WE ARE BEING WATCHED / KUZNETSOV FAMILY YOUNG MASTER
Anna sat on the edge of the mattress, Sarah close beside her. Her thoughts drifted to the life she had lost—the warmth of her parents, the comfort of her home, the freedom she once took for granted. A single tear escaped, trailing down her cheek.
"Hey, Anna, what's wrong?" Sarah asked, concern etched across her face.
Anna quickly wiped it away, forcing herself to compose her voice. "I'm just… thinking about my parents," she whispered. "I miss them so much."
Sarah nodded, eyes soft with understanding. "I miss my family too. But we have to stay strong for each other."
Anna nodded, willing herself to push aside the surge of sorrow. But something prickled at the back of her mind, a shadow of unease. She leaned closer to Sarah, lowering her voice.
"Do you ever feel like we're being watched?" she asked.
Sarah's eyes widened. "Now that you mention it… yes," she whispered. "I've felt it too."
Anna scanned the room, trying to spot anything unusual. Nothing. "Maybe it's just our imagination," she said, trying to reassure both herself and Sarah. "But we need to be careful."
Her heart skipped a beat as a faint mechanical whir echoed from the corner of the room—the subtle shift of a camera adjusting its lens.
"Sarah… I think you're right," Anna whispered, eyes narrowing. "We are being watched."
Sarah followed her gaze and gasped softly. "What do we do?"
Anna's mind raced. They had to appear normal, for now. But there was an opportunity here—to study, to observe, to gather clues.
"We'll figure it out," she said firmly. "But for now… let's pretend we don't know. Maybe we can use it to our advantage."
Sarah nodded, her understanding clear. The two girls fell into tense silence, each imagining the possibilities, the exits, the plans.
Maria, the maid, glided into the room, carrying a tray of food. She set it down silently, her movements precise, almost mechanical, before leaving without a word.
Sarah's brows furrowed. "Is she… human?"
Anna chuckled softly, equally baffled. "I don't know. Ever since she started serving me, she hasn't said a single word. Sometimes I think she might be… a robot."
Sarah shrugged. "Whatever it is, the food looks amazing. First decent meal I've had since I arrived."
They ate in quiet, broken only by Sarah's curiosity. "You know, Anna… the boss seems to regard you highly. You're getting better treatment than the others."
Anna shrugged, trying to downplay it. "Maybe it's just because I'm new here."
Sarah leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. "I don't think so. I've seen the way the boss looks at you. It's like… you're some kind of treasure he can't afford to lose."
Anna arched an eyebrow. "Treasure? If he really thought that, he wouldn't control me by threatening your life."
Sarah nodded slowly but didn't let go of her thought. "Maybe… but it's nice to have decent food for a change."
Anna sighed, more to herself than to Sarah. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm here. What exactly did Mr. J want with me? Did he hold a grudge against my parents?"
"I don't have answers," Sarah admitted with a resigned glance. "But asking questions won't get us out. Maybe we should try observing the guards… or even Maria. Gather what we can."
Anna's eyes hardened with determination. "You're right. We can't just sit here, eat, and wallow. We have to blend in, play along… so we don't end up slaves forever."
Maria returned to collect the tray, her blank expression unchanged. Anna and Sarah exchanged glances, the mystery of her behavior lingering.
"Tsk… she's really a character," Anna muttered, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
"Let's try talking to her tomorrow," Sarah said. "For now… this mattress is calling my name. It's 9 PM, and I overheard some guards gossiping that the boss wants to hire a fitness coach to train us tomorrow."
Anna froze. Exercise? Her mind raced back to attempts with her mom—five days of grueling routines she had abandoned long ago. Now, the thought of fitness training under the boss's orders made her stomach twist.
Although Anna was pretty, she was a little chubbier than the boss's ideal, which is why he wanted her to maintain fitness—to mold her into the perfect image for presentation to the Kuznetsov family young master.
The rumors about him were terrifying: cold, ruthless, never smiling, disgusted by women, repulsed by intimacy. Yet one day, he had announced that anyone who could present him a bride he didn't find repulsive would have their requests granted—powerful favors for those who succeeded.
In secret, many were nurturing young girls of different races and tribes, preparing them for this day. But the boss had decided Anna was the best fit.
Alone in his office, the boss muttered to himself, daydreaming with a shiver, "The Kuznetsov family young master of Azalia… I don't think he can resist Anna's innocent, rebellious charm. If I hadn't thought of reserving her for him, I might have kept her for myself. I wonder… how it would feel… to have her under me."
He shivered again at the thought, a lewd expression crossing his face. "Ah… if the young master knew what I'm thinking about his future bride… I wouldn't know how I'd die."
Anna and Sarah lay on their mattresses, minds spinning with fear, curiosity, and survival instincts. Outside, the cameras continued to click and swivel, a constant reminder: they were never alone, and every move counted.