Chapter 8

Jade knew it was now or never. She needed to escape, else her life would be a living hell.

She took a deep breath before gently knocking on the door.

Whatever she planned to do, she has to be smart about it.

She heard the clicking of the door and it slowly opened on it own.

Jade walked into Xavier's room. He looked busy with some papers and his laptop.

"You want something?" He asked without turning to her.

"Um...I um...are you busy? I can come by later" She stammered.

"What do you want?" He finally turned to her with an arched brow.

This is definitely not the time to ask for favors. He was either angry or stressed.

"I...never mind" She turned to leave but the door shut before she reached it.

"You missed me?" He walked to her.

"No!"

"Too bad" He gave her a small smile

"I mean...You look...tired and I dont want to disturb you really" She stepped back.

"Isn't sweet you care about me?" He followed her.

"I don't! I...mean I wanted to ask if I could go to the mall but you're really busy" She smiled.

"Yeah, I'm busy I can't go with you" He went back to his desk.

Jade rolled her eyes.

"You can go alone if you want" He searched one of the drawers.

"Really!?" She asked and he walked back to her.

"Why not? Here" He placed a golden card in her hand. "Buy whatever you want" He kissed her on the cheek and went back to his work.

"How much do you have in here?" She found herself asking.

He swirled his chair around. "I'm sure it'll cover whatever you want to buy" He laughed.

"And I can go alone?" She asked again.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll join in next time. A driver is available and you can take which ever car you want" He dismissively said.

Why was he super nice?

Did he just give her permission to out on her own with a card that may contain millions?

Jade choose a red Ferrari that drove her to her desired mall.

She walked around for some minutes and finally bought ice cream and doughnuts.

She countlessly felt watched and tried to smartly look around but she got nothing. Jade finally sat and looked around.

Someone was definitely watching her but who? Nobody looked suspicious. Everyone was having a great time.

On her way to get another round of ice cream and doughnuts, Jade bumped into someone and mistakenly stained the lady with ice cream.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" The lady angrily looked at Jade.

"I wouldn't have bumped into you if you were watching where you were going" Jade gave her a napkin but she only threw her a dirty look.

"Keep that diseased thing away from me" She looked down on her white blouse. "Mannerless people! You don't eat while you walk, is that so hard?" She brought out a clothe and cleaned herself.

"Okay don't you dare insult me" Jade angrily said.

"Else what?" The woman threw a challenging look.

Jade assessed the lady. She was about her age, slim, tall with a nice curvy body. She wore cargo pants and a white turtle neck blouse with a Gucci handbag.

"You don't want to see me angry" Jade replied. The lady gave her a head to toe look.

"I don't have the time to spare with some spoilt brat"

"And who's to say?"

"I don't need to be told. Your distasteful choice of dress, poorly made hair and that awkward ring on your finger. I'm sure your dad found you an old billionaire who easily won their affection in exchange for you. That is what you girls do these days. They threw you into his disgusting arms to make some coins out of you obviously" She said to Jade.

"How dare you!?" Jade became red.

"Oh shut up! I know your type. You're nothing but a social climber and a fortune hunter" She roughly pushed Jade and walked away.

After few hours at the mall, Jade finally went back to the house.

The words of the lady at the mall kept ringing in her head.

How can you be so rude to a total stranger?

She was bitter but what has that got to do with her? Or have they met before and she is holding some kinda guilt?

"No, I don't know her and I've never met her" Jade said to herself dropping her purse on the bed.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

'Distasteful choice of dress'

But Xavier bought this dress for her and he made it clear he liked it. So why was a stranger's words gettimg to her?

Maybe the woman was right.

Her parents did sell her off to save the company so in a way, they used her.

Jade took off her ring and placed it on the vanity.

She curled up in her bed with closed eyes as tears soaked the pillow.

"Wake up" She felt someone poke her and when she opened her eyes, Xavier was standing few inches away from her bed.

"I want to sleep" She turned to the other side of the bed.

"It's seven" He stated. "Let's have dinner. I'll run you a bath" All she heard was his footsteps and after a while, silence. "Jade" He coldly called.

"What is it!" She angrily sat up. "Stop choking me okay? First you bought me and now you're forcing me to marry you. You locked me up and I don't have a family anymore! God I hate you so much!" She jumped off the bed and slammed the bathroom door.

Jade quietly ate her food with Xavier sited across her.

"How was the mall?" He broke the silence.

"Can you stop? 'We' are not a real thing. This is all fake so quit pretending like we are a happy couple" She poured herself whiskey.

"I told you not to rake your ring off" He placed it across the table. She angrily put it back on.

"It is too heavy and it gives people the wrong idea about me!" She dropped her fork.

"Like?"

"Gold digger. Fortune hunter" She listed.

"Isn't that true?" He arched his left brow.

Jade stared at him shockingly. She never asked him for anything. She is only here with him because he forced her to.

So how is she a social climber?

"You forced me to come with you. I didn't ask you for anything. So how am I a gold digger?" She was obviously pained by his words.

She was never an opportunist so why the hell will someone judge her like that?

And the fact that he was sitting right there acting like all these is normal was killing her.

"Your parents sold you to me so technically, all of you are gold diggers and in a way, you profited too. Isn't it also your company?" He smiled.

"I'm not responsible for what my father did. Goodnight" She stood up but he held her arm and pushed her into her seat.

"I'm not done talking" He glared at her.

"Hey Xavier" A sweet voice made them both turn towards the doors of the balcony.