8

When I woke up this morning, my head felt much lighter. I'm looking out the window, and there's still no sunlight showing through the curtains. I guess it must be late. I let out a sigh, thinking about how much I don't like it when I'm up at night. My chest pain is getting worse, and my coughing and vomiting are happening more often. It was the most pain I've ever felt, especially since Dad and Madam used to always give me sleeping pills, making me feel pretty weak.

I didn't pay much attention to Gruvv curled up on the couch with his long legs hanging out and not all covered in blankets. He looks like a giant.

I got up slowly, got out of bed, and went over to him. He slept with his eyebrows locked together, like he was thinking about something, his teeth grinding, and I could smell his pheromones in the room.

Sweet Tangerines. It smells so soothing.

I was squatting next to the couch, staring at him intensely. The faces I don't know are ones I've come across before because I'd see them every day.

He said he's from the Dhurudatta family. I'm aware that the family's got quite a reputation for being part of the mafia. From what I've heard, they've got the entertainment district around the capital corner. Also, dad took out a ton of loans for the business, which is why it's in a tough position.

I'm curious as to why the guy is so nice to me.

So, what's the deal with him?

I'm pretty much your go-to person for anything, but I'm not really the right fit for anything to do with sexual intercourse. I'm also afraid of doing any work that involves selling my body to people who disgust me.

"Is it nice to watch me sleeping?"

I jumped when I heard Gruvv say something. I fell down on the carpet, and the man opened his eyes. He smiled broadly, showing off his perfect teeth.

"Since you've been able to get from your bed to the sofa, I think you've gotten a lot better." He said as he sat down on the couch. He looked at me and patted the sofa next to him, basically telling me to sit down. I was pretty good, following his orders like a little dog.

"Does your body still hurt?" He asked again.

I gave a shrug and said, "Not anymore." I answered slowly.

He nodded and picked up the phone, which was sitting on the table.

"Why are you sleeping here?" Now it's my turn to ask.

Honestly, I have no interest in the answer, but the quiet atmosphere of the room makes me nervous for some reason. The room was filled with his pheromones, and I was afraid that I would react to them even though the scent he emitted wasn't particularly seductive.

"You're going to throw up again. If there's no one here, I'm sure you're going to have a hard time, Shiloh." He replied, but his eyes were on the phone, and he was typing furiously, so I didn't know if he was paying attention to me.

“Gruvv..”

I called him, and his fingers stopped typing. He turned to me with a look on his face that I could already guess. I haven't said anything yet, but it seems like Gruvv knows what I want to talk about.

"Let me speak." I said to him, trying to get him to keep quiet and not interrupt me.

He let out a sigh, set his phone down, and we both leaned back on the couch. We weren't even facing each other. We were sitting side by side, with our faces turned to the wall in front of us.

"What's your plan again?" I couldn't stop asking the same question.

Gruvv didn't respond immediately, instead, he let out one more sigh. I could smell the pheromones changing again. This guy couldn't control his own pheromones, even though he was a dominant Alpha.

"I'm not sure." He said, making me turn my head.

"What?" I looked at him, totally confused. He never answers me correctly.

"I'm not really sure what my plans are for you. Well, I had a lot of plans, but at this point I'm not really thinking about it." He ran his fingers over his own neck.

"Why?"

He made some noises with his lips, then turned toward me and gave a little shrug. I'm sure he has a lot to say to me, but my condition makes him not want to talk about it. Maybe he thinks talking to someone whose life won't last long is a waste of time.

I'll probably die soon anyway.

He felt the silence so intensely that he broke it with a question.

"Hey Shiloh, did you know you're the guarantor for your dad's debts?"

That question hit me like a punch to the chest. I looked at him with a mix of shock and confusion. I'd never heard of it.

"Guarantor?"

Gruvv took out his phone, and then he showed me a loan contract for hundreds million dollars. When you combine that with the interest, it's almost ten billion. In the column for guarantor, you can find my name and signature.

"I...never..."

"Yeah, I finally figured it out after seeing you in person. There's a chance your dad forged your signature or tricked you into signing this. Well, it looks like you're the one who's now responsible for paying off your dad's debt, as long as we can't find him." Gruvv said that he took his phone from my hand and put it back on the table.

I could feel my blood boiling. My hands clenched into fists, and I started to tremble. I was so angry that I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I know I'm panicking now.

I pressed my chest really hard, and Gruvv calmed me down.

He kept calling my name over and over again.

"Shiloh, Shiloh, breathe in and out slowly... Shiloh..."

I grabbed his arm tightly, tears streaming down my cheeks. Our eyes met. Panic attacks hit again, and I tried to hear Gruvv's voice to calm me down.

I took a deep breath, and I was almost crying. I tried to keep it together.

"You're doing just fine, Shiloh." I could hear Gruvv's voice in my ears, and he patted my back gently.

But I could still feel that anger in my chest.

Now that my father's gone AWOL, I'm stuck taking care of all his debts.

Mom, please let me get out of here. I'm not a fan of this place. I'm at the end of my rope. I just want to die.