Her Slave Contract

Bonded By You

EZRA

The woman looked down at Ezra with an irritated look as she stood in the doorway. Ezra was shocked she had the audacity to push her to the floor but she was also stunned.

"Who do you think you are, you old hag? How dare you-"

The woman started laughing at Ezra's words. She shook her head side by side as she stepped in.

"Do you know why you're here? Don't you feel ashamed to still try and hold up your head? You sold yourself just to try and climb into Mr Ledger's bed. Such a shameless woman!" The woman said with hatred and humility in her eyes.

Ezra had never in her life let anyone run over her without teaching them a lesson. But now, she found it difficult to find words to defend herself. She felt speechless because the woman's words were the words she was trying to run away from.

Abandoned by everyone, Ezra had no choice but to grab onto whatever she could do to keep living. But she had never thought of how her actions would lead her to be seen by the others.

"Anyways, I won't be wasting my time any longer. Here are your clothes, you'll start tomorrow," the woman said, already turning to leave after placing a box with the clothes inside on the table counter.

"Start? Start what?" Ezra frowned a little, raising herself off the ground. The lady ignored her and continued.

"You need to be out by 7 am sharp. Or else you'll be in great trouble. Don't underestimate me when I say great trouble, understood?" She said, not expecting an answer but slamming the door with a loud thud as she left.

Ezra frowned again, something felt strange.

~

She had been restless the whole night on the rather uncomfortable bed than her bed back at her dad's mansion. She had been tossing and turning every once in a while, lying awake.

But when she eventually fell asleep, just a few minutes after, she was woken up by loud knocks on her door.

She sat up, staring at the door cluelessly. Suddenly, a thunderous voice sounded from outside.

"Get dressed and come out right now! You cannot afford to be late!" The voice was of an unfamiliar girl and once she was done, Ezra heard her stride away. She couldn't complain.

Ezra climbed down from the bed and freshened up quickly, still half asleep. As she picked up the clothes that the woman gave her last night, without thinking she kept putting them on.

Once she was done, Ezra turned to glance at herself dreadfully in the mirror. Blinking sleepily, her eyes fall on her reflection and all the haziness vanished. She flinched at her reflection and stepped back defensively.

She wasn't given a dress but a uniform. She was made to wear the uniform of a servant. A black pencil skirt and a white shirt. Her horrified glance traced all over her body.

Axel wasn't playing when he said he wanted her as a slave.

That felt like the last straw. She stormed out of her room and started rushing towards the main hall. Her hair was left open but she was dressed in those humiliating clothes. Ezra passed other servants and even the woman from last night but she didn't stop.

"Where are you going? You lil-"

"Stop her! STOP HER!"

"Keep her away from the master's room!" Someone yelled behind Ezra and she realised that she was close to his room.

She dashed through the corridors in the heels she was given and pushed open the door to the right. She barged into the room and immediately spotted him. She was in the right room.

Axel was already in his suit when he raised his eyes to look at her. She stepped towards him and lunged at him, trying to throw hands.

"You! How could you make me do something like this? Let alone trick me into this? You insolent bastard!" Ezra reached for his collar but he grabbed both of her hands with one hand and locked them behind her back.

He had a grin on his face like he was expecting her to be this agitated.

"There's no way in hell I'm doing this! Let go of me," Ezra struggled to get out of his grasp but he just pulled her closer each time till his lips hovered close to her face.

Ezra felt his captivating eyes boring into hers as she felt herself calm down, but she kept trying to yank herself away. That's when his gaze dropped down to her lips and then down at her outfit.

"...you look better than I thought you would," he smiled, staring at her up and down. Annoyed, Ezra stepped toward him to make him focus on her face instead.

"You.. can keep your stupid deal. I'm leaving right now," Ezra looked boldly at him and raised an eyebrow. He was still smirking. "I haven't signed any contract so I'm not bound to follow through with your games."

Axel's smile faded a little as his other hand started brushing the strands of hair from her cheek. His eyes followed them and trailed back to her.

"I already told you I won't let you escape this time," he whispered. Ezra tried to decipher the meaning behind his words.

"Oh? And what will stop me?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't think you'd doubt me," he said.

"Well then, stand there and watch me leave with your tongue-tied," Ezra turned around in a rage and started rushing to the door, determined to leave once and for all.

She thought she'd figure something out. She had the brains to manage now that it was morning and she wasn't too traumatised anymore like the day before. She believed herself.

"You're ungrateful, Ezra," he spoke up, making her stop in her tracks. Once he got her attention, he started making his point clear.

"You're not doing me any favour trying to disrespect me like this. What do you aim to get out of this? Your stupid revenge?" Ezra scoffed, trying to get dominance over him.

Axel clenched his jaw when she mentioned the revenge. This gave her a hint that whatever happened between Ezra and him in the past, set him off for a reason she didn't know.

"That's it. Either you own up to your words and do what you're told to or you pack up and leave right now. Get out," he said with a piercing cold look and annoyance.

"What did you just say to me?" Ezra's mouth dropped open even if he had done worse.

"Get out.. of my room," he rose his voice slightly as Ezra backed off. She turned around knowing exactly what she had to do.

Without another word, she rushed out of the room. Then she made her way back to her room at her normal pace to have some more time to think about it. She wasn't in a position where she could make a decision without thinking through it.

The others watched as she loosened up her shirt and walked to her room. That's when she nodded to herself in the mirror and started packing up her stuff. She wasn't born that way, she had huge pride in who she was. She would do anything but sell away her self respect like that.

Ezra knew she was flawed, the biggest flaw was not being able to step out of her comfort zone. She was raised like royalty, never taught to accept defeat or humiliation. Maybe that's why she was looking past all of the things she could do if she stayed and followed through with whatever order she was given.

But now, the way she was looked down on and the degrading treatment was too much for her. Something she had never experienced before.

Ezra was just zipping up her bag when she saw a similarly dressed girl burst through the door, approaching her. She seemed like a servant in this mansion too.

"What the hell are you doing?" The girl asked, her hands on her waist authoritatively. She was frowning down at her packing her bags.

"Who are you?" Ezra asked, frowning.

"I'm Aireen and you're an absolute i***t," the girl sighed dramatically before sitting on the bed uninvited.

"Can you leave?" Ezra said, not wanting to hear more from people just like the woman from last night. She continued packing, a little deflected all of a sudden.

"Are you not listening to me? You're making a mistake. Trust me, I know all about what has been going on with you," Aireen said as she gripped Ezra's hand to try and make her stop.

"What do you mean?" She looked up.

"I overheard Lady Helen and the others talking, that's how I knew about your whole story. But if you leave now, what will you do?" She asked.

"That's none of your business," Ezra turned away. Lady Helen was the woman from the night before who treated her that way.

"The truth is.. you don't have any idea. But if you stay, you're getting a roof over your head, food, clothes and even a high paid job. I heard you're banished from your company which means it'll be tough getting a job in other company as well. Think again," Aireen suggested.

Ezra didn't know why Aireen seemed like she cared but her words made Ezra unsure about her decision.

Something hit Ezra right where it hurt. She widened her eyes, finally realising what she was doing. She was giving up. She realised she was letting go of the only chance she had to bring her life back on track so she could take her revenge and take it well, but Ezra was giving it away. And for what? Just for the sake of her ego? She saw Aireen perk up with a smile on her face.

"I can help make your life here easier. That's what I'm here for," Aireen said, raising an eyebrow at her. Ezra turned to get a full look at her. "Trust me, you're privileged even after you've lost most of the things. Don't meet the fate your dad wants you to and stay."

"How do you know so much?" Ezra asked, shocked.

"Your news is all over the media. It's hard not to know," she shrugs.

"And.. you trust me?" She asked in disbelief that Aireen thought her dad was in the wrong. "You think I'm innocent?"

"I do," Aireen winks at her.

As she stared at Aireen's bold face with a remarkable trust for Ezra, she calmed down and really thought about her decision. How could she let go of her revenge just because she refused to follow through with a few orders?

Has staying with her step-family made her so shallow? Ezra turned, looking at herself in her mirror with self reflection. She valued her revenge and her mother who died trying to keep her safe way more than Axel Ledger's antiques.

She had decided what she wanted.

That's when a butler politely knocked on the door and placed a file on the counter before leaving.

Ezra walks to the counter to pick it up and flip the cover. She took a deep breath when she saw the first page.

"The Slave Contract" was written in bold letters on the first page. Axel had sent it to her as the last chance.

He knew she needed it. She knew he wanted it.