Dawn scrubbed her skin red, trying to remove all traces of that evening. She stayed in the shower until the water had become ice cold. Finally, she step out the shower, grabbing a towel to cover her shivering body. Her body was numb but her mind was awake with millions of thoughts. She tossed her clothes straight into the dustbin, never wanting to be reminded of the evening's events.

Dawn got dressed and jumped into bed, knowing fully well that she would be getting little to no sleep tonight. Just when she had slipped into a false sense of safety, a debt collector had appeared. He had tracked her down so well, that she knew there was no hope in running, as she thought of the completely new fake identity she had waiting for her in a bag under her bed, along with a few essential items. His men would grab her again and she would most likely end up dead or worse.

Cameron Sinclair was no a man she wished to cross but she needed to escape his clutches by paying her father's debt. She should've been mourning the news of his death but honestly he had just been an man who lived in the same space as her. He would sell anything he could get his hands on to satisfy his gambling urges and had even had thoughts of selling her but Dawn had escaped and hoped to never cross paths with him. Yet, her past had come back to haunt her and she was cornered this time, with no signs of escaping.

Her thoughts plagued her until the early hours of the morning, where she drifted off to sleep. Her alarm woke her from her restless slumber, she reached to switch it off, but found it wasn't where she usually kept it. She shot up in bed, searching for her phone. Yesterday, when she had been kidnapped, they had removed her bag and phone from her. She thought they had destroyed it or left it when they had taken her and not returned it when Sin had dropped her off.

Dawn gasped. She found her bag and phone a few meters away from her bed. That meant that they had come in and out of her place without being detected. It highlighted how vulnerable she was with a clear warning. She phone case had a black card sticking out of it. Switching off her alarm, she turned her attention to the card. In fine white ink was printed a figure, a figure she had already calculated. The first installment she needed to pay. The sun has barely risen and the game had begun.

Dawn put on an act of normalcy. She wouldn't let Sin know how much his actions affected her, he would just use it against her to inject more fear into her veins. She did her daily routine, ordered coffee for collection and made her way to work like it was an ordinary day in Dawn Miller's life. Except, the hairs on the back of her neck constantly stood, her instinct told her to run and the her muscles were tense.

She dressed with care, to cover up the marks on her wrists after she had cleaned them. She kept her calm and collected facade as she walked into work. The sleek and modern building had a theme of red, black and white, giving the effect of sleek and stylish, just like the owner. Dawn left the lift and got straight to work. She put the coffee on Her Majesty's desk and checked everything in her office was set, before returning to her own desk outside, where she checked if she had any important tasks left for her since last night.

A few minutes, Her Majesty strutted in the latest high designer heels. She was dressed to perfection as usual. An Egyptian beauty, the fashion world had labelled her. She had modeled a few times before but exclusively only for her own website. She was only a few years older than Dawn and had the world at her feet, rumour had it she's always had it at her feet. Dawn didn't delve too much into the office gossip and kept her head down, only doing her work. She kept herself isolated, in case she got into any trouble, which she had just had and it was proven the right decision to have made.

Dawn decided in her spare moment to research Cameron Sinclair, hoping to find anything. There were many different web pages, all saying the same thing; sinful businessman. There was nothing about his illegal movements or much about his personal life. The pages that did mention his sinful behaviour, always referred to his ability to tempt anyone to join him, if they had his eye on them. He was a King in his own right and not someone to cross. That's reassuring, thought Dawn, as she closed the website.

She got a message, telling her the dry cleaning was ready to collect. She got ready to leave when she was called to the office. Dawn walked into the office and was given another order. Her Majesty was flipping through some papers, her nails manicured with the same shade of red as always. There hadn't been a day where her nails weren't that colour, it soon became apart of her signature appearance.

"Dawn, whilst you're dropping off my dry cleaning, I need you to pick up a package and drop it off to a dear friend of mine. It's on the coffee table, wrapped in gold. I'll send you the address, be sure to deliver it before you return," she ordered nonchalantly.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Dawn replied and left, knowing that she had to get it done or else her job would be on the line. She collected the Dry Cleaning and used her copy of the house key to go put the clothes in the walk-in wardrobe. The size and decode of the house no longer amazed her as it did the first time as she got used to coming and going all the time. At first, she would have to wait for the maid to open but soon she was trusted with a key.

She went to the coffee table and found the present as she had been instructed. An ordinary, rectangular box covered in glitter gold wrapping paper with an envelope attached to the top. Dawn checked her phone and found the address had been sent, which looked somewhat familiar, and was on the other side of the city. Using a cab, Dawn went to deliver the present, he must be an important friend so she made sure she looked presentable before she left the house.

The cab dropped her outside an old, rustic building which once entered, turned out to been modernised on the inside. The interior held glossy wooden flooring and aluminum windows, with a obvious reception desk. There was soft classical music playing in the background and a quietness to the place. They obviously only had high class clients at this place. Dawn was ready to show some identification and drop off the present at the front desk but was instructed by the receptionist to go to an office upstairs.

Her heels clicked against the wooden steps and she climbed the spiral staircase. She knocked on the first door to her right and waited for an answer. The door opened a short moment and Dawn had to hold back a gasp. It was the man from the coffee shop!

He was immaculately dressed as she had first saw him, except his suit jacket had probably been tossed somewhere in his office. His white shirt gave a view of his tightly packed muscles and this time he seemed less cold and genuinely happy about something. His smile, however, held a glint of something sinister underneath. Dawn was just about to enter another lion's den.

"Miss Miller, what a pleasant surprise! I was expecting a package from an old friend but I didn't expect the messengers to be so bellissimo," he greeted, opening the door wider so she could come in. Dawn wanted to drop the present and run, she had little desire to get involved with another man who would surely bring her more problems. He placed his hand on her lower back once she stepped in the office and guided her towards a chair.

Dawn politely took a seat, placing the present on his desk. The sooner this impromptu meeting ended, the quicker she could leave. She had bigger problems to think about, like how she would pay off the first installment. She had been calculating how she could afford it but so far, she kept coming short, even with her savings. She would have to sell something.

"Miss Miller, would you like anything to drink?" He offered from a mini bar.

"No thank you, I don't drink on the job," or at all, she thought. She had seen the worse side effects of drinking alcohol and swore to stay away from it. The man shrugged, and sat down across from her. Out of her habit, she started twisting the ring on her finger, waiting for him to say something as he sipped on his whiskey.

"Dawn-can I call you that?," Dawn nodded in approval, "have you thought further about selling that pretty little ring of yours?"

"Excuse me, I don't even know your name," she replied, ignoring his question. The thought had crossed her mind when she had brushed his business card earlier in her purse when she was looking for something. He would probably not give her the price she wanted so she rejected the idea.

"You may call me Gold, bellissimo," he replied with easy. He laid back in his chair, with his hands behind his head, giving off a relaxed stance. Dawn ignored the Italian endearment and studied the man. Maybe she could get what she wanted from him, but she would have to be careful, he seemed rather...tricky.

"Well the thing is, Gold, this ring is very precious, in fact it's been passed down for generations in my family. You think of its worth in money but I don't think you'll be able to afford the price that I believe it's worth," she explained sweetly, trying to seem reluctant.

However, it wasn't really an act. Dawn was reluctant to sell the ring. It was one of the few memories from her mother that she still had, with a love story of her ancestors attached to it. This ring might also get a new meaning if it saved her freedom. Maybe one day, with wishful thinking, she would be able to afford buying her ring back from this man.

"I wouldn't be sure, Dawn. How about we try something." He picked up one of his business cards and flipped it over, sliding it towards her and placed a pen next to it.

"You write the amount you'll be willing to part with your ring for and I'll tell you if I can afford it or not. That way we're both on the same page. I'll give you time to think." He pulled a tablet out his draw and swirled around to face the other direction, making himself busy with something.

Dawn pretended to think but knew exactly what she was going to write down, the same figure as the one on the black card she had received this morning. She carefully wrote down her selling price. She flipped the card over and slid it back to him.

He turned around, back to face her when he heard her slid his card back. He flipped over the card, and nearly smile. Just as he has expected, she played straight into his arms. He loved it when things worked out well.

"I say deal, that's if you'll give up the ring. I might not be so generous tomorrow," he said after scanning the card a few times. He played with the card, whilst he waited for her response, he knew she would give in the end.

Dawn didn't expect the bargaining to go so easily. She was sure the ring was worth way less, especially in its used condition and here she was being offered the deal she just needed. She looked down at the ring and back at Gold. His eyes were full of laughter, he knew he had won but he was still playing with her. A game he had played many time before.

Dawn slowly pulled off her ring, reminding herself she was doing this for her freedom and it would be worth it in the end. She didn't want to belong to Sin and this was her way out. She carefully placed the ring on Gold's desk and replied with faux cheerfulness, "Well it seems we have a deal, Gold."

Gold lifted the ring and checked it in the light. He scanned it, checking all the marks and scratches it had gained over the years. The ring had a lot of history and he was a lucky man to get it. Everything was working out just as he had planned.

Gold presented her with a contract about the amount and the transfer. Dawn asked for cash, which caused Gold to raise an eyebrow but did not ask any questions. She filled out the paperwork and a form about any history of the ring. This process took some time, and while time, Dawn could feel Gold's eyes on her. They followed her movements and studied her. She ignored it and finished it as quickly as possible. She had taken more time than necessary and needed to return to the office afterwards. She just hoped Her Majesty didn't need her for anything urgently, whilst she was busy here.

"Gold, it was a pleasure doing business with you," Dawn said on the way out his office. He followed her to the door and held it open for her. In her bag was an envelope with the money and on his desk was her ring. The transfer was done. The deal made.

"No, the pleasure was mine, bellissimo. Remember, I turn hay into gold, if you need anything else," he replied letting her out the door. Dawn left the building and went to touch the ring but was left with tan lines instead. She shook her head and reminded herself, it was for the best as the cab arrived and took her back to the office. This trip had taken more time than she thought, she hoped there wasn't much traffic on the roads.

Meanwhile, upstairs in his office, Gold opened the present from Her Majesty. It was an empty box, with a handwritten note inside. The note was old, crumpled but held the words he knew so well, 'IOU Goldie'. She had payed her favour she owed him and now she was officially debt free. Inside the envelope was a card with simply 'Happy?' and indeed he was.