Hey, everyone! Thanks oh so much for the great reviews! I'm confident that I will finish this story…lol. Anyways, here's the third chapter. Happy reading!

NOTE: Josephina's nickname is Josie. Therefore, from now on, she will be referred to as "Josie." You have no idea how HARD it is to spell her name a million times! (Well, maybe you do.) Anyways, just keep that in mind, ok? Awesome! Read on!

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Only a Slave

Part Three

Serena groaned inwardly. "Oh boy…I'd better behave or else, "she gulped, "Lady Josephina will sell me…" With that in mind, she followed her mistress obediently out of the room, closing the door with a soft thud.

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"Raye! Wonderful to see you again. You look magnificent…as usual," Darien complimented his beautiful raven-haired girlfriend as she walked into the parlor.

Raye smiled dazzlingly and stood on her tipsy toes to kiss her boyfriend on the lips. "Darling, how I've missed you!"

Darien cleared his throat, embarrassed, just as his sister walked in. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Serena walk in after her. Then he stopped to think. Since when did he care about a slave? He honestly didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew that Raye sometimes got on his nerves, being needy and clingy, but today, something seemed to disturb him even more. He gazed at Serena and willed her to look at him. She didn't. He sighed and turned his attention back to Raye, who was fawning over Josephina.

"I just love your dress, Josie. It looks very good on you. I take it you had it tailored? Because I know for a fact that nobody sells those types of dresses...yet. But how gorgeous you look in them!" Raye flattered, smoothing out the small wrinkles on her own dress with her slender fingers.

Josie's face turned pink with happiness. She also liked hanging out with Raye because Raye was rich and sophisticated. She smiled at Darien, proud to call him her brother. "He has such good taste in women," she reflected, hiding a giggle behind her hand.

Darien smiled back at her, pleased to see her act like a 15-year-old instead of some 20-year-old. He could feel someone staring at him. He flicked his eyes over to Serena and grinned secretly when he saw her staring at him. He raised an eyebrow in question, as if challenging her.

She caught his meaning and blushed, glancing away to stare at the wall. She couldn't help but stare at him. He was just sooooo handsome. She sighed to herself and wondered, "Does he-? Maybe he does…but-but I'm just a slave…oh, gosh, I have no idea…" She stood there, silent, listening.

"Darien? Sit down so we can have tea and a little snack. Tell one of the maids to come and serve us," Raye ordered, patting the seat next to her.

Darien rolled his eyes. "Bossy…" he muttered under his breath.

Raye heard it and asked, hurt, "What did you say, hun?"

Darien put his hands up. "Nothing, Raye. I-I just said, um-I'll go ring for a maid to serve us tea, ok?"

Raye nodded, still a little miffed.

Darien rang his little silver bell and Mina immediately appeared. "My lord?"

"Serve us some tea and a plate of dainty treats, Mina."

She bobbed her head and left the room.

Serena hadn't noticed the other blond maid until now. She looked almost like Serena that they could pass as sisters! She smiled at the sudden thought that popped in her mind. Maybe they could be friends! That would make life a little nicer, having a friend.

Darien noticed the far-away look in her eyes. He tore his gaze from her as Raye tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah?" He groaned. She looked terribly annoyed. "Oh boy, here come the fireworks…"

"Why isn't the rest of your family joining us for tea? I miss your mother and father. I haven't seen them in sooooo long. Oh, Darien, how is Braden and Adrian? They must be so grown up now…" Raye babbled on and on.

Josie laughed at Raye. "Braden is at another friend's house and Adrian went with Father and Mother to the country fair. They had promised to take him and since today's the last day it'll be here, they decided to go. So we're all alone for tea."

Raye's eyes twinkled. "All alone, hey…?"

Darien didn't like the look in her eyes. It meant she was planning something very bad.

A few minutes later, Mina appeared with two silver trays. One had a big pot of tea and three mugs and small china plates on it and the other was filled to the brim with lots of cookies, biscuits, and little chocolates. After she had laid it on the coffee table and poured tea for everyone, she retreated to the corner where Serena stood. She sent Serena a warm smile.

Serena understood the unspoken message that lay beneath the smile and grinned back, glad to know that she now had a friend, just as she'd hoped.

Both girls stood, silent and stiff as statutes as they listened quietly to the conversation going on around them.

Josie was giggling at Raye who was telling her all these funny stories about her family.

Even Darien cracked a smile.

"…so anyways, Father told Joey to break up with Anna, but he wouldn't do it! He simply told Father…" Raye continued on, causing Josie to erupt into another fit of giggles.

Darien couldn't help but chuckle at some of the some of the funny things Raye said. Yes, he had to admit she could be stuck-up and difficult sometimes, er, most of the time, but she was really a funny, charming person underneath it all. He sighed, contented.

Josie managed to get a word in between Raye's story-telling. "So…" she started out slyly, "What's happening between the two of you? Do I hear wedding bells sometime in the future?"

Unfortunately, Darien had just taken a large gulp of his tea. He nearly spit it out in horror.

Serena and Mina's jaw dropped. "What!" ran rapidly through their minds.

Raye only looked amused. She winked at Josie who tittered gleefully. Raye glanced at Darien who was wiping his mouth with a napkin. She pouted prettily and placed a hand on his thigh. She merely smiled when she felt him stiffen.

He turned cold blue eyes on her, daring her to go on.

Raye shivered, not with fright, but with excitement. Darien was the hottest man alive and he was going to be all hers. She smirked to herself, pitying those who wished, only wished, that Darien could be theirs. "Victory is mine at last, thanks to Josie who asked the question for me…" she thought, satisfied, wrapping her long slender arms around his neck, and leaning forward to kiss him.

Darien instantly panicked. He didn't want SERENA to see him kissing Raye, for some odd reason. He quickly jumped out of his seat, causing Raye to fall forward on her elbows.

She picked herself up and glared at him. "What was that for? Can I not kiss my boyfriend?" she cried angrily, rubbing her sore elbows. She hissed crossly, "What's the matter with you? You haven't been acting much of a boyfriend to me today. Is there somebody else, Darien? Answer me! Is there another girl?"

Josie fell silent. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping that Darien would say the right answer. Raye looked extremely dangerous when she was mad.

Darien frowned, glancing over at Serena.

Serena watched him like a hawk, preparing herself for his coming answer to Josie's and Raye's questions.

He replied heavily, "There's no other girl, Raye. I promise you. There's no other girl." He looked down at Raye, whose face was red, and then focused his attention on his sister's tightly pinched face. "And to answer your question, Josie, I-I have no idea."

Josie opened her eyes slowly, her pretty features loosening up, and stared deep into his blue eyes. "Oh…I understand…I'm sorry," she murmured softly, not wanting to anger Raye again. She glanced over at the older girl and relaxed when she saw her trying to calm herself.

Raye drew in a sharp breath. "Why is he behaving like this? I must find out the reason why he's so withdrawn today…" she told herself, "And when I do get to the bottom of this, that girl, I'm totally positive it's a girl, well, let's just say, she'll receive her just rewards for messing around with my boyfriend." She stood up abruptly, ignoring the offensive glares from Mina and Serena, and said crisply, "Well, it's been nice having tea with you. Please inform your parents of my fondest regards. When I see you next time, Darien, I beg you that you be civilized and act like the Darien I know." She said that word so coldly, that Darien shuddered. Raye continued, speaking to Josie, "My warmest regards to you, Josie, dear. I shall see you soon. Good day. "And with that, she narrowed her eyes at Darien and then stalked off out of the room and out the door, leaving behind two wide-eyed slaves, a mouth-hanging Josie, and a confused Darien.

They looked at one another in shock, each shaking their head.

"What a strange girl," Serena murmured faintly to Mina.

Mina snorted unladylike. "You haven't even seen the half of it, hun."

They quieted down when they heard their mistress say something.

Josie closed her mouth and remarked. "Wow, wasn't that something, hey, Darien?"

Darien scrubbed a hand over his tired face. "It definitely was something …something I've never seen her do…" He looked over at the slaves and noticed they were talking quietly among themselves. He let out a frustrated sigh and muttered to himself. "I hope Raye is alright…what if she finds out about Serena, that I-I…what do I feel for Serena? Oh my gosh…even I don't know…how did I ever get into this mess anyway?"

Josie studied her brother, wondering at how many emotions flitted across his handsome face. "What is the matter with Darien? Normally, he and Raye are off in a corner making out. I wonder…?" She shot a wary look at her slave. She had noticed that Darien often looked at Serena when he thought the slave wasn't looking. Josie drew in another sharp breath. "Does Darien…? No-I cannot believe it! I-I won't believe…my brother is NOT in love with…a slave?" Josie felt the blood rushing out of her head. Feeling faint, she laid her head on the couch. "No, it can't be true. Serena's just a slave…why would he like her? How can he be in love with…a slave? A slave…" she whispered brokenly. Imagine being in love or for that fact, liking a slave! It was preposterous! Slaves were for serving, not for falling in love with…

A muscle jerked in her jaw as she vowed silently to herself, "Well, it's going to end here and now…" She glanced over frostily at Serena and narrowed her eyes. "And there's only one way to solve this problem…I will not have my brother be in love with a slave. How people will mock our family name. I know what I must do…" She sent Serena a hard look and rose from her seat. Her lips in a grim smile, she walked past the door, watching out of the corner of her eyes making sure that Serena was following her. She smirked, "Now, let's just see how much a slave is worth…poor Serena, you don't have anybody now, do you?" She laughed callously, just like Julia.

Serena suddenly felt her body go cold. Hearing Josie's laugh made her tremble. "Just what is Lady Josie going to do?" She hurriedly followed her mistress up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Darien watched Mina clear the table and frowned. "I don't understand! Do I have feelings for Serena? Or-or what? Oh…" he growled irritably, his face in his hands.

Mina shot him a sympathetic look. He was definitely going to need all the help he could get to handle Lady Raye. She finished wiping the table, giving him one last sad smile before leaving the room.

Darien was all alone, left to drown in his own pity.

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Like it? I'm a little wired out right now. I'm gonna say right here and now that I'm going to take off maybe a week or even five days from writing chapters, ok? No, no, no, I'm still continuing them, but I need a break. I have to finish some unfinished schoolwork and pass some exams, so pls be patient and at the end of maybe next week or the week after, I'll be back and running, er, in this case, writing. Got it? So don't be disappointed if I haven't posted a new chapter this week or the next. I'll be right on it as soon as I do the other necessary things. Ok, good. Thanks so much for your understanding patience. Well, I g2g, thanks again for the reviews!

Stay sweet,

Jade Ocean