Chapter 4

I stopped walking.

My body turned stiff like a statue. Mr. Leon's words pierced me from behind, sharp and cold, like the edge of a knife pressed against my neck.

"Who taught you to be so rude?"

I didn't dare turn around. My eyes burned. Tears gathered at the corners, but I held them back with all my strength. I couldn't cry in front of them. I couldn't look weak. If I cried, they would see it as an opening to push even further.

"I... I didn't mean to be rude, sir. I just wanted to get back to work like you always tell me to, Mr. Leon. Work without complaining and without talking too much."

I slowly turned around.

My eyes stayed fixed on the floor, too afraid to look directly at Mr. Leon. I could only see the tips of his expensive shoes, polished black leather without a single speck of dust. Those shoes probably cost more than half a year's worth of my salary, maybe even more.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," I whispered.

Mr. Leon didn't answer. His silence was more frightening than yelling.

But suddenly, footsteps approached, not from the front, but from the side. The scent of mahogany wood and leather reached me first. Mr. Adrian.

"Leon, don't be so harsh. Look at her, she's trembling because of you," he said.

Before I could step away, Mr. Adrian's hand was already touching my back. His palm was large and warm, moving slowly up and down between my shoulder blades. A gesture that should've felt comforting, yet instead made every hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"Don't yell at a sweet girl like this," Mr. Sebastian added from the other side.

Now I was surrounded again, just like before. Mr. Adrian on my right, Mr. Sebastian on my left.

"She's trying to be polite. Look, she even apologized."

Mr. Sebastian reached out and touched my chin. His cold fingers tilted my face upward slowly, forcing me to look at him. His light brown eyes studied me with an expression I couldn't read. There was curiosity in them.

"Pretty. If someone took care of this curly hair and got her braces, she could be very beautiful," he said.

I wanted to slap his hand away. I wanted to scream, don't touch me, but my mouth refused to move. My tongue felt tied by something invisible. All I could do was stare at Mr. Sebastian while my eyes slowly filled with tears.

At that moment, I missed Clara's voice.

It was strange. Usually, I was afraid of Clara, but right now, among these three men, Clara was the only savior I could imagine. If Clara came and yelled at me, at least I could run to the kitchen or hide in the bathroom.

But Clara didn't come.

Where had she gone after leaving me alone in the swimming pool? Maybe she forgot. Or maybe she had planned all of this from the beginning. Calling me to the pool, forcing me to wear that bikini, then leaving me alone with her father and his two friends.

No. I shouldn't think like that. Clara was annoying, but she wasn't that cruel.

Right?

Or maybe I was just too naive.

Suddenly, Mr. Adrian's phone vibrated. He sighed, removed his hand from my back, then pulled his phone from his suit pocket.

"Yeah?"

A minute later, Mr. Sebastian received a call too, then Mr. Leon. They spoke in low voices, exchanging short words about numbers, contracts, and meetings that couldn't be postponed. I didn't understand much of their conversation.

Mr. Adrian ended his call first. He let out a long sigh, then looked at me one more time.

"Something urgent came up, Ana. I have to leave."

I didn't answer. I only gave a small nod.

Then it happened so quickly.

Mr. Adrian's hand rose to the top of my head. His long fingers ran through my messy curly hair, not gently, but like someone petting their favorite cat. Once, twice, then he pulled his hand away.

"I hope we meet again sometime," he said with a smile.

Mr. Sebastian did the same thing. His hand brushed over my head after he finished his phone call.

"Take care of yourself, and think about our offer."

Then he walked toward his car with Mr. Adrian. The two luxury cars slowly drove away from the mansion's backyard.

Now it was just me and Mr. Leon.

I stood there silently, not daring to move. The towel was still wrapped around my shoulders, but it felt thinner and thinner, less capable of protecting me from anything. In front of me, Mr. Leon still stood beside the billiard table. He had already set the cue down again. His arms were now crossed over his chest, and his eyes stared at me without blinking.

His face was still wet from the pool water earlier. His usually neat hair now fell messily over his forehead. But it didn't make him look any less handsome. If anything, with his wet shirt clinging to his chest, he looked even more tempting.

"Mr. Leon, I..."

"What?" he asked coldly.

"I should probably go look for Clara," I said.

I took a careful step backward, but Mr. Leon didn't move. He just stood there watching me like a cat that already knew its mouse wouldn't get very far.

"Clara is busy. She won't be coming back," he said.

That statement felt like a door slamming shut right in front of my face. I swallowed hard.

"Then I'll go back to work," I said.

"Our offer still stands, Ana."

Mr. Leon walked closer. His steps were slow, one after another, his expensive leather shoes making soft sounds against the marble floor. I kept stepping back until my back hit the wall.

He stopped right in front of me. We were only an arm's length apart. I could smell him, expensive cologne mixed with cold sweat and something deeply masculine that made my head feel dizzy.

"Three hundred euros a month. That's not a proper amount for a girl as pretty as you," he said.

I didn't know what to say.

"Adrian and Sebastian weren't joking. If you want, they can give you more. Much more than what I pay you."

He lifted my hand and slowly opened my palm. His long, warm fingers touched my skin that was still cold. I didn't dare pull away.

"But if you're more comfortable with me, that can be arranged too," he said.

My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it.

"Think about it, Ana. You don't have to answer now. But remember, an offer like this doesn't come twice. Three men and three payments at once," he said.