Melody's POV
"I'll pay five hundred thousand dollars. Accompany me for the rest of the time you'll work here."
My neck whipped so quickly that I almost got a whiplash, my eyes were the size of a saucer as I looked at Chase in shock.
"What??" I signed absentmindedly.
"I thought you were just mute, are you deaf too?" Chase said sarcastically after Gideon translated.
"Five hundred thousand dollars?" Gideon translated again, emphasizing on the questioning tone.
I continued signing, "To accompany you for the rest of the week?"
Chase put his hands in his pockets, crossed his legs and sighed exasperatedly, "Did I not just speak English?"
Even though I knew exactly what he meant by it, I still signed the question for Gideon to translate, "And what does accompanying mean in this context?"
Chase gave me an amused look for a moment before he replied, "You're nineteen, sweetheart, not nine, you know damn well what that means."
He wants me to sleep with him.
My eyes widened again.
What does he take me for? A freaking prostitute???
Does he think offering five hundred thousand would be enough for me to sell my body? Does he think any amount at all would be worth me selling my body for?
I could feel the anger rising within me.
I shouldn't have listened to Nicola and come for this job, now I'm being offered money for sex.
Jesus Christ.
"Well? Kocchi wa hima janai n da yo." Mr Beautiful eyes deep voice interrupted my thoughts. I don't understand whatever he just said but he sounded impatient.
(Translation: I don't have all day)
I raised my hands to reply him but they froze mid air, the half formed sign for "no" hanging in the air as I did a rethink.
Five hundred thousand dollars.
I could see the plenty zeros in my vision, it was more money than Nate and I would see even if we worked hard for three, five years. We could move abroad, start over and breathe without the constant choking of rent and loans.
But the price was my body and the rest of my dignity that would be left from tonight.
I raised my hands again and carefully signed my answer to Mr Beautiful eyes.
"Sh...She says.... She says.... no...." Gideon looked like he just saw a ghost as he translated.
I know I met him like five minutes ago but I don't remember Gideon being a stammerer.
I signed the "no" again because I wasn't sure Mr Beautiful eyes got the message, judging from the way Gideon's version was so low I could barely hear it, and Chase himself was staring at me with a blank look.
"My answer is no. I have a boyfriend and I'm not that kind of girl so I can't take your offer, please just let me go. I promise not to tell a soul about anything that happened in here. I swear. It's not like I can speak to anyone. Literally." I dropped my hands after signing my message in a hurry.
Gideon translated everything, though his voice was trembling and barely audible.
I know Mr Beautiful eyes was scary but this is not even about you, Gideon. Why is he looking like he is about to piss his pants?
Again, Chase did not move. He simply watched me in silence for few minutes with one elbow rested on the arm of the couch, a stick of cigarette dangling lazily from his fingers.
When did he even lit that?
Then slowly and gracefully, he uncrossed his legs and stood up,
""J'ai un mec, et je ne suis pas ce genre de fille"." He can speak French too??? And considering how thick his accent was and how it rolled off his tongue naturally, he must be a native speaker.
Again, that's none of my business.
But what did he just say?
(Translation: "I have a boyfriend and I'm not that kind of girl.")
He continued to walk away from the couch and then he added, "Wait, did you just say you can't take my offer?" He asked in a lazy tone, and I think that was a rhetoric question.
Right?
"Yes, and I apologize for----" I had barely signed half of what I wanted to say when Mr Beautiful--- Chase suddenly grabbed Gideon by his neck and slammed him hard against the wall.
I gasped silently in shock and my eyes widened.
Gideon's face immediately turned red as he started gasping for breath and releasing choking sounds at the same time.
My chest started heaving up and down and my breath became shaky, just like when he stabbed that man to death.
"Melody, right?" Chase asked me casually, as if he was not strangling an innocent man who looked like he would drop dead any moment from now.
My head moved before I could even control it and I nodded yes.
"I think you're mistaken because that was not an offer, Ma chérie. It's what I want." His French accent was evident now.
(Translation: My sweetheart)
And that was when I saw him bring out something shiny from his pocket.
A pocket knife.
My eyes widened even further, if that was even possible.
Was he going to kill Gideon???
Was I about to witness two murders in a day??
"You see, right here," He placed his other hand on Gideon's neck, his index finger grazing the side of his neck carefully, "there is what is called carotid artery. It's not that fragile but all it takes is just a stab with this knife and our good friend here will be drowning in the pool of his own blood, it takes like....one minute." He explained carefully with a hint of excitement in his voice.
I could see the fear in Gideon's eyes, and the wetting of his denim pants. He actually did piss his pants.
"But your response to what I want will determine if he lives or not. It's up to you, Melody." He shrugged casually. "So I'm giving you a second chance, which I don't normally do, are you in or out?"
Before I could respond he added again, "Ah, and just so you know, whether you're in or not, you can't walk out of this building alive, if I don't give the permission." He tilted his head and gave me a sickly smirk, "So what do you say, sweetheart?"