2 Chapter 1: FOLLOW

It was difficult to know what you saw first after the bag was lifted off your head. The lighting was so dim it took you nearly no time to adjust as you rapidly blink. The first thing you saw was probably the malnourished girl around your age, skin and bones laying on the marble black floor.

"If you don't behave, you don't eat. And you'll end up like her. She used to look like a princess, y'know." The voice came from behind you, the owner of the voice gripping the back of your neck with his hand. You swallow thickly before closing your eyes, how in the world could this possibly have happened to you?

"Open your eyes. He's coming." Your eyes snap open and you have half of a mind to ask who the man is but you keep your mouth shut. The smell in the air was sweat and blood you want to whimper but the doors fly open stealing your breath.

It wasn't like you were clueless as to how you were sold off to a black market female ring. You knew, there would repercussion to not paying back your family's debt in time. But, with the rent due, having two jobs, trying to take care of your little sister; it was all just too much. So the day after the debt collectors came and you told them that you didn't have their money, they asked you to go for a ride with them. Just taking you out of your job, and putting you in the black van before putting a breathable bag over your face. And, in a way wasn't this better? You were worried about your sister, of course, but after feeling devoid of soul for so long this didn't even seem to bother you. It was like you were dead inside and being taken away from your problems didn't seem like the worst thing ever. Yet.

You stand in line with the a few other women, you can tell their gender by their feminine feet. You haven't lifted your head since he came in. Opera music begins to play and you think how perfectly apt it is. Cigar smoke rolling onto the circular platform you stand on.

"What abour this one, sir?" You hear a whimper to your left and you shut your eyes. The silence radiating throughout the room as you hear metallic clinking against wood.

"No, too much emotion. How could I take a whimpering mess?" Finally, he spoke. His voice was velvet and cream with an acidic back bite. You wonder what he looks like if his voice sounds so melodic. Only the most dangerous men sound like they are innocent. If you are just silent, maybe you will get out of jail free card and be taken to a cell or something.

"This one?" "Not with that fake Chanel item from 2016." You try not to snort at his words, before sighing quietly as the girl speaks.

"It's not fake." How brazen of her, you almost wanted to applaud her gusto. Although, that feeling comes crashing down as she is shoved forward by the man behind her.

"What was that?" Here we go. She should have just kept her fucking mouth shut. Why would you say such a thing in this environment? You open your eyes, looking over at her, trying not to turn your head and be noticed. Her legs had long scratches and you could see her spine through the backless dress. You really don't get fed if you misbehave. She intertwines her fingers that are now behind her back as she hangs her head nervously. A chair across the room scrapes loudly against the floor before you hear the clacking of shoes. They sounded as if they have metal taps on the bottoms to protect them from wear and tear.

"I couldn't hear you." His voice was approaching and you turn your eyes downwards once more. The spotlight on you darkening as he steps in it's path.

"I'm sorry." She whispers and he tuts his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

"That's not what you said." A quick hit to her back from the buff man behind you and she is crumpling to the floor without a noise. Not even a wince or a whine.

"Hyungkwon." The man chides before bending down. You take this opportunity to notice his pants. The perfectly ironed pin stripe pants falling to his bare ankle. His quality leather shoes that shine even in this poor quality lighting. The gold buckle over the black leather shining brightly. His hand rubs against her clothed arm, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into her. It was strange seeing such kind touches in such a terrible situation.

"Go on, you can tell me what you said. I want to hear it." His voice was soft, enrapturing. What must he look like? You imagine him having a scar from his eye to his jawbone, one eye a hazy bluish color from being blind. But, even then it doesn't match his angelic voice.

"I said, it isn't fake." He hums in agreement before standing up straight.

"Now that I see it up close, you're right. It's real. Just out of date." Your lip quirks up at his words and you closed your eyes bending your head farther down. He has a sense of humor to him, a dark humor but humor nonetheless.

"Stand up." He doesn't seem so sadistic.

"What about this one?" You hear his shoes stepping to the side and you open your eyes. His legs moving gracefully, one leg fluidly moving in front of the other before stopping in front of you.

"She hasn't been trained yet, sir. She just arrived. Couldn't pay the family loan." You roll your eyes which he doesn't ignore.

"Of course, she's new. She has meat on her bones." With him just inches away you could smell his cologne, the deep musk with floral notes that seem to have your mind tingling at the smell. His pin stripe pants held to his waist by a black belt with a gold lion keeping it together. His crisp white dress shirt tucked into the pants and you felt it unfortunate that you couldn't see his suit jacket. His form was nice. Muscular but still soft, his thick thighs straining against the pants as he taps his heels together.

"Hi." He whispers lifting your chin with his thumb and index finger.

"I can't guarantee that she'll be worth anything if you take her." You lift your head, your eyes locking with his. His plush, pink lips quirking into a smirk as you take in his face. He was a devilishly handsome man. The most dangerous type of person. His silver haired bangs in his face as you stare into his dark chocolate eyes. His cheek bones the perfect height as he licks his lips. You find yourself feeling small under his gaze.

"Hi." He says again, you feel a smack at your back and you groan tucking your bottom lip between your teeth as the pain radiates throughout your body. You inhale through your nose as Jimin narrows his eyes at the presence behind you.

"Hi." You whisper through gritted teeth. He smiles widely, his eyes disappearing as his whole face changes. He tilts his head before chuckling.

"Feisty?" He asks Hyungkwon behind you, "Didn't really put up a fight, she knew what was coming when she didn't pay up." The man hums in amusement.

"What do you say, kitten? Wanna come home with me?" You don't reply dropping your eyes to his shoes. Just be quiet and maybe he will go away. He's dangerous, you could feel it in your heart and in your brain. The two for once agreeing on something. You intertwine your fingers as you press your sweaty palms together. The man looks you over before looking at Hyungkwon and nodding. His hand wraps around your wrist and you look up at him uneasily.

"I'm Jimin. You'll be coming with me." You groan mentally as he begins to pull you towards the door he arrived through.

"There is to be no talking, no spying, you clean up and you go back to your room." The head maid says clamping the detector on to your ankle. The weight of it makes you tilt your head as you roll your ankle trying to adjust to it.

"You can walk to the garden to clean it and that is as far as it goes. You will address the house owner as Sir." Your eyes trailing throughout the dark oak room, many paintings laid out in an artistic fashion on the walls. Leather arm chairs dotted throughout the room forming a semi-circle around a large round table.

"You will not speak unless spoken to." Your eyes catch a painting of a kitten in a cage, laying down with a bird feather underneath it's tiny paw.

"Whatever you see in this house is not to be spoken about to any of the other maids." You narrow your eyes at the painting before looking back at the older woman as she stands up. Her gray hair in a neat bun atop her head as she fixes her red form fitting dress.

"Y/N, do you understand?" You nod to her quickly, she mumbles underneath her breath.

"You haven't been trained, you don't know what you are doing so I will let it slide for the first couple of days." You look at the fireplace, taking in how warm it is making the large sitting area.

"Follow." You step behind the woman, rolling your eyes as she gives you the tour. She steps through two large open doors presenting you the kitchen. The kitchen was impeccably white. All surfaces sparkling as other maids waltz around cleaning and making Jimin's dinner. You eye the alcohol cabinet in the corner and God, were you dying for a drink. This whole experience making you dead inside.

"Follow." You grit your teeth as she walks you back through the sitting room towards the glass doored entry way.

"If there is a meeting in the sitting area, you are under no circumstances to enter it unless explicitly told." She stops at the front doors before turning to the two curved staircases that lead upstairs.

"Maids take the left staircase." You notice how dilapidated that carpet was compared to the other on the right. The head maid, Mirae, begins to ascend the stairs quietly.

"You will carry out your chores in an orderly fashion. Everything is to be done by 8 o'clock sharp. At 8 you will go to your room and stay there until the next morning." You whine mentally as you take in this stupid information.

As you reach the top of the stairs a cat walks by you. Purring as it rubs itself against your leg. It was a Persian cat, it's hair was groomed nicely and the diamond collar it had on made you feel worthless. Wow, even a cat has a better life than you do.

"That's Lion. Follow." You want to punch this woman in the back of her head. The hallway smelt of cleaning products, bleach and wood polish making you wrinkle your nose. You stop in front of doors, a few having details carved into the wood or having different door knobs.

"All six of these rooms have a guest. You will treat them all with respect. They work under Sir and are to be held to the utmost respect." This Sir thing is out of hand, Jimin must have one crazy kink. You go to snort at the comment before pressing your lips into a thin line. You should take this seriously, you are a prisoner of sorts and you shouldn't dig yourself into a deeper hole. You follow Mirae down the oak hallway. The wooden floorboards creaking underneath your footing as you turn to two double doors.

"This is Sir's office. You will NOT enter unless told, you will knock three times before asking if you can enter. You will only enter to give Sir his meals and if he wants a drink." Mirae knocks three times before hearing the word 'Enter' she swings the door open and Jimin looks up from his desk. His fingers twirling a knife around as he forgoes reading the documents for now. He looks over at you before smirking. His hair was now pushed off his forehead, he tilts his head looking over at you.

"You will clean when Sir tells you to." Mirae looks over at you as you nod, your eyes glancing over at Jimin as he puts his fist underneath his chin watching you. He had on a light grey turtle neck, his fingers running through his hair as he sets the knife down.

"Y/N, is it?" You nod to him and he nods beginning to smile.

"May I continue the tour, Sir?" Jimin holds his hand out as if telling her to do as she pleases.

"Follow." You roll your eyes at her word making Jimin chuckle into his hand as you bow your head to him before turning away. He sits back in his chair watching as you close the door behind you. "Feisty, indeed."

"This is Sir's bedroom. You will not clean it unless asked of you. You are not to enter his bedroom without permission. You do not come up to the third floor without consent." Yada yada yada. It's all the same. Don't do anything, sweep and mop and dust and give Jimin some food. Great. You live your life as a servant.

"I will say it one more time for good measure, do not come up to the third floor without consent."

"Yes, Mirae." She gives you a quick nod, her wrinkled jowls flickering upwards at your submissiveness.

"What are these other rooms?" You find yourself asking that have pad locks on them. Mirae looks back at you before narrowing her eyes.

"None of your business." Mirae opens Jimin's bedroom and you can't help but look everywhere. Your eyes flittering from his large four poster bed. Red velvet drapes hanging from its canopy. To the book shelf lined wall that had a gold ladder attached to it. There were two velvet arm chairs surrounding a smaller circular wooden table. A game of chess adorning it. You look to his open walk-in closet, suit jackets hanging in your view from what you could see.

"Take it all in, no one ever comes in here." He had a balcony, red curtains covering all but the sliding door.

"I will show you to your room. You will shower, put on your uniform and come meet me back out in the kitchen to give Sir his dinner." You follow Mirae down a winding staircase, your feet stepping firmly onto the cold marble ground and you can't help but shiver. The air down here was stagnant and thick, the hallway clean but small and hospice like. A cherry wood door meeting your eyes as you walk past.

"That is the wine room."

"Let me guess, I don't enter unless I'm asked for a bottle of wine." Mirae stops, your voice flowing freely for the first time since you arrived at the grandiose mansion.

"Precisely." She seems pleased with your statement, and you don't know if she fully understands the idea of  humor.

"There are four other maids, all coming from the same situation as you." You walk past one as she gives you a small smile before putting her head down. You follow Mirae becoming silent once more. Before this whole fiasco you never really spoke unless it was a sarcastic comment, so being silent all the time seems fitting.

"Lucky for you, you get your own room." Mirae stops as she turns to a white door. A keypad on the front of it as she presses in the code.

"The code is 1313." She opens up the room to you and you look around, it's simple. A full bed with white sheets and two fluffy pillows. A small bedside table with some books on top. A small bathroom to your right and that was about it. Apart from the small wardrobe with the same dress seven times over. Just simplicity at its finest. Mirae closes the door behind her before putting her hands behind her back.

"Look, Y/N, I know this is all new and scary. But, if you behave and do your job as asked it is very easy. Jimin is one of the nicer masters I've had throughout my long life." Mirae explains as you look over at her. You notice how warn out her face is, some small scars on her neck and her collarbone.

"He is a good person, he has a kind heart. Just...Just do your job and it will all be fine. I know it isn't ideal and I heard it was of no fault of your own for ending up where you did. So I know you will carry a heavy grudge with you." So Jimin just goes around and spills your secrets like water, huh? But, carrying around a grudge? You don't know about that. This life seems simple, true, but could you be grateful for that? Grateful you don't have to work four jobs anymore. Grateful that you don't have to always be worried about something every day when you open your eyes. Maybe a simple life is the best life.

"Get ready and come back out. You have a half an hour." You nod to Mirae as she gives you a kind smile before leaving.

You stand underneath the shower head letting the warm water flow over your naked body. Your forehead was to the white tiled wall as you let out a sigh. You have 15 minutes left. You've been standing underneath the water, almost as if you're trying to wash your sins away. You felt a complex variety of emotions, not being able to decipher a single one since stepping under the water. You wanted to cry but nothing would come. You wanted to laugh at the absolutely ridiculous situation but all giggles would die in your throat. You were exhausted and your back hurt from being hit earlier this morning. You couldn't help but think about your little sister, she was an adult but was she okay? She was so used to you taking care of her. How could she cope? You sigh gently before closing your eyes and putting your hands over your face. You then began to think about Jimin, he seemed like a kind person. Which was strange since the rules here were strict. Which now, you need to remind yourself that you are in fact a prisoner even if you are a prisoner in a beautiful home. You cannot feel comfortable and you shouldn't. The only place you can feel any emotion at all is in this small, cozy room. You would do well to remember that.

You ascend the winding staircase before meeting eyes with a maid, her black hair over one shoulder. Her eyes going downcast as a man walks through the kitchen. He had long black hair, tall with broad shoulders. His face was perfection as he continues to talk to the maid without expecting a response. He turns away from the fridge before looking at you surprised.

"Oh! New blood!" He seemed cheery, as he turns his head you can see a branding iron mark just at the nape of his neck and you shiver at the pink color of the scar tissue. You bow your head to him before stepping next to the other maid in the room.

"I'm Seokjin, do you have a name?" The maid goes wide eyed staring at the floor and you swallow.

"Shall I call you five, then? Just like this is Three? What's your name?" He leans against the white granite countertop biting into the apple he pulled from the fridge. He taps on the countertop impatiently and you look up at him, his brown eyes boring holes into yours.

"Name?"

"Y/N." The maid next to you closes her eyes in defeat.

"Pleasure to meet you, Y/N. Welcome." Mirae steps into the kitchen before clearing her throat.

"Sir Jin, welcome home." Seokjin looks up before smiling widely, "Hey Mirae. Good evening. Three and Y/N were welcoming me home warmly." Seokjin winks at you before standing up straight, his height towering over everyone in the kitchen. Mirae looks over at you and bites her lip.

"Y/N, I'll be in Jimin's study. Can you bring me a glass of brandy please. Neat." Seokjin leaves, his bare feet padding across the floor as he takes off his white dress shirt. His back gnarled with scars that look as if they were burnt branches of trees. Mirae peaks out the door before grabbing Jimin's dinner plate on to a silver platter, a silver domed top awaiting to christen the food.

"You shouldn't tell them your name. It makes them feel comfortable with you." Mirae says flippantly as she grabs a bottle of champagne to place next to the tray. She looks up at Three before clapping her hands.

"Come on, dinner isn't going to serve itself." Three springs into action cleaning up quickly and you take note of how old her hands look, dry and wrinkled from consistently cleaning.

"Y/N, in the second cabinet there are drinking glasses. Grab the top shelf brandy from the liquor cabinet and we'll go up together. Pour the glass half way and don't spill." It's not like you've never poured a drink before but Mirae's tone wasnt condescending and you were grateful for that. You have just an inkling of an idea that you fucked up by speaking your name to Seokjin. You open up the second cabinet before taking in all of the fine crystal wares, everything was sparkling. You grab a simple cylindrical glass before turning towards the liquor cabinet and opening the foggy glass door. Your eyes skimming over the fancy liquor before picking out the brandy. You pour halfway up the glass before holding it up to Mirae.

"Good." She looks up at the clock, two minutes to 7. "Let's go."

The walk with Mirae was silent, the wooden logs crackling inside of the fireplace as you pass through the sitting room. You look up at the kitten painting once more before sighing, you were the bird that was caught by the cat. The kitten probably ripped that bird to shreads and it had it's feather as its prize.

"When we enter just keep your head down, hand Sir Jin his glass and don't interact." Mirae looks back at you and you rip your eyes off of the painting before giving her a nod. You step up the two marble stairs of the entryway before going up the left staircase. Your hand gripping onto the wooden railing as you ascend. You stand behind Mirae as you hear shouting from within the office. Clattering, glass shattering and awful high pitched screaming. You go wide eyed as Mirae just knocks on the door without a care in the world. She knocks three times and the yelling is cut short.

"Enter." You hear from Jimin. She opens the door and you look down at the floor entering behind her. It wasn't Jimin who was screaming, it was someone else. Seokjin sits in the large leather seat in front of Jimin's desk.

"Come, Y/N." Seokjin says and you lift your head to make sure you know where you're going. You gingerly step in the room as Mirae places the metal tray in front of Jimin. She lifts the dome off and Jimin smiles happily.

"Thank you, it looks delicious." You could hear his sincerity and it makes you confused. He seems like such a quaint person. It goes against the situation so entirely. You hand Seokjin his drink and he nods his head in appreciation.

"Kitten, can you clean up that glass please?" Jimin asks and you look over at Mirae. The nickname is haunting.

"After you clean up the glass, you can head to your room." She tells you eyeing Jimin carefully as she presses the dome to her body before backing up.

"That won't be necessary. I'd like to speak with our newest member of the house." You make eye contact with Jimin and he gives you a smirk. You bow your head to him as you turn towards the door. You catch the sights of the culprit who made the room a mess, his black hair dangling in his face. He had tattoos up and down his arms as he stands in the far corner of the room next to the book shelves.

"Jeongguk, Seokjin. If you would be so kind." Seokjin stands up, his body moving fluidly towards the door before placing a large hand on your back. He winks down at you before stepping out the door. Jeongguk storms past you, not even giving you a second look as his black tank top presses into his muscular body.

"Come with me and I'll show you where the broom and pan are." Mirae says quickly pulling you by the wrist. "See you in a minute, kitten."

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