Being in the Strauss was unlike in the villa, and everything was the rather high class for me. I was amazed when he linked arms with me, leading me deeper into this very unlikely dream.
Was I still awake, or was I dreaming of being with Kaiser in such a place? I wanted to pinch myself hard but I feared I would wake up. Everything was too good to be true.
“What’s wrong, Piper? Don’t you like it here?”
I hesitated, scrutinising the beautiful painting-laden walls of the majestic hotel. Never once I had ever dreamed that I would set foot in such a place. Neither had I anticipated that Kaiser who I held deep feelings right now, could afford to live here. Even the true reason for him moving us into another country where I was feeling alienated was beyond me. From the foreign looks, the passers-by gave us to the language barrier made me think twice about our life here.
But then, this was Kaiser. He was the only man after Syl, that caused feelings to blossom in my heart, and made me realise I was still human.
For him, it was worth it. I decided that I would do it for him.
He brought us to the majestic suite that he had arranged for both of us, and a surprise was already awaiting us in the bedroom. I fidgeted with the sleeve of my dress, figuring if there was anything he wanted me to do.
Then he took off my dress, taking layer after layer off me, before pushing me to the bed and devouring every part of me. I never came across him so hungry before, after a little fun on the plane. I returned his teasing with a little oral. He never wanted me to do it for long because he preferred being inside me and doing me raw. Apart from him, he couldn’t allow anyone else to enjoy me in that manner.
This, I accepted. The sex gave me hope that perhaps in his heart, there was a place for me. I got on top of him and rode him slowly, taking note of his lustful gazes on my body. If there was anything Kaiser would never get bored of, it was probably our intimacy.
But in my heart, I knew I wanted more than that. The problem was I didn’t know if he would be willing to give it to me. I remembered my position. I was his wh*re and I slept with men for him. This wouldn’t change for a long time, even if I was his secret woman and on a break for a few months. The fact he brought me with him to Paris and attempted to kill me with kindness meant something.
That he probably had a new task for me to do while I was here with him.
We started grinding together. I let out a few howls as he spread my legs as wide apart as he could and penetrated me fully. He rammed into me vigorously, that I knew something was amiss.
“Kaiser…” I moaned his name. He increased his speed and released inside me before he responded.
“It’s time we talked.” He caught his breath and walked towards a nearby sofa, leaving me to clothe myself. I wiped myself clean as usual then pulled on my dress. I wasn’t excited about tomorrow’s sightseeing. All I just wished I knew was when I could formally retire and spend time with him. And his feelings for me were what I was most curious about, right now.
“About what?” I feigned ignorance, bravely staring into his eyes.
“Us.”
He slumped back on the sofa while looking at the ceiling. “I asked you to come here with me, Piper, for a reason. And it’s complex.”
How complex? I wanted to ask, but he still rambled on.
“I need you to seduce a hotshot. I know you don’t like what you used to do, but I promise you, that it’s all going to be different now that we’re here in France.”
He had used the word promise. I was starting to feel that he had never had any trust issues, and he was just acting all this while to gain my sympathy. I looked down at my lower abdomen in despair. This man, who I wholeheartedly slept with for six months without asking for any benefits, was just using me as a wh*re again.
“What do you want me to do, Piper?”
“Seduce Carson Gao. If the business deal goes well, I’ll make you an associate of the company. I’ll even throw in thirty per cent of the shares.”
For someone he used for sex, thirty per cent seemed unbelievable. I looked up and stared at him.
“And after that?” I didn’t continue the sentence to inform him that I just wanted a slow and happy life with him until the day I would leave for revenge. He rolled his fingers over my braless chest over the thin material of my dress.
“I don’t know yet.”
“You’re going to be okay.” He patted my head. Right now, he had taken the role of employer and I was just a lowly staff member. I nodded, looking away from him. I felt as if someone had just poured vinegar into my mouth. I felt so desperate and unsure how I could react to his treatment of me in this way.
He took me again, but this time I lay motionless like a log. I didn’t know what to say or act. Whatever had started as a steamy encounter on the plane earlier was now nothing but a bucket of ice-cold water splashed in my face. He plunged in and out of me wildly, but I didn’t flinch like I was asleep.
“Piper, are you alright?”
He had the nerve to ask, but I couldn’t anger him. It was my destiny that I sold myself to him. I just nodded but said nothing. Now, I was probably just a commodity.
“I’m just tired,” I eventually answered after he probed me countlessly for an answer.
“You should rest.” I saw him grope himself a few times before he ejaculated into a nearby bin. “I won’t be coming back tonight. I’ll go to the business meeting tonight. And then I’ll go drinking with a few friends.”
“Okay.” I felt my eyes heavy as I answered. I had no other options other than to agree. He entered the bathroom to clean himself up. I looked down at my naked body and considered how much weight I had gained ever since I moved in with him. He hadn’t commented on anything negative so far, but with my knowledge of men, it didn’t take them long to lose interest.
I had no idea about his business meetings or how long they took, but that night, I felt like a concubine that had lost favour with the king. Deep inside me, my heart seemed to splinter into pieces. Would he ever come back?
Right now, he had just one use for me, other than being his secret lover. Seduction was my purpose, and I couldn’t just sit prettily to get the attention of that man he mentioned. I had to do my job. And that job,
He hadn’t left for long when I received another message. Kaiser had sent a profile of Carson Gao. My emotions were at unrest. Had he brought me on a plane ride for hours to make me a partner in his bigger plans?
Plans that I didn’t even know of. I felt used, like an object to him, after I had unconsciously opened my heart to him. And with every struggle I had, I only had one answer in my mind.
Lenard Lee had to die.
In five days, I was to open myself to Carson. Kaiser would slot me into a small party where I would gain his attention and seduce him with my body. The internet didn’t reveal much about Carson Gao or his sexual preferences. I was unsure what kind of person he was, whether he was a monster like Syl turned out to be, or what dealings he had in the mafia world.
I took a look at Carson's public profile and looked him up on the internet for any possibilities I could get close to him, but it seemed difficult. He was a protected man and wherever he went, he would be accompanied by his bodyguards. I didn’t have much confidence in this mission, but I knew Kaiser expected a lot from me.
I told myself tomorrow would be as he promised. He would be that sweet version of himself and we would have a good time at the Eiffel Tower. It was already more than I could ask for. And after that, I would swear myself to serve him better by committing myself to the missions that he gave me.
I knew I was deceiving myself. He was not that sweet salvation I yearned for, after all.
But I never expected to see what I saw the next day with my own eyes.