A DANGEROUS OFFER
FLICKER'S RESTAURANT
The small old and almost worn out shop was packed with customers here and there shouting and screaming to be attended to.
Ivy was walking as fast as she could towards the table that had placed their orders.
She placed it on their table and bowed slightly.
"Sorry it took so long " She apologized, the woman smiled and understood but the man on the other hand glared at her.
"Even though the restaurant food is top notch you people take too long to serve customers , you should work harder " The man scolded her and his wife placed her hand on his arms trying to calm him down.
Ivy hands secretly balled to a fist as she wished to punch the rude man's face.
"Honey she already apologized " The woman said then turned to look at Ivy who was still standing on the same spot.
"It's alright you can leave " she said and Ivy told her thank you before taking her leave.
Ivy let out a sigh of relief as she walked away , the man really seemed like the kind with anger issues.
"Aunty are you going to serve us now ? " A cute little girl sitting on a table reserved for just her and her mother asked Ivy , her cute big adorable eyes staring deep into Ivy soul.
"Sure what would you like ? " Ivy asked and took out her small notebook and pen from her apron pocket.
The girl glanced at her mother before leaning forward with both elbows on the table. "I want the biggest pancake you have With strawberries And extra whipped cream Oh! And chocolate chips too "
Ivy chuckled. "That sounds like a very sweet pancake mountain, And for Mommy?"
The girl's mother, a tired but graceful woman with soft curls tucked behind her ears, looked up from the menu with a small smile. "Just a cappuccino for me, thank you "
Ivy nodded and scribbled it down. "Coming right up "
As Ivy turned away and headed toward the kitchen, the little girl whispered to her mom, "She's really pretty, Like a princess "
The mother smiled faintly, brushing her daughter's hair back. "Maybe she is, sweetie , A hardworking princess "
WILLIAMS COMPANY
The ticking of the antique clock on the wall was the only sound that dared to echo in the silence of Damon Williams office. He sat behind a sleek black desk, his suit sharp, his jaw tighter. A beam of late afternoon sunlight filtered in through the blinds, casting golden streaks across the room but none of it touched him.
His fingers paused on the screen of his tablet. "Cancel the meeting with marketing. They've wasted enough of my time this week."
Standing by the door, his assistant was well-dressed and always two steps ahead nodded. "Already done, sir. The car's Waiting ,You have the opening at the new hotel in Midtown "
Damon rose smoothly, grabbing his phone and slipping it into his pocket. "Let's go "
MIDTOWN
The convoy of black cars cut through traffic like knives through butter. Damon's luxury sedan led the way, windows tinted, presence intimidating. The city was a blur of movement, people rushing, cars honking, horns wailing.
But then.....
Screech.
Up ahead, a delivery truck jolted to a halt in the middle of the street. A motorcyclist swerved. Horns blared. The driver of Damon's car muttered a curse under his breath.
"We're stuck," the assistant said with a sigh, checking her watch. "We'll be late."
Damon didn't respond. He simply stared out the window, his face unreadable.
Outside, a young woman weaved through the chaos. Her apron was dusty with flour, her blonde hair tied up messily, her eyes tired but bright with something perhaps determination.
She held a paper bag in one hand, walking briskly past the line of trapped vehicles without so much as a glance.
Ivy.
She walked right by Damon's car, just inches from his window.
He didn't look at her,And she didn't glance at him.
Two strangers, One moment.
Neither of them knew their worlds were about to collide.
FEW MINUTES LATER,LITTLE BLOOM BAKERY
The small brass bell above the door chimed as Ivy stepped inside, the scent of warm cinnamon and melting chocolate immediately wrapped around her like a familiar hug.
This is another place that Ivy works.
"Finally!" her coworker, Jayla, called from behind the counter. "What happened? You look like you crossed a battlefield "
"I did," Ivy muttered with a breathless laugh, dropping the paper bag on the counter. "Traffic's a nightmare, Some trucks just broke down and everyone lost their minds "
She untied her apron, brushing flour off her black worn-out jeans. "But I got the delivery from Crème Delights. The rich people across the street are obsessed with their vanilla beans, apparently "
Jayla snorted. "Rich people are obsessed with everything expensive, Bet they wouldn't last a day here "
Ivy just smiled faintly and looked out the window across the street.
"Anyway," she said, pulling her hair back into a tighter bun. "Let's get back to work before Mrs. Terrence kills us both "
DAMON – 5:28 P.M. | MONDRIAN HOTEL, MIDTOWN
The hotel entrance was a maze of flashing cameras and murmuring voices. The city's elite and media were already gathered on the carpeted steps as Damon's car finally pulled to a stop in front.
He stepped out, tall and composed, his presence commanding attention without trying. His assistant flanked him, tablet in hand.
"You're twenty-eight minutes behind schedule," she murmured.
"I'm not here to be on time " Damon replied coolly.
Reporters surged forward, but he ignored them all, walking straight toward the grand glass doors. His expression was unreadable, his mind already shifting into business mode.
The moment he walked in people began to talk about him even ladies began gossiping on how handsome he was but nobody dared to approach him well nobody except a red haired dummy who thought she was the main character because she came from a wealthy background.
She lifted the tip of her big dress up and walked towards Damon gracefully with her face full of smiles.
"Mr Damon " She called and bowed politely.
"Who are you ? " Damon asked with a bored expression on his face.
The red haired girl face almost went red from anger and embarrassment , she came from one of the top five wealthy families , it was a slap on her face that Damon was asking who she is.
Embarrassed by his question she still forced a smile on her face and even dared to reach out to touch him.
Damon swiftly avoided her like a plague, moving backwards to avoid her touch.
The red haired lost her balance by his sudden move and her screams were heard as she fell face flat on the floor.
🗣️I wonder if she is alright
🗣️ I honestly don't feel bad for her we all know how Damon hates getting touched especially by women
🗣️she just made a complete fool of herself
🗣️What are you talking about? Not only herself but also her family
The other guests gossiped loudly, the red haired girl shameful got up from the floor with a bleeding broken nose.
She ran out of the party in tears other ladies who witnessed this and had , had the intention to approach Damon and seduce him.
Quickly got the thought off their heads after seeing the way he cruelly dealt with the red haired girl.
The party continued like it was never interrupted , some business men tried to get close to Damon to sign a contract with their company but Damon coldly ignored their presence like they didn't exist.
BLACKRIDGE COLLEGE
Blackridge is a college where the rich rule with an iron fist and the scholarship students learn to survive with grit .
The school has the best top-tier facilities, elite professors, and is even the best college in the whole states.
Only four scholarships students are accepted in ,per year and the exams are really tough making it hard for the poor and brainless to get in.
The school was painted in royal blue and white making it building look majestic and the envy of all other college schools.
Currently students were sitting in the class receiving lectures from the male lecturer standing in front of the class.
Some were bearly listening and sleeping or pressing phones while few actually listened to all the things the lecturer was saying.
A guy named Orion blackwood was sleeping during the class his head was placed on the desk in front of him and he had his earpod in his ears listening to music in a high volume , drowning and blocking everything happening around him.
He was wearing a cool black leather jacket with a black singlet and a pair of baggy jeans with sneakers.
Some girls had their eyes on him gossiping as they stared at him and wished to have him.
Orion is popular in school for not only being a heir of a wealthy family but also for his really handsome face that drives ladies insane.
Half of the girls in the school dreamed of having him inside them just once but unfortunate for them Orion wasn't a f**k boy he was a lone wolf who keeps to himself and hardly spoke to anyone.
"So that would be all for today , I will be giving you a assignment and you will be grouped into two groups to do a research on ineqauity in a workplace and note you must be a boy and girl I don't want boy and boy or girl and girl and this assignment will serve as half your test so I will encourage you better do it and do well " the lecturer said then stepped out leaving the students to groan and curse at him.
Orion who hadn't been paying attention throughout the whole class raised his head up , when he say the lecturer was gone he stood up from his seat and started walking outside.
He was half way , away from the class when a black skin girl ran towards him standing right in front of him preventing him from moving forward.
Orion's eyebrows raised in a frowny expression , clearly annoyed with the girl standing in front of him.
He took his phone out and paused the music he was listening to.
"Hi Orion " The black girl said with a huge smile on her face.
"What is it , Skye ? Class is over and I just wanna be by myself " Orion said.
"Prof Dante gave us an assignment and we need to form a group for that I was wondering if you would like to be my partner for the assignment "
"Sure if that would get you to leave me alone right now "
Skye's and Orion's parents were close friends and business partners so that gave Skye a little opportunity to be close to him but he was distant from her.
Skye's face was full of smiles after hearing Orion agree to be her partner.
"Are you going to be attending Ronan's party tonight ? " She asked.
"What's the point ? I am not even friends with Ronan's and that dude just throws parties like a freak , I will be on my way now " Orion said and left before Skye could try to convince him to attend the party with her.
The moment he walked away a black handsome guy stepped up to Skye.
"Why are you trying so hard to get along with Orion ? It is obvious he is a weirdo who likes his personal space " he said and Skye rolled her eyes.
"Orion is not a weirdo and you should also try being his friend. he is mom and dad friends son , we three should be friends just like our parents " Skye Said then walked away.
Blaze is Skye's twin brother , he is older than Skye with one hour and thirty minutes.
"Sometimes I just get the feeling that my stupid twiny as something for that Orion guy " Blaze mumbled before chasing after her.
IN THE CITY A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT
The evening was quiet. The little girl from the restaurant who called Ivy pretty sat on the living room floor, coloring quietly with her pink crayons.
Her soft curls bounced every time she looked up from her drawing.
The door opened with a creak, followed by the thud of heavy footsteps.
Daniel walked in, the smell of alcohol thick on him. His expression was dark and Cold as he looked at Leah who was standing at the dining table folding laundry.
"Where's my dinner?" he asked, voice low and rough.
"I kept it warm in the oven " Leah replied calmly, watching him carefully.
His eyes flicked toward the kitchen, then to the little girl called Luis .
"She's still up?" he barked. "What did I say about that?"
"It's not even eight yet, Daniel She was drawing, I will tuck her to bed when I finish folding the laundry "
Daniel's face twisted. "So now you talk back?"
Leah chest tightened. "I'm not talking back, I'm explaining "
Suddenly, Daniel stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face.
The sound cracked through the room like thunder. Leah stumbled back, one hand to her cheek. Her eyes burned and Her ears were ringing.
Luis dropped her crayon.
"M-Mommy?" she whispered, eyes wide with fear.
Leah blinked rapidly, forcing back tears as she straightened. Her voice shook, but she stood tall. "Don't do that in front of her! " she yelled.
Daniel stepped closer. "I'll do whatever the hell I want in my house , I pay the rent!! "
"Cant you just stop being aggressive think of our daughter's mental health at least!!!!" Leah yelled and that only made him more furious.
He raised his hand again , but Leah didn't flinch this time.
"You do it again," she said, her voice like ice, "and I swear, Daniel, I'll make sure you never see either of us again "
He froze and Luis started crying.
Leah turned towards her and lifted her up the ground carrying her to her room.
"That b**ch!!! " Daniel yelled at the top of his voice and pushed all the laundry Leah folded to the floor.
Inside Luis room , Leah dropped her on the bed and covered her with her duvet then picked up a story book.
"Mom will read you Cinderella story just listen and go to sleep okay ? " Leah Said and smiled.
Luis removed her hand from under her duvet and grabbed her mom's hand with teary eyes.
"Mom please sleep here with me don't go outside daddy might become mean again and hit you " She said with her sad teary eyes while Leah forced a smile then pat Luis head.
"Don't say such things , your dad doesn't hit me he just got angry that's all " Leah Said.
"Mom...."
"You should sleep already if not you will get to school late " Leah mumbled and Luis hesitantly closed her eyes.
THE SAME NIGHT ROYAL WOOD HOSPITAL
Inside one of the numerous multiple wards in royal hospital was a guy called Matteo, he is Ivy younger brother.
The door creeked open and Ivy herself came in with a nylon in her hand and a bright smile hiding her tired face perfectly so as not to worry her brother.
"Ivy " Matteo called as she walked towards him.
She immediately started frowning when she saw a book in Matteo's hand she snatched it from him.
"Why are you reading? You are supposed to be resting do you want your illness to worsen ?! " She scolded him and Matteo playfully rolled his eyes.
"Reading a book wouldn't kill me and I need to read so I will pass the scholarship exam to Blackridge and get in ,that way I can be closer to my girlfriend "
"I am so tired of you , you are staking your health for that girl , have she even come here to check on you this week? " Ivy asked.
"She is busy with school but I know she loves me a lot " Matteo Said and Ivy just stared at him.
"I really get bad vibes from that girl " ivy said and Matteo rolled his eyes , his sister doesn't really get along with his hot girlfriend.
Matteo has lived most of his life appearing strong and healthy, but underneath, his heart has been slowly failing.
As he gets older, the defect worsens shortness of breath, fatigue, and even fainting spells start to appear.
Without open-heart surgery, he won't survive much longer and that is why Ivy takes on multiple jobs to take care of him and pay his medical bills.
"I just came to give you the fruits I got, I will be on my way now " Ivy Said and got up.
"You are not going to spend time with me ? " He asked.
"I am going home to sleep goodnight " She lied and stepped out she was in fact going to another place where she works nightshift.
When she stepped out of Matteo's ward she met with the doctor in charge of him.
"Good evening doctor zany " She greeted him but he stared sternly at her.
"Ivy when are you planning to pay the medical bills of your brother also you are delaying his surgery , if he doesn't get surgery soon his heart would fail completely we already found a donor just pay " The doctor said with an irritated look on his face, he was getting annoyed with Ivy behavior.
"Doctor Zach please try to understand it not easy I am trying my best to raise the money please give me more time " She begged.
Doctor Zach looked at her from head to toe before smirking.
"You wouldn't have to work so hard if you just agreed to have a threesome with me and my friend we will pay you a lot don't refuse again Ivy " Doctor Zach said shamelessly and Ivy cringed.
Doctor Zach has been trying to sleep with her but she keeps refusing his offer but he remains stubborn and shameless.
Ivy would have snapped at him or insulted him but she couldn't do so because of Matteo who was under his care.
"I will get the money " She simply said then walked away leaving doctor Zach foaming in anger.
Ivy is a beautiful young girl who is gifted everywhere she had the perfect body shape