Chapter 4

Schuyler Savannah's P. O. V.

People outside were screaming outside the room and I should start worrying because of that, but instead, I was standing here in the middle of this room, with a killer in front of me and watching me with those menacing cold eyes of his.

I tried to step away from him, but the moment I did, I felt someone pull my hair and throw me on the wall. I felt my hands hit the wall and my own body, causing me to scratch my arms, and bruises quickly appeared in my skin.

"You, b*tch!" My eyes were filled with fear when I saw him raise his hand and was about to slap me.

My defense instinct made me want to cover my face, but because of my aching arms, I couldn't move to protect myself.

I closed my eyes and looked away from him, bracing myself for the impact, but instead, I heard another gunshot and the man's grip on me loosened as he screamed in pain.

I slowly opened my eyes after I felt when someone lifted me up and helped me to stand still.

I heard footsteps rushing inside and when I opened my eyes again, the guards came in and each of them were shot by the man who was holding me.

I couldn't watch them dying one by one just to get to me and rescue their boss, so I did the most unexpected thing I didn't know I would've done. I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung myself to him, not caring with the pain I'm feeling.

I held on to him as tightly as I could and when he stopped shooting everyone he saw, only then I distanced myself from him. I slowly looked up to him and found him tightly clenching his jaw while eyeing the man he just shot and was stilled in the corner.

Finally, I managed to find my voice after getting rid of my own shock as I let out small sobs and tears slowly made their way out of my eyes.

I was literally crying in the arms of someone who just killed people and even a stranger to me. I don't know what he wanted to do to me after this, but I'm certain that I would do anything just to survive here.

"P-Please.." I begged in between my sobs before I lightly shook my head. "Please, don't hurt me.."

I felt when he moved his head to look at me. "Shut your mouth!" He hisses, the fury was evident in his voice.

His hand slowly left my waist and he distanced his body on mine so I had to let go and step out in his way. I didn't dare to look at him when he walked past me, but I did watch him as he approached that man and had to kneel on one knee to level his face.

His other hand was holding the gun that was pointing on the floor.

"How dare you.." I heard him start. "To f*cking touch my little kitten." I flinched silently when he pointed his gun at him. "Right in front of my eyes.."

"I—"

I screamed when he just suddenly shot the man straight in his head before he stood up silently. I covered my ears and stepped away from him, as if he could hurt me anytime.

But just as I was expecting him to do something to me, he glanced at me through his shoulder before he went out without saying anything.

I KNEW THAT I should be out there and working like how I often do to pay for my parents bills, but I couldn't bring myself to go out. Even the hospital staff are wondering why I'd been staying here, wrapping myself around my blanket and just staring at my parents in the bed or rather, to nothing.

The bar was raided that night and the authorities managed to rescue me. I couldn't let them know anything and they had been waiting for me to calm down, but how can I sit still and answer their questions when I don't even know where to start?

I didn't even know what was happening outside the VIP hall and all I knew was the fact that I almost got.. I shook my head and tried to forget everything again, but my gaze went to my spare blanket, where the crawl mark was.

I still don't know where it came from and I'm not planning to know more and have an addition to my problems. I felt my own body starving, so while sighing, I stood up and made my way to the fridge, only to see that I don't have any stock groceries anymore.

I glanced at my parents, but until now, there's still no change. While wearing my coat, I took out my wallet before I left the hospital. I could use the cafeteria here, but the products cost double here so it's better to buy in the grocery store outside.

Even while feeling the fear and worry inside me, I wore my hood and straightly headed out. The dark alley might be dangerous for others, but for me who had been used to it, feeling worried to use this way right now feels strange.

And while crossing it, my breathing hitched when someone suddenly pulled me in the corner and pointed a knife in my neck. Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes.

"D-Don't hurt me, please.." I quickly beg before he can do anything to me.

"Hush.." He whispered in my ear. "How was your blanket? Did it comfort you?"

My eyes widened at his question. "H-How did you—"

"You should've used the one with my mark on it." He leaned closer to my ear, his lips even touching my skin now. "It'll look better on you."

His deep chuckle made me still. "Y-You did that.." Then, this man had been in my parents room! But how? "Have you… been watching me?"

"What?" His voice had suddenly become menacing. "Did you really think that I'll just let you go after you saw everything that night?"

"T-That.. night?" Realization crossed my face at what he asked and it confirmed my confusion when a small grin made its way to his lips. I shake my head at him. "Sir, please.. I didn't do anything! I never said anything to anyone! Please, don't hurt me.."

How did this man know who I was? And how did it happen that he's the same man who left a claw mark on my blanket?

My sobs escaped from my lips until I slowly felt my body shaking in fear before he let me go. I slowly turned around to see him, but in the darkness, all I could see was his eyes glimmering from the post lights reflection.

I slowly tried to kneel in front of him, but I stopped when he pointed the knife right under my chin. I stopped breathing in fear that he might kill me this time, but when he removed his gaze on me and glanced behind me, I heard footsteps approaching us.

It sinks in to me that he's not alone and I have proven that when someone walks past me. His face was emotionless as he stood beside us.

"Sign it." He said before the man, probably one of his men and his assistant, opened the folder he was holding and showed it in front of me.

The confusion I had been feeling only intensified when he handed me a pen, but I didn't accept it and looked back at his boss.

"What?" I asked in a low voice, almost whispering it to him.

Although I can't clearly see his face, I knew when he clenched his jaw before he stepped out from the darkness and I had a clear view of him.

If not only for the fact that I'm in danger in his hands right now, this man would be hearing compliments from me. His deep and ocean blue eyes just added to how cold his face looks and his fair skin made him look like one of those billboard models. I can't believe myself that I can literally eye him this way despite the fact that he's pointing his sharp knife on me.

I wanted to shake my head, but his knife was preventing me from moving without getting a cut. "No, I won't."

How dare he try to make me sign when clearly, I don't even know where that paper is for!

"No?" He taunted. "Should I see if your parents' condition begs to disagree?"

"W-What—Please, leave them out of this!" I couldn't help, but cry again when I begged him. "T-They know nothing that happened that night! They're comatose, please!"."

"Hmm.." His voice was deep when he hummed at me. He took out his phone and showed it to my face. "Within two minutes, if my men don't hear anything back from me, they'll be pulling out your parents' life support."

"Y-You can't do that!" I shouted at him.

"You can try me, little kitten." He smirked at me. "It's either you sign it or your parents will die."

I can sense how serious he looks while eyeing me, but I can't fold just like that!

"If you do that without my permission, the hospital will call the authorities—"

"I'm founding this hospital. You think my employees will open their mouths against me?" He looked amused while watching me be surprised by his words.

"Y-You're joking.." I blurted while staring back at him. "I know who the president is!"

"Then, you probably knew nothing about business, didn't you?" He lost his smirk and put another amount of pressure in his knife.

"I-I won't—"

"You have thirty seconds left, little kitten." He tilted his head and I could sense his own excitement, thrilled by what's happening to us.

He opened his cellphone and showed me camera footage. My parents! They were there and two men were standing beside the door.

"Choose wisely," he emphasized his words.

I darted my teary eyes on him before I faced his assistant. With my hands shaking, I accepted the pen and he moved forward to give me a clear view of the folder.

"No.." I blurted out in a small voice and another tear escaped from my eyes.

It's a contract marriage…

"What will we even benefit from this?" I hissed and looked back at him.

His face was still emotionless when he spoke back to me. "Don't you know how to read?"

I snapped my eyes back at the paper and saw what was written in the lower part of it. It's stated there, that I, Schuyler Savannah, must marry and bear him a child for as much as he wanted and in exchange of that, I will be benefiting from his wealth and properties for as long as we stay married and I'll properly mother his children.

With shock written in my face, I faced him back. "Are you serious with this?"

His sharp eyes made me still and avoided my eyes off of him. I slowly wrote my name in the contract before signing it with closed eyes, but my misery didn't end there after he pulled me away and we leveled each other's faces.

"Why don't we put a seal on it, hmm?" Before I could even ask him any questions, I felt his lips crashed on mine as he put a 'seal' on our contract marriage.