When Bloom woke up from her siesta, she noticed the room was empty. She rubbed her groggy eyes and got down from the bed. When did Esther leave? Bloom walked towards a big teddy bear in the corner of the room. She tapped its red nose, and the teddy's eyes glowed before a projection was sent to a small white screen across it. Using her remote, she fast forwarded the security footage.Her eyes widened a little in happiness when she saw her father walk in. Her glee barely lasted five seconds when she saw him kick Esther out. She frowned in annoyance. This man will be the death of her! At this rate, even if she stretched the painting period to a year, he would still end up single.Slowly pushing them together and allowing their feelings to naturally blossom was a stupid plan! The best way to make two people fall in love is to trick them into it, and the best person to start with is her old man.She turned off the teddy bear projector and entered the bathroom. After washing up, she met wit
Esther laid out her painting equipment and rubbed her eyes. She still felt sleepy after having stayed up all night worrying about Mr. Narok's sudden lunch invitation and what it was for. They really had nothing to talk about that he couldn't email her or send a message. Today is her first day on the job, and if the image she saw in the mirror was any indication, then she looked like a hobo on drugs.The studio's door was pushed open. Esther took a deep breath before turning with a smile. While expecting it to be the Narok family members, she was surprised to see the familiar maid, Phoebe, scanning her head to toe."Oh my gosh, you look like shit," the maid laughed. Esther subconsciously tugged at her faded blue knit sweater. Dahra had told her it brightened up her gloomy features; that's why she wore it.Not having anything to say, Esther turned around and began rearranging the supplies she already laid out. The door shut behind her, and she tensed, knowing Phoebe was still inside."Y
Bloom pulled Esther up the stairs and into a luxurious room. She let go of Esther’s hand and wrote on her pad, “This is my granny's room.”Esther's eyes widened, and she stepped back towards the door. “I don't think it's right to bring me here.”Bloom shook her head and wrote on her pad again, “It’s okay, she's hardly ever here.”Esther felt uncomfortable as she looked into the room. It had dark purple furnishings: dark purple velvet drapes adorned the tall, arched windows; a large four-poster bed complete with a canopy of the same rich purple fabric; and the floor was covered in plush deep purple carpet. The dark mahogany dresser and armoire added to the opulence of the room. Despite what Bloom said, the room didn't look like it was rarely occupied.Bloom tossed her pad on the couch in the corner and pulled a reluctant Esther towards the dresser. Just then, the door opened, and about four women sashayed in. They wore bright makeup and stylish dresses, also carrying several bags. Esth
It had been a while since her anopsia acted up; she’d nearly forgotten how it felt. As a matter of fact, it had only turned up once since she started living with the Naroks. And now…Bang. Bang. Bang.“Come out now or so help me, I will break down this door,” Phoebe sounded pissed. Even though there was a hardwood door between them, Esther could hear the venom in the other girl’s voice.She walked towards the door and twisted the lock even further to make sure it was closed. Phoebe heard the lock click and gave the door a hard kick. Esther heard her mutter a few curses before stalking away. She slid down with a sigh and rubbed her eyes. The edges of her vision had turned blurry, and squiggly shapes danced around her view. She stood up slowly and made her way to her bag, taking her pills. She paused a second before popping two into her mouth; the bitter taste made her wince. But when she reached into the bag, she didn't hear the familiar crinkle of her strawberry-flavored candy. She si
Sullivan woke up to a buzzing by his ear. He slowly opened his eyes then shut them as the bright morning light assaulted his vision. He stretched his hand toward the infernal sound and picked up his phone.Picking up the call, he growled, "You better have a good reason for calling this bloody early, Vito."Vito's bored voice replied, "It's 11:36 a.m., and you have a meeting in twenty-four minutes."Sullivan rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Move it to tomorrow.""I'm afraid that is not possible. The partners called, and they are on their way."Sullivan opened one bleary eye. "Fine, I'm sure you can delay the darn meeting for thirty minutes. I'll be there."The call disconnected almost immediately.Sullivan tossed the phone away and lay back down. There was a small knock, and his room door was pushed open. A maid walked in with a tray of food. Sullivan looked up to see who it was."Phoebe," he called. "Is the young miss ready for school?"Phoebe shrugged as she dropped the tray. She tugged
The dress was a deep, rich red color that hugged her body. The flared skirt fell just above her knee, and the rounded neckline framed her face. At face value, the dress looked neat and modest, but on her, it was something entirely different. Sullivan's eyes darkened. His heated gaze shifted from the painter to his daughter beside her. The cheeky little thing was watching him with a smug expression.They reached the end of the stairs. The painter nodded coolly at him. "I'll go get my coat."He watched her walk away."What do you think?"He turned to Bloom. "About what?"Bloom rolled her eyes and tore out a sheet from her pad, holding it up to him.Sullivan read the paper's bold title: "Dating Rules."His lips twitched. "This is?"Bloom gave him a look that said, "Are you dumb?""It's your dating to-do list. You have to follow it strictly," she narrowed her eyes. "If you don't, I'll know."Sullivan scoffed.Bloom crumpled the paper in her hand and went to sit down. "If you no longer wish
After the meal, a few slices of cake were served. Sullivan raised a brow at this. He had not planned to stay for dessert. He glanced in the direction of the kitchen before taking out Bloom's crumpled paper from his pocket. It was a listed itinerary for the date. Looking at the activities, Sullivan briefly wondered where Bloom had gotten all this information.It included such things as opening the door and pulling out chairs for the painter, as well as complimenting her outfit. Was he going on a date or playing as a servant? He crumpled the paper and tossed it on the table. He had done none of those things and he didn't plan to."Are you finished?" he asked. The painter, who was about to bite into her tiramisu, paused and blinked at him."If you're done, we should leave. It's getting late."She paused and dropped the fork.But before she could stand up, a shadow hovered over the table. Vincent grinned down at them."Is the cake not to your liking, madame?"She immediately shook her head
Esther slipped into her bed and shut her eyes, not that it made much of a difference. Her vision had started ebbing the second they got to the house. Thankfully, for some reason, he had led her to her door. She just didn't expect what happened next. She raised her hand and stared at her red palm. She must have hit him really hard. She frowned; he deserved it! But now that her fury was burning out, she wanted to cry. She was definitely fired. Dahra would kill her. She picked up her phone and began typing a text."You won't believe the awful thing that happened to me t..."Before she could type another word, her phone started ringing. The caller popped up, and it was Dahra. Esther's heart skipped a beat. Had a contract termination email already been sent? Her finger hovered over the decline button, but she tapped the green button with a wince."Hello?""Hey babe, what's up?""N-nothing... is anything up on your end?""Well yes..." Dahra sounded mad.Esther swallowed and began to defend
It was quiet when he got home. Too quiet. Coupled with Bloom’s many emergency beeps, Sullivan’s feet pounded the pavement as he ran inside. Entering the house, he saw Ms. Reid pacing back and forth. When she saw him, she burst into tears. “Little miss is missing!” she cried.Sullivan felt like he had been struck by lightning. Rapidly, he mentally retraced his steps. Things had been quiet lately, so he was sure he had not offended the Underground. Was it one of his enemies? But which one? His mouth pressed into a thin line as he turned to Ms. Reid. “Have you contacted her secret guards?”She stuttered, “Yes, but they lost sight of her three hours ago. They said they couldn’t attack because it was…”A loud ringing sound interrupted her, and with a frown, Sullivan made a beeline for the landline.“Hello?” he spoke into the receiver. The sound of light laughter made Sullivan scowl. He dragged his hand through his hair and growled, “What is the meaning of this, Crimson? Where is my daught
He really was taking her home. She watched the familiar streets flash by. He hadn't said a word since she got in the car, and for that, she was grateful. Still, the silence suffocated her, bringing back memories her father had paid therapists to help her overcome.She silently hoped her secret guards were following her, even as she discreetly tapped the tiny button on her smartwatch that sent an emergency call to her dad. He would see the SOS call and come running back to save her immediately. The thought calmed her somewhat. She turned her neck ever so slightly, risking a glimpse at the red-haired man. She flinched when she saw the lifeless mask was facing her. He had been watching her the whole time.He stretched out his hand and patted her head. "You've grown up, little Bloom. When we last met, you were a sniveling brat, and now..." His gloved hand poked her cheek. "You don't even seem that afraid. Or have you gotten better at hiding your fear?"Cold sweat slicked her back, and bil
Without Bloom forcing her into a gilded dress, Esther looked more modest and demure when Sullivan picked her up for lunch. She wore a plain blue top and fitted jeans. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Still, Sullivan's heart quivered when he saw her. Simple as she was dressed, there was a beguiling air about her.She didn't meet his eyes when she entered the car; her lips were pressed in a thin line, and she kept looking at her phone.Sullivan couldn't help but ask, "Are you expecting a call?"She looked up at him as if she hadn't noticed his presence. "Er, yes. My friend said she had something to discuss with me."Sullivan nodded and returned to the file in his hand. But he wasn't reading the reports; rather, he stared at the back of her head. She had occupied the front seat, which was strange. Was she still uncomfortable around him? He assumed their midnight snack had drawn them a little closer; it seemed he was mistaken.She turned slightly to face him. "My friend, you've met her
Bloom picked up her school bag and walked down the stairs. Another day to spend in that shoebox they called a school. Perhaps it was high time she asked her dad to push her up a few grades. If she had to watch her classmates stumble over simple arithmetic any longer, she might just bang her head against a wall. As she descended the last step, she noticed her dad and Esther standing together. Her heart raced—was her dumb daddy finally taking the initiative? She contemplated giving them space to talk, but her childish curiosity won, and she stealthily snuck over.Her dad rolled his eyes at something Esther said and replied, "For the umpteenth time, it's okay. I'm not angry, nor do I have a reason to be. Besides, I quite enjoyed myself last night."Bloom stifled a gasp and clamped her mouth shut. Her little face turned red. Last night? Did they…? She shook her head hard and scuttled off, not wanting to hear any more!Returning to the bottom of the stairs, she slowly walked toward the pai
"You'd better have a great reason for calling me out this late," Vito drawled. The colorful flashing lights of the club did nothing to hide the bags under his eyes; he looked ready to fall asleep.Sullivan frowned at his friend. "My, you look dreadful.""Perhaps if you hired an assistant, I would be able to sleep more than two hours a day."Sullivan shrugged, sliding into the booth. "Oh, that's your call to make. You have poor taste in assistants, though."Two of the last three assistants Vito had hired had been corporate spies. The third one was a terrible flirt who bothered the secretaries all day and ended up getting sued.Vito yawned and looked away. "Why are we here?"Sullivan shrugged again. "Nothing much, just wanted to talk."Vito glared at him."What? Can't I?"Vito stood up, swaying like a zombie. "Have fun.""Wait," Sullivan called out. "I do have something bothering me."Vito released a long-suffering sigh and returned to his seat. "What is it?"Sullivan leaned back in his
The hidden security cameras around the house provided enough proof to have his maid taken away, kicking and screaming. She had tried to beg him, but Sullivan couldn't be bothered to keep the disobedient chit around. Usually, he would be searching for a new companion, but thinking about a certain painter, Sullivan couldn't bring himself to try. Besides, issues with the Underground weighed heavily on his mind.Sitting in his study, Sullivan considered what to do. The organization expected total obedience from its members, and Sullivan had to move soon. However, he loathed dragging Bloom into this. Still, he had to move his whole household to the island house soon. Perhaps he could stall Bloom’s move by having her stay with Mrs. Mario. Then, he could take a few maids and make a show of accepting his new home.He sighed and leaned back in his seat, swiveling from side to side, considering that Crimson was sure to ruin any such plans. The Underground might be fully aware of his desire to b
They searched Esther's room thoroughly. Esther hurriedly picked up her pill bottle when a maid emptied her bag onto the floor. Her room was a mess by now. It wasn't big to begin with, yet they had spent nearly an hour overturning the whole place. Phoebe was starting to look panicked—wherever she had placed the stolen item, it was no longer there.The girl noticed Esther watching and stalked over to her side. She grabbed her arm in a painful grip, her nails digging into Esther's flesh. "You must have hidden it, right? I know it's in here, so where did you fucking hide it?"Esther pulled her arm away and glared at the red-faced Phoebe. "You seem a little too shocked that it's not in my room. Be careful, or people will start to think that you stole it to frame me."Phoebe recoiled, turning to look at the maids tossing Esther's clothes about. Some of them had stopped to watch, whispering to each other and leveling Phoebe with suspicious looks. Esther might not have friends among the staff
Sullivan slowly sipped his glass of white wine and smiled noncommittally at the balding, shrewd-eyed man who toasted him. He had been summoned to the Underground's headquarters to officially accept his title of commander. When he arrived, he found a small banquet already underway. Apparently, not only had they held a ceremony welcoming the Narok family as central members without informing him, but they also couldn’t be bothered to wait for his arrival before starting."Ha ha ha ha!" a big bearded man bellowed. He raised the wine glass, which appeared dwarfed between his thick fingers, and thumped Sullivan on the shoulder with his free hand. "It was about time you rose up the ranks. Your family has been more than deserving."Sullivan didn’t flinch, even as the hit threatened to knock him off his feet. He stepped out of reach and smiled at the older man. "Sir Mason, I can see you’re still in ship shape. I thought you were voyaging around the world. What brought you back this time?"Sir
Esther sniffed the air greedily as she watched Amanda pile up her bowl. Piping hot, spicy chicken noodle soup was exactly what her soul needed on this freaking cold afternoon. The weather had been damp and rainy all week, leaving nearly half the staff feeling under the weather. Esther had been helping out where she could, especially in the kitchen—anything to get out of Mrs. Mario's sight, and she had largely been successful."Here you go, girly," Amanda said, sliding the full bowl towards her. Esther watched the red sauce slosh around the thin, glassy noodles. Her stomach growled in hunger."This smells amazing, Amanda," she gushed."Haha, thank you. You not so bad yourself," Amanda chortled.Esther blushed at her remark. Amanda had caught her making late-night noodles once. While Esther had been mortified, the older woman hadn't criticized her but had instead indulged in a bowl as well. She said Esther had enough skill to open her own noodle restaurant. Esther didn't really agree wi