Chapter 10
1296 Words
Izzy's already pale complexion almost lost all color when she heard what Seth Santiago had just said.
She swallowed hard as she saw the dangerous smirk on his lips, accompanied by his sharp, piercing gaze.
“I-I don’t h-have—”
“Relax… I have no intention of collecting from you right now. I know you’re not prepared for whatever reason. Besides, I want my woman to be game and willing. From what I can see now…”
Izzy bit her lower lip hard when he deliberately left his sentence hanging before smirking again. She instinctively took a step back as he approached her and gently traced her trembling lips with his fingers.
She felt as if her heart would explode at any moment, overwhelmed by a mix of fear and anxiety, made worse by the way he was intensely staring at her.
Isabel Vergara… What have you gotten yourself into?
She silently asked herself, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt his hand trail from her lips down to her neck.
She thought that was as far as he would go, but she gasped sharply when his hand moved even lower, reaching the base of her chest.
Izzy heard his low chuckle, making her open her eyes wide in shock.
“Just as I thought. From the way you look right now, you’re already on the verge of tears…”
He shook his head before pulling his hand away from her chest. Izzy was momentarily confused when he took a small step back.
“Hey, I brought you to my house so we could talk, get to know each other beyond just lunch. I’m not going to touch you, Isabel…”
He spoke in a hushed voice, his intense gaze still locked onto her.
“At least, not yet…”
His added remark sent a shiver down her spine, making her realize that it was more of a warning than just a simple statement.
Shit… Why, despite all this… does he still look so damn handsome to me?
She scolded herself, biting her lip once again.
Of all things, why was she noticing that instead of worrying about whether she was in danger?
Danger… If it’s in this man’s hands, would I even refuse?
Izzy almost cursed at herself when her own mind whispered that thought to her.
“Are you okay? You look like you need to pee or something.”
Seth’s forehead creased as he observed her expression.
How ridiculous… He probably saw her as nothing more than a plaything.
Despite the fear, anxiety, and embarrassment, Izzy had no choice but to force a smile and shake her head.
“N-no, I don’t need to go to the bathroom. I-it’s just that what you’re saying is kind of scary…”
She whispered, stammering while avoiding his gaze.
He chuckled softly before speaking again.
“Trust me, baby… You’ll feel more than just fear, and you’ll never get away from it. Like I said earlier, a deal’s a deal… I am a man of my word, and I was hoping you are too…”
For the second time, Izzy swallowed hard as his warning grew even more intense.
“Sir, the dining area is ready.”
Izzy felt a bit of relief as the suffocating tension between her and Seth was momentarily interrupted by the arrival of an older woman.
She nearly wanted to hug the woman out of gratitude for cutting into what felt like a drowning conversation.
“Let’s go?”
Seth invited her with a serious expression. Without thinking, Izzy simply nodded and followed him.
—
Izzy’s jaw nearly dropped the moment she stepped into the dining area.
What greeted her was an enormous table filled with an overwhelming amount of food.
It was so much that she would have thought it was meant for an entire barangay.
Is this a palace? Is Seth Santiago a noble?
She wondered in disbelief, covering her mouth as she heard Seth’s voice from behind her.
“No, not royalty… Just rich.”
He grinned, and Izzy barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his arrogance.
Well, he does have a right to be arrogant. My best friend Carl is rich, but not like this…
Wait…
How did he know what I was thinking? Is he some kind of mind-reading noble?
She mused, furrowing her brows as she noticed Seth smirking at her reaction.
“I said I’m not a noble, and I can’t read minds. You just whisper too loudly.”
He shook his head while keeping his eyes fixed on her.
“Let’s just eat, Isabel… The food is getting cold.”
He added before walking towards the table. Izzy hesitantly followed, feeling slightly awkward as one of the maids pulled out a chair for her.
She thought that was the extent of their service, but she was wrong. Her discomfort only grew when the maid started placing food onto her plate.
“I-I can do it myself… T-thank you very much…”
She whispered, forcing a smile as she quickly took the serving spoon and plate from the maid.
“Leave them be. That’s their job.”
Seth’s serious voice cut through her discomfort. She pouted slightly but decided not to argue.
“Let the servants serve you, Isabel Vergara.”
He repeated, but this time with a hint of irritation. Izzy could feel the maid beside her trembling slightly, especially when Seth shot her a cold look.
“I-I’ll do it, ma’am…”
The maid whispered nervously. But Izzy was determined.
“I can do it myself. I can feed myself just fine. And Sir Seth, with all due respect, they are not just mere servants. Yes, they work for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat them with kindness. You should try it sometimes.”
She gave a long-winded speech before once again taking the serving spoon from the maid.
Izzy had no idea where she had gotten the courage to say all that, but one thing was certain—she had only made Seth angrier.
Her guilt surged when he spoke.
“You. Drop the food and get the f*ck out of here. You’re fired.”
His voice was ice-cold, void of any emotion.
The maid’s face instantly paled while Izzy stared at Seth, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Let’s eat now.”
He said firmly, his sharp gaze never leaving her. Despite the cold sweat forming on her palms and the tremble in her legs, Izzy matched his glare.
“Did you really have to fire your maid just because I stopped her from serving me?”
She asked, unable to hide the irritation in her voice. Seth smirked before answering.
“I pay them a lot, and their job is to serve. That’s all they have to do—serve. If they fail to do that, then what’s the point of keeping them here? If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I don’t throw huge amounts of money for nothing, Isabel. Even you will soon realize that.”
Izzy stared blankly into space, stunned by his response.
As someone who had grown up poor, she believed in valuing people and relationships. She never imagined that for people like Seth, money was the only thing that mattered.
“In that case, fire me instead. Not your maid. I’m the one at fault. She was just trying to do her job, and I refused. Fire me instead, not her.”
A heavy tension filled the dining area as Seth remained silent, watching her like a predator assessing its prey.
Izzy’s hands grew colder when his gaze darkened even more.
“You are way too expensive just to be thrown out, Isabel.”
- Writer
