He’d lifted her off the ground and slung her over his shoulder so quickly, one would’ve thought she weighed a feather. His python of an arm pressed Maria down on his shoulder, which digs into her belly, keeping her from rolling over. She could only see the ground from her current position.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Fiend, put me down!” He completely ignored her. No matter what she asked and how loudly she asked it, he wouldn’t answer her. The blood was starting to rush to her head.

The situation was quickly moving from bad to worse in a pace she was finding very difficult to keep up with.

He walked and walked for what felt like an eternity to her. Her peripheral view told her that they were heading in the direction of the one place she dreaded the most. She tried to lift her lower body upward, but she could not even raise her body more than two inches. She had always been less flexible than a wooden plank. She fell back against him, arms hanging, exhausted. Defeated. The feeling filled her heart with a heaviness that brought tears to the corners of her eyes.

She wouldn’t let herself cry. She refused to let herself cry. Not in front of him. She willed those blasted tears back into her skull, wiping at them profusely.

After some time, Zain finally came to a halt.

Someone shouted in the distance, “The boss is here! Open the gate.”

Soon after, the sound of a gate opening drifted to her ears. Her heart sank when she figured out exactly where they were, and that her worst nightmare was coming true. He started walking again.

She raised herself again with all her might to see them being closed shut behind them.

She was suddenly on her feet again. Her legs buckled from underneath her; they’d gone numb. Zain, with an iron hold on her forearm, kept her upright.

Maria looked around her and gaped. She was in heaven. Before her were two rectangular-shaped blue pools. The greenest grass she’d ever seen surrounded them, perfectly manicured and maintained. Behind the pools stood a magnificent, three-storied building that exuded grandeur from its mashrabiyas to its multiple balconies with wooden roofs. Date palm trees were arranged around the wall that protected Zain’s residence. Strutting around were some peafowls. The scenery reminded Maria of a portrait at the feet of a merchant she’d once glimpsed while passing by.

As they headed toward the residence’s front entrance, men started to emerge one after the other. She immediately realised that they were Zain’s bandits. They gawked at her and whispered amongst each other.

“Is that a —a man the boss is carrying?!” She heard someone say, sounding incredulous. Maria felt like an auctioned-off horse on exhibit.

“Is she the latest edition?” She blanched. She knew exactly what the bastards meant. By ‘latest edition’, they meant edition to Zain’s harem.

“Though I think the boss has already tussled with her. Look at her clothes.” Lecherous grins were exchanged. Maria looked down at her thobe where the front was dirtied from when she’d been dragged on the ground. Colour returned to her cheeks. Maria had never felt so utterly insulted in her entire life.

Zain paid them no heed. He headed straight for the mansion’s

front door. The door opened for him before he even reached it. An old maidservant greeted him.

“Welcome home, Master.”

Maria met the old woman’s cold eyes. She pleaded with her eyes for help. The woman averted her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she had thought to try to elicit pity out of her, but it seemed that she was right in her assumption that she’d be receiving no help from anyone as long as he was involved. Especially in his household.

Exhaling miserably, she looked around. The interior was just as awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping as the exterior. Practically everything was made of carved wood, and the walls of the entrance hall were painted. There was a spouting cream stone fountain in the middle. She had never before seen such luxury, such grandeur.

They came up to a large, broad staircase that Zain led her up. On the second floor, they walked down a cream-coloured corridor that had many doors on either side of it. She couldn’t keep count of how many there were. The corridor had no windows, so burning brass oil lamps hung on the walls for lighting instead. At the very far end of it stood a mahogany double-door. He produced a key and unlocked it, then nudged the door open. Without saying a word, he pushed her into the room first. She heard the door shut and sensed him behind her. Her pulse soared.

Maria took in the room. It was bigger than her entire house. She could only describe it as a ‘princess’ room’. What appeared to be velvet curtains hung on the three windows, while a huge plush carpet was draped on the floor by the windows. At the very centre of the room sparkled a square-shaped pool filled. By the far wall rested a massive wooden bed. She had never slept on a bed before, and she’d never seen one so large.

“This will be your room.”

“I’m not staying!” She whirled around and came face to face with Zain. Her hands fisted at her sides.

“I’m afraid I cannot let you go.” He met her stare of disbelief and contempt unwaveringly.

“What do you mean, ‘you cannot let me go’? I’m not your property!” she snapped.

He said nothing in reply. Instead, he turned his back on her, opened the door and closed it shut behind him.

She lunged for the door handle a second too late. Maria heard the key turn in the lock with a decisive click.