The Eyes is the Window

Celia

We both stared at each other for an insane amount of time. I'd never noticed just how deep his green eyes was, how it caught the moonlight at a beautiful angle. Suddenly all my problems were pushed to the back of my mind as I looked up at this man whom I hated with every heartbeat.

His scent filled my nostrils—the clean scent of rain and an undertone of male cologne—every element of him taking over my common sense.

Alexander, the man responsible for my near-tragic encounter, stood before me, his face filled with mild concern. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" he asked.

I took a moment to compose myself before answering. "I... I'm fine," I muttered, my voice quivering. My whole body was still trembling from the shock, but with his hands around me, the tremors finally subsided.

I looked at him, taking in his handsome features, and the anger within me swelled like a tempest.

This man had traded me like a simple commodity, had watched me dance half-naked on a stage, and had almost killed me shortly after. Why was life determined to get me today?

"We both know you don't care, so stop the pretence "I roughly pushed him away and stood to my feet, folding my arms to shield myself from the rods of rain. " I don't care, but the dress you're putting on is worth a million. If you've Heard about me I don't waste my money and even if I want to it wouldn't be on something useless " he said coldly 

Hearing this, I was heartbroken, all he cared about was the dress I had on? How can someone be so cruel? I moved away from him and turned around to stop a taxi.

I wasn't having any money to pay for a taxi and would probably be beaten to a pulp after the ride, but I didn't Care. I was willing to risk it all just to get away from this ruthless man that very moment. 

 "Do you have anywhere to go?" he asked, his gaze filled with a mixture of curiosity and authority.

Now I realized I had no where to go, I was homeless. I felt a surge of resentment rise within me. How could he have known the torment and suffering I had endured because of that transaction? My anger boiled over, and I lashed out at him.

"No, I don't have anywhere to go," I retorted, my voice dripping with bitterness. He was the reason I had no place to call home "But don't think for a second that I'm indebted to you in any way. You may have saved me from getting hit, but you are the one who put me in this wretched condition to begin with!"

Hamilton's face contorted with a mixture of surprise and rage. His eyes locked with mine, and I could see the weight of defiance in his gaze. "Your parents owed me." He growled. "I am a business man and it's only right to pay it back. Whatever means possible. You should be happy, I'm just helping" He said with a smirk on his face.

"Of course. How generous of you." I scoffed, my voice laced with sarcasm. "You thought it was perfectly fine to sell me off like a piece of property, didn't you? Well, I'm not going to pretend that I'm grateful for this stupid life you've given me, because I'm not!"

A tense silence settled between us as my words hit him hard. Hamilton seemed lost for words, and I could see the anger and slight hurt etched across his face. It was a small victory, but it didn't lessen the pain I had endured.

The anger slowly turned to amusement. "I see. In other words, you have nowhere to stay tonight, right?"

"In other words, you caused all of this!"

He stared at me for long seconds, an incredulous look on his face. "Come on. I'll take you to my place. You'll stay there for the night, then we'll talk about getting you a place tomorrow. That's if you would need one" He walked over to his car, then opened the driver's door and turned to me. "Are you coming?"

Left with no choice, I trudged in the rain puddles, stopping beside his car. I opened the passenger's seat and slipped inside. My teeth had begun to chatter when he started the ignition. He pulled out of the road and took a sharp left, then joined the traffic going uptown.

We drove in silence for a few minutes. I felt him glance at me as I stared resolutely forward, eyes noting my shivering, and then he reached for the dashboard and turned on the heater. Gratefully, I huddled in front of the heater as it hummed, and warmed my frozen body. "At least he had a conscience." So I thought.

"Having you die of cold would make me lose money" He said coldly.

Here I was thinking he was a man with a heart and human sympathy, but he was nothing but a stone headed freak. I couldn't help but cursed.

 Now I had to succumb to whatever treatment, I couldn't sleep on the street. I could have given him the greatest insult of all that he would remember for the rest of his life but doing that would make me homeless.

"I'll stay with you tonight," I finally said, breaking the silence. "But don't think for a second that I'm here because I want to be. It's only because I have no other choice."

"Right." Hamilton nodded, his expression a mix of understanding and amusement. "The other option would have been killing yourself using my poor car, huh?"

"Anything is better than getting back on that stage and shaking my tits for some disgusting old men to throw their dirty dollars at me." I snapped.

He jerked his head towards me and my eyes met his. Beneath the steely look on his face, I could see a sudden anger that he was trying valiantly to hold back. 'Celia let the sleeping lion lie' I told myself. Any more words from me, he could throw me out of the moving car.

"I understand," he replied softly, his jaws tightening as he pulled his anger in. "I made your life...a living hell, in every sense of the word."

I didn't respond, my anger still smoldering within me. I turned away from him and leaned against the door. Exhaustion took over me, and I felt myself slipping into an uneasy sleep.

When I woke again, the car had stopped. We were in front of his large mansion, the car parked a few metres away from the front doors. I frowned groggily and turned to Hamilton.

"We're here. Get down." he ordered, then opened his door.

I mimicked his movements and got down. He led me towards the mansion and opened the door, then walked in. All his guards and helps were gone for the night, and I was acutely aware of the fact that it was just the two of us in this absurdly large house tonight.

Hamilton turned to me. "Come on," he said. "I'll show you to the guest room."

He led me to a staircase and we ascended it, our footsteps heavy as we made our way to the guest room. We finally stopped at a landing, lined with several, equally designed white doors. He opened one and ushered me into the largest bedroom I had ever seen.

For a moment, I was blown away by the queen-sized bed lined with thick quilts and sheets, the large white dresser decorated with gold trimmings, the soft, beige rug under my bare feet and the curtains that rustled with a soft wind. Then I remembered that all of these had probably been bought with money that I was put to work to make, and my awe was replaced by sadness and self-pity.

"Don't think so highly of yourself, the money you make isn't even worth my dog's chain. Till tomorrow," Hamilton said, cutting through my train of thoughts.

What the hell, did he just read my thoughts? That's impossible, coming back to my sense, I couldn't help but glare at him "Yeah, whatever." I replied.

As I lay down on the bed, my mind raced with conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to believe that Hamilton was capable of redemption, but another part refused to trust him. As these thoughts followed each other in my head, I drifted into another bout of sleep.