The Billionaire's Mission; From Warrior To Lover

“ The nation's top military commander, also known as the strongest war God, has been missing for some time now. It is revealed that this important young man has perished at the sea—” A reporter's calm voice pierced the beachy air, but Laura had bigger problems weighing down her shoulders. She raked her hands through her silky brown hair, kicking the grainy sand beneath her feets. The death of the young man was indeed a great loss, but rather than mourning for the nation, she mourned for herself instead. Her gaze lingered on her phone screen and she took in a deep, frustrating breath. In three days time, three days, her whole life was going to change forever. Laura's happiness was on the line, her reputation, her future, her dreams. In just three days, she was going to lose them all. A tear slipped down her cheeks, but she wiped them quickly, her gaze fixed on the sea which strangely relaxed her tense muscles. She'd thought arranged marriages only occur on TV, but strangely, she was getting married to a notorious young man in a few days. A familiar tune pierced her ears, making her wonder if her parents had found her location already, but it was her best friend, Melissa. Laura stared at her phone for a few seconds before placing it on her ears, “Hey, Melissa, what's up?” her voice sounded strained, weak, and Melissa was quick to notice. “Girl, where have you been?!” Melissa's cherry voice rang out, “Your whole family has been looking for you. Don't tell me you're planning to escape from town.” Laura bit her lips, piercing her flesh with her own nails, “I..” she swallowed, blinking back her tears, “Melissa, I can't get married to George. I don't love him. Everything feels so—” “So you ran away from home?” Melissa threw another question at her, much concerned with her present location. Laura inhaled a shaky breath, “Yeah, that seemed like the only option. They'll never find me here. Perhaps after the whole ordeal, I should treat myself to a vacation in the Bahamas.” Melissa's breathy sigh settled in Laura's ears, “where are you? We're best friends. Shouldn't you have told me before leaving?” she asked, eagerly expecting Laura's response. Melissa had been with Laura for years, but Laura always made her feel on the edge, like a complete loser. Laura always got everything she wanted, while she had to settle for less constant times. If telling Laura's parents her location would make her feel better, then why not? Once she got married to the loser, George, Laura might lose herself as well. Laura made small drawings on the sand with her toe, contemplating if giving Melissa her secret location was the right idea, “I..” she tightened her grip on the phone, “just my family's ancestral villa. It'll take a while before they figure out I'm here.” Melissa's ears perked up, “Alright, girl, make sure you're good!” Laura's lips curled up, “thanks, Melissa.” “And please, come back home.” “Soon” Laura replied, a distant look in her eyes, “soon.” After ending the call with Melissa, she stared at the sea a bit more, allowing the warmth of the sun to caress her skin. She inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm her heart with the natural sound—the splashing waves and the cool, summer breeze. Perhaps stepping into the water would further ease her mind? Laura stepped closer, forcing a smile on her lips, as she dipped her legs into the warm sea. Her lips curled up, the feeling of satisfaction boosting her spirits. She moved closer, having half her length in the waters, but her heart turned cold when she saw something float. Her heart slammed hard against her ribcage, color slowly draining from her face. Out of instinct, she was quick to run out of the water, but she was quite stunned the figure didn't move. Laura tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ears and jumped into the water, eager to save the person who seemed lifeless. She wrapped her hands around the cold body and tried to pull, but she gasped at the weight of the perfectly built stranger. Unwilling to give up, Laura dragged the stranger single handedly, her chest rising and falling, as the urge to save a life kicked in. She'd watched these in movies, but she'd never thought she would save someone, a handsome stranger in her family's property! She laid him on the ground, stared at his features for a while and loosened his first botton. Laura placed her palm on his chest and pressed hard, trying to get all the water from his insides. The body laid limp, unmoving, and Laura couldn't help but imagine if the stranger was already dead. She shook her head and continued pressing his chest, whispering some words of encouragement just like he could hear her, but after trying for a few more minutes, he didn't wake up. Laura sighed, pressing her plump lips together. She'd never thought she would kiss a stranger, but she did it anyway, desperate to save a life. Laura did it for a few more times before the stranger sneezed, pushing Laura away before he relaxed. “Whe..where..am I?” Ethan asked, staring at his surroundings. From the corner of his eyes, a frail figure moved, trying to get off the ground with a small pout on her lips. He'd been so frightened to see a woman right in front of him, he pushed her out of instinct. Laura took slow strides towards him, “I just saved your life, but this is what I get?” “I.. I'm sorry.” “You need to rest.” Confused, Ethan wanted to object, but he knew he was in no state to argue. He could hardly feel his limbs, even breathing seemed like a hard task. Laura helped him inside her parent's luxurious building, but she was still curious about the stranger's identity. She was eager to ask, but she knew he wasn't in the best condition to answer her questions. Laura laid him on her bed and rushed into the bathroom. “What are you doing?” Ethan's groggy voice rang out, sending a wave of shivers down Laura's legs. “I'm getting a towel and some water.” She replied after a while, “You have some dirt on your body.” Laura approached him and shakily placed the bowl on a small table, “I'll take off your shirt now.” she smiled, and Ethan couldn't care less. He was less worried about the woman standing before him. He was bothered with something else, like why he was drowning and why he was on someone else's property. Laura slowly peeled off his buttons, but she was stunned by the numerous scars on his chest. Strangely, her heart ached as she wondered how much torture he'd experienced to have multiple scars like these. Her gaze lingered on them before she wiped his chest slowly, “You have numerous scars.” she whispered, “did you get involved in an accident?” Ethan remained quiet, battling with his inner thoughts. Laura swallowed, “turn to your sides, I need to check if you have any wounds.” Ethan flipped, turning to his sides, but Laura gasped at the large, deadly tattoo running from the tip of his neck. Her hands trembled, the thought of saving a dangerous man sending a wave of shivers down her spine. It was a grim reaper tattoo, one that looked extremely real with a single glance, “And this is….” Suddenly, the squeaky sound of the door pierced the air, followed by a loud, thunderous yell, “Laura, what the hell is going on?!!” As Laura turned to face the door, the hand towel fell to the ground, her eyes wide with terror, “Fa…father..”