Chapter 2

It can’t be. I try to tell myself because Rory and this man had so many differences. Rory didn’t look rich, feel rich, or even smell rich, but then this man standing was everything but the exact opposite of that.

But there is also no doubt in my mind that the man I met three months ago is the man standing in the room at this moment. They do have the same brown hair with the mixture of gold, and those green eyes I haven’t been able to forget since the night he saved me from Luke, those same eyes I’ve seen in dreams that kept enticing me, luring me in and looking into mine with the look of desire.

You can say I’ve fallen in love with my hero.

A part of me feels happy that finally after months I get to see him again. I mean, I know our last encounter was not the best, but I still hope though. Another part of me feels unsure. I am not the girl he met in the hotel; I am not rich, poised or wealthy and neither is he poor.

But what if he isn’t Rory? What if they just look alike?

“Is that him?” I ask Paris, looking away from the man who currently held my attention.

“Yeah, I think.” She nods, biting her lips and blushing.

“What is his name?” I hope for Snowfall’s sake, my voice isn’t betraying me now.

“Rory, Rory John Gate.”

My heart shrinks immediately, and my nightmare just began. “The son of Bill Gates, you mean?”

“Yeah,” Her smile widens. I gasp and cover my mouth.

There are million thought running through my head now, but they all vanish when Rory's gaze sweeps towards our way. I grab the menu booklet on the table and cover my eyes out of instinct.

He walks towards us, his gaze not lightened. In fact, he looks colder and meaner, like he is mad at us.

Us? I think he’s mad at Paris, not me, is he?

He stops immediately. He’s standing in front of us, and I’m already finding it hard to breathe. Well, the next few words he utters makes me regain myself.

“Who among you is Paris Allen?” He asks coldly, his deep voice harsh and his eyes roaming front and back between us.

Weird, he doesn’t even know who he’s getting married to.

“I am.” Paris answers and his gaze settles on hers.

“I figured.” He mutters quietly before quickly turning to me. “Get lost then.”

“Excuse me?” I demand, dropping the menu down. This certainly caught me off guard. How dare he talk to me that way?

“Are you deaf or just stupid? The only reason you were fortunate to step into Grand Square restaurant is that you came with her, don’t let me tell them to throw you out.” He speaks in a cruel tone and disgust.

How rude.

“You can’t talk to me like that. You don’t even know me.”

He clenches his teeth and drags a deep breath, his patience is easily tempered I guess. “I don’t need to know you to know that you’re cunning, dubious, manipulative, and devious.” He bathes me with his cruel words, like I’ve done something wrong to him.

This is indeed the man I met three months ago, the man whose first impression was the worse I’ve ever had. He6 was also the first whose word hurt like hell. I can tell he doesn’t remember me and I can’t forget his face, his looks, his eyes and for months I’ve been hoping, praying I run into him one last time and properly thank him, but now all I feel towards him is hatred.

And I refuse to be bullied by this arrogant brat.

I have a thousand nasty words to spit at him, but before I can say something, Paris does. “That’s enough for someone you don’t know.” She hiss’ at him and his attention turn to her.

He says nothing, of course, he can’t, because Paris is his class. I shouldn’t even be here and it makes me sick being close to him.

“If we are going to discuss, or talk about, anything we need to be alone.” He does make sure to stress that part to our understanding.

Like I am happy to be here, I’d gladly milk a cow than stay here any longer considering how my day has automatically been ruin by Mr Bad Mouth.

“We won’t be discussing anything anyone can’t hear Rory.”

“Who is she then? Your adviser?”

“My personal assistant, to be exact.”

He looks at me once more from head to toe before saying, “She looks pretty undress for that job.”

“Get off my back, you stupid goat, can’t you tell when someone isn’t ready for trouble?” The words run out of my mouth before I can help it.

My eyes widen and I look up to look at them both. The look on both their faces is priceless, and I quickly cover my mouth.

Paris glares at me in anger. “You did not just call....”

“She did,” Rory replies and before I know it, he pulls me by my arm up and forcefully drags me out of the restaurant. I look back at Paris and she looks stunned at what is happening before her.

His hands are hard and roughly digging into my arm as he keeps dragging me and I pull at his hand, wanting to make him let go of my arm, but to no avail. We get outside and I finally can drag my hand from his tight grip. I glare at him angrily and clench my teeth and move away from him.

“You have no right to call me what you just called me in there and you do not know who I am.” His eyes keep searching in mine like there’s something he kept there something only he knew.

I scoff loudly, “I think I know enough already Rory Bill Gates seeing you bathe me with mean words back there, you are the son of the richest man alive, and also a spineless dick who thinks he can talk down on everyone, you might be Bill Gate’s son, but I’ve got freedom of speech and don’t deserve that even from you.”

His eyes widen, and he moves back, tugging on his hair as he clenches his teeth.

Hope you pull your hair out and go bald forever!!!

“It’s you, isn’t it?” He asks, pointing an accusing finger at me. “You are the girl I met at the Five-Star Hotel three months ago aren’t you.”

Oh, he finally remembers me, aren’t I lucky?

“And you’re certainly everything everyone says about you, aren’t you? Rude, arrogant, demeaning, selfish, self-exalting brat and with such a foul mouth that makes even the devil cry.”

“Excuse me?” He demands, with a raised eyebrow.

“You heard me,” I answer back in disgust, my chin lifted, daring him to speak on.

“You’re her personal assistant?” His gaze lightens on me, but mine doesn’t. “At first I couldn’t recognise you behind those glasses and clothes, but it is you.”

I see a smile flash over his face, but it is gone in seconds. “You were in the Five-Star hotel dressed in an expensive outfit and..” He takes a pause, “What were you doing there dressed in that manner?” If he keeps putting two plus two together, he might end up with zero.

I clench my teeth together, staring at the man who seems to want answers from me, answers I do not want to give. “You were at the Five-Star hotel too dressed in nothing short, but rags and wretched clothes, what were you doing there dressed in that manner?”

“I was in disguise,” he admits as he takes a step closer, his green eyes not leaving mine one bit. “What were you doing there?” He asks yet again, towering over me. A far off his height didn’t show well, but being so close up now, I feel like a midget before him.

I sigh, knowing I have no way to escape, but I also know that surrendering is not an option I want to take. For what it’s worth, there is a lot at stake like how I knew about the matchmaking, and also those who help me. There’s surely so much at stake.

“Answer me!!” He warns in a distilled voice, as he grabs me by my arm yet again. Few people give us a weird look before passing by, but he ignores it all.

My cheek burns up and my tears threaten to fall as his finger dig into my arm, causing unmeasurable pain. For an unknown reason, I feel like I am afraid of him. His cold eyes, his cold yet burning eyes, piercing into my soul. I feel trapped. I desperately need an escape from him, but I’m so confused to think.

Breathe in,

Breathe out.

You need to think hard and fast.

His burning stare seems to catch something in my eyes, some information maybe? A clue? I panic.

“You were there for the fundraising party, weren’t you?” I breathe down and am about to speak when he continues. “But you weren’t supposed to be there were you?”

I do not answer because I have no words to reply, but he does.

“That’s what you meant when you said you had it under control, wasn’t it? You were hoping to seduce that bastard, weren’t you? but he, in turn, tried to-“ He stops himself, looking down at me in less worth. “I shouldn’t have stopped him.” He spits out, his eyes giving equal insult as his mouth. “I should have let him use you like the whore you truly are.”

I gasp as his last words tear deep into my heart. I have been insulted this way before, and those other times I stand my ground and defend myself but now I can’t, and it hurt so much and I can’t say anything. I feel angry at him because he knows nothing about me and he has no right to judge me. But I just stand still, looking up at him like a hypnotised mute.

“Well, aren’t you going to say anything, uh?” He demands in a growling tone.

“Go to your fiancée.” Is all that comes out of my mouth to him. I am not sure that’s all I want to say because my cheek feels like it is going to explode at any moment, but I decide that I’ll be the better person today.

He releases my arm. I quickly wrap my hand around it as I’m sure I’ll have a bruise there later on. He stumbles back a little and he looks rather confused, but neither did he say anything else before leaving.

My tears fall as soon as he enters inside, I try to wipe them off but they keep coming.

I feel disoriented.

I wonder what other havoc he has caused within me by with his cold and harsh words.

I bring my phone out from my purse and send a message to Paris; I know I cannot continue back to the office, at least not in this mood.

<From Taylor>

Can’t make it back to work. I’ve got a massive headache coming on. If there’s anything you need to have done, forward it to my house I’ll work on it there and bring it over tomorrow.

<To Paris Allen>

Sent

Delivered 11:39 a.m.

I pray to heavens that Paris pardons me today and lets me go home. I wait a few minutes then my phone beep for a message from Paris, I open it.

<From Paris Allen>

Received 11:41 a.m.

Hope you are okay and sure, no worries you can take the day off, I’ll be with Rory the rest of the day. Take all the rest you’ll need because tomorrow is a big day and I’ll need my PA and friend by my side. :)

<To Taylor>

I smile at the new Paris. The old Paris will never grant me leave in a million years, she wouldn’t have let me leave even if it was my funeral. Maybe she did mean it when she said she wanted us to be friends and more than anything I want that.

I take a cab back to the house; I pay the taxi man and get down in front of my house. Good thing everyone in the house is away, not ready to collide with anyone in the next ten years and I don’t know how long my composure is going to last. I might accidentally bite someone’s head off.

I walk towards my house when I hear someone calling out my name. I turn around and see Mycole my neighbour and best friend since high school running towards me. We were so alike to the point we both barely graduate out of high school with grade ‘c’. Mine because I worked hard and his because the school couldn’t have him repeat for the fourth time. Mycole always made it clear it wasn’t his fault for the first three repeats as his parent had pushed him to skip some classes in his earlier years that was why he never coped in his later classes.

After graduation, he moved away with his girlfriend and I never heard from him again. That was about four and half years ago, he’s grown taller from what I can see and more ripped with a wide shoulder and broad chest.

“Hey,” I say, studying him as he gets closer.

“Hey, Tay, long time no see.” He says with a sided crook smile before wrapping his arms around me for a hug I am expecting.

“Hey, Cole I guess old nicknames never dies.” I sardonically reply, pulling away and his smile widens.

“You are the first girl that hardly smiles.” He remarks, brushing the strand of hair which fell on my face away.

“Can that title get me rich? ‘Cause that what I need now.” I mumble, a little upset, but not at him.

He chuckles on hearing what I said. “You’ll be rich, Tay, someday rich and powerful.” He says matter of fact-ly.

Mycole isn’t your everyday normal guy. He has the insight into the future a gift only rare people possess. Before he was born a prophet told his mother she was going to give birth to a boy and he would also be a prophet and he sees everyone fate except his own. Mycole’s mom kept telling him these things while he grew up, but he never took it to heart, but later in his early teenage age he began seeing into things, things impossible things no one should see. Some of those things made him lose his friends. Some called him a freak and others demon, but he was neither. He was just a kid with a gift from God.

I had a big crush on him when we first met; he was fourteen, adorable, blue eyes, blonde hair, with a cute smile and I was nerdy twelve years old. It was more than just a crush so I told him, but he turned me off and told me he just wanted to be my friend. I was sad for days and I asked him if he was gay or into guys. He laughed and just said he knew we weren’t going to last. I didn’t push him and I just stayed as just his friend but once in a while, he’d warn me of certain things and people.

As time passed, we got even closer and once there was a party going on and I asked him to come with me. He refused and told me to stay away because he saw me getting into trouble and being raped, but I was thirteen and stubborn and still chose to go, thinking he was just being paranoid. Let’s just say that party didn’t go well and Cole was the one who rescues me before things got out of control with the school football player. When I asked him how he knew, he told me it was because he could see into the future. I asked if that was the reason he turned me off and he said yes and that he already saw me rich and happy with someone else.

When my dad got sick, I ran to him and asked him if my dad was going to die. He told me he didn’t see anything, but I knew he was lying and I confronted him. I remember his words were ‘I do not like what I see, that’s why I do not want to tell you ‘cause I see you at a funeral next week’

He apologises, saying he was sorry, but I couldn’t blame him. Two days later my Dad died and five days after we were at his funeral. Since then I have taken all the advice he gives and did well to keep him close. And the three Js took him like a big brother.

“You’ve been accurate till you said I’d be rich. So far I’m still one of the most broke girls in town,” I say and begin to walk to the door.

His face breaks into a wide grin. “I know I said that over five years ago, but I do see you rich and powerful.”

I open the door and we both enter inside. “So did you graduate?” He asks as I toss the key on the table.

I raise an eyebrow at him. “You tell me, aren’t you the prophet here?”

He pauses and holds his mouth together in quick thought. “Yea, I know I see, but not everything. I pray some out and dream some, but that’s just it. But judging from the look of things around, I’d say you dropped out.” He says in a guess falling on the chair.

That also is accurate.

I pull off my shoe and set them on one side. “Mom got sick and I had to get a job and support the family.”

“What job.” He asks in curious interest.

“Personal assistant.” I sigh and walk to the kitchen.

“You don’t like the job.” This is the reason he is my best friends, he knows things before I tell him.

“I do, just a bad day, I guess.”

I can’t cook, so I don’t go near the gas. Instead, I open the freezer and bring out two cups and an Orange juice.

“With your boss or someone else?” He asks, and from his voice, I can tell he hasn’t moved from his position.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Is it a boy, then?” He prompts eagerly.

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” I snap angrily, dropping the juice on the freezer and it splashes on the floor and I cuss angrily.

“Watch your step,” Mycole warns almost immediately as I step on the juice on the floor and went flying the next second. I land hard and painfully on the ground and I don’t move. The next seconds I see Mycole running over to me. He takes me up in his arms and brings me to the living room, he lays me on the chair and sits beside me.

His expression is sad and dull. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

I roll my eyes; he isn’t sorry, he’d laugh at the next given chance. “I’d kick you, but I can’t move yet.”

It always happens. Whenever I fall hard to the floor, I take a while to recover. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with me just that I had a body that didn’t adapt to sudden movement so we had no reason to panic. While others fall and blackout, I fall and go numb for a few minutes.

“Good, you’ll be like that for a while.” He grins and I clench my teeth as my cheek turns red.

He arrives with the cups and juice and lifts my head and sits down letting my head rest on his lap. He places the cup to my mouth and I take a sip.

“How long till you get to kick me?” He requests, looking into my eyes.

“Three minutes,” I answer.

A hint of amusement twinkles in his eyes as he stares at me. “You’ve been counting down.” It wasn’t a question.

“To have my revenge, yes.” I scrunch up my nose at him.

“I already apologised.” He pouts adorably, but that doesn’t fool me.

“Fine, but you owe me.”

Just then, the door open and Jack enters.

His eyes narrow at us, he gives Mycole a long glare then gives me the what the hell do you think you’re doing look.

I roll my eyes and he clears his throat. “This is awkward, but you’re not planning on marrying my sister are you?”

Mycole eyes widen almost immediately, then he adds. “Great, that’s a no, and put those kinds of thought out of your head and never think of my sister in such a manner ‘cause she is going to marry a rich man.”

“Jack!” I exclaim in disbelief.

“Ass!” Cole adds and just then, Jack seems to notice the one he has been talking to.

“Mycole! Is that really you? Sorry, I hit my head.” He explains wryly before looking at me with a dim expression. “What the hell? Did you fall again?”

I nod and glare at Mycole, who is wearing the most innocent look ever known to mankind.

“Why are you back so early?” I question, giving him a suspicious glance.

“I punched someone.”

“Who?” Mycole and I ask in unison.

“Jake?” He mumbles like a question.

“Why? He’s your brother!” I gasp in an unearthly tone.

“He called me a fish!” He blurts out in defence.

“He wouldn’t have if you weren’t acting like one.” I scowl at him in a scolding manner.

“You’re so lucky you’re a girl.” He rasps out at me and then to Mycole he says, “Long time no see bro, what are you doing back?”

I didn’t have the time to ask Cole why he left, and even I want to know.

“Talia and I broke up, so I returned home yesterday.” He says with a little dull expression.

Talia was the love of his life, and they both moved away from home after graduation. They were both so in love and everyone could see that, but Talia parent didn’t care, saying they wanted someone close to the family. Lame excuse if you ask me. While I don’t know what Talia studied, I know Mycole ventured into Economics.

“Girls will always be girls.” Jack sounds annoyed, and I don’t miss that. “They’ll want that thing you cannot give them.”

I’ll pretend I did not hear that.

“By the way, why are you back so early?” Jack’s eyes cross over to me.

Just then, the door opens again and Jake and Josh walk in. Jake has a busted lip and I guess from being punched by Jack, but josh doesn’t look like one that has been in a fight with anybody. I wonder to myself.

Who did you punch Josh??

“Why are you two back from school? It’s not yet the closing hour.” I can feel my legs a little and I pull myself to sit up.

“We just thought we’d come home. Jake hasn’t been feeling so well since Jack punched him.” Josh explains as Jake takes a sit not so close to Jack.

I guess Jack finally put his fear into Jake.

“He almost broke my glasses.”

“Well, next time it won’t be almost,” Jack vows through gritted teeth. Jake seems to hear though cause he flinches like he has been punched again.

“You don’t have the right to hit or bully him, Jack, you’re brothers.”

“I’ll beat up everyone that calls me names.”

“What are you doing home so early?” Josh asks dropping his and Jake’s bag on the ground and comes to sit between Jake and Jack.

“I asked first.” Claims Jack, and I just rolled my eyes at how childish they are.

“Bad day at work,” I mumble, reaching for my juice still in Mycole’s.

I look up at the three of them and the look on their faces says they want to hear all of it.

I heave a sigh, knowing I can’t escape. “I met Rory.”

“What?” the three Js says in unison.

“Who is Rory?” Mycole asks in a tone of interest.

“A poor guy she met three months ago,” Jack tells him with a grim face.

“He saved her.” Jake defends, shooting arrows at Jack with his eyes.

“So it was a boy problem.” Mycole feels happy with himself now, having guessed my problem out.

He’s good that way, but not good at guessing the answers to each exam.

“She told you already?” Demands Jack.

“No. She got angry when I asked.”

“What happened?” Josh asks, careful not to sound too eager.

After having spent the last hour not thinking about the terrible things Rory said, my heart didn’t hurt as much anymore. I’m surrounded by people who know me and love me no matter what or who I am, and I can’t be happier.

“So apparently, and contrary to what we all thought, Rory is not a poor man. He was actually in disguise three months ago.”

“I knew it,” Jack says, earning a raised eyebrow from all of us in the room.

“Who is he then?”

“He’s Henry William Gates’ son,” I say in between sharp inhales.

“You mean Bill Gates’ son?” Jake's mouth drops open.

“The world is surely a small place.” Jack marvels with his mouth opening as he goes deep into thinking.

“Is that a good thing, then?” Mycole question brings us all back in silence.

“No, it’s not.”

“Why not?” Jack seems to be the one in pain when he wasn’t the one insulted hours ago.

“He’s engaged to Paris Allen and because I hate him.” I see their faces narrow down.

“Like seriously, this guy is the freaking son of the richest man alive. What can you possibly hate about him?”

Jack. Jack, sometimes your stupidity amazes me.

“Maybe because after so many harsh insults, he called me a whore.” I answer, feeling a new pain spring in my heart.

“What?!” The four boys in the room gasp in disbelieve.

I press my lips together and grasp tightly at the cup of juice in my hand. “He said a lot of terrible things I do not want to talk about, but all I know is I hate him.”

Mycole’s hand snakes into mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze, I turn to look at him and I know it’s his way of saying everything will be okay.

“It’s my fault.” Jake blurts out suddenly with a painfully guilty face. “If I didn’t search out that stupid matchmaking scheme, you wouldn’t have had to meet that bastard called Rory.”

Jake is never the one to cuss, that’s Jack's job but hearing him this sad and wrecked I immediately know he is truly hurt and feel sorry for him.

“If we haven’t insisted- “ Jack begins and I cut in.

“It’s no one’s fault. Rory is arrogant, rude, bossy and a bastard.” I spit out angrily.

The entire room goes quiet and the four boys look at me in awe. I’m shocked at myself too.

You go girl. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

“What do you plan to do now that you’re going to be seeing him on daily basis?”

I exhale, knowing that my life from today will never be the same again.

Ever.

“I don’t know,” I admit in defeat, “I guess I’ll have to deal with him, especially since he’ll sure be at tomorrow’s Meet and Greet party.”

“There’s a party tomorrow?” Jack's eyes sparks with interests as a mischievous smile curl up his lip.

“I will not let you dress me up to seduce another millionaire.”

“I’m asking to tag along.” He innocently coos and I’m almost fooled.

“No way.” I shake my head in refusal.

“Come on!” He whines like a baby.

“Fine, but we will all go.” I see the smile that break out on all their faces and my eyes instantly roll. “That goes for you too Mycole.

“Me? Why?” I can see his Adam’s apple bob from nervousness.

“I know you’re awkward at social gatherings, but I want you to meet new people and maybe new love who knows.” I grin and squeeze his hand.

“Okay, since that is settled.” Jack gets up to announce. “Who’s hungry?”

“We are not.” Jake scowls back and Jack just rolls his eyes at him.

He walks to the kitchen and opens the freezer when Mycole’s voice calls to him. “Jack?”

“What do you want? You sound just like my dad.” He hisses rudely.

“Watch your step,” Mycole warns loudly enough for Jack to hear.

“Watch whaaaoooooo.” He yelps as I feel him slip on the juice I have poured on the ground earlier and crashes hard on the ground.

I cover my mouth to hold in my gasp and close my eyes.

“I almost feel sorry for him.” I hear Jake say immediately before we run up to go to him.

The cup Jack had kept on the freezer slides from the top and hit Jack on the head.

“No, I don’t,” Jake says and he and Josh burst out laughing and holding their stomach.

I see Jack go red on the floor and the sight was just too good to hold myself, so I joined in the laughter.