My Secret Helper

Elara Hayes clutched her purse tightly, her fingers trembling as she counted the money again. It wasn’t enough. Not even close. She raised her head to meet the gaze of the middle-aged receptionist, who chewed her gum like it was her first time. "Is there no way I can pay part of it now and the rest later?" Elara asked, her voice tight with desperation. The woman behind the desk barely spared her a glance. "It's hospital policy. Full payment upfront" Elara’s heart sank. The tiny spark of hope she’d been clinging to vanished completely. She was five months pregnant and exhausted. For the past three months, she had been surviving on instant noodles and stale bread, trying to save whatever she could for the arrival of her baby. But every time she managed to put something aside, life found a way to take it from her. Swallowing her pride, she tried again. "Please, I just need this appointment…” "Next!" The receptionist frowned, already moving on to the next person. Humiliation burned in Elara’s chest. She turned away, blinking fast to keep the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks at bay. Her body felt heavy as she hurried out of the hospital, she was well aware of the eyes fixed on her. Among them was Dante Sinclair. He leaned against a pillar near the waiting area, his sharp blue eyes assessing her. He hadn’t planned on lingering in the hospital longer than necessary, but something about the scene unfolding before him caught his attention. She was a young pregnant woman, begging to get antenatal care. She intrigued him. He didn’t know why, but she did. Dante wasn't the kind of man who got involved in other people’s lives. He preferred solitude, because he knew how messy emotions could be and how attachments led to complications. But as he watched her breathe in before stepping onto the street and he followed. The moment she stepped outside, the sky cracked open, and rain poured down like it had been waiting for her. Elara gasped, wrapping her arms around herself as she hurried forward. She had no umbrella, or a jacket and her thin dress clung to her body as it became drenched. Dante rushed to his car, grabbed an umbrella and went after her. "You're going to catch a cold" he said, his voice smooth yet commanding as he stepped beside her and extended the umbrella over her head. Elara stiffened and turned sharply. The stranger beside her was tall, his dark hair was a bit curly and his, his piercing blue eyes stared down at her. "I don’t need your help" she snapped, taking a step away from him. Dante arched a brow. "Really? Because from where I’m standing, you look seconds away from shivering to death" "I said I'm fine" she insisted, wiping the wet strands of hair from her face. "I don’t even know you" " I am Dante Sinclair so now you do" He smirked, tilting his head. "And what’s your name?" "It doesn’t matter" She turned and kept walking, her steps were quick and unsteady on the slick pavement. She knew she could fall if she ran and she desperately needed to get away from this man. Dante watched her for a moment before casually lowering the umbrella. "Alright then" His voice was indifferent as he turned away. "Enjoy the rain" Elara kept walking but slowed down a bit. Her teeth had began to chatter and she wondered how her baby will feel about what she was doing. Her child wasn't born yet but they had begun suffering. Dante had only taken a few steps away when he heard it. "Wait" Elara called with a voice that cracked when she spoke. She didn't expect Dante to even hear her. But he did because he stopped walking. A smirk played on his lips as he turned back, lifting the umbrella slightly. "What was that?" Elara exhaled sharply, looking anywhere but at him. "I…" She bit her lip before finally meeting his gaze. "I changed my mind" "Oh?" He took a slow step toward her, the umbrella shielding them both once more. "So you do need my help" "Just the umbrella" she muttered. "Not you" Dante chuckled, low and deep. "Whatever you say, sweetheart" He adjusted the umbrella to make sure she was covered properly before falling into step beside her. They walked in silence for a few moments, the umbrella did little to help but it was better than nothing. Dante should have offered to take her in his car but based on her earlier defiance, he was sure there was no way she would agree to that.. "Why were you at the hospital?" he asked suddenly. Elara stiffened. "Why were you watching me?" "I wasn’t watching" he corrected. "I happened to be there when you made a scene" Her cheeks burned. "I didn’t make a scene" "You begged the receptionist a lot of times” he shrugged “Sounded like a scene to me" Her fists clenched. "If you’re here to mock me, you can leave" "Relax" His tone was amusing. "I just want to know why" Elara swallowed hard. She didn’t have to tell him about her struggles, about how she had nothing, about how she was fighting to survive. But the words slipped out before she could stop them. "I needed an antenatal appointment. I couldn’t afford it" Dante said nothing at first. Just when she thought he wouldn’t respond, he spoke, his voice was softer than before. "And the father?" Elara's stomach twisted. "Not in the picture" Dante nodded slowly, as if contemplating something. "What if I if I offered to help?" Elara’s head snapped toward him, her eyes flashed with anger.. "I don’t need your pity" "Who said anything about pity?" He smirked. "Think of it as a business arrangement" She creased her brows. "What kind of arrangement?" "A Marriage agreement" Elara’s breath caught. "Excuse you?" "You need security. I need an heir" He shrugged. "It’s logical" She stared at him like he’d lost his mind. "You want to marry a complete stranger just because I’m pregnant?" "Not just because you’re pregnant. Because you need help. And because I have no interest in relationships, but I do have an interest in solving problems efficiently which right now happens to be getting an heir for myself" Elara shook her head, stepping back. "You’re insane" "Possibly" He smirked. "But I always get what I want. And right now, I want you to think about it" Elara’s heart pounded at the unwavering certainty in his eyes. He wasn't playing a prank on her that was for sure. His clothes were designer's costing thousands of dollars. That meant he had an empire or some type of company. “I don't know… this offer is weird” He fished out a card from his breast pocket “Think about it…” “Elara” she completed for him. “Elara” he repeated “I'll see you around” he winked at her before dashing towards his car.