Fake Destiny

Chapter6: Softening

Young Master's POV

I don’t know what possessed me this morning. I really don’t. It wasn’t like me to suddenly show any kind of compassion, let alone listen to the pleadings of a girl I barely knew. But for some reason, I found myself standing outside her room, just before the sun had risen.

The weight of the night before still clung to me. The anger, the frustration, the disgust. I could still feel it all in the pit of my stomach. But when I walked by her door, I heard something. Her soft voice, whispering into the silence of her chamber. Her words weren’t directed at anyone, but they still hit me like a punch to the gut.

“I just want freedom... even if it’s just for a day.”

She had no idea that her voice could shake me like that. I’d been told so many things, heard so many excuses, so many cries. But this... this was different. It was the first time I heard her voice, not begging, not cowering, but simply wanting something, something that, in my mind, was never meant for her.

Maybe it was because of how she had been since she arrived here. She wasn’t like the other girls. She didn’t beg for my attention. She didn’t bat her lashes or whisper promises of submission. She had a fire in her eyes that I couldn’t quite extinguish. And maybe that was why I stood outside her room, listening to her quietly, instead of doing what I should have done.

I should’ve ignored her request. I should’ve done what I always did: turn a blind eye, stay detached, and focus on the control I had over everyone here. But for some reason, I didn’t.

I found myself walking into her room, without really thinking about it.

"You really think you deserve freedom?" I asked her, my voice steady, but something unrecognizable in the way it came out. Was I giving her this as some kind of punishment or was I... doing something else? I didn’t know.

She looked at me, her eyes full of confusion but also that same quiet defiance she always carried. For a moment, I saw something in her that I hadn’t seen before. Maybe it was hope, or maybe it was just exhaustion.

“I didn’t say I deserved it,” she whispered back. “I just want to feel what it’s like... for a day.”

I stared at her for a long time, my mind trying to process why I was even entertaining this.

The silence between us stretched for too long, but in the end, I spoke, almost without thinking. “Fine. You can have it. One day. You can do whatever you want.”

She blinked, almost not believing it, and for a moment, I thought she was going to say something more. But then she closed her mouth, and I saw a flicker of something close to gratitude.

I didn’t know why I did it. I didn’t know why I cared. But the idea of giving her this... even if it was for a day, made something in my chest tighten. It wasn’t compassion. It couldn’t be.

I’ll take you to a place where you can be alone, away from others. You’ll have the day. After that, it’s back to the same routine, I told her firmly.

And then, just like that, I led her out. My mind wasn’t clear, but I kept pushing forward.

I didn’t explain where we were going, but I knew she didn’t ask either. She just followed me quietly, her steps slow, hesitant, like she wasn’t sure this was real.

She wasn’t used to freedom, and I wasn’t used to offering it.

We reached the private penthouse later in the day. It was a place only a handful of people knew about: me, Lorenzo, and Vina.

Vina was... well, she was the one who provided me with new girls. A woman who ran a brothel, a cold business person who did nothing but make money off the broken bodies of others. She was useful, and I didn’t care what anyone thought of her. She had connections, she had control over a network of girls, and that was all I needed.

Lorenzo hated this arrangement, hated everything about it. He didn’t like how I had business dealings with people like Vina, and he definitely didn’t like the idea of me taking any of these girls to my private places. But he couldn’t say anything, not when I was the one calling the shots.

And as for Vina, she knew exactly how to keep things under control. She didn’t ask questions, didn’t care about anything other than what was profitable.

When we arrived at the penthouse, I motioned for Isabella to go inside.

"Here," I said, my voice cold but less commanding than usual. "You’re free for the day." Do whatever you want. It’s your time. I don’t want to see you for a while, so you’ll be alone. Just... don't make a mess."

I felt a strange tension in the air. I didn’t know why I was doing this, why I was treating her differently. Maybe it was the softness in her voice when she spoke, the way she looked at me earlier. But that was ridiculous. I didn’t care about her.

I didn’t care about anyone.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She seemed hesitant, as if unsure of what to say next. But then, almost instinctively, she stepped forward, her eyes searching mine for something, though I knew she wouldn’t find anything there.

I couldn’t give her any false hope. She wasn’t allowed that.

I turned to leave, my hand already on the door, but I paused before stepping out. "Remember, this is just for today," I added, my tone sharp again. "Tomorrow, you go back to your role. You’re still mine. Don’t forget that."

She nodded without looking at me, and I felt the faintest twinge of... something. But I quickly pushed it down. There was no place for feelings, not in my world.

I left her there with nothing but the silence of the penthouse surrounding her, and I walked away without looking back.

Maybe I was giving her what she wanted. But maybe, in the end, I was the one who needed something from this.

I didn’t know why I cared. I didn’t want to know. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time I thought about her.