A CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH MY BILLIONAIRE

Three: Hit and run driver

But unfortunately my feet stumbled and I fell to the floor making them catch up to me now. As one of them grabbed me up to land a slap on my face, I closed my eyes expecting the sounding slap to smack my face. But suddenly instead of feeling my face burning red from the slap, I heard someone groaning to the floor as blows with kicks started echoing through the dark silent night.

As I opened my eyes I saw a tall figure in sleek suit beating my abusers to pulp, but I couldn't identity the face immediately as he had his back faced at me. Staggering up in defeat, the three jerks limped up to their feet in attempt of escaping more blows as they ran off.

Now facing me, with the full moon illuminating his face, I recognised him immediately. It was the fellow from the restaurant the other day.

With the jerks out of complete sight he walked up to me extending his palms, at first I didn't want to accept it but considering he just saved my life from the claws of those jerks, I extended mine as well, now standing up to my feet .

"Are you alright?" he asked looking at me with concern in his eyes. Trying not to seem vulnerable than I already am, with our palm still together I snatched mine out from his. "Yes I am. You can go now." I said dismissingly. " I don't think you are, come I will take you to the the hospital, " he said, grabbing my hands as he pulled me close to him. Caught off guard as I felt a surge feeling within me as our body touched, but remembering what I almost experienced with those hoodlums and his body now on me, I jerked off from him so fiestly. "Don't touch me, and get off me," I blurted out almost shouting. "Don't think because you saved me that you are any different from them, cause you are not. And this doesn't change my answer to your stupid propsal." I said asserting my stance before even more. But rather than object he chuckled off almost laughing. Annoyed by this his weird reaction, I asked." what's so funny? "

" My mind never crossed on that at all, and neither did I saved you from those jerks to have you change your mind. But I'm glad you pointed back on that, as it shows my proposal still lingers in your mind." In as much as I hated to admit it to myself, he was right, the proposal thing sometimes creeps into my mind. But hell no, I wasn't going to make him know he is right at all.

" Don't flatter yourself. Seeing you in the same situation as then only triggered me to remember, nothing more."

" Mhmm, I can't believe you any less," he said with a tone that said otherwise. It was as if he could read me through even without me saying anything. For a moment as we stood staring at each other like we were in a combat ground, the moon illuminated even more as if it was trying to tell or create a story between us, or maybe it was doing both.

"Whatever, just don't follow me, and please stop popping up mostly in my time of distress anymore," I said leaving.

"So where are you going?"he asked not following me.

" It's called none of your business." I yelled answering without looking back.

"What if those jerks pops up again at you? I could just help give you a ride." I was already taking more steps forward but I came to a stop when he said this. A part of me didn't want to ride with him in his car as I was a bit scared with the fact that he was a stranger, but I couldn't afford to meet those jerks again while on my way. I feared more what they would do to me this time than I feared riding with him. Biting my lower lip hoping I'm not making the wrong decision, I walked back to him. "Let me just be clear, this doesn't change anything, okay?"

Hands in the air as if surrendering to my words. "Oh sure. Whatever you say."

And with that he led me to where his car was parked and we got in, as I prayed sacredly in my mind for things not to go south.

Finally, thank the stars we reached the main street that leads the way to my house safely as I directed and told him to . Not that I was ashamed to have him drop me at the door of our one room apartment, but mainly because I didn't want rumours to start going around to the point of flying. And also because it was a narrow way all through for the remaining journey to my house, making his big car unable to make it through even if he tried.

"Thanks," I managed to say as I unbuckled the seat belt from me. About reaching for the door handle he stopped me. "Wait," he said, staring at me as l got ready to resound my answer to his proposal as I thought it was what he wanted to talk about. But instead he pulled close to me as if leaning for a kiss, and I sat so still surprisingly waiting for one as I felt in a way safe with him as all through the ride. "oh, I thought I saw an insect on your jacket, " he whispered close to my ears as his breath fanned the right part of my neck, making me to feel warm instantly from the cold breeze outside which was sipping into the car from the half whined down glass.

" Back off! I told you." I snapped immediately pushing him off from me as I noticed I was letting him stay too long and close to me.

As he leaned back to the driver's seat without looking angry at all, I stepped out of the car slamming the door hard enough to let him know I was pissed off and my answer still hadn't changed.

The whole ride with him had me forget the serious danger I was in earlier on. And as I remembered, the fear and vulnerability I felt then creeped in as I walked through the narrow way to home. But luckily like every local folks streets by this time of the night, people still roamed about, so I felt a little safe as I was also familiar with the faces I was seeing. But before finally reaching to our wooden door, my mind went back to Amie and Ginny, I felt so much resentment towards them now than even before. I wasn't sure at that moment if I was going to continue working there again but I promised myself to tell Mrs Lee when she's back about what has being happening lately and especially their conspiracy towards me this night using those jerks.

Just when I was about to knock on the door expecting my mom or probably my brother to open up, I saw my mom rushing towards me with tears in her eyes. Surprised to see her outside and in tears, I was about to ask what was wrong but then she said something that shattered my ears. "Your brother Josh just got knocked off by a hit- and- run driver down the road."

"What?! How did it happen?!" I asked in shock. "We were coming back from the drug store together after buying my medication but I dropped our dinner money unknowingly to the floor as we crossed, and as he went to pick it up, a car from nowhere came and knocked him off to the ground." As my mom explained, my heart bleed and race at the time." Where is he?!" I asked trembling." Down the road lying unconscious, " she said leading me to the place, as we ran together.

Minutes later with some help around the street, we got my brother to the nearest hospital possible. My mum and I panicked together as we paced around back and forth in the hospital lobby waiting for the doctor to come out.

"Are you the patient's relatives?" the doctor now out, asked. "Yes," My mom and I replied in unison. Taking his transparent glasses off. "Well, we managed to stabilise him but he's still is in a critical state. And for us to do anything further you would have to make sum large amount of deposit before we proceed in any further treatment,"the doctor explained.

Staring at each other as we knew we had no large amount stored at anywhere, my mom pleaded. "Doctor can you please proceed with the treatment before we make the deposit first. I don't want to lose my son," my mom sobbed. "I'm sorry ma'am but that's against our hospital policy. You need to make the deposit first. So if you could excuse me, I have other patients to attend to," he said as he made his way out from us.

"Alicia please you have to do something," my mum grabbed my hands." Call Mrs Lee she can help us right? My mum asked desperately. "Yes but she is out of town you see," I said feeling hopeless and scared for my brother. "What about your other boss?" He can give you a salary loan since it's not the end of the month if you explain to him right? My mum asked trying so hard not to lose hope. She was referring to my manager at the small firm but I wasn't putting my hope that he would, and I also couldn't tell her about the situation I was in with him. But I couldn't give up on my brother without trying. So I said, "Oh yes. I will go to him now. I'm sure he hasn't left the firm yet."Please tell him to help us", my mom urged me as I kissed her on the forehead. "Yes I will, just stay right here and I will be back with the deposit," I assured her as I left.

Although I ran to the firm, but my heart and mind dragged on as I prayed my manager would be kind enough to help out without asking for my body in return.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door of his office." Yes, who is it? Come in." His awful voice said as I opened the door in his permission, walking in.

"Well well well, who do we have here? If it isn't Ms. Alicia, my resisting temptress. He firlted as always, as I expected.

" Why are you here? " he asked before I could speak, knowing I wasn't the type that would walk into his office without due reasons." I came to request for some salary loan. My brother got hit by a car and I need the money for his treatment." l stated my reason immediately without wasting time to beat around the bush. A roar of laughter came out of his lips, making me feel pissed as he was not seeing the urgency in my request."You really do have some guts to come here to request that when you know we don't do such here in this firm". I wanted to state my reason again as I knew this, but he cut me off before I could speak. "But since it's a matter of life and death, I can make an exception for you, " he said surprising me, as I didn't expect him to agree so quickly. But my hopeful heart was cut short when he said." But only on the terms that you finally allow me have my way with you."He made an aggressive steps towards me,showing he wasn't going to take a no for an answer and was not going to let me escape.