He Wanted Me To Give Him A Child~The Billionaire's Proposal

It seemed nothing in my life was going according to my chartedout plan. As I typed out the letter and waited for my old printer to spit the inked paper out, I hoped the letter would be the one destined to work in my favor. All the emails I had sent received the standard autoresponse and not a single word more. Now, I hoped and prayed that a physical letter would do the magic needed to get my concerns across…

[To,

Mr. Nicholas Rowe,

I am writing to you directly since every other medium of communication with you regarding the Rowe Scholarship has been blocked and exhausted.

I, Willow Taylor, am currently a student at your alma mater, Atkins High School. Three weeks ago, I received a letter from your employee Julia Reyes which stated that I had been selected as the recipient of your prestigious scholarship. As it is awarded to a finalyear student with outstanding scholastic aptitude from Atkins High School, I received the news with great excitement.

Upon realizing that my entire college tuition would be sponsored, I accepted my admission to my first choice of college, Quentin Central University, to start as a firstyear student. Further, I sent Quentin Central University a nonrefundable deposit for my room and boarding. This has significantly impacted my personal savings, which I have spent the last five years working towards in preparation for the above.

However, a week after I received the news that I had secured the scholarship, I was informed by the same employee, Miss Julia Reyes, that there had been a grave miscommunication. A fellow classmate of mine was the initial recipient of the scholarship. You can imagine that this has crushed me both financially and emotionally.

While it is perfectly understandable that a mishap of this nature can occur in a prestigious enterprise such as yours, I pray that you pay attention to my situation. It would be a great honor if you reassessed the aforementioned circumstance and made an exception and fund both the nowappointed winner and me?

I am including a copy of my most recent scholastic transcripts as well as the original essay submission for the scholarship.

Sincerely,

Willow Taylor]

One painful week passed with me checking the mailbox every few hours in a single day. Finally, at the end of the week, I received a response. I rushed to the front door, threw my bag aside, and ripped the envelope open like a savage. Usually, I was the kind who would carefully take out the contents, but my anxiety made me be at the edge. I opened the letter and read the contents.

[Miss Taylor,

Thank you for your interest in RoweHampton, Inc. We are pleased to report that since the merger with Hampton Entertainment, RoweHampton Incorporated has become one of the leading media institutions in the world. As a company, we engage in the production and marketing of entertainment, information products, and OTT services to a global customer base.

I have included a pamphlet on our charitable vertical in response to your inquiry.

All of us at RHI thank you for your viewership and support.

Regards,

Nicholas Rowe

CEO, RoweHampton, Inc.]

My blood boiled hotter with every word I read. I had gotten a copypaste response. Even the signature was digitally placed. Meaning, Nicholas hadn’t even paid attention to the letter.

After all the hoops I had jumped through! My head was about to explode with the weight of explicits threatening to escape my lips.

They had written off their mistake as miscommunication while my entire future was shrouded in darkness because of it. And they had the gall to treat me like an insect who kept lurking around them without cause. There was no way I would take this slight lying down.

If Nicholas Rowe thought he had gotten rid of it, he was grossly incorrect.

.

"Can you believe the audacity? What a bunch of nincompoops, all of them," I grumbled.

I had just finished ranting about the contents of the letter I had received the day before to my best friend Lorelei Adams. With only a couple of weeks left before we graduated high school, it was a chore to get up and ready to attend school. But we were driving towards it together. I sat in the passenger of her Dad’s old car and cursed the neverending bad luck.

"You don’t need to be at their mercy like this. Just come to Quentin with me and we will figure something out.”

I shook my head.

Lory and I had been best friends since we were toddlers. I met her in the neighborhood park in the evening and played with her when my mother was around. We were a year apart but our dreams had lined up. We wanted to get out of Atkins and live in the biggest city in the country… Quentin. The fact that Quentin was over three thousand miles away was considered a bonus, in my opinion.

"I told you already, even if I could get loans on my own, they'd never cover everything." I didn't add that I hated the thought of being kneedeep in debt after graduation. Moreover, no matter how much I tried, I didn’t have anything to leverage a loan against. "And I am absolutely not taking any money from your parents." I looked over at her to make sure she understood. I knew she was thinking about it. "No way," I hammered it in.

I had gotten great grades but I still wasn’t as good as some of my peers. They had good family backgrounds and more time to study than I had after I worked jobs to save up for college. The fact I was a year older than my peers didn’t help either. The only reason I had pushed through all the load was because of Lory. Her enthusiastic and rosetinted approach to life helped to lighten the gloom that surrounded me at all times.

When we pulled in, she turned to me with a question, "So what do you want to do? What is the plan?"

I could see she was just as stressed about it as I was. I had tried to minimize the damage the blow had on my mental state, but she had caught it nonetheless. We had strung our dreams together as we grew up and though it had changed since we were still hoping to be together. She had been admitted to Havens University, and I was accepted into QCU, both in the same city.

I bit back my tears, unwilling to fall into despair. Lory didn’t need to see this.

Everything would have been perfect if I'd received the Rowe Scholarship. I could work a job while taking classes and make enough for my dorm fees. My fists clenched with anger that it was instead going to that piece of turd, Chris Grant. He was headed to the university a stone's throw away from his house. His family could afford his tuition in full and then some. He would probably use the extra money to stock up on alcohol and snacks that would clog his artery.

I hoped he choked on them. Idiot.

"I have to get in contact with Mr. Rowe." That was the only option I had left.

"And how do you intend on doing that?" Lory asked anxiously.

"I have no idea. But I have to find a way to talk to him.” I sighed.

"You mean try to get his nonwork email address or phone number?"

I nodded at her, feeling determined. "Exactly. I need to get both."

I would pester him until he gave me a reasonable solution.

But that was easier said than done. When had things worked out smoothly for little old me?

She must have read my mind because she exclaimed quickly, "You have an evil glint in your eyes. You are supposed to be the levelheaded one of our duo. Why are you acting like me all of a sudden?” she asked. “Okay. Imagine we get our hands on his number… somehow. What happens then? What if it doesn't work? What if he refuses to help you?" She made a great point, but that didn’t make a difference to me.

"He has to, Lory." In my mind, he owed me. I just had to make him realize it.

"All right, then. Operation ‘Get Nicholas Rowe’ starts tonight."

“That is an awfully misleading name.”

I grinned at my best friend. She always knew how to lighten my mood. Yes, the plan was a shot in the dark but with Lorelei on my side, I felt like nothing could stop me.

We walked to class together and I thanked the lord I had her by my side in this life. I didn’t know how I would survive without her support.

.

Lory and I scrambled back to her house right after school ended. I stayed over frequently and had a number of clothes stowed away in her closet. I could just change if I came over suddenly.

"Is your stepdad still planning to end the lease once you graduate?" she asked.

I plopped down on Lory's bed and watched her do something on the computer. She was a genius when it came to computers… in my humble opinion. And I was glad she could put her skills to good use to help me dig out Mr. Rowe’s personal contact information. As to how good she was, I had never tried to test it out before that day.

"Yep. I didn’t tell him about the scholarship mixup." That wouldn’t change anything.

I had to shake off the anxiety that fluttered in my stomach whenever I thought about my life from that moment onwards. The truth was, I had been alone for years. But no longer having a house to call my own would be the nail in the tomb. There was no going back after that.

Oliver was a decent guy. We had always had a pleasant but distant relationship when my mother was around. But it grew more distant afterwards, probably because he was gone most of the time. He worked as a commercial driver, keeping him out on the road instead of at home around the year. When he was around, we politely avoided each other once I started to get into my rebellious phase. Not that we spoke enough to have fights.

"Willow?" Lorelei asked hesitantly. I turned my head to find her watching me. "What happens if this doesn't work? What are you going to do?"

"It has to work." I wrung my hands and stared at my lap stubbornly. "And if it doesn't, then I'm going to Quentin anyway. I could get a job… save up enough to attend college in a few years. I'm going to Quentin no matter what."

"You know you always have me, right?"

I gave her the best smile I could. There was little she wouldn’t do for me. And I felt the same way for her. I didn’t want to take advantage of her feelings, though. I respected her and even though she would share a cot with me if I asked, I wouldn’t. She had put down a deposit for a single housing unit and was leaving two weeks after we graduated. She would be a part of a special program for gifted firstyear students and I didn’t want to put a wrench in her plans.

"I know. I plan on leaving with you. It's all going to work out somehow, Lory."

She patted me on my back. "Yes, it will. We're moving on to bigger and better things. The City of Opportunities won’t know what hit it!"

I grinned as she turned back to the computer.

"Okay, now let's unravel the elusive Mr. Rowe," her voice was filled with determination.

I pulled her beanbag next to the desk and watched as her fingers flew over the keys. I tried to remember what I knew of him… Mr. Rowe, that is. His family came from generational wealth. They had only resided in this area for a short period, during which time Mr. Rowe had graduated from Atkins High School. That was about twelve years ago.

He had attended the best university in the country and started his own entertainment business. Using his own strength and possibly his family's money, he disrupted how people consume television and content, and gained a lot of success in the entertainment business. With the merger between Rowe and Hampton, his company now rivaled the biggest media giants and producers in the world.

"Damn, he's got the looks of an angel!"

I straightened up and looked at the pictures, jolting out of my thoughts from Lory's exclamation. He was definitely a goodlooking man. I could barely stop myself from noticing his chiseled features and piercing eyes. I tore my eyes away before I drooled over her keyboard, effectively ruining it.

"He'd be even better looking if he paid my tuition," I quipped. I gave her a smirk and she laughed.

"Well, he's a step up from Josh." She elbowed me lightly and I scowled at her mention of my exboyfriend.

"You should be the last person to tease me about that. You dated his best friend Tony!"

She groaned as I elbowed her right back. As we were equally embarrassed about our exboyfriends, I didn’t push it further. I chalked it up to learning experience.

"I still believe in true love and soul mates."

I rolled my eyes at her. She was a hopeless romantic. It was all the romance novels she was reading in her free time. I, on the other hand, had slowly given up on the idea of true love. It always seemed to end in tragedy.

"The last thing I'm worried about right now is falling in love. I just want to get out of here and have a bright future. Haven’t you heard? Love flies out of the back door if you are poor?" I tickled her side. "Now, are you going to find me the contact information or just stare at his pretty face?"

"Keep your pants on. I think I have his email. I need more time to get a hold of his personal number. It will be hard, though. That may be a few days."

By the time Lory's mom informed us dinner was served, we had already crafted an email and sent it off. I carefully told him the same thing as in my previous letter and hoped this would get a different treatment.

However, desperate times called for desperate measures. And I was beyond desperate.

I was finished with my final exams and our graduation ceremony was a week away.

The clock was ticking and I had no other option. It was now or never.

I sat on the dining table, the timer on the oven keeping me company in the empty house. I stared at the empty message box with Mr. Rowe’s number on the top. I had never been so jittery in my life. Even though I had expansive notes on how to approach the conversation and made a reactive diagram for all the possible responses he could give, I didn’t feel prepared. I had a sinking feeling that I would put my foot in my mouth the second he answered his phone.

He would definitely cut the call when he realized I was a complete lunatic. This was if he answered the call from an unknown number.

I knew I was deferring the inevitable and hoping it would never happen. The longer I contemplated, the worse my mental state would be.

Finally, I put my foot down and sent a text message. I was better to start out with written words. I typed out a short message and my thumb hovered over the send button for an awfully long time before I couldn't stand it any longer. I closed my eyes and prayed to all the higher beings as I hit the send.

[I need to talk to you.]

In my deranged mindset, the message was just creepy enough to spark some interest. He wouldn’t automatically ignore it. It also didn’t give away enough information that he would block me immediately. I set the cellphone down on the table and barely breathed as I begged him to respond.

I almost burst into tears of joy when my phone buzzed with an incoming message five minutes later.

[Who is this?]

I gulped. If he was intentionally avoiding ‘Willow Taylor’ as a nuisance, he would block any further texts that I sent after telling him my identity. On the other hand, he would definitely block me if I remained cryptic and didn’t give him a name. I mulled over what I should do before realizing he could search my name on a call app easily. There was no harm in answering truthfully. I would have to reveal myself at some point.

[Willow Taylor]

It didn't take long for a response to arrive.

[I think you have the wrong number.]

I blinked in surprise. I was almost sure he didn’t recognize my name from the emails. It made me suspicious if he had even seen them in the first place. It was not a farfetched idea.

Either way, he couldn’t brush me off this time around. My fingers thrummed over the screen at lightning speed. I was scared to be a second late and miss the chance to carry on the conversation with him. He was a busy man, who knew how long he had to text with a stranger.

[I have the correct number if I reached Mr. Nicholas Rowe.]

I started to worry after five minutes without a response. When the phone buzzed again, my shoulders sagged with relief. I must have been holding my breath all the while.

[Miss Taylor, do I know you?]

I quickly wrote a response.

[I wouldn’t say so, but it is imperative that I speak with you.]

Before I could add in more words, he had already responded.

[I don't have time for this. I'm late for a dinner meeting.]

Was he ancient? He couldn’t multitask? What kind of a boss was he? I rolled my eyes before answering him.

[May I call you, then?]

I jumped out of my body when my phone rang. I hadn’t expected him to call me directly. He was definitely a man of action. I felt nauseous as I sucked in a deep breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Taylor. Can you tell me what this is about?" he asked.

My anxiety erupted like a volcano at the sound of his low and confident voice. My tongue felt like lead in my mouth and my limbs were cold with fright. "I… uh… I…" I wanted to bury myself in the misery of being unable to speak without stammering.

I reached for my notes, but in my nervous stupor, my hands shook and I knocked them all over the floor. When I bent down to pick my notes up, my head felt heavy and I dropped to my knees in a humiliating manner. I rolled around on the floor as my phone slipped far away on the floor from the impact. I went crawling to it, wondering what else I could ruin before the end of this call. I was an utter mess.

"Hello? Are you alright, Miss Taylor?"

I grasped the phone in my unsteady hand, deciding it was better to stay seated on the floor than to try to get up and feel the sting in my knees. "Yeah… um… I'm all right. Sorry. I slipped."

He sighed. "Look, Miss Taylor. I must hang up. Please tell me what this is about without wasting any more time." His demand made me straighten my spine and find the resolve I needed to talk. If I didn’t say everything right then, I knew for a fact I would never get the chance again. He would block me ruthlessly.

"I am graduating from Atkins High School in a week’s time. I was informed that I was the recipient of your yearly scholarship but later it was retracted on the account of an error. The scholarship has been since awarded to someone else. The retraction came after I had accepted a spot at QCU and I have already spent all my savings for room and board. I was dependent on the scholarship to attend college and I believe I deserve it. Mr. Rowe, I want you to fund my education as well.”

My breath rushed out immediately after I had said my piece. I crossed my fingers and hoped that he had gotten a gist of the situation.

"You want me to fund your education?" He sounded almost incredulous.

I narrowed my eyes, my previous anger returning in the fraction of a second. "Yes. I shouldn't have to suffer because of your employee's mistake."

I clamped my mouth shut, instantly regretting my inability to control myself. I was trying to placate the man and get him to help me. Still, I blurted out rude and disrespectful things that would offend him. That was certainly not the way to go. He would shut me down because of my incomprehensible and idiotic behavior.

What was wrong with me?

There was only silence on the other end of the phone.

"I'm sorry," I rushed to apologize. "I didn't mean to be rude. But I am in desperate need of that scholarship. It is my last hope of making something of myself, Mr. Rowe."

I refused to work as a cashier at the supermarket for the rest of my life. Just because I didn’t have a conventional family, I didn’t deserve to be kicked away by the world.

His silence was deafening. I counted to sixty, wondering if he was even on the call any longer.

"Hello?" I spoke tentatively.

"I will look into this socalled scholarship miscommunication. I will contact you myself when I have determined the steps going forward. Please wait until then."

It was the best outcome I could have hoped for. I didn’t expect him to jump and tell me I would be funded too. I couldn’t help but be happy even though he sounded displeased with the situation.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Rowe. You have no idea how much this means to me. I've sent you several emails with all my information previously."

He probably thought I was stalking him. And my behavior indicated that I kind of had.

"As I said, I will look into it." He paused for a moment and I held my breath. "I just have one last question for you," he said, causing me to freeze. "How did you get my personal number, Miss Taylor?"

"I prefer to be called Willow," I blurted out, trying to defer answering.

I begged myself to stop blubbering. I dug a deeper hole every time I spoke. He could call me anything he wanted as long as he gave me the scholarship. His tired exhale reached my ear, and I fidgeted, knowing he was beyond frustrated with me.

"Fine. Willow, how did you get this number?” he repeated.

"I… uh…"

"Tell me the truth," he demanded. He left no wriggle room for me to get out of answering.

"I asked my friend to find your information. I am not sure how it was retrieved.” My voice was soft and I wasn't sure he heard me. There was no way I would tell him we had gone through illegal means. And I would not tell him who my friend was, either!

"I will be in touch,” he said before hanging up. He sounded furious and I knew I was done for.

It took me a long time to sort my thoughts and emotions out and get off the floor. I called Lory and relayed the information. Of course, I left out the part where I vaguely admitted to criminal conduct and ratted her out. If she found out, she would smack me. Her excitement was so palpable that I had to put some distance between my phone and my ear.

But not even the little bump in the road could wipe off the grin on my lips. So what if he sounded angry? He said he would investigate the matter personally and give me a response. That had to count for something!

"Willow, my dude! How about one last fling tonight at my place? We’ll party our heads off!"

I turned around with a deadpan and flipped Chris Grant off. If the crowd wasn’t dressed in robes and waiting in line to receive the high school diploma, I would have punched him in the face. Maybe another person would knee him for harassment, but I wanted to be nowhere near his weenie. Not even if he were the last man on the earth and it was upon me to repopulate it.

I was in a terrible mood already and dealing with the asshole ticked me off further. It had been a week since the call with Mr. Rowe and I had yet to hear back. I had come to the consensus with Lory that if he didn’t call me by that night, I would call him myself.

I was scared that calling him would make the situation worse… that he would get pissed off and dismiss me. The only thing holding me together was that he was across the country and he couldn’t kill me for pestering him.

“Yeah, Willow. You should come to the party tonight.”

I looked to my side and found Joan Ray smiling at me. I stopped myself from shuddering at her voice. There was just something about it that was akin to nails on a chalkboard.

"I’ll pass."

My idea of fun didn’t include being packed into a house with sweaty and drunk people. It also didn’t include being puked on or groped.

"Are you sure? We might never see each other again."

I thanked god in advance if that were the case. I would donate to whatever charity the higher power wanted if they made it come true.

"I bet I will live."

She huffed in irritation at my words. It was hard to resist rolling my eyes.

Joan was a part of a duo with Sasha. They had been downright aggressive since the beginning of high school and nicknamed me "Little Orphan Willow". Much to my displeasure, the nickname caught on when Joan accused me of trying to steal her boyfriend. You ask who that is? Chris Grant. The man I wouldn’t take help from even if I was drowning.

The bullying taught me how to take a step back… become a wellsettled person. That was the only good thing that came out of it.

"So, which college will you be attending?"

Of course, Joan knew the answer. Everyone in our school knew of the scholarship drama between Chris and I. And I also knew she was fishing for gossip to spread later on.

“I have decided to dig wells in Africa,” I said blandly. I loved seeing her mouth drop open in shock. I threw a stereotype at her sarcastically and she accepted it without a word. She didn’t even point out how horrible my statement was. Our school needed to restructure the education they gave to students. How was this girl going to survive in the world? “You should pay attention. Your name will be called soon and you don’t want to miss it,” I warned her.

I had to applaud her for graduating with shitty grades. This gave me some comfort. If she could make something of herself, I could do as well. If I kept saying it, it would happen.

Luckily, she turned away from me. I could see Lory waving at me from her seat. I looked past her and at the crowd and a wave of sadness overcame me. It was hard to have no family of my own watching me at this milestone.

I should have been angry. I should have screamed and cried about how unfair it was. But what was the point of it? Nothing would change if I felt sorry for myself. And I was never going to beg Oliver to stay when he had made it clear he wanted to cut ties.

And I was certain I would someday find a place in the world I could call mine. Somewhere where I was wanted and needed.

As I scanned over the faces in the crowd, my eyes landed on a pair of eyes staring right back. It was a man in a dark suit who could have been extended family for any of my classmates. Yet, a strange feeling of familiarity washed over me. I could have sworn I had seen him around town several times over the last few days. Our neighborhood consisted of families that had lived here for decades, so a new face was easy to spot.

I hated to say but he was ordinary looking. With light brown hair, he had nothing particularly distinguishable about him. As I continued to stare, I realized I had seen him near the administrative room at school. He had also bought things at the supermarket a few nights ago when I was manning the cash counter.

But why was he staring at me?

I shrugged off my concerns and raised my head when my name was called. Much to my shock, I heard a small but distinct round of applause as I walked over to receive my diploma. I gave Lory a smile and turned to her parents with a small nod. I found some of my coworkers from the supermarket too. At least there were a small group of people that had some care about me.

The ceremony ended shortly after I took my seat. Our school didn’t allow hats to be thrown into the air. The graduation gown and hat were rented and losing them would lead to a big fine. I gave back my robes before the others who took pictures with their family. I had little emotional attachment to all things school related. The only thing I needed was the documentation.

"It's finally over!" Lory took me into a bear hug before dragging me toward her family.

"Congratulations on graduating, girls." Mrs. Adams hugged us both. "Willow, will you join us for dinner?"

They had reserved a table for a celebratory dinner. Though I knew I was welcome, I was not in the mood to join in. I had much more pressing issues to focus on.

"Thank you for inviting me, but I think I have to pack everything at home."

She looked sad as she nodded in understanding. Before Lory could try to change my mind, I was ushered away by the wellwishes of my coworkers from the supermarket. Even the owner handed me a gift card.

“This should help you buy things for college,” he said.

"Thank you," I told him softly.

"You’ll be sorely missed, Willow. But don’t forget us while you are living in the big city. I will be waiting for you to make a name there." I knew he was simply teasing, but I couldn’t joke back.

Make a name for myself? If I was lucky I would have a shoe box to live in and food in my stomach. I had to repress the dissatisfaction from being ignored by Mr. Rowe.

Lory found me again and pulled me aside. "Are you sure you want to go home?" she asked. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“I will be fine. I am just not in the mood to celebrate.”

She was silent for a moment. “I will go over to your house after dinner. Packing is better when you have someone to accompany you.”

"Okay." She wasn’t wrong. I would have her by my side rather than being alone in that empty house. I didn’t need a hand to pack my meager belongings, though.

"Willow, hop into the car. We will drop you at your house on our way," Mrs. Adams called out.

"Thank you," I told her.

Lory threaded her arm through mine as she spoke in low tones. “Will you call him when you go home?” she questions.

“I have no other choice,” I said. There was no time left to dillydally. I had to contact him.

If only it were that easy.

“How about you wait until I return to make the call? It won’t be late then.” She knew how nervous I was to call. Everything was riding on Mr. Rowe’s decision.

"I’ll let time decide." I remained noncommittal. I would fake being relaxed until I felt it completely. If I kept using Lory as a crutch, I would never be able to stand up on my own.

The conversation remained light on the ride back. They all knew to steer clear of my immediate future. I hopped out of the car and heard Lory yell that she would see me soon. Once inside the house, I stripped off my formal clothes and rushed towards my phone. I was appalled that the school didn’t allow phones at the graduation ceremony. Some of the people in the education industry were still living in the dark ages.

I groaned in frustration when I saw that I had no notifications.

I threw myself on the bed and tried to calm myself. There was a possibility he was busy and didn’t have time to call me. I really wanted to think he was a good guy. That he would give me a chance.

I was startled out of my thoughts when the doorbell rang.

"Just come in, Lory," I yelled as I ran downstairs. I yanked the front door open, ready to chew her out for rushing her celebratory dinner. Instead, I came face to face with the stranger in the dark suit who had been staring at me during the graduation ceremony.

I should have looked through the loophole before opening the door. I was an idiot!

I was having a breakdown right at my front door. I was close to slamming the door shut and hide in my room, but my shock prevented me from moving.

"Willow Taylor?" His voice was low and nonthreatening. But what would I know what threats sounded like?

My thoughts ran at the pace of lighting: Who was the guy? Was he stalking me?

He noticed I was scared and held his hands up in surrender. He even offered me a guilty smile.

“You may rest assured, Miss Taylor. I mean no harm. My name is Virgil and Mr. Rowe sent me to speak with you.”

My mind went blank for a split second before I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at him.

“Please call Mr. Rowe if you are uncomfortable with me. You can confirm my identity with you before you speak to me.”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I glance at my phone, hatching a plan in my head. There was no way in hell I would allow a stranger inside my house on his word alone.

“Please wait here,” I said and started closing the door. I saw him give a short nod before I shut it completely and bolted the door.

I walked into the kitchen and called Mr. Rowe quickly.

"Hello, Miss Taylor."

It sounded like he knew I would be calling. His voice dripped with smugness and I could practically see the smirk on that pretty face of his.

I sucked in a deep breath so that I didn’t reprimand him badly. “Mr. Rowe, there is a man at my front door, claiming that you sent him.”

“Yes. That is Virgil. You can trust him.”

I was tiptoeing at the edge of exploding in anger.

“I would have appreciated a text or a call warning me that you were sending a stranger to my house.”

He snorted. “And those are the words of a girl who may or may not have used illegal means to get a hand on my private information. If I didn’t play along, what fun would there be?”

I had to curse him for his comeback. He must have caught my reaction because he chuckled.

“You effectively scared me, thank you very much, Mr. Rowe.”

"You have no reason to be scared. Virgil can be a nice guy."

“If he is such a nice guy, why is he following me around?”

He was silent for a moment. "Virgil was complying with my wishes. I had some things that needed to be investigated."

I didn't understand what he was saying. He was speaking vaguely and I was growing tired of how he avoided the main issue at hand.

"Mr. Rowe, you have kept me waiting for a week without a word. Can you put me out of my misery and just tell me what your decision is?"

He clucked his tongue. “Patience… Listen to what Virgil has to say. And if you have any further questions, you may call me back.”

‘May?’ The nerve of this man!

"I ‘may’ call you back? Listen, you—"

"What was that?" he interrupted.

I snapped my lips shut before I could say something I would regret. "Nothing."

"Oh? I do like your fire, Willow."

If I ever met the man, I would show him how it felt to be burned by the fire. "You have only seen the tip of the iceberg," I said in a saccharine tone.

"Moving elements, are we? I'm counting on it," he replied coolly, continuing on before I could reply, "Will you speak to Virgil?"

"Do you promise he doesn’t have bad intentions? I do not like the idea of allowing a stranger inside my house."

“I can assure you that he bears you no ill will. I don’t have the time to send someone across the country to harm you.”

He had a point.

"You could be petty, for all I know. But if you aren’t pretty, maybe not."

“I am not petty.” He paused to think about what he would say next. "Virgil is my head of security and I trust him with my life."

I believed him. A breath I didn’t know I was holding left me.

“I will talk to him. But I will call you immediately after. I need to know what is happening since I am in midst of packing everything I own.”

"Trust me."

Trust him? How arrogant.

I walked back to the door after hanging up and peered through the peephole. Virgil was waiting patiently where I had left him. He hadn’t moved a muscle.

I opened the door slowly. “I spoke to Mr. Rowe. Please come in.” I really had no idea what to say or what his intentions were.

He entered slowly and stood in the hall, allowing me to put space between us if I so wished.

“I think you should sit down, Miss Taylor.”

I led him to the kitchen and took a seat as he had instructed. He sat down across from me and his eyes darted to the phone tightly gripped in my hand. I was prepared in case I needed to call the police.

Virgil reached into his suit and pulled out a letter. He slid it across the table toward me. I glanced at the envelope before looking back at him. He smiled at me warmly, making me feel less scared.

“I can see that you are uncomfortable, so I won’t waste time.”

I shifted in my seat. “I just want to know what is happening. Why are you here?”

He nodded. "I'm here to escort you to Quentin. We leave in the morning."

"What?"

He chuckled. "We leave for Quentin tomorrow morning," he repeated slowly.

I digested his words slowly. Did I understand the meaning of his words correctly? Was Mr. Rowe funding my college education?

"Miss Taylor?"

I shook my head to clear it and looked at Virgil, the security guy. He was still waiting for me to respond.

"I—what do you mean? Why am I going tomorrow? How am I going?" I babbled.

Virgil surely thought I was stupid. He tapped his finger on the envelope, trying to push my attention back to it. "Why don't you read the letter and then we can talk?"

I leaned forward and picked it up, wondering if I would get good news inside.

“Please,” I chanted to myself as I opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. I treated it like a prized treasure as I read the first two words.

[Dear Miss Taylor,

I have looked into the mixup regarding the Rowe Scholarship personally after our conversation. It was an error on our end that led to this misunderstanding. Mr. Grant was and is the rightful recipient of the scholarship. His expansive extracurricular activity background and scholastic achievements are the reason for this decision.

However, I took it upon myself to read your essay and other documents. I found your ideas and experiences intriguing, which doesn’t happen often.

You must already know that my head of security has checked on you. I felt that it was necessary to use the same methods as you to find out about your background. What was found has piqued my interest and that bodes well for you, Miss Taylor.

Of course, that is only if you so wish.

On that note, I will assure you that your concerns regarding your scholarship will be taken care of. I have decided that you will be taken care of after we discuss some serious matters.

The first condition is a meeting between the two of us.

I have confirmed that you no longer have any responsibilities at Atkins and therefore, I would like to invite you to Quentin. It would be at my expense and I would like to further discuss your future.

Deepest regards,

Nicholas Rowe]

I read the letter multiple times and remained in shock. I was sure Virgil could hear my heart pounding from across the table. I looked up to find him scrutinizing me.

Mr. Rowe had billions of dollars to his name. Paying my tuition would be like handing fifty bucks to a homeless person, which I would be in a few days. Still, I didn’t understand why he wanted to meet me when he knew everything there was to know.

“I don’t understand why he wants to meet me.” I was on edge but Virgil remained perfectly calm.

"Miss Taylor, it is not my place to divulge the reason."

I sighed at how formal he was. "You can call me Willow."

He ignored my request.

"You have to tell me something! You said I could ask you questions after I read the letter. Why does he insist on meeting me?"

He remained silent for a good minute. "Are you scared of actually meeting him? Your determination made it seem like you were fearless."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not scared. I am intimidated and I don't like being kept in the dark."

"Well,” he started. “I can only confirm that Mr. Rowe only wishes the best for you. I could say with authority that he is taken with you."

My eyes widened at his assertion and swallowed thickly. "Taken with me?" I squeaked.

He gave a short nod and smiled. "He wouldn’t have sent me to escort you otherwise."

"What does that mean?"

He smirked. "I'm the best."

I snorted. "The best at what?" It seemed my personality came out even at the face of fear and confusion.

He laughed. "In general, a lot of things. But with regards to you: protection."

We were talking in circles again. I had to get back on the right track.

"Why would I need protection?"

Virgil removed a piece of lint from his pants. "Like I said, Mr. Rowe is taken with you. I should add that he is a worrywart."

I suddenly understood.

"I understand that he is hesitant to pay for my tuition. I promise I would never abuse his trust or use the money for anything other than college."

Virgil blinked quickly as if in confusion. “Out of everything I said, you took that away?” he asked. The look on his face was almost offensive.

“Is there another way to understand it? I recognize that he is wary because of how aggressive I was. I just want to reassure him that I would never do something that would make him doubt his decision to help fund my education. He is rightfully protective of his assets and privacy. And I respect that.”

He chuckled again. "I am glad you got one part of it correct." He shook his head and then his eyes shifted to look around the house. “Are you packed to leave in the morning?”

"Can you estimate how long this trip will be? I planned on moving to Quentin with my friend in a few weeks time."

"I know," Virgil said cryptically.

"Should I ask how you know?" I narrowed my eyes again.

“There is little I don’t know about you. Like I said, I am the best in the industry.” He shot me a cocky grin and I huffed.

"Okay, Mr. Knowitall, can you answer my question?" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. I had the scary thought that I would be surrounded by arrogant males from that moment onwards.

He shrugged. "I can’t give you information I don’t have. The duration of your stay will depend entirely on you, in my opinion.”

‘Wasn’t that helpful!’ I frowned and looked down at my phone, wondering if I should call Mr. Rowe or not. I had no idea how much to pack or what to bring to this trip. Maybe I needed Lory to pull me out of my misery and reassess everything.

“I might be able to pack by tonight,” I mumbled mostly to myself.

“That would be great.” I looked at him again. “Mr. Rowe might now allow you to escape once he has you in his clutches.” He looked awkward when he accentuated the statement with a wink. I hadn’t expected it from him.

“That is ridiculous.” I was in disbelief.

Virgil was teasing me, but the realization didn’t stop the flurry of excitement in my stomach to dissipate. I blushed as I wondered if I was in way over my head.

He finally broke the silence. "Can I be of assistance in packing?"

"No, no. I can do it myself. Besides, I won’t take much with me for this trip. The dorm room won’t allow students to move in this early and I don’t have another place to stay. It doesn’t make sense to travel with a lot of things."

He smiled like he knew something I didn’t. I couldn’t get any straight answers out of him.

"As you say." He extended his hand to shake mine. "It has been lovely speaking to you, Miss Taylor. I will be here at sharp eight in the morning. Please be ready by then.” He reached into his suit and pulled out a card to hand me. "If you require assistance before that, call me on this number."

He got up from his seat and walked to the door. I followed after him. Right before he left he turned to me with kind eyes. "Miss Taylor, you have no reason to feel intimidated by Mr. Rowe. You hold immense power and you just don’t know it yet.”

He turned and walked out immediately, leaving me speechless in the doorway. I offered him a small wave as he started the car. When the car was out of sight, I closed the door and plopped down on the couch to collect my thoughts.

‘What the hell is happening?’

.

"Oh. My. God. Willow!" Lory shook as she read the letter again. I had told her everything that happened after Virgil arrived and she had been screaming ever since.

"I know!" I had long shaken off the excitement and fear. I was simply taping boxes filled with books. Lory finished her pacing and put her hands on my old suitcase packed with clothes for my trip to Quentin. “What is your take on the situation?” I asked.

"I think Mr. Rowe has a crush on you."

I started to laugh. When she didn’t follow, I looked at her in surprise and found that she was serious! But the suggestion was ridiculous.

“Don’t be absurd, Lory. He is a highly successful man while I am a hopeless country bumpkin. As if that isn’t enough, he doesn’t know me. I have only spoken to him over call. Then you have to factor that he is older and… him.” Even the thought of him liking me was hilarious.

“What do you think Virgil meant when he said his boss was taken with you?” She waited for me to answer.

“I don’t know. But it is not anything romantic. This is not a fairytale.” I hated to burst her bubble but I knew better than to dwell on fantasies. “He thinks of me as a charity case. And if that is what it takes for him to fund my education, so be it. I will swallow my pride for a shot at a better life. I am a beggar, Lory.”

“Why are you so cynical, Willow? You act like an old cat lady. Just because your life hasn’t been a garden of roses until this point, it doesn’t mean nothing good can happen to you after.” She sighed. “You asked for honesty and that is what I am giving you. As an outsider, I am telling you that you are more than a charity case for Mr. Rowe.”

"You’re out of your mind. Did you know the rags crowned him the most eligible bachelor in Quentin? He could cherry pick a harem of women if he wanted and no one would bat an eye. But you know what wouldn’t catch his eyes? A downonherluck girl whom he has never seen before. It is an absurd idea even for you.”

“Maybe he has a fetish?” She dodged the book I threw at her, laughing as she tossed some clothes into a pile. "You can bet your fabulous ass that he has seen you, Willow."

I was baffled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" She pursed her lips and shook her head as she picked up a top. "This Virgil guy has been following you for a few days. Do you believe that he didn’t snap a few pictures and sent it to his boss?"

Her words had merit. I would be naive if I thought that way. I thought about how I felt that Mr. Rowe had seen pictures of me. It confused me more since I couldn’t imagine I would be of interest to someone like him. He had been seen with several highprofile and gorgeous women on several occasions.

“You make Mr. Rowe sound like a serial killer using his wealth to lure unsuspecting women into his lair to kill them. But that is more possible than the fantasy you have painted,” I told her grimly.

I knew I was pretty. I had received compliments about my looks and thought the same. But I was also a realist.

Lory was my biggest cheerleader, so she would never pay me attention when I thought myself short of Miss Universe.

"The real hindrance to your Cinderella story is the contents of your wardrobe." She looked defeated by what she saw in my luggage. Lory was smart and she enjoyed dressing up. I, on the other hand, had never had the inclination to dress up to impress anyone. But I was going to Quentin to meet Mr. Rowe and I had to look my best.

"What should I wear when I meet him?" I asked finally.

I could call him and find out what the schedule for the next few days was.

Lory’s response was to throw a critical look at my clothes. “I brought whatever clothes you had at my place. The choices are limited.” She even whined about my lack of a basic skirt.

"I apologize for my crimes."

“Don’t joke right now. There is an extremely attractive man pining for you and you don’t even have a set of clothes to wear in front of him.” She followed up with a snicker and I threw another book at her.

“That sentence was so wrong that I don’t want to start commenting on it.” I pouted.

“I had a sizing issue with one of my clothes. I think they will fit you. That would be perfect.” She pulled open a bag that I had hidden in the bottom drawer and shook her head. “You never wore this set, did you?” she asked.

I cringed, feeling guilty that I hadn’t worn the set of underwear she had gifted me on one of our trips to the mall.

“I am sorry, you know I don’t like panties that go up my butt crack.”

Lory rolled her eyes. She pulled out the set. “A good pair of underwear can make you feel powerful. Even if you are the only one who ever sees you in them.”

I shrugged. "I do not have a reason to feel sexy."

"Oh, yes, you do! You will have Mr. Rowe eating out of your palm. Didn’t you always want to live the high life, here is your oneway ticket to it. But you have to act like you belong there. You have to do that to make the best of it. What are your thoughts?"

“He is willing to help me with my tuition. Don’t immerse yourself in a flight of fantasy that will never happen. Moreover, I am not trying to seduce him, Lory.”

I kept to myself how the fantasy made the butterflies in my stomach flutter.

Could I be sexy and seductive?

I snorted. Mr. Rowe had socialites and celebrities hanging from his arm at every public event he had been photographed at. I could not compare to those women who had a team of people keeping them pretty and classy. I had to get my head out of the clouds before I plummeted to the ground without a parachute. My aim was to work my ass off at college and make something out of myself. I had to remember that I was not on a mission to seduce an older, rich man.

“I know exactly what you are thinking! Don’t you dare put yourself down.” She leveled me with a stern look. "Willow, you are beautiful. Mr. Rowe is obviously attracted to you, we just don’t know why yet. But please stop doubting yourself."

She walked over and pulled me into a hug. I had to control my eye roll in fear that I would be smacked. Ah, yes, friends were the ones who inflated our egos to the high heavens. Case in point: Lorelei Adams.

I squeezed her back. "I love you, Lory."

"I love you, too. You're my sister from another mister and you are going to charm his pants off." She giggled and I smiled at her naivety. "Come on. You're almost packed up. Let's go to my place and get some other clothes that might fit you."

She drove us to her house and talked me into taking some of her more revealing clothes. Clothes that hurt my conservative sentimentality and looked too small to fit me. I scoffed when she mentioned it would fit me tight and that was a good thing. Still, I allowed her to stuff a small bag full of those clothes. I had no intention of wearing them but I wasn’t going to dampen her enthusiasm.

On our way back, I brought up what Virgil had said to me one more time. "What do you think he meant that I had more power than I thought?” I asked. I couldn’t get his words out of my head.

Lory glanced over with a smirk. “It means Mr. Rowe wants you.”

I grumbled, making her laugh. I had a nagging feeling that I was missing a big piece of the puzzle and Lory didn’t help me figure it out.

“Why are you taking this turn?” I asked when she turned onto a side street that didn’t lead to my house.

“Loosen up, Willow. You need to loosen up now, more than ever. This will be your last drink to say goodbye to all these losers and show them you will have a better life than all of them. Then we will head back to your place.”

I grunted. “I don’t want to go Grant’s party,” I told her.

“One drink,” she promised.

I gave in quickly. As long as she had one drink, I could leave.

Still, I had a terrible premonition. My gut clenched, screaming at me that something would go wrong. I wanted to stay out in the car, but the idea didn’t fly with Lory. Finally, she dragged me inside with her. The lights were too dim and I had to squint to evade the sweaty and unsteady bodies everywhere. The music pumped loudly, inducing a terrible headache I was sure would get worse when I started my travel.

I was surprised the cops hadn’t been called yet. The neighbors were finicky people who called the cops at the drop of a hat… This was a special gesture for the new graduates, maybe?

I followed closely behind Lory, using her as a shield to not touch people. I moved through the throngs of my former classmates and plenty of people whom I didn’t recognize in the least. When we reached the kitchen, Lory grabbed two cans of beer and held one out to me.

I sipped at mine cautiously as Lory talked to some of our classmates… the ones who were not horrible.

"Willow!" I was startled as one of the idiots from my senior class threw his arm around my shoulder and crushed me to his body.

"Get off me," I choked out, making him laugh and loosen his grip. I shoved his shoulder lightly, but my stinkeye was in full force. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, babe. I didn’t think you would show up."

"I only stepped in for a minute. I’ll say my goodbyes and leave."

"Well, Chris will be happy," the other said.

‘Terrific. That is what I need.’ I thought sarcastically.

"Come on, Willow. Let's go do a lap around the place and then get out of here." Lory pulled me away from the guy’s grasp.

Lory stopped every other second to chat… more like shouting at people over the loud music. Somewhere in the middle of the ground floor, I lost sight of her. I decided to go outside ahead of her, knowing she would end up there eventually. I was better off outside, anyway.

After smelling the beer on several people and being stepped on, I was more than ready to shove people away to get outside. I finally reached the door and was relieved as the cool night air hit my face.

Sweet, sweet relief.

I knew one thing for sure after attending the party, I would have zero regrets about leaving these people behind. There wasn’t a single person inside apart from Lory who I cared to keep in my life. I set my almost full can of beer on the porch railing and leaned over to look out into the road.

I yelped when someone sneaked up behind me and put their hands on either side of me, trapping me.

“I just knew you would come,” he whispered in my ear. I smelled the liquor and felt my skin crawl at his hot breath on me.

‘Fucking Grant.’

I jabbed my elbow back, enjoying the grunt of pain it elicited from Grant. Yet his arms tightened around me so that I couldn’t wriggle out. Slowly, I felt anxiety grip me.

“You’re always playing hard to get, you minx.” I felt something moist on my neck and felt like puking. He had just licked me!

I was going to kill Lory for dragging me when I got out of here.

"Get the fuck off me, asshole!" I tried to stomp on his feet, but he easily lifted me off my feet and laughed.

"I know you want me, Willow. You wouldn't come to my house if that were the case. You stood outside here so that I could see you alone. So, let's make our farewell worth remembering."

He was drunk but his grip was still unbreakable. Worry was more pressing than the disgust I felt when she started to carry me off the porch and around the house towards the back. I screamed out again, kicking my legs at him and using all my strength to fight him off.

Suddenly, his arms were gone and I was dropped to the ground. I spun around, ready to fight him. Instead, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Virgil had Chris up against the side of the house, his forearm around Chris’ neck, cutting off his air. I stood frozen, watching Chris struggle for air as Virgil pushed him harder against the wall. His eyes blazed with anger.

“I promise you a painful death if you ever touch her again. Understood?” Virgil’s word held a promise. I could tell it wasn’t a threat and I backed away slowly.

A million thoughts ran through my head in that split second. I was thankful for Virgil being there. I shuddered at the possibility of what might have happened if he hadn’t arrived on time.

I was beyond pissed at Chris. I was mad at myself for not being cautious. I wondered why and how Virgil knew to be there. And I was a little scared Virgil would really kill Chris.

I tried to calm myself and moved toward Virgil. I put my hand on his arm, ready to stop him. “It’s okay, Virgil. Please don’t hurt him. I just want to leave,” I said urgently.

Virgil shoved Chris against the wall one last time before he let go. Chris dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, gasping for air. I stepped in front of him, shoved his foot apart, and kicked him hard in the groin. I felt a smile spread across my lips at the pitiful groan that left him.

Virgil touched my elbow and guided me to the driveway before I could do any more damage.

He walked so fast that I struggled to keep up with him. I had so many questions to ask, but in the end, I just remembered that Lory was still inside. I stopped immediately and pulled away from him. He stopped as well and turned to look at me with confusion.

“How… why did you appear right on time?”

“I am just doing the job assigned to me.”

I stared at him, recalling his words. He had come to Atkins to collect me. To protect me. I felt like an object that could be dragged anywhere anyone wanted and I was confused about it.

“Were you following me?” I asked cautiously.

"I have to ensure your safety." He never gave me a proper answer. "By the way… you have a stellar kick."

Before I could get another question in, I saw Lory rush out of the front door.

"There you are! I was looking for you everywhere." She ran up to us and hesitated when she saw Virgil standing next to him. She looked him up and down before asking, "Who are you?"

"Miss Adams." Virgil nodded to her, and then looked at me again. "I believe it is time for the two of you to head back home. I am sure Miss Taylor will explain everything in detail later." He took my elbow again and led me to Lory’s car. "I will follow the car from a safe distance to make sure you are inside the house without a problem."

With that, he walked to his car and slipped in. He waited until we had started to drive to follow us. Lory kept staring at the car in the rearview mirror as she drove.

"What in the world was that about?"

I had no way to answer her question. I was still muddled with what had just transpired.

"That was Virgil," I said dumbly.

“I gathered that. But what happened and why was he there?”

I tried to clear my mind. I told her what had happened with Chris and how Virgil showed up right on time.

“Holy hell. I am so sorry, Willow. I had no idea Christ would do something like that. I feel like shit for forcing you to go.”

I waved her off. I was not angry with her. “Don’t apologize for that asshole. Why does his conduct have to do anything with you?”

Right now, there was a bigger situation plaguing me apart from Chris’ drunken advance.

“Uh… I think this situation with Mr. Rowe is more than I can handle,” I told her honestly.

We remained silent until Lory pulled into my driveway. When we stepped into the house, I saw Virgil sitting in his car. He only drove off when I closed the door after getting inside.

We stood there at the window long after Virgil had left. After a while, Lory looked at me before she spoke. “You’re right.”

Only a few seconds passed since that sentence was uttered that my phone started to ring.

"It's him," I whispered to Lory, looking down at the cellphone screen to find Mr. Rowe’s name flashing on it. My heart was about to pound out of my ribcage as my finger hovered over the accept button. I sucked in a deep breath before pressing it. “Hello?” I answered after a moment of complete silence.

"Willow." His breathing was heavy. He sounded anxious and relieved at the same time to hear my voice. “Are you well?”

"Um... yeah," I said tentatively. I had no idea why he was calling. Moreover, I still hadn’t wrapped my head around what had happened earlier.

"He didn't hurt you?" He bit out.

I hesitated to respond as my mind became completely blank. I had zero idea what he was referring to. It took me a moment to consider that Virgil had already called and told him about the incident. Why would Virgil do that, though?

“Are you speaking of what just happened with Chris?”

“Is that what his name is? Did he hurt you? Tell me his last name. Why were you all alone?”

I recoiled and stared at my cellphone, perplexed by his barrage of questions. Part of me was flattered and honestly excited about his obvious concern for my wellbeing. Another part was disturbed by his probing into my private business from across the country.

“He didn’t hurt me. I’m fine,” I assured. “Mr. Grant happens to be the winner of your illustrious scholarship. Mr. Grant received the grant because of his exemplary conduct and achievements, did he not?” I was rather proud of the pun I had come up with on the fly.

He grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "little son of a bitch." I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling out loud. Lory just stared at me with her brow raised. I shrugged at her in response.

"I won’t keep you, then. Your flight is early in the morning. I wanted to make sure you were okay." He sounded so sincere in his worry that it warmed my heart.

"Thank you for checking on me. I am sorry I disrupted your night, Mr. Rowe. I promise that I am perfectly fine and my best friend is here with me."

"Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything at all. Or call Virgil. Sweet dreams, Willow. I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mr. Rowe," I said slowly, not wanting the call to end.

No sooner had the call ended than I gaped at Lory. We erupted into a fit of squeals. I was thankful Virgil was not close by. What would he have thought otherwise?

.

Lory and I awoke at the crack of dawn. It was better to say neither of us got much sleep to begin with. But I was happy to dress up for once. I was a ball of nerves and wanted to look and feel the best when I met the man who held my future in his hands. After showering, shaving, and exfoliating to military satisfaction, I sat there patiently as Lory guided me through the steps. My hair was down, soft, and slightly curled at the ends to make my hair look thicker.

I dressed in a white flowing summer dress Lory told me I looked nice in. And I had to admit she was correct when I stood in front of the mirror. It definitely highlighted my long legs and nice butt. I only wished I could fill out the bodice a little more.

“Perfect. Perfect. Perfect,” she clapped as she circled around me and checking for anything else I needed to do. I could have missed a spot while shaving. It was better being safe than sorry.

The clock read 8 sharp and my heart pounded wildly knowing that I would soon be on my way.

“How I wish you could come with me,” I told her.

"I will see you soon. Whether it is directly at Quentin in two weeks or if you come back to Atkins again to leave together… it doesn’t matter."

I sighed. “I don’t have a place to stay in Quentin right now. I will be back in a few days at most.”

She only responded with a hum, telling me she knew something I was missing.

"You need to call me every day. Make sure you update me on every small detail."

I nodded. "Of course. I'm going to need your analysis," I teased.

We had stayed up for most of the night, going back and forth about what had happened and what could happen. Lory was fixed on the idea that Mr. Rowe was interested in more than paying my tuition after his call inquiring if I was alright. While I was nervous about his intense interest, I was mostly intrigued by how caring he was. I wondered what Virgil told him about Chris and his actions to act that way.

When the doorbell finally rang, I sucked in a breath and looked around my room. Everything I owned was packed and ready to go. There was nothing but emptiness left in the house apart from that. Lory grabbed my luggage while I did a final check on the things in my sidebag. I followed her down the stairs, snickering at her visible excitement. She flung the front door open. Virgil stood on the other side with a polite smile.

"Good morning, ladies." He gave us a curt nod.

Lory stretched her hand out to him. He took it in greeting. “I apologize for what happened last night. It was my fault for taking Willow there.”

He shook his head. “Miss Adams, please don’t blame yourself for the actions of a drunken moron.”

Lory kept her eyes on him. “Willow is my best friend. I consider her my sister. Please promise me that nothing improper will happen when she meets Mr. Rowe. I do not care how rich and powerful he is. If he so much as offends her, I will find a way to pay him back ten times over. He may be richer, but I sure as hell am smarter.”

My mouth dropped open at her words. The last thing I expected was for Lory to bear her fangs and leave nothing unsaid. However, this amused Virgil rather than offend him.

“I assure you that Mr. Rowe only has the best intentions towards Miss Taylor.”

"I sure hope he does. It is reasonable to think he has ill intentions toward my friend, though."

"Okay. That is enough." I tugged on her sleeve to pull her away from Virgil, my face on fire from blushing. "Lory, I am going to be alright. I will call you as soon as I can, okay?"

She pulled me into her arms and I hugged her back tightly. Going from seeing her every day to not seeing her for a few at the least… it would be difficult.

"I love you," she said, a sob making her voice shake.

"I'm going to see you soon. Our dreams are coming true, silly girl." I kept my tears at bay.

Lory nodded and pulled away, wiping her tears away. Virgil took my bags and made his way towards his car.

"I love you more than anything." I gave her one last hug and followed after Virgil.

"I'll lock up," she called out.

I waved at her before getting in the car. Virgil closed my door and he turned to say something to Lory. She nodded at him and stayed on the porch as we drove away. I took one last look at the house I had lived in for years, a small voice in my head sure that it would be the last time I would see it.

Virgil drove in silence, leaving me to my thoughts as we sped down the highway. I finally turned to him, curious about the ‘protection’ he thought I needed.

"You told Mr. Rowe what happened last night, didn’t you?"

He didn’t shy away from the answer. His eyes remained on the road as he responded, “Yes.”

"Why?" I asked.

"You should ask Mr. Rowe that."

I sighed, knowing he would not crack and give me the information I needed. I tried a different approach. “How long have you worked for him?”

"Four years."

"Have you ever followed any of his other charitable projects?"

He glanced at me. "Is that how you see yourself? A charitable project?"

I looked out of the window. "It doesn’t really matter. I am grateful he is funding my education."

When he didn't reply, I turned to him again. I noticed the light shake of his head and the indistinguishable muttering. I was sure he called me naive.

It didn't take long to reach the airport. Virgil flashed a card at the security checkpoint before we pulled up beside a jet with the initials RHI on the side. I was led up the stairs and on board the plane by Virgil without a hitch.

It was my first flight and I was nervous. After I was directed to a plush seat and secured in, Virgil started to walk to the back of the jet.

"Wait!" I tried to get his attention. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to sit back here." He seemed confused by my question.

My eyes were already watering and I was overwhelmed. "Do you have to sit back there?"

After a long pause, he shook his head. "No."

"Can you sit somewhere closer?" I didn’t want to be all alone and vulnerable. “I've never flown before."

He must have understood because he moved to the seat across the aisle from me. He gave me a reassuring smile as he spoke, “Don’t be scared. Statistically, it is safer to fly than drive.”

Right. Statistically, I shouldn’t be scared. If only I could make the anxiety in my heart die down.

As we got off the jet, I saw a car stop on the runway in a distance. We got off the jet and I was led into the back of the limousine. It was already early evening, and I stared at the Quentin scenery as we passed it. I had been to the central cities before, Fairview was near Atkins and if someone wanted to go out for a trip, that was where they went.

But Fairview was nothing like Quentin.

Time seemed to flow and ebb as I watched the outside world in awe. Virgil allowed me to gawk in peace and whenever I glanced at him, he was busy on his phone.

“Where are we headed?” I finally asked him.

"Mr. Rowe's house." He briefly looked up and smiled.

There was a knot in my stomach at the mention of his name. I was finally meeting the mysterious Mr. Rowe in a matter of minuted. As we passed a security gate and slowed in front of a row of large and beautiful houses, I took several deep, calming breaths. The car finally stopped and a guy in a suit opened the door immediately. He offered me his hand and I wondered where he came from. Had he been in the car all along without me knowing? Had I been to anxious to notice.

I had to shake the thoughts out. I was lingering on irrelevant things and scaring myself further.

Virgil was at my side a moment later, my luggage in hand, and waiting while I soaked in my surroundings. Mr. Rowe’s house was made from light brick, and the vast amount of glass windows of the five stories greamed in the fading evening sunlight.

I had to check myself immediately. I straightened my dress and ran my fingers through my hair nervously. I felt so out of place in midst of such grandeur. I felt as if I wasn’t worthy to stand and breath in the rich Quentin air.

I had watched enough television to understand this was the locality where the filthy rich resided.

“Please don’t be nervous, Miss Taylor. Keep my words in mind.”

I stared at Virgil, glad that he was trying to encourage him, but I wondered which of his words he wanted me to remember. He had said a lot of cryptic things in the past two days, most of which left me with more questions than answers.

I finally gave him a small nod and followed him up the steps to the front door. The door opened and an friendly older woman who reminded me of my late grandmother greeted us.

"Welcome, Willow," she greeted. She took my hand and urged me inside. "I hope the flight wasn't too taxing for you. I'm Laura, by the way, and I take care of Mr. Rowe’s house. Come to me if you need anything."

I bit back my smile at her enthusiasm. She seemed excited that I was there and I couldn’t understand why.

"I’m glad to meet you, Laura."

She squeezed my hand before turning to Virgil. "How's my lovely boy?"

Virgil grinned as he pulled her into a hug. It was the most sincere display on emotions I had seen on his face since we met.

“I am wonderful, as always. It’s great being back in the city.”

Laura hummed. “Why don’t you leave Willow’s things here? I will have someone else take care of it in a bit.”

They exchanged a knowing glance before turning back to me. I didn’t have the energy to ruminate over the exchange about my luggage. I assumed it would be taken to whatever hotel I was staying at.

Virgil nodded, catching my attention. I saw him preparing to leave. "Miss Taylor, it is time for me to leave. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you. And I am sure I will see you again soon,” he said lightly.

"You're leaving?" I asked, jittery at the thought that the only somewhat familiar face was leaving all of a sudden.

"You are in excellent hands. It is time for me to checkin with my team. As you can see, my work forces me to leave."

I was at a loss for what to do. I wanted to hug him goodbye and thank him for his help, but it seemed inappropriate. “Thank you for everything,” I finally settled at saying.

He gave me a polite nod before leaving out of the front door. In the end, I was alone with Laura.

“Would you care for something to drink? Nicholas asked me to arrange dinner on the terrace. I am sure you must be famished.”

It was the first time someone referred to Mr. Rowe as Nicholas. I was hungry even though my anxiety was dampening it. I hadn’t had a single bite the entire day.

"Thank you, Laura. I don’t want anything to drink."

She patted my hand almost affectionately. “Very well, dear girl. Let me show you to the terrace.”

I followed her timidly, admiring the open layout of the rooms and the large staircase that curved along the wall. I held back the gasp at the extravagant chandelier hanging from the ceiling as we walked through the living room. The next room I entered was equally, if not more, impressive.

All my fantasies were laid out in front of me. A library. I could have been killed in the room and happily gone to heaven. It took up two floors and each wall was lined from top to bottom with rows and rows of books. There was an expansive sofa set arranged comfortably for people to sit. I could just imagine curling up in front of the fireplace as it snowed. The best part was the sliding ladders available at each panel for easier access to the highest shelves.

I was speechless as I turned slowly, taking in the whole room.

I was so lost in my thoughts that minutes passed before I realized Laura was no longer with me. I swiveled to the direction we had come through and my breath caught as I saw Mr. Rowe leaning against the doorway, watching me.

The pictures on the internet did him no justice. He was the bestlooking man I had laid my eyes on. His eyes glittered as he watched me, his lips curved up in a small smirk. He likely thought I was nuts, looking awed by a room he saw everyday.

My eyes drifted down from his face, to the crisp dress shirt he had on, unbuttoned and rolled up at the sleeves to reveal his forearms. His arms were crossed over his chest. I saw a thick silver watch around his wrist, as well.

I felt bad for scoffing at girls who raved and drooled over forearm pictures. How had I not known they could be so sexy? His hands belonged on social media as a thirst trap. His slacks hung low on his hips, perfectly showcasing his long legs. His stance was casual with one foot crossed in front of the other as he leaned against the door frame. My eyes snapped back to his and I saw his smile broaden. Safe to say my heart was pounding.

He obviously enjoyed my ogling and the effect he had on me. I checked myself to ensure I was not drooling in reality.

His head was tilted to the side and his gaze was intense. I began to wonder if he was staring into my soul. He had promised to take care of me, but he never specified what he meant by that. I only hoped that he wouldn’t regret his decision.

I was panicking as he drew out his silence.

‘Why isn’t he saying anything? Is he waiting for me to speak first?’

After what felt like an eternity, he pushed off the grame and slowly made his way to me. He was so graceful that I felt fainter with each step he took.

“I’m glad to finally meet you, Willow.”

My insides became goo at the sound of my name falling from his lips. Still, I gathered my wits to take the hand he held out in greeting. When our hands touched, I had to clench my teeth to not have a meltdown.

He just radiated electricity that made my hormones go berserk.

He was so tall that I had to crane my neck to hold his gaze. His lips tugged into a frown as he eyed my lips. I suddenly realized that I was biting my lip and it was bothering him. I released it immediately and sucked in a deep breath. I looked down and found our hands still clasped together.

And I had yet to say a word.

“Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Rowe.”

At the sound of my voice, his smile returned. My breath hitched when his thumb stroked the back of my hand, sending tingles up my arm.

“The pleasure is all mine, Willow.”

I would petition for his voice to be deemed illegal. It was wrecking havoc on my insides. He could start an ASMR channel or become a voice actor with how attractive it sounded.

"And please, call me Nicholas."

I could barely nod.

He let out a soft laugh. "Come. Laura went ahead to prepare our dinner, so I will show you to the terrace. The weather is too nice to dine inside." He took my hand gently in his and led me out the glass door of the top floor.

The scenery outside was surreal. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the sugared stoned of the floor perfectly aligned and stretching throughout the terrace. I smiled at the cozy table setting, complete with candles.

But my eyes were stuck on the sparkling water of the rooftop swimming pool.

"Do you like it?" His excitement made me grin. "It's rare in this city to have a private pool because of the space crunch." He pulled me closer to the pool, showing me how half of it was indoors. "The glass goes down into the water to form a tunnel you can swim through from the outside to the inside," he explained. As beautiful as it looked, the thought of swimming under it made me feel slightly claustrophobic. Well, I wasn’t going to swim there, so I didn’t need to think about it.

I failed to mention the jacuzzi right beside the pool. There was a rock wall aligned on one side and water flowed down into the hot tub and finally into the pool. The whole set was breathtaking.

"It's beautiful, Mr. R—Nicholas."

He gave me a boyish grin and his enthusiasm made my own smile widen.

"I am glad you like it. I did notice that you enjoyed the library more."

I was flushed immediately and chastised myself for acting like a fool inside his house. “You have a lovely home. Thank you for inviting me.” I bit my bottom lip and looked up to find him making a garbled noise.

He shook his head a little before leading me to the dining table. “We should get seated so that dinner can be served.” He was mostly talking to himself.

He slowly pulled out my chair and I sat down, watching him take his seat across me on the small table. Hints of gold shimmered in his hard hair as the light from the candles danced. I wondered how his hair would feel if I ran my hand through it.

I paid great attention to the napkin on my lap, trying to use the time to get a grip on myself before I did something stupid. I had never felt desire so acute for another in my life.

Laura appeared suddenly, distracting me from my thoughts. She placed the salads in front of us before giving me a wink.

“How long has Laura worked for you?” I asked after she was out of earshot.

Nicholas uncorked a bottle of chilled wine, pouring some into each of our glasses. "I have known her since I was a child. She worked for my parents since before that, but when I bought this house, I asked her to be here. She makes his place a home worth living in. I am not sure what I would do without her around."

I could tell Laura held a special place in his heart by the way he spoke about her. I took a bite of the salad and eyed the glass of wine within my reach. Evidently, Nicholas didn’t have issues with allowing someone underage drink.

“How long have you owned this house?” My head was finally catching up with what was happening. Perhaps my clarity of mind was dependent on having no physical contact with him.

“Three years.”

I nodded dumbly before I could say something stupid.

He pushed his plate aside and put his elbows on the table. He put his chin on top of his palms.

"Tell me a bit about yourself, Willow."

“There is not much to tell,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I am sure you know everything about me already.” He had sent Virgil to do a background check on me. Of course, he knew everything there was to know about little old me. I didn’t have anything to hide either.

He smirked. “I did my homework. But there is a lot more I wish to find out.”

My palm itched to slap the smug smile away. Or maybe to kiss it shut?

‘Stop it, Willow!’ I was more frustrated with myself than I was with him.

“Why do you wish to know more? What is this about?” I asked with a hint of irritation. I pointed to the wine and candle to make a silent point.

His eyes glimmered as he spoke, “I wondered what you would look like when you talked back. It is even better than I imagined.”

Before I could show him just how well I talked back, Laura appeared with two more plates of food. I had lost my appetite but I still thanked her. It wasn’t her fault that the man she worked for was frustrating. If I hadn’t been confused and intensely aroused, the dish would have been perfect for the setting.

I took the glass and took a large gulp of the wine. I saw Nicholas fill my glass back up and arched a brow when he went back to his own food. Yet, his eyes never left me even as he ate with a grin.

“You should really try the food, Willow. It is delicious.”

“You haven’t answered my question yet.” I took another sip of the wine and folded my arms over my chest in defiance.

He tilted his head to a side. “You haven’t figured it out yet?”

“No, Nicholas. I haven’t figured anything out. If you could please tell me why I am here…” I trailed off.

He set his fork down and leaned forward. “It’s simple. I want you, Willow.”

I almost choked on air. My head was spinning. ‘He wanted me?’

I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I couldn’t dismiss how fast my heart raced, or how my stomach flipped at his words.

Apparently, I was wrong and Lory’s flight of fantasy was the reality.

I tried to maintain my composure as his eyes lingered on me. But I was sure my nerves were on display when I grabbed the glass of wine with shaky hands and downed it at once. I was well past being tipsy. It seemed my alcohol tolerance was low too. I was going to be wrecked if I kept drinking the wine like soft drinks.

Nicholas chuckled when I picked up the bottle of wine and poured myself more. Who cared? I needed some courage to finish the conversation.

“Does the does of me wanting you disgust you, Willow?”

I shook my head immediately. “No. It is unbelievable… impossible. But not disgusting.” If I didn’t shut my mouth, I would ramble on.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “We will have to work on your selfconfidence some other time,” he said finally. “For now, answer a few questions for me, okay?”

“Go ahead. Ask away.”

"From what Virgil told me, you worked so you could get out of Atkins and live a better life, Is that correct?"

He couldn’t have said it better. "Yes."

“Excellent. I love your determination and that you fought for what you wanted. I am the same way.”

‘What did that mean?’ I swallowed a few times as a few thoughts popped into my head. It was all too unreal.

“As I understand it, you have nothing keeping you at Atkins. The only person close to you is your friend, Miss Adams?”

"Yes," I said tentatively.

"And Miss Adams will be coming to Quentin to attend college, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me, Willow. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? What do you imagine your future to be like?"

The truth was, I had never had the time to think beyond doing something with my life. I had never wanted to be disappointed when my expectations didn’t come true.

I had spent all my time trying to get grades to get into college, still they didn’t hold a candle to some of the other students. I didn’t have one particular subject I had a desire to pursue. I knew I liked reading so the thought of studying literature or getting a teaching license would suit me just fine. The only thing I knew absolutely was that I wanted to belong somewhere in the future. I wanted to be wanted by people and I wasn’t going to tell him that.

“I am not sure of that yet.”

I could tell he knew exactly what I was thinking. “May I share what I thought when I read your scholarship submissions?”

I nodded nervously, sure that I would receive criticism for lacking in purpose.

“You seemed unsure of where you wanted to go careerwise. You want something different, I can see what. And then it struck me that you want to belong in a place… a family… the right one.”

How had he understood that so perfectly? The need for affection must be written on my forehead.

When I didn’t respond, he continued, “We are more alike than you can imagine.”

Laura chose that very moment to return. She frowned at my untouched plate of food but didn’t say anything. After the dishes were cleared, only a plate with dessert remained. I looked closely to see some type of cake.

Nicholas stood up and scooted his chair so that it was right beside me. He sat down close enough that our knees touched. The butterflies in my stomach reappeared when he hooked his foot around mine under the table.

“Come. Try this.” He held his fork out with a bitesized piece of cake on it. I closed my eyes and bit on it. I almost moaned at how good it was. When I opened my eyes, I saw Nicholas’ expression. For a second, I wondered if he wanted to eat me for dessert.

After a few more bites, he spoke again. “You haven’t spoken much. Are you scared of me, Willow?” His tone was soft and he slowly leaned in so that I could feel his breath on my face.

"No," I barely said. In my head, I was begging him to come closer.

Our noses were almost touching and our eyes were locked onto each other.

"May I kiss you?"