I do not own Once Upon a Time. Sorry for take so long to post this chapter. I really hope you're all enjoying this fic. Thank you for all the lovely reviews!
Vanilla. A yellow flower, from a vine, and it was extremely used to make sweet and used in some perfumes.
This was a detail that never caught the attention of Adrian Gold until the night before, when that lovely woman asked him to lie down beside her. The scent that emanating from her skin was radiant. He recognized it as the delicate fragrance of vanilla.
Adrian never thought you'd be fascinated by that scent, but it was not just that. He realized he was mesmerized not only by her fragrance, but for the skin, the hair, the smile, the eyes, the soul and the heart of Isabelle Chesneau.
Although reluctant that was the truth. The sweetest truth. The first time he saw her, Gold was sure that she was hiding something, and he need to find out all about that woman. It frightened him to think there was someone trying to pursue him again. Unfortunately, few knew the truth behind the accusations that Regina had. Only he knew who were the real traitors. But what scared him most was seeing that Colonel Gaston, one of the leaders of the German Gestapo, had shown great interest in the young woman.
Gold knew Gaston was dangerous and unstable and, though he had his doubts about Isabelle, he could not let her fall into the clutches of the German. Gold had heard many stories about Gaston and what he used to do with the women he seduced. Gaston was a dangerous man.
But why he was so worried about her? It didn't matter. He knew he needed to protect Isabelle. And yet he did not know who she was. Gold was addicted by that woman. Really, she was beautiful, but what he saw was not just her physical beauty, but also the intelligence she showed. But she was not smarter than him. Gold was pretty sure that Isabelle was the British agent known as "Rose"... But how? How could a woman so innocent be assigned to spy on him? Regina was much smarter than that to send that girl to war.
And there was Gaston again.
And the damn German was also mesmerized by Isabelle. Gold could see how much she feared Gaston, and as she tried to dodge him, the night of the dinner, when the German slid his fingers wicked by her delicate skin.
Gold felt an uncontrollable urge to crush the filthy face of this man with his cane, as he watched that bastard try to rub himself in the legs of Isabelle.
But then she was in his arms. Gaston would never touch her again. Gold should keep her safe.
Isabelle was so pure, so innocent. He needed to protect her at any cost. And while they danced, there was this perfume. That was the first time he smelled the vanilla fragrance; serene sweetness.
Gold just wanted to bury his face in her hair to smell the sweet aroma. But she was gone, and he could not stop thinking about her and that sweet perfume of vanilla.
How could he feel that way? Isabelle was a drug. His drug.
Several times he found himself thinking of her. How could she smell like heaven?
Does her skin had the same perfume? Did her lips were sweet like vanilla?
And her music. Her music was what was needed to let him completely lost. Now he was sure of who she was. But there was something about this woman that made him sure that Isabelle was not a threat. If she tried to plan something he would know.
But at that moment he was not worried about that.
Now he had her lips pressed against his, and all in his mind was the smoothness of the skin of the woman and of course, vanilla.
How wonderful it was Isabelle's lips... She was a drug.
He wanted to feel all of her. Gold wanted to lose himself in that woman. But again, she was gone, and all he had was just a memory.
How wonderful was that woman. She made him want to feel human again. She made him want to become a better man. Adrian knew what he was. He was a monster, and he was selfish in wanting to be with her. In feeling her touch. What kind of drugs was that?
And then all was lost. Everything had become a chaos. In an unguarded moment, Gold found himself in the midst of a conflict between the Germans and the Resistance. And James Bougton, better known as "Enchanted" was there too. The man was in danger. Gold did not feel the need to help him, but if the Gestapo captured him, they inevitably would arrive to Isabelle. And that couldn't happen. He promised to protect her and that was what he was doing.
Or what he thought he was. He thought she was safe, but Isabelle was eventually captured by the only man he had tried so much to keep away from her.
While Gold helped James and thought he was protecting her, Gaston took Isabelle away from his protection. He had failed. He had promised and he failed.
There was nothing he could do. The beautiful Isabelle was shattered. He could see that her soul was chipped. And it was his fault. But now that she was there at his house, nothing would happen to her.
There were demons disturbing that young woman. Demons that he knew would never leave her alone.
And by some miracle, Isabelle seemed to find comfort in his arms. How pure was the heart of that creature. How could anyone feel comfortable around him?
He remembered how things used to be when he was married. Milah never wanted him to be near her. Of course, she was the mother of his beloved son, and he also regretted how things had ended, but he still remembered the hatred she felt for him, since before they were married. Milah never wanted him. Milah never loved him. And for Adrian, the mere idea of someone longing for his company was something he believed was impossible.
Both were lying quietly. He dared not even touch the curls of her hair, but then Isabelle was with her head resting on his chest. She was fast asleep. Gold had no idea how much time had passed since he felt that divine aroma. The scent of the gods.
Gold wish he could stay that way forever. If he died at that moment, he would be happy.
But then he woke up with the lights of the sun in his eyes. Gold was still sleepy, standing with eyes closed, cleared his nose to smell her perfume. But there was nothing there. What was that weird dream, there wasn't the softness of the skin of that creature or the scent sweet and serene...
It was not a dream.
Gold opened his eyes, feeling the loneliness engulf him. The place beside him on the bed was empty, the sheets were messy, but it did not keep the heat of the body that had been there moments before. Where was she?
Adrian got out of bed and, taking his cane, left the room. It was likely that she had returned to the room that she had occupied during the previous days, so he went there.
"Isabelle?" Gold called, opening the bedroom door. The room was completely empty. Maybe she was in the bathroom. "Isabelle?" Again, silence. Gold opened the bathroom door then, to realize that it was empty too. Then he saw a few clothes thrown on the floor; was the robe and nightgown she had been wearing that night. He realized that all her belongings were gone. And she was gone. But why?
Oh, he knew why. Instantly, Gold ran limping back to his room, the wound on his knee throbbed with every step.
Going to his desk, he tried to open the drawer on the right side, but, as he expected, was locked. However, the drawer on the left was unlocked. How could he forgot to lock it? And when he open it, he faced with what he feared most: emptiness.
All his documents had disappeared, along with the woman he... Loved?
Oh, how he was blind! She tricked him! She never really cared for him.
The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and it all made sense.
She tricked him.
Gold felt his body trembling with hate and anger that consumed him. He wanted to find that woman and strangling her. Kill her.
He wanted to break everything in his reach. How she dared to deceive him? She had no idea who he was. Who was Adrian Gold.
Isabelle wanted to play that game, then fine. But that game she would not win.
Gold knew Regina well enough to know what were the orders she had given to her pupil were. Isabelle would come back to finish her mission. She would come back to kill him. And he would be there, waiting.
Isabelle would plan to come into his house when he was not there and would try to attack him unawares. He knew she would wait for him. And that would be his trap.
She would return that night. If he was correct, she would not risk waiting another day; he could try to flee.
Isabelle, or whatever her real name was, would try to kill him. She was still innocent in the case of killing someone. But Gold wasn't.
After lunch, Gold called by Jefferson. "I want you to make her think that I'm leaving the house, but let it be clear that I intend to return."
"Oh, my goodness! Isabelle is the spy? "Jefferson said. "How she managed to trick the beast?"
"Mr. Hatter, spare me your jokes. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not in the mood for this."
"You will kill her?" The whole humor vanished from the face of Jefferson.
"Oh, I intend to make her suffer. She deserves to die." Gold said with all the hate he was feeling.
"Gold, I think...".
"I don't care what you think, dearie. This is my problem, not yours."
"Right... But beware. I don't think she is one of the puppets of Regina."
"This is something for me to decide. Not you."
Jefferson did not try to argue with the man, and left the room.
Gold remained the rest of the day in his room, waiting. I It was in that room that she'd first and would be in that room she would perish... His trap was ready. Serving up a glass of Whisky, Gold took his gun and sat in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace. That was the perfect place to wait for his prey. Hidden in the shadows he would kill her the moment she walked through the door.
Now he understood perfectly what Regina had planned. Send a foolish girl to make him think she was innocent. To blind him with her beauty and the purest soul he never thought existed.
Actually, it was sad to think that Isabelle had no longer that pure soul. But that was the price. Everything comes with a price.
Gold could see everything clearly now. She cheated him since from the start. That beautiful demon. How was it possible he has fallen into her trap? Everything was part of the trap. The meeting at the Café de Flore, the dinner, The Opera, her music and her kiss. Everything, even the perfume.
That damn perfume, which took over his soul and his heart. Both his soul and heart were long forgotten, buried in his depths, and she make he want to feel again. Oh, how she was smart. That evil creature.
Gold wanted to break every part of her, but somewhere within him, there was one part of him that wanted to kidnaps her and takes her to a place where they could live in peace. But how foolish he was. There was no safe place and no one could be trusted. That demon was making him a fool.
What had she done to him? That evil beauty. The blue eyes of Isabelle had stolen his soul and her lips had stolen his heart.
It was all part of the plan?
He knew the attack of Resistance had been pure coincidence, but she had planned to be deflowered by the German, just to get herself to come to his house?
No. If there was at least one thing she did not expect was been attacked by Gaston. She hated him. As much as didn't want to admit, was Gold who helped to collect the broken pieces of that beautiful woman. It was he who comforted her, and that was what made it everything more painful.
Isabelle played with his feelings. He was a monster, but that did not mean that the beast had no feelings.
The beast was unsafe to reveal what he felt. That was a weakness, but still, he decided to trust her.
Oh, he would never trust Isabelle again.
It was nearly midnight when he heard a noise coming towards his room. Steps. It was Isabelle.
Finally she was there. The moment she entered his room, he felt the gun in his hand stand. He would kill her. But he waited. Gold remained silent, hidden in the shadows, just watching her.
She was wearing that damned blue dress, but what caught his attention was realizing that she was carrying no weapon, but the files she had stolen.
Isabelle was not stupid enough, that after successfully obtain all the information about him, come up there to kill him unarmed, bringing just the documentation that should already be in the hands of Regina.
What she was doing? Isabelle didn't looked around and went straight to his desk. Looking at the files in her hand, she took them to her lips and Gold could hear her whisper. "I'm sorry" and then she gently kiss them.
Her blue eyes were glistening with tears that streamed down her face. That's when she opened the drawer to return the documents that Isabelle stopped abruptly. She had fallen into his trap.
From inside the drawer, that should be empty, she pulled a single rose of an intense blood red. Gold had actually prepared a beautiful trap.
"Well, well, well, hello dearie!"
Isabelle pressed the rose to her chest, turning to encounter Gold, who had been there all along, hidden in the shadows.
He could see the fear stamped in her eyes.
"Gold..." She mumbled. He raised the gun in his hand, pointing directly at her.
"It's lovely to finally be able to meet you, Rose."
For the first time he saw the bravery escape that woman. She was trapped. For the first time the Rose and Spinner were meeting.
For the first time there was a coward Rose and a brave Spinner.
This chapter was intense. Almost like a Ode to Belle. Hope you enjoy. Please, share your thoughts! ;)