Chapter 08

At dinner, Stella kept looking around. She is not comfortable being surrounded by these beautiful people. In fact, earlier she told Charles she didn't want dinner but suddenly her "you can save" instinct kicked in and she said yes. Now, look at where she is.

"If you're uncomfortable, let's have a private roo--"

"No, I am fine. We'll just have to be quick," she cut him off, fixing her composure. Forget about how she can save, she wants to get out of there so bad.

"Alright then," he uttered, looking straight at her. "What made you change your mind?"

"You're making my life complicated. I'm simply trying to take my peace back with interest."

"Fair enough." He shrugged. "I usually do business in the middle of dinner and sometimes after."

"You're not doing business with someone important, mister Castigado. I daresay we discuss it now." She took a deep breath, just preparing herself for what she is about to say. "I need thirty thousand dollars and I'll agree to be your pretend girlfriend."

Charles was looking at her intensely until he cracks a laugh. Stella frowned. Now, why is he freakin' laughing? Was her price too high? Is he going to back out now?

"What's so funny?" she asked, throwing a dirty look at him.

"Not funny. Adorable," he corrected. That annoying smile stayed on his pretty face. "I am offering you a hundred thousand dollars."

"What?" Her eyes widened, glaring at him as her forehead creased. "Don't play around with me!"

"I'm not." He chuckled. "A hundred thousand dollars is nothing to me in this kind of business."

"But I only need 30,000 dollars," she says.

"Save the rest then. Go somewhere far and treat yourself."

Treat herself? The last time she freakin' did that she end up in this mess and is now pregnant. And the father is a freakin' devil billionaire who made their life difficult and has no idea about his soon child.

"Tch!" She couldn't help but scoff. When she raised her head, she saw Charles looking at her. Softly, she coughed, looking away. "What are you looking at?"

"You dare scoff at me?"

"I did! So what?"

"Nothing," he answers, giving her a charming smile. "I'll hand you the contract tomorrow. If there are more things you want to add, tell me before the end of the night as I'm making the contract later."

"Contract, huh? You think I'll run away?"

"No. I just like doing things like this."

He thinks I'll run away, she insisted in her mind, looking at him like an upset kid.

"If that's so then I'll discuss my terms now." She gathers her hands together and rests them on the table. Charles was looking at her with adoration but she was too busy sorting her mind to notice.

She clears her throat and said, "I want nothing to do with you after a month. You're not to question anything about me and what I need the money for. Give me back my normal life after all this. You and I should not sleep in the same room and--"

"You and I are sleeping in the same room," he interrupted.

"No!" She disagrees, frowning at him. "I don't want to! I am coming back to my apartment every end of the day!"

Charles clenched his jaw, looking at her all with a hardened expression. "No, you are not. We'll be flying back to the main house where we'll meet everybody, including my parents. My room is huge and I don't stay there often so you'll have all the space you need. If you are worried about the bed, it's spacious too."

"You said I'll only have to pretend, you didn't mention any staying in your 'main house'. What if the people don't like me there?"

"That's not a concern anymore. You'll only have to meet my grandfather and attend a party. Then that's it."

Stella thought hard about it. What if his family members start bullying her like the way he bullied her? What if they threaten her?

"If you want I'll double the price."

"No, no, that's not it," she mumbled.

It's only for a month. That should not be as hard as she thinks. Meeting a grandfather and staying at a boyfriend's house for a month should not be hard, right? It's just like meeting Erick's family.

"Alright, but if they do me wrong then I can run away. And the last is that..." she looks down frowning. She can't seem to remember the last part.

"The last one is what?" he asked.

"I forgot," she replied and glance back at him. "This is your fault for cutting me off! Now, I can't remember."

"Is that so? Then I'll leave a space for that one last condition and you write on it."

"Hmm... that works for me," she uttered.

Just after agreeing with each other, their food was served. Charles noticed how Stella's eyes twinkled seeing what was in front of her. The more his gaze is fixed at her, the more he finds her amusing. Her simplicity is elegant.

As they eat, he would steal a glimpse of her. The way her lips move, he knows he'll dream about them again tonight. This is bad, he thought. He is being seduced without her even trying.

After their dinner, Charles gave Stella a ride home. She wasn't going to agree but since he insisted and her saving instinct kicked in again, she took it.

Charles wasn't contented and walked her to her apartment door. She keeps shooing him away but he would ignore her whining.

"I'm all good now, begone!" She motioned her hand as she unlock her door. She turned and push it open. "Thank you for the dinner."

"You really agreed to it, right? This night, it ain't a dream, yeah?"

Stella gave him a freaked-out look and started tutting. "If this is your way of small talking, please stop. I am tired."

For the first time, Stella heard Charles chuckling. It stopped her halfway from entering.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." She shakes her head side to side. "You should laugh more. It suits you better," she muttered, entering the door. "Take care on your way back."

"Goodnight, Stella."

"Goodnight." And she closed the door.

On Charles' way back to his car, he had a smile that could never disappear. No matter how much he hides it, it stayed.

Damn! It looks like he will be clearing his name really soon. The only thing he needs to make sure of is to not fall in love with Stella. He is really attracted to her and the night they shared together keeps replaying in his mind.

"Stella's not safe with me," he mumbles.