[18+] A year ago, Simi Brian was the daughter of a senator who had it all until her world came crashing when her father was sent to jail for corruption. She believed the powerful Williams family was behind their downfall. All she could focus on was...
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When I told myself I would forget about her, it was a lie.
It had been a while since a woman captured my attention to keep me distracted from my life. All I could think of was trying to reach out to her, but I did my best to convince myself that it was a bad idea — until the phone rang.
"Yes?" I answered the phone.
"There is a young lady here to see you, sir," my assistant mentioned. "Her name is Simi."
My eyes widened in surprise. "Let her in."
Immediately, the door opened. As I approached her, I noticed her crying. The tears on her face caused every protective bone in me to stand up. Lord knows they would pay dearly if anyone as much had harmed her. She's not your girlfriend, too young for your evil deeds.
She slumped into the chair and tried to wipe her face before speaking. "I know this may sound unusual, but I didn't know who else to reach out to." She burst into a fit of tears.
I stretched my hands to hold hers. "You can talk to me. What's wrong?"
Simi sighed, trying to regain her voice. "My father is back and has nowhere but our cramped one-room apartment to stay in. He came back when my sister and I tried to make ends meet."
I was listening intently, my hands squeezing hers. It pained me to see how hurt she was, even if I wasn't sure what the problem was exactly. "Ok, you need a bigger place?"
"I can't afford it. It is not..." Simi's voice trailed off. "I have nowhere to go to, and I do not want to be a burden to my family. There is no job for me to fall back on and save up to move us to a new apartment. My life is just screwed."
A light bulb in my head lit up. "What if you come to work for me?"
She sat back in the chair, shaking her head. "Work for you? As your what? I am just a chef."
I nodded. "And you can stay with me."
She raised her eyebrows. "Are you ok? Of all things to ask me to do is move in with you?"
A smile crept up my face. "I'm trying to help here. You came crying to me." I took my hands off hers. "You don't come to me with tears and expect me not to help."
"But you don't know me."
I shook my head. "Why are you contradicting yourself? You don't know me either, but you are here, in my office, asking for help." I was trying to help because I genuinely felt someone like her shouldn't be going through such hardship. But seeing her reaction to my innocent invitation, I could be wrong.
"You know what? This was a mistake. Ignore everything I said." She stood up and walked to the door.
The conversation had devolved into a bit of a rant, but it could make her feel better if I had been less controlling. It was natural for her to be hesitant when I asked her to move in with me. "I am sorry." She came to a halt and turned around. "I didn't mean to sound mean. All I tried to do was offer a solution to the problem."
She didn't say a word or try to look at me.
"Simi, I know we don't know each other so well, but it won't be nice to know you'll be out on the street looking for where to stay."
She sighed and still said nothing.
"Staying at my house does not mean you'll be in the same room with me." Her eyebrows squished together. "You'll have your room and privacy. You'll stay on the top floor; I'll be at the bottom. It has everything you need — even your own kitchen."
She smiled and relaxed. "Thank you. I promise to be on my best behavior and find my place soon."
The word sorry did the magic. Despite the arrangement, something about her ignited some sort of feelings. And I didn't want to let her know she could stay as long as she was my chef — it could drive her away. All she needed was me to help her, even if it tempted me to take her to bed. Helping her meant keeping my boundary — and I wouldn't cross it.
───── ❝ SIMI ❞ ─────
My stomach tightened as we got to Tonye's house. They furnished the sitting area with luxury, and an open study merged into the scenario. My eyes trailed to the balcony, filled with a glimpse of trees beyond it. The last time I was in a house this beautiful was when the police came to pick up my father and sealed our house. Everything I had was staring me in the face, and it hurt to know all this belonged to the enemy. I glanced around again, jealous of his comfort.
"You like the place?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah, it's beautiful. You spent a lot of money."
He flashed a smile. "One has to live comfortably if they can afford it."
With the money you and your family stole from us?
"Is it okay if I asked you to make us something to eat?" he said softly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
This man was way too kind to me, but I would not let it deter me from ruining him and his family. After years of hardship and death, they all had to pay and for all I knew, what he wanted was what to be in-between my legs.
"I have been dying to taste a home-cooked meal from you."
"Are you sure you'd love what I make?"
"Trust me. I will." He placed his hand on my back and guided me into the kitchen. "Don't worry about your things; someone will care for them."
With Tonye, it seemed difficult to say no to his requests, which made me feel I was losing control. Deep down, my gut told me he cared, but my brain said something else — revenge first. If I kept on giving in to his demands, I would not only lose everything a second time, but it would cause devastation to my father.
Once in the kitchen, I spotted her. The chances of being discovered made me want to flee. I hoped she wouldn't recognize me and realize who I was when she looked up to greet us.
