Off my back

Really, what could anyone possibly need money for so much that they would be willing to sell their family? There was still no telling what Alex actually wanted from either of them. How had these two even come into contact? She had many questions for these two people, but the questions only spun around in her mind, hauled to and fro by the tornado of rage that was driving her.

"I just wanted to live," Laura wept. Her tidy appearance had been ruined with the untidy hair, the teary appearance, and the wrinkled clothing.

"Oh? Is that so?" Anna asked, stepping closer to Laura. Her sister flinched and she stopped, strangely satisfied with the reaction. "Did you ever stop to consider what would happen when things got to this point? Hmm?"

"I did," Laura whispered, real remorse finally appearing in her face.

At this concession, Anna felt her blood run even colder. "Did you just not care?" she demanded. "Am I not even a person to you? I'm your sister! Don't I merit some consideration?!"

"It was too late!" Laura shrieked, sensing imminent danger. She covered her face and head with her arms, shielding herself.

"Too late?" Anna sneered, "Too late? It was too late the moment this kind of evil deed crossed your mind!"

Laura dropped to her knees and latched onto Anna's ankles. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Anna exhaled, her anger suddenly dispersing. What was the point of being angry here? Aside from venting, what else could she do? This deal, whatever it was, appeared to have been finalized between the two of them. While she had no doubt that this was probably several layers of very much illegal activity, she personally wasn't going to be able to fight her way out of the room, much less the hall or wherever they'd brought her.

"Get up," she said tiredly. When she'd released her anger, she'd released her energy, too. The adrenaline had faded and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and bemoan her misery in a corner somewhere.

Her sister continued to kneel at her feet, weeping into her sneakers. Although she was still agitated and very much upset about this whole mess, Anna couldn't bring herself to be angry any longer. It wasn't going to change anything.

There was a quiet rap before the door clicked open. She glanced over to see Alex taking in the scene. He had stopped mid-motion, obviously unsure what to do.

"Do you need some more time?" he asked awkwardly, dark eyes traveling up from Laura at her feet to her face where it lingered.

"No," Anna said. "We're done here." She turned her attention back to Laura. "Let go of me."

As soon as she was free of her sister's clingy arms, she took two large steps back and, staring down at her sister, spoke clearly. "This is the end of our relationship as siblings. I'll figure something out to get my things back from you. From this day on, I no longer recognize you as my sister."

She walked back to her seat, still feeling numb. Behind her, Laura sobbed, but Anna couldn't bring herself to care anymore. She was absolutely one hundred percent done with this situation.

"Please finish your business with Miss Laura Walker," she said aloud. "I don't want to see or hear her anymore."

"Of course," Alex agreed quickly. Immediately, the same man that had guided her into this new hell moved to help Laura up and guide her out. Anna closed her eyes, unable to take the sight. It was only after the door shut that he continued, asking, "Shall we go over the rest of the terms?"

Right.

Of course.

How could she have forgotten?

Anna nodded, staring down at the neatly polished wooden table in front of her. Her chest had already been hollowed out - what more could he do? Betrayal never comes from your enemies and she couldn't assume he was anything otherwise.

"Excellent," he said, smoothly sliding back into his seat. After a moment, he requested, "Please look at me."

Given that she'd basically become his indent for the next three years, she did as he'd asked, meeting his eyes. He stopped again, simply looking at her for another strangely long moment before continuing.

"Let's look at the terms of the agreement, then," he sighed. He lifted a black leather briefcase she hadn't noticed before onto the table. Like his clothes, it was gilded with gold. He opened it in a single smooth motion, drawing out two pale manila folders. Moving the briefcase, still open, to the side, he slid one of the folders over to Anna. They opened their folders.

Anna paused, surprised. "Only two pages?" Surely something as dangerous as human trading would require more than just a quick contract?

"I didn't ask for much," Alex admitted, embarrassed. "And, well. This requires your agreement, too."

She paused and stared at him. Suspicious, she immediately skimmed through the two pages. A combination of relief and shock slid into that hollow, bringing warm relief splashing into the ice in her veins, melting her numbness away into something softer, strange and awkward. "What the hell," she finally said, unable to stop the laughter bubbling up in her chest. "You promised to pay her five thousand dollars a month to get me as a - a roommate?"

Alex blushed, tapping at his nose with his left index finger. "I didn't... I didn't want to overstep."

Anna cackled outright, leaning back in her seat. She was amazed at the papers before her. For all of the shady dealings in actually getting her into the room, the document was actually quite lenient. The agreement was short and simple, boiling down to only three simple points.

First, she would come to live with him in his place of residence in exchange for a monthly allowance of five thousand dollars which was to be sent directly to her sister. This would last for a minimum of three years.

Second, while she was allowed to continue living her life as independently as she chose, she was required to sleep in his residence barring occasions for which he might grant permission. She was to spend some time with him everyday.

Third, she would keep any confidences he chose to share with her both during the arrangement and after so as to protect both her privacy and his.

Below, there were several lines for people to sign. Alex and Laura had already signed and dated their agreement. There was a line remaining for her signature as well.

"Are you some sort of resort stay?" she asked, the sides of her mouth quirking upwards. "Why are these points so lenient? Why go through all of this trouble?"

The pink on his cheeks was spreading to the tips of his ears. "If I am to be entirely honest, it is because I was unsure of how best to handle this matter."

"Well, why did you even want a roommate?" Anna wondered aloud. "You have… servants, right?" She was thinking about the group that had come to get her, all dressed in actionable black.

"It isn't the same," he explained simply. "Servants are ordered about and paid accordingly, given the due the are owed. Companions are different."

"You're paying for me, too," she said, pointing at the first point of the document.

"But not to you," he said earnestly. "And if, after three years, you truly find the arrangement unbearable, you'll be free to do as you'd like."

"It's still a form of coercion," Anna said, unwilling to budge on the matter. It was, after all, reality.

"It…" Alex sighed. "If you are truly unwilling, you needn't sign. I will try again through other means." He looked down at the papers in front of him.

He looked so downtrodden that she couldn't help but wonder why he was so lonely. "Where's your family? Your friends?"

"I, ah. I don't have any family and friends have always been hard for me to come by," he said, tapping at his nose again.

"Who are you?" she asked him again, puzzled. "Alexander Burke, sure, but what do you do? Why do you have so much money? Why haven't I ever heard of you before?"

He looked at her almost helplessly. "I'm afraid I can't say until you've signed either this contract or something else to assure my privacy."

She considered the matter. She'd just finished cutting ties with her sister - she had no intention of ever interacting with Laura again if she could help it. Laura had destroyed that relationship all on her own. If he was being serious, she could just walk away, leave her sister out five thousand dollars a month as well as a sister. He didn't seem to be that bad of a person. Alexander Burke seemed to be a lonely, confused human being who didn't quite understand the rules of society. Anna could work with that.

Hell, seeing as she needed a new place to live, it might not be a bad idea to just go with him anyways. Three years? And she got to keep doing what she wanted? It wasn't exactly a bad deal. Room and board would be covered for the price of a few hours a day - maybe more or less. It hadn't been specified in the papers they'd written out.

"I could come with you for free," she mused aloud. "And leave Laura out of this whole thing." It would be spiteful of her, but she thought she deserved to be a little spiteful considering all that Laura had done. Who the hell even came up with such a loophole filled contract anyways?

He startled, black eyes going wide with some unknown emotion. She chuckled. "No, I guess I'll let this be my last piece of mercy," Anna hummed. "Do you have a pen? I'll sign."