Deal Made

Christian and Retchet turned to Rebecca with raised brows.

“I beg your pardon? You’re going to pay off that bastard’s debt?” Christian questioned.

“A bastard he may be, he is still my dad,” Rebecca argued. “Besides, he may have offered to sold me, but I already volunteered myself first! You said you did not like how my father is running from his problems, and honestly, neither did I. But he’s the only family I have left. The one man my mother died believing in. This may be my dad’s problem, but it’s also my problem now!”

It was silent when Rebecca said that. Christian only stared at her with narrow eyes. Judging her, observing her action. Although it was painfully obvious how hard she was trying to put on that tough act, she still stared back at him with such determination. Teary and wavering, yes, with her hands trembling and lips a bit tense, but she still stood before him.

“Seems I’m not the only one hiding my claws,” he said in slight amusement, before inching closer to her. “Alright, we’ll play your little game. Since you offered yourself to this, you need to take responsibilities for your action."

Body a little tense from the closeness, Rebecca clenched her hands and stood her ground, asking, “What do I need to do?”

“It’s quite simple. Be my pet for a year. Succeed in that, and you and your father will be free from this debt. Fail. Well, not only will he need to pay it all back with his body, but you- for wasting my precious time in such useless agreement- will be demoted to my slave.”

Him saying such things in that cold manner made Rebecca pale, as she felt her mouth water in anxiety and stomach drop in fear. It did not help that Christian- the boy she thought she knew growing up- was looking at her with quite the dark expression in his eyes.

She wanted to say something. Anything to see if he really was that same boy she grew up knowing. But in the situation she was in? It was impossible. All she could do was nod.

“Good. Seems we have a deal then,” Christian spoke. He turned to Retchet then, and ordered, “Take her to my room.”

Both Retchet and Rebecca looked at him in shock at the command, for different reasons. A pair of expressions in which Christian was not amused with seeing.

“Forgive me for asking, Lord Christian, but are you sure?You want me to bring her to your room?” Retchet asked.

“You know I don’t like to repeat myself, Retchet. Besides, I’m her owner now. Is it not my job as the owner to care for my pet?”

Rebecca tensed at the question, wondering what he meant by that exactly. Fearing how he meant it. Yes, she agreed to being sold off to these people, to clear her father’s debt, but with the vague instruction on what she would be doing here, as well as the punishment that would be inflicted onto her and her father should she fail to uphold her promise?

Retchet, on the other hand, let out a sigh. “As you wish, sir.” To Rebecca, he grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her away. “Come on, girl.”

“N-No, wait! Let go!” Rebecca stuttered, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

Christian grabbed her other arm and forced her to look at him in the eye. “‘Let go’? When you volunteered for this? Who was it who agreed to taking responsibility for the situation she’s in? When she had the chance to be out of it. The moment you’ve become committed to this… is the moment you lost your freedom, pet. Now be the good girl that you are, and wait for me in my room.”

Without another word, he released his hold on her. As Retchet was about to resume in dragging the reluctant girl to Christian’s room, though, Rebecca planted her feet to the floor and pulled her arm out of his grip.

“I only mean I can walk myself,” she spoke, glaring up at Christian.

Christian raised a brow at the tough act she was putting on. An act that was clearly failing on her, given how she was trembling in his eyes. While she was not the first person to put on this facade, others before her were either criminals or other mafia- be they his men, or an enemy. Honestly speaking, he was not sure how to feel about it.

He turned his gaze to Retchet, who only shrugged his shoulders, and back to her. “Just wait in my room, then.”

Rebecca nodded at the command and resumed in following Retchet to Christian’s room.