Yes, there was sex, or something sexual that resulted in orgasms for both parties, but how could that make up for the rest?

There was something severely wrong with these women. And with Leo. Faith should be happy he’d turned his attention to them and away from her, but every time she heard him utter some endearment or sign of pleasure or satisfaction with the woman at his mercy, a piece of her broke apart. She didn’t want him to do those things to her, but she couldn’t stand for him to do them to someone else.

And this week it was worse, because Miss Lin wasn’t new. She wasn’t a one-off. What if she started coming here every week? Faith couldn’t let that happen, but she didn’t know how she could stop it.

“Faith.”

She looked up, startled to find Leo on the stairs, a rattan cane in his hand. She cringed, afraid he was going to hit her with it. Her crying must have gotten louder than normal, loud enough for him to hear. Faith had been so wrapped in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed when things had gone quiet and Leo had climbed the stairs to investigate.

“Faith? What are you doing here?”

He was still a few steps down from her. Enough that she had space to get up, so she did and ran up the rest of the stairs, down the hallways, through the entryway, up another flight to the east wing. She locked the door behind her, though she knew it was useless.

That other woman knew Faith had been there. What must she think? Was she going to be angry about it? Embarrassed?

A moment later, the key turned in the lock and Leo stepped into the room, sucking all the air out. Snowball and Squish hid under the bed. Whether they were responding to his energy or her fear, Faith couldn’t be sure.

She eyed the cane firmly clasped in Leo’s hand, afraid this moment would be the one when he lost control with her. She dropped to her knees, her legs not able to support her in the face of what might come next. She held her arms defensively in front of her. “Please, I’m sorry…”

He looked down, as if only now noticing he still held the cane. He crossed the room and set the rattan on the fireplace mantle, then stood next to her while she stared at his shoes, hoping for the moment to end or for Leo to develop amnesia and forget he’d found her crying and pathetic, hiding while listening to everything he did.

“How many times have you been there when I’ve been downstairs with someone?” His voice had softened, but only by a fraction. There was still something in his tone that demanded absolute obedience and honesty or else.

“A-all of them. E-every time a woman has come here.”

“Why?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“That’s bullshit,” he bit out. “Tell me why you were listening.”