You a liar

"Come closer"

I remembered that Sabrina told me to listen to his every order and answer his every question honestly. I braced myself and walked to him, halting when I was only two steps away from him.

He breathed out softly, appraising me up and down once again. "What is your name?"

"Natalya Martinez" I answered

"And Nikolai and Sofia were your...?"

I swallowed. "My parents..."

"How old are you?"

"I turned nineteen last month,"

Answer every single question honestly, Natalya.

"Hm..." a deep masculine hum that was enough to scare me even more if that was possible. "I have known Nikolai Martinez since I was born... he never mentioned you. I have been to his house a few times and I never saw you there before..."

My mouth dropped open, my heartbeat got erratic; I breathed in to calm my nerves.

How do I tell someone that I have spent my entire life locked up in a bedroom and I was only allowed to go outside of my bedroom when it was time for me to eat?

He took a step toward me and that made me step back instinctively. I looked at him through my lashes and saw his face. His expressions were hard to read but he looked almost amused, and I think I saw a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked around me in circles. His even strides reminded me of something, he looked like an animal, I have read about it and seen it on TV. He was stalking around me the way tigers do before they pounce on their prey and then devour them alive.

I swallowed as I felt like defenseless prey.

"Are you lying to me, Natalya?" he asked, still moving around me.

I shook my head immediately. "No, no, I'm not"

He chuckled, the sound of his laugh made my skin crawl with fear. "I think you are... Nikolai Martinez did not have a child. I don't like liars, Natalya. Do you know what I do with liars?" he asked

I shook my head. "No..." my voice barely above a whisper.

He stopped behind me, I could feel the heat of his body creeping onto my back. "I punish them... very badly" he whispered in my ear from behind and my whole body visibly trembled.

My insides twisted with anxiety and fear, my eyes burned with tears, I kept them in but I could no longer control my hands; they were shaking in an odd trembling rhythm.

All I could hear were my dad's words - The world is a dangerous place and you are easy prey, Natalya. You are innocent and naive and you lack physical strength.

This world will chew you alive.

He was right.

Dad was right.

The tears I have been holding in slid down my cheeks.

"I'm his daughter, I swear. He... he didn't let me leave my room. I have spent my whole life there, I was homeschooled, and the only time I was allowed outside of my bedroom was when we ate together breakfast, lunch, and dinner." I sniffled. "Only three times a day, I promise," I said in a single breath and hastily wiped my tears. "I'm not lying to you, I swear"

"Why?" his warm breath fanned the nape of my neck.

I sniffled. "He said the world out there was dangerous for me..." I wiped my eyes multiple times.

"Dangerous for you?"

I nodded. "He worked at a bank and he had a lot of enemies because of it"

"He worked at a bank?" He repeated my words but with a hint of sarcasm and amusement.

I sniffled quietly, tears threatening to spill from my eyes again. "Yes, my dad worked at a bank, that is what he told me, I swear!"

He finally stepped away from me and I released the breath I was holding in. He walked around me to get to his desk and settled in his chair. I looked at him through my blurry tear-filled vision. His elbow rested over the armrest as he traced his long finger over his lips. He kept staring at me like he was amazed or intrigued or disgusted, I really don't know.

"So, you have never been out of your house?" He asked

I shook my head gently. "No..."

His expressions were dark and mocking like he didn't believe me at all. "Your father worked at a bank and you have spent your whole life locked up in a room? Doesn't it sound a little ridiculous to you, Natalya?"

I cried harder than before, streams of tears flowed faster than my heartbeat. "Why don't you believe me? I'm telling the truth... What would I get out of lying to you?"

"Do you know who I am?" his voice was gravelly low and dangerous.

I sniffled and shook my head. "No, I don't! The only people I ever knew were my parents... I don't want to know you," I whispered the last part.

He opened up a box and pulled out a cigar, the same cigar my dad used to smoke. I know it, I have seen him smoke it many times. He lit it up and blew out a thick puff of smoke. He looked at me for a few more seconds and then sighed.

"Go back to your room, Natalya" he ordered, his tone authoritative.

I swallowed and turned to leave but stopped and looked back at him. "What are you going to do to me?" I asked the most important question that had been gnawing at the back of my mind.

His lips lifted from one side into a wicked smirk, his eyes were almost pitch black. "First, I'm going to find out if you're telling the truth or not then we'll talk about what I am going to do to you, you little liar"

I immediately walked out of his study. I shouldn't be afraid, I told him the truth. I hope he finds that out soon, so, he can apologize for not believing me.