Mike walked into his parlor and stared at Lara in shock.
He asked, "What's the meaning of this?"
Mike was surprised to see Lara crying. His brows furrowed at her while Lara stared at him, her eyes red from crying. Their gazes met briefly before she looked away, her eyes landing on the tiled floor.
Mike burst out laughing, surprising Lara. He walked slowly towards her, but she took a few steps back, finally falling onto the executive couch behind her. As she sat down forcefully, Mike approached her. He looked breathtakingly handsome and dark, even bare.
"Are you trying to prove to me that you're innocent or forced to come here?" Mike asked.
Lara responded with a simple, "Yes."
Nodding, she avoided meeting his eyes. She was visibly afraid of him, remembering her village friend's warning that intimacy could be painful. She recalled being advised to choose a man who truly loved her, not just a random guy. Yet here she was with a man whose health status was unknown to her.
Mike leaned in closer to Lara, appreciating her sweet scent and feeling himself getting aroused again. However, as he moved closer, Lara shifted away.
"Why are you shifting away?" Mike inquired.
Lara shook her head, staring downward in silence. She was visibly trembling, afraid of what Mike might do.
Sniffing her scent, Mike softly wiped away her tears and reassured her, "Come, I won't hurt you."
Lara replied with a simple, "No."
Mike's patience was wearing thin. He cautiously asked, "Do you want me to call the security guards?"
Lara replied, "No," shivering slightly.
Mike's gaze wandered to Lara's chest, the red dress revealing her cleavage. She was undeniably beautiful, but Mike wondered where Madam Alora had found Lara and why her behavior was so frustrating.
Madam Alora had been persistently urging him to patronize her ladies. Although they did not interest him, Mike had reluctantly agreed after talking to his friend, Gideon Abram. Who had advised him to give Madam Alora's ladies a chance, and now he found himself with a lady refusing him.
Observing Lara's fearful demeanor, Mike knelt beside her and removed her shoes, causing her to tremble as his bare hands touched her smooth legs. After setting aside her black heeled shoes, Mike instructed her, "Stand up and come with me now. I don't have much time to waste here with you."
Lara firmly replied, "No."
Refusing to stand up, Lara sensed Mike's impatience growing. She realized he wanted to sleep with her but misunderstood her intentions, thinking she had agreed to engage in illicit activities.
Frustrated, Mike raked his hand through his short black hair, revealing an earring and an eagle tattoo on his right arm. He scrutinized Lara, comparing her to other women who had pretended innocence in his presence but quickly complied with his desires. However, Lara was different.
Realizing her resistance, Mike attempted to contact Joseph. Startled, Lara feared he might summon his bodyguards to remove her.
"Please sir! I am not..." Lara's voice trailed off as Mike halted his call, his cold gaze fixed on her.
"What is it?" Mike inquired.
Lara, unable to articulate her fears under Mike's penetrating stare, could only shrug in response.
Annoyed, Mike voiced his impatience, "I don't have time for ladies like you. Since you are unwilling to cooperate, you will leave my house immediately."
Begging, Lara pleaded, "No, sir... please."
Trembling in fear, Lara refused to be labeled as a prostitute but struggled to convey her concerns to Mike.
Mike abruptly dismissed the idea of engaging with Lara and terminated his call. He turned to face her and inquired sternly, "Are you coming with me or not? I have no time to waste."
Reluctantly, Lara agreed, "Fine. I will."
Initially quiet, Mike appeared to be intrigued by Lara. He instructed, "Okay. Stand up."
With nervous anticipation, Lara stood up, avoiding direct eye contact with Mike despite feeling his gaze fixed on her.
Satisfied with her compliance, Mike gestured, "Follow me."
As Mike led the way to his bedroom, Lara picked up his discarded towel. She couldn't help but notice his shameless demeanor, casually parading around bare as she felt ashamed of her own gaze upon him.
Curious about Mike's history with other women he had hosted in his bedroom, Lara contemplated her predicament. Although the lavish decor of Mike's home impressed her, her thoughts returned to the harsh reality of her financial needs and her longing to return to her village.
Resolving to endure a night with Mike to secure her transport fare home, Lara braced herself for whatever was to come, determined not to sell her body for money.
Upon entering Mike's spacious bedroom, Lara marveled at the elegant interior. From the king-size bed draped in a light-pink bedspread to the discreetly playing music video on the flat-screen TV, she took in the artistic portrait of Mike in wine-colored hues adorning the wall, musing softly, "Hmm."
"What are you staring at? Strip now!" Mike commanded, interrupting her thoughts.
Startled, Lara hesitated before complying, acutely aware of Mike's intense gaze fixed upon her. She used the towel to modestly cover herself, but Mike's reaction was immediate.
"What nonsense are you doing?" he questioned, displeased with her attempt to maintain her dignity.
Overwhelmed with fear, Lara shuddered as tears welled up in her eyes, turning red from the strain. Mike, puzzled by her sudden distress, approached her, asking, "Why are you acting like this? I don't understand. Do you want to leave now?"
Shakily, Lara managed to utter, "No."
Mike relented, saying, "Fine. Then come to bed now."
Acknowledging his interest in her, Mike sought to reassure Lara despite his desires. He insisted, "I wouldn't hurt you, okay."
With a somber nod, Lara complied, her voice quivering, "Okay."
Sitting beside Mike on the bed, Lara braced herself for what was to come, knowing that she would likely face repercussions from Madam Alora. Desperate for a way out, she mustered the courage to ask, "Please sir, can you help me with some money?"
Taken aback by her unexpected request, Mike felt a surge of frustration. Though he was irritated by her refusal to engage with him physically, Lara's plea for assistance left him conflicted.
Realizing that most women sought him out for financial gain, Mike stood up, contemplating his next move. Lara, sensing his inner turmoil, reached out to him, fearing he might summon his security personnel to remove her.
"What is happening?" Mike queried, puzzled by Lara's sudden change in demeanor and holding his hands.
"Please sir, I need to return home to the village," Lara implored, her voice tinged with desperation.
"Is this a joke? How did you even get here in the first place? Shit!" Mike cursed, realizing his mistake in sending away Janet instead of Lara.
Frustrated, Mike turned away, issuing a final command, "Just leave!"
Fearing the consequences of being cast out, Lara knelt before Mike, pleading, "Please sir, I cannot leave. Help me, please."
Visibly exasperated, Mike snapped, "What is the meaning of this? Help you with what? Alright, stand up first."
Reluctantly rising to her feet, Lara locked eyes with Mike, avoiding his gaze as she feared his physical desires might resurface. As he moved closer, she instinctively looked away, dreading the impending confrontation.
"You cannot stay here with me tonight. Since you are unsure of your purpose here and unwilling to cooperate, you will leave my bedroom immediately. Once you step outside, meet Joseph, who will assist you in finding accommodations until tomorrow morning. Then, you must leave," Mike ordered sternly.
Defiantly, Lara rebuked, "No sir, please. I have nowhere else to go."
Infuriated by her persistence, Mike swiftly wrapped a towel around his waist and escorted Lara out of his bedroom, compelling her to depart. His patience worn thin, he commanded, "Leave now, find Joseph, and get lost."
Refusing to comply, Lara remained in the parlor, weeping quietly as Mike slammed the door shut, muttering, "Shit! What kind of woman is she?"
Fuming with frustration, Mike paced back and forth, grappling with his unfulfilled desires. Ultimately, he decided to retreat to his bathroom, hoping Lara had left and seeking solace in a soothing shower.
Lara stayed in the parlor, afraid to walk out and meet Joseph. She cried as she walked back to the executive sofabed to relax. She sat carefully on the sofabed she had stood up from when Mike had taken off her shoes. She slowly lay down on the black sofabed, feeling tired with puffy eyes from crying too many hot tears. She shook, knowing the handsome guy was close to sleeping with her. Lara couldn't go outside to meet those men either, as she saw them gawking at her at the mansion entrance gate and even harassing her. She cried herself to sleep, and the following morning, she woke up to a gentle tapping on her shoulder that startled her awake. Mike said, "Hello, why are you still here? I thought I asked you to meet with Joseph last night." The day had fully broken, and Mike stepped out dressed in a black business suit to leave for work. As it was a full working Monday morning, Mike glanced at his parlor wall clock and saw it was exactly 7:30am. When he looked back at the sofabed,
Peter stared at Janet through the rearview mirror of the car as he matched the car's brake and asked, "Are you sure you're coming down?" Janet replied, "Yes, sir. My friend doesn't know her way and she might get lost." Peter said, "Okay. My job with you is done. I will let the boss know when he returns. Get down now." Janet pushed her side door open, dropped down from the car, and walked back to meet Lara. Lara saw Janet approaching her and immediately ran back to the gate to meet James, while Simon frowned and asked her, "Where are you running to? What kind of lady are you?! Do you want me to call the police or unleash the dogs on you?" Lara shuddered and stared back at Simon. She replied, "No, sir, please, sir. I cannot go with her." Lara pointed back to Janet, and Janet frowned. "What has come over you, Lara? Let's go now and stop acting hysterical." Lara replied, "No! I'm not going anywhere with you. It's better for you to take me back to the village or leave me alone!" Jan
Mike sighed after the call with his father ended. He asked himself, "What does father want from me again? Haven't I left home for good?" Mike swirled his office seat around and stared at his wristwatch. As he was still seated on his executive black couch, he noted, "6pm already. I guess I should start going there now, as I cannot sleep there for a night." Mike stood up to leave his office, knowing his father had been complaining about his Casanova nature, as he hosted a lot of women. While his mother's complaints were the worst before he finally moved out of their mansion. Mike remembered his mother telling him, "Son, there are a lot of sexual diseases out there. Your father and I just want the best for you. You need to stop hosting different ladies and stop bringing shame to our family." Mike responded, "What do you mean by shame, mom? Don't many of my age-mates have girlfriends, and even wives? Most of these young ladies out there don't love me and are only after my money." Mrs
Just as Mike walked out to the frontage veranda to leave, his father arrived and smiled at him. His father spread his arms widely open to welcome him. Mr. Richard said, "Welcome home, son." Mike responded, "Good evening, father," frowning slightly. Mr. Richard asked, "Are you already leaving now? Come, let's go inside and discuss why I wanted to see you. I had to rush down here before you left." Mike said, "I'm actually leaving now, father. I told you I didn't want to sleep in this house." He continued to frown. Mr. Richard asked, "And why is that, Mike? Is this not your home? Anyways, I won't waste much of your time; come, let's go inside now to discuss, and you stop wasting your time too." Mike sighed and followed his father back into the living room. His mother, sister, and Stella had already finished eating and stood up to welcome his father. Gloria greeted, "Welcome back, dad." Stella said, "Good evening, sir." Mrs. Cindy spoke, "Welcome home, honey." Mike frowned as he
Joseph immediately ran out of the kitchen as he had finished preparing dinner. He was the butler and the manservant of the house, trusted to do the cooking whenever Mike was home, as Mike didn't have any female staff. Joseph responded, "Yes, boss!" Mike said to Joseph, "Show her to a room below." Joseph answered, "Okay, boss. Come with me, Miss." Lara breathed a sigh of relief, a beautiful smile curving on her face. She immediately rushed to Mike's leg, holding him by kneeling down beside him to thank him. Lara said, "Thank you, sir. May God bless you." Mike, looking surprised, cursed, "Oh! Can you please stop touching me? You can stand where you were before and say your thank you to me. Don't you dare touch me again!" Mike warned and walked away from Lara, assuming she didn't realize the effect she had on him. Mike cursed, "Imagine her rubbing me with her big boobs, making me feel hot. I'm definitely going to regret allowing her to stay here with me." Mike walked away, and La
Thoughts about Lara couldn't let Mike concentrate, and just then, he heard a knock on his parlor door, wondering why Joseph had returned to disturb him. Mike stepped down from his bed and walked out to his executive parlor, where only the red bulb was switched on. Opening the parlor door, Mike saw Joseph breathing heavily, and his eyes narrowed at Joseph. Mike asked, "What are you doing here, Joseph? I thought I told you that I am not hungry, and you should invite the lady out to have dinner." Joseph replied, "Yes, boss. I went to her room, knocked multiple times, and even rang the doorbell, but she refused to open up." Mike asked, "Hmph. Why would she do that?" Joseph responded, "I don't know, boss. I just thought to let you know about it, as I already gave her the key to the room." Mike sighed, "Hmm. Alright, let's go and check up on her." Mike wore his slippers, walked out of his parlor, and followed Joseph downstairs towards the guest room corridor. Approaching Lara's room
Madam Alora was downstairs in her executive living room, where she usually hosted different men to service her ladies, or the ladies who used to visit her brothel, and wanting to get a good bang. She had been waiting since the afternoon for her men to arrive, and it was already past 10 pm at night, going on 11 pm, yet they hadn't arrived. Madam Alora said, "What's taking those guards so long to catch Lara by the roadside and bring her here?" She paced around her living room as most of her ladies were busy with different men in various rooms. The ladies weren't enough to service all the waiting men. Her friend, Linda Johnson, had spoken to her about recruiting new ladies, but she didn't want to be seen as luring innocent young ladies or engaging in human trafficking. She only accepted younger ladies who offered themselves freely to her, to work under her and signed under her roof. Still pacing in her living room, Madam Alora's phone rang, and she immediately picked up. Guard 1 sa
Lara stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards the couch where she had kept her red gown the previous night. She picked the red dress and wore it as she prepared to leave. She remembered that the handsome man had told her that he would personally take her to the bus park when he had the chance. So she hurriedly walked out, knowing that Mike would soon be leaving for work and the day had fully broken. Lara stepped into the living room and met Joseph mopping the tiled floor. She smiled at him and greeted him, "Good morning." Joseph replied, "Morning. How was your night?" Lara responded, "Fine. Has your boss left?" Nervous, Lara saw Joseph smile and replied, "No, I don't think so. Do you need anything from him?" Lara answered, "No. I begged him the previous night to take me to the bus park today." Joseph said, "Okay. Maybe I should go and check up on him for you. Please wait here, I'm coming back." Lara replied, "Okay." As Joseph neatly kept the mopping stick back into the b