Chapter Two
1547 Words
Rule Number Four
Elena barely slept.
The guest room she had been given was bigger than her entire apartment back home, yet somehow it felt impossible to breathe inside it.
Everything was too quiet.
Too expensive.
Too perfect.
Rain tapped softly against the massive windows while the events of the night replayed endlessly in her head.
₦50,000,000.
Damien Vale.
The contract.
And especially—
Rule Number Four.
Do not fall in love with Damien Vale.
Who even adds something like that to a contract?
Elena groaned softly and buried her face into the pillow.
This was insane.
Every instinct she had screamed that she should leave before things got worse.
But every time she thought about leaving, she remembered her mother in that hospital bed.
And the look in Daniel’s eyes.
So no.
She couldn’t leave.
Not yet.
A knock sounded at the door.
Elena sat up immediately.
“It’s unlocked,” she called.
The same emotionless man from earlier stepped inside.
He was still dressed entirely in black.
“Mr. Vale requested your presence downstairs.”
Requested.
The word somehow sounded like an order anyway.
Elena glanced at the clock beside the bed.
6:12 a.m.
“Does he always wake people before sunrise?”
The man didn’t react.
Interesting.
“Follow me.”
Elena sighed quietly before climbing out of bed.
She had changed into one of the oversized sweaters provided in the closet because all her clothes were still damp from the storm. The fact that someone had somehow already prepared clothing in her exact size unsettled her deeply.
How much did Damien Vale actually know about her?
The mansion looked even more intimidating in daylight.
Massive windows stretched across endless hallways while dark paintings decorated the walls. Staff members moved silently through the house like ghosts.
Nobody smiled.
Nobody spoke.
The entire place felt… controlled.
As if the mansion itself obeyed Damien Vale.
The thought sent a chill through her.
The man led her into a dining room so large it could probably host fifty people.
Damien sat alone at the far end of the table.
Black shirt.
Silver watch.
Coffee in one hand.
He looked unfairly attractive for someone this terrifying.
His eyes lifted toward her the moment she entered.
And somehow she felt that look all the way down her spine.
“You’re late again,” he said calmly.
Elena frowned immediately.
“It’s six in the morning.”
“And yet you’re still late.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly before pulling out a chair.
Something flashed briefly across Damien’s face.
Amusement.
“You enjoy annoying people, don’t you?” she asked.
“I enjoy honesty.”
“That sounds fake.”
One corner of his mouth lifted.
God.
That almost-smile should honestly be illegal.
A woman entered quietly carrying breakfast plates.
Elena blinked at the amount of food placed in front of her.
Pancakes.
Fruit.
Eggs.
Toast.
Meanwhile Damien only drank coffee.
“You’re not eating?” she asked cautiously.
“I already did.”
“At five in the morning?”
“Yes.”
“That’s disturbing.”
Another flicker of amusement.
Elena stared at him carefully.
It was strange.
She expected someone like Damien Vale to act loud and arrogant. The kind of billionaire constantly trying to prove power.
But Damien barely raised his voice.
If anything, his calmness felt more dangerous.
Like he never needed to prove anything because everyone already feared him.
The thought made her uneasy.
“So,” she said carefully, “what exactly am I supposed to do here?”
Damien set his coffee cup down slowly.
“You’ll assist me.”
“With?”
“Whatever I require.”
Elena blinked.
“That is still incredibly vague.”
“It’s intentional.”
Her irritation grew instantly.
“You asked me to live here for a year without properly explaining anything.”
“And yet you signed.”
She hated that he had a point.
Elena crossed her arms slightly.
“You know, normal employers usually conduct interviews.”
“I already investigated you.”
“That’s somehow worse.”
This time Damien actually smiled faintly.
It disappeared almost immediately.
But Elena noticed it.
And for one terrifying second—
she realized how dangerous it would be if this man ever genuinely smiled at her.
Her heart would probably forget how to function.
The realization annoyed her instantly.
No.
Absolutely not.
She was not becoming one of those girls hypnotized by attractive rich men with emotional issues.
Not happening.
Damien studied her quietly.
“You’re thinking too loudly.”
Elena nearly choked on her juice.
“What does that even mean?”
“You make every emotion obvious.”
“That’s rich coming from someone who looks emotionally unavailable.”
Silence.
The air changed instantly.
Elena felt it immediately.
Oops.
The staff member nearby suddenly looked terrified.
But Damien simply leaned back in his chair.
“You’re either brave,” he said softly, “or reckless.”
“Maybe both.”
For a long moment, he just watched her.
Then—
“Good.”
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Good?
Most people probably spent their lives trying not to offend Damien Vale.
Yet somehow he looked… interested.
That should not have made her nervous.
But it did.
A phone vibrated somewhere nearby.
One of the guards stepped quickly into the room and leaned toward Damien, whispering something quietly into his ear.
Elena watched Damien’s expression harden instantly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
“What happened?” she asked before thinking.
Damien stood smoothly.
“Finish breakfast.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
His gaze met hers.
Cold again.
Controlled.
“Remember Rule One.”
Do not ask questions about Damien Vale’s business.
Right.
Elena pressed her lips together.
Damien adjusted the sleeve of his watch calmly before walking toward the door.
Then paused.
Without looking back, he spoke.
“Do not wander through the house alone.”
Elena frowned slightly.
“Why?”
His voice lowered.
“Because some doors are locked for a reason.”
And then he left.
The room suddenly felt emptier without him in it.
Which was ridiculous.
She barely knew the man.
Still…
his presence lingered like smoke.
Elena looked down at her untouched breakfast.
This place was strange.
Damien was strange.
Everything about this situation screamed danger.
So why did part of her feel curious instead of afraid?
That was the truly dangerous part.
Three hours later, Elena was hopelessly lost.
She had only intended to find the library.
Instead, she somehow ended up in an entirely unfamiliar section of the mansion.
The hallway here looked different.
Darker.
Quieter.
No staff.
No guards.
Just silence.
A strange feeling settled in her stomach.
She should turn back.
Immediately.
But then—
she heard something.
A sound.
Soft.
Almost like…
crying.
Elena froze.
The sound came again.
Very faint.
From upstairs.
Her heartbeat quickened slowly.
The third floor.
Rule Two.
Do not enter the third floor under any circumstances.
She stared up the staircase.
The crying stopped suddenly.
Every rational thought in her brain screamed at her to leave.
Instead—
Elena took one step upward.
Then another.
The mansion seemed unnaturally quiet now.
The farther she climbed, the colder the air became.
By the time she reached the top step, her pulse was hammering painfully.
A long hallway stretched ahead.
Dark doors lined both sides.
Every single one closed.
Elena swallowed hard.
This was a terrible idea.
Then—
a door creaked softly behind her.
She spun around sharply.
Nobody.
Her breathing quickened.
Okay.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
She turned quickly to leave—
—and froze.
Damien stood at the bottom of the staircase.
Watching her.
Her heart nearly stopped.
He said nothing.
Which somehow felt worse.
The darkness in his eyes was unreadable.
Dangerously calm.
“Elena.”
Her name in his voice sent chills down her spine.
“I can explain—”
“I gave you one rule.”
His tone remained soft.
Controlled.
That terrified her more than shouting would have.
“I heard someone crying,” she said quickly. “I thought maybe somebody was hurt—”
“You should have walked away.”
The silence between them felt suffocating.
Elena slowly descended the stairs.
Damien didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
Just watched her.
The moment she reached the bottom, he stepped closer.
Too close.
Her breath caught instantly.
God.
Why did he smell so good?
“Curiosity,” he said quietly, “will destroy you in this house.”
Elena lifted her chin slightly despite the way her pulse raced.
“Then maybe you should stop hiding things.”
His jaw tightened.
For one second, real emotion flickered across his face.
Pain.
Gone so quickly she almost imagined it.
“You have no idea what you’re walking into,” he murmured.
Before she could respond—
a loud crash echoed somewhere upstairs.
Elena flinched violently.
But Damien didn’t even look surprised.
Instead, his gaze remained locked on hers.
Cold.
Protective.
Dangerous.
Then he said the words that made her blood run cold.
“Stay away from the third floor,” he said softly.
“Or next time…
I won’t be the one who finds you first.”
- Writer
