Chapter 4: The Arrogant Stranger

Sarah

Leaving Melissa's place and heading back to the company, the only thing on my mind was the look that would appear on Andrew's face when I returned.

Ever since I had started working for the company, this was the first time a client I had personally convinced to sign a deal with us had suddenly decided to call everything off, despite having been ready to sign the necessary contracts. The funniest part was that Andrew would have made a fortune from the deal if it had gone through.

Little did he know that I was the very person who had convinced the client to walk away from the company. After all, I had been the one who convinced him to sign the deal in the first place, so persuading him to change his mind was as easy as taking a test whose answers I already knew.

This might have been the first time something like this had happened, but one thing was certain: it wouldn't be the last.

Just as I had poured my sweat, energy, and countless sleepless nights into building Andrew's company into what it was today, I was going to tear it down with my own hands. And when I was done, I would build my own company right in front of him and watch him regret ever taking me for granted.

However, as satisfying as the thought of revenge was, there was something far more important weighing on my mind.

My illness.

If only I could find a cure or, at the very least, a treatment plan that would keep me alive and healthy long enough to deal with Andrew and Tessa, I would be the happiest person on earth.

Unfortunately, time wasn't on my side, and every passing day reminded me that I had very little of it left.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the traffic light ahead of me turning red. I immediately brought my car to a stop and settled back in my seat, waiting for the light to turn green so I could continue my journey.

I was still waiting when I caught sight of a car speeding towards mine through the rearview mirror.

At first, I didn't pay much attention to it. Since the traffic light was still red, I assumed the driver would slow down before getting too close.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as I had expected.

Instead of slowing down, the car came speeding towards me and slammed violently into the back of mine before finally coming to a stop.

BANG!

"Seriously?" I groaned in frustration, gripping the steering wheel as I tried to process what had just happened. "Is the driver blind or what?"

Fuming with anger, I immediately unfastened my seat belt, pushed open the car door, and stepped outside to see who had just smashed into my brand-new car and how much damage they had caused.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Were you sleeping while driving?" I thundered at the driver, who had also stepped out of his vehicle.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am! I never intended to crash into your car. The brakes suddenly malfunctioned, and I couldn't stop in time," the driver explained apologetically.

"Well, you should have checked your car before taking it out on the road!" I snapped, turning to inspect the considerable damage he had caused to my vehicle. "I doubt any of this would have happened if you'd done that in the first place."

I took another look at my damaged car before turning back to him.

"And your apology isn't going to repair it, is it?"

Judging by the condition of his own vehicle, I wasn't even sure he could afford to fix the damage he had caused to his car, let alone mine, which was still practically brand-new.

"You're absolutely right, ma'am. I should have checked the car before leaving. I'm truly sorry," he continued, bowing his head as though repeating his apology would somehow make the damage disappear.

"Enough with the apologies and the waste of my time!"

A deep, impatient voice suddenly came from inside his car.

A moment later, a breathtakingly handsome man stepped out, and for a brief second, I completely forgot why I was standing there in the first place.

He looked as though he had stepped straight out of the pages of a luxury fashion magazine. His tousled auburn hair complemented his sharp jawline and high cheekbones, while his broad shoulders and well-defined muscles gave him an undeniably attractive appearance.

As he rolled his shoulders and adjusted his jacket, my eyes followed the movement almost involuntarily.

For a split second, I was completely mesmerized.

Unfortunately, that moment of admiration didn't last long.

The moment I remembered that the driver standing before me had just smashed into my brand-new car, my irritation came rushing back.

"Edward, didn't I tell you that I have an appointment in thirty minutes?" the handsome stranger demanded, his voice sharp with impatience. "Are you deliberately trying to make me late?"

"No, of course not, sir!" Edward replied immediately, lowering his head. "I was only trying to apologize to this lady for crashing into her car."

The moment I heard that response, everything became clear.

The man standing before me was the owner of the car, while Edward was merely his driver.

The handsome stranger spared me a brief glance before turning his attention back to Edward, completely ignoring me as though I wasn't even standing there.

"If I miss this appointment, you can consider yourself unemployed," he warned coldly.

Without waiting for a response, he turned around and headed towards the roadside, presumably intending to hail a taxi.

And just like that, he left me standing beside my damaged car with his driver, behaving as though the entire incident had absolutely nothing to do with him.

My jaw nearly dropped.

Was this man serious?

How could someone be so arrogant?

Unable to contain my anger any longer, I marched towards him as he stood by the roadside, holding his briefcase.

"Excuse me, sir. This is your car, isn't it?" I asked, forcing myself to remain calm.

He turned towards me, glanced briefly at his vehicle, and then looked back at me with an expression of complete indifference.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" he replied casually.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Why do I ask? Didn't you just see your driver smash into my car?"

"Yes, I did," he answered without the slightest hint of concern.

For a moment, I was too stunned to speak. I simply stood there, glaring at him, waiting for him to say something that would suggest he understood the seriousness of the situation.

But he said nothing.

Instead, he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why the hell are you staring at me like that? Do you expect me to start repairing your car right here?"

"Yes, of course!" I retorted angrily. "That's exactly what I expect you to do!"

I could hardly believe myself. Just a few minutes earlier, I had been admiring his handsome face, but now, all I wanted was to wipe that arrogant expression off it.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I'm not a mechanic," he replied with a dismissive shrug. "And I wasn't the one driving the car when the accident happened. Tell the person who crashed into your vehicle to contact my insurance company. They'll take care of the damages."

Before I could even respond, he turned away and raised his hand to flag down an approaching taxi.

"What the hell is wrong with people?" he muttered irritably to himself. "Why does this always happen whenever I have an important appointment?"

He pulled open the taxi door, climbed inside, and disappeared down the road before I could come up with another response.

I stood there for a moment, staring after him in utter disbelief.

What an arrogant man!

It was almost unbelievable that someone so breathtakingly handsome could also be so infuriating.

Scoffing angrily, I turned around, ready to tell Edward exactly what his boss had said about contacting the insurance company.

But the moment I looked towards the damaged car, my eyes widened.

The driver was gone.

Both he and the car that had crashed into mine had disappeared while I was busy arguing with his handsome, arrogant boss.

I stared at the empty spot where the vehicle had been, struggling to believe what I was seeing.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed.

Not only had that irresponsible driver smashed into my brand-new car, but he had also abandoned me at the scene of the accident and driven away without so much as a proper explanation.

And his boss?

He had simply walked away as though none of it concerned him.

I dragged a hand down my face and let out a frustrated sigh.

Of all the days this could have happened, why di

d it have to be today?

As if dealing with Andrew and Tessa wasn't already enough, I now had to deal with an arrogant stranger and a runaway driver.