Tempting Sin

Dinner Together

Nivi watched as the fiery orb sank behind the majestic, snow-capped mountains, casting a delicate blush of pink across the sky. Another day flew by, pushing her closer to her doom. She turned away from the breathtaking sight and strolled back to her bed, feeling the weight of her gloomy thought pressing down upon her. All odds were stacked against her. Her arm was recovering rapidly, her finger had already healed. The caretaker who didn't look at her but looked down at her all the time had already started grooming her for the dreadful day. Yesterday, she had called a beautician to treat her face, and today she had brought in a hair stylist to groom her hair. After the session when she looked in the mirror, she wasn't able to recognize herself. She couldn't relate to herself anymore. They had turned her into a fancy, dazzling chic but that was not her. She was just a simple girl with a simple appearance. She hated the way she looked. 

One more thing that had been bothering her since yesterday was Ben. Did he really mean what he said or was he mocking her? His proposal had come out of nowhere, throwing her into a state of dilemma. A part of her was inclined to believe him and take the risk but another warned her against it. What if he was Sin's man? But what if he was Godsent? What if he was really moved by her pathetic condition and decided to help? Wouldn't she be losing her only chance at freedom? 

"God, please, help me," she implored, feeling utterly confused.  

The next day, Ben didn't interact with her until it was time to leave. Like the last time, the physiotherapist stepped out to make a call and he neared her casually while collecting the instruments. Nivi watched him wondering how to start the conversation with him. 

"I am an undercover agent on a mission to expose Sin's illegal activities. I can help you," he revealed, shocking her even more. 

"But.."

"I know, it's difficult to trust me and honestly, I have no evidence to back my claim. I can't carry my ID here. But I can promise you that you won't regret trusting me," his voice held unwavering conviction, eyes brimming with sincerity. Nivi was even more confused now. Should she take the risk?         

"Help me," the words flew out of her mouth on their own. Ben gave her no reaction as though he had expected her to agree. He simply threw a glance at the doorway before reaching the underside of one of the instruments and extracting something hard and black. After that, he rummaged through another and brought out another thing. Like that, he fetched different pieces from different instruments.  

Nivi squinted wondering what these all were.

He threw the pieces towards her on the bed, "Assemble them. It's a radio. I'll contact you," he said in a quiet voice before quickly hauling the bag over his back and rushing out. Nivi blinked after him, still trying to process what had just happened. As the sound of the caretaker's footsteps hit her eardrum, she sprung into action and hastily hid all the pieces under her clothes. 

It just so happened that Sin had "invited" her to have dinner with him tonight. The bearer of this bad news was the caretaker. The amount of anxiety it caused her. Her stomach was in a knot, churning with a mix of apprehensions and fear since then. Her mind a chaotic whirlwind of questions and dreadful possibilities. Why does he want to have dinner with her tonight? Why is he coming back?

She was dressed in a knee-length flare white dress adorned with bold prints of pink blooms. The sweet neckline and puffed sleeve lent the attire a cute and sophisticated look. The caretaker made her wear flower drop earrings and completed the look by draping a very expensive-looking pendant around her neck. 

"Don't lose the pendant. It's a diamond," the caretaker instructed her in a strict tone while locking the pendant in place. Nivi was astounded to hear it. Diamond? She had assumed it was silver. No wonder why it looked so stunning. But why had he made her wear this? Its worth must be more than a million.