THE BILLIONAIRE’S TREASURE

Chapter2

“My boss wants to see you; I’ve been sent to pick you up,” he added.

Tracy tightened her grip on her handbag. She didn’t tell anyone she was here. She had not seen him before, so how did he know where to find her?”

“You’ve probably got the wrong person,” she replied.

The man’s hand reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small sealed grey envelope. “Here,” he said, handing it over to her.

Tracy took the envelope and studied it closely. At a slow pace she opened it, and doubt crept in. She found her full name across the front of a paper. Written in neat and bold handwriting. She was stunned, as this was a silent confirmation. She didn’t need any more facts to understand this was real.

She looked at him again. Then she swallowed hard and entered the back seat. The door locked with a final sealing sound, and immediately the car drove off. She was consumed with fear. The city slipped away while she watched from the window. She panicked inside and hoped she had not ruined everything. Regret hit her hard as she questioned her reckless choice.

The car stopped in front of a tall, dark building.

“We’re here,” the man said.

Tracy gazed at the structure of the building, then stepped outside. She was before a warehouse. The scent of wet concrete hung in the air. She felt her heart beat against her ribs. She tried to stay calm because she realized there was no going back.

“Miss Gilbert?”

Tracy nodded.

“My boss is waiting; please come with me.”

She followed him as they walked through the front door into a dark passage. It was a long narrow pathway.

The floor beneath was a black and white design pattern. Every space had objects to marvel at. They moved in a single line without a word. Each footstep sounded across the building. The hallway seemed to contain multiple connected and quiet rooms.

At the far end of the final room stood a door. It creaked open, and she looked around to scan the space. A heavy smell of smoke hit her nose. Someone was smoking there. She felt dizzy by the strong scent. A slight irritation sting to her throat. Her eyes moved through the dim light in the room, and she spotted the figure.

“Boss, I’ve found her.”

The figure in the dark room gradually turned around to face her. It was a man in a well-suited black tuxedo. He was relaxed back against the chair as thick smoke drifted past his lips and crossed his face into the air. His facial expression was hard to read.

“Is this the best option you could find?” Jack asked, his voice curled up in disgust.

He tilted his head down and stirred his eyes slowly, inspecting Tracy from her head all the way to her tattered shoes. His unblinking eyes stayed still at her for a long time. His face darkened with displeasure and formed into a frown.

“Boss, she’s the only woman desperate enough to accept,” the man replied.

Tracy stood there, agitated, and didn’t say a word. A flash of rage hits her. She felt ashamed and humiliated. His endless stare was very uncomfortable. Her whole body seemed trapped in her skin, and she wanted to turn and run away.

“Take a seat, if you want,” Jack said, his voice cold as ever.

Tracy wanted to speak. She wanted to tell him he’s an asshole for sizing her up and degrading her with that look but she couldn't seem to find the words. Her jaw tightens. She glanced aside to hide the flash of embarrassment on her face. She felt instant resentment towards him.

She turned her back, hoping to get far away from him. But before she could take a step further, his harsh voice snapped through the room and made her stop in her tracks.

“No one dares to walk out on me and gets away with it. So I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said sharply.

Tracy couldn’t move for a minute. Her body was still like a statue. Her mind raced rapidly and fear consumed her. She felt unsafe and wondered what she had gotten herself into. The atmosphere of the room appeared dark. She turned around, looked down and sat on the couch.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.

Tracy raised her chin to look at him. She was scared of how angry he was. She noticed his clenched jaw and his face tightened into a scowl. “No,” she replied.

Jack didn’t respond. Instead, he signaled to the man standing next to him with one hand while holding his cigarette in the other. The man walked over to Tracy and gave her a card with a name.

Jack Walter.

A cold shiver ran down her spine. She knew that name. Everyone did. It was famous everywhere in the city. She remembered once seeing a magazine of him on it. This is the man Aunt Suzzy talked about. Of all people to make a deal with. Why him?

Jack’s phone rang, bringing her back to the present. With the look on his face, she could tell he wasn’t happy with whatever the person at the other end informed him about. After his phone call ended, a knock followed and a man entered the room.

“Hello, Mr. Walter. I got your message and came as soon as possible,” he said firmly.

As he spoke to Jack in a crisp dark brown suit, button-down shirt with a neat tie. Clear glasses perched on his nose. A structured leather briefcase tucked under his arm. Tracy could tell that he was a lawyer.

“Any positive outcome?” Jack asked.

“I’m sorry, there’s none. The timeframe was too short.” His lawyer replied.

Jack's gaze shifts downwards, his eyelids drooping slightly. He slumps his shoulder, and his face falls right away. The board of directors had given him two days to find a wife or lose the position of president of Apex Group. He knew the time allocated would not be enough, but he decided to work with it. He had to find a way no matter what. He could not see himself losing what he had waited for all his life.

“Leave us.” Jack commanded, to his lawyer and the man as they both left the room.

The moment the door shut after their dismissal, he looked at Tracy intensively. He needed her to see the storm in his eyes. To feel him. To know that this wasn’t a joke or something to be taken lightly.

“I was informed that your mother is in the hospital and of your family’s huge debts.”

“So I have something for you.” He continued.

And at that instant, Tracy knew that she was in for a ride. There was no way she could get away from him now. She had gotten too involved to escape.

“What do you mean by that?” Tracy asked, her voice almost mumbling.

“I know you need money, and I have lots of it. I’m going to make you an offer that could solve all your financial problems.” He said arrogantly.

Jack threw the contract on the table before her. The room was filled with awkward silence. Tracy felt restless in her seat as she reluctantly took the documents in her hands. She opened it and found out that it was a contract marriage, exactly how Aunt Suzzy had described it.

“Be my wife, and in exchange, I would clear your mother’s medical bills and pay off your family’s debts.”

“What makes you think I would accept your offer?”

Jack laughed.

A cold, expressionless laughter.

Tracy was already fuming. She could not stand him. She was offended with herself for agreeing to come here in the first place. She could barely endure being in the same room with him for a while, let alone a year as his wife.

Jack paused laughing just long enough and said,

“I’m not just a billionaire; I’m a powerful one. Nobody gets rejected by me.”

All of a sudden, he stepped closer. He moved one foot ahead of the other until he was positioned right in front of her. Close enough to crush her with one fingertip.

“You have until tomorrow morning to decide. If you refuse, your mother’s surgery is cancelled.”