It was Puppy Adoption Day at the shelter, so I posted on my socials: “Puppy near the university campus needs a home.” A DM came in almost instantly. “Is the puppy obedient?” “Very.” “Does the puppy take discipline?” “It’ll take whatever you give it.” “But you can’t hurt the puppy.” “Then can I be the puppy’s master?” “Wire me a hundred to show you’re serious.” The next second, a wire transfer for $100,000 hit my account. 1. I ran to the shelter manager, bursting with excitement. “Sarah, I found an adopter for Buddy! He’s rich, and he seems so kind.” Buddy was a sweet local mutt we’d rescued from a packed kill shelter truck. He’d thrown himself in front of his siblings to protect them, and the ordeal had left him with serious injuries. His tail was half gone, but worse, he was deeply mistrustful of people. I’d always hoped this brave little guy would find the perfect home. Sarah frowned. “Willow, you need to talk to this person again. Go over all the adoption details and explain Buddy’s situation clearly. The fact that he agreed so quickly… it feels strange.” “Oh.” A prickle of guilt went through me. “I, uh, didn’t tell him the specifics about Buddy. I didn’t even send a photo.” Before Sarah could get angry, I held up my hands in surrender. “I know, I know, my mistake. I’ll fix it right now!” I grabbed my phone. Me: You there? He replied instantly. Him: I’m here. Me: Are you absolutely sure you want to be the puppy’s master? Him: Yes. Him: Is there a problem? Him: Not enough money? The next second, another wire transfer. $10,000. Seeing all that money, I was genuinely embarrassed. I couldn’t lie to an adopter this generous. I declined the transfer. Me: It’s not about the money. Him: Then it’s a problem of not enough money. Another transfer notification popped up. $100,000. I counted the zeros. One, two, three, four, five. A hundred thousand dollars. The sheer amount left me feeling both ashamed and terrified. Me: Actually… there’s something wrong with the puppy. 2. Him: It’s not obedient? Me: No, it’s very obedient! Buddy was always so quiet. He was the most well-behaved dog I’d ever met. Him: Then you’re not ready? I get it. A girl might act on impulse and then have second thoughts. It’s okay to change your mind. Him: But if you ever find yourself looking for a master again, I hope you’ll come to me directly instead of posting publicly. This wasn’t an impulse. Finding a home for Buddy was something I had thought about for a long, long time. I defended myself. Me: No, that’s not it. I’m serious about finding a master. Him: Are you worried I’m a bad person? He sent a few photos of himself along with a link. Him: Here’s some basic info on me. I hope this puts your mind at ease. If anything were to happen, you have everything you need to expose me. I clicked the link. It took me to a Wikipedia page. Adrian Vance, noted entrepreneur and philanthropist in our city, just turned thirty this year… Handsome, rich, and charitable. My guilt deepened. I couldn’t deceive him anymore. Fine. I gritted my teeth and typed it all out. Me: The thing is, the puppy has… issues. I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it. A man like you could have any puppy you want—a prettier one, one with a better temperament… Adrian: It doesn’t matter. I would never be ashamed of my puppy. Adrian: And more importantly, you’re the only puppy I want. My heart skipped a beat. Me: The puppy… has some bad habits. The words were hard to type, so I just let them all spill out at once. Me: The puppy is very sensitive. It can have… accidents and drool when it gets scared. It has severe separation anxiety and is very wary of strangers, so the master would need to be with it every day. Also, the puppy is always hungry. It’s like you can never feed it enough… I was fighting for Buddy now. Me: Basically, there are a lot of problems. But the puppy really, truly needs a home and a master who will take good care of it. Can you accept all of that? A brief silence followed. I prayed he wouldn’t just disappear. Buddy wasn’t pretty or personable, just an ordinary, traumatized mutt. Who would choose to spend so much time and energy healing a broken dog when they could have a perfect one? Just as my mind started to spiral, my phone buzzed. It was an incoming voice call from him. I put in my earbuds and answered. “I will love the puppy with all my heart,” Adrian said, his smooth, rich voice with a cool edge filling my ear. “And I promise, I will always make sure the puppy is well-fed.” His voice was like a feather tickling the inside of my ear, and I felt a blush creep up my neck. “You… you really won’t be ashamed of the puppy?” “Never,” Adrian promised. At the same time, another transfer came through. $100,000. The memo line read: Security Deposit. “Are there any other problems with the puppy?” 3. Hearing Adrian’s voice instead of just reading his texts made me so nervous my fingertips went numb. I stammered, “N-no, no more problems.” I took a deep breath to steady myself, Sarah’s instructions echoing in my head. “Wait, actually, yes, Mr. Vance. I do have a few more questions.” His tone on the other end of the line was still gentle. “Don’t rush. Take your time. I’m listening.” “Mr. Vance, have you ever owned a puppy before?” “To be honest, no,” he admitted. “But I’m willing to learn. Can you teach me? I promise I’ll be a good master.” “Of course, no problem,” I said. “First, you need to have plenty of food and water ready. That’s the most basic thing.” Adrian agreed. “Second, you’ll need to buy a crate, a collar, and a leash.” He sounded surprised. “The puppy has to live in a crate? Isn’t that… cruel? I could prepare a separate house for the puppy if it needs its own space.” Oh, my god. Mr. Vance was so kind and thoughtful, and so ridiculously rich. He was really thinking this much about a dog. But a whole house? That was insane. “That’s really not necessary,” I advised. “A new puppy often feels safer in a crate. It gives them a sense of security.” “Okay, noted. I’ll buy a crate,” he said. “What about the collar and leash? Does the puppy have a preference? Oh, and should I get things like a muzzle, a whip, or a paddle?” I blinked. “The collar and leash can be whatever you like, Mr. Vance. The puppy won’t care about the style. It just wants to be with its master. A muzzle is fine, but I’d advise against using a whip. Puppies are fragile, and you wouldn’t want to hurt it. A paddle… sounds like it wouldn’t be too painful. The puppy could probably handle that.” “Understood,” he said seriously. “I’ll be gentle when I discipline it.” “Mr. Vance, you’re such a good person!” I exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’re willing to take in a puppy that anyone else would see as… broken.” For the first time, Adrian cut me off, his voice firm. “In my eyes, my puppy will always be the best puppy. I hope you can change your perspective and stop saying such things. It lacks confidence.” Huh? That was… bossy. What did my confidence have to do with anything? Was I supposed to lie and pretend Buddy was perfect? By any normal standard, he was a difficult dog. But judging by Adrian’s tone, he truly believed it. Fine. When it came to loving this puppy, I had to admit he had me beat. “I’m sorry, Mr. Vance. You’re right,” I said quickly. “Your puppy is the best puppy in the world.” A soft chuckle came through the line. “Not quite.” “What’s not right?” I asked, confused. “My puppy,” he replied, his voice a low, mesmerizing hum, slightly distorted by the connection, “is the best puppy in the entire universe.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right. Your puppy is definitely the best puppy in the entire universe.” Hearing my simple agreement, Adrian laughed, a warm, genuine sound. He spoke to me like I was a child he was coaxing. “So, have I passed your inspection?” 4. My heart hammered against my ribs. I stumbled over my words. “Y-yes, you’ve passed.” “Am I the puppy’s master now?” Adrian asked. “Sort of.” “What do you mean, ‘sort of’?” “It’s not official until after the home visit and you’ve signed the papers.” Adrian was quiet for a moment. “Are you free for a home visit this weekend?” “I am.” “Then, as the puppy’s master-to-be, may I ask you to do one thing for me?” “What is it?” “Could you please delete the post about looking for a master?” “Of course, Master-to-be,” I said without hesitation. After the call ended, I sank into the sofa, replaying the sound of Adrian’s voice in my head. The dark screen of my phone reflected my own smiling face. Several minutes passed before I finally picked up my phone, casually opened my socials, and deleted the post. 5. The weather had been gloomy for days, the sky heavy with the promise of a storm. The weekend arrived, the day Adrian and I had scheduled for me to visit his home. Twenty minutes later, I was in his car. He looked exactly like his photos—handsome, with an air of refined elegance. He wore a black trench coat over a crisp, well-tailored white shirt that highlighted his lean, athletic build. We drove in silence, the city skyline gradually giving way to rolling green hills. Why would a busy tycoon like Adrian choose to live so far out in the mountains? The thought made me a little uneasy. As if sensing my anxiety, Adrian spoke, his hands steady on the steering wheel. “Considering the puppy’s condition, I didn’t think living downtown would be suitable. I happen to own a villa out here, so I decided to move.” So that was why. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Mr. Vance,” I nodded. To break the awkward silence, I started explaining the basics of puppy care. “You have to be careful when giving the puppy shots. It can get scared and might scratch or bite. It’s a good idea to restrain it and use a muzzle beforehand…” “Shots?” Adrian sounded surprised. “Is that really okay? Wouldn't restraining it be uncomfortable for the puppy?” “Not if you do it right,” I shook my head. “It can actually make the puppy feel more secure.” Thinking about the battles I’d had with Buddy during his vaccinations, I couldn’t help but smile. “Puppies are smart. They can sense what you’re about to do. So it’s best to take it by surprise. That way, it can’t refuse.” Adrian’s expression was serious. “Okay, I understand. A surprise attack, muzzle, restraints, and then the shot. Is that right?” “Exactly,” I nodded. “You’re a quick learner, Mr. Vance.” 6. Adrian wasn’t much of a talker, and halfway through the drive, I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, we had already been at our destination for some time. The villa was huge, and a masterclass in privacy. Adrian led me inside. “There are no live-in maids here, so the puppy can play as much as it wants. We won’t have to worry about being disturbed.” He guided me through the house. “I’ve never been involved in this… scene before, so I’m not entirely sure what puppies like. I spent the last week doing research and rushing to set up this house. I hope the puppy likes it.” That explained the faint dark circles under his eyes. “Mr. Vance, you’ve put so much thought into this,” I said. “I think ninety percent of puppies in the world would love this.” He lowered his gaze to meet mine. “I don’t care if other puppies like it. I only care if my puppy likes it.” He was looking for a definitive answer. I tilted my head back and gave him a bright smile. “Of course, the puppy loves it.” Adrian showed me the different rooms he’d designed. Each had a theme: a playground, a clinic, an office… I watched as his calm explanation turned into a strained attempt at composure, and then, as he opened one particular door, his face went completely red. The room wasn’t large, but its contents were eye-popping. The sheer variety of… items made me wonder if he’d bought out an entire store. But something felt off. These things didn’t look like they were for a dog. They looked like they were for a person. “Mr. Vance, what is all this?” I picked up a small leather whip from an interrogation-style table. “It’s just for disciplining a puppy. Does it really need its own personal prison cell?” I slowly walked around the table to a wall hung with various contraptions. “Mr. Vance, how exactly are you supposed to use these on a puppy?” My fingers brushed against a fluffy, pure-white fox tail. Adrian’s eyelid twitched, his gaze quickly shifting away from the tail in my hand. I then picked up a leather paddle shaped like a cat’s paw. “Is this for punishment? I wonder if it hurts.” With that, I tapped the paddle against the inside of my forearm. The skin immediately turned red, and the paddle itself, surprisingly, changed from black to a soft pink. “Wow, it’s heat-sensitive,” I remarked. “The texture is nice, but that stings a little.” I held out my arm for him to see. A faint red paw print was visible on my skin. Adrian’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing. I pouted. “Mr. Vance, when you discipline the puppy, can you please not use this one? The puppy is very sensitive to pain.” His breathing grew heavy, and the hand at his side clenched into a fist. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his voice raspy when he finally spoke. “Fine. I won’t use this paddle.” I was confused. He was the one who bought all this stuff. Why was he acting so reserved now? So strange. My eyes landed on a string of beads hanging on the wall. I picked them up. “What’s this, Mr. Vance? Is it a pearl necklace for the puppy?” I gave them a squeeze. “That’s odd. Why are the pearls so soft? It feels like rubber. Mr. Vance, did you buy a fake? How is the puppy supposed to wear this?” “Hey, Mr. Vance, what are you— Mmph!?” Without any warning, a rubber ball was shoved into my mouth. Adrian had finally snapped. His lips were against my ear, his voice a low whisper. “Master will now teach the puppy how to use its necklace.”
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