Chapter 5: Silly Claudia

Claudia Woods' Point of View 

Silly Claudia

Present time…

I was unable to make sense of his impromptu choice. Due to my confinement in the room, we didn't see each other for several days. He insisted I wouldn't eat unless he said so, but I ignored him and walked downstairs to get some food anyway.

Taking a few deep breaths, I glanced out the window from the balcony. Despite being near the shore and the mansion being right next to the soothing sea, it was somehow fascinating. 

"Miss Claudia," Lisa called my name. She's the only housekeeper here who does the chores often. 

I veered around and saw her. 

"Why did you come out of your room? Boss said you can't go out yet without his permission." 

I rolled my eyes in the ears before tugging the strands of my hair at the back of my ears caused by the wind. 

"But he's not around." I spat out. 

Lisa took a deep breath and grabbed my hand. "Let's go back inside your room, Miss Claudia." 

"It's boring inside!" 

You can count on it being accurate. While I was their slave, my owner had me locked up for three days after we had a discussion. It drove me practically crazy worrying about everything all day, and I ended up with dark circles under my eyes as a result of not getting enough rest.

His proposal made no sense at all. The papers say I had to follow him or risk getting into trouble. Yet I don't believe the things that are written there. Killing someone is difficult in modern times, what with the prevalence of strict moral codes and widespread public condemnation.

Maybe he won't try to murder me. I'm sure of it. I will try to find a way and do my best to escape. 

"Just come back, Miss Claudia. I had something more to tell you." 

Lisa successfully pursued me coming back inside my room. Unfortunately, the room where I got locked was the same room as where I was right now. I have been locked inside for three days until their boss said I could now come out and strode around the area. 

I was sitting down on the bed, waiting for what Lisa has to say when she took out her phone when it rang. 

"The boss told me to keep an eye on you whilst you were here. Now that you're free to wander around the mansion, let me tell you some rules you have to obey." 

My eyebrows arched. "And what are the rules?" 

"First, you are allowed to wander around the mansion but there are places you can't go. The boss' room was next to yours and you can't come inside without his permission. Second, you're not allowed to use phones until he say so. Wait for him to give you one with a wiretapped device. Last—" 

"Wiretapped device? Hello! I need a phone and wiretapping is a form of crime! It's invading a person's privacy!" 

Lisa's eyebrows twitched. "But I was told you were bought. Therefore, he owns you and you have to obey what he has to say, Miss Claudia. Besides, it could keep you alive if you kept on following our boss' orders." 

I crossed my arms and stood up. "Hah! Do you think I will let him command me? I won't! Let your boss knew that I refuse to be his pet—" 

"Alright, then. People tend to refuse my boss' orders was most likely killed. Should I call him now and ask what kind of weapon are we going to use to—" 

I halted Lisa from speaking as my eyes widened on what she said. Zamir told me the same thing, he said he will kill me if I have no purpose to him. I admit, I somehow want to believe but my inner me says I shouldn't and he was just bluffing. 

I groaned hard, turned around as I sat down on the bed without looking at Lisa. 

"Lastly, the boss said both of you will have to attend a ball earlier. You will need to accompany him. He will come home later at 8 in the evening to fetch you so you better get ready before he comes. He doesn't like someone who's slow." 

Lisa told me a lot of things I should follow. She said, their boss was absent due to things he had to take care off in his workplace. She showed me a dress I will be going to wear later at night and it was a maroon off-shoulder gown with a slit on my right leg. 

Time flies so fast, and I am now ready. I didn't bother going out all day but instead, I was thinking of a way to escape from him. Today is my chance. I will be accompanying him to a ball and all I had to do is find a way, the exact time to slip away. 

I can't stand Zamir. I won't allow him to make me his pet, to serve him. After all, I have no idea of what kind of a person he was. Not to mention that the whole mansion was filled with men wearing a black clothes, standing in every corner of the house as if they were some sort of robots. 

Lisa assisted me to fix myself and I was shocked that she knows how to make a woman pretty. Whilst I was standing in front of a huge mirror, I noticed that my curves became evident due to the gown I was wearing and my legs stood out because of its slit. 

Honestly speaking, I can't recognize myself due to my sudden transformation. 

"You look magnificent, Miss Claudia!" she said as she clapped her hands. 

I sneered. "Tss. My grandmother often tells me that before." 

Lisa only smirked as she began to put the jewelries arrived earlier along with the gown I was going to wear. When the time comes, Lisa called me saying that the boss was already here. She was smiling at me wide, cheering as if I have a huge role for tonight's event. 

As soon as I get inside, I swiftly smelled his manly scent and even saw him with a cleancut compared to the last time we've seen each other. 

"Listen, Claudia," he spoke out my name huskily. "We're going to an event that is a very important one to me. Many people will be attending and I want you to behave, do you understand?" 

I don't know… I had the courage to talk back at him without his presence but the strength I had earlier now that I'm now in front of him vanished. 

I bit my lower lip and nodded my head without looking at him. 

"These are the rules you have to do while you're with me. First, you smile at everyone you're going to meet. Second, you can't sit down nor even slip away from my arms until I say so. Third, you can't speak until I allow you to. Lastly, you're not allowed to escape. But if you tried, a certain punishment will be given or worse, I might perform something else, disregarding that I wasted millions just to buy you. I hope I made myself clear, Claudia. I don't want to repeat these things again." 

Zamir didn't ask me if I understood it but he just concluded I did. Regardless, I still need to follow his rules or else, I won't execute my escape plan later when I have the chance. However, the last rule he had said was making me doubt the things that I can do. 

But nevermind, I want to escape. All I had to do was to follow what he said and not to infuriate him. When we got inside the venue, many businessmen began talking with Zamir. I was trying my best to act foolishly, smiling to everyone he spoke with. 

"I would love to know the girl's name beside you, Zamir," a man who was holding a glass of wine stZamir at me in a negative way. 

Zamir drifted his eyes on me before speaking. "I'm afraid I have no time for an introduction with you, Gaspar. Excuse us…" 

The man was left dumbfounded. After the man named Gaspar, another set of people comes and get Zamir' attention until we are now settled on a table along with other business people. 

I was just silently eating whilst all of them were formally talking with each other as trains of thoughts were passing through my mind. My foot got hurt, countless people would like to speak with him until Zamir decided to settle down. 

"Can I come inside the bathroom? I need to pee…" I whispered to Zamir, enough for him to hear. 

Instead of allowing me to come out, Zamir only gave me his deadly glare. 

"Please?" I begged, acting like it's urgent. 

He closed his eyes and then sighed heavily. "Go. Just be sure to hurry." 

I quickly stood up on my seat and found the way to go out. A few guards were coming along behind me until my foot began to walk swiftly. In just a couple of seconds, I lost the two guards who were following me before I halted outside the venue, sighed in relief. 

Nevertheless, I shouldn't become relieved when I'm still near them. I came out of the main venue and suddenly, the guards saw me escaping so they hurried on coming after me. 

I thought that I lost them already, but I was wrong. When I was successfully on the ground floor, my eyes were still on my back until my foot set outside the main entrance. 

I continued to run away, I was already near the exit when I bumped into someone. When I hoisted my gazes around, Zamir' fuming mad eyes greeted me. 

"Were you trying to run away, Claudia?" his resonant baritone voice thundered. "But I'm very sorry to disappoint you. I fucking caught you…" 

I squirmed as my eyes wanted to tear up. I tried to take away Zamir's hand but he was powerful enough not to let me go. 

Zamir… he caught me.