Watched

Chapter 30

I guess the thing I resent most about my life is the missed opportunities, the memories I never got to make the photos I never got to take with the family I never had. Now this isn't one of those woe is me moments I realise that things could have been worse I could've winded up in the foster care system or worse I could have landed up with an abusive adoptive family. So I am grateful to my grandmother to a certain extent because I at least had a roof over my head and food on my plate. That being said in the last couple of days I've spent stuck in this room with Samantha we spoke a lot to pass the time , she would tell me about her parents and her extended family, she would tell me about how close she was with her grandfather and how they would build model ships together as a hobby. She told me about how much she loved Christmas when she could get to see her aunts and uncles and all five of her cousins. She would tell me about family trips and vacations at ski resorts in Aspen. All the while I would reflect on my own childhood and I realised how empty it was, I had always longed for a mother and father but for the first time I suddenly realised how much I wished I had a quirky but lovable aunt and cousins who I grew up with or even a grandfather who would build model ships with me. The realisation hit me with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was robbed of a lot of things because of Tiberio but the worst thing was my life because even though he didn't physically kill me, I somehow rationalised that if it weren't for him Dario wouldn't have left my mother and maybe I would have had the family I always longed for maybe I would have turned out to be a much better person. I pushed all such thoughts out of my head for now at least as I looked at Samantha signalling it was time. We had devised a plan earlier in which we decided that Samantha would pretended to have to use the bathroom and Callum would escort her leaving me alone in the room with Gareth hopefully with enough time to convince him to help us. I had been going over my lines in my head repeatedly for the last hour on how I would pitch this to him. I had no certainty that he wouldn't rat me out but I had to trust my instincts about him because right now he was our only way out of here.

I gave Samantha the signal and she took a deep breath in before she made her way to the door. Callum frowned as she approached,

"What do you want?" he scolded.

"I have to pee." Samantha stated bluntly.

"What, I just took you two hours ago"

"Weak bladder" she shrugged. Callum grunted but mercifully he complied and unlocked the door they both stepped out and Callum shut the door behind him. I could hear their footsteps grow fainter in the distance. Once I was sure they were out of earshot I began to approach Gareth I knew I had to act quickly time was not on my side.

With a sense of urgency I reached my hand out to Gareth as if to inform him I come in peace and also to prevent him from blasting my ass.

"Why are you doing this Gareth?" I breathed.

"I'm not allowed to talk to you" he said avoiding eye contact with me.

I reached out to touch his shoulder and his body immediately stiffened he dragged his gaze to mine and I forced myself not to break eye contact.

"Five million" I blurted out, he looked confused.

"What?"

"Six, seven, ten...just name your price. My grandmother is Rosalinda Noble a rich heiress and if you help us get out of here she could double what Luther is paying you."

"Sorry I'm not for sale" he said while prying my hand off his shoulder. I felt my heart start to sink but I couldn't give up this easily.

"Why are you doing this Gareth? I can understand Luther's motivation and Karen and Callum are just plain masochists but you seem different. I can tell when I look into your eyes or the way you avert your gaze when Luther hits me."