A Payment to the Mafia: His Little Obsession

ZOE

Mr. Gonzalez inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Adeline," he said, his tone clipped. "I trust everything is prepared?"

Adeline's gaze flickered towards me, her lips curling into a barely perceptible sneer. "Of course. Your... guest... will be well taken care of."

A wave of unease washed over me as I realized the implication behind her words. I was no longer just a bargaining chip, I was a prisoner in this place and I didn't know what he had in store for me. He looked normal but with everything I'd heard about him, I knew he was insane.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mr Gonzalez said and turned away to an elevator. An elevator in a house, wow.

"Your room is this way," Adeline said to me with a disgusted look once Mr Gonzalez had entered the elevator. Did I stink? She turned away and started walking down the hallway.

As Adeline led me deeper into the corridors, I couldn't help but wonder what fate awaited me in this new, twisted reality. 

"How long do you think you are going to last?" She suddenly said which made me pause, and my steps faltered.

"Excuse me?" I asked and she turned to me with a sneer on her face.

"How long before you die." She said calmly like death didn't mean anything. What the hell? 

My breath caught in my throat as Adeline's words sank in. Die? A chill ran down my spine as I realized the severity of the situation I found myself in. This wasn't just about repaying a debt, it was a matter of life and death. Mr Gonzalez could kill me at any moment if I did anything wrong.

Adeline's gaze was unwavering, her expression cold and mean. "You'd be wise not to underestimate Mr. Gonzalez," she said, her tone laced with a subtle warning. "He's not a man to be trifled with. Don't think he cares about you because he gave you a roof."

I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself. "What... What does he want from me?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. Why would anyone accept a human as payment? Was he going to make me his slave?

Adeline let out a humorless laugh. "Isn't it obvious? You're his new plaything, a mere distraction to keep him entertained until he grows bored of you." She said as she picked her nails. What would happen when he grows bored of me?

I shook my head in disbelief. "What would happen when he grows bored of me?" I asked, my heart raced again.

"I am sure you know the answer to that." She answered with a glare like my question was stupid.

"He wouldn't kill me," I said, as I tried to convince myself I wasn't going to die in this godforsaken place. God did forsake this place.

Adeline's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Keep telling yourself that, if it helps you sleep at night." She turned and continued down the hallway, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Your room is this way. Try not to make too much noise when the nightmares come."

As I followed her, my mind raced with a million questions and fears. What did Mr. Gonzalez have planned for me? How was I supposed to escape without him finding me and probably killing me? And perhaps most importantly, how long would I survive in this twisted place?

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, each step taking me deeper into the unknown. But one thing was certain - I needed to find a way to escape.

"Here." She said once we came to a stop in front of a large door. "Be up before 8. Mr Gonzalez doesn't like people wasting his time." She turned away immediately after she spoke, leaving me alone in the empty hallway.

I took a deep breath and turned the knob of the door and entered the large room.

"Fuck." I whispered as I looked around the well-furnished room. The room was bigger than my living room back at home. Glancing at the clock, I sighed and hopped on the bed. I guessed this was my life from now on. It didn't take long before I fell into a dreamless sleep.

***

The antique clock's steady ticking reverberated throughout the large bedroom, mocking my sleepless night with every passing second. I glanced at the ceiling, my mind racing, tangled in the silk sheets. How much time would I be here? In my mind, the question kept repeating.

My body hurt from all the tossing and turning I had done all night, so I pushed myself to get up as the first rays of morning broke through the thick drapes. I was surprised by a gentle knock on the door and automatically pulled the duvet more about me. Was it the right moment?

I yelled, "Come in," in a hardly audible voice.

A young maid entered with sad eyes as the door cracked open. "Miss, good morning. Mr. Gonzalez requests your presence at breakfast." Her tone was polite but detached as if she were reciting lines from a script.

I nodded silently, my throat constricting with fear. After breakfast with the man who had bought my life, the thought seemed surreal.

The maid gestured towards the adjoining dressing room. "Your attire for the day has been provided. Mr. Gonzalez expects you to be ready in thirty minutes."

As she exited, I slowly made my way to the dressing room, dreading what I might find. But nothing could have prepared me for the scandalous dress that was in it.

Laid out on the long table in the dressing room was a revealing black dress. It looked very expensive, expensive enough to buy my house. The neckline plunged dangerously low, leaving my boobs in full display, while the hem barely grazed mid-thigh.

Accompanying the dress were a pair of towering stilettos and a black lace choker that seemed more like a collar than an accessory.

I stared at the outfit in disbelief, my cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and ridiculousness. This was the attire he expected me to wear. A wave of nausea washed over me as the implication became clear, Mr. Gonzalez didn't just want me as a plaything; he wanted to put me on display, to flaunt his control over me like a trophy.

With trembling hands, I slipped into the revealing dress, the fabric clinging to my skin like a second layer. The choker felt like a tightrope, constricting my breathing and making me cough multiple times. The heels were even worse.

As I made my way to the dining room, each click of the stilettos echoed announcing my arrival. Mr. Gonzalez sat at the head of the table, his gaze fixated on the morning paper until I entered. Slowly, he lowered the newspaper, his eyes raking over my figure with an intensity that made my skin crawl.

"Good morning, Zoe," he said, his voice a deep rumble that sent involuntary shivers down my spine. "You look... ravishing."

I fought the urge to cover myself, to hide from his penetrating stare. Instead, I forced a tight smile, my jaw clenched tightly. "Good morning, Mr. Gonzalez."

He gestured to the seat beside him, and I reluctantly took my place, keenly aware of the way the dress rode up dangerously high on my thighs. "I trust you slept well?" he inquired, his tone showed no hint of concern for my wellbeing.

"As well as could be expected, given the circumstances," I replied, my voice laced with thinly veiled sarcasm.

A ghost of a smile played on his lips, but his eyes remained cold. "Straight to the point, I see. I admire that quality in a woman." He leaned back in his chair, his gaze never wavering from mine. "I imagine you have many questions about your... new situation."