Chapter 7 The Bathroom

• “I heard…” Serena murmured, turning to head upstairs. Guided by her memory, she returned to the room that had become her nightmare and stepped into the bathroom…
• With only one hand, she twisted the faucet and tested the water temperature, staring blankly as the tub slowly filled.
• A sound came from behind, startling her. She turned to see Adrian walking in.
• Casually, he rubbed his neck and unbuttoned his shirt.
• Serena stammered, “I… I should go out—”
• Adrian pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist. “We’ll bathe together. Since you can only use one hand, I’ll help you.”
• “No, that’s okay—” Serena exclaimed. “I was going to help with dinner—”
• “Cooking’s the maid’s job!” He pressed her against the wall, his knee moving between her legs. “Here, you’re the lady of the house. You don’t do those things. You’re my woman—and I can afford to keep you.”
• His woman…
• That phrase cut deep. To Serena, it felt like the loss of everything she had left—her freedom, her dignity. She looked at him, nervous. “I… I’ll go out first. I don’t want to trouble you.”
• “I don’t mind trouble,” Adrian said, reaching for the buttons at the front of her clothes.
• Serena grabbed his arm with her uninjured hand, trying to stop him. But she was too weak. He easily undid the buttons as though she hadn’t even resisted.
• Noticing the bruises on her skin, his mind returned to the night before, and his desire stirred once again.
• He leaned in closer, letting her feel the full weight of his arousal. Kissing her, he murmured, “Does it still hurt?”
• Ashamed, Serena buried her face into her shoulder, unable to answer.
• Adrian hiked up her skirt and pulled down her underwear. She trembled in fear, unsure what he was about to do. Then, without warning, he entered her—
• “Ah—it hurts!” Serena cried out, her uninjured hand gripping his shoulder while her injured one hung limply at her side.
• “Next time I give you an order, listen.” Adrian began to move, voice low. “Obey… and it won’t hurt.”
• Tears flowed freely down from Serena’s face. She had no strength to resist. All she could do was endure.
• The Next Morning
• Adrian took Serena to a shopping mall, with Achen and Ahua, the two bodyguards, close behind.
• “This one, this one… and this one,” Adrian said, casually pointing at a row of outfits. “Go try them on.”
• Serena hesitated for a moment before following a sales assistant into the fitting room. When she came out in the first outfit, she found him seated, reading the newspaper. She walked over quietly and asked, “Is this okay?”
• Without even glancing up, Adrian said, “Change.”
• She went back, changed into a second outfit, and came back out.
• “Keep going.”
• Third outfit…
• “Change.”
• Fourth…
• “Try again.”
• He didn’t seem to be looking at all. Serena grew increasingly uneasy, unsure what kind of look he wanted. Even the store clerk appeared nervous, wondering what it would take to meet his impossible standards.
• Eventually, Adrian stopped responding entirely. Serena didn’t dare to question him. She kept trying on one outfit after another, until exhaustion crept over her…
• “Mr. Adrian…” the sales associate finally approached, voice trembling. “Has she finished trying everything?”
• “Yes, sir!”
• “Wrap up everything that fits properly.” He set the newspaper down. “And don’t make a mistake. If I find even one piece that doesn’t fit, you better start worrying about your job.”
• “Yes, sir!” the store clerk responded loudly and quickly went to pack the items.
• Adrian stood up and motioned for Serena to come to his side. He brushed a hand through her hair. “Tired?”
• Serena opened her mouth, intending to say yes, but quickly thought better of it and shook her head instead.
• “Good.” He clearly liked that answer. Wrapping an arm around her, he walked her toward the exit and told the clerk, “Send the clothes and the bill to the house.”
• Next, he took her to the shoe section and had her try on dozens of pairs of shoes in one go.
• Serena didn’t want this kind of charity, but she didn’t dare reject it either. She didn’t know what kind of consequences might follow if she pushed back again. If spending money made him happy, maybe he’d go easier on her…
• After leaving the shoe store, Adrian pulled her close and murmured in her ear, “Now we’re going to buy you some jewelry. As for makeup and lingerie, plus anything else you need, you’ll shop for those yourself this afternoon.”
• The moment she heard the word “lingerie,” Serena’s face turned red.
• “Pick something sexy,” he added. “When the clothes come off, I want to be surprised. Get more—if it’s less than twenty sets, you’ll have to figure out how to fix that.”
• “…Okay, I got it.”
• Satisfied, he kissed her lightly on the cheek and took her to the jewelry store.
• It was her first time seeing so much jewelry all in one place. Her mother used to own two valuable pieces—ones she took with her when she divorced Richard Will—but those had long been sold to cover medical expenses. Chloe, on the other hand, would buy jewelry for every holiday or whenever she felt like it. If Serena had never left the Will family, she would have been that same pampered heiress, decked out in diamonds and silk.
• “What are you thinking about?” Adrian asked, leaning in near her ear.
• “I just thought… these earrings are really shiny.”
• “Jewelry’s supposed to shine.”
• “Mm… I’ll take this pair then.” Serena removed the earrings, though a question lingered in her mind: when would she even wear them? He didn’t allow her to go out. Was she supposed to get all dressed up every day just to sit at home and wait for him?
• Suddenly, Adrian’s phone rang. He took it out and frowned as he answered. “Hello?”
• “Mr. Adrian,” a voice said on the other end. “The patient in Bed 24 is awake. She’s asking for her daughter again.”
• “And what do you usually tell her when she’s not around?”
• “Uh… she woke up last night and has already asked several times, so…”
• “Got it.” Adrian ended the call.
• Serena hadn’t heard what was said on the other side. She was still looking at herself in the mirror, admiring the necklace around her neck.
• “Does it look okay?” she asked Adrian.
• “It’s fine.” Adrian turned to the sales clerk. “We’ll take everything. Ring it up.”