TRAPPED: Hideo Colombo Book 1

THERE IS NO TV, no clock, only magazines and books in this room, so I can’t tell what time it is.

I don’t know how many hours I’ve been sitting on the sofa and looking out the window. I entered this room a while ago, and I was hungry, but I couldn’t do anything but sit and stare outside the window as my mind was blown by the wind again.

Eventually, I hugged my knees as the chilly night air came in from the open window.

“What are you doing?”

I almost fell from my seat when Hideo suddenly spoke from behind me.

“Jesus,” was the only thing I said when I looked back at him. My one palm was held against my chest.

As usual, he was serious again while staring at me. After a while, he walked closer to where I was sitting. I automatically moved to the edge of the sofa.

“What are you thinking, Ysolde?” he asked again.

But instead of answering his question, I just avoided looking at him. Later, I heard him let out a deep sigh and slump down to sit on the end of the sofa I was sitting on.

“I told you already… the thing I don’t like the most is when I ask questions, and then I don’t get an answer.”

I turned to him. He was staring at the marble floor.

“W-What do you really need from me, Hideo?” I mustered up the courage to ask him again. Even though I know he won’t answer my question, I don’t care. I just want to ask him again, so he doesn’t get mad at me. “W-What, do you really need from me to kidnap me and bring me here? I know. I know my papa owes you nothing. But what is your reason for doing this to me, Hideo?” I asked him. The corners of my eyes started to heat again while staring at him.

After a while, he turned to me. Even though I was afraid to meet his eyes on me, I didn’t hesitate to stare at him.

“I told you everything, Ysolde,” he said. “If you still don’t want to believe… that’s not my problem. But there’s only one thing you can’t refuse. You will stay here with me forever. You can no longer escape from this place.”

Suddenly, my tears fell because of what he said.

“That’s why I told you to train yourself, that you are here on the island, and you are with me. Because one of these days, we will get married.”

I was stunned when I heard what he said. My eyebrows quickly crossed. Even though my vision was blurry because of the tears blocking my eyes, I stared at him. What did he say? We will get married? Is he crazy?

“No, no! That won’t happen. I won’t marry you.” I told him firmly while shaking my head. “Even in my wildest dreams, I never thought I would marry a murderer like you, Hideo. I’d rather die than to marry you!” I shouted at him and quickly left the sofa. Even though my knees were shaking, I forced myself to step away from him.

“You can’t do anything, Ysolde. That’s your fate here on my island.”

“No!” I screamed and cried even more. “You have no right to decide what happens to my fate.”

God! What do you really want to happen to me? Why are you torturing me like this?

“You will marry me and say I do, or I will end your life, Ysolde? You choose.”

Tears welled up in my eyes after he said those words. Jesus. If only I had known that my life would be like this now, I wish… I wish I would have done the things that I didn’t do before. If only I had known that this is what I was going through, I would have given myself to Zakhar a long time ago. It’s fine if he cheated on me… he and Shiloh because I love him.

I WAS STILL crying silently while sitting on the cold marble floor under the shower. I huddled myself in the bathroom’s corner, as if that would help me get rid of the pain and fear that my heart was feeling at that moment.

God! Why are you doing this to me? Why are you torturing me like this now? What did I really do wrong with you? Did I do something wrong? Was I a sinful person in my past life that this is happening to me now? I lost my mom… I was separated from my father. My best friend betrayed me, even my boyfriend. Then this is happening to me now. Please! I want to go home. Please let me get out of this place. Get away from Hideo.

I can’t do anything now but cry alone until I get tired. The tears just dried up on my cheeks. I feel the pain not only in my heart, but also in my swollen eyes. Until now, what Hideo told me earlier is still echoing in my mind. I will marry him? How dare he? I would rather die here than marry someone like him. Deadly man, dangerous man. He’s a demon! He has no heart! Doesn’t he have a sister or a mother to do all this to me?

“Ysolde!”

I heard Jule’s voice from inside the room. But I didn’t bother to answer her. Instead, I hugged my knees and buried my face in them.

“Ysolde!”

I know she is already inside the bathroom and probably looking in my direction. Despite that, I still didn’t bother to raise my face to look at her.

“Boss said, get dressed and go down to the living room. He is waiting for you.”

“Tell him… I will not go down there. He would wait if he wanted to.” I firmly said, while still crouching.

I heard her let out a deep breath.

“Look, Ysolde, even if you cry all night and day. Even if you get mad at my boss, you won’t change his mind. So if I were you, just follow everything he says, so you won’t get hurt,” she said.

Even though I wiped the tears from my cheeks earlier, they got wet again because of the resurgence of my tears. I raised my face and fixed a sharp gaze on her.

“If you were in my position right now, I’m sure you would also understand how I feel right now.” I said firmly. “But you can’t understand me because you are not Hideo’s captive. Because-”

I didn’t finish what else I was going to say when Hideo suddenly came. He gazed sharply at me. I could also clearly see how his jaw tightened.

Jule went out of the bathroom without saying a word, leaving Hideo and me behind.

I didn’t bother to look away. Instead, I shot him a sharp look as well. Hence, I had the chance to stare into his eyes that seemed to burn with anger. The way he looked at me, I felt like I was going to die at any moment.

He stepped closer to me. My heart beat faster because of the fear of him. I pressed myself harder against the wall behind me. I hugged my knees tighter, then my tears continued to flow.

He crouches in front of me to level his face with mine. Just like earlier, his sharp gaze on me still hasn’t changed. Later, I was attacked by extreme fear when he suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“No!” I yelled at him and tried to pull my hand back from him. But his grip on my wrist only tightened. “P-Please! Please, Hideo no! Let go of me.” I shook my head while my eyes stared at him pleadingly.

But I could see nothing else in his face and eyes but serious emotion.

Without a word, he immediately pulled me out of the bathroom. He pushed me onto the bed, and he walked over to the closet, and took out a dress he had bought earlier for me.

“Get dressed-”

“No!” I shouted at him so loudly that he stopped speaking.

His jaws tightened even more and his eyes sharpened at me. Although the nervousness and fear in my chest increased, I still kept my sharp gaze on him.

“Don’t give me a reason now to be more angry with you, Ysolde.”

“Then don’t force me to do something I would rather not do, Hideo!” I snorted at him again.

I could clearly see how he clenched his fist while holding the dress. Later, I was surprised when he threw that dress on my face, which caused me to lie down on the bed. He immediately came to me and placed his heavy body on top of me. He took my hands and brought them above my head. Using one of his hands, he grabbed both of my hands and quickly choked me. I saw how his scary eyes were staring at me. The veins in his neck suddenly appeared because of his anger. I wanted to remove his hand from my neck because I felt like I was going to lose my breath from the tightness of his stranglehold on me, but I couldn’t because he was also gripping my hands. I’m having trouble breathing and I feel like my throat is going to burst because of what he’s doing to me now.

“Damn it, Ysolde! Never make me angry because I might suddenly kill you right now.” He angrily said and tightened his grip on my neck even more.

I felt myself sink deeper into the soft bed. I try to move my legs and feet that he is pinning.

“Follow my instructions if you want to live a long life. Get dressed and go downstairs.”

I can hardly breathe, and I feel the weakness in my whole body. But later he let go of me, and he left on top of me. I coughed one after another as my tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Put on those clothes and come downstairs right away. Don’t make me wait too long.”

That was it, and I heard his footsteps leaving the room.

I just sobbed and buried my face in the bed. I hugged myself.