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CHAPTER ONE

I still remember the pain I felt when the one I loved took betrayal to new heights and stripped the life of my flesh and blood.

My heart aches with the painful memories from years ago. Surrounded by top socialites of my country, I was humiliated, my heart was torn to shreds, trampled upon, and thrown to the gutters.

Sitting on the rooftop drenched in expensive whiskey and painful regret, I stared into the wild landscape before me. The city lights gave the moonless night a gloomy look.

I vowed to forget and move on; to an extent I did, but I can't be blamed, bad habits die hard. I was supposed to be the calm, respectful, and non-alcoholic protagonist of my story, but fate had other plans.

Forced to look for closure by the endless tongue lashings of an overly pampered housewife called Mother, I left my home.

Clark Stillman was his name, even that sounded sweet and innocent to my ears. If only I could rewind the hands of time, I would have searched for the warning bells regardless there was none I saw.

The night fate decided to play a cruel game with my heart, I was working late at the office. Being a major shareholder in the multi-billion dollars industry of your father wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. The work had to be put in and I was just the right amount of hardworking.

To have the new proposal ready early, I had to burn the midnight oil in the form of time. When I decided to turn in, it was late; almost midnight.

I went out to my car parked by the sidewalk, got in, and was ready to go but my car didn't start. I checked the engines but what could I have done, I knew nothing of such. At that moment, I regretted sending the chauffeur home.

I was frustrated. Therefore, I slammed the door shut and resorted to go looking for any mechanic nearby.

I walked for seconds that turned to minutes, passing lamp post after lamp post, and it was infuriating.

After not so much deliberation, I decided that going back to give my father a call would be far more productive than a manhunt, so that was what I did. Reaching into the passenger seat to grab my phone, I heard a tyre screech behind me.

I turned to see a red Ferrari, the glass wound down and there was the big smile that got me fooled. Smiling from ear to ear there he was in all his glory, looking handsome as always with dark hair and blue eyes, perfect dentition that sparkled as much as the small diamond earring he had on one ear. You would think I'm over exaggerating but it is far from that, I played the damsel in distress of the story.

I had flashed him a crooked shy smile.

"Need any help?" he spoke. From everything I saw; his poise and carriage, I could tell minty notes were his favorite and class he was made of.

"No no I-I'll be fine, thank you," I replied quickly, not wanting him to notice I was foolishly checking him out.

"From the look of things you are not okay. It seems your car has given up, now I don't know much about cars to help you fix it but I can give you a ride." He insisted.

"It's no big deal really, I was just about calling someone."

"Okay then. Call, I'll wait for the person with you."

He opened his door to step out but I closed it back gently. "There's no need for that, I'll be fine." This is the part where playing hard to get was introduced.

"It's not safe for a young beautiful lady like yourself to be on the streets alone by this time."

'Ah he called me beautiful!' was what I thought instantly. But hell I knew I was beautiful, I was just being a victim of sheer human stupidity. "Thanks but I'll be fine."