UNDER HIS RULES

All Bella could do now was wander around Sam’s room. She was filled with anger and frustration. Her eyes quickly scanned the comfortable room, especially the bed. She couldn’t deny that what she saw fueled the fire in her chest even more.

She was sure that something had happened while she wasn’t at home, especially the activities she used to do with Sam, even if not in this room.

For Sam, this room was very private, so why was that bitch given permission to stay here? And why was she being guarded so closely? What was so special about that bitch? She looked stupid and Bella felt a strong urge to destroy her.

The face that now appeared in her mind from their previous encounters. Stupid, but with a courage that made Bella hate her.

Since Beatrice’s arrival, she had made it clear in her heart that she hated that woman.

“Damn it!” Bella cursed as she threw herself onto the somewhat messy bed. Then, full of emotion, she rummaged through everything on top of the bed. Pillows, cushions, and the blanket that Sam and possibly Beatrice had used last night were tossed around. The pillow stuffing spilled out, making the room messy, but Bella didn’t care.

She needed an outlet.

“Sam, you jerk!” Bella shouted once again.

Not satisfied with the disarrayed bed, Bella turned her attention to the vanity table where she saw some distinctly feminine items. Even though it was just a small bottle of body lotion and cheap perfume, Bella was convinced they belonged to Beatrice. And those items were sitting next to Sam’s belongings? Seriously!

Bella swept everything off the vanity table in one motion. Her action made a loud shattering sound. Sam’s perfume bottle fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. Not to mention a few other items that broke and scattered their contents. As if not satisfied, Bella also struck the mirror on the vanity table with nearby objects.

“Pong, don’t you want to see what’s happening?” Yongki, one of Sam’s subordinates assigned to guard Beatrice, asked. Especially at the main bedroom door. “I’ve been hearing Bella slamming things for a while.”

Ompong, like Yongki, was tasked with guarding Beatrice while Sam was away. He always followed Beatrice wherever she went, even just around this large house. Asked like that, Ompong could only shrug his shoulders.

“I want to go in, but you know, if Bella gets angry, we’ll be done for.”

Yongki agreed. “So… should we just stay silent?”

“What else can we do?”

“What are you two talking about?” Bella snapped with a flushed face.

She felt somewhat satisfied with trashing Sam’s room. At least, her anger had found an outlet. As she was about to leave the room, she overheard whispers from the two people guarding the door.

Anne told her that Beatrice was being specially guarded by Sam’s men. Remembering Anne’s report, Bella couldn’t believe that Beatrice was treated differently from other women. So… what made Beatrice so special?

According to Bella, absolutely nothing.

Seeing Bella suddenly coming out of Sam’s room, Ompong and Yongki grimaced in surprise. They could only exchange glances, too scared to speak because the woman looked much scarier than usual.

Her hair was a mess, her face was red, and her eyes had a piercing gaze that could leave them speechless if they said the wrong thing.

“Answer me!”

“What right do you have to yell at Ompong and Yongki?” Bella, followed by the two young men, turned towards the source of the voice. If Hugo was the most loyal subordinate, then Eland deserved the title of the Southern Division commander.

His body was slightly smaller than Hugo and Sam’s, but his agility in self-defense, not to mention his proficiency with any type of weapon, with a preference for swords, made him exceptional. Whenever he faced an opponent, his measure was only death. That’s why Eland didn’t want to intervene too much as long as Hugo could handle it. If Hugo asked Eland to step in, it meant that anyone blocking Sam’s path had to be eliminated.

For Eland, Sam was not just a boss or ruler in this place. Sam had become a role model in his life, especially when he was down and didn’t know where else to turn. Sam extended his hand, forgiving his mistake even though Eland had almost killed Sam. At least, that incident made Eland promise that any weapon aimed at Sam would have to go through him first.

Eland’s influence was also significant in the two territories. His name was respected, especially when he chose to be on Sam’s side. Perhaps this was also why Sam placed him in a crucial position.

Sam trusted Eland to handle the supply and distribution of weapons in the Southern Division. Although it was considered illegal, Sam and Eland knew their limits. And because of that, Sam ordered Eland to find out exactly what weapon was used by the enemy or anyone else when they killed Tony.

“Shut up!” Bella growled in frustration.

Eland and his intervention had indeed made Bella angry again. She chose to leave them all behind. Walking arrogantly with her head held high, as if they were just obstacles in front of her. She didn’t forget to bump into Eland’s shoulder without any fear.

Eland chose to remain silent, letting the woman walk away from Sam’s room. Hearing Bella’s footsteps growing distant, Eland glanced into the messy room. “tell the back team to clean up all this mess. Don’t let Sam finish meeting Ferdinan only to find his room in a mess. Sam doesn’t like mess.”

“Understood, Boss,” they both replied in unison.

“Crazy woman,” Eland muttered. He then walked away casually, whistling and enjoying his free day. It had been almost three days since Sam asked him to do something. It was time to check if everything was in order according to what he had received while he was away.

Before he moved further away, Eland paused for a moment. “Is Anne here?”

“I didn’t see her at her post, Boss. It seems like she left early this morning.”

Eland nodded. He resumed walking along the corridor on the third floor, accompanied by a faint grin. “Bingo! I got what I wanted.”

***[]***

“Ugh, Ute,” Beatrice complained upon realizing what she had to do today. Initially, she just wanted to sit in one of the dining chairs, enjoying her late breakfast. Or a glass of milk that she usually prepared herself. Ute had taken over the kitchen and was exceptionally skilled at creating delicious and mouthwatering dishes. “Do I have to do all of this?”

Ute laughed. “Instead of listening to you constantly ranting about Bella, it’s better to use your energy for work, Lav. It’s more productive.”

Beatrice pouted in displeasure. “But it’s not fair. There are so many fish here. Where did they come from? And they’re really smelly.”

The short-haired woman didn’t want to stop laughing just yet. “I’ll prepare the seasoning, and you wash the fish. That way, we’ll finish quickly, Beatrice.”

“What are we going to cook?”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Despite grumbling, Beatrice’s hands didn’t stop moving as she cleaned the fish in the sink. This fresh and fairly large red snapper would be prepared by Ute today.

“Fish curry,” Ute replied with a slight smile. “It so happens that Bang Sam has a guest today, right? I heard it’s someone from the police.”

“Oh,” Beatrice remembered the interruption earlier that allowed her to escape Sam’s clutches. She had to thank the bearer of the news. She wasn’t quite clear on who it was, as Beatrice didn’t get a good look at them. “I overheard it earlier, I think.”

“Whenever Sam is home, he always asks for red snapper curry, Lav.”

Beatrice didn’t care. For her, right now, she just wanted to help ease Ute’s workload. With this many fish, not to mention the other vegetables, the kitchen must be a mess. Even though Ute had assistance, if Beatrice remembered correctly, their names were Kiki and Novi. But still, Ute surely made large portions of food.

However, Kiki and Novi rarely wanted to engage in conversation with Beatrice. Every time Beatrice asked, their answers were brief. It was as if Beatrice was a bother, even though if she thought about it, they all shared the same fate. They couldn’t just leave this house. Or… maybe they were willingly staying here? Unlike Beatrice, who longed to breathe the air outside.

“Can you cook, Beatrice?”

Ute’s question regained Beatrice’s attention. “Um… I can, but just simple dishes.”

“The seasoning for this is easy, you should learn, Beatrice.”

“Ugh! I really don’t feel like cooking for Sam! Who does he think he is?!”

“The owner of this house.”

Beatrice froze instantly. She didn’t dare turn even slightly. That voice echoed and spun in her ears. Damn it! Since when was Sam there?

“Why are you silent, Kau?” Sam grinned thinly.

“What are you cooking, Ute?”

“Red Snapper Curry, Bang. I purposely made it for you as soon as you came back.”

Sam just nodded. “How long will you keep doing this? When will Ute be able to cook if you can’t even wash the fish properly?”

“Hey!” Beatrice turned and glared in protest. “I can wash these fish, okay?” She roughly slammed one of the fish near her, not caring if there were splatters on her clothes. “I’ve been doing all of this since earlier!”

Sam chose to approach Beatrice, who looked somewhat ridiculous this morning. His shirt was slightly damp. His hair, which was still not completely dry, adorned his face, which still showed his annoyance towards Sam.

“What do you want?!” Beatrice asked as soon as she realized that Sam was moving closer to her.

“I want to help you wash the fish. You’re taking too long. I’m hungry,” replied Sam.

Beatrice couldn’t believe it right away, but Sam’s words were indeed put into action. Standing beside Beatrice, Sam wasn’t bothered at all, even though Beatrice couldn’t take her eyes off him in astonishment. Occasionally, Sam also gave instructions on how to clean the fish.

“Are you paying attention to what I say or how I look, Kau?”

Beatrice blinked in a flurry. “Ugh, no way!!! I’m not paying attention to you, okay? So conceited!”

Sam chuckled. “Pay attention to how Ute cooks, Kau. Occasionally, you should also make me food, especially when I’m at home.”

Beatrice’s eyes widened in surprise. Huh! Is Sam suddenly obsessed with red snapper curry, or is he influenced by something? It’s so strange.

“Ute’s cooking suits my taste buds. That’s why I enjoy eating at home. And you…” Sam turned and stared sharply at Beatrice. “You have to pay close attention and learn until it tastes similar to what Ute usually makes for me.”

Beatrice swallowed nervously. “What’s delicious for you might not be delicious for me,” Beatrice complained. She couldn’t stay quiet because there were still plenty of fish in the sink. She didn’t know how many portions Ute would make, but if the protein ingredients were already here, it meant everything would be cooked. Including this fish.

Hearing Beatrice’s words made Sam stop what he was doing. Has this girl who stood beside him never felt fear or always behaved like this? Would she submit under Sam’s threat? But when speaking in a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, she could utter words that irritated Sam himself.

“How about making a deal with you?”

Sam’s words made Beatrice turn her head. “A deal?”

Sam nodded without hesitation.

Beatrice hesitated. Making a deal with Sam was something she had never done since living in this house. Until now, Beatrice had simply complied with whatever Sam said. If there was any luck favoring her, where she could escape from Sam’s clutches, she would be truly fortunate. But that was only one of many possibilities, right?

“Do you want to or not? My offer is attractive,” Sam continued to stare at Beatrice’s face without getting bored. His sharp nose perfectly matched his smooth face.

“What?” Beatrice asked softly, full of doubt.

“If you cook food every time I’m home, and it’s exclusively for me, you’ll be allowed to go to college.”

Beatrice’s eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at Sam until it felt like her eyes were about to pop out, not believing his words. “You… Are you joking?”

“No,” Sam took a step closer to Beatrice. Beatrice’s slight height advantage made him tilt his head slightly, but it didn’t matter. Immersing himself in the darkness of Beatrice’s eyes made Sam forget his surroundings, where many eyes were watching and smiling at Sam’s behavior this time. Nevertheless, Sam didn’t care. All he wanted now was Beatrice.

“I’ve never made deals with the residents of this house before. They willingly choose to be here. They help me, support everything I do, and are loyal followers of my orders.” Sam took one more step, cornering Beatrice. But she didn’t lower her gaze from Sam. As if the decreasing distance between their bodies was no longer a concern.

“You… you’re not lying, right?”

“Do I look like I’m lying?”