6 Months With The Billionaire

Steffany’s POV: I ran with all my might, weaving through the crowd and bumping into people along the way. Each time I collided with someone, I mustered a quick apology before continuing my frantic dash. Just moments ago, my younger sister had called to inform me that "he" was at our home. Instantly, I knew exactly who "he" was, and that realization prompted me to leave my workplace at the cafe in a hurry. It was my father's creditor, a fearsome rich thug known as "Don Mario." My father had borrowed money from him before he passed away a year ago, and now, he was at our doorstep either to collect the debt or to take away things,like he always has. Don Mario's reputation for ruthlessness and cruelty sent shivers down my spine. Several months after my father's death, Don Mario's enforcers showed up,asking for the loan he borrowed. I took it as a joke not until they brought the documents that presenting evidence of the debt,with my fathers signature on it. I had been tirelessly working at the cafe ever since to repay it. I still couldn't fathom why my father would get involved with such a dangerous person, but that was no longer important. The deed had been done. And my mum? Well,she just had to re marry weeks after the burial of my father. Our hopes were dashed when we discovered she left us in the city and traveled with her newly wedded husband. We hadn’t set our eyes on her ever since then. Finally, gasping for breath, I arrived at my house to find our furniture being callously thrown into a huge truck parked outside. I mustered the courage to approach the man handling the furniture, desperately pleading for mercy. However, my pleas fell on deaf ears as he roughly pushed me aside. I picked myself up, brushed off my clothes, and rushed into the house. There, I was met with the sight of Don Mario himself, dressed ominously in all black with a cigar in hand, which he quickly extinguished upon my arrival. "Finally," he uttered with a sigh, while I looked at him with disdain and fear, my eyes shifting to my tearful sister on the floor, begging for clemency. Unable to bear it, I dropped to my knees and began pleading too, hoping that some empathy might touch this merciless man's heart. But all he showed was a smug grin. "I promise I'll repay you, and soon. Please don't take away our furniture," I implored as tears streamed down my face. His response was cruel laughter as he squatted down, holding my chin up in a menacing manner. "Soon, you say? How soon, Steffany?" he taunted, spraying droplets of saliva on my face. "I don't know, but I swear it will be soon. Just give me a little more time," I retorted, trying not to show my irritation, even though his proximity was unnerving. He stood up, pacing around the room, eyeing everything in a predatory manner. "I'll give you four weeks. If my money isn't paid in full by then, I'll have no choice but to put this house up for sale," he declared, his words chilling my soul. And then, his gaze fell upon my trembling sister. "I might just take her away as well if my money isn't in my possession," he added coldly before storming out of the room. As Don Mario left, a lump formed in my throat. How on earth was I supposed to come up with such a large sum of money in just four weeks? I knew I was in serious trouble. I could handle losing the house if I had to, but the thought of my sister falling into the clutches of someone as heartless and cruel as him was unbearable. Fresh tears streamed down my cheeks as I rushed to comfort my sister, both of us trapped in a desperate and uncertain situation. "When will this nightmare end, Steffany? When?" My sister's voice trembled with exhaustion and despair as she continued to sob on the floor. "I can't bear this anymore. I don't want to go with him, please," she pleaded, her tear-stained eyes reflecting her fear and helplessness. Ever since that dreadful man appeared, demanding the money owed to him, our lives had become a relentless struggle. Despite being three years older than Elise, my sister, I had shouldered the burden, not allowing her to work as I toiled tirelessly at the cafe. The cafe. It suddenly dawned on me that I had left the house without seeking permission from my boss. He had never liked me, and I couldn't fathom the reasons behind his disdain. His constant nitpicking and disapproval of everything I did made working there quite challenging. After hastily giving my sister some money, I hurried out of the house, unable to bear witnessing her distress any longer. Her screams and curses followed me as I raced to the cafe where I worked, hoping to escape my boss's notice for leaving without permission. Thankfully, he wasn't there when I arrived, and I allowed myself a moment of relief, thinking I had managed to avoid his wrath. But my heart sank when I saw him enter the cafe just seconds later. I tried to remain composed, convincing myself he wouldn't know I had left, but that hope shattered as soon as he snarled at me. "Where have you been? It's been an hour since you left this place," he accused, his expression harsh and unforgiving. I couldn't believe he was exaggerating the time; it had only been 30 minutes. I felt my voice deserting me, leaving me mute and unable to defend myself. As I finally mustered the courage to speak, he interrupted me with his thundering voice, "Now you’re dumb,right? You're fired as well. I do not want to ever see you here again" Panic and despair overwhelmed me, realizing that losing this job meant I had no chance of repaying the monstrous debt haunting us. Tears streamed down my face as I dropped to my knees, pleading with him, trying to reason, but he callously shrugged me off. "How about my salary for this month? Please give it to me,please." I said as my cloth was now soaked with my tears. "You're getting nothing. Leave this place now!" He fired back as I saw him stomp out of the cafe. I wished the ground would swallow me whole, as I was unsure how I could raise such a substantial amount in just a few weeks. It would take a miracle from God to save us from the clutches of that heartless man. Determined to find a solution, I decided to search for a new job, hoping I could secure a loan from a generous employer, even if it meant toiling endlessly. Would they even be willing to do that to someone they barely knew? I sighed as I walked down the busy road under the scorching sun, desperation and uncertainty gnawing at me. I had visited almost seven places already, only to be met with closed doors and no vacancies. The weight of my predicament seemed unbearable. Just then, my phone rang, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the caller ID: Dice. A month ago, we had exchanged contacts at the cafe, and he had mentioned the possibility of a job with a substantial pay. I had eagerly agreed to the proposition, but sadly, I hadn't heard from him since. “Hi Steffany,how’re you?” His calm and thick voice spoke at the other end of the phone when I answered the call,and I wouldn’t lie,it sent shivers down my spine. “I’m fine. How have you been?” I said. "I'm okay. I wanted to let you know that I found a job for you," he said, and my heart soared with joy. I couldn't help but leap up in excitement, not caring about the curious glances from passersby. This could be the answer to my prayers. "Really? Oh, I'm so grateful, Dice. Tell me more about the job. I can come right away to start," I exclaimed, my voice overflowing with enthusiasm. Dice chuckled in response and teased me that it would be a surprise, promising to reveal all once we met. I eagerly waited as he texted me the address where we would meet, including the location of my potential boss. It turned out to be an upscale restaurant, quite far from where I currently worked, but that didn't dampen my spirits. Happiness overwhelmed me, and as I continued walking down the road, I felt like I was on cloud nine. So absorbed in my joy, I didn't notice the speeding car until it was almost too late. Thankfully, the driver slammed on the brakes just in time, preventing a collision. The shock of the near-collision sent me tumbling to the ground, and my bag flew open, scattering a few books across the pavement. As the driver rolled down his window, our eyes met and I couldn't help but gulp down the lump that formed in my throat