1 Heartless and Cold

Tiana peeked at him for the umpteenth time, he had a dark aura around him which breathed fear, but that only highlighted his sinful beauty, he looked like he just walked out of a painting. From what her father had described of him, Tiana didn't imagine that he would be this young; 

''your father is dead… '' 

His voice kicked her out of her thoughts and her gaze fluttered and she swallowed; her eyes traced his hand as they drummed on the table slowly as though he was counting every drum of his fingers. 

''Do you know what he did? '' he adjusted on his position on the chair, supporting his head with his hand as he stared at them intently;

Her father worked for this man before he died, she didn't know what exactly happened but her father owed him money and he had squandered the money on gambling and now he was dead, leaving the both of them to his accrued debts; 

Tiana bit her lower lip;

''We're trying hard to pay back the money, please give us more time… '' 

She spoke for the first time since they entered the room;

''I never said anything about being patient… '' His voice was malevolent as he stared at them wickedly; Tiana took in a sharp breath. 

This man owned a multi-billion dollar company; surely what her father owed him was nothing to him,

''We… we don't have the money now, '' she looked at him with pain in her eyes, how did he want them to get that amount when he knew they didn't have it? Was he that cruel?

Nicklaus stared at the women in front of him and the only feeling coursing through him was anger. He gritted his teeth as he tried to appear calm, he could have forgiven anything but not that. 

No… that man betrayed him to his enemies, he would never forgive that. They would surely pay for what he had done.

''Then you have to pay some other way. ''

Tiana felt Gwen's eyes turn to her, fear flashing through her eyes, what other way were they going to pay him? 

Gwen's hands shook on her sides as she turned to look at him; he stared at them quietly, letting them drown in the fear of what was going to befall them, and then after what looked like hours, he spoke;

''One of you would have to stay here with me as my mistress. '' 

Tiana's lips fell open and she gazed at him with shock, she couldn't believe what she just heard; 

Why was he this heartless? He wanted one of them to be a mistress for just a sum of money when he was obviously bigger than that? How could someone be this heartless and cruel?

''If you can pay me now, then fine, if you can't then one of you should prepare to be my mistress for five months. '' He replied half-heartedly unfazed by the pain on their faces. 

Gwen turned to her sister in fear, she didn't want to stay with him, no, anyone who was capable of doing this was a beast in the flesh; she thinned her lips as she imagined the hell that would befall her if he chose her.

Tiana's head fell as tears gathered up her eyes, it seemed he had made up his mind. She didn't know what her father did so wrong for him to be this wicked towards them or maybe he was just a wicked and heartless soul? Maybe he just lacked humanity? 

She raised her eyes to him as she swallowed bitterly;

''Who do you choose?''

Those were the only words that could leave her lips at that moment. They didn't have ten thousand dollars and there was no-one to run to for help. They were orphans, their mother died when she was five and Gwen four, and since then, they had only their father who had done a few menial jobs to send them to school, it was a few years ago that he began working for this man, and he had slumped to death after a recent gamble which didn't turn out good and now they were left with not only this debt but a huge lot of other debts he had accrued. A painful smile slanted her lips as she blinked; trying to pull herself together. The last thing she wanted to do now was to cry, she didn't want to give this man the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. 

Nicklaus stared at the duo in front of him; they looked the same age but one looked stronger. A small smirk slanted his lips as he shifted his gaze to the frail-looking one;

''I want her… '' 

Tiana's eyes widened as he traced the man's eyes to her sister, Gwen, and just that moment, Gwen fell to her knees, light pants leaving her lips. 

She was done for. Her dreams, her life, this was the end?

She was going to spend five months with a man who she wasn't sure would let her live? Five months with a total stranger, five months trying not to die while living in hell? No, no, she couldn't do it…

Why didn't he choose Tiana? She was standing right here! She was the stronger of them, why didn't he choose her? 

Gwen turned to Tiana with tears in her eyes;

''Tiana please, I don't want to stay with him, please… help me… ''

She begged, tears falling from her eyes; Tiana was the stronger of them both, if anyone should go, it should be her. 

Tiana shut her eyes as she listened to her sister's cries. She couldn't let her sister do this, she was the elder, she needed to protect her. 

''Please, take me instead. '' Her head fell as she pleaded, the tears she had been trying to hold in, forcing its way through her lids.

Nicklaus scoffed; " I sure wasn't stammering when I chose her; ''

''Please, I beg you, take me instead, I'll do anything you want, just let my sister go, please… '' 

Only pain clouded her heart as she pleaded with him; as long as she would protect her sister, she was fine. she would do anything; 

Nicklaus watched them for a moment, and finally he spoke;

''You can only save your sister on one condition/ '' 

Tiana lifted her head to him and her eyes stared at him with a mix of pain and hope;

''no matter what happens, you wouldn't die in these five months, if you give up or you die or you go against our agreement in any way, I'll have no choice but to take your sister too. ''

Tiana blinked painfully as she stared at the man who had a contented smile on his lips, she wondered how one's pain would give him so much joy?

Those were his terms and even when she knew she was about walking into a nightmare, she couldn't help but nod;

''Okay, I accept your terms.''