We cast away pricless time in dreams, born of imagination, fed upon illusion, and put to death by reality.
-Judy Garland.
***************
Nina:
My heels clicked loudly with every step I took down the silent street. Two blocks away from the ball's hall, a black limousine with tinted windows waited for me.
Taking a final deep breath and painting a naïve look on my face, I opened the door and got inside.
Andrea and Maksim were sitting next to each other and gave me wide victorious smiles. I took the seat facing them and looked around the fancy ride.
"We thought you weren't coming," Andrea commented and took a sip from her glass of champagne.
I sighed dramatically and shook my head in tiredness. "It was so hard to evade my bodyguard. He followed me like a shadow."
"How did you manage to get away from him? He seemed like a serious man." Was that admiration I caught in Andrea's face? I hid a snicker at the prospect of her having a crush on Ethan.
"Yes, he doesn't play around. He takes his work seriously, and my father trusts him. I hope my escapade won't land him in trouble." I said worriedly, while playing with my hands.
"You didn't answer my question," Andrea said sharply.
I could hear doubtfulness in her voice and had to think fast of something believable to tell her.
"I went to the bathroom downstairs with him after me, of course. I stayed in there for a long time, and when he asked what was wrong. I told him I had a problem and needed help." I managed to make a blush cover my face before I continued speaking. "I told him I had my period and needed his help...you know..." I trailed off and was satisfied when Andrea laughed loudly.
"You are sure a creative little thing." She said approvingly.
"Beautiful and clever, we got the full package," Maksim added from his side.
I just grinned at them and looked out the window, pretending I was fascinated by the streets we passed. In reality, it was my desperate attempt to keep myself calm and stop any brewing panic attacks.
"Where are we going?" I asked after some minutes of total silence.
"We are going to my summer estate. You will have so much fun there." Maksim said with a wink.
"I can't wait," I said in delight and didn't resist the temptation to clap my hands to add effects. Andrea shot me an annoyed look while Maksim was happy to have a stupid girl in his clutch.
The highway ended, and the driver took a turn to the right. We entered an isolated area that was surrounded by tall trees that you could barely see anything.
"Do you live here?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.
"Yes, dear. I like calm places away from the hustle and bustle of the city." Maksim spoke pleasantly, but his voice was like shreds of ice casting a cold spell on everything in their vicinity. I chose to keep my silence for now and see how things would go.
After driving through another long paved road, the driver parked in front of a huge brick mansion. I waited for Andrea and Maksim to descend the limousine before I followed them on hesitating steps.
Maksim extended his hand to me, and I took it, suppressing the desire to gag when his cold hands clasped mine tightly.
We proceeded to the large double door where a man in his late fifties stood waiting for us. He bowed deeply, and Maksim gave him instructions in Russian, to which the man nodded and left us.
Maksim led us to a spacious living room that was lighted with a large chandelier.
"What do you want to drink, ladies?" Maksim asked as he went to the liquor cabinet.
"I could use a glass of Martini after today's stress," Andrea said and plopped down on a large white sofa.
"How about you, Ida?" He focused on me while he served Andrea her glass.
"I don't drink," I said timidly and sat on the armchair next to the sofa.
"How come?" Andrea asked in intrigue.
"Daddy wants to keep me little forever. He doesn't want me to try those things. He says they are bad for my health." I said while enlarging my brown eyes.
Andrea laughed out loud while Maksim rang a small bell in his hand. A few seconds later, a petite maid entered the room and hurried to him while keeping her head down. He ordered her in Russian, and she bowed before leaving the room.
I didn't like the way he treated his servants. He was curt with them, and even I didn't understand what he said, I am sure he didn't do it in a polite manner.
Also, the fear was evident in their eyes, and the way they avoided staying in his presence for more than a few seconds confirmed my theory.
"My fortune for a piece of your mind." Maksim joked as he sat next to my chair.
Ah! If only I could give you a piece of my mind! I wish to see you rot in hell!!
I thought angrily but managed to keep my voice pleasant when I replied to his remark.
"I am just observing your residence. It is beautiful." I said while registering every detail of the room in case I needed it later.
"I am sure your house is vaster and more glorious than my humble estate," Maksim said with a curious look on his face.
"Yes, to be honest, as long as I remember, I lived in a castle my whole life. Can you imagine getting lost in your own house?" I said with a laugh.
Maksim laughed as well. But from the corner of my eye, I could see the look of contempt on Andrea's face. Good! I wanted the raise all kinds of feelings inside of them. It was just the beginning.
The maid's presence interrupted our conversation. She put a tray on the table and left again.
"This is hot chocolate. Drink it before going to bed. I am sure it will help you sleep." Maksim said with a gentle voice.
The moment I brought it close to my face, I detected an odd smell. It was mixed with the hot beverage, but I was taught to recognise the stench of drugs in any place I smell it. At least Alberto's endless training had paid off.
"It tastes so good." I moaned and gave Maksim an enormous smile.
"I am glad you like it. The cacao was imported from Brazil." Maksim said with arrogance.
I nodded my head at his words and forced small sips down my throat. Once the cup was half empty, I yawned and looked at Maksim.
"I am so tired. I would be thankful if you showed me to my room." I said, feigning fatigue.
"Yes, of course." He smiled my way and looked at Andrea. "It is time for Ida to rest for tonight. She will have a long day tomorrow."
"Follow me, Ida." Andrea stood up.
"Good night, Maksim," I said to the man who didn't show any sign of retiring to bed yet. He nodded his head at me and gave me his icy smile.
I followed Andrea to a large staircase that led us to a long corridor. Portraits and paintings decorated the cream-painted walls. They looked expensive and expressed the taste of their owner.
We passed several closed doors before we stopped in front of a white door. Andrea opened it and entered. The room screamed wealth and money like every other part of this mansion.
"Here is your room. Have a good night." Andrea said curtly and turned to leave.
I didn't know why possessed me, but I called her name.
"Yes?" She faced me and raised her eyebrow.
"Maksim is so handsome. It is the first time I met someone like him." I said dreamily.
I saw a flash of anger cross her face before she masked it and shook her head. "You didn't see anything yet. I promise you will meet a lot of hot men during your stay here. Now, excuse me. I need to sleep as well."
With those words, she exited the room, and I plopped down on the comfortable bed with a satisfied smile on my face.
So the evil woman is in love with the evil man. How interesting! She was a busy woman, in love with Maksim and having eyes for Ethan.
I headed to the bathroom and locked the door, checking every corner for cameras or spying devices. I hurried to the toilet bowl and tried to vomit what I drank downstairs. After multiple tries, it worked, and everything I ate today came out of my stomach. I heaved a couple of deep breaths before I stood up and splashed cold water on my face.
Then, I turned on the water to fill the tub to relax a bit and effectively block my conversation from being heard.
"Ethan? Are you here?" I spoke lowly into my earpiece.
"Nina! Finally! Where have you been?" Ethan said rapidly.
"Hey! Calm down. I have been busy appeasing these two bastards." I said with disgust.
"How did it go?" Ethan asked more calmly this time.
"We are at Maksim's estate on the outskirts of the city. They said I would have the best vacation of my life." I said with sarcasm dripping from my voice. "We chatted a bit in the living room, and then, they drugged me through hot chocolate. Can you believe this?" I informed causally.
"What? They did what?" Ethan asked frantically, and I could picture him creating a hole in the floor of the room.
"Don't be a worrywart. I vomited it, and I am well." I said to calm his nerves.
"Nina, I am not stupid. I know how drugs work. Even if you puke, they still affect you." Ethan told me in his annoying know it all voice.
"What do you want me to do? I have to drink it. So, they don't suspect anything. I know I would be affected, but at least I won't lose my consciousness. I would be aware of everything going on around me." I tried to argue with him without losing my patience.
"Okay, be careful. Also, keep your earpiece open. I want to hear everything that will happen." Ethan ordered, and I had to stop myself from stating the obvious, but apparently, he needed to hear it.
"It will lose power, and we will fail to establish contact."
"Jason will take care of it. Don't worry." Ethan assured me.
I heard a knock on my door, and I said hurriedly. "I must go, Ethan. Good night."
I didn't give him the chance to express his worry again and cut the call, but I kept the device on.
When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Maksim standing there.
"I brought you this." I looked down and saw a nightgown in his hands. I took it and gave him a smile.
"Thank you, Maksim. Good night again."
I closed the door after he bid me goodbye and went back to the bathroom.
Taking a bath relaxed my tight muscles, and I nearly fell asleep in the tub. I changed into the silky blue nightdress Maksim gave me. It reached my knees, and I was thankful it wasn't too revealing.
I put the communicator back inside my ear and towel-dried my hair. I could feel my eyes dropping and the muscles in my body getting heavy. I knew the drug's effects started taking a toll on me, so I laid on the bed and pulled the covers over my body.
The moment my head hit the soft pillows, sleep consumed me, and darkness took over.
**********
I felt hands on my legs, and I stirred out of sleep but kept my eyes closed. Two hands sneaked under my waist and lifted me off the bed. Two muscular arms encircled me, and I knew it was a man holding me.
Acting asleep was the hard part so far. My head was dangling all blood rushed down my body. The bastard didn't even trouble himself with supporting my head.
We walked for several minutes before the man stopped and barked orders in Russian. I heard a door grinding and some shuffling on the floor.
The man threw me roughly on the ground, and I resisted a yelp of pain from escaping my lips.
I heard the door close again, and I peeled my eyes open. It took my eyes some time to adjust to the light in the room.
Several girls were sitting on the floor and looking at me with several emotions behind their tired eyes. One girl with long black hair approached me and asked in concern. "как ты, дорогая?" (How are you, darling?)
I looked at her in confusion and muttered softly. "I don't speak Russian."
Another girl who appeared in her twenties joined us and said in a small voice. "She asked you about your state. How are you?"
I touched my pounding head and closed my eyes for a brief moment before I answered her.
"My head is killing me," I whispered as I didn't entertain the idea of any loud noises.
"Here, drink this." The girl with the kind brown eyes put a glass of water to my lips. I took small sips and was relieved when it helped the soreness in my throat.
My eyes closed on their accord, and I didn't resist the sleeping spell that hit me. Apparently, the effect of the drugs was stronger than I thought.
"Nina, Nina, do you hear me? Damn it! Answer me." Ethan's voice came through the earpiece, and I opened my eyes again. I looked around and saw half the girls in the room sleeping while the other half were chatting loudly.
I scooted closer to the wall and spoke lowly. "Stop screaming in my ear. I am here."
"Thank god!" Ethan sighed in relief and continued his ranting. "Where have you been? I was worried."
"The drug was stronger than I thought. I was out of it all night." I whispered and looked over my back to make sure the girls were still occupied.
"Where are you now?" Ethan asked more calmly this time.
"At first, they gave me a guest's room. But in the middle of the night, they transferred me to a cell. It is where they are keeping the other girls. I am in Ethan." I said happily after my foggy mind realised that I was on the right path to complete this mission.
"That's excellent. Try to get as much information as you can. I must go now, but please take care." I smiled at Ethan's words, and my heart beat harshly against my ribcage.
Thankfully, my head wasn't aching as much as the last time I was awake, and I had a clearer view this time. I sat up and rested my back against the wall. The girls looked my way, and I gave them a little smile.
We sat in awkward silence until the girl who spoke English to me yesterday came to my side.
"How do you feel this morning?" She asked kindly.
"I am fine, thank you." I could sense her nervousness and anxiety.
"You are new." She stated.
"To be honest, I am not sure where I am or what I am doing here. I was a guest of Maksim, and now, I find myself in a cell." I pretended to be clueless.
"A guest? Wake up, sweety. You are a prisoner." A girl spoke sarcastically.
"Don't be insensitive, Nadine." The girl sitting next to me ordered sharply, then looked at me with a gentle smile. "There is no gentle way to break the news to you, dear. Excuse me, but I must be blunt with you. Maksim deceived you as he did with us."
I cringed at her words and asked tentatively. "What do you mean....?" I needed to know more about those girls before I could reveal my true identity to them.
"I am Ruby, and you?"
"Nina," I answered honestly. It was no use to give them a false name. I must be truthful with the girls if I expected the same from them.
"To answer your question, Maksim and Andrea played us. The ways are different, but the results are the same. We are all here waiting to be sold to rich men so they can take us as whores." She laid out the truth without any filters.
I knew about every single thing she said before even entering this game. But hearing it from someone who is suffering was like a waking-up blow. The responsibility on me was bigger than I thought, and I would be damned if I let anything bad happen to these girls.
Ruby took my silence as speechlessness at her words, so she got closer to me and rubbed my arm.
I looked at her and smiled genuinely, because I could see the kindness and empathy in her eyes.
"How do they treat you here?" I asked her to know what I would be facing.
Ruby shrugged her shoulders and said in a strained voice. "As you can see, the room is bare of any furniture. They provide us with pillows and some blankets to combat the frosty weather. Food is good as they don't want to damage the merchandise. Anyway, the girls here don't stay long. It is just a week or two at the most before they are sold." Ruby said with a strained voice, and I could tell she was beyond exhausted.
"How about you?" I asked softly.
"I have been here for eight months. Seemingly, I am not up to any man's standards." Ruby answered bitterly.
"You want to be sold?" I expressed my surprise.
"You don't know what staying in this hell hole for eight months can do to your psyche. I had all my life planned before me. Working for the Morokov industries was the best opportunity for anyone who wanted to enter the business world in Russia. The day I got the job, I was ecstatic. Little did I know I would end up here. My wildest dream evolves being sold to some rich pervert man." Ruby recounted her story with bitterness.
"She is not the only one who lost her life. Just yesterday, a woman in her twenties was sold. She was so beautiful and had a lot of dreams, but now, everything is over. And the most important thing, she was my best friend." A blonde woman added from the other side of the room.
"Were you an employee in the Morokov company as well?" I asked her.
"I wish it was like that. At least I wouldn't feel the guilt I am feeling now. My friend and I were here on a trip. We met Maksim at one of the bars, and he charmed us with his looks and sweet tongue. Come morning, we found ourselves here. My friend was so innocent and happy. I begged them to take me instead, but they were deaf to my pleadings." She answered with tears streaming down her face.
Before I could offer her any consoling words, a teenage girl laughed so hard I thought she had lost her mind. After she managed to stop her hysterics, she dried the tears flowing down her face.
She scanned the room with her green eyes and spoke to no one in particular.
"You are all saying you were deceived, kidnapped, or dragged into this kicking and screaming. Me? My mom sold me to this organisation. I pleaded with her to wait for me to finish high school and go to college. I promised her to work hard while studying and give her everything I earned until I could land a respectable job. I was prepared to work anything as long as she gave me this chance. Her response? Was selling me to this organisation. I don't even know this Maksim you keep talking about. I wish I was seduced into this. No! I was sold. Do you see the irony? I was sold so, I can be sold once again! Oh my god! The story of my life could become a hit in the box office."
Her words were spoken in disbelief. The poor girl still can't wrap her mind around her mother's actions. No child deserved what happened to her. She was no older than sixteen and had a life ahead of her. Yet, here she was, a prisoner waiting for execution.
After the blonde girl finished her tale, the other girls got the courage and told their stories as well. Ruby was so considerate and translated for me whenever a girl who wasn't an English native spoke.
I wasn't surprised by the harshness those girls faced. The world was never roses and butterflies. It was a place where the strongest survived, and the weakest died. It was the truth, and no one dared to dispute it.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I knew they were waiting for me to share my experience with them. I schooled my emotions and spoke in a serious tone.
"Do you want to hear the truth? Or do you want the version I fed to Maksim and his minions?"
Awe and confusion were the two dominant emotions that took over the girls' faces. I had to fight hard not to laugh at their expressions.
"We want both," Ruby said with intrigue visible in her voice.
"You got your wish, friend."
I spent the next hour or so reciting the events of the past week to the girls. From where it started until the moment I found myself with them.
"You are genius." Ruby expressed in amazement.
"So, you are here to help us?" Nadine asked as if she wanted to make sure her ears weren't playing games on her.
"Yes, you got that right," I confirmed her words.
"What would you win from it?" The blonde girl who I learned her name was Meriam asked with skepticism.
"I would win the trust of a mafia family," I stated nonchalantly.
My words caused jaws to drop and eyes to widen. I smiled at the sight and asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Any questions?"
As expected, Meriam conveyed her uncertainty once again. "And how can we trust you and believe you won't deliver us to that Mafia family?"
"I am your best shot to get out here, and you must trust me, or you can all stay here. I could manage out of here fine and without a problem."
I gave her a challenging look to come up with a better reply.
"Alright, we trust you. We will do anything to get out of here." Ruby gave her agreement, and the other girls nodded as well, although Meriam did it reluctantly.
"Remember, girls. If anyone comes here, I am the duke's innocent daughter. My name is Ida, not Nina. Those details are important and could make or ruin our escapade." I waited until they nodded again before I rubbed my hands together and spoke with determination.
"It is time we put a plan to get out of here. Listen to every word I say, and don't you dare disobey my instructions while we are in the field." I ordered sharply and shot Meriam a meaningful look.
She raised her hands and gave me an innocent smile I couldn't resist but return.
**************
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