I stared at him, in shock, confusion, bewilderment, any word that could describe how totally flabbergasted I was at his request.
I remembered back in the club he got me to get naked for him. And now he is repeating the same thing. My eyes quickly took a cursory glance around the entire room. We were alone just like before, but this time we were in a more compromising situation.
He definitely wouldn't make me dance naked again would he?
Or he would.... I immediately shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts.
"Are you deaf!?"He yelled, his veins throbbing.
I gulped and shook, fear trailing down my spine sending an awful panic coursing through my body. "Get naked else I'll make sure I get you naked myself!"
I cried watching him boil in fury, and his raised eyebrows hinted at the anger raging within him.
Was he this angry because I rejected dinner? Just because of that? Heaven knows what this beast wants to do with me.
I painstakingly pulled off my clothes, my skin completely bare and naked in front of him. I suddenly felt extremely chilly. The air in the room suddenly felt too tight for me to breathe.
I made an attempt to cover my breasts with my hands but he yanked them off fiercely.
"On your knees now! Get on your fucking knees and put your two hands in those holes" He said authoritatively.
I shuddered at his vile tone. This man was cold. He was a beast. Who would do this to a woman? I am a human being too.
"Now!"He growled, rage flashing in his eyes for me.
I slowly did as he told and put my two hands in each hole carved in the table.
I saw him open the only cupboard in the room and I let out quick gasps for breath on seeing what he brought out.
A handcuff.
What?!
"Leo..Leo..what..are..what are"I stuttered, unable to bring out the words from my mouth.
"I don't want to hear anything from your pretty mouth," He snapped back. He quickly came over to me. Crouching down close to me, he handcuffed my hands together.
Trepidation seized me.
With terrified eyes, I watched him unbuckle his belt.
"Leonardo what are you doing!?"I heard myself screaming.
He ignored my question and wrapped the belt around his hand.
My mind instantly went wild. Thoughts of what he could do shrouded my mind.
Would he rape me?
Oh God. I crumbled into tears immediately. All because I rejected his offer to have dinner with him?
This man was a psychopath.
I wasn't even given time to ponder over what he was planning on doing to me when I felt a cold whip on my back.
I gasped and my eyes widened.
"LEONARDO!"I screamed loudly. The tears came out like flood waters.
I quivered, quaked, shuddered, and pleaded for Leonardo to stop, but he continued with his merciless beating.
He flogged me like I was a criminal who had committed a gruesome murder.
Each stroke of his belt sent a sharp pain down my back, the cold buckle of his belt scratching and bruising my skin at impact.
"Leo..please"I begged with my tone faltering, my pleas drowning in my tears.
My throat was hoarse and dry as a result of the multiple pleadings. I could barely shout again but Leonardo continued with his ruthless punishment. He flogged me with no atom of remorse.
I felt liquid trailing down my back. It was blood.
My body shivered and I could feel my vision slowly becoming dim. Leonardo couldn't hear my pleas as he was too engrossed in meting out his punishment on me, and neither could I plead again.
I felt myself falling into an abyss of darkness and suddenly everything went black.
* * * * * * *
"Thank God you are awake!"Maya exclaimed on noticing Crystal fluttering her eyes open.
It took a while for her vision to adjust as she squinted her gaze before fully opening her eyes.
Her eyes scrutinised the entire room she was in and she realised it was her room.
The brilliant rays of the sunlight shone through the curtains of the room, filling the room with warmth and light. How long had she been sleeping?
Her eyes darted to her body. She was in clothes. Who wore her back her clothes? Was it the beast in a human form?
Could it be Leonardo? And who carried her to her room? Her head ached and she placed a hand on it, caressing her temples.
"Leonardo brought you into your room last night, dear. How are you, my child?" Maya's soft voice soothed her as if reading her thoughts.
"Oh" was what Selene could only say. Her body ached with each move she took to adjust herself on the bed, especially her back. It suffered the most from Leonardo's beating.
"Freshen up ok. I prepared a hot bath for you in the bathtub. Check the wardrobe and pick any dress of your choice" Maya softly said to her. Selene nodded and flashed her a faint smile. She wasn't truly in the mood for conversations but she did notice that Maya spoke so kindly to her. It reminded her of her late mother.
Maya blew her a kiss and quickly left the room, giving Selene the privacy she needed. Selene painstakingly stood up from the bed. Her legs felt wobbly on the ground and too heavy to walk.
The door then suddenly opened, and a maid entered.
"Leonardo wants you to have breakfast with him" she announced.
SELENE I shuddered and became doe-eyed immediately when the maid said Leonardo would want to have breakfast with me.
Again with this? My mind instantly flashed back to yesterday when he littered me with strokes for refusing to join him for dinner.
I gulped and my hands felt sweaty in an instant.
I hate this man. Oh, good Lord!
I am being forced to live with a beast. My eyes skimmed down the bruises deposited all over my body.
My body, especially my wrists, had taken an awful shade of red. I felt like puking.
He beat me up and requested that I have dinner with him. Who does this?
This man must truly be a serial killer.
"Um, miss, are you coming?"The young maid probed into my thoughts, snapping me out of it.
I had no choice after all. I truly can't bear another round of lashes.
I nervously gulped and nodded my head.
That was enough confirmation from her. She gave me a warm smile and left the room.
A sorry look washed over my face.
I felt like a helpless animal inside a cage.
When will this torture end?
* * * * * *
He sat down on one of the dining chairs, taking the fork stuffed with chicken to his lips, he took a bite and slowly ate it, as if taking pity on the animal that had been killed to prepare this meal.
I loathed this man. I hated him with every fibre in me. Nobody had made me hate them the way Leonardo did. He was cruel, callous, unkind, menacing, and audaciously wicked, not caring who he hurt as long as he got his way.
Why the fuck did my dad take a loan from him!?
I didn't know who to hate more: my father, who brought me into this mess, or Leonardo, my captor.
His head tilted towards the staircase, and his eyes had a glint in them the minute he saw me. He stared at me intensely as I made my way towards the dining section. Something about the way he stared at me frightened me.
His stare never filtered for a nanosecond.
I suddenly became self-conscious of my steps under his blazing stare.
"Good morning, Miss Selene, "Leonardo greeted. "I trust you had a good night's rest," he added slowly as if devouring the words in his mouth before letting them roll out of his tongue.
What!? This man was unbelievable. How would he ask me that sort of question when he made my night hell?
"My night was fine," I replied, unfazed by his words. I knew he wanted to see me crumble but I won't let him.
A dangerous smirk drew by the corners of his lips as his eyes assessed my bruised wrists. I had made sure to put on a gown that would cover my entire body, thereby hiding the inhumane marks he gave me.
It was a shame it couldn't cover my wrists as this monster had his eyes on my now red wrists.
"Now you know the punishment for disobeying my orders don't you?" He taunted.
I gave a low hiss and remained silent.
"Answer me!"He suddenly yelled, which startled me. The familiar terror I had felt last night began climbing within me.
"I hate you" I heard myself cry out before I could even stop my voice.
My statement to him didn't go unnoticed. A malicious smile spread across his face.
He stood up and strolled to my side. Crouching down to my ear, he tucked some strands of my hair behind my ears and brought his lips to my ear.
I felt his lips brush against my earlobe, a soft brush that suddenly made my toes curl. His breath lingered on my neck before he finally whispered, "I own you, Selene. The sooner you get to accept that the better for you. I'll make sure you submit yourself to me, be it the hard way or the easy way. And I'll break this ego of yours. I promise you"