Chapter 32 Strip
Ryan’s POV
“Welcome home, sir. You are home earlier today,” My elderly butler said as he bowed to me and collected my briefcase.
In response, I merely shrugged as he helped me out of my suit jacket. Then, I strode to my room to see my disobedient petal.
I didn’t even have it in me to act nice and forgive her for going against my rules. I wanted to punish her so badly to remind her who her boss was, and her role as nothing but a slut in my life.
Though something alien inside me bristled in uneasiness at my resolve to punish Ophelia in the worst way possible but I paid a blind eye to it.
I was a wicked brute. A mere woman wasn’t going to change me in a twinkle of an eye.
I wasn’t a softie and I will never be one.
My dad didn’t raise a whipped idiot. He raised me to learn how to step all over women and taught me women are nothing but dumpsters for a man’s release.
Though, I had later grown to resent him a lot for turning me into a wicked brute and making my mother his punching bag. But the seed of misogyny had been sowed too early in my heart, and I couldn’t easily yank myself away from it as much as I wanted to.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
I flung my bedroom door open and noticed Ophelia had still not arrived. I contained my anger with the conclusion that Damon had been late to pick her up.
Thereafter, I loosened my tie and slipped it away from my neck before I headed to my closet, slid it open, and stepped into my dungeon.
I chuckled manically as I stood with my hands akimbo, surveying the dark room. I grabbed the bottle of whiskey on the drink stool and a goblet before I sat on the throne chair which was placed in the center of the room.
Hell, I felt like a king.
Then, I poured myself a drink to while away time as I waited for Ophelia.
I wasn’t allowed to wait for too long as I heard the soft patter of feet behind me, moments after.
“I-I’m here,” Her tiny voice croaked, and I chuckled darkly once more to myself as I set the glass of alcohol down and got up from the chair.
My wicked resolve almost broke there and then when Ophelia flashed her large, coffee eyes at me. I could also see some dried tears particles under her eyes as she sniffled and averted her gaze from me.
Just as I was about to issue a warning to her and ask her to leave the dungeon, the memories of the bastard, Albert looping their hands together, and smiling down at Ophelia like she was the center of his world struck me, and immediately, my brutal counterpart was back.
“Good, now come here,” I gruffed as I plopped back down on the chair, and crossed my legs.
She shuffled quietly and stood in front of me with her gaze still dropped to the floor.
“Will you take that damn satchel off?” I barked as she clutched the worn-out leather to her chest.
“I’m sorry,” She said, in the quietest of voices as she eased the bag out of her hold, and placed it on the floor.
“You know you did wrong and you acted like a slut today,” I started, and she raised her head to stare at me for a brief moment before she nodded.
“And what do disobedient slaves get?” I asked, to which I got no response.
Not like I cared about her answer anyway. It wouldn’t change anything even if she did reply.
“Well, since you’ve gone dumb. I’ll teach you what disobedient slaves get,” I got up and cupped her jaw with my hand, while I gently caressed her cheek with the other as I smiled down at her.
She seemed thrown off guard at my sudden character change in a split second as her lips tremored in fear.
“They get punished by their masters in the sickest ways possible,” I whispered, drawing my face closer to hers as if to mimic a kiss.
She gasped as I joined our foreheads together, and grinned warmly at her once more.
“But you know, I am the nicest master a slave can ever have, right?” I asked, to which she quickly nodded.
“Good, you’re not so dumb. Being the nice master I am, I’ll make your punishment as lenient as I can. You’ll thank me by the time I’m done with you. I’m not in the mood to make you cry or else I’d have done something inhumane to you,” I uttered as my hand dropped from her face, and looped around her tiny waist.
“You’re not going to brutally punish me as you said earlier, even though I went against the contract terms?” Ophelia asked, hazel eyes wide in shock which made me chuckle.
“You are not getting this, are you? I didn’t say I wasn’t going to punish you anymore, petal,” I dragged my hands away from her waist, and cupped her cheeks.
“Then, w-what does your utterance mean?” She stuttered, now having enough courage to look into my eyes.
“I’ll punish you but I’ll make it almost painless for you,” I responded which made her eyes double in surprise. I felt her eyes roaming around my face searching for evidence of a lie in my statement, when she didn’t find one, she visibly relaxed in my hold.
“T-thank you,” Ophelia whispered, to which I grinned.
“You’re welcome,” I answered as I released her face from my hold, and turned to face the opposite direction.
“C-can I leave now?” Her voice came out in a stammer.
With my head still turned against her, I nodded.
“Thank you so much, Ryan. I will never go against the contract again,” She cried in joy, and I smiled sinisterly to myself before I whipped my head around to face her retreating form.
Just as she was about to cross the threshold of the dungeon, I quietly asked, “Where the hell do you think you are going?”
Her reaction was instant. She craned her neck to face me with a stunned mien.
“You said I could leave,” She gestured towards the void behind her.
I chuckled darkly as I shook my head and faced her with an expression devoid of warmth.
“And you dared to leave just like I said. Ophelia, I know you are nothing but a dumb and greedy slut but I didn’t know you could be this dumb,” I said, which made her satchel slip out of her hold abruptly.
Her eyes were rounded in horror as she stared at me.
“You did wrong to me and anyone who does wrong to me never goes scot-free. I didn’t invest my money on you just to see you slutting around with other men,” I continued as I dragged her by her arm and flung her at the center of the room.
Then, I calmly sat down on my throne chair with a satisfied smirk as my eyes swept over her crouched form.
“Get up,” I commanded.
She got up in a split second with tears cascading down her face.
“Strip,” I uttered, to which she gasped in fright.
“B-but-” She started, and I raised my hand to cut her short.
“Fucking strip for me, Ophelia, and you had better be fast with it,” I barked with an undertone of finality.
She didn’t retort and just nodded.
I smiled to myself, crossed my legs, folded my arms, and reclined against the chair as I watched her strip.