Chapter Five

 "Yes, Kate knew that Jackson was very arrogant, but she hadn't expected it to be this way. The whole incident happened in a flash, so fast that she couldn't even comprehend what was really happening."

Stunned, Kate watched Bella. Tears streamed down Bella's face, her nose running where moments ago there had been none. This was Bella, who had been smiling throughout at her, and trying to be very nice. "Please, ma'am, help me beg him. At least he'll listen to you..." Bella knelt down, pleading with Kate while holding her clothes

 "You are my only hope," Bella pleaded.

Kate felt a crushing weight of guilt. She desperately wanted to help Bella, to be her usual self, but the consequences of interfering were terrifying. Getting someone fired instantly was a stark reminder of her own powerlessness.

Used to being a bystander in her own life, Kate had never experienced the burden of someone else's hope on her shoulders. Her marriage to Jake was a loveless sham, a business deal where she was more of a possession than a partner. How could someone like her, trapped in a gilded cage, possibly help this woman who was literally clutching at her clothes, begging for her life?

"I'll help with this situation, Bella. I promise. I didn't realize what I was doing." With newfound determination, Kate straightened her shoulders and left to face the consequences, a spark of defiance igniting within her.

*************

Kate knocked on Jackson's door. His deep voice boomed, "Enter." Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and entered the room, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Sir, you called me..." Her eyes darted down, a habit fueled by her fear of him.

"I married you with my money involved, well I guess your mom told you. She owed me a debt, and we settled it with your marriage. However, I didn't tell you to come work for me. So why were you carrying plates, like a maid, and what for?" Jack asked Kate, approaching her to switch on the light. But when he raised his hands above her, reaching for the switch, Kate did something unexpected.

She immediately took out her hand in defense to cover her face,as if she was expecting a slap, and this surprised him a bit.

"Sir, I didn't mean to, I was just trying to help out, she was really nice to me and I just wanted to be myself and help her out" Kate said, still scared.

"Do you always get slapped hard on the face?" The surprised Jack asked her.

Kate, caught off guard by the question, realized she'd messed up. Her impulsive reaction had been pure defense.

"And why do you always keep your head bent when talking to me?" Jack asked again.

 "Jack," she stammered, tears welling up. Suddenly, everything felt raw. Jack's words had dredged up painful memories of Jessica's mistreatment, and the truth about the marriage fueled a fresh wave of emotion.

"Kate," Jack said, his voice softer this time.

"I... I'm not used to being hit," she choked out, "so I..." She trailed off, embarrassed by her automatic reaction. "Bending my head, it's just a habit. How I grew up, I guess."

"Just turn on the light," he sighed, "that's what I was trying to do before you..." He stopped, the unspoken word hanging heavy in the air.

Kate flicked on the switch, the sudden brightness making her self-conscious in her thin nightgown.

"You look nice," Jack said unexpectedly. "And I like your perfume."

"Thank you," she murmured. 

 "What is it? The brand, the name?"

"It's Baccarat Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebes," she replied softly.

"Expensive taste," he said, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Quite the spoiled lady, playing innocent, aren't you?"

Kate bit her lip hard, a metallic tang filling her mouth. It was all Jessica's plan, to make her look wealthy like her own daughter, while Kate received none of the attention. She hated her life. Sadly, she couldn't even defend herself as Jack mocked her sarcastically.

"You can go back to your room," he said. "But washing dishes isn't part of the deal. I don't want your mother on my back, yelling about me mistreating her princess and demanding you back. You know, I can't exactly afford for you to disappear." 

"Still," he continued, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I have to commend you for trying to help out. Jessica certainly trained you well." 

Fury burned within Kate. Jessica, the pampered socialite, raising a daughter with a hunched back... the comparison felt like a cruel joke. But Kate stifled the retort, the last thing she needed was to appear unhinged in front of Jack. 

Jack's mocking words stung, a fresh layer of humiliation on top of her guilt. "Thinking smart" was exactly what she had to do. Bella's future hung in the balance, and Kate couldn't let her down. 

"Please, Jack," Kate pleaded, her voice trembling. "I'll do whatever it takes. Any kind of hard work, anything at all, if you just grant me one favor."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?" he asked coolly, as if anticipating the question.

 "Let Bella stay," Kate blurted out.

Jack drew in a deep breath, the silence stretching between them. "What can you offer me in return? I don't break the rules on a whim, Kate. People are expendable here, as I'm sure you've heard. What do you have that would make me reconsider?"

 "Anything," she whispered, desperation lacing her voice. 

 "Anything, huh?" Jack smirked. "That's quite a statement, considering she's here to attend to your needs, not the other way around."

 "Yes, of course," Kate stammered, "but I'm the one who got her into this mess."

Jack's gaze held hers, his expression unreadable. For a long moment, a silent battle seemed to rage within him. Then, a slow smile spread across his face, sending a shiver down Kate's spine. 

"Alright, Kate," he drawled. "Here's a deal. We spend some time together tomorrow. Just the two of us. In the same room."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Kate's mind raced, desperately searching for a loophole, a way out. But the truth was, she had made a desperate bargain, and the price might be far steeper than she'd imagined.

"You can't do it, can you?" Jack's voice held a hint of amusement. 

Her throat tightened. "Yes," she choked out, the single word laced with a fear she couldn't disguise. "I can do it."

A slow smile curved Jack's lips. "Excellent." 

Kate's breath hitched. Spending a day with Jack wasn't easy; it was terrifying. Unprepared for intimacy, the thought of being alone with a man both repelled and terrified her. Jack, a man notorious for discarding women like yesterday's news, now loomed as a potential threat. But Bella's face flashed in her mind, and resolve hardened Kate's spine. 

"Yes, I can do it," she repeated, the words laced with a tremor she couldn't disguise.

"Alright you can go, and tell Bella that she is going to stay, see you tomorrow, and I forgot to say, you will be flying with me for an expensive party tomorrow. And for clothes, makeup and all, I will take care of that".... Jack said while dismissing his wife.

**********

Jack watched the door swing shut behind Kate, the imprint of her slender figure burned into his retinas. A primal urge clawed at him, a potent cocktail of desire and something more. Was it her beauty, impossible to ignore even veiled by the thin fabric of her nightgown? Or was it the defiance that flickered in her eyes, a challenge to his dominance? Perhaps it was both. 

Shame coiled in his gut. He'd thought he'd buried these urges, locked them away with years of ruthless pragmatism. But Kate, with her quiet resilience and unexpected spirit, had unearthed them. 

"She's a pawn," he muttered, the words a desperate mantra. He had to remember why he'd brought her into his world - a weapon in his silent war with Jessica. But the truth was, the battle lines were blurring. Gazing at the spot where she'd stood, a fierce possessiveness flared within him. Kate was his, in a twisted sense, and the thought of another man setting eyes on her sparked a jealous rage that surprised even him.