Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Outside, there's a rattling sound. "Miranda, are you here?" questioned a middle-aged female voice.

Miranda awoke. She hastily discarded her memories of the past and rapidly wrapped a towel over her body.

The other lady spoke again, this time a bit louder, as if she couldn't hear the sound: "Miranda, are you still here?"

Miranda looked around the bathroom and noticed a white nightgown.

"Who's out there?" she exclaimed as she rapidly slipped it on.

The other woman appeared to have calmed down after hearing Miranda's voice. "I'm Anna, Stephen's housekeeper," she said softly. He told me to make breakfast for you."

"Thank you very much, Anna." Miranda said quietly as she emerged from the bathroom.

"You must drink this."

Anna placed the rations on the table and looked across at Miranda. A blister bag containing only one light yellow tablet was in her palm. Miranda couldn't help but be astonished when she saw it. She glanced at Anna, concerned, and inquired, "What medicine is this?"

"This is an emergency contraception," Anna said as she placed the pill in Miranda's palm, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her. Stephen informed me that before I could go, I needed to witness her take this medicine."

Miranda's lower lip trembled slightly. That dude was truly a monster. After last night, he even suspected she was pregnant. "Does he think I want to have a baby with someone as crazy as him?" she mocked.

"It'd be best for you and Stephen." Anna shook her head. Her expression had not altered since she walked into this room.

"That's great."

Miranda made a remark and hastily swallowed the tablet. A bitter taste permeated throughout her mouth cavity, making her feel uneasy and causing her to cough incessantly.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm OK. I dislike swallowing bitter-tasting medicines. Will I be able to leave this room?"

"Nope." Anna made a shaky motion with her head. "You'll have to stay here and just see me and Stephen."

"What's the problem?" Miranda rolled her eyes and said, "Does he intend to keep me as a prisoner? It's against the law."

"I have no right to comment here. It was Stephen's order."

"Anna, but what he's doing is illegal. What occurred last night and what happened today." Miranda spoke firmly, stressing each word of her statement.

Miranda was a little upset since Anna still didn't respond. Despite this, she managed to persuade her with an almost pleading voice. She didn't want to be imprisoned here like a bird in a cage.

"I am a citizen, and he cannot treat me the same way. Anna, you should not be assisting him. Please let me go." Miranda pleaded her case.

However, she did not have good fortune on her side. Anna's frigid, expressionless face responded to Miranda's pleadings and mournful gaze.

"I cannot ignore Stephen's commands," she responded firmly. “He stated that this is your verdict. This property is located distant from the city center and does not have Internet access. Please accept my invitation to stay here. Without Stephen's approval, no one can help you. I have to leave immediately. Breakfast has been prepared. I'll deliver your lunch and your dinner on time. This is where they will be served. Have a great time."

Anna exited the room without waiting for Miranda to finish her sentence. Miranda shouted and knocked on the door, but it remained shut. She dashed out into the corridor, convinced that she might escape by scaling down the curtain remnants. Miranda, on the other hand, swiftly succumbed to despair as the door to the corridor was unlocked. Stephen appeared to be able to read her mind. He planned for Miranda to be at the highest point of the mansion while meticulously barricading the passageway.

Miranda retreated to her bed in desperation. She cried on the nice mattress before falling asleep.

Miranda awoke around nine o'clock in the evening. Miranda was taken aback, looked about, saw no one, and breathed deeply in relief.

"He isn't here. I'm not sure if he'll arrive tonight."

Miranda trembled with horror. She was up against a guy whose life was fully in his hands. Her boredom was heightened by the fact that she was in a passive state.

Time went slowly, and the hand of the clock on the bedroom wall read eleven o'clock. Miranda's stiff body suddenly relaxed after all this time.

"It's eleven o'clock; he's not coming tonight."

Miranda waited until she was perfectly calm before getting out of bed and strolling to the other table. With each fresh dish, the breakfast part has been changed. It's clear that Anna has been here before. Miranda's stomach grumbled. She put her thoughts aside and walked up to the table.

"Anyway, I can't get out of here. Then I must first live."

Miranda ate delectably. She strolled out into the corridor after eating, inhaling in the fresh air.

“All are free, except me.” - Miranda exclaims!

She then went back to her room and changed into her pajamas in the bathroom. Miranda filled the tub with water first, then stood in front of the sink with a toothbrush in hand, ready to apply cream. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard through the sound of rushing water.

Miranda's motions were rigid almost immediately. She stood immobile in front of the sink for a time, clutching a toothbrush in her hand, before pushing open the bathroom door and finding Stephen standing in front of the bedroom door.

Miranda was concerned at first, but when she noticed that it was late and Stephen had not returned, she eased her attitude. She hadn't psychologically prepared herself to face him. Miranda shuddered as she saw Stephen standing in front of her. Her worry and strain squeezed on her chest, speeding up her heartbeat.

When Stephen heard a knock on the door, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Miranda, but he didn't express any emotion.

Stephen's stare jolted Miranda. She took her sight away from him and hastily bowed her head, opening her lips to inquire, "You're back?"

She kept her face down, putting the top of her head closer to his. She didn't even bother to look him in the eyes. Stephen tightened his lips, his gaze averted from Miranda, as if he didn't care about her inquiry, calmly going up to unbutton his shirt one by one.

The air got incredibly stuffy. Miranda was terrified about having to confront this chilly man. She only hoped there was a door open so she could flee from him, but there were still four walls in front of her. She was clutching the toothbrush. Miranda couldn't take it any longer, so she made an excuse to dodge it:

"Ummm... maybe... maybe the bathtub was full…I... I need to take a shower."

Stephen remained unmoved, not even reacting to Miranda's subtext. He only focused on pulling off his clothing, put them on the side of the sofa in the bedroom, and walked out, approaching the room's door.

Miranda recovered after Stephen had been gone for a long time. She closed her eyes and took a long breath before turning and walking inside the restroom. She attempted to spend as much time as she could in the bathroom, as if it were the safest place to hide from Stephen. But no matter how hard she tried to put it off, she had to leave the restroom.

She noticed Stephen seated on the bed as she opened the bathroom door. He was already dressed in his nightgown, arms folded behind his head, eyes closed.

Miranda then shuffled over to the dressing room and sat down, depressed. The dressing table mirror faced the bed, allowing her to see Stephen's motions through it.

Miranda barely ventured to steal a quick glimpse at the man at first, until she was certain he was sleeping. Miranda ventured to exhale at this point, and her breathing became more normal. She remembered what had happened the night before and Anna's statements this morning. Everything is like a slow-motion movie playing out in front of her eyes. Her pulse got very rapid.