28. Present
PRESENT
SEAN
M y vision blurred when I kept re-reading the same sentence again and again without processing it in my head.
With a sigh, I removed my glasses and kept the case file on my desk. I couldn’t stop thinking about the night before.
The video call with Chelsea, orgasming together, and then her crying.
My jaw clenched. I should have been with her rather than in my lonely penthouse. My sweet girl was crying because of the sub-drop and getting overwhelmed while I was thinking about getting my dick wet.
Running a hand down my face, I wondered how I could make things better.
Maybe I should gift her something.
I stood up from the chair and grabbed my suit jacket. I hadn’t talked to her about working as a temporary secretary at my firm yet. I was postponing it until she returned to Los Angeles.
I could take her out on a date, gift her a present, and then ask her to work for me.
That sounds like a relationship.
I ignored the voice in my head and drove to a luxurious jewelry shop. My mind went back to the talk I had with Cillian and his shocked expression.
The man who hadn’t flinched after getting shot was surprised because I had feelings— never mind .
My phone rang, and I picked it up quickly. “ Amma! ”
In my forty-four years of life, I knew one thing. You never ignore your mom’s call. Or she will show up at your place at two in the morning and scold you for not picking up her phone call.
Been there, done that .
“How is my precious sun doing?” She asked, her voice extra cheerful.
She always addressed me as sun, someone who lightened up her day.
“I’m doing well, Amma. How are you?” I asked, knowing she didn’t just call me to ask me about my day.
“I’m not doing well.”
There it is .
“Why are you not doing well, Amma?”
“Did I hear a tone?”
“No, you did not, dear Mother.” I scoffed. “Do tell your precious sun how he can help you.”
I could feel her narrowing her eyes. “I would pinch your ear for talking to your dear mom like that.”
A grin curled my lips. She was so dramatic.
“I know, Amma.”
“I am not doing well because Liza has been asking you to meet and you’re avoiding her.”
“Mom.” I parked the car and leaned my head back. “We talked about this.”
“I know, I won’t meddle in your relationship, but you were together for over two decades,” she said, sounding resigned. “You still haven’t told me why you broke the engagement. If you hadn’t, I would call you to get good news about my grandchild.”
“Amma!” Aish .
“What Amma! Don’t you love your dear mother to give her a grandchild?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. There was no winning against her.
“I’m busy. I’ll call you later, Mom,” I said, hovering over the red button. “Goodbye, love you.”
Fuck it. I sent my ex-fiancee a text to meet up for coffee at the nearby cafe in an hour. If I talk to her, she will stop pestering my mom.
Chelsea
I was leaning on the wall near the club and drinking iced coffee. There were so many cute cafes around because it was a bustling area. I saw couples taking cute pictures together and thought about Sean.
“I know you’re gonna do something stupid,” my friend Maya’s voice rang through my cellphone. “You always do when it comes to dating.”
She had called me after her exams, asking me why she had received a photo of a handsome man. I had explained to her that I was dating Sean, minus us meeting at a strip club and him paying for me at the auction.
“I’m not,” I replied with a small smile, looking at the paper bag I was holding.
I had made tiramisu for him and crocheted a spectacle holder for his glasses.
It had a cute bear’s face on the top. I was going to surprise him after the auction night was over to go over to his penthouse and gift the dessert to him.
“Besides, you’re the one who gave me an idea about sugar daddy,” I accused her, making her chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah, I did,” she sighed, and I heard her voice clearly when she said, “Just make sure you’re safe, okay? He is rich but generous with his money, handsome and kind, which is unheard of. So try to think a little from your head as well and not just your heart. Or vayjayjay, okay?”
“Yes, yes, I will,” I said with a small pout. I knew she meant well, but she was being overprotective. “I’ll call you later. Goodbye, love you, button!”
“Bye-bye! Love you, bubbles.”
I ended the call and stared at the phone screen. I hope I can see her soon.
A floral perfume wafted in my nose, and I found a beautiful woman in a pristine white dress and heels walking inside a cafe.
I raised my brow and watched her through the glass windows.
An air of elegance surrounded her, and not just me, but everyone, was in awe of her beauty.
A man in a suit stood up and hugged her.
Something about the man looked very familiar. From his height to his build. I leaned on the tips of my toes to see who it was, but decided it could be her boyfriend and left.
It was time to parade half-naked for the auction.
My nerves were erratic when an hour later, the man who had bought me for five-hundred thousand dollars came over to me.
I was dressed in a tight red dress that made my skin uncomfortable. It was also quite short, barely reaching my thighs and almost covering my ass cheeks. It was the opposite of the modest white dress Sean had asked me to wear.
“Hi sweetie,” the man greeted me, kissing my cheek before sitting across from me.
I forced a smile. I wanted to get out of there.
Since sex wasn’t on the table, he had decided to use the bar of the strip club. I could sense a hint of desperation and disappointment radiating off of him.
I looked away and forced myself to sit through an hour of boring conversation about stocks, fishing, golfing, and how expensive his clothes were.
“Let’s go dance,” he offered, standing up and watching my tits.
I swallowed and brought my hair in front. “I-I’m sorry I’m not feeling well and?—”
“ Nonsense .” He grabbed my arm. “I bought you for tonight, little girl, so you will do whatever I tell you to.”
My eyes widened and heart rate increased. He dragged me to the dancing stage reserved for guests and twirled me around, his grip tightening on my arm.
“ Stop ,” I said to him, but maybe the music was too loud. “You’re hurting me.”
“Quit being a whiny bitch,” he snarled, his fingers digging into my hips and pulling me to his hips.
My skin was burning, and I hated how he was ordering me around. I slammed the heel of my high pointed heels on the tip of his shoe. He shrieked and let go of me, hopping around to check his feet. I scrambled away and asked the nearby guard for help.
* * *
My head was throbbing when I finally made it to Sean’s apartment building. It was a crazy night, and I wished I had never agreed to the auction night again.
The man was kicked out and banned from the strip club, and the manager compensated me well for the trouble, but I kept feeling icky and… dirty .
Eyes stinging, I went up the elevator to his penthouse. The security guard had remembered me and allowed me in.
My hands shook as I pulled the coat over my body, wanting more warmth. Only a few seconds and I would be in his arms.
Sean had bought me for three million and never made me feel like I was a cheap slut like that man had. I hope he understands and won’t get mad at me.
Shaking my head, I walked over to his door and pressed the doorbell.
I forced a smile on my face and pinched my cheeks lightly to get some blush. The door clicked and opened.
I parted my lips to surprise him, but I froze seeing a woman frowning at me. It was the same stunning woman from the cafe. Her black hair was shiny and curled in perfect waves reaching her waist, her lips painted in red, smudged over to the corner of her lips.
“Who are you?” She asked, tilting her head and eyeing my clothes. Her voice was soft and elegant.
I swallowed and looked over her shoulder where Sean had appeared. He was wearing a formal shirt, top two buttons unbuttoned with a red smudged stain on his shoulder.
My stomach dropped.
“Chelsea?” He leaned closer to the door frame, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”