FIFTEEN
Somehow, Yalda had spent the rest of the day with Riley. She realized that she was really good company, but she made her think deeply about her life and where she was. Riley was happy; she was happy being a housewife and a mother, she was satisfied with her life and everything in it. It seemed she had attained that life she had always dreamt off.
And then there was her; stuck and unable to move forward.
It was dark when she returned. She noticed immediately that all the lights were off except the ones in Alexander's study, thus, she made her way over to him. She had expected him to be working as always, but she found him nursing a bottle of wine while staring ahead at nothing in particular; he was deep in thoughts, and she knew better than to disturb him when he was like this.
He got like this from time to time; he'd sit alone and drink some wine while blankly staring at nothing. At times he'd snap out of it, but at times he let his thoughts get to him till he was stressed out and nosebleeding. She had always been curious about what he always thought about; he was a man that allowed no one in, and all the burdens he carried, he carried on his own.
She quietly turned around in an attempt to leave him to his thoughts, but she froze when he suddenly spoke.
"Your phone has functions, you see". He said. "I'm supposed to be able to reach you on it"
She spun around to face him at once but found that he was still staring ahead. Her phone had been in her purse all day, she had muted it because she hadn't wanted to be disturbed.
"It was in my purse. I didn't hear it ring". She quietly told him.
His gaze flickered to hers and her spine was chilled at how cold his eyes were.
"Did you have something to eat?". He asked her.
She nodded. She had had smoothies with Riley earlier.
He set the wine glass down before swiveling his seat slowly.
"I asked you to get some rest. I expected to return to find you exactly where I thought you'd be, but you weren't there". He said. "Where were you?".
She averted her gaze from his.
"I'm s grown woman. I can't always be where you want me to be". She said quietly.
"Oh? But the contract you signed says otherwise". He told her.
Her gaze snapped back to his at once. She shook her head.
"Leave the contract out of this". She said.
Somehow, she was aware that there was a contract binding them, and initially, she had done all she did because of it. But eventually she had forgotten all about it and she had done all she did simply because they had become a part of her; a routine, a sort of lifestyle for her.
"Why?". He asked her.
"I've done everything you asked for years without you needing to remind me of it, why bring it up now?". She replied.
"Not to demean you in anyway, but simply to remind you that you owe it to me to tell me your whereabouts when I ask". He told her. "I'm asking once again, Yalda, where were you?".
Her throat clenched painfully but she responded still.
"I was at a cafe with a fried from college". She replied.
"What friend?".
He knew her well enough to know that she had no friends.
"Riley". She replied once more.
The fact that she had no friends or family was very convenient for him; it let him do with her as he pleased knowing he was all she had.
"You spent a whole day with Riley?". He asked as though he found it hard to believe. Even she found it strange, she found it impossible.
She nodded.
A moment of silence stretched between them intensely. And she hadn't realized she had been holding her breath till he spoke again.
"Are you alright, Yalda?". He asked her.
She averted her gaze from his once more. Now that he was asking if she was alright, she found herself unable to face her feelings.
"Tell me". He said.
"I...I would like to go to go to bed now". She replied.
"Look at me". He said, it was more of an order.
Her gaze flickered to his and she stared at him with tired eyes.
"You've not been yourself lately". He told her. "I think you're overwhelmed".
She said nothing still.
"And to help you unwind, I will be employing the services of a new secretary". He told her.
Her eyes widened in horror and she shook her head immediately. He knew if he took her job from her he would break her completely. Perhaps threatening to replace her was his way of keeping her in check; it was working.
"No, please don't". She spoke quickly. "Please".
"It seems like you're unable to handle both jobs at once". He said.
"I can. I can, please". She said as she walked up to him quickly. "Please".
He shook his head.
"Yalda, I'm trying to help you". He told her.
She felt tears stung her eyes immediately and she didn't think twice before lowering herself to her knees before him. She knew he had made her everything she was now, and she knew he could so easily break her; he could destroy her.
"Please don't take my jobs from me". She begged him. She blinked and tears went trailing down her cheeks freely. "Please".
He swiveled his seat so he was facing her fully, and she crawled closer so she was nestled between his legs. He reached out and wiped away her tears tenderly while staring deeply into her eyes. He caressed her face tenderly; her cheek, the side of her face, he dragged his thumb down her lips to give her a taste of the salinity of her tears.
"You want to carry on?". He asked her.
She nodded immediately.
"Please let me". She begged him. "I'll do whatever you want".
She'd do whatever he wanted either ways, but still. Her eyes pleaded with him until he conceded. He nodded once.
"Don't make me regret reconsidering replacing you". He warned mildly, but she knew better than to take him lightly.
She nodded quickly.
"Good". He said as he guided her up so she sat on his lap. "You wanted to go to bed?".
She shook her head once more.
"What do you want me to do?". She asked him.
She should have been humiliated about the fact that she had just begged him on her knees, but rather, she was stirred.
"What do you want to do?". He asked her.
She shook her head once more.
"It doesn't matter". She replied.
A part of her was sated just being here sitting on his lap.
A smile curved his lips, a dark and sinister smile.
"You learn fast, Ms. Harris". He said. "One of the many reasons I keep you around".
He leaned in and kissed her deeply till she tasted the wine on his tongue, till she was breathless.
"Go to bed. You need to rest if you intend to go to work tomorrow". He said.
She nodded.
"Have a goodnight". He said as she climbed off his lap.
"Goodnight". She responded quietly before turning around and walking away.
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