Recap:

"Release Miss Max, but bind her hands I don't want her trying anything."

"Right away!" Slade moved quickly over to Max bringing a key out of his pocket he unlocked the shackles that Max has already slipped through, Max let her hands drop to her side as she stood there unmoving. If it was her life on the line she would not hesitate to act, but if she tried anything and failed Kaiba would be punished for it not her so she stayed still and allowed Slade to tighten a pair of handcuffs around her already sore wrists. Max was surprised that Slade had cuffed her hands in front of her and not behind her back; Max didn't stay surprised for long. She was already considering an escape plan that would work if Slade followed her and Oliver.

"Slade stay here and watch Mr. Kaiba just in case my little kitty decides to scratch." Oliver turned on Max whose hopes had just sunk, he wasn't stupid! He was making sure that she didn't do anything wrong. "Let's go!" Oliver said, Slade opened the dungeon door and Oliver pushed Max gently through holding her elbow and leading her through the winding tunnels. Max blinked remembering something and her hopes lifted ever so slightly. Kaiba's chain was unlocked halfway and she had given him the bobby pin.

"Talking" 'Thinking'

Max peered around the room that she had been led into, it was a bedroom. The bedroom was about five times bigger than the cell that she had just come from, its wall were painted a sky blue, the furnishings were all in darker wood and the curtains and bed were covered in dark blue silk. A graying woman and a tall younger man stood in front of a door that led off into another room.

"Kaede," Oliver said getting the attention of the woman, who stood up straighter and bowed to him. "I want you to get Max ready to have dinner with me tonight!"

"Yes sir." Kaede said with another bow. Turning to Max Oliver bend down and once again grabbed her chin making her look him in the eyes.

"Now Max be good! Remember I have Kaiba in the dungeon if you try anything." Oliver said calmly as Max put on what she hoped was an innocent face.

"Why would I try anything Ollie?" Max added a nick name for him hoping it would further her cause. Oliver smiled down at Max, that had done the trick. She couldn't believe the ego of this man. He leaned down closer to Max still holding her chin.

"Good kitty." He said pressing his lips softly to Max's. Max stiffened and felt Oliver grin as he pressed his lips harder against hers; pulling away a few seconds later he smirked down at Max. "Be ready at eight!" He said turning around, Oliver left Max standing in the middle of the room and walked out the door closing it behind him and locking it with a hollow click. Max touched her hand to her lips in disbelief; the last thing she expected was for this blonde control freak to steal her first kiss away. She wanted to punch him or spit in his face, do something besides stand there and take it, but she couldn't risk it for Kaiba's sake. Max's shoulders slumped as the older woman slowly made her way over.

"M-miss Max?" Max looked from the floor to the woman. "I'm Kaede the maid." Kaede bowed to Max. "Now the master has already selected an outfit for you so please allow me to draw you a bath, right this way." Kaede gently grabbed Max's elbow and led her across the room to stop in front of the younger man next to the door, Max quickly looked him over he couldn't have been much older than she was, but he already looked hardened and cruel. Opening the door the maid stepped forward dragging Max in behind and tearing her gaze away from the man. Max looked around the new room as the maid closed the door, Max winced as the bright light reflected off the white marble and crystal of the bathroom. Even the bathroom was bigger than the cell the Max had been in with Kaiba. Kaiba now there was a thought, how was he doing with Slade alone in the dungeon? Would he defeat Slade and come and rescue her, Max blushed and turned her attention to the woman who was talking again.

"That was Feiyro; you want to stay away from him!" Kaede said leaning over the tub and starting the water. "So you're the girl Master Oliver has found an interest in, your very pretty and American if I'm not mistaken." Max nodded and blushed still looking at the floor though she could feel the woman sizing her up. "You look very familiar." The maid said for conversation as she poured something in the water that smelled like roses. "You wouldn't happen to be that Harper girl that Master Oliver has been going on about for the past few days would you?" Max looked up meeting the eyes of the maid.

"What do you mean days?" Max asked confused though she didn't show it, she had thought that Oliver had wanted her tech and her death until he met her, but this changed things he knew all about her before.

"I mean ever since he came back from the airport he has been talking about a 'Beautiful girl with blue streaked hair and a body to kill'." The maid rolled her eyes and turned off the water. "He almost had you a few nights ago, but his goons jumped the wrong person in the alleyway."

"Mokuba." Max said just above a whisper as the pieces started falling into place.

"Yes! That's the one! But the story as I hear it is you arrived a few moments later and defeated the goons. That's when his obsession with you grew and he realized he had to have you." The maid crossed the room and took out a couple towels setting them on a stool next to the tub. "And that's all I really know." Kaede said straightening up and looking at Max again. "Course most of it probably isn't true, I'm only a maid and what I hear is through the grapevine. Ahh, come now your bath is ready." Kaede smiled and clapped her hands. "I'll leave you on your own for a bit, I'm sure you don't want an old woman hanging over your shoulder. When your done knock on the door and I'll bring in your new clothes, that is unless you want to get dressed in front of Feiyro." Max shook her head and Kaede turned around walking to the door.

"Thank you." Max said softly, Kaede paused and looked back giving Max a wink she opened the door and walked out. Max stared at the door for a moment after Kaede left before she shook her head and turned to the bath. She could see the steam rising and smell rose and jasmine oils coming from it. Heaving a large sigh Max decided to follow orders for a while longer and take the bath, she knew she needed it anyways being in a dungeon did nothing for personal hygiene. Max made sure no one was going to come into the bathroom before she quickly got undressed and sank gratefully into the water.

'So he's been after me since I arrived here. Mokuba got hurt because of me, George was killed because of me.' A fresh wave of tears came upon Max but she fought them knowing she couldn't dissolve into hysterics when she had to be strong and think logically. 'Why didn't he just come up and ask me out without having to resort to kidnapping? I mean he's pretty cute I might have actually said yes. Grr, men and their having to be in control! I bet he didn't even think of asking me out the normal way.' Max frowned turning the sadness and confusion she felt into a usable anger as she wiped the dirt off her body. 'As soon as Kaiba's free I am going to kick his ass!' Max vowed standing up and reaching for a towel wrapping it around herself before she stepped out onto the bath mat drying off all the water she could get with the towel. She crossed over to the door and knocked twice and walked back to the middle of the room. Seconds later the door opened and Kaede stepped in.

"How was your bath Miss Max?" She asked pleasantly carrying in and arm load of supplies.

"It was wet." Max replied flatly as she eyes what Kaede was carrying, a small heap of black clothes and various hair and make-up things.

"Here you go dear." Kaede said handing Max the black heap of clothes. Max shook it out looking at it with unconcealed distain. It was a tight black dress that came just above her knee with a slit that came up to mid-thigh, a V-neck line came down further than she would have liked and the sleeves were see through coming down to wrap around her middle finger. "Do you like it?" Kaede asked and Max looked up at her emotionlessly.

"No!" Max blinked with a sudden thought. "But if you don't make me wear make-up and do my hair I will not complain about wearing the dress." Kaede frowned and gave in when she saw Max wasn't joking.

"Alright," Kaede said almost regretfully. "But I'm telling Master Oliver it was your fault if I get in trouble!" Max shrugged and gave Kaede a small smile.

"It's alright Kaede! I'll take full blame as long as you don't make me wear that crap!" Kaede gave in and smiled along with Max.

"That's fine with me! Now here you go!" Kaede shoved stockings and undergarments in Max's hands then pointed to a screen. "Now get dressed it's already seven and he likes his women to be ready on time and a little early." Max sighed the smile removed from her face and walked behind the dressing screen. Max peeked out of the screen to make sure Kaede want going to look, Kaede was still standing where Max left her watching the screen absently. When she saw Max look out she grinned and shook her head. "I get it your shy!" Kaede laughed quietly. "Don't worry I don't want to see what you have!" Max couldn't help but give her the tiniest of smiles back as she pulled her head back behind the dressing screen and went through the stuff she had been handed.

"There's no bra." Max said flatly examining the thing before her.

"You don't need one with that dress!" Kaede's voice retorted with amusement. Max frowned and continued getting dressed.

"Great I go from modest to slut in mere minutes." Max mumbled pulling on the stockings.

"I heard that!" Keade said almost laughing.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't want you to!" Max pointed out dully as she slipped the dress on and stepped out to find Kaede laughing silently into her hand.

Down with Kaiba ...

"Were is she?" Kaiba growled standing over a bruised and bleeding Slade who was now shackled instead of Kaiba himself. Slade glared at Kaiba and tried to spit in his face, but only succeeded in drooling since his was so battered. "Tell me where she is or I start taking some fingers!" Kaiba spat out the cold glare in his eyes causing his to appear like the evil one here.

"G-go to hell!" Slade mumbled his voice no more than a whisper figuring that a CEO wouldn't have guts enough to do what he had threatened and obviously he gave Kaiba the wrong answer. Kaiba picked up the knife that Slade had been using earlier and smirked. Pulling Slade roughly forward Kaiba looked at the shackles.

"How about your trigger finger?" Kaiba said maliciousness obvious in his voice, Slade paled and visible gulped as Kaiba touched the cold knife to his finger putting pressure on it until blood started to spill out around the sliver shaft.

"Nnn... s-stop!" Slade whimpered between swollen lips.

"What? You can give it but you can't take it!" Kaiba asked condescendingly pausing the blade momentarily. Salde only glared at him the best he could with swollen eyes.

"He was going to have dinner with her!" Slade confessed a tremor in his voice.

"And?" Kaiba asked pressing the knife harder into Slade's finger.

"Ahhhh! I don't know what he was going to do with her afterwards! I swear!" Kaiba looked Slade in the eyes, he was telling the truth.

"When was dinner?" Slade blinked trying to remember how long he had been held by Kaiba.

"An hour ago." Slade said breathlessly. Kaiba rose with out sparing Slade another glance and threw the knife away into the opposite corner, it clattered loudly to the floor as Kaiba reached the door and walked out.

"Bastard!" Kaiba heard Slade shout after him as he walked calmly down the stone hallway.

Back to Max ...

"You look beautiful!" Oliver said when Max appeared in the dining room doorway. Three inch black heels and a sliver butterfly pendant had been added to her simple black dress, the way she stood with her hip cocked and her head held high made her seem regal despite her situation.

"Thank you Ollie." Max said forcing a tight smile onto her lips and ducked her head pretending to be embarrassment. A satisfied smirk made its way across Olives lips at the nickname Max had given him. Max hid a smirk of her own; she couldn't wait to punch this guy.

"Are you hungry?" Oliver asked leading Max further into the dining room.

"A little, yes." Max said not wanting to refuse and set him off even though she wasn't hungry in the least.

"Great!" Oliver and Max ate in relative silence, she had wanted to make a sarcastic comment so bad she was forced to bite her tongue more than once. The meal went rather slowly or so it seemed to Max she didn't know since there was no clock in the dining room but if felt like hours that she had to keep up the pleasant fake smile. Dinner was finally over when Oliver wiped his lips and got up offering Max his hand.

"Why don't we go upstairs?" Oliver said quietly smirking down at Max. Max blinked and felt her stomach plunge down to her feet.

'Oh, god! He wouldn't! Not the first day we met! Would he?' Max let herself be led away hoping the Kaiba would get himself out of trouble cause she didn't think she could go through much more.