0004.

Sophia’s POV.

My hands trembled as sweat dropped from my face to the floor even in the cold. I was trembling like a leaf in the wind and my heart was beating out of control.

“I didn’t steal anything Sophia. I swear it, I simply borrowed the money and I was going to pay back after the auction was over. You can ask the…”

“Keep quiet or I will make you do so.” The stranger threatened and father swallowed hard but didn’t keep quiet. He kept mumbling that he was innocent but no one was listening to him other than me.

Every single one of the guests at the auction were now standing outside with their phones out and their cameras flashing. I could tell they were taking pictures and recording videos of the embarrassing situation my father was in. I could imagine the horrific headlines the blogs would use about my father at dawn.

After the scandal that had happened the last time that caused father to lose his company and everything he owed other than the house we were currently living in, he was someone the media targeted at the slightest opportunity.

“Sophia,” someone whispered beside me and I turned to find one of the top executives that father invited, a woman named Mrs. Jefferson, standing behind me and staring at the strangers’ men with her eyes wide open in fear.

“Why would you associate yourself with loan sharks? I thought you were smarter than your father but it is obvious that you are just like him, a failure.” She hissed as she spun around on her heels and made for her car parked further down the road.

“I never should have come to this disaster you call an auction. Remind me to never work with you on anything. I hate debtors.” She added with disdain before she walked off.

Her words aggravated me as I gritted my teeth in anger but I couldn’t lose my focus. I was more worried about my father than what a random woman had to say about me.

“You don’t even have any proof that he did it.” I had no idea where my new found boldness was from but all I knew was that, I was desperate to prove that my father didn’t take anything and I was scared they would do something to him if I didn’t.

My father was everything to me, I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him.

“You just walk in here and drag him away and you expect me to believe that he stole $1 million from you?” I added and I noticed the smirk that appeared on the stranger’s face.

“You should know that I am not the type that goes around accusing people without evidence.” He responded before tossing something at me.

I reacted immediately and caught whatever it was mid-air, it wasn’t until I opened my palms before I realized it was a phone.

“Play the video.” He started with an authoritative voice and with trembling hands and while sniffing loudly, I swiped up on the phone and a video was the first thing that popped onto the screen..

My eyes widened in shock as father came into view, he was seated in front of a much more elderly man who had a sleazy grin on his face,

“You do realize who you’re asking me to steal from, right?” The elderly man asked father in the video and he nodded.

“Sophia needs the money for the exhibition.” Father’s sad voice came next, just before the video ended.

I glanced up sharply to meet father’s eyes and he shook his head wildly at me in response. The volume of the video was loud enough for everyone around me to hear and father must have heard it too.

“Why would you do that father?” I asked, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

“No Sophia, that’s not what it looks like. I was in the office of the man that lended me the money and I had no idea what he meant, I didn’t know he meant he was really going to steal.” Father tried to explain as he tried to rise to his feet and move towards me but one of the men knocked him back down on his knees.

The video alone was enough to prove that he had stolen the money. The conversation was one sided but since that was the only part recorded and the same thing happened to me when Ray tricked me into being his collateral, I believed my father was innocent.

But how was I to prove to the stranger who was adamant and hell bent on getting his money back, that my father was innocent? The only option I had was to beg since I didn’t have that kind of money and I barely stood a chance against him and his men.

“Just let him go, please…” I cried as I crawled forward on my knees towards the van, I could feel a sharp pain in my knees like I had just bruised it but that was the least of my worries,

“I am willing to do anything, please just let him go. I would double the money I owe you and…” I said in panic and desperation because they were about to shut the door of the van and drive away with my father but the stranger suddenly signaled for his men to stop.

“Anything? I have been waiting forever for these words,” He said with a thin smile curving his lips and I nodded rapidly without putting any meaning into his words even though I knew the situation I was in was like bargaining with the devil.

“Are you sure you wanna do this? Are you sure you wanna try out some adventure with me that might come as a result of those juicy words you just said to me?” He asked and I nodded slowly without thinking again.

His lips drew up a thin smile, his eyes now revealing an invisible excitement like he has been waiting forever for such an opportunity, like another side of him had been unlocked and I swallowed hard, squeezing my palm together in fear as the thoughts of the gravity of the words I had said without much meaning came rushing in.

But still I didn’t care despite how everything were making me feel. What mattered to me was my father’s safety.

“No! No Sophia, no! Let me handle this, stay out of this, he is dangerous.” Father screamed but as usual, the men rough-handled him to scare him into silence.

“If you meant what you just said then maybe we can reach an agreement,” the stranger beckoned for me to get into the car and as soon as his men blocking the entrance stepped aside, I jumped in and wrapped my arms around my father protectively.

“You’re willing to do anything right?” The stranger asked again and I nodded almost immediately.

“Yes.”

“No Sophia, don’t agree to anything. Go back to the exhibition and apologize to the guests, there is still time to smooth everything out with everyone.”

“No father, I am not going to just sit back and watch him take you away.” I responded, “You’ve always looked out for me so let me look out for you this time around.” I added softly as I held his gaze.

He fell silent but I could tell with just the look on his face that he had so much more to say but was holding himself back.

“In as much as this father- daughter relationship of yours is amusing, and I hate to break it up, you’re both wasting my time,” the stranger interrupted us, “You agreed to do anything in exchange for me letting him walk free right?” He asked again and I nodded.

He glanced at his men and before I could process what was going on, one of them grabbed father and tossed him out of the van. I screamed and tried to go after him but the stranger held me down with such a hard grip that I couldn’t wriggle out of it no matter how hard I tried.

“A deal is a deal Sophia.” He whispered to me and I shot him a glare.

“What the hell… you said you would not hurt him! You said you will not…”

“Relax. I kept my own end of the deal, he is safe.” He replied and the van began to move.

I wanted to scream but I was too scared to do that plus I knew it was of no use, I could hear my own heart beat and I was certain everyone else could. He held me close to him and the feel of his strong body against mine coupled with the murderous look on the faces of his men, I knew he was going to hurt me.

There was nothing holding him back again.

“I can work for you, I can make enough money for you and pay back everything you lost but please don’t hurt me.” I begged, tears rolling down my cheeks but he simply grunted and pushed the strands of hair on my face aside.

“I am not a kind man, Sophia. I am what most would call a monster but this monster is willing to make a deal with you for the sake of your father who seemed like he was deceived, just as you claim you were. Does that run in your family? People just make use of you guys and then get you into trouble,” He began and I swallowed even as I found his words offensive but I felt embarrassed because he was speaking facts.

But what kind of a deal was he talking about?

“60 days Sophia, you have 60 days to succeed where others have failed.” He said with a stern voice and my brows furrowed as I stared up at him.

“What?”

“Seduce me in 60 days, make we want you in every way imaginable and every single penny you owe me is gone.”

“You mean?” I asked.

“I don’t know what love is all about but I heard it is the most beautiful thing ever, that makes me want to experience it…give me a feeling of it. it’s as simple as that,” he added with a cold look that pierced right into my soul.

“Simple? I bet he is being sarcastic when he says love is that simple,” I bluffed.

With what Ray has done to me. I don’t believe I could give him what he wanted and it made me so scared, that evident fear clouded my senses and I tried to avoid his gaze.

He smirked, when he saw the fear in my eyes. Enjoying it, he drew closer until his lips were an inch away from mine. He stared right into my eyes and grabbed my chin tightly but yet gently.

“You can make it happen, right?” He asked, his eyes tracing down my neck and I swallowed, goose bumps appearing all over my skin.

His breath fanned hot against my skin, as he used his finger to trace down my throat and I felt a fluttering feeling explode inside of me due to the intensity of his touch.