[BL] Obsessed with Him, Surrendered to His Voice

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: My Escape Wasn’t Over

~Reynold’s POV~

”That’s why you need to do what we say.” He leaned in closer. ”Mr. Mike will be here by next weekend. Be ready for him. He will take care of you, and once he does, I’ll finally have enough to pay your university fees. Okay?”

The realization crushed down on me like a physical weight. ”You want me to use my body to save your company so you can pay for my tuition?”

”No, Reynold, don’t put it like that,” my father lied smoothly, his eyes devoid of warmth. ”Think about your education. You still need us in your life. Save my company, and I’ll do anything you want. Think about your mother. Okay?”

I stared at the floor. My father knew exactly how to trap me. My mother had been battling a mental illness for years, and he had been the one taking care of her all this time. As much as I hated admitting it, I couldn’t risk turning my back on him when my mother’s care still depended on him.

I knew he was manipulating me. I knew exactly what he was asking me to sacrifice. But for my mother, I had no choice but to endure it.

I nodded slowly. ”Yes, sir.”

”It’s only for a few months,” he added, as if that made it better. ”After Mr. Mike is done with you, it’ll be over.”

I nodded again, numb. ”Yes, sir.”

I couldn’t fight back. It was useless.

My father stood up, smoothing his shirt. ”Your brothers are heading back to university. Thomas said he won’t allow you to stay with them on campus anymore—”

Thomas offered a smug, cruel grin from the doorway.

”—but don’t worry. Once you do what I asked, I’ll get you your own apartment and pay for this semester. For now, stay home.”

”All right, sir,” I whispered.

I stood up, stepping back as my stepmother hissed under her breath, muttering, ”Joy killer,” as she turned away.

Thomas and Deacon grabbed their bags and walked out the front door into the glaring afternoon sun, leaving me standing alone in the suffocating living room, the echoes of my father’s betrayal ringing in my ears.

I left the living room and retreated to the quiet sanctuary of my bedroom. Closing the door softly behind me, I walked over to the dresser, picked up a small hand mirror, and winced. The left side of my cheek was bright red and swollen where my stepmother’s hand had struck me.

I pulled up a chair and sat beside the window, staring out at the manicured yard as the afternoon slowly faded into evening.

The bitter truth burned in my chest. My father wasn’t poor. He was wealthy enough to pay my university tuition a hundred times over without blinking. His claims about the company failing were nothing more than a convenient lie—an excuse born from a cruel heart. He simply didn’t want to spend a dime on me, conspiring with my stepmother to get rid of me in a way that could destroy my future.

As I sat there in the growing shadows, a sudden pang of regret hit me. In my frantic escape from the restaurant, I hadn’t even thought to take Frederick Corvin’s card or contact information. I had foolishly run home, believing things might somehow be different, only to walk straight back into the same nightmare.

Now, I was completely cornered. How was I supposed to pay my university tuition? Who could I possibly turn to for help?

I thought of Julian. He had always been there for me, the one steady anchor in my life. But the tuition fees were astronomical. If I asked him for that kind of money, wouldn’t he eventually grow tired of carrying my burdens? Would he start seeing me as a charity case?

What choice did I have? Was I really supposed to sit there and let them destroy my life?

I turned every possible escape route over in my mind until exhaustion finally took over. Eventually, I got up from the chair, walked over to my bed, and collapsed onto the mattress. Within minutes, I was fast asleep.

The next morning, I woke to pale sunlight filtering through the curtains. For a few seconds, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, still half-asleep. Then everything came rushing back—the hotel, Frederick, the restaurant, and the conversation with my father.

I sat up slowly, rubbing the dull ache behind my eyes. I couldn’t stay in that house and wait for my father to hand me over to Mr. Mike. I needed another way to pay my tuition.

I reached for my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Mr. Kevin’s number. He was a campus agent who occasionally connected students with high-paying odd jobs.

I hesitated for a moment before calling.

He answered after a few rings. ”Hello?”

”Mr. Kevin, it’s Reynold.”

”Reynold? What’s up?”

I took a breath. ”I need something that pays well. Anything you can find.”

There was a brief pause on the other end. ”I’ll keep my ears open. If I hear about anything substantial, I’ll let you know.”

”Please do. I really need it.”

”I will.”

The call ended, and I lowered my phone, hoping he would come through.

A moment later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Julian. I stared at the screen and let it ring. I couldn’t answer him right now. I didn’t even know how to begin explaining the mess I was in, and the thought of him seeing me as a pathetic burden made my stomach churn.

I tossed the phone aside and fell asleep again. I woke up several times throughout the day, but each time, exhaustion pulled me back to sleep. I didn’t even bother getting up to eat.

By evening, my hunger had become impossible to ignore. I finally forced myself out of bed and stepped out of my room. The house was completely silent and empty. My father, his wife, and Lily must have gone out.

I wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator. I quickly microwaved some leftover food and ate it. When I finished, I opened another bottle of water and took a sip. Just then, the sharp ring of the front door startled me.

I walked back through the quiet hallway and pulled the door open.

I froze.

Julian stood on the porch, his chest heaving slightly, his face a mixture of worry and anger.

”Why the hell aren’t you picking up my calls?” he demanded, pushing past me into the house.

”I—I’m sorry, Julian,” I stammered, closing the door behind him.

We settled into the living room, and Julian immediately demanded an explanation. I told him the basics, how my family had left me abroad and returned home without me, leaving me to find my own way back to Saint City. I didn’t tell him how I’d managed to get back or anything else that had happened along the way. There were too many things I wasn’t ready to explain, especially the real reason I’d ignored his calls.

Julian listened quietly, his expression growing more concerned as I spoke. When I finished, he stared at me for a moment before asking, ”How did you even manage to get back to the city?”

”Someone... someone helped me out,” I lied smoothly, avoiding his gaze.

”And when are you resuming?”

”Next week,” I whispered, looking down at my hands. ”I’m sorry you had to drive three hours all the way here just to check on me, Julian.”

”Don’t be an idiot,” Julian sighed, his expression softening. ”I was worried out of my mind. When I couldn’t reach you, I had no choice. Three hours is nothing when my best friend goes completely off the grid.”

I gave him a small, grateful smile.

”Come on,” Julian said, standing and clapping his hands together. ”Let’s go grab a few drinks before I head back to campus.”

”All right,” I agreed, welcoming the distraction.

I quickly ran back to my room to change into a fresh hoodie, then stepped outside with him.

Julian drove us to a quiet, dimly lit bar a few minutes away. We settled into a corner booth, sharing a few drinks and talking about everything and nothing, letting the alcohol dull the sharp edges of my reality.

Before I knew it, the hours had slipped away, and the sky outside had turned a deep, bruised violet.

”We should probably head back,” Julian said, checking his watch. ”I can drop you off at your house first.”

”No.” I quickly shook my head. ”Head straight back to campus from here. This bar is practically on the main road to the university anyway, and it’s getting late. I can catch a cab back home.”

Julian hesitated, frowning. ”Are you sure? I don’t mind dropping you—”

”I’m positive.” I gave him a reassuring smile. ”I’ll be fine. Go before it gets too dark on the highway.”

Reluctantly, Julian nodded. We walked out of the bar together, and he climbed into his car.

”Call me when you get home, okay? And don’t ignore my calls this time.”

”I promise I won’t ignore your calls again,” I said, stepping back from the car.

He gave me one last look before pulling away, his taillights fading into the distance.

I turned and started walking down the dark sidewalk, not even bothering to flag down a taxi. My mind was consumed by the heavy, suffocating weight of my uncertain future. I walked in a daze for several minutes, barely noticing the world around me.

Suddenly, the sharp purr of a powerful engine tore through the quiet night, snapping me back to reality.

A sleek, midnight-black luxury car pulled smoothly alongside the curb, blocking my path. The passenger door opened, and a towering man in a sharp black suit stepped out. He approached me with steady, purposeful strides and stopped a few feet away.

”My boss would like to see you,” he said, his voice flat and commanding.

I flinched and took a step back. ”Your... your boss?”

Confused and uneasy, I turned toward the vehicle. The body shape, the tinted windows, it all looked hauntingly familiar.

Right on cue, the rear window slowly rolled down.

I cautiously peered into the darkened interior, trying to make out the silhouette of the man sitting inside. Then the cabin light caught his sharp profile, and my breath caught in my throat.

Frederick Corvin.

He sat there looking effortlessly dangerous, completely out of place on the quiet street.

My heart slammed against my ribs, and I stumbled back a step as a cold wave of panic washed over me.

How? My mind spun into chaos. How on earth did he find me?