There is a loud ringing in my head. I can see people’s faces around and I know they must be yelling but I can’t hear a thing. I want my body to move and do something to stop this carnage but why won’t it obey me?
I just stand limply on the side, watching Ivan pour his madness down on Ricardo. The latter has already fallen to the ground, unconscious, and yet he stills hits him. The nurses aren’t trying hard enough to stop Ivan. I think they might be just as horrified as I am, seeing him like this.
Valentino holds my arm. He’s saying something but I can’t hear. I just watch his lips move like an idiot and don’t react as he shakes me violently. He tries to drag me away.
“Get a grip, Catalina!” I finally hear him say but it’s like I’m underwater.
I don’t want him to take me away. I don’t want to abandon Ricardo to Ivan’s cruelty when all he wanted was to defend me. I shrug Valentino off and 

I arrive at Pamela’s place and she welcomes me with a warm hug. Her baby Sofia is sitting in her high chair and enjoying her food. She makes happy noises when she sees me. I laugh and go to pinch her round cheeks. She’s such a cutie.
Pamela gives me a mug of hot chocolate and we sit together on her couch. Her home is very modest as is to be expected but she keeps it clean and tidy. Her hair is in a messy bun and there are dark circles under her eyes. I don’t dare to imagine how exhausting it must be for her to care for her daughter in such a difficult situation. And yet, she still looks beautiful and has the strength to show concern for me.
“You got me so worried, mama.” She tells me. “What happened?”
I sip on my hot chocolate to relax.
“I ran away from my boss’s place, Pamela. I’m so sorry to bother you but I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.”
“Dios mio, what are you saying Catalin

Nico joins us in Valentino’s bedroom shortly after. The child has cried himself to exhaustion. His eyes are bloodshot and his face quite puffy. I feel the need to take him in my arms as soon as he shows up. He holds on to me tight while staring worriedly at his older brother.
“I’m okay, Nico.” Valentino tries to reassure him.
It would have been more convincing if he didn’t have a busted lip and a black eye. He seems to realize it too and quickly disappears in his bathroom and comes back with a first aid kit.
“I better take care of this.” He mumbles, waving at his face.
Nico squeezes my hand:
“...Can I sleep here?”
He looks like he’s about to cry again as he says those words. I nod and take him to Valentino’s bed. He lies down and disappears under the covers. I pass a hand through his hair to help him relax.
“Ivan’s a meanie.” He blurts out with a frown.
I open my mouth as if to defend his older brother but the truth is; I don’t even have the words. Ivan has done so much in the span of a few days that there is nothing that can be done or said to redeem him.
“I hate him.” Nico adds in an angrier tone, a little strange coming from someone so young.
“He has his reasons.” Valentino mutters from across the room.
I stare at him like he just grew a second head. I just can’t believe that he’s defending Ivan right now. Didn’t he beat him hard enough? Nico doesn’t seem too convinced either. He pulls the sheets so they’re covering him entirely, including his head. I sigh and decide to leave him so he can fall asleep. Instead, I go to Valentino’s side and offer to help him disinfect his lip.
He sits at his desk and I stand right in front of him, tapping a cotton ball soaked with alcohol on his cut. Valentino winces slightly but doesn’t make a fuss.
“What reasons are good enough to do something like this to your own brother?” I whisper to him, not wanting to wake Nico up.
Valentino tightens his jaw. He remains silent for so long that I stop expecting an answer from him until he speaks again:
“Ivan didn’t choose to be like this. It’s just that he has to meet his responsibilities as the oldest Whitlock son and the future heir of our company.”
“Err...Okay. But how does that explain beating you up for missing a class?”
“...You won’t understand, Catalina. You’re not one of us.”
I take his last words rather personally. Valentino notices it in the slight frown adorning my face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that...People who belong in rich families have to follow weird traditions. Ivan being the oldest son, he has to bear more pressure than Nico or me. It’s his responsibility to ensure that we behave according to Whitlock’s standards and sometimes, violence can’t be avoided.”
“Mm...So you’re saying that Ivan has been told to discipline you when you step out of line and if he doesn’t, the fault will be endorsed by him?”
Valentino shrugs. I think I got it right. The old master Whitlock is getting sicker and more fragile every day. He’s certainly aware that his end is near and is actively training Ivan to take over his position. That is not limited to their business or the house affairs; it also includes the education of his younger brothers.
What is shocking to me though is the violence he uses. It makes me wonder if the old master Whitlocks applied the same treatment to him when he was younger. It’s horribly barbaric and something I can expect from Carlos Whitlock. He was smiling while Ivan was throwing punches at Valentino, for Christ’s sake. Someone like that was definitely capable of committing the worst.
“This is wrong.” I state, shaking my head. “No matter what his responsibilities are, he should never hit you. Does this mean that he could do the same thing to Nico if the kid steps out of line?”
“Of course. How else is he supposed to differentiate between right and wrong?”
I gasp. Valentino doesn’t meet my eyes, probably because he knows how twisted his words are. I’m too horrified to keep up with this conversation. I finish cleaning up his cut and put a bandage over it.
“Thank you...” He mumbles. “Is your face okay?”
“Yeah.”
I don’t tell him that I still feel the tingles from Ivan’s harsh slap. I’m hoping that it will pass soon. Valentino stands.
“By the way, I seriously advice you to not play hero again.” He warns me, looking straight into my orbs. “You acted nobly, I give you that, but Ivan is going to crush you the next time you try this.”
“I’m not scared of him.” I spit harshly, even though I know it’s untrue.
“Well then, maybe you should be.”
“What do you mean?”
Valentino opens and closes his mouth multiple times. I feel he wants to say something very important but doesn’t have the courage.
“Just be careful.” He ends up telling me.
I roll my eyes.
“Fine...I’ll try. But can we be friends now that I saved your life? We’re the same age so we must have a few things in common. Let’s be allies, yes? Your brother doesn’t have to know of course.”
I wink at him and Valentino smiles back.
“Okay...We can try.”
I wave at him goodbye and step out of his bedroom to let him rest. It’s already pretty late and we both need some sleep. My heart is beating fast with anxiety as I walk down the dark hallway and past Ivan’s bedroom. I pray not to run into him again but it feels like he could jump out of the shadows at any moment.
I sigh in relief when I finally lock myself safely inside my bedroom, only to remember that the asshole has a key too. Cold sweat covers my forehead. I can’t even feel safe in this mansion anymore, not even in my own bedroom.
Luckily, he doesn’t come to visit me that night but I sleep with one eye open, just in case...
The result is that I wake up the next day completely exhausted, like I haven’t slept for days. I doze off while making breakfast and almost burn the eggs. After setting the table for the Whitlock family, I’m surprised to see that the old man hasn’t come down yet. He’s usually the first to appear and never requires me to wake him up in the morning. Today is a first.
I decide to get the sons before. Nico and Valentino don’t cause trouble but of course, I feel more anxious about getting into Ivan’s bedroom.
I knock at his door and push it open with a trembling hand:
“M-master Whitlock?”
He’s nowhere to be seen. I hear water running in the bathroom. He must be taking a shower. I’m thinking of leaving and coming back later when he suddenly emerges from the bathroom and I scream at his sight.
Ivan is butt naked.
The sight has been thrown in front of my eyes so unexpectedly that I can’t help but stare at his body. And boy is it a great body...
I know I’m supposed to hate him for being an asshole but it would be a lie to say that he doesn’t look like one of those Greek sculptures. He has strong legs and arms, not overly muscular but very well defined. I find myself wanting to run a hand over his hard chest, just to know what it would feel like to have his six packs under my fingers.
But luckily, before my eyes can avert any lower and be exposed to his most intimate part, Ivan wraps a towel loosely around his waist. I meet his cold gaze and swallow thickly.
I even forgot what I came to say. My mouth hangs open as I watch his wet curls dripping with water and covering half of his face. Ivan quickly runs out of patience.
“What is it, miss Nunez?”
“O-oh. Uhm...B-breakfast.”
His lips stretch into a little smirk. He passes a tongue over them and I hold my breath, feeling quite stiff and uncomfortable in my own skin. Ivan watches my reaction with interest. His eyes travel all across my body and it’s like they’re lighting me on fire.
He takes slow steps toward me. My brain is somehow begging me to run and get out of his way but my body refuses to cooperate. I just stand there like an idiot until he gets me trapped between the wall and him.
I’m a little confused about his intentions right now. Is he going to hit me again like last night or is he going to kiss me? Somehow, he is currently radiating both energies of anger and lust.
“B-breakfast is ready.” I blurt out again for no particular reason.
Ivan chuckles.
“Yeah, I heard the first time you said it.”
I blush and he remains unmoved, still trapping me against the wall. I flinch when he raises his hand. Ivan notices and his smile falters. Instead of slapping me like I was expecting, he uses his hand to brush my hair back and tug it behind my ear. His sudden gentleness takes me off guard and I gape at him. I didn’t know Ivan was capable of being soft with another human being, let alone me.
He stares insistently at the side of my face, where he slapped me last night. He runs his knuckles over my skin. Fortunately, his hand didn’t leave any mark on there but the memories are still very fresh and painful.
Ivan frowns. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that he’s regretful.
“I must go and serve breakfast, sir...” I remind him.
He ignores my words and runs his thumb on my jawline before holding my chin. My parted lips seem to be particularly fascinating to him. He leans down and I turn my head to the side right before he can kiss me.
“Stop.” I tell him, pushing him back.
Ivan moves only slightly.
“You hit me last night.” I add. “You certainly don’t think that I’ll let you kiss me now, right?”
He clenches his jaw.
“What do you think I am, exactly? You’ve got the wrong idea, okay? Maybe you’re used to unfortunate women offering themselves to you but I’m very different, sir. I just want to do my job and find a way out of this hellhole. And I’m planning to take my virginity with me, so don’t even get ideas. You’re the last person I’d sleep with in this world.”
“Oh yeah?”
Ivan grabs my arm and pulls me to him. I crash against his chest with a squeak.
“I saw the way you looked at me when you walked in, Catalina. I don’t think you’d mind if I fucked you right against this wall.”
My face flushes at his crude language. He takes my hand and directs it to his dick. My eyes widens when I clearly feel it pulse and harden under his towel. Ivan whispers in my ear:
“Just imagine how fucking amazing it would be to have me inside you, huh. I’d fill you up so well and so deep Catalina; I’d literally be me in your stomach. Pus, it’d be easy you know...You’re such a tiny thing. Honestly, I might not even fit...But if I do, you won’t find any other man to make you feel that good. You’d become my personal little slut, addicted to this cock and always begging for more.”
He holds my hand tighter and forces me to squeeze his dick under his cover. He groans and I jump in pure shock. I manage to wriggle my way out of his grasp and take a few steps back. I can still feel the print and warmth of his member on my palm.
“You’re a pig.” I cry. “I’d rather die than have you inside me.”
Ivan laughs at my horrified expression. He tries to grab me again but I dodge him and run out of his bedroom. My heart beats so fast that I feel it in my mouth. I’ve never seen, let alone touch a male’s thingy before. This first experience has been very disturbing and unwanted. How some women want something so terrifyingly disgusting near them baffles me.
I shall die a virgin.
I walk swiftly to the old master Whitlock’s room, still huffing from Ivan’s attitude. I knock and no one replies so I push the door open. Again, I find the bedroom empty so I knock at the bathroom’s door.
“Master Whitlock? Breakfast’s ready.”
Silence. Has he gone down to the dining room already? Just to make sure, I slightly push the door open and peek inside the bathroom. A blood-curdling scream rings in my ears and it takes me a while to realize that the sound has come from me.
Laying face down on the cold tile floor, there’s the old master Whitlock. I cover my mouth and scream again at the sight of his motionless body.
I think...I think he’s dead.

There is a loud ringing in my head. I can see people’s faces around and I know they must be yelling but I can’t hear a thing. I want my body to move and do something to stop this carnage but why won’t it obey me?
I just stand limply on the side, watching Ivan pour his madness down on Ricardo. The latter has already fallen to the ground, unconscious, and yet he stills hits him. The nurses aren’t trying hard enough to stop Ivan. I think they might be just as horrified as I am, seeing him like this.
Valentino holds my arm. He’s saying something but I can’t hear. I just watch his lips move like an idiot and don’t react as he shakes me violently. He tries to drag me away.
“Get a grip, Catalina!” I finally hear him say but it’s like I’m underwater.
I don’t want him to take me away. I don’t want to abandon Ricardo to Ivan’s cruelty when all he wanted was to defend me. I shrug Valentino off and run to the scene, pushing two nurses out of my way.
Ivan’s straddling Ricardo’s unmoving body, his b

Running away