Antonio's POV
My emotions are all over the place as Brandon drives me back home.
In silence, my jaw tightens, and I grit my teeth in anger, remembering how that crazy lady rejected my offer. I can't believe she is so proud despite being poor.
I am employing her to be my personal nurse so I can take my revenge on her and show her the stuff I am made of, even though I have no plans to deprive her of her payment.
Who the hell does she think she is? She did not only pierce me hard on the buttocks, but she also insulted and humiliated me. How could she?
The more I think of what happened between us, especially how she rejected me without giving it any thought like I thought she would is the most annoying. It is making me restless because I can't take my revenge on her anymore. I don't even know where she lives but I have gotten her full name from the doctor.
Harley Davidson. A first-level Nurse.
I hear a chuckle and I snap my head towards Brandon who is driving with a soft smile forming on his lips. When our gaze locks, I can see the amusement on his expression and I know what he is laughing about instantly.
He finds the crazy girl amusing while I find her weird and stupid. How can a poor lady like her be so full of herself?
She was even willing to pay me $50 as a compensation fee? Hilarious. She is so ugly and stupid. She isn't even beautiful. I wonder why she was employed as a nurse in the first place. I doubt if she is intelligent and knows what it means to be a nurse.
The smile on Brandon's face broadens and turns into a boyish grin and I look away immediately, feeling embarrassed once again. The ride has been silent for more than 10 minutes.
"That girl is an amusing piece", he finally says and I scoff, looking out of the car window.
I am not saying anything and he asks.
"Don't you think so?"
"No", I reply sharply in a loud voice. She is not amusing but stupid and dumb.
"Well, I think she is amusing", he laughs shortly. How can she offer to pay a compensation fee of..."
"Brandon", I interrupt him sharply, squeezing my eyes shut and wishing to let the memories of the bad times with the stupid girl in the hospital go. I have many problems at hand that I need to sort out.
I need to find out if Xavier is truly behind the shooting in the club. I have to worry about my health too and how to heal faster with this bandage on me since I have left the hospital in anger and how to finish up my targeted work in the office this week with my ill-health.
I plan to launch a new wafers factory in Switzerland by the weekend and I still have a lot to do concerning that. I have two new deals and I haven't reviewed the contract content yet. I have a partnership request coming from a multi-million dollar company in Jamaica and I am still contemplating what best to do. I have a lot to do and handle, including Alexis' recent health condition.
I let out a sigh.
This crazy girl is the least of my problems. As much as I would love to make her suffer for what she has done to me and make her know the kind of person I am, I feel like letting go. I have enough problems already.
What is the essence of getting my revenge on her when Brandon has succeeded in letting me forgive the doctor and promise not to sue them again?
There is no joy in sueing them when the person directly involved in this isn't affected. I wanted to sue them because of her. But now that she has left the hospital, I really see no reason to sue them anymore.
Even if I want to take my revenge on her, how will I do that when I don't even know much about her, except her name? I don't know where she lives, who she really is but I guess I can find out if I can give the job to my private investigator. This is something he can do in just two days.
Harley or whatever her name is is too little to deal with. But I can't deal with her now that she is no longer working in the hospital. I doubt if the doctor can call her back no matter how good she is at her job.
Letting go of punishing her is really hard and I am tempted to get home, call Stanley, my private investigator to search for her tomorrow, and bring her to me so I can deal with her.
But I have more pressing issues. I need to invite Stanley to my office tomorrow, not for the nurse but for him to find out who is behind the shooting in the club.
I was the target. No one got shot except me. Brandon said it is Xavier's gang but I am having doubts about it. Xavier is out of New York.
How the hell did he come back so silently? What the hell is he doing in New York again after two years of being away? Why is he coming back for me? I thought we had gone the past this rift?
I clench my jaw as anger fills me up. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't stopped the bodyguards from following me to places. I hate the attention it creates but now I guess I have to get them back to work.
Xavier is playing with fire and I am going to deal with him too. I have had enough of his troubles. I have had enough patience already and it is high time I retaliated.
"Are you thinking about her?" Brandon chuckles again, making anger course through me once again. I stare at him in disbelief.
What the hell is he talking about? How can I miss that crazy woman? Is she even someone that can be attractive to a man?
I shake my head lightly. "She is the least of my problems."
"You should let go", he laughs again. His daughter is increasing my irritation.
"Will you just stop talking about her already?" I growl, slamming my fist on my thigh. The smile on his face vanishes as he spare me a glance before looking back on the road. "She isn't even worth it."
Silence creeps me and I find myself thinking about her. Now that Brandon has brought her issue up again, I feel the sudden need to deal with her.
"Stupid girl", I curse under my breath, leaning back on the car seat. Brandon chuckles lightly again. I throw a cold glare in his direction and he feigns a serious look.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea strikes my mind. I have all it takes to deal with that girl. I don't need to ask Stanley to search for her since I know her name. Stanley has more important investigations to do for me and making him search for that stupid girl will just be a waste of time.
All I need to do is make calls and everything is settled. With finality and a grin of satisfaction on my face, I conclude the idea in my mind.
Harley is going to regret crossing paths with me. I promise.
Harley's POVAfter I ended the call with the arrogant man, I dropped the phone and stared into space, thinking of what just happened. Why the hell is he asking me to become his personal nurse? So he can deal with me, use me the way he wants, humiliate me and make me beg for money? I don't even understand what he wants.Is he this foolish not to know that I am not a girl who will stoop so low to grab the opportunity of being a personal nurse for an arrogant fool like him? I don't even care if he is a billionaire or not. His behavior and lack of approach are totally out of it. I just feel bad that he has a good look. He ought to be as ugly as a duckling. That appearance would have fitted his dark and stupid mind.I blow a sigh and lean back on the headboard.Grandma must have heard me crying before Jim called me. I heard the sound of her wheelchair fading away. I feel she doesn't need to know what is happening. I don't want to tell her that I lost my job and I can't afford to pay her
Harley's POVI increase my pace, ignoring the discomfort and sound my heels are producing on the marble floor of the entrance of the company. It's been two whole weeks of job hunting and two weeks of pure torture that I have been through just to get rid of Jim's thoughts from my mind. He hasn't been picking up my calls and he hasn't called either. I find it very hard to believe that we are truly done. Everything we have shared means nothing to him.Reality dawns on me when I tried calling three days back and I found out he has changed his number. Sadness engulfs me, sinking in the realization that Jim is done with me and gone forever. It is still hard to let go because I still think of him once in a while, despite my resolution to completely forget about him and move on with my life. I guess my failure to secure another job after two weeks of losing my job is also a factor. If only I am still working, I will have no time to think about my problems. I will bury myself in my work by b
Antonio's POVI never thought this crazy fellow and I will ever meet again. I am glad we are meeting right here in my office of all places. I realize my little plan to make her life miserable is working after all and my smile broadens. I feel a genuine satisfaction in my heart. I noticed her shocked expression after she recognized me and the color drained from her face. It took me a while to recognize her too because she looks different from the miserable fellow I met that night. Today, she looks more responsible and a little pretty in her cheap dress. I want to laugh in her face. Where has her pride led her? How can she be poor and proud at the same time? What exactly is she proud of?Pinning her with a gaze full of satisfaction, her shoulder drops in disappointment and I see a flash of pain and fear. This is what I want. This is what I have been dreaming of seeing on her face. This is what I thought I would see that day when I threatened to sue the hospital but I didn't see it a
Harley's POVI look out of the coffee shop with a distant look on my face, until Chelsea's hand touches mine, pulling me out of my reverie. I turn to gaze at her and she flashes me a smile.I sigh.I was tempted to hit the billionaire's head with something but I refrained from doing so. He is the most annoying and obnoxious man I have ever met.What was the big deal with not apologizing after two weeks? I just wanted to help out but it turned out to be a misfortune for me. Anita is still in the hospital as the staff there while I am out here, stranded, broke and jobless."Harley", Chelsea calls me. I look down at the cup of milkshake in the middle of the desk between Chelsea and me. She is sitting opposite me and our chair is close to the window. I drag the cup closer and take a sip of the milkshake from the straw, hoping it will calm my nerves and allow me to talk to Chelsea about what is happening.I had called her immediately after leaving the office of the arrogant man and she pr
Antonio's POVThe car comes to a halt and I climb down from the Mercedes Benz without waiting for the driver to come out and open the car door for me. I fling my suit to my shoulder and rush into the house, calling Alexis's name.There is a heavy silence in the house and I wonder where they are. I thought my mother would have taken her to the hospital so I went straight to the hospital instead of coming home. When I got there, I was told that Alexis was not brought there and that the doctor left the hospital in a hurry. I figured out that the doctor was coming to the mansion to check up on Alexis."Alexis", I yell at the top of my voice as I hurry towards her room. I wonder where the cook had gone to and why she didn't keep an eye on Alexis. Ever since the old nanny taking care of Alexis left for another town, I haven't bothered to get another nanny because of my busy schedule. I keep Alexis in care of the cook with my mother whose house is just a stone's throw away from my mansion.
Harley's POVRemembering that I left my phone in the room, I run back inside to grab it. Grandma is sitting in the living room as usual knitting a cardigan for Chelsea. Her birthday is in a few weeks and grandma wants to present it to her as a birthday gift.When she got to know that Jim was going at first, she tried to convince me to be patient with him but when he broke up with me, she became pissed with him too. She dumped the cardigan she was knitting for him and even cried. I couldn't console her."You forgot something?" She shouts so I can hear from my room. I see the phone laying comfortably in the bed and I grab it in a haste."Yes," I answer and walk out.I am in a hurry to go to Chelsea father's company. Her attempt to help me secure a job elsewhere has been futile and I have finally given working in her father's company a chance. He asked me to come for an interview this morning and I am a few minutes late already. For the first time in almost three weeks, I slept soundly
Antonio's POVI storm into the office with a tissue in my hand glued to my nostril. My body is shaking with anger and shame. Even though I doubt if anyone saw us, I feel embarrassed that a lady like that ugly lady punched me in the face.How dare she? Who the hell does she think she is? Isn't she living a miserable life yet? Where the hell did she even get that sort of power from? The memory of how she pushed me on my stomach so she could pierce me in the buttocks come rushing and I hiss continuously till I enter the office. God, I am so embarrassed. How could I have allowed her to punch me and go scot-free? She isn't yet free from the shackles of what she did to me when I was in the hospital receiving treatment and now she has done something else and this time, I am not going to let her go. I am going to make her suffer for what she has done to me.The look of victory on her face annoyed me more, making me feel defeated. I was too shocked to let the reality dawn on me that I have b
Harley's POVFuming all the way home, I climb down from the cab and take long strides towards the front door. In one swoop, I push the door forcefully open making it produce a creaking sound. I sigh, the door is almost falling off and it needs repairs. I was planning to have it fixed from last month's salary but I didn't get it because I got fired from my job. We are halfway through with this month already and I am still unemployed.I reduce my pace and enter the house, feeling sudden exhaustion engulf me with a mixture of anger.I am mad at everyone. Mad at myself for no reason. Mad at the arrogant man who is making my life miserable and mad at Chelsea's father for not being patient enough for me to come for the interview. By the time I got to his office, he was gone. I was told that he left in just a few minutes, making me wonder how the hell he got out of the company without my knowledge. I wondered where he took me since I used the elevator. The PA noticed my confusion and told
Harley's POVTWO MONTHS LATERIt is rainy outside and my insides are in disarray.As soon as Antonio steps beside me, my hands shake vigorously and my heart thumps wildly in my chest as if it will soon burst out.He entwines his left hand with my right hand and squeezes it in assurance. I snap my head to exchange glances with him.His eyes hold more than assurance and it makes everything more surreal. It holds hope. For a good and promising future.I hope for happiness. Till eternity.I hope for joy. Everlasting.His eyes hold love. True love.And it holds peace. It feels as if a bowl of water has been poured all over me the moment I turn away from him, taking deep slow breaths, wanting to push down the nervousness and face the reality of what is about to happen today. And now.I am a bride.A bride dressed in a white, sleeveless wedding gown, the silhouette of the dress is fitted through the bodice and starts to flare out at the waist in a triangular fashion. Antonio is dressed in
Harley's POVAntonio didn't say what I wanted to hear. He didn't talk about making babies and that was the exact thing I needed to hear from him to assure me that this baby is accepted and I have no problem whatsoever.This is the only thing stopping me from accepting this proposal. This is what I have always dreamt of.A proposal.To be married. To him.I didn't expect this but I guess it was meant to be a surprise. Grandma is even here but she isn't looking happy.It was when Antonio helped me up from the floor and carried me in a bridal style to take me up to his room that I was able to wipe my tears and stop crying.Alexis wouldn't stop asking me why I was crying.We have been sitting in silence in his room for more than 20 minutes and I am sure the guests downstairs would have gone home.I don't want him to do ahead with this because a baby is involved. This is why I didn't accept him but went ahead to tell him that I was pregnant. This way, he can quickly change his mind about g
Antonio's POVThe moment Brandon and Stanley left the mansion to go get Harley's Grandma, I moved out of the house too and began to pace the courtyard in anticipation.I am as nervous as hell!And it's taking too long. Mother is worried that Harley won't come and I wonder why the driver I sent to her place is just leaving.He just called me a few minutes ago and he has been gone for almost an hour.I feel like calling Jude again, the driver who must be on his way to the restaurant by now but I don't want to distract him. Should I call him to just come back?I turn my back with folded arms when I see my mother coming out through the front door with a glass of wine in her hand.Her face was shining with delight earlier on but now there is worry etched on her expression. I can see her face with the help of the bright glow light which Chelsea suggested we use to decorate the whole place.I was against it at first because I don't want Harley to get suspicious the moment she comes in. I wa
Harley's POVI stare into space, tears rolling down my eyes as Grandma watches me with a face devoid of emotion.I don't know what she is thinking but I am also disappointed in myself. I didn't plan for this and I'm sure Antonio isn't expecting this either and it breaks my heart more.Antonio and I have never talked about kids or pregnancy and I don't know how to view it.Now that I have been confirmed pregnant, I am scared this will be the end of us. What if he doesn't want the baby? What if Alexis doesn't want another child to grab the attention of her father, thereby reducing his love for her? What if Antonio isn't ready for this kind of responsibility yet?He is just healing from the wounds of his past. He was left with a child who was barely a month old to care for, how sure am I that Antonio is ready to go through this again?I begin to wail between my palms, to hide my face from the woman who thought I am still a virgin. She must be so disappointed in me.A hand touches me and
Harley's POVI move swiftly across the kitchen, making an effort to finish up this cooking before Antonio's driver comes to get me.We are going on a date tonight, but without Alexis, this time, and I am excited about it. I just hope there will be no form of drama today. The first date came with drama and the second date's drama was unexpected. This time, I hope Antonio and I will have a quiet time to discuss and talk into the night before coming back home.I don't know why he is super excited about it too but I guess it is because this is going to be our first date alone. Alexis was with us during the first and second dates.The way he has been going on this date since Thursday is hilarious. He even insisted on getting me a dress but I protested but he wouldn't listen. Just this morning, he brought the dress on his way to work, reminding me about the date.It made me smile. And proud. Happy. Lucky. Special.I just finished boiling the macaroni and I want to make a roux. I melt the
Antonio's POVI knock again on the door, waiting impatiently for Harley to open up for me. I am freezing cold out here and I can't wait to see her face.Should I ask her to follow me to my place today? Will she agree? Should I sound pathetic? Shit!I don't know what is wrong with me. I am crazy about Harley and this feeling keeps increasing with each passing day. Now that she is no longer staying in my house, I love her more and want to always see her.When she told me we would see tonight, I knew it was her little way of inviting me over to the house. Well, I haven't spent a day without coming to visit after leaving work, ever since we reconciled.It has become a routine now.The door is thrown open and she jumps into my arms as though she already saw that it was no one but me or because she is happy about something."Hello to you, sweetheart", I say with a raised brow as she hugs me more. Confusion clouds my expression when she giggles.She releases me from her hold and cups my fac
Antonio's POVThe elevator dings open and I walk out with my briefcase swinging beside me. I walk towards my office, trying to take my mind off Xavier.I have just a week to provide evidence that he was responsible for my father's death and I really do not know how to go about it.I want to concentrate on work today because I am going to be signing a new deal today by noon.Immediately Harley left, I got up from the bed to get dressed and come to work so I won't end up masturbating because of my hard-on.I'm not supposed to be at work this early because of the deal we are going to sign by noon but I decided to come in and work on a few things before that time.I walk past my secretary's desk and get to the door. I insert the key to open it but surprisingly, the door opens itself.I raise a brow with the keys in my hands, trying to recall if I was the one who closed the door yesterday or if it was my secretary.I remember I was in a hurry to leave work yesterday because I was going out
Antonio's POVHarley snuggles closer into my arms, making it so difficult for me to let go and go to work.I do not feel like going to work today, I wish we could spend all day in bed. I never expected that she would spend the night with me last night but I was overjoyed when she said she would.This is what I have been dying to hear from her ever since she left the house. I am not saying anything about it anymore because I don't want to push her further. Besides, I am willing to wait for as long as she wants to come back to the house. I will keep waiting.I have been thinking hard and long about our relationship and what I want from this. Ever since I admitted my love for her, I knew I wanted her for life. This isn't meant to be a casual relationship. This is something that speaks of our future and I want that future with her.I want her to be my woman, my wife and I want us to always wake up in each other's arms.Harley doesn't want to come back to the house and I am more than despe
Harley's POVAs the car drives into the courtyard, I notice the car behind us take a U-Turn and drive off.The car behind is the one the guards were driving and now that they know we are home safely, they have gone back to meet Antonio in the restaurant.It feels as if the ride back home was slow and Alexis had fallen asleep in my arms after crying for so long.I am supposed to go home but I can't go home without knowing if Antonio is safe or not. I can't leave without seeing him walk through the front door safe and sound.My heart is heavy for no reason and I am scared. Why will Antonio not listen to me? The cops can handle it, he doesn't need to be there or involved. Can't he just come back home already and let Xavier be?The car stops and I jerk my head upright when Felix opens the door for me. Alexis's head is on my lap so I pick her up and I step out of the car carefully.I am glad she had fallen asleep. I couldn't console her when she was wailing because I was crying inside too