Chapter 5

As soon as Ava finished her work, she let out a tired sigh, feeling the exhaustion creep over her. "I'm leaving, master," she whispered weakly. She realized that it was late now and she would have to walk home.

"Come," Damon muttered, but she remained standing where she was, momentarily forgetting that he hated having to repeat himself. When he turned around and prepared to scold or shout at her, she hurriedly stepped towards him.

"M-Master?" she called.

Standing just an inch away from him, she swallowed nervously, bracing herself for whatever was to come. "You did a really good job, Ava," he said, his fingers moving to the necklace she wore around her neck. "And you've been a good girl." Looking up at him, she felt an odd mix of emotions. The fact that he referred to her as a "good girl" felt strange, yet somewhat pleasing. "I didn't punish you because you told me the truth, but if it happens again, I will give you a spanking."

"A spanking?" The words slipped out before she could stop them. Nobody had ever laid hands on her, and the thought of him wanting to spank her felt alarming. But there was still one question lingering in her mind, so she asked, "With a belt?" This remark elicited a chuckle from him, although it didn't quite reach his eyes, so she couldn't consider it a genuine laugh.

"With my hands, little Ava," he said, moving his fingers under my chin. "I need you to always be a good girl. Bad girls get punished, and when I say it will hurt, it will." He smiled, but it sent a chill down my spine. "Not the kind of spanking that gets you aroused, Ava." I could feel my face turning red in embarrassment. "When I spank you, it will make you cry because it will hurt a lot. So I need you to behave... understood?" He asked, never taking his gaze off of me.

"Yes, master," I replied, biting my lower lip and unable to look away from him. It felt like some sort of spell was keeping me rooted in place.

"Tomorrow, you will feed my pet, and I expect you to do it within two minutes. Get used to seeing dead bodies because it will soon become a regular part of your life." He withdrew his hands and averted his gaze. "You can go home now, Ava."

This man confuses me. Am I just his maid, or am I some sort of experiment for him to train and control? Does he plan on spanking me? Before that happens, I need to resign. I might be desperate for the money, but this job is not worth it.

"Do you plan on spending the night with me, Ava?" He turned his head towards me, his brows furrowed. It was then that I realized I hadn't moved an inch from where I stood.

"No, of course not, master." I quickly walked back to the bedroom, grabbed all the cleaning materials, and rushed to the equipment room to drop them off. Then I made my way to the servant changing room to put on my short yellow summer dress.

"Did he punish you?" I heard Rose's voice as I turned, noticing the other servants looking at me with concern. "We saw you rushing upstairs to finish your work, but now we're thinking you didn't finish and he caught you," someone else murmured, their faces filled with worry.

"Oh no, he didn't punish me, just called me silly." I smiled, zipping up my dress. But their confused and shocked expressions told me they didn't quite believe me.

"What?"

"Nothing." As I watched them gather their bags and leave the mansion, my attention turned to Rose. "What was that all about?"

"They must be surprised, Ava. The master doesn't forgive anyone," Rose muttered. "And his punishments are brutal."

"Spanking?"

"Spanking? Why would you think that?" Rose gave me a confused look. "He uses belts, iron belts, to flog anyone who disobeys him. He even uses hot-pressing irons, and his slaps are horrible... I told you earlier, he may be handsome, but he is sick."

"That's a lot. Did that happen to you?"

"Oh no, I never did anything to warrant punishment."

"If you guys know all of this, why haven't you reported him to the police?"

"Reporting him would solve nothing. We have no evidence, and he is a general in his army, an army that the government doesn't control. He controls the government," Rose shook her head.

"Besides, the salary he provides helps most of us. We have nowhere else to go where we can earn this much money, you know."

"I understand," I replied.

"Anyway, I'm turning left here. See you tomorrow, and this time, come in early," she informed me, almost as a warning.

"I will." Waving goodbye to Rose, I decided not to head to the train station as usual. I had a feeling that Alex might be there, and he also freaked me out. How could I love someone I had just met? Plus, it was already late.

My hand moved to touch the necklace around my neck. As I lifted it, I stared at the diamond. It would be worth millions if I sold it, but what if he asked about it? Why did I take it off when I was explicitly told not to?

All the stories I've heard about Damon are terrifying, and I believe them because he looks like the kind of person who is quiet, evil, intelligent, and sick in the head. He's a smoking hot man, but he needs help to change. He needs to stop hurting people as if they were chickens to be slaughtered.

"Hey!" In this dark roadside area, someone touches my face, causing me to stop and stare at the man who won't leave me alone. "This place isn't safe for girls, you know."

"I'm strong enough to protect myself, Alex," I growl, batting his hand away from my face. "And how did you find me?" I start walking away, but I can hear his footsteps behind me. "Alex!" I stop and turn around, only to find him smiling as he runs his hand through his hair.

"I want to get to know you better, Ava," he says, moving closer to the car parked nearby. "Just get in, let's talk." I don't budge an inch, causing him to exhale. "Please, I told you earlier, I won't hurt you."

"Why should I trust you?" I look around, not a single soul in sight, but the streetlight still illuminates the area. Who would have thought I would stay in that mansion this late? My mother will be worried.

"That's true. You have no reason to, but..." he smiles, giving me a glimpse of his white teeth, and I notice his fangs. "I would never dream of hurting you. I like to protect what's mine."

"What's yours?" I furrow my brows, blinking as he quickly moves closer to me, his hand already caressing my face. "What are you doing?" For some reason, I'm not scared of him, not even a bit.

"I miss you, Ava. I have been alone for centuries," he says, his red eyes filled with sorrow. But I don't understand what he's saying.

"I was weak. I couldn't stop him from taking you away from me. But that has changed now. I've improved. I can protect you now and keep you in my arms." He pulls me into a tight hug, holding me tightly.

Why are these two recent men in my life giving me headaches?

"Let go of me, Alex!" I push him back without giving him a chance to think, and I start running. I won't stop until I reach home and shut the door behind me. "Evening, Mother!" I scream, rushing upstairs to my room.

"Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm fine, Mom. I just need a quick bath. I smell horrible."

"Alright, dinner is being served. Hurry up!"

"Okay, Mother." I shut my door, leaning against it and closing my eyes as I breathed heavily. I've never run that far before.

"Your room looks nice." I open my eyes and can't help but scream. Surprisingly, my voice doesn't come out as he covers my mouth with his hands, looking at me with intensity. Our eyes lock together.

"Let me get to know you better, my love." What he says makes me think of only four words.

This man is crazy.