Billionaire by Chance

Need to Learn

I pull an ace out of my sleeve when the main shock of feeling Adrien's eyes connecting with mine fades. I frown as if I'm weirded out that this guy is looking at me. I even make myself small as if I'm afraid of him and walk to the other side of the street, walking faster as if I'm running away from him. I know it works, because Adrien continues on his way once again.

The bad thing is that now I have to keep walking without turning to look at him, at least not very obviously, so when I dare to turn one more time... he's nowhere to be seen.

"What...?" I ask, looking all around the street. There's a small alley over there, could he have gone down that way? I peek out on the alley. There is an intense smell of pipe water and I have to stop breathing through my nose to control the nausea. I start walking down the alley looking everywhere and I think I know where Adrien went when I see several men huddled outside a house, except they are obviously guarding the place because one of them has a gun, so I start walking backwards, until I make it out of there and back to the street where I was.

Fücking Adrien. What the hell is he doing in that place, with so much money? I think he's seriously paying someone to kill Derek or maybe this is a brudel and he's coming to fück someone to get rid of the sëxual tension he has with Tamara. But if he's going to pay that much for a whöre, I think he'd go to a better place.

At the end of the street I find a bench and decide to stay there, it's a little hidden and I think I can stay here until Adrien comes back out without him seeing me.

Adrien

I walk into Big John's lab-house where the main workers are all hanging out. Mauricio is there and stares at me with narrowed eyes as I walk in, without knocking. He puts down the cards he was playing with on the table and gets up to walk over to me.

"It's about time you came back, Adrien. The boss was starting to get worried." he repeats and I force myself to be my normal self, I smile at him like it's no problem.

"This time he has nothing to worry about, you'll see. Is he in the basement?" I ask and Mauricio nods, starting to walk there so I follow him. As we walk down, I greet everyone I pass by and am reassured when they don't look so suspicious towards me, they’re just as unconcerned as ever.

We start going down to the basement and I can't help my stomach from twisting as unwanted memories come to me.

➿ flashback ➿

"I'm sorry! I'll get the money, I promise! Please, boss, don't do this!" I scream and beg like a little bïtch as his workers take a break from beating the shït out of me and start setting up the chair. That chair he uses to torture people. I’m literally shaking, "For real, boss. I'll get the money."

"Of course you'll get it, but that doesn't take away from the fact that you fücked me over. Do you think I'm some dumbass you can play with? You think you can come and ask me for a job and then fück me over like that? Huh?" he asks, still angry. He waits while one of his goons gags me and then as several of them lift my heavy body to put me in the chair.

I know he can't understand anything I'm saying anymore, but I can't help myself from begging him not to do this, even gagged.

"This is just so you never try to fück with me again." he says and steps closer to punch me in the face once again, now using a handle that immediately cuts my cheek open. I don't even feel pain anymore because of how scared I am and how badly my whole face and body are already beaten.

But when Mauricio approaches with a toolbox, I start screaming again.

➿ present ➿

I blink to undo the memory and feel a shudder run through my whole body, as I break out in a cold sweat. Big John is sitting down here in his armchair, smoking one of his cigars and looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, boss!" I wave trying not to look scared. I walk over and greet the workers on either side of him, the same ones who beat the shït out of me a couple of months ago, as if there's no hard feelings in me.

"Hey, Adrien... you look different. What's going on? Why the fück did you disappear like that?" he demands with a frown, but there's not much anger behind his words so I feel confident enough to sit on the couch across from him.

"Oh, it's a long story. But first, take this," I say and extend the envelope towards one of his workers, "I'm sure you'll relax and we can have a pleasant conversation once you see that."

Big John frowns but looks at what's inside the envelope and his eyebrows raise almost to the point of disappearing. He gives it a quick glance and asks his worker to count it in the machine.

"That's 50 grand, boss." the worker says, once the machine finishes counting and everyone is left in silent shock. They are all confused. I was supposed to pay only 30 thousand.

"So... the reason I disappeared like that is because my daddy died. I never knew him, as I imagine you know thanks to my obvious daddy issues, but the guy left me some money in his will. It's not a lot, but he also left me a guaranteed job in his company, to get me back on the right track of life, I guess," I start my tale and Mauricio looks at me with his mouth hanging open, "I'll be working and making good money there. Legally, I have to keep working in that company for five years. Anyway, I managed to sell most of the drugs at a Hollywood party I went to and the rest of the money is a sign of goodwill, for forgiving last time. From now on, I won't be working with you anymore. At least as long as I'm working there."

"Oh, wow!” Big John exclaims, suddenly in a good mood just as I imagined, "You made it, boy! Who would’ve thought? Congrats... how much money did the old man leave you?"

"Few hundred thousand," I reply, downplaying it a lot but still making it clear that i dont need this anymore. Big John lets out a low whistle, surprised, "So I got a place downtown because that's where the office is. That's why I disappeared all of a sudden, I was dealing with all the legalities and shït like that."

"Well, that's great news for both of us then," he nods and the rest of the guys congratulate me too, "I hope you don't forget about us, though, now that you're rich rich."

"I could never," I reply, honestly, "I still like your stuff a little too much, as you may remember. So I guess I'll still be seeing you guys often. You won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

"Sure I remember. And of course, if you ever go to one of those parties again, you should hit us up."

"Oh, totally. I need to make some good impressions with my new friends. I'll probably throw a party of my own one of these days."

"Well, son, I'm very proud of you. You did good this time. I'm glad I didn't kill you that time when the incident happened, I always knew you would do great things. It was a real pleasure doing business with you."

"Thanks, Big John. Likewise. Say hi to Lulu and the kids for me.”

Once that conversation is over, I get up to hug everyone goodbye and walk out of there with my head held high, but as soon as I make it out of the house, I step aside and put my hands on my knees, letting all the air out of my lungs.

Fück, is it true? Am I really free of them now? I really hope so.

When I catch my breath a little, I look up and I see her again. The hot girl who absolutely doesn't belong here.

She's sitting on a bench a few streets down looking annoyed, arms crossed and looking the other way as if she's waiting for someone.

The girl has long black hair, extremely fair skin and blue eyes. She’s slender and tall and is wearing very expensive clothes. She definitely shouldn't be here if she doesn't want to be mugged or worse.

My good person instinct makes me approach the bench where she’s sitting, coming up on her left side.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask and the girl jumps up in fright, gasping and looking at me like I'm a ghost. She's obviously scared, I don't think she's used to shïtty places like this, "You shouldn't be alone in a neighborhood like this. You're begging someone to snatch that watch off your wrist."

The girl drops her mouth open and babbles for a couple of seconds.

"I-I'm supposed to meet someone here. I..."

"In that case, do you mind if I stay with you to wait? That way you're not as likely to get hurt.”

"Oh, because you're a big man?" she asks, in a deep accent from somewhere I can't identify.

And goddamn, she's so much striking up close. And really, really fücking sexy.

"Yeah,” I agree with a smile that doesn't change the look on her eyes, "But also because they know me. I'm friends with most of the people around here. They're super cool and nice... but they'd totally stab you for a few coins."

"Oh. Well, in that case, you’re welcome to sit with me while I wait."

"Okay," I sit next to her. She's smaller than me, despite looking so tall a while ago or maybe it's because she has super long legs. "Who are you waiting for? Tell me their name, maybe I know them."

"Oh, it's..." she thinks for a couple of seconds and then lowers her eyes as if she's embarrassed, "A guy I met online. His name is John."

"Big john?!" I ask, in shock, "Are you here to talk to Big John? Because he's in the lab, I just talked to him. You sell, too?”

"What?" she asks, completely confused and I can only press my lips together tightly.

I'm such an ïdiot.