Chapter Two – The Unbreakable Contract 

Maddox Laurier entered a room and held the door open for Iris. Not only was he incredibly gorgeous, but intimidating as well. For the second time, Iris felt herself drawn to him. No, she wouldn’t give him the wrong idea. 

Iris kept her head bowed and her eyes lowered throughout the time as she walked past him. His intoxicating cologne filled her nose. Her mind went into overdrive when her body started responding to him. Why did she feel this way for a man who was way above her league? 

‘No, Iris. Don’t go down that path. He’s a Laurier, remember?’ prodded her conscience. A million questions arose in her mind. But she didn’t dare to look him in the eye and ask them. She knew her position well.

If he belonged to the Laurier family her mom had worked for, then he was surely her enemy. She would never forget what they had done to her. Her mom died only because of them.

Iris knew she shouldn’t have signed the contract. The fault was hers. Why didn’t she ask Mr. Greene about her employer and employment details before signing? Why did she rush it?

“Look at me, Iris!” His raspy voice echoed in the still room, forcing Iris to look his way. 

She tried to calm the tornado of revenge rising within her. Throughout her growing-up years, her mom and aunt had instigated her against the Laurier family. She knew she would avenge her mother’s death one day. 

“You will start working for me from today. I want you to make lunch for me first.” His piercing gaze swept over her before settling on her nervous face. 

She faced him bravely. It was now or never. She couldn’t work for him. “Mr. Laurier, I want to cancel the contract, please. I have changed my mind about working here.” She tried hard not to look at his biceps bulging out of his sleeves or the sexy vein running down his smooth, tanned skin. When had she started noticing such things? No, it was safer to keep her eyes focused on his shoes instead. 

A nerve clenched in his jaw. “Too late, Iris. You’ve already signed the contract.” His tone was unrelenting, while his expression was grim and hard. 

Iris’ desperate eyes flew up to his. “But I can’t work here.” She looked around to escape if he didn’t accept her decision. 

He scowled more. “You won’t be working here. Wrap up the work, and we can leave.” 

Alarm signals buzzed in her head. “Leave where, Mr. Laurier?” 

“To my house. You’ve agreed to be my personal maid, remember?” He walked out, closing the door after him. 

Iris gaped at the door, her head reeling from his announcement. What would be her scope of work as his personal maid? She dreaded going to his house. What if he tortured her? What if he were a devil in disguise? He was a Laurier after all. 

If his uncle, the notorious lawyer, Gary Laurier, could abuse her mother, why couldn’t Maddox? 

Panic settled in her heart, and she flung herself to the door. She had to get out of here before he returned. Iris tried the door but in vain. It didn’t give way. 

Did he just lock her inside? This was so unjust. He couldn’t force her to work for him! 

Now what would she do? Why did she have to come here? She didn’t belong in this world. 

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she gulped down the fear. No, she wasn’t weak. She would complete the work and disappear from here. Without her details, Maddox Laurier could never find her. 

Iris wandered around the luxurious suite, too scared to touch a thing. But she had a job at hand – cleaning the place and making lunch. She might as well get on with it. The faster she did the job, the sooner he would release her for the day. 

Mr. Laurier didn’t return to the suite in the next two hours. Iris had completed all the chores when the door unlocked and Mr. Greene stood on the doorstep. “Ms. Hansley, are you there?” 

Feeling a little hopeful, Iris rushed to talk to him. “Yes, sir. I’ve completed the work Mr. Laurier had given me. You can check.” 

The manager toured the place and smiled in satisfaction. “Good job so far. Come over to my office. Mr. Laurier wants your details.” 

Iris followed him out reluctantly, her plans of escape crushed. “I want to cancel the contract, sir.” 

He stopped and turned to face her, his face grim with tension. “Did you inform Mr. Laurier?” 

“Yes. But he left in a hurry.” It wasn’t the complete truth, but who cared?

Mr. Greene shrugged and resumed walking towards the elevator. “In that case, I can’t help you. I can’t cancel the contract on his behalf.” 

“But can’t you talk to him? I don’t want to work for him.” The elevator door opened, and Iris rushed after him. 

He shook his head as he walked into his office. “Impossible. Mr. Laurier’s decision is the law here. They’re unbreakable and binding. You can either continue working for him or consider approaching him.”

Iris felt helpless and cornered. What had she gotten herself into? 

Sitting at his desk, he pushed an employee detail form towards her. “Sit down and fill this up before you leave.” 

Iris sat down reluctantly and scanned the document. She had no intention of furnishing them with her details. If only she could escape. They wouldn’t know her whereabouts. 

Mr. Greene’s phone buzzed, and he rose from his seat. “I’ll take this call. Don’t go anywhere. Fill in the form and wait for me, Ms. Hansley.” 

“Yes, sir.” She sulked, not even glancing his way. 

He left the office, and Iris waited for three minutes to pass. There was silence in the office as most of the employees had left for lunch. Mr. Greene’s PA, Madelyn Fox, came in to see her progress. 

“Are you done?” She peered at the form. 

“Almost.” 

“It’s my lunch break. I’m going to the cafeteria. Please wait here for Mr. Greene’s instructions.” 

Iris nodded, and Madelyn left. This was the only chance she had to escape this place. She had no wish to interact with her employer again. After five minutes, she rose, leaving the form with wrong entries on the table. It was a good idea to fill in junk information than her real details. Now, no one could seek her out. 

She walked out of the office, although her heart thumped in fear. What if Maddox Laurier returned and caught her escaping? 

Thankfully, no one noticed her amidst the chaos. All the employees were busy heading towards the cafeteria to notice her. Iris slipped out of the office and released the breath she was holding. There was no time to look back. She walked away from the place as fast as her legs could carry her. At the crossing, a bus was pulling away, and she stopped it. 

Boarding the bus, she smiled with relief. It would be impossible for Maddox Laurier to find her in this densely populated city. How would he sue her for ‌breaking the contract? 

Iris reached her aunt’s house in twenty-five minutes. With the twins at school, she relaxed and considered her next step. Now, she needed a reliable job. But where would she get a job?

She went about completing the household chores absent-mindedly. Without a job, she couldn’t pay the bills or for the twins’ education. The doorbell rang, and she rushed to open it. 

Her eyes widened at the sight of a man clad in a black suit. “Miss Hansley?” he asked, with a frown. 

Iris’ heart constricted with fear. Who was he? What did he want from her? “Yes. Who are you?” 

“I’m Paul Reed, Mr. Laurier’s bodyguard. He wants you to accompany me to his house right away.” His expression was grim as he regarded her with annoyance. 

Iris gaped at the man. How did they find her? 

“I’ve completed the work for the day. I refuse to go with you.” She wasn’t accompanying a stranger anywhere. What if he were from the Mafia? He looked like a criminal already. 

“You have no choice, miss. Mr. Laurier doesn’t accept disobedience. You should have informed him before leaving. Did you think he wouldn’t have found you?” 

Iris gasped with horror. “How did you find me?” 

The man smirked. “It’s my duty to follow you around, miss.” 

Iris was left dumbfounded. How did she not realize she was being stalked? “How can I believe you?” 

He gave her an impatient look and pulled out his phone. Quickly punching a number, he held the phone out to her. “Here, talk to Mr. Laurier.” 

With trembling hands, she took the phone and held it to her ear. “Hello!” she croaked with her heart pounding in its cage by now.

“Why did you leave without my permission, Iris?” Maddox Laurier barked at her from the other end. It sent a chill down her spine. Would he punish her? 

“I-I have completed the work you gave me, sir.” She crossed her fingers, hoping he hadn’t seen the form she had filled. How would he react on seeing the fake information she had filled? 

“You can’t leave without my permission. Don’t forget you have signed an unbreakable contract with me. I’ll punish you if you disobey me. Now bring yourself here, or I’ll go to your house to get you. You can’t escape me, Iris. I’ll seek you out even from hell.” The line went dead, and Iris gaped at the phone in her hand. 

Now she had a rough idea of what she had gotten herself into. Was there no way of escaping the ordeal? If he could find her house, it would take him seconds to know her real identity. 

“Miss, I’m waiting to take you to Mr. Laurier’s house.” Paul Reed’s voice brought her back to reality. 

Maybe the only way out would be to prove herself an incapable and inefficient maid to Maddox Laurier!