Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

The work station in Sia’s house was almost similar to her office. A table and a chair were placed in one corner near the windows, which allow natural light in. Numerous materials lined the shelves in a cupboard with a glass door, a few mannequins with partly styled clothes hung on them and numerous fashion magazines were strewn all over the room. The only odd ones out were the two bean bags in front of the lit fireplace and a huge bookshelf with a hundred or so novels piled in it.

Sia sat in one of the beanbags in front of the fireplace, a glass of red wine in hand, and looked unblinking at the fire. It wasn’t winter yet, so the fire was only there more as a source of light rather than warmth, but it had rained earlier in the evening so the weather was a bit chilly. The fire gave enough warmth to beat off the chill.

“You wanted to say something?” Julian asked, not wanting to interrupt Sia but also curious as to what she had to say.

Sia didn’t turn to look at him and just stared at the fire. She was wearing a dark green t-shirt and blue jeans, her hair wet from a shower she’d taken right after reaching home. The glow of the fire cast a golden hue on her profile, making her look angelic. Julian could hardly blink. His heart seemed to be on overdrive.

He thought Sia hadn’t heard him when she didn’t reply. He was about to ask again when Sia finally looked up at him. She looked troubled. Her eyes were glossed over, and her lips trembled slightly. Julian wanted desperately to comfort her, to run his fingers through her wet hair, and to kiss those luscious pink lips. He balled his hands into fists at his side to control himself from doing something that could get him fired. But he needed to be near her.

“Do you want some beer?” she asked in a small voice.

Julian shook his head, and some of his dark locks fell onto his forehead. Sia’s eye followed their movement. She looked away quickly before she got carried away and motioned for him to sit next to her. Sia’s action didn’t escape Julian, however, but he controlled his expression and came to sit next to her.

“Julian, the things that I’m about to say . . . are . . . personal.” Sia began as soon as he had sat himself comfortably. “I don’t really want to do this, but for Leo . . . I have to. Just know that I can’t . . . repeat anything I say, ever again. I . . . just . . .”

Julian was instantly alert. He knew something was wrong. He knew that whatever he would hear today would change everything he knew about Sia, which wasn’t much, he thought to himself. He sat on the edge of his bean bag, their knees touching, and he wished that Sia didn’t have to go through this.

“Go on,” was all he could say. Sia nodded and drank the rest of her wine in one go before she narrated her tale.

“I was sixteen when I got married.”

Julian sucked in a harsh breath. Sia continued, now glancing at the fire.

“I was homeschooled. I never got to know what school life was about, what it was like having friends. I never even had a crush in my entire life, and I had never dated. My father was a businessman; he inherited Grandpa’s company. But he was nothing like my grandfather. . . and soon, his prodigal spending brought the company to bankruptcy. It was then that he decided to use me as bait. He always wanted a son, and I was his biggest failure. Mom couldn’t have any more children; she was too weak. So, he decided to put me to good use.”

Sia felt Julian’s hand giving a light squeeze to her knee. She turned to look at him and realized that she had started crying. She lifted her hand to wipe the tears away, but Julian beat her to it. He wiped her cheeks with tender fingers, his other hand still on her knee. After he was done, he nodded encouragingly at her, and Sia looked back at the fire once again.

“His name was Arthur Stone. He bought father’s company—for how much I have no idea—but it was enough that they can live their entire life luxuriously. Arthur wanted to marry me as soon as he laid eyes on me. I would be his trophy bride. I was given no choice. The fact that Arthur was twelve years older than me didn’t matter to my parents.” Julian’s grip tightened on Sia’s leg.

“He was . . . he . . . did . . . didn’t . . .” Sia broke down, and Julian immediately wrapped her in his arms.

“Shhh . . . It’s okay. It’s over. Shhh . . .” Julian repeated over and over in her ears as Sia’s little frame shook with the force of her sobs.

He was at a loss. He seriously wanted to kill the bastard who had hurt a sixteen-year-old girl. He knew he was going against his work ethics, but he couldn’t let Sia go. She had suffered so much. Julian felt her shivering and pulled her even closer. He didn’t want Sia to remember all these but knew that she had to get it out.

“I-I gave birth to Leo . . . wh-when I was eighteen. After that, I made it my sole purpose to only look after my son. This made Arthur angry, and he got violent. He . . . he would force himself on me . . . hit me . . . he . . .” Sia closed her eyes and buried her face in Julian’s chest. She didn’t care what consequences her actions might have. Right now, this felt like the right thing to do. With Julian, she felt safe.

“My parents wouldn’t believe me. They didn’t care, so I went to my grandparents. They believed me. They were the ones who took me to court and got me a divorce. Arthur was sent to jail for domestic violence and torture and also for marrying a minor. It’s where he has been for the last eleven years. I came to stay with my grandparents after the divorce was settled, then completed my college and started my own company. I haven’t spoken to my parents ever since.”

Julian stroked her hair lightly. His mind filled with everything Sia had just said. He was stunned. He had never thought that she had faced such hardships in her life. His respect for her increased a thousand fold in the past hour. He was right about what he had thought at the beginning: tonight was going to completely change how he viewed Sia.

But now, he had a bigger concern to deal with. And if his gut feeling was right, he was dealing with someone who wasn’t just out to get Sia but also wanted to make sure she paid for what she had done to him. He couldn’t tell Sia his concerns yet, not when she was in this state. But he knew he had to be a hundred percent sure about his assumption before he told her. But he never got a chance to investigate further that night.

Still wrapped in each other’s arms, they both fell asleep before the fireplace, unaware of what the future held for them.