CHAPTER 7

Daisy's POV

I didn't ask him where he was taking me but I felt safe with him. It is better than allowing Brenda to drive me to her place and allowing her to flaunt her wealth in my face.

She came to ask me to get into the car for a reason. She wants to convince me one more time to join her. She wants to mock me for my inability to pay my fees.

I don't know how they got to know about my situation. If Julian wasn't a nerd and a good guy, I would have assumed he was responsible.

I have cried and cried. I couldn't cry in the classroom where there are thousands of eyes on me so I went to the bathroom to do that.

These past few days, the bathroom has been my place of solitude.

When we drive into a place I assume is his house, I can't help but stare in awe. It is magnificent.

"Are you ok?" I hear him ask again for the umpteenth time as he jerks me out of my reverie, my gaze shifting to meet his.

"Yes, yes!" I chant, swallowing a lump that has gotten stuck in my throat since we arrived.

Why did he bring me here? When he asked his driver to drive, I thought he was going to take me to that suite; the place where we first met.

But I am sure this mansion is his. He is fucking rich beyond my expectation.

What he did for me earlier isn't what I expected of him. He looks like a rich guy who would never stoop so low to do such a huge favor for me.

Now, I will be the talk of my department or even the whole school. Not in a bad way; the girl who can't afford her school fees but in a good way; the girl who has a rich boyfriend.

That is the impression he gave. He isn't my boyfriend. I know this.

I sigh when I suddenly remember that the deadline for my school fees is tomorrow. 

Should I tell him already? Should I tell him how I ran back outside to see if he was still around this morning?

The car comes to a stop and the driver comes out to get the door for me.

I step out and the man beside me does the same. This is when I realize I don't even know his name.

"What's your name?" It comes out in a whisper. 

He arches a brow and asks. "What?!"

"I don't know your name", I rephrase, hugging my body to myself in nervousness, afraid that he will wave it away. 

But he only smiles and replies. "I am Alex."

To be honest, I feel relieved that he answered me. This shows that I can tell him anything.

Without him asking, I reveal. "I'm Daisy."

He nods. "I know."

"What? How do you know my name? How?" I rush out my questions, wondering how he got to know my name. Just before he can take his briefcase from the driver, he answers.

"From your ID."

"Oh!"

"Follow me", his tone of authority is implacable and I find myself following him quietly, the driver trudging behind me.

What was he doing in front of the school gate? Did he come back with the hope that I would accept his offer?

When we enter, my jaws dropped. 

It is more than magnificent from the inside. There are high chandeliers with colorful artistic paintings on the wall.

There is a big bright bulb in between the chandelier which has an orange color illuminating every corner of the house.

Is this a fucking living room? I ask myself with my heart pounding wildly.

Who the hell is this man?

We continue to walk in silence till he takes a left turn and I follow, wondering where we are going.

In 30 seconds, I find the answer to my question. We are in the main living room. I don't know what to call the place we just left now. It looks like a living room but there is no furniture there. It looks like a place where a party is usually held and then there is a staircase leading to somewhere.

Alex stops walking and I almost bump into him. He turns to face me and after another cute smile, he points to a chair.

It looks like gold. Like all those chairs that royals use in movies.

I suck in my gasp, blink, and sit down. He gives the briefcase back to the driver. "Kevin, take this upstairs and tell the maids to serve our guest a drink."

The driver's name is Kevin, noted.

Now I am more than ready to ask him why he brought me here. I needed a place to stay for the night and I was already thinking of where to go when he appeared from nowhere.

I also want to ask him how he knew the close of my classes for that day and how he saw those girls jeering at me.

My face turns red in embarrassment and I look down.

I feel bad for myself. What does he think of me? 

"What were those girls saying to you if I may ask?" I hear his deep voice asking me and I stare up at him slowly.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing."

"That's a big lie and you know it", he voices out, shaking his head with a frown. "If there is something I hate, it is lies. I won't appreciate you lying to me."

He got me. I shouldn't have lied. 

"They were mocking me. I had no idea how they got to know that I haven't paid my fees", I answer. 

Now is the right time to tell him that I accept his offer so we can pay my fees right away or tomorrow morning before 9 am when the website will be closed for the session. "I need to pay my fees before tomorrow, it closes tomorrow morning."

He seems surprised that I brought the issue of my school fees up. If it wasn't for my fees, I wouldn't have followed him all the way here. 

"Really?" I nod.

He remains silent for a while and when he opens his mouth to talk, a maid in a black and white uniform appears with a tray of drinks.

She greets him with a slight bow and does the same to me, making me blush in embarrassment at my dressing. I don't look like a rich woman so I don't deserve this respect. 

But Alex does.

She drops the glass cup of drink on a high stool beside me before leaving us alone.

"Why did you say no to my offer earlier?"

I close my eyes. I didn't think he would ask that question.

"I'm sorry…" I trail off when I feel a sharp pain in my belly, then rumblings.

God, I am going to die of embarrassment today. I guess the sight of the drink is reminding me of the fact that I haven't had anything to eat all day.

"Are you hungry?" He questions with a serious tone.

With my head hanging downwards, I nod.

"They are setting the dining table so we will eat together but before then, I want to tell you something."

I don't raise my head to stare at him or urge him to go on with what he wants to talk to me about. Although I am curious to know what it is and there are billions of questions popping up in my head.

"Asking you to become my surrogate is not a death sentence. This is something a lot of girls will jump at. I didn't expect you to give me a reply so soon. I wanted you to think things through first."

He stops but my head is still down.

This brings me to the question of why me? Why me and not other girls?

"I have decided to add more benefits to the offer. I know the first thing you need is for your fees to be paid and that will be done before it closes but I want to offer you some money alongside that and also a place to stay…"

"Really?" I find myself cutting him short in excitement, not at the mention of money but a place to stay.

He nods, clearly surprised at my sudden interest in the discussion. Maybe he is still thinking I won't accept but my mind is already made up.

"You can set up a business with the money…"

"Where am I going to stay?" I interrupt him again. This is what matters to me most. The money is the least of my problems as long as my fees are paid. I know if he pays my fees, I will graduate with outstanding results and get a good job with good pay and I will have no more financial problems.

But having a roof over my head is my major problem right now. If I can have that, then everything is solved.

"Here."

It takes a while for me to realize what he is talking about. It takes a while for me to realize that what he just said is the answer to the question I asked him.

What he means by here is that I will be living with him in this grand mansion.

"You will be staying here with me so I can monitor…"

"Yes, yes, yes!" I chant, tears brimming in my eyes, less concerned about the numerous times I have interrupted him from going further.

He raises a brow at me, then nods and remains silent.

I don't care. I just want him to know I am in. I don't care about the other things.

Living in this place will be a dream come true. It doesn't matter if it is just for a few months

What matters the most is living my dreams, even if it is for a limited time.