Anna turned her face towards the open door. If she ran, she could get there, but there should be a crowd of men in black suits outside.
"You wouldn't get far and I'm not saying that because of the pack outside." He said, guessing her intention.
She turned around with a frown.
"Pack?"
"I didn't come here for that... I'm not going to have this conversation with you." He said impatiently. "Do you understand everything you're going to have to do in front of everyone?"
"Is a pack another name for lawlessness? For a tribe of cruel men?"
"Do you understand, Anna?" He asked again and seemed ready to be merciless.
"I understand, but... I'm not going to marry you. I don't want your dirty money! I can't even stand you, you're disgusting! I'll do what you say about your cousin, because I know he has something you want. And I know you're going to take it from him anyway. So, it's for him that I'll do it, but simulating a marriage with you to get rid of the need to be an honorable man? No! And you're going to have me beaten, twist my arm? Break every bone in my body? I'm looking forward to it! I don't think anything you do will be greater than the pain of staying here while the only man I've ever loved in my life was being buried! You are the most despicable creature that can exist. And I could feel nothing but that for you. Contempt."
Adam listened to her in silence and then stood up.
"You stayed with him to the end. That's what should matter to you."
"You can't decide what's important to me and what isn't!"
"Marriage will protect you too. If you don't get married, the men in my family will... Demand that you be the next product."
"And what does that mean?"
Adam looked around.
"It means you'll never leave this house again."
Anna stopped staring at Adam. The hatred she felt for him was devastating.
"I prefer it."
"As you wish. I'm going out so you can wash and change." He said and waited a while for her to react, then left the room.
Anna got up and went to a cardboard box where her clothes were kept and took out the red dress he'd made her wear to the dinner where she'd been introduced to Ryan and Genevieve. She went into the bathroom and let the water soak her body and relax her mind.
Without underwear, she put on the dress, brushed her hair with her fingers, as they didn't leave combs with her, and went to the bedroom door, not knowing if she could leave, or if she had to wait there. She returned and sat down on the bed to wait.
As she imagined, it wasn't Adam who came back for her, it was one of the men in the black suit. She had given up on memorizing each of their faces. They were always swapping posts, and she didn't think it was important. She wouldn't survive to meet or make friends with any of them.
She only recognized the house she was in when she stepped outside and saw the wall lined with very green grass, and the wall around the house, protected by an electric fence. Whoever went in there had to go through the gate to get in or out... She remembered Adam saying something about the green house, but was soon distracted by how few people there were around the large wall that surrounded the house.
She went out of the gate and a man was waiting for her in a jeep.
She was taken to the mansion she had liked when she first saw it. She was also indifferent to the luxury and tasteful décor when she was led into a large, well-lit office, with some people sitting on an apparently comfortable sofa and others in chairs. The executor of the will was next to two lawyers, sitting in an armchair facing the other people. Anna didn't bother to look at all the people in the room when she was invited to sit down.
"I think everyone's here, so I'm going to start reading the will." The executor said and soon Anna felt bored. A flurry of articles and laws and names that she believed she would never need to use in her life, was discussed for about half an hour.
The division of assets was also shared, and only when everyone fell silent did Anna realize that they were staring at her, waiting for something. She met Adam's cold, furious gaze.
"Tell her again, John. I think you're going to have to explain it thoroughly, because she has mental problems, and her ability to understand is very limited." Adam said as if it were a threatening invitation for her to disagree with him.
Anna also looked at him angrily, but said nothing and paid attention to what one of the lawyers was saying to her.
"He left this property to you, with all his belongings, which are 565 head of cattle, 130 head of pigs, 3 Ferrari..." Anna stopped listening to what he was saying and stared at Adam. It was obvious what he expected of her and she shrugged. Material possessions didn't matter. She really wouldn't live to enjoy those things. Perhaps if All had left her out of the will, Adam would have let her go free. But now he felt threatened, and it wasn't good when people cornered lions. They become, if possible, even more lethal and dangerous.
The man fell silent and Anna looked directly at the lawyer.
"I want to ask you to pass on all these assets intended for me, to Adam." She said simply.
A buzz went up among the people present. When it died down, Kate spoke to Anna, but Anna didn't look at the lawyer.
"Anna... It's your house."
"If it's really mine, I can do whatever I want with it, right?"
"That was Mr. Lens' last will. Aren't you going to show him any consideration?"
Anna felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she was determined to stand firm.
"That's what I'm doing. And it's much more than he did for me."
A new buzz and this time Kate spoke before it died down.
"Aren't any of you going to challenge his will?"
Adam looked at Kate victoriously. No one dared to speak up and he knew that she needed that will to be contested so that the other will could be opened. He stood up after a few minutes of silence.
"I think this meeting is over."