CHAPTER 1

ANALISE'S POV

"Hey, girl. Two bottles of scotch here”.

It was just another day at work at the "Knight Club". I have been working in this club for quite some time now. This club belongs to a successful billionaire. There are some rumours of him related to the mafia too. But these are just rumours, not reality so who cares.

I hate this job because I am a waitress here. The dress I am wearing is too revealing for my liking but I have no other option.

I hate it when people coming here look at me with hunger in their eyes as if they are wolves, and I am their prey. Their lust-filled eyes disgust me.

I earn a great salary and people coming here are rich, so I also get good tips. I hate it when someone touches me without my permission. Here every woman sleeps happily with men who are double their age just for a few extra dollars.

Job is a need to fill my stomach and with this money, I also fulfil other expenses. So, in short, I can't leave this job despite my hating it.

I never thought that despite being only nineteen I will have to face the hardships of life. This is all happening because my parents are no more in this world. My blonde hair is long and reaches below my waist. My parents died not so long ago and their inheritance is enough to complete my education.

We were not too rich but we were stable.

They were the best parents one could ask for. But one night when they were going to meet someone special an accident occurred, and they were no more. Their bodies were unrecognisable and badly burned.

I still can't forget that scene. Not a day passes without me thinking what if my parents were alive. Everything would have been so much better.

It is not like I am living a miserable life. I have a nice small apartment which consists of one room, a small kitchen, and a small living room. I am always alone. I never had any friends either. After my parents died, my relatives also left me alone. I remember we didn’t used to meet our relatives much but they were in contact and after my parents died, it was as if they never existed.

Now it's 2: am and my work here is over. I change my clothes and get out of the club. The cold air is blowing. It is quite common nowadays because it is mid-February.

The club is not crowded today. There are only ten to fifteen people outside the club except for guards. Music can be heard if you are not standing far from the club.

“Hey, sexy! Want to spend the night with us?” A group of young boys standing outside the club calls me but I ignore them. I have become used to it now.

I walk away from the club on this cold night. The streets are empty with no signs of any humans here. Despite how busy New York streets are during the day, nights are always silent here.

Sometimes it is scary to go out at this time but everything is necessary. I can't see any taxis so it means I have to walk again today. I am walking on the road alone when I hear some footsteps behind me.

I freeze up. With deep hesitation, I looked behind me and to my luck, no one was there. The road was as empty as the desert.

Considering it my illusion due to lack of sleep I start walking but this time faster. Suddenly someone grabbed a handful of my hair and I screamed.

"Shut up, you bitch! Let me taste this hot body of yours" I scream again. I look behind me to see he is one of those boys who were calling me earlier.

"Please let me go". I plead. He was going to slap me but a shot rang in the quiet atmosphere making me startled.

I see blood and start crying hysterically.

I was in shock. The person who was going to rape me was now lying in cold blood. It is the first time I am seen someone being murdered. A silhouette comes near me

and before I could do anything a syringe pierces the skin on the neck.

I try to concentrate but slowly I lose consciousness and fall limp in his arms.

Morning

"Ahhh!" I cry in pain when I open my eyes. My body hurts. My head hurts. I clutch my head in my hands. Everything hurts. I sit up with much difficulty and focus my eyes around me and see that I am laying on a king-sized bed.

The decor in this room is quite manly. Everything is grey and black. There is a big window showing the balcony. Rays of Sun are coming through windows and are enlightening the room.

This room is big and spacious. The bed on which I am now sitting is as soft as the cloud.

But the real question is WHERE AM I? Whose house is this? What am I even doing here? With great difficulty, I get up and reach the door which I assume is an exit. I am feeling dizzy. Maybe it is because of the drug which I was given before.

With my weak hands, I start banging on the door. "Help! Help Me! Is somebody there?" I hit the door continuously but no one came. The fear brings tears to my eyes. What if I am somewhere bad?

After some time I stop and sit on the floor beside the bed while crying. Fear is too much and this headache is making things more difficult.

What if someone is going to rape me or sell me to sex traffickers? Oh, God! Please help me. Heavy tears are leaking from my eyes.

As I was too engrossed in my thoughts to notice something, I heard a voice. A voice of the door opening and someone entering behind me.

Fear engulfed me in its best way and I started shivering. I am going to get killed now. I don't want to die. Then a voice echoed, bringing me back from my horrible thoughts.

"Analise?"

How does he know my name? Mustering up the courage I look back at the most beautiful face with the most captivating eyes but I can see the darkness hidden behind those eyes.

Glancing at him with my tear-filled eyes, I see him staring back at me.

"Seems like you are awake-"

"Please! Let me go. Don't kill me. I am thankful to you for saving my life but please let me go. I will not tell anyone-"

Before I could complete my sentence, that man pulled me off by grabbing my arm in a painful grip. I am looking at his dark eyes. He grabs my jaw with such a force that I think it will break anytime.

By this time tears are freely escaping from my eyes.

"Do not I mean do not ever interrupt me when I am speaking and about you going back let me tell you something. YOU ARE NEVER LEAVING ME. YOUR FUTURE IS WITH ME AND NOBODY ELSE”.

He leaves my arm and moves around the room as if controlling his anger. He roughly grabs my arm again and pulls me up from the floor. He then throws me on the bed.

"Here! I have brought you medicine for your headache so take it now". I think for a moment and with shivering hands, I pick up glass and tablet and swallow it quickly. I will do anything for this headache to end.

"Good Girl! Now you sleep and when you will wake up, we will talk about things”. Soon my eyes become heavy and sleep takes over me.

Fluttering my eyelids open I try to see the room. It seems like it's morning. I look down and am surprised to see that I am wearing a white silk nightgown. It reaches almost to my knees.

Where are my clothes? I wonder who changed me? Thinking about what would happen if a man saw me naked makes me uneasy.

My muscles are sore. I think it is because of not moving for some time. I get up and walk towards the door. Will it open? Maybe, maybe not.

I twist the doorknob and with surprise, it opens. I have to think quickly about whether to go outside or not.

'You should go outside maybe you can escape' my brain tells me.

Ok! I am going. I open the door and see a long hallway. Walls are covered with different paintings. I am in a mansion, not a small one but a big one. I continue to walk and find stairs.

It looks like a ghost will appear soon. The silence here is deadly. I reach the bottom of the stairs and hear some voices.

I follow these weird sounds and find myself in a magnificent dining room.

Wow! The long struggle I did was just to find the devil sitting in the main head chair. I could have found the front door. He is reading a newspaper and looks up and he smiles.

"Come, Analise! I have been waiting for you," he said. "Look! I just-" I start saying but his warning glare made me shut up.

With great fear, I walk towards him. "Sit”. He says and like an obedient slave, I sit in a chair on his right. Maybe if I listen to him then he will let me go.

"So, do you like your new home?"

He asks with an eyebrow raised in a deadly voice.

"This isn't my home" I speak in a meek voice. He chuckles. Suddenly two maids appear and place breakfast in front of us. What does he want from me?

The maids look quite young. Do they know that he has kidnapped me?

If they know then they should help me. Right?

He starts eating. He is behaving as if he has not just kidnapped a woman. Being in this situation, food is the last thing I want. I don't have an appetite. I just want to leave this place. I was looking around in search of an exit when he looked up from his plate and growled.

"Eat".

"I am not hungry" He leans back and looks at me while thinking. I don't move to pick up utensils but I should have. He comes close and bends my hand in a very hurtful direction. “Now will you eat or not?” He asks. When I nod he leaves my hand.

Tears fill my eyes. It is hurting so badly. He starts eating again.

"I am not going to say that again.' He claims.

With trembling hands, I pick up utensils and start eating. Tears are continuously flowing out from my eyes.

He finishes and waits till I am finished.

He doesn't talk anymore. Then I am escorted back to that room. I fall on my stomach and start crying. What can I do except this?

How will I ever leave this place?

………