Alex released his hand from her mouth as soon as she promised not to scream. "How did you get into my room? How the heck did you even know where I live?" she whispered angrily.
"Sorry," I said, running my hands through my hair. I moved backward and sat on her bed, never averting my gaze from her. I watched as she dropped her bag. She still looked beautiful, just as before, but now she had brown hair and brown eyes. God, I had missed her so much.
"What do you want from me, Alex?" she asked, rolling her hair up into a messy bun.
"I just want to get to know you better," I replied with a smile. She shot me a confused look. "I know you don't know me and probably don't have any feelings for me, but I want that to change. I want us to get to know each other."
"Like friends?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
I laughed and stood up. "Not friends, Ava. I want to be more than a friend to you. I want to take care of you, to love you." I moved closer to her, whispering the last part. "Marry you."
"Marry me?" she mumbled, clearly surprised.
"Yes, but how can I marry you when you won't stop running away from me?" I asked, smiling as I watched her face redden. "What do you say? Can I take you out on a date tomorrow?"
"I have work, but if you can wait until 8 pm, then maybe I'll think about it," she replied.
"Really?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"I said I'll think about it..." Before she could finish her sentence, I lifted her and spun her around. "Alex!"
"Thank you so much, Ava," I said, gently setting her back down. I kissed her cheek. "I love you, I love you so much." With that, I wrote my phone number on a piece of paper for her before jumping out the window and leaving her to rest for the night.
"How did it go?" Sarah, my assistant, asked the moment her eyes landed on me.
"What do you think, Sarah? Of course, it went well," I replied.
"Have you mentioned her past to her?" she inquired.
"Not yet. I don't feel the need to do that right now. I don't want her to feel like she must fall for me. I want to take things slow with her," I explained.
"Alright, boss. Anything you say, boss," she said obediently.
The next morning, Ava arrived in the assembly hall with a big smile on her face. The joy radiating from her was indescribable. No scolding from Damon today, and hopefully, I wouldn't have to see his face either because I would clean his room before he arrived.
Damon walked in, dressed in his black army uniform. I couldn't help but notice that black was his favorite color. His hair, eyes, and most of his clothes were black, just like his heart. The devil, I thought to myself as I stared at him.
He said nothing, just stood there staring at me. Why is he looking at me? Why am I standing in the front row? Oh, I know. I want to prove to Damon that I can do things perfectly. And if I'm being sincere, I like it when he calls me a good girl.
I had heard that he would just stand there until six, saying nothing, just waiting to see who would be late. Unfortunately, a girl walked into the hall, sweating. She must have been running, but she was late.
Averting my gaze back to Damon, he wasn't smiling. He looked expressionless. "Punishment or getting fired," he mumbled. I looked at the girl. She must have heard how he punishes people, but still, she chose "punishment." I remembered what Rose had said - the money helps a lot of people, and that's why they were still here.
"Go to the punishment room," Damon commanded.
"Yes, master," she bowed, fear visible on her face.
But right now, I was left wondering if I was the only one he called a good girl, bad girl, and silly girl. And for some reason, I didn't want him calling other girls that. "Assembly dismissed," Damon smiled. "Ava, come here." All the maids gave me a sorry look, and I felt sorry for myself too.
Moving toward his direction, I stopped one inch away from him. But he still used his finger to command me to step closer, which I did. I could feel his breath on my skin as he leaned close. "You came early. What a good girl you are. And good girls get rewarded, don't they?" He lifted my chin so that I could look at him. Blushing, I nodded, which made him smile. "Tell me what your schedule is today."
"Um, feed the master's pet, take care of the flowers in the garden, and clean your room," I replied.
"Hmm," he stepped back, giving me some breathing space. "I will be going to the barracks, and when I return, we will talk." And with that, he walked away. Did he just call me over to tell me that? This man is unpredictable and confusing.
Moving to the pets' cage, I didn't waste much time in feeding them. They looked happy the moment I approached them, but it sent a shiver down my spine, thinking about what they might do to me one day. "Not going to happen, beasts," I growled, giving them my middle finger before moving to the garden and watering the flowers. Looking around, I smiled at how beautiful this place was.
But then, I heard murmurs and turned around to see the girl who arrived late. Her body was bleeding, her eyes swollen, her mouth swollen. Bruises covered her body, and she could barely walk. My gaze shifted to the gate, where Damon was cleaning his bloody hands with a handkerchief before stepping into his limo.
He is a devil.
He doesn't have a heart.
"Why isn't anybody helping her?" I asked Rose. She smiled, but I could sense her sadness. "We're not allowed to involve ourselves in someone else's punishment, or else we will get punished ourselves."
"I'm going to help her," I proclaimed.
"Ava, don't," Rose pleaded, shaking her head. "What is done is done. Get back to work. She wouldn't want you to get punished because of her."
"I can't believe he treats humans like this, especially women," I growled, my blood boiling. "Someone needs to talk some sense into him." Rose remained silent, and an eerie quiet filled the air. "He can't behave like he owns everyone. Who does he think he is?"
"Who are you talking about?" a male voice interrupted.
"I'm talking about Damo..."
I froze, realizing that it was Damon who had asked the question. I stopped talking and then turned around to find Damon staring down at me. He wasn't smiling or frowning. Now I understood why Rose and the others had fallen silent. Gosh, just kill me now.