5 Loansharks or crazy dragon man?

A few moments later, the door opened and Jessica sauntered in. She is dressed in a tight fitting short dress that showcased her every curve and her long slim legs. Her hair was pulled up in a severe chignon which emphasised her high cheekbones. She looked like a supermodel. For a fleeting moment, Zi Mei wondered if she spends the nights with Thorin despite being unable to give him heirs, or so he claimed. After all, she is legally his wife.

Jessica was emanating cold vibes as she took out keys and unlocked Zi Mei's restraints. She didn't even look at her or say anything. After unlocking the chain on her leg, she stood up to leave.

She paused at the door.

"It will do you well to accept his offer, you will live a luxurious life and have everything you need and want," she said, her tone cold and unfeeling. She did not even turn around to look at Zi Mei. She opened the door and left.

Zi Mei heard a click on the door after Jessica left. The sound of a lock turning. So, they had released her chains but she is still locked in this room. She rubbed her wrist and her leg where the chain had bit into her flesh from her struggling earlier. Her skin was red and chaffed from the chains. Then she slowly got up. She wondered what time it was and where she is. She checked her other pockets on her pants and couldn't find her phone.

They must have taken her phone. She went to the windows and pulled open the curtains. Bright daylight streamed in. It looked like it was late morning. She had been knocked out for most of the night. Her stomach growled. The last thing she ate was a meagre sandwich from the cafe at eight o'clock. She looked at the sky outside, it looked like it's around 11 o'clock. She had slept through breakfast and she is starving.

Then she suddenly realised something. Today was supposed to be her day off. No one will notice that she was missing. Not yet anyway.

But there is hope yet. Darren would be trying to contact her and he might even check on her by going to her house later today. She hoped he will become suspicious and sound the alarm. Maybe call the police.

She went to the door and tried to open it. It was locked as she suspected. She went back to the windows to try to open it but those too were steadfastly stuck. She looked around outside, they are high up. Very high up. At least 20 storeys high. Even if she could open the window, she can't escape from there. She will fall to her death. She looked down on the streets but couldn't figure out where she is.

She looked around the room. It was tastefully and impeccably decorated. There was even an ensuite. It could be a hotel room or one of the rooms of his condominium. She went inside and used the toilet. Then she washed her face and looked in the mirror. Her face was blotchy and her eyes puffy. Her luxurious thick black hair was all tangled and mussed. She looked a fright especially compared to the immaculate gorgeousness of Jessica.

She looked around for a comb and found a plain brush. She quickly gave her hair a brush, untangling it and bringing back its shine. Satisfied that she at least looked much better and not death warmed over, she went back outside to the room.

Her prison.

She sat down on one of the armchairs and contemplated her choices. But that was wrong. Thorin had only given her one choice. To become his mistress and to bear him heir or heirs, plural.

She blushed at the thought of him coming to her bed at night. She has never even actually kiss a man and now, her kidnapper wanted her to sleep with him and get pregnant and have his babies. That thought was inconceivable.

"Although he is rather handsome," the sly thought slid into her mind. She brushed it aside. Handsome has nothing to do with this, she told herself. The fact that he had kidnapped her and literally chained her to the bed was already a huge no no.

"But what about his wide shoulders, his tall muscular frame and his eyes…those dark pools of warm melting chocolate?" The insidious voice said in her mind. She shushed it. What is wrong with her? She can't be lusting after some strange man who had kidnapped her. He wanted her to have his babies for gods' sake! All because he had this crazy delusion that she is his perfect match.

"Yup, he is insane. This whole situation is insane. I can't agree to his proposition, it was too ludicrous," she said out loud to herself.

Then she remembered the loansharks. The banging on her door. The threat to take her and force her into prostitution to pay for her father's debts. She shuddered. She couldn't imagine being forced to sleep with countless men, being forced to pander to all sorts of perverted demands, to pay back her father's debts.

"There must be another way! Is my body all I have? You are smart, you can think of something and Darren will help you!" she told herself.

But then she knew she was lying to herself. She is only a high school graduate. She doesn't have a college education. She doesn't have any talent in anything. She has been working menial jobs from washing dishes to cleaning toilets since she turned 16. Even now, she works full time in a cafe for minimum wage and the only thing she was good at was preparing coffee and washing dishes.

Even if she gets a chance to go to college, she wouldn't know what she wanted to study. Her hard life of scrimping and saving and begging just to survive meant that she had never thought about a career or what she wanted to do after school. All she wanted was a roof over her head and enough money to survive. Provided that her father doesn't gamble it all away.

While she was still thinking of what to do, the door opened again and a timid-looking woman brought in a tray of steaming hot food. She didn't even look at Zi Mei as she placed the tray on the table and hurriedly left.

Zi Mei's stomach growled as the aroma of the food filled the room. There was a huge plate of pasta. A side plate of fresh green salad. A bowl of creamy mushroom soup and a glass of orange juice to wash it all down. She dug in without hesitation. She was too hungry to even consider whether the food is poisoned or drugged.

Just as she finished the last of the pasta, the door opened again and this time it was Thorin. He closed the door and locked it behind him. Even bolting it.

She looked at him suspiciously. Why does he need to bolt it from the inside too? Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. Does it mean he doesn't want to be disturbed? What does he have in mind?

She clambered up from the armchair and shrink to a corner of the room. Thorin ignored her obvious fear and sat down on one of the armchairs.

"So, have you made your decision?" he asked, studying her from under his hooded eyelids.

She swallowed. She suddenly felt nauseous. The heavy meal she had just ingested curdled in her stomach.

What if he decided not to wait and take her against his will? She looked around the room for a weapon, any weapon, to defend herself but there was nothing. Except for the fork on the table. But she is already on the other side of the room, cowering at the corner. She cursed herself for not grabbing the fork earlier.

"Well?" he asked when she didn't reply.

"I…er…" she gulped again. She didn't know. She doesn't want to be taken by the loansharks and she doesn't want to be his mistress either. She is literally stuck. Both choices suck.

Maybe she should just run away. That's right. She can run away, just like her father. Go into hiding. She doesn't need this insane dragon man's promises of unimaginable wealth. She is not some prized sow whose sole existence was to reproduce. He can shove his "perfect match" nonsense up where the sun doesn't shine.

"No, I don't want to be your mistress or to bear you heirs, the whole notion is ridiculous no matter what you offer," she finally said, lifting her chin defiantly.

"So, you can let me go and go find some naive gullible girl to fall for your rubbish perfect match and producing heirs nonsense," she added.

He looked at her. His lips curled. He stood up and strolled towards her and before she knew it, she was cornered. There was no escaping him. He was standing right in front of her. He placed his hands on the wall behind her, on both sides of her head, and leaned towards her. They are only a few inches apart and his head was bent down to hers, his eyes gazing intently into hers.

His musky masculine scent assailed her nostrils. Her pulse quickened and her heart thumped furiously. In fear…in excitement…she wasn't sure. He glanced at her trembling plump lips. Her tongue darted out unconsciously and licked her lips.

His eyes darkened at the sight of the pink tip of her tongue darting out to lick her lips before darting back in. He moved his hand and rubbed his thumb over her lips and she flinched, a strong current passed through them.

She held her breath. Her blood is gushing so loudly in her ears and her heart sounded like it was competing in the gymnastics category in the Olympics, it was flipping and thumping and hopping wildly against her chest. The magnetic attraction between them was unmistakable. She has never felt like this with anyone ever before.

He bent his head closer, as if to kiss her, and she found herself closing her eyes.