"The cave you fear holds the treasure you seek."

➳ ➳ ➳

Fear was the only emotion I felt at that moment. My eyes met briefly with Alexander's, and I didn't miss the satisfaction they were holding, he was filled with joy since he got what he wanted.

Money.

That was the only purpose of bringing me here in the first place. He said I would bring him lots of money, and that's exactly what happened. The younger man must have given him a large number, or else Alexander would never have agreed. I'm his prized possession, and he will stop at nothing to keep me under his watch. Alexander gave me a cringe-worthy smirk and turned his back, walking away from us in the room and said nothing more. Mr. Snow walked past me and held open the entrance door for me.

"Let's go." He simply says, keeping a serious face that seemed to never break.

I nodded slowly and made my way towards him. I didn't even care to glance at Jazmine, who I'm sure was still standing there looking at me.

Once I stepped outside, the cold breeze hit my skin, and I shivered, mentally cursing Jazmine for not giving me a coat. Soon though, I felt someone's presence behind me, sending me a kind of warmth, and Mr. Snow's hot breath was fanning over my exposed neck. Only then did I realize he was hovering over my shoulder. I spun around in surprise and fear, only to have my eyes met by his firm jaw at first, but then I looked up at his face, and his green eyes were looking at me intensely. A small frown plays on his face.

"Are you cold?" He asked, his face expressionless.

"Just a li-little." I stammered.

Damn it, Angelina, don't stutter.

I had to look confident, according to Jazmine, but if anything, I feel the exact opposite.

Something about him made me feel afraid of him, of what he was capable of. At the same time, I felt safer being around him than with Alexander.

It's his appearance, and the way he looks at me with those dark yet beautiful eyes, they suffocate me, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I cannot stare at them too long; otherwise, I feel he can possibly see through my soul, or read my thoughts.

How embarrassing. He's intimidating but very appealing.

"Of course you are, look what you're wearing," he said, pointing to my outfit. I was confused and kind of irritated at how rude he was being.

"Excuse me? You-" I started, but then cut off.

"Guidry!" He called out, even though there was no one around. I couldn't believe what was happening. I was just standing outside the Dollhouse with a complete stranger whom I remind myself of the fact I will be with this man for four months, and now the same man was calling out to someone in the middle of nowhere.

What the hell?

After a moment, a black BMW was parked in front of us, and out came a man around his mid-twenties wearing an all-black suit. He obviously worked for Mr. Snow. He fixed his suit and then raised his head to look at us as he approached. He was quite adorable with his long lashes, brown eyes, and a bit of a baby face. He smiled at Mr. Snow and ran a hand through his shorter black hair and looked at me.

"Are we ready, Mr. Snow?" He asked, with a surprisingly heavy English accent.

"Yes, Guidry. We're ready." Mr. Snow replied as he glanced at me. Guidry smiled again and held the door open for us to slide in.

"Thank you," I told him as I got in carefully, and he nodded with a smile.

Mr. Snow comes in after me, but didn't say anything to Guidry and kept quiet. Hasn't anyone ever taught him his manners? I positioned myself away from him and held onto the ends of my cloth wrap of a dress down with my hands. It was short and would roll up if I didn't. The car was warm inside, and I immediately relaxed, letting out a small sigh.

The man next to me kept still as a stone and turn his head away to look at the window as the car was now driving away from that horrible place and into Mr. Snow's house, which I'm sure will end up being similar to the Dollhouse. I gulped and started playing with my fingers nervously, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. My plan was ruined. When I looked in front of me, I was met with soft brown eyes, staring back at me in the rear view mirror. Guidry.

The ride was pretty long, and I was getting really tired. I would give everything to turn back time and see myself resting on my bed, in my house, with my mom and dad coming to check on me if I was asleep. But that's never going to happen. They are both gone, and I'm not that little girl anymore.

"We're here." Someone's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned my head to look at them, only to find Mr. Snow out of the car, holding the door open for me. When did the car ever stop? I must have been too lost in my own world. I quickly got out and fixed my dress before looking at the amazing sight in front of me.

This house was enormous.

I had never seen anything like this before. He must be really rich, and that leads to two things. He must be truly talented or just lucky.

The mansion wasn't completely new; he must've inherited it from his parents or something. Even though it was not new, it still managed to look so beautiful. It was dark and mysterious, just like it's owner, with a beautiful green garden and big oak trees. A cobblestone walkway was leading to the front door, and a few cage lanterns in the form of spheres hang next to it, making it look more welcoming.

"Follow me." Mr. Snow said and started walking as the large gate behind us closed automatically, leaving the car and Guidry behind it. I walk fast, trying to keep up with him and, at the same time, observing the place.

He owns all of this.

Once we were near the door, it opened wide, and we were greeted by an older woman who smiled at Mr. Snow and politely stepped to the side for us to walk in. She was short but slim and elegant, her honey-brown hair with grey strands was up in a neat bun, and her warm brown eyes were looking at me with sympathy. She must be the maid. That's what I understood from the outfit.

The house inside was just like I expected it to look.

Expensive.

White marble flooring and bright walls surrounded me. Black and white paintings were decorating them. I'm not sure if Mr. Snow painted them, but they looked nice. In the front was a big staircase with wooden hand railings and black, iron balusters leading to the second floor, and next to it stood two decorative plants.

"Hello, Mr. Snow." The older woman said.

"How are you, Agnes?" He asked her with a warm tone that seemed almost foreign coming from him. He wasn't sarcastic, or rude. Not even distant from her. It looked like the old woman, Agnes, was much closer to him than anyone else. Maybe they knew each other for a long time.

"I'm fine; thank you. Do you want me to bring you anything?" She asked him, eyeing me.

Mr. Snow turned his head to look at me for a moment before placing his hand on my back, catching me by surprise.

"I would like you to bring some food and clean sheets up in the guest room for our guest," he told her, and she nodded before going towards the opposite direction and disappearing around the corner. Now I was left alone with this mysterious man again.

He quickly guides me upstairs, and we started walking through the long corridor. I could see many doors, and I was really curious to see behind them, but I didn't dare ask. I knew that he wouldn't answer completely, and I didn't want to aggravate him.

"This is going to be your room from now on," he informed me and pushed the door open with his hand to reveal the room, which made my eyes widen.

It was beautiful.

The walls were beige with a big window on one side, which was covered with a dark blue curtain. In the left corner stood a big wooden wardrobe which was next to the counter with a large mirror hanging on the wall. The bed was in the middle of the room, and all I wanted was to jump on it and never get off. The floor was covered with a white, fluffy carpet, and the walls were decorated with a bit more color to it. This room was amazing, just like the rest of the house, and it was mine. I wanted to thank him, and I didn't expect him to give me a room like this, especially since I was nothing but a Doll to him.

I turned around a bit too fast and found him standing just a few inches away from me, and I panicked. I tried to stay a step back, but that only ended up making me lose my balance with these stupid heels I'm wearing. I was going to fall on my butt, but Mr. Snow was quick to react, and his strong arms wrapped around my waist as my hands held his shoulders while he steadied me. I was in loss of words, I couldn't think straight, not when he was this close. His lips were so close I could kiss him if I wanted to, but I didn't. That was the second time he saved me from falling in a day.

"Thank you," I whispered and I expecting him to say nothing, like earlier.

"You really are a clumsy person, can't even stand up on your own," he said with annoyance.

Excuse You?

"I-I sorry." I stuttered, still holding onto him, even though I was perfectly balanced right now.

He smirked and brought his face closer, looking down at me.

"Goodnight, darling. I expect you to behave like a good girl." He whispered in my ear, and with that, he let go of me and disappeared down the dark, unlit corridor after standing there a while, I let out a breath, and I was holding on the edge of the bed and eased myself to a sitting position.

What was that? Why did he do that?