2 days earlier
Declan Foster walked into his newly established firm late that afternoon after a day of travelling. He was exhausted and irritable. He checked his personal phone for any messages from the private investigator he hired back in Samjiyon, North Korea. He, too, was a werewolf which made Declan sense that he could trust the investigator. Nothing yet, which was a good sign.
He walked into his office and poured himself a glass of whiskey, which he quickly downed. His business phone started ringing, and he was straight back at work dealing with investors and companies from around the world. FosterA was a company aimed at providing reliable internet and communications to all people around the world. He focused on connecting poor areas to the rest of the world. The company had subdivisions such as education, legal services, and anything related to information technology infrastructure (IT).
Declan was part of the Dart Legion pack, led by Demon Alpha Mason Dart. Their pack was the largest and most ruthless pack yet, and Declan used his company to form alliances with other werewolf packs worldwide. It wasn’t against any laws to have a human mate, but he knew Mason hated humans. So, it was just looked down upon.
Declan started the business after coming out of the military, and it just grew since then, making him the 2nd wealthiest man from South Africa. 1st was Elon Musk, but Declan was nowhere near close to Elon’s wealth. Declan’s net worth stood at 10 billion USD, and with the deals he formed, it kept increasing.
“Sir, the board of directors are here for the meeting.” His personal assistant stated after knocking on Declan’s office door.
“Tell them to fucking give me 5 minutes. I just got back.” Declan yelled, and his assistant nodded, then left. Luckily his assistant, Kian van Zyl, was used to Declan’s temper and, after 6 months, hadn’t resigned. Making him the longest assistant that had worked for the billionaire. He, too, was a werewolf which is probably why he was still around.
Declan took a deep breath and straightened his tie. Lately, he had been unable to get a good night’s sleep as that waitress from Samjiyon haunted his dreams. He couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her, and the private investigator hadn’t sent any information his way. He only asked to be contacted if something was wrong, which was probably why.
He knew his inner wolf wanted to go to her, but he forced himself to stay away. He hoped that pull towards her would wear out after time. Declan didn’t have time for a mate or space in his busy life. Between the business and sorting out deals for Mason, Declan knew that was all his life would be.
He cracked his neck and poured himself another glass of whiskey before heading off to the meeting. He half-listened to what was going on in the meeting and slowly sipped his whiskey. Declan tapped his foot impatiently on the floor as his board members discussed the fluctuating forex rates. His personal phone vibrated in his pocket, and Declan’s foot stopped as he switched it on. A message from the private investigator popped up in the notifications.
“Miss Chae-Soo visited an abortion clinic today. Her appointment is the day after tomorrow.” The message read.
“Fuck!” Declan shouted and stood up. He threw the glass of whiskey at the wall, which shattered, then walked out. The board members were startled and confused by what just happened and watched their billionaire boss storm out of the room.
Sienna was pregnant… with his child. But worst of all, she wanted to have an abortion. She wanted to kill his child. He dialled the private investigator’s number and signalled for his assistant to come over.
“Book the next flight to Samjiyon.” He instructed Kian, then spoke to his phone, “Where is she now?”
“Hello, sir. Miss Chae-Soo just walked into work as we speak.” The investigator replied and watched her from his car. He grabbed his oversized brown coat and got out of the car to follow her in.
“Keep a close eye on her. I’m on my way there.” Declan stated and hung up the call.
“It is booked, sir; you leave in the next hour. I’ve emailed you the tickets. Your driver has also been called; he will be here shortly.” Kian remarked and handed Declan an envelope. “Here are all your personal documents, sir.”
“Thank you, Kian.” Declan nodded and walked towards the elevator. He stopped and looked back at Kian, who watched him leave. “Good work. I should pay you double.”
“Thank you, sir,” Kian smiled as Declan walked out and turned to go tell the board of directors that Mr Foster was no longer in the building.
Declan walked up to the car where his personal driver waited and climbed in as the diver opened the door for him. Declan was on a phone call with a member of the board and instructed him on what to do for the next few days. The member didn’t dare question where Declan would be unless he wished to be fired and agreed, which ended with Declan hanging up the call in his ear.
“Jho, Zem… a Korean woman I slept with is now pregnant,” Declan said in isiXhosa to his driver, who chuckled.
“Mr boss, man, you are a father now.” His driver replied. A father. Declan was a father. It still hadn’t sunk in. He didn’t even want to think of what Mason would say and pushed the thought aside. He needed to get to her as soon as he possibly could.
“I’m flying over tonight to sort out this problem.”
“You must bring her back as your wife, Mr boss. She can keep your bed warm while you work.” The driver added, which sparked an idea in Declan’s mind.
“Zem, you are such an intelligent man. I still don’t know why you are just a driver.” Declan laughed and touched the driver’s shoulder, who just smiled. Declan then dialled Kian’s number, who picked up instantly.
“Yes, Kian. Call my lawyer and draft a contract. Takedown this information….” Declan stated in English and continued to tell Kian what the contract was for.
“Yes, sir. I’ll get it emailed to you as soon as I can.” Kian replied, and the call ended.
“Right Zem, can we make it to the airport in time?” Declan asked back in the drivers home language.
“Don’t worry, sir. We will make it in time.” Zem nodded and accelerated faster. Declan had a plane to catch and an abortion to stop. Time was ticking by.
***
Declan flew 16 hours from Cape Town to Pyongyang and then hired a driver to Samjiyong, which was a 7-hour drive. The private investigator fetched him at a stop, and they sped over to the abortion clinic. Declan ran in and had made it on time. The waitress was now in his car, and he couldn’t calm down his anger which grew by the sight of her.
Her long black hair had been braided into a ponytail, while her large dark eyes glared at him like he was the worst person in the world. Her beautiful face was wet from tears, but instead, he hated that he found himself attracted to her.
“Why the fuck were you at that place?” Declan thundered and pointed to the clinic as they drove away. Even the private investigator got a fright when the billionaire shouted but kept his eyes on the road.
“I can’t raise this baby.” Sienna softly replied, and her hand flew to touch the pendant of the necklace she had on that was hidden beneath her shirt.
“Why the hell not!? You should have phoned me. I would fucking take care of you and the baby. That’s my child, and I’m not going to be some unresponsible father.”
“You fucked me then left without saying bye! Who writes ‘keep the change’ on an envelope after sleeping with someone? How did you expect me to call?” Sienna yelled back, which surprised Declan. Maybe she had a backbone after all.
“Okay fine, fair point. Why did you want to kill my baby? That’s fucking murder!”
“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t know I would see you again, and I live in poverty if you didn’t know! That’s not the best situation to raise a baby.”
“Don’t throw sarcasm at me, woman!” Declan screamed, and his hands clenched into fists. His wolf side threatened to shift, but luckily (thanks to Mason), he had excellent control. Sienna crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window while Declan tried to calm down. At this point, the private investigator was just driving around without a destination as the two of them yelled at one another on the back seat.
“I changed my mind and was about to tell the doctor that I wanted to keep the baby, but then you came in and caused a scene,” Sienna spoke when she controlled her anger and looked over at Declan. Her heart tugged, and she wanted to move closer to him, but his piercing blue eyes kept her in place. “What do you suggest we do?” She asked softly.
“Marry me,” Declan stated, and Sienna looked at him, confused. Was this another one of his deals?
“We don’t even know one another! Plus, I don’t like you.”
“Trust me, woman. I despise you as well.” Declan firmly said, and Sienna felt her heart drop. “We won’t marry for love. I know your families situation if you agree I’ll take care of them. Your parents will be placed in the best elderly care in North Korea, and your brother will receive top treatment from praised doctors around the world. I’ll pay for his schooling and make sure he lives a good life. As for you, have my baby, and I’ll take care of you. You won’t have to work a day in your life and can have anything money can buy. I don’t expect anything from you except loyalty. I won’t touch you without your permission or even expect your kindness.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?”
“My child grows up with both his parents, plus marrying you is a business move. Many of my investors declined my offer because the company is not ‘family-friendly’, so having a wife and my child would persuade them.” Declan smirked and handed Sienna some documents.
“Take us to her house.” He then instructed the private investigator and turned back to Sienna, who read over the contract his lawyer and assistant drafted.
“It says the contract is effective immediately.” She said and looked at Declan for an explanation.
“Yes, as soon as you agree, then you will leave for South Africa with me. Which is where you will be living from thereon. So make your decision, and when your shift starts later today, I will be waiting for the answer. Say goodbye to your family and whatever man you are seeing.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.” Sienna rolled her eyes and continued to read over the contract.
“Good. Oh, and I expect your bed to be empty, as will mine. You will be my wife, and I see no other woman worthy to sleep next to me. If you have anything to add or wish to change, write it on the last page.” The billionaire added as the car came to a stop. He looked past the waitress and out of her window; the apartment she lived in looked like a dump. Windows were smashed, and trash was scattered across the floor. The building itself was beginning to fall apart, and Declan wondered how people were still living here. Surely that was a danger.
“What if I refuse your offer?” The waitress asked and looked at the billionaire, that seemed disgusted with where she lived.
“Either you take my offer, and everyone wins. Or, you reject, and I still take you with me, but your family dies.” The billionaire shrugged. He truly was a heartless man.
“You can’t force me. That’s illegal.”
“Try me, sweetheart. You have no idea how far I am willing to go to get what I want.” Declan threatened, and his eyes darkened. A shiver ran down Sienna’s spine, and the hairs on her body stood up. Declan leaned over closer to her, and she tensed up. He opened the door and waited for the waitress to climb out before driving away.
Sienna watched the fancy car drive away and clenched the contract in her hand. Declan Foster was a dangerous man, but she considered his deal once again. What choice did she have? If she rejected, he would take her away forcefully. At least if she accepted, her family would be well looked after.
“Sienna! Come here, daughter.” Her mom called as they heard the front door open. Sienna made her way into the bedroom and left the contract in the kitchen.
“Look! Look! We won a month-free stay at an elderly retirement village. I don’t remember sighing up for this.” Her father laughed and handed Sienna the letter. She read over it and frowned when she saw the initials DF. Declan Foster. His plan was already in action.
“I signed you up for this,” Sienna stated with a forced smile. Her parents both cheered and thanked her with hugs.
“Mom… Dad… I have to go away for a bit. I’ll be fine, and I’ll come to visit you at the retirement village maybe sometime next year. I can’t explain why, but you have to trust me.” Sienna said and held back her tears. She said her goodbyes and packed up all the things she owned, which fit into one bag, then headed off to work.
“Mr Foster, here are all the documents of the waitress that you require.” The private investigator stated and handed him an envelope. They had travelled to the hotel where Sienna worked, and the billionaire waited in the restaurant for her arrival. The private investigator proved to be a valuable source of information and arranged for Miss Chae-Soo to leave the country with all legal documents. “Thank you, Aaron.” Declan nodded and read over the documents Sienna filled in for the abortion clinic. He was surprised to discover the waitress was only 23, 16 years younger than him. Declan was already 39, but most people assume he was in his late twenties because of how well he looked after himself. Her birthday was on 13 January 1995, which meant she was born on Friday the 13th. Declan didn’t believe in supernatural events such as that, but he hoped the waitress wouldn’t bring bad luck in his life. He had gone through enough misery
Sienna shoved the billionaire off her and quickly ducked into the bathroom. She closed the door and locked it before Declan could react, which forced him to return to his seat. Sienna felt her heart racing as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She wet her face with water and tried to understand why she kissed the enemy. “Get a hold of yourself.” She said aloud to herself and returned to her seat after using the toilet. Declan watched the waitress walk back down the aisle and sit down. He couldn’t understand why every part of him wanted to hate her when in reality, he found himself growing attached to her. He decided it was best that moments like the kiss they shared did not happen and fell back into silence. The private investigator tried to talk to either of them, but they weren’t interested. Eventually, the flat table mountain of his city and vast blue ocean came into view as they flew into Cape Town. Aa
Declan scanned his eyes over the waitress and found himself annoyed. He had work to do, and she complained because she was bored. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a file off his shelf, then handed it to her. “These are complaints that I received for the company. Kian printed them all out for me to go through, but honestly, I don’t care nor have the time. Read over them and see if there’s anything important or worth my time.” He said and returned to his desk to continue working on his employee’s salary. “Okay,” Sienna replied and placed her stuff on one of the chairs in front of his desk and sat on the other. Declan glanced at her and shook his head. He expected her to leave, but she could sit here if she was quiet. He went back to work, and Sienna started reading over the complaints. Many were about things he couldn’t control like staff complaints, slow internet during bad weather, being put on hold and issues not be
The three of them ate in silence and listened to music. It was awkward for Aaron to be in their presence when they were together, but both seemed friendly when alone with him. He finished up the delicious food and then excused himself. “Hello, this is Mr Wohoon. I am Mr Foster’s private investigator. I would…” He started to say into his phone as he walked off to his apartment. “So Declan finally found someone he could trust.” The man on the other side of the call chuckled. “Yes, Mr Hoffman. I was told you have a file for me. Will you email it to me, or must I collect it?” Aaron asked. “Please call me Ryan. You and I will be in contact often, I’m sure. I’ll email you my hotel’s address… actually scratch that. I’ll be hosting a masquerade party soon. We’ll meet then.” Ryan replied, then hung up the call. “I guess that means to collect it,” Aaron said to himself and shrugg
Declan walked into his house, and his personal phone started ringing. He groaned and ignored it while he poured himself some whiskey. He sat on the couch, and the phone rang again straight after it ended. “What!” He yelled into the phone without checking the caller ID. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” A cocky voice replied. “Ryan, what do you want?” Declan asked and rolled his eyes. “I’m hosting a masquerade ball tomorrow evening. I noticed you have not responded to my invite yet. So I decided to phone and tell you to check your email.” He replied. “Why would I attend such a thing?” “Oh, so I can meet your new fiancé, of course. I want to see the lovely lady that stole your heart… I mean seed.” Ryan chuckled. “Shut up, Hoffman. I have to start making our relationship public in any case, so I’ll see you there.” The
Mount Nelson was a 5-star luxury hotel. They were led to a massive hall, and if you walked outside, you would find yourself by a pool. It was mesmerising and filled with people dressed to the theme. As they walked past, everyone stared at the stunning woman that held the billionaire’s hand. All eyes were on Sienna. “Uh, so this must be the lovely fiancé.” Ryan Hoffman cheered and walked over to greet the couple. “You didn’t tell me she was so beautiful, Declan.” He said with a sly smile which made Sienna tense up. “Sienna, this is my business partner, Ryan,” Declan explained. “Please, more like best friends. Hello sweetheart.” He bowed and placed a kiss on Sienna’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr Hoffman.” Sienna politely replied. “How’s the pregnancy?” Ryan asked and placed his hand on Sienna’s stomach, which gave her a fright. She stepped back, and Declan shoved Ryan’
Aaron Wohoon went straight to his apartment and locked the door behind him when they got home. He placed the file on the table and took out the masks that were in his pocket. He accidentally went home with Kian’s mask and ran his fingers over it.Kian’s gorgeous light brown eyes and blonde hair entered his thoughts. He found himself attracted to the assistant and didn’t understand why he felt connected to him when they held hands. Did this mean he was gay? He put the mask down and went to splash water on his face. He still liked women; heck, he found Miss Chae-Soo extremely attractive. Perhaps he was bisexual?Whatever was happening to him was new and made him feel confused. Why was Kian the one to bring out this side of him? Yes, he was kind, sexy, had an adorable smile, he smelled nice all the time… hardworking, accepting. Aaron smiled at the thought and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked happy. He had neve
After the phone call with his sister, Declan tried his best to stay away from the waitress. He ignored her when she spoke and rather walked away. For the next couple of days, he stayed at work late and ate his dinner in the study. To be honest, he was afraid of love and preferred to end how he felt about Sienna before he fell for her. His whole life, he had been full of hatred and conditioned himself to believe he wanted to be alone and throw himself into the company. Work was the only thing he loved, and it was going to stay that way. With a baby on the way, the billionaire felt his anxiety growing. He went out of his way to keep his sister safe; now he will have a child of his own… which scared him. He already thought of millions of ways to keep the baby safe and even wondered if Sienna would be a good mother. Could he let her raise his baby? He looked out the window of his office and felt paranoid. What if his enemies were watching him and waiting to strike