Surrogate For The Big Boss

Chapter 3

~ Ophelia’s POV ~

I had settled into the queen-sized bedroom they gave me in the mansion and fell right onto the soft bed.

For a while, I forgot about all my pain and slept straight till morning.

When I finally opened my eyes, I noticed people moving outside my door. Dozens of them. Maids, guards… all lined up like they were waiting for me.

Damn it. Did Ryker already find out my secret? Was this the end?

“Breakfast is ready, my lady,” a small voice said.

I jumped a little. A tiny maid stood there, her head barely reaching the door.

Relief escaped me in a laugh. “Don’t scare me like that. I thought I was done for.”

The little maid lowered her head quickly, as if she had done something wrong.

I let them in, and suddenly the room turned into something out of a movie. A line of maids walked in with trays bigger than my head, plates full of eggs, sausages, bread, fruits, cheese, soups, even cakes. My eyes almost popped out.

“All this… for me?” I asked in shock.

“Yes, my lady,” the tiny maid said bowing. I chuckled at her weirdly gestures.

Right then my stomach growled so loud I couldn’t even pretend I wasn’t hungry. I shamelessly dug into the food like I hadn’t eaten in years. They were so tasty I almost moaned with every bite.

The maids just stood there quietly watching me eat. At first it felt strange, like I was some rich princess putting on a show. But soon I didn’t care. I wiped my mouth with the napkin they gave me and leaned back, feeling full and proud of myself.

The moment I leaned back, another group of maids walked in with steaming buckets and towels. They filled up a big tub with hot water and rose petals floating on top.

“Your bath, my lady.”

I blinked at them. “A bath too?”

“Yes. The master said everything must be perfect for you.”

The master. Ryker.

Who really was this guy? He had everything at his beck and call and could undo and redo everything.

After the bath, they put me in a nice comfy bathrobe, then showed me a closet full of clothes that I swear weren't there the night before. Dresses, trousers, skirts, blouses, every color, every fabric.

“These are all your size, my lady. The master ordered them last night.”

My fingers shook as I touched the clothes. How the hell did Ryker know my exact size?

I looked at the small maid. “Are you sure these are new?”

“Yes, my lady. They came this morning.”

Came this morning? That meant Ryker had them brought here overnight. This man could move the whole world if he wanted.

I picked a cream dress that fit me perfectly, and before I could breathe, a guard knocked on the door.

“The master requests your presence.”

I froze. “Right now?”

“Yes, my lady.”

There was no choice.

I was led to Ryker’s private room. When I got to the door, I was too stunned to speak.

Ten doctors stood inside, lined up in white, holding tools, charts, and machines.

Ryker sat in a chair with one leg crossed, staring at me like I was his prey.

“Come in, Nadia,” he said.

The way he said my name made my knees weak.

I stepped inside slowly, palms sweaty.

The doctors moved quickly. One checked my temperature, another listened to my heartbeat, another flashed a light in my eyes. They checked my blood pressure, reflexes, and weight, writing everything down like I was some rare project.

I looked at Ryker, hoping he’d explain, but he just sat there, watching me. Always watching.

He stood close, too close. Every time a doctor touched me, his eyes followed, warning, daring them to do too much.

“Her heart rate is high,” one of the doctors said.

“Of course it is,” Ryker replied in mockery. “She’s nervous.”

I bit my lip in embarrassment. His hand brushed mine when a doctor strapped me and I looked away quickly.

He wouldn’t stop staring at me.

When it was finally done, Ryker waved his hand and the doctors packed up and left without another word.

“She’s perfect,” Ryker muttered under his breath.

That was it for me. I couldn’t breathe. I bolted out of the room, gasping like I’d just escaped a trap.

Later, I walked into the large garden that held a pleasant and breathtaking view.

Two guards followed behind me with every step I took. Always watching like mini Rykers.

I got exhausted and decided to test them. I turned left quickly. They turned left. I sped up. They sped up.

“Alright, let’s see how good you really are.” I chuckled.

I darted into a side walk and ran. I ran past shocked maids carrying trays.

“Don't mind me, carry on” I waved. I ran and turned until I'd lost the guards, it was more than suffocating to be watched all day at all times.

I just needed air, was that too much to ask?

“Not so tough now, huh?” I chuckled.

Then I froze.

A muffled scream came from an echoing room right beside me.

My curiosity got the better of me. I followed the sound slowly, I reached a half-open door and pushed it just a little.

Inside, Ryker stood with a gun in his hand. A man was tied to a chair, blood covering his shirt, his face swollen and broken. He was barely breathing.

Ryker pressed the gun to his head. His face was cold.

“Last chance,” Ryker growled.

The man whimpered something I couldn’t hear.

Ryker tilted his head. “Wrong answer.”

BANG!

The shot echoed through the room. The man’s head dropped lifeless, blood dripping to the floor.

A scream tore out of me before I could stop it.

Ryker’s head snapped toward the door. His sharp green eyes locked on me.

For a moment, the whole world went silent. My blood froze, my legs shaking.

“Nadia,” he whispered.

And just like that, I felt like my life was over.