002: "Oh, You Must Be A New Bed Warmer,"

(Anastasia's Point of View)

"She's the new one,"

"She's so pretty and so young,"

"I feel so bad,"

I budged away from the little coterie that stood at the front of the bed I woke up from ten minutes ago. I quailed to the wall, hugging my knees to my chest as I fought the avidity to burst out crying. Where was I and who were these people?

"Little girl, are you alright, were you hit hard?" A geriatric woman in a char's outfit inquired, peering with a stewed expression. 

I shook my head as a no. "Where am I? I want to go home!"

The sudden sympathy on their faces pushed the tears forth and my eyes sting. "Oh my dear, you can't go home," the same woman retorted.

"Why, I didn't do anything, you can't hold me against my will. If you don't let me go, I will call the police!" I bawled. 

The aged woman deliberately sat on the bed. "I know how you feel even though we don't know what happened but we were once in your shoes but in time we've come to accept our fate,"

"You're so young, how come you hold the boss so much money for him to bring you here?" A man verbalized and the others mumbled among themselves.

"Yes my dear, how did you owe so much money?"

I shook my head and let the tear I'd been holding back roll down my cheeks as I reminisced the events that docked me in this situation. "I-I-I didn't, it's my parents, they s-old me," the words vacated my lips, and realization jabbed me. My parents bartered me for their lives. I know they didn't want to die but there could have been another way. Why was I propelled in the middle of this? "I'm innocent,"

I watched their faces knock down in forlorn. "Oh, dear,"

I immediately reached out and held the woman's hands. "Please you have to help me, you need to let me out of here, I don't want to be here,"

"No one does and you can't leave, the last person that tried to elude didn't make it past the front portico before he was shot on sight," someone resolved. My eyes magnified.

"You are frightening her Bobbie!" The woman chastised. "You see my dear, this is the Mezzesalma's Mansion and once you are brought here, it's preposterous to leave unless your debts are paid and if you try to escape, you won't get far before they kill you. You are still young, in no time, your debit would be covered and you would finally leave," she attempted to be optimistic but I could see the despair and empathy in her eyes. 

So this is my fate?

"Am I g-oing to be tu-rned into a w-hore?" I sputtered, waiting for her to respond and when she didn't, I felt my heart shattering into million pieces and I was cowering back to the wall.

"Most of the girls like you were taken to the underground clubs as sex workers, since you were brought directly to the main mansion, I don't think you will be made a sex worker," she asserted but there was no cinch in her voice. She wasn't sure of my fate. "I'm sorry my dear. Maybe I can talk to the boss to let you help me with cleaning so you can stay here,"

I didn't want to stay, but they said I'd die if I attempted to flee without working to pay my parents' debt, but what about my school, what about my studies, what about my future? I looked around the room, and the expressions on their faces told me I no longer had a future.

"Let's give her some time to cope," the woman asserted with a grim smile and ushered everyone out of the room and shutting the door behind them.

Finally, I looked around the space I was in to find myself in the middle of two beds. A gigantic wardrobe stood at the side with a makeup table with three chairs and lastly, a door that must lead to the bathroom. 

So, this was where I was going to live if I was lucky enough to not be made a whore? More tears rolled down at the thought.

I didn't know how long I sat there gawking at fatiguing walls impassively till the door unbarred to disclose two girls that looked two to three years older than me. They froze as If they had seen an apparition.

"Oh, you must be a new bed warmer," The one with red hair affirmed, and my breath fastened. She smirked at me and hiked over to the bed on my left.

"Finally, a new roommate, I was exhausted of putting up with Rue," the one with blonde hair beamed so luminously as she crouched on my bed. "What's your name?"

"Anastasia," I murmured.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Anastasia, I'm Khione and she's Rue,"

"Welcome to madness!" Rue chimed in with a rambunctious laugh as she fell flat on the bed.

"Are you hungry, you must have not eaten?" She inquired. I shook my head but the abrupt grumbling sound of my stomach said otherwise. She giggled, standing up and holding her hand to me. "Come on, it's midnight, everyone's asleep, you can use the kitchen without being bothered,"  

Hesitantly, I followed her out of the room and I was welcomed by a murky corridor. I followed behind her closely as we took turns after turns, walked downstairs after stairs before we finally reached the kitchen and I was out of breath. 

"You'll get used to that soon, walking those stairs keep some of us fit," Khione switched on the lights in the kitchen and I gaped at the luxury and expanse. I wonder what the rest of the house would look like. "Sit down," she instructed while walking over to the massive fridge and bringing out leftovers in wraps. She warmed them up in the microwave and while we waited, she turned to look at me. "Tell me, who's your master?" 

I fretted. "Master? I don't know what you're talking about, I was just brought here,"

She nodded in understanding. "If you are lucky, you won't get a master and just join the staff in cleaning,"

"Were you brought here against your will too?"

She laughed. "Not really. Everyone here has a different story of how they started working for the Mezzesalmas, as for me, I needed the money and they pay really good cash, I said why not," she was outspoken.

"W-hat type of work do you do?" I inquired curiously.

Her green eyes obscured and the aura around her changed. she cleared her throat. "That's a discussion for another day,"

I parted my lips to speak but saw a shadow at the corner of my eyes before an athletic figure sauntered into the kitchen. Khione suddenly grabbed my hand and tugged me to her side. "Keep your head lowered," she instructed and I immediately obeyed.

"Curfew is passed 11 pm, what are you girls doing here,"

My head immediately jerked up at the husky and modulated voice, I found myself staring at the most handsome man on earth. My mouth fell apart, my eyes dilated and my heart suddenly picked up race.

His blue eyes flickered over to me and he raised the perfect eyebrow.

 But before I could begin to take in more of his features, Khione elbowed me gently, I immediately ducked my head.

"She's a newbie Master," Khione retorted with her head lowered as well. 

He didn't respond. I watched his shadow saunter over to the fridge, I peeked at his board back and watched him get a bottle of water and when he turned, I immediately looked back at the floor. 

"Be done in twenty minutes,"

"Yes Master," Khione responded and then he was gone, leaving behind the smell of his strong and overpowering cologne. 

Khione let out a breath of relief. She went to the microwave. "Rule number one, everyone except the soldiers should be in bed before 11 pm,"

"But we're here,"

"You are an exception for now," she turned to me with a plate of food. "Rule number 2, don't look at the bosses in the eyes, rule number 3, stay away from him," she gestured her chin toward the door. "That's a death wish you do not want to have. Each rule has its punishment if it's broken,"

"What are the punishments?"

She sneered. "Break one and you will find out yourself,"

"Are there any more rules I need to be aware of?"

Khione's green eyes glinted. "You are in for one hell of a ride, sweetheart,"

To be continued…!