Uncovering You 2: Submission Read Free

like I own a wardrobe!
    “Good. I will leave you those rules. Think on them. Your cooperation will result in increasingly greater freedoms. We will discuss their progression next time we meet.” He walks over to the fully-curtained wall, and runs one hand up and down the rich fabric. “For now, it should be enough for you to know that the range of your collar has been extended to encompass all the rooms connected to this one. You can go through any unlocked doors you find.”
    “Doors?” I ask, slowly picking myself up. “What doors?”
    Stonehart gestures behind him without glancing at me. “Some of the paintings you see hide entrances to this room. You will find a bathroom. A powder room. A closet. Feel free to make full use of the facilities at your disposal.” He chuckles. “They are not there for me.”
    My heart lifts at the idea of a bathroom. A proper bathroom. There might even be a shower!
    That means no more chamber pots. No more sponge baths—not that I have experienced more than one. Still, I was dreading the thought of the old woman coming back and cleaning me again. It was humiliating.
    “I employ a full-time chef on my estate,” Stonehart continues. “He is available to you. Through one door, you will find a small sitting room. There is a desk and paper. You may write down dietary requests and slip them under the locked door. Your meals will be rationed to prevent excessive weight gain, as is always a risk after a period of starvation. That does not mean your selection of food will be limited. You can have anything you want.” He turns to me and smiles. “You see? I am not incapable of compassion.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Stone—”
    “Jeremy,” he corrects. “You will call me Jeremy.”
    I force a smile and give a slight curtsy. It’s as close to being mocking as I dare. “Thank you, Jeremy .”
    “You’re welcome, Lilly .” Stonehart’s dark eyes glisten when he says my name. “Tell me. Have you ever wondered what’s behind this long curtain?”
    “Every day,” I answer.
    A smile forms on his lips. “I will show you.”
    Stonehart takes a step back and retrieves his phone. He plays with the screen for half a second, Then, I hear a mechanical whirr.
    My hands dart to my neck out of instinct.
    Stonehart notices, and shakes his head. “No, Lilly. Not that. This .”
    Suddenly, the great curtain begins to lift. It rises all along the massive expanse of the wall. Behind it is a thick, rubber-coated blackout drape, like an enormous projection screen. That one stays still until the curtain reaches the ceiling.
    Then, it starts to follow. It lifts slowly. As soon as I see sunshine falling on the floor, I have an irrational urge to cry.
    Behind the drape is a massive wall of glass. As the blackout drape lifts, sunlight floods the room. When the warmth reaches my skin, tears form in the corners of my eyes. I rub at them, angry and grateful at the same time.
    The drape reaches the very top, and the floor-to-ceiling windows shimmer in the light. Beyond them is a stunning view of a magnificent vista, ending in a cliff ledge that gives way to the ocean.
    Stonehart brings his wrist to a small sensor beside the single door in the glass wall. Just like in the elevator so long ago, I hear a beep , and the door unlocks. Stonehart opens it to leave, then stops halfway across the threshold and looks back at me.
    “Lilly,” he says, his voice stern and serious. “I will give you one week to return to the condition you were in when you entered my home. Eat, sleep, and rest. You have no obligation to me for the next seven days. Right now, you are skinny, wretched, and unattractive. When I see you next, I expect to be greeted by the vibrant, young woman you once were.”
    With that, he walks out into the light.

Chapter Two

    I wait a long time before gathering my courage and testing my new boundary. I expect to feel the warning shock with every step I take past my former perimeter.
    With that type of