I searched the whole floor for any trace of Mr. Miller but all in vain. This place was like a maze. The more I walked through the hallways, the more I felt lost. The house looked big but I feel like I had underestimated its size. It was way bigger than I initially presumed.

When I couldn't find him on the whole floor, I climbed the stairs and reached the second floor. There was another hallway, a long array of rooms on both sides. I wondered why there were so many rooms in this house. Mr. Miller doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would give the rooms on rent.

The hallway led to a door that was ajar and a few voices could be heard from inside; low-pitched masculine voices. It seemed like there was some kind of a small business meeting going on in here. I wanted to avoid disturbing him but he hasn't left me much choice. And maybe, he would be a little civil in front of his partners.

With that thought in my mind, I walked over to the door and opened it. I tried to be subtle but the door opened with a loud creak and that made all five pairs of eyes turn to me. I recognized two of them; the infamous Miller brothers. The other three men exchanged glances and by the look of it, they didn't look too pleased to see me.

I can't walk away now, can I?

Be brave now, Pen.

"I need to talk to you about something." I said firmly.

"And it couldn't wait?" He sounded cold, almost icy cold.

"No." I stated.

He narrowed his eyes and excused himself from the others. I walked outside the room, followed by him as he closed the door behind him.

"Why isn't my phone working?" I asked.

"Is that the reason you barged in there without anyone's permission?" His jaw clenched.

"Yes. Keeping me here is one thing but blocking my phone and stopping me from contacting the whole outside world is intolerable. So if you don't want your business partners-" My voice was cut as I felt hands closing against my throat. My eyes bulged out of their sockets partly because of the surprise and partly because of the horror.

"If such things happen next time, you won't be leaving the room on your feet. Get it?" He whispered against my mouth.

He probably wanted me to respond but I couldn't, not when his hands were tied around my neck. Tears filled my protruding eyes and trailed down my cheeks as I struggled to find my lost voice.

"Y... yes." I managed to say.

"Good." He whispered and loosened his hold. While I regained my strength, he brushed his hands and made himself look presentable again; no hint of any remorse on his face.

°°°°°

At 7:30, I was called downstairs for dinner. What happened earlier today was still etched in my mind and I had no desire to have dinner with them but I knew if I refuse, that son of a bitch will come to fetch me himself. I had cried a lot today so I applied some concealer under my eyes. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me like this.

Unwillingly, I sucked a sharp breath and made my way downstairs. On the dining table, jerk # 1 was sitting on the head chair and jerk # 2 was sitting on his left. I took a seat beside jerk # 2 as I didn't want to sit next to Jerk # 1.

An uncomfortable silence was sprawled on the table. I poured some roast and gravy on my plate and then began chomping. The food tasted good but our earlier interaction had killed my appetite so I was just forcing food down my throat now against my will.

"It's awfully quiet in here." Lucas said and eyed me from his peripheral vision. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I am sorry I don't feel like having small talk after being a victim of a strangulation attempt." I said bitterly.

"If I had wanted to kill you, you wouldn't have survived to tell your story." Sean said in a straight voice.

The nerve of this man!

"Your threats don't scare me." I stabbed the roast, wishing it was his neck.

"They should." He replied and my face flushed in annoyance and anger.

Before I could say further, Lucas intervened, "Listen Miss. Woods, if you stay here quietly and let us handle this situation, it will be beneficial for you. And if you don't do that, there are otherways to keep you here that will compromise your dingity a little."

"Oh My God! Do you brothers even breathe without threatening?" I groaned. "Fine. But I will not stay here locked like a criminal in jail. And, I need WiFi."

"Letting you in touch with public will make you a liability. And trust me, we are not nice to liabilities." Lucas said.

Again with the threatening. Ugh.

"But..."

"You will be given a WiFi but you can't use your phone. A new phone will be provided to you and it will be tracked all the time. You can use it for your entertainment but you can't be in contact with anyone you know." Sean was the one to speak this time.

"Can I contact Mary? She is my best friend and she is clean. Trust me." I said.

"Okay, but not before I run a background check on her." He negotiated.

"Fine." I took the deal because it was still better than nothing.

"And you will not attempt to run from here because trust me, you won't be successful and the guards will shoot you before you get pass the fence." He added.

"We'll see." I muttered under my breath.

"What?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I said sure." I said with a frown.

"Great. I am glad we are on the same page." He said and then focused his eyes back on his plate, as if he hadn't tried to kill me earlier today.

"Bastard." I thought to myself.

After the dinner, both brothers retreated to the basement while I asked Jenny for the directions to the kitchen. I had a habit of drinking coffee before sleeping each night. If I were going to stay here for an indefinite period of time, I better make myself comfortable.

They had a huge kitchen, the kind you see in movies, equipped with all the latest appliances. It even had a coffee machine that I once drooled over in a supermarket but couldn't buy as it was more than a month's salary.

I read the instructions written on its back and then did as it instructed. Soon, the whole kitchen filled up with a delicious aroma.

Sitting on the marbled counter, I was enjoying my hot cup of coffee when I heard a masculine voice. "Who are you?" The voice said.

I jumped off the counter and came face to face with the owner of the voice. It was a tall, blonde guy who had a thick-framed glasses around his green eyes. "I'm Penelope." I replied meekly. I won't be surprised if the guy pull out a gun out of nowhere, given my recent encounters with the men in this house.

"Oh. Jenny told me about you. I am Jason." He said with a smile. Yes, a smile. "I am the chef here."

No wonder they have their own chef.

"You look like a nice guy. Why do you work with these weirdos?" I asked in a low voice.

"Because my father owed Mr. Miller some money that he couldn't return. So I am here to pay the debt and I get to do what I love. It's a win-win." The guy said as he cleaned the counter where I had spilled some coffee. "Next time you want anything, just tell me."

"No thanks. I am not a spoilt brat. I don't need someone to make coffee for me, no offense." I said.

"None taken." The guy replied with a smile. He had a beautiful smile and pearly white teeth.

"Hey Jason, can I ask you something?" I asked, finishing the last of my coffee.

"Sure." He shrugged.

"Aren't you afraid of the Millers? They are a little creepy." I asked hesitantly.

"They won't harm me, same way they won't harm you. The Millers may be creepy but they won't harm you unless you give them a reason." Jason replied.

"Oh."

"Now if you don't mind, it's time for Mr. Sean's tea. Anything you would want me to keep in mind as your food preference? Any allergies? Please tell me you aren't vegan."

"I am not. And no need to cook for me when the Millers aren't around. I like cooking for myself." I smiled.

"Understood." He said.

We talked some more while he cleaned the already clean kitchen, wiping each and every corner. Jason was like a breath of fresh air in this jail. I had been panicked to death since I took the first step in this home and I was glad there was someone else here who was normal.

Saying him goodnight, I made my way to the room assigned to me and stole a book from a decorative book shelf on my way here.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°