ALL I NEED
Chapter Twenty-Two

I watched myself in the mirror in front of me, all dressed up as if it was my wedding day. The sensation inside of me was the same as if it actually was my wedding day. I looked up in disgust at my mother and her grin, looking at me in the dress, my hair and my makeup all done. She had been ignoring the fact that I wouldn't go on with this for over three weeks now. My wedding would be in three days.

"You look gorgeous, Catherine," Mrs. Knott spoke from my left, lifting the transparent white veil in front of my face. "One of the most beautiful brides New York will ever see. This will be unforgettable!"

"Extremely unforgettable." I smiled falsely at her and looked at my mother. She knew I was talking about my escape with Harry and she shot me a killing look, rapidly smiling again.

"How do you like it?" Mrs. Knott nodded and pointed to the bridesmaids behind me. I turned around to see Mr. Henderson's young cousins in beautiful dresses, all excitedly waiting for my approval.

"They look beautiful," I said simply, and turned to face Mrs. Knott again. "May I take this off now? I still have to have my bath and get dressed for dinner." I wasn't excited about dining with Mr. Henderson at his house, but this seemed a proper excuse to take all this unwanted clothing off me.

"Yes, of course. We don't want you to be late, do we?" She smiled and I returned the smile falsely, following her so the maids could help me to take everything off.

Now everything was arranged and done. I hadn't seen or heard from Harry since the last Sunday that we met and my mother found out about us. I wondered if he knew what was going on. He probably did. He was quick-witted. He would realize sooner or later that someone had found out. Larry came to my house the day after for our usual routine, but my mother said I was now indisposed and the next few weeks I would be busy with the wedding arrangements. He tried to convince her that he should see me, but she didn't let him. He probably realized, too, and told Harry.

My mother also said she would cancel the invitations to Larry and Harry, but I reminded her that both of them were Mr. Henderson's guests and that it was better for her to do nothing, and so she soon forgot the idea.

*****

The chauffeur helped me out of the car, and for the first time since I left my house, I took a look around. Mr. Henderson's mansion was incredibly big. My mansion was quite large itself, but his mansion was easily three times the size of mine. It looked like a castle, with big towers in some places and an enormous garden that the car came to a stop in beside the front door. The garden was illuminated with bright lights and the trees gave the sensation that I was locked in a fortress. It was a beautiful mansion, but at the same time, it gave me shivers at the sensation of being locked inside it.

"Miss, you may come this way." A young maid appeared in front of me while I looked around and I nodded, smiling at her. Poor thing, working in this place for Mr. Henderson.

"The other guest has already arrived," she said, following my look at another car parked in front of Henderson's car, which had come to pick me up at home.

"What other guest?" I asked quietly as I entered the shining hall of his house, but she didn't answer, excusing herself when Henderson entered the hall with no one other than Larry. He seemed nervous and incapable of hiding it.

"You look stunning, dear," Mr. Henderson said, managing to give me a kiss on the cheek. I falsely smiled and shot a look at Larry while he kissed me. He tried to motion something to me, but stopped quickly when Mr. Henderson looked at him.

Mr. Henderson seemed calm. Too calm for me. He directed Larry and I to the dining room and I couldn't help but look at Larry. He tried to point to things with his eyes, but I couldn't understand what he was trying to say. I merely paid attention to the beautifully polished furniture around us, the sculptures, and the paintings. Something bad was about to happen and Larry was trying to warn me.

"Unfortunately, Larry will not be joining us for dinner after all." Mr. Henderson’s soft voice spoke as he helped me to sit at the table. Larry remained beside us and I looked from Henderson to him. "I'm sure you would appreciate his presence." Something in his voice made my stomach turn upside down.

"I would like it, yes," I said politely, and Larry frowned in desperation. What on earth was happening?

"I thought so." Mr. Henderson smiled almost slyly and looked at Larry. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Mr. Brown."

"Yes, sir." Despite Larry's visible nervousness, his voice was steady. Mr. Henderson's last words were his farewell, and without approaching me or kissing my hand, he left the house.

"Is there something wrong with him?" I couldn't help but ask a few minutes later, when Mr. Henderson sat at the head of the table--on my left--and the maids started to serve our dinner.

"You should know," he said slyly. He never talked to me that way. Something was definitely wrong.

I concentrated on my meal more than I ever had in my entire life. I barely looked at Mr. Henderson. His eyes were watching me all the time, as a parent watches a bratty child. I tried to think positive. He could not possibly know about Harry and I, could he?

"How did you like it?" Mr. Henderson spoke for the first time since his last words to me. The only sounds I had heard during this time had been the soft noise of the silverware against the china.

"It was good," I said quietly and simply in my best attempt to look and sound casual. I cleared my throat quietly after resting the napkin on the table.

"I'm glad you liked it," he started while taking a sip of his whisky. His voice still had that sly tone, and now it was as if he had rehearsed everything he was saying. "Because I have been thinking about a few things that I don't like."

"Your point?" I asked with a blank look, though I could feel my heart almost jumping from my chest.

"I don't like to be made a fool of, Catherine." His voice was angry. Oh, no. That was what Larry had been trying to tell me. He had found out.

"Who--"

"And I know that I've been made a fool of for quite a while by you," he cut in dryly. I looked away from his eyes, fixing my gaze over the glass of water in front of me on the table.

"What--" I attempted to act as if I didn't know what he was talking about, but once again I was cut off by him.

"I know about you and that boy." He stood up. I froze, my eyes fixed on the glass. "It was happening right under my nose."

"No, look--"

"No, you look." He cut me off once again, grabbing the chair I was sitting in and turning it quickly to the side so I would look at him. He rested both of his hands beside my body, a little bent over me, his face close to mine. His eyes were furious. "Mr. Brown may be a qualified gentleman," he said, trying to keep his voice low. It was a little shaky. "But you won't make a fool of me."

For a moment, the fear that I was feeling vanished as I kept myself against the chair, sitting quietly and looking into his eyes. He thought Larry and I...he thought that it was Larry. And worst of all, he had already talked to Larry and from the direction things were going, he had confirmed it so nothing would happen to Harry.

"Larry?" I couldn't help but ask. I didn't know if I was relieved that he hadn't even imagined that it was Harry, or if I should fear that now Larry was vulnerable to his power. He nodded at my question. "Do you think Larry and I--"

"I'm sure of it." He cut in again. He stood straight again, grabbing my wrist and making me stand up. He looked down into my eyes as I stood up. The feeling of relief for Harry had now become fear for myself.

"And from now on, I don't want you mentioning him or seeing him. Do you understand?" His voice was authoritarian. He did not let go of my wrist. I simply nodded. I had no idea of what else to do.

"Now, for your part…" He pulled me closer to him. I tried to step back, but he didn't let me, holding my wrist tightly. "We can deal with it now."

"What are you--" I tried to ask, but he already had me turned against the table, where he left me no way to step back, and he was kissing my neck. "Stop. Stop!"

He pushed himself against me and the table, making me unable to move. Even though I tried to push him away with my free hand, he was stronger than I and this had no effect on him. He kept kissing my neck as I kept trying to avoid him, and his voice once again spoke between his kisses, close to my neck and ear, his warm breath giving me shivers.

"You'll be my wife. There will be no way for you to escape it," he said angrily.

My heart was racing in my chest and I looked around the dining room. No one was around, and even if I screamed, I'm sure no one would have the courage to fight their boss.

"Leave me alone!" I said quietly. I couldn't even scream.

He kept kissing me, his kisses going down to my chest slowly, full of lust, and I tried to think quickly. When I looked back a little, I found my glass of water still on the table and I didn't think twice before taking it with my free hand and crashing it over his head.

"I said leave me alone!" I screamed as I smashed the glass against his head.

The glass broke quickly into pieces and I felt the palm of my hand stinging slightly, but most of the glass was on Mr. Henderson's head, who rapidly let go of me and stepped back from my movement. His head was bleeding.

"Oh, my God!" I exclaimed in shock while he had his head down, his hands trying to stop the blood.

I held my own hand, bleeding slowly--fortunately, my cut wasn't serious--and stepped away from him as he looked back at me. I couldn't stay there, even though he seemed to have lost his senses from the attack. He seemed more furious than before.

I didn't think twice before running to the hallway of the mansion, where I found the maid who had directed me to the house.

"Miss, are you all right?" she asked with a frightened look, looking at my bleeding hand and my eyes. I had been crying in terror and hadn't noticed.

"I'm all right. Mr. Henderson...cut himself. Go help him!" I said quickly, and she nodded, running towards the dining room. I quickly walked out of the house.

I opened the door and ran down the steps to the garden, looking back for a second to see if someone was following me, when I suddenly bumped into someone. I screamed in fright and looked at the person.

"Catherine…shh!" Larry said, holding my arms gently and looking puzzled at me. "Are you all right?"

"Larry!" I exclaimed, relieved, and looked around to find his car ready to leave the house, the chauffeur waiting for him. "Larry, we have to get out of here."

"Why? What happened?" He looked at my hand. "Catherine, what happened?" His voice was serious as he took my bleeding hand with both of his hands.

"Let us just leave, please." I was shaking nervously and he analyzed me for a moment, nodding and taking me to his car.

*****

"I can't believe he did this," Larry said in shock while he wrapped his loose tie around my wound.

"I was frightened, Larry. I didn't know what else to do," I said quietly. I was finally calm.

His car had left the Henderson mansion a few minutes ago. I told Larry everything. He confirmed my thoughts that Henderson had threatened him, thinking that I was having a love affair with him, and that he was trying to warn me to confirm the story if Henderson said anything, so he wouldn’t even think of Harry. Now he was carefully wrapping his tie around my wound to stop the bleeding.

"I know. He was such a coward," Larry said calmly, tying the tie very tightly. I gasped. "Sorry."

"It's all right." I smiled faintly and he returned it. "I'm so glad you were there. I didn't know how I would get away from the house..."

"One of his manservants took me to a room when I was supposed to leave," he said, leaning against the seat again in front of me. "Emotional pressure, you know. I didn't think he would do anything to you if he knew that I wouldn't leave you alone there."

"No one would ever think that." I looked away from his eyes. Mr. Henderson had finally revealed himself as a cold-blooded, greedy man, and now, more than ever, I was afraid of what he could do to Harry and I, and now, to Larry.

Chapter Twenty-Three
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