Chapter 2

2059 Words
Standing in the corridor of the vast house, I take my time to calm my nerves that are still on edge. I can't delete the image of that man from my mind. It was now forever engraved into it, haunting me with every step I took in the gigantic house. The maid Eva, whose name I've just found out, left me to go look for her boss. She was a blonde woman, entering her late sixties, her face giving a gentle feeling. When she was talking to me her eyes were glittering with sincerity, a soft smile dancing on her lips. A pleasant person to be around with. My nerves calmed down the moment her kindness and care was shown. Even though she left me alone, I was no longer on the verge of jumping out of my skin. Indulging myself in observation, I took in the image of the house corridor. It stretched to one door opposite of me. On either side of the walls were small stools, probably for guests to sit while they wait for the ‘big boss’ to show up. I would say that this was more of a waiting room. A bit further to my right side are doors that are painted in dark red color, which almost gave off the feeling that behind the doors were some kind of meeting rooms. On the walls paintings of men stood proudly. The way and style they were painted in was exquisite and I couldn’t help but smile. I have no idea who they are, but one in particular caught my attention. It was almost in the middle of the right wall. A man with dark hair and piercing gray eyes was painted on it. His features were truly beautiful and breathtaking. You could see that he was well built judging by his painted abdomen and the details of his suit, skin and expression were incredible. I couldn't help but stare. He was gorgeous. Even though he looked 4 or 5 years older than me, he looked young. I looked closer, noticing how greatly every part of the skin was painted, not even missing a single stroke of the lines on his face. The artist that did this had at least 30 to 40 years of practice. It’s a masterpiece that no one could ever ignore. I was genuinely surprised that none of these works were sent to a museum or an exhibition. I don't know how long I was in a daze when a small chuckle made me jump away from the painting. Eva was back and probably laughing at how I was dumbly staring. "I suppose you've met the young Master. Partially..." She smiled sweetly, giving me a reassuring look. It took me a moment to regain my posture and clear my throat, but she cut me off before I could even utter a word. "Come now, the Master is ready to see you." With that she turned towards the direction of the door at the end of the corridor. I followed her quietly, observing the paintings and simple decorations along the way. When I stepped through the door, I could feel my breath catch in my throat. The inner part of the house was beautiful. Floor was covered in cream colored tiles that were softly twinkling from the light illuminated by a Chrystal chandelier. Beside me were rows of stairs that led to the upper part of the house. Walls were a white plain color with a painting here and there, but it gave off a feeling of peace and safety. The paint was greatly kept and even if you tried, you probably wouldn’t find a single stain on them. When I stood under the chandelier I looked around more carefully. I saw the stairs and multiple doors that were almost the size of a gate. But the front doors were even bigger than them. Each door was a dark brown color, with small engravings on them. In front of the walls stood small desks with vases full of flowers, sticking out the undecorated corners of the vast hall. The place is huge. I felt so small standing in the center of it. This man really likes to go all out. The thought crossed my mind, while my eyes couldn't stay on one thing for even a second. "Honey, I know you would like to admire everything here, but trust me you'll have time for that. We mustn't keep Master waiting.” Eva's voice brought me back to earth. I brought my eyes to her brown ones, staring at them for a few seconds. They were serious, but full of amusement. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry. " I apologized quietly, lowering my head in embarrassment. Getting carried away was not what I was here for, but I believe that no one could resist the charms of this place. "Oh, don't be sorry, sweetheart. It's quite alright with me." She smiled genuinely and continued walking towards our next destination in the maze like house. While I was following her, I thought of how I didn't meet the man who hired me in person. His 'butler', as he introduced himself, came to me. All I knew of, is his name and that he is filthy rich. Alexander Shackler. One of the most famous and richest men worldwide. I don't know any real background, but I know that he owns a great deal of companies, clubs and so on. Aside from that, I can see that he likes perfection. Every single detail in this house was scrubbed and made to twinkle in spotlessness. Eva stopped in front of another big door. We must have passed many corridors because we were at the end of one of the wings in the house. I looked behind us, not even realizing that we had passed by so much turns. Shaking my head to myself, I turned back to Eva who was just about to speak. "Wait here." Eva said in a hushed voice. I nodded my head and she entered the room whilst knocking. I waited patiently until I heard my name being called. The room wasn't that big, but it was certainly as decorated as the rest of the house. I didn't have the time to admire everything as my eyes fell upon the man sitting behind the desk. Just like Eva, he was in his late sixties, but nonetheless his features were sharp and strong. Must I say, for his age he looked really fit and healthy. He wore a dark suit, like most businessmen. His jacket outlined his strong torso, hugging his body perfectly. His eyes spoke a different story. They glowed dangerously and I almost shuddered from his continuous stare. He was very serious. His gaze didn't falter for one second as he watched my every move. I squirmed uncomfortably, trying not to look away, but the thought was so tempting. "You're late." His deep voice boomed through the room as he didn't hesitate to speak up. It held real authority and power, the dominance over both me and the maid was made clear in those two words. It was something you could never stand against. Nervousness started to take over and I fiddled with my bag. He was truly frightening and intense, so much that my insides started to churn from how scared I was. I felt as though I was dancing in the Devil’s lair, his eyes boring into mine like I stole something of his and now I would have to pay for it greatly. "My apologies, Sir. Miss Anna had a very long ride, she is exhausted." His gaze followed Eva's voice. "Enough Eva, I don't tolerate people being late." I swallowed hard, and finally managed to speak. "I'm sorry, sir. I was just admiring the paintings in the house. They were painted with such precision that I simply couldn’t look away." In a split second his eyes were no longer stern. They held surprise and curiosity. I almost stepped back in surprise when his eyes sparkled with delight. "I see. They indeed have." I was taken aback. His eyes were urging me to say more, so I cleared my throat and tried not to say anything that would make him angry. "It's truly amazing. The brush strokes seem so gentle and without hesitation." I said in a weak voice, maybe even a note higher than usual. I was scared to make any movement, hence why I stood like a stone in front of his desk. He smiled and I found I found it a huge relief to my poor nerves. "Indeed. You seem to be familiar with paintings. I could show you later some more, yes?" "I would like that very much, Sir." I replied with a small smile, finally able to speak normally. "Sit now. We need to discuss your work here." His face turned serious again, but it wasn't as frightening as it was in the beginning. I glanced at Eva only to see her smiling sadly. The genuine look was gone, her eyes shone as if she was to burst into tears. What? I frowned a bit, almost wanting to comfort her for whatever reason. "Eva you can go now." Mr. Shackler said, his tone rough and cold. Eva bowed and exited the room without a word, obeying his order instantly. I sat down on the chair in front of his desk as he leaned back. "What did Sebastian tell you?" "He said that I would be keeping an eye on your son. More like babysitting. He didn't give me any proper information about your son... Sir." I said quietly, swallowing to keep my throat from going dry. This man can switch between serious, happy and angry in a nanosecond. I don't want to be thrown out the window for saying something stupid. "Good." He nodded curtly, intertwining his fingers and continuing to speak. "You will be 'keeping an eye' on my son. It really isn't babysitting. I wouldn't call it that, because my son is 29." My eyebrows shoot for the ceiling and I look at him surprised. My mouth formed and 'oh', only a small sound escaping. His words were shoved right in my face, a punishment for not actually knowing what I was going for when I accepted the job. I am going to watch over a 29 year old man? He is 5 years older than me... "Oh.." "The time of your work is set for 2 months. If you like the job and can keep working, I will give this job entirely to you. If not, you are allowed to go back home. Of course, after 2 months." I only nodded, continuing to listen to his terms. My mind was sticking to his every word like glue on plastic. If I could keep working? I don't get it. "I will explain the details now." He paused, taking a deep breath before opening his mouth again. "My son is to take over after I'm gone. He is a brilliant man. Intelligent, handsome and every woman’s dream. He is the one thing I am most proud of. Of course, he is responsible...." So why the hell does he need a damn babysitter?! "But he has a complicated personality. He is in need of nutrition and care. You will be like his personal secretary. At work and out of work. You will assist him in everything. If he demands, you will do it. His mood swings lead to, sometimes, catastrophic outcomes. He may sometimes lose himself to anger and cause havoc. He has his medicine and you will give it to him by schedule. Don't worry, he isn't sick, nor psychopathic. He won't harm you, unless it goes beyond limits. But I do expect you to be the one keeping him from crossing the boundaries. On the contrary to that, he can be very spoiled and demanding." When he finished talking, the silence overtook. I was staring at him as if he had just told me the dumbest thing ever. A complicated personality.... In other words he is a kid on the inside with the brain of a genius and a body of an Adonis. An every woman’s dream.
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