The Irresistible Billionaire

Chapter 9

"I gotta run," I muttered and braced myself, but then the window rolled down, revealing the familiar, inviting face of a cute architect. "Mr. Sinclair?"

"Hi," he greeted with a wide smile. "Do you need a ride?"

My lips turned upside down when he opened the door for me, and I hopped in without hesitation. "You saved my life!" I exclaimed and hugged him.

I felt him stiffen from my sudden action but eventually chuckled it off and patted my back twice for comfort.

"I don't have my wallet with me. I couldn't go back to work, and I thought I was just going to walk back to the building and—ugh! That bastard just left me here," I grumbled as I settled myself back in the passenger seat.

"Mr. Miles?" he asked, confirming who I was referring to.

"Who else?" I scoffed. "If there's someone I would put a spell on and curse, it would be him. Johnny Miles."

"Okay," Stefano slowly uttered, hinting a small smile on his lips. "Uh... you might wanna—here, let me." He leaned closer to me, reaching for the seatbelt.

"Oh..." I forgot to breathe for a second when his face was just an inch away from mine.

Is this some kind of payback since I just hugged him? If so, then he just won.

Shamelessly, I sniffed his scent, and I almost rolled my eyes to the back of my head. His scent was not overwhelming; it was soft on my senses, like the expensive Diptyque perfume.

Clamming my lips, I enjoyed my slutty moment while it lasted.

"There you go," he announced after I heard the click. "I drive safe all the time, but just for security—and we don't want to get pulled over," he softly explained.

"Yeah," I awkwardly replied, hugging my bag that was sitting on my lap. "I'm really grateful you saw me. How are you here?"

"I had my lunch just around the block. There was some construction going on at the other street, so I had to take a U-turn. Then I saw you," he said, pointing the aircon in my direction.

"How did you know it’s me?"

"You're not that hard to recognize," he replied truthfully, glancing at my clothes.

My wide range of hope that I made a gorgeous impression on him just blew off by his quiet hurricane.

I felt my lips quiver for a moment as I forced a cute smile and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Figures," I muttered, not surprised there anymore.

"I like the way you dress," he suddenly uttered, trying to help me retain the esteem he partially destroyed—unintentionally. "It's... unique," he added, picking a polite way to describe my choice of clothes.

"Th—thanks," I timidly replied, flushed and stifling my grin.

"So, uh... work?" he asked, shifting the gear and holding onto the wheel.

I nodded my head. He stepped on the gas and had a quick reflex to step on the brake when a black Mercedes suddenly swerved in front of us.

I felt my lungs shake inside my body when my back hit the seat.

"What the hell is this guy thinking?" Stefano murmured with a deep frown on his face, clearly unhappy with the carelessness—especially after just clarifying how he prioritizes safety while on the road.

The car drove off, so fast that it quickly went out of my sight.

"Sorry about that. Are you hurt?" Stefano asked worriedly, checking me, but my eyes were glued to where the car disappeared.

I know that car, and I know who owns it. Because I just walked away from it a couple minutes ago.

Johnny.

What's his problem?

I bet he would just go home, get drunk, and have a threesome or foursome in any hotel—or even in his house, which I thought was his sacred place. Turned out it wasn't.

But that only means one thing: it's safe for me to go back to work. I still got a lot of things to do.

Upon arriving at the building, we headed straight to the same floor while talking about our supposed dinner. But I had the right feeling to decline.

"Maybe we could just have some coffee tomorrow morning. There's a café nearby. I go there every morning before work," I offered, and that made his eyes light up. "If that's okay with you?"

We stopped in front of his temporary office. "Ye—yeah! I mean, yes. That's very fine with me."

I nodded and stood there awkwardly, feeling like a mushroom next to a humongous fungus.

"So, uh..."

"I should probably go and do my job," I excused myself, gesturing my hand in the direction of the hallway.

"Sure. Sure," he muttered, pushing the door open for himself. "If ever you need anything, you can just come here. I'll help you if I can," he offered, and I found it very sweet of him.

No one in this building ever asked me to spend time with them, or insisted on giving a hand to me. No one. Now, I'll consider this cute giant a blessing from above.

Everyone in this building took me for a weirdo, which was the main idea of this double life I'm leading. And everyone thought that they were better than me, prettier than me, sexier than me, or smarter than me. They may be right about one thing out of all those, but they judge without knowing who I truly am.

Who am I, anyway? Well, an orphan, a drag in life, and a gold digger. At least I look fine without these eighties clothes.

"That would be too much, Mr. Sinclair," I tried to refuse, but he insisted more. "But uhm... thank you. That's very nice of you. Nobody really talks to me here except when they need something."

"Why would they do that? I think you're a good friend," he frowned, as if he didn't see how I looked. "And please, just call me Stefano."

I waved my hand before my face and bit my lower lip. "Well, Stefano, they don't really care about who Cassidy North is," I said, taking steps backwards, waving my hand at him before taking the hallway.

Just while I was blushing and keeping in a squeal that someone like Stefano Sinclair—an architect, looking like boyfriend material—could be so friendly and wouldn't judge me.

Unlike Johnny.

In terms of their faces, Johnny has strong features, while Stefano has a soft aura. They're both handsome but in a different way. Plus, Stefano's gentlemanly behavior was what made him even better.

He doesn't make me feel uncomfortable or anything. He's very ideal.

"That ass of a Johnny can shove it up in his pretty face that he's got a competitor now. He thinks he's the only handsome man on Earth? Ugh!" I scoffed, but all of my eye rolls and muttering came to a halt—together with my stumbled feet—when my eyes found someone's fiery gaze.

Johnny was leaning his back against the door frame to his office. His chest—which was exposed from the freed buttons—was heaving softly.

What's he doing here? I thought he fled from office work.

I scanned his face, and there was no usual Johnny on it—not the bored, jerk face he always had—but something I was seeing for the first time.

What was that?

"I felt a little bit complimented that you think I'm handsome and admitted it yourself even just once, but I'm not happy. Do you know why?" he slowly uttered, his voice low and dangerous, like he brought death with him and let it live inside him.

"You're already unhappy since this morning," I stated, and it only made him squint his eyes at me.

"Flirting with a colleague—no, not a colleague, a stranger—and hitchhiking. Are you stupid or just an i***t?" he asked as if he gave me a choice.

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Cassidy." He pushed himself to stand straight and caught me by my wrist, pulling me inside his office, almost tossing me.

"Ouch, Johnny, you're hurting me!" I exclaimed, tripping on my own feet and luckily got caught by his hands.

I snatched my arm from him and stared at him furiously.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem?" he raised his voice, frowning deeply and breathing raggedly. "I needed assistance at work, and you're wasting time with that architect?"

"Did it slip your mind that you left me on the street, 'sir'?"

"Left you? You had a ride—with me." He pointed at his chest. "And you're the one who rejected the offer and disrespected your boss publicly."

"Because you were being an asshole and selling me to that creep like a cheap woman!"

"I was giving you a job!" he yelled at me, the veins on his neck showing as his face turned red. If I saw rage in his eyes earlier, right now, I see wrath.

"I have a job," I calmly retorted. "Right here. Even if you're hard to put up with, I enjoy working here because I like clerking. I like boring stuff. Even if I know how much I don't belong here, I'm staying because I know it's my responsibility to assist you—because you're a careless sleazebag and you need supervision at all times."

After speaking in one breath, I inhaled sharply and risked lifting my eyes to look at him—only to find him gaping at me.

"What's in it for you if I talk to Stefano? At least he doesn't make me feel uncomfortable. He doesn't violate me as a woman. He talks to me nicely and doesn't look at me like I'm a pig in a bacon factory. He's a nice person," I said, picking a side. "And he doesn't bully me."

"I never bullied you..." Johnny uttered softly—more like it sounded defeated.

Yeah, right. He never.

If only he could remember...

"I left my wallet here on my desk, so I had no choice but to go with him," I explained. "But that doesn't mean you can just carelessly drive and yell at me about it. Because for your information, all the papers you have to sign are still there, unmoved."

He followed where I was pointing and clenched his jaw, defining its sharpness.

"It's already Monday, and you still haven't got anything done." I crossed my arms and leveled the look on his face when he looked back at me. "What is it that you need assistance with?"

Johnny moved his jaw. "I'm not in the mood anymore."

Rolling my eyes, I let out a sigh. Figured it already. "Woman?"

He gave me a side glance. "Aren't you supposed to convince me to work?"

"You're the boss. You do whatever pleases you and have every woman you want in the world," I said before pivoting on my heels to leave and caress my wrist where he gripped tightly. "I'll inform you as soon as I get a call."

I twisted the knob and stepped outside, but before I closed the door, I heard him say something that I'm not sure if I heard right—or if it was just my delusions feeding my lovesick heart.

"I can't have any woman I want if I can't have you."