He always triggers my inquisitiveness. I closed my eyes, allowing the weariness to wash over my body, hoping to regain some energy. But as I lay there, I couldn't help but think about tomorrow, spending the entire day at the amusement park, especially the magnificent Wonder Wheel.
It's going to be incredible. I'll finally get to experience all the things I've been missing out on. Oh my, I'm so excited.
"Ava," Alex's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned around to see him standing by the open window. He looked troubled. "I hate seeing you like this. I want to see you enjoying yourself on other occasions. It feels wrong to see you hiding in your room every night. And you didn't even reply to my earlier message," he rushed through his words as if burdened by them.
I realized that I had forgotten about my phone. All I had been focused on was Damon, and now I felt guilty for neglecting Alex. Rising to my feet, I moved towards him and hugged him tightly, his body stiffening in surprise. "I'm sorry, Alex. I... I... I lost track of my phone," I stammered, feeling remorseful for my absent-mindedness.
His voice filled with concern, he asked, "Did something happen to you?" Shaking my head, I stepped back and watched as he let out a sigh of relief. "Have you eaten?"
"I haven't," I muttered, my stomach grumbling in agreement. "My mother must be waiting for me downstairs. Dinner must have been served."
"Okay," Alex sat on the bed and muttered, "I want us to get to know each other better, Ava. We only get to talk for a few minutes at night, and then I'm gone... How can I make you love me when we only see each other at night, and most nights you're tired from all the work you do during the day?"
"Alex..."
"Let's go out tomorrow," he smiled, his eyes lighting up. "Somewhere fun."
"I can't," I mumbled, exhaling softly. "I have work tomorrow." Well, technically, I have a date with Damon, my boss. We're going to the amusement park, but I can't tell Alex all that. It would just break his heart, and I don't want to be the cause of that.
"Why don't you let me know when you're free?" he suggested, leaning closer. "I want to spend time with you, even if it's just a little bit."
"I am free at night and on Sundays," I mumbled, a smile creeping onto my face. "We can keep seeing each other every night, and then on Sunday, we can go out... deal?"
"Deal," he said, getting closer as if to kiss me. But I turned my head, and his lips landed on my cheek instead. I could feel him exhale. "Thank you, Ava. Even if it's just a small part of your heart, it makes me happy." He smiled, kissed my forehead, and left. Oh god, what have I gotten myself into?
Alex doesn't seem like a regular human either. I remember seeing him with fangs the first time I laid eyes on him. He might be a vampire.
"Ava!" My mother's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Food is ready!"
"I'm coming, mother."
Maybe I should stop overreacting and overthinking everything.
The next day, Ava walked into the mansion wearing tight blue jeans that hugged her curves and a black crop top, showing a bit of her tummy and cleavage. She wanted to look good in Alexander's eyes, although she felt a tinge of sadness because she had no way of contacting Alex since her boss had, out of jealousy, thrown away her phone.
As Ava made her way to the assembly, her mind was consumed by thoughts of Damon, the man who piqued her curiosity and stirred up other emotions within her. The dream she had last night left her in a state of confusion. She dreamt of Damon, yes, but the dream was far from ordinary.
He was caressing her in places no one else had ever touched before, doing things to her that she had never allowed anyone else to do since the incident that had scarred her at the age of thirteen. It was perhaps this experience that had made her wary of men, causing her to keep them at a distance. She had rejected her classmates' offers for dates back in high school for this very reason. But Alex changed that. He asked her out, and she took a chance. And now, Damon was doing things to her in her dreams.
The idea of him stepping into her dream seemed plausible, but the way he touched her was unacceptable. Now, she had no idea how she was going to face him without blushing.
Lost in her thoughts, Ava momentarily forgot that Alexander would be waiting for the maids to arrive. She walked in wearing mismatched clothes, while Damon was dressed in black trousers and a black long-sleeved shirt. Black seemed to be his favorite color.
Rose and the others looked at me with worry and fear, perhaps fearing that this seemingly evil boss was going to harm me, beat me up, or even fire me. But I knew deep down that he wouldn't do any of those things. He had told me he liked me, and I trusted that he wouldn't hurt me, except maybe with a playful spanking.
"Master!" I yelled, waving my hand from behind. His gaze met mine, and he looked at me for a few moments, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips. My face turned crimson, feeling the heat rise.
"Come," he commanded.
Nodding my head, I quickened my step towards him, aware of everyone's eyes on us. He moved closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear, "Where are your working clothes, Ava?"
"You promised to take me to the Wonder Wheel today, have you forgotten... the amusement park?" I asked, looking at him. He seemed to withdraw slightly, then sighed. "Of course I did. I don't let such silly things occupy my mind," he growled, appearing annoyed. "Do you need to dress this way? I mean, you're practically naked."
Blinking, I furrowed my brow. "You don't like it?" Why was I even asking him? I didn't dress up for his approval.
"I do like it," he frowned. "I was overreacting. It suits you." His hands moved to the necklace he had given me, the one I had tried tirelessly to remove but it remained stubbornly fixed. "I'll take it that you find it hard to take off as if it's a symbol of how you dislike me. You must have tried."
"I did," I confirmed.
"Hmm," he looked at me, his expression unreadable. "I suppose it worked, then." With that, he turned his gaze back to the maids. "Assembly dismissed. Miss Evelyn, you arrived late. I wasn't blind to it. Go to the punishment room."
"Y-yes, sir," she stammered, turning away. Evelyn seemed like a young girl, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old, too young to be working. But then Rose's words echoed in my mind - they needed the money to survive.
Watching Evelyn move away, I looked up at Damon. His attention shifted to Lady Martha, instructing her on what to do in his absence. "Master?" I approached him, and he dismissed Lady Martha, turning his gaze towards me.
"What is it, Ava?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.
"What do you plan on doing to Evelyn?" I continued, trying to understand the situation.
"Punish her," he replied with a slight smile on his lips. "What is it, Ava? Are you feeling sympathy for her? Do you want to switch places with her?"
His words left me taken aback. I didn't expect him to respond that way. I paused for a moment, contemplating my next move. Without saying anything, I frowned and turned around, making my way towards his limousine. I didn't wait for him before opening the door and stepping in.
I couldn't help but wonder how cruel someone could be. The question lingered in my mind.
So, could he punish me too?
I had hoped he would say something reassuring, like "I can never hurt you, Ava. I won't allow you to switch places with anyone." But instead, he spoke with an unreadable expression on his face.
As Damon stepped into the limousine and shut the door, he muttered, "The Wonder Wheel. Tonight." His angry expression made it clear. "I will spank you," he said firmly. His words echoed in my ears, leaving me bewildered. What had I done to deserve such a punishment?
"Why? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" I growled, frustration seeping into my voice.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, his face just inches from mine. "First, you walked out of my presence. It showed a lack of respect on your part. And now, you raise your voice at me. How disrespectful can one get?" He let out a sigh. "I have to say, Ava... You have become very, very bad. A bad girl. And you do know that bad girls get punished, right?"
For some reason, his words made me feel sad. I disliked being called a bad girl. I wished he would call me his good girl instead and pat my head affectionately. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, looking down, overcome with remorse. He then gently placed his hand under my chin and lifted it, making me meet his gaze once again.
"If you understand your mistake, then your apology is accepted. However, the spanking still stands," he explained. With that, he pulled away, and it felt as if a spell had been broken, releasing me from its grip.
Why did I apologize? I questioned myself, feeling as if an invisible force was compelling me to do so.
This Damon guy freaks me out. He's unpredictable and cold-hearted.
Taking a step back, I couldn't help but growl, "I will not permit you to spank me." He turned to stare at me, his gaze intense. "I did nothing wrong, and that girl is too young for you to torture her. Don't you have a heart?"
"I told you, Ava," he smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I have no idea if I have a heart. I've been heartless for a very long time, so why should I care?"
"Because I am here now," the words slipped out before I could stop them as I found myself purring. "If you need to punish someone, then punish me. I can take it. Whipping, hot iron on the skin, spanking, slapping... I will happily endure all of that if it means you'll stop hurting others."
He stood still for a moment, studying me carefully. Then, without warning, he clutched his stomach and burst into laughter. This time, his laughter sounded cruel. "Punish you?" he chuckled, followed by a cough. "How bizarre can one person get?"
I felt a pang of confusion and hurt. Did my offer seem absurd to him? Was he mocking me? I couldn't decipher his true intentions, but it was clear that my words had struck a nerve.