INSTALL Chapter 20 Marissa still couldn't figure it out - what was the point of all this ? Declan couldn't keep her locked away forever . Sooner or later , she'd leave . Why go through all this useless trouble ? But time had never mattered much to Declan . What scared him was the inevitability of her walking away again - just like she did years ago . That's why now , he clung to every second with her , refusing to let any of it slip by . By the third sunset , he showed up again - this time , with a whole delivery truck full of moth orchids . She'd mentioned them casually two days ago when he asked if there was anything she wanted him to bring next time . Technically , Westbridge Heights ' climate wasn't great for orchids , but with the right conditions and care , they could thrive . And now , with so much idle time on her hands , Marissa had taken to gardening . She spent hours in the greenhouse , gently transplanting each orchid with her own hands , trimming and arranging them with delicate precision . Declan watched her quietly , only exhaling when he saw the genuine enjoyment in her expression . " Thanks , " she said after finishing up , turning toward him with a soft smile . He'd been standing patiently at the greenhouse door the whole time . He waved it off like it was nothing , though the grin tugging at his lips was impossible to hide . " As long as you like them , " he said , then added , " Anything you want - I'll find a way to get it for you . " If it had been the Marissa who once loved Declan , those words might've touched her deeply . After all , what's sweeter than hearing the guy you love promise to get you anything your heart desires ? But this wasn't the same Declan , and she wasn't the same Marissa . All the love she once had for him had shattered the day he said she was just a sister to him , the day he fought for Celeste and didn't even glance back when she lay crumpled at the bottom of the stairs . Since being trapped in this house , Marissa had noticed something strange - each day , the villa looked more and more like the one they used to share . Declan didn't bring it up , and she didn't expose him . She simply smiled and played along . Chapter 20 86.36 % ReelShort R 4.6 FREE In a divided village , a young man from the lower village falls for his childhood friend . Google Play INSTALL She went about her days quietly , tending to her flowers . After work , he'd come home , open his laptop , and stay close by . At dinner , he sat next to her , always scooping food onto her plate like he was still trying to win her over . One day , he had to stay late at work and didn't want her to be on her own , so he asked Tristan to swing by and keep her company . Tristan only realized what was going on after he stepped into the house and saw her . " Wait , he actually locked you in here ? Is he out of his damn mind ? " he blurted before he could stop himself . Compared to his shock , Marissa was unfazed . She was calmly watering her orchids , not even looking up . She raised an eyebrow at his reaction . " I thought you guys already knew . " Declan had always been open with his inner circle . Whether it was his temper after the car accident , his desire to get back with Celeste , or later , his sudden about - face wanting to start over with Marissa he never really kept any of that from them . So she'd assumed they all knew about her imprisonment , too . But judging from the look on Tristan's face , this was news to him . He shook his head , still trying to process how calm she was . " Aren't you about to get married soon ? How are you not freaking out ? " She gave a half - hearted shrug . " What good would it do ? " Then she smirked , her voice dripping with dry sarcasm . " He took everything I could use to reach the outside world . Aside from keeping flowers alive , there's not much else to do around here . " That shut him up . Tristan opened his mouth to say something , but no words came out . He couldn't tell Declan to let her go . And he couldn't promise Marissa he'd help her escape , either . Guys like him - sons of families tied to the Hawthorne Group - couldn't risk crossing Declan . The fallout would hit their whole family hard . Luckily for him , Marissa wasn't expecting anything . She wasn't the type to beg . And besides , she believed in Adrian . He wouldn't leave her waiting too long . Chapter 20 86.36 %