CHAPTER 5: Half a Billion

ANYA'S POV:

Never in my life have I felt so clueless and helpless at the same time. Breakfast was painfully long, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife.  

Kane hadn't spoken another word since we finished breakfast and I hardly knew what to say.  At one point, he got up to take a phone call and hadn’t returned since.  

I sat stiffly on the couch, that you could almost mistake me as a statue, the same thought kept playing in my head, I was here as his “plaything”. My life had been reduced to the level of mere prostitution all because of that bastard. Nothing more than a repayment of debt.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, quickly turning into a silent sob. 

I thought I had seen it all, that there was nothing Liam could do to me that I couldn’t endure. But I was wrong. So very wrong. What had I done to deserve this life? Why had everything turned out so miserable?

“I don't think I've said or done anything to make you cry Anya” Kane’s voice cut through my thoughts, calm yet sharp, and I jolted. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, watching me with an unreadable expression.  

I quickly wiped my face and stood up, moving so fast it was as if I’d been caught doing something wrong. My heart pounded as if I were a maid awaiting punishment from her master.  

“I...I...” I stammered, struggling to form a sentence.  

He smirked as he walked toward me. “What’s wrong, Mrs Ross? Can’t believe this is happening to you?” he said, stopping right in front of me.

“On the bright side, you should be grateful, maybe even a little happy that it’s me and not some random man.”

“Happy? What’s there to be happy about?” I shot back, glaring into his eyes, searching for any trace of the boy I used to know. The boy who couldn’t stand to see me hurt.

“You already have something sick and twisted planned, so tell me what exactly should I be happy about?” My voice wavered slightly, betraying the fear bubbling inside of me. Deep down, I knew what the coming days would bring. Kane didn’t seem like the kind of man to make empty threats.

“Oh, don’t be like that, darling,” he said, his voice mocking as he tilted his head. “I’m doing you both a favor, and here you are trying to paint me as the villain.” He tutted, pretending to be annoyed.

A favor? What kind of favor? I was the only one at a loss here.

“But since you already know how this is going to end,” he continued, a wicked grin spreading across his face, “let’s make things interesting, shall we? I plan to make every single day count. We’ve got six days left, and I promised your husband he’d wish he had paid me. By the time I’m done, you’ll be ruined for him.”

He chuckled darkly as he sat down on the couch, leaning back like he owned the place and he did. 

“We start tonight,” he said, his grin twisting into something even more menacing.

My heart did a somersault. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my raging nerves.

“What debt does Liam owe you that I’m paying for?” I asked. I needed to know what I’d been sacrificed for.

“Hmm, didn’t you know? His company is in shambles, on the verge of bankruptcy. He borrowed a loan from me a while back to save it, but that didn’t work out too well. Now, he can’t pay it back,” Kane said casually, pulling out his phone.

The Ross Empire was in shambles. The thought would’ve made my father furious—if I still cared about his opinion.

“How much did he borrow?” I asked hesitantly.

“What? Eager to know how much he thinks you’re worth?” Kane asked with a smirk, looking up from his phone.

I clenched my fists, irritated by his words. Knowing the amount wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t inflate my ego or make the situation any easier to bear. I might have nothing to my name and with what little self worth I had I knew my worth was beyond any amount of money.

“I don’t care what he thinks I’m worth. I just want to know how much I’m here to repay,” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended.

Kane let out a low laugh, almost amused. “He borrowed 500 million, and you’re repaying half of it.”

My stomach sank. Half a billion.

I nodded, forcing myself to stay calm. “Then let’s get this over with.”

“Is Mrs. Ross confident now that she knows how much her husband thinks she’s worth? Tell me, do you think a measly 250 million is all you’re worth?” he asked, his words dripping with venom.

I couldn’t tell if he was trying to anger or upset me. Either way, it wasn’t going to work. Liam had verbally abused me enough to make me immune to words like these.

“If you didn’t think I was worth that, then I wouldn’t be here. For all I know, you and Liam are both assholes,” I retorted, crossing my arms.

“Tsk, calling your husband an asshole,” he said with a raised eyebrow and a mocking smile.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be in my room,” I said finally. I couldn’t bear to be in his presence any longer. The atmosphere felt suffocating.

Once in my room, I sat on the bed, lost in thought. Memories of the past came flooding back. Kane and I had been a couple in high school. We were both seniors, and my 17-year-old self had been head over heels in love with him.

He was everything I’d wanted back then—kind, protective, and sweet. But the boy I had loved was long gone. Now, he was a cold, calculating man. He looked like he was some big shot and for him to have burrowed Liam half a billion, he was no small man.

Should I look him up? Maybe I should. I’d been so out of touch with social media that I barely knew what was happening in the world. But I could still search for him online—if he even had an online presence.

Rummaging through my duffel bag, I realized I’d forgotten my phone, my so-called “tracking device.” I sighed deeply. Liam was going to be furious when he found out. Or maybe I could just walk up to Kane and ask him how he’s been and how he managed to become so wealthy. After all, I knew his parents. They were regular, working-class people.

But how would that conversation even go? “Hey Kane, I know you might hate me because of how things ended between us, but I had my reasons. Anyway, can you tell me how you’ve been and how you got so rich?”

I laughed softly. Was I insane? I couldn’t picture how that would turn out or how he’d react. Shaking my head, I got up and headed to the en-suite bathroom to take a shower.

Stripping out of  my clothes, I froze when I noticed a dark purple bruise on my stomach—right where Liam had kicked me last night. I cursed under my breath. The pain had faded during breakfast, but now it was back in full force as I stared at the mark in the mirror.

I groaned. I didn’t think it would leave such a noticeable bruise. Makeup wouldn’t cover it completely, and I had no idea how Kane would react if he saw it tonight. Would he send me back? Would he get angry?

Stepping into the shower, I let the warm water run over me. Closing my eyes, I wished—just for a moment—that when I opened them, this would all turn out to be a bad dream. But, of course, it wasn’t.

After finishing my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and let my wet black hair fall down my back. I didn’t know if I had any ointment in my bag, but it wouldn’t hurt to check.

Scoffing in frustration,I grabbed my hair in annoyance. Should I ask Cassie for some ointment? That risked Kane finding out. Or should I just suck it up and deal with the pain until he eventually notices? Neither option appealed to me, but it seemed like Kane was going to find out either way.

Maybe I could lie to Cassie? Say I slipped in the bathroom and hit my stomach on the counter yesterday?

And as if she’d heard my thoughts, there was a knock at the door.

“Mrs. Anya, can I come in? I need to change the sheets,” Cassie called softly from the other side.

I walked over and opened the door, letting her in.

“I usually change the sheets after breakfast, but I got caught up with something earlier,” she explained as she placed fresh linens on the glass desk.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she added, already stripping the old sheets off the bed.

“It’s fine,” I replied, chuckling nervously. She nodded and continued her task.

Cassie worked quickly, and as she was about to leave, I hesitated.

“Cassie?” I called out. She turned to me expectantly.

“Do you have any ointment or painkillers I could use?” I asked hesitantly, fidgeting with my fingers.

“Why? Are you hurt?” she asked, dropping the dirty sheets and walking over to me. She grabbed my hands, inspecting them closely.

“Umm… I kind of slipped and hit my stomach on the bathroom counter yesterday,” I lied, nervous but trying to sound casual. There was no way I could tell her the truth: “I got beat up by my husband.”

Cassie nodded. “I’ll grab the first aid kit,” she said before picking up the sheets and leaving.

A few minutes later, she returned with a small kit and a glass of water.

“Come sit. I’ll apply it for you,” she offered, setting the glass on the nightstand and the kit on the bed.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to. I can do it myself. I’m sure you’re busy,” I said quickly, waving her off.

“Are you sure?” she asked, and I nodded, gently ushering her toward the door.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” she said before finally leaving.

I took the painkillers and headed to the bathroom to apply the ointment. Since Cassie already knew, there was no point in trying to hide the bruise anymore.

After getting dressed, I glanced at the bedside clock. It was 1:34 PM. I still had plenty of time, but nothing to do. So, I did what I knew best: lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling until I eventually fell asleep.

“Mrs. Anya… Mrs. Anya,” a knock followed by Cassie’s voice jolted me awake.