Chapter 3 The Terms

• CHAPTER 3
• The Terms
• Narrated by Flora
• The car stops at the door of the huge mansion and Brian immediately gets out of the car.
• I get out too and I am amazed at everything I see, I never imagined seeing such a beautiful house like this, live and in color.
• But he doesn't even let me contemplate this wonderful view, because he walks so fast in his hurried pace.
• He is a very handsome man, dammit, too handsome even.
• We enter what seems to me to be a huge and spacious office, I even think my whole house fits in here.
• - Sit down, we need to talk. - he says cuttingly and I immediately sit down on a very comfortable couch.
• I don't know what this man wants with me, to bring me into the middle of all this lust.
• Maybe he needs a maid!
• He stands and pours himself a drink. - Would you like something to drink? - he asks, as he fills a glass with a liquid that looks to me like whiskey.
• - No, thanks.
• I feel very nervous.
• - I'll get straight to the point, because I have no time to lose. As you must know, your father has a huge debt with the Mafia "All'interno della famiglia", a debt in which I lent him this money. Loaned, not given, but your father thinks that this is all a charity, but it's not. And for this very reason, I went to get you out of that brothel and free you from the humiliation of being sold.
• I listen very carefully to everything he says to me and narrow my gaze, wary of that conversation.
• - I knew nothing about my father having a debt, let alone with the Mafia.
• But now I ask, what is the price to pay for that? For taking me out of the brothel?
• I'm no fool, I know perfectly well that he wants something.
• He drinks the entire contents of his glass in one go.
• - He says, what's the price to pay for that? - I ask again, feeling very nervous about this conversation.
• He stares at me with his extremely green eyes and then takes a folder out of his drawer and holds it out to me.
• I open it with my trembling hands.
• I try not to show how nervous I am.
• - And what is this again? - I ask.
• - I saved you from being auctioned off, but for one purpose only, to make a marriage contract with me. This is therefore a contract with the terms of it.
• I look at him sure enough with a dumb face, because that's how I'm feeling right now, very dumb indeed.
• Am I hearing correctly?
• - The terms are simple. - It will be a fake marriage, which has to last a year, and in that year of marriage you have to cooperate with me in everything, be a good wife, show everyone how happy we are and all that bullshit crap, and above all, no one, really no one, can know that we are together because of a contract. After that you can go about your business and that's it.
• He lights a cigarette.
• - Are you serious about what you are talking about? Or are you joking? - I ask suspiciously.
• He looks at me without any feeling whatsoever, just staring at me, as if I were a simple object in front of him.
• - I'm not a joking man. - he speaks coldly.
• I get up from the comfortable sofa and laugh nervously.
• - But of course I won't accept any of it! But are you crazy? A marriage contract?- I look at him - Do you need to make a marriage contract to marry someone? Looking at you, no one would say.
• He continues to stare at me.
• - A contract without feelings is beneficial for everyone, especially for me, who has none of that crap they call love.
• I stare at him haughtily.
• - Well, I'm sorry to inform you, but you'll have to find someone else to play the role of the passionate wife, because I'm not interested in this crazy, unreasonable nonsense.
• Brian places the empty glass on the table beside him and calmly gets up, takes two steps toward me and rudely informs me.
• - If you don't accept the contract or the terms, I will take you right now back to that filthy brothel and you will be auctioned off, sold to anyone.
• Oh my God, no, I shudder at the thought of going in there again.
• I take a deep breath and say at last.
• - I need a shower and some sleep, it's been a day with too many emotions.
• I try to buy myself some time.
• I don't know yet to do what, but something will occur to me in the meantime.
• -I agree, I'll walk you to your room -he says that as if this were my home.
• To my room?
• I thought I was going home and it turns out I have a room here?
• I follow him, while he leads me through the house.
• We go up some beautiful gray marble stairs and in the hallway he stops in front of a door and opens it.
• -You can be comfortable here, no one will bother you, it will be your room from now on.
• Thank God, at least that.
• I enter the room and he immediately closes the door.
• The room is gorgeous but my night is super restless, I have to find a way to get out of here.
• The next day, I wake up early, get dressed quickly and sneak out of the room, looking everywhere, the way seems to be clear, I then go downstairs without making the slightest noise, even my breathing is stopped, I look one way and look the other and still don't see a living soul.
• Great, it looks like I'm going to make it.
• I smile to myself, make the last turn to enter the Entrance Hall and finally, street.
• But I slam my body into someone's body and that someone immediately pushes me away as if I have fire in me.
• Brian is right here in front of me, he even seemed to be here waiting for me, I can't believe this.
• He looks at me hard.
• -What a fright. - I speak unnerved, irritated and scared.
• -But why do you want to run away so badly?- he asks coldly.
• I raise my face in importance.
• - I'm free and that's why I want to leave. - I communicate haughtily.
• He laughs, mocking me.
• -No, Flora, you're not free at all, I bought you from the owner of the brothel, so you belong to me, and that's final. - he speaks harshly to me.
• Asshole.
• He calls a maid who is passing by and orders her.
• -Place Flora inside her room and lock her from the outside and give me back the key immediately.
• Having said this, the maid and two more thugs take me back to the room.
• I protest and mistreat him but to no avail.
• He bosses everyone around and no one stands up to him.
• But he is a rather annoying overbearer. I hate him.
• But if he thinks it stays that way, ah, he's very wrong.
• The first attempt to escape didn't work out, but I'll find a way to escape from here, ah but I swear I really will.
• I go to the huge window, but I realize that besides being really high, it still has bars.
• It can only have been on purpose.
• I snort in frustration.
• I feel like a prisoner and it's all my father's fault. All his life he has only made trouble for everyone.
• Breed of man.
• Since I haven't slept all night practically, I end up cuddling up in this huge bed that is so comfortable and eventually fall asleep.