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Two

He swirled the drink in the glass she hadn't noticed he had been holding before raising the rim to his lips to take a sip. All the while, his gaze remained on her; he watched her in that demeaning and assessing manner that should have made her turn around and leave but somehow didn't.

"What's your name?" He asked her.

She tried to respond but found her voice had somehow vanished. She cleared her throat quietly before trying once more.

"Yalda," she replied.

He nodded once.

"Well, Yalda, do you intend to stand there for the rest of the night?" He asked her.

Something about the way he spoke drew her in. It was like a spell, a very dark spell which she wasn't sure she could break free from.

She took a step forward, and then her legs knew what to do; they led her to him. They stopped when she was standing in front of him.

Now that she was closer, she could see him even more clearly; she could appreciate his looks even more. The aura he oozed was so domineering that she could literally fall to her knees and worship him.

"Turn around," he said. It was more of an order really.

But she did as she was told immediately. She turned around, hoping he didn't find her voluptuous backside too fat or something.

Her heart pounded so heavily; she felt almost lightheaded.

"Can you dance?" he asked her.

And she turned around to face him once more.

"What kind of dance?" she asked him quietly. It was a miracle she didn't stutter.

A faint smirk curved his lips.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

She forced down the lump that had formed in her throat.

"A... lap dance?" she asked him.

And he nodded.

She had never tried doing a lap dance, but she was sure she could get it done if she put in some effort.

"I can," she replied.

"Very good," he said as he set the glass down beside his seat. "Let's get started."

~~

It had been a thrilling night. She hadn't even needed to dance for long before he had decided to get real with her. It had been like nothing she had ever known before; it had been thorough and almost punishing. And she had loved every second of it.

Yes, she had felt itemized by the way he handled her, but she didn't mind; he was a powerful man, and she almost liked being used by him.

It was bright but early when she woke up the next day, and she had found herself alone in bed. She would have thought it was all a dream had she not woken up in a luxurious bedroom that seemed out of this world!

Perhaps she had been too absorbed in last night's activity to notice just how lavish the room was; from the walls to the lights and the floors, everything was luxurious.

She pulled herself together and dragged her spent body out of bed while clutching the ash-colored sheets against her bosom. It was probably wrong, but she couldn't help herself; she walked around the room to feed her curiosity.

Her interest peaked upon coming across a small rock on the glass table by the other side of the room. It was dark, and something told her it was insanely valuable. But why would he just leave it there if that was the case? She reached out and picked it up for further inspection.

Perhaps it was just an ornament of some sort. It intrigued her; she couldn't help but wonder how much it would cost, couldn't help but wish she had just that amount of money.

Sighing, she set it reached out to return it but froze on hearing his voice behind her.

"What do we have here? A thief?" he said, sounding just as unbothered as he had been last night.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach, and she turned around to face him.

His outfit suggested that he had just returned from the gym, and he looked breathtaking. Seeing him suddenly reminded her of everything that had happened last night, causing her cheeks to heat up immediately.

"I'm not a thief," she told him.

He arched a brow slightly.

"No? Just a whore who snoops around then?" he asked her.

Her throat clenched almost painfully at the blatant insult. Yes, she had slept with him because she had been broke an in dire need of money, but tha didnt mak her a whore, did it? It was a one time thing and it didnt translate to her being a whore.

"I am not a whore either," she said quietly.

This was the first time she had done something like this; she had been tipsy and desperate, and she wasn't proud of it.

A faint smirk curved his lips as he gave her that demeaning look like she was nothing, absolutely nothing.

"Then what are you?" he asked her.

Her throat clenched even more because she knew in comparison to him, she was indeed nothing.

She shook her head.

"You'll never understand," she said quietly. "I wasn't snooping or trying to steal anything; I was just looking."

His gaze raked over her body like it had some the night before, and it lingered on her partially exposed bosom momentarily.

"I'd like to leave now," she said quietly.

His gaze flickered back to hers, and she found his eyes had darkened ever so slightly.

"How old are you?" he asked her.

She was taken aback by his question, but she answered nonetheless.

"Twenty," she told him.

He nodded consideringly.

"Yalda, would you consider staying longer?" he asked her, his tone suggestive, "I'll pay more."

She shook her head; she had been insulted enough.

"I told you already, I'm not a whore," she told him.

He seemed slightly taken aback; it was as though no one had turned him down before.

He stepped closer to her, and of course, she found herself rooted to where she stood; she found herself unable to move.

"Then what are you?" he asked once more.

She averted her gaze from his. She was a broke and struggling student whoo had just slept with a total stranger for money, but she wasnt about to make that a habit.

"A student," she replied quietly.

A dark and humorless chuckle left him.

"I see, going through the rebellious college phase," he said.

She shook her head.

"No?" he asked her, "Then what could possibly be it?"

He studied her as though she was something he found rather intricate and interesting.

"You're here, and yet you claim you're not a whore," he said, "Perhaps a constrained girl seeking freedom and adventure."

His fingers slid underneath her chin, and he nudged her head up to face him, causing a shuddering breath to leave her.

"Oh, perhaps a broke student whoring her body for the first time."

Her eyes stung with tears, and she blinked rapidly to clear them. The blatant truth felt like a scalding-hot rod being rammed into her soul.

"I'd like to leave now," she said once more, her voice barely a whisper.

"So that's it," he said wit triumph in his eyes; he had guessed correctly.

He brushed a lock of hair from her face with a tenderness that mocked her.

"I can help you. Together we can fix your problems," he said to her, his words thick with meaning.

She shook her head once more.

"I already told you, I'm not a whore," she said to him.

This was a one-time thing, and she wouldn't be caught dead doing it again. She was determined to repeat this to herself over and over again lik a mantra, she wasnt going to make a habit of sleeping with men for money.

He chuckled once more.

"I like your spirits," he said. "But they'll break eventually, and you'll wish you had taken my offer."

She blinked, and the tears she had tried so hard to restrain went sliding down her cheeks.

She was insanely tempted to accept whatever it was that he was offering; she knew she would be paid well, and she couldn't deny that her body was so very attracted to him. But she shook her head still; she wasn't that kind of girl.

"I'm not a whore," she said once more.

"I'm beginning to think you're not saying that to convince me but yourself," he said as he withdrew his hand from her and walked to a chair to settle down.

She wiped the tears off her cheeks quickly before dragging in a deep breath to calm herself.

"Think about it, Yalda, you stand to gain so much," he told her.

"Why?" she asked him. "You can have any girl you want, why insist on having me?"

He leaned back into his seat, and he studied her for a moment before replying:

"Like I said, I like your spirits."

She didn't know what else to say to him, so she just stood there staring at him as more tears continued to well up in her eyes.

"You see, Yalda, I can tell from your eyes that you've been through some shit. Which is why I'm going to make you another offer," he said. "I'm only offering this once; you can choose to be smart, or you can choose to hold onto your pride like most fools."

Her throat tightened even more, but she listened nonetheless.

"Stick around, be my whore," he said, a dark glint in his eyes. "And you never have to worry about money again."

He had used the word 'whore' on purpose; she could tell from the look in his eyes. He wanted to demean her, to break her, and....he was winning.

She stood there, thinking hard and deep, so very hard.

If she didn't have to worry about money all the time, then she could actually focus on her studies and do well; she could graduate well and get a good job. She could have a better life; it was all she ever wanted. And besides, what did she have to lose?

And just like that, her mantra had been forgotten....

"Well?" he prompted.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

A smirk curved his lips once more.

"Consider me your savior," he replied. "Do we have a deal?"

Her body was literally trembling, and her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. She was no fool; she knew if she agreed to this, he would literally own her. But he was right; he would save her.

"What is your name?" she asked him. She needed to know she wasn't getting involved with a criminal.

"I'll tell you only when you have made your decision," he said.

His eyes continued to mock her, but there was truly nothing she could do about it.

What did it matter who he was? All she cared about was the fact that he would help her live a better life.

She nodded, just as another stream of tears slid down her cheeks.

"Smart girl," he said. "My secretary will be in touch with you. Carefully read and sign all the documents you'll be given."

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach once more.

She would be signing documents? A contract? What had she gotten herself into?

"Who are you?" she asked once more.

"Monroe, Alexander Monroe."

One of the most powerful billionaires on the continent.

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