Billionaire gangster falls for a single Mom.

I woke up early, feeling a sense of dread in my stomach. Today was going to be a busy day. My daughter Melissa was still down with a bad cold, and her nanny was complaining that she was becoming more and more difficult to handle. Melissa was only 5 years old, and like any child her age, she yearned for her father's presence. The fact that her father and I were separated was a source of confusion for her. As I entered Melissa's room, I found her snuggled up in her blankets, her nose red, and her eyes puffy from crying. It broke my heart to see her like this. "Good morning, baby girl," I said, sitting down next to her on the bed. "How are you feeling today?". "I am okay, Mommy," Melissa said, trying to force a smile," but I miss Daddy. Why can't we all live together?" I knew this was coming, and yet I wasn't prepared for it. I hugged her close, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. "Sweetie, I know you miss Daddy, but sometimes things don't work out the way we want them. Hopefully your dad still loves you so much, but he's not here now, and he might not be with us for a very long time, so you have to be strong for mummy. When you get older, you will understand!" Melissa seemed to calm down a bit, snuggling closer to me. I couldn't help but think that all this was not going to work. My job as a waitress at the Ivy's hotel was not paying much, and Melissa was becoming a nuisance every day, complaining about the house and the environment. She needed the kind of life that we used to live before. What she didn't know was that her father was in jail, and even before he went to jail, he had abandoned us to beg and feed ourselves. "How do I explain that to a 5-year-old?" I shook my head and sank into the chair next to her bed. "Can we go see Daddy today, Mummy?" Mellisa asked, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. "Honey, your Daddy is no longer in the country; he went abroad, and he might be there for a long time!" I said, rubbing her back gently. "I hate it when he has to leave us like that. I am sick, and I need him to get better!" Mellisa sobbed. "No, Mellisa, you need your meds, a little more warmth, and to be a good girl. I need to go to work. I will see you tomorrow morning!" I said happily, but deep inside I was bleeding, sharp razors cutting across my heart. When will she forget her dad? It's been six months, but she still remembers. "Yes, Mummy, I will see you tomorrow because you get back when I am already asleep and you can't wake me up since my sleep is important!" She smiled as I tucked her duvet in. "That's true, baby girl!" I said this and bent down, kissing her on the forehead. I got to work just in time, and Timi, my manager, shifted me from my normal restaurant area to the lounge bar. A man sprawled on a chair wearing glasses and an expensive suit, surrounded by a posse of girls who were fighting to sit closer to him. He saw me entering the bar and had to remove his sunglasses just to rake me from head to toe shamelessly. I looked at him, and I knew how difficult it would be to serve the table. He raised his hand and waved,but I pretended I hadn't seen it. "Damn, I hate these men. Why can't I just work professionally without flirting?". He stared at me, smiling and fluttering with funny facial expressions, and I almost tripped over a tray full of drinks and bottles. I quickly regained my composure after my close call with the drinks, trying to avoid his gaze. It wasn't just the fact that he was famous; something about him had given me a chill down my spine. I had been working at the lounge for a few months, serving tables and mingling with the patrons. However, this was the first time I had seen this guy who appeared to be a celebrity, and it was overwhelming. His presence made my job all that much harder. As the night went on, I found it challenging to focus on my work with all the gossiping chatter and screams coming from the entourage seated near this celebrity of a dude. It became increasingly difficult to maneuver through the tables with trays that were heavier than usual with glasses and bottles. At one point, I inadvertently brushed this guy's shoulder as I tried to get through, which made his cortege erupt in laughter. I stood frozen in place, trying to keep my anxiety at bay. He, on the other hand, gave me a once-over and smirked. Over the next hour, the group became rowdier, and many people were forced to move tables to get away from them. I could not understand why management was not doing anything about it. As someone who worked there, it made me very upset. I tried to talk with Timi, but he told me to make sure no complaints were coming from that table."Who is he? Why does he think he can make the other guests uncomfortable? What if the owner of Ivy's hotel comes by? The manager could lose his job!" I thought. When I tried to get closer to one of the tables I was serving, this celebrity of a guy crossed his leg out, making it hard to maneuver through the crowded table. At that point, I gave up. I knew it was going to be a long night. As the night wore on, I noticed that he kept staring at me, which made me feel even more anxious. I couldn't quite understand what he wanted from me. I was in that hotel to do my job, not to be ogled by a celebrity. The night dragged on, and the man continued to stare at me. He didn't seem to care that I was ignoring his advances. He was so confident; it was as if he knew something about me that I didn't It was unnerving, to say the least. At one point, he even got up from his seat and walked over to me. "Excuse me, miss," he said, leaning in close. "What is your name?" I didn't want to answer him, but I also didn't want to cause a scene, so I gave him my name and went back to my work, but he wasn't done with me yet. "Oh Wow!What a beautiful name!" he said. "You know, I am not normally one to be so forward, but I just had to tell you how gorgeous you are!" I rolled my eyes. Here we go. He continued to make small talk with me as I served his table. I tried my best to be polite but distant; however, he was persistent. He asked me all sorts of personal questions about what I did with my free time. I answered him with vague answers, not wanting to reveal too much about myself. "My name is Bravyn, and I'm pleased to meet you, Shelby!" he said. There was a cold silence at the table. Everyone was staring at him. I scanned their stares at him and felt like he had done something unusual; no wonder his entourage was left with open mouths. So I nodded and continued with my job. Toward the end of the night, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Bravyn, and he asked me to sit down next to him, which I found quite peculiar. His entourage's laughter grew louder, making me feel very uncomfortable. I ignored his request, hoping he'd forget about it. "I am working; how do you expect me to sit next to you?" I retorted, sneering at him. "Because I said so!" He roared, feeling rejected. "Excuse me, I've got more important issues to take care of!" I left with my shoulders high and my chest in front. As I went about my work, I could feel Bravyn's eyes on me the entire time. However, I knew speaking up would be detrimental to my job. I tried to push the thoughts of the events of the night away and focus on the task at hand. As the night drew to a close, I was relieved to finally be able to take my break. I quickly changed out of my uniform and immediately headed towards the exit. However, I was interrupted by Bravyn, who had somehow managed to find me. He was waiting outside the staff exit, his entourage standing close behind him. He walked towards me with a smirk, and I could feel my heart rate increase. I was scared and unsure of what to say. Bravyn finally said, "You know, you're pretty cute." I didn't respond. I just wanted to get away from him as fast as I could. Nevertheless, the situation did not end there. Bravyn's entourage began to laugh and quip, some making lewd remarks. I remember feeling sick to my stomach. "Can you get out of here, you bunch of losers? I need to speak with this lady!" He roared at them, and they scattered in different directions. He handed me a business card and said," I would love to see you again." He said," Please give me a call". I took the card but didn't say anything in response. Once he and his party had left, I crumpled it and tossed it into the trash. I wasn't about to play this game. As Bravyn left, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. I had never thought someone's presence could make me feel so scared and uncomfortable. I knew that this would be a night I would never forget. Fifteen minutes later, I came back for my overtime. At least I could work well without the interference of Mr. Bravyn. I stood behind the desk, and to my surprise, he walked into the hotel lobby. My heart sank. What was he doing here? I thought he had left. Seeing him was the ruin of my overtime job. He strode toward me with a confident grin on his face. "Hey Shelby," he said," so you are a hard worker, awesome! I didn't expect to see you again for the rest of the night!". " I glared at him and said," What are you doing here? I thought you left?". "I just wanted to talk to you," he said, leaning against the counter. "I can't get you out of my head, Shelby. I want to take you out on a date, just the two of us!". I shook my head. "No, thank you; I am not interested. I thought you had enough girls. Do you still want to add some more? What is wrong with men nowadays?". He frowned. "Forget about those girls; if they were as important to me as you are, do you think I wouldn't be here? Come on, I promise it will be fun. We can go to a nice restaurant and maybe see a movie!". I folded my arms across my chest and said," I am sorry, but I just don't feel comfortable with that!". He narrowed his eyes. "Is it because I am too old for you? Come on, look at me. I am handsome too, and I have a lot of money!" His satire was not what I needed; I wanted the floor to crack and swallow his nuisance away. I scoffed, "No, it's not that. I just don't want to date someone I barely know, and at the moment I am on this long break, I do not want to be associated with any friendships or affairs with men!" "You know you're making this a little harder than it needs to be; I am not asking for much, just a little bit of your time," Bravyn leaned in close and said. And I could smell the scent of his expensive cologne. I took a step back and said," I am not interested; okay, please leave me alone. I am here to work, and you're taking away my overtime pay!". He said," Fine, but you are missing out on a great guy!". "It's better than a breakup, getting hurt, and being left with a young daughter to take care of!" I replied inaudibly. "What did you say?" He took out some notes from his pockets and placed them on the desk: "Our token of appreciation, you were impeccably a nice Waitress and good at her job too!" He winked again and curled his lips. "Thank you; I picked up the money and placed it in my pocket!" As he turned to leave, I could feel his eyes on me. It was like he was challenging me to reconsider, but I wouldn't give in to him. I had to stay strong. " Shelby, I know you don't like men, but that's Bravyn Damien, duh! Lydia, my work colleague, giggled. "Who is he?" I asked, "Am I supposed to know who he is?". "Yes, that's the boss of the directors, the owner of this hotel," Lydia giggled. "What!" My heart sank, and I propped myself on the nearest lounge chair. "And you are telling me now! Lydia, are we enemies? I asked, "If only I knew, I would have tried to be polite!".