Often, Caspian lost sight of his goal. He was doing this because he wanted to stay alive. Why did it then feel like he did this so Asher wouldn’t hate him? When had the shift happened?
When had he stopped caring for his safety and more about his captor looking at him in disgust if he found out his secret?
Hannah’s work was flawless, the glitter around his eyes made them look dreamy, the soft shimmer on his shoulders as well.
The make-up she had done was subtle but it had taken a lot of work for it to look that way, emphasizing the size of his eyes and his clear skin.
She put waves his mostly straight hair, styling it elegantly with light accessories. He couldn’t recognize himself when she was done, marveling at his reflection in the mirror.
Hannah glanced at the watch on her hand, offering a hand to him. "It’s best we move now, we don’t have a lot of time left."
Caspian doubted that, he wondered why they had to be in such a hurry. He could barely walk in his heels, couldn’t they take their time a little bit?
Hannah seemed to notice his struggle in the heels, glancing at them as they stepped into the bedroom.
"Do you want to follow the back door? It’s shorter," She suggested.
Caspian was once again grateful for the maid’s thoughtfulness, "Yes, please."
Caspian had never been through the part of the mansion that they went through, looking around curiously.
He had seen the back of the house before from a distance, while he was looking for ways to escape but he noted that there were fewer guards now than there had been then.
He wondered if security was lighter in the daytime and if he would have been more successful if he made his escape then.
Caspian was helped out the back gate and into a waiting car, relieved that Hannah had stayed by his side because he was certain he would have tripped.
"Thank you," He whispered to her, his voice filled with genuine gratuity.
The car door was shut then so he missed the guilt in her eyes, sitting back as the car drove off.
Caspian wished he had a phone, something to keep him occupied... He wondered if he would get one if he just asked for it.
After all, he had been given a brand new laptop just because he had to do a Google search.
The men in the car were unfamiliar but Asher’s men were plenty, and they constantly changed shifts, so he couldn’t hope to know any of them.
As car companions, he preferred the quiet stoic men over Asher and Jael. He would take the tense silence any day over Jael’s questions.
Caspian fiddled with his glitter-painted nails, trying to ignore the anticipation bubbling under his skin.
He didn’t know what restaurant they would be going to, the windows blacked out, making it rather hard to see out.
The journey eventually ended, it was just a little past noon, and a man in a leather jacket who had been waiting for them in the parking lot helped him open the door.
Caspian looked around as he carefully stepped out of the car, searching for a certain towering Alpha.
"The boss booked a private room, please come with me."
Caspian did as he was told, his heart rate spiking at the information that Asher had booked a private room - that couldn’t bode well for him.
Because the flimsy dress he had on was the only barricade between his secret and Asher’s hands.
The man marched confidently through the restaurant, none of the other patrons or waiters batting an eye at him, despite his holstered gun being in plain sight.
"The boss is behind that door," He spoke again, voice gruff as he opened the door and pushed him inside.
Caspian was so startled by this swift turn of events, his heart sinking as he heard the unmistakable sound of the key turning in the lock.
His nose scrunched up as he looked into the room, a familiar scent of cigarette smoke wafting to him.
Caspian pressed himself against the door, wishing he had the strength to break it down. "You’re not Asher."
Nikolai’s smile didn’t touch his cold eyes, the trail of smoke from his lit cigarette barely visible in the dimly lit room. A low-hanging chandelier was the only fixture lighting up the room.
"Does it matter?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
Caspian couldn’t see why not, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around himself because the Alpha’s eyes seemed to strip him down.
"I was told I would be having lunch with Asher," He insisted, the realization slowly dawning on him.
Why Hannah had been so shifty, why she had been eager to offer that he use the back door, why they had to be in such a hurry...
Asher had never asked to go to lunch with him, it had been Mafia King Nikolai the entire time.
"Starting to come to terms with your situation?" The Alpha asked casually, pulling out the seat next to him. "Since you’re already here, it’d be a waste not to have lunch."
Caspian couldn’t believe his ears, how could the Mafia King be so casual after orchestrating a kidnap just to... just to have lunch?!
"J-Just lunch?" He asked carefully, unable to hide the tremble in his voice.
There was a high chance no one actually knew he was gone, it meant he was at the mercy of the cold Mafia King in front of him.
Nikolai’s smile didn’t wane but his eyes seemed to bleed to black, "Just lunch." He agreed.
Caspian didn’t trust him but he had no choice but to push away from the door and make his way over to the table.
It was already hard enough to walk in his shoes without the added pressure, legs trembling as he sat down.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to make proper introductions the last time we met," Nikolai started.