But then why did he pick me?
I sigh and stare outside again at the garden beyond these walls. I wonder if he’ll at least let me roam around inside them, even if just for a little while, just to get a whiff of what freedom I can have in this confinement.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door, and I sit up straight in my lavish blue gown that I found in the wardrobe, expecting another shot at persuading Eli.
But Mary sticks her head inside my room, and the momentary buzz flooding my veins flows away like a bloodletting.
“Hey … how are you feeling today?” she asks.
Has another day already passed? I didn’t even realize.
I nod. “Fine, I guess.” As I get up from the chair, she holds up her hand.
“No need. Eli is quite busy today,” she replies, and she holds up a plate. “But look what I have!”
I frown. Food? “But I thought that was his job?”
“Job?” Her eyes widen, and her cheeks flush. “Oh, no, no, no. Eli never brings food.”
“He did. Yesterday,” I say.
With her lips still parted, she pauses for a moment. “Yes, well … that was an off-day thing. It probably won’t happen again.” She giggles. “As bringing food is actually my job.”
Her job? Interesting. So he went against his own rules yesterday. Maybe he isn’t as strict as he seems.
She bustles inside and places the plate on the table in front of me. “There you go. Bon appétit.” She smiles and places a fork and knife down too. “Please be gentle with your cutlery. If you misuse it, it may end up making things worse for you.”
My eyes narrow. “Misuse it?”
She finishes by setting down a glass of cola. “If you tried to use them as weapons.”
When my pupils dilate, she adds an eerie smile.
“But you won’t do that, I’m sure. Besides, the cameras keep an eye out for any trouble.”
I gulp. She’s not even afraid to say it out loud. I don’t know why that surprises me, but it does.
“Now, when you’re done, simply place the finished plate in front of the door and knock, and someone will come and pick it up.”
“Someone?” I raise a brow.
She nods. So there are more of her … whatever she is. The point is, Eli’s got help in keeping me here, which means my hunch was right. I won’t escape that easily.
“Anyway … I hope you enjoy!”
She stays put for a while as I stare at her, wondering if she’s going to leave or stay or do something else that’ll require me to stay on guard.
She frowns and leans in to scoot the plate closer to me with a big smile on her face. “Go on.”
We look at each other for a few more seconds. As I pick up the fork, her eyes follow the trail until I’ve picked up a piece of the chicken potpie and transferred it into my mouth.
“And?” she asks, clutching her serving tray close to her chest.
I swallow it with disdain. “Good. The cooks did their best to impress you.”
“Thanks,” I say as I don’t want to hurt their feelings. But all of this feels so duplicitous. “So is this the norm?”
“What? This chicken potpie? No, they make different stuff every day.”
I take another bite. “No, I mean, you bringing it here. Shouldn’t I be eating with Eli?”
She shakes her head. “I’ll be bringing you breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”
I stop chewing. “What about Wednesday?”
“Oh, that’s the day Eli requests that you eat with him.”
Okay … that’s odd. “Why Wednesday?”
She shrugs. “Those are the rules. I don’t make them. Besides, he’s far too busy to entertain one girl every single day.”
I narrow my eyes and put down my fork. “Who … else eats with him on the other days?”
She cocks her head as a wicked smile spreads on her lips. “Well, the other guests, of course! Who else?”
Chapter 16
Eli
Three new girls wait for me in the hallway. I walk down the steps and study each of them. One girl shifts on her feet as her eyes bore into mine. The other looks down at her feet, her body trembling. The third … unmoving, absent, as though she’s in another world.
I wish I understood what it felt like to be new to this place, but unfortunately, I’ve never had that privilege. They must be scared, worried, anxious to know what is coming. But I am not here to calm their nerves.
“Ladies …” I say as I take the final step down the stairs and open my arms. “My name is Eli. Welcome to the House of Sin.”
The first girl’s brows furrow. “House of Sin?” She clutches her modest dress as though it makes her feel safe.
One of my aides steps out from the shadows, but I hold up my hand. “No need to intervene.”