The Billionaire’s Creed

ADLEY

It had been a week since we didn’t sleep together. Every time he started kissing me, my excuse, I was not in a mood. I admired his patience, and he never forced himself into me. Deep in my heart, I felt terrible for him, but as long as he would not throw the condom in his drawer, we were not having sex. Call it childish, but I wanted to teach him a lesson, and that condom was his idea.

We were good, though. In fact, we were great. We started talking about planning a family in three or four years. Life was good either way.

Kaelie knocked and came in. “Someone here insisted on talking to you, Adley.”

“Who?” I lifted my gaze from the screen of my laptop.

“Me.”

I was on my feet before I even realized it. Icy seeped through my veins as if I’d seen a ghost. “What are you doing here, Gary?”

“I just wanna talk to you. I can’t get close to you if you’re with Lex or Mykel. You blocked my number, too.” That was the whole point. I didn’t want to talk to him. Yet he still did not get it.

“I suggest you leave this premises, Gary,” I said calmly.

Kaelie looked terrified, maybe scared she would lose her job if this confrontation would not go well. Or maybe Gary threatened her. Either way, I felt terrible.

“You may go, Kaelie,” I told her with a faint smile. As soon as Kaelie was out of sight, I focused on Gary. “What do you want?”

“Just hear me out.” He looked like he hadn’t slept for a week. His clothes were crumpled as if he’d been sleeping with them. He hadn’t shaved or maybe didn’t shower either. There were dark circles under his eyes. Gary looked miserable, but I still didn’t feel sorry after what he did to me.

“Then you better hurry up. Mykel would not be so pleased to see you in my office again.”

“I’m sorry for hurting you.” His voice was shaky, and he had so much pain in his eyes. “I was drunk and under a lot of stress.” I was not buying it.

“That doesn’t excuse you for acting that way. You almost hurt me if I didn’t ask for help.” I pressed my lips into a thin line. If I pushed further and reminded him of his terrible action, he might get angry.

He looked away, licking his lips. “I know what I did and feel terrible.”

“It done. You can’t undo what happened if that’s why you’re here. I made my peace. I hope you do, too. Don’t waste your life on something that is promised to you that you can’t have. Life isn’t easy, but you can be a better person, Gary. And you look terrible. Go home and get a shower and some sleep.”

“I need something from you.”

“What?”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

I stilled as he took a step forward.

“I’m not gonna hurt you.”

I raised my hand for him to stop. “If you don’t wanna hurt me, then stay right where you are.”

Honestly, I didn’t trust his words even a bit. I didn’t trust him at all. After what he did to me, he scared me, and until now, I was still terrified of what he might possibly do. There was really something wrong with him. He became reckless, unpredictable, and a ticking time bomb.

“Okay. Okay.”

“What do you want?” I still tried to be patient and not to trigger whatever anger he had inside him.

“Tell my father and Lex that I apologized, and we’re good. That what happened was just a misunderstanding.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You want to lie to my grandfather and your father? What made you think they’re gonna believe me when Grandpa has witnessed what happened?” Besides, his father and I were not even on speaking terms.

“Improvise.” He shrugged and scratched his arm. “Tell them it was just a misunderstanding.” He was desperate to get his life back. He should have thought about the repercussions before acting like a wild animal.

“I can’t, I’m sorry. I won’t lie to my grandfather and your father. Besides, if your father knew, why didn’t he even come and talk to me? You have to do it yourself, Gary. Make amends, admit your mistakes, and move on.”

“He knew. That’s why he cut my trust fund out.” Of course, it all came down to freaking money.

“I’m sorry, but you have to prove to them that you’re a reformed man and won’t drink to oblivion again. You might as well attend an AAA meeting and see a doctor. You don’t look well, Gary.”

“I’m not crazy.”

“But you’re erratic. You should admit your mistake. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” I gestured for him to the door. “You should leave. Mykel would not be so thrilled to hear this conversation, and I don’t want him to get into trouble because of you if he finds out what you did to me. You harassed me, remember? Please, leave,” I said again, and he wouldn’t move.

“You did this to me!” he yelled at me. He suddenly switched to the agitated man in that room just like that, startling me.

“Lower your voice, Gary, or I will call the security.” I tried hard to make my voice calm, but I failed spectacularly. My voice shook in the end.

“You are the reason why this happened to me, bitch!” It all happened in a split second that I didn’t even see how it occurred. The moment I saw Gary launching into me, the next thing I knew, he was thrown out into the hallway.

My heart nearly stopped. My breathing held, and my eyes were wide as I stared in shock.

“Adley,” someone was calling and shaking me, but I was too shocked to react. “Baby! Hey, hey, look at me? Breathe.”

I blinked fast and finally met Mykel’s eyes, worried and terrified for me.

“Hey,” I said in a raspy tone. I swallowed hard and felt like my throat was so parched.

“Talk to me, baby. Are you okay?” He checked me out from head to toe. “Are you hurt?”

“N-no.” I swallowed hard again. “I don’t think so. I’m just pretty shaken up, I guess.” I watched Gary lying unconscious on the ground.

Mykel kissed my forehead and pulled me into his arms. “I’m so sorry. I came here so late.”

I hugged him back and breathed in deeply his scent. I closed my eyes for a moment to tell myself that I was okay. “It’s all right. You were just right on time. Thank you for saving my ass again.”

“If like this gorgeous and firm ass requires saving, I’d be your Superman.” I knew he was still terrified and angry. I could hear it in his voice and feel the roar of rage vibrating inside him, but he still managed to crack a joke.

“You don’t have to make me feel good. I know you are pissed.”

He lowered his gaze at me, his brows slanting. “Your assistant called me. I came here as fast as I could. I told her to call the cops right away. She said he threatened her, so she had no choice but to allow him in, and the security just went for a bathroom break. Have a seat.”

I sat down. My knees were still shaking-my whole body. I didn’t know that I badly needed it until I was on my chair.

The security was still watching Gary.

Kaelie walked in with a bottle of water. “I’m so sorry, Adley. He left me no choice.”

“It’s not your fault. You did the right thing. Thank you.” I finished half of the water.

The cops finally arrived and started asking questions.

“How do you know Mr. Merick, Ms. Kross?”

“It’s Mrs. Creed,” Mykel butted in. I wanted to roll my eyes for being so possessive in front of the two cops.

“His father works for my Grandpa at the Kross Corp. That’s how he knows me. He came here once-” and here comes the hard part. I looked at my husband. “And this isn’t the first time he harassed me.”

“What do you mean?” Mykel literally spelled out the words one by one, eyes wide. He rose from the chair. His jaw clenched hard, his teeth almost clattered, his nose flared, and he never left his focus on me as he glared as if he was telling me this was all screwed up.

“Care to elaborate, Mrs. Creed?”

“I was with my grandfather at his house. My grandfather welcomes Gary, and his family and mine are close friends. I was in my room waiting for Morrow, Grandpa’s butler, to bring me the wine I requested. I was excited to open the door that I thought it was him, but it was drunk Gary. He pushed me-”

“I’m gonna fucking kill that asshole,” Mykel growled beside me. His body was vibrating with anger, his hands formed into fists and about to launch toward the unconscious Gary.

“Mr. Creed, calm down. Threatening a man in front of the police officers is not right. And if something happens to Mr. Merick, your words can be used against you.”

He glared at the cops before he looked at me. “What else did he do? And why am I not informed about this? Does Lex know?”

When I did not answer, that was what gave it away. He shook his head in dismay and anger. “Jesus, baby.”

“Sir, we are still interviewing the victim. Let us finish so we can work on this if she wants to press charges.”

“Of course, we are pressing charges. This is the second time she’s threatened and assaulted, officer.” He spelled out.

“Mykel, please?” I held his arm, and it clenched against my grip.

“I have a call to make.” He was going to stress out Grandpa. He walked out without a second thought.

“Mykel, wait!” I called him out. He stopped in the hallway with a groan and turned around.

“Don’t call, Grandpa, please? He has his dialysis at this moment. Let this one go. We’ll press charges, but we’ll do it alone. I don’t want to stress him further. Gary hurt me, and I’m gonna let him stop this before he hurts someone else.”

“Fine.” He grunted. His reaction just betrayed his own word.

Mykel was glaring at me all the time as he listened to everything I said to the officers.

“Did he try to communicate with you after that?”

“Yes. That’s how he found me here. After a few calls, I blocked him. He also threatened my assistant, the one who called 911.”

Once the cops left, Mykel pinned me in my chair. “You and I will have a long talk, wife.”