When the Billionaire Meets Heaven

Chapter 1: Torrid

BONNIE

Stealing is not a crime – at least that's what I think.

This means that there shouldn't be a problem if I steal from corrupt politicians and rich thieves. After all, I prefer stealing things that were also stolen from others. Simple.

Yes, I'm an outlaw, but that doesn't mean that I'm trying to be heroic or someone like Robin Hood - stealing from the rich to give to the poor, because I can't. It is also not because I have a problem with the idea of wealth redistribution. It is just that I'm aware that this is the phase of my life wherein I shouldn't try to be righteous nor have the time to care about other people aside from myself.

Stealing from those who deserve it is just a rule of thumb I made for myself to survive. In that way, I could still have even just a little bit of conscience for every task assigned to me.

It is Friday night. Fortunately, I arrived in one piece at the address that Reginald gave me. It is a 5-star medieval-themed hotel in Quezon City, a short walk from Timog and Tomas Morato. Whoever owns this place probably has a lot of money in his pocket. This is because I've seen many people go in and out of the building. It didn't surprise me that much. Aside from having a tower, literally a castle-like structure, this hotel gives off a classical feeling with its luxurious facilities. Who wouldn't love to spend the night here?

While it was my first time at Hotel Alcantara, I couldn't appreciate its entire magnificence because I didn't have enough time to spare. Maybe I will visit next time when I don't have plans to steal.

I would be lying if I said that I'm not nervous right now – because I am. And I think I will never get used to this.

Sitting crossed-legged on a couch in the lobby, I found my feet kicking back and forth as I stared stiffly at my wristwatch. When its shorter hand finally pointed to nine, I took a deep breath and stood up.

At my 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions, I caught several men gawking at me from head to toe with lust heavy in their eyes. Perhaps they wanted to see what was underneath my tight leather dress – as if I would let that happen.

But I have a push dagger hidden in my left knee-high boots for protection, to tell the truth. Reginald gave it to me five years ago when I earned his trust, and since then, I have always carried this weapon on every task.

Holding my head high, I sneered and walked straight to the elevator without looking back. This place is so clean that I could almost see my reflection clearly on the elevator door while waiting for it to open.

I saw the number take a short stop at the 15th floor before it continued downwards.

I must admit that I look really fantastic in my wig tonight. Ayesha helped me choose this shoulder-length dark brown wig with layers of lightly tousled waves. She really has a good sense of fashion and beauty for her age.

Pursing my red lips together, I took out my phone as if I was simply checking my oversized black sunglasses, and there I saw a message which served as my go signal.

3, 2, 1, I heard the elevator ding, and at last, it opened.

Revealing a woman in her late 50s who probably had undergone a series of Botox and Liposuction, she just walked past me without knowing she would lose something tonight. She was reeking of perfume that I almost covered my nose.

Wearing a black tank top, tight jeans, and stilettos, it was as if she was trying so hard to be twenty years younger.

I rolled my eyes in disbelief, especially when I noticed that we were wearing the same sunglasses. As if it would make others not recognize that she is Senator Del Mundo. Now I'm pretty sure I know how the government is spending our taxes.

Senator Del Mundo is my target tonight.

Half the job was already done, thanks to Reginald and the rest of the gang. I already have the key to steal her precious jewelry: 5-carat diamond earrings together with a 30-carat diamond-encrusted necklace. And I'm not sure if she was just full of herself or completely ignorant. She posted a photo of this jewelry set on social media, bragging that it was worth six million pesos.

A hundred million pesos minus six million pesos is equal to ninety-four million pesos. Not bad to pay off my debt.

While everyone in their twenties was out there having fun, here I was, trying to survive another day as a thief.

I entered the elevator just in time before it closed, pressed the 15th button, and waited.

There were mirrors installed inside that allowed me to fully see how I looked in my disguise: classic, sophisticated, and sexy. Maybe those who were looking at my back through the CCTV camera were already salivating. I arched my back slightly to make my butt look bigger, accentuating my curves.

"Finish the task in 10 minutes. We'll meet you at the entrance," I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Reginald's voice through the spy headset.

"Wow, this really works!" He shushed me quickly, and I managed to suppress my laughter.

Not long after, the elevator door opened, and it brought me back to reality. This would be my first time stealing inside a hotel because the tasks that were usually given to me were all outdoors – where many people around me could be pointed as the suspect.

So far, this is my most dangerous assignment.

I gulped air to steady myself when I walked out of the elevator. I looked at my hand and saw the map that Ayesha drew for me, as I'm really not that good with directions.

However, some parts of her drawing were already fading that I had to look at it more closely to understand.

"s**t," I muttered.

"What's the problem?"

I didn't answer Reginald because I didn’t want to sound stupid – and he hates stupidity as much as I do.

Relax and think. You can do it, I convinced myself.

Looking at the hall from my perspective, I can go straight, left, or right. In the drawing, it was so weird that the answer solely relied on my hand's position. So, should I just guess? I could close my eyes, turn around, and stop. Once opened, I could choose the direction I was facing. Would that work?

Well, no! What if I find myself facing a wall instead? Now, I hate that this place is so big and has so many rooms!

"Nothing. I'm fine," I lied and started walking towards the right hallway.

Because the right is always right… right? Stupid.

I halted when I saw a man standing outside a room, looking skeptical. Did I just see him talk to himself? It was quick but enough for me to know that he touched his ear once. There I saw a similar headset.

Turning around abruptly before he could even see me, I decided to walk in the opposite direction instead.

But I saw a waiter pushing a cart, standing proud and tall. My heart started pounding fast when I noticed a bulk behind this man's back – a gun.

"f**k! Bonnie, leave right now!" Reginald screamed at the top of his lungs, enough for me to realize that it was another sting operation. God, they should have known this beforehand!

I cursed in my head several times when I heard the elevator ding from behind me. Imagining police officers bursting out of it, there was no way I could leave this hotel right now. How come I didn't realize that the men I saw earlier in the lobby were literally looking at me as prey?!

But instead of blaming anyone, I just decided to move as fast as I could towards the center hallway. I could already hear footsteps from behind. For sure, looking back was not an option.

If only I could steal one expensive piece of jewelry to finally put an end to my misery, I'd be willing to risk my life to get it, no matter how dangerous the task is.

But tonight wasn't fair! I was about to get arrested for just six million pesos! Six million pesos!

After what I have been through for the past fifteen years, I would never let that happen.

The footsteps were now getting louder and coming faster in my direction. I struggled to keep my breath under control.

I'm deeply aware that life is short, but no one told me that it just got shorter tonight.

If the authorities catch me tonight, they will use me to find Zheng Gang's hideout. Either Reginald would kill me before that happened, or the police would make me suffer until my last breath.

Surprise! I'm doomed either way.

"Hey! Stop!"

When I reached the end of the hallway, I turned right again, and that was when I started running for my life. It felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest.

I looked from side to side, hoping to be saved by luck, when I suddenly pushed a random door and found out that it was unlocked. So, without a second thought, I blindly entered this room.

It was so cold inside that I immediately shivered. What is this - a freezer?

But the first thing that caught my eyes was the man lying on the bed without a shirt on.

He effortlessly made my stomach backflip. Not only because of his broad, muscular shoulders, but entirely because of his perfect physique, which made him resemble the Adonis in my wild imagination.

I'm not usually crazy about men, but this is one hell of a hot guy!

"Bonnie!"

"Oh yes!"

Before I got lost in my thoughts, I immediately reminded myself of the situation I was a part of.

"Hi! I hope you don't mind if I stay here with you for a while," I said to the handsome stranger, gasping for air with each word I'd spoken.

The man was literally staring at me as if he could see through my clothes. He was giving me the butterflies that Ayesha once told me.

I don't think we know each other. I hadn’t seen him before, but there was this strange recognition in his eyes that I couldn't understand.

"Get out of there now!" Reginald shouted again, as if I was not thinking about that.

Like before, I removed my black sunglasses, wig, and ponytail, letting my shoulder-length hair fall down. I messed up my hair a little bit, then took off my dress as well. Now I was only wearing a black tank top and short leggings. I guess this was enough to remove the disguise that they saw earlier.

After kicking all my things under the bed, I touched my cross necklace before lying beside this unknown man.

He didn't even say anything. Either he was mute, or he was simply lost for words.

Covering our bodies with the white blanket, it was only then that I had a better glimpse of his face.

"You look… wow! Just to share? You're actually my type of guy," I chuckled, and he furrowed his thick eyebrows, making him look edgy and a lot sexier.

He looked so manly with his soft stubble. His black undercut hair and almond eyes felt like midnight with a thousand dazzling stars. His exposed tanned skin brought to mind a few shades of rich chocolate I wish I could taste at the moment to calm me down.

"Who… are you?" His husky voice made me weak. Why I was feeling this way towards a complete stranger is still a mystery. I have never felt so attracted to anyone before. I couldn't even distinguish now the main reason why my heart was pounding so fast.

I shifted my attention to his lips. "If you could read my mind, you'd probably find yourself trapped there. You wanna see?" I winked, his lips slightly parted, just in time when I heard the door banged open.

Nervous about what would happen next, I instantly pressed my body against his, a moan escaping my lips. And in one swift move, I closed my eyes and covered his mouth in a torrid kiss.

My heart started beating faster than when I was running. I threw my arms around this man's neck, threading my fingers through his hair and kissing him as if I wanted to devour him.

"I think I saw her enter this room!"

I was not sure if I was doing the kiss right. I was about to stop and ask for this man's opinion when he suddenly held my face, deepening the kiss even more with his full, moist lips.

It surprised me how our lips began moving in perfect rhythm, making me a bit dazed.

"Is she there-"

But he was the one who broke the kiss. And he acted as if he was pissed off because of the interruption.

"Mr. Alcantara!" They seemed so terrified of him, which was the complete opposite of what I felt just now.

This stranger hugged me tightly, letting me feel the warmth of his body. It felt like I was on fire, and it was embarrassing to think that I liked what was happening.

"What the f**k are you all doing here?" The man, whose arms were wrapped around me, asked with full authority.

"I'm sorry, we were just looking for-"

"Should I call my security?" My jaw dropped wide open in awe. Things just got a little more interesting. He could be a great actor.

"Let's go. It’s impossible for that woman to come here."

And that's how my man nailed it!

When I heard the door shut, it was only then that I was able to breathe properly. The man released me from his arms, and I managed to find the strength to stand up.

"I didn't know you’re well-spoken!" He coughed several times, and it just made things uncomfortable when his lips reminded me of the hot kiss(es) we shared. "Well, just saying." Now I could no longer look at him straight!

"You know I always forget someone's looks, but in your case, I'm willing to make an exception," I said again to save myself from the awkwardness. "By the way, I'd leave my things here to remind you of the passionate kiss we shared."

I didn't hear a word from him, as if he was suddenly a different person. Like he was trying to figure out something.

So, while waiting for the police officers to leave the vicinity, I just glanced around the room where I spotted a blueberry cake. It used to be my favorite until one day, I realized that it was too sweet for me. It looked like he was celebrating something because of the small box beside it, which looked like a gift and a bottle of red wine.

"Happy Birthday!" I joked even though I was sure that it would not make him laugh. He was probably here at the hotel with another woman on a momentous occasion. "If only you had told me a little earlier, I could have bought you a bigger present."

I cracked up, but it was then that I noticed a syringe, an envelope, and a pen, on top of the bedside table. The coldness of the room became unbearable, as if we were in a morgue.

My heart sank. I finally connected all the dots.

"Thank you," I genuinely said, hoping that my eyes could speak on my behalf.

"Tell me, who are you?" the man asked, but I just gave him a weak smile and started walking away as if I didn't hear a word.

"You better tell me who you are right now!" He commanded.

I stopped on my track, not because of what he said, but because I realized that I would never see this man again. So, I chose to speak my mind.

"You can just call me Bonnie," I waved my hand to say goodbye when I saw him shaking his head as if there was something wrong with his vision. I wanted to make sure he was alright, but I knew it was an opportunity I should take.

"Just to add, if you think nobody cares if you die, try having a hundred million debts. A group of gangsters will care enough to haunt you even in your afterlife."

After my sarcastic remark, I left his room in a rush - just in case he ran after me.

And I think luck was on my side tonight when I spotted a receptionist roaming around the hallway, unaware of the misfortune that I was about to bestow upon her.

"Sorry," I whispered as I held my necklace close to my chest. I started walking toward this woman at a quick pace.

"Can I help you-" I twisted her neck until she lost consciousness and quickly pulled her body to the fire exit.

"Sure, you can help me," I whispered to myself.

I'd probably look gorgeous in her uniform as well.