As soon as she was pulled off the stage, Lenette was blindfolded and lead to away from the bustling audience. "You are quite ballsy. Your new owner will certainly enjoy breaking you." Lenette recognised the voice of the speaker as belonging to the man who gave her the glass of scotch.
She wanted to make a remark about how she belonged to no one but herself when she was suddenly placed on a bed. The blind fold was then removed and the change in lighting made her eyes water in pain. "Good luck." She heard the man say as she was still trying to make sense of her new surroundings. "You will need it. Heard your new owner has quite the reputation." He spoke with a laugh as he made his way out of the room.
Lenette would normally worry about what those words meant but she figured who ever that person was could not be worse than that place. Plus, she never planned on staying with that person for long, just enough to get her bearings. So, she dismissed that stupid warning and instead focused of where she was.
The room looked of luxury. The bed she was on was of high quality and had as much comfort as its price tag. Lenette could tell. After all, it was not too long ago that she too had such a bed, such a room. The bedding was silk and satin, the floor had a dark fur rug, and the walls painted a deep burnt sienna. The room was large enough to house two sofas and a table separating them as they faced the large fireplace with a large television above it. There were only two doors available in the room; the one to enter and the one that led to the bathroom, but no windows just air ventilations.
"Liking the change in scenery?" a voice interrupted her analysis. Lenette turned her gaze to the person who now stood at the door of the room.
She eyed him wearily but said nothing. "I will assume you do not wish to talk." The man spoke, "Understandable all things considered." He continued with his eyes on the watch that sat at his wrist.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Lenette asked her words coming out harsh and a little defensive.
The man looked up from his watch and turned his gaze on her and held it there for a long while, or what it felt like, it caused Lenette to pull what ever little cover she had around her to cover up her practically naked body.
Seeing her discomfort the man turned his head to the side and introduced himself, "I am here on behalf of my boss. He was the one who… Nonetheless I am here to look after you until he comes back. You can call me, K."
He stepped closer but as he watched her cave in on herself, he froze. K let out an audible sigh then threw a set of clothes on the bed from where he stood and called for her to get dressed. He moved back to the out the door to allow her some privacy to change.
Lenette made no move to take the clothes until he was out the door. She pulled the bundle and looked at it. Her face formed a disappointed frown. It was a dress, a tight fitted mini dress and a new pair of heels. With the night she had just experienced the woman simply wished for some comfortable sweatpants and hoodie to hide all the humiliation, shame and embarrassment that filled her mind.
Lenette felt tired, mentally and emotionally drained, the last thing she felt she needed was to play dress up doll for the prick who purchased her. The thought that he chose this outfit for her made her blood boil with a newly found fury. Lenette stood there staring at the dress. It was not that she did not like the dress, or that she did not like the style, nor that she thought herself above such clothes. But rather that she hated the idea of wearing something she was forced to wear by the very person who had a short leash on her. Forced, being the key word here.
Ultimately Lenette knew she had no other choice. After all, it was either the piece of underwear she was dawning or the dress, a choice she thought was obvious. But that did not mean she had to be happy about it.
She took off that dreadful scrap of lingerie she was too forced to wear, piece by worthless piece. With it the memories of those eyes devouring the sight of her, the memories of being put on the platter as meat only worth their desire and amusement until they moved on to the next. It still made her sick thinking about it. Lenette slipped on that dress and stood there staring at the clothes, if they could be called that, that were on her moments ago as she was being sold to the highest bidder.
She still fought back the tears even though those vultures could not see her. Lenette refused to cry, she felt that if she did, it would be no different from admitting defeat. She convinced herself that it would take a whole lot for her to cry since she survived this. Even though she did not know what awaited her outside this horrid dream she was sure that she could brave it just as she did this. If not for her then at the very least for her father.
Lenette felt the urge to burn the things as a way of sealing in her plagues to herself. And to ebb away the memories that still haunted her as she closed her eyes.
Lenette moved to the candle lit in the room. She refused to think about why there were candles lit in a house that had running electricity. She shoved that vile thought at the back of her mind and carried on with what she was doing.
She bent down to ignite the lingerie but was suddenly startled by the sound of conversation right outside the door.
The sound was muffled but she could still make out some words enough to spike her interest. So, Lenette got herself up from the floor and placed the candle back to its place and move a bit closer to the door.
"Did you blow off much needed steam?" she recognised the voice of the man who had given her the dress, he had told her his name was K, which she found odd.
The was a grunt as a response, then come out the deepest velvety voice she had ever heard. "Not much fun when they are weak. I barely touched him and he was already on his knees begging for mercy." The owner of the voice let out a sigh of annoyance that definitely remined her that she was in all rights a woman, through and through. "The man was a bore. Annoying even without the ass kissing acting."
A huffed out laugh came from K, "My bad Don. I Suppose I should have just let you strangle Richardson."
Don? The word sounded so familiar to her, but she could not for the love of her remember where from. It was as if her memories before being trafficked were lost with the wind.
"No bother. Do not even mention that one." He spoke in dismissal. "The girl?"
She heard the sound of the door clicking open and instinctively stepped back. "Last time I checked on her she was curled up defensively on the bed."
The man hummed in response, then spoke as K came into vision before her. "That does not sound like my little firecracker."
The nickname given to her made her face twist with disgust which in turn made K let out a laugh. "Do not worry. I think she was just still caught up in the quick change of things." K assured as he moved aside to let the man in.
The moment his face became visible to her, Lenette's breath hitched on two accounts. One because the man was as much of a looker as his voice was enticing. And two because in that second, she remembered who that man was and why the name Don was so familiar to her.
She felt a cold sweat run down her back along with an involuntary shiver.
Caesar Castello Valerius. A man from a family not known for charities or affection, but for the sheer ruthlessness. Him worst of all. His reputation of having a heart of an Arctic glacier and the mind of pure psychopathic behaviour did not only stick to his business exploits but expended far to other aspects of his life. The tales Lenette had heard about his ventures with his love interests had her grateful she has never met the guy and wishing she would never.
But fate seemed to have a personal grudge against her. To think that such a man is the very one holding the other end of her leash. Her face flushed with horror for a moment before she stilled her nerves.
He eyed her, his eyes taking her whole in. But surprisingly there was no heavy desire in them just as though he was assessing her. "There is my little firecracker." His velvety voice sounded once more, with more clarity and a hint of amusement.
He took leisurely steps towards her, but Lenette backed off with each one he took, until she hit the bed and fell to a sitting position. He stood right before her looking down at her and spoke, "Running away from the man who saved you. How bold?"
Lenette had been stuck in a bit of a trance lanced with fear and a bit of attraction. The man was that kind of attractive, scary but hot. However, when she heard him pose buying her as him saving her, her old flames roared back to life. "Is that what you tell yourselves to make yourselves feel better." She spoke bitter.
Caesar's eyes widened in surprise, then lowered in amusement that drew a smirk on his face. "I suppose it would seem that way to you. But I promise Doll, I really did save you." Lenette frowned at the being called the same way she was upon that display.
"Sure, if you say so. We all lie to ourselves at some point." She retorted.
Lenette watched him contemplate her words then gave a couple slight nods, "I think you are right. I am lying to myself. I despise the action much. So, as such I will be a little more honest with myself. Starting with why you now belong to me."
His gaze on her turned intense and suffocating, she could feel the sudden change in atmosphere around her. "Now if you would." He gestured for her as he stepped back as though to give her space, "Do a turn for me Doll, show me my goods. I want to make sure I got my money's worth." He removed his suit jacket handing it to K.
Lenette's skin buzzed with a bit of fear, but she still braved a response, "And why don't you such my non-existent dick." She spat in refusal.
Caesar gave her an undisturbed look, no sign of malice, instead he played into it as he let out a laugh, "No thanks. Dicks aren't really my thing." He tilted his head to the side just a minute bit and examined her body then continued with a very serious face. "Now if we were talking about those tits of yours then my answer would be different."
She was taken about by his reaction, judging from the rumours the man was anything but easy going. But here he was letting her disrespect slide. "Now if you are done playing, get that nice ass of yours off the bed so we can start moving."
Lenette got triggered by the words nice ass which involuntarily sent her back to that stage and yet again she repeated her reaction to the words. "Screw you."
Lenette knew what kind of man Caesar was but yet she pushed her luck. She half expected him to hit her or worse shoot her then and there. It would not be far from what she knew about the man.
However, he just let out a laugh moving closer to her, the motion making her spine straighten. His voice spoke low and sultry, "Well that's the plan, my little firecracker. You belong to me, remember?"
Caesar placed both his hands on either side of her hips on the bed and leaned in close enough to see every tiny reaction she had, so he did not miss how her breath stopped for a millisecond before kick starting again at his words.
"I do not belong to anyone but myself." Lenette declared.
He gave her a dangerous grin, not the kind of dangerous that had her fearing for her life but the kind that had her questioning her tastes as well as her morals and sense of self-worth. His tone dropping to just as much of a dangerous octave, "You can tell that to my 40 million." He whispered in her ears, "Which you will have to work hard for, that is if you want your freedom."
That simple action had Lenette's body reacting in ways she refused to name. She refused to acknowledge. Not when her body was betraying her so.
Afraid of how her voice would come out if she dared to speak, Lenette said nothing. Did nothing, especially look at the man. She was so afraid, for a whole different reason from before. She was afraid that if she looked, she would submit to this man every bit of her he wanted. And that was something Lenette could not afford to give.
So instead, Lenette waited for the man to move of his own volition. Which he did and smoothed out his suit and made for the door. His aide behind him. They did not look back, not because they trusted her to follow but because they knew she had no choice but to.
Lenette walked at a distance from them until they reached the car where the aide held the door out for her to enter. The moment she did, Lenette felt his presence in the backseat with her. She had hoped that out of all the things she was wrong about the man; Lenette hoped that she was wrong about him being your typical backseat sitter mob boss. But like she expressed, fate really hated her. Lenette could not help but feel like it was going out of its way to just prove that very sentiment.
The ride out of that dreadful place was quiet save for the sound of the soft radio music playing. As soon as she could no longer see that place in the road behind them. She relaxed a bit only to be assaulted by all the tension her muscles had held. Fatigue hit her like a bullet train, her body felt sluggish and her eyelids heavy. Looking at the passing world outside the window felt like hypnosis that she found her vision obscured by her dark eyelids.
When she shocked her eyes open, she found herself in a house all too familiar. She was dawning a long red dress that belonged to her mother, her hair done up and held in place with a silver dragon shape pin. She looked around and found remnants of a party, the cake half eaten, the was a clatter of half-eaten food on the display tables, empty bottles of wine and champagne.
Then her eyes landed on couch with a design of quiet luxury where a man past his early years, face lined with age and wisdom. A face that held some similar features to her. A face she has missed so such.
She stepped over to the couch and set next to the figure which the face belonged to and curled herself up against him with a satisfied hum.
A bubbled laugh escaped the man's lips and reverberated across the whole room. "What is it daddy?" she asked curiously.
"Nothing princess. It just I cannot help thinking that no matter how grown you are, you will always be daddy's little princess. To me you are still just a baby."
She too shared a laugh with him, "How can you call a grown woman much like myself a baby?"
"Because parents will always see their kids as such, no matter how old they became." He turned to face her and flashed her a smile, "Even so we are still able to acknowledge how well you have grown. So, happy birthday princess. You have grown into an impressive young lady."
She gave him a coy smile at first then it turned into a full-blown toothy grin, "Thanks daddy. And thank you for the birthday party. It was lovely." She planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Anything for my baby girl." He planted his own at the top of her head as they fell into a tranquil quiet.
Then in a split second the image changed, and Lenette found herself seated in a pool of blood, her father laying limp in her arms, her perfect look ruined with tear ran mascara, dishevelled hair, loose at the loss of her pin and her red dress stained with spots of dark. That sweet dream turned into a nightmare really quick as though to remind her not to get comfortable.