《His Possession》


 Chapter 1

    Emma


    ¡°Come on, Emma, we¡¯re gettingte,¡± Caroline remarked. Emma nodded and approached her, holding a bag. She sat with Caroline in the backseat, passing the bag to the driver.


    She closed her eyes andid her head on the window ss, reflecting on how drastically her life had changed. She was assigned the position of a maid. Yes, as a maid. She just had a few alternatives to pick from. She formerly resided in a hostel. She had previously been living with her abusive foster parents. They were severe in their penalties. Her body was nearly constantly covered in bruises when she lived with them.


    After beating her one frigid winter night, her foster father decided to throw her outside their house. The night¡¯s coldness pierced her sensitive skin like knives. She was weeping and curled up in a ball when a warm handnded on her shoulder. Emma raised her eyes to find a woman in herte forties. Her bulging crimson eyes were directed at the woman in front of her, and her gaze begged the woman to help her.


    The woman¡¯s eyes welled up when she saw her in such a state. She quickly took off her coat and put it over the tiny child. Emma was around six years old.


    Caroline Garcia, thedy, introduced herself; she understood it wasn¡¯t the best time to tell the young girl about herself, but she was anxious to help her. Emma needed to know she was in excellent hands with her.


    Miss Garcia looked for her as if she were her blood, which Emma had never experienced. She was a single woman in herte forties, but her gorgeous blonde hair and grey eyes gave her the appearance of being younger. She reported Emma¡¯s abusive parents to the police, and Miss Garcia was ultimately given custody of Emma after two years of struggling and running to court.


    After that terrifying night, little Emma finally received the better life she had always desired. Emma had been with her for five years, and it was tough for her to leave her past behind and start over. She had frequent nightmares and panic attacks, but everything was better than it had been before. Emma never sought luxury; she simply longed to live without fear of being mistreated, despite the fact that Miss Garcia could not offer her the most sumptuous living.


    Miss Garcia didn¡¯t have a profitable profession, and living with her became increasingly difficult as Emma couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her working day and night only to feed her thrice a day.


    Being unable to pay for heavy expenses, Emma decided to live in a hostel and finish her education there. Caroline insisted on Emma staying with her, but the girl was adamant. She didn¡¯t want to trouble her godmother anymore.


    Her life in that institution was unknown to everyone, but it changed her as a person. Just like every event in her life. After the shutdown of the institution, Emma went back home reluctantly, knowing Miss Garcia¡¯s financial condition wasn¡¯t any better, but she had nowhere else to go.


    Garcia was happy to have her back, but the sixteen-year-old girl that came back was not the same little girl she had found twelve years ago.


    She was different and Garcia could see it. However, she never questioned her.


    The announcement of the institution shook everyone as it was really unexpected. Emma wasn¡¯t at ease, she wanted to help Garcia, but how?


    She contacted a teacher from that school, Miss Will. She was a decent teacher who decided to help Emma out of her miserable situation.


    That was when she found out about the vacant position of a maid in a wealthy family.


    Concern and anxiety pervade her existence. Was it worth it for her to work as a maid in the first ce? After hearing it, her eyes filled with tears and she swallowed the lump in her throat as she shook her head no. A maid was thest thing in her thoughts when she found out how bad her life had turned out.


    To save herself and Miss Garcia, she had no option. So, she and her teacher discussed the suggestion.


    Angered, Miss Garcia walked away from them without saying a word. But, Emma managed to persuade her to approve of the choice.


    ¡°What are you thinking my child?¡± Miss Garcia¡¯s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Nothing Caroline,¡± Emma said and smiled at her which she returned dly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my child. I wish I could ie enough money so th-¡± before she could finish it Emma stopped her.


    ¡°No, Caroline please don¡¯t say that. You don¡¯t know what you have done for me. You are the most important part of my life and I cannot thank you enough for that,¡± she stopped as a tear escaped her eyes. She wiped the tears from Emma¡¯s flushed red cheeks and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Thank you, my child. I hope you will not be in misery now. I have heard that Knights are very rich. Their servants live in ravish, they get good food even,¡± she said with relief. Emma never knew that she was getting a rich owner.


    ¡°I also hope the same, Caroline,¡± she replied.


    Themand of the King¡¯s. They were the richest folks in the country. And Emma will be working for them, as a maid. She let out a sigh and pondered the idea. She was inquisitive about the people that lived there. They sent a car to pick up their maid, and she was shocked at the sight of it. Wealthy individuals are haughty, as Mrs. Will said. To them, it was fun to ¡°show off¡± their wealth to others. Emma shook her head and tried to fall asleep, closing her eyes.


    *After an hour*


    The soft voice of Miss Garcia, the voice she would hear less of that day, greeted her with, ¡°Emma, honey, wake up, we¡¯re here.¡± Her eyelids flickered open at the sound. She gently cleaned her blurry eyes with the backs of her palms. As soon as she was confident that the weariness was gone she grabbed her luggage and got out of the car. In disbelief, she looked up and saw the enormous house in front of her. This ce is enormous!


    That was not what she had expected! That was no average home; it was a castle! Ites with a linked pool and a marble-built house. It was really amazing. Emma was interested to see what it looked like on the inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Miss Garcia asked. She nodded her head and responded.


    ¡°Yes, Caroline it¡¯s wonderful¡±. Two guards approached them a few minutester. Emma flinched when she saw them. They seemed to be massive and terrifying. They collected her luggage and proceeded inside, instructing them to follow. When she saw the inside of the house, she eximed even more. It looked to be both beautiful and modern.


    They were standing there, gazing at every corner their eyes could reach, until ady walked in.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hello there, are you the new maid?¡± She asked her politely.


    ¡°Oh yes, ma¡¯am I am¡± Emma replied. ¡°Emma Wilson,¡± as much as she hated her legal name, she couldn¡¯t change herst name.


    ¡°I¡¯m Martha Steve and I¡¯m also the maid here more like the head of the maids as I have been here for years,¡± she said and chuckled.


    Emma smiled at her. ¡°Where is Mrs. King?¡± Miss Garcia asked.


    ¡°Oh well, she has some important meeting to attend that¡¯s why I came instead.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see your room,¡± she said and motioned them to follow her.


    Her legs began to ache as a result of the amount of steps she had to take to reach the maid headquarters. The floors were gleaming, and the inside wasvishly decorated with exquisite essories. The walls were painted a creamy white color, and pictures adorned nearly every corner. The King¡¯s house was magnificent. Emma thought about how she could only work and not dwell in a ce like this.


    She noticed that they passed through seven bedrooms beforeing to a halt at the end of the hall at the maid headquarters area. Martha came to aplete stop and opened a door. The room was rather decent, in fact, exceptionally neat and clean for a maid. It was simply furnished with a single bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a mirror. It was pleasant for Emma.


    ¡°So how do you like your room?¡± Martha asked with a grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good,¡± Emma smiled. But her smile soon faded when she heard the faded sobs of Miss Garcia behind her, she turned around and hugged her tight without saying anything. She would miss her a lot.


    ¡°Be a good girl, my child,¡± she whispered. Emma could feel the sadness in her voice.


    ¡°I will, Caroline,¡± she muttered sadly.


    ¡°Please take care of her Martha, she is everything I got.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Caroline she will be alright here.¡± They both hugged.


    After a few seconds, Miss Garcia left the house. Emma and Martha led her to the front entrance. It broke her heart to watch her leave. But she didn¡¯t have a choice. Everything was done for Garcia¡¯s advantage.


    She remained in front of the door for about five minutes, watching Miss Garcia drive away from the house. Her attention was pulled to the sprawling garden, which spanned more than 100 yards and was encircled by whitewashed painted walls.


    She smiled at the wonderful creation of nature in front of her for the first time in a long time.

 Chapter 2

    Emma


    ¡°Emma wake up,¡± she felt someone shaking her. Emma slowly opened her eyes and saw Martha standing in front of her, beside the bed. Martha had let her take rest for the rest of the day.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for work dear. You have to wake up,¡± she said. Emma nodded her head and got up from bed. It was much morefortable than her old bed. She went to the bathroom and washed her face.


    ¡°Get ready and wear this,¡± Martha handed her an outfit. She stared at the dress in confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s this Martha?¡± She asked.


    She stopped what she was doing and turned around to face Emma.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a maid¡¯s outfit. All maids wear this during their work,¡± she smiled and left the room.


    Emma breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the fact that the outfit made her ufortable, she forced herself to wear it. It was eye-opening. It came up to her knees. It also revealed a significant portion of her neck side. It was a V-neck dress with a tight waistband that spilled down to her thighs. She attempted to conceal her cleavage. But it didn¡¯t help much, so she kept her hair open, hoping no one would notice. She was ustomed to working freely with her hair open. Emma immediatelybed her hair and put on the shoes and socks Martha had given her. She¡¯d never worn heels before. She had difficulty bncing herself with them at first, but she gradually learned how to walk with them. But she prayed she wouldn¡¯t trip and break her ankles. She looked at the time and realized she was runningte.


    Emma dashed downstairs in a hurry. She had to take her time walking up the stairs since the floor was slick and she was wearing heels. It was slippery not because someone had thrown soap water on it, but because of the substance it was made of, which appeared to her to be marble.


    Emma raced downstairs, gracelessly, towards the kitchen; it was difficult for her to find the kitchen since the home wasrge, with several sections and rooms. It took her about five minutes to locate the kitchen. She noticed Martha standing there with a group of females surrounding her, dressed in the same attire as her.


    They must be the other maids.


    ¡°Oh, Emma dear. Here you are!¡± She asked.


    ¡°Okay now get back to your work girls,¡± Martha said to the other girls. They all nodded their head and went off.


    ¡°What do I have to do, Martha?¡± Emma asked not knowing about her task.


    ¡°Oh yes, as it is your first day at work you will be introduced to Mr. and Mrs. King first and then I will give you your work,¡± she beamed.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emma muttered nervously. She predicted she had to be careful around them.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the King¡¯s toe home from work. You better be ready because they don¡¯t like people who arete, especially, Mister King doesn¡¯t like maids who look messy and fragile. So, you have to be careful to not do anything stupid in front of any of them but especially him,¡± she warned. Emma nodded her head. She was feeling anxious. She was going to meet her owners for the first time in less than twenty-four hours.


    Later, Martha informed her about Mr. and Mrs. King, iming that Mister King was a violent and enraged man. She sighed heavily and sat in the chair next to the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Who else is in King family?¡± She asked quietly. Martha stopped what she was doing and turned around to answer.


    ¡°Well, the heirs of this house, they don¡¯t live here. They all like to live on their own but they asionallye here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emma rose from the?chair and took a nce around the home. She could see the dining room within the gorgeous home, and the mansion appeared much more beautiful than it had previously, even under the dim yellow lights. The house was really stunning.


    ¡°Can you tell me about them?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Sure dear,¡± she smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s first talk about Miss Sofia. Well, I can just say that she is a spoiled rich brat who doesn¡¯t care about anyone. She is rude and a stubborn girl. You have to be very careful when you¡¯re around her,¡± Emma gulped.


    ¡°Thenes, Lucas. Sofia and Lucas are fraternal twins. He is also like Sofia, a spoiled brat. Always out with his friends. He neveres home in time, but like Sofia, he lives here at his parents¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°Are they eldest children of Mr. and Mrs. King?¡± Emma inquired. Martha shook her head. ¡°No dear, they are the youngest one. They have two elder brothers,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Emma questioned.


    Martha stopped for a second and was ready to respond when she was interrupted. She bolted from the kitchen.


    The house¡¯s design included marble mosaic floor and gold-painted walls. This was all very lovely. She couldn¡¯t touch anything because she was too nervous. She was terrified of breaking something or making them soiled by mistake. She took a look at the sofas, which were also extremely modern, and she could tell they were one of the most recent designs on the market just by looking at them. She may not have purchased anything expensive, but she did have some understanding of such things.


    As she ascended the stairs, she noticed a photograph of a boy hanging on the wall. The boy was probably between the ages of 14 and 16. His chin was up, his eyes were darkish, and his lips were narrow. His eyes were so ck that she could envision dark waves floating through them. He had a strong jawline. She was captivated by his elegance, but the sound of the doorbell abruptly jolted her out of her reverie. When she looked at the clock, she noticed it had been five minutes. She didn¡¯t even know she¡¯d been looking at his image for five minutes. She bolted for the front door. The individual rang the doorbell many times.


    Oh god, this ce is so big.


    Even though she was running as fast as she could in her heels, it was taking her a long time to get to the door. Whoever was standing outside was irritated. She eventually made it to the door and attempted to open it. But?couldn¡¯t figure out why the door wouldn¡¯t open. What kind of door lock system were they using?


    What on earth is this?


    She grasped the handle and attempted to pull, but it did nothing but hurt her hand. She felt her finger contact something and the door opened automatically. She exhaled a breath of relief. She widened the opening of the door.


    ¡°What the fuck you were doing?¡± Outside, a deep voice screamed. The voice shocked her and nearly caused her to fall. Emma trembled as she stared at the guy. Because it was dark outside, she couldn¡¯t see his face.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? Why were you not opening the door?¡± The same voice shouted again, and she entered the home, where she spotted the guy. She dropped her head swiftly.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He inquired once more. Emm6 felt like he was going to shoot her between the eyes. She continued to gaze down and said nothing. Her eyes were crying up and she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he whispered dangerously. She whimpered hearing his thick voice again.


    He snarled and grabbed her chin, forcing her to elevate it so she could face him. Emma shifted her gaze to meet his. The man had icy grey eyes that nevertheless shone in the little light. For a brief while, she noticed his grey?eyes melting. He was looking at her with a determined expression.


    ¡°S-sir. c-can you le-let me g-go?¡± Emma managed?to say. Instead of letting her go, his grasp tightened, and his gaze darkened once again. Her heart was racing.


    He was looking at her intently, as if he didn¡¯t want to let her go. She came to a halt. She couldn¡¯t move a single muscle. She gasped and took her gaze away from him, focusing on the dark navy-blue jacket he was wearing. He was clenching his teeth, and she could hear it. He was going to say something when he was interrupted by a voice.


    ¡°M-master,¡± Martha stumbled. What? Is he the house¡¯s owner? Oh, my goodness, what have I gotten myself into. His grasp loosened, and he eventually released her chin a few secondster. Emm6 exhaled with relief, despite her fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m r-really sorry f-for this master. Sh-she is the new girl here she didn¡¯t know anything. I-I¡¯m so s-¡±


    ¡°Bring me my drink,¡± the man said to her and then looked at Emma. ¡°And teach her to obey my orders,¡± Emma¡¯s eyes closed forcing herself not to break down in front of him.


    ¡°Yes, master. I¡¯ll teach her everything,¡± Martha said softly. The man walked away without saying anything. When she was certain he was gone, silent tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn¡¯t decide which terrified her more: the prospect of losing her job for disobeying him or the deadly atmosphere he exuded. For a brief time, she believed she was about to be fired.


    ¡°Oh dear, please don¡¯t cry everything is okay now,¡± Martha said hugging her.


    ¡°What happened my child? Did he say something to you?¡± She asked with concern.


    ¡°H-he just a-asked me t-to look i-into his ey-eyes,¡± Emma stuttered.


    ¡°My child you must listen when he tells you to do something, okay?¡± She replied.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Okay now let¡¯s go and I¡¯ll show you what you have to do today,¡± she stated this as she led her to the kitchen. They came to a halt as they arrived. Martha instructed her to prepare dinner for everyone and then clean the dishes. Emma only had to do that.


    ¡°What should I make for dinner, Martha?¡± She asked quietly. She didn¡¯t know why her voice never raised.


    ¡°Well, let me hand you the list. I assume you know how to cook?¡± She inquired. Emma mentioned that she could cook. She wasn¡¯t a terrific chef, but Miss Garcia¡¯s culinary sses helped. Despite her youth, she was capable of preparing a wide range of traditional meals.


    Emma took a look at the food list Martha handed her.


    ¡®Chicken Pata¡¯


    ¡®Chicken Zhini Pasta¡¯


    ¡®Mushroom soup¡¯


    Emma could make pata and soup, but she had no idea what zhini pasta was. She requested Martha to assist her in making the spaghetti.


    Everyone was at the dinner table once dinner was served, including that frightening man. Martha handed her the tes and told her to set them on the table. Emma was too scared to walk outside and confront him. But she didn¡¯t have much of a choice. She worked as a maid there. She had no choice but toply.


    She gripped the tray of dishes as tightly as she could, her hands shaking violently. She entered the dining room silently and carefully ced the meal on the table. She could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on her, which made her feel uneasy. That man was apanied by others. A brte female and a guy with ck hair. They were both stunning. They may have been Sofia and Lucas. Their parents were also present.


    She turned around and was ready to go after sessfully cing the tes when she was interrupted by a voice.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she heard the simr thick voice.


    ¡°Where you think you¡¯re going? You work here. I pay you to work for me. You should be here when we have our dinner, in case we need anything,¡± he said harshly. Emma forced myself to not panic and nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± she said quietly. She glimpsed at Martha who signaled her to stand there.


    She was standing there for ten minutes looking at her feet and sometimes passing the dishes to her owners.


    ¡°Pass me water,¡± said the brte girl. She picked up a ss and poured water into it, quickening her pace. She was about to ce the ss on the table when her feet collided with something, causing her to fall to the floor, and the ss slipped out of her grasp, falling into herp, soaking her elegant clothes.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL?¡± She yelled in anger. Everyone¡¯s attention was at them. Emma nearly broke down in fear.?Oh god,?what I am gonna do now?!?Martha came towards her and helped her stand up.


    ¡°You filthy bitch. How dare you pour water on me?!¡± She yelled at Emma.


    Martha passed a napkin towards her, she snatched it harshly and started to rub the material on her dress.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m r-really sorry ma¡¯am, m-my f-feet hit s-s-something a-and I f-fell,¡± her voice was shaking in extreme fear. 1


    ¡°Shut up you idiot,¡± she cursed.


    ¡°Calm down Sofia,¡± that same man said.


    ¡°Brother, how can I calm down? This fucking thing poured water in myp. How can you let this stupid freak work in our house?¡± She yelled. That was when she found out he was the eldest son and that was even more terrifying for her.


    ¡°Go to your room sofi. I¡¯ll take care of that,¡± hemanded. She gritted her teeth and walked out of the dining room, kicking the floor as she went. Emma began to cry for the first time in that house. She couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry my dear,¡± Martha cooed in her ear.


    She heard footstepsing near her. Emma froze at where she was standing.


    ¡°Martha take her to her room. She is dismissed for today,¡± Alexander announced.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Martha whispered and took Emma out of there.


    She took her to her room and sat her down on the bed. Her bottom lip was quivering in fear.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Martha engulfed her in a hug. ¡°Shh it¡¯s okay my child,¡± she said.


    ¡°Go to sleep now. It will help you to calm down,¡± Emma nodded her head andid down on the bed.


    ¡°Sh-she was Miss Sofia, wasn¡¯t she?¡± She whispered. Martha said yes.


    ¡°Has she always been like this?¡± Martha nodded in response.


    ¡°A-And who¡¯s that man? She called him brother?¡±


    After hearing the question, her expression turned cold. She remained silent for a few moments before responding.


    ¡°He was the man you bumped into before and he is the first heir of the Kings and a nightmare for anyone who messes with him.¡±


    ¡°Alexander King¡±.

 Chapter 3

    Emma


    ¡°Is this his real name?¡±


    ¡°Nobody calls him by his real name except for his mother,¡± said Martha


    ¡°Oh,¡± That was all Emma could respond as she was confused.


    ¡°Emma, I suggest you stay away from our master. He¡¯s not someone you want to anger,¡± she said pleading with her eyes.


    ¡°Wh-what? Wh-why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions. Just do as I say,¡± Her tone was colder than it had been. Emma responded with a nod of her head. She had no idea why Martha was saying all of those things. She was conscious, though, that if she wanted to work there, she had to obey her. But she had a sneaking suspicion that Martha was urate.


    She closed her eyes, expecting to fall asleep quickly.


    ***


    She was alone somewhere. Somewhere dark. ¡°Please Help Me Mom! Please Don¡¯t Leave Me Here, PLEASE!¡± Her screams echoed through the empty walls. She shivered when her echoed scream feared her. No one came.


    What did I ever do to deserve a life like this? My own mother and father are treating me like this.


    She thought and sobbed desperately hoping that someone woulde and save her. ¡°Mom, Dad, Please Help!¡± Her tiny hands banged on the rock-hard door. She sat on the dirty floor and rested her head on the wall. A few minutester someone barged in.


    ¡°Get up, you filthy bitch,¡± shouted her foster father and pulled her hair. She screamed in pain.


    ¡°Please Dad No! Please Stop!¡± She begged.


    ¡°Shut up you whore,¡± he said.


    ¡°Please dad, don¡¯t!¡± She begged again. He was staring at her with his wicked eyes.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he snarled, then pulled the rope from his pocket and tied her to the bed she had no idea was situated there. She resisted and tried to flee, but she was unable to do so. He had her wrists and legs bounded. He took a belt from his closet. The small girl gazed at her father in fear and shook her head, pleading with him not to punish her.


    ¡°This will teach you that you can never escape from us,¡± he hissed andshed the belt on her skin. 1


    ***


    Emma awoke panting heavily. She was having nightmares once more. She didn¡¯t know she was sobbing until her palms touched her cheeks and tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes and proceeded to the restroom. She went back to bed after washing her face. She exhaled deeply and rxed.


    The nightmares never left her alone.


    Alexander


    What was she doing to with him?


    Her eyes are captivating and enchanting. Making me want to look into those enchanted green eyes again and again. I couldn¡¯t take my gaze away from her beautiful features. How did she look so stunning?


    He had undoubtedly seen beautifuldies that he could have at any moment and from any location if he so desired. But she¡­ she was unique. Her body appeared to be untainted.


    Alexander couldn¡¯t help but wanting to touch her. He could feel himself bing stiff just thinking about her. Her eyes clearly revealed that she was terrified of him.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    When he saw her for the first time, his heart constricted as she closed her eyes and ceased herself from breaking down. But he couldn¡¯t deny the thrill he had from knowing he was the source for her tears.


    She was disobeying him, and no one else ever disobeyed him.


    His sister then had to shout at her. Surprisingly, he did not feel satisfied at the moment. He tightened his hands and mmed them on the wall.


    Why was it that it was upsetting him so deeply that she was crying? She was only a maid. A maid¡¯s job. Who was only supposed to be working at his home? But she was up to something else.


    He sighed and pondered as heid on his bed, trying not to think of her. But how do you do it?


    In his imagination, she was everywhere. She wasn¡¯t even dressed attractively. She was just dressed as a maid. She was only wearing the standard socks and heels that all maids wear, and her hair was loose.


    He wanted to grasp her hair to keep her in ce when she didn¡¯t listen to him.


    Fuck! She was driving me crazy.


    It was difficult to think clearly. He realized he needed to take action. He forced his eyes closed and eventually fell asleep.


    The next morning, he was awakened by the sound of the rm clock. He shifted his gaze to the other side and switched it off. Alexander pushed himself to stand up and go to the restroom. He got out and changed his clothing once he was clean. He put on his regr tuxedo and sprayed cologne.


    Alexander walked downstairs and saw that no one was present. He assumed he had to have his breakfast alone before departing for his own home.


    That home belonged to his father, not to him. Although his father imed Alexander could have the ownership, Alexander preferred his possessions. He was the CEO of their family firm and a wealthy businessman. As a result, he purchased himself a house and moved in. He visited at his father¡¯s ce only on rare asions.


    The maids were cleaning the house when they noticed him and bowed. Alexander took a wine ss from the table and poured some wine into it. He took a long sip and went for a walk around the house. He came to a halt in front of a window that overlooked the garden. Looking around, he noticed someone tidying the garden, and the person¡¯s attention was drawn to the flowers.


    With that much love, no one cared about the flowers or nts before, so he raised one eyebrow. He concentrated harder, and the scene startled him. It had to be her. She was picking dead grass from the ground, nting each flower nt delicately and gently patting it with her hands. Her beautiful hair was open, flowing with the wind as if her hair and the wind have been synced.


    For a brief time, his heart stopped. Some of her hair was in her face, obstructing her vision, and she was attempting to pull it away from her eyes with her grimy hands. She shook her head, hoping that the hair would move back, but she was unsessful. She sighed and rose from the ground, rubbing her hands in the towel beside her. She finished patting her hair and pulling it into a sloppy bun. But that didn¡¯t stop part of her front hair from falling into her eyes, making her appear even more stunning.


    She had finished her work and was on her way inside. When she entered, her gaze met Alexander¡¯s. She let out a shocked gasp.


    ¡°M-master, y-you¡¯re here. D-do you need so-something?¡± She stuttered, keeping her eyes down.


    Fuck! What did she have that makes me want to get close to her?


    Alexander remained silent and came closer to her. When she spotted him approaching, she flinched. He grinned as he saw her response. He relished her apprehension. He came to a halt when he was near enough to her and stroked her cheeks. As he massaged his palms, her silky-smooth flesh melted.


    ¡°S-sir what are you d-doing?¡± She whispered.


    Alexander hated questions.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he mumbled. With her?trembling figure, she peered into him. It brought him to a halt in his work. Alexander tightened his hands and stepped away from her, gently removing his hand. That provided her an opportunity, and she fled from him.


    What the hell was I doing?


    He muttered under his breath as he ran his fingers through his hair. He needed to keep his distance from her. He reasoned that if he went back to his house and visited his father¡¯s house less, he would be able to get rid of the unidentified desire he had for her.


    He left the home after breakfast, got into his car, and drove away.


    Emma


    What was his problem? Why was he so close to me and touching me!


    Emma thought to herself. To say she terrified was an understatement. She, too, was perplexed. No guy had ever approached her, much alone touched her. She couldn¡¯t move because she was so terrified. But, while she had to agree that his touch was warm and delicate, she didn¡¯t appreciate random males touching her. She expressed her gratitude to God for his leaving. He seldom visited, as Martha said, and he spent most of his time at his ce. She was relieved that she didn¡¯t have to see him too much.


    ¡°Come on girls, have your breakfast,¡± she overheard Martha summoning the maids. All of the girls followed her and sat at the kitchen table, which was reserved for the maids. They¡¯d brought their meals with them. They were sitting with their friends, chatting about how hot their master was.


    Seriously? He is our master. How could they say that? How could they even think that!


    Although she had to admit he was gorgeous, she thought it was not right for them to look at him that way.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± a soft voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, hi,¡± Emma quietly replied.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the new maid here?¡± She asked as she sat beside Emma with her te full of food.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m Vanessa,¡± she said and offered a handshake.


    ¡°Emma,¡± she shyly replied and shook her hand.


    ¡°Emma? Any special reason for naming you that?¡± She chuckled and asked.


    ¡°Uh not really, no special reason,¡± she seemed ufortable as she said. She was aware that her name was unusual. It was given to her foster parents before she was adopted, ording to her foster parents. She had no idea who had given her the moniker.


    She chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t need to be embarrassed, sweetie,¡± she said. After that they all ate their breakfast. There was an awkward silence among all of them until Martha came.


    ¡°Girls please finish your breakfast quickly. You have work to do. And let me tell you what you guys have to do for today. Okay, so, Vanessa, you will work in the kitchen and clean the dishes. Susan and Alice, you two will clean the living room,¡± and she continued giving them the list of the work they had to do.


    ¡°Andstly Emma, you have to clean the dining table, the library and the rooms,¡± Emma nodded her head at her. She was happy with her work. She loved cleaning and she was excited to clean the library area.


    Finishing her food, she ced it under the sink and washed her hands.


    ¡°Move aside, you jerk,¡± someone said from behind. Emma cocked her head and noticed a brte girl with a smile looking at her. She said nothing and stepped out of her way, giving her space to wash her hands. She went about her job, keeping her gaze fixed on Emma as she squeezed the liquid soap over her hands and cleaned them.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who poured water into Miss Sofia¡¯sp?¡± She asked in a mocking voice. Emma replied nothing. The girl already knew the answer.


    ¡°Well, what kind of a retarded girl are you?¡± She said and walked away.


    Emma watched as the girl left and she sighed, her breathing was breaking in between but she refused to cry


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma, just ignore her. She has always been like this,¡± Vanessa remarked as she patted Emma on the back. That was all she¡¯d ever done in her life. First, the abuse andter the poverty had taught her a valuable lesson about ignoring such circumstances.


    Emmapleted washing the dining table, which took her about 10 minutes. She now had to tidy up the library. She was ecstatic, and she adored reading. She entered the library when she arrived the door.


    She eximed when she saw how many volumes were on the shelves and howrge the library was. It wasrger than her and Miss Garcia¡¯s home.


    God, I don¡¯t know where to start from.


    She had that?notion, but luckily, other maids were cleaning the library. She let out a sigh. She was relieved that she didn¡¯t have to clean it all by herself, but she was also dissatisfied. She hoped to spend some alone time with her favorite thing in the world.


    Books.


    ¡°Excuse me, do you need something?¡± She turned around and saw a guy staring at her. The guy had astounding blue eyes and blonde hair.


    ¡°Uh w-well I-I¡¯m here f-for cleaning the li-library,¡± she stuttered. She despised stammering, but it was a childhood problem.


    She was never very adept at mingling, particrly with males. The person in front of her was incredibly handsome, which made her even more apprehensive.


    He chuckled and said ¡°Okay. You can clean that section,¡± he pointed out. She quickly headed toward that direction.


    She reached the section and started to clean it. That ce was very dirty.


    Does anyone even read these books? The books look like no one haven¡¯t touched them for years.


    She cleaned all of the bottom shelves but left the top shelf alone. The book shelves were all at least eight feet long. How was she going to get the upper shelves clean? Her gaze was drawn to a ce where thedder was stored. She breathed a sigh of relief as she slid the heavydder to the part she was cleaning and came to a halt. She took one step at a time, gently cing her feet. She was afraid of heights; therefore, it was tough for her. Her eyes were closed as she carried on with the motion. Her feet slid as she was ready to take another stride.


    Her scream attracted the attention of everyone in the library. She felt she was going to fall and break her hips, never being able to stand straight again. The floor was constructed of wood and appeared to be strong enough to break someone¡¯s back. But instead, her body was hovering in mid-air.


    Am I really floating now?!


    When she opened her eyes, she noticed a pair of blue eyes looking at her. When she realized he was holding her in his arms, she eximed. She bowed her head in shame.


    ¡°Easy there beautiful,¡± he said and put her down.


    ¡°T-thank you,¡± she said quietly and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Hey wait. what¡¯s your name?¡± He asked.


    He is asking for my name? No boy has ever asked that.


    ¡°E-Emma,¡± she instantly answered and exited the library. She made the decision to inform Martha that she would be unable to clean the upper shelves of the library. She hoped Martha would not be enraged.


    She went into the bedrooms to clean, picking up the vacuum and a pail with rags.

 Chapter 4

    Emma


    Emma was agitated by therge number of bedrooms she had to clean. Her back hurt from the cleaning. She¡¯d already done two rooms. Martha hadn¡¯t informed her how many rooms she needed to clean, so when Emma questioned, she told her to clean Mr. and Mrs. King¡¯s room, Miss Sofia¡¯s room, and Master Alexander¡¯s room. She had four more massive rooms to clean.


    Her thoughts turned to Alexander, her master. Everyone in the home referred to him as Alexander. No one knew what his true name was. That¡¯s odd.


    But that was none of her concern, she reasoned and returned to her job.


    She made her way to Sofia¡¯s room, and when she got there, she twisted the doorknob and discovered it was locked.


    Maybe she is in there.


    Emma¡¯s knocked on the door. She had to knock twice since there was no response at first. She flinched when the door was violently opened after the fourth knock.


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Sofia snapped.


    ¡°I-I came h-here for cl-cleaning,¡± Emma said looking down.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Not now, go away and clean Alexander¡¯s room first,¡± she said and was about close the door but stopped.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you dare touch anything of his. He will kill you. Understand?¡± She continued to stare at her. Emma gave a brief nod of her head. The door mmed in Emma¡¯s face. She exhaled a breath of relief. Emma was frightened. She shook her head and headed over to Alexander¡¯s bedroom. She hoped he didn¡¯t return from work because he had left early and it was already afternoon. She was going down the hall, enjoying the grandeur of the home and the paintings on the walls.


    She came to a halt in front of a door and gazed at it. It was a ck wooden door.


    ck door? All of the other doors were in brown or hazelnut color why is this one in ck?


    The door had a weird aura about it that she couldn¡¯t ce. It was terrifying. She turned the knob carefully and opened the door. Thankfully, the door was not locked.


    Her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw within. It was a beautiful room. The most beautiful room in the home. The room looked like an apartment! There was arge wavy-shaped bed and very long windows that revealed the outside of the home, and she gaped at the scene.


    It was invigorating. She didn¡¯t know where to begin with?but eventually, she chose the closet. She took the mop and began cleaning the closet. It wasrge and made of ss.


    She mobbed the floor once she was finished, which aggravated her backache. It appeared like she needed to put something to it to alleviate the difort.


    The floor was so clear that she couldn¡¯t see any scratches or dirt on it. Then why am I even cleaning?


    Because you are a maid and this is your job.


    Her inner voice said. She sighed and continued to clean the already clean floor.


    Once she was done, she stood up and instantly flinched back in pain.?This back pain will kill me.


    She cleaned the entire room in 30 minutes and then desperately wanted to go because she was exhausted and the pain was bing worse. She walked gently towards the entrance, careful not to touch or destroy anything. Emma recalled what Sofia had told her. She reached for the door, twisted the handle, and was ready to walk out when she collided with someone¡¯s chest.?Wait, someone¡¯s chest?


    Emma cocked her head and saw the identical set of grey eyes that had made her tremble in terror. She took a big gulp.


    He seemed to be peering into her soul. His gaze pierced through her body like a drilling machine which made her tremble.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry master I didn¡¯t see you,¡± She hurriedly apologized in order to get out of there. He didn¡¯t respond, and he didn¡¯t take her out of his eyes. She cleared her throat to get his attention, but it didn¡¯t work. He decided to speak after a few seconds of standing there like that.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked in a deep voice. Emma stayed silent for a second.?Why would he want to know my name?


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting, butterfly,¡± he growled.


    Butterfly? Why did he call me that?


    ¡°E-Emma, master,¡± she answered uncertainly to avoid angering him.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he muttered and her breath caught in her throat. She was truly afraid of that man. He held an aura that made him even more terrifying than his sister.


    She shivered with terror. He lifted his hand, and she closed her eyes, expecting him to hurt her, but instead, he tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear and softly caressed her face. Emma trembled and moved back as he was touched. That appeared to enrage him, and he looked at her with clenched fists and furious eyes. She was screaming from terror inside and nced down.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry, master,¡± she had no idea why she was apologizing. But she believed that would settle him down. That was exactly what happened. She nced into his eyes and realized that he was no longer angry, and his hands were no longer clenched. His face, though, was expressionless. He grinned as he entered his room, closing the door behind him.


    Emma quickly walked towards the kitchen. She immediately called Martha as she found her washing the dishes.


    ¡°Martha!¡± She called her. Martha turned around and gave her a small smile.


    ¡°Yes, my child?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°Uh¡­ a-actually I-I couldn¡¯t clean the l-library. Because I co-couldn¡¯t reach the t-top,¡± she stuttered again and it annoyed her. Martha chuckled and shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay dear. I will tell someone else to do that,¡± Emma gave her a satisfying smile.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Martha,¡± she whispered looking down.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright dear. As you¡¯re free now can you wash the dishes for me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh yes of course. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Emma said and walked towards the sink.


    ¡°Thank you, sweetie,¡± she heard her footsteps fading away from the kitchen.


    I guess it won¡¯t be so bad working here. If I stay away from that man¡­


    Her subconscious spoke up. She prayed she was correct. She didn¡¯t want to deal with any issues. At the very least, it was preferable to her foster parent¡¯s home and the dreadful hostel where she was staying. She had strict owners, but they didn¡¯t abuse her, and while several maids didn¡¯t like her, she wasn¡¯t much bullied. Everyone minded their own business. But it was clear that she yearned for Miss Garcia.


    She did, however, finish cleaning all of the items in the sink. She wiped her hand with a tiny towel and went to go, but she collided with someone. She was unable to maintain her equilibrium and fell.


    Emma cried out in agony and closed her eyes, still unable to identify who that person was.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A male voice said. She snapped her eyes open and her eyes met with a familiar beautiful pair of blue eyes.?It¡¯s the library guy.?He extended his hand forward to her.


    ¡°Come on get up beautiful,¡± She reluctantly grabbed his hand, and he had her up in a sh. She was taken aback by his unexpected move, which caused him tough. Emma bowed her head in shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know you were here,¡± she said lowly.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize. The mistake was mine. I should have seen where I was going,¡± he said with a toothy grin.


    ¡°O-Okay I should go now,¡± she walked past him to leave but he grabbed her hand from behind. Her eyes widen in shock.?What is he doing?


    Emma turned around and harshly snatched her hand away from his.?I don¡¯t like any man touching me.?He seemed to be shocked at her reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry beautiful I just wanted to talk to you but you¡¯re always in a hurry,¡± he said and chuckled.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s okay. Wh-what do you want to talk about?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, for now, I just want to know you,¡± he said and sat on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°L-like what?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°How old are you Emma?¡± He asked with a smile.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m 17,¡± I replied. He grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re too young for a maid. Why do you work here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°My guardian cannot bear my expenses that¡¯s why I have to work.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. You¡¯re really brave Emma,¡± he gave her a smile which she returned that time.


    ¡°W-What about you? How old are you?¡± He was about to reply when someone shouted at them.


    ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± A voice spoke up. She froze as she heard the tone and turned around to locate him. Her eyes were wide with dread, and she began to tremble. His powerful aura was smothering him, and his eyes were as dark as dark night. She began to take a step back.


    ¡°Nothing, we were just chatting,¡± the library guy said as if his presence was not affecting him. How could he act so normal around master?


    Alexander took fast steps towards them. ¡°I suggest you watch your tone Ethan or else I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± he growled.? So, his name is Ethan.? Emma gulped and lowered her head. She didn¡¯t want to witness that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to get angry Alexander.¡±


    ¡°Sh-¡± He cut off Ethan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything. Just because you¡¯re my cousin doesn¡¯t mean you will go around and talk with my housemaids and?you,¡± he said pointing at her. She wanted to run away from there. She never knew they were cousins. She would never have talked to Ethan if she knew they were rted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t pay you to have gossips here,¡± he growled at her making her flinch.


    ¡°Hey bro, don¡¯t shout at her it¡¯s not even her mistake,¡± Ethan said trying to defend Emma.


    ¡°Leave Ethan. Go to your house,¡± Alexander said to him. Ethan sighed and walked away from there.? Oh god no, now I¡¯m alone with him.? Once Ethan was gone his eyes got back on her. His intense stare again pierced through her soul. He started to get closer to her.


    Alexander came to a halt when he got near enough to touch her, but she took a few steps back. Her action enraged him even more, and he tightened his grasp on her hand. He yanked her closer to him. Emma¡¯s eyes were wide and tearing up as she looked at him. When he realized that, his eyes softened and they locked gazes for a few seconds. He let go of her hand after what seemed like a lifetime, and she jerked back.


    ¡°Get back to work,¡± he said with a hard tone and walked away. Emma bit her lips trying to hold back the tears.

 Chapter 5

    Alexander


    ¡°Sir these are the files you were asking for,¡± Jonathan, his assistant, stated. Alexander took the files and began to examine them. He had made an agreement with Samuels for their new initiatives. As a result, he needed to review all of the data before making a final judgment.


    ¡°Like always, you will get the deal dude,¡± Adrian, his childhood friend, smirked. Alexander didn¡¯t respond to thement and continued with his job since his friend Adrian was an immature twenty-seven-year-old guy to him.


    ¡°Come on dude why you are always so moody?¡± He said and rolled his eyes earning a re from Alexander. ¡°I am busy, can¡¯t you see that?¡± He said bluntly.


    ¡°Whatever man, sometimes you seriously bore me. Now just tell me if you¡¯re arranging a party for your birthday?¡± Adrian asked him seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not any teenager who has to throw a party every year on his birthday. I have important things to do other than throwing stupid parties,¡± he said and ced the file on the desk.


    Adrian stared at his friend as if he was crazy and then spoke up. ¡°What? Come on don¡¯t do that man everyone is excited about your birthday. Everyone expects you to have a st on your birthday,¡± he stated emphatically.


    Alexander was bing irritated by his friend, and he recognized that Adrian would not leave him alone until he consented. Adrian got away with whatever he said to Alexander his whole life since he was his childhood friend.


    ¡°You can n it if you want,¡± Adrian grinned like a small child.


    ¡°But you have to arrange everything I¡¯m not doing a shit,¡± Alexander told him.


    ¡°Yes of course,¡± he said and left the room.


    When he was finished with his task. He recalled he needed to go back to his father¡¯s house to get certain files from there. And going there implies he might have to confront that girl.


    Emma.


    No woman had these effects on me, and that little girl is ying with my head.


    But he couldn¡¯t take his gaze away from her stunning eyes. Her silky-smooth skin, and her pink delicious lips, he longed to touch. He ran his hand through her?hair.


    How do I stop this?


    For God¡¯s sake, she is a maid. It should not be difficult for me to forget about her.


    He took out his phone and phoned a number.


    ¡°Hey, Alexander,¡± Jessica purred.? What a whore.


    ¡°Come to my office, right now,¡± hemanded.


    ¡°On my way,¡± she said and hung up.


    Emma


    Emma had a really rough day since she had a lot of stuff to do. Martha informed her that Alexander¡¯s birthday was approaching nearer and they had nned to celebrate, which was why the maids were required to clean the entire home. She had to tidy the living room where visitors were expected. They had to prepare the lunch for at least a hundred people, so they had to n ahead of time.


    Emma groaned and began scrubbing the floor. She walked up and ced the dirty piece of cloth in the bucket after she was sure that the floor was clean. She picked up the bucket full of water, which was so heavy that she had to take tiny steps so it didn¡¯t slip out of her grasp. She was also responsible for cleaning the rooms.


    She couldn¡¯t see why they had to clean the rooms when they were going to be partying below. She shook her head and went inside Mr. and Mrs. King¡¯s chamber. She twisted the doorknob and opened the door, taking care not to destroy anything as she meticulously cleaned the room. Alexander chamber was next on the list. Emma swallowed, terrified.


    He was frightened and made her nervous, and after what urredst night, she would be unable to face him. But she had to admit he was different than any men she had encountered. She¡¯d never seen a man like him before. He had a powerful aura that made others kneel down to him.


    After she had finished cleaning, she went to his bedroom and tapped on the door. Emma prayed silently that he wasn¡¯t in there. She knocked once again, but no one responded.


    He must be out for work.


    She entered by opening the door. Her entire back was aching as a result of all the cleanings. She began rubbing the floor once more.


    But suddenly, after a few moments, she heard a door opening and closing. She flinched and whirled around to see that the main door was securely locked. So, what was that noise? She froze as she heard footsteps. Was she dreaming?


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The voice started her and she let out a small yelp. When Emma turned back, she spotted Alexander standing by an open door without a shirt!? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    She instantly whirled around, her eyes wide and her cheeks heated. He chuckled quietly, which she overheard.? Did he justugh? I never knew he could.


    Emma heard his footstepsing closer to her. ¡°I asked you something and I expect an answer,¡± he spoke up with a hard tone.


    ¡°I-I was cl-cleaning, master.¡±


    ¡°I-I will just g-go now. I-I¡¯m sor-sorry sir,¡± she whispered and was about to leave the room.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he yelled. She immediately stopped and waited for him to continue.


    ¡°You can do your work,¡± he stated as he returned to the room where he had been earlier. She figured it was his personal gym. His perspiring body and the towel wrapped around his neck exined it to her.


    Ten minutes had already passed, she was exhausted, and her task was nearly over. She had the impression that someone was keeping an eye on her. But she was too exhausted to consider it.


    ***


    He kept an eye on her, from his gym. He was watching her every move. Even in her filthy clothing, he thought she was gorgeous. His heart was racing as she brushed her hair away from her face with the back of her palm. He observed her while she focused on her task.


    He saw that she was different from other girls, in fact, she was quite unusual. She wasn¡¯t a money-hungry girl, nor was she a desperate young woman who would die to sleep with men like Alexander.


    Women would discreetly watch him and gaze at him with lusty eyes. But when he saw her, he could tell she was terrified, her eyes portrayed it all. She didn¡¯t even make eye contact with him. Her reaction to seeing him without a shirt was distinctpared to other women. He couldn¡¯t help but grin at her naive personality.


    Something in his life has changed since she walked through the front door of his father¡¯s house. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was meritorious or abominable, but he was getting limated to the change in no time.


    His life had always been a mystery to him. Everyone, even his own family, was perplexed by his views and personality. He lived in a cave with nothing but darkness around him.


    Girls like Emma were umon to find at the time, owing to the men¡¯sck of respect. But any man would be lucky to be with a woman like Emma.


    Just imagining her with some other male, made his blood boil with anger.


    He pondered as he stepped into the gym, locking the door and cleaning his body with the towel. He was about to leave the gym to take a shower when he noticed she had already left. He entered the bathroom, shut the door, and turned on the shower.


    ¡®He would go to any length to make her his forever. But every time he thought about it, he refused toply, even though he knew everything deep down in his soul and heart. Even though he was not aware of it at the time. He understood deep down that he felt something different for her. He was running away from the same sensation over the years, but he had no idea that the presence of that girl in his life would change his fate forever.¡¯

 Chapter 6

    Emma


    The entire home was spotless, the floors were sparkling, every corner of the house had been washed, and the old sofa covers had been reced with brand-new ones with new cushions. After hours of cleaning and cooking, the servants were all exhausted.


    Adrian wanted to beforted about the cleanliness and decorations of the entire house after Martha reminded them that Alexander¡¯s birthday was only two days away and that there would be arge number of visitors Alexander¡¯s friends. The color scheme was gold and silver.


    Earlier in the day, a few men came to the estate to measure the size of the golden-colored drapes that would be required to decorate the hall. Emma was never a lover of golden hues; she adored silver, but golden was simply a filthy form of muddy yellow to her. She like lighter hues. Her jaw dropped open as she noticed the glittering gold drapes falling down the creamy white walls. Her entire perspective was transformed in a matter of minutes. It was breathtakingly gorgeous as if the house were made of gold with a sprinkling of silver glitter on top. It didn¡¯t seem overly sparkly or too in, but the appropriate amount of basic gold and silverplexion.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mind at?¡± Venessa asked breaking her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, nothing¡±, Emma whispered. They were in a room where Martha informed them to wait for her. Nobody knew why.


    ¡°Why do you think Martha called us for?¡± Emma asked Venessa. She just shrugged her shoulders and responded. ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡±


    After a few minutes, they heard footsteps approaching the room. The door opened, and a man in histe forties entered, holding arge suitcase and apanying Martha.


    What¡¯s in that bag? Emma?thought that to herself.


    ¡°Sorry girls, you all have to wait here for a long time,¡± Martha said and smiled.


    ¡°You all must be thinking about what is in this bag. As you all know that the master¡¯s birthday ising and there will be a party. He wanted all of us to be well dressed and this bag has lots of beautiful dresses for you girls,¡± she said.


    It was one of the benefits of having wealthy owners; the employees got to wear things they never imagined they¡¯d get to wear, and if they were lucky, they got to eat meals they¡¯d never eaten before. Some girls were specting about how elegant the outfits would be, while others were relieved that they would be able to wear anything other than body-fitting maid attire. Emma hoped for the same thing.


    ¡°Silence girls,¡± everyone obeyed.


    ¡°Master doesn¡¯t want any of the maids to look bad because people love to criticize the smallest defect in the party and will turn them into a vast problem. We must not forget that we¡¯re working for one of the top billionaires of this country, so we have to look smart and behave smartly. And trust me when I say this if you do anything wrong, master will not hesitate to punish you,¡± she warned the girls. Emma gulped in fright.


    He would punish us? I don¡¯t even want to imagine what punishment we might receive if we do anything wrong.


    ¡°You remember what happenedst time?¡± She questioned.


    Last time? What happenedst time? Emma had a clue but didn¡¯t bother asking Martha about it at the moment because thest thing she wanted to do was humiliate herself in front of everyone. Martha proceeded toy down the ground rules for everyone.


    ¡°Okay. So, girls, you can see your dresses now,¡± she stated ?when she opened the bag. She took out all of the outfits. The maids were dressed in a silver blouse and a jet-ck pencil skirt.


    Emma was handed her dress, and her fingers caressed the fabrics, which were delicate and practically melted beneath her touch. She¡¯d never worn something like it before. Previously, she wore modest sundresses or sweaters and sweatpants at Miss Garcia¡¯s residence.


    The attraction of the garment captivated the girls. It was beautiful. Her smile faded as she saw herself in that stunning outfit. She didn¡¯t have a physique that guys would like; she¡¯d never worn a swimsuit before, and she¡¯d never gone to the gym to achieve a good shape. To Emma, her body type was unimpressive.


    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it? ¡± Venessa asked her with a grin.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just so beautiful. But I wonder why would he choose such an expensive outfit for us? I mean we¡¯re just maids,¡± Emma asked her. Vanessa chuckled and replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning, my dear Emma. You don¡¯t know what else he could do to prove to everyone who he really is,¡± she frowned at Vanessa¡¯s remark, what did she mean? She thought Alexander must love showing off his money to the media. She had read magazines before about it. However, Marthamanded them to get back to work.


    Alexander:


    ¡°So that¡¯s the theme, did you like it?¡± Adrian inquired. He appeared to be a shambles as if he hadn¡¯t had enough sleep in a few days. His hair was a tangled mess, and his shirt buttons dangled from his shirt. Did he get into a fight on the way to my office?


    He had been bbering about the theme and the decorations for over an hour which irritated Alexander.


    ¡°Adrian, I told you to do what you want. Just don¡¯t disturb me,¡± he spat at his friend.


    ¡°Come on man just look at the theme it¡¯s so elegant and it will be mentioned in the invitation card and there is something I have selected for your workers,¡± he said ruffling through the papers in his hand and pulling out a paper, presenting it on Alexander¡¯s desk.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alexander asked taking the paper from the desk.


    ¡°This is what the maids are going to wear. I didn¡¯t sync them with guards as they will be wearing in boring ck as usual,¡± he said and rolled his eyes.


    Alexander looked at the clothing ideas and immediately wondered how Emma might appear in them. The diamond silver top was paired with a ck skirt. His eyes darkened at the notion of the garment suiting her body and framing her figure.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, man? You don¡¯t like it?¡± Adrian questioned raising his eyebrow.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± he replied inly.


    ¡°Just send the outfits to my dad¡¯s house, the maids will take care of it.¡±


    ¡°I already did that, I had Martha inform me everything I needed to know to stitch the clothes in just a few days¡­¡± Alexander excused himself with a nod of his head. After Adrian departed, he returned to work and prepared himself for the meeting.


    He picked up the phone and dialed his assistant¡¯s number.


    ¡°Yes sir?¡±?He replied instantly.


    ¡°Are they here already?¡±


    ¡°No sir, they will be here in ten minutes,¡±?his assistant replied.


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t forget to inform me,¡± he remarked as he hung up the phone. He was preparing for the meeting. A firm was eager to sign a contract with the Kings, so they arranged for a meeting. Alexander was never a man who would deal with any firm easily, so they had to wait a long time to have an appointment with him.


    After thirty minutes, his assistant called to let him know they were on their way. He left his chamber and walked into the conference room, barging in without greeting anyone. He sat down in his usual chair. The two guys cleaned their throats ufortably.


    The man named Anderson was the first person to speak up, ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you, Mr. King. we¡¯re d that you could make it,¡± he said with a smile which Alexander never returned


    His smile faded and he cleared his throat once again, ¡°Sir, you already know the reason why we¡¯vee here. Ourpany is not in a good state right now; we are in debt. We wanted anotherpany to merge with us so that we could get some help and we cannot think of anyone better than you,¡± he exined. His tone was almost begging Alexander to help him out.


    Alexander was silent for a moment and then asked, ¡°Well, can I see your financial statement?¡± Anderson nodded and handed Alexander the file. He opened up the file and started examining it. Does this man really know how to run a business?! This is terrible!


    Alexander closed the file and ced it on the table. ¡°Well, Mr. Anderson, I see that your financial statement is very bad. I cannot take any risk working with you.¡±


    He looked at Alexander with a horrid expression.


    ¡°S-sir please we¡¯vee here with a lot of hope, please don¡¯t do this to us, sir,¡± he pleaded. Alexander stared at him with no emotion.


    ¡°I have a condition,¡± he said. He stared at Alexander with confusion. ¡°What condition?¡± He asked.


    ¡°As you know, if I help yourpany, yourpany is surely going to be a sess. So, in this case, the profit that thepany will receive, you will have to share with mypany.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Sir. How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°60% of it will be mine,¡± the man was stunned. The other man beside him wanted to protest but stopped when his eyes met Alexander¡¯s.


    ¡°Y-yes Sir. Thank you,¡± Anderson said.


    ¡°You may leave now, Mr. Anderson,¡± Alexander told him. They stood up and walked away a few secondster. Hispanionship was worthless to Alexander. However, the amount of share he requested was sufficient.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was finally time to leave the workce. Because his friend had arranged an unwee party, he needed to remain at his father¡¯s house as the party would be hosted there. And staying there meant seeing her all the time.

 Chapter 7

    Emma


    Martha informed Emma that Mr. and Mrs. King were returning from a business trip and that she would introduce her to them. She was tensed with expectation. Martha also advised her to keep her manners as best she could.


    Emma hurriedly rushed to wash her hands and clean herself, knowing that if the kings saw her with filthy hands and beads of sweat glittering on her forehead, she would be expelled.


    ¡°Emma! Where are you?¡± Martha yelled for her. Emma dashed towards her. ¡°There you are. Come on, you¡¯ve got to be quick. Mr. and Mrs. King are here, and if we do not properly greet them, they will be enraged,¡± she spoke at a rapid speed. Emma followed her into the living room with a tip of her head. And when she arrived, she noticed ady seated on the sofa, a man in histe 50s sitting beside her, discussing something with her, and Emma standing behind Martha, feeling extremely anxious.


    ¡°Hello sir and madam, I¡¯m happy you made it here safely,¡± Martha said politely to them. ¡°Hello Martha, how has the house been? We didn¡¯t have time to call you since the moment we left,¡± said thedy. Emma saw Mrs. King smiling at Martha from the corner of her eye while Mr. King was on his phone.


    She was relieved that his gaze was not on her yet, and she took advantage of the opportunity to assess thedy¡¯s look. The woman was stunning. She appeared to be in herte forties, yet the smoothness of herplexion and the elegancy of her luxury clothing gave her the appearance of being effortlessly beautiful. Her eyes were honey-coated, the most stunning hazel-colored eyes she¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this behind you, Martha?¡± She questioned, pulling Emma out of her concentration, and she froze in ce. She was bing increasingly tense. She felt out of ce and worse standing in front of them.


    ¡°Oh, ma¡¯am, this is Emma. she is the new maid here. I had told you about her employment,¡± Martha said. She moved aside so that Mrs. King could see her. Her face had turned red as she took a step forward, looking down.


    ¡°H-hello ma¡¯am, hello s-sir,¡± she said stutteringly. She cursed under her breath for stuttering just as Martha shot her a look of disapproval.


    ¡°Hello dear, how are you doing?¡± Mrs. King asked her with a heart-warming smile which she dly returned. ¡°I-I¡¯m good,¡± she replied quietly.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like people who pathetically stutters in their every sentence,¡± Mr. King spat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± she apologized profusely. She had never felt so humiliated in her entire life. Not even when she used to wander about hostel halls in nothing but her undergarments on the harshest winter evenings because the seniors encouraged her to do so to demonstrate her deference to them.


    He just gave her a cold stare and nodded his head while Mrs. King gave her a sad smile.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°You both should get back to work and Martha please cancel all the calls and meetings. We¡¯re very tired and want to rest for a few hours and at exactly 8 pm I want our dinner ready,¡± she said smiling, and walked away with her husband. Emma sighed deeply. She felt as if she could not do anything without messing things up.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay honey. You don¡¯t have to be sad. Master has been like this. Don¡¯t be sad, just make sure you behave properly in front of him next time,¡± Martha said patting her on the shoulder.


    ¡°How is Mrs. King?¡± Emma asked following her towards the kitchen.


    ¡°She is a very nice woman with a very weing nature. She is always nice to all of us in every situation. She has never been arrogant and treats us very well,¡± she replied.? I see, Mrs. King sounds like a nice woman.


    Emma thought to herself.


    ¡°So, all of their children are like their father?¡± She asked again.


    Martha paused what she was doing and turned around, ¡°Master Alexander is the exact copy of his father, they both are the same. Ignorant and arrogant. And as well as Sofia and Lucas. They both are arrogant and rich brats who care for none other than themselves,¡± she replied.


    Lucas must be the one who was at the dining table when I dropped the ss full of water on Miss Sofia on my very first day.


    ¡°Except for one,¡± she said all of a sudden snapping Emma out of her deep thoughts.


    ¡°Who?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Liam. He is just like Mrs. King, more like a shadow of her. He¡¯s kind-hearted just like his mother and the second heir of the king¡¯s family and after that Luca and Sofia were born. I remember when I first entered this house. I was just 25 years old. Ma¡¯am helped me with so many things and Liam treated me like his second mother. He is a true example of a gentleman,¡± Emma stayed silent listening to her bbering.?Is he that good?? She thought to herself.


    Martha chuckled at Emma¡¯s awkwardness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear, but I cannot stop myself from talking good about him, and guess what! He¡¯sing to visit here soon!¡± with a toothy grin, she said.


    Emma giggled at her juvenile behavior, but she quickly stopped when she realized someone was observing her. As she tilted her head and spotted Alexander standing at the kitchen door gazing at her, that strong unfamiliar emotion rushed over her body. Her eyes were just as startled as his scary ones. His eyes were no longer frigid as they had been; instead, they were soft. Her pulse rate increased as she continued to stare into his mesmerizing eyes, which carried some emotion that she couldn¡¯tprehend.


    As he caught her gazing back, his eyes left the warmth and embraced the coldness. He exited the kitchen and walked upstairs with onest nce. What was that? Was he bipr or what?


    She shrugged her shoulders and began working alongside the other females. Alexander¡¯s birthday was the next day, so they all had to work hard and wouldn¡¯t get much sleep.


    Alexander:


    He couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from her. Her gorgeous face lit up as she grinned. A little smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes softened as he took in the scene. For his?serenity, the only thing he could gaze at was her eyes. But why is this so? What was it about her that made her so unique?


    When she noticed him gazing at her, his eyes softened and she abruptly stoppedughing. What made her stop? He growled in his head.


    Despite seeing her surprise, he kept his gaze fixed on her. Something bubbled inside him as a result of her look. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was the sense of rage or his melting heart. He detested the notion of thetter.


    It had to have been the rage. When did I be so vulnerable? He questioned himself. He wasn¡¯t a man of vulnerability and he wasn¡¯t going to let some little girl change that.


    When he realized he had been looking at her for quite some time, his stare returned to its previous coldness. Her expression was perplexed as he proceeded to walk upstairs to his room, fully disregarding everyone in his way.


    When he arrived in his room, he opened the door and entered, cing his coat on the sofa. He closed his eyes andid down on his bed. He was exhausted that day and wanted to do nothing but sleep.


    A loud knock woke him up from his sleep, making him groan in annoyance. ¡°Come in,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not very polite of you, my son,¡± he heard his mother say and enter his room. He greeted her.


    ¡°I never knew you wereing today.¡±


    ¡°It happened all of a sudden we didn¡¯t have time to inform you, dear,¡± she said and sat beside him.


    ¡°How have you been Alex?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°I have been fine just very tired because of my work,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Your dad also came with me and I would like you to see him,¡± she said. He didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with his father so he just nodded his head to stop her from talking about it any further. He was never in a close rtionship with anyone in his house anymore since his 20¡äs. But his mother somehow always tried to get close to him and sometimes he would let her.


    ¡°I see you have handled the house nicely and the new maid is pretty quiet and nice,¡± he looked at her in confusion.?Who is she talking about??¡±That young one?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, and I guess her name is¡­¡± she narrowed her eyes to remember. ¡°Oh yes, Emma, she is very nice and young. Martha introduced her to me and your father, but, as always your father had to be rude to everyone,¡± she said and rolled her eyes. Alexander clenched his fists. He was rude to her?


    ¡°What did he say?¡± He asked trying to control his anger.


    ¡°He just told her that he doesn¡¯t like any clumsy worker who stutters a lot. But don¡¯t worry dear I will make sure he is not like that again,¡± she assured him. He had no idea why she was assuring him of it; he had no interest in his father or his actions. He did not care about half of the office staff and the maids at his house.


    Alexander had never paid attention to it, but something had angered him when his mother informed him about his father¡¯s inferior conduct towards Emma.

 Chapter 8

    Emma


    Everyone was getting ready for the party, but the maids had to get ready before others so they could serve the guests properly. Emma and Venessa were both in her room. While Emma sat on the bed with her hair in a regr bun, Vanessa wasbing her hair and applying various cosmetics on her face.


    ¡°Are you ready to go, Emm?¡± She asked her using that nickname for the first time.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Emma replied nodding her head.


    ¡°No way in hell are you going downstairs like this,¡± she said cing her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Wh-why? Do I-I look bad?¡± Emma whispered suddenly feeling insecure about her appearance.


    ¡°No honey, of course not, you are beautiful but you really need to do some makeup. I meane on it¡¯s a party,¡± she chirped. Emma looked down and replied. ¡°I don¡¯t have any makeup kit,¡± Vanessa stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°So what? You can use mine. Come on I¡¯ll do it for you,¡± she grinned and made Emma sit in the chair, facing the mirror.


    Venessa was finished with her job after twenty minutes of applying various forms of makeup to her face. Emma didn¡¯t like to wear makeup, so she advised her not to overdo it, and Venessa wouldn¡¯t allow Emma to see herself?until she was finished. ¡°Go and see yourself now. You look hot,¡± Emma blushed when she said that?and smiled at her.


    She had a clear view of herself once she stepped in front of the mirror. She let out a shocked gasp. I have a really different appearance now. Her self-consciousness has spoken something positive about her for the first time.


    She turned around and hugged her new friend. ¡°Thank you very much, no one has ever done something like this for me,¡± Emma told her. Venessa patted her back and broke the hug, giving her a warm smile. ¡°Okay, now let¡¯s go downstairs before Marthaes and eats us alive,¡± she murmured and they both shared a giggle.


    They made their way downstairs to the kitchen, where they immediately got to work. All of the maids were there and looked great in their attire, while Emma felt a little uneasy in her high heels, but she had no option but to continue working in those.


    ¡°Here you two,¡± Martha said and sighed. ¡°Come don¡¯t bete. The guests have already arrived,¡± She gave a tray of beverages and food to Emma and Venessa. Fortunately, Emma was carrying a te of delectable food because she detested drinking, which served as a bitter reminder of her past. She didn¡¯t bother thinking about it, knowing that if she kept reminding herself of all those awful memories, she¡¯d wind up crying in front of everyone, which wouldn¡¯t help her current job.


    When she entered the hall, she was taken aback by what she saw in front of her. This reminds me of the castle in Beauty and the Beast.


    ¡°Close your mouth sweetheart. You might catch a fly,¡± a masculine voice said from behind. When she turned around, an extremely attractive man stood there, holding a wine ss and a smile on his face. She dropped her eyes as her cheeks heated.


    He let out a chuckle and moved closer to her. She inadvertently moved back, but instantly regretted it when she noticed he was scooping up a fried chicken from the tter she was carrying and walked away. She exhaled a breath of relief. Who is he? Must be master¡¯s family member or business partner.


    After serving many guests the food she carried, she thought she¡¯d had enough of walking in those high heels, so she set the tray on the kitchen counter and removed her swollen feet from the heels before resting in one of the chairs and massaged her aching toes. Couldn¡¯t they have worn regr shoes instead of high heels?


    She had never been used to wearing expensive high heels. Every time she walked outside, she wore slippers or regr ts.


    When she heard someone enter the kitchen, she hurriedly rose up and put her heels back on. A bunch of people could be heardughing.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    They must be just roaming around the house.


    She pretended to wash the dishes so that they wouldn¡¯t notice her, but she could not have been any more wrong with her assumption.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Emma tilted her head and saw Lucas.


    ¡°I-I was just washing, sir,¡± she stuttered. He just nodded his head in response. ¡°D-do you want anything, s-sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, some beer bottles and bring them near the pool,¡± he gave the order and walked away. She took two cartons of beer bottles from the fridge and lifted them, the weight putting a strain on her arms. She still took them up and headed out the door towards the pool. Lucas had nned a sub party at the pool for himself and his friends, as Martha had informed Emma, because his friends were untidy and his father didn¡¯t want them trashing anything in the house. So, Lucas had a solo pool party.


    In that case, alone would be an inappropriate term to use because the entire pool area was filled with people of Lucas¡¯s age. There were girls in bikinis who were swimming in the pool and some were making out on the loungers and the pool. She tried her best to ignore the sight and walked to where Lucas was standing.


    ¡°Master?¡± She called him. He was ying volleyball with his friends in the pool but stopped when he heard her.


    ¡°Just put them in the corner,¡± he remarked, his face expressionless. Emma nodded and did what she was instructed. The pool was enormous, and the yard was muchrger than the garden area, perhaps it was the same size. She had no clue.


    She was ready to leave after cing the beer bottles when she felt a set of hands on her waist, which surprised her and caused her to back away from the man who touched her.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful,¡± a guy in ck shorts said. He was quite gorgeous but his lustful eyes made him appear like a vile creature.


    She said nothing and started to walk out of there. ¡°Hey girl, not so soon,¡± the guy said grabbing her waist again. Her eyes were wide in shock.


    He can¡¯t touch me like this!


    ¡°L-Let go,¡± she said trying to sound strong but ended up with a whisper. His smirk grew even further.


    ¡°Not so soon darling, why don¡¯t we go in that corner and you tell me about yourself?¡± He said pulling her into his chest. She started to tremble and refused again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot go anywhere with you. I-I have to go back inside,¡± she walked right by him. Everyone was staring at them, but no one appeared to notice, as if it were just another thing that happened at high-ss events. The same guy ran up to her and stood in front of her, impeding her path.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a bore, baby. You and I could have a lot of fun together,¡± her gut churned in horror as she watched the guy lick his lip while staring at her?from head to toe. Unexpectedly, he tightened his grasp on her hand and began to drag her toward the corner where he had initially rmended to go before.


    ¡°Please, sir,¡± she begged. The other people disregarded them as if they didn¡¯t exist. She looked to the girls for assistance, but all they did was ignore her. Some girls looked sympathetically at her, but others simply ignored her.


    Why? Because she was a maid and they couldn¡¯t care about a maid who is also a living person?


    ¡°Awe baby, don¡¯t cry,¡± he said when he mmed her frigid body against the walls and spotted her tearful eyes. Her hands wed in his, trying to take them off.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, sir. let me go.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no going back now, love,¡± he said pinned her hands above her head.


    ¡°Stop it, please. Please help me!¡± As he began to attack her body, she started shouting. Every time he touched her; shivers rushed through her body. Her eyes were all red from sobbing so much, and her chest hurt from all of her cries. But as she felt him remove his pants, she screamed with all her might.


    ¡°What the fuck you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The guy abruptly stopped and turned his head to see who it was.


    Soon after, he was dragged away from her, and her savior punched the guy and said something to her that she couldn¡¯tprehend since she was in shock.


    ¡°You¡­. touch¡­. mine¡­. it?¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyesight began to fade, and her legs gave out on her. She slid down the hard concrete wall, sat on the floor, and cried silently, pulling her legs towards her chest.


    A few others had gathered around him and escorted the guy away, who looked half-dead. Emma¡¯s eyesight was clear enough for her to see her savior approach her and lift her up into his arms. He cradled her head to his chest and squeezed her firmly. She was relieved and at ease. As her savior scooped her into his arms, her body felt as if it were floating in the air. She blinked and attempted to see the guy who had just rescued her. She blinked a few times before she could see clearly.


    She took a good look at the person who hade to her aid. The first thing she saw were his piercing eyes and rigid jaw.


    His eyes were still filled with rage and anger. His hands were holding her waist and his jaw was gritted as he held her close. She gasped in fear as she realized who he was.


    ¡°Master?¡± Emma whispered before cking out.

 Chapter 9

    Alexander


    While talking to?his friend, Adrian, Alexander took a sip of his drink. He agreed that Adrian had done an excellent job with the decorations. When he looked around, he noticed a lot of people chatting andughing.


    But his gaze was drawn to the maid, who looked stunning in her attire. He couldn¡¯t pull his gaze away from her. Her gorgeous hair was open, and she wore light makeup thatplimented her; the silver blouse and ck pencil skirt were the ideal matches for her figure. He noticed her wandering about with a tray in her hands, serving everyone.


    Her looks and attractiveness were obvious to every male in the gathering, whose eyes were hungrily scrutinizing her.


    Alexander gritted his teeth together at the thought of other men looking at her.


    But as his gaze rested on her, it?softened?as she?smiled warmly at the visitor. He could feel his face twitch. Is there a smile on my face? Shocked at himself, he quickly wiped the emotion off his face, hoping that no one saw. He took another sip of the wine, trying not to grab her from behind and kiss her luscious lips. He was both pleased and irritated with Adrian for selecting the clothing. She looked stunning without any question, but the dress was like a second skin on her body, causing most of the men to gaze at her with hungry eyes.


    He didn¡¯t know why he cared, but he did and he wasn¡¯t going to deny it.


    All his life, he had been ignoring many things that life had given him, save for his power and freshly developed personality. He tried to conceal that he had feelings for that young girl. He had to refute it. But how could he when she was controlling his every thought?


    He saw her going towards the kitchen, and was somehow satisfied with that because she was away from many lustful eyes.


    ¡°Well, hello there, Mr. King,¡± he heard a voice say. He turned around to find no other than?him. Alexander¡¯s cold stare was enough to make the man understand that he was not happy to see him.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± The man asked, smirking.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Alexander asked in a calm tone.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Well, well, this is not the right way to wee your little brother,¡± he replied and grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wee here aftering back after almost a year,¡± he rolled his eyes like he always did when he was a child. He knew Alexander hated and maybe that was why he did it more.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you greet your brother,¡± he said and dramatically ced his hand on his heart. Alexander shook his head.


    His younger brother, Liam, had moved to Spain over a year ago to establish his own business, and the only connection they had had since then had been through phone conversations or urgent emails. Liam was specifically invited to the party by their mother.


    ¡°How have you been brother?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I am good. What about you? How¡¯s your business in Spain?¡± Alexander questioned him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good brother and now I¡¯m thinking to shift my business here so that I could be with you guys,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll help you with it,¡± Alexander said.


    His other family members afterward arrived and met Liam. He was the king¡¯s family¡¯s second heir. He was the only person who had any connection to Alexander, a lot more than Lucas and Sofia. But as Sofia was the only girl in the family, she was pampered with affection by everyone.


    ¡°Oh, my baby,¡± their mother came and hugged Liam. ¡°I missed you mom,¡± he said. Alexander stared at them with pure disgust and red at him.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m still her little boy,¡± he whined like a kid. Alexander stared at his brother with an annoyed look.? A full-grown guy does not act like this!


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he murmured. Liam was undeniably theplete opposite of Alexander; he was vibrant and usually carried a huge smile on his face. He might be described as the light of the King¡¯s family.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes were drawn to the maid again. She was leaving the house with tworge boxes of beer in her arms.?What the heck is she doing right now?


    Then the bell then rang. She¡¯ll be at Lucas¡¯s party. He must have directed her to the beer bottles. While Adrian was nning his party, Lucas was nning his own, whichprised a wild group of kids enjoying a pool party with plenty of booze,dies, and, of course, SEX.


    Alexander never consented to it, but he couldn¡¯t care less. Lucas had to havemanded her to bring the beer cartons, and as the maid, she couldn¡¯t say no.


    He feltpelled to go check on her. At the same time, he believed it was her responsibility to serve them, yet she was not secure being there alone. Lucas¡¯s friends had a bad track record, and Lucas himself had a bad track record of having good friends.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± he excused himself from his family and rushed to the pool before a woman¡¯s voice interrupted him.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. King, how have you been?¡± A high-pitched voice asked him. She was wearing a tight dress which showed her curves and her so-called breasts were popping out of the dress. He stared at her in disgust.? What the fuck does she want now?


    ¡°I¡¯m busy right now and have to go somewhere,¡± he said and walked away leaving her in shock.


    He did not know why he was doing this, especially for a goddamn maid. He needed to be sure she was fine and safe.


    The ce was full of disgusting horny drunk guys when he went outside. His brother was nowhere to be found. Alexander moved closer to the pool to see if he was inside the pool but there was no sign of him.


    Secondster, he finally saw him surrounded by his friends and went up to him.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± He growled. Lucas stiffened at Alexander¡¯s sudden outburst and stared at him in confusion. It was not a rare side of Alexander but that night something seemed different, that side of Alexander seemed rare.


    ¡°Who?¡± Lucas asked raising an eyebrow. Alexander was about to ask him again when a bloodcurdling scream echoed from somewhere. His body stiffened. He followed the scream with Lucas following him.?What if it¡¯s Emma¡¯s scream? No, no this can¡¯t be. I cannot let anything happen to her.


    Still looking for her, he reached for the back of the house. He was startled when?he heard a muffled sob. He looked around, attempting to figure out where it wasing from when his gaze was drawn to a shadow. Not one, but two. He walked closer to the shadow and saw a guy attacking a girl with his hand over her lips.


    Alexander¡¯s hands were clenched, and his veins were apparent as if his hands were translucent. He had a good idea of who that girl was.


    Emma.


    I will kill that fucker.


    He ran up to him and yanked him away from her. He punched the guy in the face, and he instantly passed out. But that didn¡¯t stop him; he grabbed the young guy by his throat and squeezed hard. He looked across to Emma, whose eyes were fixed on something but he couldn¡¯t figure out where. His thoughts were consumed by the horrible prospect of Emma being molested by someone. His thoughts converted him into a monster, as seen by the way he thrashed the unconscious man.


    ¡°You don¡¯t touch what is mine, do you get it?¡± He yelled at him. Lucas came with the guards and pulled him away from the guy.


    ¡°Alexander, calm down the party is still not over don¡¯t act like this,¡± he snarled?at Alexander. He yanked his arm from Lucas and looked at Emma. She was sobbing on the floor, her hair was?tangled, and her blouse was ripped. He approached her and paused for a few seconds before taking up her frail body, his heart clenching as he felt her crying on his?chest.


    Why am I feeling this way? I don¡¯t even know this girl.


    He looked down at her, she was curled up in a ball in his arms, he bet she didn¡¯t have any clue who was holding her.


    ¡°Alexander, are you crazy? What the fu-¡± before Lucas could finish his sentence akex8 shot him a re that made him shut his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m taking her to my room,¡± he simply stated still not removing his eyes from her. He was about to go when Adrian rushed there.


    ¡°What the fuck Alexander? The guards told me you were beating up a guy? And who is she?¡± He asked pointing to Emma. Alexander tightened his grip on her. ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, calm down man. Just tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have any time to tell you every fucking thing, she is injured and she needs a fucking doctor so do me a favor and call a doctor,¡± Adrian looked at his friend with pure shock but he never flinched. Alexander ignored both of them and started to walk towards the house.


    ¡°Wait, dude. You can¡¯t go in like this. What will the guests think if you go in with a maid in your arms?¡± Adrian said.


    Alexander¡¯s blood boiled at his question. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he whispered harshly and moved away from there. They both screamed his name to get him to stop, but he did not. He took another look at her frail form and noticed she was already asleep or fainted.


    He didn¡¯t know her, she was just a maid, but he was still doing that for her. He aided her, jeopardizing his reputation and ruining his family¡¯s name, but he couldn¡¯t care less. And he had no idea why.


    He walked inside the house with Emma, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. People were startled when they saw the most feared man in the country cradling a little frail figure in his arms. Their eyes widened as he proceeded up the stairs and into his room. He couldn¡¯t care less about the visitors. He was only concerned about the girl in his arms at that time.


    After he reached his bedroom, he slid the covers over her delicate form and tucked her into bed.


    For a little period, Alexander examined her face, scrutinizing every detail. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted, and despite the fact that her makeup was nearly gone and the ck eyeliner she had on her eyelids had spilled all around her eyes, she looked stunning.


    Unknowingly, his hands brushed her forehead. He was taken aback. As he softly touched her head, her silky skin dissolved under his touch.


    Emma appeared to settle down beneath his touch, despite the fact that she had no idea who was caressing her.


    ¡°Martha! Martha!¡± He yelled, calling her name. The maid came rushing into his room.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡± She asked looking down.


    ¡°Clean her, the doctor must be on his way. Make sure she¡¯s okay,¡± he said to her. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said as she called two other maids to help her clean up Emma. He walked out of the room to see what was going on outside. He saw his friend Adrianing toward him.


    ¡°How is she now?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Alexander snapped making Adrian chuckle.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked his friend.


    ¡°Nothing man, nothing,¡± he said under his breath. His face had a smirk.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you smirking?¡± Adrian raised his hand in the air and stepped backward.


    ¡°Nothing Alexander. I just never saw you like this, especially for a girl,¡± Alexander did not respond to him. Adrian was aware that something was wrong with Alexander, but he couldn¡¯t determine if what was going on was right or bad. He¡¯d known Alexander for all his life. He was aware of how he felt.


    Adrian was Alexander¡¯s best friend; they had known each other since they were children. But he had never witnessed Alexander behaving in this manner towards anybody, not even his mother or sister. He didn¡¯t give a damn about thedies he¡¯d dated.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Alexander muttered and went back to his room. The maids were done cleaning and changing Emma.


    ¡°Out,¡± he ordered. They exited swiftly and without saying anything. Martha was worried about Emma and wished she could remain with her, but Alexander wouldn¡¯t let her.


    She was clothed in a basic, non-revealing nightgown. Not to add that she looked like a princess and was sleeping in a luxurious bed.


    He inserted his hands inside his pocket and exited the room without looking back at her.

 Chapter 10

    Emma


    She was in a pitch-ck chamber with nothing but ckness surrounding her. She couldn¡¯t even see a single ray of light! She attempted to stand up on her injured legs but failed miserably. Her surroundings were familiar to her, with a simr scent of something rotten and something metallic.


    After a few moments, the door swung wide, revealing a tall man standing there with a long leather belt in his hand. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she stared at him pleadingly.


    ¡°You fucking whore!¡± He yelled. She immediately backed away only to find a wall behind her.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t,¡± her cries and pleas fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°Shut up bitch,¡± he growled and whipped her. The rugged leather belt connected with her body making a swooshing sound.


    He kept hitting her until she started to bleed. She was whimpering lowly every time the belt would touch her body. The young girl was done crying out loud, her throat was dry and it ached every time a scream erupted from her mouth.


    Her entire body was covered in different sizes of bruises.


    ¡°Pl-please, n-not anymore,¡± her soft voice whispered before falling to the ground. She was on the urge of losing her consciousness.


    He yanked her up by her hair making her wince in pain and he smacked her face again.


    She broke a rule. She could never wince or make any sound that would show she was in pain.


    ¡°Get up you worthless bitch, you deserve nothing but pain,¡± he mmed her head on the wooden wall. She started to see ck dots and her vision became blurry. She could not see anything.


    ¡®Was I finally dying?¡¯


    She heard the man mutter something but before she could figure that out, her vision was covered with the darkness.


    Alexander


    It was almost afternoon, but she had not yet awoken.


    Emma would take her time waking up, ording to the doctor. She was still in Alexander¡¯s bed, and followingst night¡¯s event, his father had gone to him twice to address the situation, but each time he had been dismissed. Alexander knew what he was going to say, and he didn¡¯t have any time for it.


    ¡°Alexander,¡± he heard someone calling his name, knocking on his door. ¡°Come in,¡± the door opened, revealing none other than his sister with a pissed-off look.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked, slightly annoyed by her presence. She rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Do you even know what the fuck you have done?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked in a bored tone.


    ¡°You brought a fricking maid in your room and not to forget, in front of everyone, the guest and the fucking media. It¡¯s trending all over the news and social media,¡± she whined. He gave her a bored look.


    ¡°So? Do you think I fucking care what those fuckers are saying about me? Stand them in front of me now, I bet no words wille out of their disgusting mouth,¡± he snapped, ignoring her shocked expression. It was rare of him to speak to his sister like that.


    She wasn¡¯t treated the best by Alexander, but he also never yelled or snapped at her.


    ¡°What the fuck you are saying Alexander, she is just a filthy maid, she can¡¯t be evenpared with any of us and after what you did, all of the people are thinking something¡¯s up with you,¡± she half yelled at him as her eyes held disgust when itnded on her.


    His eyes were red with anger, her words were ringing in his head¡­ filthy.


    He took long strides towards her and grabbed her arm pushing her outside of the room.


    ¡°Get out of here, NOW,¡± Alexander growled at her. She gulped and nodded her head before leaving the room. He sighed in frustration.


    Walking towards the bathroom, he got in and took a warm shower. After 15 minutes he got out wrapping a towel around his waist.


    He was searching for some clothes in his closet when he heard someone moan and then gasped. He turned around and saw her sitting on the bed with her eyes wide open. She instantly looked away from his half-naked state.


    He found her reaction amusing and smirked.


    ¡°Open your eyes,¡± hemanded. She paused for a moment, then looked in his direction, opening her eyes, still staring down. It enraged him, so he grasped her chin and lifted it slightly so he could see her eyes. As he gazed at her exquisite face, his breath caught in his throat.


    Her eyes, on the other hand, were filled with fear and despair.


    ¡°Always look into my eyes when I¡¯m talking to you, got it?¡± He asked in a husky voice. She nodded her head which made him more furious. Why the fuck she is not talking?


    ¡°Words,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°O-okay,¡± she whispered. Her soft music-like voice had him out of control and all of a sudden, he had the urge to kiss her lips but he somehow managed to control himself and let go of her chin.


    He put on his clothing and?his shoes. She was still gazing down, again not looking at him. Alexander approached her again and sat alongside her on the bed. She moved a little but came to a halt as he red at her.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°C-can I go n-now m-master?¡± She spoke breaking the silence. Her question annoyed him. Why did she want to leave?


    ¡°Why do you want to leave?¡± He questioned in my deep voice, enough to make her shiver.


    ¡°I-I jus-¡± he stopped her.


    ¡°I am ordering breakfast for you,¡± he said and called for Martha.


    She hastily came into the room with her head down. ¡°Yes, master?¡±


    ¡°Give her some breakfast and don¡¯t let her do all the chores of the house, the other maids will handle them,¡± she nodded her head and went out of the room.


    He turned around to face Emma. ¡°You may take a shower and as I said you don¡¯t have to do all the work,¡± he sprayed some cologne on his clothes and nced at her.


    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± she replied and nodded her head.


    She got out of bed, still in her nightgown. Her hair was disheveled, and her nightgown¡¯s upper buttons were loose and mighte out at any minute, exposing a lot of her flesh. She drew her hands up to her sternum to hide it.


    That caused him to lose control of his beast. Her curvature was on disy for a fraction of a second before she quickly covered it up. He gritted his teeth and approached her. She eximed, her eyes wide when she saw him approaching her.


    Alexander came to a halt when he got near enough to her. He inspected her beautiful face, her dark, shiny hair, and her pink lips. He stroked her hair and tucked a few strands behind her ear. She shivered with terror.


    He smirked; he enjoyed the impact he had on her.


    She took a step back, but he grabbed her by the waist and drew her closer to him. She screamed louder this time, her eyes welling up with tears, and she tried to wiggle free from his hold, only to have him tighten it even more.


    ¡°Stop struggling,¡± he growled. She whimpered and stopped.


    He brought himself close to her neck and inhaled her smell. She was struggling again but he didn¡¯t let her go. Her smell was so intoxicating.


    She started to hit his chest with her small fists, trying to get away from him. But he wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.


    ¡°Pl-please le-let me go,¡± she cried.?Why the hell is she crying?


    ¡°Sshh doesn¡¯t cry, princess,¡± he murmured as he stroked her hair. Her brown blocks fit perfectly into the creases of his finger and feltforting in his hand. She whimpered even more.


    He began to ce gentle kisses on her neck, causing her to shudder. It was divine. She was divine. Alexander had touched many women, but no one had ever made him feel that way, it was so bizarre. He understood he¡¯d never be able to get over her.


    He was so distracted by the pleasure he was receiving that he didn¡¯t notice her quiet sobs. He let go of her while clenching his teeth. She stumbled backward. What in the world was I doing? What the hell is going on with me?


    He closed his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. When he opened them, he found her standing with her head down and her hands wrapped over her arms. His fists were clenched.


    ¡°Get out,¡± he said. ¡°NOW.¡±


    She quickly walked out of his room with her tear-stained face.


    What the fuck was I doing? How can I be attracted to her? After all, she was nothing but a maid.


    Emma


    She ran out of the room as fast as possible. He is crazy! He is insane. How could he just touch me like this and then yell at me to get out? It was his mistake, not mine.


    She thought.


    She went into her room and changed her clothes fast. She was dressed differently, it was a nightgown, and she panicked, wondering if he had changed her clothes¡­ she prayed he hadn¡¯t.


    She changed into her maid uniform andbed her hair, which was tied in the usual bun. She was about to leave the room when Martha entered with a tray in her hands.


    ¡°Why did you bring this Martha? I could go down to have it with the other girls,¡± she said. Martha smiled at her.


    ¡°No dear, master has told me to bring it to you and let you rest for the day,¡± she said and ced the tray on the bed.


    ¡°But it was not needed, I-I¡¯m feeling alright now,¡± Emma replied. She did not want to stay in the room all day.


    ¡°Master will get angry if we don¡¯t listen to him, sweetie. Nowe and have your breakfast,¡± she nodded her head and sat beside Martha. She was hungry and the smell of fresh juice, scrambled eggs, and toast was making her stomach grumble. She picked up the toast carefully and took a mouthful. She sighed at the amazing vor.


    ¡°Emma, I wanted to ask you aboutst night,¡± Emma¡¯s movement stopped but she didn¡¯t look up at Martha. She fiddled with the fork on her eggs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my dear, you don¡¯t have to say anything if you feel ufortable,¡± Martha quickly said, sensing Emma¡¯s difort.


    ¡°N-no I-I am fine. W-what do you wanna know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask what that horrible friend of Lucas¡¯s did to you; I just want to know what happened after that,¡± she stared at her in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean, Martha?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweetie I did not mean to confuse you, but people are gossiping and very soon it will be on the news,¡± Emma frowned at her.


    ¡°What are they gossiping about?¡± Emma asked not knowing what was happening.


    ¡°About you and master Alexander,¡± to say she was shocked would be an understatement.


    ¡°Wh-what about m-me?¡± She suddenly stuttered.


    ¡°You do remember that he saved you from that guy?¡± She nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes, and then? Do you remember anything else?¡±


    ¡°I-I just fainted and remember being carried out. Then I woke up in the master¡¯s room, that¡¯s all I remember,¡± she faintly whispered.


    After a few seconds of silence, Martha spoke.


    ¡°He carried you to his room in front of everyone. Everyone saw it, they are talking about it. Master never did this to anyone, especially a maid, he doesn¡¯t even look at any of the maids here, he just doesn¡¯t care. Butst night he saved you, he carried you to his room, gave you proper treatment, called a doctor for you. It¡¯s really strange. Mr. King was really angry and other family members are still in shock,¡± Emma¡¯s stare stiffened and her face paled out in horror.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand Martha, why d-did he do this, I-I have no idea,¡± she could barely be heard.


    ¡°I know, my dear, it¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Everything will be okay. Now you should rest, I will have Marie do your chores,¡± she smiled and walked out of the room.


    ¡°But I will still warn you Emma, please stay away from him. He is not someone whom you can freely roam around with, he¡¯s dangerous. Please stay away from him, my child,¡± she said but before she could walk out, Emma stopped her.


    ¡°Martha, wait! Can you tell me who changed my clothesst night?¡± She asked her, hoping it was not him.


    She gave her an assuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry my dear, I and the other maids changed your clothes,¡± Martha stated and left.


    Emma let out a deep sigh. There was something odd about Alexander, and Martha¡¯s constant warning assured her she wasn¡¯t mistaken about him. Everything was perplexing to her. But whatever the reason was, she felt it was best if she listened to Martha.


    She picked up the tray and began to walk downstairs after finishing her meal. The event from the night before was still bothering her. Every time she thought about it, she shuddered. Alexander was really generous to save him from that maniac, but she was still scared of him. She didn¡¯t know why, but after what had transpired forty minutes ago, she was terrified of him.


    Emma took one step at a time, carrying the tray. She had to be cautious since she was frightened of falling and shattering the dishes and ss. She exhaled with relief and made her way to the kitchen after sessfully reaching downstairs.


    A person suddenly appeared in front of her, halting her in her tracks. Her eyes were closed as she sensed a familiar atmosphere surrounding her. She eximed when she realized who it was. She gently raised her head, his grey Armani suit was in view. He was staring at her without blinking, his piercing gaze ripping into her soul. She gazed down, looking at her shoes.


    She began stepping away from him, recalling his heinous act toward her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t walk away from me,¡± she heard his husky voice that gave her shivers.


    She didn¡¯t say anything and just kept looking down. She wanted to get out of there.


    ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest for the day?¡± His tone was deep now.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry master I j-just came to p-put the tray i-in the kitchen.¡± she stuttered. She was sure he felt her fear and was smirking in satisfaction.


    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± He asked.


    ¡°G-good, master,¡± she whispered. He just nodded his head.


    ¡°Go now,¡± hemanded. She nodded her head and uttered yes before leaving.

 Chapter 11

    Emma


    The day had finallye to a stop, and she was waking up in her bed after a lengthy period of sleep. Emma had been ordered to rest severely by Martha since it was an instruction from their master. She sprang out of bed and dashed into the bathroom, mming the door behind her. She quickly showered, brushed her teeth, and put on her dress and matching heels.


    Ugh! These heels bother me to no end!


    She exited her bedroom and walked downstairs, entered the kitchen, and noticed a man standing in front of the kitchen counter. She gasped and nced down, surprised. That piqued his interest.


    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± he said in his deep tone. She only looked down. She didn¡¯t know else what to do.


    ¡°H-hi sir, c-can I help y-you with so-something?¡± He chuckled and replied.


    ¡°You know you can look at me, princess,¡± her jaw almost dropped. What did he just call me? A princess? She did not reply and bit her lip in nervousness. That made him chuckle more.


    ¡°I just wanted a ss of water, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Emma nodded and immediately poured some water into a nearby ss and offered it to him. While offering the ss to him, her hand briefly touched his, and she swiftly drew her hand back. Despite the fact that she wasn¡¯t looking at him, she could tell he was grinning at her reaction.


    ¡°My goodness, is that you Liam?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes were wide in shock. He is Liam King? She gulped in fear.?Oh god, what if heins?about me? She looked up at him and finally got a perfect view of the gentleman before her. He was the guy from the party!


    ¡°Hello Martha, how are you?¡± He said cheerfully before pulling her in a hug. Emma recalled the day when Martha told her about Liam King being a decent and respectful man.


    ¡°Oh my dear, you don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± he smiled softly at her. Emma was taken aback by his thoughtful gesture. Except for Mrs. King andter Liam, she hadn¡¯t countered a single act ofpassion from any of the King¡¯s family since she had entered the King¡¯s home.


    He was undeniably attractive, but it was unusual to see a wealthy individual be kind and friendly. He had dark brown eyes and sun-kissedplexion, and he was as tall as his brother Alexander, with wide muscles.


    While Alexander had jet ck hair with brown streaks here and there, Liam had light brown hair that glistened in the sunbeams.


    ¡°Oh, you must have met her,¡± Martha suddenly said snapping Emma out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± he replied smirking making her face go red.


    ¡°Emma, meet Liam. The second child of the king¡¯s family,¡± Emma forced out a smile. Because of her nervousness, she had embarrassed herself at the party and just a moment ago.


    ¡°H-hello, sir.¡± she greeted quietly.


    ¡°Hello Emma, you have a pretty name,¡± he said and winked. She gulped nervously. He assuredly was a very handsome man but she wasn¡¯t used to guys winking or flirting with her.


    ¡°Oh Liam, don¡¯t flirt with her, she is younger than you,¡± Martha said andughed.


    ¡°But, hey I¡¯m just 25!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and she is?just?17,¡± she replied rolling her eyes. His jaw dropped to the floor. Emma was a petite girl for her age, girls her age grew faster than her. Perhaps Liam was not expecting her to be so young despite her appearance as a young girl.


    ¡°What? She is a minor Martha, why is she even working?¡± Emma nervously shifted in her ce.


    ¡°Well, she has some personal problems that¡¯s why. Anyways I was going to make your favorite food, now go to your room and freshen yourself, don¡¯t bete, you know your father and brother don¡¯t liketers,¡± he just nodded his head.


    ¡°Fine then, see youter, Martha,¡± he said and left.


    She turned to Emma and spoke. ¡°Okay so Emma, here¡¯s a list of your work. Finish it quickly and don¡¯t bete for the lunch,¡± she smiled and Emma returned it. She took the list and scanned it.


    1) Clean the garden.


    2) Clean the library.


    3) Make lunch.


    Emma groaned as she realized she had to clean the library again. She stuffed the note into her pocket and dashed out to the garden. She got to the back of the home and pushed open the ss door. The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly. The soft air flowed over her skin as soon as she opened the door, giving her a satisfying sensation.


    The day was just stunning. She had always enjoyed working in the garden, and she was relieved that Martha had made her tidy it for a few days. There, the trees and flowers had be her dearestpanions.


    She continued picking grasses and putting them in a dish. Unlike the prior time, she pulled her hair up firmly that day so they wouldn¡¯t bother her.


    When she was through with them, she ced a flowering nt in a lovely flower pot and ced them properly. She adored purple and yellow orchids, which looked stunning in a garden. Mrs. King had chosen a beautiful flower for her yard, and Emma was grateful.


    A garden¡¯s attractiveness is always enhanced by the use of bright colors.


    She gently poured water into the pots, causing the yellow blooms to sparkle. She took a step back to take in the entire garden. The trees¡¯ green leaves synchronized with the mild breeze and danced with it. The soft rustle of the leaves calmed her heart. She grinned and wished she could stay there forever. When she had finished her work, it was almost midday, so she hurried to the kitchen to prepare lunch. She carefully evaluated what she needed to make and hurriedly began working on the starters. The meal they ate was far more costly and extravagant than anything she had ever eaten.


    She was carefully arranging the food on the tes so that no one wouldin.


    Emma became aware of a presence behind her. Her movements immediately came to a stop. She felt the person getting closer, and could hear the slow footsteps. Her breath hitched and her body was glued to the ce she was standing. She started to sweat and her heart started to beat fast.


    Emma wanted to turn around, but her mind was telling her not to. She gasped when she realized someone was standing too near to her. Her fists clenched around her clothing. She was terrified. She made the decision to make a move and flee.


    However, the assant was astute enough to seize her arms and restrain her. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream, but the person mmed their palm over her mouth, muffling her cry.


    ¡°Shh princess, don¡¯t scream or struggle. Don¡¯t want anyone to hear you, hmm?¡± She recognized the voice.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I told you not to struggle,¡± he growled in her ear and gripped her arm more tightly making her whimper in his hand. She didn¡¯t dare to move anymore and stayed still.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he whispered softly, moving closer to her until his lips were resting on her head. He moved his face closer to her neck and inhaled her scent. She whimpered and gasped in his hand. He carefully plucked the hair off her neck and set it aside. She felt warm breath on her neck and his lips on her skin a few secondster.


    He kept leaving moist kisses on her neck, making her shudder. She closed her eyes, thinking it would soon be done. However, this did not ur. He grunted and began to kiss her fiercely, tightening his grasp on her waist and yanking on her hair. His hands were tracing circles around her waist, while the other was securely grasping her hand to keep her motionless. Her sobbing became more audible, but no one came to her aid. The majority of the staff were preupied with their tasks at the moment.


    Emma was shocked Martha hadn¡¯t arrived yet. He raised his hands and caressed her chest. She attempted to take his hands away at the moment, and she didn¡¯t stop until she heard him clench his teeth.


    ¡°Stop,¡± he said in his dangerously calm voice. But that didn¡¯t make her stop. A low growl erupted from inside him and he squeezed her breasts. Her mouth let out a whimper of pain and humiliation. She couldn¡¯t believe this was happening to her. Emma continued to cry whilst he continued to harass her body.


    A few minutester which felt like forever, he stopped his torture and just rested his chin on her neck. Sobs after sobs left her trembling lips and her shuddering body.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m going to remove my hand from your mouth but I need you to behave and not to scream, okay?¡± She nodded her head because she was desperate to be free from his hold. He gently took his hand away. She wanted to scream, but she was afraid he¡¯d injure her.


    Her sobbing was the only thing that could be heard because the area was so silent. They had been standing like that for a few minutes, not moving. All she could hear was his breathing. She felt his hands go up to her knees, which were a little exposed due to the clothing.


    ¡°You are never going to wear this dress again. Understood?¡± She just nodded her head not understanding what he meant. It was the dress everyone wore. Why shouldn¡¯t she wear it?


    ¡°Use your words, butterfly,¡± he said in a husky voice.


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± she replied in a shaky voice. He kissed her head. ¡°Good girl, now do what you were doing, I will see youter, butterfly,¡± he left her waist and she heard his footsteps fading away from the kitchen.


    Her knees were weak, making it difficult for her to stand. She knelt on her knees, clutching her clothing firmly as the sobs fled her body, weakening her.


    She?heard someone approaching her. Emma¡¯s eyes widened, and she sprang up hurriedly, wiping her eyes. Martha approached her and inquired about her well-being. Emma smiled at her and assured her she was alright, but she could see by Martha¡¯s expression that she didn¡¯t believe her but didn¡¯t insist on investigating what was going on.


    She simply prayed the day would be over soon. So that she did not have to see?him.


    Her?master?started to be her worst nightmare.

 Chapter 12

    He¡¯d finally done what he¡¯d been trying to avoid: he¡¯d touched her beautiful soft flesh, which instantly melted beneath his touch. He couldn¡¯t fight the sensation any longer. He wished to touch her, to feel her. He tried to ignore it, to forget about it, but he couldn¡¯t. The notion of not feeling her touch, of not seeing her filled him with fury; his jaw twitched, and he became enraged at the prospect of not seeing her. What was causing him to be enraged? He was unable to provide a response to his own inquiries.


    He stroked his hair with his fingertips. What was going on with him was driving him insane with questions. Why couldn¡¯t he say no to that petite young girl?


    He still couldn¡¯t get rid of the boner that the tiny minx had given him. He walked into his bathroom, grabbed a towel, and turned on the shower. He let the cold water run down his body, but he was certain that even a cold shower would be ineffective. He couldn¡¯t help but think of her frail body at his mercy. Her whimpers and sobs turned him on even more. When he felt his member harden at the idea of it, he moaned. He imagined her small body writhing beneath him, with him holding her down and probing her skin.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed loudly. Alexander doubted he¡¯d be able to stop himself from taking her right there if he kept thinking about her. He wrapped a towel over himself and exited the bathroom, only to find that girl cleaning hisrge room silently. He was shocked to see her, yet she still worked there. She couldn¡¯t help herself from doing her job. He grinned quietly to himself. She had still not noticed him behind her. He chose not to say anything and instead leaned his body on the wall beside him, calmly watching her work. She finally turned around after a few seconds and yelped in surprise when she saw him standing a few inches away from her with nothing but a towel around his waist.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry master, I-I will j-just leave,¡± she stammered and rushed towards the door to leave the devil¡¯s room as soon as possible. But Alexander was fast enough to close the door, stopping her from leaving. He was getting angry. Why did she want to leave?


    ¡°Did I tell you to leave?¡± His raspy voice questioned her. She was beyond scared. Not being able to answer she just shook her head. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Speak up!¡± He yelled. She let out a small whimper and uttered ¡®no¡¯.


    ¡°Do not ever disobey me,¡± he said as he took long steps toward her making her go backward. She was terrified. She had no idea what she had done or when she had disobeyed him. She simply gasped and nodded. When he watched her small body shivering in fright, he smiled contentedly. He grinned and began to approach her, causing her to take a few steps back till her back met the wall. She dropped her head, unwilling to look into his eyes, and prayed that he would leave her alone.


    Alexander noticed her lovely eyes gazing down but not at his own; he was enraged because he wanted to see her eyes, her beautiful eyes that revealed how terrified she was, he wanted to see those fearful eyes. His finger stroked her chin, raising it enough for her to gaze into his eyes. He only saw tears in her eyes. It made him grin. He stroked her face with his fingertips as he wiped the tear that was ready to fall from her eyes. He was almost lost in the smoothness of her skin, so warm and silky.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Why did he feel that way? He was experiencing an internal conflict with himself. Something was telling him that he should let that girl go. She was nothing more than an innocent maid that worked in his house, but his inner monster wouldn¡¯t allow him; the demon just wanted to rip the dress off of her, throw her on the bed, and take her right there. He had conceded the battle to his monster. He had no intention of letting her go. He bent down and pressed his hard lips on her soft ones without thinking. He groaned at the sensation of her soft pink lips on his; he had been looking forward to this day, to be able to touch those bright pink lips.


    Without understanding what she was going through, he began to move his lips, softly nting kisses. Emma was taken aback and felt the need to cry. She could feel him gradually bing rougher, slipping one hand on her waist and dragging her closer to him; her hands went on his chest, attempting to push him off of her, but it didn¡¯t work. It just fuelled Alexander¡¯s rage, causing him to grab both of her hands and pin them to the wall over her head.


    She groaned in pain and tried to scream, but her voice was muffled by his lips. He began to kiss her violently, kissing her lips and attempting to enter her mouth, but she refused to let him. She tried to kick or injure him in any way she could to get him to leave her, but he was far too powerful for her to do anything. He let go of her wrists only to take her up and wrap her legs around his waist, at which point she screamed and attempted to scratch and hit him. He didn¡¯t let her do anything and immediately pulled both of her hands behind her back and pressed her against the wall even harder. She was stuck and had no choice but to wait for him to stop his onught.


    He bit them hard when she still didn¡¯t open her mouth. She screamed in agony and opened her mouth unintentionally which allowed Alexander to enter his tongue and explore her mouth. His one hand was securely gripping both of her wrists, while the other was freely traveling about her body, exploring every curve and pinching her hips, making her cry even more.


    He was so engrossed in his own world that he didn¡¯t see the girl who was sobbing so loudly. He drew back slowly and gazed at her tear-stained face, kissing her tears and going to her neck to nt more wet kisses. She closed her eyes, thinking it would be over soon, and he eventually released her after a few minutes that felt like hours. She copsed on her back, sobbing to herself.


    When he saw her like that, his muscles tightened. She pressed her knees against her chest and sobbed loudly. He had no regrets about what he had done to her. He was pleased with himself for what he had done to the girl. But he didn¡¯t like when she wept. Alexander longed to bend down and hug her, but Alexander was not like that. He wanted to touch her, and he got his wish.


    He took a few steps back, his hands inside his pockets, and exited the room.


    She was still inside, sobbing to herself. She stood up, rubbed her tear-stained red cheeks, and hurried out of the room after fixing her clothing. She came to a halt in her room and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She burst out crying. She couldn¡¯t believe it had happened to her, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from crying.


    Why am I so weak? I can¡¯t even protect myself!


    Those thoughts were racing through her mind. She felt embarrassed by herself. She really wanted to leave that ce, but she was powerless to do it. She was afraid it might happen again, but she also knew she had to be cautious and stay away from him.


    Alexander had no clue what he had done to that girl. That was all he could think of at the time: he had to have her, he had to feel her. But he couldn¡¯t figure out why he was so desperate for her. It enraged him, and he worried that she would make him weak. He would never allow anybody to weaken him.


    He didn¡¯t care if his acts were improper, and he was even proud of them. He was always able to get what he desired. He made his way to the maid¡¯s quarters. When he was looking for her room, he overheard muffled cries. He came to a halt and felt his heart skip a beat. He had a feeling it was her. He clenched his hands and felt a strange sensation in his body. It was quite improbable of him. He¡¯d never felt that way for anyone, and his heart had never hurt to hear someone weep.


    He didn¡¯t care about the girl; all he wanted to do was touch her, which he did. He took a step back and exited the room. He was breathing heavily which showed that he was angry, angry at himself, angry at that girl who was unknowingly able to grow the feeling from which he was running away.


    He was lost in his thoughts,


    while she was lost in her misery.

 Chapter 13

    EmmaBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Next Morning¡­


    She woke up with stinging sensations on her hands and an agonizing headache. She started massaging her head in the hopes that the pain would go away soon, and it did. Emma sprang out of bed, changed her clothing, and washed her herself. It was a new day, and she prayed she wouldn¡¯t have to see him again. Her thoughts of him gave her the chills in all the wrong ces. Especially after the previous day¡¯s events. She was terrified he¡¯d try it again. The worst part was she couldn¡¯t give up her job. She didn¡¯t have a choice. All she had to do was stay away from him.


    Entering the kitchen, she greeted the other maids and Martha and Venessa who were waiting for her. Emma and Vanessa had grown quite close since Vanessa was the nicest girl there.


    ¡°Good morning Emma,¡± said Vanessa with a big smile on her face. Emma greeted her back. The she started to do her chores, which was making breakfast for the King¡¯s.


    Martha instructed Emma to serve the meal after the servants had finished preparing breakfast for them. She paused for a while before responding yes since that was why she was there.


    She came into the dining room, picking up the tter of sandwiches and drinks for everyone. When she walked in, she noticed Mr. and Mrs. King talking about something, perhaps about business, and Sofia and her brother Lucasughing. Finally, her gaze rested on him. He was concentrating on something on his phone. She thought this was her only chance to escape him. She ced the tray quietly and carefully so that she could leave before she catch his attention. She put the tes of sandwiches and juices on the table and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Where are you going maid?¡± Emma heard Sofia spoke. She gulped and turned around, looking down.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Sofia?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you will call me ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t want to hear u calling me by my name.¡± She red at her. Emma just nodded her head in response. Sofia¡¯s blunt remark caught everyone¡¯s attention on the table, which also included Alexander¡¯s attention. He looked straight at Emma who had her head down fortunately. Alexander was about to respond his sister when she spoke up again.


    ¡°Anyways, I need you to iron my dress. It¡¯s upstairs in my room on the bed. Iron them carefully I need to go somewhere and if I find you messing around with my dress or room, this will be thest day of your stay in this house,¡± she stated. Emma bit her lip in nervousness and nodded her head.


    Did that go unnoticed by Alexander?


    Unfortunately, it did not. The only thing Alexander was imagining was his own teeth biting and pulling her lips.


    Emma sighed as she walked out of the dining room. She didn¡¯t have to confront him, at the very least. Emma started her way upstairs.


    She became aware of a strong re behind her. That made her nervous and apprehensive. She wanted to turn around, but shecked the courage to do so. She tightened her hands, digging her nails into her palms, and turned around to see him staring at her. She gasped when she noticed his eyes. Even when she caught him staring at her, his face was expressionless, and he didn¡¯t even shift his eyes away from her. His fists were clenched, and his monstrous gaze was fixated on her.


    Sweat was streaming down her forehead, and her palms were bing sweaty. She couldn¡¯t move because there was something diabolical in his eyes that made her frozen. When he observed her situation, he grinned triumphantly. It enraged her. How can he be happy seeing me in this state?


    She took a deep breath and turned to go to Miss Sofia¡¯s bedroom. Because the house was sorge, it was exceedingly difficult to locate someone¡¯s room. Fortunately, Martha informed her of these. She went inside after opening the door and locked it behind her.


    Her suite was beautiful and luxurious. The other rooms were equally exquisite, but it was obvious that it was a girl¡¯s room. She began cleaning the area around the small sofa. At Garcia¡¯s house, Emma used to reside in a room half the size of it. Only the wealthy, such as the king¡¯s, could afford such a huge mansion.


    Emma saw her gorgeous clothes on the bed. She took a step forward and reached for it. The outfit was breathtaking. It was a lovely grey short gown. She ironed the gown andid it on the bed. She hoped Sofia wouldn¡¯t be furious with her about anything. She walked out of the room before Sofia could enter.


    Emma double-checked her to-do list to see what things were still overdue. She began walking, going over the list, and then she ran into something. She stumbled backwards andnded on her back. She hissed in pain and raised her head to see him.


    Alexander


    He saw her looking at him with those gorgeous fearful eyes. She eximed and rose to her feet, her dress a bit higher, revealing some of her creamy smooth flesh. His eyes clouded as soon as he saw her in that light. He craved the sensation of her flesh in his rough hands. Just visualizing her naked underneath him was enough to drive him wild.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry master, I¡¯ll go now,¡± she managed to say it and was about to walk past him when he held her wrist, stopping her. She gasped and looked in his direction.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to leave, did I?¡± Alexander said looking at her. She lowered her head and shook it. ¡°Use your words angel,¡± he growled.


    ¡°N-no master,¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he told her. She stared at him with confusion written on her face.


    Alexander pulled her closer to him and wrapped his hands around her waist. She tried to scream but it was muffled by his hand.


    ¡°When I tell you to do something, just do it without wasting any time, okay?¡± He whispered harshly making her quiver in fear. He removed his hand from her mouth.


    She tried to free herself from the tight grip but of course it was impossible.


    ¡°Use your words!¡± He said loudly. She shook more and nodded her head half-heartedly muttering yes.


    He smiled at her. ¡°There¡¯s a good girl.¡± He replied with her eyes on hers. He looked down at her frame, which was still trembling in fear. He liked the power he had on her. His fingers automatically touched her soft silky hair and caressed them. He went close to her hair and sniffed her.


    God, she smells so good. He pulled her closer and crushed her little body with his. She squirmed more and tried to scream but his hand didn¡¯t let her seed.


    He crouched down to her and moved near her mouth. He removed his hands and put his lips on hers before she could react. Oh, those lips¡­ he would never be able to get over them. He kissed her hard but passionately. He licked her lips, wanting to go inside and explore every crevice of her. She was adamant about not opening the mouth.


    Alexander hands touched her hair, and before she realized it, he was clutching it in his fist. He was tugging on her hair. While she cried and opened her mouth, he drove his tongue into her, licking every inch of her mouth. Before releasing her, he kissed her lips more forcefully. Alexander¡¯s eyes was drawn to her shaking body against his. He was panting profusely. In his whole life, he had kissed lots of women, they had given him pleasure and anything he wanted. But that time it was different. It was as if each and every part of her body screamed innocence. And he wanted to devour her innocence.


    He raised her chin just high enough to meet her eyes. His eyes softened, filled with dread and despair as he beheld hers. Hers were swollen and damp from weeping, her lips quivered, and her cheeks reddened. He detected the same unwanted emotion in him. It bothered him to see her in that condition.


    Why can¡¯t I just let go of her? Why can¡¯t I just walk away? A girl like her could never tame a beast like me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± He heard someone ask.


    Alexander looked around and saw his sister standing there with wide eyes. He slowly let go of Emma. She stepped back quickly and ran away from there.


    Alexander sighed deeply. ¡°What was that Alex?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°Go to your room Sofia,¡± he said bluntly and walked past her.


    She grabbed his hand. ¡°No Alexander what is going on? Do you have any idea what you are doing? You think I didn¡¯t notice what you did? I saw how you stared at her. Alexander, she is just a maid, you know you can get much better than her! She is just a pathetic maid!¡±


    He clenched his teeth and yelled. ¡°Enough! Did I ask what you feel about it? Sofia, just because everyone in the house has turned you into a spoiled brat, it doesn¡¯t mean you get to say anything to me. Do you understand?¡± Just hearing her talking shit about Emma made him more furious.


    ¡°You are not doing anything good brother, trust me,¡± she replied. ¡°Wait, are you interested in her?¡± She whispered, her eyes were wide.


    Was he? Was he really interested in a housemaid? No, she isn¡¯t for me. I have to stay away from her. She could never bear the pain that I would inflict her.


    His teeth clenched. He assured himself that he wanted her body, and nothing else.


    Beasts like him do not look for good hearts.

 Chapter 14

    Emma


    Emma had arrived in her room. She exhaled hard and closed the door behind her. She was bowled over. She could not believe it had happened again, and she was at a loss for what to do.


    Should I leave the job? But if I do how would aunt Caroline bear my expenses? Those thoughts had been racing through her mind, forcing her to close her eyes. She failed to realize what to do, but she knew Alexander was not a sane being. He was insane! What kind of person would try this on his personal maid? She had no intention to depart her room considering she knew she could eventually run into him. In any case, it was his house as well.


    Shaking her head, she twisted the doorknob and opened it wide enough to move outside. Her heart was beating rapidly, she was shaking badly and silently prayed for not to see him for the rest of the day.


    She slowly moved closer to the kitchen, which was vacant. She sighed in relief because Martha wasn¡¯t there considering the fact that Martha might question her about where she had been. She began doing her duties silently, attempting to forget about the event.


    Should I tell this to Martha? But then she wondered why Martha would believe her¡­ she had only been working there for a few days and Martha had known the Kings for years. There was no way Martha would believe her, and she also probably lose her position if the King suspected Emma of spreading lies about Alexander, and she couldn¡¯t afford to lose her job¡­ no matter how badly she wanted to leave.


    She flinched when she heard some whistling from behind. She turned around and noticed a man standing in front of the counter, facing his back to her. He was very tall, almost the size of Alexander. His shoulders were broad and he was wearing a casual white t-shirt and dark jeans. His hair was a color of brown and hazelnut. The man turned around. He noticed Emma¡¯s terrified observation towards him and he instantly put his hand up in the air in defense. That might have confused Emma.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry miss I didn¡¯t know I will scare you,¡± he said and smiled widely. He had a beautiful smile and eyes that shone brightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, master Liam,¡± she muttered softly and went back to do her work.


    ¡°Mhhm. So, how are you miss Emma?¡± She was shocked when she heard him asking that. She gulped and felt nervous because never in her life had any guy ever tried to talk to her.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine master, thank you,¡± she felt rude for not asking him back. But she was too shocked and scared.


    He smiled at her warmly. ¡°You know, since no one is around you can call me by my name,¡± she stared at him with big eyes which kind of amused him.


    ¡°N-no I¡¯m sorry, I cannot do this; it¡¯s not allowed, and if I did¡­ I might get fired,¡± she answered. Heughed. It was the kind ofugh that would make any girl fall for him.


    ¡°No, my darling, no one will fire you from the job because I¡¯m the one who told you to call me that, okay?¡± She blushed at the nickname. No one had ever called her by nicknames except Garcia.


    ¡°Okay, sir. I¡¯ll try my best,¡± she smiled at him. Liam had a weird sensation in his chest as he saw her smile. It was the most beautiful smile he¡¯d ever seen.


    The instant he saw her for the first time, he knew there was something special about her. No, she wasn¡¯t like the otherdies, she wasn¡¯t as beautiful as the other girls, she didn¡¯t have curves like the other girls, she didn¡¯t even wear makeup, but her luminous eyes were the best possible thing on her. They gleamed bright enough to make any guy fall in love with her.


    He realized he had been looking at her for a long time. He cleared his throat and turned his gaze away, seeing a slight flush on her cheeks.


    ¡°Okay, so Emma I¡¯ll leave now. See you soon,¡± he smiled and she replied it back muttering bye.


    He left the kitchen with a wide smile on his face. If anyone saw him, they would think he had won a lottery. Emma was pleased too to have at least one gentle owner. But little did they know that they both were being watched by the devil himself.


    Alexander


    His blood was boiling rapidly as he kept a close watch on each of them. He hoped he could go back in time and remove that grin from her face. He didn¡¯t want any other guy to be the source of that smile, not because he didn¡¯t find it appealing. He aspired to be the reason for it all.


    He didn¡¯t like the way her face lit up with that smile, which he attributed to his own brother. He clenched his teeth, but regained his calm and re-observed her. She was humming a melody while she worked in the kitchen. Alexander didn¡¯t want to miss out on the breathtaking view in front of him. He needed to get to work, but he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Son!¡± He turned around and saw his mother walking toward him.


    She stood in front of him. ¡°Are you leaving for office?¡±


    ¡°Yes I am, why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go with you too, I¡¯ve some tasks to do, I¡¯m going to have my juice then we can leave,¡± she said and went to the kitchen with Alexander following her.


    Emma didn¡¯t notice the mother and son entering the kitchen since she was preupied with her task. But it gave Alexander a devilish grin since it meant he¡¯d get to see Emma one final time before he left for his workce.


    Mrs. King¡¯s voice interrupted the silence Emma was enjoying while scrubbing the kitchen tables. She raised her head to look at her smiling face.


    ¡°Oh, Emma! My dear, can you please get me my juice that I drink every morning?¡± She asked softly. Emma nodded her head and brought her juice and ced it on the table. She was trying hard to avoid his intense gaze on Alexander. But of course, she failed. He watched her every move quietly, not saying a single word.


    A few minutester they heard Mr. King calling for his wife.


    ¡°Okay son, I¡¯ll check what he wants and then we¡¯ll leave,¡± she smiled at him and left leaving both of them alone.


    Emma¡¯s heart was beating fast. She didn¡¯t want to be near that man. She tried hard to stay away and avoid him by doing her other chores.


    He clenched his fists when he realized she waspletely ignoring him. How dare this little brat! He couldn¡¯t take her defiance any longer. He took the ss, poured himself some wine, and sipped it while gazing at her. With a loud thud, he mmed the ss against the table. Alexander smiled as she flinched from the sound. He was aware that she was still afraid of him, which thrilled him even more.


    He stood up and approached her. She was conscious of the footsteps but did not dare to move. She was too frightened, but also knew that if she didn¡¯t get away from him, he¡¯d have another opportunity to humiliate her, and she didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    Alexander came to a halt when he was near enough to her. He could almost hear her pounding heart. He ced his hands on both sides of the counter, obstructing her movement.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said in his husky voice. She didn¡¯t wish to turn around and face him.


    ¡°I said look at me!¡± He growled.


    She flinched and helplessly obeyed him. His breath hitched after seeing her eyes. No matter how much he saw them, he couldn¡¯t ever get over them.


    His hand automatically went up to caress her soft smooth skin. He loved the feeling of her skin in his rough hands. She was scared and didn¡¯t understand what to do. She clenched her fists. No, I have to fight. I cannot let him do this to me again and again.


    Alexander was taken aback as she stared him in the eyes straight. She scowled at him and pressed hard on his chest. He took a little step back, which was enough for Emma to flee. She wasted no time and moved away from him. But he was far more stronger than her. He grasped her hair and looked at her with enraged eyes. His face was crimson with rage.


    How dare she push me!


    He mped his hand over her mouth and smothered her cries. She was sobbing by that point, knowing that her endeavor would fail because he was more stronger than her. He took her away from there, and because all of the maids were busy with their work and the other family members were most likely out of the house, no one could see them. He carried her down to the basement and dumped her in.


    She stumbled to the ground and moaned in agony. Despite that, she managed to stand up and backed away in terror. She realized it was a bad idea to push him like that because he might do worse to her.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He yanked her up and pressed her against the wall, causing her to scream in agony. He seized her hair and muffled her screams with his hand.


    ¡°If you scream, I swear I¡¯ll slit your throat right now,¡± he growled. She quivered but refused to show him that she was scared and red at him. That made him more furious and he gripped her hair in a tighter grip, enough to make her go numb in pain. She tried to scream so that at least someone could hear her, but nobody did.


    ¡°Will you listen and be quiet now?¡±


    He asked in a low voice which scared her more, she tried hard to not show it but she failed. She was too scared to do anything, she just nodded her head, knowing that there was nothing she could do. Hisrge rough hands were suffocating her.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said and removed his hand. She started to gasp and inhaled deeply. It felt like forever when he removed his hand. Sobs were leaving her mouth. Hearing her cry, he felt something in his heart¡­ that unidentified emotion. He despised that and despised what he was experiencing at that time. He despised her tears, but he relished the power he wielded over her, and he relished seeing her terrified and powerless anytime he was near her. But a part of him always wanted to hold her, adore her, show her she was an angel.


    But he knew that was not what he wanted. He loved to break people until they gave in to him. He enjoyed the pain.


    He raised his hand to caress her cheek. Her eyes widened when she saw him touching her and backed away, sobbing more.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me,¡± she whispered quietly and closed her eyes.


    He came to a halt and fixed his gaze on her. His heart was racing as he recalled the first time he said those words.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us!¡±


    He backed away from her. His heart was beating fast and his whole body was trembling at the memory.


    ¡°Why¡­ why did you say that?¡± He asked in his heavy tone. She stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SAY THAT!¡± He screamed at her making her flinch.


    He was shaking in anger, his eyes were red and he was sweating heavily.


    ¡°Get out¡­ get the fuck out of here,¡± he screamed again. She didn¡¯t waste a single time and ran out of there. He ran his fingers in his hair trying to control himself.


    That was in past, that was in past. Nothing is wrong now. He tried to calm himself, but he failed miserably. He roared in rage and hurled anything he could get his hands on from the basement.


    He had forgotten about what he had left behind, but that girl¡­ that girl reminded him of it. He knew he was wrong with her, and he couldn¡¯t care less.


    But her words reminded him of something he had left behind a long time ago.

 Chapter 15

    Alexander


    He drank the entire ss of vodka in a few gulps, savoring the burning sensation as it passed down his throat, bringing serenity to his body and mind. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them to see the brte beside him, her fingers roving around his chest and her tongue flirtatiously licking her lips.


    Her face was smeared with want. At the sight of her, he gritted his teeth. Her breasts were clearly visible through the thin silk cloth and her face was fully covered with makeup.


    Disgusting.


    In that club, there were a lot of beautiful and hot women. He could have all of them on their knees begging him to take them if he so desired. But in his mind, there was only one girl.


    Emma.


    He closed his eyes and her face appeared. He couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the sight of her. Her beautiful eyes¡­ her silky hair, and fuck, those lips. He could immediately feel himself get hard at just the thought of her.


    ¡°Emma,¡± he muttered under his breath. Her name sounded so perfecting from his lips.


    Alexander opened his eyes and then looked beside him, the same brte was sitting. Still the impatient look in her eyes. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her closer. She gasped at the roughness but yet the lust did not leave her eyes. He was looking at that woman but he was imagining Emma. She did not leave his mind for a second.


    He left her hair roughly making her stumble back and poured one more shot of vodka into the ss and finished it with one gulp.


    ¡°Upstairs, the first room,¡± he said and left the VIP room of the club and went upstairs.


    ***


    Alexander woke up exactly at 8 am and wore his clothes, ready to leave the room. He looked at the brte fromst night and didn¡¯t bother to wake her up.  Although he slept with her, all those times he only thought of Emma. All he imagined was her voice moaning his name, begging him for more. Her beautiful lips were on his while he explored her body with his free hands.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he cursed under his breath and left the room.


    I have to stop, no it can¡¯t be continued like this I have to stop thinking about her. She was not for me, she was just a maid.


    An innocent girl like her, she did not belong to his world. Her status did not belong to his world. But it was hard to not think about her. He was sure about the fact that he wanted her. He wanted her so bad.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    What the fuck is this?


    He drove back to his father¡¯s house and got out of the car. He told one of the guards to park the car before entering the mansion.


    He called for Martha.


    ¡°Yes sir?¡± She asked looking down.


    ¡°I want my food in my room and don¡¯t let anyone disturb me for the next few hours,¡± he said and went straight to his room.


    He closed the door after getting in. Sighing, he went inside the bathroom turning on the shower. Alexander took off his clothes and stood under the shower.


    Do I just want her body?


    He knew well that her body turned him on like no woman had ever done. There was a way he could do this. He smirked at his thought. That was what he aimed to do.


    He dried himself and departed the room, wearing his regr suit. A few minutester, he heard someone knocking on his door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he remarked.


    Martha came inside and ced the tray of food on the table. He was expecting Emma to appear and serve him lunch. That made him angry.


    ¡°Martha, wait,¡± he said to her when she was about to leave.


    ¡°Yes sir? Do you need something else?¡± She asked with her head down clearly showing that she was highly strung.


    ¡°I want to know every detail about the new maid, Emma. Tell me everything you know about her,¡± he said with no emotion on his face. She looked at him, confusion written all over her face.


    ¡°Pardon me, sir. But, what do you want to know about her?¡±


    ¡°Everything,¡± she looked nervous but yetmenced telling what he wanted to hear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about her, just a few things like she used to live with a woman named Caroline Garcia. She is a poor woman and could not carry the expenses so that¡¯s why Emma is working here at such young age,¡± she stated.


    ¡°How old is she?¡± He asked raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°She is 17, sir,¡± she replied and he hummed in response. He dismissed her after that.


    17, that¡¯s quite a young age but it¡¯s not going to stop me from getting what I want.


    He instantly dialed his assistant¡¯s number.


    ¡°There¡¯s a maid in my dad¡¯s house named Emma, I want every information about her. Every little thing,¡± he said and hung up the call. Alexander lit up his cigarette andid back his head on the chair. He brought the cigarette to his lips and took a puff of it, exhaling the smoke. He needed to know every single detail of her, not like it was needed for what he wanted with her. He still wanted to know everything about her, every little thing. It was hard to get her out of his head.


    ***


    Alexander¡¯s eyes slowly opened as the loud noise from his phone interrupted his short nap. He didn¡¯t realize when he fell asleep. He grunted in annoyance and picked it up seeing his assistant¡¯s name on the screen.


    ¡°Sir I have searched everything I could about the maid.¡±


    ¡°Send everything to my email,¡± after that he hung up and within 5 minutes he checked his mail and it was already there.


    ording to this document, her name is Emma Wilson, the adoptive daughter of Tina and Mark. For some reason, her adoptive parents had given her up for adoption to Caroline Garcia and since then she¡¯s been living with her.


    So that¡¯s how she ended up here.


    The information about her past life confused him. Why did they give her up? What was the reason that Emma was living with an unknown woman who was not even her guardian? None of these information was written in the document. Besides that, there was no proper information about her biological parents. Who were they? Why Tina and Mark adopted her in the first ce?


    Alexander dialed his assistant¡¯s number once again.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±


    ¡°There is some missing information in this document. Who are her biological parents? And why did her adoptive parents give her to that woman named Garcia? I thought I told you I want to know everything. So, in what fucking world is this everything?¡± Alexander roared out.


    He could imagine his assistant struggling to talk but he continued anyway. ¡°I-I¡¯m re-really sorry sir, it was all I could find out. Apparently, no one knew enough things about her. No one knew about her biological parents and the reason for giving her up to Garcia is unknown to everyone. I even contacted the hostel, but they didn¡¯t know anything either,¡± the guy bbered. Alexander had enough of his assistant¡¯s carelessness, so he hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    Okay, I don¡¯t need to know everything about her past life. I don¡¯t care about her biological parents or her newly guardian godmother. All I care about is that she is here in my father¡¯s house, right in front of my eyes.


    Alexander gritted his teeth and ran his fingers in his hair, inhaling deeply. He needed to calm down, he couldn¡¯t forget what he was going to do, and he couldn¡¯t let himself get distracted.


    But how much fun would it be if I could use her grief from the past against her?


    He chuckled at the thought. Picking up the ss of the wine in his hand, he got up and stood near the window and saw his prey working in the garden. The view of the garden was quite clear from his room.


    She was plucking the grass and was nting new nts. Her short maid dress was continuouslying up to her thighs and he could see the intense stare of the guards on her. That made him see all red in anger.


    They better look away before I take out their eyeballs.


    He could feel she was ufortable wearing that short outfit. He clutched the ss in his hand tightly. I thought I fucking told her to not wear it again.


    Every maid wears it, I guess I just have to change the outfit design.


    He took another sip of the wine and went inside the room andid down on his bed.


    Soon my princess, soon.

 Chapter 16

    Emma


    Everyone was busy. She had to agree that it was a busy day for them. Everyone was running from here and there.


    Emma was cleaning the living room. They were informed that Mr. King would have some important business clients in their house and he wanted the whole house cleaned before they got home. So, everyone was working so that they wouldn¡¯t get scolded by Mr. King.


    ¡°Hurry up girls, we have to make dinner too and it¡¯s already 4 pm! What are you all doing!¡± Martha yelled and hurried towards them.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Girls please we need to hurry, okay? And Leida I want you to help me cut the vegetables and Sarah take out all the new tes and sses from the storeroom, ma¡¯am told me to use those,¡± both Sarah and Leida nodded their heads and left the living room.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Martha, what do I have to do?¡± She asked her.


    ¡°Oh, honey you just work in the garden for now as we only need to prepare the dinner. If I need help, I¡¯ll call you,¡± she said and left. Emma sighed in relief. At least she didn¡¯t have to clean the rooms though. It was really tiring.


    She left the living room too and wore her gloves to work in the garden. It was her favorite job. She loved spending time there and the kings had the most beautiful garden ever! They nted different types of trees and flowers, there were also some flowers that she had never seen in her whole life. But she loved the blue orchids most. They were just so beautiful. She went to the garden and the main gardener; Mr. Charles gave her a warm smile. He was a nice man in histe 40s. He was sweet and always treated her like his daughter.


    ¡°Have a nice time with your favorite flowers!¡± She smiled at him and started doing her work. It was a sunny day, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and nted another new nt that the Kings wanted in their garden.


    After finishing her work, she stood up and went to pick up the watering can and started to water the nts and flowers. She smiled brightly at the beautiful sight in front of her. The garden was looking so beautiful, filled with colorful flowers and lots of trees. She was in love with that scenario.


    At that time, a beautiful amber-colored butterfly flew there and sat on the top of a yellow tulip. A broad smile appeared on her face in that scenario. Emma noticed more butterfliesing there by following their partner. She giggled at those beautiful creatures.


    A little blue butterfly was just flying towards her, she raised her hand up to its level and it rested right on her knuckles. She smiled looking at the little creature. After a few seconds of resting on her hand, it flew away. Sheughed softly at how cute it was looking. All the butterflies flew away among that one.


    ¡°Under this astounding blue sky, their beauty is indescribable. Am I right?¡±


    She gasped and turned around to face whoever was talking.


    Liam, the King¡¯s second heir, stood behind her looking at those butterflies flying away. He looked at those with some unknown emotion in his eyes like he was amazed by what he was seeing.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry sir, I didn¡¯t know you were here,¡± she said looking down.


    A low chuckle came from his mouth. ¡°You won¡¯t ever stop calling me sir, will you?¡±


    ¡°Pardon me sir, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to call you anything except sir or master, I am just a maid that¡¯s what I should do,¡± she replied with her little confidence. But it seemed to amuse him more.


    He let out a throatyugh and replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t know a petite figure like you can even speak like a confidentdy,¡± he grinned. Emma blushed looking down.


    ¡°So, tell me, Miss Emma, do you like toe here?¡± She nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes sir, I love this ce and Mr. and Mrs. King have a really beautiful garden,¡± Emmaplemented.


    ¡°Hmm I guessed it when I saw you smiling at these flowers and ying with a butterfly,¡± he smirked, making her blush again.


    ¡°Okay, no more jokes. Tell me, Emma, do you know something about butterflies?¡± What did he want to know?


    Emma frowned a little and shook her head.


    He gave her a warm smile.


    ¡°Well, have a look at those flowers,¡± she was confused but did what he said.


    ¡°Now have a look at those butterflies,¡± again, she obeyed him.


    ¡°What do you think about them?¡± He asked.


    ¡°W-well, both are very beautiful creatures.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that butterflies only sit on those flowers that they like the most?¡± She nodded her head.


    Liam chuckled and stood behind making her nervous. Emma had no idea what he wanted to do. She felt him lean down to her level, near her ears.


    ¡°And you, my little flower is the most beautiful flower for them,¡± her eyes widened at his words.


    How could he say that? I can¡¯t be the most beautiful flower. She turned around to face him, his face held a warm smile but there was something else that she couldn¡¯t figure out.


    ¡°See youter, flower,¡± he said and walked away leaving her totally confused.


    How could he say that? And why did he call me a flower? I was nothing but a mere maid.


    Emma shrugged it off and ced the watering can under the shelter where all the other tools for gardening were ced. She fixed her hair and washed her hands and was about to turn around and leave, but all of a sudden, a figure came and stood in front of her. She tried not to scream when she saw him standing in front of her, with a stern expression, cowering her.


    Oh no please God don¡¯t let him do anything.


    She gulped and took a few steps back which made him approach her more.


    ¡°What were you doing here?¡± He asked in his deep voice.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I was working s-sir,¡± she replied with a shaky voice.


    ¡°Working? What kind of work includes my brother here, hmm?¡± He asked again,ing closer.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ he came here by h-hims-¡±


    ¡°Stop fucking lying!¡± He yelled, making her flinch.


    Grabbing her arms tightly he pulled her close to his face. His face was now inches away from hers. His eyes looked no longer beautiful, only filled with anger.


    ¡°You little brat, how dare you to go close to Liam?¡± Alexander said gripping her jaw with his one hand. Emma stared at him with wide eyes and grabbed his hand in an attempt to remove it from her jaw.


    ¡°Sir, please let me go, you have no right to do this to me,¡± she responded with a little courage she had in her.


    He chuckled. ¡°Looks like the scared cat is trying to be brave huh?¡± Smirking at her, he wrapped his hand around her waist, not leaving any gap between them.


    Emma clenched my fists and pushed him hard. ¡°Let go of me!¡± She told him, gritting her teeth.


    His jaw was clenching together and his eyes looked scarier than before, it was red. She gulped at the sight but tried not to show him her fear.


    Surprisingly, he let go of her. She stumbled back but thankfully didn¡¯t fall down. He took long strides towards her.


    ¡°If I ever see you talking with any of the men here, you¡¯ll face the consequences. You¡¯re here to work, so do your job without whoring around. And princess, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t wanna test me,¡± with that he left. He left her bewildered.


    Why does he care if I am with any guy or not? And did he just call me a whore?!


    Emma gripped her dress tightly. She was even more scared of him¡­ what did he want from me?

 Chapter 17

    Emma had been working at the king¡¯s for about two months. She was missing Caroline terribly and was considering meeting her. She wasn¡¯t sure if Martha would let her take the day off to visit her.


    She was having lunch along with all the other maids and Martha. All were gossiping and Martha was talking to one of the maids.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m here working for this rich family!¡± She heard someone say. Emma was snapped out of her thought and looked at Venessa beside her who was telling her something but she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t hear a single thing.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry but what did you say? D-do you mind r-repeating?¡± Venessa chuckled.


    ¡°Of course hun. Well, I was saying that my mom is sick and my dad is a drunkard, so I have to pay for my little sister¡¯s school fees and the other expenses that¡¯s why I¡¯m working here,¡± she stated, sadness was clear in her voice. Emma¡¯s heart clenched. She has parents but not the ones that a child would ask for.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Venessa.¡±


    ¡°Oh, silly don¡¯t apologize, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said giving Emma a warm smile.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± She asked me.


    ¡°My godmother couldn¡¯t bear my expenses and she does not earn much that¡¯s why,¡± Venessa nodded her head in response.


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s go and put the tes in the sink, we¡¯re done eating anyway,¡± Venessa said and walked away with Emma.


    She was thinking to ask Venessa if Martha would allow her to meet Caroline, as Venessa was there for a long time she thought asking her would be best.


    ¡°V-Venessa,¡± she called out her name.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking¡­ to have a day off so that I can meet my aunt, so do you think Martha will allow me?¡± She asked nervously.


    Venessa sighed and looked down. That made Emma perturbed.


    ¡°Emm¡­ the maids who work here¡­ they stay here permanently and cannot go out and meet their families,¡± Emma¡¯s eyes were replenished with tears.


    Does that mean I can never see Caroline? Oh god! Why did I start working here in the first ce!


    Venessa bit her lip but eventually burst intoughter. Emma frowned and stared at her in confusion.


    ¡°Oh my god Emma¡­ look at your face,¡± sheughed more. Venessa dramatically clutched her stomach whileughing. But stopped when she saw Emma¡¯s serious look.


    ¡°Honey, of course, you can meet her! I was just teasing you don¡¯t cry,¡± she chucked and wiped her tears. Emma¡¯s face was red as a tomato now.


    ¡°Ha! Do you think these kings can stop us from seeing our family. Don¡¯t worry, they might be rich and all, but they don¡¯t control our lives. So, don¡¯t worry, go and ask Martha, she¡¯ll do something about it,¡± Emma nodded her head giving Venessa a soft smile. She felt stupid for crying over a stupid joke but she thought¡­ she thought that she could never see Caroline again. It was even hard for her to imagine not seeing her again, after all, she was all Emma had.


    She followed Venessa¡¯s instructions. She asked Martha if she could have the day off, and Martha dly agreed. Martha advised her to get ready as quickly as possible. Emma had a huge smile on her face since she could finally see Caroline after so many days.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She just had a few bucks, her handbag, and her outdated flip phone, which she could only use for calls; texting was tough since it was so old, but she didn¡¯t mind because she never really had anybody to text. The issue was that it sometimes worked and sometimes didn¡¯t. She, like everyone else, desired a functional phone, but she realized she couldn¡¯t afford one at the time.


    She put on a modest dress that reached her knees and a pair of white stockings and shoes. She then stuffed everything she needed into her handbag and was finally ready to depart. She left her hair open andbed her brown blocks properly. She had never felt particrly confident about her hair before, but one day Venessa informed her that her brown hair looked great on her. Although it didn¡¯t boost her confidence, she appreciated thepliment as it was the first time someone praised her.


    She went out of her room and was stopped by Martha downstairs. ¡°Oh, you all ready!¡± Emma nodded her head with a smile. ¡°You look, beautiful honey,¡± she blushed at thepliment.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll leave now Martha, I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± she smiled at Martha.


    ¡°Okay honey be safe¡± she smiled at her and nodded her head, leaving the house. She was hoping to catch a bus soon to reach on time.


    Emma went outside the house and confronted the guards who opened the gate for her. She was excited to meet Caroline after so many days, she just had been so busy with work that she didn¡¯t even get a single chance to call her but thankfully she got a chance to call her for a few minutes to let her know that she was visiting.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡± Someone called her from behind, she turned around and came face to face with Ethan. He came towards her with his charming smile.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± He asked her. ¡°Um¡­ well I took the day off and going home,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. How are you nning to go there?¡±


    ¡°Well, I will just try to catch a bus,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Nope, nope, I¡¯m here now, so I will drop you there wait here I will get my car,¡± she wanted to refuse but Ethan already left. She sighed.


    A few minutester Emma saw a ck car parked outside the house and Ethan was sitting inside, he called her there. She timidly went there not knowing what to do, even though it was nice of Ethan to offer her a ride but it was still odd for her as Ethan was also kind to her owner.


    ¡°Come inside Emma,¡± she hesitated.


    ¡°I-it was fine you didn¡¯t have to do it, mister¡­.¡±


    ¡°Cohen,¡± he finished her sentence with a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yes, Mister Cohen, you didn¡¯t have to do it. I-I could have managed.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Come on Emma I wanna be your friend so the first rule in every friendship is ¡®always help each other so that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing,¡± he answered her with a grin. She could not help but feel surprised because no one ever told her something like this.


    ¡°Now, please get inside?¡± She did what he said but was still hesitant about everything. He asked her address before driving and she gave him, after that the journey started.


    The drive was quite smooth and Emma must say that Ethan was a very funny person, he would say some jokes every minute that made herugh.


    On the other hand, Ethan was enjoying herpany too. He couldn¡¯t help but get mesmerized by her beauty and sweet personality and of course, her beautifulugh. He knew something was different about her. And that was why he wanted to be her friend, to get to know her well.


    ¡°So tell me about yourself, Emma,¡± he asked out of nowhere.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing really to talk about me,¡± she said quietly. Heughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is something, tell me about your likes and dislikes.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I-I like to read I guess and I love flowers and every colorful thing,¡± he looked at her with an amused expression that made her blush.


    ¡°W-What about you?¡± She gote courage and asked him back.


    ¡°Well I love traveling, I love to y guitar, I love sports and that¡¯s it I guess,¡± she nodded her head.


    ¡°And tell me about your past life, Emma,¡± she began to panic.


    Why is he asking about it?


    She was confused why he was asking about her past life. It was something that she always wanted to forget, it was something that she was eager to remove from her mind. Asking her this question¡­ Ethan just made her recall everything.


    She clutched her dress tightly as she could already feel herself getting sweaty. She inhaled deeply but it was shed by a small whimpering out of her mouth. Ethan noticed and stopped the car forthwith.


    ¡°Emma?! Are you okay? What happened?¡± He was outstaring at her worriedly.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m f-fine.¡±


    ¡°No of course you¡¯re not!¡± He took the water bottle from the back seat for her.


    ¡°Please drink this,¡± she took it and drank the water, it did help as her throat was all dry all of a sudden.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay now?¡± He asked again. She weakly nodded her head. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, please don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my question was too ufortable for you,¡± he looked sorry genuinely.


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not like this. I-I¡¯m just very tired,¡± he nodded her head. ¡°W-We should go now it¡¯s alreadyte,¡± he nodded again and started to drive again.


    There was no way Emma could tell Ethan that he was right. She didn¡¯t want anyone to suspect anything about her past. It was past and that was where she wanted to leave it.


    Nobody talked after that, the topic was too sensitive for Emma to talk about and Ethan was already feeling guilty for making her ufortable.


    After half an hour, they reached Caroline¡¯s house. Emma¡¯s face brightened with a smile. She was too excited to meet her. She got out of the car and turned to Ethan.


    ¡°Thanks a lot for the ride, Mister Cohen.¡±


    ¡°Ethan¡­ call me Ethan Emma, I told you I want to be your friend, so friends call each other by their name. So¡­ friends?¡± He extended his hand to her. She looked at him and then his hand again, she bit her bottom lip, confused about what to do next. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad having a friend¡­


    She sighed and shook his hand with a small smile. ¡°Y-yes,¡± Ethan grinned like he had won something special. ¡°Great! So see youter in Emma. And oh yes! Have my phone number, you can call me anytime you want,¡± she looked hesitant.


    She didn¡¯t answer anything but looked hesitant. Ethan raised his eyebrow and asked. ¡°Do you have a phone with yourself, Emma?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I have. But, it¡¯s not a phone that you might want to see,¡± sheughed nervously, she was embarrassed, nobody used flip phones in her generation and she felt outdated. ¡°And it s-sometime doesn¡¯t even work so¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, hold on,¡± he took out another cell phone from his pocket and handed it to Emma. Her eyes were wide in shock and she handed it back to him.


    ¡°Please Emma keep it, it¡¯s a gift from a friend!¡± He whined like a kid. She shook her head.


    ¡°No please Mister Co-I mean Ethan, your friendship is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°But I want to give u this phone Emma, it¡¯s my other phone, I¡¯m sorry I will buy you a new er but for now to keep in contact, you can use it,¡± she was beyond shocked. He is worried about giving me his used phone?! I am worried because I can¡¯t just ept an expensive gift like this.


    ¡°Please I-¡±


    ¡°For me? Please?¡± He looked at her with hope. She sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Amazing! I¡¯ll save my number on it so you can contact me anytime you want okay? And if you ever face any problem just call me,¡± she nodded with a smile. She was happy actually, no one ever cared for her like that except for Caroline. Now she had a good friend, not good yet but he sounded like a really good person.


    After Ethan¡¯s departure, she walked towards the house at the edge of the road and knocked.


    The door was opened by Miss Garcia and within a few seconds, she received a bone-crushing hug from her receiver. She smiled and hugged her back.


    ¡°Oh, my baby I missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Caroline kissed her forehead. ¡°Please honeye inside and have some rest, I prepared your favorite food and decorated your room with blue orchids!¡±


    ¡°Caroline¡­ you know you didn¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! My baby came home after so long and I can¡¯t even do something for her?¡± Emma chuckled at her.


    ¡°Anyways go to your room and change your clothes I¡¯ll serve you food,¡± she obeyed.


    She went to her room and sat on her bed. Her room was beautifully decorated with orchids even though they were artificial but the flowers in her vase were real and they looked really beautiful.


    Although her room was nothing special, she missed it anyway. Sighing deeply, sheid down for some time thinking of her good times only.


    Not aware of the fact that the Satan who was eager to see her again, would go crazy when he would find out that he would not see her for the whole day.


    AUTHOR NOTE


    I wanna say something, English is not my firstnguage so of course, you guys may find some silly mistakes and that¡¯s cause I didn¡¯t get time to correct the errors so please don¡¯t judge my book by my mistakes ?? and about the tense problem, I agree I have but that¡¯s because I always try to write my story in hurry, resulting in more errors and all! So please I request to some people if you don¡¯t like my story then don¡¯t read but don¡¯t judge it by some mistakes.


    Extremely sorry if any of you feel bad cause of what I said but I just had to say it¡­

 Chapter 18

    Alexander


    It was just another busy day for Alexander at the office. He was wearing his sses and was checking the files of one of his clients. He was sick and tired of the stupidity of his staff. He growled in frustration and called for his manager.


    ¡°Yes sir? How can I help you?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°What the hell is this Ricardo? Why there are so many fucking errors in these files? Who the fuck prepared these files?¡± Ricardo had been working for Alexander for a very long time but that never stopped him from getting mad at every person.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, I will just find out who was in charge of these files and let you know,¡± Ricardo said and left his office with the files in his hand.


    Alexander was slowly losing his forbearance. The burden of thepany and the mind filled with the thoughts of that girl only. He was already going insane. He wanted to see her more, feel her exquisite unblemished body¡­


    Unblemished.


    Is her body unblemished?


    This question was running in his head. He knew nothing about her. I should ask her about herself. She can tell me more urately than anyone else. He thought it was the perfect thing to do at that time. But he perceived the fact that she was scared of him. There was no way on earth she would have let out everything that easily.


    If she doesn¡¯t tell me I¡¯ll make sure that she does¡­


    But why am I so desperate for that? I don¡¯t even need to know anything, I just need her body¡­ Incertitude urred in him again. He wanted to make everything clear but it seemed impossible to him. But he was sure that he would get her¡­ by hook or by crook.


    He stood up from his chair and left the office and was on the way to his father¡¯s ce. His work was done for that day, he decided to finish the other things at him while he would watch her in relish.


    After 30 minutes, he arrived at the mansion and got inside.


    ¡°Hey, son! How was your day at the office?¡± He was not even concentrating on anyone, his eyes were just searching for that girl.


    He looked around and frowned. There was no sign of her in the house.


    ¡°Alexander? What¡¯s wrong? What are you looking for?¡± That caught his attention and he looked to his mother.


    ¡°Nothing mom. Tell me do you need something?¡±


    ¡°No honey I¡¯m good I was just asking how was your day?¡±


    ¡°It was good,¡± he replied and took a seat on the sofa that had a clear view of the kitchen. He saw many maids working there except her. He was getting annoyed by then.


    ¡°Son, shall I tell Martha to bring you some food?¡±


    ¡°Martha!¡±


    Martha instantly came running to them. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Please serve Alexander his usual lunch,¡± Martha bowed and ran back to the kitchen.


    He fisted his hand and gritted his teeth in frustration. Why the fuck isn¡¯t she here! Where the heck she could be!


    His forbearance was already running slow.


    A few minutester Martha approached them and ced his food on the table. She turned around to depart when Alexander stopped her.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡± She asked looking down.


    ¡°Where are all the maids?¡± He asked in his usual blunt tone.


    ¡°They are all here sir,¡± she replied quietly.


    ¡°Are they? I don¡¯t fucking think everyone is present here,¡± he said and clenched his teeth.


    Martha gulped and looked at Mrs. King who was talking to her phone and was unable to hear them.


    ¡°Sir, everyone is present trust me just that¡­¡±


    ¡°Just what?¡± He questioned her before she couldplete her sentence.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Just that new girl Emma, she isn¡¯t here,¡± that shook Alexander to death.


    What the fuck?


    ¡°And where the heck is she?¡± His tone sounded more dangerous than before just like he was looking scarier than before as he stood up and stand in front of her. His enormous body was even covering the light reaching Martha¡¯s face.


    She gulped and answered. ¡°Sir, she wanted to visit her aunt. So, I-I let her go¡­¡± Her sentence was interrupted by her own strident scream. Within a few moments, everyone and even Mrs. King rushed there.


    They all noticed a flower vase on the floor, shattered into pieces, along with it, the tableid helplessly on the floor, broken into pieces just like the decorated ss on it. Everything was a mess.


    ¡°Oh my god, Alexander! What are you doing?¡± His mother asked him. Alexander ignored her.


    His breathing was heavy. His nostrils were fuming in wrath. He asked her in a dangerously low voice.


    ¡°Who gave you the permission to let someone out of this house?¡± Martha stared with wide eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t answer him. Even Mrs. King was beyond shocked. No one had ever seen him in so much anger over something like that. He never cared about any maid or other workers going out of the house. But that day, his behavior shocked everyone to the core.


    Martha was already quivering. ¡°S-sir, the g-girl is new so I-I thought I should let her visit her home once,¡± she answered in a low voice.


    He straightened his posture and put his hands inside of his pockets and looked straight at her eyes. His eyes were peering through her.


    ¡°Martha, you are in no position of giving permission or making any decision. So I am telling you this for thest time. If anything like this happens again. You will be fired,¡± he didn¡¯t even let her say another word and left for his bedroom.


    He was beyond furious, he couldn¡¯t bear the fact that she was not there in front of his eyes. He didn¡¯t even know for how long she would be there at her ce. He wouldn¡¯t want her away from him for even a second.


    Emma


    Emmaughed at Caroline¡¯s extremely peculiar jokes. She was still so bad at telling jokes. But that never stopped Emma fromughing. She was always happy whenever they were together.


    ¡°Sweetie, you still didn¡¯t tell me about your job. I mean how are the people there? The other maids, other workers?¡± Her questions never stopped. Emma chuckled a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good there. Their house is beautiful and Martha is a nice guide; she never got mad at me, instead, she always supported me,¡± she replied with a smile.


    ¡°And how about the owners? What kind of people are they?¡± Her smile disappeared. What should I tell her about it? Of course, I can¡¯t ever tell her about what my master did to me. She would be worried.


    She forced a smile on her face and replied to her.


    ¡°T-they are good Caroline,¡± Miss Garcia sighed in relief and caressed her head.


    ¡°That is great honey, I was really worried about it,¡± Emma ced her hand on Miss Garcia¡¯s.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Caroline, okay? I will be fine. For now, you should worry about yourself,¡± she said and hugged her which Garcia returned dly.


    The day passed like that and it was already nighttime. She thought about going to bed early as she had to leave early the next morning. Garcia called her for dinner but Emma refused. She was already fed so many cookies and other favorite snacks that she had no vacant area inside her stomach.


    She sat on her old bed and exhaled deeply. She didn¡¯t want to go back. She missed Garcia so much but she couldn¡¯t just stay there for more days. She knew they wouldn¡¯t allow her to stay for so long.


    Emma shrugged off the thoughts andid down, closing her eyes.


    ***


    Emma woke up at the sound of her rm. Rubbing her eyes she forced herself out of the bed and went to the bathroom. She did her business and came out and nced at the clock. It said 8 o¡¯clock. She thought to leave at 10 for the mansion. She wore her clothes and went outside to see Garcia. She was already making breakfast for her. Her face beamed when she saw Emma.


    ¡°Good morning sweetie. Come eat your breakfast now,¡± she cooked Emma¡¯s favorite pancakes and scrambled eggs. Just the smell of those made her stomach growl in hunger. She didn¡¯t wait for a second and started eating.


    She heard Garciaugh and her cheeks flushed. ¡°It¡¯s okay sweetie, just eat well.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Caroline, I am leaving at 10 o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She replied. She knew by Garcia¡¯s tone that she was upset. She approached her and hugged her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset aunt. I promise I will visit you again,¡± Emma said and kissed her cheeks.


    ¡°I know honey I know. Just take care of yourself okay?¡± She nodded her head and went back to eat the food.


    After breakfast, Emma helped Garcia with the dishes and went to her bedroom to pack her things. She nced at the clock again and it was 9:40.


    Emma was stuffing everything in her bag and all of a sudden her eyesnded on the phone that Ethan gave her. It looked really expensive. She picked it up carefully and opened the lock screen. The screen showed several applications. And she observed that a new text has arrived. She clicked on the application named


    ¡°message¡±.


    The text said. ¡°Hey, Emma it¡¯s Ethan,¡± she bit her lip. She didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Should I reply to him or just ignore the text?


    But if I ignored it might look bad.


    Ethan was a nice person. So, she thought to just reply to him. She clicked on the message and typed ¡°Hi. Sorry, I just saw your text.¡±


    Emma put the phone on the bed and looked at the screen. Within a few seconds, he replied to her.


    ¡°No problem, Emma. Did you enjoy spending time with your aunt?¡± That made her smile a little.


    She replied, yes.


    ¡°Excellent, so when are youing back?¡± He wrote.


    ¡°I will leave soon. I have to go, nice to talk to you,¡± she didn¡¯t wait for his reply and put the phone inside the bag. She picked up her bag and for thest time, she nced at her old bedroom. Even though that room was nothing special, she still missed it like crazy.


    Emma sighed and closed the door behind her and went to Garcia. She was already waiting for her outside and when saw her she gave her a tight hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, Caroline,¡± a drop of tear rolled down her cheek. She pulled back and wiped it with her thumb.


    ¡°I will miss you too sweetie. Stay well okay?¡± Emma nodded. ¡°You too, Caroline, please take care of your health,¡± she smiled at Emma.


    She insisted on dropping her at the bus station. Emma didn¡¯t refuse her much and just let here with her. They both waited for almost 10 minutes for the bus and after that, it finally arrived. Emma went inside and sat on an empty seat. The bus wasn¡¯t so full of people for which she was d. She waved at Garcia and she did the same.


    The bus started and she got herself ready to face her daily life again.


    Thirty minutes passed like that and she knew the mansion wasn¡¯t so far from that area now. Suddenly, she felt something vibrating inside her back. She opened it and saw that the phone was ringing and the caller was Ethan. She received the call and heard him.


    ¡°Hey, Emma.¡±


    ¡°H-hey sir,¡± she replied.


    ¡°No sir, please. And did you leave already?¡± She frowned at his question. Why did he want to know that?


    ¡°Yes, sir I told you.¡±


    She heard him sigh. ¡°I could havee to receive you, Emma.¡±


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s totally fine I am almost close to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Emma. Then I¡¯ll see you when you arrive.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Bye Emma,¡± they both hung up and she instantly put the phone inside. She was afraid that she would lose or someone might steal the phone. It cost her a fortune.


    After another 30 minutes, the bus eventually came to a halt. Emma got off the bus and started walking. She had a few more blocks to go. It took her around ten minutes to get to the mansion. When she arrived, the guards opened the door since they recognized she worked there. She walked inside to find Martha. However, no one was around. That was strange. Emma noticed Marie, a maid, sweeping the floor.


    ¡°H-have you  seen, Martha?¡± She asked her. Marie looked at her and her eyes went wide. Emma didn¡¯t know why she reacted like that.


    ¡°You¡­ you are here finally.¡±


    ¡°W-why? Wh-what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you did you little dumb slut?¡± Hannah came and remarked. Emma gulped.


    ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong? I-I don¡¯t know anything,¡± she replied with a shaky voice.


    ¡°Because of you, Martha got scolded by master Alexander,¡± another girl said and red at her. The mention of him made her quiver in fear.


    ¡°Enough girls! Go back to your work,¡± she heard Martha saying that. The girls departed and only Emma and Martha were left.


    She came to Emma and gave her a small smile. ¡°How was your time with Caroline, sweetie?¡± Her question surprised her. Was she trying to change the topic?


    ¡°Martha¡­ please tell me, w-what¡¯s going on?¡± She pleaded.


    She sighed. ¡°Honey¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ whatever happened was quite unexpected. Master Alexander was furious that you went out of the house without his permission,¡± Emma stared at her with a horrific look.


    ¡°B-but why?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, honey. But don¡¯t worry about it now. You came from a long journey. Just go to your room and rest for some time, after that, I¡¯ll tell you your task,¡± she said and left, Emma was still trying toprehend the issue.


    Oh god! What that man wants from me!

 Chapter 19

    Emma


    Emma tried her hardest to sleep. She would never have left the house if she had known what would happen as a result of her departure. She felt terrible for Martha, who was almost in trouble because of her. But, at the same time, she understood it was no one¡¯s fault¡­ but the cause for Alexander¡¯s rage remained a mystery to her.


    Her spine tingled at the thought of that man. She¡¯d be better off without him around her. But she knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen. It was also his home, so he was free to visit the mansion whenever he pleased.


    She got out of bed and put on her clothes. Shebed her hair into a ponytail and proceeded to the kitchen to know of her responsibilities.


    When she approached the kitchen, she observed other maids whispering to each other. She was perplexed, but she didn¡¯t bother to think about it any longer. When she saw Martha, she asked for her chores, and Martha handed her a list of the things she needed toplete. She epted it and got to work on her tasks.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡± She heard a voice from behind. Emma turned and saw Venessaing towards her and hugged her.


    ¡°Wee back!¡± She smiled and thanked her. ¡°I hope you enjoyed time with your godmother and how is she?¡±


    ¡°She is fine and yes I did enjoy it a lot, thanks for asking,¡± she replied with a soft smile. Emma was still bothered by the weird nces that she was getting from the other maids. She thought to ask Venessa about it.


    ¡°Venessa, can I ask you a question?¡± She asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah, sure hon go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me why master A-Alexander was so mad at Martha?¡± Venessa¡¯s smile disappeared at her question. It was obvious that Venessa was worried about Emma as well as Martha. Because they knew Alexander¡¯s wrath was the worst thing that anyone could ever ask for and both Martha and Venessa didn¡¯t want Emma to be the victim of his wrath.


    ¡°Emma¡­ Master was angry at her because she let you out of the house without asking him.¡±


    ¡°The other maids told me the same but¡­ but why he was mad? I thought it was fine and that h-he doesn¡¯t care about the movements of the maids inside this house¡­¡± She replied. Even though her context was wrong. Deep inside she questioned it. Also, deep down she knew the answer.


    ¡°No one knows Emma. His reaction was pretty surprising. I¡¯ve been working here for 2 years and in those 2 years I went to my home lots of time and sometimes even returned after weeks, but he never cared neither got mad for that. I only got a scolding from Martha and a warning from Mrs. King that¡¯s it. But yesterday¡­ it was extremely unexpected.¡±


    It scared Emma even more. She knew Alexander had serious issues with her¡­ she couldn¡¯t even name it. After those things that he did to her, it was confirmed that he was obsessed with her but she was still far away from understanding it. She was afraid of the fact that he might try to do those things again with her.


    Tears threatened to fall from her eyes at just the thought of him assaulting her like that again.


    ¡°Oh god, Emma! Please don¡¯t cry. It wasn¡¯t your fault okay? Please don¡¯t cry. That¡¯s how master Alexander is actually. He gets angry for no reason sometimes. You don¡¯t have to get upset because of that everything is fine now,¡± Venessa said while wiping her tears. Emma nodded. If only she could tell her friend the reason behind her tears.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s get back to work,¡± Venessa stated with a smile which Emma returned. Then both of the girls went to their work.


    Emma¡¯s tasks were like her regr ones, cleaning the room and gardening.


    Cleaning room¡­ it means his room too.


    She hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to cope with him again. God, on the other hand, had a different n for her. She had hardly gone upstairs to Mr. and Mrs. King¡¯s room when the devil appeared.


    He was dressed in his gray suit, as he often was. His hair was neatly groomed, and his posture was that of a powerful man. His one hand was in his pocket, while the other held his phone. His gaze was fixed on his phone.


    He appeared to be preupied with his task. Emma saw this as her chance to flee.


    She quickly turned back and was going out of there when her feet collided with the wall and she lost her bnce. Her mouth parted in a hoarse cry. She quickly covered her lips with her palm, hoping not to attract his attention.


    But, as previously said, God had a different n for her. Alexander came to a halt in the middle of the way and looked up from his phone. He recognized her with a single nce. Small and petite, with dark brown hair and a lightplexion. It had to be her.


    He approached her and knelt at her level. He could see her shivering and attempting to move away from him. But even her movement didn¡¯t disturb him at the time.


    He only desired to see her. She had only been gone for one day, but for him, it had been decades.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± hemanded with his deep alpha voice. She hesitated but knew that it was better to obey him that time. She looked up straight at him. Surprisingly, his face held no anger, no annoyance, and no danger.


    His face was looking beautiful under the little light of that area. His eyes were sparkling, his sharp jawline was in the view. She felt like she was looking at a different person.


    She didn¡¯t realize that he helped her stand up. When she came back to her senses, she backed away and snatched her hand from his. She clutched her dress tightly, feeling her hands sweating badly.


    Alexander¡¯s strong ze was still on Emma. He never wanted to look away from her. He wanted to hold her close and stroke her cheeks. But, he wanted to know why she went out of that house without his permission.


    ¡°Why did you go out of the house without asking for my permission, Emma?¡± She jolted at his sudden question and she felt strange when he called her by her name. It sounded¡­ different when he voiced it.


    It was rare for Alexander to call a maid by her name. He never gave that respect to any of the maids in the house.


    ¡°I-I went to see m-my godmother, master,¡± she replied with a shaky voice.


    ¡°Did I give you permission?¡± She gulped and shook her head.


    ¡°Did I¡­¡± He came a bit close to her and continued. ¡°Did I give you the right to do whatever you want here?¡±


    ¡°N-no master. I-I¡¯m sorry it¡¯ll never h-happen again,¡± she apologized, lowering her head.


    ¡°Hmm. I know it will never happen again. Because I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± he smirked at her. She was beyond scared. She knew Alexander was cruel, so she wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about.


    ¡°Ande downstairs, I have an announcement to make,¡± with that, he left. It left her confused again. What kind of announcement it could be¡­?


    She went downstairs after a few minutes and saw there were already Martha and all the maids gathered together.


    ¡°Martha, call my mother too,¡± Martha nodded and went to call Mrs. King. A few minutester she came and questioned Master.


    ¡°Son, what¡¯s wrong? Why did you gather us?¡±


    ¡°You will find out soon, mother,¡± he replied.


    ¡°So, the announcement I nned to make. It¡¯s more like amand that one of you have to follow,¡± every maid was looking at their feet, not daring to look in his eyes, even Emma. Each of them was scared to death.


    ¡± There are shortage of maids in my house. I hope every one of you knows that I¡¯m pretty strict with cleanliness and discipline, I need someone who can take care of my house properly. So, I have decided to take any one of the maids from here with me to my house,¡± that shook everyone¡­


    ¡°But son, why any maid from here? You can easily have a new and experienced one as you like everything in your house clean and perfect.¡±


    ¡°My decision is initial mom. I¡¯m taking a maid from here. I don¡¯t have any useless time to look for a new maid,¡± his mother nodded in defeat.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Emma could already feel his intense stare at him. She didn¡¯t dare look up as she was extremely scared to look at him.


    Alexander, on the other hand, was finally happy that he took the first step of his n.


    ¡°Which one of them you want to take son?¡± Mrs. King asked.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes went back to the maids. He knew what he was doing. He knew that it was the right thing to do at that time.


    He extended his hand and pointed at the girl he desired to pick.


    ¡°This one,¡± he stated. Everyone looked up and their reaction was a mixture of horror and sympathy for the girl.


    That girl was none other than Emma.

 Chapter 20

    Emma


    Oh god! Why did this happen to me?! Out of every girl here he chose me to go with him?!


    Emma didn¡¯t know what to do at that time, she didn¡¯t want to go with him.


    ¡°Son, are you sure it is her you want to take? I mean she is very young and new, the other maids are more experienced than her honey, why don¡¯t you choose someone else,¡± Emma was silently praying that Alexander will listen to his mother.


    ¡°My decision is initial mom. I chose her and that¡¯s final,¡± her legs were trembling. She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d be able to hold herself.


    ¡°But you should ask her as well. What if she doesn¡¯t want to leave?¡± He looked at Emma and said, ¡°Then she will lose her job,¡± he said and left without saying another word.


    Emma looked at Martha hoping that she could help in some way. But, her eyes didn¡¯t even meet Emma¡¯s. She just avoided her.


    She felt someone¡¯s hand clutching hers. She looked beside and saw Venessa who gave her an apologetic look and a sad smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emma. I don¡¯t know what my son is up to. But, don¡¯t be scared, okay? His house doesn¡¯t have that much work to do as he¡¯s the only person living there, and there will be other workers too. So, don¡¯t be scared, okay?¡± Mrs. King said and smiled at her. Emma cracked a small smile and nodded her head. But him living there alone was scarier.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Alexander and tell him to give you a few days to pack your stuff and to let you spend some time with your friends here,¡± she said and left. It was a bit relieving and she hoped Alexander p would allow that.


    She didn¡¯t want to lose her job. Miss Garcia¡¯s financial situation was not yet stable, and her losing the job would be a big issue.


    ¡°Okay girls, get back to work,¡± Martha ordered. The girls obeyed and started to do their daily chores.


    God knows what kind of tasks master will give me in his house.


    The thing that scared her most was what if he tried those things with her again? That thought was whirling in her mind. Her hands were shaking. Every passing minute was hell for her. She wished something would happen and Alexander would change his mind.


    But of course, as always her fate wasn¡¯t with her that time too. Sighing, she began to do her chores as usual.


    As Mrs. King said that there will be other workers too in his house so, it will not be so bad there because if I¡¯m always around people, he can¡¯t assault me like that again.


    Emma said to herself,forting her scarred mind. She knew it wouldn¡¯t help but at least she had to be strong. She couldn¡¯t work like that forever, she decided if he tried something like that again she would leave the job. She just couldn¡¯t work like that.


    The Kings paid her $400 a week, she was aware that it was a great amount of money and she always sent more than half the money to Garcia and kept the rest of the money to herself as emergency material. Because she knew that Garcia needed the money for her medicines and the bills. Emma wished she could earn more and help her with her business too and maybe¡­ maybe start her school again.


    Emma always loved to study. She wanted to be more educated so that in a few years she could get an ample job in a goodpany. But, the most important thing for her was her education. Miss Garcia always told her one thing.


    ¡°Honey, education is the most important thing in our life. A poor knowledgeable person is wiser than a rich illiterate person.¡±


    She was done with her duty in the kitchen and took a seat on a chair that was settled in the kitchen. She was worn out that day, from the tasks she got and also from the news that they all received from Alexander¡­ I should ask Martha if master has agreed to give me some time¡­? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Emma?¡± She heard a voice calling her. She stood up from the chair and turned around.


    ¡°Oh yes, Venessa?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She questioned,ing toward Emma. Her eyes showed worry.


    Emma smiled softly at her and nodded her head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine please do not fret.¡±


    Venessa looked pleased with her answer and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great. I thought you were still agonizing over master¡¯s decision,¡± Emma looked down, unable to reply to her anymore.


    Yes, it was true I was worried about that.


    ¡°Hey Emm, don¡¯t worry too much okay? It¡¯s the same. You used to work here and now you are going to work at master¡¯s house, at least you are not going far away. Master¡¯s house is just miles away from this house. Just¡­ he is strict I know. But, he wouldn¡¯t notice everything in his house. Besides that, I heard that just like Martha another woman is working for him, who handles the workers and maids. So, I¡¯m sure you will have a nice guide,¡± she gave Emma an assuring smile.


    Emma said nothing but gave her a little assuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m not worried, Venessa. I¡¯m just upset that I will lose a good friend like you,¡± her voice showed her sorrow.


    Venessa approached and embraced her tightly and pulled back, saying. ¡°I will miss you a lot, Emma. Hopefully, I can contact you through calls and texts. I¡¯m sure we can talk in between our busy schedules.¡±


    ¡°I will miss you too. I hope the same.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we exchange numbers? I don¡¯t think I have your number,¡± she frowned.


    ¡°Yeah sure. But, my phone is not a great one¡­¡± She interrupted. ¡°Ohe on! Don¡¯t worry about that. At least, we can contact each other. Let¡¯s go to your room real quick and exchange our numbers. Come on, no one is here now, we will be quick,¡± she pulled her out of the kitchen and went towards her room. This girl would be the death of me!


    ¡°O-oh wait, Vanessa. We have a lot of work to do, why don¡¯t you write it down on paper?¡±


    Venessa rolled her eyes and said, ¡°C¡¯mon, it would only take a few minutes,¡± Emma didn¡¯t tell anyone about the phone that Ethan gave her, she thought they might take it the wrong way.


    When they got into her bedroom, Emma sighed and began to look for it but couldn¡¯t find it anywhere.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Venessa questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I kept my phone¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s look for it,¡± she began to look for it in the other bags and drawers. Emma couldn¡¯t remember where she kept it, she hoped it wasn¡¯t lost.


    ¡°Oh my god, Emma!¡± Emma flinched at her sudden outburst. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She took out the phone that Ethan gave Emma and was holding it with shock written on her face. ¡°Is that your phone?!¡±


    ¡°N-no, not really,¡± she stuttered. ¡°Not really? Oh my god, Emma. This is such a cool phone. How did you get it? I mean it looks expensive,¡± Emma sighed and told her everything.


    Her expression was once again a mixture of shock and amusement.


    ¡°So you are saying master Ethan aka master Alexander¡¯s cousin gave you this phone? Wow! You didn¡¯t even tell me about it,¡± Venessa pouted, making Emma giggle.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Venessa everything happened so swiftly I couldn¡¯t tell you,¡± after that, they exchanged their numbers and went back to work. Venessa didn¡¯t stop bbering about how cute Ethan was for being Emma¡¯s friend and offering his phone. Emma rolled her eyes every time at her. She was still against that. The gift was so expensive, it was really hard for her to ept it like this. She didn¡¯t see Ethan, if she did she would for sure let him know that she was leaving the house.


    She was cooking lunch for the Kings among the other two maids helping her. She was chopping the vegetables and the other two were doing other tasks but they were gossiping more than doing their task. Emma sighed thinking she might have to prepare all the food alone because those two didn¡¯t seem so attentive.


    ¡°Silence girls, do your job, you guys can talkter,¡± hearing Martha¡¯s strict voice, both of them went quiet. Emma turned and called her.


    ¡°Yes, honey?¡± She queried. ¡°Martha, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sweetie go ahead,¡± she offered Emma a smile. ¡°Martha, d-did Mrs. King tell you anything about Master¡¯s decision?¡± Emma questioned her, hoping that she would get the answer she was expecting.


    ¡°Oh honey, I¡¯m so sorry I don¡¯t know yet. Ma¡¯am didn¡¯t tell me anything. Why don¡¯t you go to her and ask her by yourself? I¡¯m sure she will understand you,¡± Emma nodded her head. She is right, I should do that.


    She said to herself. She decided to talk to her after lunch.

 Chapter 21

    The Kings were at the dining table, everyone was sitting in their situated seats. Mr & Mrs. King were talking with each other about something, Sofia and Lucas were busy with their phones. And Alexander¡­ his eyes were as always looking for that one girl.


    His father didn¡¯t know about his announcement yet. He wouldn¡¯t be happy and Alexander knew that. But, he could care less about his father¡¯s bullshit lecture.


    After a few minutes, the maids began to appear with various meal trays in their hands. He didn¡¯t even look at a single maid since his eyes were desperate to see her. He didn¡¯t mind if he was a little too harsh on her. He was going to obtain what he desired. And he was just interested in her at that moment. The heinous ruse, on the other hand, would break her¡­ but that was exactly what he wanted. He intended to break her till she gave up. He intended to put her in a position where she would have no one alongside her except him.


    He was unaware that his wicked smile was seen by Emma from the corner of the kitchen. She gulped thinking about what he might be thinking about. She was aware of how dangerous that man could be.


    But, she wasn¡¯t aware of how vile his n was.


    ¡°Hey Emma, can you take this tray outside? I am carrying another one,¡± Marie said. She nodded her head and picked up the tray and went outside to face her fate.


    There she is!  Said the devil in his mind as she walked in, she was looking gorgeous. Her hair was pulled in a loose braid. Her eyes were glued to the ground, not meeting anyone¡¯s sight.


    Small strands of her hair persistentlying on her face. She put her front hair behind her ear and served lunch to everyone.


    Alexander held the ss of wine and brought it to his mouth, taking small sips, his lustful eyes were still on Emma, watching her every step. She knew he was watching her but, no matter how much she wanted to leave from there, she couldn¡¯t. It was her job to serve food to everyone.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Please serve me the sd,¡± Mrs. King said. Emma cautiously served the sd on her te. She thought that was her chance to ask Mrs. King if she could talk to her.


    ¡°M-Ma¡¯am, can I-I talk to you after lunch for a minute?¡± Her soft voice asked.


    His heart danced in excitement when he heard her. He nced at her, her cheeks were flushed and as always her eyes never met with anyone.


    ¡°Sure, honey,¡± hearing Mrs. King¡¯s answer, she looked up and smiled warmly at her before walking away from the dining table.


    He wanted to see those green eyes again and her beautiful smile that never failed to melt his heart.


    At the same time, he was curious as to what she wanted to discuss with his mother. He imagined she¡¯d want to persuade her so she wouldn¡¯t have to leave his father¡¯s house. He smirked at the thought.


    Nice try little kitty. But you have to know that nothing will help. My decision is irrevocable.


    The King¡¯s meal was finished, and the servants, together with Emma, were clearing the table. Mrs. King requested that Emma meet her in her room. She exited the kitchen after putting the dirty tes in the sink. She was apprehensive, and she prayed that luck would be on her side that day.


    She exhaled as she knocked on the door of Mrs. King¡¯s room. ¡°Come in.¡±


    She got inside and immediately bowed her head. ¡°Oh, Emma!¡± She put the cup of tea on the table. ¡°You wanted to talk about something?¡± Emma nodded her head and replied.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Is it about my son?¡± She asked looking at her. Emma nodded her head again sadly. Mrs. King sighed and approached her, putting her hand on Emma¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Look honey, I know you are not happy with the decision and my son announced it all of a sudden¡­ without any sign so, it was surprising for me too. And I also know why you want to live here, you made friends and I can see Martha treats you better than other maids here, I noticed you are a very nice girl. But, don¡¯t worry honey okay?


    Maybe, you will like there too,¡± she smiled softly at Emma that almost melted her heart. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from returning the smile too and nodded her head.


    ¡°And if you don¡¯t like it there you can anytime quit the job ande back to my house or look for another job. No one will stop you.¡±


    She shook her head yes. Mrs. King let go of her shoulder and her face beamed.


    She is truly a nice woman.


    ¡°B-but ma¡¯am, a-am I allowed a few days?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, of course, I talked to Alexander and it won¡¯t be a problem. You can have a few days to prepare yourself to leave.¡± Emma almost cried out in relief.


    Emma departed the room. She was relieved. She thought at least she could easily leave the job and go far away from Alexander.


    But, oh how wrong she was¡­


    Alexander was just standing a bit far away from his mother¡¯s bedroom and unfortunately, he heard everything. He clenched his fist and took a long stride towards her when she saw her walking away. He wrapped his hand around her neck and muffled her screams with his other hand.


    Emma was dumbfounded by his sudden outburst. She was aware of who that person could be but, she was silently praying it was not him. Not like she would wish to be held like that against her will by anyone, but no one could be as dangerous as Alexander.


    She was struggling to free herself from his strong tight grip. She scratched his arms, thinking it might help. But, instead, it made Alexander madder, he squeezed her neck.


    Her eyes went big at the pressure he was putting on her neck. And within a few moments, he pulled her away from there and got inside his bedroom.


    Emma was more petrified when Alexander pushed her into the wall with his hand still muffling her cries and screams.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± He yelled. She whimpered but didn¡¯t stop trying to escape from him. She tried to knee him down there but Alexander was way too fast than her. He pushed her back more and struck her on her face. It immediately shut her mouth, and a few drops of blood were flowing down from the corner of her lips. She winced when her hand touched the wound.


    He gripped her chin and pulled her close to him. ¡°You really think you can leave the job? Leave my house?¡± Heughed. Her body was shivering in fear.


    He leaned to her, looking at her with his evil eyes. ¡°No my kitten, you cannot escape, you cannot leave the job unless I tell you to, and that¡¯s never going to happen because I will never ever let you leave,¡± he said in his low minacious voice.


    She was panting heavily. It was enough for her, she could not just bear everything and say nothing. She swallowed her fear and whispered. ¡°I-I can d-do whatever I want! I am m-my own person, n-no one can control me.¡±


    He looked at her with mirth, he left her and took a few steps back. Taking out his phone, he went to the video option and yed a video in front of her.


    What Emma saw, shook her to death. It was the video of Caroline, sitting on the couch and watching TV. He slid his fingertip on the screen and another video popped up. It was a video of her bedroom, still decorated with artificial blue orchids and it was neat and clean, just how she saw it thest time. There were many other clips of the entire house.


    The entire house had cameras in every corner and every bedroom. How did he do that? How did he get into the house without Caroline acknowledging it?


    She immediately approached him and took the phone from his hand. Her hands were trembling. She looked at him with shock written on her face.


    ¡°H-How did you g-get this video?¡± He stayed silent for a few seconds. ¡°I had my men out hidden cameras in your house,¡± she cried more.


    He snatched the phone from her hand. ¡°Now now princess, you are aware of my capability. You are aware of what else I can do. Today, I¡¯m showing you some normal videos of Garcia, enjoying her alone time. Just imagine, tomorrow it might be a video of her tied to the chair and my men holding her captive and¡­.¡±


    ¡°No! No, please don¡¯t harm her, master please she is innocent she didn¡¯t do anything. Please let her go,¡± she pleaded, holding his hands unknowingly. Alexander felt a tingling sensation in his heart at the touch of her. But, he didn¡¯t let her see how much she was affecting him.


    He took her hand on his and kissed her knuckles before letting it go. ¡°You know princess what I want. If you ever try to leave the job, you know what will happen,¡± he said and turned around to leave the room. But stopped, remembering something.


    He cupped her cheeks and kissed the bruise on the corner of her lips. She didn¡¯t dare move or try anything as she was afraid that he would hurt Caroline.


    ¡°Your birthday is in 4 days, take this as your birthday present,¡± he whispered and left the room, leaving her all broken.

 Chapter 22

    She tugged in her clothes and other necessary stuff inside her bag. She wished she would have been doing it for a positive reason. She was told that Alexander had given her four days and that on the fourth day, she would be in his house, the man¡¯s house from whom she was fleeing. Mrs. King, thankfully, persuaded Alexander to allow her a few days. That wasn¡¯t like it was going to be a solution for her. Worst of all, he nned to take her on her birthday. It infuriated her. She might also dislike her own birthday.


    Sighing, she chained her bag and kept it beside the bed. She didn¡¯t want to leave that ce, she was tearing up thinking she might not even be able to see Martha and Venessa, worse, she might not even see Caroline again!


    She nced at the calendar that was hanging on the, it said 10th august.


    Her birthday was on 14th August. She was never really excited about her birthday or never hated it but, at that time she was truly hating it.


    Alexander was doing that intentionally. His cruel nature said it all. For a moment, she was happy at least she had a chance to leave the job. But, Alexander snatched that right too from her, by using Caroline.


    Just thinking of Alexander hurting Caroline was enough to make Emma tremble in fear. She would never let anything happen to Caroline.


    Shutting her eyes, she let her tears flow down from her eyes. Who knew that her life would change like that?


    She let out a shaky breath and cleaned her face with her hands. I have to be strong, for me and Caroline. I cannot be weak like this.


    Emma rose from her bed and faced the mirror. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun. She paused and examined the bruise on the corner of her lips. It was a little bruised, but it was noticeable. When her palm came into contact with it, she winced. It¡¯s no surprise that it was still painful; she hadn¡¯t applied any ointment there after all. She considered asking Martha about it, but she knew Martha would question her. Emma was a terrible liar, and she knew she¡¯d get caught.


    Pulling out of her bag, she found a foundation container that Venessa gave her. Being a light-skinned girl, the foundation color matched with her skin. She took a little amount of foundation on her hand and covered her bruise with it. Thankfully, it did work. She was finally satisfied with it.


    Leaving her room, she approached the kitchen and as usual, started her regr chores. All the other maids were working too along with her.


    ¡°Oh look! Isn¡¯t this the same girl? What was her name again? Emma! Master Alexander chose her as his housemaid right?¡± She heard one of the girl gossiping.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her. Poor girl. She doesn¡¯t know master Alexander. He will make her life hell,¡± another girl said. It was a lot for Emma.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Why do these girls have to gossip about me? Are they thinking that I can¡¯t hear them?


    ¡°Poor girl? I think she is lucky though. I mean look at master Alexander. He is the most gorgeous and hottest. Working in his house would be tough but fun at the same time,¡± the first girl said and giggled.


    Oh god! How can she even think about her own master like this? And that too master Alexander! She is the one who has no idea about master¡¯s capability. He is not gorgeous, he is dangerous!


    ¡°Gosh Alina, what are you even saying? If someone hears you then you know what might happen? Just keep your mouth quiet and work,¡± the second girl said.


    ¡°Fine whatever Hasley,¡± Alina said. These girls were too much for Emma. She washed thest te and put it in the sink before leaving the kitchen. Her next task was cleaning the living room and that was what she started doing.


    Alexander was happy on the other hand. The first step of his n was going well. He intentionally chose her that day.


    It would be so good, the day she will be legal might be the day I-2


    His thoughts were interrupted. He growled and turned around to face the person who called his name.


    ¡°What?!¡± He asked.


    ¡°Whoa whoa, brother! What¡¯s up? Why are you in a bad mood?¡± Liam asked and smirked.


    ¡°What do you guys want?¡± Alexander asked in his usual blunt tone. Sofia rolled her eyes and stated.


    ¡°Big brother, you know Liam has nned to announce his new business project on 16th August. So, we are thinking that there should be a grand party for that and then the announcement,¡± she chirped.


    ¡°Calm down Sofia. So, Alexander can you cancel your important meetings for that day?¡± Lucas questioned.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I can because I might have to attend a really important meeting.¡±


    ¡°Bro¡­e on you know how much important it is for me,¡± Alexander sighed. He knew that project was always Liam¡¯s dream project. And Alexander did want to stay but he needed to be at his home that day.


    ¡°I will try to be there, but the party cannot take in my ce if that¡¯s what you three are thinking,¡± Alexander said. His siblings groaned in annoyance as that was what they nned to do.


    ¡°Fine, I will hold it somewhere else, but not in this house. I¡¯m tired of viewing the same house party all my life,¡± Liam said.


    2 dayster


    She once again nced at the calendar.


    12th August.


    Only two days left. After that, she would be working for Alexander alone. She was scared and worried at the same time.


    Scared that he could do anything to Caroline if she thought of leaving. He wouldn¡¯t even think twice before hurting her.


    She wasying on her bed, it was 1 am and her sleep vanished as those thoughts were whirling in her head. She got up and went out of the room. Everyone was sleeping by then.


    She thought to get some water.


    Emma walked down the stairs and approached the kitchen. Pouring water into the mug, she took a few gulps before cing it back where it was before.


    She flinched and let out a scream when she saw someone standing at the end of the kitchen.


    He smirked when he saw her reaction, observing her from up and down.


    She is looking so hot in that nightdress.


    He thought and licked his lips. Calm down. I am gonna get her after a few days anyway.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She questioned, not recognizing the person standing there. It was dark so, she didn¡¯t see anything.


    He came forward and she regretted asking who it was¡­


    She didn¡¯t say anything and was leaving the kitchen.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said.


    She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around, feeling nervous and scared. She was already not in a good state of mind.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Alexandermanded. She started to walk panting heavily. Because she knew if she didn¡¯t listen he might do something worse.


    She walked to him and stopped when she was close enough, looking down.


    He went closer and touched her lips. She gasped and tried to step back.


    ¡°Stand still,¡± he growled. Whimpering quietly, she didn¡¯t do anything, just stood there with her eyes closed.


    He caressed her soft smooth skin with her rough fingers, and his hand touched the bruise he gave her. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her like that but she left him no choice. He heard her wincing at his touch. He moved his hand away from her mouth. She was surprised when he backed away and removed his hand. It wasn¡¯t something that he would do.


    She stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he said and disappeared into the living room. A few minutester, he came back with a first aid kit in his hands.


    ¡°Sit,¡± hemanded again and as usual, she obeyed. He sat too, facing her. Taking out a small piece of cotton and ointment, he softly applied it to the bruise. Emm6 winced every time the cotton connected with her skin. She was continuously trying to move away from him earning a scold every time. He was treating her like a little child.


    After he was done, he threw away the cotton and closed the first aid box.


    She was very much confused.


    He was never so soft with her. He was fierce and dangerous. Soft wasn¡¯t a word that could describe him. But, at that time Emma felt it was someone else and she also didn¡¯t understand that if he could be kind then why did he choose to be so cruel?


    She snapped out of her thoughts and stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry master but, I think I need to go and sleep,¡± surprisingly, he didn¡¯t say anything just nodded and gestured for her to go.


    She hurriedly left for her room.


    He was dumbfounded at his actions too. He was never so soft with anyone and that girl was changing everything.

 Chapter 23

    Emma


    ¡°Wow, Emma¡­ th-that¡¯s a lot¡­¡± Venessa stated, bbergasted. Emma sighed. She knew it was a lot.


    A few hours ago, Martha told her that Alexander was going to increase her sry and the amount was $800 a week. Why would he pay a maid so much?


    Maids normally didn¡¯t get paid more than $400 and he was ready to give her double the amount she was paid. She understood why he was doing this; he simply wanted her to stay. He had some men spying on Miss Garcia, installing cameras and using her against Emma, and then there was the sry thing.


    Emma sat beside Vanessa on the bed and exhaled deeply.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really big amount though, Emma. What are you nning now?¡± Venessa asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, I have to work there anyway. I cannot leave this job.¡±


    ¡°Emma, you know if you are not happy with your job. You can leave it anytime,¡± Venessa ced her hand on Emma¡¯s shoulder and said.


    She looked at her feet helplessly. She was right. Emma could leave anytime but, could she anymore? He threatened her using Caroline. She couldn¡¯t leave even if she wanted to.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ you do know finding a job is r-really hard a-and even this job w-was hard to find. I cannot leave this job, Caroline will face troubles,¡± she replied with a shaky voice.


    Oh, how I wish I could tell you the truth¡­


    Venessa agreed with what she said. ¡°I know, I totally understand you. Anyways, don¡¯t think much okay? We will still be friends and we will always be in touch through texts and calls. Just don¡¯t forget me,¡± she said, chuckling.


    ¡°I could never forget you, Venessa. You are my only friend here,¡± they both hugged each other. Emma felt nice having a caring friend like Venessa,


    ¡°Ohe on, I¡¯m not your only friend. Master Ethan seems so nice to you,¡± she stated and winked.


    Emma blushed at her words. ¡°H-He is just a friend¡­¡± Venessa rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah sure. Let¡¯s get back to work,¡± she nodded and began their duty.


    *****


    14th August


    Finally, the day Alexander had been looking forward to had arrived. She would be his sole possession from that point forward. He couldn¡¯t wait to see her when he got home. He wanted to give her something for her birthday. Except for his sister and mother, he never gave anything to a girl. He had never been serious with any of the women he had dated; he didn¡¯t even care about them, let alone gift them anything. But she wasn¡¯t like the other women he¡¯d been seeing. She was unique.


    He was well aware that she would be dissatisfied with what he had in store for her. She was, after all, a young girl working at his father¡¯s house, hoping to earn enough money to assist her godmother. He knew it was going to hurt her, he knew it was going to shatter her. And that was exactly what he desired. He intended to shatter her till she sumbed. That was why he had his men stationed outside her house, keeping an eye on that woman, Caroline. She was Emma¡¯s sole family, and he knew that if he used her against Emma, she would be weak and would not try to quit the job, let alone leave him.


    All his life, he never treated any women in any special way. There was something in August that attracted him so much, now he never wanted to leave her alone no matter how much she wanted it.


    She will get used to it slowly.


    Alexander thought to himself. He was confident that he would get what he wanted. His power and that fragile girl¡¯s innocence said it all.


    Checking the time on his wristwatch, he got up from his seat. He was done for that day in the office, he thought to leave for his own house.


    She would be at my house by 7 o¡¯clock. I should call home and inform the time.


    He dialed his mother¡¯s number. After a few rings, she picked up the call.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Mom, remind the maid to be in my home at 7 o¡¯clock sharp,¡± he said, ncing at his wristwatch once again. He heard his mom reply to him.


    ¡°Okay, son. I¡¯ll let Martha know about it.¡±


    It was 3 pm and he had to wait 4 more hours to see her again. The demon inside her was getting eager to feel her presence again. The things he has nned for her¡­ the thoughts were enough to make him groan in desire. He could not wait anymore. He knew he had to have her. He knew he had to touch her to satisfy his inner demon¡¯s selfish desire and his lust.


    On the other hand, Emma¡¯s tension grew more and more with the passing minutes of the clock. She was in her room, with Venessa. Venessa was trying to make Emma feel better, she did feel better but it was difficult for her to stop those thoughts and the words he said to her.


    ¡°Emm¡­ hon please sit down for a minute. Why are you getting so worried?¡± Venessa asked her. Emma looked at her with the same worried expression and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, I can see if you are. Come sit now,¡± Emma forced herself to take a seat beside her friend.


    They both talked for some time until they saw Marthaing inside the room. ¡°Hey, girls,¡± they both greeted her back. She approached Emma and gave her a light hug.


    ¡°How are you, sweetie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good Martha, thanks for asking,¡± she replied with a forced smile on her face.


    ¡°I was here to inform you that you¡¯d be leaving by 7 o¡¯clock. Make sure you don¡¯t leave anything behind,¡± she stated. Emma just shook her head yes. Her mouth was too dry to say anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry honey. It¡¯d be fine. You will not be alone there. There¡¯d be other maids too. And do not worry about traveling. Master Alexander already told the driver of this mansion to drop you off there,¡± Emma looked at Venessa who was equally as surprised as her.


    ¡°Wow. Master is doing a lot. First the sry and now this¡­¡± Venessa said, frowning. She was just as confused as Emma.


    ¡°Because it¡¯d be veryte at night and it¡¯s not safe for her to go alone.¡±


    That made sense to Venessa and almost to Emma too. But, she knew the real reason.


    Why their car? Why not call a cab or Uber?


    She questioned herself despite knowing the answers to her question.


    He did this because of the special treatment he was getting from her. And that special treatment was nothing good for her but torture. And she didn¡¯t want to imagine what else he might do to her.


    She shrugged off the thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, Emma. Happy Birthday, honey,¡± Martha wished her with a heartwarming smile.


    ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s your birthday! Happppyyy Birthdayyyy,¡± Venessa wished and gave her a bone-crushing hug.


    Emma blushed a little and thanked them. She even got a phone call from Caroline in the morning who also wished her. She was deeply missing Caroline¡¯s weird birthday songs and her favorite lemon-vored cake. She always tried to do the best things for Emma when she didn¡¯t have to at all. Emma was truly grateful for that.


    Time passed like that. Martha allowed Emma to spend some time with Venessa as there were not many chores to do at that hour. Both friends talked a lot and for some time, Emma forgot all the bad memories with Alexander. She wasughing and smiling. She was happy for some time.


    But, it was going to fade away soon.


    The clock showed 6 pm. It was her time to leave. She went downstairs with her bag and saw Martha waiting for her there.


    ¡°Here you are. Robert is waiting for you. Come let¡¯s get you there, he is going to drive,¡± she hurriedly pulled her out of the house where she saw a white car standing near the gate.


    She approached it and turned around to face Venessa and Martha who followed her.


    Martha softly hugged her. ¡°Be nice there child. I will call there to know about you sometimes,¡± Emma cracked a smile with tears in her eyes. She will miss her a lot.


    ¡°Will miss you, Emm,¡± she received another hug from Venessa. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, Venessa,¡± Emma replied and got inside of the car. She looked out the window once again and smiled at them with her heavy heart.


    Her journey towards the devil started.


    It took them about an hour and a half to get there. Emma looked around; the house was in the woods. Well, not too far into the woods, but near. The location was stunning. The road was bordered by trees, and there were a lot of them. She had always admired nature. She would have preferred to be there if it hadn¡¯t been for Alexander. The gentle mild air, the tranquil environment. It was both stunning and terrifying. Silence may be frightening at times.


    The car stopped in front of a big gate. It opened and they got inside. What Emma saw made her jaw drop.


    The mansion she was seeing was truly an art. It was modern and beautiful. She didn¡¯t realize she was looking at it for too long.


    ¡°Miss, you have to get inside now,¡± the driver said. She flinched slightly when she heard his voice and got out of the car.


    Robert picked up her little stuff and got inside with her. The inner sight of the house was more beautiful. His father¡¯s house was nothingpared to that.


    Surprisingly, no one was inside. Not like she was expecting anyone to greet her but, she thought there might be other maids. It was empty which scared her a bit. She didn¡¯t want to be all alone in that big mansion, especially with him.


    She decided to ask Robert about it. ¡°W-where is everyone?¡±


    He looked at her and replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t live here or work here. I was just given the orders to take you there safely.¡±


    ¡°O-oh d-do you at least k-know where I¡¯m going to stay?¡±


    He nodded his head. ¡°Yes, I was informed that. Please follow me,¡± she did what he said. She was tired because of the journey and the stress. All she wanted was to sleep.


    Her room was thankfully downstairs but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have to walk long. The house was way too big. It felt like forever when she reached there.


    ¡°Here miss. I will go now. I can¡¯t stay for long. Have a nice night,¡± with that, he left her alone there. She was confused.


    Why couldn¡¯t he stay? Maybe because he doesn¡¯t work here.


    The door was thankfully open. She turned the doorknob and opened it wide to get in.


    What she saw inside wasn¡¯t what any maid would expect to see.

 Chapter 24

    Author¡¯s POV:


    She lightly dropped her small pouch beside her bag full of clothes and looked at the bedroom. It wasn¡¯t what she was expecting to see.


    The room was full of purple and white balloons.


    Just how I like¡­ But how¡­. who did this?


    She took a few more steps towards the wall that was full of balloons. She frowned when she noticed something written on the wall. She pushed the balloons aside to have a better view.


    Her jaw dropped when she saw what was written on the wall.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, butterfly.¡±


    Butterfly? It¡¯s him who did this¡­ of course, it¡¯s him. This is his house who else will do it?


    It was not written, it was stered on the wall with colorful papers that were cut into alphabets. It looked beautiful and mesmerizing. Emma couldn¡¯t remove her eyes from all the decorations.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Yes, it was true. She always wanted these things for her birthday when she was a kid. Although she never regretted the birthdays she celebrated with Caroline, she just couldn¡¯t believe her eyes seeing what she desired to see in her childhood.


    She had a closer look at her surroundings. Her eyes fell on the small 3-foot blue orchid flower pot. It was decorated with beautiful string lights all over it.


    A small smile appeared on her face when she saw more different types of fairy string lights around the room.


    The room was not small like her old one at her previous workce. The one she was in, was bigger. Not much but it was enough enormous for anyone like her. The walls were painted with light yellow and baby blue color.


    Her breath hitched.


    H-how does he know that I like these colors in a room?


    He knew everything about her¡­ everything. She wasn¡¯t even aware of it. All the things were confusing and scaring her at the same time. She didn¡¯t know how to react. Why would he do something like that for her? Who was she? Just a mere maid.


    She consoled herself lots of times saying that she was just a maid¡­ just a maid. But, deep down she knew that if she was just a maid then she would never have been in that situation. It scared her a lot. She let out a deep breath that she was holding in for a long time and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn¡¯t see anyone around the house when she came inside. She wondered where was everyone.


    Somehow it¡¯s a good thing at least he isn¡¯t here either. I don¡¯t have to face him tonight.


    She sighed again and got up from the bed to pick up her bags. There was an average-sized closet beside the bed. She didn¡¯t have much stuff so that closet was big enough for everything she brought. She put all her clothes inside the closet along with her bag. Emma thought to text Venessa, letting her know that she reached safely.


    Taking out her phone, she typed the text and sent it to Venessa and instantly got a reply from her.


    ¡äThat¡¯s good. I¡¯m already missing you!¡¯


    She smiled sadly at the text and wrote her back.


    ¡®I miss you too.¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t check Venessa¡¯s other text when she heard someone behind her.


    ¡°So I see you¡¯vee,¡± that simr deep voice¡­ that held the aura of power and control.


    She gulped and turned around. He was standing with his sides leaning on the door wearing a white shirt and grey pants, his tie was slightly loose.


    He took slow steps towards her until he was close enough. She of course was looking down, unable to look into his eyes.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± He asked out of nowhere. She didn¡¯t answer. She couldn¡¯t figure out the words.


    ¡°Look at me when I¡¯m talking,¡± he said in his low voice which sounded more dangerous. She immediately obeyed him and stared right into his eyes.


    He smiled when her eyes met with his. A beautiful smile that would capture any girl¡¯s heart. If Emma wasn¡¯t in that situation she would¡¯ve been lost in his smile and the shine in his eyes.


    Little did she know that she was the reason behind his beaming eyes and his smile¡­ a real smile. It was almost unbelievable how Alexander let a little girl enter his life and mess up with his mind.


    Yes, it was true. That girl did things to him¡­ things that no woman could ever do. But why? Why her? What was so special in her that attracted him as nothing else mattered to him. Well, he already knew the answer.


    He touched her face with her rough hand, caressing her cheek softly.


    ¡°Did you like your room butterfly?¡± He asked once again. Quite surprising how he didn¡¯t get mad at her for repeating himself.


    It¡¯s her birthday. I don¡¯t want to scare her away. At least not tonight.


    She was perplexed. He wants me to answer him? But if I didn¡¯t then I¡¯m sure he would get mad¡­ and that¡¯s thest thing I want right now.


    She lightly nodded her head and uttered yes. His face had a satisfied look, it looked like he was expecting a positive answer from her. Surprisingly, his hands were no more caressing her cheek. He took a few steps back.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± he said leaving the room. Emma frowned.


    Why does he me to wait? Oh, how I wish I could just take a nap.


    He came back after a few minutes with a gift box in his hands.


    Oh god¡­ please tell me it¡¯s not for me.


    ¡°Here, take this,¡± he extended his hand to her that was holding the box. She didn¡¯t take it. She stared at it for some time before looking at him back, shaking her head.


    ¡°N-no master¡­ you already did a l-lot in m-my room. I cannot ept th-this,¡± she stated quietly but decently.


    ¡°Why not?¡± He growled.


    End of being fucking nice. I got her a fucking gift and she refused it?!


    ¡°Ma-master I¡¯m sorry I-I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad w-way¡­ Your warm weing wa-was already a lot,¡± she lied. She didn¡¯t feel anything warm in his weing of her. Even though the decoration was amazing but that didn¡¯t mean that none of those didn¡¯t freak her out.


    ¡°Take it, Emma. It¡¯s a small gift from me. Do not make me angry. I don¡¯t think I need to remind you of the consequences,¡± of course, he didn¡¯t have to. She clearly remembered every consequence. Nothing was pleasing about those.


    But the way he said her name was entirely different. It was almost as though no one had ever addressed her in that manner before. It was strange. That man in front of her with the purple sparkly wrapping paper on a gift box. So far, he had been the devil in her life¡­ but she had mixed feelings about him at times. No, she didn¡¯t feel resemnce or love for him, nor was she attracted by his features like other women, she just had a different feeling about him. It was as if a new person was lurking inside him, afraid to expose himself.


    Maybe his current personality was nothing but a coating that was hiding something.


    She thought to herself. But, there was no time to think about all of those. She exhaled deeply and took the box from his hands. He was standing there impatiently.


    Fuck¡­ she¡¯s so slow. If it was someone else then I would¡¯ve just¡­


    ¡°Unwrap it and see,¡± hemanded.


    She unwrapped the paper slowly and opened the box finding a beautiful emerald-stoned ne. The ne was beautifully adorned with emerald stones, the color of forest and light green brightened up the small navy-colored velvet box. Just like her forest green eyes brightened up his dark world.


    Her eyes grew big and looked at him, shaking her head again.


    ¡°Si-sir please it¡¯s too m-much,¡± there was no way on earth she could ept it. Even though she did ept an expensive gift from Ethan but it was because he was her friend, not a tormentor. Besides that, Alexander was not even aware of the phone Ethan gave her, Emma didn¡¯t want to imagine the wrath she would face from him after knowing about the phone.


    The ne looked far more expensive than any phone or other expensive materials she had seen. It was just simply beautiful.


    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m not Ethan?¡± He snapped. She flinched back with a shocked expression.


    H-how did he find out?


    She thought to herself. But she failed to realize that he was jealous. He was furious that she was hesitating to ept a gift from him.


    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find out about the phone Ethan gave you?¡± Emma¡¯s throat was dry as a desert. She had no idea how did he find out.


    ¡°I know everything, butterfly. Being under my mercy now, you should know that nothing can go unnoticed by me ever.¡± Alexander spat at her. He was furious when he found out about the phone, but he had different ns for that too.


    He had a strong grasp on her arm tightly. Emma hissed and tried to pry her hands, making him only tighten it more.


    ¡°Listen here, little girl. It¡¯s your birthday today, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m sparing you with only a warning and there are some rules that you gotta follow in my house. If you break even one of those you will be punished. Am I clear?¡±


    She was too scared to answer him. Her feet were glued to the spot.


    What kind of punishment I will get?!


    ¡°AM I CLEAR?¡± He yelled. She swiftly nodded her head not wanting to make him angrier.


    ¡°Good girl. Now take it. I have to discuss the rules with you. Come downstairs and serve me food. Do NOT bete. Other maids will guide you. So you better not bete. I will give you 30 minutes,¡± hemanded. She muttered yes feeling relieved when he let go of her arm. It was painful.


    Emma thought he was done talking to her and would leave to let her get ready in 30 minutes. But, instead, he stayed and stared at her. No matter how much or for how long he stared, the moment and her face always seemed new to him. He would never get bored of her face. It was something that any man would want to see every morning.


    But, she wasn¡¯t going to be someone else¡¯s. She was his and his alone.


    Unknowingly he leaned down and ces his lips on her cheek and kissed her. Her breath hitched. She wanted to deny that there was no kindness or any good in him. But, for the first time, he didn¡¯t force her into anything. Was it actually because of her birthday or there was something good left in him?


    She didn¡¯t know. She was beyond confused. But still wanted that moment to end as soon as possible.


    On the other hand, for him it was heavenly. He never wanted that moment to end. He wanted to hold her like that and kiss her luscious lips.


    Secondster he pulled back and caressed her bottom lip with his thumb.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete,¡± he went backward and departed the room.


    Why? Why me?

 Chapter 25

    Emma


    A middle-aged woman approached her and handed her the maid outfit, instructing her to wear it. Emma didn¡¯t spend much time in changing into that attire.


    The woman appeared to be stern and demanding. She had a nk expression on her face and was not as chatty as Martha. With a severe expression, she handed her the clothing. That disturbed Emma because she was concerned that the woman would not be as courteous to her as Martha had been.


    Of course! Not everyone¡¯s the same.


    She sighed heavily as she examined herself in therge floor touch mirror. It appeared to be rather good. It didn¡¯t fit her figure well, but it was pleasant to wear.


    It was a white full-sleeved top with a dark blue skirt that went just below her knee. It didn¡¯t have the feel of a second skin.


    Why does he want me to wear this kind of outfit? I didn¡¯t have it before.


    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t like it. She surprisingly did. But Alexander was not the type of person who would think about other people¡¯sfort.


    Emma shrugged off the thoughts and put on her shoes. She was relieved that they weren¡¯t high heels. They were a pair of simple t stilettos.


    Finally, she could walk without any fear of falling.


    She hurriedly stepped out of her room and walked down the hall. She was also relieved that her room was downstairs, as opposed to upstairs at Mr. King¡¯s residence. She stumbled back as she walked into the living room, where she believed Alexander would be, exactly as at his father¡¯s house. She eximed when she realized it was the same woman who had just given her clothes and was cleaning up the shattered tea dishes and teacups from the floor.


    Emma instantly went down to assist her, but a shattered piece of ss wounded her finger. She gasped in agony, and a few drops of blood dropped on the floor. Although it wasn¡¯t painful, watching the blood made her nauseated.


    ¡°You should not rush. Take some time for everything you want to do; it will keep you from getting hurt,¡± the woman said as she took out a small white handkerchief from her apron pocket and handed it to Emma.


    ¡°Here, press it softly on your finger to stop the bleeding,¡± Emma did what she was told.


    ¡°I wasing to your room. He is waiting for you. Hurry before he gets more furious than he is. And when you are done with him, meet me in this room,¡± she pointed out at the room on Emma¡¯s left.


    She looked at  and nodded her head in reply and  walked away with the tray full of broken sses. Emma gulped and walked faster till she reached the living room.


    There he was, sitting on a luxurious couch with his office files and aptop beside him. His eyes were glued to his phone, so she assumed he did not notice her walking in.


    She stood there without uttering a word. It was awkward because he was still looking at his phone. A few minutester, she decided to call him.


    ¡°M-master,¡± she uttered.


    He raised his head and his eyes met hers. She quickly looked down, enough to not meet his eyes but she could see his movements. He nced at his wristwatch.


    ¡°Five minuteste,¡± he stated. She was feeling nervous.


    I hope he won¡¯t punish me for this.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°What made youete, Emma?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart beat faster when he said her name. She didn¡¯t know if it was good or bad but it terrified her.


    Emma opened her mouth but nothing came out. He raised an eyebrow and was waiting for her to answer.


    She took a deep breath and said, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry master.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. As it¡¯s your first day, I¡¯m forgiving you. But don¡¯t let this happen again. Now let¡¯s discuss the rules,¡± he started flexing his muscles and leaned back on the couch.


    ¡°You have to obey all the rules just like the other maids without any questions, and if you fail to do so, the consequences will be bad,¡± he said.


    ¡°Anyways, the first rule you have to follow is to never disobey me. The second rule is you will never question me for anything. What I say will happen and no one has the right to question me. The third rule is that you will not talk to any of the men in this house. The fourth rule is you will not leave this house without my permission. If you have to go somewhere, you will ask for my permission first. Lastly and importantly-¡± she gasped softly when he suddenly got up from the couch and approached her. She backed away a little bit, her legs hit the table that was behind her which made her stop abruptly. She didn¡¯t move an inch. He approached her, standing still, and said.


    ¡°You will never try to escape this house.¡±


    Her body was trembling terribly. Emma was staring at him, not knowing what to do next. She was sweating badly.


    Unknowingly she nodded her head at him. His intense stare was consuming her soul. Only his stare was enough to make her tremble in fear.


    Alexander nodded his head slightly with a smirk on his face and walked away. Emma scolded herself internally for being like that in front of him, she wished she was confident enough to not tremble like that. But she didn¡¯t know what was in him that scared her so much.


    She reached the room where  told her to be after meeting Alexander, she knocked on the door and instantly got a response from her. ¡°Come inside, Emma,¡± she opened the door.


    Her eyes roamed around the room, four other girls were sitting on the chairs and looking at her. They all smiled at her gently except for one girl.


    She sat in the empty chair that was beside a girl with brown hair. Emma tucked her hair behind her ear in nervousness.


    ¡°So, girls, meet the new girl, Emma. She will be working here with you all from now on,¡± they all looked at her. Her eyes met with her feet as her cheeks flushed.


    ¡°I should alert all of you. None of you will treat her badly. None of you will trouble her. If you do, the consequences will not be good. The rest is in your hand,¡¯  said, getting up from the chair, the girls followed her.


    ¡°Can you please give Emma a tour of this house, Alexa? And introduce her to everyone?¡± She asked the girl with brown hair. Alexa looked at Emma and smiled. She smiled back at her.


    That woman went out of the room.


    Alexa turned to her. ¡°Hey Emma, I guess you know my name already. It¡¯s Alexa. Alexa Starson. And this is Ruby,¡± She pointed at the girl who was standing in the corner of the room, leaning on the wall, typing something on her phone.


    ¡°And this is Yuna,¡± she was a cute-looking Chinese girl with dark shoulder-length straight hair.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡± Sue chirped and hugged her. She was a few inches taller than Emma.


    Then Alexa introduced Emma to one more girl named Isabe. She was a beautiful girl with waist-length blonde hair.


    She had finished introducing Emma to all of the maids. She then was escorted by out of the room by Alexa. She showed her around the kitchen and other sections of the house that seemed intriguing and ndestine to her. She told Emma about the people that lived there.


    Alexander, she imed, was very mysterious, and they hardly got to see him. They had no idea when he came inside the house at night. They only saw him when he departed for work in the morning.


    Alexa showed half of the house and it took her a good 40 minutes.


    ¡°Okay, Emma I think that¡¯s enough for today. I showed you all the ces that we maids need to go for our chores. Now, you can go and take some rest as it¡¯s almost our bedtime,¡± she said with a smile.


    Emma nodded her head and uttered goodnight to Alexa and left for her room.

 Chapter 26

    Emma


    The next day felt like it was urring in slow motion. Emma had been rushing around the house, performing chores. It seemed surprising that Alexander had not engaged more maids for such arge grandeur of a residence. The maids were limited in number. However, they were not permitted to enter the majority of the house. So they didn¡¯t have much cleaning to do, but because it was her first day, she needed to know a lot about the ce. Emma had a particrly busy day.


    ¡°Emma,¡± she heard Alexa call out her name so she ran towards her.


    ¡°Hey, if you are free, can you please put these files in the master¡¯s study room?¡± Emma frowned.


    ¡°I-I thought we were not allowed to go there,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Oh, master has two study rooms. One is beside his bedroom and you have to put these in the study room that is beside the library,¡± Emma nodded her head and took the pile of files from her hands.


    Emma turned and began walking towards the library. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t too far, as she arrived in about five minutes. She was walking quickly because she had other errands to go next.


    When she arrived, she turned the doorknob to open it wide and went inside. The room was clean and well-organized. When she looked to the right, she noticed arge rack where the files were housed. She began gently cing the folders on the rack one by one. She was moving the files to make room for the rest when she spotted something fall from one of the files. Emma groaned and knelt to retrieve it. Since it was facing the floor, it appeared to be a picture. She could not see whose photograph it was.


    She couldn¡¯t tell whose photo it was. She flipped it over to see. It was a photograph of a young boy, with a man standing and holding a baby in his arms. She noticed a little grin on the man¡¯s face, but the boy¡¯s expression was emotionless. She wasn¡¯t sure whether she was dreaming, but she believed that boy¡¯s face was filled with fear¡­ as if he was afraid of something. She observed his hands clenched around his shirt. And he appeared to be extremely familiar.


    I wonder who they are¡­ Is the boy master Alexander? I saw a picture of him in mister King¡¯s house, it must be master¡­ but who¡¯s the other boy? And who¡¯s that man?


    The man sure did not look like mister King. She was confused about who he could be.


    ¡°What on fucking earth are you doing???¡±


    Alexander


    Alexander was in his father¡¯s house, sitting in the living room with his parents and his siblings except for Liam. He had to go for a few days for his business purposes.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Everyone had a ss of wine in their hands and was discussing things among themselves.


    ¡°The deal with Christopher was great. Ourpany benefited a lot from it. It was sessful,¡± Mr. King sounded satisfied by it.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great, honey. I think it¡¯s all because of Alexander and his hard work. Ourpany¡¯s greatest sess has always happened because of Alexander,¡± Mrs. King said, smiling at Alexander.


    Mr. King¡¯s stare became cold when his eyes met with Alexander¡¯s cold ones.


    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± Mr. King¡¯s reply came harshly.


    ¡°Son, I think we need to talk about a few things that have happened in this house,¡± Alexander looked at him, still no emotion on his face.


    His father sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing things about you and that maid¡­ whose name I suppose is Emma.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s eyes suddenly became red with anger when he mentioned her. He knew his father was going to talk crap about her. His hand was clenching the wine ss tightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about,¡± Alexander replied and stood up to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is something we can talk about. Why not start from the beginning? You took a filthy maid into your bedroom in front of so many people. Then you suddenly had a thought to recruit a maid from this house and coincidently you chose that same filthy maid. Why? Was it a coincidence, son?¡±


    Each of his words held nothing but venom, hatred, and disbelief.


    Alexander was sick of hearing his father refer to Emma as a dirty maid. He tossed the wine ss in his hand and turned to face his father, eliciting gasps of disbelief from his mother and sister. His eyes were bloodshot crimson, and he was enraged.


    ¡°Whatever I do in MY life and MY house is not your business father. You should fucking watch your mouth before I make you regret what you say. Stay away from my decisions in my life. If I ever heard a single word about this topic again¡­ you all will regret it,¡± Mrs. King¡¯s jaw dropped in response to her son¡¯s remarks. Alexander had a terrible temper, and he and his father had shed previously. But not that time¡­  she couldn¡¯t understand why her son was defending a maid. Or did he be enraged because his father interfered with his business? She pondered. Someone interfering with Alexander was usually a source of difort for him.


    She was confused and worried. Worried what her son might do¡­ or what he was already doing.


    ¡°This is unbelievable,¡± Sofia muttered.


    Mr. King said nothing and left the living room.


    Alexander took a deep breath and turned to leave. His mother called him a few times, but he never looked at her. He was sick of his father chastising him for everything. He wished for his father to forsake him.


    He didn¡¯t care what other people were saying behind his back. He knew they wouldn¡¯t say anything in front of him. He didn¡¯t care about anyone, but he knew he¡¯d hurt anyone who dared to say anything about Emma.


    He took his keys from the table beside the sofa, exited the house, and approached his car. He went inside and started his car, but all he could think about was the fact that he hadn¡¯t seen her in a few days. His eyes and heart yearned to see her and embrace her. He didn¡¯t want to push things, but he could embrace her, and if he wanted, he could have forced her the moment she walked into his house.


    He preferred to wait.

 Chapter 27

    Emma


    She gasped loudly as the photo fell from her hand to the floor. Lucas was staring at her with an annoyed and angry look.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, maid?¡± He asked again. This time louder than before.


    ¡°I-I was j-just¡­¡± He did not let her finish and said. ¡°How dare you touch Alexander¡¯s belongings! If he finds out about this you will be out of this house immediately if he doesn¡¯t kill you first!¡± He roared at her and took long strides, making her go back.


    Picking up the photo from the floor, he put it back on where it was before and red at her. She looked down without saying anything.


    ¡°If you ever touch a single thing here, you will regret it. Do you understand that?¡± Emma nodded her head swiftly and walked past him muttering sorry.


    Her heart was racing as she bolted from the room. He didn¡¯t even give her a chance to exin beforeshing out¡­ yet she was relieved it wasn¡¯t Alexander. She was sure he would have punished her, which was thest thing she wanted.


    She walked over to where the other maids were. It was almost noon, so they were all in their assigned seats. Emma sat down in an empty chair. She was told that they ate their meals in a medium-sizedmon area. It was furnished with a small table and a few chairs. Emma believed that was sufficient for the maids.


    She terribly missed Martha and Venessa and wished she could see them once more.


    Emma was grateful for the opportunity to exchange phone numbers with Venessa. At the very least, she could text her whenever she was free. She decided to text her after she was finished with her duties.


    One of the maids ced their meal on the table for them. Emma became even more hungry as a result of the fragrance. Yuna had prepared udon noodle soup for them. That¡¯s what everyone was calling the meal. It was the first time Emma had heard of it. She couldn¡¯t recall thest time she had Chinese cuisine.


    Yuna served her a bowl full of noodles and handed her a pair of chopsticks. Emma didn¡¯t know how to use them but she was too embarrassed to tell her that, so she looked at the other girls and tried to copy them. Only to fail miserably and end up embarrassing herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Emma, you can use a fork!¡± Isabe smiled and handed Emma the fork. She simply thanked her and started to eat her food.


    The girls there were really friendly unlike in Mr. King¡¯s house, only Venessa and Martha were nice to her. But at Alexander¡¯s residence, she could say that they all were her friends, except for the girl Ruby. She was not bad to her or the others, but never really talked to Emma.


    Once they were done, they picked up the empty dishes and washed them.  did not eat with them, unlike Martha.


    was very different from Martha.


    However, the girls were back to their working stations again. It was such a big house butpared to Mr. King¡¯s house there was not a lot to do by 3 pm.


    ¡°Okay girls. Hear me out!¡±  yelled to get their attention. The girls looked at her.


    ¡°Master ising home early today, maybe he¡¯ll be here in an hour. I want to know if anyone has cleaned his room properly,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, miss . Isabe did it,¡± Alexa said.  nodded her head.


    ¡°Good, now don¡¯t bother him when hees home. Do the other chores and don¡¯t go near his bedroom or study room. He wants to rest and there shall be no disturbance. So, whatever you all do, do it quietly. Now get back to your work,¡± they shook their heads in agreement and were left for their chores.


    Emma was happy that she did not have to face him.


    ¡°Emma and Ruby. Stay with me,¡± she frowned slightly but stayed along with Ruby. The other maids had left already.


    stared at the two emotionlessly and said. ¡°I apologize for stopping you two. But, there should be someone who will do master¡¯s work when he gets home. So, I want you two to be here when he gets home. Understood?¡± Emma wanted nothing but to run away that time. The more she wanted to stay away from him, the more her fate brought her back to him. They nodded their heads anyway. Ruby looked like she did not have any problem.


    Thirty minutes had passed and no trace of Alexander could be found. Emma hoped he would postpone his visit or arrivete at night. Ruby and Emma had nothing scheduled at that time, but she was worried and nervous. Ruby was preupied with her phone and didn¡¯t even look at Emma. She sighed and decided to contact Venessa and chat with her for a while. She was missing her terribly.


    Her phone was in her room, she was confused about whether she should inform Ruby or just leave without telling her.


    ¡°Um¡­ R-Ruby,¡± Emma called out her name. Ruby stopped what she was doing and looked at her, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to my room, I¡¯ll be back soon I promise,¡± she told her. Ruby nodded her head. ¡°Don¡¯t bete,¡± she said and her attention was again on her phone.


    Emma sighed and left for her room. She went in and grabbed her phone beforeing back to where she was. Ruby was sitting on the chair that was in the kitchen. She didn¡¯t care about what Emma was doing.


    She opened her phone and called Venessa. She received the call after a few rings.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡± She smiled. ¡°Hey, Venessa. How are you?¡± Emma asked her politely.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine girl, how are you? How are things over there? I missed you! I was so worried about you, I wanted to call but I thought I¡¯d get you in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you wouldn¡¯t get me in trouble. I missed you too. How¡¯s everyone there and how¡¯s Martha?¡± Emma asked her.


    ¡°Martha is good and everything was fine here until¡­¡± She frowned and asked. ¡°Until what?¡±


    Venessa inhaled deeply. ¡°Until master Alexander and his father got into an argument just a while ago. The atmosphere is not so good here right now. Even Mrs. King is very upset,¡± Emma felt bad for Mrs. King. She seemed like a nicedy, seeing her husband and son fighting must¡¯ve been hard for her.


    ¡°Why did they fight?¡± Emma asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know Emma. We just heard them shouting at each other. After that master left the house, I think he is going back to his house.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, we we-were informed.¡±


    Oh god! He left in a bad mood¡­ I really hope he won¡¯t take out his anger on us.


    She gulped. She didn¡¯t want to face that.


    ¡°Okay, Emma I should go now. Martha is calling me. See you, hun.¡±


    ¡°See you, Venessa,¡± she replied quietly and hung up the call.


    Ruby and her finally heard the doorbell after a few minutes of waiting. Ruby slid her phone into her pocket and dashed towards the door. Emma noticed Alexander enter the house when the door was opened. He didn¡¯t even look at them as he began to walk toward his bedroom. Emma exhaled, relieved that he hadn¡¯t seen her.


    She took a step back, and her palm mmed against the tiny table, causing it to tumble to the floor. She flinched and gasped loudly. It drew Alexander¡¯s attention, and she spotted him looking in her direction. Her muscles tightened as a result of his attention. He continued looking at her, making her tremble in terror. He took his hand from his pocket, but to her surprise, he appeared calm and his re was not as frightening as usual. It was supple.


    He then returned his gaze to Ruby and motioned for her to pay attention to him. Emma watched him telling her something as Ruby ran up to him. She couldn¡¯t hear them since they were so far away from her. His gaze was fixed on Emma at all times.


    She knelt and rearranged the table as it had been. Emma couldn¡¯t bring herself to nce up. But when she did, she was met with his dark eyes, which were looking down at her. It was nearly as ck as the night sky.


    She was breathing heavily. She couldn¡¯tprehend what he was thinking about.


    A few seconds passed, and he broke the stare and walked up to his bedroom. Ruby was already in the kitchen, preparing food.


    ¡°W-why are you cooking?¡± Emma questioned.


    ¡°Master said he wants his food upstairs,¡± she replied not looking at her. ¡°What are you c-cooking? Here let me he-¡± She was interrupted by Ruby.


    ¡°No need. I can make it all. Besides that, master asked for something light. So I¡¯m just making Caesar sd.¡±


    She replied bluntly.


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Emma said and was cleaning the dishes, which were in the sink. She didn¡¯t have much to do. But she didn¡¯t want to sit and not do anything.


    Ruby was done making the sd. She told Emma to fetch Alexander¡¯s regr drink, which was the alcohol, of course.


    She fetched it and put it on the tray along with the ss and the sd bowl.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done now, Emma. Go and give this to master,¡± Ruby told her holding the tray. Emma looked at her with a terrified look.


    ¡°What? Oh god, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even do that,¡± Ruby stated and rolled her eyes. ¡°C¡¯mon now go. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want him to be mad,¡± she hastily shook her head and held the tray.


    Turning around, Emma began to walk towards his bedroom. She heard Ruby muttering something under her breath.


    Oh god why me?


    Okay, Emma just stays calm. You just have to put the tray ande back here.


    Emma finally reached his room and knocked on the door. She got no reply. She knocked again but it was still the same. She held the tray carefully with one hand and twisted the doorknob until the door was wide open enough.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    She peeked and did not see anyone. She sighed in relief and got inside wondering where Alexander was¡­ but she was thankful that he was not there.


    Emma carefully put the tray on the table and turned around to leave.


    Her heart sank and she could feel her breath hitch when she felt a strong hand gripping her wrist tightly. She turned and saw him standing there with his pants on and a white towel around his neck. It looked like he had just taken a shower.


    ¡°M-master¡­ wh-what are you do-doing?¡± She asked quietly. She squirmed to get out of his hold but he was tightening it more.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore,¡± he said, almost whispering it to her.


    In a swift motion, she was pulled onto him, his hand wrapped around her waist and his other hand went on her head, gripping her hair.


    His lips were crushed onto hers. He moved his lips on hers softly yet in a rough motion. Her eyes were wide open and tears started to form in them.


    Emma pushed on his chest trying to break the kiss, but he never moved an inch, instead he pulled her closer to him. Her eyes involuntarily closed.


    His hand freely roamed around her body.


    It disgusted her. She was trying everything to make him leave her but she was helpless.


    Seconds, which felt like an eternity of hell, passed and she finally felt him break the kiss. Emma backed away from him with her tear-stained face. He was taking dangerous slow steps toward her. Before she could think of anything she ran towards the door.


    He ran after her and grabbed her hand. She screamed as loud as possible but his hand was on her mouth, muffling her screams.


    Emma didn¡¯t give up and kept on screaming and thrashing. Every possible thing to get away from him.


    He only moved her closer to him. He kicked the door to close it and brought her inside, she was still thrashing and squirming. All of a sudden, Emma felt him throwing her on his bed. She bounced on it and backed away from him.


    ¡°St-stay away from me!¡± She yelled. He smirked at her without saying anything.


    Alexander grabbed her feet and pulled her towards him. She gripped the bed sheets tightly.


    He bent down to her level and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°Now You¡¯re Mine.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Alexander


    He couldn¡¯t stop himself from touching her. Her alluring scent, her little frail body wriggling away from him. He couldn¡¯t help but surrender to his demons.


    He was on top of her in an instant, trapping her hands over her head on the bed. Her eyes were filled with tears and were filled with dread. He was enthralled by the gleam in her eyes.


    No, this cannot be happening!


    She pondered to herself. She was frightened and afraid for her dignity, which was on the verge of being stolen by the man above her.


    On the other side, Alexander enjoyed seeing her in that state. Unable to restrain himself, he seized her jaw and smashed his lips on hers, forcing her to close her eyes firmly and press her eyelids together. She struggled and did everything to get away from him, but once his heavyweight was on her, it was impossible.


    His other hand slipped down to her body, exploring around. His rough touch melted her smooth and delicate flesh. His hand contacted her creamy thigh and squeezed it, causing her to wince.


    Emma couldn¡¯t take it any longer and shoved him with her hands on his chest. The kiss was broken as he was pushed slightly by her. She couldn¡¯t move him off of her, but she pushed hard enough to make a little gap. He stared her in the eyes but said nothing. There were no words, no way to express what he saw in her eyes.


    Peace.


    That was all he could think of at the time. His fingers trailed down her lips, lingered there a little, and caressed her cheeks tenderly. For him, they were as delicate as flowers.


    Her mind was telling her to shove him off of her, and her body was shaking violently. She pushed him with her trembling hands on his chest. His face and chest were inches away from hers, but his lower body was still pushing against her, preventing her from moving.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes were zed over. It wasn¡¯t just a case of lust. It was something else that was difficult to describe. It was the first time he¡¯d ever felt like that. It was the first time his eyes sparkled brightly. He felt different like he was whole.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to see that he was in love with her. He was head over heels in love with her. Without even realizing it. Without evenprehending.


    He stepped away from her and sat on the bed. She jumped up quickly and scooted back till she reached the edge of the bed. He didn¡¯t say anything and simply gazed at her. His eyes remained riveted on hers, and he didn¡¯t move an inch.


    Emma¡¯s terrified state was gravely suffering from vertigo. The terror she was experiencing was indescribable.


    She was with the man who had left the most blemishes on her. Under his dangerously zed eyes, she felt like prey. Her lips quivered, and her breathing halted. In her vision, ck specks began to appear. She closed her eyes and wrinkled her brows, her palm gently rubbing her temples to prevent copsing in front of him. That was not something she desired. She didn¡¯t want him to take advantage of her in any way.


    He watched her body copse into his bed, her eyes slowly closing and her hands falling to her sides. He approached her and stroked her cheek. Her body was overheating. He took her hand in his, rubbing her palms together.


    His eyes were cold as ice as he stared at her. He knew she was scared of him. He knew she would never ept a man like him. He thought that, rubbing her hand thoroughly, clenching his teeth.


    When he came to a halt, his hand returned to her face, tenderly stroking her cheeks. Her skin was beginning to chill. She was no longer perspiring. Her breathing had returned to normal, but she was still dazed. He rose to his feet and bent down towards her, supporting himself by resting his left leg on the bed, before picking her up in his arms. In his muscr arms, her tiny body felt like cotton.


    He exited his room, holding the girl in his arms. His eyes remained fixed on her as he proceeded down the steps, only to be greeted with surprised and prolonged nces from everyone below. When he walked down the stairs, the maids and  were just there,pleting their normal chores.


    ¡°!¡± He called for her. She rushed herself to him.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Bring a bowl of water and a clean cloth. Her body is burning hot,¡± she looked at Emma.


    ¡°Did you even hear me?¡± Alexander growled.


    quickly redirected her eyes from Emma to her feet again and nodded her head.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Yes, master. I will bring them right away.¡±


    ¡°I will take her to her room. You two,e with me,¡± he pointed at Isabelle and Alexa. They both nodded and followed him to her room.


    He was carrying her gently, carefully so that he would not wake her up. He entered her room and put her on the bed, pulling the nket over her.


    The maids said nothing and stood there like a mute. It annoyed Alexander and he turned around to them.


    ¡°Change her into somethingfortable,¡± even though he did not mind doing it on his own. He did not want to rush into things. Because he knew sooner orter he would see all and he would feel all.


    He smiled sadistically at the thought. He could hardly wait. But he must wait. She was scared, nervous, and ufortable, but he was aware, soon she would give in. She would get used to him near her, get used to his touch, and that she was his and there was no going back.


    ***


    Hours had psed. She¡¯d awoken two hours ago, but  had instructed her to go back to sleep. She needed it. Her body temperature had returned to normal. Her face was no longer as pale as it was. Her beautiful lips were no longer parched and white. She was properly nourished with nutritious foods. She was wearing grey sweatpants and a light blue T-shirt. Her hair was strewn open. The hair tie was dangling freely from her hair. One of the maids present removed it. Her unkempt hair was now all over the pillow.


    Alexander had left for his office. He had some important papers toplete.


    Alexander was never a man who cared about anyone other than his mother and brothers. Certainly, Lucas and Sofia were not as close to him as Liam. He never discriminated against them in any way. He used to shield all three of them from harm when they were little. But it was clear that he adored Liam more. Despite the fact that he never expressed them.


    Aside from these people in his life, he never cared about anybody, not even his pathetic excuse of a father who cared about nothing but money, and not even his own family.


    But Emma¡¯s arrival had done something to him¡­ something magical. Something exceptional. He didn¡¯t believe it would help him. He mistakenly believed he desired her body. He wanted her body, he wanted to touch her, he wanted to own her. What he didn¡¯t know was that he was falling for her. He fell for her. Unknowingly. Surprisingly.


    He wanted her and her alone. How could someone like her bring so much peace to him? How did she do something so impossible?


    If it was not love then what was it?


    It was love. It had always been love.


    But it was not any prince charming who fell for the beauty,


    it was the BEAST who had fallen for her.


    But the question was¡­


    Would she ever love him back?

 Chapter 29

    Past time


    ¡°Slow down honey, you will fall and hurt yourself!¡± The woman remarked to her son, who was ying in the school¡¯s yground with other children. The boy returned her smile and giggled before sprinting towards the other children who were ying.


    She shook her head, a sweet smile on her lips, and returned her attention to her newborn child. He was sleeping peacefully in his mother¡¯s arms, his tiny hands curled up as he took a small yawn. His mother smiled at her son and drew his little form closer to her. Her four-year-old son wanted to y with the other kids even though school was over. The day appeared to go longer than usual. She looked at her watch; it was almost 2 p. m. She looked at the sky and gasped. Grey clouds were starting to gather, signaling that it might rain anytime. She hurriedly called her son and told him they must go.


    ¡°But mommy, I want to y for some more,¡± he whined.


    She sighed. ¡°I know baby but if it rains then we are gonna get drenched and your little brother will get sick. I promise we wille back tomorrow again.¡±


    He looked at her with big baby eyes. ¡°Promise?¡± He asked innocently.


    ¡°Yes honey, promise,¡± he squealed and hugged his mother. Sheughed and stood on her feet.


    ¡°Go get your bag now and we¡¯ll go home,¡± he nodded and ran off to get his bag.


    After returning to his mother they started to walk towards their car.


    The drive was short. They lived close to their school so it didn¡¯t take them too long to get home.


    After reaching, she got off the car with her two sons and walked toward their house.


    ¡°Mommy I wanna get an ice cream tomorrow too!¡± The four-year-old demanded holding onto his mother¡¯s hand.


    She smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re a good boy tonight and eat your broli, then I will buy you ice cream.¡±


    He scrunched his nose and made a face. ¡°But mommy it tastes gross.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really good for you baby,¡± she said ruffling his hair, earning another giggle from him.


    She opened the door and walked inside with her children. She turned back, locked the door behind her, and met her husband¡¯s stern stare. She flinched as he approached her and stood only a few inches away. She could smell alcohol oozing from every pore on his body. He stood directly in front of her, hands in his pockets and frigid eyes on her.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± He questioned her. His tone, much colder and stern made her shiver in fear.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you toe back before lunchtime?¡± He asked her grinding his teeth together.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Please, he-¡±


    ¡°Yes or no?!¡± He asked yelling in her face. Warm tears were trailing down from her eyes as she nodded her head and muttered yes.


    ¡°Then what took you so much time baby, hmm?¡± His hands slowly reached his belt and unbuckled it, pulling out the belt from his pant.


    Her eyes were wide in horror. Shaking her head she pleaded.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this. It won¡¯t ever happen again. I¡¯m sorry,¡± dropping the bags from her hands, she held her baby close as she backed away from him only to meet the door.


    ¡°Put him down,¡± her husband. She knelt down to her older son.


    ¡°Baby, it¡¯s your turn to take off your brother. Take him and run straight to your room. Don¡¯te out until mommy says so, okay?¡± The toddler, unknowingly, nodded his head and took his brother from his mother, and slowly went upstairs.


    Now, she was all alone with her monster of a husband.


    He raised his hand and connected the belt with her pale white skin. She screamed in agony. He hit her again, this time it hit her cheek. Her skin was turning a shade between blue and red.


    He hurled her across the living room, grabbing her by the hair. His belt never left her flesh, leaving marks all over her body. From the stairs, her four-year-old son was witnessing everything. He was hiding behind the wall that faced the living room, giving him a perfect view of the assault.


    As he watched his mother in pain and misery, tears poured down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and embraced his own arms. His mother¡¯s screams and sobbing were unavoidable. He wanted to assist his mother, but what could a four-year-old do?


    After what seemed like an eternity of his father¡¯s onught, the boy gently peered into the kitchen and gazed at his mother. His father could not be traced. He walked to his mother.


    ¡°Mo-mommy?¡± He softly muttered to her.


    Her bruised eyes slowly opened. Her face was all covered with bruises as well as her body.


    ¡°H-honey, a-are you two o-okay?¡± She managed to croak out the words.


    ¡°Did daddy hurt you two?¡± She whispered. He shook his head. ¡°No, mommy but he hurt you,¡± his voice cracked, his eyes were filled with tears as he spoke up.


    She shook her head from side to side and wiped his tears with her thumb. ¡°No baby, I¡¯m fine. Look I am fine. Don¡¯t cry, sweetie,¡± she pulled him for a hug. He wrapped his small hands around her body and embraced her tightly. She kissed his head and tried to stand up. Hissed when she felt the sharp pain in her leg, but she nevertheless stood up anyway.


    ¡°You and your brother must be really hungry,e on, I will get you something to eat and then feed your brother,¡± the boy nodded his head and followed his mother to the kitchen. She made lunch for her son and made some extra for other members of the family.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones who called the ce home. Her husband¡¯s two brothers and one younger sister also resided there. It seemed strange that they hadn¡¯t moved out. Their older brother, on the other hand, neverined. He relished the fact that his brothers witnessed him hitting his wife.


    ¡°Marilyn,e here,¡± her sister-inw called her. Marilyn rushed to the living room where she was sitting on the sofa with a cigar in her hand.


    ¡°Yes, Leona?¡±


    ¡°Give me my lunch. I have to do something important and don¡¯t bete. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me to call my brother and add up some more bruises on your body,¡± she stated and smirked.


    Marilyn¡¯s heart dropped. She knew it might happen.


    ¡°No Leona, lunch is ready. I will serve you in a few minutes,¡± she said and walked away.


    She got the lunch ready and served it on the table. Sophie ate and thankfully did notin. After she left, Marilyn cleaned the table.


    After washing the dishes she went to her younger son¡¯s room, who had already woken up from his nap, and fed him.


    ¡°You should rest honey. You must be tired,¡± she said and kissed her elder son¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Will daddy hurt you again, mommy?¡± He asked innocently.


    Her eyes filled with tears, and she forced a smile on her face. ¡°No honey everything will be alright. Mommy will be alright. Just go to sleep.¡±


    He nodded his head and turned on his side, closing his eyes. Marilyn stayed there until he fell asleep, patting his shoulders lightly.


    She leaned down and kissed his head.


    ¡°One day¡­ one day I will get us out of here, honey. I promise I will never let him hurt you and your brother. I love you both so much.


    My precious, Carlos and Liam.

 Chapter 30

    Emma


    Her body was sore. Her head was hurting the most. She awoke dizzy, but it went away after a few moments, and her eyesight was clear after a few blinks.


    Emma was the only one in the room. When she turned to her side, she noticed a jug of water beside her. Next to it was an empty ss. She gently picked up the jar with her trembling fingers and poured water into the ss. She sipped it in a few gulps. She realized her throat had been dry, and the water helped to ease it. Emma was still dressed as a maid, in a modest knee-high pencil skirt, a white blouse, and ck stockings. She yanked her stockings off her legs and dashed inside the bathroom. Her body was sweaty, so she decided to take a shower.


    She emerged from the bathroom wearing a fresh pair of maid uniforms after spending 15 minutes inside. They were all handed two sets of clothing.


    Shebed her hair and immediately dried it with a towel. She didn¡¯t put it in a bun since it was still moist, put on some fresh stockings and her shoes. She was about to go for the day when she remembered what had happened the day before. She didn¡¯t want to consider it. She had vivid memories of what he had done to her.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Tears began to fall from her eyes. Emma immediately wiped them away and exited the room. She thought that if she didn¡¯t see him for a few days, he would never do what he did to her again. But she was mistaken¡­ he seemed to get even more desperate after a few days of him and her not seeing one other. She longed to put a stop to it all. She wanted to quit her work¡­ but would he let her? He was obviously wealthy and powerful. What if he refused to let her go?


    Or¡­ what if he does not care at all that I leave? If I leave, maybe he will forget all about it. It might not even bother him.


    However, she shrugged off the thoughts. Making her way towards the kitchen, she saw the maids in the living room with . She frowned.


    What are they doing there?


    She went there and saw they were talking about something.


    She was standing just right behind them. They did not notice her so she cleared her throat to gain their attention.


    They turned back to see her.


    ¡°Oh, I see you have woken up. How are you feeling now?¡±  asked with her familiar emotionless tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, . Thank you,¡± Emma replied quietly.


    ¡°Alright. Sounds good. So, I hope you can work now?¡± She asked, raising her eyebrow. Emma nodded.


    ¡°Good. Alexa will tell you about your tasks for today and if you are not feeling well. Let me know and I will dismiss you,¡± once again she nodded.


    departed the living room, leaving emm6 alone with Alexa and Isabe.


    ¡°Hey, are you sure you can work?¡± Isabe asked. Emma smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes Be, I¡¯m sure. Please don¡¯t worry,¡± Isabe did not look satisfied with her answer but didn¡¯t say anything further. Alexa told Emma the tasks and in 10 minutes she began her chores, just like a normal day.


    She was feeling better than she had been. The medications she was given after her meal had a positive effect on her body.


    Miss Garcia had called her to know about her well-being since it was a long they¡¯d talked to each other. She learned about her health and asked  if she could see Emma. Thankfully,  agreed to let her see Emma for a few hours. Emma was overjoyed to hear that. She was missing Caroline terribly.


    She thought to inform Garcia that she was considering quitting her work. Emma wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d respond, but she was willing to take a chance.


    Emma couldn¡¯t work there while Alexander assaulted her at every opportunity. It enraged her that she couldn¡¯t do anything to defend herself. He possessed a bizarre aura that made her feet tremble in terror. The thought of him touching her against her will frightened her.


    He wouldn¡¯t stop, she thought. He had the power to do whatever he pleased. He even used Caroline to threaten her.


    Oh my god, what if he tries to hurt her after finding out that I want to quit? Her heart plummeted, and her emotions were restored with the same dread and pain. She wished she could weep. But she didn¡¯t want to be frail. She would take a gamble, just as she had intended. She was not going to let him injure her only family. She had lived her entire life in dread and pain. Emma realized she needed to fight and flee. Alexander¡¯s abuse of her was wrong. He was tormenting her. It wasn¡¯t an infatuation or unspoken sentiment for Emma. Those were his psychotic behavior and his sick desire to control. She could not let him get what he wanted.


    ¡°Emma!¡± She tilted her head and noticed , calling her. She ran off to her and asked what she wanted.


    ¡°Garcia is here. I sent her to your room and told her to wait for a while. You can go there but I need you to help Isabe in the garden. It should not take much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is not a problem to me,¡± she nodded her head feeling satisfied. ¡°Good. Do not worry. Your godmother is staying till dinner,¡± she went away from there.


    Emma was d, thinking she could spend more time with Caroline.


    Isabe needed her help on the ntation. She loved gardening and that was why she was so good at the garden. She could easily do it.


    ¡°Goodness Emma, I don¡¯t know how you could even like it so much. I hate it,¡± Emmaughed softly.


    ¡°I love doing it, Isabe. These colorful flowers and green trees make me so happy. And when I see the bees sucking on the flowers for honey and the butterflies flying all around the garden, it makes me happy,¡± she stated.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re such a nature lover,¡± Isabe chuckled and tried to follow Emma¡¯s work.


    ¡°Ugh, this ntation is the worst part.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Here I will teach you..¡±


    Emma showed Isabe how to do it correctly. Fortunately, she understood andpleted the remaining tasks on her own.


    Emma entered the house and dashed to her room. Garcia sat on the bed, carefully inspecting the entire room. She grinned when she saw Emma.


    Emma rushed over to her and hugged her.


    ¡°I missed you so much,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°I missed you too, baby. How are you? I heard you are sick,¡± she questioned. Emma tensed. She could not tell her how she got sick.


    ¡°I am fine now, Caroline. It was just a little fever.¡±


    ¡°I am still worried, honey. Anyways, I brought something for you,¡± she opened her bag and took out a box, and handed it to Emma.


    She opened the box and there ced her favorite food, mozzare sticks. She smiled brightly and hugged her. Although Caroline had so much money problems she never failed to make Emma happy, even a little.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Caroline. These are my favorites,¡± she picked up one stick and took a bite. It was crispy outside and the soft texture of cheese melted in her mouth. She almost moaned at the taste.


    No wonder it is my favorite.


    ¡°I know honey that¡¯s why I made you these,¡± she told Emma.


    They talked for a long time. Emma wanted to wait till she inform her about leaving the job. They were having such good moments she did not want to ruin them.

 Chapter 31

    Alexander


    The room waspletely silent. No one said anything when Alexander entered the room and sat in his chair. With Alexander¡¯s arrival, the atmosphere of the room had shifted. The uneasiness was visible on the faces of everyone present at the meeting.


    ¡°Show me your presentation, Mister Covle,¡± Alexander spoke up. As Covle stood up to give his presentation, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to him and most of the directors seemed to like it.


    Alexander, on the other hand, was bored after only a minute of the presentation.


    ¡°So what do you think, Mister King?¡± Inquired one of the shareholders of thepany. Alexander did not say anything in response. He silently stood up from his chair and was walking towards the door. Before anyone could say anything or try to stop him, he turned around.


    ¡°Next time, don¡¯t set up a meeting if you cannot prepare a proper presentation,¡± his statement left everyone speechless. He walked out of the meeting room and went back to his office.


    He was frustrated for many reasons.


    That bigot son of a bitch Covle thought I¡¯d do business with him.


    He clenched his teeth and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He only desired to return home. Not because he was tired of his job, but because he needed to see her. He did have one photograph of her that he snapped while she wasn¡¯t looking; when she looked irresistible. He pulled out his phone and nced at her picture. Despite the fact that she was working at that time. She still looked stunning. He only desired to have her near to him. Forever.


    Hours had passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already evening time. He checked his wristwatch, which read 4:30 p. m. He had no idea he had skipped lunch. But he couldn¡¯t go quite yet since he needed to do some other tasks at the workce. How he despised it!


    He leaned back in his seat and rested his head. As he closed his eyes, he felt his muscles rx as his mind became upied by Emma¡¯s thoughts. He was missing her petite, delicate form beneath him, fighting to getaway. Her skin appeared silky and creamy.


    He let loose a deep growl. He was sick of picturing what he wanted to do with her every day. He wanted to go one step farther.


    Alexander once again pinched the bridge of his nose. He had an appointment at the caf¨¦.


    This goddamn Matthew, didn¡¯t he have another ce to hold the meeting? Who on earth chooses a caf¨¦ for an official meeting? Matthew was an old college acquaintance of his. They were ssmates, and he was both one of Alexander¡¯s best friends and his greatest opponent.


    They had been the finest in everything since college. Sports and studies. As a result, the two friends decided to expand their friendship into a business coboration. He couldn¡¯t resist Matthew¡¯s request to meet him in a caf¨¦ as Matthew desired a cordial encounter with Alexander.


    He nced at his watch; Matthew had nned the meeting for 6 p. m. He still had enough time to go, but he decided to finish some of his work before leaving.


    Meanwhile,


    Caroline had left Alexander¡¯s mansion two hours earlier, leaving Emma alone in her chamber. She exhaled after taking a long breath. Her thoughts wandered to the talk she had with Caroline.


    Emma


    ¡°How is everything, Caroline? How is your work?¡± Emma asked her. Caroline¡¯s features changed at the question. She didn¡¯t answer Emma for a few seconds. Emma noticed the worry on her face


    .


    ¡°What happened? Is everything okay?¡± She asked softly. Caroline¡¯s face was stretched in a smile.


    ¡°Everything is fine honey. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    That did not satisfy Emma at all and she questioned her again.


    ¡°Please tell me, I can sense something is wrong,¡± she pleaded this time. She would never want her only family to face bad days.


    Caroline sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s just some issues in work honey, things are going pretty bad now. I am not able to repay a few people¡¯s money and they have been asking me a lottely,¡±


    she paused for a moment, then continued.


    ¡°I am trying my best, working day and night so that I can repay them. But it is just getting harder day by day.¡±


    ¡°H-how much you need to r-repay?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°$3000 in total. But you don¡¯t nee-¡± Emma interrupted Caroline by walking away from her, only to reach for her closet.


    She took out a small baby blue pouch and took out some cash. She walked back to Caroline and put the money in her hands.


    ¡°Aunt, I know these are not much but I hope this will help even a little,¡± Caroline looked at the $1000 cash that Emma gave her. It was from her own savings. King¡¯s paid her quite well.


    ¡°But hon-¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t refuse this, Caroline. You have done a lot for me. At least, let me do this for you,¡± Emma said and hugged Caroline. They shared a very short but emotional hug.


    ¡°Thank you, sweetie.¡±


    ***


    She couldn¡¯t imagine quitting her job after her talk with Caroline. Emma needed to earn enough money for Caroline; she didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen if Caroline ran into financial difficulties just because Emma was unemployed.


    She decided to not talk to Caroline about leaving the job. She had no idea what would happen, but she knew she couldn¡¯t leave at that point. That house was a living horror for her. But she had friends, and she was friends with all of the girls. All of the girls were extremely kind;  was obviously different from Martha, but she wasn¡¯t all that horrible either.


    Emma was relieved that she had not faced Alexander for a few days, but she was terrified because she knew that if he dide to her¡­ the same things would happen again.


    She sighed and rose to her feet. She was almost through with her job and it was bingte, so she decided to finish it the next day. She collected her gardening tools and made her way inside. She had to finish the other ntation because Isabelle was unable to.


    She came to an abrupt halt when she observed a ck car parked at the gate; two guards arrived and unlocked the gate to let the car in. She stood there perplexed. No one had visited Alexander since she had moved in.


    Maybe it¡¯s one of his family member.


    When she saw Liam stepping out of the car, her uncertainty came to a halt. He was dressed formally in a dark green shirt with his sleeves pulled up, grey formal pants, and ck sunsses.


    In that outfit, he looked really stunning. He was strolling towards the house while typing on his phone. Emma stiffened as she noticed him getting closer to where she was standing. She began to move away rapidly.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡±


    Oh no¡­ he saw me. She thought to herself.


    She turned around to find him standing there with a smirk on his face. He approached her while taking off his sunsses. She could see his breathtaking gaze.


    His eyes were as blue as the ocean under the sunbeams, so distinct and non-identical to Alexander.


    ¡°How are you? Didn¡¯t expect to see you here, I mean you work here but I didn¡¯t expect you outside,¡± he asked her.


    She looked down and answered. ¡°I am very good, thank you for asking sir, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, thank you,¡± he replied with a heartwarming smile. She wondered why he was so kind to her, so different from his siblings, especially Alexander.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside,¡± Liam spoke up. Emma felt very stupid for not asking him toe inside; however, she moved forward to go inside with Liam following her behind. She opened the door wide to let him get inside. He thanked her politely.


    ¡°Is my brother home?¡± Emma flinched at his question.


    She shook her head No. ¡°He hasn¡¯te home yet,¡± Liam nodded his head in response.


    ¡°Please make yourselffortable, I¡¯ll bring something for you to drink, sir,¡± she politely said.


    ¡°Liam, you can call me Liam, Emma I¡¯ve told you that before too,¡± he told her with a polite smile on his face, he was so charming and polite that Emma couldn¡¯t utter a word. She just nodded her head and went off.


    Emma found  sitting at the kitchen table, writing something on her notepad.


    ¡°, Liam is here to meet Master. What should I offer him?¡± She asked.


    immediately put down her notepad and looked at her with a stunned expression. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Emma looked at her, confused. ¡°I-I  sa-¡±


    ¡°No, I heard what you said¡­¡±  was gazing at Emma and after a pause, she spoke up. ¡°Did you just call him by his name?¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened at her statement. Oh my god! What did I just do!


    ¡°N-no I-I¡¯m really s-s-sorry I d-didn¡¯t me-¡±


    stood up from her chair. ¡°Stay in your limits youngdy, don¡¯t forget you work in this house, you are no friend of Master Alexander, Liam, or any of the heirs of the Kings. Am I clear?¡±


    Emma¡¯s stare was fixed on the floor as she nodded. She was about to break into tears. She truly didn¡¯t want to address him by his given name, which was why she kept denying it. She hadn¡¯t intended to utter his name in front of  in that way. It simply slipped out of her mouth.


    ¡°And give him something to drink and don¡¯t keep him waiting. I will prepare some food,¡± she nodded her head again.


    Emma took out a bottle of wine and headed to the living room where Liam was quietly seated on the sofa. She approached and ced the tray of wine and ss on the table. She poured him a ss and offered it.


    ¡°Thank you, Emma,¡± he politely remarked and took the ss from her, passing her a smile. She nervously smiled back.


    She stood there quietly a little far from Liam, not knowing what to do. She didn¡¯t want to be rude and leave him alone there. She waited for  toe.  was going to bring the food after all.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    After a few minutes of standing there, she finally spoke up.


    ¡°Erm, I¡¯ll be here¡­ just call me if you need anything,¡± she said quietly and walked past the sofa.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t have to go Emma. I will be bored alone here, please keep mepany,¡± he said to Emma, almost pleading with her to stay as he put the ss down on the table. That made Emma really nervous. She nervously nodded her head in response and stood there again.


    Liam chuckled and shook his head while looking at her. ¡°Emma you don¡¯t have to stand there. You can sit flower.¡±


    Flower. why does he call me that? I am nothing like a flower.


    She thought to herself. ¡°No sir, please I¡¯m fine here, thank you for your kindness,¡± she replied.


    ¡°No, Emma I insist, and don¡¯t call me s-¡± He was interrupted by  entering the living room.


    ¡°Hello, Liam. How are you doing?¡± She politely asked. Liam replied to her. ¡°I¡¯m doing well , thanks for asking, how about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Sorry, I took time. I brought something for you to eat, please befortable,¡±  put the tray full of food on the table and was setting out the tes and ss. She looked over at Emma.


    ¡°Why are you standing there, Emma? Come help me out,¡± She nodded and quickly rushed to , helping her.


    brought some cookies, fruits, and other stuff. Emma put a few pieces of fruits on a te and offered him. He took a bite of the fresh strawberry with a smile.


    ¡°What are you doing, Emma? Give him some cookies as well!¡±  scolded her.


    She looked down and apologized. She didn¡¯t know whether  didn¡¯t like her much or if she was generally like that with everyone. However, she offered him some cookies as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright , don¡¯t need to scold the poor girl,¡± Liam kindly said.


    smiled at him and nodded her head, Emma never saw her smile. It was surprising, but maybe it was because Emma and the other girls were maids and  preferred being strict with them. Emma did not mind her that much. She could not expect anyone to be like Martha as all people aren¡¯t the same.


    ¡°So what are you here for Liam? Master Alexander hasn¡¯te home yet,¡±  asked.


    ¡°Ah I see, I am here to talk to him about something. Do you know when he mighte?¡± He asked.


    She thought for a moment before replying to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Liam, I cannot predict the time he will be home. Nowadays, hees home veryte and leaves very early, so it¡¯s hard to estimate,¡± Liam nodded his head and took a bite of the cookie.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, maybe I¡¯lleter.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, nonsense Liam. You can wait for him, at least until dinner,¡± said . Liam chuckled and said. ¡°Alright , but just because you are insisting,¡± he passed  a soft smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±  looked at Emma. ¡°Alexa may need your help at the library,¡± Emma understood that  wanted her to leave them alone. She quietly nodded her head and walked away from there.

 Chapter 32

    Emma


    She went back to work again while Liam and  were talking. She told Emma to help Alexa in the library.


    Emma went there and found Alexa cleaning the shelves and arranging the books. Alexa noticed her and passed her a warm smile.


    ¡°Hey Emma, I bet  sent you here,¡± she nodded her head in agreement.


    She chuckled. ¡°I could tell, I am almost done with my work. Whenever there¡¯s any family member of King¡¯s, she always ¡®shoos¡¯ us away so, that none of us would make ourselves look like idiots.¡±


    That was pretty weird, we are not kids anymore.


    Emma shrugged it off and asked Alexa if she needed her help with anything. ¡°I am done with almost everything actually, you can just help me with those books,¡± she pointed at the pile of books lying on the table right ahead.


    ¡°Can you please put them back on the shelf?¡± Emma nodded and picked up half of the books while Alexa picked the other half. She started sorting out the books in their respective sections ording to their serial numbers.


    There were books of numerous genres. One of them was about Sherlock Holmes. She wondered how it was.


    She had always enjoyed reading and was eager to explore new novels. She used to go to the local library to read the books she enjoyed while she lived with Garcia. She couldn¡¯t bring them home or buy them since she didn¡¯t have enough money at the moment. She left that book in the section and went in search of another. ¡°Five Feet Apart,¡± it stated, and she recalled that one. That was something she had read at a local library. She genuinely enjoyed the narrative and went nostalgic for a little period, then Emma snapped back to reality, extended a heartfelt smile, and restored it. She had almost finished sorting the books when she got to thest one. She took a closer look at it. It seemed odd. The cover of that book was distinct from the covers of the other books. It was eye-catching, ck in hue, and rather substantial. She grimaced but ced it on the shelf in the library¡¯s corner.


    ¡°Emma! I¡¯m done! Come outside when you¡¯re finished up. I will be waiting for you¡±, Alexa yelled and got out of there.


    ¡°Yeah, I will be there¡±, she yelled back to her, hurriedly putting the books on the shelf.


    Her finger hit the shelf identally and she whimpered, dropping the same odd book on the floor. She sighed in frustration and bent down to pick it up. She saw that some of the pages in the unusual-looking book she described before were not properly aligned with the rest of the pages, which were all held together by a thread on the edge. Her brow wrinkled in concentration. What will I do with these now? I have no idea how the pages were ordered.


    She picked it up anyway and noticed that the writings on the pages were handwritten. ¡°Strange¡±, she thought to herself. She looked at the pages.


    The handwriting was exquisite, and the phrases were elegantly penned. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it. She didn¡¯t even read what was written; she simply marveled at the sheer beauty of each letter. A photograph dropped down on her knees while she was flipping the pages over. She picked it up and immediately recognized who she was looking at. It had to be Alexander. The photograph was older, and he appeared younger than he was at the time. She didn¡¯t know what it was about the picture that drew her attention to it, but she couldn¡¯t take her gaze away from it. He appeared to be different. In all of his previous photographs, he appeared to be a different person.


    True, his eyes had retained the same hardness in the images that had sent shivers down her spine. But his face structure was unusual, and his eyes were both chilly and mncholy. She put the photo and returned her attention to the pages.


    ¡°12th March 2008.¡±


    It said on the first page. Before she could look at anything, someone startled her from behind, making her jump.


    ¡°Emma!¡± Alexa wasing to her. ¡°I was waiting for you, Emma. What are you doing?¡± She put the picture and the pages inside the cover and stood up.


    ¡°Sorry, I dropped these so¡­¡± Alexa noticed the book in Emma¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh this book doesn¡¯t belong here¡±, she said pointing to the book.


    ¡°Oh, where should I put this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always in master¡¯s private books section. No one takes the books from there, I don¡¯t know how it got here, maybe someone identally put it with the other books. Give it to me, let me put it back,¡± she grabbed it from Emma and went to the other side of the library. There was a small table with a few drawers, and she kept the book in one of them. They both exited the room after that, closing the door behind them. ¡°Oh by the way Emma,  told me to grab something from the store, do you want toe with me?¡± Emma looked at her and frowned.


    Are we even allowed to go?


    Alexa raised her eyebrows at her. ¡°Can we¡­ go outside? I mean, wouldn¡¯t master get mad?¡± She chucked. ¡°Hon, don¡¯t worry, we are not running away, we are going to the store to buy essentials.¡±


    ¡°B-but will  let mee with you?¡± Emma asked her. ¡°Well, I hope so,e on, let¡¯s go and ask her,¡± she rushed out of there to Martha who was still with Liam in the living room.


    The two girls approached her there and Alexa asked.


    ¡°Miss , I am going to the store now,¡±  looked up at her and nodded her head. ¡°Okay, be back early,¡± she simply stated.


    Alexa shook her head yes. ¡°Erm, can Emmae with me?¡± Emma gulped. She didn¡¯t know how Alexa asked her so calmly. ¡°Why do you want her to apany you?¡±  asked. Liam wasn¡¯t there with them that time, Emma saw him near the window, talking to someone on the phone.


    ¡°I was thinking she could help me carry the stuff we¡¯re going to buy,¡±  didn¡¯t say anything for a minute then sighed.


    ¡°Okay you can take her, but do not take time, go to the nearby store ande back quickly,¡± Alexa nodded and grinned at Emma. She nervously smiled back at her.


    They left the living room and went out of the house. ¡°See? I told you. It¡¯s nothing,¡± Emma thanked her.


    ¡°Did you grab everything we need?¡± Emma asked her. ¡°Yeah, I already have the money  gave me, we just need a few more things. We will go to the store down the road. Come on, we can walk there,¡± Emma followed her behind.


    Thankfully the shoes weren¡¯t that ufortable, and neither was the outfit. She was feeling pretty cozy. After 15 minutes or so, they reached the store, it was big.


    They entered and bought everything that was needed, it only took them 10 minutes.


    ¡°I told you, we only need a few things,¡± she said. A few things included some dishwashers, some cereal packets, and slices of bread. She handed the money to the cashier. They picked the bags up and left.


    ¡°So what do you wanna do now?¡± Emm6 looked at Alexa with a confused look. ¡°What do you mean? We have to get back,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah! But, look, we still have some time, do you wanna grab some coffee?¡± Her eyes became wide. ¡°A-are you crazy?  will get mad, Alexa,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Come on, Emma no one will find out. It won¡¯t take us long, please. It¡¯s been so long since I had coffee outside!¡± She whined like a little kid. Everyone was staring at them. Emma looked down, blushing.


    She sighed and said, ¡°Fine! We will grab it and go home right away. Is that fine with you? We are not going to sit there,¡± she finally gave up and said yes. It wasn¡¯t like she had a choice. The caf¨¦ was not close by but they managed to catch a bus and reached there within 15 minutes.


    Emma was scared. All the way she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the consequences they might face if  found out, but Alexa assured her nothing would happen. She tried hard not to think too much about it.


    They got off the bus. The caf¨¦ looked expensive, she nervously looked at Alexa who was continuously grinning. ¡°Alexa¡­ this looks so expensive, how are we going to buy anything from here?¡± Emma whispered to her.


    ¡°No worries Emma, I¡¯ve got my saved up money with me, my family sends me money for extra expenses. I have enough, Emma. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she dragged Emma inside without giving her a chance to say anything. Emma gave up. The caf¨¦ appeared to be picturesque. It wasn¡¯t particrlyrge or spectacr, but it wasn¡¯t for people like her.


    It was teeming with customers. Some people were seated alongside friends, rtives, and spouses. Her gaze was drawn to a family sitting at one of the family tables. They appeared to be overjoyed. She was disheartened and realized how much she desired to spend time with people she could name ¡®parents¡¯. Her heart wrenched at the thought of her parents. She didn¡¯t want to cry in front of such arge crowd. She followed Alexa to the cash register. Alexa inquired as to what she desired to order. Prices may not be exorbitant for other people, but they were for Emma. She fixed her gaze on Alexa.


    ¡°Alexa, these all look so expensive!¡± She muttered to her. Alexa rolled her eyes again. ¡°Please love, don¡¯t look at the price. Just order. I told you, I have enough,¡± Emma looked at the menu hesitantly. She wanted to get something cheap and was confused about what to get. She went to the dessert option and saw donuts.


    I have always liked donuts.


    ¡°How about donuts?¡± Emma asked her.


    ¡°Hmm. Let me see. Oh, they look good. Which vor do you want?¡± The chocte chip vor was noticed by Emma. She didn¡¯t want to look at any more possibilities because they were more expensive. She made the decision to purchase that one. Alexa got herself a hot chocte coffee. She paid for the order, and they were seated on one of the few avable seats. They were advised to wait for a few minutes by the staff. Alexa told Emma about her past life, the one she had before arriving in the hell-hole. Emma couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling. She was relieved to have made some new friends after Vanessa. The waiter delivered on their promises, and they received it after around ten minutes. Emma took the doughnut box. It had a wonderful aroma.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    They were done and about to leave. Just at that time, Alexa¡¯s phone rang.


    ¡°Oh Emma, wait a moment.  is calling. Stay here, I will talk to her,¡± Emma gave her a nod as she rushed to the other side of the caf¨¦ as that part was too noisy. She began to nce about and take in the surroundings. The caf¨¦ was incredibly stunning and well-decorated, with little tubs of flowers and nts swinging from three of thenes creating a picturesque ambiance within. The servers were rushing around collecting orders and providing food to the customers.


    Her head began to throb from wearing her hair in a bun all day. She removed the rubber band from her hair and slid it back over her shoulders and back. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost didn¡¯t notice a figure approaching their table.


    She could hear footstepsing from where she was seated. Emma began to feel apprehensive for no apparent reason, and her heart began to beat faster. She felt a touch on her shoulder at that point. She frowned and rose from her seat. When she turned around, she spotted someone she hadn¡¯t expected to see. Alexander. Her throat was bing parched. She had no idea what she should have done at the moment. She just stood there, not saying anything. He looked angry, and she knew why ¡°M-master..¡± she muttered out.


    ¨C ¨C ¨C


    ????oops.. Emma :,)

 Chapter 33

    Alexander¡¯s P. O. V


    I was waiting for Matthew to show up. It had already been 20 minutes. I nced at my clock. Why the fuck is he sote? I thought to myself.


    He finally showed up after another five minutes.


    ¡°Ah my old friend, Alexander.¡± I stood up and shook his hand.


    I nodded my head. ¡°Matthew.¡±


    ¡°How have you been, Alexander? It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw you.¡± Matthew was one of the charmers during school. All the girls loved him back then. Because of his flirtatious behavior, he was the perfect example of fake sweetness. And I noticed he hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    ¡°I have been good so far. How are you doing with yourpany?¡± I asked taking a sip of the coffee I ordered.


    ¡°It¡¯s doing good and that is why I am here with you because I want us to be business partners as well. Yourpany is one of the toppanies in the country. I know that together we can make ourpanies grow very rapidly.¡± I agreed with him. He was also a good businessman. Hispany was also one of the top five sessfulpanies, after mine.


    We talked about our businesses more, because I needed to get more details about his business. I was always very meticulous with my calctions before going for a business deal, I like to find out every little thing before stepping forward. The deal with him seemed good to me. Good for my business.


    Matthew was a man of words, he always kept his word. That was why I trusted him.


    ¡°So Alexander, enough talk about official things. Tell me about yourself, what is going on with you?¡± He asked me. His order came by that time. The waitress put his meal on the table but took too long to gather the tray and other things. Her eyes roamed at me and she smiled seductively at me. Ipletely ignored her ways of seducing me.


    ¡°Are you nning to stay here the whole time? Or give us some privacy?¡± She looked shocked by my statement, her face went red from embarrassment. This bitch deserved it. I muttered to myself.


    Matthew chuckled. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she the type of girl you¡¯d want?¡± He asked me taking a bite of his food.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that right now.¡± My reply came out coldly as usual.


    Heughed and said. ¡°Man, you need a woman to be with you now. The office work is getting in your head.¡±


    ¡°I am fine Matthew, maybe you need it. She might be your type.¡± I pointed at that same waitress who was serving other customers.


    ¡°My type is a different man.¡± He shook his head with a smirk on his face. He looked all around the cafe until his eyes stopped at something.


    ¡°That¡¯s my type.¡± He pointed at someone behind me. I chuckled deeply and looked behind me. The ce was crowded I couldn¡¯t spot who he was pointing at.


    ¡°The girl with tied hair and pale skin.¡± He added.


    I frowned. ¡°There is no one like this,¡± I stated and was about to turn to him when I noticed the people moving from the counter.


    ¡°Here man, there she is.¡± He pointed again.


    My blood boiled when I saw who he was pointing to. The same hair, the same pale skin.


    Emma.


    I clenched my teeth. She was standing there without noticing us. She was looking at the menu and was still in her maid outfit. Her hair was tied up. I spotted she came here with one of the maids in my house.


    What the fuck she is doing here? How dare she leave the house without my permission?!


    I wanted to go there and grab her by her hair and drag her to my car, but as much as I wanted to do that I controlled myself, not letting myself create a scene there.


    I turned back to Matthew who was still staring at Emma. This fucker.


    I coughed to get his attention. I could see in his eyes, it held lust for her, nothing but lust and I just wanted to w his eyes out. I gritted my teeth. Taking another sip of my coffee I stated.


    ¡°Shall we discuss the deal now?¡± His eyes snapped towards me.


    ¡°Ah yes.¡± Our official conversation went on. He kept on talking about the deal while my mind was wandering somewhere else. I looked all over the cafe and found Emma sitting at the table, a little far from me. Her back was facing me so she didn¡¯t notice me.


    ¡°So is that final?¡± Matthew asked. I don¡¯t even what the fuck he said to me. I thought.


    I nodded my head. ¡°Yes. Anyways we shall leave now.¡± Saying that I stood up from my chair.


    ¡°Yeah, I should go as well. I have to be somewhere now. It was great to meet you.¡± He extended his hand to me. I shook it. He then went out of the cafe without sparing another nce there.


    The cafe was still crowded. I saw her sitting alone. I frowned. Why she was sitting alone? I looked around and saw the other maid on the phone.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself anymore. I took long strands and was approaching her. I was not so far from her. I was sure she could feel my presence, her muscles were tensed. I stood near her chair and tapped on her shoulder. I wanted to spin her around and grab her by her throat.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    My blood was boiling with anger. She turned to me. She looked shocked and scared at the same time. I saw her trembling with fear. I could sense her fear even from that distance. She whispered.


    ¡°M-master.¡±


    I looked at the other maid behind her who was still on her phone, unable to notice me. Then my eyes were situated back on her. She had her eyes down and her hands were clutching her dress on the side.


    ¡°Go home,¡± I said to her and turned to get out of there.


    ¡°But-¡± The next thing I knew, my hand was tightly gripping her arm.


    ¡°You should be thankful I am not dragging you out of here by your hair. Before you test my patience more, I suggest you call your friend over here and go home.¡± Scared to say anything, she just nodded her head swiftly. I let go of her arm and stormed out of the cafe.


    I got inside my car and told my driver to get out of it.


    ¡°Make sure the girls are home safely,¡± I said and drove away from there.


    Finally, I knew what to do.

 Chapter 34

    Author¡¯s P. O. V


    Alexander sent the girls home in his car and ordered another one from his office. He decided to not join them and to wait inside the cafe instead. He didn¡¯t want things to go different, besides he wanted to give Emma some emotional space for what he was going to do to her tonight was going to take a toll on her. He had been waiting for this time toe for a long time. He could no longer resist at this point.


    The girls were seated in the back as the car swiftly drove down the street. For the first ten minutes or so, there was absolute silence in the car. Neither of them uttered a syble. Both of them were frightened. Alexa atst spoke up and said, ¡°I wonder why Master had to send us home in the car. We could¡¯ve taken a cab.¡± Emma didn¡¯t respond. She was too scared to even think about it. Alexa put her hand on Emma¡¯s pale and cold hand and apologized: ¡°I¡¯m really sorry this happened. I didn¡¯t realize that Master would be there too.¡± Emma struggled to speak but gave her a soft smile and told her that it was okay. But she knew it wasn¡¯t going to be okay. She was terrified. She knew that she would have to face terrible consequencester on. Alexander liked to keep people in suspense. He liked seeing fear in their eyes, especially in her eyes, and she knew that.


    The car finally came to a halt in front of the mansion. They were home. Both of them got out of the car and walked to the door. They rang the bell. The French doors were opened, revealing  nkly staring at them. ¡°You guys have finally arrived¡±, she said in a cold tone. The girls knew she was mad. ¡°I thought you went shopping only for the necessities?¡±, she asked crossing her arms. She had no emotion on her face, just an expressionless look.


    Alexa and Emma looked at each other for support because they were clueless about what to say.


    ¡°We¡¯re really sorry. The store was pretty crow-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that excuse, Alexa. Did the busy store dy you or did buying that thing did?¡± Her eyes pointed to the bag of donuts in Emma¡¯s hand.


    Emma gulped and looked down, muttering an apology. She knew stopping by the cafe could get her in trouble and that¡¯s exactly what happened.


    ¡°, it wasn¡¯t her fault. I insisted on going to the cafe. She didn¡¯t even want to go¡±, replied Alexa politely.  didn¡¯t say anything else and excused Emma. She slightly nodded her head and went off.


    sighed and excused Alexa as well. She was then about to get back to her work when she looked over the window and saw Alexander¡¯s ck Mercedes. She frowned, thinking Alexander might havee home. But the vehicle was parked and he wasn¡¯t in it. She didn¡¯t give it too much thought and closed the window.


    She knew Alexander¡¯s timing and that it was too early for him toe home. But no one used that car except him. He has been using it every day since he bought it and would never send it back home empty¡­


    Suddenly, a thought struck her and her eyes widened. Her palms started to sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if it is what I think it is!¡±


    She rushed towards Alexa and spun her around holding her arm.


    ¡°Tell me what happened!¡± Alexa was scared by ¡¯s sudden outburst, but she knew she had to tell her everything. She was about to anyway.


    Alexa told her everything. ¡¯s face turned pale from her original light brown tone. She knew she was in trouble.


    ¡°Are you okay, ?¡± Alexa asked.  flinched at her sudden question and shakily replied. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Go back to work. I will take care of it.¡±


    Emma was in her room. After she was done washing her hands and face, she sat on her bed and looked at the donuts packet Alexa bought her. She was reluctant to get out of her room because she knew Alexander would be home soon, she knew what could happen! It was breaking her apart. A few droplets of tears rolled down her cheeks; she never wanted this. Why was he after her so badly? Why does it matter to him if she went out with her friend? Why does it matter to him if she talked with other males? Alexander did not even like her talking to his brother, Liam when he was the only member of the King family who was nice to Emma.


    The thought of Alexander made her body shiver. She never thought a person like Alexander woulde into her life. All of the things he had done to Emma were vile enough for any girl to fear for themselves. She had never thought of herself as a strong girl and she had to be strong. But how? She had always been a quiet girl. After her parents, she had be even quieter. She was scared to get close to people. But she wanted friends which she never had in her childhood. All the schoolmates had, bullied her. She never understood why. She never dared to stand up for herself; throughout her life, she just tolerated all the things that were happening to her in the hope that one day everything might be alright. All she had ever wanted was to have a normal life and to earn enough money for her Aunt Caroline. In some ways, she wanted to repay Caroline for what she had done for Emma.


    Her cries turned into muffled sobs, she covered her mouth with her hands. Her suppressed cries told a lot about what she had gone through. She wished she was not there, because she knew the moment her master woulde home, he would not spare her. She regretted going out, but there was no point in regretting it anymore. She went back to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands; Her eyes had turned red from crying. She washed her face and wiped it with a towel. She had to get back to the work, that was why she was hired and she had no choice but to face him. It was his house after all. He woulde home sooner orter and whatever was bound to happen would happen.


    was working as usual and guiding the maids but her mind was elsewhere. She was lost thinking to herself. It was a mistake. I should have known before, I gave too much space to these girls.


    She thought to herself. She sighed in annoyance and asked the girls about Emma.


    ¡°I saw her going back to her roo-, oh there she is.¡± Emma walked into the kitchen wearing her usual formal maid outfit.


    ¡°What do I have to do now, ?¡± She asked in a low voice. ¡¯s arms were crossed on her chest as she approached Emma.


    ¡°Why are you sote?¡± She asked, but her tone did not sound like her normal cold tone. It was different. She sounded mad at Emma.


    ¡°I-I u-um was i-in the bathroom, I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± She stuttered.


    ¡°Enough of your excuses, what do you girls think you¡¯re doing? At first, you both came homete after spending your quality time at god knows where and even got yourself some treats as well! How amazing!¡± She threw her hands in the air and pointed at both Alexa and Emma who both had their head down in shame.


    She came closer to Emma, almost towering over her small feature. She was breathing heavily and was nervous.  grabbed her arm tight and whispered in her ear. ¡°You are in so much trouble, you can¡¯t even imagine.¡± Emma¡¯s mouth was agape in incredulity. She looked at ¡¯s cold nk eyes and then looked down to her feet, panting and breathing heavily.


    let go of her arm and walked away from her while her eyes were still on Emma. ¡°Everyone get back to work.¡± None of the girls wasted a second. They all continued what they were doing before. Alexa looked back at Emma and saw her standing still, scared and shaking. She walked to her and consoled her.


    ¡°Emma¡­ don¡¯t mind , she is just upset with us. that¡¯s why she scolded you. Come now, don¡¯t think about it.¡± Alexa held Emma¡¯s shoulder with her hands and they moved away from there.


    ¡®She has so many things to see..¡¯  whispered to herself.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 35

    Author¡¯s P. O. V


    It didn¡¯t take long before Alexander got back home. It was the first time he used his official car to return to his house. The drivers and the guards who are mostly around him were surprised, this was the first time they saw Alexander arrive in a different vehicle. But, of course, no one would dare to question or gossip about it. Alexander got out of the car, shutting the door behind him. His feature was firm and sharp; he still had his cold face on; his eyes were reddened with anger. But he did not want to lose his temper yet. He had to be patient.


    Getting inside his house, he was instantly greeted by the maids and , who seemed a little disturbed. Alexander calmly walked past the maids and made his way upstairs.


    ¡°Bring me my drink, ¡±, he ordered and proceeded towards his room.


    nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Alexander hated slow and clumsy people so  made sure she was in his room on time. She ced the tray of the wine bottle and ss on the table. She poured the drink into the ss and handed it to him. Her hands were visibly shaken.


    ¡°Master, your drink¡±, she said.


    Alexander stared at the ss for a few seconds before violently throwing it away. The ss shattered against the wooden closet into tiny shards of crystal which glittered on the marble floor.


    was startled at his unanticipated eruption. Her head was down. She did not dare to look up at him. She could feel his viciously red eyes staring right at her, it was intimidating her even more. Her body was shivering and she started to breathe rapidly.


    ¡°What had I asked you to do?¡± he asked in his slow, pugnacious voice which resonated with his anger.


    could not answer. Her mouth felt dry. She couldn¡¯t speak up.


    Her silence only served to increase his anger.


    ¡°Answer me, goddamn it! What Did I Ask You To Do?!¡± he yelled at her. She flinched back.


    ¡°I did not know the girls would be home sote master. If I had known that that would happen, they would not have been able to step a foot outside.¡± He clenched his fists.


    ¡°If you had known?¡± he mocked.


    ¡°You know what you were hired to do here, don¡¯t you ?¡± He questioned with a straight face. His tone was enough to make  go numb from head to toe.


    ¡°Yes Master, I do know my job here, my job is to serve you, Master,¡± Alexander smirked. ¡°That is good. But you do know that you¡¯ve got many more responsibilities to fulfill.¡± ¡¯s head was down, she nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°If something like that ever happens again¡­¡± He went a little closer to  and murmured,


    ¡°Just know that you will be seeing your worst nightmare which you won¡¯t have the luxury to wake up from.¡±


    ¡°I-I will not let you down again master. The girls will be under control, under your control¡±, she stated with a voice that pulled up her lowered confidence.


    ¡°That is what I expect¡±, he said and got up from his seat.


    ¡°Excuse the girls today after dinner¡±, hemanded.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Alexander excused  and walked to the balcony. From here, he had a good view of the garden of his house.


    He was taking sips after sips of the wine until he had finished up the whole bottle. He nced at the clock.


    8:15 P. M.  hade before to inform him that dinner was ready but he had refused. All the maids were done with their dinner and were in their rooms, resting after the day¡¯s work.


    Alexander put the ss down on the table and walked out of his room.


    Meanwhile, Emma came into her room and sat on her bed. She did not have to work much tonight, as their Master refused to have dinner; they didn¡¯t have to make any extra meals. But, she was tired. The day seemed longer than ever before. She yawned; her eyes felt heavy; theynded on the donut packet that was on the table.


    Oh my, I forgot about it!


    She opened up the packet and took out the little box. After opening it, she saw that the chocte had already molten. She felt bad, Alexa had bought that for her and she did not even eat it. She sighed and put the box back on the table.


    All of a sudden, she heard her bedroom door open with a loud thud. She flinched and looked there and found none other but Alexander standing with his hands in his pockets.


    She stood up and stepped back immediately; she knew why he was there. She knew it would happen. She knew he would be there sooner orter.


    He slowly and menacingly walked towards her that only made her step back till her back touched the wall.


    Alexander was so close to Emma now that it suffocated her and triggered her ustrophobia. He started to caress Emma¡¯s warm and rosy cheeks. His palm firmly rested on the wall as his bloodshot, cold eyes were staring right into Emma¡¯s. Her mind told her to push him and run away, but she was standing stiff, just how Alexander wanted her to be.


    ¡°You look scared¡±, he mocked her. She was offended by the absurd remark. How could he say that?


    She tried her best to show him that she was not scared.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not!¡± she cried out. She did not want to look scared and weak anymore.


    His hand cracked across her face, snapping it back with the force of his blow and causing her head to reel fiercely. Her eyes looked back at his, she was white as chalk. Her eyes and mouth were frozen and wide open in an explicit expression of stunned surprise. She could notprehend what had just happened.


    Alexander grabbed both of her arms tightly and pulled her close to him causing her to squeal and thrash.


    ¡°Stop moving!¡± he shouted.


    She got more and more terrified as she noticed how much rage he had in him at that moment.


    Why is he so mad at me for going out? He is acting like I stole something and ran away!


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, Emma?¡± He questioned her. He emphasized her name, he called her by her name like no one else could ever call her. He used to call her name in a tone that was both insidious and alluring.


    She did find it different but never thought beyond this. Her eyes were still on his.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that you cannot leave this house without my permission?¡± Every word that he said held nothing but venom.


    ¡°And you not only went out but also hung out at a cafe¡±, he spat. He was menacingly close to her, she could feel his breath blowing on her face.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Emma replied with a slight frown.


    ¡°W-what do you m-mean?¡± Alexander let go of one arm and used his free hand to grab her jaw in a tight grip. She hissed in pain.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice the men staring at you like a hungry lion?¡± he asked.


    She knew he was expecting an answer from her. Unable to form any sentence she shook her head sideways. She wanted to tell him that it was none of his business and that she could handle her problems. But of course, the fear drilled inside her was holding her back.


    ¡°Oh you naive little girl, what am I going to do with you?¡±


    He let go of her and let out a throaty chuckle which soon turned into a viciousugh. Hisugh was taunting, Emma felt as if a maniac was standing in front of her.


    When he finally stoppedughing, the room was quiet for around 30 seconds. His back was facing her, he turned around to her with no smile on his face. No sane person could tell he wasughing a while ago. His face had the usual coldness and emotionless look.


    He was walking toward her when he spotted the box of donuts on the table. He raised his eyebrows at it and then looked at Emma. He approached the table and took out a piece.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked donuts, butterfly.¡± Emma cringed at the name he just called her. She hated it. She started to hate that name right away. He had never called her that before.


    ¡°Tell me. Do you like this donut dipped in chocte?¡± His eyes dared her to answer.


    So she did. ¡°Y-yes master. B-but I-¡± He shushed her cing his finger on her lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I asked¡±, he whispered. He looked at the donut.


    ¡°Hmm. Eat this. Right now.¡±


    Emma knew he had a perverse n on his mind. She just stared and did nothing. She could not.


    Before she could close her eyelids for even a second and move on to her next thought, he grabbed her tightly and shoved the donut into her mouth.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°M-master.¡± She tried telling him to stop but he continued to do as he wished. The molten chocte was all over her mouth and chin. She coughed out the rest of the donuts she couldn¡¯t swallow.


    How can someone be so cruel?


    How she wished she could say this to his face! Her coughing did not stop and she backed off. Emma¡¯s throat had dried up from the dry bagel. She yearned for water.


    Alexander enjoyed the sight. He crossed his arms across his chest and stared at her in amusement. How he loved seeing her all vulnerable and helpless!


    ¡°How did it taste, butterfly?¡± He smirked. Emma was even more terrified. His actions were mercurial.


    He grabbed her by her waist pulling her close, smashing his lips against his. Emma was nauseated and revolted by the kiss. But he didn¡¯t care about anything. She did not reciprocate but that did not stop him. Her chocte-stained lips did not bother him but excited him more. He grabbed the back of her hair as he deepened the kiss. His teeth bit her bottom lip drawing out a little blood. She winced in pain but could do nothing to stop him. He pulled back, his minty breath drifted on Emma¡¯s face. Just as she thought he was finally done, he leaned in and licked the chocte off of her chin. She had the sudden urge to throw up. She tried to push his away chest but he would not move a muscle.


    He started cing sloppy kisses on her chin, moving down towards her neck. He had always loved how she smelled. That baffling smell ofvender. He sniffed and was instantly intoxicated by her. His lips did not leave her soft skin.


    Damnit. How much have I missed this¡­


    He waspletely obsessed with her. His obsession grew more day by day. It was no doubt. She was now his, only his.


    He finally moved back away from her. Letting her go, he licked his lips which still tasted like the chocte from her mouth. He backed off, atst.


    ¡°Never break my rule again, or else something worse can happen¡±, he warned her. She just stood there baffled. she let it happen again¡­ She failed to stop him.


    She was fighting an inner battle with herself. She did not answer him but he let go of her as he knew she would never dare to disobey him ever again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spread your wings, butterfly. I know how to clip them.¡± He caressed her cheek. She flinched and whimpered. ¡°Now drink some water and get some rest like a good girl.¡± He smiled at her. It did not look caring or loving. It looked scary to Emma. She still nodded her head. She just wanted him to leave the room.


    He turned around and started to walk out of the room but halted and said,


    ¡°Do you want to know why I called you butterfly?¡± He chuckled and turned to her.


    ¡°Because you are fragile and innocent, just like a butterfly.


    And also¡­ you just discovered your wings today by going out. But I like my things locked in my house, under my observation. Especially you, my butterfly.¡± He then left leaving her alone with her despair.


    Little did he know, the girl he just called his butterfly was lighting up his dark world.

 Chapter 36

    Author¡¯s P. O. V


    There are things in the world that change drastically over time, some change for good and some for bad. Some people might have trouble being aware of these changes. Alexander was one of them.


    The roads were filled with silence. He decided to drive today; he dismissed the driver and took the car keys, driving out of his office. He took a nce at his watch. The time read 3:45 p. m. He had to go somewhere with Adrian before going back to his house so he dropped off Adrian at his ce and started to drive again. After dropping off Adrian, he had to take a different route since Adrian lived near the woods, the same as Alexander but the area Adrian chose was quiet as he liked silence.


    The day was long and he wanted nothing but to go home early and rest till dinner.


    His mind wondered aboutst night¡¯s incident. It made his blood boil with anger. Even though he enjoyed his moments with Emma. But at the same time, he could not help but feel anger towards her for disobeying him. However, he had decided to make sure that would never happen again. He would never let her get out of his sight and the sooner she realized the better it was for her. He was driving through the trees that were running along on sides of the road. With every motion of his car, the road peered from amongst the trees allowing him to go further. It was a dull and dry afternoon. The bright rays of the sun shone on the leaves of the trees and reflected onto the road and the car. Even though it was only 3:45 p. m the heat had made it unbearable. Every minute of it was so energy-sapping and tiresome that it even bothered the devil himself. Alexander being seated inside his air-conditioned car made him survive the day.


    He made a turn to the left and was weed by the emptiness of the road. He still had quite a long way to travel to reach his house. His eyes stayed focused on the road as he turned on the radio. He could have connected his phone through Bluetooth but he decided to flip through the random radio channels. He was never fond of songs but he did listen to some when he was younger and had interests in things other than work. Now, the only time he listened to music was when he was at a party. Such things stopped interesting him.


    ¡®Ladies and gentlemen heree up with the next song for you..¡¯


    He heard the RJ shouting over the mic before a song came up.


    ¡®Sex¡¯ by The 1975. He was not a fan of the band but he was familiar with some of their songs. As the song went on with him driving his car on the empty road.


    ¡®There¡¯s only minutes before I drop you off


    And all we seem to do is talk about sex¡¯


    He turned the radio off, cutting off the song. Taking another turn to the right he felt the ce was familiar. His muscles tensed. Everything familiar to him¡­ was never good. His speed decreased as he moved on. The enormous wild trees were disappearing and he was weed by some houses on the sides of the road. Just like other areas, it was also awfully quiet and empty. For a moment he thought it was abandoned but he was proved wrong when he saw some clothes hanging on the rope tied to the stand; they looked like they were recently washed. It meant people still lived there. He tried to take his attention off of the ce. He just wanted to get out of here. For whatever reason that was known only to him, he did not want to be there.


    After he drove across a few houses, he abruptly stopped in front of one house. His muscles tensed again as he got out of the car. Approaching the house with an unpleasant curiosity, He knew this ce. He knew this house. A familiar and forgotten feeling entered him and he felt like his whole body was shuddering. He hated feeling weak. He changed his posture back to his usual self and walked towards the house. It was abandoned. At least that was what it seemed like. He pushed open the small wooden gate that was covered in dust and spider web and approached the door of the house. He looked around the house. All he could see was dust and dirt. The faded yellow color of the wood. The door used to be in white and was now a shade of ck and brown. Some of the window sses were broken that were not even fixed. That made sure no one lived there anymore. His hand automatically touched the doorknob and his mind could not help but remember something¡­


    ¡®Throw the ball to us, kid.¡¯ An older kid yelled from the other side of the road. The 6-year-old looked up from his book and nced at them. The boys were around 10 years old and they were shouting at the 6-year-old kid to throw the ball to them thatnded near the door of the younger kid¡¯s house. He slowly got up and ced the book from the ground he was sitting on. He picked up the ball and threw it at them. Unfortunately, his hands were not strong enough to throw the ball in that direction. The 10-year-oldsughed at him and said.


    ¡®Look at that weak scumbag.¡¯ He spat. The 6-year-old did not understand the word ¡®scumbag¡¯ but he knew it was not something pleasant. He said nothing and went back to his ce, to continue reading the book.


    This annoyed the older kids as they threw hateful words at him. His silence was motivating them more. But he remembered what his mother told him. ¡®Never fight anyone.¡¯ He was more than happy to follow his mother¡¯s instructions than to fight with those older kids.


    ¡®Hey you little shit, are you deaf?¡¯ Said one of them.


    ¡®Oh no, he is not deaf. He listened and threw the ball at us. He is just a weak crap who can¡¯t even throw a ball.¡¯ They startedughing.


    Tears filled his eyes but he refused to cry. He watched the boys through his sses, his vision blurred with tears.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡®Aw. Are you gonna cry now?¡¯ They startedughing again.


    The younger kid got up and went inside his house, ignoring the older kids.


    ¡®One day¡­ one day mommy. I will be strong. I will be strong and take you out of here.¡¯


    He jerked back with a low grunting out of his mouth. His hand was no longer touching the doorknob. He could feel himself sweating. He felt if he stood there for another minute he would lose control over himself. Clenching his fists, he turned around to leave the ce. He got inside his car and ran his hand through his smooth perfectly brushed hair. He loosened his tie. He loathed feeling so weak.


    Alexander gritted his teeth together and drove off. Leaving the memories behind once again.


    On the other hand, Emma was at the house, inside her room. She was dismissed by  as she was feeling unwell. For the very first time, Emma did not refuse the offer. She actually wanted some rest. Last night was enough to make her tired. Sheid down on her bed and closed her eyes. Emma wanted to sleep for a while. She had a painful headache. She didn¡¯t mention this to anyone because she did not want to bother  anymore as she was already busy with other maids.


    Her phone rang. She shot her eyes open, flinching a little at the sudden noise. She received the call without looking at the caller ID. Her eyes were closed as one of her hands was resting on her forehead and the other hand holding the phone near her ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡± She said softly.


    ¡°Hey, Emma, what¡¯s up!¡± She heard her cheerful friend on the other side. Emma smiled and got up to sit.


    ¡°Hi, Venessa. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I am good love. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I am fine. I just have a headache so  dismissed me.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Aw, are you okay, hon? Don¡¯t tell me they are making you work all day!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, actually the maids here are really helpful. I was just not feeling well.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay, Emm. I should let you rest then. Oh and before that..¡±


    She frowned. ¡°What is it, Venessa?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Thanksgiving! Well almost.¡± Venessa chirped.


    Oh no I totally forgot about it¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­ y-yes I remember.¡± She stuttered but smiled.


    ¡°Yeah, so it is also us maids¡¯ holiday. The Kings give us the day off to visit our family and celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas with them. What about there?¡±


    Venessa questioned. Emma had no idea about it but deep inside it made her happy¡­ She wished she would get to celebrate this with Caroline too. The thought of going home did make her happy, but she mostly wanted to get away from Emma.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Venessa. I will ask someone and let you know.¡± They caught up for a few more minutes and then hung up.


    Emma thought for a minute. I don¡¯t have anything good to wear on Thanksgiving and Christmas¡­


    She knew it was not about clothes. It was about the moments with your family and friends. But, she just never had the chance to go shopping. She also wanted to buy something for Caroline. She hoped she could.


    But for now, she prayed that she would get out of there, even for a few hours.

 Chapter 37

    Author¡¯s P. O. V


    Alexander walked into his room and shut the door behind him before loosening his tie and sitting on the bed. He took a wine ss from the nightstand and poured a drink for himself. As he brought the ss to his lips to take a sip, his eyes stared into a distance and his mind wandered off elsewhere. Wandering around. Going back to that ce was a mistake, unintentionally or not. Never had he let his past take over him. He loathed it. He gripped the ss firmly. His jaw moved back and forth as he was boiling with anger. With one swift movement, he pulled his hand up in the air and threw the ss on the floor with all his strength. His eyes were locked on the shiny marble floor for a couple of minutes. The ssy shattered on the floor, but his eyes did not move from their stable position. His breathing was not steady as he was filled with rage.


    He stood up and walked towards his walk-in closet; he pushed the pile of his clothes aside, looking for something in the space. His eyes roamed around in there for a while until he spotted the wooden box. He looked at it for a few seconds before picking it up and cing it on a table. He opened the lid of the box, revealing a silver chain with a locket. His eyes peered at the chain as the memories came rushing towards him.


    He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth; he did not want to lose himself, so he slowly closed the lid and ced the box where it was before. He walked out of the closet and saw Emma standing near the door, looking down at her feet. He arched his eyebrows. She knew he hated it when she did not look at him in his eyes, yet she always had the nerve to repeat this mistake. He cleared his throat, letting her know he noticed her. She looked up and her eyes immediately met his. Alexander tried hard to not pin her against the wall and kiss her luscious lips. He controlled himself but it was hard for him to maintain his resolve when he was near her.


    Every time he looked into her green eyes, it was tough to not stare at them for as long as he could. It was as if Emma had hunted him down in cold blood and he was trying his best to hide that.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Emma?¡± he asked in his unusually calm voice. That shocked Emma, she looked at him mildly hiding the surprised look she had on her face. She did not want toe into his room, but when  and the other maids heard something break inside Alexander¡¯s room, she made Emma go and clean whatever mess Alexander had caused. She couldn¡¯t refuse her, although she wanted to. So there she was standing outside his room, hoping to not leave in shame.


    ¡°I-I¡­ E- sent m-me¡­ We he-heard something break here.¡± She stammered gazing at the shattered pieces of the ss. Alexander hummed and responded. ¡°I broke the ss.¡± He said it inly. Emma waited a few seconds for him to exin further, but Alexander instead just stared at her without saying anything. She nodded her head and entered the room to clean up the mess. She picked up the shards carefully so she does not hurt herself but she also wanted to finish up quickly. She wanted to get out of his room as soon as she could. She felt him staring at her, swallowing her fear. She continued with what she was doing and put the pieces inside a small bucket. She then wiped the floor with a wet rag, clearing off the wine stain. She rubbed the rag against the floor ¡¯til it was shiny as before. But that was not her motive; she wanted to distract herself from the intense gazing of Alexander.


    She was feeling anxious. All of a sudden, she stopped rubbing the floor and took a deep breath. She pulled herself back and sat on the floor on her knees again; her eyes were closed. I need to calm down. I need to calm down. She chanted in her mind. Two minutes passed and she was still sitting on the floor. Alexander¡¯s eyes did not leave her once. He saw that she was struggling to control herself. As much as he wanted to go and hold her, he did not want to keep the joy he got from seeing her fear on hold. She was afraid of him. His mere presence scared her. It petrified her. He walked to her, bent down, and touched her shoulder.


    She shuddered at his touch. It was gentle but it scared her. It scared her because she loathed his touch. His touch had hurt her more than she had ever been hurt. It scared her because she knew how every one of his touches ended. It scared her because of how gentle it felt at that time. She did not turn around, did not move a muscle, and did not make a sound. She just let out a small hiss when he gently squeezed her shoulders and helped her stand up.


    She did not understand. Why could she not move? She tried to move her legs, but she did not have enough strength to do that. Her eyes darted to her hands which were pale and soaked in sweat. She let out a shaky breath along with a low whimper. She wanted to move her legs and run away from there!


    What is happening to me?! Why can¡¯t I move? I want to go away from here.


    Her breathing became rapid and heavy. Alexander had no experience with women in an affectionate manner. Without thinking, he pulled her small frame close to him and held her tight, holding the back of her head and pressing it onto his chest. His one hand was wrapped around her waist and another hand was on her head, caressing her. Her body felt warm against his, he could almost feel her breathing on his chest. And once again he felt it. He felt it deeply.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Peace.


    Emma¡¯s P. O. V


    My eyes were closed. I felt my breathing slowly going back to normal. I felt a pair of sturdy arms hugging my body, and my head pressed against something hard. I did not know where I was or who I was being held by, but it felt good. It felt like I was in my desired, reposeful utopia. I slowly opened my eyes which were to be met by ck dots blocking my vision, although they disappeared after a few seconds, and I could see my surroundings.


    I could feel someone¡¯s hands tightly wrapped around me, and their breath on my hair. My eyes widened when I realized what was going on and I immediately pulled myself off of him and crawled away as far as possible. I looked at him with my terrified eyes. He was touching me again!


    How could I be so stupid and let hime close to me?


    I was angry at myself. If I had not lost consciousness, I wouldn¡¯t have been in his arms. His eyes were glued with mine. He remained silent. Surprisingly he did not get mad; he just kept staring at me. His stare¡­ his eyes¡­ they werepletely different than how I¡¯d seen most of the time. His hands did not touch me this time. Instead, he fisted his hands like he was trying hard not to touch me. To say that I felt relieved would be such an understatement. It was more intense than that. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I wasn¡¯t scared. I wanted to get out of there, but I was too scared to move a muscle. I gripped the bedsheets with both my hands, not knowing they were beneath me. I had no clue I was on his bed and he did not get mad about it. He did not mind me sitting on his bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± he said after what felt like ages. How could he expect me to not be scared when he was the one terrifying me like nobody else. His presence was enough to send shivers down my spine. I whimpered and crawled away from him again until my back hit the bedpost. I got even more scared. Scared of what may happen next.


    ¡°I said don¡¯t be scared, Emma,¡± he said again, this time with a slightly colder tone. It did not help me at all; it terrified me even more. I was struggling again. I looked away from him and nced outside the window. It was the perfect view, especially that of the sky. I stared outside, desperate to forget where I was, who I was with. But it was impossible. He sensed my fear and difort, but it was obvious that he did not care.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± he whispered to me.


    His words shocked me. Since the first time I entered this house, he had done nothing but hurt me both physically and emotionally. How could he say that? How could I believe him?


    ¡°Pl-please I want to go,¡± I said. My voice cracked. I held back the sobs that could find their way out at any moment.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked. He was now touching my face. He moved his fingers on the side of my forehead, his fingers touched my dark blocks and he tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear. He kept his hands on the back of my neck and his thumbs caressing my cheek. His soft touch stunned me. What did he want from me?


    His body moved close to mine, invading the space between us; his hands were still on my neck. I jerked up and pushed him away, suddenly got the strength to stand up and walk away from him.


    He did not protest. He did not stand up to stop me. I grabbed the opportunity to pick up the bucket and the rag, and to run out of there. I ran until I reached a small room where all the necessities are stored. I put the rag there and threw the shattered pieces of ss in the basket. Then I ran back to the kitchen and washed my hands. I rested my body on the kitchen counter, cing both of my hands on it. Millions of thoughts were going through my mind.


    Master¡­


    Why was he gentle with me? I did not understand. It did shock me, but I was d he did not force me as he would typically do. It seemed like the more I tried to stay away from him, the more fate bound my path with his.


    *****


    I did not see him for three weeks. This was nothing new, he spent most of his time traveling and being in his office. I heard he was visiting his father¡¯s house for a few days. Well, I can not say it did not make me happy. But, something was bugging me these few weeks. Myst encounter with him. Thest time I saw him. Somehow that encounter had confused me. However, I tried my best to not think about that.


    We were doing all our usual work. Thanksgiving was near so we needed to clean the entire house a week before the big day. Alexa informed me that maids here get a day off during the holidays. I talked to them and asked where they would be going. Most of them said they were going to see their families, but Yuna had nned to visit her boyfriend. I smiled like a fangirl when she was telling me about her longsting rtionship with Jonathan. She told me a bunch of things about them; I found them cute. I mean, who doesn¡¯t want a wholesome rtionship? Yuna and Jonathan were a cute couple.


    It was my turn to clean the library. I walked towards the door and opened it. It was quiet as usual, the woman who was in charge of the library was not there. The library was empty. I let out a tiny grin.


    Finally, I could explore that ce just as much as I wanted to. With that in mind, I started cleaning. Within thirty minutes, I cleaned the shelves and arranged the books that were assigned to me. I couldn¡¯t clean the entire library by myself, so I did as much as I could. How I wish I could read one of the books there! But, I barely have any time. I looked to my right and my master¡¯s desk caught my attention. I was not allowed to clean that. I didn¡¯t know why. But I was pretty curious, as youngsters are. So, I walked to the desk and observed it. It had a mixed color of brown and yellow; it was made of wood. Almost half of the things in that house were made of wood. It had three drawers. I grabbed the handle of the top drawer and pulled it. It did not open.


    It had a lock on it and the key was not there. I tried the second one. it opened but it was empty. Only the third drawer was left, I was having an inner battle with myself on whether I should open it or not.


    My hand reached out to the handle and pulled it open. It was not locked either. The drawer was filled with files and documents and that book. The strange book that Alexa told me not to touch. But why? I knew that it was Master¡¯s, but what did it have in it that nobody could even touch? I picked up the book and ced it on the desk, carefully opening it. The pages were not scattered anymore. They were tied to the book cover. It meant that someone had handled this book before.


    I opened the first page.


    12th March 2008.


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    Who wants to know what is written there?

 Chapter 38

    12th March 2008


    Walking out of the ssroom, he quickly noticed all the eyes on him, staring oddly. He never liked people staring at him. He was at the school for over a year before he was homeschooled. No one ever really bothered him much but he despised the gossip that whirled throughout the campus.


    He opened his locker and put his stuff in there. The hall was crowded, as usual, it was thest period so everyone was waiting for their respective sses. He was not a loner, he just never liked anyone. He liked being alone despite not being in any group of teenagers who consider themselves ¡°best friends¡±. He scoffed at the thought of it. He smelled how fake they were which only further increased his disliking of the people around him. A hand mmed onto his locker and shut it with a loud thud. He looked to his side and saw a person standing beside him, towering over him, even though he was as tall as the jock. He looked like someone who ys basketball or some sport.


    ¡°Oh hey! Isn¡¯t this the loner jerk?¡± said the jock.


    The ¡°loner¡±, as he was called, stayed quiet. He put his backpack on his shoulders and turned around to walk away. But he was immediately grabbed and pulled back by the jock.


    ¡°You don¡¯t walk away from me like that, understand??¡± he gritted out.


    ¡°Hey Jonas, let him go. If the coach sees us we will be in trouble¡±, warned Jonas¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Hold up¡±, Jonas replied and returned his gaze to his victim.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you disrespect me by staying silent you little bastard!¡± he yelled in his face.


    The teenager didn¡¯t respond. He was not struggling, he did not flinch, he did not scream for help, and he did not fight back. He stayed quiet standing on his feet, being held by his bully, Jonas.


    Unable to hold in his anger, Jonas punched him in the face. His head fell back but his body was held down in ce by Jonas. He inhaled deeply, opened his eyes, and stared right into Jonas¡¯s eyes. His gaze was so acute that the guys behind the jock were already backing away from them. His eyes were bloodshot. But this was not enough for Jonas. He proceeded to punch him and kick him in the stomach. Everybody gasped when they heard a cracking sounding from the victim. The jock did not stop, he kept punching and kicking him everywhere until he would let out any sound from him, but he got nothing. His beatings did not stop until the principal arrived.


    ¡°What on earth is going on here!¡± He roared across the hallway and ran towards the boys. Some other teachers also turned up and pulled Jonas off of him. The principal helped the teenager get up. His olive green t-shirt was turned red with blood. There were bloodstains on the floor as well.


    ¡°Get Jonas in my office and call his parents. And someone takes this boy to the nurse¡¯s office!¡± He ordered the teachers. They were finally taken away. But before he went, his eyes met Jonas¡¯s as his lips twitched, showing his smirk.


    ***************


    Emma carefully read every word written there. To say she was confused would be an understatement. She had no idea what she just read. She couldn¡¯t help but think that if that desk and diary belonged to him, then it must have been his piece of writing. She reached the ending of the page, so she turned the page and stumbled across another entry. Before she could even read the first word she heard someone calling her name.


    ¡°Emma! Where are you?¡± She heard  yelling her name. She quickly put the book down inside the drawer and rushed out of the library.


    ¡°Yes, ?¡± she replied.


    ¡°Where have you been? Ruby was looking for you. Go to the kitchen. The girls need you there.¡±


    Emma nodded and hurried herself to the kitchen. All the maids were busy working there and everyone was in a rush.


    ¡°Hey Alexa, why is everyone in such a hurry this evening?¡± She asked. Alexa nced at her in between her work and replied, ¡°Oh hey Emma! Master¡¯s family is visiting tonight, so we are preparing dinner for them. They should be here in less than an hour.¡±


    It had already been nearly three months since Emma had started working at Alexander¡¯s, and this was the first time his family was visiting him throughout her stay. She did not think much about it and got to her work. The list of the food that they needed to prepare before the family arrived was given to them and they were all busypleting their tasks. Emma was not a great cook when it came to anything close to that of an expensive gourmet dish that the wealthy people would order at a restaurant but she got a great deal of help from Martha before. Besides, with assistance from other maids at Alexander¡¯s, she did not have to worry.


    Alexander was not there. He was on his way home. He was told by her mother about the visit that night. Even though he did not like the idea of his father being there, he could not refuse his mother. Also, he did not mind having his siblings in his house every once in a while. He exhaled andid back his head on the car seat, closing his eyes leisurely.


    I¡¯m not going to hurt you.


    Please I want to go.


    His eyes opened suddenly as the memories rushed into his head.


    It was Emma¡¯s. Thest time he saw her was almost a month ago. He never faced her anymore after that incident and he didn¡¯t know why. He never cared about anyone fearing him, he loved the power and he longed for it. He wanted every single person to fear him. But, then why did it bother him if she was afraid of him? Wasn¡¯t that what he wanted? He wanted to break her. He wanted her to submit. But she was a fighter; her eyes said it all. She could have given in to him, like any other woman but she did not. She fought back every time he got close to her. She was not physically strong but it was her will to continue fighting that was on Alexander¡¯s mind.


    He chuckled at the thought.


    My feisty cat.


    After fifteen minutes, he arrived home and went straight to his room. He did not look for Emma, he thought of giving her some more time before he made any other move. She must be ready for what wasing for her next. He was gentle before, but she should know he was not always going to be like that.


    After settling down a bit, he called  and told her to not disturb him until his family arrived. He locked the door of his room and entered the shower. It had been a long and exhausting day for him. Heid back in the warm water in the bathtub and let his body release all the fatigue. He knew that he had to control himself in front of everyone tonight, to not let his urge take over him. He rxed and mentally prepared himself for the events that would soon follow. He got out of the shower and started to get ready. He put on a nice white shirt and a pair of light brown chinos and a pair of leather loafers. He sat on his chair and rested his head, with a ss of wine in his hand.


    Dinner was ready.  and the girls were waiting for the Kings to arrive. The house was cleaned just like Mr. King liked. All their favorite meals were served. They hoped the night would pass along smoothly.


    After a few moments the bell rang, and Yuna, the maid, ran to open the door and let them in. All the members of the King family were there, even Liam. Emma was standing behind everyone so she could not be seen by them. She peeked from behind standing on her toes and saw them going to the living room. She sighed and stood back there.  turned to them and said.


    ¡°Okay girls, dinner will be served exactly at 8 P. M. For now, Ruby, you will bring them the drinks, and Isabe, you will prepare some green tea for Mr. King. And be quick the both of you.¡± They both nodded their heads and got to work.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Soon, Isabe and Ruby went outside with their drink and tea and ced them in front of them on the table. Meanwhile,  went to Alexander¡¯s room to call him.


    ¡°Master, your family is here.¡±


    He opened his eyes and ced the ss on his nightstand and got up from his chair. He opened the door and walked down the stairs. He walked straight to where he thought they would be.


    ¡°Hey, brother!¡± Chirped Sofia. She ran to him and hugged him.


    ¡°Sofia¡±, He replied with no emotion on his face or tone. She pulled back and smiled at him.


    ¡°How have you been? We missed you so much!¡± The other siblings and Mrs. King agreed. Since Alexander left, he barely came to visit them and thest time he was there, he and his father argued.


    ¡°Hey, Alexander¡±, Liam with a grin on his face. Lucas and their father were always lost in their worlds.


    Alexander sat beside his mother and called for .


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°Is dinner ready yet?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Yes, Master. The girls are ready to serve them whenever you would like.¡±


    His heart skipped a beat at her words. Emma will be there too. It had been a long time since hest saw her close. It made him even more excited.


    ¡°We will be at the dinner table in ten minutes.¡±  nodded and walked away.


    Avoiding her was challenging for him, especially the times when she would be working alone somewhere in the house. He did take a nce at her but did not stay any longer than a minute. He had to use all his energy into stopping himself from attempting anything.


    After the ten minutes had passed, the family walked into the dining room and sat down in their chairs. Mrs. King and Sofia were talking about something, Liam joining them in between. Mr. King and Lucas were on about a business topic again andstly, Alexander was sitting in his chair busy with his phone. He had no interest in talking to any of his clients about work or his father who had persistently tried to start a conversation with him. He ignored him with short replies. He was just waiting for her to arrive¡­


    And she did, with a food tray in her hands. She looked down, carefully walking towards where they were.


    There she is!


    His devil whispered. His eyes wandered around all over her small, fragile body to her beautiful eyes. Eyes that could bring any man down to his knees, but those eyes of hers were not allowed to be seen by any other man besides him. Once he would make her his own, he had ns to not let any man look at her or even talk to her. He contemted her, his eyes couldn¡¯t find anything to look at except her. He looked at her as she put the dishes down on the table and served everyone with a warm smile on her face, the strands of her hairing on her face and her hand tucking them back behind her ear. Her dark brown locks were tied up in a bun making her neck and corbone visible. His fist clenched as lust started to take over him. He wished to press her body against the wall and kiss her lips and neck, giving her a mark to let everyone know that she was his.


    ¡°Alexander? What happened?¡± He heard someone ask him. His eyes averted from Emma to his right where his mother and sister were sitting. ¡°What?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°Your hand¡­ your hand was curled up in a fist and your eyes were bloodshot red. Are you okay?¡± Sofia whispered to him. Alexander looked at her before taking a few deep breaths and calming himself down.


    ¡°Yes Sofia, I¡¯m fine.¡± Sofia was suspicious but she knew better than not to question him anymore.


    Emma was done serving the food so she thought of going back to the kitchen and helping the girls there. But, manded her to stay, just in case the Kings need something. Emma was confused because Alexa and Yuna were already there. She didn¡¯t know why  needed her to stay, but she was in no ce to question her orders.


    He thought that she would not know that his eyes were on her all this time, but she did. She could sense it. His terrifying stare was not easy to miss. She stered a smile on her face and acted like she did not notice. The truth was that she did and she hated every moment of it. Despite this, she did not want to give him the satisfaction that he wanted. She was happy that he ignored her for weeks.


    After dinner was done and everyone went back to the living room, the maids were cleaning the table and washing the dishes. Emma gazed at the clock. It was 9 P. M. All her tasks would be over within 30 minutes and then they finally would get to rest. Emma could not be happier; she did want to rest after all. But¡­ her mind went back to the mystery book in the library. She remembered that she could not read itpletely and was cut off from it by . An idea popped into her head.


    When Alexander¡¯s family members go back to their home and everyone goes else to their rooms, she could sneak into the library and read it. But she ought to make sure nobody sees her. She went back to her work.


    On the other hand, all the Kings were continuing their conversations. They were talking about business deals, families, etc. Albeit, Alexander was never the most talkative member of the family and did not have a good rtionship with his father, they stuck together always, like a real family.


    ¡°So, brother when will you go for your business trip to Europe?¡± asked Lucas, finally looking up from his phone.


    ¡°Soon¡±, Alexander replied.


    ¡°Ah, Europe! How much I miss that ce!¡± Breathed out Liam as he recalled his time there. Alexander rolled his eyes at Liam¡¯s dramatic expression.


    ¡°We really should have a family tour to Europe! What do you say, dad?¡± Sofia said grinning at her father.


    Mr. King put his alcohol ss on the table and said. ¡°Well, if Alexander is free to go, I do not have any objection.¡± All eyes were now on Alexander. It had been years since they had gone on a family vacation. Alexander stopped joining them in tours the moment he turned twenty. He did not feel the need to go on tours anymore. He was not the best example of a nerd but he was a bright student and focused all his attention on his studies and work.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. It will only be a few days anyway.¡± Everyone was delighted with his agreement.


    It was half-past nine and everyone had already left.  and the other maids went to their rooms and Alexander went to his. Emmay on the bed waiting for the clock to strike 12, as per her plot everyone would be asleep by then.


    After a few moments, she got up and walked out of her room. She had her phone with her because it was dark outside she needed to use the shlight to avoid stumbling on something. She walked to the library which took her around 7-8 minutes. When she reached there, the door was open and she went inside. She put her phone in the corner of the desk. After that, she pulled out the book and started to read from where she left¡­

 Chapter 39

    the room was epassed by darkness. the room was soundproof; no sound could enter the room from the outside or leave it. it had a few metal tables and a few chairs.


    opening his eyes, the young man could see nothing but darkness floating around him. he was confused as to where he was and afraid of why he could be there. he tried to move his hand but only to find that he was restrained by the rope that was tightly knotted around his wrists. he began to panic and struggled to try and loosen the tight thick rope. his heart began to sink when he realized it was not helping. he was stuck in that dark room. he opened his mouth to scream only to be stopped by the dryness of his throat. he needed water. he started to breathe heavily and his body was shaking with both fear and the coldness of the room.


    ¡°please help me.¡± he whispered more likely to himself. because his voice could not be heard by a single soul. he was thinking about who could do this to him. was he kidnapped? thest thing he remembered was walking back home from school aftercrosse practice. the sun was setting down, revealing a beautiful night sky. he wanted to go home and do his homework before going out with his girlfriend on that blissful night.


    but, someone caught him from behind, knocked him out, and pressed a piece of cloth on his mouth and nose that smelled like it had some chemical substance on it. when he woke up, he realized he was in a room. it felt more like a storage room for him. the odoring from his surrounding was a shred of evidence that it was not a regr room.


    the young man¡¯s eyes were getting heavy, he had a sharp pain in his chest and his head. he just wanted to get out of there.


    all of a sudden, a door opened and finally he could see light after spending hours in the dark. a boy stood near the door. judging his features, he could tell he was a teenager or someone around his age.


    he whispered, ¡°who are you? why am i here?¡± his shaky breaths made it hard for him to speak properly. the boy closed the door and walked toward him before his facial structure could be visible only when he stood 2 feet away from him.


    he did not reply to his victim, instead, he walked over to his right and stood there for a while. the tied young man was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. he whimpered and asked him again.


    ¡°who are you?¡± this time the boy around his age turned and walked toward him again. he felt him pick something from there, he could not see it properly but he did hear a metallic nking from his direction. his whole body was shaking in fear and anxiety. he felt as if he was going to die right there. he felt him standing just right beside him, but he was too scared to tilt his head to see his face.


    ¡°how are you doing jonas?¡± said the boy. the voice was not recognized by the victim.


    seeing the confused look on his face, the capturer chuckled. ¡°i know you are confused. you obviously cannot recognize me. but, i recognize you. very well.¡± the look of confusion did not leave the young boy¡¯s face, so his capturer continued. ¡°how many kids have you bothered in school, jonas?¡± jonas froze and did not reply. could he be someone he bullied? no. how could that be possible? those students were just kids, could not capture somebody and hold them hostage.


    ¡°you are a bad kid, jonas. do you know what happens to the bad kid?¡± jonas only whimpered in response.


    ¡°i would appreciate a response, jonas.¡± unable to let any words out of his mouth, he only nodded his words, symbolically answering his question.


    ¡°good. do you know what is going to happen to you now?¡± jonas shook his head this time.


    the capturer smirked and came close to him, standing under a dim light that came from the ceiling of the room. his face was visible this time.


    jonas¡¯s eyes were wide in surprise and fear.


    ¡°y-you?¡± he muttered. ¡°y-you are th-that kid.¡± his capturer smirked again.


    ¡°yes, this is me. you have bothered me a lot jonas, even though i did not do anything to you. you kept on bothering me every single day. now that was not nice at all. you need to taste the dose of your own medicine, jonas.¡± he said his name with such bitterness in his mouth.


    ¡°p-please, i will never bother you again! let me go! don¡¯t kill me!¡± heughed and looked at jonas.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°i am not going to kill you, jonas. i am going to have a lot of fun with you.¡±


    he chucked when he saw the terrified look on the boy¡¯s face. he looked like he had already peed his pants.


    ing close to his face he whispered. ¡°you have messed with the wrong person, jonas.¡± his smile faded and his eyes darkened like the night sky as he continued.

 Chapter 40

    Emma¡¯s hands were shaking with fear and a few drops of sweat were running down her forehead. She put the book down unable to read any further. Millions of questions were running through her mind. Why were these types of things written in that book? Was it real? Did the boy die? Worst of all, was it her Master who did all this?


    It did not look like a book. The letters were not printed. They were handwritten, meaning that someone had written. But who could this person be? How could they have written such horrible things?


    Hesitantly, she picked up the book again and began to read.


    **********


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me. I will never do this to any kid ever again.¡± Jonas begged but none of his words affect his capturer, who called himself the ¡°devil¡±. That he sure seemed like.


    ¡°I do not like lies, Jonas. The moment I let you out of this basement. You will go to school tomorrow morning and repeat your daily routine. How can I trust you, Jonas?¡± He mockingly asked the kid.


    ¡°Please, believe me.¡± Heughed again and punched Jonas in his face.


    ¡°You little fucker.¡± He punched him again. A crack was heard and blood was pouring out of Jonas¡¯ nose.


    That did not stop him. He punched again and again, making him breathless. Jonas did not get another chance to speak. The punches were so hard and fast. He did not even have the time to take a breath.


    By the time he stopped, the kid¡¯s face was covered in blood. His nose waspletely broken, and his eyes were swollen. How could someone hurt a person so mercilessly? In the capturer¡¯s mind, Jonas was a bad kid. He deserved it.


    After about half an hour, Jonas was lying unconscious on the floor. His capturer untied his ropes and let him free only to get beaten by him again. He did not stop till he lost his consciousness. Jonas was a jock, well built and tall, but something about the capturer was so terrifying, that he could not fight back. He felt helpless and weak.


    While the devil himself was in peace. No one gets away from him after hurting him, that was what he kept yelling all the time as he kept onnding blow after blow.


    He leaned down to his level and held his cor, pulling him close to his face.


    ¡°If you evere close to me, trouble me again, then this will happen again. Take this as a warning. Because next time, you would not just be lying unconscious, Jonas.¡± He said and let go of his cor. He knew Jonas did not hear him. He didn¡¯t have to hear the devil because he knew better than to never bully again.


    The capturer got up and walked to the basement door.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mess with me. You don¡¯t mess with Alexander.¡±


    **********


    She closed the book and put it inside the drawer. Sitting on the table, she began to wonder. Could it be Alexander? Although the guy was not killed, it seemed like Alexander did hurt him. It was terrifying, Emma never liked violence and she had never read any book about violence. But, that book was not just a mere book. Someone had written it- like a diary. She wanted to believe that it was nothing except just a random book, but then again if it was a normal book why was she so attracted to it? What was something so odd about that book? She wanted to continue but then looked at her mobile phone, ncing at the time. It said 1 o¡¯clock. She figured she should not stay any longer because she had to wake up early and start working with other maids in the morning. She got up from the chair and carefully walked out of the library, closing the door behind her. She turned on her shlight from her phone and began to walk to her bedroom. When she finally reached it, she sat on the bed and ced the phone on the stand. Lying in her bed, she began to wonder about all the things she had just read. It was not the end of the book, and she felt the strong urge to read more into it and find out what happened next. She had no clue what she was curious to find out.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard footsteps near her door. Her heart paced up and she quickly covered herself with the bedsheets and pretended to be asleep.


    Who could it be at this hour?


    Emma thought to herself. She heard the cracking sound of her door being opened. She clenched the nket and closed her eyes shut. She had no clue why someone would enter her room at this hour of the night. She heard footstepsing near her bed and her heart dropped. She was sweating, clearly scared of what might happen.


    Her bed felt heavy, someone sat on it, right beside her. She did not dare to move, somehow she had a feeling that she knew who was it. But she refused to move and make a run for the door.


    She felt the person touching her shoulder, and it took her everything to stay still. The touch was gentle. She felt a hand moving up and down on her shoulder, and her breathing hitched. She wanted to move but she didn¡¯t want the person to know she was awake.


    Then she heard whispers. ¡°You belong to me, Emma, only me.¡± Alexander¡¯s voice was hoarse yet calm. It did scare Emma but she was not terrified of it, at that moment. She was scared thinking he had imed her without her consent, and the consequences she could face if she rejects him. She was not terrified because his voice was calm, it held no anger, no vicious intentions, but only an unknown emotion that she couldn¡¯t express in words. Maybe she did not want to know.


    The hand was no more on her shoulder, he was no more sitting on the bed beside her. His footsteps moved out of the room and the door was closed. She sighed in relief and pulled off the nket. She was all alone in the room again. Why was he there in her room? What did he want? She was confused but she thought not to wonder about her Master¡¯s thoughts and intentions for now. She needed to sleep. Shrugging off the thoughts, she went under the covers again and fell asleep.


    The next morning, she was all drowsy. She hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep. She had another bad nightmare¡­ she did not even want to think about it. It was rted to her past life. But it happened after a long time, she was surprised that she did not get as many nightmares since she got the job.


    However, Alexander was sitting at a Mexican restaurant far from his office. His friend Adrian brought him there along with his date. He had told Alexander that he did not want to go alone, so Alexander was there but he was not the type of person to enjoy these things. They had been there for an hour and all those time Adrian was making out with the woman who had not uttered a single word. Three cups of coffee were ced on the table; two hadn¡¯t been touched since they were put there. Alexander was getting annoyed by the minute and he excused himself which he was sure fell on deaf ears. He paid the bill and got up from his seat to walk out of the restaurant. It was a big fancy restaurant and there was a ce to sit and rx and maybe enjoy a decent conversation. He sat there on the couch and took out his phone. He called his client to let him know about the date when he would be going to Japan for his business dealings. He was unsettled by the idea of spending his time in Japan when he wanted to just talk with Emma as he felt that there was a distance between them. He could not stay away from her anymore.


    Getting up from the couch, he walked back in where his friend was enjoying his time with his date, smiling at her. Alexander begrudgingly made his way toward them. Adrian noticed and looked up at him.


    ¡°Hey man. Where have you been?¡± He queried. Alexander ignored his question. ¡°I am going home. I have to arrange some files before I leave for Japan.¡± Adrian nodded his head in agreement and Alexander walked out of the restaurant.


    When he reached home, he went straight to his bedroom, changed into his casual clothes after taking a shower, and told  he would be downstairs to eat dinner. It was the first time in a few months that he had had his dinner downstairs. He walked down the stairs in his casual clothes dark blue t-shirt and grey trousers. Alexander sat on his chair and waited for the food to arrive but his posture did not reveal his true feelings. He was excited to see Emma and get a chance to talk to her. He wanted to hear her voice, he wanted to know how her day was, he wanted to know how she was¡­Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    And all these seemed so new to Alexander; he had never done something like this for anyone before. After a few minutes, the doorbell rang and one of the maids opened it and saw that it was Adrian.


    ¡°Hey, Alexander!¡±


    Alexander looked annoyed at his friend for showing up sote at night. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked in an irritated tone. Adrian grinned and said. ¡°Nothing. I was just passing by so I thought to say hello!¡± He knew that was not the reason why Adrian was there.


    He sighed. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the right one, was she?¡±


    Adrian chuckled and nodded his head. ¡°No she was not,¡± he said.


    Alexander called . She came right away. ¡°Yes, master?¡±


    ¡°Get the guest room ready for Adrian.¡±  nodded her head and walked away. His eyes roamed back to Adrian who was looking down, ashamed that he had shown up like that because of a woman.


    ¡°Thanks, man. You do-¡± Alexander cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. It¡¯s fine. Stay here for tonight.¡± Adrian nodded his head. During the conversation with Adrian, he almost did not notice Emmaing close to the table and putting the dishes on it. His heart skipped a beat and his breath hitched when he noticed her approaching them. There was just something about her that always made his heart pound which he couldn¡¯t get enough of. Her long hair was in a ponytail, and her maid dress befitted her body like a second skin, mimicking her figure.


    Has she gained some weight?


    He asked himself. He pictured her from the day he first saw her; She was so petite and fragile, and now she looked like a grown woman. The thought of her beautiful body hiding under those clothes made his heart filled with desire. It was getting ever more difficult to control the beast inside. Anyhow, he figured he might not have to do that for too long now.


    After he was done with his dinner, all the maids were taking the dishes back to the kitchen and cleaning the table, while Emma was standing there helping the girls when Alexander called for . She rushed there.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving for Japan tomorrow for a week. I don¡¯t want any of the workers to go against any rules, while I¡¯m gone. I will send Liam or Ethan to check here every day. It is your responsibility to make sure¡­¡± His eyes traveled to Emma whose eyes were on Alexander but looked down when he stared at her. ¡°¡­ no workers get out of the house, or take any leave till Ie back.¡± Emma¡¯s heart began to beat faster. She knew he meant her when he said that. He did not want her to get out of the house. She could have visited Caroline while he was gone¡­


    But, he had already warned , and now  would never approve for her to take a leave. However, she was happy that he would be away from her for one more week.


    ¡°Yes, master. No one will leave this house. I assure you.¡± Alexander nodded his head and got up from his seat. Later then, all the maids were done cleaning the table, washing the dishes, and their other tasks in the kitchen. They were all tired and wanted to sleep. It was their bedtime anyway. So, everyone went to their room, as well as Emma. Sheid there for half an hour but she could not sleep, she thought to continue reading the book but she wanted to wait until Alexander¡¯s departure. She sighed and got up, sitting on the bed. She was tired, but her curiosity was too strong to let her sleep; it was frustrating for her. She looked to her right and looked out the window, looking at the moonlight breaking inside the room through the curtains. She walked there and opened the curtains, admiring the full moon in the night sky. It was not cloudy and the sky was sparkling with all the stars in the cosmos. It was a beautiful night, one of the best she had witnessed. She smiled looking at it. The view from downstairs was even more beautiful. She thought to go there as she could not sleep anyway. Emma left her room and went downstairs, standing near the tall ss window, and opened the curtains for herself to look at the night sky. She was right, it looked even better from down there. The moon was lightening up the whole area, breaking through the darkness around there. Her face lit up, she has always loved nature.


    ¡°Enjoying the view?¡±

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Enjoying the view?¡±


    She gasped and looked behind her and saw Alexander standing there with his arms crossed on his chest. He was wearing a grey t-shirt and ck trousers. She immediately looked down, to avoid staring at him. Emma did not want him to think she was gawking at him, even though he looked handsome in his casual clothes with his hair slightly pushed back. She took a deep breath and took a step forward to walk past him. But, he grabbed her hand and stopped her.


    Her heart started to race, but she tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to go, did I?¡± He asked in a low voice. She shook her head and whispered.


    ¡°No, master.¡± He hummed in response and pulled her close to himself, smashing her back to him. His hands were wrapped around her as he rested his chin on her shoulder.


    Her body started to shake, feeling him so close to her. Her soft petite body was pressed onto his rock-hard physique. She wanted to tell him to get away from her since she was deeply unsettled by this.


    She began to squirm to try and get out of his hold but he only tightened his arms around her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He whispered into her ear. She froze in her spot. She felt his lips on her ear, moving his lips there, and trailing them down to her shoulder, leaving soft kisses along the way. She closed her eyes shut hating every second of what was happening, every touch that she could feel of him on her body, and every tingling sensation that was running all over her body. She hated him, so why did she feel like this? After taking a deep breath she finally said.


    ¡°Y-you need to let go of me n-now.¡± She whispered gripping his hands and trying to pry them off of her body. Alexander, on the other hand, was enjoying the smooth skin on his lips. He loved how he could make her tremble in fear, he loved how every time he would leave a kiss, her body shook with excitement. An excitement that she was not aware of. He smirked in victory when those words came out of her mouth, sounding so vulnerable.


    Who am I kidding? She is always vulnerable.


    His inner voice said to him. He chuckled and let go of her and stood in front of her. He knew she would not run off because she was aware of the consequences. His eyes met with the moonlight that broke through the glossy windows. He stared at the moon for a few minutes then looked back at Emma. Her eyes were still looking down at her feet, they would asionally ze at the moon and went at her feet.


    You are not any less beautiful than this moon, butterfly.


    Emma¡¯s breathing came to a stop when she heard him saying those words. She stood there nervous and hesitant. Alexander judged her actions.


    Did he say that too loud?


    He chucked at his thought.


    Yes, he did say that. And he did not regret it. He could not help it. She was the most beautiful girl he had everid his eyes on. His face twitched, showing that he was hiding a smile. He did not realize that he had begun to smile often nowadays.


    But it soon disappeared, recing his charming smile with nothing but a cold and unforgiving expression, recing the bloom of his eyes with dullness. The thought of someone else seeing her the way he saw her was unbearable to him. His fists were clenched together and his nails were digging into his palm, making them turn white.


    He made sure Emma does not see this as he did not want to scare her aware. He was finally close to her after so long, he had no wish to ruin it. He turned to her again and noticed her uneasiness, she nced at the sky sometimes, trying to admire the sight. But, it did not seem possible as he was standing right beside her, her tormentor.


    ¡°Darkness finally arrived, fighting the light of the day and wrapping itself around the world.¡± His voice startled Emma and she listened to his words carefully and responded with a low voice.


    ¡°But, the light fights the darkness all night, making the sun victoriously rise again.¡± Alexander chuckled. She never failed to amuse him.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    He spoke again. ¡°Do you think there is an exnation for the darkness?¡± Emma nodded her head. ¡°Of course, there is, Master. There is an exnation of everything.¡± She replied, not knowing why he would ask such a question.


    He hummed. After a few seconds pause, he said, ¡°Tell me. How do you define it?¡± Emma thought for a moment and looked up at him with her glossy green eyes and replied. ¡°The absence of light.¡± She was confident.


    He smiled slightly looking at the moon and tilted his head to her. ¡°Precisely.¡± He said slightly smiling at her and walking back before turning around and leaving her in confusion. Once again.


    What is it with him being so mysterious?


    Emma whispered to herself. However, although she was surprised by his gentleness towards her, it made her worried as well. However, she left the living room and started walking back to her room;ying on the bed, she fell asleep. The next morning, everything went smoothly. Early in the morning, Alexander had left for his business trip not before ncing at Emma for the millionth time. Sometimes he would catch her staring back at him and quickly shifting her eyes elsewhere, which made him smirk every time.


    He hated that he would be gone for a whole week. Oh, how pleasant were thoughts that he was having while being close to Emma! Now he could not because of the darn business deal in Japan. His teeth clenched together as he closed his eyes and rested his head on the seat of his private jet. Only a few of his office employees were apanying him. It was a long journey, he was well aware of it, and he would be a long time over there in Japan. Although he warned  to not let any of the maids out of the house, he was worried about Emma. What if something happens while he was not there?


    Alexander did inform Ethan and Liam to check on his house every day, but¡­ remembered how angry he had got when he saw any of them talking to her. He hated it. However, after a few hours of flight, he reached his destination. After getting out of the ne, his luggage was taken by the car driver who was already waiting for him there. He got in and after 20 minutes which went by like 5, he reached the hotel room he would be staying at. He thought to rest for half an hour or so before leaving for his meeting.

 Chapter 42

    2nd January 1998.


    He was sitting on his bed with the yellow RC toy car that he received as a gift by his side. Children his age love toys like that and would y with their RC cars and helicopters all day long. But he was not like the other kids. He never felt the need or want for toys or stuffed animals. The toy car that was beside him was still inside the cardboard toy box it came in. He didn¡¯t even open it. His eyes were locked on the marble mosaic floor, but his mind was elsewhere. But where? What could an eight-year-old child possibly be thinking about so intensely?


    Arabelle walked inside the little boy¡¯s room with a big smile on her face, but it faded away when she noticed his gloomy mood and nced at the toy that was untouched.


    She hesitantly walked in and sat next to him. He was so upied with his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice her entering the room. She put her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Are you okay sweetie?¡± she asked gently. The little boy came back to reality as he heard her soft voice. He tilted his head up and looked at her. She smiled gently when their eyes met. He could not understand the sparkle that Arabelle had in her eyes. She was a beautiful young woman with bright grey eyes and light brown hair. Her skin was neither too pale nor too dark. It was a gentle sun-kissedplexity.


    He didn¡¯t answer the question. He just kept staring at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like the toy, honey? Do you want me to get you something else?¡± She didn¡¯t receive any response. He didn¡¯t nod his head or show a gesture to express his satisfaction or dissatisfaction. She stared at him with adoration in her eyes. She thought to herself that he might take a little more time to adjust. She left out a sigh.


    ¡°How about you and I go shopping? We can buy anything you like! It will be really fun, just the two of us.¡± With that Arabelle got up from the bed and started to walk out of the room when she heard him speak.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go anywhere,¡± he whispered in his sweet angelic voice. She turned around to him and asked, ¡°Why not, sweetie?¡± He looked down again.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to leave my little brother.¡±


    Arabelle felt sorry for him. She thought to herself: ¡°He must love his younger brother a lot. Most kids his age don¡¯t even know what love is until they grow a little older. She smiled again and said, ¡°Then we can take him as well.¡± She left the room but not before telling him to get ready.


    After reaching the mall, Arabelle told the boy to pick whatever he liked. His little brother was with them too,ying quietly in the walker, sometimes passing heartwarming smiles to the people who walked past them making them smile too. He was a happy baby. In the meantime, after Arabelle¡¯s millionth request he went inside a toy shop, but primarily for his little brother. He picked up a bag of Hotwheels.


    ¡°Li would love this¡­¡±


    He thought to himself. Arabelle walked to him and asked, ¡°Found anything?¡± He nced at her with his innocent eyes and nodded his head, extending the bag to her. Arabelle smiled in victory and took the toy bag from him. She was d that he at least bought something from there. She never expected this kid to even speak to her¡­ no one would expect him to say anything anyway knowing everything he had been through. She went to the cashier and paid for the toy, and turned to the boy.


    ¡°Are you sure that is all you want? You can look at other toys too. How about this robot?¡± Arabelle pointed at the 1 feet tall robot held up against the wall. He was never a fan of robots, instead, he loved to y with normal toys like cars. He shook his head ¡°No.¡± Arabelle did not insist much. She wanted the kids to feelfortable around her, she wanted to take care of them. It was strange for her as well, at her young age she never liked kids, but now at the age of twenty-eight, she was so fond of kids. Arabelle chuckled at her thoughts. But, the smile was immediately wiped away from her face when she heard noisesing from out of the shop. She looked beside her and saw that the boy was gone. Her heart raced as if she had seen a ghost when her eyesnded outside the shop.


    The kid was holding his baby brother tightly in his arms and shouting and yelling at someone.


    ¡°Stop! Go away! Get away from us. I will not let you take him!¡±


    Arabelle immediately rushed to him. Themotion grabbed the attention of a lot of people nearby. There were two people in front of him.


    ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± She leaned forward to him and gently put her hands on his shoulder to calm him down. But, he persistently yelled at random people around him, making the baby in his arms burst into tears.


    His brother was fine and protected by the guards of Arabelle. Two of the passerby who seemed to be a couple were so mesmerized by the baby¡¯s innocent face and mischievous smile that they picked him up to coo him. But, his elder brother had misunderstood it. He was scared they were trying to take his little brother away from him, so he ran to them and thrashed and thrashed until they put the baby back in the walker. No guard could stop the child from his deranged behavior. He just held him close not wanting to let go. People were slowly leaving the area when they noticed Arabelle with them.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Honey, no one is going to take your brother. Look he is safe with you. Please put him down.¡± He violently shook his head.


    ¡°N-no they will take him away!¡±


    ¡°Please sweetie, you are hurting your little brother. I promise we will go home now and you can keep him to yourself all night.¡± This seemed to calm him down because he did not have any chance to keep his brother to him. After all, Arabelle told him his baby brother needed special rest¡­


    After a few seconds, he put his brother back in the walker. Arabelle sighed in relief. She was worried he would not listen to her. But her gentleness and polite behavior once again won against his stubbornness.


    After they reached home, as Arabelle promised, she let the two brothers stay together in the elder one¡¯s room. She could not help but stare at them.


    ¡°How could this rtionship get any better,¡± She thought both of them were lucky to have each other.


    When they reached home, it was almost dinner time. The kid refused to go downstairs, saying he was not hungry. So there she was, standing outside his room with a tray full of food. She was hesitant, she did not know what he liked so she made different types of food that children would love to eat. The tray had chicken sandwiches, freshly cut strawberries, and blueberries, cheese strings, and an omelet, with a ss of milk aside. She knocked on the door thrice but since no one answered, she weed herself into the room and found that the little brother was already sleeping and the elder one was sitting on his bed facing the balcony. She went to him and sat beside him putting the tray on the bedstand.


    ¡°You need to eat something honey.¡± She patted his head.


    ¡°I am not hungry¡­¡± he whispered.


    Arabelle replied. ¡°Please baby, you need to eat a little¡­ you cannot get sick. Who will take care of Li if you¡¯re sick?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything. His heart was heavy. For a child of his age, he had, indeed, faced many things that would break any adult emotionally. He was only a child, after all¡­


    His eyes began to water, no sound came from him as he silently let the tears fall¡­


    Arabelle could not stop herself from feeling the pain the boy was going through. She pulled him to herself and caressed his hair.


    ¡°You can fight this, Carlos.¡±


    ***********************************


    Confusion was all Emma felt. It was her master, Alexander. That was his name, Carlos. No one called him by that name except for her mother. But she rarely heard Mrs. King calling him by that. Everyone knew him by the name of Alexander. She could not me the people for calling him that. He was a devil.


    It had been a whole day since Alexander left for his business trip. She managed to sneak out of her room and made it to the library. The gigantic library room was quiet as usual. She was sitting in the chat beside that table, darkness surrounded her like a thick ck coat. Only a small candle was there to surpass the darkness and give her a little light, but enough to read the book. It was not hard for her to get there in the library, since she did not have to worry seen by Alexander.


    Her thoughts drove back to the book in her hand, which was more like a journal or diary. The book was closed, and the brown thick cover was in the view. The bizarre book cover she had ever seen. The thoughts swam to the contexts she just read. It was indeed about her master. But, was it just a story? Or was it real and not just mere imaginary writing?


    What life he had before this one?


    She thought to herself. Who was Arabelle? That name did not sound familiar to her. She never heard anyone say this name. She remembered another name that was mentioned.


    Li


    Who was it? Li¡­ as far as she could think of there was no one by that name either. She had been working for the Kings for more than six months now, if there were people who go by the name of Arabelle and Li, she would have known. Maybe that book¡­ maybe it was not what she was thinking. Maybe it was just an imaginary story. Someone must have written it¡­ but who?


    Could it be¡­ could it be master Liam?!


    Her curiousness was growing as every minute passed. She wished she could ask someone. However, she made her steps back to her bedroom and fell asleep.


    Morning came by sooner than before, maybe because she had a long night. She swung her legs over the bed before standing and making her way out of the room. After breakfast, the maids did their usual jobs, washing, cleaning, gardening, etc. They did not have to clean Alexander¡¯s room since he was not home. He preferred his room to be locked while he was away.


    Emma was cleaning the living room along with other maids when the familiar voice made her turn around.


    was the one who opened the door and let Ethane inside. They both talked for a little time.


    must be close to the Kings¡­


    She thought.


    ¡°Hey !¡± Ethan said in his regr cheerful voice.


    ¡°Good afternoon, master Ethan. How are you today?¡± She replied.


    ¡°I am good. Alexander sent me here to look after the house while he is away¡­ although I thought it was not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he went outside the country for a few days. Before he departed he told us about the arrival of yours or master Liam.¡± Ethan nodded his head.


    ¡°I am not sure if Liam cane. That is why I am here.¡±


    After their little conversation,  offered him to stay for lunch and evening tea and he dly took the offer. Emma was still dusting the couches and tables. Her eyes averted again to Ethan, he was sitting in the dining table chair and talking with  who was standing beside him. He did not notice she was there right behind him.


    Does he know I work here?


    She thought. Howe he did not notice her. She was sure Ethan was aware of her working there.


    He must have forgotten¡­


    She did not worry her mind that much because she was just a maid there, she could not be expecting his master¡¯s cousin to be friendly with her. Now that she did not even work for Mr. King anymore, he could not see her. So in her mind, it was obvious if he had forgotten about her.


    However, she got up to put the dirty rug back in the cleaning room with other supplies. She liked how both of the houses had a separate cleaning supplies room, it contained every necessary thing. Every maid was strictly told to put all the used rugs and buckets inside that room so that they do not lose anything.


    Making her way back to the kitchen she witnessed Yuna standing inside the kitchen but her head was peeked out of the huge kitchen door. It looked like she was looking at somebody. Emma¡¯s view followed Yuna¡¯s eyes and she assumed Yuna was looking in the direction where  and Ethan were. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and poked Yuna¡¯s arm. It did not gain her attention.


    What this girl is looking at precisely?


    She poked again, but harder now. Thankfully that gained Yuna¡¯s attention and she had a horrified look on her face that made Emma even more confused.


    ¡°Oh god! Emma, you scared me!¡± She whispers yelled. Emma could not hide the small smile that formed on her face. Yuna looked ridiculously funny.


    ¡°I was calling your name, you did not respond but only stared in one particr direction. What were you staring at?¡± She questioned.


    A big smile came across Yuna¡¯s face as she chirped like a schoolgirl and held Emma¡¯s both hands in a tight grip.


    ¡°Oh god Emma, just look at master¡¯s cousin¡­ he is so handsome!¡± Emma sighed and slightly rolled her eyes.


    Howe I didn¡¯t see thating?


    ¡°Yuna¡­ this is master¡¯s cousin. If he finds out you think like this about him, he might get mad¡­¡± This time Yuna rolled her eyes at Emma.


    ¡°Come on Emma, it is not like anyone is going to find out¡­ unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡±


    Yuna bit her bottom lip and replied. ¡°Unless you tell anyone.¡± Emma smiled and shook her head which made Yuna jump and hugs her. Emma was not the type of girl who loved gossiping about other girls¡¯ crushes or love life. She had seen and heard many people doing it. But, she always thought it was better for someone to give others their private space. Besides who she was gonna tell that would get Yuna in the trouble Alexander? There was no way she was ever talking to him.


    They both went inside the kitchen and after a few minutes,  came in.


    ¡°Girls, please get master Ethan his lunch. After that, you all can eat too. Be hurry.¡± The other girls were back in the kitchen as well. The lunch was already cooked by Alexa and Isabe. It was time to serve the food. They all spent another twenty minutes checking everything, after that, it was finally time to serve the food.


    As usual, the girls were taking the tray of food towards the dining table and cing them there. Emm6 observed Ethan was talking to someone on his phone still unaware of the people around him. She bit his lip and thought.


    He really has forgotten me¡­


    She could not be upset about it. They did not talk for months. She shifted her eyes from him to back to her feet. Everything was ced on the table.


    She never had a true friend in her own life. But, she was thankful she had Vanessa and she made some amazing friends in Alexander¡¯s house too. The girls were helpful and friendly.


    The day ended and it was finally their time to have some proper rest after working all day long. Before going to bed,  told the girls to get the guest room ready for Ethan so that he could be cozy after getting home. He was checking if everything in the house was urate, including the electricity bill, and other daily expenses. Alexander was not the one looking after these before, he had his men doing that for him. But, in his absence, he did not want any unknown men toe into his house. All the guards were out of the house till he returned. Ethan was at least his family, he could be trusted.


    However,  informed them he might returnte at night. The maids put on new white bedsheets with light cream-colored pillowcases. The room was dusted and cleaned properly, all the necessary things were ced on the table. They only hoped Ethan would have noints staying the night there. By the time, everything was done, the girls were extremely tired. Emma could not hold up with the horrible shoes anymore, she wanted to get in her sweatpants and tank top and put on some slippers. Her wish came into reality when it was finally their time for returning to their bedrooms. She quickly got inside and rushed to the bathroom. She could not wait to take a warm shower.


    After she was done showering, she wore what she has nned to wear. A red and ck tank top with white sweatpants and white slippers. She dried her hair a few more times with the towel before brushing it slightly and letting it fall on her back. Emma always loved long hair and she was d her hair was reaching her waist already!


    She sat on her bed and rested her head a little, turning off the lights. When the clock struck 1, her eyes opened and she picked up her phone and got out of the room


    quietly.


    Time to read the next page.

 Chapter 43

    21st June 1998


    It had been six months since the boys were with Arabelle. She was taking good care of them, feeding them on time, buying them new clothes and toys. The most cheerful between them was the precious Li. He would always smile every time he would see Arabelle. It filled her heart with extreme joy. She loved him dearly, in fact, she loved both of them dearly. Li¡¯s older brother was the quiet one, he did not speak much to anyone in the house, not even to Arabelle unless she spoke first. Now, Arabelle and the two kids were sitting on the couch of the two kids¡¯ bedroom, ying with Li. She peeked over her shoulder and saw the older kid sitting on his bed, staring outside the window. It was almost like he was staring at nothingness. His eyes were always so nk, it was hard to read what was in his eyes. At this age, he was supposed to be cheerful and full of life, not scared and distressed. But, it was not frighting that he felt. It was something else, something Arabelle could notprehend. She put the one-year-old boy back on the mattress with his toys scattered all over the floor and walked up to him. She sat beside him not removing her gaze from him. His posture did not change whatsoever. He was wearing a light blue and white stripes shirt and white pants, his fascinating orbs were glued to somewhere in the distance. Arabelle smiled, he was indeed a beautiful child and he contacted the principal of his old school, the principal imed he was a bright boy for his age. The teachers praised him. She also found out that the other kids were not the nicest with him. Arabelle felt pity for the young boy. No one deserved to be bullied.


    ¡°Are you okay, honey?¡± She gently asked him. He only nodded his head as a response. She smiled at him.


    ¡°We should go out for lunch. What do you think?¡± He did not respond. He did not know what to say. He looked behind and found his younger brother ying with the legos. Everything he had done or agreed to do was only for Li.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He finally spoke up. Arabelle¡¯s smile widened, she was surprised to hear him talk but also happy at the same time. ¡°Great! Why don¡¯t you get ready? I will take out your clothes and I will send someone to get Li ready too.¡± She got up but was stopped by him. He was holding her hand.


    ¡°I want to get Li ready.¡± He said.


    Arabelle happily nodded her head. She could have agreed to anything he asked for if that meant he would befortable with her. She took both of the kids to McDonald¡¯s for a Happy meal. Who wouldn¡¯t like a happy meal? It was famous amongst kids. She ordered their food. At that time, McDonald¡¯s was always full of kids and joy. She ordered a big mac for herself and after they were done, she took them back home. Arabelle asked Carlos if he wanted to y in the park, he replied in his usual tone ¡®no¡¯. She thought if she could send Carlos home and take his younger brother to the park, she knew the cheerful Li would love to be there. But, then she thought Li¡¯s elder brother would not want to leave him. She took them home regardless. She had been trying to get more close to the kids, especially Carlos so that he could talk to her anytime about anything.


    After getting inside, she put her purse on the sofa and sat down.


    ¡°Tired already?¡± Arabelle¡¯s hand was on her forehead, slightly massaging her temples with her fingertips. ¡°No, just having a little headache.¡± She replied while her eyes were closed. She did not get enough sleep. She has been tensed since she got the boys with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been only a few days and you are tired, how will you continue this for years?¡± Her husband questioned her in a mocking tone. She rolled her eyes. He had always been the kind of person who would doubt other people¡¯s capabilities, and she had no energy left to deal with him now.


    ¡°Honey, I dealt with you for ten years, what makes you think I am tired because of my decision?¡± She said with a sly smirk on her face.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I got him good.


    He put down the newspaper he was reading back on the table. ¡°I was not saying this to offend you. As you know, I wanted this too.¡±


    Only for your selfish reasons.


    ¡°I am going to get some rest. Call me if you need anything.¡± Arabelle got up from her seat and was making her way upstairs.


    ¡°Before you go, can you bring the boys down?¡± She frowned.


    Why does he want them down?


    She did not bother questioning her husband, she just nodded her head and walked upstairs to bring them down. She called for a maid to get Li.


    After all of them were downstairs, her husband was sitting on the sofa with the same newspaper in his hand, eyes focused on the paper he was reading. ¡°Sit down.¡± Hemanded. The kids were a little disturbed at the tone he used. Carlos looked at Arabelle in hesitation, she passed a charming smile that said everything was okay and he should not be worried about anything. She wanted him to know she was always there for him and his little brother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t defy me, child. I said sit down. Don¡¯t be nervous. I don¡¯t like when people are petty.¡± He hesitantly took a seat on the sofa that was in front of him. His hands were resting on hisp, eyes were fixated on the ground on a particr ce, he felt like he was there but his attention was not.


    Arabelle¡¯s husband looked at the maid and gestured her to leave them alone. The maid immediately left with the young child in her arms. Once everything was as per his favor, he spoke up. ¡°How have you been, kid?¡±


    Carlos was having a hard time answering his question, but his conscience said that he must answer him. ¡°I-I am go-good.¡±


    He cleared his throat and said. ¡°You must look at me when you are talking to me, eye-to-eye kid, always look into my eyes. And you must never stutter, only weak people stutter. Are you weak?¡± His question confused the young boy. What was he supposed to answer?


    ¡°I would appreciate an answer, child.¡± He gritted. He was never a man of patience. Knowing how hard her husband could get, she tried to stop him.


    ¡°You are scaring him, honey. What kind of questions are you asking a five-year-old child?¡±


    She was getting angry at her husband. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing Arabelle.¡±


    ¡°Look at me.¡± This time Carlos connected his eyes with the man in front of him. The man he had known only for a few months, the man who let him and his brother stay with them, and that same man was standing in front of him, all in glory and pride.


    ¡°Good boy. Always obey me and I will teach you everything.¡± Arabelle was worried, she knew her husband¡¯s personality and about teaching the child, she figured out how it was going to be.


    ¡°Wee to the family, always remember where you belong.¡± He was facing his back to the five-year-old. Turning around, he continued.


    ¡°You are the heir of this family, the eldest heir of King, the son of Xander King¡¯s.¡± He stated with nothing but boldness in his eyes.


    ¡°Always remember who you are from now.


    Alexander King.¡±


    And that was how the devil was entitled.

 Chapter 44

    1st October 2003


    ¡°Good job Alexander. Keep it up.¡± His karate instructor said as he was handed the belt. At the young age of 10, he was the champion of Karate. He began going to a different institution for karate since his foster father decided that he need to be strong both mentally and physically. He had a tutor for each subject, Xander King wanted his foster son to be the best. Carlos, who was known as Alexander by then, only got few hours off from his busy schedule.


    He was sitting in the car, with his foster father beside him. Arabelle had to run some errands so she could not join them.


    ¡°Well done, son.¡± Xander congratted him. He did not reply, only looked at him and nodded his head. He was never a talkative person, neither was he a fan of Xander. He was way too hard on Alexander.


    When Arabelle found the two kids near the orphanage gate, she had a tint of emotion in her heart. She and Xander have been trying for ten years to have a child, but because of her medical conditions, they could not. She had always loved children and wanted to have her own, it was a hard decision she made, she finally gave adoption a thought. She took the kids home and it had been five years since they were with Arabelle and Xander. She intended to have children, she knew that Xander would love them too but his main motive was to have an heir of his own, someone who was like him, someone who could be like him. He wanted Alexander to be just like him.


    However, after reaching their home Xander told Alexander to not bete for lunch. He took a shower and wore the clothes that Xander wanted him to wear. It was indeed bizarre. Xander was in control of everything, even the fashion of clothes Alexander would wear was chosen by Xander. He hated it but never protested.


    ¡°Alexander! Alexander!¡± His six-year-old brother ran inside the room and hugged his waist. Alexander smiled at his younger brother and ruffled his hair.


    ¡°How are you, Li?¡± He questioned. He had been so busy with his studies and karate practice, he had no time for his brother.


    The six-year-old pulled on the white little stick, tugged out the candy from his mouth to respond to his brother. ¡°I am good Alexander, but I missed you so much.¡± His tiny hands were wrapped around Alexander¡¯s torso as he hugged his older brother.


    ¡°I promise to be with you more, Li. Don¡¯t be sad about it.¡± He softly said to his brother. However, the two of them went downstairs for lunch, he was only five minuteste to the lunch table. He helped his younger brother sit on his and pulled on the chair for himself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a littlete for lunch, son?¡± Alexander¡¯s body froze on the spot, he suspected something like that would happen. He nodded his head and said yes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know I don¡¯t like people who arete?¡± He once again nodded his hand at his foster father¡¯s words. He said nothing. Meanwhile, Arabelle entered the dining room with their food. She insisted that she would prepare the meal for the kids. They both loved her cooking. She ced their meal on the table and was serving them both.


    She prepared her special steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed mushrooms, Li liked it with extra gravy, so she always prepared tons of gravy for him and steamed carrots for Alexander, this was not his choice rather the choice of his foster father.


    ¡°Don¡¯t need to serve the steak to him.¡± Xander stopped his wife when she was putting the steak on Alexander¡¯s te. His throat began to feel dry and the same fear rushed into his body.


    He was going to do that again. Starve him.


    ¡°What do you mean, honey? Kid¡¯s hungry, he had a long day today.¡± Arabelle protested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t question me, Arabelle. Do what I said.¡± His cold hard tone sent shivers down their spine. No one had the nerve to argue with Xander King.


    Arabelle put down the dish te back on the table and picked up the te of the vegetables and sd that her husband used to eat every day. She served her foster son the same food she had to serve to her husband for years. After she was done she quietly sat on her chair with hundreds of rocks in her heart. She was holding back a lot. There were lots of times she wanted to go against her husband, but something in her stopped her always.


    Alexander on the other hand was holding a knife and fork in his hands and pricked his carrots before putting them in his mouth, chewing on them. The sound of his chewing was like poison in his ears. He was just a young kid after all. Alexander¡¯s grasp on the fork was getting tighter, he felt many emotions he could notprehend. But, he knew the emotion was he felt more was anger, which was the starting of the main disaster.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± An unforeseen loud voice made Emma flinch and hurriedly keep the book inside the drawer. She stepped back from the table, so that whoever was there would not suspect her going near to Alexander¡¯s belongings. It was dark and she turned off the shlight from her phone, all the windows were closed, she was standing in the tenebrosity around her. She was wearing her navy blue half-sleeved top with ck leggings, she did not bring any jacket with her and it was a cold night. The icy cold winding from where the door was opened sent shivers down her spine. She, unknowingly muffled herself with her small cold hands, hoping it would help her body warming up.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    The footsteps of the person wereing closer and nearer to where she was standing. She gulped, she was too afraid to answer, she feared that she would be punished for being in the library at that hour. For that she thought she could tell she wanted to read a book, but why would anybody listen to her excuse? She was a mere maid. She would be chastised either way.


    Out of the blue, Emma were squinted and she covered her eyes with the back of her hand as the strong light from the torch hit her face.


    ¡°Oh my god! Emma! Never do that again.¡± She put her hands down to see Ethan standing a foot away from her. What made her more scared was the gun that he was holding in his hand. She took few more steps back and stared at the gun. She was terrified and confused.


    Why does he have a gun?


    Most importantly, why did he bring the gun to the library? She heard rich people carrying guns from the gossips of the other maids in the house, but he had no reason to carry them there. Her questions came to an end when Ethan spoke up.


    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t be scared. I brought the gun because I thought there was a thief or robber in the house¡­¡± He exined to her. She breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What are you doing here at this hour?¡± He questioned. The words got stuck in her throat when she felt uneasiness all over her body. What could she say? That she was secretly reading a diary-like book of her master? That was thest thing she ever nned to tell anyone.


    ¡°I-uh.¡± She was struggling to answer his question. ¡°Were you reading?¡± He suddenly asked. His eyebrows were arched and it was as if that was what he thought she was doing and was sure of. She gently nodded her head and looked down. She hated lying. But she had no other choice. She could not be punished, especially by the devil himself.


    Heughed at her embarrassed face. ¡°There is no need to be shy, Emma. You cane here anytime you want. But, why did youe at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Be-because we are n-not allowed to be here at the day t-time while working and I don¡¯t have any free time to read b-books.¡± To her the response did not make sense at all but looking at Ethan¡¯s face, she knew he believed it. He shook his head up and down slightly and hummed in response.


    ¡°W-why are you here? I-I mean aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± She questioned politely.


    He took a seat on one of the chairs that were situated around the library. He offered her to do the same and she obeyed. ¡°I cannot sleep at night usually, that¡¯s why I was downstairs getting myself something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She replied. ¡°D-do you want me to make you something to eat?¡± She offered. It was her job anyway, even if it was 2 a. m. He dly epted her offer and escorted her to the kitchen. Emma looked at the fridge to see if there was any grocery left and thankfully she found some chicken slices and vegetables. She asked Ethan if he would like sd and he said yes.


    She was cutting the fresh vegetables while Ethan talked to her, he was sitting on the chair behind her and watched her cook for him. She was so beautiful, even in her normal clothes she looked stunning. Her face would slightly light up every time she would smile at his jokes orments, and the tint of blush that touches her cheekbones made her look even more beautiful.


    Ethan decided to help her prepare the sd, the book was done cutting the vegetables and were cooking the chicken pieces. He made her smile andugh, something she had forgotten to do. It was rare for her to smile like this, but she agreed Ethan was a funny man. After the sd was prepared, she took out a nice white te with a floral pattern around it and ced it on the table with a fork and knife. She served him the sd along with the chicken pieces and a ss of orange juice on the side. That pretty much shocked her, because she had only seen her master drinking either wine or just in water primarily. However, she made it enough so Ethan offered her to eat with him.


    ¡°N-no si- I mean Ethan. I am not hungry.¡±


    ¡°I insist Emma, look we made enough sd,e on please.¡± She gave in to his request. He had the talent of persuading somebody with his adorable puppy blue eyes. She smiled gently and sat on the chair in front of him. They both talked and ate together. Like old friends.


    Friends.


    Emma was getting the wisdom of having friends.

 Chapter 45

    The floor smells nice. Faintly woody. Guess most people don¡¯t have a reason to sniff it. A foot to the neck is plenty of reason. Of course, I kicked at the other leg, and of course, its owner falls, but heavy blows as swift and plentiful as the shooting stars were supposed to best night remind me it was not a fair fight. The explosions of pain forced me into a fetal position, for what little sce it provides me. Couldn¡¯t smell the floor anymore, only taste blood.


    By the time they left, I got barely stood up on my own. My hand mmed on the wall beside me, on which my backside was smashed before the beatings I got. My hands were all bloody and I noticed a bloody handprint on the same wall. I was having trouble breathing, my bag was lying on the floor, and it looked more peaceful than I ever was. The moment I fully tried to stand up, my legs gave up on me, making me fall back to the ground. It was around 4 p. m., the basketball field was always empty at that time, the reason why no one was around and the reason why the jocks easily beat me up. I touched my forehead and felt something wet on it, I brought my hand down closer to my view and saw blood, a lot of blood. It must have cut badly when they stroke me on the face with apass. Should I be thankful it did not touch my eyes? Or should I be thankful I was not stabbed in my throat with the sharp tip of thepass?


    I did not know. My brain could notprehend so much as it could only focus on the sharp pain that I felt all over my body. I tried to distract my mind, distract myself enough to regain the strength to get up and walk to my home. I know I should have thought about going to the hospital but I did not want to. I wanted to go home, lie on my bed, and sleep.


    My mother would be worried if she saw me like that, so I decided to go homete when she would be out of the house. She had an important event to participate in, and the starting time of it was 6 o¡¯clock. I chuckled to myself as I figured out, that I needed to wait there a few more hours till I could go back home. I got out my phone and texted my mother that I would be staying at the school to study for the test I had next week. She replied to me with an ¡°okay¡± and several ¡®heart¡¯ emojis beside it. The next text I got from her was her telling me to be safe. I chuckled darkly if only she knew how safe I was. But I was not going to tell her, I did not want to worry her. I wondered if my father would feel the same about me, or would he tell me to get the fUCK up and fight back?


    My vote goes to the second one, from my childhood that was all I heard from him. He never wanted me to be weak in front of others, I still remember his words.


    ¡°You are now the son of Xander King. And my son can never be weak. Forget who you were before, you are not Carlos anymore. You are Alexander.¡±


    What he did not tell me was that, the devil that I had to conceal deep inside of me.


    June 27th, 2009.


    The cries and screams of those four boys were like an elegy to my ears. But, I was not empathetic toward their pain. I was pleased. The room smelled like blood and metal, there was no light in that room, the small bulb that hung from the ceiling was only the source of light the room had. Otherwise, there was darkness everywhere. I liked it. I always liked to be in dark, when I could conceal myself from the outside world when I could be alone with my devil.


    My eyes fell on the four boys who were passed out from the pain I inflicted.


    Ross.


    Marcus.


    Ricky.


    Andy.


    All four of them were lying unconscious on the floor, looking so helpless and damaged. I smirked. Damaged because that was how I wanted them to be. They thought they could get away after hurting me for no reason.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I remember the other kid Jonas. These four were friends with him. I wondered if Jonas had told them about me and that led them to beat me ck and blue. I quelled their protests; I did not want to fight that time and ruin the fun time I nned to have with him.+


    My foot connected with Ricky¡¯s body, jarring him awake. They needed to wake up. They needed to see what I wanted to do with them, just like they did to me. The pain had been carried in me for such a long time. I wanted to let all of those anger, all of those pain in those little bastards. They took the wrong person as weak. How would they even know if I was weak? They were a bunch of stupid teenagers anyway.


    I grabbed his hair and made him stand, he cried out in pain but I didn¡¯t care. Inded another punch on his face, followed by blows after blows on his face and stomach. I repeated the same thing with the others. If I wanted I could have done a lot worse than that, but I didn¡¯t want to raise any more suspicion. Although I was certain none of thesepdogs would utter a word, I didn¡¯t want anyone to know about this now. Not yet. I could not reveal this side of mine so early.


    The four of them were unconscious and barely moved a muscle. I picked up the bucket of cold water from the corner of the room and poured it on them. I noticed Marcus moving his hand and a loud groan from Ross rang in my ears. I smirked and whispered to myself.


    So, they are alive.


    The feeling of an unknown satisfaction erupted in me. The pain I had caused them, the blood that sshed out of their face when my fist connected with them, I felt something that I had been longing to feel¡­


    Peace.


    Alexander P. O. V.


    I grasped the file tightly in my hand as the wave of memories from my past rushed into my mind. No matter how hard I tried to forget them and get rid of them, they would never leave my mind. Every single day of my adolescence, I could remember all of them as circumstantial. All of them felt as if it was yesterday.


    I was not a good person, and I am still not. I was a troubled child, and I was a troubled teenager. I did not regret being like that, after all that was what made me how I was in the present.


    Strong and powerful.


    I never liked being weak, Xander made sure of that. He was not my father, he could never be the father of mine. Surely, Liam always considered him as his father, and Sofia and Lucas were his own. But it was different for me, I could never see him as my father, he was never a father material to me. I was just his tool to get a powerful heir who would carry on his family business. I was very young when Xander and Arabelle adopted us, and so was Liam, and that was why he barely remembered anything. He has always considered them two his real parents.


    I did not have anyints about my foster mother, she was the opposite of Xander. I pitied her. How did she manage to live with Xander for so many years?


    That man was solely obsessed with himself. He thought about none but himself, he would step on anything if he noticed himself benefitting from it. I could say he was the reason I grew up cold-hearted and ruthless. He never taught me to be good towards anybody, he only taught me to show everyone who I was.


    Alexander King. The son of Xander King


    My new identity. It matched his name. The name itself had a strong character, a character that was built in me. A character that was all I knew.


    My old self, my old name was long gone. The scared, weak little Carlos was gone, reced by what I am now.


    Alexander.


    *******


    ¡°Congrattions Mr. King! Your wife gave birth to twins!¡±


    The nurse informed us. I looked over to Xander and noticed a pleased expression on his face. I knew he was finally pleased to have children of his own since I and Liam were foster kids. We got to get inside the cabin where our mother was. We had to wear safety masks and gloves before getting inside. When we finally got in, I saw my mother on the hospital bed, lying peacefully with her head gently resting on the pearl white pillow. Her brown blocks were scattered all over the pillow. I looked closely and noticed two figures in her arms. She was holding the babies in her arms.


    ¡°Carlos! Liam! Honey,e see your new brother and sister.¡± She said with a big smile on her face. Liam squealed in excitement as he ran towards her and jumped on the bed beside her.


    ¡°Liam! Don¡¯t disturb your mother like this. Come down.¡± I clenched my teeth when I heard Xander talking to my brother like that.


    Now that you have your heir. You don¡¯t give a fUCK about us.


    I could only think that, but never said it to him. Mother calmed him down and told him it was okay for Liam to sit there. He grinned and looked at the babies in her arms, he reached to them and softly touched one of the babies¡¯ cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s so fluffy mom!¡± She chuckled at hisment and he looked at me. ¡°Alexander look! We have a new brother and sister! Now I won¡¯t ever be alone when Alexander is always busy! I¡¯ll y with them.¡± My heart hurt for him. How much he wanted my attention and wanted me to be with him but I could not even fulfill this one dream of his. What kind of brother am I?


    I looked over to Xander and caught him staring at me. What? What did he want now? It was not like I was going to request him to free me from all of his strict schedules needed to be a perfect ¡°heir¡±. I never ¡®requested¡¯ him to stop.


    ¡°Honey,e here.¡± I heard my mother call me. Without questioning her, I walked toward her and stood there quietly. She adjusted in her bed and told Xander to take one of the babies from her arms. After Xander did, she was only holding one baby in her arms, she looked over to me and I immediately knew what she wanted me to do.


    I was having an inner battle with myself. I was not a loving boy, I didn¡¯t even talk to anyone in a gentle voice unless it was mom and Liam. How could she expect me to love that baby?


    I, once again, did not question her and took the baby from her hand. I did not even know if it was a boy or a girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl. Your baby sister.¡± I stared at her. She passed me a warm smile and said nothing after. I only looked at the little life in my arms. She was so tiny. Her fingers, her feet, her face, and even her nose were so tiny. I instantly remembered my brother¡¯s childhood. She reminded me of the bitter childhood my brother had to go through along with me.


    ¡°What do we call her, mom?¡± Liam asked her.


    ¡°Hmm. What can we call her? Let¡¯s we think!¡±


    She stated as she began to think and suggest several names but also rejected them all. Xander on the other hand was busy with the other baby which I heard was a boy. Of course, he was happy because it was a boy and he even selected the name for him.


    Lucas King.


    It was not even an hour that the babies arrived in that ruthless world, and Xander had already begun to plot their life.


    ¡°Lucas! Yay! This is our brother Lucas! But we did not get any name for our sister.¡± Liam¡¯s lips were formed into a pout and sad face. ¡°Aw don¡¯t be sad honey. We¡¯ll find a name for her too.¡±


    ¡°Sofia.¡±


    This caught their attention and their eyes were focused on me.


    ¡°Her name. Sofia.¡± Both Liam and mom smiled at the name. They both loved it. Xander, on the other hand, said nothing about it. All he cared about was the baby boy in his arms.


    I never thought I would be an older brother to two more siblings. But, I was pitying them. They, unfortunately, were born in a family where their father was the primary viin. I could imagine their whole childhood and adolescence being like mine.


    ********


    Alexander had always taken care of the twins, Arabelle made it clear that it was his responsibility to discipline them. He knew she wanted her husband to stay out of this so that the twins also would not end up like him. But, Xander¡¯s shadow never left them. He wanted them to be like him and he seeded. Sofia grew up to be a spoiled brat and Lucas was a different case, no one knew what was wrong with him. He was not an introvert, he used to go to parties almost every weekend. But, he could never blend in with his family.


    However, Alexander had enough thoughts about his foster family. It was his third day in Japan and the work was almost done. Hispany got the business deal and the next day he would be flying back to his house.


    Oh, how much desperate he was to go back¡­


    He could not wait to see her again after spending days away from her. He could not wait to ravish her again and taste her soft plumpy lips. He smirked when he thought of his fingertips caressing her lips. What blissful feelings this gives me¡­ He could never imagine any other woman having this effect on him.


    He did not want to wait any longer. He hurriedly opened hisptop and opened the files where the recording of his CCTV camera was. He clicked on one of the recent files and began to watch it. He did not have it everywhere but only in the areas where the security was needed more and in the areas where he could see her. One of the cameras was right outside of her room and she had no clue about it.


    When he opened the recent video, he was bbergasted to see the recording of the kitchen, the light was on and he could see two figures there. He clicked on it and zoomed in.


    Two people were standing inside the kitchen and cooking something. He knew exactly who they were.


    Ethan and Emma.


    His blood boiled in pure rage when he saw them together. Did I not tell her to stay away from every man? Does she not take my threats seriously?


    He thought he needed to teach her a lesson this time. However, he did not close hisptop, he wanted to observe what they were doing. After watching ten minutes of the clip of Emma smiling and blushing at Ethan¡¯s snarky jokes andments, he noticed that he was going close to her¡­


    No. FUCK no! I will fucking kill him.


    He leaned down to connect his lips with hers and she stood stiff. She did not move a muscle, neither she kissed him back. She was too shocked by his action. Why would he kiss her? She was a goddamn maid! What was wrong with the men of this house? She frustratingly thought as her eyelids were pressed against each other tightly and her hand found the way to put them on his shoulder, pushing him back. She thought they were having a friendly conversation. How did it change so fast?


    Her breathing was heavy and she kept backing away from Ethan. The kiss¡­ reminded her of her master. Alexander. Although Ethan¡¯s kiss was nothing like Alexander¡¯s kiss, it was gentle and not rough. But, she still did not want it. She did not want any man toe near her! It made her feel no men cared about how she felt about something. He did not even ask her if she wanted it. Tears pooled in her eyes as she ran away from there ignoring Ethan¡¯s voice calling her name.


    Once she reached her room, she shut the door behind her. Her back was pressed against the cold hardwood door as she slid her body down and finally, her body felt limb on the floor.


    She hated it! She just hated it!


    Moreover, Alexander was fuming with extreme anger. If only he was not so far from his home, he would¡¯ve ripped Ethan apart¡­ he got up from his seat violently and kicked his chair, it slid to the wall and broke. The next nearest thing in his hand could be a coffee cup ced on his table. He picked it up and threw it on the wall, once again shattering it into pieces and the dark brown stain of the coffee was visible on the wall.


    He was growing impatient. He could wait another day. He dialed his assistant¡¯s number and after two rings the call was received.


    ¡°Arrange my private ne. I¡¯m going home now. Right NOW. Tell the Japanese f*stickers, their deal will not be finalized if they do not sign the contract within ten minutes.¡± He did not even give his assistant a chance to speak and he ended the call. He sat on the couch and tried to remain calm.


    Calm down, Alexander. Just a few more hours.


    It was enough now, he did not want to y around anymore. He did not give a fUCK if she did not want him. He wanted her and she had no choice but to submit to him.


    She either submits to me with her own choice or I will force her to do so.


    He took out his phone again and texted his friend, Adrian, telling him to arrange for some workers to clean the penthouse in the countryside. It was his private penthouse and only went there when he wanted to be alone. None of his family members had been there. He did not use it for two years but now seemed to be a perfect moment to use it.


    He was getting excited about what he was going to do. She would never disobey him again. She would always be his. His Emma.


    Resting his head on the couch, he closed his furious eyes, putting his eyelids into peace as he drifts away into another shback.

 Chapter 46

    The Christmas holiday was close, and some of the girls who worked there already received their letter of approval for the holiday break. She did not know if Alexander allowed them to leave for Christmas break, or if  was in charge of things like this. Although, she did hear  talking to Alexanderst night over the call. She did not mean to eavesdrop, it was unintentional.


    They were standing in the kitchen, talking to each other. They were happy to finally be able to leave for their home after a very long time. For a moment, she thought of her previous Christian holidays with Caroline. Emma¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile thinking she would be seeing her very soon. She could not wait! Christmas without family is displeasing, this is the day families spend time together without any fights or disagreement and she wished to spend all her Christmas with Caroline.


    ¡°Oh my god! I cannot wait to go back to my parents!¡± Squealed Yuna. She was the first to get her letter of approval. Emma did not understand this bizarre rule of Alexander¡¯s house. They all had to write a letter to him to get his permission. This happened when he was out of the house. Alexa was also approved to go for the holiday. The girls were happy and could not wait to go. Emma also wrote but she did not get her response yet. She was a little fret a little, but then Alexa told her that Isabelle also did not get it yet, and everyone got at least a few days of vacation during Christmas. She calmed down a little hearing that from Alexa.


    All of a sudden, her phone¡¯s notification sound caught her attention. She took it out from her dress pocket and observed there was a message from Vanessa. She smiled and read her message.


    ¡°Pre-Merry Christmas, Emma! I miss you so much! How are you?¡± She thought to call her directly instead of replying to her back with a text, hoping she would be free at that moment.


    She departed from the kitchen and dialed her number and waited for her to receive. Thankfully, she received it.


    ¡°Hey, hon! I didn¡¯t expect you to call me at this hour. Are you alone?¡±


    ¡°No but it¡¯s fine, the maids are talking about their holidays.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Oh yeah. We also got permission from Mrs. King and she gave us a week of leave!¡± Emma was happy for her friend. How she wished they also got a week to spend time with their family. But, knowing how Alexander was, she was happy to know she would be going home anyway.


    The two friends talked for another ten minutes and Vanessa told her about everything that has happened in her workce. Emma found out that Mr. King and his son Lucas had a massive argument a few days back and since then they both did not even sit at the same dining table, let alone talk to each other.


    ¡°Emma!¡±


    She flinched at the sudden screech from behind her. She turned around and saw  standing in all her glory with her seethed eyes piercing into her skin. Emma immediately cut the call and put the phone inside her pocket. She knew she was in trouble for chatting with her friend during work time and was sure that  would seize her phone.


    ¡°How many times did I tell you that I don¡¯t like interruption during work time! You never seem to listen to me, youngdy.¡± Emma instantly shook her head and opened her mouth to defend herself but she was abruptly stopped by another voice.


    ¡°Hey !¡±


    Emma felt nervous when she saw Ethaning toward them. She did not forget what happenedst night.


    The kiss.


    It was so sudden and surprising, that she could hardly react to his kiss. She just remembered pushing him off and running for her room.


    Emma could tell that Ethan was feeling the same uneasiness around her. However, she did not dare to look at him. Her eyes were only fixated on her feet.


    ¡°Oh hello, Ethan! How are you?¡± She asked him politely.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, thank you. I wanted to tell you that I¡¯ll be leaving for home today. I¡¯ve checked everything here, all the bills and payments, everything is in order. So, I¡¯m done with my work.¡±  nodded her head. They bid each other goodbye and Ethan did not say a word to Emma. Perhaps, he knew how ufortable he made her feel, he did not want to ruin things between them anymore.


    ¡°Oh, and Alexander told me this morning, that he will being home soon.¡±


    Hearing this, Emma felt her whole world shattering down. She didn¡¯t want to see him. She was getting distressed anticipating the worst from just the news of his arrival. Her gut was not disagreeing with her.


    What will happen this time?


    ***********


    ¡°Boss, where do I keep him?¡± The guard questioned the young man standing by the window, a cigarette between his index and middle finger. His lips touched the filter of the cigarette, blowing on the poisonous paper stick, his eyes were closed and he inhaled a distinct amount of unhealthy ck and exhaled the rest of the smoke. The whole room smelled of ash and tarnished air.


    He pressed the burning paper of the cigarette on the ashtray, destroying the little stick of poison, and ceased the smokeing out of it. Turning around, he confronted the man he was looking for for a long time. The two well-built guards were holding the already damaged body of his prey. He smirked. That vicious smirk could bring anyone down on their knees and beg him to have mercy on them. But, he was not merciful, was he? Did anyone think they could steal from the devil and get away?


    He took long strides towards the man and stopped just inches away from him. The man was badly beaten, his eyes were swollen and hard to open to see his predator, his white-cor shirt was stained with blood all over, and when the devil looked over this prey¡¯s hands, he was satisfied seeing the man missing two of his fingers.


    Just like he wanted. Just like hemanded the guards to do.


    ¡°Do you feel the pain of missing your fingers, Leo?¡± The injured man only groaned in pain and nodded his head, because his predator did not get any response from him. He will be killed immediately with no mercy. But, what was the point of living anyway? He was not less than dead.


    Alexander reached out for Leo¡¯s hand and stabbed it with the pen he took out from his pocket. He cried out in pain. The pain was too much to tolerate.


    ¡°You stole what¡¯s MINE from this hand. I should¡¯ve just ordered to have your hand cut off, or just kill you. You¡¯re lucky that I let you live.¡± He gritted out.


    The only mistake Leomitted was stealing a big amount of cash from Alexander when he trusted Leo with that money. It was supposed to be sent to his house, but Leo made it up that it got stolen. Was he an ignoramus? How could he think his boss would not find out about the truth. Not only he stole from Alexander but also lied to him. The two things he hated most.


    But, Alexander did not consider Leo¡¯s side. He belonged to a poor family and he needed that money for his son¡¯s school fees. Alexander did not care. He never cared for anyone besides him.


    He backed away and stood there without saying anything for a few minutes.


    ¡°Take him to the basement. Keep him there for a few more hours and then let him go.¡± The guards nodded their heads and pulled the man out of the room.


    Alexander¡¯s ruthlessness was not a surprise to anyone. He took after his foster father, Xander. He was the carbon copy of Xander. His heart was filled with nothing but darkness. He was nothing but a Devil.


    *******


    Thirteen hours, till he gets back to his house. It was already informed to everyone in the house by Ethan that he¡¯d be arriving soon. As much as he hated Ethan from the bottom of his heart, he wanted to control his anger. He could notsh out at him over the call, he wanted to go there and teach both of them a lesson.


    He took a deep breath and stared outside the window. Nothing could be seen but the pearly white clouds and the sparkling blue sky. He just got into his private jet, it would still take him some time, if not thirteen, to get to his destiny. His other employees and assistant were sitting behind him. He called for his assistant.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Did you call Adrian before getting into the jet?¡± He asked nkly, not removing his eyes from the white clouds.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I did. He said he had already sent workers there and in two days, the whole penthouse will be cleaned.¡± Alexander nodded his head and dismissed his assistant.


    He could not stop thinking about how bizarre those moments were for him. How his life, emotions, and personality changes so much in just a few months? He questioned his emotions many times, he was not sure what he wanted with her. Alexander was not used to hearing ¡°no¡± from anyone, Emma never uttered this word, but the denial was written all over face and body. Her scared eyes always had a fire in them, even though she never realized it, but she was a fighter. She fought him many times without even knowing. Did he hate it? No. He liked it. He liked his feisty cat trying to fight her way out of his grip. But, his grip was getting tighter day by day, neither she nor he could loosen it. It was toote to lose the knot.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Because his string was attached to her.


    *********


    The piercing sound of the shattering piece of vase woke him up from his unconscious mind, he looked over his hand and saw blood oozing out of his fresh-cut skin. When did that happen? He could not tell, he was too lost in his world of darkness.


    The nightmares. They never stop, they never abandon his mind. Why? He did not have an answer to his question. He had these nightmares since he was a little child, they never stopped. It was not so horrendous when he was little, but as he grew up, his nightmares began to inimical his mind. It filled his heart with nothing but darkness. The nightmares from his past clogged his life with dusk and darkness.


    His clothes were drenched with sweat, but the humidity was not the reason. He took off his shirt and threw it on the bed, beads of sweat glided down his hard muscles and his forehead, making his rock-hard body glisten. Sitting under the air conditioner did not help me either, he decided to take a cold shower. Grabbing his towel, he dashed to the bathroom and immediately stood under the cold shower. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the cold water drops on his body, he pushed back the hair that wasing in front of his face.


    Thirteen years have passed. Thirteen years since he had those nightmares. Thirteen years since he had left his past life behind. Thirteen years of his life as Alexander.


    Now, he was eighteen years old. An adult, an independent adult, will no more be dependent on his foster father. He had grown up enough to cease the rules of Xander. It was in the will when Alexander will turn eighteen, all the ownership of theirpany will be under his name. He will dominate it. He was waiting for this day very patiently. Now, that he finally had it, he was going to utilize it. He was going to show everyone who Alexander King was. All that time, it was hidden, no one knew the vicious things he had done, he concealed it from everyone. But, did he have to do it now?


    He disagreed. He was the king now, and he wanted to make sure he will always be.


    Because the Devil has realized his worth.

 Chapter 47

    Her eyes would not shift from the luxury polished window before her. The beads of the rain were as clear as a crystal, and the pitter-patter sound of the drizzles was giving her a bizarrefort, as the raindrops battered on the glossy window. It had been raining all day, the day was breezy and boisterous. She nced around the clock and found out it was 2 p. m.


    How long has it been raining? She thought to herself. It was not a usual thing to rain all day but she liked it. She liked looking out at the rain. But, she wished she could get out of the house, into the garden, just to feel the drizzles on her hand. It was not possible, she works there, and she could not just think about enjoying her time in the rain when there are tons of work due.


    However, she perked up and walked towards the window. She could at least watch closely, right? Her palm involuntarily touched the window and she could feel the moisture on her skin and the coldness of the breezy weather. How delightful sight was it! The droplets of the rain were freely pouring from the heavy dark clouds and small puddles were forming in the garden, they began to plink as the rain became heavier. She giggled softly when her eyesnded on a baby bird that dried itself while sitting on the tree branch after flying in the rain. She began to think how free they were. How carefree those birds look? How liberated the drizzles were? Was she liberated? Did she have the freedom like those birds and the drops of the rain? Her smile dropped and her heart was clouded by the sudden gloominess.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± She recoiled. Turning, around Emma found  furiously ring at her with her hands tightly gripping the vacuum cleaner. She gulped the big lump in her throat and quickly moved away from the window.


    ¡°Are you crazy, girl? What were you thinking putting your dirty hand on the window? The maids have spent hours cleaning it! Oh goodness, the master will kill me.¡± She muttered thest sentence as she began to rub the already-cleaned surface with a rug.


    But, I did not get any dirt on the ss¡­ She thought to better not utter her thoughts to , she did not want to get any more scoldings.


    ¡°Master loves to keep his house neat and clean. So, never keep any of his belongings untidy. Do you get it?¡± Emma timidly nodded her head, agreeing with . She hummed and walked out of the living room. It was almost 2:20 the noon and all of the maids would be leaving for their house soon. They would be leaving for their vacation. But, Emma¡¯s letter was still not approved by anyone, well by Alexander. He was the one who approved all the maids¡¯ letters, she thought he would show her some mercy and let her spend Christmas with Caroline. She thought to ask  again. She followed her to the kitchen.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Uh, , can I ask if my letter has been approved or not? I was not informed about it.¡± She asked hesitantly.  did not respond for a few minutes and continued doing her work. Emma was feeling nervous while standing behind her. She waited a few more seconds for her response but got none. So, she thought  was not in the good mood to speak to her. She turned around and was about to leave the kitchen.


    ¡°Master did not inform me anything about your letter of leave.¡± Emma¡¯s heart sank deep. No no, please. Why would he do that! It¡¯s Christmas!


    ¡°But, he will be arriving here soon. You can try talking to him.¡± Emma did not want to go any near Alexander, but she wanted to give it a try. She hoped that Alexander would allow her¡­ she did not want to stay there!


    ¡°He phoned me and informed me that he will be arriving here in less than three hours,¡± Emma muttered okay and quickly rushed out of the kitchen. What was she thinking? She thought Alexander would be kind enough to let her go at Christmas. In reality, he was nothing but a cold-hearted monster. Tears pooled out of her eyes, she bit on her lips to suppress the sob that was about to leave her mouth. Emma knew there was no point in crying, she was stuck there¡­ And she had to wait till the Devil arrived.


    ************


    The journey was long and tiring, only an hour left and he will be in his house, rxing on his bed. He received emails from , disying the letters that the maids have written to him. They all want to leave for a few days for Christmas. He smirked when he received the letter of leave of Emma.


    Silly girl, how could you think I¡¯ll let you go? Even if it¡¯s Christmas, I¡¯ll never let you go. You will not step a foot out of my house.


    Viciously, he approved everyone¡¯s letter and allowed them one week¡¯s leave, but he did not say anything about Emma¡¯s letter. He wanted her to be in the dark, he wanted to give her a little hope of freedom and then snatch it away. He could do any vicious thing to see her scared face and quivering lips. Alexander felt himself getting aroused at the thoughts of her squirming body underneath him. He called his assistant and told him to inform  about his arrival. He could not wait to see his Emma. Alexander did not care that he was being heartless for not letting a girl visit her family, but did he care? No, he did not care. He never cared about anyone besides him. His avoidance of Emma¡¯s feelings and happiness was a shred of great evidence to prove it. He felt something for her, but he refused to ept it. He kept telling himself that he was not in love with her, and that he only wanted her body, that he only wanted to touch her. But, was it the truth? Did he only care about her body? He refused to answer, he had only avoided the questions that his consciousness had kept asking him.


    One hour had passed and the ne was about tond at the Florida airport, and very soon he will be at his home. After the ne hadnded, his luggage and other bags were taken out by his guards. He got up from his seat and flexed his muscles, he could sense the stare of his female employees and the air hostess from behind him. He smirked, ignoring them and their sexual fantasies about him.


    If it was any other day, he wouldn¡¯t have minded making their fantasiese true, but he was not even attracted to them. Those women were beautiful with their stunning barbie figures and faces caked with makeup, the fake was written all over their bodies, unlike his Emma who was beautiful just the way she was. And once again he smiled, his eyes sparkled at her thought, it always does but he never showed it to her or anyone.


    However, by the time he reached his home, it was five o¡¯clock. He was seated on one of his luxury couches with a ss of wine in his hand. He finally had a rxing time in his bedroom, he was also thankful for being able to wear his casual clothes. After a few minutes, he heard a knock on his door. He groaned in annoyance.


    ¡°Come in.¡± He said. The door opened revealing the woman he was yearning to see. He was surprised to see Emmaing into his room on her own, she never did that unless she had to clean his room or bring his meals. He hid his expression and asked her.


    ¡°Do you want something, Emma?¡± Her body shuddered when he uttered her name and it did not go unnoticed by Alexander. He smirked in victory, he enjoyed the effect he had on her.


    ¡°I-I wanted to ta-talk about t-the le-¡± ¡°You are not going anywhere.¡± He nkly said, without even looking at her. She frowned. How can he do this?


    ¡°B-but the other gi-girls have the per-permission.¡± She whispered. ¡°I do not want those girls with me. I want you, Emma. I want to spend this Christmas with you.¡± His face beamed in happiness while her face was clouded by distress. She looked down at her feet and responded,


    ¡°Please master, I want to see my aunt, I have never spent any holiday without her. She would be expecting me.¡± Please let me go. He did not say anything and walked to her, standing at least two feet above her. She felt even smaller in front of him. He leaned over to her ear and ced a gentle kiss on her head, she shivered at his touch and tried to move her body away from his, but she could not move a single muscle. He, then, wrapped his arms around her small figure and pulled her closer to his chest, embracing her. She was dumbfounded and scared, she feared him more than anything. Unknowingly, her eyes filled with tears and they brazenly dripped from her eyes, she did not know the exact reason her eyes watered. Was it the fear that she was feeling by his embrace? Or was it the fact that she could never get away from him?


    ¡°I said no, princess. It means you¡¯re not going. You¡¯ve spent enough of your life with your aunt. Now, it¡¯s going to me. Always and forever. I¡¯m never letting you go, Emma. You¡¯re mine.¡± Nheless, he touched her lips with his, as he moved them with the rhythm of his kiss.

 Chapter 48

    Alexander


    It was phenomenal, her being in his arms and her little fragile body pressed with his hard one, it was something he had always imagined with her. Her warmth was soothing him, all the tiredness and strain vanished in thin air.


    His body was rxed, but he could not say the same about her squirming and quivering body. He perceived she was scared, but he was not willing to let her go. How could he? He wanted her close to him.


    He had maintained his distance from her for a long time, but how long could hold his beast?


    It only caused him anguish and destion. Alexander perceived the effect she had on him was harmful. Menacing and treacherous. But he could not find himself being able to stay away from her.


    The sound of her soft cries and sobs coerced him to embrace her a little tighter. She loathed it, but he didn¡¯t care. He wanted her by his side and she would be, whether she liked it or not. It is better for her to learn as soon as possible that she is never getting away from me.


    Eventually, she will learn to want me, she will learn to get used to me.


    After breaking the spontaneous embrace, he looked into her enthralling green eyes.


    ¡°How are you so beautiful?¡± A hoarse whisper left Alexander¡¯s mouth, uttering those words. Her eyes widened a little but went back to normal immediately.


    Why is she surprised? Is she not aware of the beauty she holds?


    Abruptly, he felt a hard push on his body, and in a blink of an eye, he saw Emma standing a few inches away from him. Her eyes were red from crying and her hair was in a great mess. He cocked his eyebrow at her.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, butterfly?¡±


    She took another step back, causing him to take long strides towards her. Without wasting any more time, she sprinted to the door and twisted the doorknob. But before she could step her foot outside, Alexander grabbed her by her waist and ced her on his shoulder.


    She began to thrash, yell, and hit his back with her small hands. He smirked thinking how none of her shots had hurt him even a little.


    Did she think she would get away from me so easily? Silly, silly girl. She just made a big mistake.


    After he got her inside the room, he threw her on the floor and locked the door behind him.


    ¡°That was a very bad step, Emma. Why did you do that?¡± His voice came out as surprisingly calm yet threatening.


    She did not respond, only backed away.


    Her skirt was riding up her smooth creamy thighs and the buttons of her pearly white blouse came undone.


    ¡°I-I will scream,¡± the petrified little girl spoke up with the little confidence she had in her.


    It was not threatening to Alexander. Heughed at herment, the sound of hisughter filled the silent room with an odious aura.


    ¡°My feisty cat, do you think I don¡¯t know that the whole house is empty? Everyone is on vacation, except for you my little Emma. Even if they were here, who would stop me? Hm?¡± He questioned her, bncing his body on his knee and bending over to her level.


    She backed away a little more until her back hit the nightstand beside the bed.


    ¡°I-I will ca-call the po-police. Wh-What you are doing i-is a cr-crime,¡± he chuckled once again.


    How innocent is she? She has no clue who I am and what power I hold in the whole city.


    Alexander moved close to her, knowing she could not back away from him anymore.


    ¡°No one can cause me any harm, my feisty cat. No one can take you away from me,¡± he dangerously red at her thinking of someone trying to take her away from him, thinking of someone else snatching his Emma.


    No, I¡¯ll never let that happen.


    He grabbed her by her jaw and hauled her to him, his teeth gritted against one another when she tried to pry his hands off of her jaw. He only tightened his hand around her jaw even more. ¡°You are mine! No one can take you away from me! You belong to me,¡± his mouth violently smashed against hers. He lost all his control once her body was pressed against his and his mouth danced on her lips. He groaned in intense pleasure and his hand squeezed the side of her waist making her wince in pain.


    His mouth was suppressing the scream that she wanted to let out.


    Instantaneously, Alexander picked up her body along with his, not separating his mouth from hers, and threw her fragile figure on the bed. He backed away from her to unbutton the shirt he had on himself.


    She screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw him taking off his shirt and again tried to sprint away. Alexander did not let her seed, he grabbed her by her ankle and hauled her beneath him.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Just how I have imagined for a long time. She is beneath me, under my control.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, master. Let me go!¡± She was unaware that her beseeching was only making him want her more.


    Alexander needed more of her. Ignoring her pleads, his hands tore her blouse, revealing her cream-colored undergarment.


    Alexander saw nothing beyond lust and her smooth skin. He ravished her skin like a hungry lion, he bit and sucked on the skin that was revealed by the split of her bra. His mouth trailed down from her bazooms to her stomach, cing soft kisses near her belly button, and moved to her hips. Alexander felt her shudder in surprise when his lips connected with the soft spot of her hips.


    He had her hands gripped tightly with his and her small body underneath him, voluntarily stopping her from fleeing.


    Alexander got up to her and ambushed her neck with smooches and bites. She was intoxicating. His hands found the hem of her skirt and began to pull on it. She instantly put her hands on his and pleaded with her eyes.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t, master,¡± ignoring her pleas and giving her a death re, Alexander pulled down her skirt enough to divulge her matching undergarment. He ced soft and gentle kisses on her thighs and abdomen.


    She gripped the bed sheets tightly and pleaded to him to stop.


    All of a sudden, a loud pound on the door interrupted him. He gritted his teeth in anger and stood up to check who it was. It better be something important. He opened the door and saw  standing with her head down. ¡°What the fuck is it, ?¡± Alexander growled at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you, master. But, your father is here to see you,¡± he clenched his fists together. What the fuck does he want now?


    ¡°Tell him, I will be downstairs in a few minutes,¡± she nodded her head obediently. ¡°And , pack her clothes. She is going to my penthouse with me,¡± her eyes drifted from her feet to the curled-up figure lying on his bed.


    uttered no other words and only agreed to do what her superior had asked her.


    ***


    Her quivering body was covered with the thin satin silk cover, she was hugging her body with her hands that barely covered any arena of her body. It was all covered in bruises from his bites and his tight grip. Some of the bite marks even began to bleed a little, she hissed when her hand touched the bruises on her neck.


    How could he be so inhuman? What harm have I ever caused him?


    ¡°Get up, Emma. It is time to go,¡± ¡¯s voice made her squeal in surprise. She obediently sat upon his luxury bed with a few drizzles of her blood.


    Her eyes were down on the floor and her eyes were not flooding tears anymore.  helped her stand up and get out of the room. They walked down and to her room, on the way to her bedroom, she heard loud noisesing from the living room.


    However, she could worry about it less. Both of the women got inside the bedroom and Emma sat on her bed, albeit the bed in her bedroom was nothing special, it was not any luxury, it was not soft andfortable yet she felt a greaterfort being in her room than Alexander¡¯s.


    ¡°Lie down on the bed. I will bring you some food and drinks,¡± Emma nodded her head.


    kept her words and brought her some food and a ss of milk.


    ¡°Drink this. It will help you regain strength,¡± Emma gazed at the ss. Why wasn¡¯t  saying anything about what just happened? She witnessed Alexander¡¯s ruthlessness with her own eyes.


    Emma had no strength left to inquire, her throat was dry as a dessert so, she, without any hesitation took the ss and drank the entire ss of milk.


    opened the closet and took out all of Emma¡¯s clothes and a bag that she had brought from her home. She put everything in that bag and asked Emma if there was anything else she wanted to take along with her.


    Emma¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Where am I going, ?¡± She asked in a low whisper.  cleared her throat and nkly responded. ¡°You¡¯re going to master¡¯s penthouse with him. He hadmanded me to pack all of your clothes,¡± Emma¡¯s world came down, shattering into thousands of pieces.


    This cannot be happening. Why does he want me to take it there?


    What Alexander was doing was beyond ruthless, but he was worried about none. His decision was consistent.


    When  heard the screams of agony of the poor girl in the Devil¡¯s bedroom, she could only hear them and wait for them to cease. Would she risk her life and job by stopping Alexander? No, she would never do that. Alexander was capable of doing any vicious act.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with him, . Please don¡¯t let him take me, please tell him not to take me,¡± the young girl pleaded with her heart filled with intense fear and distress. She was afraid of what Alexander would do to her if she went to the penthouse with him.


    did not say anything. She had nothing to say. Emma belonged to him. There was nothing anyone could do about it. Alexander would destroy anyone who woulde between him and Emma.


    ¡°Take a shower and get ready,¡± she turned around to leave the room.


    ¡°H-How could you not say anything about it?¡± ¡¯s movements stopped abruptly.


    ¡°You saw it! You saw what he did to me! How could you not do anything about it?!¡± Emma wanted to yell, she wanted to scream at her.


    ¡°When he ims something, nothing can separate him from what he considers his. You, Emma, belong to him now. It¡¯d be better if you ept it sooner,¡± with that, she left the room leaving Emma dumbfounded.


    was not going to help her. If she wanted to get her old life back and get away from Alexander, she had to do something on her own.


    And I will. I will not let the Devil im her.


    Five and half months ago.


    ¡°You called me, master?¡±  entered the room and observed Alexander standing near his window.


    ¡°Yes,¡± his usual cold tone replied. ¡°Come in,¡± he continued.


    was slightly confused, she was never called by Alexander like this unless he had something very important to discuss with her, which only ever was the matters of the household. But, as far as she knew, there was nothing to discuss about the household. So, why did he call her? She hoped there was not anything serious.+


    He came forward and sat on the couch. ¡°I have found her, ,¡± he spoke with confidence and contentment in his voice.


    ¡°Who, master?¡±  was still not familiar with what he was saying.


    Who has master found? She thought.


    ¡°I have found what is rightfully mine. Emma. She works in my father¡¯s house, but very soon she will be working in my house.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you master, but did you say ¡®working¡¯? Is she¡­ is she one of your workers in your office?¡± Her heart was thudding in horror when the questions left her mouth.


    ¡°She is a maid,¡± ¡¯s eyes were in astonishment and wonder.


    ¡°A maid? But mas-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion, . I remembered your words and followed them.¡±


    ¡°One day, you will find what is rightfully yours.¡±


    ¡°Emma belongs to me and I¡¯ll be bringing her to my house. She will be working for me, she will be working like every other maid in this house. You will guide her, you will look after her, you will make sure she doesn¡¯t step a foot out of my house. When the timees, you will teach her to obey me,¡± the rules were set by Alexander and  would not dare to question him, nor tell him how big of a mistake he wasmitting.


    She wondered if the girl was a minor. But, she knew Alexander was not that monstrous to im a young girl as his.


    ¡°Can I ask you something, master?¡± Alexander took a long puff on his cigarette and gestured to  to ask her a question.


    ¡°Is she a minor?¡± Alexander chuckled. He correctly assumed her question. ¡°She will be turning eighteen in a few days and that¡¯s when I will bring her,¡± he added.


    nodded her head, it was difficult not to disy the astonishment. Alexander had imed a maid to be his.


    could only imagine what disaster it would bring between Alexander and his family.

 Chapter 49

    29th October 2000


    It was one of the darkest nights, he was in his room, curled up in a ball while lying on his bed. The beads of sweat dripped down his forehead to his bedsheets. His body quivered and he found it difficult to open his eyes. He gasped for air.


    Another nightmare broke into another anarchical repose. The ticking of the clock stopped and was reced by the sound of the tintinnabtion. Alexander¡¯s eyes were wide open when he heard the ding of the clock bell. His room was epassed by darkness. But that was how he liked it. He liked being in the dark because the tenebrosity was the only thing that could perceive him and was parallel to him. He was not more than seven years old. But he understood the ndestine of the darkness.


    At that moment, his nightmare was more violent and brutal. The loud gaspsing out of him and the continuous flowing of the egestive on his body were the evidence. His hand reached for themp on his bedside and switched it on, defeating the darkness and escting its light on a small portion of his room.


    One of the maids of the Kings was walking in the hallway when her eyesnded on Alexander¡¯s room. The door was slightly opened and the light could be seen by her. She pushed it farther and knocked on the door.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you okay, young master?¡± She asked gently. Alexander¡¯s eyesnded on the maid and he swiftly got out of his bed, running to her. His little arms were wrapped around the maid as he sobbed onto her ck maid dress. The maid felt pity for him and put her hand on his head.


    ¡°You can talk to me, honey,¡± she whispered to him.


    ¡°I-I have n-nothing. I ha-have no f-family,¡± the maid hugged him tighter and kneeled to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, honey. You have a family, even though they are your adoptive parents. They both love you and your brother,¡± he shook his head violently.


    ¡°They are n-not my real p-parents. They will never be!¡± His voice suddenly got louder. He refused to ept them as his parents.


    Arabelle loved him and his brother, but she could never rece his biological mother.


    She inhaled sharply and responded, ¡°sometimes there are people in our lives whoe at the right time to extricate us. And these are the people who will be with you till the end of the day, Carlos. Maybe Xander and Arabelle are not one of those individuals, but there will be someone¡­¡± It had been long since someone called him Carlos. She paused to break the hug and cupped his wet-red cheeks and said, ¡°Who will salvage you from the depth of the sea of mncholy. There is someone for you. One day, you will find what is rightfully yours.¡±


    ***


    She winced when the cold water from the shower touched her body. She had countless bruises all over her body. She gritted her teeth together as she scrubbed her body with the soap. It hurt. It hurt so much she wanted to cry.


    Her body was screaming at her to stop but all she wanted was to get rid of his touch, it disgusted her. She almost poured all the liquid soap from the bottle and began scrubbing her body. Each part of it.


    Her hands.


    Her shoulders.


    Her neck.


    Everywhere her hand could reach, she scrubbed it all. She cursed her life, she cursed for being an orphan, and she cursed her foster parents to treat her like crap. She cursed her bullies from her old school that made her so infirm. She cursed for working at the Kings.


    If only she would have looked for a better job¡­ she would not have to work for Kings. It was her biggest mistake, Caroline warned her several times but she never listened.


    Why did I not listen?!


    Her eyes began to tear up and her movements slowed down. A loud sob escaped her mouth and she felt as if she would fall at any time if her hand was not gripping something. The water was still running on muffling the sound of her loud sobs.


    She turned around to face the opposite side of the shower and involuntarily her back rested on the wall behind her. The soap was washed away from her body as she glided down and her bottom touched the cold-hard floor. Why was that happening to her? She wanted to escape! She wanted to run away. But, there was no escape, she knew it.


    After she came out of the bathroom, she got dressed and sat on her bed. Emma looked to her bedside and saw her bags on the floor. Her hands clenched tightly onto the bedsheet. Was it fear she felt? Or was it the anger? The emotions were so intense she could notprehend.


    With her shaky legs, she got up from the bed and walked toward her belongings. All of her clothes were somehow tugged inside the bag, her small pouch was lying beside it on the floor. She picked up her pouch and found it open, but what surprised her was a decent amount of cash sticking out of the half-opened zipline of the pouch. She frowned. She did not remember putting an amount this big in her pouch. She opened the zipline and was beyond shocked. She counted it after pulling out the money.


    $2000.


    She did not earn this much. Why would the Kings give her an early sry which was double the normal amount?


    She took the pouch with her and went downstairs. She noticed the golden walls as she walked down the staircase, all of the furniture was shining bright for Christmas. But she was not sure if she would be there during Christmas. Although she would hate to be in that big house all alone during her favorite holiday, she could not imagine spending it with Alexander at his penthouse.


    Emma bit her bottom lip to suppress the sob begging to leave her mouth. She had to be stronger than this. She could not just let him take her away! But what would stop him?


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±  asked her. She just came out of the kitchen and made her way to the living room where Emma was standing unknowingly.


    Her question brought Emma back to reality. She was not dressed in her regr maid outfit, instead, she wore simple white pants and a red half-sleeved t-shirt. Her hair was still wet from the shower and her t-shirt was wet from the droplets of her drenched hair.


    ¡¯s eyes shifted to her hand and saw Emma holding her pouch. That did not go unnoticed by Emma, she assumed  had understood why she was down there.


    ¡°Master gave it to you. He said it is a Christmas bonus. All of the maids got it before they left,¡± oh, she was aware that they were given a bonus, but they were not given twice their sry for the bonus.


    Alexa and Ruby had been working for longer than the other girls, so they were given the highest amount of $300 extra as the bonus. Emma only earned not more than $600 a week there. There was no way Alexander would give her $1400 more as a bonus.


    Emma timidly nodded her head even though she did not believe a word  had said, or maybe Alexander did not tell her the actual reason.


    Nevertheless,  was aware of everything that happened in the house.


    She turned to leave for her room.


    ¡°Emma,¡±  called her out. She stopped in her tracks but did not turn around.


    ¡°You will be leaving with him tonight,¡± a grievous feeling passed her heart that juddered her entire body. A low wheeze left her mouth. Her eyelids seized against one another, she did not respond to her and ran to her bedroom, closing the door behind her and carefully locking it.


    No, I cannot let it happen. I need to do something. I need to escape!


    Alexander was yet toe home. She thought it would be the perfect timing for her to leave the house. She walked to the window and looked outside, thankfully there were not many guards.


    It would be easier for her to leave. She quickly dried her hair with the towel and brushed it. Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up and the soft voice of Caroline was heard from the opposite side of the phone.


    ¡°Hello sweetie, how are you?¡± Emma¡¯s throat dried in poignant. She had never hide anything from Caroline.


    Caroline always taught Emma to share her every sorrow with her no matter how painful it would be for her. But that time Emma could not do it. She could not hurt her only family. Caroline would be devastated.


    ¡°H-hello Caroline, I-I am good, and you?¡±


    ¡°I am fine honey, but are you sure you are alright? You sound distressed. Are you sick?¡± Emma bit her bottom lip. Her eyes began to water. She gulped down her sorrow and responded. ¡°No, I am fine Caroline. I-I just can¡¯t wait to see you.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s face lit up by her response. ¡°I am looking forward to meeting you during Christmas, honey. I am nning to prepare your favorite chicken roast and baked potatoes!¡±


    Listening to the excitement in Caroline¡¯s voice, Emma¡¯s knees gave up on her shivering body. She fell onto her bed and clenched her fist tightly.


    ¡°You will being for the holiday, won¡¯t you?¡± There was a sudden sincerity and worry in Caroline¡¯s voice. Emma immediately spoke up.


    ¡°Of course! I will being, Caroline. But I need to go now. I will call youter,¡± she was thankful her voice did not break that time.


    ¡°Okay sweetie, Take care,¡± she politely responded and ended the call.


    Throwing her phone on the bed, she rested her hands on her legs and touched her forehead with her palm. She was sweating badly. She wanted to tell Caroline everything, but she was too scared. Her anxiety was killing her.


    Emma lifted her bag and her small pouch in her other hand. She looked around the room onest time. She could not say that she would miss that bedroom because even though those walls held a bad memory, those walls also echoed her cries of agony. She wiped a drop of tear that glided down her cheek to her neck and twisted the doorknob to open it. It opened with a cracking voice of the wood and she took a step ahead in the hope to search for a new life, a life full of freedom.


    ¡°Going somewhere, butterfly?¡±


    That voice.


    The familiar ridiculing voice.


    She looked up and wished she never did.

 Chapter 50

    Her bruised bottom lip quivered in both pain and the cold atmosphere. She wasn¡¯t wearing any warm clothes nor did she bring any warm clothes with her. It was not cold outside but in the ce, she was in. She was wearing the same red top.


    She was sitting on the cold hard floor of the darkened room. Her bare half bottom was feeling the coldness of the floor which made her shiver even more. She scrunched her eyes and tried to figure out where she was. But there was little or no light in the whole room. Her heart was beating fast as if the thudding of her pounding heart could be heard by anyone if they were with her. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t a single soul there.


    She was never a people person, her shy, introverted and timorous nature had always been a hindrance in anymunication she wanted to initiate.


    At that moment, she loathed being alone in the darkness, and it made her crave some amity and fellowship.


    She swallowed her fear and strain and ced her palms on the floor, putting a little pressure on them. She lowered her body more so that she could put more pressure on her hand to get up. Her body felt weak and bruised. But it was too dark to see her sore and wounded flesh. She finally stood up with all of her effort and energy but she immediately began to feel lightheaded. Her heart pounding hard in her chest as if she had run a hundred miles.


    What¡¯s happening?


    She bravely stepped forward and hoped that she would find a door or a window so that she could at least get a little light to see her surroundings. The darkness was viciously suffocating her. It is not a surprise if the majority of the people despise darkness. It is indeed a powerful weapon as it can control anyone and anywhere. It is a loophole, a loophole of pure ck vision and low ringing sound as the hearing. It swallows up people and carries them with it, deep somewhere away from the universe.


    And there she was standing in all tenebrosity, in half of her clothes which only included her red top and white panty. But, that was not what she was worried about. She had to get out of there. Her fragile hands were floating in the air as she took little careful steps towards nowhere. She moved her fingers involuntarily slowly from side to side to sense something in her hand, and so that she could get a hint of where she was. She stopped abruptly when her hand touched a door. She wanted to cry out in victory. She connected her spy hands to everywhere on the old wooden sloppy door.


    Emma¡¯s hand trailed down till she found the knob of the door. Her hand gripped it tightly and she took a sharp deep breath and turned the knob on the right side.


    It was locked.


    She turned it on the left side and it was locked. All of her hopes were shattered right there and she did not even know when she began to bang on the door like a lunatic. Her palm was getting red from the banging and her mouth began to feel dry. Her shrieking scream and yells for help would have warned the entire area where she was. She continued it for the whole ten minutes when the door finally opened revealing a tall muscr figure. A little light pierced through the ajar door making her eyelids squinch against one another. Her hands immediately covered the sudden burning sensation in her eyes. She was relieved that the room was not dark anymore, but it was gone when the silhouette figure spoke up.


    ¡°Now, now, butterfly. I wouldn¡¯t like you to dry your throat from screaming unless it is me who is making you scream.¡±


    ***


    At Alexander¡¯s house.


    ¡°Going somewhere, butterfly?¡±


    Alexander¡¯s words came out as deride. Like he ridiculed her in that condition. She gulped down the tant lump in her throat that kepting up there and clutched her bag tightly as if her life depended on it.


    Surely, it didn¡¯t depend on the bag but on the pen that was lying on the little study table. She could grab it swiftly and hurt him somewhere which would make him move away and she could run. She stared at it for a while then looked back at Alexander who was following her gaze. He smirked when he figured out what she was thinking.


    Does she think she can hurt me with a stupid pen?


    It amused him. She was indeed a fighter and he liked it so much.


    ¡°You¡¯re very eager to go to my penthouse with me as I can see. It surely is an amazing ce with a big garden full of all kinds of nts you love. You will love it there,¡± he said and smiled at her.


    She felt as if she was going to throw up right there. How could he think she would be happy there? She could never be happy anywhere near him.


    Her n of grabbing the pen and jabbing her owner in his eyes seemed to have a big failure when Emma began to tear up. Her confidence and strength were shattered. Her bag slipped from her hand andnded inly on the floor.


    Alexander sighed at the scene and went to grab her small hand, but she swiftly pulled it back like he was about to electrify her. He furrowed his eyebrow and his fierce eyes dared her to repeat it. ¡°Behave, Emma,¡± he stated and went to grab her arm but she stepped back. His teeth clenched together and he told her again.


    ¡°I am not going to repeat myself, Emma. Come with me. Right NOW,¡± her fists clenched together, she was afraid but she refused to go with him. She struggled and fought. But he held her beneath him, holding her hands behind her. Her dry throat felt like torture every time she opened her mouth to scream.


    She tried everything to fight him. She tried to kick him between his legs. She tried to snatch him anywhere her delicate hands could reach. She tried to push him off of her.


    But could she really stop him?


    His well-built massive body was pressed on her, suffocating her underneath him, she had no clue how she ended up on the bed. It did not take him long to get between her legs and he held her in-motion hands tightly with one hand and her jaw with the other hand.


    ¡°Stop, Emma. What the fuck do you think you are doing?¡±


    His words were fading away as he took out the sharp needle from his pocket and stabbed her delicate neck with it. Her screams eventually came to a stop and soon she lied on the bed, under him, with her hands above her head but this time they were not in motion and the entire room fell into deep silence since the unconsciousness muted her tired screams of agony.


    ***


    How long does it take a person to faint from the fit of terror? Five minutes? Ten minutes?


    For her, it was only a few seconds, but the terror did not stun her, instead, it kept her wide awake. She wished she would just fall into a deep sleep and never wake up again. But it did not matter how long she wanted to stay in her dreand. The devil would find her and keep her with him forever.


    Beads of teardrops glided down her eyes to her cheeks then to her jaw and dropped on her red top making themselves dissolve into the cloth. She did what she had always done, she took a few steps back and stood away from him. His face wasn¡¯t visible due to the darkness and his massive body covered the illumination from reaching the room. The salty taste of the mixture of the tears and her sweat warned her how anxious she was.


    Why? Why so much terror? Why was she so scared?


    The answer was simple. The Devil stood before her in all his glory. Without any regrets. But if the situation could be seen from his outlook it would be staggering. The Devil brought a girl to a ce where he never brought any other women before. When Adrian found out about it, he was fumed and astounded. His friend was bringing a girl to his penthouse whom he had imed was his.


    But Adrian was not aware of the girl¡¯s consent. He didn¡¯t dare question Alexander anymore, when the world said he was known for his ruthlessness, they weren¡¯t lying. He would spare no one who would meddle between him and Emma.


    His Emma.


    When he brought her into his penthouse, he thought of giving her the punishment she deserved for acting like a brat. She was kept in a dark cold basement room. The penthouse had several deserted basements but the one Emma was kept in was the smallest and darkest. Alexander knew Emma was afraid of darkness, so he perceived that punishment would teach her a lesson. But he loathed it when she backed away from him. Why did she always find a way to get away from him? He asked himself, deep down he knew the answer but his capability ofprehending the response was still very far.


    He marched towards her and grabbed her arm. His warm massive hand was connected with her petite cold arm. Emma almost hissed in pain. He pulled on her arm and walked to step out of the room. She gasped and immediately stopped walking behind him and tugged on his shirt to stop him. Alexander gritted his teeth and turned around to yell at her when his eyes fell on her half-naked body with several bruise marks.


    Shit. I forgot I had taken her pants off when I brought her.


    Although her half-baked state was arousing his beast, he swallowed down the lust and told her to wait there. After that, he disappeared outside with the door slightly open, open enough to lighten up a certain area of the room. He ran back to where his room was situated and went through her stuff until he found suitable pants for her to wear. He was not going to let her out in that state, there were guards in the house and there would be nonsensical bloodshed if she walked out of that room like that and any of the guards looked in her direction.


    Fuck no. I will kill anyone who will look at her naked body.


    He imed her body after all. It was only fair that he would protect what was his like he always did. On the other hand, Emma was standing there, still shivering from the cold. The outside of the room seemed so much warmer than the basement.


    Why couldn¡¯t I just stand outside? My hands and feet are freezing from the cold.


    ¡°Here. Wear this,¡± her thoughts were seized by Alexander. He handed her blue sweatpants and she timidly took them from him with her trembling hands. She stood there for a few minutes patiently waiting for him to give her some privacy.


    ¡°What?¡± He cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you cannot wear this in front of me when I¡¯m the one who took off your pants and left you here.¡±


    His forthright answer sent shivers down to her spine. She perceived he was not going to leave. Her eyes closed as she slid into her warm sweatpants, one leg after another. The warmness of the cloth was filling her up with greatfort. She finally felt a little bit relieved.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go,¡± he said and held her hand again, stepping out of the basement room. Her eyes squinched as the crystal clear marble mosaic decorations reflected the sunlight and connected with every belonging of the room. She adjusted her eyes and looked around, trying not to let out a gasp but she failed. The house looked marvelous. It looked as if it was made out of crystals and marbles. Surely it wasn¡¯t as big as Alexander¡¯s previous house but it was decorated much more beautifully than that. The floor was polished and she observed some maids scrubbing the floor with rugs. The walls were crystal and made out of pure pearly marbles. The interior designs seemed modern. The spiral staircase stood at the edge of the living room. She flinched when her feet touched the crystal clear staircase, it was transparent but yet so majestic.


    She didn¡¯t know when she was brought into a huge bedroom with a double queen-sized bed in the middle. It didn¡¯t take her long to realize she was with Alexander inside his room.


    Oh my god. What am I doing here?

 Chapter 51

    Before she could apprehend, she was thrown inside the bedroom and heard the door being locked. Emma gulped, swallowing the fear that was rising inside her. She was terrified to look behind her because she knew he was standing. He was standing right behind her. She knew the moment she would turn around; his cold eyes will confront hers. The fear would be so intense that she would not be able to move. She would want to run for the door, but the door was locked. She would be thrown inside again by the Devil who was ready to assault her anytime he desired.


    So, she didn¡¯t turn around. She didn¡¯t look behind, instead, she stared out the window that was right beside the bed. The bedroom was astonishing, it was massive, more than 500 square feet. That was the biggest bedroom she had everid her eyes on. The sheets were painted with navy blue and white shade, the nket was lying peacefully on top of the bedsheets and the two pearly white pillows were resting on the head of the bed. She could tell by just looking at the bed that it wasn¡¯t touched for a long time but it was clean, the bedsheet was so precise as if someone had just ironed it. Her eyesid on the flowers on every flower vase she could spot in the room.


    Blue orchids.


    She loved orchids. She loved blue orchids. And Alexander knew that, he had his men almost buy the entire flower shop for those blue orchids. Every flower vase had orchids beautifully decorated and ced in them. The walls around her weren¡¯t in cream-white tincture, it was colored with light baby blue. She loved light colors. She loved colors that would brighten up the room, Emma believed bright colors bring happiness in the house, in the bedrooms, in a person¡¯s life.


    So, she looked around, trying to find a tad little happiness that might be hiding somewhere in the edges of the room but she found none. Because her happiness didn¡¯t exist in that room, it didn¡¯t exist in Alexander¡¯s life, her tormentor¡¯s life who had only tormented her in the past and she perceived his torments weren¡¯ting to an abrupt stop. He brought her to his penthouse so that he could carry on his torment without anyone acknowledging his actions.


    Perhaps, he was never bothered about others finding out about his affliction in Emma. Who would risk their life by standing against Alexander King?


    But Emma didn¡¯t want to give in to him. She wanted to save her dignity. She viewed Alexander as nothing but a heartless monster. An atrocious and outrageous man who would go to any extent to get what he wanted. Alexander was wrong if he thought he could get his way with Emma, even by forcefully bringing her to his penthouse. At least, that was what Emma was thinking. The misconception was, was Alexander¡¯s barrier that easy to pass for Emma?


    She closed her eyes and rotated her body and came to an abrupt stop when she acknowledged where he could be standing still. She didn¡¯t look up when her eyes opened. Her body was shuddering badly and she began to take a few steps back. The bedroom was massive and it had enough space for her to run away from him and run to the opposite side. But where else she could run? The door was locked and Alexander was standing before her.


    ¡°Look at me, Emma,¡± his hoarse voice spoke. She obeyed and looked up at him and she wished she didn¡¯t. He was standing in front of her in nothing but a pair of boxers. She gasped in surprise and her hand involuntarily went to her mouth muffling the loud astonished gasps that were eager to leave her mouth.


    To say she was scared would be an understatement, she felt like the world had lost its normalcy in privacy as if there was no privacy in the world, she lived in. Or maybe Alexander didn¡¯t want any privacy in his world with Emma.


    He took long strides towards her; she took a few steps back. He got angry and grabbed her arms tightly. She flinched and wed at his hands, trying her best to pry his grip off of her. But he didn¡¯t budge. Emma¡¯s fear grew in ever passing seconds, her body wanted to give up on her, her legs were going weak and if her tormentor didn¡¯t have a stronghold on her, she would¡¯ve fallen onto the floor.


    Her fear turned into anxiety and her anxiety turned into a great agony when her mind couldn¡¯t specte on Alexander¡¯s uing actions anymore. That was until he spoke up.


    ¡°Stop running away from me, Emma. You will only bring hazard on you,¡± he was right. Emma¡¯s continuous effort of getting away from him was only infuriating him more. Her gaze fell onto his half-naked body. She had never seen him with only in boxer before, she had never seen him like that in that close direction.


    She observed how his muscles flexed when his grip was tightening at her every movement. His shoulders were broad, his legs were long and well-muscled. His well-built body was often visible through the clothes, but in his seminude state, his body was more definite. She looked down at his body and looked straight at his stomach. She frowned in confusion when a big grim scar was spotted by her. It was ragged but visible, it looked like an old wound like someone had shed his skin ages ago but the scar never left his body. It was a livid andrge transversal.


    How did he get this scar?


    Her curious mind questioned. Alexander followed her gaze on his abdomen and clenched his teeth together. He squeezed his eyelids together and opened them, it was fortunate that emm6 wasn¡¯t staring at him, his eyes portrayed the decades-old anger and agony.


    The gaze he had on Emma would¡¯ve scared anyone who would be seeing those icy cold grey eyes. When he perceived Emma¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t looking away, he pulled her towards him and their body smashed against each other. He gripped her jaw in a tight hold and fisted her hair with the other hand. A scream of pain left her mouth when he aggressively pulled on her hair; her head tilted on the back. Alexander¡¯s orbs fell on her neck where the mark was visible. He smirked in victory.


    Now, everyone would know you belong to me, Emma.


    He loosened his hold on her and threw her on the bed. She instantly crawled away from him and sat on the edge of the bed with her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. She was terrified of Alexander; how could someone be as heartless as him? She was afraid he was going to put his immoral hands on her body again, against her will.


    But instead of moving close to her, he walked to the bedside window and shut the curtains, he repeated with all the other windows and walked back to the bed.


    ¡°Rx Emma. I¡¯m not nning to do anything with you yet,¡± he chuckled. She was so petite and fragile for him, the way she curled up herself in a ball away from him, it only amused him.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you are just as fatigued as I am. So, I suggest you go to sleep. You have a long day ahead,¡± He said and pulled her down on the bed in a position where she could lie downfortably. But she wasn¡¯tfortable, not when he was around her. She looked at him with fear written all over her face.


    Is he serious? How could he think I will sleep anywhere near him?


    He lied down beside her and covered their bodies with aforter. He knew Emma was cold, her body wouldn¡¯t stop shivering. Theforter would bring some warmth all over her body. He pulled her small body to him and she immediately turned away from him. He chuckled lightly at her uneasiness but didn¡¯t force her to look at him. Guess he could go one day without her looking at him if it meant the back of her body would be pressed against his. His strong arm was tightly swaddled around her like some sweater.


    Her bottom was pressed against his stomach, he felt it difficult to not bend her over the bed and have his way with her but he was tired and so was she.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Besides that, he wanted to wait. No, he didn¡¯t care about her consent, he was going to have her by hook or by crook. He wanted to wait for the right moment when he could make it special for both of them. He wanted to give her so much pleasure that she had never encountered before. He would never let any other man put their filthy hands on her. He gritted his teeth and held her tight.


    No, she was his. Only his. And no one else would ever change it.


    ***


    An hour has passed and Emma was still squeezed against Alexander¡¯s hard body. She tried to move herself out of his hold but every time she would move his hold only got stronger. So, she gave up trying for a while.


    They had been on his bed for almost four hours, she had been struggling to get out of his bed for an hour. She did try to go back to sleep but sleep never came along.


    While she was tightly held against her oppressor, she began to n her escape. She didn¡¯t know how she was going to do that, but she was confident she would at least make one attempt to regain her freedom. The penthouse wasn¡¯t that big, although his penthouse looked more ravish it was smallpared to his other house. She couldn¡¯t get to see how many guards could be outside, she only spotted a few maids working inside the house, but they ignored her as if she didn¡¯t exist.


    Her mind wandered off to Caroline, she was worried about her. Emma couldn¡¯t contact her for weeks and she knew Caroline would be expecting her for Christmas which was in only a few weeks.


    Alexander King was a dangerous man, a vicious monster in disguise of flesh and blood. If she failed to escape, he wouldpel her to see hell on the earth.


    All of a sudden, a flow of terror rose in her and she forced herself to demolish it inside her. If her fear came in between her and her escaping n, the chances of failure would be high. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.


    At the same time, she felt Alexander¡¯s grip loosen around her, she took it as a chance to slide away from him. Luckily, she didn¡¯t wake him up. He was sleeping calmly.


    Firstly, she walked into the bathroom and did her business in there. Standing before the sink, she gazed at her reflection. She still looked tired. Her eye bags were in a darker shade, and her lips were still the natural pink but had the hue of paleness on them. Her hair was in aplete mess, she tried to loosen her tangles with the help of her fingers which resulted in her hissing in pain every time she would pull her hair identally. There wasn¡¯t even any hairbrush she could use so she gave up the thought of fixing her hair.


    Emma walked out of the bathroom and looked around the room. The bedroom was truly decorated beautifully. It was massive!


    She walked towards the huge closet with various types of decorations that she had mistaken for a wall. On her right side, there was a sectional sofa of thick ck material and a few cushions kept precisely on it. There was a round table in front of the sofa, and she spotted some of the papers were scattered on it.


    She usually never sneaked on anyone¡¯s things before, but since Alexander¡¯s book had caught her attention, she began to observe every single thing he had to inspect if she could find anything useful. She picked up the papers and frowned. It wasn¡¯t a book neither was it any official file. There were some writings on them. She bit her lip, thinking over and over if she should read them.


    But the escaping n never left her mind, if she wanted her n to be sessful, she had to do it. She shifted her eyes back to the paper. It looked like a poem to her as she read it out. When she opened the door for me of my house for the first time,


    The panic on her face was the evidence of the fear flooding out of her,


    When her green emerald eyes met with my cold grey ones,


    I knew she was mine.


    When a tear slipped from her eyes and rolled down her flushed cheek,


    when the air around us became thick and began to suffocate me,


    I knew she was in an awaiting predicament.


    When for the first time I observed her in my doorway with a tray of food in her hands,


    I knew who she was and what was her engagement.


    When I conceded that the luxurious 500 square feet bedroom isn¡¯t enough for me to effuse the vehemence.


    I knew I needed assistance,


    From her.


    That solitary moment was all that took me to,


    Fall over the edge,


    All that took me to,


    Fall for her.

 Chapter 52

    Emma read his writing and couldn¡¯t stop shaking her head along with her shivering body. This can¡¯t be happening! He can¡¯t be in love with me.


    She kept chanting this inside her head, it was unbelievable but unfortunately, it was true. Her body went limp and she fell on the sofa with a loud thud. She thought she couldn¡¯t be more unfortunate now. He was in love with her, another reason why it would be hard for her to escape. It was difficult enough with his house surrounded by guards and his vicious eyes that never even left her alone for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut for the 100th time in an hour and let the tears of sorrow and angst drop down her eyes.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes opened slightly, his eyebrows furrowed, and wondering where did the thudding sounde from. He squinted his eyes before opening them widely and found his Emma sitting on his sofa with some papers in her hands. He threw his head back on the pillow and let out a low grunt.


    Now what? She¡¯s gonna sit there and began her drama again?


    Alexander started to feel he had enough of her dramas, if she tried to escape from him one more time, he wasn¡¯t nning to go slow on her anymore. Keeping her in the basement as her punishment should¡¯ve taught her a lesson. He was willing to give her time to adjust herself in her new life, what else did she want? He had never done that for anyone before not even for his family.


    She should be fucking grateful.


    Emma didn¡¯t notice Alexander waking up and getting out of his bed, he was still in his boxer as he walked toward her. She was so engrossed by her thoughts that she had barely any moment to look around her. It was as if her fate was ying with her, toying with her life and squashing her freedom right in front of her.


    It felt like a maze where she was lost for almost a year and still didn¡¯t find her way to get back to normalcy. Normalcy that didn¡¯t exist in her life anymore.


    The papers from her hands were taken by her oppressor and ced gently on the crystal-clear ss table. That was when she looked up and saw him. His face, as usual, didn¡¯t hold any emotion.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He questioned.


    What am I doing here? What does he think people do after waking up? Find some ridiculous papers where they find out their tormentor is in love with them and never going to let them go.


    What does it look like I¡¯m doing? Sitting on his luxury sofa and staring at the man who is standing above me thinking about how my life would be from now on. If I would have my life anymore, this man could kill me anytime he wanted.


    For the worst, she could only utter these in her mind and not voice them out. She didn¡¯t have that much courage to anger him, she was afraid he might hurt Caroline.


    ¡°N-nothing,¡± she whispered and turned her face away. As much as it agitated Alexander, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s still very early. C¡¯mon get some more rest, I have to leave for work in three hours,¡± she shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to go anywhere near Alexander anymore, she felt her stomach turning and she felt sick.


    Alexander passed her a death re which immediately made her obey him without any more resistance. But the fear in her never ceased. She had many questions in her mind, but there was that one question that troubled her the most.


    ¡°Why?¡± She whispered. ¡°Why me?¡± She continued. Alex6 stopped pulling her to the bed and looked at her.


    Is she really asking this question now? She still has no idea ¡®why¡¯ it¡¯s her?


    Perhaps, it was better for Emma to not know the answer now. He ignored her and walked with her to the bed andid her down with him getting in there beside her.


    Emma was too lost to repeat her question, so she gave in and closed her eyes and she hoped that everything was just a bad dream. She needed to wake up. So, she closed her eyes, letting a tear fall from one eye, and soon she was lost in her dreand.


    ***


    He pinned her down on the bed and got on top of her. Her body was beneath him, her helpless hands were tightly held by the devil himself making her wince in pain. His body was tightly pressed on hers.


    ¡°ept it! You cannot fucking run away from me. You can NEVER escape from me. It would be better for you if you just ept that your fate is with ME. You are mine!¡± She shut her eyes and sobbed quietly beneath him. She knew she could never escape from him; she knew he would never let her go. But that didn¡¯t stop her from trying. That would never stop her from trying.


    She swallowed her fear and looked back at him with her tearful big eyes.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not yours! I can never be yours, master. I am just a maid who works in your house. Y-you have no right to im me yours like this,¡± she threw back. It didn¡¯t shock Alexander, it amused him. His fiery cat was finally able to open her mouth in front of him.


    His hand left hers only to stroke her cheeks, and it went from her cheeks to her lips. He rubbed her bottom lip with his fingertips slowly, feeling the softness of her lips on his fingertips. He leaned down and crashed his lips on hers, kissing her like there was no tomorrow.


    Their lips danced in sync, he was biting and sucking her bottom lip making her whimper. His kiss was dominating. He desired to dominate each and every part of her. Including her life.


    A few minutester, he let go of her. Emma was already panting when he released, she inhaled as much air as possible.


    They both stared at each other with an intensity that was hard to exin. But the silence was soon broken by the devil himself.


    ¡°You are mine, Emma. You were mine the moment Iid my eyes on you. You were mine when I saw you for the first time when you opened the door for me. You were mine when I saved you from the guy at the party who almost raped you¡­¡± He gritted at the bitter memory.


    ¡°You were mine since the first time my heart skipped a beat whenever I saw you¡­ You are mine and you will always be mine,¡± with that, he kissed her lips again. She heard the unbuckling sound of his belt and her eyes widened in fear. She pushed him as hard as possible but that didn¡¯t stop him.


    In a blink of an eye, he tore her dress and once again imed her as his.


    ***


    A loud bloodcurdling scream filled in the silent room with the piercing sound of agony and distress. A few beads of sweat formed on her forehead, the red top was drenched in something cold and wet. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale as if she had seen some ghost. Her mouth was parted slightly and whimpers after whimpers escaped from in between her lips.


    Someone entered the bedroom hurriedly and rushed towards her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay? I heard your scream,¡± Emma¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave a certain surface, they were sealed in one ce. The young girl who entered the room shook her body lightly. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please tell me what happened? Did you get hurt?¡±


    The scream shook everyone in the house. The maids were working downstairs when they heard her, one of the maids rushed to the bedroom to check if Emma was okay. Before arriving at the penthouse, Alexander had strictly told them to look after Emma at any cost and if they failed to do so, they will lose their job immediately, and not only that, Alexander threatened to destroy any other chances of getting a job somewhere else. 2


    The maid sighed and helped Emmay down on the bed. She was sweating everywhere and her body was icy cold.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, shall I bring you a ss of water?¡± The girl gently asked her. Fortunately, that time Emma could respond with a shake of her head. She turned away from the maid and recline on her sides. The maid took that as a gesture to leave her alone. She didn¡¯t say anything further and left.


    Emma stayed glued to the bed, traumatized about the dream she just had. It was one of the most horrifying dreams she ever had, what more horrifying was that Alexander could do that to her at any time he wanted. It could be any day when she would lose her dignity when she would lose her soul and body to a monster. A satan.


    She didn¡¯t notice that she was alone in the room now. Looking at her surrounding, she got up from the bed and stood on her feet. It took her all of her courage to walk towards the simr round ss table and the sectional ck leather sofa and the papers. She bit her bottom lip and sat down. Her curiosity which now had blended with her was expelling her into discovering more about her tormentor. Wherefore, she picked up the papers and began to forage for something she didn¡¯t even know. Until she picked up a random paper, it wasn¡¯t a regr white paper and the writings were not as clear as the others but she could read it out.


    Again, I perceived her.


    She was wearing a blue-hued blouse,


    And a pencil ck skirt.


    Her hair was loose,


    The strands befitted the starry night.


    She, once again, held a tray in her hands,


    Reminding me, once again, who she was.


    The barrier betwixt us didn¡¯t stop me,


    From going close to her.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Albeit, her refusal injured my heart,


    But I was unnerved.


    I wanted her.


    I needed her.


    So, the next we met,


    I grabbed her.


    I held her against the wall


    Mouthtched on her skin.


    She cried.


    She screamed.


    But, as I mentioned, I wasn¡¯t ruffled.


    I grabbed her face and kissed her hard.


    I kissed her till I was satisfied.


    I kissed her till I had enough.


    But the concern was,


    I never had enough,

 Chapter 53

    Emma


    96 hours and 50 minutes have passed. Emma was locked up in that same bedroom of her captor¡¯s. Her eyes were sealed at a certain surface of the white ceiling. Her eyes were dull, they looked as if they belonged to a dead person. Dull and lifeless. It didn¡¯t shed any more tears, they were dried and her tears were now parched on her cheeks.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing the same clothes anymore, instead, she was in a white knee-high simple dress and matching undergarments. Her arms were sore, she pulled on the ropes that were fastened to her wrists and almost screamed in pain. She had been in that position for two days straight, her wrists were on fire, and her arms went numb from the pain. She tried to scream but it was interrupted by the thick material that was ced on her mouth. The cloth muffled her agonizing screams and painful whimpers.


    The bedroom wasn¡¯t soundproof, so the maids and the guards could hear her screams but Alexander warned them to not untie her or let her out of the bedroom.


    She wasn¡¯t entirely alone there, one of the maids would alwayse and check on her, they would give her food and escort her to the bathroom if she needed to go. But they never untied her, she tried to leave the room thrice but never seeded. The maids eventually felt pity for her but they didn¡¯t dare to help her escape.


    She tried to move her legs but at that time her legs were also tied, she couldn¡¯t see what it was tied to but she would feel a sharp pain every time she tugged on the ropes. She had been trying to get free from the ropes for two days straight and that was the third day she was lying on the bed, and too tired to even move a muscle.


    Her eyes closed as she began to recall the day, the moment, and the inducement of her contemporary condition.


    ***


    It was seven o¡¯clock at night, Alexander was never in his bedroom at that time and Emma tried to go out of the room but it was locked from the other side. She grabbed the nket in frustration and threw it on the floor, her anxiety was taking over her normal state. She had nned out everything she wanted to do and now she could only hope her n would work out.


    After thirty minutes, a maid entered the room with a trolley with lots of different types of food on it. She locked the door behind her and put the key in her white apron pocket. Emma carefully eyed her actions.


    ¡®If I could just take the key from her somehow¡­¡¯


    She thought. She still had to n something out before the maid left the room. Her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip; her eyes looked up to the maid.


    The maid was putting the food on the te carefully and served her with a gentle smile. Emma tried to pass her a smile. But all she could think about was the key and the unlocked door, she thought she might seed if she just tried once.


    The maid ced a big piece of bread on a te with a ton of vegetables on it, she served it along with a small bowl of soup. Emma was starving, but she could not think about the food at that time, she had to run. She refused to eat and told the maid that she wasn¡¯t hungry but the maid insisted that she ate a little.


    Emma was afraid that if the maid left, she¡¯d lose her chance to escape. She grabbed the bowl of soup and loosened the grip on the bowl when she was taking it close to herself. The bowl dropped on the maid, staining her white apron.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Emma said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do that,¡± she went to help the girl by smudging a wet napkin on her apron.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am. I will take care of it,¡± the maid smiled and took off her apron. Emma felt terrible for her but at the same time, she felt rage. Rage for her ¡®master¡¯. He was the reason she had to cause trouble for someone so that she could escape the devil.


    Her throat was getting dry, she had never thought to hurt anyone emotionally let alone physically, and here she was dropping a hot bowl of soup on a poor girl who wasn¡¯t even responsible for her bad condition.


    ¡°Can you please give me some water?¡± Emma asked her. The maid gently smiled and turned away from her to get her some water. She took that as a chance to slip her hand inside the apron that she had ced over the trolley and took out the keys. She hid it inside the bedsheets. When the maid handed her the ss of water, she took it and finished it in a few gulps. She was nervous.


    After a few minutes, Emma dismissed the maid. She ate a little and hoped that the maid would leave the room. She also hoped the maid wouldn¡¯t look for her keys, but she wasn¡¯t that fortunate.


    The maid went to lock the door and she realized the key was gone from her apron, she frowned and looked for it everywhere. Emma chewed on her bottom lip to stop it from shivering.


    ¡®What do I do now?¡¯ She thought to herself.


    Before the maid could take any action, Emma pushed her aside and her body hit the wall making her scream. She felt terrible for what she did but it didn¡¯t stop her from running. She kept running till she was out of the house. She was thankful that the house was big enough to muffle the low scream that came out of the maid¡¯s mouth.


    ***


    Emma ran as fast as she could. Her heart was beating so fast that she felt like it would explode out of her chest. Her whole body was sweating despite the freezing temperature. She heard a loud roaring sounding from the sky and realized it was already raining.


    A few droplets of rain touched her face and in the blink of an eye, she was fully soaking wet from the rain.


    The white knee-high dress she was wearing was covered in mud and dirt from all the times she had tripped down on the ground.


    She did not know where she was going, she just knew that she had to run!


    Emma did not know where she was. She stopped running and looked around her.


    She could see a park surrounded by fences and a metal gate. It looked empty as it waste at night.


    There were no houses anywhere near that ce, just a few streetmps. She gulped and clutched her dress tightly. She slowly made her way near the gate and opened it. There was a small park inside. She was surprised to see that the gate was open at that hour of the night. It was so dark she could barely see a thing. She didn¡¯t even bring her phone or any shlight with her.


    Emma slowly stepped forward; her heart was pounding in her chest. She was scared. No, she was terrified. The whole thing was scaring her to death.


    ¡®I finally ran away from him¡­¡¯ She muttered to herself. She finally did it!


    But she knew he would be looking for her. She prayed to God that she would not get caught, she did not want to return to that hell again.


    Emma noticed an empty bench near where she was standing. She sat on it. Her throat was dry and her bare feet were in pain from all the pounding they had received from the ground. She brought her hands to her feet and touched them, hissing in pain, and noticed that they were bleeding already. She was sure it was some rock that had cut her feet.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Her cheeks warmed up and her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°How would I run now?¡± Her heart filled up with helplessness with that despairing thought.


    Emma tried to stand up but failed miserably, she sat back on the bench, too tired and hurt to stand up. But she knew she couldn¡¯t stay there for long. She knew that if she did, he would find her and drag her back to his hell. But for now, she had to find shelter from the rain beating down on her body.


    She tried looking around the park to see if there was any shed that she could stay in for the night. She could not see anything in the dark.


    She wrapped her hands around herself and rubbed her palm on the arms in order to warm up her body from the cold droplets. She wasn¡¯t wearing any proper clothing to shield herself from the rain and the coldness.


    All of a sudden, she suddenly felt someone touch her shoulder. She froze in her seat and gasped.


    The hand was cold and rough¡­ it was a simr touch that she could recognize.


    Emma gulped and looked behind and she wanted nothing but to just cry her heart out when she saw who was standing there.


    ¡°Hello, butterfly. Missed me?¡±


    All the terror was too much for her toprehend. She felt her heart drop like it never had been before. The gulp in her throat was so intense that she could not even breathe and after a few moments of trembling in horror, she started to feel dizzy and passed out.

 Chapter 54

    Alexander had lost all his trust in her following her deception from the previous day. Her wrists and legs were shackled so she couldn¡¯t move them even a fraction. Shey on thefortable bed with a nket on top of her and her sore eyes sealed to the ceiling. It looked like she did not have anything else to look at. She attempted to free herself from the shackles that bound her arms and legs, but it only resulted in more agony. Her hands werepletely immobile because of the excruciating agony.


    Alexander was seated on a leather chair next to the bed in the demon¡¯sir. He was dressed in his typical cold exposure and had a cigarette between his index and middle fingers. His gaze was fixed on Emma, who gave him a response to his stare. He ced the poison rolled in paper in between his bottom and upper lips and took a long puff for thest time as the cigarette reached its end. As he exhaled the poisonous gas, it filled the room with a thick, smoky stench.


    He stood up and sat beside her, his hands caressing and skimming every inch of her flesh as he rubbed them against her warm and soft cheeks.


    Emma¡¯s body was bing warmer as the rising temperature caused by her anxiety and dread increased. Although her facial expression did not convey fear or anxiety, her heart was pounding rapidly and her breathing was bing increasinglybored as time passed.


    She did miss human contact after lying on the bed for a few hours or let¡¯s say a few days. It seemed as though she was at ease when Alexander¡¯s rough fingers caressed her face.


    Did she enjoy it? Even though she could never appreciate the touch of her tormentor, loneliness had made her want for the warmth of human touch, until it was reced with something cold and harsh. She nced at him, terrified of what might happen to her.


    He was holding a kitchen knife to her cheeks and dragging it down to her cor bones. Her breath came to a halt in her throat, and she let out a hoarse gasp.


    She stared at him again, her lips trembling from the terror and anguish he induced by running the tip of the knife over her lips and drawing blood.


    A split secondter, a considerable amount of blood was gushing from her lips, staining her white mid-knee dress. She saw Alexander¡¯s horrifying and dreadful wicked smile as if he was enjoying seeing her blood oozing out of her, but she also saw something else in his eyes.


    Lust.


    She closed her eyes and prayed silently that he would not do what she was thinking he might. Despite the excruciating agony on her lips, Alexander did nothing to ease it. Her struggle was all he could focus on while he sat there. When he pulled the cover from her, his eyes darkened; the mid-knee dress had ridden above her knees, exposing her creamy soft thighs, yet he felt a strong attraction to her after seeing her blood-stained chest and gushing lips.


    Emma felt him grasping her thighs, she hissed in pain. But she didn¡¯t move. It was happening, the thing she feared the most, but she told herself not to move no matter what he does. Alexander was intrigued. It had taken him almost a year to reach that point, the point where he could finally feel himself in her. She was bound to the bed, and he seized her by the wrists and put the knife on the bedstand, capturing her lips in his own.


    When he noticed the thin material, she was wearing, he tore it in one go with his hands. Her lips parted in a horrified gasp when she realized what he¡¯d done. She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra underneath her dress; all she had on was a white, thin panty to hide what little dignity she still had left. Although she wanted to cover herself with a nket, or at least her hands, she couldn¡¯t due to her hands being tied, so she opted not to make any moves while she was lying there.


    His hands were resting on her bare stomach, clutching her soft skin tightly which left some ugly bruises on her stomach and waist.


    Alexander¡¯s focus was diverted by the overwhelming pleasure he was experiencing from her. He was enamored with her and wanted more of her. He longed to feel her hands on his back when he would finally push himself into her. She was pure and untouched. But that was what made him want her even more. He treasured her purity, and he would not allow any guy to get near her, much alone touch her in any way.


    His kisses traveled down to her neck, and his hands reached the barrier preventing her hands from reaching him. He desired her touch. He brought her hand closer to his lips after unfastening it, kissing the back of her palms softly.


    He pressed her hands against his rock-hard chest and looked her in the eyes. His breathing was rapid, but not because he was weary. For him, the atmosphere was heating up.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Surprisingly, Emmaid there doing nothing but staring into his eyes. When he moved her hand all over his body, letting out a low grunt, she didn¡¯t protest.


    He crouched down to her, his lips inches from hers. Alexander ascertained her emerald green eyes, his arctic ones melting under hers. When he switched his gaze back on her, the tingling sensation surged throughout her body. Emma kept her eyes closed and attempted to resist his kiss; only to have utterly failed. Lowering himself on her, his lips brushed against her lower lip, and she heard his breath hitch.


    His entire body quivered, and the sensation of her body under him as his arms curled around her in a whirlwind of sexual tension seemed to be unbearable. He pulled her in, reiming her mouth, ravenous and fierce. He was staring into her eyes, in that instant, she forgot that he was her tormentor.


    She shuddered as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss, she felt little sparks of terror go through her.


    For him, the world seemed to havee to a halt. It was incredible. Magical. It was as if a single kiss had sucked the life from him.


    Emma had never been kissed before, and she had never experienced a man¡¯s true touch and kiss.


    That was something else altogether. She never discovered how different Alexander¡¯s kiss might feel if he were ever gentle with her. His kiss was full of passion.


    Countless gasps escaped her lips every time Alexander broke the kiss, only to capture her lower lip with his teeth and gently bite it. As he ravished her mouth and pushed himself against her tiny frame, his hands went up to the side of her face and held her in ce.


    What is happening to me?


    Emma questioned herself.


    It was unusual for her to feel Alexander¡¯s kiss. Perhaps because that was the one time, he kissed her as though he meant to kiss her.


    Lost. Frightened. Stunned. Damaged.


    Her mind was filled withplicated emotions. She had to resist it. She had to put an end to it.


    Alexander was engrossed in the kiss. He was perplexed. He had previously been gentle with her, but nothing couldpare to the tenderness of this kiss. He wished to call her by name. He demanded that she say his name. He wanted her to feel the same way he did.


    Pleasure.


    He was engrossed and weak because of the overwhelming emotions coursing through him.


    Is it true that he fell in love with her? Is he in love with a maid? His questions perplexed his thoughts, but his consciousness had not yet returned to allow him to break through the session and ponder about it. He never imagined he¡¯d be able to love someone, let alone a girl like Emma, who was the opposite of him. So pure. So innocent.


    He was a raging purgatory beast, whilst she was a celestial angel. He was so absorbed in the feeling of her that he didn¡¯t notice the oozing blood gliding down his back, soaking his white shirt. Warmblood poured from the joint of his shoulder and arm, sttering all over his clothing and bedsheets.


    He didn¡¯t realize he was in agony until he was pushed back into the bed. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling, the same ceiling that Emma had been looking at not long ago. Now, he feels. Now, he knows. What it¡¯s like to look at a nk te. What it¡¯s like to see one¡¯s own life being swept away. What it¡¯s like toy immobile with no muscles moving.


    And so, he saw her depart. When he saw her sprint to the door, attempting to unlock it. He noticed her little figure, terrified and trembling from the dread and cold of the night. When the lock failed to open, he faintly heard her terrified voice, but luckily for her, she managed to open it and step outside.


    She turned back to glimpse him one final time, and then she was gone as if her arrival had been a brief presentation, and now was the time for her to depart. And she did just that.


    His head fell back on the bed, pressing more onto it. A faint smile appeared on his face, barely visible. This was it. He had lost her forever. She had gone away forever.


    She is mine. I love her.


    I love you, Emma.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the nk ceiling. He felt her close to him in that way. His face twitched again, and his lips moved as if he was attempting to utter something, even if it was only one six-letter word.


    ¡°Emma.¡±


    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:


    Thank you so much everyone for loving my work.


    So, this is the end of Book 1. The sequel will be published soon.


    Where do you think Emma has gone? And what would Alexander¡¯s reaction be now? This is a turn and the book is going to get a lot more interesting from here.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!