I'll be the pawn

Amelia was astonished as she saw the one man she hoped would take her bait walk out on her. 

He even had his shoulders all puffed up, like she wasn't doing him a favour.

Her breath almost seized because of the loud bang that followed after he slammed the door. 

Amelia angrily stepped on the gas pedal and made a U turn back to her villa. 

Adrian found thick sweat profusely pouring out of his skin as he walked into his home.

He quickly picked a few pairs of clothes and immediately headed out to the hospital.

Mrs Martha Cole , Adrian's beloved grandmother had been hospitalized for months. It had been a normal routine for him to shuffle between his job and the hospital.

He always held back his inner struggles but today, he just couldn't take it.

Amelia actually asked him to marry her for a f*e. Did he look so cheap? Or was he just a pawn people loved to play with.

Adrian's in-depth thinking made him completely oblivious to the wave of a hand and the sweet greetings nurse Claire offered.

"Adrian?" She called out now with a frown but was surprised he only walked past her.

She just stood and watched him in amazement.

Mrs Martha's health condition had gotten worse in recent times.

She wondered if it was the reason why he was so uptight.

" Oh, poor thing." She mumbled sadly and made her way to the reception.

 However, Adrian walked his way down the alley and into Mrs Cole's hospital room. His heart clenched and felt heavy with worry.

Inside the room, Mrs Martha Cole, laid in the bed, her face pale and frail. A clear indication of all the turmoils she was going through.

 She was hooked to machines which beeping around her seemed to echo the anxiety building in his chest more.

His fingers twitched as he smiled awkwardly at the old lady.

The doctor, a middle-aged man with a kind face, whom Adrian had known for years stood beside Mrs Cole's bed. He was quite happy to see Adrian, as the two had created a good relationship.

He gently noded and tugged at Adrian's sleeve as he got closer, giving him a sign that he needed to speak privately.

Outside the room, both men shared serious looks and great tension was palpable in the air.

 "Adrian, I'm afraid we have some bad news," he said gently. "Mrs Cole's condition has taken a turn for the worse. She needs surgery, and we need to schedule it as soon as possible."

He tried to remain calm, but even felt sorry for Adrian and how bad the situation had turned out to be.

Well for Adrian, he just stood there, his face expressionless and his eyes cold.

The world seemed to crumble around him. It felt like he'd been punched in the gut, and all the air was knocked out of him. 

He glanced at his grandmother through the open window of her room. He couldn't believe she had gotten so bad.

Her eyes were sunken and her skin clammy. She looked like she had no life left in her.

Adrian sighed inwardly and returned his gaze to the doctor.

 "What's the prognosis?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

The doctor's expression became even more sober as he heard him speak.

He slightly pinched his nose and adjusted his round glasses before answering Adrian.

"We'll do everything we can, but...it's not looking good. We need to act fast." He responded carefully.

Adrian felt like he was drowning already, in an endless sea of despair and nothingness.

Was that all life had to offer him?

 He knew it too well, he couldn't lose his grandmother. Not now. Not ever. 

It made sense to him and even though he hated his options, he knew he had to try.

 Without a word, he turned and walked out of the hospital.

Surprisingly, there was a downpour outside. It felt as though every drop of the rain outside mirrored the turmoil brewing inside him. It rained cats and dogs.

But Adrian, he didn't even flinch as he walked so determined under the rain. He felt like soaking in his situation as he walked, rather than taking an Uber.

 The streets were empty, the twilight stood out wild and life was just happening.

 Adrian's feet paddled him on autopilot to Amelia's villa. 

He didn't know why he was going there, but something about her proposal lingered in his mind. It felt like he was under the influence of something mysterious .

As he approached the villa, he was shocked as he saw Amelia standing at the door. He couldn't see so clearly under the rain, but it looked like she was battling something.

Perhaps a look of concern was etched on her face.

Or was it all in his head?

Amelia's eyes soon found he's as she stared into the rain.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she saw him. But Amelia was a calculative and collected woman, perhaps the reason why she didn't budge.

 She was dressed in a simple white robe, her hair dripping wet.

 "Adrian, what happened?" she asked, in a cold, nonchalant tone as he got closer.

Thanks to his position as her personal bodyguard, he wasn't restricted entry at the gate.

Adrian's eyes locked onto Amelia's closely, and for a moment, he forgot about everything else.

It felt like those hazel eyes of hers held the answers to all his questions. It felt completely mesmerizing.

 However, this notion of his immediately changed the moment she glared back at him.

It must've been the volume button, because somehow he instantly found himself spilling.

 "My grandmother," he said, his voice cracking. 

He could see the expressionless look on her face and wondered if she was following.

"She needs surgery. I don't know how I'm going to pay for it." He further blurted.

Amelia's expression slightly softened upon hearing this, and she stepped aside, allowing him to enter her inner courts.

 "Come in, we need to talk." She said,

Adrian followed her into the living room, with his shoulders almost dropping to the ground. His eyes were also fixed on the floor.

Amelia walked out and came back with a tumbler hooked between her fingers.

She had a big smile at the edge of her lips.

  Amelia then spoke, her voice was firm but gentle 

 "Adrian, I'll give you the money you need for your grandmother's surgery. But you have to agree to our deal." She said, leaning into his chair slightly and crossing a good space between them.

Adrian's head instinctively snapped up, as his nostrils were filled with nothing but the intoxicating scent of tangerine , mixed with the essence of chocolate.

 He's eyes locked onto hers as her hot breath tickled his face.

 He knew what she was offering. He knew what he had to do. But the problem laid in the question, was he ready for it?

Adrian carefully closed his eyes. He didn't mutter a word, he nodded.

Amelia's expression didn't change, but a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes as watched his face closely.

There was this unknown tingling sensation that crept up to her belly. 

It felt strange. 

She rolled her eyes and took steps backward.

 "Very well," she said

 "But let me make one thing clear; our arrangement comes with rules. You will not touch me, you will not expect intimacy, and you will not question my decisions."

Adrian nodded again. He was ready to do whatever it took to save his grandmother.

But just as he thought he had hit rock bottom, Amelia dropped another bombshell. 

"There's one more thing. You'll have to pretend to be my husband in public. And you'll have to convince everyone that we're in love. Do you understand?" She asked in her deepest icy tone.

Adrian's eyes widened even more, his mind equally reeled. What was he getting himself into?

He's lips parted and 

just as he was about to ask, Amelia's phone rang, shrill in the silence.

 She glanced at the screen for a few seconds, and her expression seemed to darken.

The thick fog took over, making the room so congested.

 "I have to take this." she said, turning away.

As she walked away, Adrian's eyes followed her back.

He felt something abnormal creeping around. 

And then, just as Amelia was about to answer the phone, a figure emerged from the shadows outside.

 A figure Adrian hadn't noticed before. A figure who seemed to be watching Adrian with an intensity that made his skin crawl.

The figure's eyes locked onto Amelia, and Adrian saw a flicker of recognition. 

 "Amelia," the figure mouthed, before disappearing into the night.

Amelia's eyes snapped back to Adrian, a look of warning in her gaze. "Don't ever mention this to anyone," she whispered, her voice deadly serious.

And with that, everything went black.