Chapter 4:
Emma quickly wiped her tears and looked out the window of the car. She was amazed at the new environment her eyes met. She never thought about where she was going or what it looked like but at the back of her mind, she didn't think a place that would bring her sorrow would look this breathtakingly beautiful.
It wasn't a mansion, it was an estate!
The door clicked, and Emma looked up, it was the driver. She didn't know when the man stepped out of the car and walked to her side to open the door. She smiled and bowed her head to say thank you but this only shocked the driver. Quickly, he washed off the shocked look on his face and didn't utter a word.
Emma stepped out and her eyes traveled around her. The trees in the estate, made it look more like a reserved garden for the rich. The greenery was too beautiful to even describe. And it didn't stop there, there was a lake!
A clear blue lake sat at the side of a mansion. Compared to the size of the compound, the mansion looked smaller. She expected to find a flower garden somewhere but she was disappointed. There was none. Only beautifully trimmed trees surrounded the house and the lake but not a single flower.
The owners of the house must really hate flowers, she thought.
"Miss Emma, welcome!" A man in a black suit and sunglass said. He was standing beside the main door of the mansion.
Emma looked at the side of the mansion and she realized it was the man from the night her mother was hospitalized. She never got his name...
"M-m-mr?" she stuttered as she tried to be polite.
"Mr. Charles," the man said as he noticed that she was struggling to get his name which he hadn't told her.
"Yes, Mr. Charles. Good day," she greeted.
Charles smiled and walked up to her. He took a good look at her and just like the first time, Emma felt like an object under the display.
"Since you are here now. I think it would be best if we sign the contract and then we get you changed into something more presentable."
A contract? Did she have to sign a contract on this? Emma wondered.
"Come with me," Charles said and led the way into the mansion.
As they walked in, she realized that she indeed needed a change of clothes. Even the chairs looked better dressed than her. She was certain she looked worst than a maid.
She followed after Charles timidly through the house and tried not to drool as each step she took brought another dose of beauty and class to the house.
The owners must have spent a fortune on every single intricate detail of that house. Only a billionaire could afford what she was seeing. No wonder they had paid her five million dollars upfront.
They got to a door by the side corridor, and Charles unlocked the door. He proceeded in and gestured to her to sit. That was when Emma noticed there was another man in the room. He gave a curt bow and came to stand by Charles.
"The file?" Charles said and the man handed it over to him.
It looked like a scene from a movie and Emma's heart skipped a beat. Nothing really came out of the movies, this was surely going to send her to a place that was worst than kidnapping.
Charles took a look at the documents, the man in the black suit had given him before handing them to Emma, "These are the files you need to sign before the deal proceeds."
Emma nodded and went straight to the front page of the document and read it out loud. She wasn't sure if these were a bunch of bad jokes on her or not. She blinked her eyes to see if she might have misread the page but she hadn't. She was truly reading the damn contract!
She flipped to the next page and it had rules about the contract. The first rule said, 'She does not have the right to complain when her contractor chooses to have different sex sessions with her.
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and stole a glance at Charles and the man behind him. She found they were also staring at her.
She blinked hard and returned her eyes to read the next rule, 'She shouldn't say any insult to him while staying under his roof'.
That was normal enough. She wasn't one to insult people so there was no reason for them to worry over that.
She then went back to reading. The third rule said, 'After she had given birth to the child, she would disappear forever like she never existed in the first place'.
She folded her left hand into a fist and went on to read the next rule, 'She dare not go against their agreement if not the consequences would be deadly'.
She looked back at Charles and there was a frown on his face. Were they going to kill her if she went against their agreement?
Again, she swallowed this as she had already taken their money and her mother was safe. Plus, she wasn't thinking of breaking the agreement... Yet.
Finally, Emma got to the last rule and her eyes widened. It felt odder than the rest. It said she would not be able to see the face of the man! How could she stay with a man for a year and not see his face? How was she supposed to bare him a child if she couldn't even see him?
"Why won't I be able to see his face?" She asked in a small voice.
Charles and the man behind him exchanged looks before he replied, "I am afraid that rule cannot be changed. That is what he requires of you."
"Any other comment?" He added.
Emma shook her head negatively and pushed the file toward him. Charles opened the signature page and placed his pen on it. Next, he passed it on to her and gestured for her to sign.
Emma took a deep breath and quickly signed the contract. It didn't matter if she got to see this man or not. What had already been done was done. She just had to complete her part of the deal and everything would be fine. It was just a year. It would be over before she knew it.
When she was done signing the file, she handed it back to Charles, who took it gracefully and smiled at her.
"Now, miss Emma. You're officially welcome home. Make sure to feel comfortable." With that Charles snapped his fingers and a butler and some maids appeared in the room like they had been waiting for that sound.
They all stood in a single straight line waiting to take instructions.
"Hello everyone, this is Miss Emma, your master's woman. Make sure she feels comfortable and ready for tonight. Anything she wants, don't hesitate to give to her." Charles introduced. And all the servants nodded their heads as a sign of approval.
"You're welcome, Miss Emma!" They replied in unison as they bent their heads in respect.
Emma made a fake smile and lowered her head too. Inside, she was dying because she wasn't sure if she was making the right choice. But no matter how odd and awkward this seemed, there was no turning back now. She had come this far and her mother was alive. What more could she ask for?
"Mary," Charles called and a maid with cropped blonde hair stepped forward. "Take Miss Emma to her room. And give her something appropriate to wear."
Emma swallowed at the term Charles had used. She was truly going to be a slave in the mansion for a man she wouldn't ever be able to see. She swallowed her fears and flashed her smile as she got up and followed the maid.
As soon as Emma left the room they were in, Charles dismissed the rest of the workers and dialed the number he dreaded the most.
"Charles..." A deep voice answered from the other side of the line. The voice was cold and intimidating, Charles could feel goosebumps on his skin already as he said just that one word.
With a nervous crack in his voice, Charles said, "The contract has been signed. She is here."
The line was silent for a few seconds before Charles heard a deep sigh and then the cold voice came up again, "Why don't you ever get something better doing and stop disturbing my peace!"
Charles shivered at the sudden change in tone and quickly rushed to end the call, "Y-Yes sir, sure."