9. Destiny

~Vivian~

“Don’t be alarmed, hun, I got you covered,” he said with a wink.

I grinned in amusement. “I swear you will go broke if you spend all your money on me. Why gamble when you are not 100% sure your grandfather will choose you as his heir?”

He smiled. “I believe in your charm. You have this amazing convincing power. You can convince anyone so easily.”

I gawk at him. He sounds like Alex right now. He was using the same line Alex had told me in the past. “H…how did you know I have that talent?”

“Secret! You will know someday,” he mysteriously said. “By the way, are you not tempted by my offer yet?”

I smiled. “I’m impressed actually. Just that I can’t help myself thinking how can you be this desperate?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t go broke splurging on you. I call it a wise investment,” he said reassuringly

I rubbed my jaw, thinking about the whole thing as outrageous. “Investment you say? Sounds like a stupid thing to do. Are you sure about this? What if we can't convince your grandfather about our fake relationship?”

“Nah, he won't be able to tell the difference between real and fake as long as we act convincingly in front of him. Believe me if we join forces we are unstoppable!” he said confidently.

“Alright, I’ll accept your offer. When are we going to start?” I eagerly asked, wanting to relocate to the condo unit that he promised me as soon as possible.

He smiled, looking pleased with my eagerness to start our deal. “I will ask my lawyer to draft the contract right away. I will bring it to you as soon as it is finished,” he said triumphantly.

“Great! I will wait for it,” I said. “Then how about scar surgery on my face?”

“I will arrange an appointment with my cousin tomorrow,” he replied.

Then I suddenly remembered that I had done research on scar surgery on my face. “Based on my research, the scar surgery on my face would take a long time to heal, about a year,” I told him.

“That is for a cheaper operation. But we are aiming for the latest and most expensive state of the art scar surgery available in the medical world. It’s expensive…yes… but the scar surgery will heal in just two or three months. My cousin guarantees an exemplary result based on the results of previous scar surgery she performed on her clients. She has already successfully made 100 clients happy and satisfied with the surgery results," he said casually.

“Nice to hear that! But I still can’t wrap my head around this madness of yours. Why waste so much money on a scarred-face woman? There are many sexy, beautiful women out there who have flawless skin and beauty, ten times better than me in all areas. With them you don't have to spend millions. So why me?” I asked, looking deeply into his eyes, trying to understand the inner workings of his mind.

“Because someone vouched for your effective charm when it comes to negotiations, you always get deals done successfully,” he replied.

My eyes widen. “Who is this person? Do I know him?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Secret, you will know him soon,” he responded with a wink.

“Wait, are you going to dig out the skeleton of my past to bring it to my present? How dare you?” I glared at him, giving him a warning.

“I thought you wanted revenge?” he asked calculatingly, observing my face closely.

“Do I really want revenge?” I asked myself loudly.

“Answer that yourself,” he said softly.

I took a deep breath, struggling with the influx of thoughts bombarding my mind. My turbulent past always has haunted my mind and this guy in front of me casually brought it up. “How much do you know about my past?” I asked again.

He fell silent for a moment then said, “Hun, don’t worry, I came into your life not to harm you but to help you out. This deal is good for you...so you can stand on your own feet again. Ours is a mutual collaboration. That is the only thing you need to remember. OK?”

I took a deep breath. He definitely knows something about my past, but he’s not willing to tell me about it. I’m curious where he lives. Does his house contain hints about the person who told him about my talents?

But even if I asked him, he wouldn't reveal who was the person who led him to me.

There is something fishy about Steve that doesn't sit well with me. If I can discover a hint in his house, I will call off our deal. But before I do that, I must know the identity of the person who sent him to me.

“What are you thinking right now in that pretty head of yours?” he asked, eyeing me closely.

I raised my head and looked him in the eyes after staring at the menu list on the table. “Um, where do you live? Can I see your house? Can you give me a house tour?”

His forehead puckered with suspicion. I think he already knows why I’m interested in seeing his house.

“Y…you want to see my house? Why?" He finally asks.

I shrugged, my eyes gleaming with intent. "Yes, I want to see your house after we leave this place. I just want to make sure I can trust you. And your house can show me some hints that you can be trusted. Why? Are you hiding something in your mancave? You don’t like inviting me to your house?”

He smiled. “No problem, hun. I will give you a tour of my house.”

“Great!” I broke into a grin, feeling triumphant. Tonight if I discover something suspicious in his house, I will not proceed with our transaction.

He kept observing me, trying to see a glimpse of the inner workings of my mind. “Where do you live?” I asked again..

“I have a condo unit on the 50th floor of the Golden Z Tower Condominium,” he responded casually. “I’m planning to house you there as well in the same building. It’s easier for us if we live close to each other,” he explained.

“OK, no problem. Tonight, I want to check out the place where I’m going to live in the next few months!” I said excitedly.

“Sure,” he responded with a chuckle.

All I need is one hint that someone in my past was involved in trying to get back to me. If that is the case then I’m out. I hate surprises, especially nasty ones. I yearn for revenge but it’s useless because I’m not mentally and emotionally ready yet. At this point in my life I’m powerless and when I’m in my vulnerable state, I prefer peace over chaos.

The waiter arrived at our table and delivered the food we ordered.

We ate with a good appetite. Afterward, we left the floating restaurant and headed to Golden Z Tower Condominium to have a tour of Steve’s place.

While the car was moving smoothly on the highway, I felt excited and at the same time I also felt dread because I’m about to begin a new chapter in my life.

Based on my past experiences, every beginning can yield two possible results: it could end in disaster or redemption.

I’m about to find out how my destiny will unfold in the next few minutes…