0002.

Sophia’s POV.

Beep. Beep.

The gentle sound of the machine beside me forced me back to consciousness, and as my eyes fluttered open slowly, it landed on the ceiling and it took a while of glancing around the room before I realized I was in a hospital and the memories came rushing back.

“…take her far away and kill her.”

The words of Ray that had played out of the recording filled my head and I felt a sharp pain twist my chest like something had just pierced through it.

Ray sold me off so he wouldn't pay me back and his intentions were to kill me. How? That man said he loved me, he said he was willing to do anything for me and wanted me to be the mother of his children. I had given him all my money, trusting him when he mentioned his mother was dying. I believed it when I saw a video of her critically sick in the hospital. That money was the only money my father had left after his company went bankrupt years ago. He had sacrificed that money so I could fulfill my dream of hosting an Art exhibition to showcase my talent.

How could Ray do this to me?

I had no idea when the tears began to roll down my cheeks, my throat ached as I cried in silence.

“The stranger!”

His strange presence hit me out of the blue. Him showing up at that time must mean something, it must have been Ray that sent him to save me. Ray must have asked him to bring me to the hospital.

Maybe Ray didn’t really betray me, maybe he had no choice, maybe they threatened him into selling me off but he couldn’t do it and came back to save me. He knew they shouldn’t see his face so he sent someone else.

Desperate to find a way to exonerate the man I loved from what happened because I couldn’t believe he could change in a twinkling of an eye and do that to me, I came up with all sorts of excuses in my head for him, even though the truth was gnawing away at me, I tried to ignore it as much as I could.

“You’re awake.” A soft voice said beside me, startling me out of my thoughts.

I turned and my eyes landed on the nurse,

“Where is the man that brought me here?” I asked immediately but she shook her head and moved closer to me.

“He left the moment he dropped you off. You don’t have to worry though, he has sorted everything out so you would be free to go as soon as you’re okay.”

“What about Ray?”

“Excuse me?”

“Ray. You know, my boyfriend, he has blonde hair and…”

“No one came for you after the gentleman that brought you here Miss. No one else.” She replied, shattering the little hope I had managed to gather.

I requested for my phone and she brought it before she left to get the doctor. There was not even one text or missed call from Ray.

How was that possible? If he had sent the man from earlier then he should at least try to check up on me to know if I am fine. Or maybe he asked the stranger and…

What was I even saying? What if it is true that Ray actually wanted me dead?

Then who was that man and how was his timing so perfect?

I never got a chance to thank him and he just might be the only one that can tell me what really happened, if Ray truly sold me off.

“Father! Oh my father would be worried sick,” I exclaimed as the thought of him crossed my mind, I put a call through to him.

“Oh My God!” My father’s voice called out from the other end, “Sophia I was so worried that I almost…” he sighed in relief and I smiled weakly.

My father was the light in my world and his ability to make me smile regardless of whatever was going on made me love having him around even more.

“I am fine, father. Just got into a little bit of a sticky situation but I am sorting it out already. At the hospital close to your office.” I said to him, I could tell which hospital I was in by just looking out the window at the street.

“What? What are you doing at a…” he yelled and just as I opened my mouth to assure him that I was fine, I noticed something move in front of me and I glanced up sharply to find the stranger from before.

My heart skipped a beat and I slowly ended the call and let the phone drop from my ear to my side.

His hat was gone this time, giving me a clear view of his dark hair and thick brows. His sharp green eyes were captivating so I couldn’t look away when he held my gaze. His muscles flexed underneath his shirt as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall.

Regardless of how captivating he was physically, there was this dark, strange aura around him that creeped me out. As if he was the grim reaper coming for my soul or something.

When he moved, his shirt opened up a little and I noticed the tattoo of a hawk on his chest.

“Thank you.” I managed to mumble, suddenly realizing that I had been staring at him and salivating for way too long. I forced myself to swallow and tried to concentrate on what had happened.

“Thank you for saving me but I need to know if Ray sent you? I don’t believe what those guys said about him and I don’t believe Ray would do something like that to me. He cares about me too much to do that.”

A dark chuckle slipped from him before he pushed himself away from the wall and stepped closer to my bed,

“You think I saved you?” He asked with an expression on his face that I couldn’t read, “I didn’t save you Sophia, I would never save you nor would your little boyfriend. Whatever the men told you about him is the truth. The man you have known all your life is someone I bet you don’t wanna know about. Being with him for three years as I have learned, I can commend you really ate with a devil… Fuck, I really want you because of that but,” He paused and held my eyes before he continued,

“I am simply here to collect you as the collateral that was promised. It’s been over a month and he has failed to pay back. I mean, I couldn’t let those men harm you.”

I had no idea when he moved away from the wall until he grabbed my chin and turned my face sideways as if he was examining me.

“You would fetch me a whole lot of money anyways so I don’t care if he pays up or not.” He added with a grin and I felt a chill race down my spine.

My eyes widened in shock because his face was so close to mine that I could barely breathe or think straight. His heavy, musky scent was intoxicating and filled my head almost immediately.

“W-What is this about? What collateral?” I managed to ask.

“Listen Sophia, I know you’re pretending not to know about this and I don’t have time to waste. I am someone you don’t want to cross paths with but when you do, things don’t end well for you.” He growled.

“But I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I protested, not sure if this was the time to be brave or at least pretend to be.

“You’re saying you don’t remember agreeing to be his collateral? You don’t remember signing the papers and you don’t remember speaking to me on the phone and even agreeing again?”

“Be whose collateral?” I asked, exasperatedly and with my brows furrowed.

“Ray’s.”

At the mention of that name, it felt like something shattered inside of me and the entire world around me faded away, leaving me alone with the stranger that had just mentioned his name.

I was Ray’s collateral?

“He took a loan of five hundred thousand dollars and you agreed to become my property if he doesn’t pay up. I have your signature and thumb prints on the papers just in case you try to wriggle your way out of this.” He said with a wide smile on his face as if he was enjoying whatever this was.

I had no idea what else to do than to burst out laughing but it was obvious that I was freaking nervous due to how his intimidating posture towered above me.

Nothing he was saying made sense to me.

What was he talking about? I never agreed to be anyone’s collateral. Ray never even mentioned he was taking out any loan, he wanted to before but I ended up borrowing him my own money instead.

“I sincerely have no idea what you’re talking about. How can I agree to be a collateral to a loan I don’t know about? It makes no sense at all. Maybe you have me mistaken for someone else.”

He didn’t say a word, he simply brought out some papers from behind me that I had not noticed until that very moment. He pulled it open and turned it towards me, a gasp slipped from me when I saw my signature right underneath where my name was written boldly on top and the word, “Collateral” written in front of it.

A fingerprint was even on it and it had been stamped…

That was impossible! How was my signature on that document? My heart began to race as I grabbed the document from him and got a good look at it.

A gasp slipped from me when it hit me. I had seen these papers before but where? I racked my memories for it and like a truck slamming into me, it hit me.

That day, Ray asked me to help him sign and stamp my fingerprints on papers he had said was for a contract he got which he used me as one of his surety to gain the trust of the man that had given it to him.

Ray had taken me to the office of the man he had mentioned who was also helping him fund the contract and I agreed to meet and talk with him because Ray made me believe the man wanted a serious minded person in a serious relationship.

It felt good to know he thought of me as a serious relationship so I went as far as talking on phone with someone I thought was the man I met with Ray who asked if I was willing to be his collateral and I said yes.

The man never mentioned anything about a loan to me and I wasn’t suspicious of anything since I had met with him and saw the contract but now it dawned on me that I had been manipulated and deceived.

I trusted Ray and didn’t read through the documents I signed. It happened two months after I had lent him my money he made away with.

My breath became labored and it suddenly felt like the room was spinning around me. Ray had done the worst to me, from taking all my money to signing me away to a stranger and not only that, he had also given the go ahead for some men to kill me.

The back of my eyes stung as I stared up at the stranger who was there to collect me as a collateral for something I was tricked into by a man I dated for three years and loved with all my heart. How could he be capable of doing all that to me?

“Please…you have to help me here. I had no idea what happened. I was tricked into this,” I pleaded with the stranger as tears rolled down my cheeks. “I..I didn’t know it was a loan.” I struggled to speak but the lump in my throat seemed to spread rapidly, making it even more painful and impossible to talk clearly.

“You have two options, either pay me back the five hundred thousand dollars he borrowed or get ready to become one of my properties. Either way, I get my money back.” The stranger growled and I didn’t think twice before agreeing to it.

I had no idea where or how I was supposed to get the money but it was better than becoming an item for him to display and sell.

“I will definitely pay, just give me a few weeks and the money should be ready.”

“It had better be.” He replied sharply before he turned and walked out of the room.

I collapsed back on the bed, trying so hard to steady my breath while thinking at the same time of a way to come up with such an amount of money within such a short period of time.

It was impossible and I was so helpless that all I could do at that moment was cry.

At that moment, my father rushed in and the sight of him made the tears roll down my cheeks in heavy torrents.

What was I going to do?

“Sophy, I saw a man leaving your ward, who is he? He doesn’t seem like he is a gentleman,” my father said, panic evident in his eyes.

“Oh, that man. He is no one. He only saved me and I thanked him and he is gone,” I said trying to wipe my tears off but instead broke out crying bitterly.

My father consoled me after informing me that he heard about Ray leaving the country. Father was aware I borrowed all my money from Ray and tried not to make me feel sad but I was more than sad, I was petrified.

I was scared of what the stranger would do to me if I didn’t pay back.

The money I lent Ray was the money for my exhibition, I thought he was going to pay it back but now that things had changed, I might never be able to hold that exhibition and father knew that.

“I will make sure I get the money to make your exhibition a success.” He said reassuringly, as if he read my mind.

“And how do you intend to do that, dad? I know you don’t have any money and also anyone to reach out for help.”

“Trust me, Sophia. I will do anything in my power to fulfill your long awaited dream.” He whispered as he pulled me into his embrace.

For a second, I felt relieved, hoping the money I will make from my upcoming exhibition will be enough to pay back the stranger.

It had better be or else…