She was the one who finally broke it. “Jason, until I pay back that five hundred thousand, I’m yours. When the debt is clear, you can give me freedom back.”
I wanted to tell her it was unnecessary, that the money meant less to me than what I’d spend tipping some streamer in would crush her pride. So instead, I said, “Then you can be my housekeeper.”
my
a
week. But I knew that
From that day on, Sofia lived with me. She cooked my meals, managed my life, and even cleaned me up when I came home blind drunk. The girls who chased me were relentless constantly baraccia
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21:03 0
From that day on, Sofia lived with me. She cooked my meals, managed my life, and even cleaned me up when I came home blind drunk. The girls
who chased me were relentless, constantly harassing her, calling her a whore trying to claw her way into high society.
She never told me about it, never defended herself. She just silently endured it.
When I found out, I confronted them, telling them to back off. But that only made things worse for her. She’d get “accidentally” hit in the face with a
basketball or “accidentally” shoved down a flight of stairs.
I realized the more I protected her, the more she suffered.
So I changed my strategy. I started treating her horribly, even announcing to a crowd that she was just a dog I kept, one I wouldn’t even let into my bed. After that, the physical “accidents” stopped, though she was still a target for vicious gossip.
Then came the end. The company went bankrupt. My father fled with his mistress. I killed a man and went to prison.
Before I was taken away, I
And now, here we were,
O
being a gigolo. And Sofia was
roles
F
things: I broke up with Sofia and signed the deed to the penthouse over to her as a “severance package.”
completely reversed. I was no longer the profligate heir but a spa masseur, a profession one step away from CEO of a gaming company, a woman I had to look up to, both literally and figuratively.
She saw me frozen in the doorway, a cold smile playing on her lips. “I hear that these days, you’ll do anything for the right price.”
“Something like that,” I said, forcing down the tidal wave of emotions inside me. The taunts from my old friends had never truly hurt. But to be seen like this, like an ant beneath her
shoe… that pain was real. It was sharp.
Sofia nodded, pulling open the vintage Louis Vuitton bag at her side and casually tossing several thick stacks of cash onto the sofa.
That bag…
If I remembered correctly, it was a birthday present i had given her. She’d never once us
Why did she still have it?
used it, saying
too precious.
“I hear your technique is quite good,” Sofia said suddenly. “Come and massage my feet.”
I snapped back to the present and nodded. I prepared a basin of water, testing the temperature her stiletto–clad foot hovering in front of me.
before carrying
it over to her. Sofia lifted one leg,
I pulled over the small stool used for foot treatments, but before I could sit, she kicked me squarely in the shoulder.
“I believe you once told people that when I washed your feet, I did it on my knees. I’m not mistaken, am I?”
She looked down at me, her gaze imperious.
She wanted me to kneel before her.
I had said those words, but only to protect her. The girls who pursued me came from families as wealthy as mine, some even wealthier. I had no real power over them. Belittling her was the only way I could think of to lessen her suffering.
My heart throbbed. I wanted to explain, to tell her everything, but I held back. I was afraid she wouldn’t believe me, or worse,
that
she wouldn’t
care.
So, I dropped to one knee, reaching out to remove her high heel.
Sofia kicked me again. “One knee?” she sneered. “Am I not paying enough?”
She grabbed the cash and started flinging the stacks at my face. I stood there and took it. When she finally stopped, I looked her deep in the eyes. “If it makes you happy, I’ll kneel.”
I lowered myself to both knees. A satisfied smile finally graced her lips, and she extended her foot again. I slipped off her shoe, carefully cradling her small, delicate foot in my hands. I used to steal glances at her feet, so small and pale, like they were carved from white jade. But I’d always been a coward, too afraid to even look for too long.
“Test the water.”
scooped some water with my hand and gently dabbed it onto her perfect foot. She flinched, her elegant brow furrowing. “Is this how you provide a service?”
Chapter
21:03
I knew she was just trying to make things difficult. The temperature was perfect. But I didn’t argue. 1 just reached for the kettle to adjust it.
Suddenly, she plunged both feet into the bamboo basin, splashing water all over my face and shirt.
She stared at me, a cruel smirk on her face. “Jason, name your price. How much would it take for you to drink this water?”
My heart seized again. I never imagined she could hate me this much.
But then again, it made perfect sense. The old Sofia had been sensitive and fiercely proud. And I had publicly degraded her. If our roles were reve-
rsed, I would hate me too.
God, I wanted to explain. I wanted to tell her it was all to protect her. But I couldn’t. I was afraid of her scorn. I was even more afraid that she might
come back to me.
If she dismissed my explanation, it would shatter what was left of my heart.
And if she came back to me… did I even deserve her?
I looked at her, my voice steady. “No charge. If it makes you happy.”
bent down, leaning over the foot basin like a dog lapping at a bowl.
From an angle where I couldn’t see, her eyes reddened for a fleeting moment. Then she lifted her foot and kicked my shoulder, knocking me away.
She burst into laughter. “Jason, have you completely lost your pride? ‘If it makes you happy?‘ Or did you figure saying that would make me give
you more money?”
I stumbled back, landing hard on the floor. I couldn’t meet her eyes. She had no idea. No one else could trample on my dignity because, frankly, I
didn’t care what they thought.
But she was different. All it took was one scornful laugh from her, and my pride was already in a million pieces.
I shook my head, saying nothing.
Sofia beckoned to me with one finger. “Come here. On your knees.”
I crawled back to her, kneeling so close. I had been this close to her once before, when she’d fallen asleep at her desk while coding late at night. I
had wanted to steal a kiss, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Back then, I had leaned down to cover her with a blanket.
Now, at the same distance, I had to look up at her, and she looked down at me as if I truly were a dog.
Sofia tilted my chin up. “Jason, two years and you’ve become more… interesting. But why aren’t you smiling? You’re a gigolo. Is this how you treat
your clients?”
I couldn’t help but correct her. “Not a gigolo. A masseur.”
Sofia laughed. “Is there a difference?”
I didn’t argue further. I just forced a smile.
She nodded, satisfied. “Begin.”
How many times had I dreamed of holding these feet in my hands? But I never dared, afraid it would upset her. I figured no woman would want a
man’s touch to be transactional. So I never crossed that line. I sympathized with her plight, admired her resilience, and respected her ambition.
All of that coalesced into love.
Or maybe I would have loved her anyway, without any of it. Why I loved her, what it was about her… I didn’t really know. I just did.
In prison, the only thing that kept me going for two years was the thought of seeing her again, just once. The hell I endured in there would have
been enough to kill me ten thousand times over otherwise.
Thanks to the old–timer in my cell, my skills were excellent. For the rest of the foot massage, Sofia didn’t give me any more trouble.
When the session was over, I dried her feet and carried the basin away. After tidying up, I managed another strained smile. “Ma’am, the foot trea-
tment is complete. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”
I turned to leave without waiting for her reply. Yes, I was running. I was even ready to quit my job. Because this, being stripped of all my dignity in
front of her, was the one thing I couldn’t bear.
Chapter
front of her, was the one thing I couldn’t bear.
“Stop.
“Did I say you could leave?”
Her voice came from behind me, sharp and cold.
I knew it. She wasn’t going to let me off that easily.
21.03
I hesitated for a moment, then turned back to face her and let out a long sigh. Under her amused gaze, I dropped to my knees again, a self–depre- cating smile on my face. “I admit it. I said a lot of things that hurt you, and I apologize. If you can’t accept my apology, then please, punish me all at
once. Get it over with, and then just… let me go. Can you do that?”
A complex expression flickered across her face. She stood up and walked toward me, barefoot. Her fingers found the gap between the buttons of
my shirt and she gave slight tug. “Get up.”
a
I rose, following th
gentl
pressure, but I couldn’t meet her eyes.
