Chapter 6

Natalie's mind raced as she tried to process what this could mean. Hadn't she already paid the price for her mother's treatment? Why did Rafael want to see her again?

With a sense of trepidation, Natalie followed the henchman. Her heart pounded in her chest. She knew it, people like Rafael don’t make promises and keep to them. Of course. It felt too good to be true, and now she knew why.

Rafael asking to see her wasn’t ordinary, he wanted something, she had trapped herself she realized. People that get entangled with men like Rafael don’t go scot-free, they don’t go unscathed. Hell no.

Natalie’s thought swirled as she was led to Rafael’s office. What could he possibly want from her now?. The henchman opened the door, and she entered the room, her heart racing as her eyes locked with Rafael's piercing gaze.

Rafael sat behind his desk, a calculating gaze fixed on her. "Natalie, thank you for coming," he said, his voice smooth as silk. Like she had a choice.

Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her legs felt heavy, rooted to the spot. "What do you want, Rafael?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

He smirked, “Easy Natalie, that’s not how you talk to your saviour is it?” His voice was low and smooth, but laced with an undercurrent of menace, making Natalie’s skin crawl.

Bastard she thought. It’s like making a deal with the devil and expecting him to let you go.

Natalie's cheeks flushed with anger and shame. "I did what I had to do for my mother."

He nodded coyly, “I know, I know”

“What do you want Rafael?”

Rafael chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. " I have a proposition for you..." he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "I want to propose a new deal, Natalie. One that will benefit both of us."

“I’m not interested” she replied instantly

He laughed “I don’t think you understand what’s going on here,” he said

Natalie's eyes welled up with tears as she realized the gravity of her situation. "But that wasn't the agreement, Rafael. Please, I'm begging you, let me go. I have my sick mother to care for. I'm not interested in whatever you're offering. I just want to make sure my mother is okay," she pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation.

Rafael's laughter was cold and menacing. "You don't even know what the deal is, Natalie. Your mother is in stage four cancer, you think the money I gave you will solve all your problems? Soon, she'll need more expensive treatment, and you'll be back in my debt. You'll be trapped, Natalie. Trapped in a cycle of obligation and dependence. And I'll be the one holding the strings."

Natalie's heart raced as Rafael's words hung in the air.

"What kind of deal?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rafael's smile was like a predator's, making Natalie's skin crawl. "I'll tell you all about it, Natalie. But first, let's get comfortable."

He gestured to the couch in the corner of the room, and Natalie felt a sense of foreboding. She knew that getting comfortable with Rafael was the last thing she should do. But her legs seemed to move of their own accord, carrying her towards the couch as if drawn by an unseen force.

As she sat down, Rafael leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that made Natalie's heart race. "Let's discuss the terms of our new agreement, Natalie. I think you'll find them...enlightening."

What do you want from me, Rafael?" she asked again, trying to keep her voice steady.

Rafael leaned forward,his eyes seemed to bore into her soul, as if he could see the very fabric of her being. Natalie felt a shiver run down her spine as he began to speak. "I want your loyalty, Natalie. Your obedience. And your love."

“I mean it’s a win win for everyone, Your mother will receive the best care, and you’ll have a life of luxury and comfort. All I ask in return is your devotion”

Natalie's mind raced as she tried to process Rafael's proposal. It sounded too good to be true, and yet, a part of her was tempted. The thought of her mother receiving the best care possible, of being free from financial worry, was a tantalizing one.

But at what cost? She knew that getting entangled with Rafael would come at a steep price. She would be beholden to him, trapped in a web of obligation and deceit.

“And if I say no?” She asked

“Seems you’re yet to realize I always get what I want” he smirked.

“Why me, you’ve got a lot of girls at your disposal, at your beck and call, you could choose anyone from them, why me?”

He smirked again, “you’re right. I could choose anyone. And I choose you, you should consider yourself lucky.” He winked.

She felt like a trapped animal, cornered and helpless. She knew that if she gave in to his demands, she would be surrendering everything that made her who she was.

"I…I need time to think about it," Natalie stuttered, trying to stall for time.

Rafael's smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Time is a luxury you don't have, Natalie. You have 24 hours to make your decision. After that, let’s just say, I won’t be held responsible for whatever happens to your mother”.

The bastard. Bringing her mother into this, giving her a choice and giving her absolutely no choice at all.

The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Rafael's words hung in the air, a promise and a threat all at once. Natalie knew that she was walking a dangerous tightrope, one that could lead to her downfall. But she also knew that she had no options left.

As she left Rafael's office, she felt like she was walking into a trap, one that she might not be able to escape.