“Sir Russell went out for a run,” Mrs. Dunst said, handing me a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
“He’s not going to the office today?”
“No, ma’am, he said he’s giving himself a day off.”
“What?!” I was so shocked that my pancake slipped from my hand onto the table.
Mrs. Dunst quickly came over to clean up. “It’s okay, ma’am. I’ll make you another one.”
Internally, I was screaming. I was crying!
Russell skipping work… Did that mean he planned to stay home with me all day? His day off was my bad luck!
Mrs. Dunst had no idea how much I was suffering and even made it worse. “Sir Russell really cares about you, ma’am. He asked me what you’ve been up to here lately, and I told him you’ve been watching romance films. He even asked which one, and when I said it was the one starring Miss Bernadette, he was really happy and said he’d watch it with you.”
Oh, god, I could just die!
I was watching those films because the Best Actress was in them—I had to constantly study her acting, not because the films themselves were good!
And who asked him to join me? He should go make money instead!
I knew exactly why he was so pleased. He was happy that I was fully immersing myself in the craft, training myself to be just like Bernadette. He must feel so accomplished, turning me into the perfect obedient actress.
Just then, Russell walked in. “You’re up?”
I swallowed my frustration. “Yeah.”
“I’m cooking tonight. Sherman and the others are coming over.”
My right eyelid twitched.
Sherman—Russell’s business partner and childhood friend. A clueless rich second-gen who basically just follows Russell’s lead in everything. If Russell says east, Sherman wouldn’t dare go west. Not that it matters, since Russell’s investments always pay off.
“Oh? That’s sudden.”
“Yeah, he said it’s been a while. He’s bringing his new girlfriend too.”
I smiled faintly. Another one. Rich boys either play with cars or women—at least those two are manageable. It’s when they get into worse things that it becomes a real problem.
I glanced at Russell wiping sweat off his face with a towel. He’s in his 30s, but his body is way better maintained than most men his age—broad chest, abs, the whole package. How many women must be throwing themselves at him? If he had a normal relationship, his kid could probably be running around by now.
But he has no idea what’s coming tonight.
I remembered the way Sherman looked at me at the last gathering. No doubt about it—men are men; they want food and sex. And Sherman? He was definitely thinking something he shouldn’t. He never made a move, though—partly because I never gave him the signal, and partly because he’s still a little afraid of Russell.
Tonight would be my chance. If I played my role right and appeared exactly how Sherman liked, he could be another stepping stone in my escape plan.
Yeah, I had to make this happen.
And I couldn’t let Russell suspect a thing. I can't let him know about my escape plan at all!
“What are you thinking about?”
I snapped out of it. “Oh, nothing. You’re cooking, so what should I do?”
“Eat. What else?”
“Isn’t that a bad idea? I need to lose weight.”
Mrs. Dunst handed me another steaming cabbage, bacon, and cheese pancake. I was already sick of this kind of breakfast, but I forced myself to take a bite.
“It’s fine. If I say you can eat, then eat.”
That was always how it was with Russell. His word was law. My will had to revolve around his.
“See, ma’am?” Mrs. Dunst beamed. “Sir Russell is so thoughtful. He knows how hard your diet is.”
I gave her a pitiful look. Was this diet my choice? No, it was her boss who forced it on me. He made sure my weight never exceeded the Best Actress’s by more than a pound.
Russell chuckled. “Tonight, you can eat back everything you lost this month.”
