CHAPTER 006

CHAPTER 6

IVY

I finally woke up from a dreamless sleep and squinted at the brightness of the room. Yawning and stretching, I felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. A smile tugged at my lips as I remembered the dream I just had. In it, I had collided with a handsome stranger after meeting that arrogant director at Sky Investments.

I didn’t recall every detail, but I remembered saying, “I’m sorry, it was an accident,” as I fell into his arms. He had responded with a charming smile and a grace that made me feel awkward. “I’m not complaining. If it was an accident, then it was a pleasant one.”

But that was no dream.

The last thing I remembered was accidentally kissing him, and I could still swear he tasted like sweet apple juice. The nostalgia of that moment lingered in my mind until I spun around, and my breath caught in my throat.

The sense of calm vanished as I took in my surroundings—the chandeliers, and the luxurious bed. This place was unfamiliar.

Where was I?

Panic surged through me as I jumped out of bed, only to realise I was wearing oversized pyjamas that didn’t belong to me.

My heart raced. Who had undressed me? My hands instinctively went to my chest, and I felt a muffled scream rising in my throat.

“Oh my god… I’m not even wearing my bra, just my panties!”

The last thing I remembered was my asthma attack, and now I am here. How did I get in this room? Did he kidnap me?

A shrill alarm cut through my thoughts, freezing me in place. Was someone else in the room?

It had to be my kidnapper. I almost wanted to laugh despite the danger. Anyone who kidnapped me for ransom was wasting their time. I couldn't wait to see their reaction when they realised no one cared about me. Even if they set a ransom as low as a hundred dollars, no one would come to save me.

Footsteps approached, and I crouched low, hiding behind the bed. My heart pounded, and I prayed I wouldn’t have another asthma attack before I saw who it was. As the footsteps grew closer, dread filled me. Why would he put me in such a nice room if he kidnapped me? And if he wanted a ransom, why undress me?

Or did he…? My eyes widened in shock as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying not to think about it.

“What’s the point of hiding when I’m standing right behind you?” a deep, masculine voice startled me. I jumped up, colliding with a solid wall of flesh.

It was the same stranger!

My heart raced, and I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. Why was he here? Why had he brought me here?

I wanted to flee, but he stood in front of me, showing no intention of moving. His gaze was locked on my face.

“Is that your eye colour, or are you wearing coloured contacts?” he asked.

“What?” I stammered. “No!” I couldn’t quite understand why he was asking such strange questions.

Okay, maybe he was charming in the elevator, but now he just seemed like a weirdo I wanted to avoid. And now I had gone and kissed him, giving him the wrong idea…

“You had an asthma attack in the elevator. That’s not something generic, I assume?” he said as if it were perfectly fine to ask strangers about their medical history.

“And you have some scars and blisters on your skin. Is that some sort of hereditary skin infection or…?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I demanded, my embarrassment turning to defensiveness. I was sure he got the wrong idea.

“I already told you that kiss was an accident, and I’m not having this conversation with you! I don’t even know you.”

I let out a loud sigh. He was a weirdo. How dare he call my asthma generic? And my blisters, hereditary infections?

He seemed frustrated, and I could see it in his expression. I took back every nice thing I had thought about him; this young man was a complete jerk.

Just as I tried to push past him to escape this awkward situation, he grabbed my arm. “I’m sorry, forgive me,” he said. “You’ve got the wrong info too. Maybe we should just sit down and talk…”

I scoffed. “I’m not interested in your talks.” I glanced around, wrenching my arm free. “Where the hell are my clothes?”

Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse, it turned sour.

“Listen, I checked your phone; it’s no longer working. I’ll get you a new one if you stay back and talk to me.”

Anything I wanted to say at that moment died a natural death in my throat. A new phone wasn’t what I wanted, but my old one was gone, and I had no money to buy a new one.

“A new phone,” he repeated. “Just for a brief interview before you leave my house. And if it goes well, I might even pay off your million-dollar loan.”

I furrowed my brows, my mind swirling with thoughts. Paying off my loan just for an interview?

It sounded ridiculous, but maybe I could give it a shot.