The Devil I Loved

Chapter 1

The bill had been sitting on the kitchen table for about four days now. Vera hadn't moved it. She refused to touch as if it was some kind of disease. It was as if ignoring it long enough might cause it to dissolve into the table made of scratched wood and become someone else’s problem entirely.

She walked past it every morning with her coffee, every night with her tired feet and drained soul but never for once did she glance at it until now.

She sighed and picked it up. The number at the bottom hadn't changed. It just stared back at her. She was $47,200.00 deep in debt.

Vera set it back down and pressed her fingers flat against the table. She breathed through her nose, trying to calm her tensed nerves. She closed her eyes to stop her tears from coming out. Right at that moment, a message dropped from an unsaved yet known number.

"He has been taken care of but we are still waiting."

She turned the phone off and shifted it aside. Nothing was working. All her efforts to get her problems resolved were failing and so was Reid's life.

The only person who made life worth it for her was lying in a hospital bed, unable to move or speak to her. His laughter that reminded her of her mother's was nowhere to be heard in months now.

It started six months ago when she received the diagnosis of a cardiac defect that had been worsening. They had delayed treatment because Reid insisted that he was going to be fine until he slumped and was partially paralysed. He was rushed to the hospital and the surgeon let her know that surgical intervention was required sooner rather than later if she didn't want to lose him.

“His health.. the deterioration is accelerating.” The man had spoken while helplessly watching her tremble on her seat in his office.

Vera did the maths seventeen times…how much it would cost her to save her brother's life. She took every loan she was qualified for, called every number she could find, argued with insurance representatives until her voice went flat and professional because crying didn't move them. Before that, she had sold the pearl earrings her mother left her. She had also picked up two extra waitressing shifts while desperately applying for jobs. She had cut down her meals to once per day and only fed on rice and canned beans for weeks now yet she was still $31,000 short.

Then just when she was closer to giving up, her co-worker slipped a card into her palm two days ago.

“I hope you don't see me as a bad person for suggesting you go in my place. You need this more than I do.”

Vera wasn't sure what exactly she was going to be doing but it was better than nothing. The name on the paper belonged to one Madam Sylvie.

“Alright, I don't care who is who as long as someone gets this f*****g job done so I can receive my money. It's a one night stand. You have to be at a penthouse in the Meridian Tower by 9 pm. The client is a very private person and he is generous too so this is very important to me. He agreed to my terms and would not cause problems or hurt you. Will you be able to do it?”

Vera swallowed hard but finally consented to this arrangement.

“You can do this…for Reid. It's just a one night stand.” Then she turned off the light and headed to the spot where a car was waiting to pick her up.

The Meridian Tower was a huge building designed to make anyone who wasn't born into such a lifestyle small before they stepped inside it. It had seventy-two floors of glass and steel catching the light of Valdris City's skyline like it was born to it.

Vera entered the lobby and stopped at a security desk. She gave her name and the man checked a list after her response. He nodded toward the elevator bank on the far right.

“Penthouse level,” he said. “It will take you directly up.”

The elevator was mirrored on three sides. Vera kept her eyes forward on the seam between the two panels where she couldn't see herself and watched the floor numbers climb.

The elevator stopped after some minutes and the doors opened. Vera's eyes enlarged themselves just a bit as her eyes were greeted by a different atmosphere. The penthouse was…she didn't have a word for it. How rich was the owner? This was the complete opposite of the world of shared apartments and secondhand furniture and careful grocery lists she was living in.

Among all these things, a man standing with his back to her at the window caught her attention.

“That must be him.” She mumbled and stood properly.

He was tall and had dark hair that was slightly longer than professional. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled to the elbows and he had one hand at his side and the other was holding a glass. On his exposed arms were beautifully drawn tattoos which caused Vera to be alert.

Believing that he must not have heard her come in, she stepped nervously and tried to announce herself to him.

“Hello, I am…”

He turned sharply and the moment he did, Vera stopped breathing and her legs almost gave out. Her grip on her purse tightened as she just stared blankly at this person who turned out not to be a stranger to her after all.

She knew this face even though she had spent years trying to unknow it and now, her body remembered what her mind worked to forget. Her body recognised Cassian Wolfe as if they'd just met yesterday and his appearance only ended up triggering her anger.

He now looked older and more mature compared to the reckless ease she remembered from college. His eyes, though familiar, had become darker and uncomfortably perceptive and the way he was looking at her right now was how he did years back, subtly reminding her of the first day they met.

“Vera?” His voice showed how much of a surprise this was to him. He put down the cup and moved closer.

Vera instantly turned around and was about to run out of the living room but he was faster than her. He ended up blocking her way and locking the door while she staggered backwards, trying to gain composure.

“Where do you think you're going?” he asked.

“Let me go right now.”

“So your boss can suffer the consequences of your actions? I don't think that's a good idea.”

Vera frowned, “What do you mean?”

Cassian smiled, “You're supposed to stay tonight and keep me company. If you don't, your boss will suffer the consequences. I believe she should have told you.” He replied.

Vera realized that leaving this place wasn't much of a good option for her. She desperately needed the money and Madam Sylvie who had promised to help her was really counting on her. She couldn't mess this up.

Vera lifted her head and met Cassian's concerned eyes. It only made her want to puke. There was no realness behind those eyes of his, only pretence.

Her fingers turned into fists and with how hard she tightened them, her knuckles almost turned white. She didn't want to. She could do this with any other man but not Cassian.

However, her hands were tied right now. Was her brother's life worth risking because of her grudge?

Cassian moved closer and touched her cheeks gently,

“I...I am not imagining things, right?" From the way he spoke, Vera could see he was a bit tipsy. He shook his head, rubbed his eyes and reopened them. "It's really you. What are you doing here…? No, are you alright? It's been six years, Vera. Where have you been? I tried to reach you. Your number was gone, you stopped coming to classes, no one knew where you were and...and I…”

Vera shut her eyes, pushing all her thoughts behind her head before closing the gap between them. She threw her purse to the floor, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Since it was s*x he wanted, then she would give it to him, get the f**k out of here and get paid. There was no need for long talk.