You're Safe Now

“Relax, Luisa. You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you here,” Scott said as he slowly placed the wet towel back into the basin of warm water he had set on the nightstand.

Luisa furrowed her brow. Her eyes darted around wildly, and her hands trembled slightly.

Scott guessed that memories of the incident at the brothel were flashing through her mind.

“You’re in a villa in the Oval Enclave. I brought you here and treated the wound on your head. You are safe now,” Scott said, smiling gently.

Scott noticed a slight change in Luisa’s expression. It wasn’t fear anymore but deep, excruciating sadness.

“You brought me here from The Red Velvet? You saved me from…those men?” Luisa asked.

“Yes. And I took care of all five of them. Now you can rest easy. No one will ever touch you without your consent again,” Scott replied.

Suddenly, Luisa started to cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying?” Scott asked, concerned. “What’s making you sad? Shouldn’t you feel relieved right now?”

Luisa wiped her tears. Relieved? Was that what she should be feeling?

Although she no longer felt as threatened as she had at the brothel, she was still in a room with a grown man. And that only meant one thing: she would have to serve him in bed.

But on second thought, maybe she should be relieved. Serving this handsome stranger was far better than being forced to service the five filthy men at the brothel.

“Please let me bathe first. I need to clean myself up before…serving you,” Luisa said.

Scott’s pupils dilated. It felt as if something hard had just struck his chest. The pain was excruciating.

“Why would you say that? You don’t have to serve me. That’s not why I brought you here,” Scott countered.

Luisa stared at Scott in confusion. “Then what’s your purpose? What do you want from me in return?” she asked.

Scott shook his head. “Nothing. There’s nothing you need to do. I saved you and brought you here because I care about you. Don’t think otherwise,” he said.

Wrinkles appeared on Luisa’s forehead. To her, this felt unreal. Was she dreaming?

Scott reached for Luisa’s left hand, gently holding it and caressing it with his other hand.

“Just relax. Everything will be okay. From now on, I’ll always be here for you. I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Scott said.

“And as for the Grandier family, leave them to me. I’ll make sure they regret every cruel word and action they’ve inflicted upon you,” he added.

Luisa’s eyes widened. This man knew she was from the Grandier family. Who was he? How much did he know?

“What’s your name?” Luisa asked.

“Scott. You can call me Scott,” he replied.

“Scott, how do you know my name? Do you know me?”

Scott looked at Luisa and smiled. After a brief pause, he reached for the small towel in the basin of warm water and wrung it out.

He could explain everything to Luisa, but if he did, he feared it would bring threats her way.

Scott had a dark past. His hands were stained with the blood of those he had slaughtered for killing his adoptive grandfather. Many people were still hunting him down for revenge.

“I know you, and I care about you. That’s all I can say for now,” Scott finally said.

“Now, if you don’t mind, can I get back to what I was doing earlier? This herbal remedy needs to be applied to that gash on your head while it’s still warm,” Scott continued.

Luisa touched the left side of her forehead with her left hand. There was indeed some kind of ointment there, and its scent was strong.

“What kind of remedy is this, Scott?” Luisa asked.

“A special one,” Scott replied. “This can heal the scar on your forehead, and it’ll also remove that ‘RV’ tattoo in just 12 hours.”

Luisa’s eyes widened. Scott had seen the branding tattoo? Suddenly, she felt ashamed. The “RV” tattoo marked her as property of The Red Velvet.

Without waiting for Luisa’s approval, Scott gently applied the herbal mixture to her left forehead. He was careful, almost tender, as he did it. Afterward, he wrapped her forehead with bandages, making sure everything was secured.

“Now we wait. You’ll need to sleep like this for tonight,” Scott said.

Luisa stared at him, still in disbelief. Just hours ago, her life felt like a living hell, and now she was being treated with such care by a man she barely knew.

Then she remembered what Scott had said earlier.

“Scott, about the Grandier family—I suggest you stay away from them. I don’t know how fearless you are, but they have the money to hire dozens, even hundreds, of thugs to take you down if you mess with them. They could even have you killed, Scott. It’s too dangerous!” Luisa warned.

Scott smirked slightly. “Are the Grandiers really that terrifying to you, Luisa?” he asked.

Luisa sighed deeply and said, “If you ever deal with them, Scott, you’ll understand. I’ve lived with them, and they treated me like dirt. They didn’t even allow me to work at Grandier Corp. and instead forced me to do household chores like a servant. They also cut me off from all my high school and college friends. In their eyes, I’m nothing but an illegitimate child who doesn’t deserve the Grandier name.”

After saying that, Luisa fell silent, her expression vacant.

Then, out of nowhere, she broke down in tears, covering her face with both hands as her shoulders trembled.

Scott took a deep breath. He could feel Luisa’s pain and the weight of the frustration she had carried all this time.

His hatred for the Grandier family, once linked to his former fiancée, only grew stronger. 

"Don't be afraid of them, Luisa," Scott said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "They might seem impressive, but they're really not as great as they think. There's always a bigger mountain. Beating them is not impossible."

Luisa lowered her hands and lifted her face, meeting Scott's gaze. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

"Trust me. One day, you'll be strong enough to take them down. I can see that potential in you," Scott said, looking intently into her eyes.

Luisa wiped her cheeks with both hands and said, "Thank you, Scott. Thank you for comforting me. I really appreciate that."

Scott shook his head. "Tomorrow morning, we’re going to Dominion Group’s office. They’re hiring for a project officer position. You should apply. I’m sure you’ll get it."

Luisa looked at Scott, confused. "What do you mean, Scott? I don't get it."

"You studied business at university, right? You graduated at the top of your class. Now’s the perfect time to put that knowledge to use at a big company like Dominion Group."

"And you know what? Tomorrow, there’s a prestigious tender auction there, and the Grandier family will be attending."

"If you’re chosen as the project manager, you could help decide who wins the tender. This is our chance to embarrass them."

Luisa stared at Scott, still confused.

"I know someone who works there. He’ll help you get hired for that position. Trust me. Just go to the interview, and you’ll get the job," Scott explained.

Luisa’s mouth fell open. Everything Scott said seemed unbelievable to her.

"Scott, I’m not sure I’m ready."

"Just give it a shot, okay?" Scott interrupted.

"But Scott, I—"

"I’ll take you there tomorrow. I’ll make sure everything is set. Tonight, just get some rest. That’s all."

...

The next morning, in the same room...

Sitting in front of the vanity mirror on a round chair, Luisa stared at her reflection. Scott stood behind her, ready to unwrap her bandages.

“Are you ready?” Scott asked.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror seriously, Luisa nodded.

Slowly and carefully, Scott began unwrapping the bandages from Luisa’s forehead. 

Luisa’s heart started to pound. To be honest, she wasn’t ready to see that marking on her forehead again. Seeing it would instantly remind her of the horrible days she spent at The Red Velvet over the past few months.

But then...

“Take a look,” Scott said, smiling.

Luisa’s eyes widened. The gash and the ‘RV’ tattoo was completely gone. There wasn’t a trace left. 

Her forehead was smooth again, just like before her family sold her to The Red Velvet.

“This... how is this... you...”

Luisa couldn’t form the words that were in her head, she was so happy. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her legs trembled.

“Congratulations, Luisa. You’ve officially started a new chapter in your life,” Scott said, smiling at Luisa’s reflection in the mirror.

Luisa immediately stood up, turned around, and hugged Scott.

“Thank you, Scott. Thank you so much!” she said.

Surprised, Scott froze for a moment. Then he smiled, returning Luisa’s hug and gently patting her back.

“You’re welcome,” he said. He felt a warmth flow into him, spreading through his whole body.

A while later, Scott left the room, giving Luisa time to take a shower.

As he descended the stairs, he called Steve, the CEO of Dominion Group.

“Steve, today among the job applicants, there will be a woman named Luisa Grandier. I want you to select her for the project officer position.”

...