When I woke up, my ears were filled with the sound of showers. I curled up on my side, and the room was filled with sunlight.

I rolled over and found that the other side of the bed was empty. I stroked the sheets with my hand and felt them still warm. Ben must have just taken a shower. As I walked back to my room, I yawned and raised my arms above my head. I walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Warm water ran down my skin. After washing my hair, I stayed in the water for a few more minutes.

When I came out of the shower, there was water vapor on the mirror. It's nice not to have to look at your own reflection. I wrapped myself in one towel and wrapped another towel around my hair.

I opened the door and saw Ben sitting at the end of my bed. The textbooks Oliver had brought were in his hands. When he turned to face me, I clutched the towel tightly. "What is this?" He asked, holding up the book.

"Oliver gave it to me," I said. "Can we talk about that later?"

"Diana, what is he going to do? Does that mean you're going back to Canada? Is he going to use a knife on you again? ”

"Don't say that while I'm wrapped in a towel."

Ben threw the book onto the bed. He gritted his teeth and ran his fingers through his wet hair.

"If he gets cocky and tries to do more surgery on you—" he began to complain. "He's not." I interrupted him. "He didn't do anything to me. He wants to do it to more people. ”

Ben glanced down at the book, then looked back at me.

"Did he ask you to help him?" He asked.

I nodded slightly.

"Yes," I said. "Bethany never let you do that?"

"Nope. She didn't. ”

"Okay. Well, you leave my room and let me change my clothes. We'll get to that later. ”

Turned around and left my room. I opened the closet door and found that the usual row of clothes was gone. It was replaced by a set of vest skirts.

When I put on my pajamas last night, those clothes weren't here. Someone came in to replace these while I was asleep. They'll see that I'm not in bed. I suspect it's Oliver. He may have asked Rita to do so, but she relayed the message to Oliver. She told him I had a headache, so she must have told him I was missing from the room. He might have come in and seen Ben sleeping with me.

I put on a new dress. The silky fabric has gone over my knees. Twist my hair back and secure it.

Ben was waiting outside my door. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His eyes scanned my clothes.

"It's new," he said.

"All my clothes are gone." I say. "Someone must have come in last night."

Ben bit his lip. His cheek twitched, revealing a small dimple. I raised an eyebrow, and he looked like he was struggling to suppress his smile. He held out his arm to me.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go have breakfast" I was tempted to ignore Ben's gesture, but I knew I shouldn't. I have to make Ben and Oliver happy. This is the key to getting out of it all. He and I interlocked our fingers and walked towards the restaurant together.

When we came in, the other patients were sitting around the big round table. Jane waved at us. Matt and Elias are having a deep conversation. Candace wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed the plate away. She walked past us and I could see her gaze.

Before sitting down, we filled the plate with eggs and toast.

"I didn't see you yesterday, Diana," Jane said. "I hope you enjoy it here."

"I'm sorry, I had a headache yesterday." I say.

"Are you feeling better now?"

I nodded. I jumped when Ben put his hand on my knee. He continued to eat breakfast without any repercussions.

"What's wrong with Candace?" Ben asked.

"She's the bad guy," Elias said with a shrug. "What else can I say?"

"Have you forgotten about her, Ben?" Matt said.

Ben smiled. "Never." I picked up the food from the plate and pushed it away. Ben pinched my knee. It was a warning that I was going to eat more, but I ignored him.

"Don't have an appetite yet?" Elias asked. "Once you insert the feeding tube down your throat a few times, you learn to eat."

"I've been there," I said. "Don't threaten me."

Elias smirked as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm not threatening you," he said. "It's just a warning."

I pushed my chair back and stood up. I already knew I wasn't going to be sold, so I didn't have to make friends. If anything, I should study in case he makes me a part of this weird surgery. I wanted to stand up, but I held out my hand and motioned for him to stop. When I walked out of the restaurant, he stayed.

Back in my room, I picked up my textbook and started reading.

--

I rubbed my temples. Spending hours reading heavy medical textbooks is a real headache for me. I put down the book and stretched my limbs. I've opened the door to connect my room to Ben's, but he's not there.

I frowned. I walked down the hallway to the next room: the pool was at the end of the hallway.

Candace was lying on a chaise longue. She was wearing a bikini, her blonde hair was coiled up, and she was holding an open magazine in her hand. Sunlight pours in through the domed glass ceiling. She turned to look at me. She removed her sunglasses from her face and placed them on top of her head. "Are you alone?" She asked.

"Yes," I said.

She swung her legs to the edge of the chair and sat down. She slipped her arm into the transparent robe.

"Sit down," she said. She lifted her chin and pointed to the chair next to her.

I looked at the empty hallway behind me. Judging by the way she walked out angrily at breakfast, I probably didn't want to hear what she had to say.

She smiled at me. This piqued my interest in what she had to say, and I sat down in my chair. Candace's eyes scanned my body.

"They gave you my old clothes," she said. "The Doctor kept it."

I looked at myself.

"Anyway," she said, regaining my attention. "I want to talk to you about Ben."

The way she said his name gave me goosebumps. She said in a vicious tone.

"Why?" I asked.

"I can tell he's already playing mind games on you," she said. "I want to warn you not to let that happen. There used to be a very sweet girl here, and she was caught up in all of this. ”

"Alec?"

Candace's brown eyes were wide open. My stomach is twisting into a knot. I rolled my fingers into the soft fabric of my skirt.

"He never told you about Alec?" She asked.

"Nope." I shook my head. "Who is she?"

"Dr. Phillips' second subject after Ben."

"What? I've never seen her. ”

If Bethany took Ben to Oliver's house, then why didn't she bring her? Is she coming to the dinner party?

"You won't," she said. "She passed away a year ago."

"How?" I asked. "Is it because of the surgery?"

"Overdose. She committed suicide. ”

"But you don't?"

She shook her head.

"I don't believe him," she said. "Ben has always made me feel that something is not right."

"He told me that in the first few years of his time here, he had been fighting Dr. Phillips and trying to escape." Candace scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I remember Ben's first dinner," she said. "He has nothing but a smile and respect."

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Seven years," she said. "When Dr. Lacroix kidnapped me, I was studying abroad in France."

Her fingers ran over the scar on her chest.

"He replaced my heart, and he sold me to Dr. Alexander two years ago," she said. She swung her legs back onto the recliner and leaned back. She opened the magazine and I caught a glimpse of the cover. There is news about a celebrity couple on it.

"I like you, Diana," she said. "I hope you don't believe Ben's plan. I don't want to see you die. ”

After talking,

I hurried back to my room. The hall was empty, and I was wrong to see Ben sitting on the bed. He spread the book on his lap. I wanted to turn around and close the door, but I knew there was nowhere to escape in the wings of this locked house.

"Where were you then?" He asked. "Where were you then?" I asked rhetorically.

Ben was shocked by my answer. He closed the book and motioned for me to sit next to him. I shook my head.

"Are you okay?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"Of course," he said. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Alec?"

I cursed myself for asking the question. It's never been smooth sailing for me, but it's painful.

Ben took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Who told you about her?" He asked.

"Candace," I said.

He was silent for a moment before he got out of bed. He walked towards me, but I took a step back. My knees shook as I gave way to him. I'm not going to let him trap me in the wall anymore.

"Diana, you can't trust her," he said.

He continued on his way. His body prevented me from getting out of the house or being able to jump over my bed and run into his room. I looked back and saw that the bathroom door was wide open.

"Candace hates me," he said. "She hated me all the time. She had a crush on me when I first attended this dinner, but I didn't feel the same way. She's been my nightmare ever since. ”

"That doesn't explain why you never told me about Alec," I said.

"What did she tell you about her?" He asked.

"She killed herself," I said. "She didn't say much." We stood in silence for a few seconds. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I put one leg out of my back. I'm ready to run away.

He said. "I'm afraid you're going to kill yourself too to get out of this situation."

"You think I'm going to kill myself?"

"I don't know, I'm worried. I can't lose you, Diana. ”

I exhaled with a shudder. Ben's blue eyes looked at me tenderly. He raised a hand, but I pushed it away. "Don't bother me," I said. "Get out of my room."

"Dee, please don't be mad at me," he said. There was a hint of panic behind his voice.

It looks like he's trying to stop himself from crying. When I saw Ben's pain, I felt pain in my chest as well.

I'm upset that he never told me about Alec, but I guess she doesn't come naturally into our conversation. She said Ben behaved politely and respectfully for all these dinners. He told me he always wanted to run away. She may just be jealous and trying to spread lies about Ben.

Judging by what others have said about her, she doesn't seem to be trustworthy.

"I need to be alone," I said.

"Please," Ben said. He grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me tightly in his arms. "Please, don't let Candace get between us. I told you I was going to take both of us out of here. Together, we get rid of it all. ”

I smelled his cologne. He hugged me tighter, and my cheeks softened against his hard chest.

He has already earned the trust of Oliver and Bethany. He can take us out of here. It took me a long time to gain that trust. I have to make him happy and then I can go home.

"I'm not angry," I said.

Ben took a deep breath and I felt his body relax. He pressed his lips against my temple.

"It's time for me to go back to studying." I say.

"We'll get out of here until Oliver turns you into a surgical nurse," he said. "How do you know?"

"I've already planned it. Three days after returning to Canada, we should be able to get out. ”

"Wait." I suddenly realized a terrible truth. "You're not going back to Oliver's house with us. You're just here to teach me how to perform at their dinner. ”

"I'll be there soon."

"How do you know? Because they're friends? ”

"Because they're engaged."

"What?"

He chuckled, a smile curling into his lips. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on mine.

"None of them are good people," he said.

I couldn't help but laugh. Ben kissed me on the cheek before letting go of me.

"Is there anything else I should know?" I asked.

He shook his head. "None."

I spent the next few days in my room. I locked the door that connected my room to Ben's room. Leta knocks on my door three times a day and asks, please come to my room in the morning. I refused, and Oliver would bring me food to my room.

I told him I was studying, so he didn't complain. Every night he would bring me a glass of water and medicine.

Normally, Oliver would leave my room after checking if I was taking my medication. This time he sat on the edge of the bed. I've changed into my pajamas and tied my hair up. Oliver put his hand on my bare leg and stroked my smooth skin. The air was full of moisture, but I was shivering.

"Dr. Phillips and others will come over in the evening," he said. I looked up from my book.

"When is dinner?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night," he said.

Oliver's hand reached into my thigh. My heart was pounding, and I pulled my legs away. I hurried to the other side of the bed.

"Dr. Alexander called me into his office at least twice a day," Oliver said. "He really wants you. He keeps giving me more money in exchange for you. ”

"You're not going to sell me, are you?" I asked.

"Don't worry, kitten," he said. "I won't." He got up from the bed, his eyes fixed on me.

"Leta will send you a dress in the morning," he said. "I hope you'll be dressed up tomorrow."

I closed my eyes tightly so that I wouldn't tremble. After leaving the room, he didn't say anything more. I jumped out of bed and ran to Ben's room. He sat on the bed and read a book as usual. I sat next to him, and he put his arms around me. He put me on the bed and leaned against me.

"How are you doing?" He asked. "I've barely seen you." "I'm just in a hurry to get home," I said.

Ben smiled. I'm surprised he hasn't knocked on my door these days. I was worried that he might have lost the feelings he confessed to me, but judging by his reaction, all my fears were gone.

"We're going to get rid of it all very quickly," he said.

He leaned over and kissed me. The heat rushed down my cheeks. Seeing this, he smiled and rested his head on me.

"You know dinner is tomorrow night, right?" I asked. "Yes," he said, turning his head and kissing me on the cheek. "Do you remember what I told you? Are you nervous? ”

"Yes," I said. "I just can't wait for this to be over."

"Soon it will be."

Ben propped himself up and stared at me. He smiled and pinned a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

"Did you talk to Candace again?" He asked.

"No," I said.

"Okay. Stay away from her. Trust me, she's a liar. ”

I nodded. Ben rolled over and hugged me to his chest. He covered us with a blanket and turned off the lights. He put his arm around me tightly throughout the night.

My mind kept thinking about what Candace and Ben had said. I don't know who told the truth, but I knew I wanted to go home and Ben could have taken me away.