Chapter 1

I narrowed my eyes at him before stepping back. "Are you out of your mind?"

He stared at me seriously, and after a moment, the corner of his lips lifted as if he was holding back a smile.

"If I said yes, would you believe me?"

"Completely crazy," I muttered.

"I heard that, miss." He chuckled softly.

I caught him staring at my slightly sweaty chest, so he quickly looked away and cleared his throat.

Even I felt embarrassed because I only now realized that my cleavage was visible.

"Look, I'm offering you a deal. The demolition should have started earlier, but because I'm kind—"

I laughed. "Wow! Kind? You call that kind, Captain?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

His brows furrowed, and he crossed his arms, meeting my gaze head-on.

"Isn't it? So I shouldn't have even told you about it?" A playful smirk danced on his lips, which only annoyed me more. "Very well..."

He reached into the pocket of his slacks for his phone, but I quickly snatched it away as he was about to make a call.

I glared at him as he burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

I pointedly showed him that I had slipped his phone into the pocket of my jeans.

"You," he said, pointing at me between laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Well, good for him for being handsome.

But just because he was a good-looking man didn't mean he could turn the situation around. I wouldn't give in easily. I was still annoyed by the fact that he was going to demolish our house and this eatery.

"Just be direct with me, Raze, what do you really want? I'm not in the mood to play your games," I said, staring intently at him. "Stop fooling around."

"I'm not fooling around," his smirk vanished, and noticed how he bit his lower lip flirtily. "I'll ask you then, do you have two million to pay me right now?"

I fell silent. If I paid him now, it wouldn't be enough, and we wouldn't have anything left. I needed to buy medicine for my sister. We also couldn't stop selling here at the eatery because I still owed my aunt, who lent me the capital.

What would she even say? That I used up what she lent me?

"I'm here to do you a favor, Lyl," he said softly, but I shook my head vehemently.

"Favor, you say? Do you know how that sounds to me? Like I'm paying you with myself once we get married—"

"Lylia! Lira's having an asthma attack!" Love shouted.

I immediately turned my back on Raze and frantically ran towards my sister's location.

I knelt beside her, gently stroking her face.

"Lira! Lira!" I said in a panic, not knowing what to do. "Where's your inhaler?" I asked frantically. "Where is it?!"

I panicked even more when I couldn't find the inhaler inside the bag we brought. It was just here! I was the one who packed earlier!

"Sis..." my sister called out, gasping for breath.

Tears streamed down my face as I felt her hand growing cold.

No! No! I can't lose her! Not this time!

"Lira! Don't close your eyes!" I cried out, sobbing. "Lira! Lira!"

It felt like cold water had been poured over me as her eyes slowly closed.

"Help—"

"Let me!"

My gaze lifted to the man who had carried up my sister.

"R-Raze..."

"Ashel, the car!" he shouted at the man and looked back at me. "Come with me. My men will take care of things here."

Love helped me up, and followed Raze towards his parked car outside.

—

"Your sister's condition is stable now, but make sure that whenever you go somewhere, don't forget to bring a paper bag or an inhaler because we don't know when her asthma will attack again. Also, I've added medication for her vitamins and maintenance. Don't deprive your sister of oxygen, okay? We all know her asthma is moderate," Doctor Carlos informed me. "I know it's hard, so I'm just here to help."

He gently patted my shoulder. "Thank you, Doc," I said, biting my lip because my eyes were starting to blur with tears again.

"Always welcome, Lylia. Here, you can go to the pharmacy for her medicine." He handed me a small piece of paper, which I immediately accepted. "By the way, the person you were with earlier, was that Raze? The district captain?" he asked, looking intrigued.

"Ah, yes," I replied.

"Good to know. He was the one who paid for the bills, your sister's medicine, and the oxygen. Alright then, I'll leave you now, okay? I still have patients." He bid farewell.

"Y-Yes, Doc, thank you," I replied blankly.

Raze paid for everything? W-Why didn't he tell me?

"Are you okay?"

I quickly turned to face the speaker.

"Raze..." I whispered his name as my tears started to fall.

He looked worried as I sobbed, so he quickly approached me.

"What happened? Did something happen? Tell me..." he cupped my cheeks as I shook my head. "Did she have another attack—"

He gasped when I pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Captain."

His body stiffened, but eventually softened, and he hugged me back.

Silence filled the air until I felt embarrassed because we were just fighting earlier, and now I was the one who initiated the hug.

"About that deal—"

"Don't pressure yourself. I'll give you time to think—"

I broke the hug and looked up at him. "There's no need. I already have an answer for that."

His eyes twinkled, amused. "And?"