Chapter Four

"I said it doesn't ring a bell." Jasper said further making her more angry. 

She tried to cool her anger, thinking of ways to make him pay later after he accepts her offer. 

"Now that you know, are you willing to work for me or not?" She asked calmly. 

Jasper put his hand on his chin as if in thought. Raina looked at her watch and wondered what she was doing on the roadside talking to a nobody. She could get anyone else to do it, but she wanted to teach him a lesson. 

"Are you willing to hire me without investigating my background first?" Jasper asked her. 

"What's so important about your background? I don't see anything interesting with someone like you." She replied. 

He nodded, "Fine. I'll take the offer. But we must sign an agreement."

"Do you think I'll be paying you that amount without making an agreement? This is my card, give me a call and meet me in a few hours. The papers would be ready by then." She stretched out her card to him. 

He collected it with a nod, "I'll call you."

Raina said nothing else as she walked back to the other side of the road and got into her car. Jasper watched her drive away, he smiled knowingly to himself. Perhaps she was his lucky charm after all. 

He knows a lot about her from all the news and gossip in the city, he knows she is capable of paying that amount and more. 

He went back to the cafe and waited there. He called the number on the card after a while and waited for a response. Someone picked up a while later. 

"Williams Corporation, how can we help you?" Asked the male voice. 

That didn't sound like Raina's voice at all, that means this must be her assistant or secretary. 

"I would like to talk to Mrs Williams. She is waiting for my call." Jasper reply calmly. 

"What's your name?" 

"Her new bodyguard."

The person scoffed, "Her new bodyguard? When did she hire one? And how is that even a name?.."

"Kelvin... Give me the phone." He finally heard Raina's voice. 

"Yes President." 

Raina's voice came to the receiver later. 

"Why didn't you just tell him your name?" 

"You never asked for my name, how will you recognize me if I said it?"

Raina agreed, "Seems fair enough. What's your name?"

"Jasper Smith." He replied. 

"Okay Mr Smith, I would like you to show up at the company to sign the agreement. Then you can start work later."

"Now?" 

"Yes dummy!" She hung up after that. 

Jasper sighed and took a cab straight to the huge corporation. He finally got there and watched the place in awe. It's quite big and filled with a lot of cars and people going in and out. After showing the security his card, he was let in. The receptionist showed his straight to the boss's floor after falling for his good looks. 

He also got weird flirty looks from the female workers. He managed to get to her office unscathed. The secretary told him to wait and went inside to report to Raina. 

"President, there's a Mr Jasper Smith waiting for you outside. He says..."

"Let him in." Raina cut her off. 

The secretary left to call Jasper, Raina faced Kelvin. 

"You can excuse me. I'll call you when I am done with him." She told him. 

"Are you sure you don't need my help around here?" He asked her. 

Jasper came in with the secretary at that time, Raina shook her head. 

"I've got this. This is a private issue between him and I, excuse me."

Kelvin walked out of the office with the secretary, not without glaring at Jasper who gave him an innocent smile. 

Jasper found himself a seat on the chair. Raina stared daggers at him, he sat down without waiting for an instruction. 

"Mr Smith, I think there are a lot of things you don't know about me. First, I don't like people sitting on my chairs without my permission." She complained. 

Jasper shrugged, "Sorry I didn't know that yet. I'll keep that in mind." 

"Here are the papers. I will call you when I need you to start. Sign them and fill in your details, you'll leave when you're done." She stretched the papers towards him. 

Raina did not expect him to take a long time in looking at the papers with caution. There's nothing tricky about the contract and he should sign fast, she thought. 

Jasper signed the contract and filled his details, just like this he has gotten a job. 

•••••

Jasper took a cab back home. He wanted to tell his mother and sister about the good news. But he wouldn't tell them the nature of his job, his mother would never agree to it. 

The reason being because of Jasper's past experiences, Miranda would do anything to protect her son from getting into trouble. 

Miranda wasn't home yet, neither was his sister. He decided to get something to drink as he was very thirsty. He then made his way back to the living room anticipating dinner with his family when the doorbell rang. He went to get it and surprisingly met Bella in front of him. 

Then a feeling of guilt hit him that he had forgotten about the dinner he was supposed to have with her tonight. 

"Bella... Hi." He said and let her in. 

"You came back so fast Jasper. I didn't think I would meet you home." She said sitting on the couch. 

"Well... My journey was cut short." He replied getting her a drink. 

He poured her some juice and gave it to her. Bella happily collected it, anything from Jasper made her extremely happy. 

"Really? Tell me you've finally gotten a good paying job?" She asked curious. 

He nodded with a smile. 

"I did, by chance."

Bella felt happy and at ease. All she wants is for him to be very happy. 

"Which of the companies hired you?" She asked excitedly. 

"None."

Bella's smile dropped. If none of the company hired him, who did then? Those are top notch companies that she piled up with hopes that he would get hired. She has even talked to the managers of some of the companies. 

"Then how did you get a job?"

Jasper felt he needed to tell her the truth. After all, she's more than a friend already. She could keep his secret even if he wanted her not to. 

"I got hired as Raina William's personal bodyguard." He blurted out. 

Bella's brows furrowed in a deep frown. Raina Williams? The same popular Raina Williams?

"Is this who I think it is?" She asked again unable to believe it. 

"Yes, she is." He nodded with a reply. 

Bella felt annoyed inside thinking about the fact that he just got a job with the devil's advocate. She has come across Raina a few times before and nothing good has been said about her. They once had an encounter where Raina drained her with red wine. She has hated Raina ever since, the rumors about her are very true. 

"What?!" She finally managed to say. "Why would you accept a job for that woman?"

"She made a good offer, so I accepted it." Jasper shrugged understanding Bella's concern. 

"Still, that woman is a live snake. She is rude and has no regards for anyone. She's gonna frustrated you and make you suffer, why would you want to work for someone like that?" She fumed. 

"Don't make worry about me. I know who she is and what she can do. I want to assure you that I can handle women like her. She will get frustrated rather than make me."  He assured her. 

Bella still felt uneasy. 

"How much did she offer you that you accepted the offer without thinking about it?" 

Jasper knew where she was going. He still told her the truth anyway. 

"Half a million dollars."

Bella's eyes widened in shock. 

"That bitch! She wants to use money to entice him and treat him like trash!" She thought. 

"Why don't you work for me instead, I'll make sure I pay more than what she is offering you. I don't want you to be treated like a nobody." She suggested, more like a plea. 

Bella knows Raina is richer and more powerful, yet she is willing to do anything to have Jasper by her side. 

Jasper sighed, "Bella, I appreciate your concern for me. But you have to let me do things on my own. You have helped me so many times already. You deserve to be very happy, I would gladly do it for free."

"But then, you know how badly I need to get back on my feet. I have been trying for years. Please Bella, respect my decision and don't make things hard for me." 

Bella gave a fake smile, she still wasn't happy. She has been working so hard to get Jasper by her side and all that witch needed to do was ruin it. Jasper may no longer have time to be with her, since he will now be her personal bodyguard. 

She decided to accept his decision to make him happy. 

"Well, I don't have a choice right? Just tell her to be careful or I'll break her bones if she does anything to hurt you." She frowned. 

"Thanks beautiful. One more thing, please don't tell my mom or sister the nature of my job." He begged her. 

"Relax. Your secret is always safe with me. You have nothing to worry about." She assured him. 

He smiled knowing he could count on her to keep his secret safe. 

"Let's watch a movie before going for dinner later." He said. 

"You didn't forget." Bella smiled. 

"I didn't." He returned the smile. 

•••••

They both sat at the fast food restaurant having dinner and discussing happily. Jasper always finds a way to make Bella laugh. They looked like a happy couple to other customers and passersby. 

Just when Bella thought she would have him for the night, his phone rang. Jasper checked the caller ID and saw an unfamiliar number. He decided to pick it up.

"Who's this?" Jasper asked rudely. 

"Your new boss Mr Smith. That's my number." Raina's voice came from the other side. 

He scoffed, why would she be calling him by this time just to tell him her number?

"Okay. I'll save it. Can I do anything else for you?" He asked. 

"Yeah. I'm about to leave work and I need you here right now to drive me home." She said. 

"What? You never said I was going to start my job tonight." He protested. 

This woman was just too much. Bella frowned upon hearing that, that witch is already ruining things for her. 

"The contract states that you will start whenever I want. And I want you to start now, you have twenty minutes to get here." She hung up right after that not giving him a chance to protest further. 

He looked at Bella apologetically. 

"I'm sorry." 

"There's no need to apologise. Your job should be more important than me." She replied obviously upset. 

"I will make this up to you next time I promise. I didn't mean for us to part this way." He begged. 

Bella nodded trying to suppress her anger. 

"I don't think there will be a next time with her around. If there is, do let me know." She said getting up. 

"Bella..."

"Good night Jasper." She walked away quickly. 

Jasper felt really guilty and at the same time mad at Raina for calling at the wrong time. He knows how important spending time with him was for Bella. He took a cab to the corporation and met Raina waiting for him with a deep frown. 

"I gave you twenty minutes, you arrived in twenty five, how hard are you of hearing?" She scolded rudely. 

"You should check your eyes and the time. I am ten minutes early, I got here in fifteen minutes." He replied. 

She fumed, "I am your boss now! You should accord me with respect or I'll show you what I can do to disobedient workers."

"You're welcome to try." He dared her.