6

Ripley’s pov

I sat on a bench in the sun. It wasn’t as warm out anymore, but when the sun was shining, it was pretty nice.

It was needed, this break. To clear my head, to rest. It wouldn’t work if I was down in the basement with the rest of the cleaners. All that I needed was to watch a video of my girls and feel the sun on my face, and I would be able to handle the rest of the day.

It wasn’t like I needed to go back to Cas’ penthouse suite. He told me I was done, so the few hours I had left could be spent cleaning the rooms of the guest who had left today.

I giggled as I watched Rose and River act silly. God, how I loved it when they acted silly. My in-laws wanted my girls to always behave, but that’s not how three-year-olds act. They dance, they make silly faces, they have tantrums, and sometimes they go into a fit of laughter for no real reason.

They’re brutally honest yet loyal. I love this age, even if it comes with tantrums at times. They’re three. I mean. They’re not allowed a lot of choice, and they’re not able to regulate their emotions yet. So I have to teach them how. And it isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it.

What I really wanted was to go see my girls in person, but that would only confuse them. They would think the day was over and they could come home with me. Just a few more hours, and I'll be able to cuddle with my twins.

The rest of the day was fine. Heather gave me some glares and muttered some things under her breath that probably weren’t very nice. But I put my earbuds in and focused on the job.

While cleaning my own house is always something I put off, cleaning other people’s rooms can calm my mind. You focus on the task at hand, doing it in the order you are used to.

When I clean a toilet, for example, I can hear my dad in my head. Telling me to clean the sink first, then the walls and doors. Then the toilet, and lastly, the floor. But first, you put the toilet cleaner inside the toilet so it can work; it’s magic.

I miss him, but in these moments where I remember my dad, he’s here with me. There are so many things I’ve already forgotten, but there are still some things that stay with me.

That’s what I’m worried about for my girls. That they’ll have no memory of their dad. But maybe that means less grief as well.

Thankfully, I would be able to tell them about Oliver, and I had plenty of pictures and videos of him, but it wouldn’t be the same.

“You look sad, mommy.” Rose said she was always the observant one.

My dad was still in the back of my mind when I picked the girls up from daycare. But it wasn’t just my dad that was making me sad; it was this whole situation I was in.

I truly thought this job would be a break for me. A fresh start, but Cas had ruined that for me.

Was I such a horrible person to him that I deserved his treatment? Or was he such a spoilt arrogant ass that he couldn’t handle a person talking back to him?

And was he trying to ruin my life, or was he trying to get me to sleep with him? Or were those mutually exclusive?

“I’m fine, Roro. Just tired.” I told my girl while the other was getting her jacket on.

“Ice cweam?” River asked.

I chuckled, “no, not today, RiRi. Can’t have ice cream every day. But we can do something fun. It’s not raining, so we could play outside."

“Okay.” River answered and extended her little hand.

With both girls holding one of my hands, we walked outside. For a moment, I felt like someone was staring at me, and I turned around, wanting to see if I was going crazy. This whole Cas thing was making me paranoid.

Not to mention, I was always nervous if my parents-in-law would try to find us. We weren’t exactly on the run, but I did purposely move as far away as possible without telling them directly.

That’s when I saw Cas staring at me and the girls. He looked like he couldn’t understand what he was seeing.

Yes, I am a young mother. And yes, I never told him I had kids, but why the hell would I?

“Go wave at the angry-looking man,” I whispered to my girls and pointed to Cas.

They both cheerfully started to wave, and he reluctantly waved back before turning his body away from us.

Maybe seeing me as a mom would make him treat me differently, although I doubt it. That man obviously doesn’t care about anyone but himself.

After a long afternoon outside, we headed back to eat and crawl into bed together. While I usually watch a bit of TV by myself, all I wanted right now was to snuggle between my girls.

Both were lying near me, their cold little feet pressing against my leg to warm them. Their warm breath against my face. God, they are cute.

For them, I could do this. For them, I could endure another day of Cas’ torture. I’m sure this wouldn’t last long. Either he’d give up or he’d make sure I got fired.

“I love you, my babies.” I said, before closing my eyes and falling asleep.

- - - - - -

He is not here!

I did a little happy dance when I entered Cas’ suite and noticed he wasn’t here. Would that mean I would get to clean in peace? Maybe seeing I was a mom changed his mind.

Putting my earphones in, I started cleaning right away. I began with the bathroom, like last time, but it looked like someone had already cleaned some of it.

Did Cas really clean his own bathroom, or did he have two maids?

Once I was done with the bathroom, I started in the bedroom, taking the sheets off while dancing to the music and singing alone.

I can’t sing for shit. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I mean, I’m not horrible. I sing songs for the girls, and they don't tell me to stop or cover their ears. But for me, it’s not about how I sound, but just about having fun.

When the bedroom was finished, I headed back to the living room. The view was so amazing. It was crazy.

I sang along, swinging my hips to the music as I cleaned every surface and tidied up.

Until I heard a loud cough from behind me, making me stop in my tracks. Shit.

Shit, shit, shit! He’s here.

I turned around, my face bright red, and slowly took the earbuds out. “I apologize, Cas. I work faster with music and didn’t hear you come in.”

“You lied to me.”

Okay?

I looked at him, waiting for him to tell me what I lied about because I had no clue.

“You aren’t married, Ripley.” Cas said, standing in the room like he owned the place. Well, he does own the place, but his attitude was ridiculous. So what that I lied?

“I was married. He died.” I replied, trying to have as little emotion in my voice as possible. “I am almost finished. I’ll get out of your hair soon.”

“Why did you tell me you were married?” Cas asked, running his hand through his hair.

He had nice hair, but his beard was really cool. I would never tell him that, though.

Maybe he had one of those weak chins, and that’s why he had a beard—to make himself look better. Yeah, he was probably really ugly without a beard.

Nah, even I don’t believe that.

Cas tapped his foot, waiting for me to answer.

“Because it usually works?” I shrugged my shoulders. “Hearing no from a woman isn’t enough for some men, but when men hear I'm taken, they suddenly back down. It’s ridiculous that it’s needed, but sadly, it is.”

“I didn’t back down.” Cas smirked.

“I know.” I replied, wondering if he realized how much worse he was than those men I mentioned. At least other men understood they had no chance when I told him I was married. But Cas didn’t seem to care either way. He wasn’t used to hearing no, most likely.

“How much will it cost me?” Cas asked, walking towards me.

Not again! I don’t want to be caged in like some animal, ready to be devoured.

“How much for what?” I asked, taking a step to the side, so the sofa was now between us.

“To sleep with me.” He said like it was nothing. Without any emotions. Stoic bastard.

My eyes went wide, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Until I became angry. This man just called me a nobody yesterday; now he wants to buy me? Like I was a whore?!

I glared at Cas, and I couldn’t hold back. Is this how my girls feel when they are having a tantrum? The filter I usually have was gone, and everything that I thought came out.

And my thoughts were angry.

“You think I can be bought? Are you fucking crazy? I am not a whore! Are you really that pathetic that you won’t take no for an answer? I’m a nobody, remember?” I said, walking towards the man I had just tried to avoid.

I stared up at him, wishing I could shoot daggers at him with my eyes. “I will never sleep with you, even for all the money in the world. You’re arrogant and mean, and you probably have a small dick anyway. All that talk about how great you are in bed...." I scoffed, “you probably don’t even know how to please a woman, but they’re too polite or scared to tell you.”

Cas looked at me as if he was enjoying my anger. “Not even to pay off your debt? It will be hard to maintain custody if you don’t have the money to pay your lawyer.”

How did he know?

“How?” I uttered the words, realizing I was too close to him. Would he hurt me? Would he not take no for an answer and force me?

No, Cas wouldn’t offer money if he wanted to take me by force. He wanted me to agree to sex, one way or another.

“With money, you can buy almost anything.”

“Not me.” I quickly said.

“I’ll make sure they fire you.”

Tears were coming to my eyes, and I wiped them away. “You’re evil. What did I do to you? Was it really just because I don’t turn into a puddle when I see you? Or because you expect your employees to lick the soles of your feet? To do whatever you want when you say it?”

“Not my feet….” Cas smirked. He loved that he was getting to me. This was just another game for him.

“I don’t think you even want me. You just want what you can’t have. Or you’re just messing with my mind. But whatever sick mind game is going on, I don’t want any part of it. Fire me, then. I’ll make sure to file a complaint for sexual harassment and stalking. I’m sure I won’t be the first woman you treat like crap.”

Cas grunted, bawling his fists. I couldn’t back down now, so I kept looking at him, waiting for him to make the first move.

“Are you going to hit me?” I asked, trying not to sound scared.

Cas took a step away. His hand was relaxing, and his face was mortified. “I would never hit a woman.”

“Sure…” I replied sarcastically.

Cas shook his head, looking down. “I would never hurt a woman.”

“Just insult her and try to buy her….”

“You fucking….”

“What?!” I shouted, not caring anymore. I was fired anyway. And I was in too deep now. There was no going back to normal.

“Go on ten dates with me. I’ll prove I’m not the man you think I am. And I’ll give you a million dollars.” Cas said, looking at me like he was making a business deal.

“Is this another way to have sex with me, because it’s becoming kind of desperate. Heather would love to sleep with you, I’m sure.”

“One million dollars. I will draw up a contract. Sex will not be one of the requirements to get the money.”

He was kidding, right? But I had to check. One million would fix everything. I would be out of debt and be able to afford an expensive lawyer. I would be free of all this mess. “What would be required?”

The smirk on this man’s face! He looked like he had already won.

“Ten dates; you need to dress up and stay for the entire date. Physical touch needs to be consensual, and dates need to be scheduled for this month.”

I raised my eyebrow, “I have kids. I can’t go on ten dates in four weeks’ time.”

“That’s why babysitters exist. But I’m willing to schedule some as lunch or breakfast dates. You need to eat, right?”

“And what do you get out of it?” I asked, wondering if this was too good to be true. Well, good may be the wrong word. There was nothing good about needing to spend ten dates with someone as awful as Cas.

“I can deduct it as charity,” Cas joked. Then his face got more serious. “I always get what I want.”

“You won’t get me.”

“We’ll see,” Cas replied with an arrogant smirk that I wanted to smack off his face. “Do we have a deal?”

“Do I still need to clean your room?”

“Yes.” He answered.

“And you’ll be here to annoy me and tell me I’m doing everything wrong?”

He shrugged, “when I have time.”

“Fine.” I conceded. This was probably just a weird joke anyway. No way would someone pay me money to go on dates with them. Especially someone who didn’t really seem to like me.

“Great. The first date will be at lunch. I’ll have the contract ready then. Meet me in the terrace area. And dress nicely.”

“What?”

Cas didn’t reply; instead, he walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. A few seconds later, I heard the shower go on.

I quickly finished cleaning the living room and got out of there as soon as possible.

What was I going to do?!