"Should we provide you with an affidavit of acceptance to work at our house, Miss Hester?"
"Ah, no... I mean—"
"As long as you work here, you must stay even during the night, Miss Hester. We don't allow you to return home for any reason. You get two days off at the end of the month to see your little brother. After that, you must return to this house before seven o'clock."
"But-"
"Your job is easy enough, Miss Hester. As for tidying up part of the house, someone has already taken care of it. Two of Kyle's housekeepers, and two others. You just have to do something... a little sensitive."
"What does it mean?"
"You know, our grandson... Nicholas? He really hates anyone touching anything in his room, Miss Hester. We've had several employees do this work. However, in less than an hour, they resigned. That's why we called you to work here."
"So?" Grace asked, increasingly confused.
"Your job is to clean our grandson's room at nine o'clock in the morning. Then put breakfast in the room. Eleven o'clock, take the food and get lunch for my grandson. After that, at six o'clock you do your job again, Miss Hester. ..cleaned our grandson's room and at seven o'clock delivered dinner to his room."
Grace was silent. Did not respond to the explanation from the shoulder-length-haired older woman. She is confused about her work. Was the grandson of the Kyle family disabled so that breakfast—and—dinner had to be delivered to the room? Then, if the previous worker could only work here for an hour, what about her?
"He's flawless, Miss Hester," said Mr. Kyle, who managed to make Grace startled when she was pondering her job.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kyle."
"No... no. It's our fault. He's not disabled, in fact... you won't see him while you're in his room. We'll pay you handsomely for this, Miss Hester, trust me."
"But, Mr. Kyle... I haven't packed my things at home. My spare clothes, especially... Korvin, my little brother. He's home alone, Master... how could I just leave him like that?"
"For that matter, it will be taken care of by our employee, Miss Hester. Your little brother's problem. You can use the landline to call him."
"But-"
"Your room is on the second floor. Right next door to my grandson Nicholas. Gob will take you there."
Grace's mouth was shut. There were many questions in her mind. However, she did not have time to ask the older man.
How could she handle this kind of thing? How can he afford it? Oh, Lord! Blackpool is a city that always brought her difficulty.
Yes... how come a city where even some of its residents are depressed—even to the point of committing suicide just because there are fewer women than men would be so much fun? The city that Grace believed to be the city of mala—catastrophe. There was nothing fun in it.
"Miss Hester. I'll walk you to your room."
Grace just nodded. When Gob said that, she stood up and followed Gob's footsteps again. She was walking up the majestic stairs that she had admired earlier.
Her eyes scanned the empty hallway. A house this big, why does it feel so lifeless?
"This is your room, Miss Hester," said Gob after arriving in front of the room with the big door. Grace could hardly believe it. How come employees seem to get a space like this?
"Are you taking me to the wrong room, Gob?" she asked. Gob shook his head.
"To the Kyle family, you are an important guest in this house, Miss Hester," Grace smirked. She even almost burst out laughing at Gob's words.
"Are you kidding me, Gob? Is the maid a special guest? You're crazy!" she hissed half in frustration.
For some reason, Grace felt sorry for coming here. Regrets are doing the job interview and regrets why he didn't just turn this job down earlier. She missed Korvin, and she couldn't stay away from her little brother.
Grace took a deep breath. After she looked at the room next to her, she stepped into her room.
==000==
"Remember what I said, sir. For the lives of all the people, you've brutally murdered, for all the women you've slept with. I swear... you'll never get your happiness! Because... you've ruined the happiness of others too many times!"
STAB!!
Nicholas's jaw hardened as the woman he was sleeping with yelled at him. His eagle eyes stared at the knife he had just stabbed right into the woman's neck.
Nicholas did not know of her name. She was just one of his captive women with whom he wants to have fun with.
Nicholas tilted his head. He picked up the knife he had stuck in the woman's neck earlier. Then, stabbed again right in the woman's heart, many times.
"Die!" he growled angrily.
He seated himself, then covered part of his face with his hands. The fresh smell of blood began to emanate from the woman's lifeless body in his bed, with her hands and feet tied tightly to the bed.
"Let me get Elana's body, Nick," said Marvin after entering Nicholas' room.
No... this wasn't Nicholas' actual room. This is one of the many secret rooms that he has—the one he used to make love to some damned woman that tickled his fancy.
"Slice the body and then feed it to our dogs," Nicholas ordered.
Marvin nodded obediently. After that, he ordered some of his men to pick up Elena's naked corpse.
He was leaving Nicholas, who was almost naked if he was without a blanket covering his lower body.
"I heard Bowman was in London, Nick." another male voice from behind Marvin.
Nicholas was silent, and he immediately got up from his bed. It was as if walking naked in front of the two men in his room was something normal.
He grabbed the clothes on the chair beside his bed. Putting it on with Marvin's help then a smirk crept back into the corner of Nicholas' lips.
"Is your information accurate, Sean? Because I don't want to waste time going out tonight. I want to play with my woman."
Sean looked down. This cousin and another right-hand man of Nicholas also felt guilty. He often provides information. But, time and time again, reports about the whereabouts of that damn family are always inaccurate. It was as if Bowman had always known that Kyle's family had been after him for decades.
"That's the latest piece of information I've got, Nick," Sean eventually answered.
Nicholas was silent again, and his eyes fixed on his right hands sharply. Then, he stepped out of the room.
"Kill all the hostages. I want to see my woman first." Nicholas ordered.
Marvin and Sean nodded. They bowed briefly and the two immediately went to fulfill their duties.
Killing, torturing, and more ... committing such atrocities has always been their job. However, they did not feel guilty about it at all.
Nicholas came out of the secret door in his room. After he cleaned himself and changed clothes, he went back into another secret door behind the bookshelves and then into Grace's room.
He smiled. Nicholas had prepared everything in advance. About Grace's room next door to him, about Grace's work and everything else. Everyone... because the woman who was currently sleeping on the bed was Nicholas' biggest obsession. An obsession that would become a precious toy for him.
He treads carefully behind the dark atmosphere of the lights that Grace had turned off. Then, slowly he sat right next to Grace, asleep.
Her eyebrows, her nose, the shape of her face, her closed eyelids, and... her lips. Nicholas missed it all. Nicholas missed the sweet taste he tasted when she was ten years old.
Slowly... Nicholas lowered his head. His right hand caressed Grace's cheek gently. Meanwhile, his left hand held Grace's chin.
Again... for the second time. He kissed those lips. After thirteen years, he held her back. After thirteen years, he waited.
Nicholas smiled after gently caressing her. Immediately, he pulled his body away from Grace. He didn't want to frighten her like he used to. Especially... if Grace saw the scar on Nicholas' left cheek. He wanted to do anything with Grace so carefully. If necessary . . . he would do anything to get Grace to pleasure him voluntarily. Indulge his passionate desire.
"Damn!" cursed Nicholas.
He immediately moved away from Grace before he lost his sanity and attacked her tonight. He had to go, now!
==000==
"She'll be here soon, Nick. Shouldn't you have removed that scar on your cheek so she wouldn't recognize you?"
The figure named Nick was still silent. Beneath his black robe, he looked out the bedroom window. Take a peek at the front page from behind the curtains.
"That little girl, she is ripe now, Marvin . . . and I can't wait to enjoy it," Nick said calmly with a sly grin behind his black mask.