Melody's POV
The ride to Chase's penthouse was a blur of city lights streaking past the tinted windows of the sleek black SUV. Van sat silently in the front passenger seat, while the driver drove through the streets without a word.
The overall dead silence in the car was driving me crazy, I hated complete, utter silence, it meant hopelessness to me. I still refused to accept that Chase Laurent just bought me off like that. He just bought my body and my dignity, just like that.
I needed to escape, I refused to accept my miserable fate that I would end up losing my virginity to a dangerous, sinful man, who killed a man brutally in front of me.
But when I looked around me, my heart sank, there was no escaping this, Van would catch me the second I try to run out of the car, and Chase will definitely get the news that I tried to escape. I don't guarantee that he will spare my life after that.
This was happening, whether I wanted it or not.
The car pulled into an underground garage beneath a towering skyscraper, and before I could take in the magnificent building, Van opened the car door and signaled for me to get out, he had a permanent scowl on his face and I knew he was not playing.
When the elevator door slid open, my jaw dropped to the ground. I had never seen anything that beautiful.
Chase's penthouse was nothing short of magnificent, it was a large empire of glass, marble and elegance that overlooked the glittering city. The entire space was wrapped with floor to ceiling windows, which offered panoramic views of the entire city.
The living room was vast with sleek, black leather sofas arranged around a massive stone fireplace. The fireplace flickered with flames that cast shadows on the polished hardwood floors. Chase seemed to have a thing for paintings because abstract art pieces adorned the walls, each one was probably worth more than my entire life savings.
His house was a complete opposite of what I expected it to be, a grand piano even sat in one corner.
The air smelled faintly of expensive cologne and fresh orchids, which I noticed in vases what were carefully placed on minimalist tables in another corner of the room.
The place was beautiful and looked "lived in", a contrast to what men like Chase Laurent had. Or at least that was what I watched in movies.
Van gestured for me to follow him down a wide hallway, where I found more artworks lined on the walls, "I will take you to Julia and she will handle the rest."
Who is Julia?
We stopped at a door and he knocked once before pushing it open. Inside was a bedroom that looked like those ones I saw in luxury magazines. King sized bed with crisp white lines, a red plush rug in front of it and another wall of windows framing the room. A walk-in closet stood ajar, revealing rows of empty hangers and an en-suite bathroom gleamed with marble counters.
A woman was already there, she stood by the window with her arms crossed. She turned and I immediately knew that this had to be Julia.
Julia was stunning in a sharp, intimidating way. She had a fair complexion with soft, delicate features. A sleek blonde bob framed her small face and she was a bold red beret that matched her red lipstick. The makeup on her face was elegant and flawless. She was dressed in a white top with red polka dots and red pants, while rocking a six inch heels.
"Melody, right?" She asked in a clipped and professional tone. She glanced at Van, who nodded and left without another word, closing the door behind him.
I nodded and without waiting to see if I had any more words to say... or sign, she turned around and led me into the bathroom, switching on the lights to reveal a space bigger than my entire apartment. "Shower. You reek of that casino floor." Her tone left no room for argument. She pointed to a box lying on the bed. "When you're done, you change into those. And you better be quick, Mr Laurent hates being kept waiting. He'll be home very soon."
I quickly raised my hands to sign then I realized that she might not understand sign language,
Julia's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she noticed my hands hovering in hesitation. "I can understand you just fine. What do you want?"
"I don't want to be here. This was all a mistake. I just want to go home." I signed quickly, my fingers shaking.
Julia's expression remained blank, "It's not a mistake, Melody. You're here because Mr Laurent wants you here. End of discussion. Now, go and shower."
I swallowed hard and complied, feeling very intimidated under her deadly gaze. Gosh, she was gorgeous but scary as fuck. No wonder she I able to work for someone like Chase Laurent.
When I emerged from the bathroom, Julia was waiting in the bedroom with a dress laid out on the bed. It was a silky, olive green halter mini dress, a far cry from the kind of outfits I had in my wardrobe. The dress was beautiful, chic and very..... short.
"Put this one " Julia ordered with a voice as frosty as ever. "No underwear, Mr Laurent's instructions."
My cheeks burned in embarrassment.
"What? No, I can't---"
She cut off my signing with a sharp look. "Save it. Nobody asked for your opinion. Get dressed. Now."
Again, the look she threw my way showed that she wasn't playing so I obediently picked up the dress and started wearing it. The dress fit perfectly, hugging my curves in a way that made me feel both beautiful and vulnerable.
Whether she was satisfied with my look or not, I couldn't tell because she just gave me a blank look and said, "Now you sit here and wait patiently for him. He'll be here soon."
He'll be here soon.
Julia had barely said those words when the door opened, and there he was.