3 - SERVANT

JASLYN'S POV

The heavy double doors slammed shut in my face and the loud boom echoed across the empty driveway and faded into the hot summer air.

I stood frozen on the top marble step, my heart hammering hard against my ribs. I reached down and touched my waist where Ryder had grabbed me and my skin still felt warm underneath my thin cotton shirt.

I did not understand what had just happened. I did not know why his touch sent a jolt of electricity through my body, and I certainly did not know why he looked at me with so much hatred. 

He was just an arrogant, wealthy jerk who thought he owned the world.

I let out a frustrated breath and shook my head. I bent down to gather my scattered belongings. I shoved my heavy textbooks and my framed photos back into the torn cardboard box. I lifted the broken package into my arms and forced myself to walk toward the entrance.

I pulled the heavy brass handle and stepped inside the grand foyer. The icy air conditioning hit my sweaty skin right away.

I paused to look around the massive room. The ceilings were impossibly high, and a crystal chandelier hung over a polished marble floor. The house was very quiet and felt more like a museum than a place where people actually lived.

I took one step forward, but the sharp clicking sound of high heels interrupted the silence.

My mother marched out of a side room. Vanessa wore a tight designer dress, and her blonde hair was styled into perfect waves. She did not smile when she saw me, nor did she offer to help me carry my heavy box.

Vanessa reached out and grabbed my bare arm. Her long, manicured nails dug deep into my skin.

"Ow," I gasped. The sharp pain forced me to drop the box.

The cardboard hit the marble floor with a loud thud, and my books spilled out for the second time today.

"What did you just do?" Vanessa hissed. She squeezed my arm tighter and pulled me closer to her face.

"Let go of me," I demanded. I tried to pull my arm away, but her grip was too strong. "I did not do anything."

"Do not lie to me, Jaslyn. I saw Ryder storm through the front doors a minute ago. He looked furious." Vanessa glared at me with pure panic in her eyes. "Did you say something stupid to him outside?"

"I tripped on the stairs, and I bumped into him," I argued. "He shoved me backward and cursed at me. I did not even know who he was until he told me his name."

Vanessa shook my arm. "You need to watch your step. Ryder is the heir to the Blackwood empire. He practically runs this family while Damien handles the corporate business."

"I do not care who he is," I shot back. "He has no right to put his hands on me."

"You are a guest in this house," Vanessa warned me in a low voice. 

"You are only here because I allowed it. I worked very hard to secure this marriage, and I will not let you ruin my life because you cannot behave yourself."

"I am not trying to ruin your life. I just want to get my things into my room so I can stay out of your way."

"You will stay out of Ryder's way," Vanessa ordered. She finally let go of my arm, but she pointed a sharp finger at my chest. "You will not speak to him. You will not look at him. You will treat him with the utmost respect if he happens to enter the same room as you."

I rubbed the red crescent marks her nails left on my skin. I stared at my mother, feeling a familiar wave of resentment wash over me. She had chased rich men for my entire life, but she had never acted this desperate before.

"I am not a servant," I told her. "I am not going to bow down to your new stepson."

Vanessa narrowed her eyes. Her expression turned cold and calculating. She knew exactly how to hurt me, and she never hesitated to use my weak points against me.

"If you disrespect the Blackwood heir again, I will make a phone call tomorrow morning," Vanessa said. "I will cancel the checks for your college tuition before your classes even start."

My stomach dropped to the floor. The threat knocked the breath out of my lungs.

"You cannot do that," I whispered.

"I am paying the bill, so I can do whatever I want," Vanessa replied.

"We made a deal," I pleaded. I tried to keep my voice steady, but the panic was rising in my throat. "I agreed to move into this house and pretend we are a happy family. You agreed to pay for my freshman year."

"Deals change when you become a liability," Vanessa sneered. "This marriage is my final payday, Jaslyn. If you cause a scene and embarrass me in front of Damien or his son, you can pack your bags and figure out how to pay for your own education."

My college education was my only ticket to freedom. It was my only way to escape this toxic cycle. 

I planned to get my degree, save up money from my campus job, and never ask Vanessa for a single dime again. 

If she took my tuition away, I would be trapped under her control.

Tears of pure frustration stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

I glared at my mother and opened my mouth to fight back, even though I knew she held all the power.

Before I could speak a single word, a deep voice echoed from the shadows of the long hallway to our right.

The voice was calm and smooth, yet it carried a lethal weight that commanded the room.

Vanessa froze. The smug look melted off her face in a fraction of a second. She took a step back and smoothed her hands down the sides of her expensive dress.

A man stepped out of the shadows and walked into the bright light of the foyer.

He wore a tailored black suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. He had dark hair peppered with silver, and his jawline was sharp and unyielding. He looked imposing and incredibly dangerous.

It was Damien Blackwood.

He did not yell. He did not raise his voice. He kept his dark stare locked on Vanessa.

"Take your hands off the girl, Vanessa."