One week passed on from that day. She lived in constant fear as he said he would come to her again. Worrying about this, she spent many sleepless nights. Some people from the NSF were always near her in order to ensure her safety.
Christine asked her so many times but she always changed the topic. She had been unusually quiet which scared Chrissy. Chrissy remained with her all the time wondering if she would tell what's bothering her anytime.
Today was the last date for the project submission in her college and both Chrissy and Eve haven't submitted it yet. Eve hasn't been feeling well since last night. In the morning, she got a headache and a slight fever.
"Eve, you don't have to come to the college. I will submit our projects. You take a rest. I've made breakfast. Eat it in front of me." Eve didn't respond and ate whatever she put in front of her. Chrissy feels like crying seeing her like this.
"I'm always there for you, Eevee." Chrissy said, hugging her.
"I know." Eve said, forcing a smile on her face.
"I will come immediately after submitting the project."
After Christine left, Eve received a call from Phoebe. They meet everyday and she with others teach her regarding the whole mission.
"I will not come today. Please tell the chief and Stefan." Eve answered on the phone.
"What happened, Eve?" Phoebe asked in worry.
"Having a headache." She kept it short. Since that day, she hasn't talked much. All her sentences were reduced to words.
"Take care. Don't worry, I'll tell them." With this, she hung up.
Her clothes stink of sweat because of the fever and she felt flushed. She got up from the bed and entered the bathroom for a shower. Changing her clothes, she wore an oversized shirt with shorts and walked towards the living room.
She grabbed a book and started reading it but stopped after she heard the doorbell ring. At the same time, her phone also rang in the bedroom. Thinking Chrissy must be there, she got up and opened the door, neglecting the phone call.
But to her surprise, Ayden stood in front of her making her nightmares come true.
"Missed me, baby?" He asked, barging into her house. She calmed down herself and kept a distance from him as all the things he did to her previously came into her mind.
"Why did you come here?" She asked, standing motionless.
He eyed her from head to toe, raising an eyebrow at her. The full view of her legs made him have wild thoughts. He wasn't angry at her this time because she was at home wearing these clothes.
"You keep on forgetting things. I told you I'll come for you." He answered, still staring at her. His continuous stares made Eve uncomfortable.
"Please go. Leave me alone." She said looking down.
"This isn't possible, baby." He moved closer to her and held her waist, making Eve shiver.
"I'm here to take you with me forever. You've one day to pack your things. I'll come back tomorrow at the same time to take you with me. You will meet me at the park with your luggage. Don't pack too many things. I'll provide you with everything you want." He completed while Eve just stared at the arrogant man in front of her.
"No. Why would I go with you?" She said while trying to remove his hand from her waist.
"That's the thing, sweetheart. I'm not asking, I'm telling you." He concluded, stroking her hair. Eve was about to say something when he interrupted her.
"I know you love your friend a lot. See how happy she looks with Bryan." He said, showing her his phone. She saw Chrissy talking to Bryan and it scared the hell out of her.
The NSF told her they'll take care of her family and friends but they were the ones who told them Ayden will not touch her without her permission. She can't trust NSF nor Ayden, they were both just getting their things done with her as bait.
But now, seeing her best friend who is like a sister to her, life's in danger, she panicked. All the doors of hope are closed. For both NSF and Ayden, her life doesn't matter. But she can't see her family getting hurt because of her faults.
"Please, don't do anything to her. I beg you, please." With this, she fell on the floor. He came immediately towards her and picked her up. Then he made her sit on the sofa and sat beside her.
"Don't cry, baby. Just come with me and I promise nothing will happen to your loved ones." He ensured her while his hand moved continuously on her thigh.
"Why are you doing this to me? What have I done to you?" She asked with tears in her eyes.
"Well, these are good questions and for the answer, you surely did something to me. You've made me mad for you. I'm feeling things I've never felt in my life." He answered genuinely, wiping her tears.
"I don't want to come with you." She said with tears dropping on her cheeks.
"I know but unfortunately this is not an option for you, Eve. You've to come with me at all costs. Even if you try to act smart and do something you shouldn't, don't blame me if something happens to your family. Because at all costs, you are coming with me and that's final." He said in a calm tone.
The mention of her family once again made her weak in the knees. She has to make a decision even if there is no scope of going against it.
"O..okay. I will come with you. But promise me you'll never bother my family and friends." She said while sobbing hard.
"I promise if that makes you happy. Now stop crying." She just can't stop the tears from falling down her eyes. But eventually stopped. The one who makes her cry always asks her to stop crying. That's the irony of fate which is too hard to accept.
"That's like my girl. I can't wait to take you to my place." He said affectionately.
He got up after a phone call while Eve was still sitting on the sofa. He quickly pecked her forehead and stroked her head.
"I'll meet you tomorrow, baby." He said before leaving.
After some time, Phoebe and Stefan entered her house and saw a shocked Eve sitting on the couch with blank eyes.
Phoebe ran towards her and asked her the reason for Ayden coming to her house. Eve looked at her and after some time replied, "Everything's over."
Stefan came towards her and asked her once again. This time she told them everything without the trace of tears.
"What? No, you're not going anywhere Eve. This is way too dangerous. We will do something. Right, Stefan?" She looked at Stefan for the confirmation but Stefan was already lost in his thoughts.
Phoebe glanced at him with confusion. Everyone stayed silent for some time.
"I think this can work. She will have every bit of information about their group when being so close to him. Ayden is the most important member of the group. With him, we can get to know their leader and their plans. I think…" His reasoning was interrupted by Phoebe.
"Please stop, Stefan." She pleaded.
Eve after hearing this, was confirmed with the fact that she was nothing but a scapegoat for the NSF. All that mattered to them was the information and not her.
Her head started spinning again and she got up from the sofa. She then entered her room and locked it.
"You are so insensitive. She is a 19 year old girl. How can you even expect her to give up on everything? She is already too sad and you put the last nail in the coffin" Phoebe said in anger.
Suddenly a message appeared on their phone about Christine being near the house. Both of them walked out of her house.
Chrissy entered the house and looked for Eve. Seeing she had locked up herself in the room, she knocked on the door. After hearing Chrissy's voice, Eve got up from the bed and opened the door.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? Let me see. Tell me!" She looked over at her from head to toe and kept on asking the same question on repeat.
Christine doesn't understand why she was behaving like this which made her very worried. All of a sudden, Eve hugged her tightly.
"What happened Eve? When are you going to tell me? You're torturing me and yourself too." She asked once again.
"It's nothing. Can't I just hug you for no reason?" She lied once again.
"You can but you know that you can't lie to me." Chrissy said and checked her temperature. Indeed, she was having a fever.
She gave her the medicines which the doctor prescribed her yesterday. She was having a fever nearly everyday. Hence, Christine forcefully took her to the doctor yesterday.
Eve thought of something and got out of the bed. If she left without telling anyone the reason for it, it would scare them. She immediately got up and went to the NSF office.
Everyone seemed surprised after seeing her as Stefan told them everything about Ayden's conditions. She went directly to the chief's office.
"Sir, I'm ready to help the NSF. But I need your help too." She blurted without any delay.
"Okay. Tell me." Charles asked.
"I don't know how to tell my family about me being gone for...." She paused, feeling sad.
"Don't worry about that. We've already thought of this." He replied.
"What is it?"
"You will tell everyone that you're going to Acreshire for the research work you always wanted to do. You don't have to worry about college. All will be settled." Charles said, while Eve just stared at him continuously.
'How do they know about her dream place! Oh yes, they are the great NSF. They know everything.'
She always wanted to go to Acreshire Institute, which every wannabe historian wants to go. She wanted to go there ever since she was 12 years old and saw the photo in the newspaper.
"You will say it's the internship kind of a program and a once in a lifetime opportunity you can't miss. This will do." He concluded.
Just thinking about this made her sad. What about her dreams now? She will never make it to Acreshire. She is even doubtful of whether she would survive after all this or not.
She came out from his office. Charles told the team about her decision and ordered Stefan to give her all the details. Phoebe was very worried about her.
"For the most part, you will live with him for a month. After that, we will definitely come to save you." Stefan said.
"You will not be given any tracking device because this time you'll have to be very careful."
He then passed her a mirror and asked her to open it. She opened it and then looked at Stefan with questionable eyes. It was a normal mirror, according to her.
"This is a phone. You just have to press two times on the back and it will connect you to us and then you will tell us about your findings. This is the most safe phone in the world, no one on this earth can trace or hack it. Even if it breaks, it will still work perfectly. But the thing is, the maximum call duration can be five minutes only every alternative day. After 5 minutes, it will automatically disconnect."
Eve was shell shocked, looking at the mirror in her hand.
"Did you understand everything?" He asked.
"Yes." She replied.
"Also, I'm sorry for the last time."
"Don't be. All you said was true." She said with a genuine expression on her face.
After she understood everything, Phoebe took her back to her house where an angry Chrissy waited for her.
"Where were you? Eve, you're already sick. If you wanted something, you should've told me." Chrissy said.
"I got bored, laying all the time on the bed. So.." She replied.
"Okay, but don't do it again. You are still weak."
"Sure madam." Eve tried to act cheerful.
Eve called her dad and asked him to put the phone on speaker. She missed them so much and now when everything was falling apart, she needed her loved one's support.
"How are you Lynnie? Chrissy told us that you were sick. What happened?" Her dad asked, his voice full of concern.
"I'm good, dad. Chrissy worries for me just too much." She answered looking at Chrissy who was giving her angry looks.
After talking to them for some time, she felt sad and stopped talking. Then, controlling her emotions, she proceeded.
"I love you dad. I love you, ma."
"We love you too, Lynn. Is something wrong?" Her mom asked.
"I'm superb, ma. You take care. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye!" And she hung up. Thinking this might be the last time she could talk to her parents, her heart broke.