This time, it belonged to someone Sophie had yet to meet. At first, it sounded like the voice of a kind elderly woman. Except the person Sophie was staring at was the farthest thing from the sweet grandmother-like figure she'd been thinking of.
The woman was dressed in a long, skin-tight dress that, surprisingly, didn't look bad on her. It was leopard-print, and was paired with heavy gold jewelry on the woman's wrists, neck, and ears. Her hair was snow white, and was tied in a serious, but fashionable bun on top of her head. Her lips were bright red, and stood out against her pale features.
Had anyone else been wearing the same thing, they would've looked ridiculous. However, Sophie felt intimated by the woman's regal posture, and haughty expression.
"Robert, you've been very, very bad." The woman began, glancing at him with chilling gray eyes. "I'm positive that I ordered you to bring her to me, not hide her away."
Sophie turned to look at Robert, whose hand was over his mouth in a gesture of defeat. "Shit." She heard him mumble.
The woman strode forward, her tall height making her look like a queen. She held out her hand, and Sophie quickly stood to shake it.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Sophie." The woman whispered, her lips curling into a devilish smile. "What are you doing, Robert? Aren't you going to introduce me?"
Robert closed his eyes, and held his head in his hands. "Sophie, this is Cleo. She's…"
"I'm the one in charge of your future." Cleo interrupted. "I hope we can be good friends."
Sophie's mouth dropped open and she glanced from one person to the other.
"Excuse me?" She whispered.
"Let's start with a story, shall we?" Cleo offered as she settled herself on the couch.
Sophie finally realized that she no longer had a choice about whether she wanted to stay or leave. Reluctantly, she sat down as well, clenching her fists tightly in anticipation.
* * *
Susanne Parker stared at the old Victorian-era house with wide eyes. She felt her heart begin to race, and her palms turned sweaty. She felt like she was looking into a black hole, which would suck her in at any moment. However, it wasn't the house that terrified her, but rather what it represented.
"It's going to be okay." A strong voice assured her.
"How can you be so sure, Gerry?" His hand slipped around hers as he stepped to her side.
She turned to the handsome man holding her hand with desperate eyes. She trusted him more than anything, and all she needed was to hear him say those words.
"I just know." He whispered, smiling down at her slyly. She smiled back at him lifting her hand to brush away a stray lock of red hair from his face. His green eyes were warm, and she lost herself in his stare. Gerard Parker was the man she'd loved for over ten years, and she never regretted for a day that she'd given up everything to be with him.
"What if it's not the life we wanted?" Susanne knew Gerard had already made up his mind. He wouldn't change it now, unless she begged him to do so.
"Then we'll leave, and create a new life." He lifted his free hand to her face. "Anne, I promise you we made the right choice. We didn't plan this, but it'll work out. We only have to work here for two or three years and we'll be on our feet, ready to take on the whole world."
"I don't trust her." Susanne confided to him, knowing he knew who she was talking about. "This Cleo woman, I don't think she's a good person."
"We can't expect her to be perfect. She chose us because of our skills, and we should be grateful for her help. The work might be dangerous, but it pays extremely well. You know that if we worked anywhere else, it would take us over a decade to save up the kind of money that she's offering." Gerard had used this argument with her a number of times before. He'd shown her the numbers, pleaded with her to see his reasoning, and forced reality over her
The woman was dressed in a long, skin-tight dress that, surprisingly, didn't look bad on her. It was leopard-print, and was paired with heavy gold jewelry on the woman's wrists, neck, and ears. Her hair was snow white, and was tied in a serious, but fashionable bun on top of her head. Her lips were bright red, and stood out against her pale features.
Had anyone else been wearing the same thing, they would've looked ridiculous. However, Sophie felt intimated by the woman's regal posture, and haughty expression.
"Robert, you've been very, very bad." The woman began, glancing at him with chilling gray eyes. "I'm positive that I ordered you to bring her to me, not hide her away."
Sophie turned to look at Robert, whose hand was over his mouth in a gesture of defeat. "Shit." She heard him mumble.
The woman strode forward, her tall height making her look like a queen. She held out her hand, and Sophie quickly stood to shake it.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Sophie." The woman whispered, her lips curling into a devilish smile. "What are you doing, Robert? Aren't you going to introduce me?"
Robert closed his eyes, and held his head in his hands. "Sophie, this is Cleo. She's…"
"I'm the one in charge of your future." Cleo interrupted. "I hope we can be good friends."
Sophie's mouth dropped open and she glanced from one person to the other.
"Excuse me?" She whispered.
"Let's start with a story, shall we?" Cleo offered as she settled herself on the couch.
Sophie finally realized that she no longer had a choice about whether she wanted to stay or leave. Reluctantly, she sat down as well, clenching her fists tightly in anticipation.
* * *
Susanne Parker stared at the old Victorian-era house with wide eyes. She felt her heart begin to race, and her palms turned sweaty. She felt like she was looking into a black hole, which would suck her in at any moment. However, it wasn't the house that terrified her, but rather what it represented.
"It's going to be okay." A strong voice assured her.
"How can you be so sure, Gerry?" His hand slipped around hers as he stepped to her side.
She turned to the handsome man holding her hand with desperate eyes. She trusted him more than anything, and all she needed was to hear him say those words.
"I just know." He whispered, smiling down at her slyly. She smiled back at him lifting her hand to brush away a stray lock of red hair from his face. His green eyes were warm, and she lost herself in his stare. Gerard Parker was the man she'd loved for over ten years, and she never regretted for a day that she'd given up everything to be with him.
"What if it's not the life we wanted?" Susanne knew Gerard had already made up his mind. He wouldn't change it now, unless she begged him to do so.
"Then we'll leave, and create a new life." He lifted his free hand to her face. "Anne, I promise you we made the right choice. We didn't plan this, but it'll work out. We only have to work here for two or three years and we'll be on our feet, ready to take on the whole world."
"I don't trust her." Susanne confided to him, knowing he knew who she was talking about. "This Cleo woman, I don't think she's a good person."
"We can't expect her to be perfect. She chose us because of our skills, and we should be grateful for her help. The work might be dangerous, but it pays extremely well. You know that if we worked anywhere else, it would take us over a decade to save up the kind of money that she's offering." Gerard had used this argument with her a number of times before. He'd shown her the numbers, pleaded with her to see his reasoning, and forced reality over her
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