Chapter 67: Exploring the mansion

The hard cover of Caesar's sword made its way to my head during our cardio exercise.

"Focus." He said in his usual calm voice.

Nora looked over at me, "Lea, Is something bothering you? You seem so distracted now a days- OUCH!" Caesar hit her head with the covered sword as well.

"Focus,"

"GOD! You're so inflexible!" She shouted at Caesar and he hit her head again.

"Focus."

She gritted her teeth and I sighed. Caesar can be annoying on another level.

"Ladies." Ben entered the gym and made his way to us, "Time for lunch." He had shawarma in his hands and I couldn't thank God enough for having Ben here. He's the only normal one.

***

"Lea. Let's meet the people who live here." Nora said as we were walking back to our room, "I know you're reluctant to meet these people but I know we're not getting out anytime soon."

"We will."

"Lea! Arius and Caesar are too strong!" She pulled my arm and stopped me, "Come on. We've been here for months! It's driving me crazy." I looked at her, "I've had enough. If you won't go with me, I'll go alone."

"Does it seem that vague?" I spoke in a lighter voice.

"Huh?"

"Our chances of getting out?"

She looked away and rubbed her arm, "Arius clearly chose this task because it can't be achieved easily."

"..."

"BUT!" She looked back at me, "We can't keep living like this. We need to know the place, the people." She looked into my eyes, "The layout."

A smile slowly appeared on my face, "Of course."

She smiled back and pulled me along with her.

***

We Descended the stairs that were in the middle of the floor and made our way to the second floor.

The Lounge was pretty much empty except like 2-3 maids walking by. They spared us a glance and continued doing their work.

Nora and I glanced at each other and decided to explore this floor instead of going all the way down. It was pretty much like the third floor, except that we discovered life in it.

There was a big kitchen in the left side of the mansion. The rooms seemed occupied but there was no gym like the one on the third floor.

After taking a tour we decided to go to the first floor, so we walked back to the middle.

This time though, it wasn't empty like before.

On the stairs sat a little boy, with dark brown wavy hair, light tan skin and brown eyes. He had a paper pad in his hands.

I was going to approach him when Nora whispered in my ear.

"That's Ayaan."

"Oh..." So that's him.

As we got closer to him, I noticed the dark colored seam on his neck. It made me feel bad for him.

"Hey," I sat on the stairs next to him and Nora stood behind me.

He was surprised to see us both, his confusion only left him when he noticed the slave collars around our necks.

He smiled and waved back at us.

"So you're name is Ayaan?" He nodded, "Why are you sitting on the stairs all by yourself?"

He scratched his head, probably thinking if he should answer us or not. But, then his eyes landed on our collars again and he opened his paper pad.

Nora and I glanced at each other, then looked back at him who had started scribbling something on the paper. After a few moments he showed us what he had written down.

I smiled at his neat and pretty handwriting.

"I'm waiting for my sister Maria."

"Where is she?" Nora asked.

He scribbled something again.

"Arius said she's sick, so she needs to get treatment regularly."

"Is she with Arius?" I asked and he nodded. "Is she- a slave too?" He nodded again and pointed at his neck. I didn't understand his gesture but Nora did.

"She has a slave collar like us?" She asked and he nodded, then pulled up his pants to show us his ankle, a 4 cm black anklet neatly tied around it.

Oh... That must be like a collar for him.

"Oh look who's here." Arius's voice made us all look at him.

He stood there with Caesar right behind him, "Since you're all here let's have dinner together."

"Why would we have dinner with you?" I stood up from my place and asked him.

He began moving forward as he answered, "Because I'm ordering you." He pushed past all of us when Ayaan caught his shirt.

Arius paused for a moment and looked back at him while Ayaan pointed to the roof. Arius glanced up, shook his head and kept moving, pulling his shirt out of the boy's grip.

I looked at Ayaan who seemed disappointed and rather worried about something. I was going to ask him what was wrong when I felt something go through my neck.

A slight shock that made me wince in pain, but not only me, I noticed Nora's gasp as well.

"When I say I'm ordering you, you follow it immediately." Arius looked at us with an annoyed expression.

Perhaps because he hadn't shocked us before I was somehow expecting he won't do it.

As he began to descend the stairs again, our feet automatically followed.

He had now given us a warning.

As we run to him, momentarily,

I even forgot about Ayaan.

***

The first floor was filled with people. All the men who looked like gangsters stared at us as we walked by. It was intimidating and I was sort of glad Arius and Caesar were here.

If they weren't here, I wonder how we would have been treated? Unlike the servants, these people were dangerous and intimidating.

We made our way to the dining room.

It would be more accurate to call it a palace than a mansion.

As far as I noticed the first floor had a huge ass lobby, a living room, a kitchen, a drawing room and the dining room, yet somehow it seemed smaller than the rest of the floors.

Arius sat on the head seat of the dining table, me and Nora at his either sides while Caesar stood behind him. The dinner had already been served before we had arrived.

"Eat," Arius ordered us both, "You'll need it."

Nora looked at me and I gave her a nod. We both picked up our forks to eat spaghetti.

It tasted fantastic, in fact it was so good, the food was gone within minutes.

After finishing the food I looked at Arius, who sat there quietly on his chair, his elbows on the table, his chin resting on the back of his hands and his food untouched.

For once he had a pretty normal smile on his face. That is, Until his gaze met mine and it turned into a smirk.

"Now that you both are done." He lay back against the chair, "You have a job to do."

"A job?" I asked.

"Yes sweetheart, a job. You." He pointed at me, "Will be coming with me. And you." He looked at Nora as he stood up from his chair, "You will leave with Ben."

"Ben?" Nora looked confused, she was probably expecting to be with Caesar since he's her target.

"He's waiting in the lobby. Move." Arius ordered and Nora immediately made her way out. He then turned to me, "Huang fei."

Who?

"Yes, young master." The voice behind me made me jump. I looked back and saw an elderly- butler? Even though he looked like someone in his sixties, he was quite dignified.

"What about the dresses?" Arius asked him and I realized he was looking at him from the start.

"They are ready at the boutique."

"Good." He glanced at me, "Let's go." He began walking out, Caesar didn't follow him while I did.

"Where!?" Everything was happening a bit fast and I couldn't even defy him.

"A club." He was walking quite fast

"Club? What do you want me to do at a club?" I tried matching his pace.

"What else?" He suddenly paused and grinned at me,

"Seduce me.