When the Billionaire Meets Heaven

Chapter 3: Escape

BONNIE

11:11 PM

I wish to leave this place alive.

Scanning the entire floor up to where my eyes could reach, the elevator appeared to be my only way out. After all, the idea of jumping from the 15th floor of a building was obviously not a brilliant option.

I pushed the black eyeglasses I was wearing up the bridge of my nose and fixed my hair into a bun. I tried my best to look like Jenny, the owner of the uniform I stole, as shown on her nameplate. Since both of us have Chinese facial features, it wasn't that hard to copy her.

"We can't wait for you that long. You have to get out of there now!" Reginald exclaimed.

I gritted my teeth. "Thanks! You just made things a whole lot easier for me."

After everything I have been through, this is not the ending I had imagined for myself. I closed my eyes and tried to look for pictures behind my eyelids that would somehow help me compose myself. It was only then that I dared to open my eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

They were so confident about this task that they didn't give me plan B. Now I have to make one on my own, and I don't have the time to get pissed off.

"You have to keep moving. The authorities have already called their back up."

From where I was standing, I could see the elevator at the end of the hallway. But as expected, this escape wouldn't be that easy. A man with a strong-built body was standing beside the elevator, guarding it with all his might.

When a hotel guest tried to take a lift, he stopped her to examine her face. He was checking out something on his phone, maybe a picture of me, and when he realized that she was a different person, it was only then that he allowed her to leave.

"Honey, they serve the best steak here!"

"Then let's eat that for dinner."

I shifted my attention to an elderly couple who came out of a room and walked past me. Hearing their conversation, both of them looked approachable and kind.

So, although this felt like an impossible escape, I had no choice but to test my luck once again.

"Hello, good evening. Are you going to eat dinner in our restaurant?" I barged in on their conversation.

For a second, they looked surprised when they saw me. But thanks to the uniform I was wearing, they ended up smiling graciously.

I watched as the old man wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Oh yes, dear, we were just about to go there," the old woman replied.

"Great! We offer the best dishes in the city!"

Placing a hand on the back of the old woman, we started walking together as I led the way to the elevator.

"What the f**k are you doing right now, Bonnie?" Reginald's voice was rumbling in my ears. And I tried my best to hide my annoyance.

"We also have a blueberry cake for couples! You must try that one," I said, just to keep the conversation going. Anyway, it used to be my favorite cake, so the mere thought of it calmed me down. "So, are you here to celebrate your anniversary?"

I peered down the hallway, casting a brief look at the man near the elevator. I couldn't help but breathe heavier. He was looking in our direction as if he knew what was going on and was just waiting for us to arrive so that he could arrest me.

Stop being paranoid, Bonnie!

"We are celebrating the day we first met!"

I felt a sudden rush of guilt because they seemed to be a lovely couple. I hate that I had to get them involved, but there were no other options available. So, I just smiled at them and commented on their stories from time to time as we continued walking.

"There's a pool party on the 3rd floor. It's your only way out of that hotel," Finally! Reginald said something helpful.

"So Jenny, how long have you been working here?" the old woman asked me this time.

"Long enough for me to know we're near the elevator," I chuckled.

My heart was beginning to beat faster. I could feel it getting stronger as we reached the end of the hallway. Finally, we stood in front of the man who looked like one of the police officers I'd encountered before.

Among the three of us, he was observing me. It felt like every move I made could be used against me.

But I knew better than anyone that I had already removed the disguise they had seen earlier. It would be hard to associate me with the thief they wanted to arrest. I'm Jenny. So, instead of giving away a concerned look, I held my chin up, looked straight into his eyes, and smiled.

"So, how's your stay here in our hotel so far?" I asked the couple before pressing the elevator button, acting completely indifferent to the man's presence. I saw several men roaming around the hallway and checking every room where I could possibly hide through my peripheral vision.

If not for the man who saved me earlier, I would probably be in prison right now.

The elevator man was still examining our faces while the couple talked to me as if they had known me for years. We were just waiting for the elevator to stop at our floor. What's taking it so long?

"I'm just so glad you can enjoy your time here at Hotel Alcantara," I said to the couple. I tried my best not to get affected by what was currently happening.

The man's eyes were still fixed on me, but he wasn't saying anything. He just had a dodged, sullen look which made me ball my fist as a precautionary measure.

"Just don't do something that will draw attention," Reginald reminded me.

When the elevator door finally opened, I let the couple get inside first before I followed.

Taking a deep breath, I turned around and faced the man who was still looking at me with narrowed eyes. I wore a fake smile and pressed the close-door button.

"Wait!" The man poked his hand, blocking the door from closing.

It was so sudden that I couldn't help but move a step backward. I stood still with my heart pounding hard in my throat. Did he recognize me?

"Bonnie, you really have to hurry, or else we'll have no choice but to leave you behind," Reginald, you've got to be kidding me!

I took in a bitter taste in my mouth as I watched the door go back open.

"Yes, sir? Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked most professionally. I shouldn't let my emotions take over my body.

The man looked at me from head to toe in a way that made me feel disgusted. p*****t. I knew then that he was not as dedicated as I thought he was in his job.

"May I know where the nearest comfort room on this floor is?" He asked out of nowhere while scratching his head. His eyes were focused on my chest, so I knew he was obviously trying to hit on me.

"Just go straight there," I said, pointing at the other end of the hallway, where we came from.

"Alright-"

"But that's the fire exit. You should leave here," the old man corrected me.

My heart skipped a beat. "Oh yes! I was just kidding!" I laughed. Although the couple did the same, the man wasn't that fond of jokes.

God! Why am I so bad at direction?!

He furrowed his eyebrows, and my heart started running for its life.

"Jenny… I thought you were working here, then how come you don't know-" the man stopped, his eyes widened with realization.

Before I could even redeem myself, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at my face. Screaming came right after. My body trembled as I slowly raised my arms to surrender.

"What's going on there, Bonnie?" Reginald asked, as if he was suddenly concerned about my welfare.

It was obvious that the man was not sure about my identity. Still, my lack of knowledge led him to suspicion. Now I shouldn't let him confirm that I was the woman they were looking for. He was simply trying to scare me as a way to break my act, and I'm not going to fall for that.

"Sir, who are you? Why are you scaring our guests?!" I asked, as if he was the one at fault. The old couple was now hiding behind my back as I was more worried about them than anything else.

"Are you really working here?" He was obviously trying to catch me through my words.

"Of course, I am! If you have any problems with our service, just let me know so we can do something! I can call my supervisor now," There, I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, as if he was now having second thoughts about his suspicion.

I gasped when he suddenly grabbed my arm, trying to pull me out of the elevator. "Why are you doing this?!" I asked innocently while attempting to escape from his grasp.

"Let's talk!"

It was not part of my plan to do anything physical, but he dug his fingernails into my skin so hard that it was starting to hurt!

So, in one swift move, I tightened my grip on his hand and removed it from my arm. Another screamed. I kicked the gun out of his hand, causing it to skid away in the hallway. He bent over to get his weapon, and I took the opportunity to escape.

More screaming. I pressed the close button several times as if it could make the door close any faster. I called the names of all the saints I know for help. As I watched the elevator door closing, the man tried to stop it again, but I kicked him in the stomach quickly.

"It was from our self-defense class," I explained myself to the old couple, although they were still in a state of panic. "Just for the worst-case scenario when we need to protect our guests."

I saw the man standing up and was about to launch forward again when the door closed in his face.

"What happened?!" the old woman asked me, and I just shook my head as I tried to catch my breath. It felt like I had just lost half of my life.

"I don't know. I'll have to report it to our supervisor first. Still, on behalf of Hotel Alcantara, I sincerely apologize for what happened," I simply replied as if I was really working here as a receptionist.

Now I have to clear my mind and think straight. For starters, I pressed the 3rd-floor button.

"Bonnie, are you still alive?" Reginald asked, which made me roll my eyes.

The old couple was still talking to each other about what had happened. They were terrified and mad at the same time, but I didn't say a word. I just waited until the elevator stopped. When the door opened, I left without a word to not bring more danger to them. I guess they wouldn't give this hotel 5 stars nor a good review after what happened tonight.

I looked around and felt very fortunate to know that it was an open pool. It was more like a pool on the roof, and there were color-changing underwater lights. It was breathtaking. The rock music grew louder and louder as I blended in with the crowd. Even though it was dark and everyone was having fun caring about what was happening to me, I still moved at a quick but cautious pace. I didn't want to attract anyone's attention.

No one seemed to notice me when I reached the end of the pool. I stood in front of it and saw that it was only above my chest. Looking at the ground from where I was standing, I had to check how hard it would be to crawl down. I also checked the surroundings to see if it was safe for me.

There were only a few cars on the road and a few people walking down the streets.

"Meet me in front of the condominium right across from the hotel," I said to Reginald.

In the case of life and death situations like this, I brought with me the rope I always use in my training. Though, I actually didn't know it would come in handy now.

When I looked back, the crowd had already gathered at the center of the pool, all busy trying to catch a big ball, as the music became deafening to me. Perfect. I removed my boots and pulled out a rope from one of them. I tied the rope's end at the post near the wall – tightened it in a double knot, and tied its other end to my waist.

At full speed, I approached the wall and pulled myself up. I used both of my hands and grabbed the top of the wall before I slid my whole body out. Once I moved to the other side, I placed my feet on the wall and started climbing down. Carefully, I pushed and pulled myself downward, feeling the pain in my hands which eventually turned numb.

I could feel my ragged breathing as I held on to my life. Not far from where I would land, I could hear police and ambulance sirens. It made me more nervous than I already was, but there was no way I would stop just because of that.

When I was near the ground, I couldn't risk being seen crawling down the hotel wall, so I reached for my dagger and cut the rope before I made a jump. It was still too high, so I found myself rolling down the sidewalk.

"Two men are keeping a close eye on us."

It was definitely painful, like I just had broken ribs, but I managed to stand up. I had to.

As silent as the dead, I walked towards the convenience store near the condominium. I decided to go inside for a while. Just in case anyone's looking at me, I decided to check on some stuff for a few minutes before leaving the store.

Moving forward to the parking space of the condominium, from a distance, I already spotted Reginald's SUV.

"I'm coming over now."

I walked around the driver's side and saw that Ayesha was already holding the door open for me. I got inside and closed the door before Reginald turned on the car engine.

Still shaking, Ayesha gave me a tight hug. "I can't believe I'm still alive!" I spilled out the great news.

"What a waste. I was already happy with the thought of you not coming back," Joselle commented, and I just stuck my tongue out. She didn't see it though, because she was sitting in the front seat beside Reginald.

"Unfortunately, I was-"

My thoughts were cut off when I looked out the car window. At the entrance of Hotel Alcantara, someone was being carried out on a stretcher and put into an ambulance. The two medical personnel moved faster so the hotel guests wouldn't get nosey. I didn't know something else had happened at the time I was trying to save my life.

"We didn't know about the sting operation until now. Ayesha heard it earlier from two men when she was buying from the convenience store," Reginald explained. "We need to be more careful now, this already happened in our last operation, but we didn't think they'd pull it off again soon."

I didn't say a word. I knew the gang would have to get rid of me sooner or later. I just didn't expect it to be this soon, since I haven't paid my debts yet.

I removed my eyeglasses and rolled my sleeves up, about three-fourths. Knowing me well, Ayesha took out her makeup-removal wipes and gave me one.

"You got hurt!" she pointed out when she saw my arm.

The car stopped abruptly, and all of a sudden, Reginald was already checking my arm. His aura darkened. I just saw my arm now, there were scratches, and I'm sure they came from the man who grabbed my arm on the 15th floor.

"It's nothing," I said, because I had it worse.

Reginald didn't say anything. However, he looked furious when he threw a small bag into my lap.

I opened it and saw that it was a first aid kit.

"Thanks."

Reginald resumed driving. I just shook my head and reminded myself that he was the oddest man alive.

Ayesha helped me treat my scratches, and while she was doing it for me, I had the time to reflect on everything that happened to me tonight.

There was actually a silver lining to it. I didn't know it was possible to cherish at least one moment tonight. I couldn't help but smile when I remembered the man I kissed and how he protected me like a knight.

"Why do you look so happy? Did you do something slutty?" Ayesha surprised me with her question. I didn't expect it to come from a 10-year-old girl, and she was also laughing because of it.

I just raised both my eyebrows to agree with what she said. Hopefully, Reginald and Joselle both have no interest in what we were talking about.

"But you don't do anything slutty. It isn't part of your vocabulary, right?"

"Then maybe it's a new slang word," I gave her a wink, and she giggled.

"Isn't that considered cheating on your husband?" she whispered, reminding me of the boy I met when I was just her age.

Although I can no longer remember his name, I managed to keep the ring he made out of paper. He gave it to me when he asked me to marry him. We were very young then, but he promised that someday he would buy me the most expensive diamond ring when we got older.

"We broke up a long time ago," I said in return because I knew I'd already lost the confidence to face him.