Chapter 3

-JOANNE

Coming from a low-income back bone and being a workaholic, I was rarely exposed to luxurious places.

So I gasped like a fool when I took a good look at the breath-seizing dining room in front of me.

The walls were nearly as high as the sky, with strings of gold glistening on them.

A large crystal-like chandelier hung from the roof, brightening the area and adding gold hues to the big dining table beneath it.

The floors were wooden carpets that reflected practically everything above them, and the dining table was fit for a king and queen. Everything was deeply untouchable, and I instantly felt out of place, recalling the small, terrible apartment Bailey and I shared.

I gulped.

Out of all the rooms, this looked the most expensive, given that it was only a room to dine in.

I haven't been in many other rooms, so I guess there is still so much I haven't seen.

But heaven help me, because I wouldn't want to break anything here.

I immediately noticed the man called 'Master' sitting at the end of the dining table, staring at me.

Shit!

Why haven't I noticed him since walking in?

His frightening glare nearly caused me to lose my balance as I attempted to walk in the pricey heels on my feet.

I walked carefully to the dining table, holding my head high.

I took a seat at the end of the table, facing him, and he gave me a long look before letting out a sigh.

"Come closer." He breathed out, and once again I was forced to recall how striking his voice was and how nerve-wracking it made me feel.

I got up and moved around the table, taking a seat one chair away from where he was sitting.

Maybe he wanted to talk to me, and sitting at the end of the table was extremely silly.

Now that I was near him, I could smell his gorgeous scent, which practically put my nose on fire. I couldn't figure out the entire smell, which was sweet, minty, and strangely overpowering.

I kept a straight face while feeling his heavy gaze on me, attempting to appear unimpressed with everything in sight.

Shit!

I looked at him, and my heart skipped a beat.

He was incredibly handsome, but also menacing. And I despised how he kept staring at me as if I were a bird out of its cage for the first time.

Looking at it, Maybe I was.

I was practically imprisoned here for a week!

I stole a glance at the man in front of me again.

To be called Master, he is vividly the owner of this place.

What would a man like him want with a girl like me?

What do I need to do for this man?

Why does he want me? And to have me kidnapped?

I watched as the 'Master' raised his hand, and immediately two people came rushing into the room, dressed in nice tuxedos, a man and a woman.

They both bowed at him, and the lady stepped forward.

"Good evening," she said.

"Yeah. Her." Their master said, gesturing his hand towards me, and they both turned to me.

The lady in her nice, perfect tuxedo passed me a smile as she started speaking, “Having a delightful evening, miss? There is no menu available; do you have any particular cravings for the evening?"

Oh, they were waiters.

I gawked at them strangely, trying not to laugh because they sounded funny.

The formality was way over the top.

The lady raised her brows at me after seeing that I was taking too long to answer.

"Uh, anything you offer." I finally spoke up, my voice soft and quiet.

The lady grinned. "Are you sure, Miss?"

"Yes," I replied, shy all of a sudden.

I wasn't even hungry.

The waiters left the room immediately after my reply, leaving me and their 'Master' in another awkward silence.

At that point, I wanted to get up and bombard the man in front of him with questions, but the fact that everyone appeared afraid of him made me afraid of him as well. I definitely did not want to get on his bad side.

I breathed out a sigh, and the man turned to me.

“As you already know, you know me by the name Hardy Bensimon. But I know this is your first time seeing me in person." His voice was like an earthquake.

But a name that suited him perfectly.

Hardy Bensimon.

"Joanne. My name is Joanne,” I coughed out, going with the introduction flow.

"I know,” he grumbled.

And that was the only thing we both said until our dinner arrived.

I was served perfectly roasted chicken with red wine, a Demi-Glace, and a Polenta special. While their master, who is perfectly named Hardy, just had a glass of water,.

It was really weird having him watch me eat.

I was no fancy girl; I didn’t know how to eat like his kind of woman or people.

I tried my best to stay as posed as ever and to eat like I didn’t want to divide the roasted chicken in two and give Bailey the lap like she always loved.

Oh, how I miss Bailey, my best friend, my roommate, and literally the only girl who understood me.

I started to wonder if Bailey was back home, worrying and looking for me. How did she take it all in?

Going to a club with your best friend and not seeing her again after that.

I shoved a big piece of chicken in my mouth and glanced up at Hardy, and his eyes on me suddenly made me choke on the food.

I coughed and placed my hand over my mouth, immediately grabbing his glass of water and chugging it down in one go.

He seemed a bit surprised by my action but remained silent.

I didn’t mean to trespass.

I continued eating, trying not to meet his eyes, but the words he said next literally made my hand twitch.

"You're a bit of a messy eater." He started.

"You should always be careful, since you're going to be carrying my child."

The cutleries in my hands dropped, and I slowly looked up at the man in front of me.

I was clearly sure I heard him right.

Carrying his child?

"What?" I breathed out, gawking at him, my lips quivering.

"What's with the expression? You did sign the contract... Now didn't you?" He adjusted his wristwatch.

"What contract..." My voice shook, and immediately the door to the dining room opened, and the other tall man from earlier walked in.

"Hardy." He called, staring at Hardy like he had just seen a ghost.

And the fact that he didn't call Hardy by the title 'Master'?

Could they be close?

"Theodore, what is it.?" Hardy asked, reading the disturbed look on his face.

The Theodore man looked breathless, but he managed to breathe out his words carefully.

"Hardy, there has been a mistake. She is not the one."

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