Chapter 8
Morning light hit Bella's face. She woke up with a stiff neck. She was still on the floor. Adonis was gone from the chair.
She sat up, rubbing her wrist where his fingers had left red marks.
Adonis was standing by the bed, buttoning a crisp white shirt. He looked refreshed. Dangerous.
"You're awake," he said. He didn't look at her.
Bella scrambled to her feet. "I did what you asked. I stayed. I helped."
Adonis turned to face her. "You did."
"So," Bella said, gathering her courage. "We're done? The debt... my service. It's balanced?"
Adonis laughed. It was a dry, humorless sound. He walked over to the bedside table and pressed a button.
Hansel entered a moment later, carrying a thick manila envelope. He handed it to Adonis and left.
Adonis opened the envelope. He pulled out a single sheet of paper. Bella recognized it immediately. It was the promissory note her father had signed. The document that sold her.
"This is what you want?" Adonis asked, holding it up.
"Yes," Bella said. "Please."
Adonis looked at the paper, then at Bella. With slow, deliberate movements, he tore the paper in half. Then into quarters. Then into eighths.
He let the confetti rain down onto the carpet.
Bella's heart soared. "Thank you. I-"
"You misunderstand," Adonis said. His voice dropped an octave. He stepped closer, backing her up until her legs hit the armchair.
"That paper defined the terms of your release," he said softly. "It said that once the debt was paid, you were free."
He pointed to the pile of scraps on the floor.
"Now, there is no paper. There are no terms. There is no debt to be paid off."
Bella felt the blood drain from her face. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you don't work off a debt anymore, Bella," Adonis said. He leaned down, his face inches from hers. "You belong to me. Indefinitely. You are a necessity. And I never discard necessities."
"That's illegal," Bella whispered. "That's kidnapping."
"Call the police," Adonis challenged. "See who they believe. The girl whose family owes millions, or the man who owns the precinct."
He straightened up and walked to the closet. He pulled out a garment bag and tossed it to her.
"Put this on. The maid uniform is insulting. If you're going to be my shadow, you'll dress the part."
Bella clutched the bag. She looked at the torn paper on the floor. He hadn't freed her. He had destroyed her exit strategy. She was no longer an employee with an end date. She was a possession.
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