Billionaire's Exhibit Wife

Chapter 8- The Chase

“Fiance?” the stranger repeated the sole word to have caught his attention, a hint of anguish in his tone.

“Renovating the building itself seems like a stretch“ Zane ignored his puzzling look, one that affirmed his win “I might as well start from scratch”

Elora had no way to explain herself despite how much she wished to.

She had autographed a non disclosure agreement regarding her union with Zane just today, and violations of any bit of it would have her securing a noose about her neck, the only way she knew how to make the excessively piling debts all go away.

“I guess you won’t be needing me here tonight” he walked past Elora, avoiding any eye contact whatsoever, but well aware of the two pairs of eyes that followed him.

One wanting and the other, naked with resentment.

It just made no sense to him how Elora still would want him around, irrespective of the man she would soon be married to standing just a few feet away.

Placing both plain plastic bags beside the lovingly decorated basket that had been adorned with the two most romantic gestures, flowers and chocolates, expensive looking ones at that.

He knew he could never top that, especially given their living conditions. So why bother. Perhaps that is the reason why she had chosen him.

Money.

“Alex” All Elora could do was muster his name regardless of having accepted his withdrawal from keeping her company tonight, and undoubtedly every other night.

Alex, so that’s his name, Zane noted as he watched him suddenly halt at Elora’s call.

“Yes Alex, you may give us some privacy” he petily shooed him away from sight before they could, however, begin a tiring show of their appreciation.

“Zane!” Elora bawled out before making a frail attempt to chase after him. Only to stop in her tracks once she took a step, followed by another reluctant one, out of her door.

The hallway was more crowded than usual, she observed. A long line of restless addicts, suspicious looking persons that didn’t stare but offered an occasional peep at her, and a span of people in which she’d lived among, but not once affiliated with them.

Most of them, standing just within the confines of the door closest to hers.

Elora didn’t need to contemplate chasing over the man whom she secretly cherished more than a friend over her life.

She might be brave, but she is certainly not dumb.

“Do you like him?” Zane immediately began, unaware of the threat that lay behind those doors and even before she could begin to grasp the gravity of their situation.

He had attracted them like flies with his smug appearance.

Ranging from the neatly trimmed haircut to the thousand dollar car he couldn’t have the common sense to park in an alleyway or a few miles from here... Of course, the poor thing won’t make it through the night.

He’d appeared mockingly as though telling them to f**k off and make way for him. While jingling his shiny objects at their faces, including hers.

Now here they are with nothing, but a door, and it’s fragile lock to keep the intimidating herd at bay.

“I’ll take that as a yes” he deduced from her silence. Even though that wasn’t exactly the case.

He’d have noticed how much her demeanour, had changed, from just within seconds, if he wasn’t so absolved in his ego.

Elora rolled her eyes, as she located her brown sweatpants “Yes I do like him, I had and still have a life before you, you know” she undisguised her words, bearing no tenderness in them.

“We can’t stay here tonight” Elora finally decided, not wanting to wake up at the sound of rattling door, or it being mauled down in the middle of the night.

All things considered, their safety from now till morning could not be guaranteed if they stayed here tonight.

“Why not?” Zane asked, concealing his glee, as he could not imagine himself rested in such an environment.

“You... your idiocy” she vaguely replied, reaching out for his arm once done sliding her legs into her pants “Your stupidity, your carelessness”

She led him to the door, gulping at the thought of being stabbed in the chest with a pocket knife.

“Oh and did I fail to mention the herd of bandits that you captivated dangling your d**k at them”

You’re just as dangerous, she notioned as she now collected herself and slowly opened the door.

‘Just going to get groceries’ she repeatedly told herself, hoping to have something else to dwell on her mind, while avoiding any shared gaze with the multitudes who now peered at them.

Zane, on the other hand, taking his time to analyze each of their individual faces.

Was he that clueless? Had he never been robbed? Threatened ? violated? Elora pondered in fear, increasing her pace upon noticing a few movement, and floorboards creaking in the distance.

Men who either leaned or crouched now had their hands in their pockets, something poking through it’s fabric as well.

She had to think of something, and fast. They were attracted to Zane ... should she just give him away to them. This was all his doing after all.

Sighs.

“Give me your car keys” she ordered, yanking at it upon realising the reluctance on Zane’s side.

He was finally catching up, Elora noted.

“That black Cadillac is all yours!” she called at the top of her voice, promptly tossing the keys into the crowd, as a just got married bride would the bouquet to the single spinsters who now scrambled for it.

Many took the bait, engaging each other, even those who had partnered up, to scuffle against themselves.

A few smart enough to know it was either pointless or the bigger fish itself was getting away.

“Run!” Elora instructed, nevertheless still seizing Zane's arms upon noticing how snail paced he was as he dragged his feet.

She could not imagine him running for anything since he had everything on a platter, no wonder he had an indifferent attitude to this situation

“Toss your phone” she guided, alerted by how hot on their tail they now were because a certain someone didn’t know how to sprint.

“I just got it today” he clarified as they now descended the flight of stairs. Clearly unmoving rambles to Elora's ears.

“Zane we are about to be mugged, there would be more missing other than your phone, including your limbs and kidney, if they caught up with us.” She managed to engage in a conscience talk that hopefully changed his perception of their not so optional circumstance.

He had whirled one this morning because of her and now he is going to launch another one, still because of her.

Just how many phones will he loose in one day? And just how much chaos has she brought to his life since they first met!?

“Ditch the watch next” she cried out before he could even make peace with his phone.

“it’s a-“

“It’s a twelve thousand dollar Rolex?” Elora helped him complete his unconvincing excuse, now turning into a corner once they exeated the building “Yh everyone knows that, and that’s exactly why it shouldn’t be on you” wondering why she even had to explain this logic to a supposed tycoon owner.

“So ditch it now or I ditch you” Elora threatened. Her chill, demanding tone had Zane immediately hassling to unclasp the glidelock, stripping the gold watch off him along with his phone and aiming them into the air.

“Not at once!” she scolded, a tad too late as he had already committed another one of his dimwitted acts.

“Just how dumb can you be” she let out in anger, searching for something else that could be held for ransom while they escaped...

His one pair of shoe came off during the chase, having Zane question his entire being as he now ran with a missing footwear.

“Leave it” she thanked the Lord as she watched the rest of the crowd held back to view it's value while they progressively ran a few more miles.

I...” Zane wheezed “have to catch my breath” he huffed, now having both hands digging painfully into his thighs.

“This is humiliating for Christ’s sake” he heaved the words out. He’d lost not only his valuables but his dignity. All in a single night spent with.. her.

“Welcome to my world” Elora ridiculed satisfyingly. Something about this sight, the always poised wealthy pig, now walking about with an absent pair of shoe. "And you're welcome"

They had both shared experiences from each of their different society. And seemingly both embarrassed at some point, with one having to help the other escape.

“That was scary,” she chuckled, now realising just how near from death she was “we have to get to a motel before they find us”

“Why don’t we swing by a five star hotel instead” he wheezed, still unwinding from the run, alongside thinking of the accomodating services they had to offer.

A warm bath and king-sized bed, room service, perhaps a massage from a beautiful lady.

For someone who looked pretty fit he wasn’t, Elora thought disappointedly... Wasn’t he the one supposed to do the protecting?

“I thought you cared about your image” she pointed out “guess you don’t mind being seen like that, give them something to talk about” she mimicked, as he had spoken this morning in regards to the kiss they shared.

“Right” Zane grasped the truth behind her scornful tone “At least it is far better than that shithole you call home” he uttered inconsiderately.

Leading the way, she occasionally looked behind, not to find out if the muggers had caught up to their location, but to be amused by the man who now held his only present shoe in his hand, walking with nothing but socks on his feet.

She’d snigger while Zane self-consciously looked to the side, evading her gaze, whenever she did so.

It was definitely quite a spectacle.

“We’re here” Elora remarked, feeling accomplished.

‘The shady motel’ Zane now read the metallic sign board ageing with rust, making some words harder to discern.

His eyes roamed about the empty street, a desolate gloom that filled the silence of the night, other than the howling stray dogs he hoped would not disturb his rest before landing his gaze on the grey, colourless building itself.

It’s sinister vibes welcomed the chirping crickets as it seemed to harbor no source of life, within and definitely not without.

‘Shady indeed’

“We can get two different rooms” Zane suggested before they marched onwards, he being the one Infront now.

“And who’s going to protect me” Elora somewhat teased.

What she really meant was, ‘who’s going to take all the beat down so she could flee while they are distracted.’

Zane groaned, aware that she was taking the piss on him but kept shut as he had no energy to bicker with the annoying brat.

“There are no separate beds” the lady with dark brown murderous curls at the reception uttered. "Just small double beds"

Her tone came off as nonchalant as her choice in outfit. A black clingy sleeveless gown that hung tightly to her belly rolls, equally exposing her bushy pits.

“Could this night get any worse” he whisphered, expectedly audible to everyone beside him.

“One room it is” Elora stretched out her arm at Zane, he’d seen this gesture way too many times with Leah and simply took out his wallet and offered an unknown amount.

The receptionist slackly reached out for it, offering a poor customer service as she snorted out mucus while lazily extending the room keys at Elora.

She clearly despised her job. Meanwhile...

‘Why hadn’t I just asked Frederick to prepare the bath?’