Chapter 2

As soon as Clara got home she collapsed into her bed without changing her clothes. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. When she woke up it was already dark outside. She got up and stretched a little before she got out of bed. She went into the bathroom and took a hot bath. After that she went into the kitchen feeling hungry. She saw Angelina eating dinner.

"You're up." Angelina said seeing her.

"Yeah.""And you took a bath. Well you don't smell like rotten trash anymore." Angelina said not hiding her smile.

"Shut up. Otherwise you'll end up in a trash can." She said not hiding her annoyance.

"Oooo. Cranky. But of course you'd be cranky after today's events."

She gave her a questioning look as to how she knew.

"Mr. Kim." Angelina answered to her look.

"He gossips like an old lady." She said sitting at the table.

Dora (her housemaid) set the food in front of her. She had cooked pasta and some soup for her.

"Thank you Dora." She thanked her.

"Your very much welcome Miss Rose. Now eat up while it's still warm. I'll be in my room if you need anything." Dora said putting a hand on her shoulder and then she left the kitchen.

"So what are you going to do?" Angelina asked.

"About?" She asked while eating. "Andrew Bloom of course."

" What should I do with him? I'm not meeting him unless..." she paused thinking that there was no reason not to meet him and there was also no loss in meeting him either.

"Unless?" Angelina asked rotating her wrist twice.

"Forget about that. Get me all the information you can collect about him as soon as you can."

"Ugh more work." Angelina groaned.

"If you don't do it then who else will?"

"Maybe you can hire me a secretary?" She suggested innocently.

"Why don't I just replace you than?"

"Never mind." Angelina said making an annoyed face.

"So I've been told that you got close to him, like very close." Angelina said mischievously.

"If you have so much time for such useless gossips than why don't you just you start to do the work I just assigned to you."

"Alright alright." Angelina said giving up. She got up and took her plates to the dishwasher.

"You know maybe you should start dating someone." Angelina suggested.

"Who? Everyone will be after my money and company." She told her.

"Not everyone is after your money Coco. Maybe who knows, someone will love you for who you are and not your achievements. Hey while we're at it try dating that Andrew Bloom. I mean he's rich too right? What could possibly go wrong?"

"A lot of things. Now if you're done I'd like to eat in peace."

Angelina just shook her head at her and left. After a few minutes later she got up putting the dishes in the dishwasher and then she went to her room. She went to her bed and laid on her bed on her back.

"Hmm what should I do this weekend?" She asked herself. "Maybe go shopping? Mmm," she said nodding her head. "It's been a while since i went shopping. I can also stop by the orphanage too it's been ages since i went there. I wonder how the kids are..."

She smiled thinking about the kids. She remembered how she used to play with them and smiled. She sighed.

"Let's do a little work before going to bed again." She said grabbing the laptop and starting working on it.

Next day she asked Angelina to go shopping with her.

"Ohh...." she said making an apologetic face," i already made plans for today."

"It's okay. I can go alone too. Have fun."

"You too. Have fun. Say hi to the kids for me too."

"Will do." She said and left.

She drove her car to the mall. In the mall she brought a few things for herself and the kids at the orphanage. Then she ate ice-cream and then walked around a little more. She didn't notice that Andrew was also there but he saw her. He finished his talk with someone and started to walk towards her.

Suddenly a guy was running in the mall with security running behind him. He got a hold of Clara and pointed a gun at her head. At first Clara got a shock at the sudden change in events. One minute she was walking around the next minute she was held a hostage.

"STOP OR I WILL SHOOT HER IN THE HEAD!" the guy yelled.

The security stopped seeing that it was now not an ordinary chase but a hostage situation.

"Don't do anything reckless. Do not shoot." One of the guard said then he asked looking at Clara, "Clay you okay?"

"Mmmhmm." She said calmly. "This isn't the first time it happened to me. Don't worry about. You know the drill."

"Shut up or I'll blow your brains out." He threatened her, pushing the gun to her head.

"Yeah good luck with that." She said and was about to attack the guy when he suddenly fell to the ground unconscious.

She turned around and looked at the guy on the floor and then the person behind him. It was Andrew and he apparently had knocked him out. The guards sudden ran toward the unconscious man and cuffed him. The guy who called her Clay ran towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders looking at her up and down worriedly.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" He asked anxiously.

"Leo I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

"Oh you must be so scared." Leo said and pulled her in for a tight hug. Clara laughed.

"I think you're the one who was scared Leo." She said patting her back.

"Of course." He said pulling her back in an arms length. "I almost had a heart attack."

"I'm not dying anytime soon. By the way you've grown some muscles." She pointed out.

"Yeah I've been working out recently." He said proudly.

"Ahem." Andrew cleared his throat to bring the attention to himself.

"Ah." Leo said almost forgetting about him. "Thank you for saving Clara. I really appreciate it."

"Pfft. I could've handled it on my own." Clara said.

"Really?" Andrew asked not believing her.

"What don't believe me? Then why don't you grab me like that guy did and I'll show you." She challenged.

"Okay then." Andrew accepted the challenge. "but if you can't escape you'll have to do what i say."

"What if you lose?" She asked with a challenging smile. "Then I'll do whatever you say though I won't lose to you." He said.

"Okay. Don't go back on your word if you lose."

"A true man keeps his word."

"Uhhh... sir i don't think it's a good idea..." Leo said a bit worried.

"Don't worry. I'll go easy on her." Andrew told him taking off his coat and giving it to him.

"It's not her I'm worried about." Leo said.

Andrew threw him an annoyed look. "Wait you want to do it here?" Clara asked.

"Why? Is it because you'll be embarrassed? Then we can do it somewhere private."

"I was going to save you from public embarrassment not me. Well you asked for it. Don't blame me later."

"Less talk more do."

Clara smirked.

'You have no idea what you're getting into.' She thought.

Andrew held her in a hostage position. "Rea-!!"

Before he could say 'ready' he was already Lifted off of his feet and dropped to the ground really hard. He felt a great shock in his whole body and he felt all the air came out off his body. But Clara didn't stop there. She twisted his arm behind him back and pulled it up just enough to cause him pain. Andrew made a painful face and taped the floor a few times before she let him go.

He sat on the floor holding his shoulder.

"I warned you." Leo murmured looking around with a small smile. Andrew looked around and saw people looking at him, whispering to each other and taking pictures. He felt angry and hurt at the same time. He was suddenly reminded of his school years.

Clara took out her hand towards him. "Come on. Up you get." She told him with a soft smile.

Andrew looked at her and then her hand for a few seconds before he took it. She helped him up. He looked into her eyes and suddenly had mixed feelings. Then suddenly he held her tightly and kissed her. She sharply inhaled and looked at him stunned while he was kissing her. He had completely caught him off guard. Leo dropped Andrew's coat and he looked at them mouth wide opened. People also started talking to each other. Some enviously, some happily and some even felt jealous. Clara then pushed him away after she came to his senses.

"What- wh- You-" Clara couldn't compete her Sentence she was still in shock.

"Be mine." Andrew said to her with a little desperation.

"W-what?!"

"Be my partner. My girlfriend."

Clara looked at him stupefied and stunned at the sudden confession.