Chapter 4
913words
"Brad! You wouldn't dare! That's murder!"
I hissed in a low voice: "I don't have that kind of money..."
"Cut the crap! You're in his bed by now, aren't you? Earn your keep! Make him pay up!"
"If I don't see the money in thirty minutes, you can start planning your sister's funeral!"
Click.
The line went dead.
I clutched my phone, feeling numb all over.
Five million dollars.
Thirty minutes.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think clearly.
Crying wouldn't help.
Brad was crazy enough to follow through on his threat.
I turned to face Dominic.
The most powerful man in the city watched me coldly, leaning against a cabinet.
I suddenly realized he was a walking ATM.
Since he'd bought me, I might as well sell myself for a good price.
"What's wrong? Did your useless husband call begging for money again?"
Dominic flicked his cigarette ash, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Weren't you playing tough a minute ago? One call from your husband and you're back to being his obedient little dog?"
I ignored his taunts.
I walked up to him, met his gaze directly, my spine rigid.
"Dominic, you want to sleep with me, right?"
My voice was cold, businesslike.
Dominic looked taken aback, his eyes narrowing.
"What? Finally coming to your senses?"
"Five million dollars."
I held out my palm toward him.
"Give me five million. Now. Transfer it to this account."
The air between us crystallized.
Dominic stared at my outstretched hand as if I'd told the world's most absurd joke.
His expression darkened dangerously.
Anger.
Disappointment.
And pain I couldn't understand.
"Scarlett,"
He crushed out his cigarette and stalked toward me, radiating menace.
"Are you that desperate for cash?"
"You've barely made it to my bed, haven't even started earning your keep, and you're already demanding money for that lowlife?"
In his eyes, I was just there to bail out Brad's gambling debts.
I didn't explain.
If I told him the truth about my sister, would this man who once sold me off just use her as leverage against me too?
I couldn't risk it.
I trusted transactions more than sympathy.
"What I do with the money is none of your business."
I lifted my chin, maintaining my greedy façade though I was crumbling inside.
"You think I'm selling myself? Well, you're right. I am."
"Five million buys my full compliance tonight."
"I won't resist, won't cry, and I'll even...participate enthusiastically."
I stepped closer, trailing my fingers along his bathrobe collar, mimicking a practiced seductress though my smile felt brittle.
"Mr. Knight, surely your skills in bed must be better than Brad's, right?"
"This money isn't just buying my body—it's buying my silence about how you compare to that loser."
"Enough!"
Dominic seized my wrist.
His eyes blazed with fury.
"Fine! Have it your way!"
"Scarlett, you're truly something—making me sick even before we get to bed."
He flung my hand away, yanked open a drawer, and pulled out a checkbook. The scratch of pen against paper was deafening in the silence.
Rip!
He slapped the check against my face!
The sharp edge of the paper cut the corner of my eye before floating to the floor.
"Five million! Take it!"
Dominic's eyes were wild as he jabbed a finger toward the bed:
"Now pick up your money and get on the damn bed!"
"Since you're selling yourself, you'd better be worth every penny—or I'll make you pay it back a hundred times over!"
I crouched down, my fingers brushing the thin slip of paper.
So flimsy.
Yet it held my sister's life.
I clutched the check tightly, looking up at Dominic's rage-filled eyes, feeling my resolve weaken.
Pain—I could see it lurking behind his anger all along.
Though I couldn't understand why.
Maybe...I should tell him the truth?
After all, five years ago, we had loved each other desperately.
If he knew I was being coerced, that Brad was threatening my sister's life...
"Dominic..."
I gripped the check tightly, my throat dry, making one last attempt.
"This money... it's not for Brad's gambling. It's because..."
"Shut up!"
Dominic roared, cutting me off.
He stepped forward, his fingers digging into my jaw.
"I don't want to hear your touching stories about supporting your worthless husband!"
He glared at me, his contempt and disgust scorching like flames.
"To help that pathetic loser cover his gambling debts, you'd stoop even to this?"
"Scarlett, your devotion makes me want to vomit."
"Take the money and shut your mouth. Every word from your lips is too filthy for me to stomach."
The words died in my throat.
Clarity hit me like a slap.
Like being doused with ice water—that kind of brutal clarity.
What was the point of telling him?
In his eyes, I was already a shameless whore who'd do anything for cash.
"...Fine."
I lowered my head, hiding the despair in my eyes.
Since you don't want to hear it, I'll never try to explain again.
Dominic, this is the choice you've made.
I took a deep breath and straightened my spine.
A deal was a deal.
I shouldn't have harbored any illusions.
Before his eyes, I untied the towel from my body.
The white terry cloth slid to the floor in a heap.
If he thought I was merchandise, I'd be proper merchandise.
I raised my chin, meeting his stunned gaze with a cold, professional smile.
"As you wish, boss."
