The Millionaire Offer

KALI

Kali swallowed hard as she stared at Lucius. She had heard the sound of glass breaking and thought someone might need help. But with his intense gaze on her, she immediately regretted her decision.

He arched his dark brow, waiting for her to say something. Maybe to explain why she stormed into his study without knocking.

Kali’s eyes followed the path of his fingers as he slowly rolled up his sleeves. The swirling black tattoo adorning his forearms caught her attention.

She stumbled backward and fumbled for the doorknob.

“I didn’t realize you were still here. I thought Olivia would have sent for you once she found another position. Hasn’t she called for you yet?” he asked.

Kali was struck mute, her eyes glued to the large stain on his shirt.

He must have noticed her stare, because he unbuttoned the shirt with deft fingers and pulled it off. He moved to the small closet in the corner of the room and took out a perfectly pressed, new, white shirt.

Kali closed her eyes, hating the fear his male body caused in her. Her mother usually sent her outside when she had visitors in the evenings. But on cold winter nights, she let her sit in the kitchen with her phone, the volume turned up to the loudest setting, and a pair of headphones over her ears.

But even with the headphones, Kali would hear voices and arguments. Sometimes she heard slaps and her mother’s screams.

She learned at a young age what men were capable of. She knew the damage a small, thin man could cause, leaving bruises on her mother’s face.

The fear she felt on those nights stayed with her.

This man in front of her could kill with one blow if he wanted to.

“You didn’t answer me,” he said as he fastened his shirt and tucked it into his pants. “Have you heard from your mother?”

She shook her head. “Marta said I could stay in the room behind the stable. I’ve been helping Ben in the garden.”

“Hmm.” He turned away from her, his eyes focused on the portrait on the wall.

She stood there, immobile, not knowing if he would force her from the villa and her little sister.

“Clean it up.”

Kali jolted in surprise, and after seeing the look in Lucius’s eyes, she went to fetch a broom and a mop.

She was grateful for the order. She needed something to get her brain going again.

When she returned, Lucius was sitting at the desk, ignoring her.

It was relief. Being ignored was much better than looking into his eyes. She was used to being ignored. Having his attention on her scared her.

With the bucket beside her, she knelt to pick up the broken bottle. She forgot to bring a pair of gloves with her, and in her haste, she caught the sharp edge of a piece of glass and hissed as it cut deep into the soft flesh of her thumb.

The blood bubbled from the gash, but Kali did not feel the pain. It only stung and annoyed her.

She ignored it, wiping the blood on her shirt, and hurried to finish the job.

“It’s clean. May I go now?” she asked, standing next to him.

He turned and looked at her, staring at the blood on her shirt.

“Is that blood?” he asked, his gaze on the red smear.

She instinctively looked down and pulled the shirt with her injured hand, adding more blood to the white fabric.

Kali didn’t lift her gaze. She looked at the stain as if it mesmerized her.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” Lucius demanded.

She raised her mocha eyes to his, and her mouth wobbled.

Lucius cursed under his breath and opened his desk drawer. He pulled out a napkin and reached for her hand, examining the wound.

Kali was on full alert, watching his every move as he held her finger in his hand. She rounded her shoulders, anticipating the storm to come.

Lucius looked at her. “Don’t play shy with me. You need to learn how to talk to people. If you’re living under my roof, you can’t swallow your tongue every time I talk to you.”

He pulled a sharp shard of glass from her thumb and pressed the napkin against the open wound. “Stay there,” he said as he turned to the shelf on the other side of the room and removed another bottle. He unstoppered it and poured whiskey into the glass.

Taking her hand, he dipped her finger in the amber liquid.

She hissed, more in surprise than pain, and his mouth twisted into a smile.

“It can’t be that bad. It’s just a little cut.”

Lucius took Kali’s thumb out of the whiskey and wrapped a fresh napkin around it.

“Do you go to school?” he asked, his eyes narrowing a little.

Kali denied it with a shake of her head and tried to pull her hand out of his.

He let go of her without a fight.

“How old are you?”

Kali swallowed before replying. “Seventeen.”

“What school did you go to? Are you preparing for university?”

She stuttered, feeling embarrassed. “I-I changed schools a lot. The last one was where we lived before we came here.”

He looked at her as if he expected more.

“I’m a terrible student, Mr. Casano. The letters float off the page, and I can’t learn fast enough.”

Lucius said nothing to that statement.

Kali knew she needed to plead her case, to convince him to let her stay. “Please, sir, I’d like to stay here, at the villa. I’m a hard worker, and I can help take care of my sister.”

She watched as Lucius returned to his chair behind the desk.

“It would be good for Sarah to know about her mother, about your family,” he finally said.

Kali held her breath, afraid that saying anything else might work against her.

Lucius nodded. “You can stay as long as I don’t see or hear much from you. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Marta will guide you, train you.”

He looked at her again as she remained silent. “Do you understand me?”

Kali nodded and backed her way to the door, not taking her eyes off him.

He nodded. And with a wave of his hand, he dismissed her.

She walked out of the study, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

When she was finally alone in the hallway, she unwrapped her finger and put it in her mouth to suck on the wound. Her nose wrinkled at the taste of whiskey as her heart danced. The devil let her stay with Sarah.