CHAPTER 6.KEEPING MY DEBTORS CLOSER.

Keeping my Debtors closer.

At Damian Forbes Residence.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Damian, but there's nothing more I can do," the doctor said wearily. "This was the last option. If only it had worked out, I could have done an insemination and used your own sperm to have your offspring."

Damian's face paled immediately, his eyelids beginning to droop from exhaustion. "Doctor, so what do I do now?" he asked, hoping the doctor would suggest a better solution.

In reality, Damian had a low sperm count that had now developed into erectile dysfunction, preventing him from having children of his own. Despite his vast wealth and status as a self-made billionaire, he was far from the picture of perfection that others assumed.

The doctor sighed. "Mr. Damian, the only remaining option is to find a donor."

A chill ran down Damian's spine as the realization set in. He couldn't even father his own children. Though he flashed the doctor a controlled smirk, inside he felt his blood flow restricted.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Damian," the doctor continued empathetically. "I know this must be difficult for you, but a donor and surrogate mother are the last resort. I can discreetly help you arrange that."

Damian walked over to the window, needing a moment to catch his breath. The tension and suffocation were overwhelming. As the doctor's words echoed in his mind, ideas began to form. He needed an heir to take over his empire and cement his position as the boss.

With a newfound resolve, Damian turned to the doctor. "What do you think of the woman you just examined? Is she healthy enough to be the surrogate for my children?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, sir. She is very healthy and would be an excellent surrogate."

A subtle, satisfied smirk curled Damian's lips. "Good. You may leave now. I'll call you when I need you," he said and the Doctor bowed before leaving.

Damian walked over to the room where Ivy was resting and sat on one of his plush couches. Although he had an idea of which donor to use, he still wished the insemination would go through so he could father his own biological children. Having all the basic necessities in life but being unable to have his own biological children was something he knew he would have to live with for the rest of his life.

Ivy finally woke up from a dreamless sleep and tried to adjust her eyes to the brightness of the room. She yawned and stretched, feeling more relaxed than she had been in a long time.

Her hands stopped mid-air as she noticed the unfamiliar surroundings - the chandeliers and luxurious bed she was laying on. She couldn't recognize the room she was in.

Where was she?

Her heart started to pound as she jumped out of the bed, but when she did, she realized she wasn't wearing her clothes anymore - instead, she was wearing some oversized pajamas that didn't belong to her. Who had undressed her? Her breath hitched as she noticed she wasn't wearing her bra anymore, just her panties.

The last thing she remembered was the billionaire tycoon, Damian, walking her out of his office and asking her to pay back his money in 24 hours. That was all she could recall, so how did she end up here? Was she kidnapped?

She heard a shrill sound of an alarm from a phone and froze. Was someone else in the room with her?

Then it must really be her kidnapper!

She suddenly started to hear footsteps as the person approached the other side of the room, and she quickly bent over and hid herself behind the bed.

Apparently, it was Damian coming when he heard sounds from his room. Ivy must be awake already, he thought.

Ivy's hands began to tremble, and her heart raced in fear. All she prayed for at this point was not to have another asthma attack. As the footsteps continued to get closer, she concluded that it must be her kidnapper. But why would he put her in such an exquisite room? And why would he go through the trouble of stripping her naked if he wanted a ransom?

"What is the need of hiding when I am standing right behind you!" A deep, masculine voice, aged like fine red wine, startled her. The voice sounded so close, and she quickly jumped up, only to collide face-to-face with a wall of solid flesh.

Ivy's heart was racing, and she couldn't bring herself to look Damian in the eyes.

"Sit down!" Damian commanded, and she quickly obeyed. What other choice did she have?

He eyed her up and down with an empty expression, and Ivy quickly wrapped her hands over her body, trying to protect herself.

She finally looked up, and a wave of shock washed over her when she saw Damian Forbes standing in front of her, wearing just a casual Louis Vuitton shirt and black sweatpants. Just looking at him, she felt a strange kind of excitement. The man before her was tall, with sharp features that made him irresistible. His face was perfectly chiseled, and even if he had it all frowned up, he was still very handsome.

But why did Damian have her in his house? Was she getting arrested in less than 24 hours, as he had given her?

"Please, just a little more time, sir. I promise I will pay you your money," she begged.

Instead, he furrowed his brows in confusion, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Pay me back? We all know you're broke, and now you have no job or even a boyfriend to rely on, so how do you plan to pay me?" he said bluntly.

Her face folded into deep lines of frown. Yes, she knew she was broke, but he didn't need to rub it in her face like that. Wait, how did he know she lost her job and boyfriend?

"I know you might be surprised why you're here..." he was still speaking when she rudely cut him short.

"Yes, I am surprised, so spare my time and tell me why I am in your house, half-naked and in clothes that don't belong to me?" she asked sharply.

From the size of the pajamas, he realized they must be his own.

He went silent for a while, trying to swallow the rude tone she had just addressed him with, but Ivy was more bothered by something else.

"Mr. Damian, were you the one who undressed me?" she asked with a stern look on her face.

For some reason, she just hoped the answer would be negative, maybe it wasn't just him who did it.

"Yes!" he responded with a smirk. His tone wasn't all that strict; it was as if he was trolling her to see her reaction.

She quickly wrapped her arms across her chest. "Why would you undress me? I will soon be married, and only my husband-to-be has the right to see my nakedness."

"You have no right to undress me without my permission. I can sue you for this or even accuse you of rape!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with anger and fear.

Damian didn't know why it amused him even more, the way she talked and her hand demonstrations that aligned with her petite figure. "Husband-to-be? Didn't he break up with you just a few hours ago?"

Ivy's heart started to tighten in her chest as he reminded her of the worst day of her life. Her eyes grew wet when she remembered how her boyfriend had broken up with her and chosen her cousin over her. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be in this mess with Damian Forbes.

Ivy sniffed and blinked back her tears. Her stupid ex-boyfriend didn't deserve her tears; he was not just a womanizer but a thief, and she was going to deal with him later - that is, if she came out of this alive.

"You shouldn't have undressed me. I know I owe you money, but I still have a right to my privacy!" she exclaimed.

Damian sat up from the couch he was sitting on and shrugged. "What do you mean? You clearly said only your husband-to-be has the right to see your nakedness, didn't you just say so?"

Ivy glared at him, clearly confused. Or maybe he was delusional... who knows, rich people always have crazier flaws they hide.

"Excuse you?" she sighed.

"Well, Miss Ivy, that's why you're here," he said. "You will be getting married to me, so it wasn't a big deal to undress you."

Ivy chuckled. It seemed like he wasn't just delusional, but he was also suffering from some brain tumor or something. "And what do you mean by that? Why will I marry you?"

He cleared his throat. "I figured out that you owe me a significant amount of money. And I have my rules…..”

“Which is?”

He smiled before announcing.”I keep all of my debtors very close to me so they don't run away!”