Anastasia's POV
I was happy when I received a text message.
"You have been selected to participate in the ball that will be held on the 4th of March. Other assessments will be held until March 12th of this month.
Confirm your attendance by replying, "Got it."
Winston Team.
It felt too good to be true. Oh my god! It's finally happening. I could get my parents for free.
I went to my knees to pray as I packed my bags.
"Lord, I really need to be picked."
"Forgive me for lying to my parents about attending a business summit." I prayed.
I did all of this in a rush, not wanting to think about the action. I was going to sell my body for money. My conscience pricked me.
'No, no, I don't want to overthink this.' I told myself as I zipped up my small box. It was for eight days; I should be good with these necessities.
I called Mason, and he picked up on the second ring.
"Hi, Mason." I greeted
"Hi girl," he replied.
"What's that sound I'm hearing?" He questioned.
"It's my bag; I am traveling somewhere important. Please cover me up." I begged.
"Where are you going, Anna?" He inquired, calling me by the pet name he had given me since we were little.
"Somewhere important, I promise it's nothing bad. I'll tell you when I return." I said.
"I went to a business summit; got that?" I asked.
"Yeah, promise me you won't do anything stupid." He said.
"I won't." I promised.
"I love you, Anna."
"I love you too, Brown." I smiled into the phone. The first time I met him, his hair was so brown. I had never seen anyone with so much brown hair. So I nicknamed him Brown, and it has stuck since then.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Please, come this way." A steward told me as he collected my bag.
"Thank you," I replied. I had to keep my mouth from falling open. That would be such a disgrace.
The cab that brought me here looked out of place on this well-trimmed lawn. The trees looked healthy. Really? What's that? My subconscious probably rolled its eyes.
In other words, this was a fine place.
The large entrance door opened and revealed a castle inside.
Wow! If I thought that the exterior was fine, it paled in comparison to the interior.
I looked like a misfit in the living room.
"This is your room." The steward showed me to a room.
Elegant! The first word that came to mind was
They spared no expense in making sure that this place looked the way it ought to.
This was how Esther in the Bible must have felt when she entered the palace.
"You know I need this money, Lord." I whispered.
"Please help me get it."
"Thank you." I replied as I arranged my suitcase in the wardrobe. Be careful not to break anything.
"The ball begins at 9 p.m." He informed me and walked away. He must be wondering where I came from to be looking around.
The room suddenly became quiet. People parted like the red sea to allow the entrance of a woman. She looked formidable.
Was this the woman who was going to assess us?
We were all wearing masks. My leg was hurting from the heel I wore. She raised her chin in the air.
"You are all welcome to our special ball. It was indeed special. The backdrop was done perfectly. Well, what did I expect from rich folks?
"She's so beautiful, even in her old age." A lady whispered behind me. I didn't look away from her. She was a magnetic force.
"That's my grandson coming right in!" The woman cheered, and the crowd erupted into applause.
"Welcome, son." She kissed him on the cheek. A show of affection.
"All you need to do is mingle with guests and enjoy your night. The selection process has begun."
This was something one would watch in a movie.
"He's so hot, I must make him mine." A woman muttered aloud behind me.
"I heard he likes thick, white ladies." She said.
"No, I heard he likes them with a little color." Another spoke.
I had neither of these qualities; I had normal curves for my age. Though I am not in touch with my feminine side.
I moved to a bar. The drinks bubbled under the fancy lights. I don't want to embarrass myself.
"I'll just have juice." I said, and the bartender looked at me in surprise.
What? I don't drink alcohol; is that a bad thing? I needed a clear head.
I saw Vincenzo talking to a group of ladies down the aisle, and they fawned over him. Apparently for favor.
Servers moved about in the room. I snuck a glass of wine from one of the servers' trays and walked towards where he was standing.
" Vincenzo." Someone called, and he left the group of ladies.
"He is so handsome." One lady gushed.
"Do you see how he was staring at me?" A lady spoke.
"He is so polite." Another mentioned.
The room was filled with chatter as I scouted around. I sipped my juice.
"There's a rumor that his grandmother put him up to this." The busty lady said
" Really?" He could get any woman he wanted.
"He can get any woman he wants for free," a slimmer lady said.
Exactly my thoughts. Is there something else going on that we aren't aware of?
"What do you think?" Someone asked me.
"Huh?" I pretended not to be eavesdropping.
"I mean about him requesting a gathering of ladies when he could get a surrogate even for free."
"Um, I don't know... It's his decision, I guess."
"Well, maybe it is." She carried on, with the other ladies nodding in agreement.
I kept quiet; who knew if this was a test and we were supposed to pass? Nothing will stop me from getting that money.