DOMINIQUE.
It was only when he’d left and I’d reclined to my study that I came into full realisation of what I’d done. I felt like a fool, a tool for use. I shouldn’t have let Mr. Shane go. Worse still, I’d bought into his silly idea of his daughter working for me to repay the money he owed me. How fucked up was that? Years ago when Mr. Shane and I had gone into business, I never thought things would go so awry that it’d end up with him running away with my millions on investment and it had infuriated me to no end. I had to track him down and make him pay somehow. Now, he’d found a way to buy himself out.
I hit my fist on the wooden table, muttering a string of curses under my breath. Oh well, his daughter was going to suffer for it. She’d pay for the sins of her father with every sweat and tear used in building the business from scratch. I didn’t care. Someone had to take the fall.
Mr. Shane had already informed me through a quick phone call made to one of my bodyguards–the one that had stayed the longest–that his daughter had begun packing her bags and she’d be ready whenever I was. I quickly ordered my men to be on their way to his place while waiting in the sitting room. I wanted to be the first to give her a test of the medicine I was dealt with. It took approximately an hour and thirty minutes for them to arrive and I counted every minute of every hour in my mind, staring at the huge grandfather clock on the wall. The roar of the van gave me some relief and I stared out through the large French windows till I heard the knock on the door.
Magdalene led the girl to where I was, announcing her presence. The first thing I noticed about Mr. Shane’s daughter was that she was tiny, barely grazing five feet five inches, and her dirty black hair was braided down her waist. She wore a sleeveless floral gown with several stains on it, and which exposed a bit of cleavage I had no interest in. Her gaze kept darting about, a hint of curiosity in them. I instantly hated her, and the holes in her worn-out slippers didn’t help the situation. This girl–whatever her name was–had been loud-mouthed on the night my men bursted into Mr. Shane’s apartment and I’d been furious by how carelessly she talked, hurling insults here and there. It was hard to believe she was the same person, her face meek like a day old baby. Fuck that. This was purely an act, her father had schooled her on how to behave and she was just acting out a script. Something about this reminded me of my past, and my heart hardened the more.
Gosh. I hated revisiting my childhood days. They were filled with sorrow and pain and heartache and at the moment, I didn’t need that negativity. The past was in the past and it had toughened me up to be the rugged man I was today–feared by many. I intended to let it stay that way.
Florence.I scrunched up my nose as specs of dust wafted through my nostrils. A chill ran down my spine as a familiar sensation worked its way towards my nose. I knew it was coming and I could already picture the outcome. If I didn't find a way to control it, I would sneeze out aloud again, and for the umpteenth time too. The last thing I wanted was to draw more attention to myself. No, the last thing I wanted was for Dominique to hear me. A small part of me couldn't help but think he would have a problem with me sneezing all over the place. Heavens forbid all my germs over his mansion. The moment the sensation in my nose settled, I went on dusting the furniture. I'd just finished with the center table and was currently on the huge bookshelf in the far corner. If I was being honest, Dominique didn't strike me as the kind of man who read books. Because what kind of villain read books? Okay, maybe a couple of them but you get my point. With how stuck up and ruthless he was, I doubted
Chapter Seven Dominique I stared at the bustling city through the sky high glasses of my window. The view of the lights in the city twinkling below, almost like the stars in the night sky made the end of tiring days like these, worth it. I was skeptical at first about installing the windows and allowing the view, because I hated distractions and loved to concentrate on my work and the view looked like a potential distraction. But with each passing day I spent gazing out the window, I couldn't help but mentally pat myself in the back for making the right decision. I stole a glance at my wristwatch and the hands of the clock pointing at 7:45 pm stared back at me. It was late and I should be well on my way home. I cracked my neck and flexed my muscles for a while as I reveled in the days events. It was strenuous and long as always but, something worthwhile came out of it in the end. And now, it was time to celebrate. A buzz from my desk pulled me out of my monologue. It was my p
Chapter Eight Dominique "What? What…" I watched as she stuttered, something flashing in her eyes. Her eyes darted around, somehow unable to focus on one place. Red hue tinted her cheeks as her lips parted slightly. Amidst the erratic beating of her heart against her ribcage, I watched as she squirmed under my gaze. She wanted to be everywhere but here. "Don't speak unless you're asked to." I seethed and watched as she clamped her mouth shut, her lips quivering in fear. " How many times do I have to repeat that?""I'm sorry sir." She stuttered, her voice barely a whisper. " Please." "What just happened out there, huh?" I leaned in even closer. Even the thought of it was enough to get my blood boiling all over again. "What the hell did you thibk you were doing out there?""Nothing, sir." She shook her head so hard I thought it would roll off her body. "I didn't…""Yes you did." I cut her off, my grip on her chin tightening even more. " I saw you. With my own two eyes I watched you
Florence. A groan slid past my lips the moment I peeled my eyes open, but that wasn't the weird part. The weird and excruciatingly hilarious part of all this was why I was groaning. It was literally too early, I doubted the sun had even come yet, and here I was, groaning loudly just because I peeled my eyes open at the break of dawn.It wasn't my fault. I was sure no one would blame me, because if they were in my shoes they would have probably done worse. Worse than my early morning groanings. I sighed as I swung my legs from off my bed, pushing myself up into a sittinh position. I found my gaze straying towards the direction of the clock and I let it, until I regretted it immediately. Just a little high on the rough walls, a wall clock hung, it's hands pointing at five and nine respectively. *Great. It was 5:45am and I just had to be the one in charge of that pompous guy*I wanted nothing more than to the lay on the bed, even if it was for a little while.But knowing the kind
Chapter TenFlorence. Beads of sweat lined my forehead as I clutched onto the broom, like my whole life depended on it. In a way, I could say it actually did. Intense jolts of pain spread through my hands and legs and with each sweep of the broom against the floor, I felt like I was this close to passing out. I pressed my eyes closed against each other as I bent down, struggling to catch my breath. Hot air raced in my lungs and if I didn't catch my breath anytime soon, I would definitely take a quick trip to unconscious land. "Calm down, Florence." I inhaled and exhaled, willing myself to stay on my feet. You couldn't blame me if you looked at it carefully, I'd been on my two feet all morning handling one chore or the other. "You can do this. You just need rest." But would I get it? Hell no. From the looks of things and the workload I had to deal with everyday, it was beginning to look like I was the only one here. The only maid in the entire house. But how could that be? With t
Dominique A cool breeze blew by, rustling the leaves and braches up on the tree. Although mild, it was still strong enough to shake a few things, my hair not left out. A sigh slid past my lips as I threaded my fingers through my hair. It was no doubt that it looked nothing more than a bird's nest which definitely wasn't suitable for someone like me. But I didn't care, at least not today. It was Sunday, and Sundays were meant for relaxing.A bird jumped onto one of the branches, catching my attention immediately. I watched as the almost tiny bird flapped it's wings about, its beak pecking and picking at the tree, obviously looking for something to eat. "You should have gotten a bird feeder by now." A voice spoke from behind me. If I hadn't known to whom it belonged to, I definitely would have spun on my wheel, trying to figure out who the hell had the guts to walk into my personal space, and without permission too. "Will I have to remind you again Dominique boy?""I'm not a boy a
FlorenceI swiped at my forehead with the back of my palm, letting the beads of sweat drop to the ground. The moment they reached the ground though, a wave of regret washed over me. I had just mopped there and now I would have to do it all over again*Oh good lord*I sighed as I stared at the one wet ground. If I looked closely and from a different angle, I could see that particular spot glistening under the warm glow of the chandelier lights. I was just about to swipe my mop over the spot, when a thought came to mind. Suddenly, I found my eyes darting from the stairs that led to the foyer and Dominique's room, back to the wet spot just in front of me. What if I left it just as it was? It was barely noticeable too and it wouldn't cause any harm right? Unless Dominique were to walk right through here. A small smile made its way to my lips as I allowed my imagination run wild. A picture of Dominique walking right by played in my mind and I let it.My smile grew even wider as I pictu
Florence. "Maybe I should start all over again?" I mumbled to no one else in particular. I was literally the only one in the room so it made no sense that I wasn't talking to anyone. More specifically, it didn't make any sense that I was talking to myself and that I was unapologetically doing it. " Or perhaps I should…"I shook my head slowly, simultaneously thrashing the idea alongside with it. Why would I want to start over? After spending hours cleaning this huge library, why would I want to start all over again? *Dominique's aunt, that's why* A sigh slid past my lips as I stared at the large book shelf ahead. On a normal day, I always gushed about how beautiful the books were and swooned on how I would love to have my own one day. Hell, even Olivia pointed out her favorite books and let me borrow it for some time. She also taught me a trick to slip out a book from there without being noticed, on the condition that I would return it after. I was surprised that she'd t