Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

Amanda's POV

"Gosh, Amanda, where have you been?" Vanessa asked the moment I walked into her apartment. She had been pacing around worriedly when I walked in. She rushed to my side immediately. "What happened? You said you were going to the coffee shop to look for another job. I got there and couldn't find you."

"Um…I was just…I went strolling."

Vanessa stared at me, her eyes narrowing. "You went strolling? You, Amanda, strolling?"

"Yes," I muttered, walking past her quickly and putting my bag down. Vanessa and I had been friends for years, and she was one person who always knew when I was lying to her. But what was I supposed to say? If I told her I'd gotten married today, she would slap me and probably take me to the hospital for a mental illness! 

I couldn't tell her…not now. 

"Really, Amanda? Are you being honest?"

"Mm hmm. I just went to clear my head."

I know she didn't believe me, but she sighed. "Fine, okay. But next time please call me, okay? I was really worried."

I nodded. After a while, I called out to her. "By the way, I'll be going to get my mom from the hospital tomorrow so we can go back home. Thank you so much for letting me stay here."

"Really? You were able to foot her bills? How did you manage?"

"I broke my savings," I lied. 

Vanessa nodded and then beckoned to me. "Come on, you must be tired. I made dinner. Let's eat together."

I smiled shakily and joined her on the dining table. But I really wasn't hungry. My mind was too full and too stressed for that. But I forced myself to eat, hating the fact that I couldn't be completely honest with my best friend. 

But it was for the best. This Quinn guy could be a terrorist or mafia lord for all I knew. I didn't want to involve my best friend in this mess. Not until I figured it out. 

******

The next day, I went straight to the hospital to pay off my mom's bills and buy all her required medicine. Thankfully, she was doing better now, so I boarded a taxi to take us straight home. The house was empty when I arrived, so my mother made herself comfortable on the couch while I stepped out to get something to eat. I planned to call the manager at the loan shark company this evening to clear the debt.

Getting the food took longer than I expected, but as soon as my order was packed, I rushed back home. I was setting the things out in the kitchen when I called out, "Mom, I'm home. I'm getting dinner ready."

"Mom?" I called out again when there was no response from her. 

This was not normal. Instantly, my heart began to thunder in my chest. We were supposed to pay off the debt today. What if those men had come back while I was away? Or what if she had fallen sick again?

I raced out of the kitchen fearfully and ran through the house, screaming. "Mom! Where are you?!"

The moment I raced into the living room, I saw my mother seated on a sofa, surrounded by the loan sharks. Contrary to my fears, they were not violent today. Instead, they all sat down peacefully. The leader even had a slight smile on his face, but I knew that was not a good sign. It made me sick to the stomach. 

I glanced at my mother and I could tell that she was anxious. Her hands were clasped in her lap, and I could see the slight bounce of her legs. Anger rose in my chest.  and I absolutely hated the effect it had on my mother. 

"Why are you here?!" I spat, glaring at the leader angrily.

The man was not moved. He eyed me up and down and glared back at me menacingly. 

"You have quite the tongue on you, don't you, little girl? Have you forgotten you promised to pay off your father's debt today?!" One of the men said. He looked angry, as though he wanted to hurt me for yelling at them. 

But I did not care. I had no more fucks left to give. I was so tired of all the shitty things that had happened this week. 

"And so what?" I snapped. "The day is not over yet. It's 6pm right now, which means I still have six hours till the day ends."

I heard my mother suck in a deep breath at my words. When we exchanged glances, the fear in her eyes was apparent. I saw her shake her head slightly, warning me to stay quiet, warning me to not cause any trouble. 

I knew why she was scared, we had no hope for the money, and pissing the loan sharks off would only make things worse.

Still unfazed, I walked closer to the leader and fished out the check Quinn had given me. He accepted it, his eyes wide with shock as he glanced through it. 

"There's your money. I don't ever want to see you or your men anywhere close to my family again!" I spat threateningly. 

To my relief, the man nodded. 

"Sure thing, sweetheart. We never have to cross paths again. Except you want to take another loan in the future. I'll be glad to help out," he chuckled.

He bared his blackened teeth and shot me a sleazy grin that made me want to throw up. I said a short prayer of thanks that I had been able to pay off this debt. Who knows what he was planning for me. I shivered in disgust. 

"Just leave!" I hissed, walking across the room to open the door for him. 

He left with his men, still laughing. I banged the door behind them and walked back to the living room to see my mother and check on her.

"Mom, are yo–"

"Where did you get that money?" She demanded, cutting me off before I could say anything. 

"Mom, it's okay."

"No!" Her eyes were wide. "It's ten million dollars, Amanda. We can't even afford ten thousand! Where did you get it?"

I swallowed, not knowing what to say. I was dreading this conversation, and now it was happening, I wish I had come up with something reasonable. 

"Was it Logan? Did he give you the money?"

"I–"

Apparently, my mother took my silence as admittance, because the fear immediately disappeared from her face. She put a hand over her chest and smiled. 

"Oh, that's wonderful, Amanda. I've always known he was a good man. He saved us from what would have probably been the worst incident of our lives." 

Her heart dropped. My mouth felt dry. But my mother continued speaking. 

"He has been such a blessing to our family. I remember how he was there for you when your father died. He is so good for you, sweetheart. And you know what? You made the right choice in having a man like that by your side."

As she spoke, she looked so happy, so joyful and content that I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. How would I tell her that Logan had cheated on me and gotten another woman pregnant without breaking her heart? It would break her. 

With a heavy heart, and a stern resolve to avoid hurting my mother, I decided to keep the truth to myself. It wasn't the right time, and I didn't want my mother worrying about me. With our debt paid off, she deserved a goodnight sleep at least. 

"Yeah, Logan's great," I forced myself to say. "Um, I'll head up to my room now. I have to finish up some work stuff."

I couldn't keep sitting here listening to the praises of the man that broke my heart. So I headed to bed and forced myself asleep. 

****

The next day, I got up early to go shopping for a suitable dress as Quinn requested. Once it was time, I walked down the street to meet him where he was parked. I got in and he drove without a word, not even acknowledging my presence. 

I knew the man was an arrogant asshole, but it still shook me every time. I played along to the game, ignoring him as well. But then I wondered again where we were headed. On paying close attention, I realized we were taking the route to my work company. 

My brows furrowed as I turned to Quinn. "What are we doing here? This road leads to where I work."

"This is where your duty starts. I'm taking you to the first place where we will present ourselves as husband and wife for the first time."

My eyes widened in shock. I was still at a loss for words when he took out a small velvet box that contained two wedding rings. He handed one to me, and then put the other on his finger.

My hands shook as I slid the ring on my middle finger. I took in the expensive diamond cut that shone brightly and my throat constricted. This must have cost a fortune!

Who on earth was this man? I found myself wondering again. It was apparent that he was extremely wealthy. It was jarring to wonder how much he was worth. 

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the car came to a stop right in front of the company where I worked. My fears confirmed, I ducked into the seat and shook my head frantically. 

"N-No, I can't go in there."

For the first time he glared at me, his eyes closed. 

"That is not a request. It is an order. You signed the contract, and unless you want to face a lawsuit, you'll do as I say."

I could not speak. He was so arrogant and domineering, and somehow he could be scary. 

"Good, that's what I thought. Now get out of the car."

Left with no choice, I followed him in. Instantly, I caught the eyes of some staff I recognised. 

"Hello," I greeted stiffly, painfully aware of my arm intertwined in Quinn's. 

Soon, all eyes were on us. I could hear the whispers as we walked past. 

"Isn't that Amanda?"

"I thought she quit."

"What the hell is she doing walking around with a man instead of being at her cubicle."

I ignored the snide comments and followed Quinn till we got to the elevator. 

 

Two men were discussing, and I happened to catch a few words. 

"Are you sure about that?" The first man said. 

"Yeah, the CEO's real son is coming today," the other man answered. "Everyone is curious to see him."

I turned to look at Quinn, but his expression was emotionless as usual.

Could it be him? I wondered. But I shook the thought away. 

We stepped out of the elevator and Quinn led me to one of the conference rooms. As soon as I walked in, my legs froze. I shared a gaze with Logan who was standing at the corner. His looked shocked, but when his eyes landed on Quinn, he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Uncle, w-what is going on here?" Logan asked Quinn, his eyes wide.

I nearly stumbled to the floor.

Uncle?

What the fuck was going on here?!

That moment I remembered why his name sounded familiar to my ears.

Logan surname is McCullough.