Beat her up!

"Do you stay alone in this slum? How do you survive? I am already feeling sick from staying here for a few hours." He yelped in disgust, maintaining a smug look as he stared at Anna, hoping to get her to turn back to him.

In that moment, he doesn't want her to leave. Something he couldn't explain. She was about to step out of the door when he dropped that scorn, which succeeded in halting her pace.

She spun and faced him in anger.

"Do you know you're a big fool? Are you aware how crazy you are? Leave if you can't stay! No. How will you leave when you're afraid of some little boys." She sneered and hissed in a frustrated tone.

It was strange for Daren as he watched the strange girl, who suddenly didn't care about how he looked or who he was. She was just treating him like a commoner, and it was all a new kind of feeling.

Daren let out a grunt under his breath as he cursed his friend in his mind. His friend, Stan, was the reason he was here. He had put him into all these troubles.

He was the one who made him take such a useless bet, which almost made him lose his precious necklace. Those boys could have equally injured him in the process.

How did he even risk his life by sneaking out of his mansion without any guard just to win a useless bet from his best friend. He had gone to a house party of his best friend's female friend alone to show him he could survive without bodyguards.

After the party ended at midnight, Stan insisted that they should drive home separately that same night without sleeping over. When Daren was adamant, he called him a sissy who is afraid because there are no bodyguards.

Daren then accepted, and here is where it landed him. Some thieves recognized him at a traffic jam and gave him a hot chase. He had to dump his car and run on foot just so they wouldn't find him.

It all seemed like planned work, but he can't tell, and he must make sure his friend pays for putting him in such trouble. Fear had made him leave his phone in the car. 

Now he was in a slum, receiving a slap and insults from a stranger.

"Fortunately for you, I got to your door, and here I am standing close to you while we talk. You even touched me freely last night, which is something that thousands of girls fantasize about and would kill for. You must be overjoyed right now," Daren chuckled as he watched her face flush red.

"Get lost with your wild thoughts. I don't like...."

Anna couldn't complete her words as she began to hear the blaring sirens and tire screeches filling the air outside the house. It was as if the military forces were about to go to war.

She hurried to the window and adjusted the curtain. She peered outside through the window, and a quick gasp slipped her lips. The first thing her eyes caught were the two flashy and expensive cars that were driving in among the military Hiluxes following them.

She had only seen such a car in movies, and the sight of it in reality made her drool. It was a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and a Range Rover SV.

Anna saw a woman step down from the Lamborghini, looking so hot and wreathed in wealth.

"They are here to pick me out of this trench after I called my mother with that phone in the cupboard. You helped me, so can I have your account details now? You deserve some cash. At least it will help get you fed properly." Daren laughed, dipping his hands into his pocket, as he waited for Anna's next reaction, which he seemed to be loving.

Anna felt so sad after hearing what he just said. It ached her heart because, no matter how she had sounded before, she knew deep down that she liked Daren. The feelings for him were pure and overwhelming, but she couldn't withstand his bad mouth.

"I don't need a dime from a spoiled, arrogant kid like you. Just get out of my life, okay? I regret meeting you and not talking about saving you! I regret doing anything for you just to get such an insult at the end!" Anna bawled, blinking her eyes to push back the tears that were burning and threatening to fall from her eyes.

It was like a rejection from the first man who captured her heart.

When she realized she had failed to stop the tears, she walked away, heading to the bathroom.

His words finally made it to her. She was hurt to the core and just couldn't take it anymore. Her heart seemed to be pierced just by looking at him and hearing him say those words to her.

There was no more strength to bear and act strong, especially when she had a soft spot for the young, handsome man.

He was undoubtedly every woman's dream in appearance, but his attitude stinks. He was extremely rude and disgusting to her, and she felt so bad. At that point, she just wished she could stop him from hurting her with his words.

How would he say such things to someone who helped him? He seemed to hate her.

Anna got into the bathroom and leaned forward against the wall with crossed arms, burying her face into them as she sobbed bitterly.

It felt more like a heartbreak from her first love, and her heart kept aching as every one of his words began to replay in her head. 

How he was cold to her was more hurtful than the maltreatment from her stepmother, and she can't really understand why. Like, why does it hurt this much?

Just then, she heard someone knock on the bathroom door.

"Come in!" She sighed, and the door was opened, but she didn't care to raise her head and check who it was, as she knew it was Daren and no one else. She was rather ashamed to show her teary eyes.

"My mother wants to meet you. Come out now so I can leave this place!" She heard Daren blurt at her, and he didn't even wait for her to lift her head before walking away.

Anna heaved a sigh of sadness as it was clear that Daren disliked her.

Was she that unattractive?

She thought and hissed at herself for being a fool for having the slightest thought of Daren loving her even a bit. She shouldn't have expected anything from a rich man, but at least she doesn't deserve his insults.

When she stepped back into the sitting room, she couldn't believe her eyes. There were up to 15 bodyguards with guns and dark glasses, looking hefty and dangerous.

Five were standing behind a light-skinned middle-aged woman who was gracefully dressed in a very classy and sophisticated pearl gown that was almost sweeping the ground.

Her neck was adorned by a shiny diamond necklace, which spoke of wealth, and there was this powerful aura, as well as how she carried herself. It was really glamorous, like she owned the world.

Anna could clearly see the striking resemblance between the woman and Daren and could tell where Daren got his handsomeness from. The blonded woman in front of her was a clear paragon of beauty, with curves and perfection in everything about her body.

Anna had to stop far away from her, clutching her hands together as she fidgeted, feeling tense at the guns and mean faces of the guards.

She was expecting to see the woman talk meanly and arrogantly to her just like her son, but she was surprised to see her smile brightly as soon as she saw her. Her beauty was enhanced by the smile, and her shiny white teeth really made Anna admire everything about her.

The smile was really passionate and reminded Anna of her mother when she was still alive. Her mother was the only one who could give her such a passionate, motherly smile.

"Good morning, ma'am," Anna greeted with a bow, ignoring Daren, who was standing beside her with his usual frown and raised shoulders. He also seemed forced to stay.

"How are you, my beautiful daughter." The woman replied with a calm and caring tone, which made Anna gasp in surprise.

She didn't expect this.

"I am fine, ma'am. He told me you wanted to see me." Anna stuttered, gesturing at Daren with her head.

"You don't know his name yet? He didn't introduce himself?" the woman queried, a deep frown crossing her face.

"It is unnecessary. I don't know hers. We are just strangers who met by chance. It shouldn't be a big deal! And the worst is that I told her my name and who my father is, but she has already forgotten. Gosh!" Daren interjected but was totally ignored.

"I have forgotten his name. I am sorry, but it's unnecessary knowing it." Anna stated, bluntly, fuming inwardly as she remembered all the hurtful things he had said to her.

"You are pretending, girl. Just confess your obsession like other girls and stop acting like you are special." Daren snorted proudly.

"I hate you. That's the obsession." Anna fired back, staring straight into his eyes with a cold and resentful stare. Her voice was so cold and exuded disgust and hatred that Daren couldn't deny feeling chilled to the core.

His jaw fell as he squinted his eyes at her. 

"Liar." He snapped, but she scoffed and muttered something that hit him hard.

"Stop thinking every girl wants you with that big forehead you have!"

The guards in the room gasped in shock but had to muffle their laughter while moving their gazes at Daren to check if she was right. Not even his mother was exceptional.

It was clear this was the first time they would hear a lady say such a word to Daren.

"You are mad! Guards! Beat her up!" Daren vented, but his mother was there to stop them.

"No one of you should take a single step forward."