Leah's eyes flickered open, as the bright light flashed on her face. She inhaled deeply sucking in scents of cigarettes mixed with the smell of an expensive masculine perfume that lingered the air as she jumped off the bed, her heart pounding and her eyes scanning the room.
The glass walls, dim lights, and super chill, fancy quiet vibe. Till her gaze fell on something — no someone…
She held her breath and her eyes widened, as he stood cool, calm and dangerous. A sky grin played on his lips, but his eyes stayed cold.
"Mi casa su casa" Levi said, as smoke drifted out of his mouth slowly.
"You? What… what.. wait, how am I here?" Leah's voice cracked.
She lifted her hand impulsively, she was three hours late, "Fûck!" She said, balling her fist trying to hold her voice down.
"Why am I here?" she asked again.
"I'm your client for today" Levi sneered and smirked again.
" What?"
"Leah McWilliams" Levi continued ignoring her distress "Orphaned at 18. You have a brother in the hospital awaiting treatment, and bills to sort; Like the loan your mother took before she died"
Her brows knotted slightly as his words cut through her.
"Here" he dropped a clipboard on the table.
"What's that?" Leah asked, her gaze narrowing as she stepped forward, her instincts blazing red alarms.
"An offer you might be interested in" he said, taking a seat opposite her as he crossed his legs like he had all the time in the world.
"What?!" She slammed the clipboard back at the table, without even reading the whole context of the paper.
She didn't need to.
"First you got me fired from my job and then you bring me here by kidnapping me, which I've not fully digested yet. Now you ask me to marry you?" She laughed, but it sounded fake.
"You were fired from your workplace?" Levi asked, genuinely surprised as his expression softened for a moment.
"Don't act like you don't know what am talking about" Leah snapped.
"About your job, no apologies. I hate mistakes" he smirked.
"And shouldn't I be getting a THANK YOU?. Because I just saved you from making the biggest mistake of your life" he said, as his gaze pinned her in place.
"You do not know anything so just stop with your cocktails and arrogance" she shot back.
"Yes... I know nothing but I do know that as much as you want to save your brother, you do not also want to 'Prostitute yourself'," he said calmly, his words landing like a slap.
Leah's jaw tightened, her eyes flashing with irritation and her phone buzzed, a welcomed intrusion that sliced through the tension.
Her fingers slid across the screen, accepting the call as she raised the phone to her ear.
Martin's voice blasted through the phone "Leah.. what the fuck is wrong with you? Your slot was given away… where the fuck are you?"
"Leah? Are you even thinking about Flynn?"
Leah's eyes snapped shut as she ended the call abruptly, and glared at Levi.
"Do you realize what you have just done… I'm not interested." she said her voice shook with a restrained fury.
She turned towards to the door.
"You haven't read my terms and conditions yet," Levi said quietly and she paused.
He turned from the glass wall, "Your brother's hospital bills will be sorted, the loan your late mother took will be settled, your brother's education will be handled, a well paying job will be given to you.. that's if you wish"
Leah's hand shaked around the door knob.
"Think about Flynn. Would you rather sell your body which you clearly dislike or grab this opportunity… I'm not asking for much. Just be my wife for a year"
Flynn.
The name rang a multiple time in her head. She turned slowly and he was stretching out a pen to her.
"Why are you acting like you know me when clearly you don't, just because you heard pieces of my story doesn't give you the right to use them to your advantage" she turned to him.
"In the bigger picture it is… to your advantage not mine. It's fine, if you're not interested in my offer.. I wonder how you'd save Flynn now"
"De…deal, and stop using my brother as a leverage" she said, and signed without much hesitation.
"Speaking of my brother.."
"He's already undergoing surgery" Levi said and she frowned.
She wanted to ask how, but she remembered he was a billionaire. Anything was possible.
"You'll move in tomorrow and then a wedding by next week" he said, "You can spend the night here,since it's late already"
"Thank you" she said and he turned.
"You're working for it" he stated flatly and walked out of the room.
"Mm-hmm" she scoffed, as a maid walking in with a pyjamas and another with a tray of food.
"Thank you" she said to them as they bowed.
Leah smiled at the princess treatment, as her phone rang and she picked it up.
"Hey.. Leah was just about to call you. I stepped out for a bit and I'm back to hearing that Flynn's undergoing surgery" Martin's voice said huskily from the phone.
"Uh..umm.. Martin, I have a lot to tell you… please can you watch Flynn, I can't come back till tomorrow" she pleaded.
"Sure, is everything okay? Did you get another job offer?" Martin asked, voice lacing with a hint of curiosity.
"Everything's fine, Marty. Thanks" she said ending the call with a smile.
"Yes!" she said, her voice a bit too loud as she strode to the mini dining table, pulled out a chair and plopped down, reaching for a bread roll.
***
Levi entered his room and pressed the intercom, "Derek. My room now!"
And in a split second his bodyguard was in his room, "Sir"
"She was fired from her job?" Levi said, staring out through the glass wall.
"Yes sir. Along with her coworker," Derek replied.
"And who ordered it?" Levi asked.
"Your fiancee sir. She asked me to.."
A slap came fast on his cheek.
"You now take orders from someone else? You fired her in my name without my consent"
"And who said she was my fiancee?" Levi snapped, "Make sure they're both reinstated by tomorrow"
"Yes boss" Derek answered.
" Get out"
***
"Hey" Leah greeted as she walked into the ward.
"Oh…hey" he replied, staring daggers at her.
"When you stare like that.. you're either looking for gossip or looking for someone to gossip to" she chuckled.
"Really" he said dryly.
"C'mon.. I'm sorry I let your efforts go to a waste but as you can see, I brought home a good news" she said.
"More like a trophy" Martin teased as they both bumped their fists.
"Gists" he said snapping his fingers.
"I thought you weren't interested.. anyways I met someone who obviously did this and also cleared my bills for a contract marriage lasting a year" she said.
"Leah!!" Martin exclaimed in shock and another voice came.
"You're not serious.. are you?"