"Is this really necessary?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, it is. You are his jewels and..." Claudia, his maid started to say.

"Hey!" Astrid yelled feeling annoyed with that word "I will need to correct that part. I am not his. I belong to no one but myself. Understand?" Astrid interrupted.

"Yes, miss. I'm sorry," Claudia apologized.

"Better. Are you hungry?" Claudia asked.

"I'll eat later. I want to shower," Astrid replied.

"Let me go and get the water ready myself."

" I can do it myself."

"Mister Thompson won't forgive me if I let you do anything," Claudia said. "That is your business with him. I want to bathe, and I can prepare the water for myself."

Claudia stepped in, blocking the road to the stair, and bowing her head politely. "Miss, I can't let you do it."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Andrew stepped in. "It's good that you have met Claudia, and you are already getting along," Andrew said. Astrid's face became fierce, and she refused to say anything.

"Claudia, how is she treating you, Mister Thompson?" Andrew asked.

"She wouldn't let me prepare the water for her, but she insisted on doing it alone," Claudia replied.

"Go ahead and prepare the water for her. Don't mind her fearsome behavior," Andrew said, giving Claudia the go-ahead. Astrid glared at Andrew as he strolled to the living room to take his seat.

"It seems you are not used to princess treatment."

"You are only breeding me for your use, I am not your property, neither am I your possession. I don't belong to you," Astrid replied.

"Well, I don't see things the way you do"Andrew said

"I repeat, I am not your possession. There is no tag on me that would say 'I belong to you' or 'Andrew'."Astrid replied fiercely

Andrew stood up and walked close to her and whispered, "Last night was the first night. I don't want to go to a place where another man has gone to. I want to be the only one there."

Astrid pushed him away when she understood the meaning of his words. "You are disgusting," she said. Andrew chuckled as he answered his phone.

"What is it?" he responded coldly to the person on the line with him.

"They're ready"the person on the other end responded.

"Bring them in," Andrew said, ending the call without waiting for their reply.

The door opened, and five ladies in the same outfit came in. Astrid was confused.

"These are your maids. Introduce yourselves," Andrew commanded.

"Good day, miss. I'm Leah. I'm Cynthia. I'm Wendy. I'm Crystal, and I'm Bethany." They all said in turns

"Good. Three of them will come twice a week to clean the house, while the other two will leave with you and handle the food," Andrew said.

"I can cook for myself," Astrid replied.

"If I get news that she is performing any chores, doing hard labor, I will slit your throat," Andrew threatened.

"Understood?" Andrew asked harshly.

"Yes, sir," they all chorused.

"Despite?" Astrid asked.

"They are mine. Their parents couldn't pay up the debt they owe, so they offered their daughters to redeem themselves. So, if I kill them, the government has no business with it because they are my possession," Andrew replied.

"You are a despicable person. You mean their parents?" Astrid asked.

Andrew said, "But Astrid was fed up with this man already. She can't even imagine a year with him."

"Is that all you have to say regarding the contract?" Andrew asked, waking her up from her thoughts.

"No," Astrid said.

"Go on."

"You are not allowed to attend parties, nor talk to guys. How does that even concern you?" Andrew asked.

"It's mostly social gatherings," Astrid replied.

"You are not allowed to attend social gatherings. And if you must attend, then tell me, so I will go with you," Andrew said.

"What if it's for girls only, and we have male models inside to spice up the party? Are you going to disguise yourself as a girl?" Astrid asked.

"No, he won't attend such gatherings," Andrew replied.

Astrid rubbed her temples because he was frustrating her. "What if I go secretly?" she asked.

"Then I will send someone over there to crash the party and fetch you. It's simple," Andrew said.

"You are cruel," Astrid said. "So, if I get a job, I am not allowed to speak to male customers?"

"What I meant was, your conversations must be healthy and formal. No flirting," Andrew replied.

"You are insane," Astrid said. "I am not signing this."

"Are you ready to roam the streets in search of five million? Andrew asked.

"Why can't I have conditions towards Party A?" Astrid asked.

"Because I am at an advantage," Andrew replied.

"So, that's why you get to do whatever you like?" Astrid asked.

"Yes," Andrew replied. "It's meant to be a mutual benefit."

"Then, after a year, if I still want you, then we will have mutual benefits," Andrew said.

"Understood?" he asked.

"You are annoying," Astrid said.

"Look, it's either you sign it or go to the streets and search for five million," Andrew said.

Astrid couldn't go to the streets; life would be terrible for her. She survived in that house for over twenty years, so spending a year with this cycle won't kill her.

"Fine, I will sign it," she said, taking the pen and signing.

Andrew picked it up, smile

"No," Astrid said.

"Go on."

"You are not allowed to attend parties, nor talk to guys. How does that even concern you?" Andrew asked.

"It's mostly social gatherings," Astrid replied.

"You are not allowed to attend social gatherings. And if you must attend, then tell me, so I will go with you," Andrew said.

"What if it's for girls only, and we have male models inside to spice up the party? Are you going to disguise yourself as a girl?" Astrid asked.

"No, he won't attend such gatherings," Andrew replied.

Astrid rubbed her temples because he was frustrating her. "What if I go secretly?" she asked.

"Then I will send someone over there to crash the party and fetch you. It's simple," Andrew said.

"You are cruel," Astrid said. "So, if I get a job, I am not allowed to speak to male customers?"

his fingers from her earlobe down to her neck. "I will let you rest. I will let you rest today, but I will be back tomorrow," he said as he left.

Astrid sighed, knowing that her life had taken a different turn. She had decided to go in search of a good, high-paying job tomorrow so that once the year runs out, she will have enough money to survive independently. She hated the fact that she stored all her eggs in one basket; she shouldn't have put all her money in one account, but it's not like she had enough money to disperse into numerous banks.

"There is no use crying over spilled milk," she consoled herself as she went to take her bath.

"What is going on here?" she asked Claudia, shocked.

"Since Mr Thompson is going to spend the night here, then I rearranged the room, and I was instructed that you are meant to take a beauty bath every evening before you go to bed," Claudia said with a smile.

"You are disturbing and stressing yourself for no reason. He has gone back to where he came from," Claudia gasped. "Did you make Mister Thompson angry? You have to appease him when he comes next, or else you will be dead," Claudia said, scared.

Astrid was shocked about how scared Claudia was and how Claudia feared the cycle so much. "Why are you afraid?" Astrid asked.

Claudia replied, "Nothing, miss."

"Not wanting to leak out information for the sake of her life," Astrid thought.

"Talk to me and drop this formal behavior," Astrid said.

"I was instructed to say nothing regarding my past," Claudia said.

Astrid sighed because of that, because that cycle might have had some delays with her family too, and she is here to make up for the debt.

Please remove the petals on the bed. I will like to rest once I am done with my bath," Astrid said.

Astrid went inside the bathroom and was shocked to see that the bathtub was also with petals floating in the water. Astrid laughed aloud; she couldn't hold it anymore.

"Andrew loves petals this much," she decided not to say anything and just enjoy her bath.

While Astrid was enjoying her bath, Claudia came inside, saying, "Sorry I am late."

"Why are you here?" Astrid asked.

"I am here to help you take your bath," Claudia replied.

"I can do it myself," Astrid said.

"I am meant to ensure that your personal hygiene is up to one hundred and one percent," Claudia said.

"Go away," Astrid said.

"Unfortunately, I am under strict orders," Claudia replied. "I don't need your help. I can also give you a massage if you want," Claudia said

"I don't need this; I can do everything on my own," Astrid said. "Let's agree on something," Astrid requested.

"Okay, I will do some of my work, and I won't tell Mister Thompson that I did them myself. Is that okay?" Astrid asked.

"I'm sorry," Claudia said, apologizing as she picked up the sponge, and Astrid lay back, knowing that Claudia's loyalty was 100%.

After the bath, Claudia gave Astrid a nightwear, and she had dinner. "Where are my bags?" Astrid asked.

"Mister Thompson sent them, but he threw away your clothes. Why, I don't know," Astrid said. At least her laptop, important documents, and her mother's picture were still safe.

She decided to check on the vacancies available, so she would try her luck tomorrow. Astrid woke up and found out that she had fallen asleep on the dining table. She checked her email and found out that out of all the available companies she had applied to, only three had approved of her work and asked her to come for an interview. But luckily, the interview was scheduled at different times, so she would be able to make it.

She rushed to the shower because her next interview was in an hour and thirty minutes. After getting dressed, she faced the biggest problem: there was no mode of transportation. She didn't have any money on her. She saw her car parked neatly in the parking lot, but she wasn't with the key. She didn't even know where exactly the villa was located, so she would know how far she was from her next destination.

Time was already running out. She pondered on what to do and finally decided to call her friend Ashley to come and pick her up. "Where are you?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know... I'm at one of Mister Thompson's mansions," Astrid said.

"What are you doing there?" Ashley asked.

"It's a long story; please just hurry. I don't know where that is because I can't go looking for you in every mansion he owns. He owns...," Ashley replied.

"I'll send you my exact location. Please hurry up; I'm running late," Astrid said, ending the call.

Everywhere was quiet; Claudia and the rest were still sleeping. She checked the time, and it was 8:25. She barely had an hour left, and her ride wasn't there yet. The environment was empty; there was no one around aside from the guard, who kept grumpy faces. She couldn't imagine talking to them or telling them her movement, so she decided to wait for Ashley.

Ashley arrived by 8:55, and Astrid was pissed. "What kept you so long?" Astrid asked.

"Number one, I was barely out of bed when you called. Plus, no one informed me that I had to do an early pickup this morning. Can't you see I'm still in my nightwear? I just rushed out to help you. Number two, finding this place wasn't easy, and there is tight security outside this gate. This gate is as if he bought everywhere...," Ashley said.

"Please " Astrid interrupted because she was tired of listening to Ashley. But I mean, did he buy this whole...?" Ashley asked.

"What exactly are you doing here? I thought Mira was the one who was engaged to him. What are you doing here? What about George and Mira? Do you know this? We're friends, we're best friends, and you're keeping everything away from me."

"This was the exact reason we no longer became best friends. The main reason I became distant. Best friends won't sell you out for likes and comments on Instagram," Astrid said.

" How much do you think your stories are worth on Insta? " Ashley asked with a dirty look.

" Seriously?? " Astrid asked in disbelief.

"I apologized already ,but there was nothing for me to post about for almost two months. There was nothing good happening in my life. I started losing followers, and it was really bad. Plus, that post made me gain the attention of the Brooks family. They love me now "

"They don't love you; they're using you to get juicy gossip because that's what you're good at," Astrid said, offending Ashley with the last part

"Excuse me?" Ashley said, feeling annoyed with the last sentence. I'm sorry, please just drive," Astrid apologized, even though she knew she had told the truth. She didn't want to be kicked out of the car because she was stranded.

"Fine, where am I going to go? Corporate society? Why do you want to go there?" Ashley asked.

"I'm going for an interview," Astrid replied.

"What?" Ashley exclaimed with a smile. "Astrid wished she hadn't told her that. It explains why you're dressed like this. The young daughter of the Waltons needs a job," Ashley said with mocking laughter.

"Wait, did your family cut you off?" Ashley asked.

"Is everything funny to you?" Astrid replied.

"I'm sorry, but it's hilarious," Ashley said.

Astrid ground her teeth and looked outside while wondering how she had met Ashley and how exactly they became best friends. If she had known this was how Ashley would turn out in the future, she would have avoided being friends with her

"I'm sorry, please just drive," Astrid apologized, even though she knew she had told the truth. She didn't want to be kicked out of the car because she was stranded.

"Fine, where am I going to go?"

"Seth's Corporate society? Why do you want to go there?" Ashley asked.

"I'm going for an interview," Astrid replied.

"What?" Ashley exclaimed with a smile. "Astrid wished she hadn't told her that. It explains why you're dressed like this. The young daughter of the Waltons needs a job," Ashley said with mocking laughter.

"Wait, did your family cut you off?" Ashley asked.

"Is everything funny to you?" Astrid replied.

"I'm sorry, but it's hilarious," Ashley said.

Astrid ground her teeth and looked outside while wondering how she had met Ashley and how exactly they became best friends. If she had known this was how Ashley would turn out in the future, she would have avoided being friends with her.

*After the interview*

"How did it go?" Ashley asked.

"It went well. I'll have to be hopeful," Astrid replied,

"You haven't told me what's going on with you and Mr Thompson."

"Actually, nothing's happening. I just needed a break away from home, so I decided to go somewhere and clear my head," Astrid said still not revealing what was happening between her and Mr. Thompson.

"Then why didn't you go to George's place and when did you and Mr Thompson become that close?" Ashley asked.

"We're breaking up," Astrid replied.

"Oh my god!" Ashley gasped. "But what exactly happened?"

"Look, my life is messed up right now. I'm not in the mood to complicate matters further," Astrid said.

"What do you mean by complicating matters further? Telling a friend a problem complicates matters further," Ashley asked.

"Ashley look, I don't want to do this," Astrid said.

"I've been putting up with your shitty attitude since I picked you up. I'm tired. Find someone else to vent your frustration on," Ashley said, picking up her jacket and walking out, leaving Astrid stranded.

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Andrew came to check on his little mistress and called Claudia's name because he couldn't find her.

"Yes, sir?" Claudia answered fearfully.

"Where is she?" Andrew asked, crossing his legs and tapping his fingers lightly on the dining table.

"I-I don't know, sir," Claudia stammered. "Didn't you see when she left? Weren't you the one who dressed her?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I overslept," Claudia apologized.

"How exhausted were you last night?" Andrew asked. "What was the main reason I specifically assigned you to her?"

"To keep an eye on her, sir," Claudia replied.

"What was she doing on her laptop?" Andrew asked.

"I didn't pay much attention. I'm sorry," Claudia said, kneeling down, knowing she had neglected her duties.

Andrew stood up and left, not wanting to be harsh on her since it was her first time, and she was mentally stable even after leaving her family.

Astrid, tired and hungry, had no one in her contact list who would help her, even if she begged. She thought about walking home, but it would take her three days or more to reach her destination. Just then, Sir Thompson showed up for a business meeting, and she hoped he would take her back. Her phone, her only source of companionship, suddenly went off. She sat in the waiting room and watched people carry on with their duties.

Twenty minutes later, two good-looking muscular men walked up to her, and she thought they were members of the security team, noticing she had stayed too long. But they followed her outside, and Astrid wondered why. She thought maybe Mira sent someone to kill her for sleeping with her beloved fiancé or that they were serial killers who wanted to assault her sexually. Astrid was scared and confused, so she started walking faster.

Andrew, who was waiting in the car, was fed up with the whole chase. So, he got out of the car and carried her across his shoulders. Astrid screamed, thinking she was being kidnapped, but she calmed down when she saw Andrew's face.

"What were you doing there?" Andrew asked in a cold voice.

"How did you find me?" Astrid asked, instead of answering.

"What were you doing there?" Andrew repeated, this time in a much harsher tone.

"I went on a job search," Astrid said, looking out the window.

"How long was the interview meant to last?" Andrew asked.

"There was no means for me to come back," Astrid replied.

Andrew took a credit card from his pocket and gave it to her. "Here," he said, handing her the card, annoyed that she was broke.

"I can't take it," Astrid said.

"As long as you're mine, I'm responsible for everything you need," Andrew said, placing the card on her lap.

Reluctantly, Astrid took it. "Thank you," she said in a low tone.

"Here's your key," Andrew said, but Astrid recognized it wasn't her car keys.

Andrew shot her a glare"accept it or else" look. "Thank you," Astrid said, forcing a smile.

Astrid's eyes snapped up to Andrew's, her heart racing as she realized the key wasn't the only thing he was offering her. The air was charged with tension as he leaned in, his lips inches from hers.

"The key comes with a price to pay," Andrew said, his voice low and husky. Astrid's eyes locked on his, her mind racing with possibilities as he reached out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.