Chapter 2: The Game He Played
The door shut with a heavy click behind them, sealing Janine inside a world where the rules were no longer hers. Theo leaned back in the velvet chair like a king in his private court, watching her with an unreadable expression. His suit was sharp, his jaw tense, and his gaze devoured every inch of her. He didn’t hide the fact that he wanted her. He owned that desire, wore it like a weapon. “On your knees.” The command wasn’t loud, but it echoed in the room like thunder. Janine's heart jumped. Her body obeyed before her mind could process the weight of what she was doing. Her fingers brushed his knee as she settled between his legs, trembling beneath his gaze. Theo cupped her chin, lifting her face. “Look at me.” Her eyes met his, half-hidden behind the mask, and she could see it now—he wasn’t just rich or handsome. He was dangerous. A man who wasn’t used to being told no. When she moved slowly, cautious, unsure, he tilted his head. “Are you making me wait on purpose?” he murmured, his voice dark with amusement—and threat. She blinked. “No, I—” “Then stop acting like your a fucking virgin .” His hand slid behind her head, firm. “Let me show you how it’s done.” And just like that, he took over. Janine gasped but didn’t resist. His grip was strong but not cruel—rough in a way that sparked something she didn’t understand. He moved her with practiced precision, his breathing growing heavier, his dominance spilling from every touch, every command. She let go of her thoughts. Her pride. Her shame. Just this once. Minutes passed in a blur of heat and power until Theo let out a deep, guttural sound that sent chills down her spine. His fingers tightened in her hair, his whole body tensed—and then it was over. Janine sat back, breathless, her lips tingling, heart pounding. Her head was spinning. But Theo wasn’t done. Before she could move, he grabbed her chin again and forced her to look up at him. “Get on the bed,” he said. “Lay back. Spread your legs for me.” Her body froze. She stood slowly and moved to the bed, the red leather dress sticking to her skin. She lay back against the silk sheets, but kept her legs closed, her body stiff with uncertainty. Theo didn’t wait. He followed her like a storm—fast, commanding, overwhelming. His hand wrapped around her knee and pushed it aside, then the other, parting her with effortless force. He hovered above her, pinning her in place, caging her in with his body. “You disobeyed,” he growled. “You don’t do that again.” She barely managed a breath before he dipped his head and kissed her throat, her collarbone, the space between her breasts. His hands roamed over her body, learning her curves like they were his to claim. He yanked the zipper of her dress down roughly, letting it fall open. The red lace beneath made him pause, eyes darkening. “Beautiful,” he muttered, more to himself. Then he ran his hands along the waistband of her panties, teasing, tracing, making her squirm beneath him. When he pinched her nipple through the lace, she gasped "Ahh". When he slid his hand down to her waist, then between her thighs, she arched without realizing. "Ohh" She whimpered as his fingers trailed along the edge of her underwear, toying with her. “Sensitive,” he noted, smirking. “You act shy, but your body begs.” He teased her folds that's under a tiny bit of fabric. Sliding his finger up and down like playing some soft music on a guitar. He can hear her whimper and pleasured sounds coming from her mouth. Then Theo lost his patience in the next heartbeat. He tore the lace from her body like it was paper and pressed himself against her, not giving her time to speak or think or breathe. She cried out—more from shock than pain—and Theo froze, his eyes narrowing. But when he saw the blood and the truth hit him, he stilled. “Fuck! you’re a virgin?” he asked, low and sharp. Janine turned her face away, ashamed. For a moment, silence. Then a soft chuckle, dark and amused. “Did you plan this?” he whispered in her ear. “What do you want?” She didn’t answer. She couldn't at this point she was in pain. She felt like something in her body was being torn apart. She hold her cries and pain. “Money?” He stopped talking and looked into her eyes. “Or you plan to blackmail me into something else?” “Tell me, woman!” He shouted in rage, he felt like a fool for falling for this kind of scheme. Then his arms tightened around her, she was scared. Her eyes are starting to build up tears but she holds it back. “Nothing, I don't want anything from you…. it's just that it's really my first and I don't have a plan to do anything wicked sir.” She looked at him and said firmly. “Don't worry sir, I know this is only a night of pleasure to you and this is just a job for me” With that answer Theo was shocked and curious about this woman. She hadn’t just sold her body for one night of survival. She had caught the attention of a man who always got what he wanted—and now, he wanted her.A week passed like a fleeting breeze. Each day, Janine woke with a strange sense of balance—visiting her mother in the hospital during the day, then returning before seven in the evening to Theo’s penthouse, just as he asked. It was odd how it no longer felt suffocating. Maybe it was because, for now, he didn’t push her, didn’t cross the line she had drawn around herself. Maybe because every time she stood in front of her mother’s hospital bed, she knew she’d made the right sacrifice.She found herself wondering what went on in Theo’s head. Why this sudden freedom to see her mother? Why did he come home earlier these days and eat the meals she cooked without complaint? What game was he playing now? And why did she feel oddly safe when he pulled the strings—as if all she had to do was follow, and everything would be fine?It was confusing, unsettling… yet it was a relief, too.On a warm Friday morning, Janine packed her mother’s favorite fruits along with some freshly baked bread she m
Janine arrived back at the penthouse a little later than she intended. The soft click of the front door echoed into the quiet. She thought she might find Theo in his study, perhaps busy with work or simply ignoring her again. But to her surprise, he was in the living room, sitting on the couch with a drink in hand.He looked at her—no frown, no sarcasm, not even a mocking raise of his brow. Just a glance. Then he stood up, set his glass on the side table, and walked away without a single word.It was...strange.Janine blinked. No cruel remarks, no interrogations, no possessive accusations. Just silence. And oddly, it felt heavier than all the words he’d thrown at her before.With a tired sigh, she went to her room, slipped out of her clothes, and changed into her soft cotton pajamas. The silence lingered in the air like an unanswered question.When she stepped out of her room again, she was surprised to see Theo still awake, this time sitting at the dining table. The maids were gone f
Janine visited her mother again that day. She had asked Theo for permission, and to her surprise, he agreed with only a brief nod. His driver was waiting for her in the parking lot, patient and quiet as ever. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the anxious energy running through her body. She had one goal today: to spend peaceful time with her mother without letting anything else interfere. When she arrived at the hospital, her mother’s eyes lit up like the sun. “How are you, Ma?” Janine greeted her warmly, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. Her mother’s fragile smile sent a wave of relief and tenderness washing over Janine. “Better, thank you, Janine,” her mother said, her voice soft but steady. The smile on her face was a balm for Janine’s weary soul, easing some of the weight she carried in her heart. Janine smiled back and pulled up a chair closer to the bed. She started to peel a crisp apple, cutting the slices thin and neat. The small, simple gesture made her feel l
Janine was still angry. Her chest was tight with resentment from their last confrontation—Theo’s possessive outburst, the harsh words that left her feeling small. She wanted to leave, to be far away from the suffocating hold he had over her life. But she knew she couldn’t—not now, not yet. Every time she thought of packing her bags and disappearing, she was reminded of her mother, still weak in the hospital, and her siblings, who relied on her to make sure they had a chance at a future. If she left Theo now, she would break the contract she had agreed to—no money for her mother’s medicine, no money for her siblings’ school fees. She knew she could work herself to exhaustion in some other job, but there was no guarantee she’d earn enough to cover everything. That was the reality she faced. Some would say she was stupid for staying, that she should fight for her dignity. But dignity didn’t fill stomachs or pay hospital bills. For Janine, staying was the only choice she could live with
After leaving the bar, Theo drove around the city in a haze. The alcohol had numbed some of the anger swirling inside him, but not all of it. Mark’s teasing had only reminded him of the mess he’d made with Janine. She was in his penthouse, behind a closed door, probably crying. And he was the reason why.He parked outside the building and sat in the car for a while, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. In his mind, all he could see was Janine’s face when she’d looked at that man—Javier. Theo didn’t want to think about what they’d been talking about or how she’d smiled at him.Stay away from him, he thought. Stay the fuck away from him.When he finally made it up to the penthouse, the place was silent except for the pounding in his head. He went straight to his office, pouring himself another drink, the burn doing nothing to dull the unreasonable jealousy raging in his chest. He couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t let her go.Meanwhile, Janine sat on the edge of h
Theo’s mind was a mess. It was such a tangled knot of jealousy, rage, and something he didn’t want to name—something softer, something that felt too close to fear. He took a breath and forced himself to calm down, stepping away from Janine’s door because he knew if he didn’t, he might say something he couldn’t take back—or worse, he might do something he’d regret.He needed space. He needed to breathe.So he grabbed his keys and left the penthouse, his footsteps echoing in the hallways. He drove without thinking, the city lights blurring around him. He didn’t care where he was going—he just needed to be away from her, from the way she looked at him with those hurt, accusing eyes.He found himself pulling up to the bar his friend Mark owned, a place he’d gone to countless times before. Tonight, though, it felt different—like even the familiar neon lights couldn’t chase away the storm in his head.He walked in like he owned the place, ignoring the curious glances and the way the music s