CHAPTER ONE

My mother was so going to kill me. I had lost another sign up, the third one.

'Breathe in, Ezna. Breathe,' I encouraged myself.

"Ezna...." I shuddered at my mother's voice, "you lost another one. I am not talking with you again about this.....you will go to the McCreeds mansion."

"Mom, no," I refused, "I am not."

"Well, lets see about that because this time round he sent a car to get you. He gave exclusive orders that should be followed precisely. New clothes and shoes.....you'll be in that mansion in an hour," she said with teary eyes and I could see her anger.

I prepared my bathtub and sunk myself in trying to forget my troubles but they showed themselves even more clearly. I shut my eyes and took a deep breathe. My dresses, which one would I wear? Definitely something not perfect at all. Something out of style, with extra dull colours. That would be perfect.

"Hurry up, you will be late again," I heard my mothers voice.

There was a grey dress on my bed and a note. A tempting dress but no, I cant wear that. And I will not read that note. I think I can do with my own decisions.

¶¶¶

This house is magnificent. I love the colour, the seats are changed every Sunday with different colours. Unfortunately, my clothes had the same colour as the seat covers.

'Oh God protect me...' That was the far I could go as I tried to pray for myself.

"Mr Tan is waiting for you in his study. I will take you there," a good looking maid ushered me in and gave me a huge smile. A fake one, the one they practise to display for the visitors.

Wait! Tan himself, I am so dead. I think I have a thirty percent chance of ever stepping out of this palace.

'You have to control yourself and eat nothing he offers,' I told myself and followed the lady upstairs.

I touched the wallpaper as I moved slowly. This helped me to generate multiple questions to stab him with.

I guess he will answer them. His rusty voice came out from one partially closed door, his study. The woman knocked and pushed the door ajar and let me enter.

"Welcome Ezna," he said nicely and put his arms apart so that I could hug him, "come on give me a kiss now, would you."

"Why is that?" I asked keeping my tone.

"Because we are going to spend so much fun darling," he said and giggled.

"Wow, you like having fun too?" I chuckled, a serious chuckle.

"Come on now kiss me," he paused and tried coming closer, "this is your last chance. Married women come to me and hug me and kiss me like their lives depend on it. Don't come back for a kiss because you lost your last chance."

"I know much more than that. Besides, why would I crave for the devil's kiss? Aren't there any other fish in the large waters?" I voiced, maybe too much because his expression changed in a flash.

"Not even your poor sisters can stand at the scent of my cologne. What are you, a nun?" he asked.

"I am sure they needed no convincing. Look, I have got very many things and stuff waiting for me in my office. Why did you call me here, it smells like rats in here. I don't give my unsolicited time to yellow-bellied men....." I was speaking halfway when he banged on his table with his fists. That was a first I was taken aback.

"You can also throw the rubbish in this hole about," I pestered, "isn't that what other men do out there?"

"Don't get me started missy," he threatened, "you are much aware as well as I do of what I am capable of."

"Is that all you've got," I answered back.

"I like you I must admit. Do you know why your fiancé jilted you on your engagement party?" he said smiling. He knew what he was doing, hitting my unforgettable pain.

"You could enact your revenge skills on him. I can do much for you that he did not. Come here do what you can and I can get him off the grid," he added. Just a few words, he knows how to hurt someone's feelings doesn't he?

I was quite for a while, not because I was thinking about the deal, no. I want him to think that I was thinking about the deal. What a surprise for him. The silence grew too much to bear even though what he said does hurt me.

"No thankyou. I am not an escort," I answered.

"But you have proven yourself so much to your Donnie haven't you?" Ok that was it. I was not going to stand there and watch him humiliate me. I turned to leave.

"Dont start what you cant finish," he said. Those were the same words I used on Donnie the day he broke the engagement. I was enraged.

Holding myself was really hard for me, but all I could do was walk away. My eyes were filled with tears the moment I stepped on the first step of the staircase. Even though I could not see properly, I walked on down the brown carpeted stair. The cab driver paid a lot of attention to me and even tried to give me a napkin. I paid him and asked him to keep change.

"My angel....." my mother called the moment she saw me walking up to my room.

"Don't even come near me," I said through gritted teeth.

This night was the longest I ever had in my life. I drenched myself in the cold water until my clothes could soak no more. Maybe he was right, I could just walk into his deal and kill that Donnie of a bastard.

Still I could not bring myself to it, not when you are enacting a deal with this idiot, he is smart I tell you. Revenge has consequences, and with Tan they could be very dangerous, maybe death would be thrilling, imprisonment, financial torture. Mention all worse things, those are what he can be.

I took my rest in bed still drenched, in fact I soaked my bed too. Alcohol was not my best friend nowadays ever since a friend of mine talked to me against it. He was the actual difference of his brother Isaiah who had recently flown in from USA. Kind, loving, acted gentlemanly...….the better version of the name McCreed.

Thank God they had two different faces, they don't have to look like two peas. Let me not undermine the calmness and kindness, he might be the worst version of the two in the years to come.