CHAPTER 6 - FIT TO BE TIED

The moment her eyes landed on her buyer and realized his identity, Kara went ballistic.  She did not know how it happened, but Kara was sure she had been grossly manipulated.  Nico played her into his hands.  

Her nostrils flared as the anger she could not define engulfed her.  

How dare he put her fate into his hands?  How dare he pull her like a puppet on a string just because she rejected him?

Kara’s rage mounted.

“You planned this!”  She lashed out at him.  

Feeling out of her depths.  Her control quickly slipped away from her. She swung her arms to hit, but instantly regretted her intent when she felt a stinging pain shoot from her wrists to her arms.  

“Aw!” She cried.

She dropped her arms and doubled over, pulling her wrists close to her chest. Then her knees buckled, and she slumped like a heap on the floor. 

Nico sat on his haunches and grabbed her arms to inspect.  But even in her pain, Kara is consumed with anger.  She yelled at him.

“Don’t touch me. I hate you.”

She verbally dressed him down, uncaring about the consequences of her actions. 

“You can not accept my rejection, so you made an elaborate plan to lure me to your web.  You are so vindictive and vile, arrogant and ruthless.”  She plucked every hated word she could think of out of thin air and hurled it at him. 

“But I promise this. I will never yield.” She hissed.

Her stance might be combative, but every time she cussed at him, she scooted further from him until her back touched the edge of his bed, limiting her movement. 

Nico saw this. 

He also noted the resentment in her eyes, and something in his expression flickered.  In the face of her rage, he regretted his decision. He shouldn’t have bid for her. 

He should have left her to her own devices, but something inside him rebelled at the thought of another man owning her. His jaw hardened, and his lips compressed into a thin line, giving him a dangerous aura. 

“You are right.  I shouldn’t have bought you, but since I already spent a fortune on you, I need to make sure that my investment did not go to waste.” 

“What do you mean?” Kara’s anger suddenly dissipated, and in its place, fear crept in. 

She shivered involuntarily as all sorts of ideas formed in her head. 

“To put it bluntly, Ms. Baxter.  I now own you.  Whether I used underhanded tactics to get you does not discount the fact that beginning today, you are my property.” He spat out. 

Nico Bernardi’s subdued tone made Kara cringe inwardly.  His words reverberated in her ears, causing her to shiver involuntarily. 

With a sinking feeling, she realized that what he said was true.  He owned her. 

“And from now on, I will treat you as such.  A hundred million dollars is a lot of money, and I have to get my money’s worth.  As I said earlier, I am a businessman, and I can not just put my investment to waste.”

His remark made her pause in tensed silence. Fear started to spread to her body. It made her heart beat painfully in her chest. 

It did not help that her eyes caught sight of the signet ring on his right pinky finger. Instantly, she was reminded of what a dangerous man Nico Bernardi is. 

“What do you mean? Are you going to rape me?”

Nico Bernardi snickered. The sound grated on her nerves, making her chest feel stuffy. 

“Do not insult me, Ms. Baxter.  I had never violated a woman in my life.  Do not make false assumptions, and do not think so highly of yourself.  I never once forced myself on anyone, and I will never start with you.”  She heaved a relieved sigh after that, only to be agitated once more by his words, which sounded more like a threat. 

“But I promise one day you will come to me and beg me to take you. And when that time comes, I will relish every minute.  I will undress you inch by torturous inch until you cannot take it any longer.  I will break you so hard that no man will ever have the power to satisfy you except me.” 

Her face contorted at the picture he was painting. But to her growing horror, his every word seemed to spread through her body before pooling into the pit of her stomach, making the muscles clench in anticipation.

Kara clenched her fists. She recognized the need to remain angry for self-preservation.  Otherwise, Nico Bernardi‘s words would become her reality. 

“No amount of persuasion or seduction can make me yield to you, Mr. Bernardi.  I hate you.” She said contemptuously, relishing the sound of it coming off her lips. 

To her satisfaction, Nico nodded. 

“As you wish.” He replied and bid her good night. 

Kara watched him leave, and something inside her flickered. Unconsciously, her body trembled. 

“Where are you going?”  She asked, suddenly alarmed. 

Two days before the auction night, Kate Ash locked her up in a room, leaving her in trauma. And earlier that evening, they locked her up in a cage. It was too much to take in.

Hearing the fear in her voice, Nico Bernardi turned around to face her.  

“I am a busy man, Ms. Baxter. I can not babysit you day in and day out. I have a business to run and more important things to do.” He said in his most condescending tone. 

Kara caught on what he wanted to say.  

She shrank inwardly, knowing how irrelevant she was in his eyes, but the insinuation stings. 

Not wanting him to know how much his words affected her, she dug her feet on the floor, her toes curling inward.  It was the only way she could think of to keep her composure. She did not want to buckle in front of this man.  

Showing weakness in the face of the enemy is a big no. 

Kara knew she had to be strong, and she needed to show Nico Bernardi that.  

The deed has been done. There is nothing she could do to change it.  What happened has already happened. 

Nico Bernardi, for whatever reason, bought her. He now owns her. 

At her silence, Nico Bernardi resumed walking until he was out of Kara’s sight.  

Suddenly, Kara felt her knees giving in. She walked gingerly to the bed and slumped there. She did not know how long she stayed there until she heard a knock on the door. A while later,  the sound of the knob being turned open reached her ears. 

Kara composed herself.  She sat up straight and waited to see her guest. 

It was a maid bringing food. 

“I understand you still haven’t eaten, Ms. Baxter. Would you like me to serve your food now or later after you freshen up?” The maid asked gently. 

Kara’s eyes misted in time with the growling sounds from her stomach. The mention of food made her teary-eyed.  She was famished, but for the past few days, she could not force food down her throat because of the extreme stress she was under. 

She clutched a hand to her belly and bit her lip, her expression full of apology. “I am sorry. I am quite hungry.  Can I have my dinner now?” Kara asked politely. 

The maid nodded and served her food. Kara noticed that the maid, though young, deftly moved around her. She had a happy disposition while she worked.  Kara could not help but be impressed. 

When Kara was about to dig in, she noticed the maid did not leave.  “Do you want to share this with me?” She invited. 

The maid smiled her thanks but shook her head no.  

Feeling emboldened by her friendly countenance, Kara asked about Nico Bernardi, but the maid remained reticent.  She tried again, only to be dissuaded yet again. 

“Pardon, Ms. Baxter, but we are paid to serve, not to gossip about our boss.” her voice did not sound offensive, but Kara felt ashamed of herself.  

She was trying to get information about Nico Bernardi because once she escaped his claws, she would report him to the authorities.  She needed this maid’s collaboration if ever she did that. 

But this maid quickly dashed whatever hopes she had. 

“It was not to offend you, Ms. Baxter.” the maid said apologetically. Then, she put all the dishes and leftovers back on her cart.  

“I will be leaving now, Ms. Baxter.  Breakfast is at eight.  Be sure to be ready by then because the boss values his time.  Punctuality is very important to him. ” She announced.

Finally, she learned something about Nico Bernardi. But this bit of information was actually a rule he maintained in the hotel.  Nico Bernardi hates people who often come in late. He believes in valuing time, especially other people’s time. To him, it is a sign of utmost respect. 

Kara nodded to let her know that she got it.  Then, she went to the bathroom to wash up.  She took her sweet time. She soaked her body in the water and felt her muscles slowly relaxing. 

She checked the cabinets and found them stuffed with women's things.   There was an assortment of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and perfumes.

Once she was done with her bath, she brushed her teeth and searched the cabinets for a hair dryer. She found one and plugged it in. 

When she emerged from the bathroom, she tried to sleep. She tossed and turned on the bed, but sleep would not claim her. 

Finally, when she felt that it was already too late, she reached the door, reached for the handle, and smiled when she found it unlocked from the outside. 

Very carefully, Kara tiptoed her way out of the room. The hallway was dark.  With her heart thudding painfully in her chest, Kara let her eyes adjust to the dark, scanning the area for a way out.

She crossed the foyer until she arrived at the stairwell. She kept her feet light so as not to make any sound that would disturb anyone. 

She bit her lip when she reached the landing. She wanted to do a jiggly dance when she noticed all the lights were off, indicating that everyone had already retired for the night.

She took a deep breath. 

It was pitch black, except for the soft illumination from the moon.   Kara started to grope her way in the dark, checking for the front door.  

She was so busy she did not notice a lone figure sitting with his legs crossed on the sofa. He already knew that it was her when he heard her slow footsteps on the stairs. 

But he did not make a move. He wanted to see what she was up to. 

When she would have run past him, he stretched out his arms to grab her waist. 

Kara shrieked.  “Put me down!” She cried.  Her body stiffened when he ignored her order and pulled her toward his chest. 

For his part, Nico almost smiled when he sensed her panic while she struggled to get out of his hold. But because he was stronger, she had no chance of escaping him. 

Nico gripped her tight to his body and almost groaned out loud in remorse when he realized it was a wrong move because once he felt her softness against his hardness, all rational thoughts fled out of his head. 

He wanted to take her.  

He soothingly caressed her belly when he heard her whimper in fright. 

“And what do you think you are doing, Ms. Baxter?” He said in a rather stilted voice. 

Kara stopped struggling for a while. 

Nico did not anticipate that it was just a ploy on her part. She took his silence and relaxed position as her cue. The next instant, she jabbed her elbows into his ribcage. 

“Do not go around frightening me, you j*rk!” She shouted to his face.