Chapter five

Rowena’s POV

The grand foyer was very quiet. I stared at the exact man I wanted to escape. He stood right there in his own hallway. He looked right back at me.

"Daddy, look!" Clara pulled his hand. "This is Rowena. She fixed my puzzle."

I expected Arlo to yell. I expected him to expose me as a club dancer in front of the housekeeper. He didn't do any of that. He simply patted Clara's head.

"She seems very smart," Arlo said. His voice sounded calm but dangerous. "Clara, go wash your hands for lunch."

"Okay!" Clara ran off down the hall.

Mrs. Gable smiled at us. "I will go prepare the table, sir."

"Thank you," Arlo nodded to her. Then he looked back at me. "Miss Rowena and I need to have a quick talk in my study."

He turned around and walked down the hall. He expected me to follow him. I had no choice. My legs shook as I walked into his mahogany wood study. The second I stepped inside, he shut the heavy double doors. I heard the loud click of the electronic lock.

I backed up until my spine hit the edge of his huge oak desk. I felt trapped.

Arlo walked over to the desk. He picked up a thick manila folder. I braced myself for the worst. I expected him to fire me right now. I expected him to throw me out onto the street for lying on my resume.

Instead, he dropped the folder onto the desk with a loud thud.

"You thought you could just walk out?" he asked quietly.

"I quit my job," I answered. I kept my voice very steady.

"Nobody quits on me," he replied.

"I am not nobody," I told him.

"You threw my money at me and disappeared," he stated. He took a slow step closer.

"I didn't want your money," I told him. "I just want to be a nanny."

"You are a bad liar," Arlo said. He stopped right in front of me. "I found you anyway."

"How did you find me?" I asked. "I covered all my tracks."

"You covered nothing," he scoffed. "You left a big trail of bad decisions."

"I did what I had to do," I defended myself.

"I bought the club," he answered simply. "I bought it the morning after you left."

My jaw dropped. "You bought an entire underground club just to find one dancer?"

"I always get what I want," he leaned down. His face stopped just inches from mine. The scent of mint and tobacco surrounded me. "I own the club now. That means I own your exotic dancing contract."

"I tore my contract up," I argued. "I left it in the dressing room."

"Tearing paper doesn't erase a debt," he pointed out. "You broke the rules. You owe a five hundred thousand dollar breach f*e."

"I don't have that kind of money!" I shot back.

"I know," Arlo smirked. "Which means I own you."

"You don't own anyone," I snapped at him.

"Read the folder," he ordered.

I glanced down at the papers on the desk. My real name sat right at the top. The massive debt amount highlighted in bold red ink glared back at me. I felt a sharp pain of panic in my chest.

"I can pay it back," I panicked. "Take it out of my nanny salary."

"It will take you a hundred years to pay it off," he laughed coldly.

He reached out. His large hand gently touched the high collar of my black nanny dress. He mocked my modest disguise. I tried to push his hand away. He caught my wrist and pinned it to the desk.

"Let me go," I warned him.

"I have a new contract for you," Arlo offered a brutal deal. "You will sign it right now. You will be Clara's perfect nanny by day. And you will be my exclusive dancer by night."

"No," I refused instantly. "I won't do it."

"You will do it," he insisted. "You will dance only for me."

"And if I refuse?" I challenged him. "What will you do?"

"Then I ruin your life," he promised smoothly. "I will put your massive debt on the public auction block. The police will arrest you. You will go to jail for fraud."

"You wouldn't," I gasped.

"Try me," he dared. His eyes held zero mercy.

I shook with anger and pure terror. I couldn't outrun him. The twisted plot found me anyway.

Arlo picked up a heavy gold fountain pen. He pressed it into my trembling hand.

"Sign it," he demanded. His lips brushed near my ear. "Sign your life over to me right now."

I lowered the pen to the paper. A single tear escaped my eye and dropped onto the desk. I had no other way out. I needed to survive.

Just as the metal tip touched the signature line, a loud beep echoed in the room.

Someone overrode the electronic lock from the outside.

The heavy doors swung wide open. I gasped and pushed Arlo away. I breathed heavily in shock.

Standing in the doorway, holding little Clara's hand, was Cressida.

Her wide, innocent doe eyes instantly dropped to the desk. She saw how Arlo had me pinned there just a second ago. For a fraction of a second, her sweet mask slipped. I saw pure murderous anger on her face.

It confirmed my worst fears. She wasn't the sweet female lead. She tracked me down here. She was the villain.

A second later, the anger vanished. She pasted on a fake sweet smile.

"Rowena, there you are!" Cressida chirped. She stepped into the study like she belonged there. "Clara let me inside. You forgot your bag at my apartment, and I just had to bring it to you."

Arlo stood up straight. He glared at the intruder. "Who are you?"

"I'm her best friend," Cressida lied smoothly. She looked right at me with a fake smile. "Right, Rowena?”