22

22


EVADNE

I went into his room with the words rehearsed in my head, after being summoned but standing in front of Moretti always stripped me bare. His presence had a way of swallowing up everything around it, and whatever plans I made scattered like ash in the wind.

He was at his desk when I came in after being summoned, pen scratching across some ledger, the faint smell of smoke curling through the air. His suit jacket hung on the back of the chair, and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He didn’t look at me right away, and that made me even more aware of the way my heart hammered, how small I felt standing there waiting for his attention.

When he finally lifted his eyes, they flicked over me once. “What is it?”

The words I’d practiced nearly dried up on my tongue, but I forced them out. “I want to ask again about my release.”

His pen stilled. For a moment there was only the faint tick of the clock on the mantel. Then, slowly, he leaned back in his chair. “Your release?”

I swallowed. “I know what I owe, but there must be another way to repay it. Something else I can give you. Work, money… anything.”

His gaze didn’t soften. If anything, it sharpened, as though I’d just said something deeply stupid. “You think this is about money.”

I straightened a little, even though my knees wanted to buckle. “Isn’t it? A debt was taken. A debt I never agreed to. But I’ll pay it back however I can.”

He set the pen down with carefully as if afraid he'll break it, that made my stomach twist. “Get out.”

The words slammed into me like a wall. Still, I pushed. “Let me try. If you want labor, I’ll work. If you want—” I hesitated, hating the words I was about to say. “If you want me, you already have that. So what else is there. But if that's not enough then there has to be another way.”

“No.”

I stared at him, breath uneven. “Why not? You’ve let others go before.”

His jaw twitched. For the first time, there was something else behind those amber eyes. “Your father made sure you’d never walk away, you've got him to thank for that, not me.”

“Can you stop this? You said my father owed you, yet you wouldn't prove it and I'm willing to work for it despite the lack of evidence but you keep saying no…” I half yelled, holding myself back from slamming my hand on his desk.

He stood abruptly, chair scraping back. His presence loomed even larger when he crossed the room, stopping in front of me. “You want to work, Evadne? Hmm? You want to get paid minimum wage for every work you do here? Fine with me, but you might want to buckle up because that's probably going to take the rest of your life..”

Heat burned behind my eyes, but I blinked hard, refusing to let tears fall here, in front of him. “Rest of my life? What do you mean by that?.”

For a breath, I thought he might answer. But whatever thought flickered in his expression, he shut it down just as quickly. His hand tightened around the edge of the desk, then released. “Get out, you're beginning to piss me off.”

I stared at him, waiting for more. Some explanation. A scrap of anything to hold onto. But he had already turned away, dismissing me like the matter was finished.

So I left.

\---

The hall outside was dim, the air a little warmer than his study. I had barely taken three steps when I sight the she devil by the side. It's been weeks since I last saw her and she hasn't really changed much from the entitled bitch she was, declaring power over the weak women who she thought would grab Moretti's attention.

Does he know though? That the woman he brought back is so in her head all the time, the torture she was putting people through because of him? Does he know and just pretend he sees nothing? Because honestly I wouldn't be surprised, they're just the perfect match made in hell, crafted by the devil himself.

It was the woman from the plane who I've come to know was vasilisa.

She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, posture perfect, dark hair cascading over one shoulder. Her heels clicked as she shifted, blocking my path before I could slip past.

Her mouth curved into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Enjoying yourself?”

I can't have one day, one freaking day of people.

“What do you want?” My voice came out flat, though inside my pulse was racing, I've seen what she does it girls who pissed her off and Moretti watched like it was nothing.

Her gaze swept me from head to toe, sharp enough to flay. “What were you doing in my husband's office?.” She moved closer.

The marriage hasn't even been announced yet. “I asked a question lady?.”

“I went to negotiate my release.”

She gave a soft laugh, as if satisfied with my answer. “And what did he say?.”

“What else... I was sent out. So please I really am tired of all this shit and whatever it is you want to do right now can be rescheduled. I didn’t ask for his attention, we both know that.”

“Oh no dear, you're doing absolutely great. We both want the the same thing, Evadne... So keep asking him, I'll see what I can do from behind.”

Wh-what?

“But...” She grabbed my chin and raise my face to meet her eyes. “If I find out you've been lying to me, I will make sure the rest of your days are in pains and agony.”

If there was a way to stay out if his sight, I'd be the first to hop on that plane.