Chapter 5

Samantha

Jack's gaze didn't waver for even a second, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that felt almost suffocating. I could feel my pulse quicken, the tension in the room wrapping around me like a tightening noose. Every fiber of my being screamed for his help, but something in his cool, detached demeanor told me that pleading wouldn't be enough.

"It's about my brother, Mr. Smith," I said, my voice barely audible, trembling with the weight of the situation. "Louis... he's falsely accused him of stealing two million dollars. My brother has a criminal record from a previous conviction, and now he's been charged again. With this new accusation, proving his innocence feels impossible."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I struggled to hold back the rising panic. "The only way out for him is if we can raise the two million dollars Louis says was stolen, or find a way to clear his name. But... we both know that's not likely. This whole thing was orchestrated just to destroy me."

Jack leaned back in his chair, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He took a slow sip of his drink, his gaze never leaving mine, as if he found my desperation amusing. His silence was unbearable, stretching the moment into something far more excruciating.

I searched his face, hoping for any glimmer of compassion, but his expression remained unreadable, a mask of polite indifference. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he set down his glass with a soft clink and spoke.

"It's a tragic story, Samantha," he said, his voice smooth but cold. "But I'm afraid I can't help you."

His words hit me like a physical blow. For a moment, I couldn't breathe, the weight of his rejection crashing over me like a tidal wave. I had come here, heart in hand, hoping for a lifeline, but now that hope was slipping away.

"Why?" I blurted, the question escaping my lips before I could stop it. "Why won't you help me? Is it because of last night? Because I didn't accept your offer to drive me home?"

Jack's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something softer passing through his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by his usual stoic detachment.

"No, Samantha," he said quietly, shaking his head. "It has nothing to do with that."

His words felt too measured, too carefully chosen, as if there was something he wasn't telling me. Frustration and suspicion churned inside me, but I forced myself to remain calm.

"Then why?" I pressed, my voice trembling with emotion. "Is it because of Louis? Did he tell you not to help me?"

At the mention of Louis, Jack's face hardened, his jaw tightening as if the mere thought of him ignited some buried anger. His eyes darkened, and when he spoke, his voice was laced with barely concealed disdain.

"Louis?" Jack scoffed, his tone dripping with contempt. "He's nothing to me. I don't give a damn about him or his pathetic games."

The venom in his voice surprised me, catching me off guard. I had expected him to brush off the question, maybe even laugh it off, but his reaction was far more visceral. There was a story here, something deeper than simple rivalry.

"I heard you two don't get along," I said cautiously, hoping to glean more information. "What happened between you and Louis?"

Jack's gaze grew distant, his thoughts clearly drifting somewhere far away, into memories he hadn't revisited in a long time. His lips curled into a bitter smile, but there was no humor in it.

"We've hated each other since high school," he said, his voice quieter now, almost reflective.

"He's a bastard who'll go at any length to get whatever he wants regardless of the consequences."

His words hung in the air, and for a moment, I glimpsed something raw and vulnerable in Jack's eyes, something that made him seem more human. But just as quickly, he buried it again beneath his cold exterior.

"Now he's marrying my stepsister," Jack continued, his tone turning bitter once more. "Of course, he doesn't care about her. It's all about control, he's doing it for the financial benefit. And she's probably doing it just to get under my skin. But I'm not playing their game. Never"

The revelation left me reeling. Louis was marrying Clara already. So fast? That bastard engaged me for three years and still didn't talk about marriage.

The thought of being caught between the two of them felt even more suffocating than before. My pulse quickened as the weight of their animosity settled heavily in the air.

"Then why not help me?" I asked, my voice rising with frustration. "If you hate him so much, why not use this opportunity to hurt him?"

Jack's eyes flickered with something dangerous, but his expression remained cold, calculated. "Because I don't make decisions based on emotions," he said quietly, his voice steady. "I've learned the hard way that emotions only lead to regret."

His words hit harder than I'd expected, cutting through me like a blade. I could feel my heart sinking further into my chest, the last vestiges of hope slipping away. I had come here expecting him to be my savior, but instead, I was standing on the edge of a cliff, and he was watching me fall.

Desperation clawed at me, and I couldn't stop the words that tumbled out next. "Please, Jack," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'll do anything... anything you want. Just help me."

The air between us shifted, thickening with tension as Jack's eyes narrowed, his gaze sharpening like a predator sizing up its prey. He stepped closer, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body as he towered over me.

"Anything?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I could barely breathe under the weight of his presence. I knew what he wanted. It was the only thing I had left to offer-the only thing I could give him in exchange for his help.

"Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Anything."

Jack's lips curled into a slow, cruel smile, his eyes darkening with something predatory. He leaned in, his breath hot against my skin as he spoke, his voice low and mocking.

"Samantha, Samantha, Samantha," he purred, dragging out my name as if savoring every syllable. "You really are desperate, aren't you?"

I couldn't answer, my throat tight with shame and fear. I felt trapped, cornered by my own desperation, and Jack knew it. He could see it in my eyes, feel it in the way I trembled beneath his gaze.

"You're offering me your body in exchange for my help?" Jack asked, his voice soft but cutting. "Is that really what it's come to?"

I couldn't meet his eyes. The shame was too much. I stared at the floor, my body trembling as the weight of his words pressed down on me. I had nothing left to give. No dignity. No pride. Just desperation.

"Yes," I whispered, barely able to force the word out. "I'm afraid so."

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. The air around us was thick with tension, the silence deafening. I could feel Jack's eyes on me, burning into my skin as he took in my humiliation.

Then, he laughed. A low, cruel chuckle that sent a shiver down my spine.

"For a moment,I thought there was something special about you Samantha " he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "But I was wrong , tell me now ,what's the difference between you and a dirty slut?."