least be free to exist. And that was so close already, just a few days away. But now she was here, and even after dosing him, she still had no idea if it would work.

All she knows is that he’s getting more and more violent instead.

She tried turning her face and body away from him, but he tugged on her necklace from behind, capturing it like a leash. Her eyes widened in fear, and she suddenly feared the fate she could envision.

The metal bit into her skin and the sudden force caught her off guard as she got strangled by the pendant pushing in on her throat. The necklace wasn’t even dainty, and it probably wasn’t expensive, but she fretted over it. That was the only gift she had received from her mother. She got it when she was young; it had been oversized until she grew bigger, but she’s worn it from the day she got it. Now, it might even kill her.

"Look at me when I’m talking to you!" She was yanked again, and this time, she yelled in so much pain.

"NOOOOO!" She exclaimed as she choked, one of her fists raised in an attempt to hit him, which just earned her a maniacal laugh.

It gritted on her ears, but at least he let go of her neck once he got a hold of her wrist. It was that or because the necklace snapped, unable to take the force used on it.

Joseph climbed on top of her, and he pushed her down with his weight. Belle tried kneeing him but got slapped instead.

SLAP!

She recoiled in impact; he didn’t try softening that blow, and Belle’s face stung. Her tears freely flowed now, but in her horror, that just seemed to fuel the man more.

Then he gathered her hands above her head, disregarding Belle’s screams and pleading.

She struggled more when she lost access to her hands and almost fainted when he closed in on her exposed shoulders. The scuffle practically dislocated her dress. She was disheveled and had more exposed skin than when she came.

Belle couldn’t help but cry out; her heart bled for her fate, and she convulsed as his breath touched her skin.

Why? Why me? She cried out internally, wanting to ask what she’d ever done to deserve losing what little dignity she had.

And then she felt the weight on her. Like a boulder suddenly crashing down.

"Omph! What the-?!"

It was then that she felt the hand pinning down her wrists slacken. Her eyes widened at the change. With her fear, she almost forgot about the ring’s effect.

Belle looked down at the man draped over her. Her misty eyes saw his drooping body, like someone who just fainted.

Then she tried recalling the plan. She had to stay inside for at least an hour or two because if she flew out in haste, Alexa’s men who were waiting outside would know that something had gone wrong. She wasn’t supposed to be well enough to walk, much less fight back.

She had to leave looking disheveled and barely able to walk. But right now, she was willing to crawl if she had to.

Belle lifted Joseph off her, even disdaining how she had to touch him to do this. But she’d vomit if she stayed in this position for any longer.

It was difficult, but she succeeded in pushing him off her. Then she began to look for her shoes, not really planning on wearing them but bringing them over to protect herself. She also pulled over the bedside lamp, thinking of whacking the guy in case he woke up earlier than expected.

She huddled by the corner, taking up as little space as possible. If she could meld into the wall, then she would probably do it.

How the hell did it even turn out like this?

Her anxiety prevented her from resting, as every crackle got her flinching. She wanted to hide inside the bathroom, but doing that would just trap her if the guy suddenly regained consciousness, so Belle just waited.

__

She had no idea how long it took, but her heart thundered when the door closest to her creaked open. Arms raised while clutching the lamp, she almost threw it if not for the face that greeted her.

"Shhhh...It’s me."

It was the same woman who had helped her earlier, and Belle did everything in her power to hold in her sobs. Her shoulders shook as she crawled towards her.

"You’re fine now. Your tail has left."

The woman before her was shorter, but right now, she felt like seeing the childhood hero she had always hoped for but never had.

She was assisted down the stairs and into a waiting vehicle. Behind them, she could see three men in cleaning gear slowly moving towards the room they just left.

"Those people are with us. They’ll clean up the room as well as your traces."

She was helped into the SUV, and there she saw several familiar people.

"Young miss!" Belle exclaimed as she saw Eliana’s worried face.

"Belle. I’m not your young miss anymore. Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with any more of that soon." She had a soft smile as she patted Belle’s shoulders.

"Miss...wuuu...wuu..." She couldn’t help it. The floodgates opened, and she shed all the tears that she had kept restraining earlier.

"Try to rest. We’ll take care of everything."

That was all that Belle heard before succumbing to the sleep that her body had been clamoring to get. For the first time in a very long time, Belle felt like she could breathe again.