Chapter 3: Marry Me

Vivienne's POV

As I set my eyes on him, fear gripped me. As much as I am glad he's alive, it's still another trouble to face. He's got this rugged charm with his tousled dark hair and a strong jawline. Despite the bandage on his head, his piercing eyes still shine with confidence and a hint of mystery. There's an undeniable charm about him, a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

"Hey," he said in a deep voice that brought me back to reality.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" I fired back, trying to keep my cool. I figured there was still a way for me to escape this trouble. It was dark, and I could use that as an excuse for not remembering his face.

"But how could I not remember? After everything he made me go through yesterday? Nah," I thought.

"Really? Is that how you want to play this game?" He replied, raising his eyebrows.

"What game? Have we met before?" I asked again, even though I knew what I was doing was stupid. I had to try my luck, at least.

Ah, playing dumb, I see," he chuckled.

"I can see that you really don't have anything to say to me, so if you will excuse me," I said, turning my back to walk away.

"You want the police to ask you instead?" He asked loudly, and I froze in fear.

"Okay, I will do that. Sorry for bothering you," he added, and I turned back to him immediately.

He was now with a phone, and the next thing I heard was, "Hello, I want to report a......" I dragged the phone away from him before he could finish the sentence.

"Can I have my phone?" he demanded.

"Not until you promise not to report me," I retorted, my voice sharper than intended.

"Threatening me after what you did?" he smirked.

"You were the one who assaulted me," I shot back, my anger rising.

"Fine, tell it to the police," he said, retrieving another phone from his pocket.

Panic surged through me as he dialed the number, his intentions becoming alarmingly clear.

"What the heck! What do you want?" I finally asked in fear. He was beginning to act like he was serious about the police thing, and I wasn't ready for a police case right now, especially not when I'm guilty with a sister that needs me.a

He moved towards the long bench to sit as he dialed the number without giving me a reply to my question.

"I said, what do you want?" I asked again, this time loud enough for him to hear me.

"You talking to me?" He asked without looking up at me.

"Petty f*cker," I cursed under my breath.

"I'm ready to do anything, anything at all. Please don't call the police," I pleaded, moving closer to him. That was the only option I had at this point. I had to settle a score with him if I wanted to leave here without cuffs on my hands.

Anything?" he mocked.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to lash out at him.

"Okay then. I........" He tried to stand up.

"There you are," a voice interrupted him from behind, and we both turned back.

It was the doctor in charge of treating my sister, with a man I couldn't recognize in a suit.

"I've been looking for you. Did you read the note on the bed?" He asked, facing me.

"No, what is it, doctor?" I asked impatiently.

"You sure you want me to say it here?" He asked, looking at the man and then to me.

"Yes, I owe him already...."

"So your sister's illness is getting really out of hand. We have to get the surgery done as fast as we can."

"How long does she have to do it?" I asked again.

"Two to three days," he replied, and I just nodded as I tried to control the tears trying to come out from my eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Alexander. Thank you for your support and donations to the hospital," the doctor said to the stranger in front of me and walked away.

"Have this," he said, stretching a paper towards me.

"And this is?" I asked, collecting it.

"You said you were ready to do anything. Don't act smart," he said and walked away.

I looked at the paper. It turned out to be his card with just his name,an address and a phone number written at the back.

"Alexander Monroe? Why does this sound very familiar?" I thought, walking to my sister's ward.

*******

The next morning,

"I can't wait until that time. She has to have that operation in two days, and I don't even have a dime on me," I said loudly.

"I'm sorry, but that's how far I can go in this. If you can't wait till next week, there's no money coming from anywhere," my aunt shouted through the phone.

"For God's sake, aunty, this is our money. Just let us have it," I fired back angrily.

"Your mom said for schooling, not for some random hospital bills, so..."

"My sister's life is at stake here, and you are talking about some school?" I interrupted her.

"Look, Vivienne, I have no more on me till next week, and that's final," she said and ended the call.

I tried calling her back, but it kept declining. She either blocked me or switched off her phone. I went through my contact list, and there was no one who could help me in this situation.

As I considered my next move, Alexander's card burned in my pocket, "I could use this to clear my head," I said, walking out of the hospital gate to trace the address Alexander gave me yesterday.

I was very surprised at where the address led me to—the headquarters of the biggest oil company in the country.

"Is he working here?" I thought. As I stepped foot into the company for the first time, I couldn't help but feel nervous. This is a place I've only seen in fliers or on TV. The sleek glass doors opened before me, revealing a bustling and dynamic environment.

The reception area buzzed with activity as employees hurriedly went about their tasks. I took a deep breath, straightened my posture, and approached the front desk with confidence.

"Hello, good afternoon," I greeted the receptionist.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. How may I assist you?" she replied politely.

"I'm here to see Alex......"

"Hey, you," a familiar voice called behind me, and I turned to see him standing behind me, looking like a Greek God in his well-sewn suit.

"Come with me," he said, walking towards the staircase, and I followed him closely.

As I walked through the halls, I couldn't help but be impressed by the modern decor and the sense of professionalism that permeated the air. It was even looking better than what we saw on TV.

He stopped in front of a door, opened it, and gestured for me to sit down on a chair.

"I don't have time to waste here. I will forget what happened the other night......"

"Really?" I asked loudly interrupting him.

"I'm not done. I will also pay for your sister's hospital bills," he added with a straight face.

"Wait, what? You are joking, right?" I asked, surprised.

"I'm not joking, on one condition," he said.

"And what is that?" I asked impatiently.

"Marry me for 108 days," he replied loudly.

My eyes widened in shock, and my heart skipped a beat as I tried to process what I just heard.