Anna's POV

"He… Hello, Mr. Jordan, good evening." I stuttered, hoping he ignored the cuss words I just threw at him. I mean, I didn’t know he was out there.

"You have been avoiding my calls and those of my lawyer!" Mr. Jordan accused

Yeah, that would make him the second person today. When I don’t know how to deal with a problem, I just decide to run from it, even if it eventually catches up with me. This is quite the case with Mr. Jordan here; he was my landlord, and I am three months behind on rent.

"Oh. No, hehe," I laughed nervously, hoping that he found this funny as well, but his crumpled face said something different; he wasn’t having any of it. "I have not been avoiding you, Mr. Jordan; I have just been really busy." I lied for the umpteenth time today.

"Of course you were. I would take it that you now have my rent," he muttered in between his mustaches, and my heart skipped.

"uhm… I... I... Mr. Jordan, I need more time," I stuttered.

If I thought he was angry before, I was wrong. Right now, it felt like his face was going to burst into flames. I could see the anger contained in his eyes.

"More time? What more time exactly do you need? If you can’t pay for the house, then you should have left with your friend." he barked.

"I am really sorry, Mr. Jordan; just give me one more month," I pleaded.

"Are you kidding me right now? One whole fucking month?" He retorted, his tone reeking of disapproval.

Mr. Jordan was right; I shouldn’t have stayed back after Jennifer moved out of this apartment; I should have left with her. I just thought I could handle it on my own, but I was just being foolish. Jennifer footed sixty percent of the bills while we lived together, but then she moved into a new apartment with her boyfriend, leaving me to pay the rent for the entire building.

I should have moved out to a smaller apartment, maybe a single room or a flat. Why did I think I could deal with the bills all on my own?

There was silence between us as Mr. Jordan didn’t seem to be moved by my pleading eyes; he sighed and turned his back to me, placing his arms funnily on his waist. But this was a bad time to laugh, so I held it in.

This was no standard apartment, and Mr. Jordan wouldn’t show up so late at night, harassing me over the late payment of his rent fees.

Slowly he turned back to face me, and I noticed this scary smugness on his face. I immediately guessed that he was up to no good. Who knows what he's going to say next; he wouldn’t serve me an eviction notice, would he?

"Alright, it is okay. I understand that things are difficult in the country right now; everyone is having a hard time, so I am willing to make a compromise." He smiled.

I was surprised to hear him say that. I didn’t know Mr. Jordan to be that kind and generous; maybe the Holy Spirit had touched his mind tonight.

"Really? Thank you so much, sir; this means a lot to me. I promise I will pay you as soon as possible; you can count on me." I said it joyfully, pressing my palms together in appreciation.

"You didn’t let me finish. It is a cold night, so how about you let me spend the night here with you today, and in return, I would count off the already existing three months due for payment?"

I froze, trying to make sense of what he said. He could not mean what I thought he meant, could he?

"I am sorry, Mr. Jordan; I don’t think I will follow," I said with squinted eyes, slowly clenching my right fist.

He smiled, exposing his tobacco-damaged teeth. "Come on, Anny." I almost puked when he called me that. "Don’t act like you don’t understand what I mean; you are not a baby anymore," he whispered and slowly rubbed my right arm with his finger tips.

I immediately withdrew my arm and took a step back, holding back the urge to throw a curse at him. What was he thinking? Even if I were that sort of girl, why would I sleep with a man three times my age? This man was older than my father, and yet he was trying to get into my pants.

"I am sorry, Mr. Jordan, but I can't do what you are asking for," I said calmly and bit my lips.

He growled softly and then scoffed. Oh, I see, I am not good enough for you to whore with, but you seem to forget that you live in my house. If you want to sleep around with small boys, I don’t care. But you have just two days to comply with the house regulations, or I will have my lawyer throw you out." He swore furiously.

Please, Mr. Jordan, I am really sorry."

"And I am sorry too, Miss Annabel. You have two days to pay up or get evicted. Goodnight!" He said this and then turned around dramatically to leave.

I stood there dumbfounded as I watched him leave. Why was this happening to me? Life hasn’t been fair to me at all. Perhaps I was cursed, and this curse had followed me all the way from Italy down here to the United States of America.

As I bang the door hard in tears, I turn around and run down to the sitting room. I was confused, not knowing what to do. There is no way I could raise that money in 2 days, and even a lawsuit against Mr. Jordan would do me no good; I am going to end up on the streets anyway.

Am I just unlucky or cursed? What is special about everyone else that makes them succeed? Nothing works for me, not even relationships. Obviously, I wasn’t good enough for Jimmy, and that is why he cheated on me without regret.

I slumped down on the couch and let the tears trickle down my cheeks, ruining the make-up I had done earlier today. I felt like drowning myself to make it all end; my life was miserable, and nothing was going right. I have been fired from four jobs in the past year, many times because I wouldn’t open my legs to jerks.

Was it a crime to be beautiful? The irony of it all is that the guy I did let into my pants and my heart was the one to betray me. Of what use is my dignity if I can't even feed or live? I can't take it anymore.

I stared at my cell phone lying on the couch, and something crossed my mind. I think I know what to do; I need to do it; I have no other choice.

I cleaned my tears, quickly grabbed the phone, and after thirty minutes of combing through my call logs, I found his number. Mr. Maxwell Blackwood, my last hope!

I dialed his number and said a silent prayer, hoping he would take the call. He didn’t answer until the phone had almost stopped ringing.

"You know it is not so nice to call a man at this time of the night, Princess." I heard that deep voice rumble from the other side of the phone, and my body vibrated in anxiety.

"Mr. Blackwood?" I stuttered.

"One and only," he replied. "How may I be of help to you, Miss Annabel?"

I was surprised to know that he saved my number. I mean, he did recognize the caller, so he must have saved my number. It had been over two months since my encounter with him, which didn’t end so well that I don’t even know why I kept his number.

"Can… Can we meet?" I muttered nervously, trying hard to hide that I had been crying.

"Hmm..." he muttered, a tone of satisfaction in his voice. "You sound desperate; I like the sound of that. Yes, we can meet. Tomorrow, my office is at 9 a.m.; don’t be late."

I rolled my eyes even though I knew he could not see me; he must be feeling proud of himself right now. Yes, I was desperate, or I would have never contacted him. His request might be absurd, but his offer was enticing as well.

I haven’t gained anything from being a good girl the whole year; maybe it is time I drop my self-righteousness and be a bad girl. I am ready to do whatever it takes to survive.

Anna's POV

As the elevator door opened, I made to walk out but accidentally bumped into a lady who was coming my way. "I am so sorry." I apologized immediately.

"Oh no!" she giggled, a nervous expression on her face. "I was at fault." She added it immediately and rushed into the elevator.

I couldn’t help but notice that she was buttoning her shirt while at it; that is why she had bumped into me; she was distracted. I also caught the easily discernible stench of sex, sweat, and cigarettes. I chuckled lightly and shook my head as I turned away.

Of course, this company has to rebuild Sodom and Gomorrah. I just hope I get what I want and get out of here as soon as possible. How are they progressive if everyone is having sex with everyone? Do they even follow work ethics?

Kicking that out of my imagination, I took the familiar turn, heading to the CEO’s office. I had been here before, twice, as a matter of fact, and the last time didn’t end too well. Let's just say I might have ruined all my chances of getting employment here.

I soon arrived at the large glass door, and even though I knew he could see me through the inside, I was still hesitant to knock.

"Are you going to come in or what, Miss Owl?" That annoying British accent cut through the air. Well, the accent isn’t annoying, just the voice.

By the way, did he just refer to me as Miss Owl? Are my eyes that huge, or was he just being annoying? I groaned and clenched my fist as I walked in. Mr. Blackwood didn’t seem impressed by my presence; he barely looked up at me as I walked to his desk.

The CEO of Blackwood precious stones and jewelry was seated at his desk with one foot placed on the table, his well-polished black shoes complementing his stunning yet simple attire. He was dressed in a long sleeve and a tailored small, sleeveless jacket; I could tell it was from a suit set. His sleeves were rolled back up to his elbow, exposing his well-built arms.

With my eyes, I took a quick scan of the room, and everything in the office seemed to be in order. I guess Miss Hot Pants had not come out of here, which means she was sleeping with someone else in the company. Was the Boss even aware of this?

"Do you not know how to greet, Miss Owl?" He muttered without looking up at me, or maybe he did, and I just couldn’t tell from under those dark shades he had on.

"It is Annabel," I replied coldly, clutching my bag tight like someone was going to snatch it from me.

His face lit up with a smile as he looked up at me. "Sassy as before, I remember you promising to plunge your heels into my eyes if I did ever look your way again," he mocked.

I sighed and swallowed hard. I was really pissed the last time I was here; the HR department had confirmed my qualifications, but the CEO had his own demands. I left in a rage.

He took his foot off his table and pushed the chair out from behind the desk, I guess to have an unobstructed view of me. "So tell me, Miss Annabel, what brings you back to my office?" he asked. His face was cold again, expressionless.

Oh my! That accent would have been better if it came from a nicer guy. This man gives me the chills. He was damn hot, yet cold as ice. Why do handsome guys have to be jerks? I haven’t stopped asking myself that question for months.

"I accept your offer, and I apologize for the way I behaved the last time," I said softly with my head bowed, trying hard not to choke on those words.

He scoffed and pushed his mobile chair closer. "I am sorry, I don’t think I heard you the first time. Can you be more audible?" he teased.

I sighed and looked out the window, catching a quick view of the city below, and then I turned back to face him. "I said that I am sorry for the way I behaved last time, and I am ready to accept your offer now."

He smiled, revealing that wicked dimple on his left cheek. I want to stab him right there with a fork, a nail, or even a toothpick, as long as he gets stabbed in that intimidating dimple.

"I would rather beg on the streets than suck your cock; those were your words; isn’t that right, Miss Ann?"

I growled inward, already regretting why I had returned here. This man is a jerk—a rich jerk!

"I… I… I take those back. Everything wrong I said that day, forgive me." I stuttered, swallowing hard.

He chuckled again, and then he stood up. I stood still as he walked towards me and then slowly went behind me. My heart skipped, and I had the strong urge to turn around and face him, but I remained still.

"So let me get this straight: you now agree to my terms and conditions, huh?" he queried.

"Yes, I will do what you want in exchange for the job." I answered.

He walked back to my side and looked into my eyes. "Something has changed in you since the last time you were here; what is it?" he asked with a mischievous smirk.

Great! I didn’t know I smelled of heartbreak and poverty. He was right, though. The last time I was here, I had self-esteem, pride, and dignity, but I happened to have lost those along the way, and as it stands, there is no dignity in poverty.

"Does the offer still stand or not?" I queried, starting to get impatient.

"Chill, hothead. I am just giving you a little time to reconsider. You know, once you are in, the only way out is through the sack. Remind me what it is I want from you again." He requested it and went to sit on the office table, crossing his long, straight legs right in front of me.

I gulped down saliva, feeling nervous. Mr. Blackwood really knew how to get his revenge. "You want to have sex with me whenever you please in exchange for a high-paying job."

"Wrong, Miss Ann." He cut me short immediately; his expression became very serious. "I don’t want to have sex with you, Miss Ann. I want to fuck you, really hard, whenever I please and however I please. I am asking you to submit your body to me for as long as you work here. I am asking you to be my plaything, Miss Annabel. So tell me, are you up for that?"

I could feel the tears forming under my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them out. I can't show signs of weakness; I need to be strong for myself and my family.

"Yes, I understand that you want to use me as you please, and I accept. But…" I said it with a quick pause that cut off his attention. "I have a few conditions of my own," I announced.

He chuckled, exposing his sparkling white teeth, which disappeared soon enough. "Look at you, making demands. I didn’t know you were capable of blackmail; I thought you were a saint." He taunted.

Son of a bitch!! I cursed inward, wishing I could grab him by his hero hair and bash it against the wall. I know I have these impulsive thoughts, but I couldn’t hurt a fly in real life.

"Are you going to hear me out or not?" I queried.

He stood upright and folded his arms. "Let's be clear about one thing, Miss Ann. I do fancy you, but you are in no place to make demands. However, I would hear your demands and see if we could come to an agreement." He replied in a cold voice that sent shivers down my spine.

"I want two months' salary upfront," I quickly requested.

He stared at me quietly with those cold gray eyes, and I lost the ability to think straight. I had to look away immediately, unable to hold contact with those intimidating eyes.

"Very well, then, I accept that condition." He finally broke the silence. "What is the second?" he queried.

I swallowed hard before I started. "The second condition is that during the period in which I work for you, you will not involve feelings in this agreement; you won't fall in love with me for any reason." I stated it clearly.

There was an awkward silence between us, and then he suddenly burst into laughter. I was confused. What was so funny? The sound of his laughter was like a thorn in my flesh, and I just wanted to hit him with a pair of slippers like my mother would do.

"Are you serious? Tell me, Miss Owl, what makes you think that I will fall in love with you? I am not capable of loving anyone, Miss Owl," he admitted to my surprise. "And even if I had it in me to love, which certainly I don’t, I would never fall for the likes of you. I mean, I would choose a pig over you, Miss Owl, is that clear?"

I gulped down saliva again, trying to hide my chagrined face. As much as I wouldn’t admit it, even at gunpoint, it hurt my feelings to hear him say that and lowered my self-esteem. Would he really choose a pig over me?

"Good then." I forced a smile. "I guess it is a win for the both of us," I added.

"Hmm," he hummed with a nod. "I agree to your terms; you will receive the employment later before noon in your email. I believe the company still has your CV, but I still require you to drop your address and email contact details. You are to resume as soon as tomorrow, and everything you need to know will be communicated to you before then." Mr. Blackwood announced

I sighed in relief, glad that he accepted those conditions. I feared he would say no to the upfront payment as I have not even been tested on the field, but I had to give it a shot because I needed that money urgently.

I did as he instructed and dropped off my details before turning to leave. My heart was racing as I turned my back to him. Just as I got to the door, I heard him call my name. I paused and turned to face him.

"Just out of curiosity, Miss Ann. Are you a virgin?" he queried.

My heart began to beat fast as he asked that, and I couldn’t decipher why he wanted to know that. What if he takes back the offer after learning that I wasn’t one? What if he only needed a virgin for whatever diabolic sexual plans he had?

I was reeking of nervousness as I arrived at my apartment. What have I done? Am I really ready for this? I was submitting my body to be used as a tool for pleasure, literally a sex toy. I know that a job relationship built on sex is bound to fail, but I intend to make the most of it while I can.

A large part of me felt guilty; this isn’t who I am. I know I am not a saint, but I never would have imagined becoming someone’s sex slave by consent. I have until tonight to change my mind, or I am stuck with that decision.

I don’t even know this man, except that he is cocky and controlling. I know nothing about Maxwell Blackwood. What if I just ruined my life with this very decision? What if I contracted a deadly disease or lost my life in the process? He made it clear that he would do whatever he pleased with my body, and that scares me.

I pushed the front door open after unlocking it and walked inside, immediately locking it. I froze immediately; something was wrong. There was a different scent in the house—not unfamiliar but different.

I took a step forward into the sitting room when a loud scream escaped my lips as I almost jumped out of my skin. "Holy freaking Mary!!"

"She is not here, just me!" Jennifer laughed as she stood up from the couch.

"You scared the life out of me; how did you get in here?" I screamed, holding my chest in panic.

"Hahaha, I still have one of these," she giggled, jingling the house keys in the air. Of course, she never dropped her spares with me after moving out; how did I not realize?

"What’s up, girl? You were acting all weird last night, and you didn’t return my calls this morning, so I thought I would come check up on you."

I sighed and tossed my handbag on the sofa. "You mean right after you asked me that very silly question?" I scoffed.

"Chill, babes. It was just all fun; what happened to you?"

"Uh-huh! Maybe my sense of humor is damaged, or maybe you shouldn’t be making a friend think of memories that hurt her. Forget about it; it is in the past now." I quickly waved the discussion off; I had more important things to deal with right now.

"OMG, you are really broken, girl. Where are you coming from, anyway?" She asked as her eyes searched for me, scrutinizing me from head to toe.

"I took the job," I said almost in a whisper, and I quickly headed for the bedroom.

"Huh?" I heard Jenny’s faint voice from the living room and then her footsteps as she followed me behind.

I got into my bedroom, and she followed immediately. "What job, Anna?" she queried.

"The position of Personal assistant to the CEO of Blackwood precious stones and jewelry is that job." I announced as I unbuttoned my shirt.

"What?" Jennifer gasped. "Isn’t he the same guy that asked to get into your pants first?"

"Correct," I muttered, with no remorse or reaction accompanying the word. I was already judging myself; I didn’t need judgment from my friend as well.

"Anna… You gave in to his request? That is absurd; you know you shouldn’t just give yourself to any man; word gets out real quick." She warned.

"Leave me to bother about that, Jen." I said in a whisper as I unhooked my bra and tossed it to the bed, breathing out in relief. Wearing that thing is so suffocating.

What was so special about my body anyway? I guess I should ask Mr. Blackwood. If he does not require every employee to suck his dick, then what makes me so special? I am gorgeous, right? But there are much prettier girls in this city with class; I am just a nobody.

My body, huh? The same body I had given to Jimmy on a platter ended up abusing me; he cheated on me for months, and I never knew. Even when I found out he didn’t have any regrets, it took him weeks to come and apologize. So who says I can't submit that same body to someone who has more to offer?

My deal with Mr. Blackwood leaves out emotions and feelings. I just happen to be his sex partner, and I get over ten thousand dollars monthly. That is worth it to me!

"Well, it is not totally a bad idea if you ask me; it just feels weird because I am the crazy friend. I think it's a double win for you anyway. You get a good job, and you are sleeping with a billionaire. I think that is every woman’s dream, so don’t be moody about it; be happy."

I paused halfway with the shirt hanging on my neck and turned to face her. I was surprised at how fast she switched from judging me to celebrating. Perhaps she was just being a good friend, except that she looked legit excited about the news.

"Really Jen? You think so?" I asked for confirmation.

"Of course! Who knows? He could even fall in love with you and ask you to marry him," she teased.

"Okay, now you are wild." I laughed. "I doubt he cares about me; he made it clear that he just wants my body. But the good news is that I finally have a good job; I don’t have to be his plaything forever, just long enough to have a good footing on my own." I replied.

I walked out of the bedroom and back into the living room, with Jennifer tailing behind like a fly. I grabbed my laptop and opened my email. The mail had arrived as expected; it was an online document, and so I uploaded my signature without caring to go through the details of the letter.

I was just excited to finally be employed. For what it's worth, this means a lot to me. Jennifer and I ended up in the kitchen shortly after, where we made lunch while she filled me in on gossip from last night.

For the first time in a few months, I wasn’t depressed, and that gladdened my heart. I could feel it in my heart that I was about to be genuinely happy again, and even though none of that made sense, I looked forward to it. They say you can't be unlucky for three hundred and sixty-five days; maybe my happy days were finally close.

Hours later, Jennifer and I were watching a movie when a knock sounded on the door. We looked at each other, almost tempted to ignore it like in the old days when we lived together.

"I will get it," Jenny said with a smile.

"No, I got it." I cut in and stood up immediately.

I rushed to the door, not wanting to miss any part of the movie. I opened the front door to meet someone I believe to be a mailman, and well, that cap gave him away at first sight.

Hello, can I help you?" I asked immediately with the door half open while staring back to catch a glimpse of the TV.

"Yes, I have this envelope and these keys for you," he announced, jiggling a bunch of keys in the air.

I stared at him in confusion; that was a car key—a Honda product, I could tell. "Um… Sorry, Mister, I think you have come to the wrong address." I said it immediately.

"No, I am quite sure that I am at the right place. Are you not Annabel Joseph?" he queried.

I nodded slowly, still puzzled as to why a car would be delivered to me. Was this a prank?

"Yes, I am Annabel Joseph, but I didn’t make an order for whatever that is." I said, pointing to the car keys.

"Well, this is the key to a brand new car parked right in front of this building," he said. My eyes followed his finger, and my jaw dropped when I saw the car. Who had sent me a car?

"I guess you would find answers to your questions in this letter, ma’am." The delivery guy added it and handed the envelope to me.

I tore open the envelope immediately and saw a large MB signature. I knew I had seen it somewhere before, and then it struck my mind. "Maxwell Blackwood!!"

"Oh my God!" I screamed in shock as I read the letter. It was indeed from Mr. Blackwood; he had informed me in the letter that all employees of the company get a car for work every year. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

My scream drew Jenny’s attention, and she joined me at the door. This has to be a trick; how is this possible? A car?

After accepting the key from the delivery guy, I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Mr. Blackwood. He didn’t pick up the first time, so I had to call again.

"Was the letter not sufficient information?" His deep voice rang from the other end as soon as he took the call.

"So it was really you?" I queried.

"Per company rules, yes, Miss Ann. Your two months’ salary has also been paid upfront to your account as requested; the financial team will send you an email for confirmation soon. Now if you don’t mind, some of us have our evenings to get back to." He blurted and ended the call.

"Rude, but sweet!" Jennifer exclaimed as she overheard our conversation over the phone. "I think I like him already; congratulations, Anna; you have finally gotten it all." She exclaimed.

I didn’t catch most of what she said afterwards; I was too excited to think straight. Was this the beginning of something good in my life, or have I made the worst decision of my life?

Only if I knew how that one decision was going to change my life drastically. Meeting Mr. Blackwood was the beginning of a change in my life, and things were never going to be the same again!