DEALT ( saving his soul )

Chapter Twelve

The rows and columns of numerics on the small piece of paper were both meaningless and irritating to Cora. At the very bottom , three words comfortably sat and Cora scowled at them : Manufacture Chocolate Bridge. Her eyes darted to the notes of money beside her on the bed. Apparently, it was the only thing that made sense out of the items she slyly managed to slip into her uniform when Jonathan found her in his office.

Cora taking the small envelope of money was just a distraction. A smart move on her part to make Jonathan brand her a ‘ petty thief ’ but as she pondered over it, she was not sure it actually worked. A normal employer was supposed to confront her over the matter but Jonathan did nothing of the sort and it was quite unsettling.

Cora thought of all that had transpired that morning and she crossed her arms against her chest in frustration and impatience. All her plans fell apart so simply that it was a great mockery to her hailed high assassin status. It occurred to her that she probably needed to up her game but again Cora did not like it that way. She believed in simplifying tasks because from numerous experiences , complicating a task would only end up in you having difficulty in successfully completing it . This case was exceptional, seemingly it was already complicated in the first place.

Cora was afraid to plan any further. Jonathan Blue was a smart and dangerous man , for every step of a plan she made , the man went ahead by ten more steps.

The only alternative was probably to shut down the entire security system , but it was close to impossible. Information regarding the security of the house was classified and she only managed to grasp one thing , two men : a guard and Jonathan himself , were in charge of monitoring the survelliance cameras. The rest , she did not have a clue.

She was left with the only sensible option of continuing with her ‘ seduction tactic ’. Probably she would need to tone it down a little because of Jonathan's reaction that morning . Cora was certain that in the long run , he would break but suddenly Cora was not in the mood to continue doing so. She could not find it within herself to do it especially with how the man bared himself open to her.

Cora could only faintly hope that the information on small piece of paper would be comprehensive to Mr. Yong's use , if not , then , her nephew would never see the light of day ever again. She literally shuddered at the thought and glanced at the clock in defeat.

It was already twenty minutes past ten . She tucked away the paper and cash under the pillow . Cora quickly rushed to the kitchen to warm dinner and serve her boss. On other days, she was never in a hurry but taking to account the details of their last encounter , Cora would rather avoid the man so she wanted to serve him before he went into his room.

Quickly, she wheeled the food trolley to his room and knocked as a formality . Cora went in immediately thinking the man was absent but how wrong was she when she spotted his silhouette on a chair at the corner of the room in the dim light. With trembling hands, Cora quickly set the food on an adjacent table desperate to leave his space. The silence and anxiety somehow slowed down time . Cora found herself almost sweating by the time she was done and gladly she started out of the room.

" Run my bath , " Jonathan ordered.

Cora inwardly cursed and timidly, she walked into the bathroom and begun filling the tub with warm water. She turned off the faucet and deeply inhaled the scent of the bubbly soap filling the room as she prepared to leave.

A hand grabbed her tiny waist .

" How's your back ? " Jonathan rasped as he slowly turned her around to face him.

Cora stared at his unmasked face blankly.

" I get it...I'm ugly...but staring ...is rude, "

" You aren't ugly , " Cora blurted out causing Jonathan to frown at her.

" You're lying again - "

" You aren't ugly , Mr. Blue , " Cora said .

It was true.

Jonathan was far from ugly, in the past , he was a cute man , almost childish but after the accident , Cora observed that the scar running from his left cheek to his neck made him look manly. A handsome which she defined as brutal . His grey left eye clashed uniquely with his blue right eye.

Cora continued staring at him , " Uniquely handsome perhaps, rogue - "

Jonathan cleared his throat and Cora gasped in mortification at what she had uttered. Abruptly, she tried to run from him but he grabbed her wrist.

Cora frowned and stared into his searching eyes.

" I'm sorry about... earlier, " he spoke up after a while, " I'm also sorry...about the boys' comments ...on Saturday. "

Cora gaped at him causing him to chuckle then a firm hand rubbed her lower back.

" How's your back ? "

" Better , " she managed to mildly smile , " I'll head back , I guess. "

Cora tried to tug her wrist away but his hold was firm .

" Sir - "

" Call me Blue , "

" I need to go back , "

" For what ? "

" Duty calls , "

" At almost eleven ? "

" Fine ! To sleep , "

He smirked , " Well, sleep here. "

Cora glared, " I need to go . "

Jonathan shook his head , " Stay. "

" B - but I - "

She was cut off when she suddenly noticed his intense look. It scared her and she stared at his pleading but consuming eyes.

" You affect me...so much...please stay, " Jonathan pleaded.

Cora found herself still sinking into his mismatched orbs and within a few minutes of staring at each other , she gave in . Cora kissed him then Jonathan turned it in to a fiery passionate kiss that he somehow managed to half carry and half drag her to his huge comfortable bed.

" We shouldn't , " Cora started .

She gasped as Jonathan was busily tearing her shirt open.

" Why not ? " He rasped.

" You're my boss, it feels wrong , "

Jonathan hovered over her face and stared at her eyes, " Kayla ...I'm not forcing ...you into this...but I can't ... explain what I ...feel. I need you...and I don't ...care about being ...boss. Please ? "

Cora stared at the man above her . With the look in his eyes , she knew it was genuine emotion. It was a tender but intense look that spoke volumes and she promised that she would not keep anything from him again. Mr. Yong could actually go to hell. Cora decided that come morning , she would tell him everything and never deny him a thing , starting with herself so she nodded and beamed at him.

Jonathan smiled , " Thank you . "

He held her delicately but savagely tore away her clothes.

" Are you real ? " Jonathan asked lustfully in both wonder and adoration as he stared at her lovely bust.

She giggled , " I know , no one believes it but I am. I've never been to a surgeon before though everyone thinks I'm lying."

His gaze softened , " I'm sorry... all those things...I said...I mean...if you're not ... comfortable...I mean...if I remind ...you, I'm sorry...we can stop - "

She placed a finger against his lips silencing him , " Don't stop , make me forget all you said then. "

" Gladly, " he smirked deviously before lowering his blonde head to her chest.

*****

Cora had not slept peacefully for a long while until that night.

It was short but she felt well rested by the time her eyelids were fluttering open.

Cora smiled and blushed when she remembered their activities. The man was rough and intense , like a craving man. Her hand reached out to touch him only to find the sheets empty and cold. Her eyes shot fully open to discover she was indeed alone under the covers.

She sat up .

It was still dawn , the rising sun’s magnificent rays illuminating the room through the open windows.

" I see you're ...awake , "

The voice caused her to shiver then her head snapped to Jonathan , who was seated on a chair at a corner , dressed in a stunning dark blue suit , a shiny black mask on his face and a golden walking cane in his right hand. He was keenly observing her.

Cora blushed looking down at her hands when she noticed his gaze momentarily drop to her naked bust.

" Good morning ? " She muttered , looking up at him.

Jonathan shrugged.

" Did you eat breakfast ? " She tried again.

He stared at her.

She frowned. Cora wrapped one of the blue satin sheets round her body and started to leave the bed.

" I've deposited...your three year...salary into your ...account , " he begun causing Cora to freeze and widen her eyes at him in shock.

“ That's the period...I expected you...to work for... me. It's a sum...of three million...”

The rest of the words were drowned as she struggled to register what he had just said.

“ You are expected...to leave by...the time I ...come back. A guard...shall see you...out, " Jonathan rose from the chair.

“ W - why ? " Cora stuttered , hot tears falling down her cheeks , “ Was last night a - a joke ? I - I felt something , I thought I loved you ! I thought the feeling was mutual . Why ? Why are you doing this ? ”

Jonathan laughed , “ Love ? ”

Cora dumbly looked at him.

“ I said ...I felt too. Didn't necessarily mean...it was love. Oh ! And what's...the matter ? You were...so bent on ...seducing me...I gave you...what you wanted, didn't I ? "

Jonathan stared at her and Cora could clearly see the disgust in his eyes. An emotion that was never present during their night of passion. He merely shook his head then left.

The door slammed as she slowly sank to the floor and closed her eyes thinking . All the painful memories flashed and like an activated bomb , her fury was reborn and she released a war cry. Cora rose from the floor , rage clouding her vision . She opened Jonathan's wardrobe and tore down all his clothes. She picked one of his expensive oversized designer shirts and ran back to her room.

With angry jerky movements , Cora got dressed and even managed to hastily pack all her belongings. Cora was thirsty for blood , whatever pain she was going through transformed her into a blood thirsty hound so when a guard with a rifle slung over his shoulder showed up at the door of her room then started blabbering nonsense about showing her out , Cora did not hesitate kicking the unsuspecting man , disarming him and shooting him.

Possessed with an urge to kill and not just any kill , a killing spree , Cora walked out of her room shooting any guard on sight as she made her way out.

She was going down but not without a fight. True, she had failed in her mission and Jonathan Blue had made her a big fool at her own game but she would leave the place with an impression he would never forget. A statement he would always refer to before he broke another girl's heart.

Cora ran out the bungalow just as an alarm went off. She had to hurry out , being Jonathan's captive was the least thing she wanted. The man was silent but he could be a brutal beast if he wanted and Cora was not ready to face that wrath.

She tried to fire a couple of shots at the guard at the gate. Her intension was not to kill a man who had once enjoyed her baked cookies but rather to hurt him enough to get away without hinderance from him but the man successfully managed to dodge all the shots. Cora dropped the rifle and engaged in a heated fight with him , from the corner of her eyes ,she could see other guards matching towards her.

With an angry shout,she kicked him in the abdomen causing him to stumble back and it was enough. Enough for her to open the gate and run away , disappearing quickly in the busy streets .

Cora panted as she slowly got back to her senses. What she had done was great folly. Surely, she had just declared war against one of the most powerful men in the state, Jonathan Blue and not only that , she had nothing tangible to show to Mr. Yong.

Cora Liya was a finished woman.