CHAPTER FIVE: WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Winnie. 

The cheque burned a hole in my pocket as I hurried away from the building and it felt like everybody around could tell that I was carrying a super expensive cheque. 

Was it real? 

The question resounded in endless loops in my head. 

A big part of me said no, but a small, silly side kept on insisting that it was real. I hated being unsure and not like I had anywhere else to go. I was jobless and homeless, what would a detour to the bank hurt? And If I was truly carrying a real cheque for a million dollars, did that mean that I was going to agree to the crazy man's harebrained scheme? 

He could be into women trafficking for all I knew. Nobody in their right and clean mind offered all that money for marriage. 

What had he said his name was again.

I dug out my phone and decided that G****e was my best friend as of that moment. A quick G****e search later and my mouth was on the ground.

How hadn't I recognized the name? In my defence, I wasn't religious about following up with world news, and one didn't just get stuck with billionaires in elevators. 

Ares Masters was the current CEO Of Masters Global, a multi billion world wide company. You couldn't take a breath without seeing a locomotive plastered with the Masters logo. Pictures of him showed him with different stunning women on dates, outings and events. Leggy women with flawless make up and ankle breaking heels. Super models, actresses, heiresses and the likes. 

I hunched into my jacket. He had all those women, why did he want me? I was nowhere near their league. Was this some kind of experiment? How much would it take to buy an unsuspecting female? My face would probably be splashed on the headlines tomorrow if I accepted this offer. 

But if I didn't...

Well, needless to say that this scheme was all I had now. And so what, if my story was published tomorrow with humiliating headlines. Not like anybody knew me anyway and I was homeless at the moment so no paparazzi was going to be banging down my door demanding a statement. And the thought of spending my nights in a crappy hotel and dreading the next day wasn't exactly appealing. 

I turned in the opposite direction from the bakery. 

I might have just been avoiding the inevitable, but clearing out my things from the building was literally the last thing I wanted to be doing. I'd choose getting my tooth removed over it any day. 

The bank was far enough that I was panting and dripping with sweat by the time I got there. I didn't have any money to spare on a cab and I had never been physically fit a day in my life, gorging on sweets and cakes and scrunching my face up at salads. 

I must have looked crazy as I walked into the bank. My curly hair had long since gone frizzy, it was a nightmare a maintain and today of all days, I hadn't been bothered enough to apply all the products and stuff that kept my hair in check. My denim jacket was tied around my waist and the grey T-shirt I had on was riddled with patches of sweat. 

A pretty, well-dressed woman at the counter gave me a look of complete repulsion. I stuck out my tongue at her and for double measure I headed towards her. 

"I want to cash a cheque." I didn't have the energy or will to be nice. 

"Name and account number please." 

"Winnifred Hugh." Then I quickly rattled off my account number. 

"Okay. Where's the cheque you'd like to cash?"

I passed her the piece of paper and her eyes went wide at it. I tensed, waiting for her to call the cops on me, but she just gave me an easy smile. 

"Excuse me while I process this." She said before sashaying away, all graceful and perfect. I tamped down the voice of envy that was rearing it's ugly head. This was so unlike me and I could only put the blame at Ares feet. I wasn't one to look down on myself or have a low self esteem. I had always thought of myself as attractive and I knew that sometimes I even turned heads, but now, I seemed to be looking at myself through Ares' eyes, trying to table out all the differences between me and those stunning women he went out with. 

The banker returned minutes later and her smile was tense. 

"Per instructions, we've transferred the money to your savings account." 

It was my eyes that went wide this time around. "It was real?" 

"What?"

"Uh, I mean, can I see my current balance?" 

"Hold a moment." She tapped some keys on her computer. "You have to verify it's you. Please put your thumb on the scanner." 

I did as directed. She nodded before tapping some more keys. A while later she passed me a sheet with my account balance on it. My head swirled at the numbers of zeros I was seeing. 

"Anything else, Mrs Hugh?"

"No, thank you." I croaked as I staggered away, clutching the paper tight like it was a lifeline. I could buy the bakery building now for real. I could pay back the loan I had taken out. I could buy fancy chairs for the bakery and hire an extra hand. The possibilities were endless. Today had just done a complete three sixty for me and I was frozen with excitement. 

I had a million freaking dollars sitting pretty in my bank. 

It was at that moment that I remembered why I had that much money. 

Just as soon as I thought about him, my phone rang. The caller ID Showed it was an unknown number. 

"Hello."

"Let me ask again and for the last time, Miss Hugh." I recognized that deep, arrogant baritone. How had Ares Masters gotten my number? "Will you marry me?"