chapter 1

It was a quiet night in the suburbs, and Amanda was fast asleep in her room. The crickets were chirping outside, and a warm breeze blew through the open window. Everything was still, until she heard a knock on the door come late at night, waking Amanda from a fitful sleep. She heard her father answer the door, his voice tense and low. "I have her," a man's voice said. "Good," her father replied. Then Sarah heard the front door close, and her father's footsteps coming down the hall.

Amanda was too terrified to speak as the man led her out of the house. She glanced back at her father, but he just stood there, his face expressionless. She felt a sudden rush of anger, but she was too scared to do anything but follow the man out the door.

The man lead Amanda to a Rolls-Royce in the parking lot. As he opens the door, she can see that there's another man sitting in the driver's seat. He doesn't look at her as she gets in the car. The man who led her out closes the door, and the car starts to move.

Amanda looks out the window, but she can't see her father anymore. She's trapped in the car, and she doesn't know where she's going. She's completely at the mercy of these men, and she doesn't know what's going to happen next.

As the car starts to drive away, Amanda hears a ringing sound. The man who led her out of the house takes out a phone and answers it.

"Yes, I have her," he says. "We are on our way" he replied. "Yes boss" he said and dropped the phone.

As the car continues to drive, Sarah's mind is racing. She's trying to make sense of what's happening, but she can't figure it out. Why is she being taken away? And why is her father just letting this happen?

The questions swirl around in her head, but she can't find any answers. She feels helpless and alone, and she doesn't know what's going to happen next.

After what feels like an eternity, the car pulls up in front of a huge, imposing mansion. It's set back from the road, surrounded by tall hedges and wrought-iron gates. The driver gets out and opens the door for her, and she slowly steps out of the car.

She looks up at the mansion, and it seems to loom over her like a giant. She feels tiny and insignificant in its shadow.

Amanda POV.

Inside, the house is even more impressive than it looked from the outside. The entryway is filled with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. The man who brought her here leads her to a room with a bar, where a tall, handsome man is waiting.

When she sees him, her breath catches in her throat. It's the man from the phone call. She recognizes him from somewhere, but she can't place where.

"Please excuse me, sir," the man who bought her said before leaving the room. The other man, who must be Brandon, turns to face her. He's still as handsome as she remembered, but there's something cold and calculating in his eyes. He studies her for a moment before saying, "You must be Amanda. I'm glad you could make it."

She doesn't know what to say, so she just nods. She feels like a deer caught in the headlights, frozen in place by the intensity of his gaze.

"You'll be staying here with me," Brandon says, "and you'll be responsible for a few tasks around the house. You'll be cooking my meals, cleaning, doing my laundry, and whatever else I need you to do."

His tone is matter-of-fact, as if he's discussing the weather rather than her future. She feels a knot of fear in her stomach, but she knows she has to stay calm if she wants to survive this situation.

Amanda takes a deep breath and forces herself to speak. "Yes, sir," she says. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

Brandon nods, apparently satisfied with her response. "Good," he says. "Now, I'll show you to your room. You'll be staying on the third floor.

He turns and walks away, and she follows him up through the elevator. They reach the third floor, and he leads her to a room at the end of the hallway. He opens the door and gestures for her to enter.

The room is unlike anything Amanda has ever seen before. The walls are covered in silk, and the bed is draped in luxurious fabrics. There's a beautiful vanity with a crystal mirror, and the floors are covered in plush rugs. It's like something out of a fairy tale, but there's something unsettling about it too. She feels like she's stepped into another world, and she's not sure she'll ever be able to find her way back.

"What clothes do you have?" Brandon asks, his voice cold and businesslike.

"Just what I'm wearing," Amanda says. She's suddenly aware of how frumpy and out of place she looks. "Is that a problem?"

"No," Brandon says. "I can have new clothes bought for you. What's your size?"

Amanda gives him her measurements, and he nods. "I'll have someone bring you some clothes," he says. "In the meantime, you'll need to change into something more appropriate for dinner."

He gestures to a door in the corner of the room.

"Dinner," Amanda asked confused.

"Yeah, you go make me dinner," Brandon said.

He leaves the room, and Amanda is alone. She walks to the door that he indicated, and opens it. Inside, she finds a bathroom that's as luxurious as the rest of the room. There's a large bathtub, and a shower with gold fixtures. She's never seen anything like it.

Amanda fills the bathtub with warm water and sinks into it, letting the tension of the day drain away. After a while, she gets out and dries off, putting on the bathrobe that's hanging on the back of the door. Then she goes back into the main room and starts to explore the drawers and closets, looking for something to wear.

In the back of one of the closets, Amanda finds a dress made of a shimmering, silky fabric. It's a deep blue colour, and it's cut in a way that's both elegant and revealing. It's not the kind of dress she would have chosen for herself, but she can't deny that it's beautiful.

Amanda slips the dress on, and it fits her perfectly. She looks at herself in the mirror and is surprised by how elegant she looks. Taking a deep breath, she leaves the room and goes up the elevator to Brandon kitchen. There, she finds a cook preparing dinner for two. "You must be the new girl," the cook says. "You can start by chopping these vegetables."

Amanda nods and gets to work, trying not to think about the fact that she's about to serve dinner to the man who bought her from her father.

"Excuse me, who are you" Amanda asked looking at the mid 40s lady.

"I'm Marie," the cook says, chopping a carrot with practised efficiency. "I've been working for Mr. Brandon for years. I used to work for his father, too. I've cooked for a lot of important people over the years." She pauses and looks at Amanda. "But you're the first one who's come from that man," she says, her tone full of disapproval. "I don't know what Mr. Brandon is thinking."

Amanda doesn't know what to say, so she just keeps chopping vegetables.

"I only work when Mr. Brandon calls me," Marie says. "The rest of the time, I'm at my own home. He has other staff who take care of things at his call as well. But I'm the only one who can cook like he likes." She gives Amanda a measuring look. "Are you any good in the kitchen?"

Amanda shrugs. "I can follow directions," she says. "And I can chop vegetables."

Marie laughs. "Well, that's a start," she says.

As the clock ticks closer to dinner time, the door to the kitchen opens and Brandon walks in. He's dressed in casual clothes, and he's carrying a laptop. "Dinner smells delicious," he says. "Is everything ready?"

"Just about, sir," Marie says. "Amanda has been helping me get things ready."

Brandon looks at Amanda and smiles. "Good for you," he says. "You might make yourself useful yet."

Amanda bites her tongue to keep from responding. She doesn't want to do anything that might upset Marie.

"Starting tomorrow, I'd like for Amanda to be in charge of the all house including the kitchen," Brandon says. "You can train her on everything she needs to know."

Marie looks surprised, but she nods. "I can do that, sir," she says. "But are you sure this is a good idea? I've been taking care of the kitchen for years."

"I'm sure," Brandon says. "I think it's time she starts paying the loan her father took." He looks at Amanda.

As Amanda stands in the kitchen, a realisation hits her like a ton of bricks. Her father had sold her to Brandon to repay the loan he'd borrowed from him. She feels sick to her stomach. Her father had chosen money over her. She feels betrayed and alone.

"Is everything all right?" Marie asks, her voice full of concern.

Amanda forces a smile. "Everything's fine," she says, trying to sound cheerful. But inside, she's anything but fine.

Brandon had his dinner and went to his room. Afterwards, Amanda goes back to her room, her mind reeling from the events of the day. She lies on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She can't sleep, no matter how hard she tries. Her thoughts are a jumble of emotions - betrayal, anger, fear. She feels like she's stuck in a nightmare, and she doesn't know how to wake up.