Page 17 of Corrupt Game

Andy’s face the last time we met, smiling at me over a beer, flashed before my eyes, and I straightened my back with determination.

Whatever needed to be done to bring his killer to justice, I would do it.

The cabin door squeaked as I opened it—an ominous and foreboding sound which didn’t reassure me about my fate.

Chapter 7: Collette

“Come.” Mr. Holdt’s tone was so firm. It gave me chills that weren’t entirely unpleasant.

I couldn’t help imagining him using the word in a completely different context.

The table in the middle of the room was the perfect size to seat four people. He helped me with my chair.

He took a seat across from me while Rossi stood by the door.

It felt that he was blocking any escape attempt from me.

“Now, Mr. Rossi tells me that you skimmed through the papers you signed. I need to make sure that you understand the exact terms you are agreeing to before we start this working arrangement.” Mr. Holdt’s look of disapproval was unexpected.

Why would he care if I’d read the papers before signing them? It wasn’t as if he could force me to read them.

“Number one: You are mine for the entire duration of the contract.”

His eyes met mine.

I wanted to stick out my tongue at his obvious claiming of me as his property. I wasn’t his slave, and the wording was causing meto have a few extra concerns. As if this man should have more red flags raised. I was happy that I wouldn’t be working for him long term. I was going to get the evidence I needed and be gone.

Though given the current situation, my plans on how to be gone needed some extra work.

“Number two: If at any time you wish to walk away, you only have to say so. You will be released from my services and escorted off the property. Payment for the time served will be taken care of promptly. Any bonuses that would have been given at the end of your contract are considered forfeit.”

Yeah, right.I thought.

“Ms. DeLandro, you do understand what I’m telling you, correct?” He tapped the pen on the table to bring my attention back to his words. The soft scolding he was issuing felt really weird.

My eyes rolled internally at his restatement of what the contract said. He was treating me as if I was a small child that might -have misunderstood what he’d been telling me.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m yours exclusively for the entire year. If I want to leave, I can, but I lose all the benefits that would be mine at the end of the year.”

“If you leave early, you will not be able to approach me or any of the employees of Holdt Technologies in the future. It would be cause for me to sue you.” His intense gaze made me sit up straighter as if I was a misbehaving child that needed to be punished.

At my nod, he continued, satisfied for the moment.

“Number three: You are not to have contact with anyone outside of this room without my express permission for the duration ofyour contract. It is necessary that you only communicate with Mr. Rossi or myself unless you ask me first.”

I shrugged. If I needed to get information to Ingrid it would be more difficult, but not impossible. Nothing was impossible. I would just have to be careful in how I handled things. This man’s OCD and paranoid tendencies could be worked around.

“Number four: There will be no social media posts or attempts to access any accounts on your social media.”

He held out the burner phone from under the seat of my car.

My gasp of surprise brought a smile to Rossi’s statue-like features. Even though I’d planned for it I hadn’t actually expected them to search my car.

“You went through my vehicle. I didn’t give you permission to do that. It’s an invasion of privacy.” I growled and narrowed my eyes.

“Actually, Ms. DeLandro, if you look right here in paragraph ten of the non-disclosure agreement, you will see that you agreed to these terms. We are free to search your person, belongings, and anything that we deem necessary to determine that you are following the rules.”

His head shook in disapproval and the trace of smugness in his voice didn’t make me any happier. “It’s why we ask that you look over things carefully. If you feel violated and would like to leave, we won’t stop you. It is your choice.”

---