Once the vocal training session concluded, Alejandro departed, and Dominic also left to attend to work matters. With the room now devoid of their presence, April turned to Arette with a concerned expression.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is happening between you and chairman Ferrari, exactly?" April inquired gently.
Arette's brow furrowed as she considered her response. "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted with a sigh. "Chairman Ferrari just... he keeps acting like he owns me, like I don't know what is going on."
April's eyes widened in surprise at Arette's revelation. "What do you mean?" she pressed, her voice filled with concern.
Arette hesitated before continuing, her voice tinged with frustration. "He's been keeping me captive here," she confessed. "He won't let me go back to my family. He also threatened to hurt them if I tried to leave,"
April's expression darkened as she processed Arette's words. "That's not right," she said firmly, her voice tinged with indignation. "You shouldn't have to put up with that kind of behaviour."
Arette nodded in agreement, her eyes reflecting the turmoil of her emotions. "I know," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't know what to do."
April reached out a comforting hand, offering Arette a reassuring squeeze. "Frankly speaking, I could try and get you out of here but knowing what a dangerous man he is, I wouldn't advice you to try and leave ," she said. "Chairman can be kind in his own ways but most of the time, he is ruthless. He would not think twice before launching an attack. My advice for you is to chill and see what exactly he wants from you. Find out the real reason why he kept you captive before considering if going back home is even possible," April's words hit Arette like a thunder.
"While you figure all that out, you have me to keep you company, you're not alone, Miss," April remarked supportively, her tone filled with warmth and reassurance.
Arette nodded, a bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Thank you, April," she murmured gratefully.
As the silence settled between them, Arette's curiosity got the best of her. "By the way, April, how did you end up here if you don't mind me asking?" she inquired gently.
April paused, her expression momentarily clouded with memories of the past. "The same way every maid in this house ended up here," she replied somberly.
Arette leaned in, her interest piqued. "Which is?" she prompted, eager to hear April's story.
April took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Chairman Ferrari is a really strange person, you know," she began, her voice tinged with a mixture of admiration and uncertainty. "You never know what he's thinking or estimate his next step. It's impossible..."
Arette listened intently to April's words.
"...Chairman Ferrari saved my life," April continued, her voice filled with emotion. "He saved all of our lives."
Arette's eyes widened in shock as April revealed the truth behind their pasts. "How?" she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.
April took a deep breath, her expression grave as she recounted the history. "Every maid here, except for Mrs. Wolfe, was a victim of human trafficking," she explained, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Instead of getting sold to some club to work as a prostitute, Chairman bought us and brought us here. You could say he gave us a decent job."
Arette's mind reeled at the revelation, her perception of Dominic being at an unknown state. "Really? Chairman Ferrari did that?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with incredulity. "I thought he was the one who sells people and not the other way around."
April nodded solemnly, her gaze fixed on some distant point as tears welled up in her eyes. "He could be selling, I wouldn't know," she admitted, her voice trembling with emotion. "But what I know is he saved me."
Arette's heart ached at the raw pain in April's voice, her own eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry, April," she whispered, her voice filled with sympathy. "I had no idea..."
April shook her head, a bittersweet smile playing at the corners of her lips. "It's okay," she reassured Arette, her voice choked with emotion. "I never had parents... maybe I did, but they dumped me in this corrupt orphanage that sells kids once they turn seventeen. It was the same for me. Once I turned seventeen, they sold me to do sex work, but Chairman Ferrari came through and bought me from the buyer. He brought me here and I started working as a maid. He also pays me too."
Arette's mind swirled with a mix of conflicting emotions as April's revelations sank in. "Wow, I never thought Ferrari would do that," she murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief. "I mean, at first, before all of this, I idolized him. But then my friend who attends the police academy said Dominic Ferrari was a horrible person and he's some kind of crime boss, which made zero sense to me because he's the chairman of FR Construction. Why would he be a crime boss? That was until his goon kidnapped me and beat the living daylight out of me, thinking I was a spy sent by the police. Asking me what I know. In short, Chairman Ferrari has been painted under a bad light in my point of view, but hearing you say he goes around saving human trafficking victims is incredible... I don't know what to think of him anymore."
April nodded sympathetically, understanding the predicament Arette was experiencing. "I think Chairman is just very human," she offered, her voice gentle. "He has both good sides and bad sides, and he's not afraid to show both equally. We humans just tend to focus more on the bad sides than the good side."
Arette sighed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of her uncertainty. "I guess so, but it doesn't change the fact that I feel so unsafe around him," she admitted, her voice trembling with vulnerability.
April reached out a comforting hand, offering Arette a reassuring squeeze. "I understand," she said softly. "Just know that you're not alone, and we'll figure this out together."
April's words hung in the air, leaving Arette feeling unsettled. "Honestly, if Chairman Ferrari 'likes' you like I think, you've hit a jackpot," April remarked, her tone tinged with a mixture of admiration and caution.
Arette furrowed her brow, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty. "Is him liking me supposed to be a good thing?" she asked, her voice laced with apprehension.
April hesitated before responding, her expression serious. "I know he'll go above and beyond for someone he likes," she explained, her words carrying a weight of experience.
Arette's eyes widened at April's words, a sense of unease creeping over her. "He'll also easily kill someone he likes," she added quietly.