CHAPTER ONE

Vanessa dragged the sack of onions from the storage into the kitchen of her father's restaurant where she worked as a chef. 

Finally arriving at her station, after avoiding like a hundred other co-workers along the way, she poured them onto the counter and started selecting the good from the bad, silently humming to herself.

“Vanessa!” someone called out to her, it was her sister

“where have you been, dad has been looking all over for you… he seemed worried “ her younger sister Sarah said once she was within hearing distance.

She quickly rinsed her hands and wiped them against the apron she was wearing before heading for her dad's office at the back of the restaurant.

Once at the door, she entered without knocking first and caught her father wiping frantically at his face.

“Dad?” She called out, unsure of what was happening.He looked up and gave her a small smile, his eyes bloodshot with traces of tears around them.

“Where you crying?” She asked

“No, no, not at all” he replied clearing his throat and wiping off the remaining traces of tears from his face.

“You were crying… what's wrong?” She asked rushing to his side.

“It's nothing, just your mother in the hospital coupled with the business… Its really stressing me out vanny!” He said still with a sad smile. 

She looked over the papers scattered on his table.

 Final warning

Eviction notice

Due notice

Notice of payment

Payment reminder

Failure to…

Her father Mr Davis quickly gathered the papers together and threw them into one of the desk drawers when he noticed where her attention was at.

“the debtors are back aren't they?” she asked after a moment of silence

Mr Davis replied with a nod and a sigh,

Just then loud commotion could be heard outside and her father's door flew open and his secretary walked in, eyes filled with worry

“ Sir?... It's the knight, Adrian Knight!” the secretary said as soon as he entered the office.

“Get the documents and follow me” was her father's response and he stood up immediately and left, the secretary hot on his heels.

Vanessa sat still for a while wondering what the noise was about.

Was it another debtor who came to ask for his money there by destroying the properties in the restaurant, like the last debtor had done.

She stood up and slowly made her way through the kitchen and into the restaurant.

Her father and his secretary were seated at a table together with another gentleman on suit who has his back to her.

Her father looked really worried and kept scratching his head at intervals while his secretary arranged papers before the man who she couldn't see his face.

The other customers had their phones out and where taking videos of the situation unfolding for a reason unknown to her.

She drew closer to understand what was actually going on.

“So what?... You do not have my money?” she heard a cold voice say.

She got closer and noticed seven other men on suit seated on different tables surrounding them.

They all looked like body guards, straight faced like statues.

“What are you doing?” Her sister asked popping out of nowhere, dragging her back by her arm.

“What's going on?”

“Dad's in trouble!” came her reply 

“Who is he?” Vanessa asked but got a shrug as a reply from her sister.

She was only close enough to see his profile but couldn't quite make out his face.

“This is all that we have sir, everything… I promise to make it up as soon as possible, just give us a chance!” her father said pointing at a piece of paper before the man, visibly shaking in his seat.

“Do I look like I run a fucking charity organization?” The man roared, the whole restaurant going into complete silence.

“Or do you want me to raze your restaurants to the grounds before you fully understand the words coming out of my mouth”

“Not at all sir… this is all I have at the moment sir and i-”

“Do I look like I care?... I want my money!” The stranger said cutting her father short.

What an arrogant bastard

“if I can kneel down to beg you I will-”

“Then kneel!” Came the strangers reply, then came an uproar of hushed tones from the customers.

Everyone watching the drama displaying before them, most had their phones out recording and taking pictures.

She watched her father drop to his knees.

Who is this man?

And how much money did my father owe him to make him embarrass him so?

She would pick a debtor destroying things over someone visibly much younger than her father shaming him so.

“What's your name again?”

“John Davis!” her father replied on his knees before the man

He picked up each document present before him one after the other, looked through it and flung it at her father 

He did it , again and again and again until there were no papers left on the table and all of them were scattered all aroundher father.

Her father's secretary joined her father on his knees as they both knelt before the strange horrible man.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she 

freed herself from her sister's grip and went to her father.

“Vanessa!” She heard her sister call behind her but she couldn't just stand there and watch her father go through all this because of money.

She bent, picking up every piece of paper on the floor gathering them up together before placing them back on the table, her gaze finally meeting his.

Her breath hitched.

By God,he was handsome and Young.

Much more younger than she expected and yet here he was treating her father like dirt.

He did nothing but stare back at her, his face expressionless and his grey eyes empty.

For a young man, he was mean

Who hurt him?

“Vanessa!” She heard her dad call out behind her and she went to his side.

“You are not supposed to be here… go back into the kitchen!” He whispered to her.

“But dad?”

“Go.. now!” he commanded and she stood up hesitantly to leave.

“Vanessa!” Another voice called out stopping her in her tracks.

She turned around to see Mr stranger staring right at her.

The silence that followed was deafening.

He just sat there staring at her, almost like he was trying to remember who she was.

She became self conscious, wondering if there was any flour left in her hair or if she smelled of spice.

Then a weird look crossed his eyes and it went back to being cold and empty.

“How old are you Vanessa?” He asked and she just stared at him, stunned at his line of question.

“I said how old are you?... Is your daughter having issues with her hearing? He asked directing the latter at her father who looked traumatized.

“I'm 26” she replied.

Glad that her voice came out clear as opposed to how she was feeling on the inside.

He stood up immediately, and drew closer to her, studying her. She drew backwards with every step he made towards her, she realizing just how tall and domineering he was. Her gaze never leaving his.

Her breathing slowed and her throat was closing up,

Once he got close to her, he pulled off the band holding her hair in a pony tail, and watched as her long beautiful curly red hair cascade around her forming a curtain around her small oval face.

Her cherry red lips parting in surprise.

“It seems there's a way I can be repaid after all” he said turning his gaze to Mr Davis for a moment before looking back at Vanessa who just stared at him, her innocent sea green eyes w

atching his every move.

He studied her, his face barely inches away from hers.

“Let's get married Vanessa” came his voice.