Mark entered the house and stopped mid-step, looking with concerned eyes at the men who accompanied his mother. Dressed in suits, with their hair elegantly combed and both smelling of expensive perfume, they looked like those unfriendly rich guys from the movies.
He wasn't wrong of much, as it turned out that they had been sent by a man of just that ilk.
- Mom? What's going on? - he asked, swallowing his saliva harder out of nerves. He noticed that his mother was terrified. Her hands were trembling with fear.
- They... They came to take you away.
The boy opened his eyes wider, completely not understanding what she was talking about. Why would someone want to take him away? After all, he hadn't armed anything.... yet could it be about Naomi confessing publicly that she is his girlfriend? Do they want to punish him for that?
- Mom... who are they? Where do they want to take me? - His voice became anxious.
One of the men approached him and violently grabbed him by the arm. With this, he caused pain to the boy, which did not escape the attention of his mother. The woman energetically rose from her chair and jumped at him, desiring to free her son from his hands, but ended up being pushed back.
She fell to the floor, her back hitting the wall. Such a sharp pain pierced her that she closed her eyelids for a moment.
- Mom! - Mark's concerned shriek probably caught the attention of all the neighbors. The boy tried to break away from the man and run to his mother, but he did not allow him to do so.
The teenager was forcibly led out of the house. He tried to fight them and escape them at all costs, but they were both powerful, so he had no chance with them. He ended up being pushed into a luxury car.
*
His knees buckled beneath him from nerves as he was driven by the men and finally found himself in a wealthy two-story house. Standing in the middle of the study, Mark swallowed his saliva harder out of fear.
Sitting at the desk was a handsome, well-groomed middle-aged man. The boy was nervously playing with his toes when he felt his penetrating, intense gaze on him. He didn't know what was going on. What could he ask of him?
- Finally, we can get to know each other. Your mother hid you well all these years," he spoke up with a smile on his face. - So as not to drag this out unnecessarily.... let me tell you straight. I am your father. - The boy blinked his eyelids, in his head once again analyzing his words. - I left your mother when she was pregnant because I have a wife. I'm from another city, but I visit here often because of the development of the company. Twenty years ago, I met your mother at one of the closed parties where she worked as a comfort woman. She was beautiful, so she stole my heart. I didn't care who she was. I got into an affair with her, we were happy, but unfortunately, I left her when she got pregnant. What excuse do I have? I was already married. I went back to my woman with whom I had been trying all these years to have a child. Unfortunately, she couldn't get pregnant. I decided to find your mother. I needed an heir. I own most of the companies in this country, I'm one of the richest people. You can't even imagine how happy it made me to know that I have a son.
Everything was coming to the boy in slow motion. The man's story seemed so unbelievable that he felt as if he was in some movie.
- Is this a joke? - That's all he was able to get out of himself. He watched the man carefully as he rose from his seat and approached him. He put his hands on his shoulders. - How can I believe all this?
- I know what you've been going through all these years. You lived impoverished. You and your mother barely made ends meet, so now I want to make it up to you. I want you to be the heir to my company. Imagine the envious looks of your colleagues. You probably didn't have it easy, and now you could rub their noses in it.
- Is this how you intend to convince me to decide? With money?
- Not every child meets such luck. At least 3/4 of the youth would like to be in your place. From a poor boy to turn into a millionaire.
- I feel humiliated now," he replied, glancing sideways at the white wall. - I never complained about my life. I admired my mother for being able to give me everything despite her lack of money. She managed and took good care of me, and where were you then? Okay. You and your wife were trying to have a child. Now that it didn't work out for you, I am your sole heir? That's despicable.
The man rubbed his forehead with his hand and sighed heavily.
- I know how it sounds, but I want to compensate you for all those years of suffering. You and your mother will finally stop worrying about money. You will be provided with a good life. Furthermore, you will get everything from me.
- Do you know what I only demand of you? - The man stuck his curious eyes on him. - Holy tranquility. Get away from us. I want to live with my mother still in this squalid place, worrying about money. I don't need anyone's pity.
- You have the least to talk about anyway. - Mark was surprised by the man's harsh tone. - You will be my heir, even if I force you to do it by force. You have no choice, now go home. I'll give you time to think.
*
Samantha knew she was totally going to get spanked by her mother when she woke up late one evening at Alex's house. It was probably stupid of him to drive her home, so he preferred to spend the night at her place. It wasn't the first time she woke up in his bed, so she didn't hold it against him. Furthermore, it was even a good thing he did. She completely lost her sense of drinking and got herself into such a state that she fell asleep in the cab. If her mother had seen her so drunk.... she would undoubtedly have thrown her out of the house and not cared about her further fate. The neighbors would have had a topic for more gossip for the next month.
- What kind of idiot does one have to be to bring herself to such a state? - She blinked her eyelids as Alex entered the bedroom. He handed the girl water and a pill to help her get rid of her hangover. - Why do you keep ending up in my bed drenched in a dead body? It's unattractive.
- And I'm increasingly wondering what's wrong with me that you're not going to use me then?
The gray-haired man furrowed his brow, looking at her as if she were an alien.
- You are probably the only girl on the entire planet who would want to be sexually abused drunk. Am I the only one who has that effect on you, or would you want to do it with every guy? - He mirrored her with his eyes when she didn't answer him for a long moment.
- Only with you," she replied with conviction in her voice, and then a sincere smile appeared on her face. - So what is your explanation for not wanting to get laid with me?
- I'll tell you. I hope that with this you will finally give yourself a break from this meaningless talk," he stated, looking into her eyes. - You are the only girl I respect. I sleep with others because they have no meaning for me.
The teenage girl looked at him with wide-open eyes, clenching the bedsheets in her hands. She only hoped that she did not blush at these words.
- You're lying, aren't you? That's just your excuse. I am simply not attractive to you in any way. You don't see me as a woman.
- If I didn't see a woman in you, I wouldn't have started to care about you so much.
- Where do you get all this talk? Do womanizers have it engraved in their brains?
Alex laughed at these words.
- If you think it's just silly talk, that's your business.
- And how else am I supposed to understand it? You tell me that I'm the only one you care about, but you still put into words that you sleep with other girls. What am I supposed to think about that?
- Wait a minute... why this outrage? After all, we are not together, I can sleep with other women. It's true. I care about you and would never do anything to hurt you, but we are close as friends. I don't get involved in relationships. It's not for me," she said.
Samantha forced a smile as she looked to the side. She felt like snorting, but refrained at the last moment.
- Why don't you get involved in relationships? Because you are a womanizer," she stated, piercing him with her eyes.
- That's not the point. Yes. I like to have fun, but I'm not made for one relationship. Do you know why? Because I don't know if I could be a good boyfriend. The past still clings to me and I still suffer because of it, so I wouldn't want to transfer that to a girl I would love.
- Which you would love.... so you can love after all? - Her words were too harsh, and she didn't even think about them, but it upset her when he told her straight to her face that there was no chance of anything more between them. Samantha could only dream of a relationship with Alex.
The boy looked offended by her words.
- As soon as you come to your senses, I'll drive you home. We won't wait until the morning. Your mother is probably worried about you again.
He left the bedroom, and the brunette pressed her lips together in anger. She slammed her hands on the mattress and closed her eyelids when she realized what a fool she had burned.
*
It was early morning when Naomi entered the dark room she had already been in. She took her glasses off her nose and squatted on her knees, opposite an elderly woman who greeted her with a bitter smile.
- How is it possible that I actually met the boy I had been dreaming about for a long time? I could see the feeling growing between us, and I remembered every kiss we had.
The fairy looked carefully at the young girl, who looked confused.
- This is the boy I told you about. He is the one with whom you are connected by the red thread of destiny.
The blonde put her hands to her mouth, shocked by these words. Until now, she didn't believe it, so she didn't think it would all turn out to be true.
- You must have seen him at least once in your life to remember his face and see it in your dreams, even though you don't remember it.
- How is this possible?
- He stood in your way again, and these dreams confirmed it," she replied, taking her hand. - This boy is in for great riches, and through this, his character will also change.
The girl smiled at these words. After all, this is impossible. Mark is poor as a church mouse, and very shy in character. A miracle would have to happen for this to happen. How could he obtain such wealth? Only ... if he married her or won the lottery.
The 20-year-old blinked her eyelids and put a finger to her lips, wondering if this was possible.
- Do you see my wedding in your vision? Will it take place with this boy?
The fairy smiled mysteriously at the question she asked.
- If you fight for the man destined for you, your life will be beautiful. One mistake can spoil everything. You have to be especially careful with him and pay attention to the words you say in the near future. One sentence can destroy your dream of marrying this boy. Keep this in mind. Your future depends on it.