"I am doing much more work than I have planned to do," Ethan mutters to himself as he settles the new girl in the large shop he had taken on rent.
"This room was used by the owner of the shop to sleep after working. It is not big but it is a high-end place with good security. And the police bureau is closed. So no hoodlums would dare to come here in the broad daylight." he explained as he opened the door for her.
It was a simple room with a small bed in the center, a closet for her clothes, and a small study table with a book rack. There was an attached washroom and a small changing room.
"Since there is no kitchen, you have to use the main kitchen of the shop." She nodded slowly, already feeling embarrassed that she was taking so much help from a stranger.
He showed her the large kitchen which was almost empty right now.
"Do you know how to cook?" he finally eyed her and she flinched. His eyes narrowed on her fidgeting hands and an amused smile on her face.
"Strange! You were not afraid when you were surrounded by criminals in a nightclub. Yet you are scared by the name of cooking. Is it that scary?" he laughed when she blushed further at his question.
Feeling his laughter, she slowly relaxed and shook her head.
"I only know some simple dishes like pizza, noodles, or eggs. I do not think I can help with a restaurant." her voice was barely above a whisper as she said the last word, afraid that he would finally realize that she was not worth saving.
"Hmm, then you can work as a manager and waitress. You will look over the guests and make sure the place is working in order." he offered. And this time, her face bloomed with joy and she nodded.
"Yes, I have learned to make accounts and I am good at managing things. You will not get a single complaint from me." she nodded vigorously and patted her chest swearing to serve him loyally.
"That is settled then. I will pay you two thousand dollars then after cutting your rent and other expenses!" two thousand! She would have worked even if he had not paid anything.
Living here means she has finally left her past behind. Her eyes softened with gratitude and she bowed again as a thank you.
"It is close to morning, it would be better that you get some rest before we start working." he tapped on the window and touched the curtains as if checking their quality.
She nodded back, her heart-stirring at the thought of sleeping. He did not tell her where he would live. Was he going to ask her? If he was. Will she accept it? Of course, he was her savior. But he had a girlfriend. His heart would never belong to hers.
Yet, she couldn't help but steal a glance at his strong muscles. She did not support cheating. But in the past, it was common in their country for a person to have many wives, no?
Wait, wives! What was she even thinking? She shook her head and coughed.
"Do you need to see a doctor or need any kind of treatment?" he asked with a deep frown and her embarrassment grew. If only she could tell him what she was thinking.
She shook her head again and he finally nodded and left the room. When he closed the door behind, she finally let go of the breath she was holding and slumped her shoulders.
As if her body had turned into a lead without a weight, she fell on the bed holding the pillow tightly in her hands.
"What was I even thinking!" she whispered to herself with another deep sigh. But she knew, if at that moment he had taken a step, she would have accepted it.
With a strange warmth in the pit of her stomach, she closed her eyes and slept.
—-----------------
In the Stone's house,
"I do not mind if you work there in your free time. If you have promised, I will go and help too. But sending Ana is a bit too much." Ana looked at her complaining mother with a sigh. Her disdain for Ethan was way too much. As if a rich person were already standing in a line and waiting for Ana's hands in their arms.
"Ha! She is on holiday this week. What is so wrong if she goes shopping and spends some time with Ethan? He is a kind man. You are forgetting that you are alive only because of him. Even if I had sold myself, I would not have enough money for your treatment. Yet you have nothing but loathing for him." Ana closed her eyes as she knew where it was going to end.
Strangely, they were fighting for her, yet they did not care if she was there or not. She slipped into another room and hugged her pillow tightly.
She understands the worries of her mother. Her mother had a hard life because her Father did not earn that much. And that was why her mother had spent most of her life in resentment. She did not want the same as her daughter.
"But a charming prince is not knocking on my door. And Ethan,.." she whispered and suddenly went silent. Before Ethan looked like a boy with a body of a man. But these days, his aura, his charm, everything about him has changed completely.
Before he was so eager to do the deed that she did not even enjoy it at one point and was thinking of leaving him. But now, he did not even take his pleasure. He only gave her as if he was working hard to please her.
It left her tickling, but at the same time hungry for more. The money in her pocket made her holes burn. He had asked her to come in a dress. A holy fucking dress!
She bit her lips as her eyes burned with desire. She would handle her mother later. For now, she wanted to go and buy that damn red dress. Her body quivered with excitement at what was going to happen once she wore that sexy dress.
Ana looked out, it was still early for the shops to open but she could not wait anymore. She slowly tiptoed to make sure that her mother did not hear her.
Her father noticed her leaving softly with bare feet while her shoes were in her hands and his gaze flickered. He then looked at her still complaining wife and shook his head.
"It is a hard time that you understand that you can not control their life. Your daughter is already grown up."