Chapter 3

His possession.

I wasn't an object, and I didn't belong to anyone.

Mr. Leon slowly released his arm from around my waist, then walked back to the billiard table, picked up the cue he had set down earlier, and continued the game as if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn't just saved my life, and as if he hadn't just bitten my neck.

I stood there, still clutching the top of my bikini that was nearly slipping off, trying to cover as much of my body as possible. In front of me, the green table echoed once again with the sounds of billiard balls colliding.

Mr. Leon, Mr. Adrian, and Mr. Sebastian stood around the table with glasses of drinks in their hands. Sometimes they laughed. Sometimes they spoke in low voices I couldn't hear from where I stood.

But their eyes. I could feel their eyes on me.

Mr. Leon looked my way the least. He focused on the game, or at least pretended to, but Mr. Adrian and Mr. Sebastian were different. They took turns glancing at me like two wolves observing their prey.

Their gazes weren't playful. They stared at the curve of my exposed waist, my wet legs still glistening with water, and my skin that was still red from the cold.

A moment later, Mr. Adrian placed his billiard cue on the table. He picked up a large white towel from a nearby chair and walked toward me.

He smiled, and that smile scared me.

Mr. Adrian was a handsome man around my father's age, if my father were still alive. His hair was black, his jaw sharp, and his light brown eyes looked almost golden beneath the sunlight.

"You're cold," he said while holding the towel out to me.

I accepted it with trembling hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Adrian."

I quickly wrapped the towel around my shoulders, covering my body as much as I could. The thick white fabric felt like a small shield protecting me from the three pairs of eyes still watching me.

But that protection didn't last long.

Just as I took a step back to leave, Mr. Sebastian let out a soft whistle from behind the billiard table.

"She's actually cute, Leon. Why have you been hiding her all this time?"

I lowered my head. My face felt hot even though my entire body was shivering from the cold.

Mr. Leon didn't answer. He simply picked up his drink, took a slow sip, then continued the game even though his own body was still wet.

Mr. Adrian was still standing near me. I could smell his cologne, mahogany wood. He looked me up and down.

"Her hair is a little messy, but she's not ugly. She just needs some care."

I didn't know how to respond. Was that a compliment? Or an insult wrapped in sweet words?

"I... I should get back to work, sir. I still have chores to finish. Clara's laundry is piling up, and I still have to iron Mr. Leon's clothes for tomorrow's event."

I wasn't lying. My list of chores for today was still long. Washing clothes, ironing, cleaning the bathroom, sweeping the backyard, and now, after almost drowning and being forced to wear a revealing bikini, I also had to dry my wet hair before my dandruff got bad again.

But my steps stopped when Mr. Sebastian spoke.

"Wait a minute. Your name is Ana, right?"

I nodded without turning around.

"Ana, you work here as a maid, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"How much do they pay you?"

I fell silent. My salary was a small, embarrassing secret. Mr. Leon paid me three hundred euros a month. In this country, three hundred euros wasn't even enough to rent a decent room, but because I lived and ate here, Mr. Leon said it was more than enough.

He wasn't wrong. Ten years ago, three hundred euros would have been an incredible amount of money to me. But now, after seeing Clara spend that amount on a single bottle of perfume, it felt different.

"Three hundred euros, sir," I finally answered.

Adrian and Sebastian exchanged glances. No words left their mouths, but I could read their thoughts from their expressions. Three hundred euros. An amount they probably wouldn't even spend on a single tie.

Mr. Leon didn't react. His hand still held the billiard cue, his eyes focused on the white ball in front of him, but I knew he heard everything because he wasn't deaf.

Mr. Adrian stepped closer. Now we were only an arm's length apart. I could see the faint lines at the corners of his eyes and the small scar on his left eyebrow.

"If you need more money, you can ask us," Mr. Adrian said.

"I don't understand, sir," I replied.

I pretended not to understand even though I understood perfectly. I understood too well from his tone, from the way he stood too close, from the way Sebastian's gaze stripped apart my body beneath the thin towel.

Mr. Sebastian chuckled softly. He set his cue down and walked toward me from the other side. Now I was standing between them. Mr. Adrian on my right, Mr. Sebastian on my left, and Mr. Leon over there, too far away to help me, yet close enough to see everything.

"Don't play dumb, sweetheart. You're a grown woman. You know exactly what we mean," Mr. Sebastian said.

I bit my lower lip so hard it nearly bled.

"But it's not free, right, sir?" I asked quietly.

Mr. Adrian raised an eyebrow, then smiled again.

"Nothing in this world is free, Ana. You've learned that from experience, haven't you? Nobody gives you something without expecting something in return."

Those words pierced something inside my chest. He was right. In all twenty years of my life, I had never received anything truly free. Mom fed me, but I had to be a good daughter. School gave me grades, but I had to study until exhaustion. Mr. Leon gave me a place to live, but I had to work without days off.

And now they were offering money in exchange for something else.

"I think I should get back to work, gentlemen. Otherwise, I won't finish until tonight," I said.

I took two steps, then paused.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine with my salary right now," I said.

Mr. Adrian laughed softly. Mr. Sebastian clicked his tongue.

"Don't reject the offer too quickly, Ana. This kind of offer doesn't come twice," Mr. Adrian said.

"I understand, but I really have to go now. Clara's clothes are still waiting," I replied.

I turned around and walked away quickly. I didn't run because that would make it obvious I was scared, even though I was terrified.

"Who told you that you could leave? They're my friends, and I'm your boss, which means they're your boss too. Who taught you to be this rude?" Mr. Leon said, instantly stopping me in my tracks.