Celine's POV
I slowly picked it up and took a small sip. It burned slightly, but it wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would be.
Cassian watched me over the rim of his glass. "You're stronger than you look," he said finally.
I was just enduring, and here he was calling me strong. If I were strong enough, I wouldn't be sitting at this table.
"I don't think so, I'm just enduring," I replied to him with a slow but steady voice.
"Ah." He smiled again, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You have a lot to endure then."
What did he mean by that? If what I've gone through wasn't enough, then I really have to find a way out of this place.
He was calm again, studying me as if gauging when it was right to discuss the reason for this meeting.
It felt more like a date between the captive and the captor, but I had eaten more and better than I had eaten in years.
He wiped his mouth with the serviette and spoke again, his tone a lot quieter but still carrying that dangerous undertone.
"You'll learn the rules here. You must follow them. But I won't harm you, unless you give me reason to."
It was meant to reassure, but it didn't. It felt more like a threat to me.
"What am I supposed to do here?" I asked.
"For now?" He glanced at the untouched plate in front of me. "Eat and sleep. And…
The door burst open, interrupting his words, and one of the bodyguards walked in. He looked tense.
"If it isn't urgent, why are you here? And if it is urgent, walk quickly and say it to my ears," Cassian demanded.
The bodyguard walked swiftly to his side and whispered some words before walking out of the room.
Cassian waited for him to leave before speaking. "Tomorrow, we leave."
"Leave?" I panicked before recovering myself.
"Yes. Some matters require my attention. You'll accompany me."
"I don't have any clothes," I said before I could stop myself. I didn't know where he was going, and I wasn't ready to be taken around as his new property, his new slave.
His eyes glinted. "Already taken care of. The maid will bring them in the morning."
I stared at him, trying to read his expression. "Why bring me with you? You could lock me up here and I'd be out of your way."
He approached the table again, setting his glass down with a soft click. "Because I don't trust people I can't see," he said. "And because I'm not done figuring you out."
A chill ran through me.
"I'm not one of your puzzles," I said.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower. "I don't see any difference between humans and puzzles, if at all, you're a question that shouldn't exist."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I just kept quiet, resigning to my fate.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us felt heavy with words that needed to be spoken, and yet no one dared to speak.
He didn't touch me like I thought he would. Living with the Kleins had made me think that every male factor just wants one thing immediately; they set their eyes on me, and that is my body.
He didn't raise his voice. Yet I felt surrounded, seen in a way that made my heart race.
Finally, he straightened. "That's enough for tonight."
He clicked his glass, calling for the guards. When they appeared, he gave a short nod toward me. "Take her back to her room."
I rose slowly, my knees weak. As I passed him, I heard him speak again, almost as an afterthought.
"Celine," he said.
I turned slightly.
"You can stop praying for rescue," he murmured. "Because no one is ever coming to save you, no one would dare."
The words lingered in my mind long, sending cold chills down my spine anytime they crossed my mind.
Back in my room, I sank onto the bed. The room was silent enough that I could hear my own thoughts.
There was a light tap on the door as Madison entered with a box filled with clothes.
She opened it, asking me to try everything on so that she could decide which one to return and which one to keep.
I had so many questions to ask her. "How many girls have been here before?"
She let out a throaty, sad smile. "About seven of them, two were your exact age, three a year older, while the other two are a year younger than you are."
"Where are they? What happened to them?" Fear and curiosity laced my tone.
"It's a long, scary story, just make sure to abide by Mr Cassian's rules so that the same fate won't be meted out on you," she replied, wearing a long face.
"Please tell me what they did and what happened to them," I insisted, "I have the patience to listen."
"If you say so, although I think you need to rest because of your journey tomorrow," she stated.
"I'm listening, I don't think I'll be able to sleep, even if you leave the room now," I persisted.
"I'll state the rules for you, and the punishment for each broken rule, and then I'll tell which rule they defaulted to, and then you can tell their fate."
I listened with great interest; it's either that she states the rules, preparing me ahead, or I wait until he states the rules himself.
I don't want to be clueless just like I was with the Kleins.
"Mr Damien has twelve rules and twelve punishments for his slaves, which you are now."
She exhaled and continued.
"The first rule: You are to wear the dress given to you each day by the chief nanny, Madison. Failure to do that results in missing breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on the time of day, you are caught defaulting.
The second rule: You are to return to your room thirty minutes after ten, which is the official time for the lights to go off.
If you are caught loitering, it will be assumed that you intend to flee. You will be chained and thrown to the dungeon until Cassian decides you will be freed.