Chapter Four

The ache in Lucy's back and shoulders increased as she wiped the already sparkling floor harder. 

“Is that all you got?!” The woman yelled again. She sent her whip flying and it landed hard on Lucy's back. 

The pain stung like hell, almost knocking her breath away. She collapsed on the floor, squirming in pain.

“Get serious!” The woman yelled. 

Lucy shoved down the pain and began scrubbing the floor even harder. 

After her awful ordeal with the creepy man who wanted to sleep with her, she was brought here. It was a castle-like mansion. 

She was turned into a maid who barely had time to eat, sleep, or catch her breath. It's been two days of endless torture from Ma'am Nicole, the woman who owned the voice in that room that day. 

She was pained by the money she lost that night. And she was taking it out on Lucy. 

Growing up with a Father who physically abused her made Lucy kinda tough to some of the beatings. But not the whips. Those things had a special kind of spine-busting pain. 

Tears stained the floor as she scrubbed harder. Ma'am Nicole was her damn shadow, watching her tentatively. 

“Rule no. 7, you can't ever go up to the fourth floor.” Ma'am Nicole read out. 

Lucy nodded and repeated it. She's been feeding her rules since she was brought here. 

Rule no 1. Never say a word to anyone. Always keep your head down. 

Rule no 2. Ignore whatever you hear. You're not allowed to spill anything. 

Rule no 3. Never run into the Stone brothers. 

The rule no. 3 seemed like the most intense. Ma'am Nicole had repeated it countlessly and even pulled her ears. 

The Stone brothers…Lucy had no idea how many of them there were. But something in her guts was telling her that the man who took her from her house was one of them. 

She didn't wanna meet the others. But she needed to meet that man. He was the only one who could tell her where her Mother was. And where they'd brought her to. 

Was she in a different country? Where was this place? 

She needed answers, so deep down, she could already feel she was gonna break rule no. 3. 

“Are you even listening to me?!” Ma'am Nicole yelled, and the whip landed harshly on her skin again. 

Lucy cried out in pain. She could feel her skin torn open by it. Her strength was failing her. She was gradually growing out of breath. 

“You'll listen when I speak to you. Do you understand?!” 

“Yes…Yes, Ma'am.” 

“Now I'm gonna repeat rule no. 4. Never think of escaping. You'll get caught and killed.”

Goosebumps swept through Lucy's body at the fourth rule. She did plan on escaping. It was a foolish plan but it was the only way she'd get reunited with her Mother.

“Did you hear me?!” Ma'am Nicole thundered. 

“Yes…Yes, Ma'am.” Lucy responded with a weak stutter. 

“Good,” Ma'am Nicole picked up the bucket and dumped the water on Lucy, drenching her totally. “Now go get clean water.”

“Yes, Ma'am.” Lucy slowly picked herself off the ground and took the stairs that led her downstairs and out of the house. 

The cold breeze hit her wet body, causing her to shiver. She got to the garden and dipped the bucket inside the little water fountain there. 

It was half full when she took it out. Her wandering eyes swept around the massive compound. 

Then her gaze swept up the gigantic building, and she caught a glimpse of a man standing on the balcony on the fourth floor. 

He was wearing dark shades, hair draped down his shoulder, with a face that was very much Italian. He looked almost like a god. Lucy was lost, staring at him. 

A man with such an aura had to be a Stone brother. But weren't all of them American? Lucy was confused. 

Her mind echoed the rules Nicole had given her, and she quickly dropped her gaze. 

She carried the bucket back into the building. Nicole wasn't anywhere in sight as she arrived at the hallway she had been cleaning earlier. 

Lucy got on her knees, scrubbing the floor again. She paled at the sudden quiet moans coming from one of the rooms. 

“Shush, someone might hear.” A rich, cocky and deep male voice reprimanded the female. And then the swift skin slapping sounds followed.

Lucy was flushed by the scandalous sounds. She wasn't sure if she should leave or stay. 

“Fuck me, Blaze. Harder, yes. Just like that!” The voice was Nicole's. 

Lucy struggled to keep the sounds out of her ear. It wasn't any of her business. She shouldn't care. She wasn't asked to care. She was told to mind her business. 

“...do it for me, hmm?” The male voice whispered huskily. “Take the ledger out of the premises. Nico can't find it. I'll be in trouble if he does.”

“You know I'll do anything for you,” Nicole whispered back.

Lucy was done cleaning and stood up to leave. Getting closer to the stairs, she heard the floor open. 

Out of an impulsive curiosity, she turned around. The tall frame of a man was walking away, heading in the opposite direction. 

And next was Nicole. She looked flushed, but happy. 

The mistake was that Lucy didn't look away fast enough and so Nicole caught her eyes. 

Lucy gasped at the eye contact and quickly began hurrying down the stairs. 

“Stop right there!” The voice ordered. She froze. 

“Turn around!” 

She did. Nicole looked every bit feral. “What do you think you were doing, eavesdropping?!”

“I wasn't…” Lucy stuttered in fear. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just cleaning…ahh!” 

Nicole had already landed her a resounding slap. 

“You liar!” She barked. “I should have you punished.”

“Please,” Lucy dropped to her knees. She had no more strength to handle more whips. “Please spare me.”

“Why should I?” 

“Please…please…” 

“Alright. But on one condition,” Naomi said, handing over the ledger to her. “Take this out of the main gate. There's someone outside there waiting for it.”

Lucy was shocked. First off, she doesn't know anyone around here. Secondly, she's never gone past the garden. Now all of a sudden, she was being asked to leave the premises?

“Take it,” Naomi said with clenched teeth. 

Lucy slowly took the ledger. 

“And be careful. You can't let anyone see you with it.” Naomi warned. 

Leaving the building, Lucy could feel she was being set up. This was the case of being the scapegoat goat but the sad part was that she had no choice. 

She managed to get past the first line of guards. They didn't pay attention to her. And the second guards didn't. She was approaching a small gate when a car honk from behind startled the shit out of her.

She turned around and gasped at the closeness of the car. Jumping out of the way, she tripped and hit the ground. 

Her knees landed hard and she had to deal with another pain. For that split second, she forgot about the ledger. 

The driver alighted from the car and approached her. 

“Who are you and where the hell are you going?” 

Huh? Lucy was lost. And then it hit her. The ledger!! It wasn't in her dress anymore. 

She looked around her quickly and gasped as she saw it lying closer to the man's feet. To cement her misery, the man noticed it and lowered to pick it up. 

Lucy held her breath, watching him open it. His eyes widened and he scowled at her. 

“Where the hell did you get this?!”