XAVIER'S POV
The next day, I was awake quiet early. I had spent the entire night thinking about Lisa.
Why she couldn't trust me and why she thought I couldn't protect her?
Henry had come over to my room last night to tell me that Lisa had told him nothing had happened. She had claimed that she had banged into the wall and that the bruise had just been an accident.
Of course, I didn't believe it. That was impossible.
Someone had to have pushed her.
And no one had the audacity to touch Lisa. So the truth had to be extracted.
I had to speak with her. And the only way I could do that was by seeing her.
I got up and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the tap of the bathtub and began to undress.
I needed peace. I watched as the water filled the tub.
The bathroom was so calm and quiet.
It was a contrast from the outside world.
I could hear the sound of the running water. It was so relaxing.
Once the tub was full, I turned off the tap and slowly sank into the warm water.
I sighed and leaned back. The hot water felt amazing.
I closed my eyes and let the silence envelope me.
Lisa…..
She was all I could think about. All I ever thought about. I reached down and gripped my member.
It was rock hard.
Just thinking of her, made me aroused.
I pictured her face in my mind. Her beautiful eyes. The freckles that dusted her cheeks. Her full, pouty lips.
Her soft skin.
The way she moaned and gasped whenever I touched her.
The way her body arched when I bent her over in the private room. Her tiny hands when I handcuffed it. Or how red her a-ss cheeks when I whipped her.
How her eyes glazed over when I kissed her.
The way her hair smelled. Like sweet vanilla.
I groaned as I stroked myself. This was what I had to resort to. I had become obsessed with her.
No. Not just obsessed. I had become infatuated.
Enthralled. Hooked. Addicted.
I needed her. I had to have her. I couldn't get her out of my mind.
The thought of her, the thought of being inside her, was all that drove me. And I wanted more.
My grip tightened as I quickened the pace.
"Lisa." I moaned. My hips bucked as I neared my climax.
The water was splashing and sloshing, almost spilling.
I imagined her lips around my member.
Taking me into her mouth. Tasting every inch of me. Swallowing all of my c-ck.
The image in my mind was so vivid.
And then, just when I was about to release, I heard a sound in the bedroom.
Lisa? I thought.
Did she come to tidy up my bedroom.
I quickly got out of the bathtub. My hand reached for the towel and I wrapped it around my waist.
I walked out of the bathroom.
"Lisa?" I called out.
But it wasn't Lisa. Instead it was Henry.
He was all dressed up. He even had his white gloves on.
"Henry?" I said his name in frustration. I had really wished that it was Lisa who was in my bedroom.
"Good morning, Mr Jackson." He greeted.
"What are you doing here so early?" I asked. I walked over to my closet to pick out my cloth for the day but Henry beat me to it.
"Here are the clothes for today. Your expensive custom-made black Italian suit. A crisp white shirt and a blue tie." He spoke.
I stared at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What's with the clothes?" I asked.
"Oh, the clothes are for a special occasion, Mr Jackson."
"And what occasion would that be?" I asked.
"You're going to the billionaire club today, Mr Jackson. Or have you forgotten? It's time to find a wife." He replied.
I almost choked when I heard that.
Had he lost his mind?
"Are you crazy, Henry? What the hell are you talking about?" I asked and walked past him.
I needed a drink to calm myself.
I went over to the mini bar in my room and poured myself a glass of whiskey. I took a sip and turned to him.
"Mr Jackson, you heard Morris yesterday. You need to get engaged before the end of the week, unless your uncle and cousin will take over the Jackson's inheritance." He spoke.
"No. I will not go to the billionaire club today. And I definitely will not get engaged. I am not ready. And if I am to get engaged, I will do it when I choose to." I replied.
"No one is going to command me on what to do or not. I am an adult and I can make my own decisions. If I choose not to marry, then no one has the right to tell me otherwise."
Henry sighed and shook his head.
"Mr Jackson, please don't make this harder than it has to be. I know this is not the best thing but there is no other way. Please, Mr Jackson." Henry said.
He walked closer to me and began to hand me each piece of clothing.
"Let me help you dress up, Mr Jackson. I have arranged a car for you downstairs. The driver will take you to the billionaire club in the vintage Jaguar. It has been cleaned and waxed, and will be ready for you. So please, let us go." Henry continued to speak.
I stared at him.
Why was he acting so strange? He had never acted like this before.
It was as if he was being pressured to act this way.
"Henry. I told you already. I'm not going anywhere. I have things to do."
"What do you have to do, Mr Jackson?" He asked.
"I have to see Lisa. I need to check on her and the bruise. Has the doctor come to check-up on her again?" I asked.
Henry didn't respond, instead he continued with the clothing.
"I will tell the doctor to visit Lisa again. She should be ok."
"No. No need. I will be the one to check-up on her. Just let me know when she is ready to come out. I want her to rest as much as possible."
Henry stopped and glared at me. There was something in his eyes. Annoyance. Or anger.
"Mr Jackson, why can't you just leave the girl alone? You have done enough damage already. Why must you keep bothering her? You know what happened yesterday. That bruise on her back has something to do with you." Henry said.
"But it's not just her. It's everything. Don't you understand, Mr Jackson. This is important. This engagement. This marriage. If your uncle or your cousin takes over the Jackson's inheritance, the first thing they will do is to kick you out of the mansion. They will run down the finances . They will ruin the business. The Jackson Corporation will cease to exist." He stated.
"And most importantly, they will get rid of the servants, including the ones who are in this mansion. So, if you have any respect for anyone, especially the people working here, please listen to me. We don't have much time." He said and handed me the tie.
"Get dressed, Mr Jackson."
I stared at him. His words. They were true.
If my uncle and cousin got the inheritance, it would be a disaster.
They would ruin everything. And they would most definitely get rid of the people working here.
Including the maids. Especially Lisa.
I took a deep breath. Henry was right.
As much as I hated the concept of marriage and this was the last thing I wanted to do, I had no choice.
This was my inheritance. This was my family. This was my company. My fcking mansion. I couldn't allow my uncle and cousin to take over.
I had to do it.
Even if that meant that Lisa would suffer.
Because she would. This wasn't going to end well for her.
Once I got married, this fling with Lisa would have to stop.
It was going to hurt her.
But at least she would be safe.
That was the only thing I wanted for her.
I just wanted her to be safe.
************************************
I quickly got dressed and walked out of my bedroom. Henry followed behind.
My eyes went to the door across the hallway.
Lisa's room
Lisa was in there. All alone.
Was she still in pain? The bruise had been pretty bad yesterday.
I had to check on her. Make sure she was alright. But I had no time. I had to keep walking.
I'm was so sure that Henry wouldn't let go to her room.
I would have to wait until tonight. When I got back from the d-amn billionaire club or whatever the fck the name of the club was.
Henry and I got into the elevator. He pressed the button for the ground floor and the doors closed.
I wondered what the club was about. I mean I knew it was for single billionaires but what exactly happened? Did we just show up, eat and drink and then find ourselves a partner.
It was so weird. The elevator dinged and the doors opened.
We stepped out and headed towards the front door.
Outside, my driver was waiting in front of my 1961 vintage Jaguar. It was new, shiny and screamed expensive.
The sunroof of the car was opened and the engine was running.
"Mr Jackson." My driver, Alan, greeted.
Alan quickly opened the car doors for both Henry and I.
Henry sat in the back while I sat in the front passenger seat.
Alan closed the door and then went to the driver seat. He buckled up and turned to me.
"Where are we heading, sir?" Alan asked.
"The billionaire club." Henry replied. He handed Alan a card that had the address written on it.
"Okay sir." Alan said, as he collected the card. He pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.
The car sped along the empty highway.
I could see the tall buildings of the city as we neared.
The sun was shining brightly, car honks were sounding loudly and the air was humid. Everything seemed normal.
The morning traffic was a nightmare. The roads were busy and congested. There were people everywhere.
I hated the city life. The hustle and bustle of it.
The loud noises. And the people.
Fck the people.
But unfortunately, I had no choice but to live in the city. It was the place where all the action was. Where the money was made.
I looked out of the window and watched as the cars passed by.
Alan maneuvered through the traffic expertly. He was a very skilled driver and always had a route mapped out whenever we drove somewhere.
It didn't take long for us to arrive at the billionaire club.
I couldn't say that I was excited. This was the last place I wanted to be.
"We're here, sir." Alan announced.
I turned to look at the high-rise building in front of me. It was a sight.
The whole place was lit up. Lights, cameras, and the long red carpet at the entrance.
Everywhere I looked, there were famous, rich and powerful bachelors and bachelorettes.
There were paparazzi, reporters, and cameras everywhere. This was the kind of place I despised.
Full of fakeness and superficiality.
"Mr Jackson." The driver said as he got out and opened the door for me.
Henry came and stood next to me.
"Shall we, Mr Jackson." Henry said to me.
"Let's get this over with." I replied.
Henry and I walked along the red carpet.
There were reporters and photographers everywhere, all screaming for attention.
"Mr Jackson. Mr Jackson. Over here." One of them shouted.
"Is it true that you're here to find a wife?" One asked.
"Is it true that without an engagement or marriage, you will lose the Jackson inheritance and wealth?" Another one shouted.
Fck.
How did the media find out about this?
I didn't know how or who had leaked the information but it was out.
Everyone knew. Everyone knew I was standing on thin ice and that without an engagement or marriage, everything I had would be taken away from me.
"Mr Jackson. Who do you have your eye on?" A female reporter questioned.
"Mr Jackson, is there any truth to the rumor that you're having an affair with the maid in your mansion." Another said.
Fck! I froze.
What? How did….? How did they know about Lisa?
The reporter held the microphone to me and repeated his question.
"Mr Jackson, is there any truth to the rumour that you are having an affair with the maid?" Another reported asked.
My eyes widened.
My heart was beating fast.
"There are rumors circulating around about an affair between you and a maid in your mansion. Can you comment on that, Mr Jackson." He pressed on.
"Don't answer, Mr Jackson. Let's go." Henry whispered.
"I…uh..um." I stammered.
My brain had shut down. Everything around me was moving.
People were staring. Laughing.
The paparazzi were clicking away.
I turned to the reporter. I wanted to punch him hard on his face. To strangle him the life out of me.
But instead, Henry grabbed my arm and led me inside.
Once we were in the safety of the building, I let out a breath. My hands were trembling.
I had never been so angry before.
That reporter. He was going to pay for that.
"What the hell was that, Henry?" I asked. I ran my fingers through my hair.
"How did they know? How did they bloody know? How did they know about me and Lisa?" I cussed underneath my breath.
"Mr Jackson. News travels fast. Someone must have sold the story to the press." He said.
"Is it someone in the mansion? Do I have traitors among my workers? I will fire whomever sold the story." I growled.
Henry shook his head.
"I doubt it. None of your workers has ever left the house. Except Lisa and I doubt it's her." He said.
Then he leaned closed and whispered. "If you ask me, it's obvious that it's your uncle, Charles. He did this. He leaked the story. And I'm sure he has more where that came from. If he wants to, he can make the press print even more negative stories about you. Stories that would make you look like a fool. And trust me, if he has the chance, he will do it. To ensure that you don't get married, Charles will pull out all the stops." Henry explained.
"That's why you need to stop messing around with Lisa, Mr Jackson. Your reputation, your wealth, your company, the Jackson's legacy is on the line here. Any wrong move from this moment on and everything will be taken away from you. And once you lose the Jackson wealth and inheritance, you won't have a penny left to your name. Please, think carefully, Mr Jackson. This is the endgame. And your enemies are watching closely. You have no more room to make mistakes."
Henry finished.
I let his words sink in.
Henry had a point. This was endgame. My inheritance was at stake. I needed to get my act together.
I took a deep breath and gave Henry a pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Henry. You've always been a loyal friend and a trustworthy person. I know I can always count on you. Thanks for being honest with me. Thanks for putting up with all my shit."
"It's a pleasure, Mr Jackson. I am always here for you. Always." Henry replied.
We stood there, just the two of us.
In a sea full of people.
"What now?" I asked as I stared at the crowd.
I pulled out a pack of cigar from my pocket. I removed one from the pack and placed it in my mouth. I pulled out my lighter and lit the cigar.
I was ready for anything. Whatever it was.
I was not backing down.
Henry chuckled and shook his head.
"Mr Jackson. We find you a wife."