MIRA

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut at the sight of him. His eyes fixed on me with an unreadable expression.

What was he doing here?

The sound of a throat clearing made me look up. The Director looked uncomfortable as he looked away.

“Mr Woods needs to talk to you alone. I will see you later, Miss Landon.” He said before turning away and closing the door behind him.

With that, I was left alone with him. The silence felt deafening after, and my heart hammered in my chest.

"What do you want from me?" I broke the silence, trying to keep my voice steady.

Suddenly, all the weeks of sleepless nights, tears, and reminiscing, all the humiliation for the past weeks rose within me, and I felt bitterness.

“Haven't you done enough? Gotten your revenge? You've taken my family's lives and our home away. Aren't you satisfied?” I spat out,

"Oh, that was just the beginning," Damien smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"That was the least I was capable of."

Who was this person in front of me?

Suddenly, all the fight left me, and I forced everything down, resignation filling me. I had nothing left but my dignity, and for that, I was determined to stay calm and composed.

“What do you want, Damien?” I asked again, my voice weak and tired. His smirk seemed to grow wider after I spoke.

“It's quite simple, you see. I'm hiring you as a personal doctor and caretaker," he said, making me blink in surprise,

Doctor? Was he sick?

On instinct, my eyes roved over him for any signs I didn't see until I met his sneer.

“Not for me, of course,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “For my to be father-in-law. He suffered a minor stroke, and he'll need constant care.”

My jaw clenched. What he said made sense, however…

“I'm not the type of doctor you need.” I pointed out, “There are nurses and care homes for that, there are specialist caretakers available in the hospital-”

“I’m well aware of all the types of specialists,” he cut me off, narrowing his eyes, “but I didn't ask for any of them, nor do I want any of them. I want you."

It took a while for his meaning to hit. I clenched my jaw at the realization. This was never about needing a doctor.

He was trying to humiliate me, to turn me into a nurse and maid for him.

Anger surged through me. What he said was true; apparently, his humiliation was just the beginning. Now he had resorted to this?

“I won't do it,” I said, turning to leave. I refused to submit to this. There was already too much on my plate. I was done-

“If you don't, I'll make sure you lose your job at the hospital.”

His words stopped me in my tracks, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Turning back, the smirk was still fixed in place. My gut twisted.

"You can't do that," I said, trying to sound brave.

“Oh, I can,” he said, “You see, I know all about your little struggles. Seven years of hard work. You studied abroad, worked so hard to get where you are. But I can take it all away from you in minutes. Just think. Your family no longer has the power here, and granted, you're here based on merit, but what does it matter if I make a little suggestion to the director, hm?”

The air felt suffocating. I couldn't afford to lose my job, especially not now. My family was depending on me.

There was nothing I could say to rebut anything he did. He held all the cards here.

And I? I was trapped.

Damien stood up, his eyes glinting with triumph. I was stuck in place as he walked past me before his voice rang.

“Take some time to consider it, Mira. I already know your answer anyway.”

The door slammed shut, leaving me alone, defeated, and humiliated.

…

“He asked you to do that?” My mother asked, shock written across her face.

I nodded silently, waiting for their reaction.

Immediately, I came home there was no escaping my parents. Full of resignation, I told them about Damien's offer, which felt more like a threat.

Looking at them, I expected them to be angry, to be outraged on my behalf.

Which made it more shocking that they smiled.

“This is our opportunity," my father said, his eyes gleaming with excitement, “We can get everything back."

My mother nodded frantically, leaving me in disbelief. What the hell did they mean?

My mother's hand lay on mine, and I couldn't help but look incredulous as she smiled,

"Mira, you have to use this chance. You two have a history, it can't be denied, no matter what happened. Try to seduce him, get into his good graces, and convince him to give us back our company. I know you can do it.”

I felt a wave of disgust wash over me as I finally understood. They expected me to…

I tore my hands away from hers and stood up instantly, gaining both their attention. Anger surged through me.

"You can't be serious," I said, my voice shaking. "You're asking me to prostitute myself."

How could they be so hypocritical? They were the ones who had forced me to leave Damien in the first place, and now they were encouraging me to use my body to manipulate him?

My mother's face turned red with anger, and my father scowled.

“Don't be dramatic, Mira,” she said. “Think, this could work. This is for our lives, for our reputation. Everything we worked hard for. This is a sacrifice for your family.”

I shook my head, feeling a deep sense of disappointment.

“I won't do it," I said, and stormed out of the room.

Their shouts followed me before I slammed the door. I shut my eyes tightly. I wish I had never told them anything. I wished I could forget everything he'd said, throw those threats to the wind, and reject them.

Yet I couldn't. Alone in my room, it was clear that I had no choice. I had to do what Damien wanted, or risk losing my job and everything my family had left.

I picked up my phone and dialed the number I knew by heart. He answered on the first ring.

"Yes?" he said, his voice cold and detached.

“I'll do it,” I said, feeling a sense of resignation even as the words felt like razor blades, “I'll be your caretaker."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Damien spoke again, his voice dripping with triumph.

"I'll send a car for you tomorrow morning," he said. "Be ready."

And with that, the line went dead. I was left sitting in the darkness of my room, filled with suffocating dread.

What had I just gotten myself into?