Chased Or Hunted?

Nathan must be joking. Why would a billionaire make such an offer to someone as ordinary as me? A supermodel would be a much better seductress than me. I had nothing extraordinary to offer him when so many gorgeous girls had failed.
“You must be messing with me,” I said in a low, unsure voice.
A corner of his mouth lifted. “Everything that I say is the truth or a test. You’ll know when I am joking.” Nathan released my wrists and entangled his fingers with mine instead. It was oddly romantic. “So, what is your answer? You'll be paid very well. Both monetarily and_ well, any woman would kill for the attention of a man like me.”
Undeniably, there was something sexy about his dominating energy, but I wasn’t going to fall into the love trap of another ass.
“I decline your offer, sir!” I gave it straight to him. “You’ll find someone better for the job. I’ll have someone clean up this mess and leave soon.”
Nathan unclasped his fingers from my hands. His wounded pride showed in his eyes. Being constantly rejected by me was taking a toll on him. “Fine!” he exclaimed. He moved away, giving me space to leave.
I darted out of the room and broke into tears. My tears were not of sadness. I was furiously mad. Nathan was a baby man who only wanted what he couldn’t have. My life may be in shambles, but I wouldn't sell my soul to a devilish billionaire.
With hot tears trailing down my cheeks, I wasn’t sure where I was going until I ran into Mrs. Sinclair. Her hair wasn’t in disarray anymore. And to her good luck, Doctor Williams was the only one with a visible hickey.
“What happened?” She inquired as soon as she saw me. “What did my son do this time?” She brought her voice down to a mumble. “I hope he didn’t throw his food at another poor girl again.”
“I made a mistake, and he fired me,” I said, sniffling my nose. “Forgive me for letting you down.”
Mary Sinclair exhaled frustratedly. “My boy is impossible! He finds a fault in every lovely girl. Only God can help him now.” She pulled me into a comforting hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll write you a generous check for tolerating him and keeping my secret safe.” Her words cheered me up a little. At least now I would have something to start a new life.
“Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for your generosity.” I hugged her more tightly like I used to hug my mother. Suddenly, a selfish thought entered my mind. What if I asked her for more money to pay off the gangsters? She certainly would never say no to someone who knew her dirtiest secret. “Uh, ma’am, can I make a request?”
She pushed me away to look at my face. It seemed as if she were expecting blackmail. “Anything,” she spoke gladly.
“I need to pay some debts…” I began shamelessly.
“Consider it done.” Mary lowered her tensed shoulders. “Here is my number.” She pulled a business card from her purse and gave it to me. “Send me your bank details and the amount you need, and I’ll send it to you immediately.”
That’s it? In less than five seconds, all my problems were solved. Life had never been that easy for me. There had to be a catch to it.
“What do I have to do for you?” I asked. “Beg Nathan to rehire me?”
“No. Nothing.” Mrs. Sinclair gave me a puzzled look. “All you have to do is send me your details and the amount.” My traumatized brain still couldn’t believe the ease of things. If Mrs. Sinclair wasn’t going to make it difficult for me, lightning must fall on us any minute now. “Child.” Mary patted my cheek. “Money is easy for me. What I can’t give you is another chance with Nathan. No one in this house dares to go against him. Not even me.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Thanks again. When can I leave?”
“You’ll have to spend the night here. My husband has taken the chopper. Till then, I advise you to steer clear of trouble and avoid coming in front of Nathan at all costs,” she replied and left.
I shielded my eyes from the summer sun burning fiercely over me. It was hot outside, but there was not much to entertain myself with inside either. Since I was stuck in a gigantic mansion for the rest of the day, I had come to the balcony to find peace and enjoy the view of the property. It was all very vast and beautiful. Amid all that, I kept imagining Nathan’s face. The desire in his eyes and the closeness of our bodies had made my heart pound. If he weren’t such a jerk, I could see myself giving in to his temptation.
My phone buzzed, giving me a heart attack. I wasn’t expecting a call from anyone. I peeked at the screen to find the caller ID as a private number. My thoughts flew straight to John, my ex. Had he broken out of prison? With shaky fingers, I answered the call and accidentally hit the speaker.
“Hi.” A man’s voice came loudly from the phone. That didn’t sound like my ex. Then who was he? “Don’t put down the phone. I have a message for you.”
Angrily, I tightened my grip around my phone. “If that message is from a man named John, I don’t want it. Tell him to go kill himself.”
The man chuckled. “I will make sure he does that. But you’re not so innocent either. Your husband is already in our debt. Now he has testified against us in court.” My heart sank. That person wasn’t any friend of my ex. He was one gangster!
“Look. I am not involved in John's matters and crimes. We are divorced. I have nothing to do with what he does. He doesn’t care about me.” I desperately tried to prove my innocence.
“Save the crocodile tears and your crappy acting for when my hitman comes to put bullets into your brain. The debt must be paid with blood now,” he spoke, ending the call.
My eyes fell open, and I dropped my phone on the concrete floor. I knew the universe could never be on my side. The moment I arranged money to free myself from my ex’s sins, they increased the price. I couldn’t pay for it with my life!
“Well, well,” Nathan mocked me from behind. “Looks like we have a criminal in this house. I wonder why am I then called the devil?”