Episode 9

With the book in my hands, thinking about everything that had just happened, I felt a strong hand aggressively grabbing my wrist.

The book fell and I could see the fury in Megan's eyes. She was still shirtless and I was sitting there by the pool, still wearing her clothes.

She pulled me with her strength, as if I were a doll, and squeezed my wrist, causing me pain. With her anger now turning possessive, she left me in extreme fear.

The garden guards stopped to see what was happening. Then I saw Mercier standing silently watching the whole scene from a distance. Everyone there was on her side, they wouldn't help me if I asked for it.

Megan held the back of my neck with both hands slightly and our eyes met, it was the first time, and it was a certain intense, deep look. That look captivated me like never before, not even when I was still dating Ariana did I ever receive a look that made me feel spacey and hypnotized.

"See what you did to me?" she whispered those words close to my mouth, as she squeezed the back of my neck and her jaw clenched with each breath.

I closed my eyes, feeling a familiar yet different sensation starting to run through my body from my neck to my knees.

"I can't stand being threatened or challenged!"

"Megan..." I tried to speak because I was trembling, already fearing what she could do to me.

"Shut up!" she shouted at me and I lowered my gaze, "the next time you threaten me or come to my office without my consent... you will suffer the consequences. I'm the one in charge and in control of everything here, and you're nothing!"

Megan let go of me and pushed me into the chair where she had been sitting, but I didn't get hurt. Then, I saw her kick the book into the pool, she simply kicked it. I tried to stop her with words that didn't come out, and it was already too late.

She turned around and bent over me, I lay down and her mouth touched the corner of my ear and her words filled me with thoughts.

"The next one to sink will be you!"

We stared at each other...

I swallowed hard at her heated response and my body heated up, causing me to sigh heavily. Megan smiled, showing her teeth, and her canines made me see a hint of malice.

"You won't be able to hold on for much longer!"

"I don't know what you're talking about?!" words finally came out.

"You know damn well... you know you won't be able to escape from me."

"Don't be so sure about that!"

"It's just the reality of the future!"

She straightened up and pulled me up, already pulling me along to go somewhere, but I let go of her and stepped away when she tried to get close again.

With a few more steps and dodging her nervous hands, I fell into the pool and immediately I was engulfed by all that water. I struggled, I was drowning... until I felt hands wrapping around me from behind and bringing me back to the surface...

I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding, adrenaline coursing through my body as I could only think about what could have happened if I had been alone there...

"Calm down, calm down..." Megan repeated and then I knew it was her hands that didn't let me sink completely.

I managed to turn around, still in her arms, and I just wanted to hug her, to feel her body against mine, but before that, I could see the extent of concern in her eyes. There was no more fury in them, no malice, just concern for me. I stayed with my head on her shoulder for a few minutes, just the two of us there. I didn't see any guards, no employees, just me and her.

...

"You know, Stella..." she spoke and I finally felt her nose nuzzling the corner of my ear.

We were still in the same position, so she ended up putting my legs around her waist and I hugged her.

"You scared me."

I didn't say anything to her, I just held her tighter.

"I apologize to you... I'm to blame for you falling. I didn't want this to happen to you because ever since I found out about your existence, I knew you couldn't swim. My men shouldn't have let you near the pool."

"Don't blame your men... I'm also to blame."

"But the fault is more mine... I was angry and couldn't control myself."

"I forgive you, Megan." he said sincerely.

Megan saved my life. The woman who was just yelling at me and humiliating me was now asking for forgiveness. I felt that her apologies were sincere. So I forgave her.

I felt Megan moving and saw waves forming in the pool, and soon we reached the poolside, where we finally looked at each other. It was intense.

"Thank you for forgiving me, Stella."

She nodded with a corner smile.

Megan moved her hands to my wet curls and touched them, averting her gaze to my face and then to my lips where it stayed.

She was there, desiring me, and I was hypnotized, but still with the memory of my near death in the pool.

I saw her face approaching mine, her lips touched mine and I let myself feel her touch for a moment, that touch gave me butterflies in my stomach and I stopped her from continuing by turning my face.

"This is not right, Megan." I said and saw sadness fill her eyes.

Continuation...

"Why would just one kiss at this moment not be right?" she asked, making me stare into her dark blue eyes.

I thought...

"I am here for you, Stella, and I want you... desire me or something, I don't know" she thought "give me the chance to make you feel something for me, something other than anger, hate or resentment."

"The reason is simple, Megan" I said, ignoring all her words or what seemed more like a desperate plea.

"What is it?"

"I feel nothing for you."

"I see that everything I say... you simply ignore it. I want just one chance to make you feel something for me."

"You lost that chance when you simply thought you were god and took me out of my life" I said, letting go of the resentment "even though it was part of an agreement... you didn't have the right..."

"Stella... please, don't bring up that subject in our conversation."

"Why not?"

"Because I hate it when people judge my mistakes or choices."

"Anyone would hate that, Megan."

"No, Stella... when that happens, I go back in time and remember the burden of my parents and especially my father" she paused and took a deep breath "every time I made a mistake, he would say that I should have been born a man and that only then would I be a perfect son. That always hurt me, and then, my suffering came to an end."

I didn't know what to say or think, I just hugged her tighter. I felt her emotion taking over me. She didn't move, but silence remained between us until...

"I will never say anything that hurts you again."

"It doesn't matter, now go." she turned us around and pushed me up, leaving me sitting "I hope this conversation was worth it for you."

"Megan..."

"James will take you wherever you want... in the mansion." she said and then whistled...

James approached with a towel in his hands and placed it over my wet body, but kept his eyes away.

"James..." she said seriously "make sure Miss D'Angelo stays safe."

Miss D'Angelo? Where has "Miss Armstrong" gone?

"I will do so, Armstrong." he said and helped me stand up.

I walked along the edge of the pool, looking at the woman still immersed in the water, and James followed me. When I looked ahead, I felt a squeeze in my chest, as if something was being taken away from me.

Megan made me feel that.

But what was that?

James continued and in the corridor further ahead, already close to the room, we met Lola. She passed us with her head down and I hated her, yes, my heart squeezed again when I saw her.

I couldn't bear it and stopped. I called Lola's name and she stopped. James also stopped, but remained silent, watching us.

I approached her and she looked up at me, her dark brown eyes captivating. Now I understood why Megan sought comfort in her maid's arms. She was beautiful, highly attractive, and her uniform couldn't hide the curves of her body.

"I want to talk to you!"

"Tell me, Miss Armstrong... how can I assist you?"

I stepped closer and leaned in towards her ear. She tried to pull away, but I grabbed her arm and squeezed tightly.

"Don't do that, Miss!" she said confidently.

"If you don't want me to do something to you... follow what I'm about to tell you!"

"Tell me?!"

"Never let Megan touch you again."

"Mmm..." she murmured, smirking challengingly.

"This is serious, Lola!"

"Alright, Miss, but I must make it clear that... Megan can't stand going without touching another woman for too long."

"That's evident."

"And one more thing!"

"Yes?"

"If Armstrong doesn't find pleasure here... she will find it somewhere else!" she said boldly, and as soon as I let go of her, we exchanged a deadly glance and she left.

Standing there, I thought about the conversation I had with Lola. She was right. Megan would always seek her own pleasure, no matter where.

"Shall we continue, Miss?" James asked, bringing me back from my thoughts.

"Yes, James, but first... um... how long has Lola been working in the mansion?"

"For three years."

So Megan and Lola had been in a relationship for years, outside of the boss and employee relationship, but... had it always been this way?

"And one more thing, James!"

"I'm at your service, Miss."

"I don't know if you or the other employees are allowed to talk about your boss, but I want to know..."

"No, Miss... that topic is forbidden."

"Why forbidden? Don't you gossip among yourselves?"

"No, Miss, we don't... gossip."

"And what do you talk about in the garden, what makes you smile?"

"Oh..." he was a bit surprised and awkward.

"You men gossip a lot, so just tell me what I want to know!"

James lowered his head in thought, it seemed like he was looking at his shoes.

"I just want to know if... if before me, Armstrong had another woman?"

"Well... yes. She did, but because of you... she let her go."

"Because of me?" I was stunned. I wouldn't believe such words so easily.

"Yes, but from this point on... I won't say another word," he said, covering his mouth and turning to move forward.

"Wait, what's the matter?" I ran and held him, and at that moment, the towel dropped and James hurried to pick it up from the floor.

As soon as he covered me, we looked at each other and shared a smile over our mishap. It was a genuine and fun smile, something I hadn't seen on a human's face in days.

In seconds, his face turned serious, and he raised his head.

I smiled at him and he maintained his composure.

We went into the room, and as he held onto both sides of the door to leave, he said:

"I believe you should talk to the boss... give her a chance."

"Why, James?" I asked, deep in thought.

"Because I know it's the right thing to do, Miss... excuse me."

"Thank you, James. I appreciate it."

"I'm at your service, Miss."

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