hurt

"Is Femella Alcantara your real name?"

Fem lifted her head from her plate and gave me a confused look.

"Why are you suddenly asking me that?"

I swallowed what I'm eating before answering.

"I just wanna know."

I followed the way she held the glass of water in her hand while drinking.

"Yeah, it's my real name."

I nodded.

"Your age?"

"23."

"You look younger than your age."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Thank you. Everyone says that."

She looked down and played at her food with the knife.

"Where do you live?"

"I used to live in an apartment near the club but I transferred in La Vida ever since I started working there."

"How about your family? Where are they?"

She stopped slicing the meat and lowered down the knife and fork and then looked at me suspiciously.

"What's with the questions, Fuentebella? Are you required to know the whole personal data of your hired whore? Is my personal information that important for a billionaire to know? For what reason?"

"Don't overreact. I'm just simply asking. You can or can't answer them. Besides, they are harmless questions. The one a person usually asks to a stranger."

I put the meat in my mouth and began chewing them biding time to hear the woman who's frowning from saying something.

The crease on her forehead adds to her sexiness. I grinned as I pictured her under me with that same knot on her head while I rammed her.

"You don't ask about the family of a complete stranger. That would make you weird."

"Well, I did just now."

She rolled her eyes and started eating again.

"My parents are dead. I don't have a sibling and my relatives all lead fucked up lives so I know they can't take good care of me so I am practically alone forever. There, I already answered your question. Satisfied?"

She reached for the glass of water and drank.

"I'm sorry about your parents."

"Don't be. They deserved it." She met my eyes with her cold stare. "And before you sermon me about why I should not be holding grudges or saying bad things about dead people, let me tell you first that you were never in my shoes so keep your words to yourself. I don't need them."

I was caught off guard by the pain and bitterness on her face. I raised my hands in my air in the futile attempt to save the conversation.

"I perfectly understand."

"Good."

I smirked. "How did you get in the club?"

She sighed.

"So you're not yet finished. Well, I need money. I want money and the fastest way to earn money is to sell my body."

I shook my head from her obvious lies.

"There's a hole in your story. Why didn't you go with the first guy who bid for you? We're talking about millions here. If you accept their offer then you would live a very comfortable life. Instant money. Instantly rich."

I looked at her intensely.

"If I did, then I would not be here."

I can't help but grin. This woman...

"Good point but that doesn't answer my question."

"Well, who cares if it answers your question or not? It already came from you that I may or may not answer your questions."

She returned the grin.

I laughed at that point. This woman is really a gem.

"You're an intellectual. I have to give you that. Good thing you're not my girlfriend or else..."

I stopped my sentence midway.

"Or else what? Ah, I know. Males like you want their women to be submissive to them. You don't want to be overshadowed by women. You like to be on the top. Always. You wanted to be praised and worshipped by the female population. Now I wonder what kind of girlfriends you have had? I don't want to insult other women but I presumed you like shallow ones? One who's only good in bed and nothing beyond that?"

I completely lost my attention to what I was eating. I grabbed my chin and caressed it while smiling at Fem. I didn't like what she said.

"Careful about your insinuation. Remember, I worshipped you in bed."

"There's a big difference."

"Let me finish first. I've been into relationships where both of us are career-driven. We were both alphas in our own respective worlds. I'm not bragging or anything. I just wanted to tell this to you because I know you have this prejudice against me. What I meant with what I said earlier is this."

I moved my chair towards her and rested my arms on the side of the table.

"Good thing you're not my girlfriend or else we could be married right now."

I winked at her.

Her mouth fell open and her face turned red. She averted her eyes and nervously looked for her glass of water.

I chuckled. I really loved the way her cheeks turned red everytime I caught her off guard. It's a rare sight I see in women these days and it's especially rarer to see Fem blush with her too-strong personality.

"You're too silent," I teased her.

"Shut up," she hissed.

"It's a joke. You're supposed to laugh."

She pointed her laser eyes on me.

"That's the lamest joke I've ever heard."

"At least it's effective not to make you laugh but to make you blush."

"You don't have any work to do? I think a man like you should be busy by now. Just do it. I'm okay here. You don't have to keep my company. Just call me if you're horny or what. In that way, we can limit our interaction and you can give me enough time to murder you in my mind."

The smile on my face fades. I didn't like the way her sharp mouth is making me inferior.

"For a paid woman like you, you sure have a sharp tongue. Bear in your mind that I spent millions for you. I own you because I bought you. You are mine for the rest of the week and I want you to discipline your tongue. Say those words again and you'll never like what I'll do to you."

My face went dark and my lips were pursed when I said them. Femella was stunned for a moment by what I said but she did not hold back her gaze. She still wore her defiant face while fighting her tears from falling. I was taken aback by her reaction. Suddenly I wanted to retract what I had said because I could clearly see the pain in her eyes.

She slowly nodded her head.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries. I'm well aware of my position here. You don't really have to stress that."

She looked down and resumed eating as if nothing had happened. But I know that I hurt her with the way she held the spoon and fork with her trembling hands as if it would break at any moment. It did not escape my eyes as she bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying.

I sighed guiltily. I might have gone too overboard.

"Look Fem, I am-"

The sound of the doorbell interrupted what I wanted to say. Reluctantly, I stood up while not taking my eyes off the woman who was still bent over and chewing her food. I felt pity for her and loath for myself for saying those words. I let out another deep breath before heading for the living room door. I guess these are the ones I bought for Femella. I sighed as I remembered her expression earlier. She is really hurt. I hurt her.

"You should apologize, dude. You hurt her," I said to myself and opened the door.