"Touch yourself, like you do when no one's around." He'd said.
Due to the shock of hearing his words, she made a hasty movement, shifting uneasily that caused the bandage around her waist to pull. She winced at the pain but gritted her teeth to keep it in.
That small action didn't escape Andrew's keen eyes, but he placed his fist to support his chin as he watched her expressionlessly behind the mask.
She was sitting in front of him in nothing but her underwear, and despite the fact that he told her to make an effort in arousing him, the sight of her before him sent a trail of heat through his veins. It was a fast response instantly awakening the need to touch, but much stronger than that was a feeling of rising anger that originated when he saw the pained wince on her face.
Was she perhaps a masochist? Hurting herself in order to gain money. But what baffled him was the fact that he was affected.
He was affected in a way he didn't want to be.
He wanted her to say the words. Tell him she couldn't do this anymore because she was hurt and tired, to tell him that she wanted to put herself first even if she would end up losing the contract because that was what any normal person would do. But the girl before him didn't say any of that. She didn't say the words that would prove to him that she wasn't the gold digger he knew she was.
"Do not waste my time Miss Thompson." His voice reached her, seeming to jolt her awake from her own thoughts.
She moved her hand hesitantly and he watched her push a strand of her luscious dark hair behind her ear before the hand trailed down her neck.
He saw it in her dark orbs, the flash of humiliation as she closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling heavily. It was evident she was averse to what he asked her to do, but she was doing it anyway.
Her hand fluttered over her chest and he saw her flinch.
How long will it take for her to break? He wondered.
He could see beads of sweat gathered around her forehead despite the chill from the air conditioning in the room, her breathing was abnormally heavy.
He knew for certain she had pulled her injury earlier from walking, climbing up the stairs and every other careless movement she made.
"If you wish to leave, I will let you." Andrew found himself suddenly saying.
The part of him that wanted to watch her break battled with that tiny part of him that wanted to give her a chance, just one chance to back out of torturing herself. But upon hearing his words her eyes fluttered open instantly.
"No, I don't want to back out!" Her words came rapidly, like someone scared of losing something. Andrew was more than certain what she was afraid of losing was the flashy temptation of the ten million she would lose if she backed out.
What she didn't know was that he hadn't offered her the chance to leave just to back out from the contract, he'd actually been merciful to let her go home but hearing her respond so rapidly, something snapped within Andrew's chest.
He shouldn't let her innocent face fool him, this woman was willing to sell her body for money, she was just like every other gold digger he'd come across.
Anne didn't expect the man to suddenly get up from his seat and approach her. She flinched and scooted backwards till her back was plastered against the headboard.
Was she too slow in touching herself like he'd instructed?
Should she tell him that she had absolutely no idea what to do?
Should she tell him that she'd been too sheltered to gain any experience about physical pleasure?
Should she tell him that she was hesitant because she didn't want him to see that she completely lacked experience and send her away?
Before she could decide on any one of these thoughts, he'd reached her, standing over her. His hand reached for her and she shut her eyes pushing farther back against the headboard.
Her heart thundered followed by a slow dull ache around her stomach where she'd been injured.
"I'll have you know Miss Thompson, when I touch a woman...I don't just touch her, I ruin. Do you still...want to go through with this?" His voice was akin to a devil's whisper. Sinister and frightening.
"Yes." She whispered eyes still closed, gritting her teeth as the pain around her waist intensified.
Andrew's gaze darted down to the bandage that had now turned red and was getting even redder by the second. She had torn her wound open but was still holding it in.
This woman's determination baffled him. He watched her face for a long while before suddenly grabbing her arm and pulling her up till her body landed against his own.
"Ah!" She whimpered and he felt her trembling in his arms. She was gritting her teeth so hard to hold back the pain.
She was certainly the most tenacious amongst the gold digging women he'd ever met before. But among them all he'd never held back in breaking them just to see how far they could go. However when it came to this one...why was he hesitating?
Andrew hated how the innocence in her eyes seemed to hold him back, just when he moved to lay her on the bed to get this over with her eyes snapped open to meet his own, her fingers tightening around his arm in an indication of unbearable pain before she slowly went weak.
The last thing that came out of her was a small sound, filled with agony before she passed out against him. Her weak breathing fluttering against his chest. It was now he felt how burning hot her skin was. She'd been running a high fever this whole time?
This woman...how far would she go to achieve her ambitions?
*****
"Master, the doctor has arrived." Butler Jones respectfully came to inform him.
Andrew gazed down at the city from the rooftop of Black Thorn Manor. The butler's words interrupted his thoughts.
"Send him to the master bedroom so he can treat that woman. I wouldn't want someone dying on my property." His voice was as nonchalant as usual, however Butler Jones who'd known him ever since his youth seemed to have heard something in his words that made him raise his head to glance at Andrew in shock.
The butler hesitated for a while before bowing, "Yes master."
As butler Jones walked towards the exit of the rooftop, he turned to look at Andrew's tall, imposing figure standing next to the edge.
He saw the frail boy who had now transformed into a man. A merciless man.
Butler Jones recalled when the first woman to sign the surrogacy contract had fallen ill and lost consciousness within the manor and how Andrew had ordered her to be taken out of his property.
*Master, leaving a unconscious woman outside is...*
He remembered the dark look Andrew had given him and how he'd had no choice but to comply and secretly send the woman to a hospital.
But this time...the woman had fainted in his room and butler Jones found her laid on the bed while Andrew ordered him to call his private doctor.
Was there something different about this woman for his boss to make an exception?