Chapter 5

### At Mike's Villa

Mike walked into his parlor and stared at Lara in shock. 

“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked, surprised to see Lara crying. His brows furrowed at her while she looked at him, but her red eyes met his unclothed body, making her stare down at the floor.

Mike burst out laughing, surprising Lara. He walked slowly toward her, but Lara took a few steps back and fell onto the executive couch behind her. She sat forcefully on the couch as Mike approached, looking breathtakingly handsome and dark, even in his bare state.

“Are you trying to prove to me that you're innocent or that you were forced to come here?” Mike asked.

“Yes,” Lara replied, nodding. She didn’t want to look up at him, feeling visibly afraid as she recalled her village friend's warning that sex could be painful. She had been told to wait for a man who truly loved her, not a random guy, and yet here she was with a man whose health status she didn’t even know.

Mike leaned closer to Lara as she smelled nice, and he felt himself getting turned on again by her sweet floral scent. 

“Why are you shifting away?” Mike asked when Lara moved back from him.

Lara shook her head and remained silent, visibly trembling in fear of what Mike wanted to do.

Mike sniffed Lara and slowly touched her face, wiping away her tears. “Come on, I won't hurt you,” he said.

“No,” Lara replied.

Mike was gradually losing his patience. “Do you want me to call the security guards?” he asked.

“No,” she shivered.

Mike glanced at Lara's chest as her red dress exposed her full cleavage. Lara was indeed beautiful, but he couldn’t understand where Madam Alora had found her. Her attitude was clearly irritating him.

Madam Alora had been the one disturbing him to patronize her ladies, but he didn’t want to, as none of them had sparked his interest. He had told his friend, Gideon Abram, that he didn’t like Madam Alora's ladies, but Gideon had advised him to give them a try. And now here he was with a lady refusing him.

Mike observed Lara, who was still trembling before him. He slowly bent down beside her and took off her shoes, causing her to shake in fear as his bare hands touched her smooth legs. He removed her black heeled shoes from her slender legs and ordered, “Stand up and come with me now. I don’t have much time to waste with you.”

“No,” Lara replied, refusing to stand up. She understood that Mike was losing his patience and wanted to sleep with her, but she hadn’t signed up to be a prostitute, and she didn’t know how to explain this to him.

Mike raked his short black hair in frustration. He wore earrings and had a visible eagle tattoo on his right arm. 

He looked at Lara, knowing that many ladies had tried to create an innocent facade with him. Yet, once he yelled at them, they cooperated at once and pleased him. But her case was completely different.

“I see that you’re not ready for this,” Mike said.

He walked over to grab his cell phone, intent on calling Joseph, but Lara immediately stared at him in fear, thinking he wanted to call his bodyguards to throw her outside.

“Please, sir! I’m not a—” she started.

Mike paused the call and stared back at Lara coldly. “What is it?”

Lara shrugged, unable to speak under the weight of his cold gaze and aware that he was still bare.

Mike sighed. “I don’t have time for ladies like you. Since you don’t want to do this with me, you will leave my house at once.”

“No... please,” Lara begged.

Lara shuddered in fright, realizing she wasn’t a prostitute, and she feared what Madam Alora would do if she found out that Lara refused Mike's advances.

“Hello?” Mike said.

“Please, sir... okay, I will do whatever you want me to do... but I’m not a prostitute and—” 

Mike paused and stared back at Lara, gulping down what he wanted to say to Joseph, feeling turned on by her voice.

He finally ended the phone call, placed the landline down, and turned to face her. “What are you talking about? Are you coming inside or not? I don’t have time to waste with you.”

“Fine. I... will,” Lara replied.

“Hmph,” Mike said.

Mike was quiet at first, but he seemed to like Lara.

“Okay. Stand up,” he said.

Lara stood up nervously, avoiding direct eye contact with Mike, although she could feel his gaze on her.

“Fine, come with me,” Mike instructed.

He walked to his bedroom, and Lara picked up the towel from the floor. He was so shameless, walking around completely bare, and she felt ashamed to be staring at him.

Lara wondered how many ladies Mike had hosted and how often he paraded himself in front of them in such a manner; the thought irritated her.

Mike's home was beautiful, but that didn’t matter to Lara. She was new to the city and still needed her transport fare to return to her village.

Lara decided to endure only a one-night stand with Mike, thinking she could handle whatever he wanted, assuring herself that she would get paid and finally return to her village. She wouldn’t be used for sex for money.

As she walked into Mike's large bedroom, Lara marveled at the interior decorations. From the large king-sized bed covered with a light pink bedspread to the flat-screen television displaying a music video at its lowest volume, everything was beautiful, including the artwork of Mike that hung on the wall in a deep red color. “Hmm,” she sighed.

“What are you staring at? Strip now!” Mike commanded.

Lara shuddered as her gaze returned to Mike. “I should do what?”

“You heard me correctly. Why are you being so stubborn? I don’t want to repeat myself tonight, so be quick,” he said.

Lara gulped heavily as she began to strip in front of Mike. However, feeling his blue eyes glued to her body, she wrapped the towel she was holding around her chest. Mike quickly questioned, “What nonsense are you doing?”

Lara shuddered again at Mike's angry gaze. Her brown eyes turned red as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Mike stood up in confusion and walked up to her, grabbing her arms. “Why are you acting like this? I don’t get it! Do you want to leave now?”

“No...” Lara shakily replied.

“Fine. Then come to the bed now,” Mike said.

Though he was interested in Lara, Mike decided to pamper her through her fright if that would lead her to submit and please him.

“I wouldn’t hurt you, okay?” he reassured.

“Okay," Lara replied, sniffling.

Lara stared at Mike as she sat down beside him on the bed. She knew she would still be reported to Madam Alora, and she thought about begging Mike for help.

“Please, sir... can you help me with money?” Lara asked.

Mike stared at Lara's face in shock, anger bubbling within him that she seemed disinterested in pleasing him. Yet here she was, asking for money.

Mike knew that the majority of ladies craved money and nothing else, and he stood to leave the bedroom. However, Lara grabbed his left hand, fearing he wanted to call his security men to throw her out.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Mike asked.

“Please, sir, I need to go back home to the village,” Lara begged.

“Is this a joke or what? How did you even end up here? Shit!” Mike cursed, annoyed that he had sent Janet away instead of Lara. He looked away from her and said, “Just leave!”

“No, sir. Please, I don’t have anywhere to go,” Lara pleaded.

“That’s none of my business. Leave now. Get out!” Mike spat.

Lara immediately fell to her knees and begged him, “Please, sir, I cannot leave!”

“Shit! What is the meaning of this? Help you with what again? Alright, get up first,” Mike said.

Lara looked up at Mike's face, avoiding his member, which was now fully erect and facing her. She turned her gaze downward while Mike walked toward her and took the towel from her hands.

“You can’t stay here with me tonight. Since you don’t know why you’re here and don’t want to do anything with me... you will leave my bedroom. Once you step outside, you will meet Joseph, and he will show you to a room where you’ll stay until tomorrow morning. Then you can get lost,” Mike said.

“No, sir, please. I cannot leave!” Lara insisted.

Mike’s annoyance peaked. He quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and dragged Lara outside by her left hand, throwing her out of his bedroom and into the parlor. “Leave now! Go and meet with Joseph. Get lost!”

Lara refused to leave. Instead, she remained in Mike's parlor and cried while Mike shut his bedroom door behind him, cursing under his breath, “Shit! What kind of lady is that?”

Mike paced around his bedroom, frustrated that Lara didn’t do anything to satisfy him. He was horny and needed a warm body to sleep with. Finally, he walked back into the bathroom to take another shower, believing that by the time he returned, Lara would have left for Joseph and gone downstairs.