AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I drop the sheets from my body, leaving them on the floor as I walk over to the bedside table. The stack of clothes waiting for me isn’t the same ones that I wore here. When I put my hand on them, they feel unbelievably soft and well-constructed. These must be expensive.
Unfolding the dress on the top of the stack, I realize that it’s from a very prestigious brand, one that’s only financially viable if you’re rolling in more money than you know what to do with. I guess the wealth Viktor displays isn’t a carefully crafted illusion. He really is filthy rich.
I slip the dress over my head, reveling in the way the fabric feels against my skin. The dress is beautiful, a deep emerald greenthat feels much more saturated than anything I’ve ever worn. It fits me perfectly, hugging my curves in all the right places, but it’s also more revealing than I’m used to. The neckline plunges a bit too low for my comfort, and the hemline sits higher on my thigh than I would normally wear.
I glance at myself in the mirror, turning from side to side. There’s no denying that I look attractive in this dress, but I worry about the implications. Viktor will see me in this and want me even more. The thought sends goosebumps down my legs, a mix of fear and unwanted excitement.
I run my hands down the sides of the dress, smoothing out the fabric. It’s impossible not to feel a bit more confident, a bit more powerful in such a beautiful outfit. But I know that my confidence is fragile, easily shattered by Viktor’s looming presence.
Pushing my worries aside for a moment, I turn my attention to the breakfast tray. The smell of freshly brewed coffee makes my stomach growl. I hadn’t realized how hungry I am until now.
I sit down on the side of the bed, taking a sip of the coffee and savoring the rich, dark flavor. I always preferred black coffee, and Viktor seems to know that. There isn’t any cream on the tray, just a bowl of fresh fruit and a piece of bread with butter already spread across it.
I eat like I’m starving, shoveling everything into my mouth because it tastes so good. I’ve never had anything quite so delicious. Do rich people get tired of eating like this? If not, how do so many of they stay so slim?
I suppose they can afford the best trainers and doctors, so calories might be an afterthought. Imagine being able to eat however much you wanted, and never gaining a pound.
As I finish off my breakfast, my mind returns to Viktor. Will he be pleased to see me in these new clothes? Will he take it as a sign that I’m submitting to his wicked rules? The thought makes my stomach churn, but I push it away, focusing on the simple pleasures that I can gain from this awful experience.
I close my eyes for a moment, wishing this would all go away, but when I open them, the opposite comes true. My worst nightmare is standing right in front of me.
I nearly fall backward onto the bed. “Viktor! How did you get in here?”
“Like everyone else. I floated through the wall,” he replies with a cheeky grin.
I shake my head, unsure if this is real. He came in so quietly that I’m suspicious he might actually be a ghost. “My eyes were only shut for a moment,” I say. “Don’t do that again. It’s creepy.”
“I’ve been working on my stealth,” he replies, still smiling.
“Why?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest as his eyes drift down to my cleavage. “And don’t look at me like that. It’s also creepy.”
“Well, that’s exactly why,” he says, the smile dropping off his face in an instant. “I’m a creep, as you say. That’s what creeps do, isn’t it? But I wouldn’t expect you to care about the real reason for what I do. That must not interest you at all.”
He’s trying to get me to feel sorry for him, which is laughable, considering he’s the cause of my misery. There’s no guilt buriedunder my distaste for him, no glimmer of empathy for a man who only wants to use me.
“I’m not falling for your manipulation,” I say, standing up from the bed. I feel like I’m still sitting down, though, because of how tall he is.
He shrugs, turning away from me and walking over to the dresser near the door. “There’s no manipulation happening here, darling. I was going to offer you a little peaks into my life, some honesty in my world of smoke and shadows, but that’s something you’re not interested in, so I won’t force it on you.”
I sigh. “What are you talking about?” He spins around suddenly, another cheeky smile on his face. “Come with me tonight. I want to show you one of my casinos. I’ll even let you toss the dice, if you can behave yourself.”
His proposal is insensitive, considering my dad almost lost his life to his gambling problem. Maybe he’s just trying to rub it into my face, to show me how powerful he is based on how many lives he’s ruined.
Then again, I should be collecting information about my new enemy. It’s unwise to separate myself from him to the point where I don’t know who he is and how he thinks. I have to get into his head if I’m ever going to get the upper hand on him.
I lower my hand from my dress, letting him catch a glimpse of the soft skin that comes together in an alluring crevice on my chest. It’s just about the only thing that I have that holds any power over him.
“I think I might join you, ifyoubehave,” I say, trying to fake a suggestive smile. “But so far, you’ve not been very good to me.”
He raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Have I not been? I had food and clothes brought to you. I let you sleep in, when I could’ve woken you up when I got up, which was three in the morning, I might add.”
“I need more than that,” I reply, playing hard to get. “Maybe a few million dollars and a long vacation.”
He snaps his fingers. “Anything is yours… after the wedding. Our honeymoon can be as long as your sweet little heart desires.”
“I prefer solo vacations.”
“Well, that, I can’t grant you. It’s no longer safe for you out there in the world. Demons will chew you up and spit you out like old gum,” he says, turning back to the dresser and opening it.
