Their Maid // Ateez ff

Prologue

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, ma'am," he says, his tone laced with smug satisfaction, that same cold, calculating smile stretching across his face. He knows I'm running out of options, and it shows in the way his eyes flicker over me, like a predator circling its prey.

I clench my jaw, trying to keep my composure as my account hits zero. The weight of every won gone feels like a noose tightening around my neck, my lips slowly turning bluer by the day, slowly dying. I can't let him see the panic crawling up my throat, not yet.

"Pleasure's all mine, sir," I reply through gritted teeth, forcing a tight-lipped smile. My hands shake as I shove them into my pockets, fingers grazing over the loose change. A few won are all I have left. 

"Better start thinking about your next move," he says, voice low and sinister. His eyes glint with malice, like he's already planned out the next time I'll be sitting here, begging for more time, for more ways to pay him back. "Wouldn't want to fall behind, now would we?"

I shake my head, heart pounding in my chest. He doesn't need to know that I'm running out of things to sell, sketchy jobs to do, running out of ways to keep up with the monthly payments. This was for my brother, and I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't stop until his name was clear.

But with each payment, I can feel the walls closing in, the desperation sinking deeper into my bones.

I need to find people desperate for my help. I depend on it. 

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I'm actually really excited for this book!

Hope you have a nice day!