The bright sunlight hit her eye as she slowly awakened, the chirping birds giving her a huge headache. "Ugh..." She moved her hand overtop of her eyes, where was she? As her eyes slowly adjusted, she slowly took in her surroundings. "Good morning" She turned her head, squinting as her eyes slowly adjusted. It was the little girl dressed in all pink. She was holding a small stuffed bunny on her lap as she faced the injured woman.

"You took quite the stabbing" "Had worse" She pressed her head back into the pillows, sighing loudly. "Why am I alive?" "I've been wondering the same thing, honest" The little girl shrugged her shoulders. "Papa always kills his assassins, I think you scared him" The injured woman chuckled and turned to face the girl again. "I better have, I was so closed and I just.." She paused, replaying the events in her head again.

"You froze" The little girl finishes, "Because of me and my brother" "More because of your brother" She answers, "I didn't really see you guys. I would never want to kill him in front of the family" The little girl huffed at her reasoning, bringing the stuffed bunny close to her chest. "Now look where that got you, chained to a bed"

"Huh?" The woman removed her blanket and gasped seeing her foot shackled to the bed. "Fuck..." She turns her head to look at the girl sitting beside her. Her eyes immediately landed on the keys resting on the neck of the bunny. "C'mon kid, let me out of here" The little girl looked at her heavily before slowly shaking her head. "No. I need to know why Papa is keeping you" "He isn't keeping shit, hand it over!" She tried to snatch the bunny out of her hands but she only rolled away further from the bed. "You little..." She grips her hands while facing the girl, she was giggling at her misery.

"What's your name?" The little girl asked curiously. "What? Want to get to know the woman who was trying to kill your dad?" The woman shifted in the bed, sitting up slowly. "I want to thank you actually, well. For the attempt, I guess" The little girl shrugged. "I'm Ivanna" Ivanna stiffened hearing the woman laugh once she said her name. "Ivanna? You were supposed to be a boy huh?" Ivanna looks down at her feet sadly, it was a common fact to the clan that the White Death didn't want any daughters and was cursed with at least one. She remembers hearing her mom talk about how he raved about how he was going to name their second child Ivan after him, but after her gender was revealed he became greatly disappointed.

"Cheer up kid, I was just joking. I was supposed to be a boy too I guess." Ivanna looked up in shock, was she relating to this mysterious woman? "Names Jaden, I go by Jade. Everyone calls me Jade, well except my dad I guess" "What does your dad call you?" Jade held her stomach as she propped herself against the headboard. "My dad calls me precious." Ivanna felt her heart drop, her father never gave her cute nicknames before. It was always daughter and only that. "What does Ivan the Terrible call you? Bet your name is Vanna huh? Vanna is very pretty" Ivanna didn't respond, she was just gazing up at Jade with stars in her eyes. Jade was kind, sharing the same kindness her mother had before her passing.

"Uh, mama used to call me Vanna. She said it was pretty too" Ivanna mumbles, scratching her ear and looking off to the side. "Papa really doesn't-"

"Daughter!" The bedroom doors opened to reveal Ivan and his new guards forming behind him. "Why are you talking to this woman?" "Oh, you got new guards fast," Jade sighed, pressing her head against the wall. "Now what? Is this the part where you torture me?" "No, No, No. I cannot do that" Ivan mumbles rubbing his chin. "If you were weak, sure. But you'd just commit more fatalities" Jade yawns at the man, turning to his daughter. "It seems your father wishes you to exit the room, I hope to catch up with you Vanna" Ivanna stood up and nodded, she didn't know what was going to happen now. It might've been her last time seeing Jade alive. Ivanna handed her father the keys and began to leave the room

Once Ivanna exited the room, Jade and Ivan proceeded to stare off. She could see the sweat build up on his face, no one in the room knew what to do with the deadly woman in front of them. "Is this where you hold me for ransom for my father to get me or do you just send me home as a warning?" "No. None of that" Ivan turned his back, running his fingers through his hair. He was stressed, he has never been put in a situation as heavy as the one he faced. He still can't believe this was still Andrew's little girl from five years ago.

A lightbulb went off in his head, along with the forming of a sinister smirk. "I'm keeping you" "Excuse me?" Jade scoffed, her eyes scanning him up and down. "You might as well just kill me, I don't want to be in bondage with you" "You don't have a choice" The man walked up to the left side of her bed, his left hand caressing the side of her face. "Not unless you want your family to be killed" He saw how her breathing nearly stopped, how her body stiffened. He lifted her chin to look at him, her eyes were filled with a mix of regret and anger. "You will call them on your cell phone, Tell them you will be staying with me permanently"

"Just fucking Kill me" It came out as a whine, a near whimper. She refused to be around to do any of his dirty work, "You are not listening, You haven't changed naughty girl" Ivan chuckled, he squeezed her cheeks and leaned down to her. His forehead was pressed to hers, "You are too valuable to throw away my dear, Only a fool will kill the king" He taps her cheek with his index finger. "Well? What will it be? Your family or your hand?"

This felt like a death sentence, bondage with the man she was born to hate or living with the guilt of the deaths of her family? Maybe he would kill her too in that scenario, they all would be reunited in the afterlife. Jade bit the inside of her cheek, letting out a sigh. She held out her hand for her phone and he grinned. "Good girl" He handed her the yellow-cased phone sitting on the far table to the window. "Dial-up, Oh, and do put it on speaker. I want to hear their hearts break" Jade glared at the man and scrolled through her contacts and stared at the one that was listed as her father's.

She hits it, letting it ring for a bit. Almost immediately it was picked up by the panicked voice of her father.

"Precious?! Where are you?!! Are you okay?!!" She swallowed the dry lump in her throat. "Hey, Baba. I'm okay" She finally responds, she hears the shouts of her mother and brother in the background.

"Jade baby?!" Her mother came close to the microphone, and her panicked voice was also heard. "Where are you, honey?" She looks up at Ivan, only to be greeted by him slowly shaking his head. "Mama, Baba, I'm okay. I promise I'm just uh...gonna be staying with a friend for a while" The conversation took a shift into her native tongue, catching Ivan completely off guard.

"Is he in the room?" Her brother asked. "He is" She responded with a sigh. "I just need to play his game, give me time. I'll be home" "What are you people saying?" Ivan asked with an annoyed face. "I told you to just tell them you aren't coming home" "What do you think I'm telling them? You want to be in my business so bad" Jade took a deep sigh and glanced at the numbers on the screen. "Mama, Baba, I won't be coming home. I will be working for the white death in exchange for you all to keep your lives" She heard them go silent on the other line, Ivan was eager to hear a response.

"You haven't won Ivan" Her father says finally, she could see the look on his face. Ivan leaned down and grabbed the phone, "Believe me Drew, I already have" He pressed the red button and slid her phone into his pocket. The two of them stared at each other, a fight was begging to happen. Just as she sat up, he moved his hand forward. "I wouldn't try me right now, especially seeing how injured you are" "Doesn't matter, I can still kick your ass" He taps her chains with his finger. "Be a good girl, and I'll let you out for the bathroom"

Jade bit her tongue, regret was slowly but surely washing over her body. He held out the keys, the ring of it dangling on his index finger. "What will it be? Will you be a good lap dog?" Her hands gripped the sheet of the comforter, her stomach began to growl. "Alright," She spoke, her eyes avoiding his. "I'll play by your rules" She felt him grab her leg, and the cuffs release from her ankles.

"In order to keep your life, you will be doing work for me. And you will be watched, heavily" He took a step back, watching her slowly get out of the bed. "Why?" She looked up at him, her green eyes were filled with animosity. "Why are you keeping me alive for real? You really expect me to buy the bullshit? You had me at your mercy, only fool will miss out to kill someone who was at their knee" Ivan didn't say anything, just a simple stare. His straight face formed a smile before turning away. "Washroom is to your left, breakfast is downstairs."

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