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Todos os capítulos de Sponsored Love: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

17 Capítulos

Chapter 1

It was closing time at Pepe's café; a quaint and humble space large enough to comfortably accommodate twenty-five seated customers and five more at the waitress' bar. Leather booths lined the front wall, and the large glass windows were decorated with orange, red, yellow and brown maple leaf stickers. The neon open sign which faced the street soon switched to Closing Soon. The usual strong scent of freshly grounded coffee beans had faded in the atmosphere, and blended perfectly with the soft aroma of the last baked sweets left in the store that day; vanilla with a hint of dark roast.A couple who had shared blueberry muffins and hot cocoa in the far booth near the bathroom stood and made their exit while waiving at the waitress who stood behind the bar and wiped the counter for the umpteenth time since the start of her shift. The waitress, Stephie, a caramel-skinned girl with wild brown and blond curls and coils currently pulled back and tied at the base of her skull, wore a simple bl

Chapter 2

In the driver's seat, Jacob glanced at the empty road in front of him, before his gaze wandered back to the girl's reflection in his rearview mirror. She had caught him staring, and now she focused her gaze out of the window.Stephanie was her name.At the realization of his wandering thoughts, Jacob shook his head and focused on the road once more.Why was he concerned about her name?He had noted the way she eagerly counted the petty cash, and he also noticed how a mere hundred dollars made her happy. Jacob could only imagine that she was desperate for money. Any girl in the waitress business was. Sighing, Jacob realized that he was already thinking too much about this stranger; especially when he had more pressing matters to think about.His mother passed. She had asked for him on her deathbed, and he hadn't been there. Nor was he closing a deal at the time. No. Instead he had cowardly sat in the hospital parking lot, waiting for the alert from his mother's private physician. As an

Chapter 3

Carter watched the air intensify between his son and the fuming waitress. This wasn't going the way he had imagined. "Jacob enough. Let her go." Carter warned after hearing his son's senseless words.Stephie said nothing. Her eyes ran red and wet with unshed tears, but she bit down on her jaw, and swallowed a bout of liquid salt. She wouldn't cry. There was enough in this world to make her cry. Like the fact that she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a decent meal, or the feeling of purchasing new clothes. However, a jerk like Jacob couldn't make her cry.Jacob did a once-over on Stephie's angry face, then with a scoff, he let her go."Stephanie wait." Carter called after her before she rushed out of the office, urging the girl to halt once again."I know a girl of your manners, no matter the situation, knows to listen to her elders." Carter continued, "it is obvious that we started on the wrong foot. Please, allow me to treat you to a meal. Allow me to explain myself and my

Chapter 4

Stephie stared at Carter and her heart dropped at his words."I knew it." She whispered with slight aggravation."Before you jump to conclusion, it's not what you think." Carter raised a pale and wrinkled palm in caution."Shouldn't I be the one to decide that?" Stephie replied with her quick-witted tongue."Fair point," Carter nodded, "but at least let me clarify, it is nothing sexual." Carter promised."Then what? You need a kidney? You found out you were dying, and you need a part of my liver?" Stephie spat with slight nonsense."You have quite the vivid imagination." Carter chuckled in amusement."Doesn't hurt to be extra vigilant." Stephie refused to relent."Fair enough." Carter hummed, and a silence fell on the table.Stephie blinked and stared at Carter, and he too did the same."Sooo, the catch?" Stephie hinted after an awkward second had elapsed.Carter intertwined his fingers again and sighed, "as you know, my wife passed recently."At the mention of Carter's dead wife, Ste

Chapter 5

The next day, Stephie exited her home only to find yet another piece of paper on her porch. This time, when Stephie tried to ignore it, she found that the words on the leaflet had changed from old scribbles she was used to, to a new message.Think you can get away? Was what was written on the page. The words struck a fearful beat in her chest, and a sharp exhale pushed its way out of her lips.Blinking and gulping in a panic, Stephie quickly balled the paper and scanned her surrounding areas. The neighborhood was quiet for a weekday afternoon, and yet Stephie couldn't help the feeling that she was being watched. The mailman was once again making his rounds and minding his business, and at first glance nothing seemed out of place, and yet Stephie couldn't shake the churning of warning in her abdomen, nor could she calm the erect hairs on her neck. Hurrying down the steps of her home, Stephie walked a little quicker to the bus stop than she usually would.On the bus, Stephie noticed a co

Chapter 6

Stephie didn't waste her time in rolling her eyes while allowing her shoulders to droop."Here we go again." Stephie muttered, then she licked her lips and stared at Jacob once more."So, I see this is a thing for both you and your dad. I already told the old man, but since you weren't there, I'll make it clear to you, I don't want your money. I don't need your money." Stephie defended."You take the bus to work and can barely make ends meet. You live on petty cash tips to connect your paycheck to paycheck living. Trust me, you need money." Jacob released insult after insult while staring Stephie down.He wouldn't buy into the self-righteous act. The girl was as money hungry as they came. He'd never forget the way her eyes gleamed at the wad of cash from the night previous. He knew a greedy soul from anywhere."Well okay, I need money, but not yours or the old man's. If there's only one thing I'll accept from you and him is that you leave me alone, and while you're at it, tell your dad

Chapter 7

The sound of her first name rolling off Jacob's tongue so casually sent Stephie's apprehension beyond the clouds, and before she knew it, she stomped past Jacob and aimed to take a seat. But Jacob wouldn't accept the disrespect. Grabbing her arm, Jacob stopped Stephie in her tracks. "Get your hands off me." Stephie was instantly on the defense, as she attempted to move her arm out of the man's grip. "You bumped into me," Jacob pointed, then in one swift pull, he drew Stephie closer to him, his face hanging above hers as his nose flared in a menacing manner, "apologize." "And if I don't?" Stephie dared to ask.She couldn't help that her wit was so easily triggered. "You should think twice about having an attitude with me, after all, I'm the only one standing between you and homelessness in this moment." Jacob reminded her.And again, the same reaction. Stephie's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened slightly in panic. There was something about being in the streets which scared

Chapter 8

Stephie crossed the threshold into her new bedroom and fought the urge to slam the door behind her. Pressing her arm between her teeth, Stephie bit down hard and grunted out her frustration in one long, stifled scream. Her eyes ran with tears, both from the pain she induced and the pain caused by her helpless situation. She could call the cops... But then say what? And even if she figured out what to say, Jacob and Carter would most likely pay off the entire case with a fancy lawyer, then she would really be in trouble. Stephie released her arm and sniffled, while closing her eyes. More tears ran down her cheeks. The indentation of her teeth on her arm pulsed with the now phantom-like feeling of the prior pain. The warm tears burned her eyeballs, and seeped through her closed eyelids. How did she end up a prisoner? The sad notion weighed on her shoulders, making her arms feel too heavy at their sockets. Her nostrils burned as she drew back a glob of mucus from it, then swallowing

Chapter 9

Stephie stood in front of Jacob's door, breathing mutely while her eyes subtly studied the intricate natural lines found on the white coated wood. She had been standing at his door for quite some time now, stuck in a mental debate on whether she should even knock or return to her room.After Jacob had left her alone, Stephie returned to her room, and yet she found she couldn't lay or even dare to sit on the bed, feeling dirty and covered in sugar and crumbs and smelling like coffee. Unsure whether John would return later with her personal belongings or not, Stephie found herself in a conundrum. And of course, who else could help her in this situation if not the master of the house himself?So here she was, at his door, and yet not having the courage to knock.Sighing and deciding she'd rather sleep on the closet floor with towels for her bedding, Stephie turned to leave, just as the door swung open, and there she met Jacob, who now wore a short-sleeve shirt and gym shorts. A small hand

Chapter 10

In the meantime, in the room, Stephie had devised a plan to live with what she had until the first paycheck. First things first, she avoided the bed entirely. Instead, she chose to turn the closet floor into her bed. Going to the furthest corner from the door, Stephie decided on the perfect spot. Placing multiple towels on the carpeted floor for more cushion, Stephie created her nest. using the bathrobe, she rolled it into a cozy sausage shape for a make-shift pillow. Leaving two extra large towels for her blankets, Stephie then sat on the floor. She removed her shoes, belt, and jacket, placing them next to her head. She also placed her purse, charger and phone next to her head.Taking down her hair from the tight restraint, she began to finger comb her curls, and placing them in large twists. Once that task was completed, she tucked the ends, and her hair was bed time ready. Seeing as she had no intentions on being friendly with Jacob, Stephie chose to call it night, even as her stoma

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