At the stroke of midnight, Suzy returned wearily to her rented room. Last month, she had to sell her properties, including her luxurious apartment, which she bought after cracking her first international deal, to pay her employees and pay the debts she had taken.
Sitting on the couch to make herself feel comfortable, she removed the heels and pressed her feet for a while. They were soaring because she had been walking, running for the entire day.
The phone in her pocket started vibrating. Reflexively, Suzy answered the call without verifying the caller's identity. But upon hearing the familiar voice on the other end, she promptly hung it up.
"How did he get my number?" Suzy pondered aloud as her phone rang insistently once more. A glance at the screen revealed it was Chris calling, yet she chose to disregard it, retreating to the washroom to rejuvenate herself.
In the embrace of a hot, soothing bath, Suzy finally found a moment of relaxation. As her fingers traced her neck, she emerged from the bathtub, draping herself in a plush bathrobe.
With renewed vigor, she left the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen, her stomach rumbling. The day had been a blur, marked by a lack of sustenance, her mind clouded by the relentless stream of investor withdrawals that had almost befallen her company.
Over the course of two arduous months, an unrelenting tide of misfortune seemed to wash over her. Astonishingly, it was her own mother who unwittingly played a role in triggering the catastrophic decline of Star Corporation.
Bringing the omelet and a coffee to the dining table, she pulled out the chair to sit on it when the doorbell of her house rang.
"Who could be at this hour?" Suzy mumbled and went to check. Through the peephole, she looked outside and was surprised to see Chris there.
"Suzy, open the door. I know you are inside. The more you ignore me, the more I will attempt to bother you," Chris said aloud from outside.
Suzy had no intention to open the door for him and she let him stay outside. She went to the dinner table and enjoyed her dinner after a long time.
Chris, on the other hand, kept calling her while banging on the door.
"Why is she ignoring me? Did she forget who I am?" Chris muttered when an idea hit his mind.
Suzy wondered if Chris left already. "Such an annoying kid!" she remarked and went to her tiny bedroom to change into the night clothes. Suzy was ready to go to bed when she again heard a knock.
"Miss Suzy Watson! Miss Watson! Are you inside? Answer us, or else we have to break this door," a man from outside loudly said.
Suzy jumped out of bed and ran outside to open the door. She unlatched the door and found two cops in front of her. Behind them, Chris was standing with a grin on his face.
"Oh, Suzy!" Chris approached her and hugged Suzy tightly, making her chuckle. "Why didn't you answer any of my calls? I kept knocking on the door, yet you didn't open it. I was terrified thinking if something happened to you," Chris said, acting like the most caring man in the world.
Suzy pushed him away gently and apologized to the cops for the inconvenience. "I had fallen asleep," she said while feeling a bit embarrassed.
"But your hair is wet," Chris pronounced.
"I went to sleep after taking a shower," Suzy said.
"Thank you, Officers. Suzy is tired and we need to go inside," Chris asserted and signaled the cops to leave. The two of them departed, while Suzy hurriedly closed the door behind them. Unexpectedly, Chris placed his shoe between the door and forcefully pushed it inward.
Caught off guard, Suzy nearly lost her balance, but Chris swiftly caught her by circling his arm around her waist. As she steadied herself, she requested him to leave, but Chris gently placed his index finger above her lips, silencing her. Using his shoe, he nudged the door until it closed securely from the inside.
With his hand dropped Chris gazed around Suzy's compact apartment. Curiosity piqued, she questioned, "Why are you here?"
Pausing for a moment, Chris finally inquired, "Why didn't you answer my calls?" He strode into the small apartment without bothering to remove his shoes.
"I was tired. I went to sleep," Suzy explained, keeping her anger in check as she followed behind him.
Suddenly, Chris spun on his heel, causing Suzy to halt abruptly. "You purposely ignored my calls," he accused. "And then you ignored me at the doorbell. I've never been treated this way." The darkness etched on his face clearly displayed his irritation.
"Have you finished speaking? Now, I kindly request that you leave," Suzy pointed decisively toward the door, indicating for him to exit.
"Step away from this marriage. If you refuse, be prepared for me to make every day, every moment difficult for you," Chris stated firmly, taking a deliberate step closer to her.
Suzy stepped back and told him not to waste his energy. "You can trouble me all you want. No one can stop this marriage from happening," Suzy said with determination in her eyes.
She had signed a contract marriage deal with Arthur. Although she also didn't desire to marry him, she had no choice.
"I can give you as much money as you want. Benjamin told me Grandpa invested in your company. I am willing to do that too. All you need to do is not appear tomorrow for the marriage," Chris calmly explained, employing a persuasion he had never before used in his life.
"Chris, I am sorry. You are not capable enough to invest in my company," Suzy remarked.
"What did you say?" Chris' brows furrowed deeply as he gripped her arm forcefully, pulling her closer. "Did you actually call me incapable? Do you know what my worth is?" His jaw clenched when Suzy asked him not to go physical with her.
"I may need to file a complaint against you if you do this next time to me," Suzy threatened him, yanking his hand off her arm. "My worth is definitely a million times than yours," she stated.
Chris was insane to come here. "Fine. You have no idea what you've stepped into, Suzy Watson," he muttered as he took backward steps to reach the door.
"Starting tomorrow, you'll deeply regret every moment of your existence. And remember, not even the police can touch me, so never attempt to threaten me again," Chris stated firmly. He swung the door open, exited with a resonant thud of closure, and was gone.