Chapter 5 CONTRACT WITH A PREDATOR

The rain had turned into a freezing drizzle that soaked through Star's thin uniform by the time she reached her apartment. Her shift at the bar had been brutal,eight hours of standing on her feet, smiling at strangers while her bank account sat at zero.

As she pushed open the door, the first thing she felt was the cold. The radiator was dead, a silent metal tombstone in the corner of the room.

The second thing she saw was Alex. He was slumped in his chair, the blue light of his monitors reflecting off his glasses, his fingers flying across a controller.

"Alex?" she whispered, her voice cracking from the cold. "Did you call the landlord about the heat?"

"He didn't pick up," Alex muttered, not even glancing at her. "Probably because we're two weeks late on the rent, Star. Use your head."

Star set her bag down, her eyes falling on the kitchen table. Her heart stopped. There, amidst the empty takeout containers, was a sleek, neon-lit box for a high end gaming headset.

"The money," Star said, her voice dropping to a terrifyingly calm level. "I left two thousand dollars in the jar for my final tuition part payment.

Alex finally paused the game. He turned around, his face twisted in a defensive, ugly scowl. "I needed the gear for the tournament next week, Star! It's an investment. I'll make it back ten times over.

" Star's voice rose, her British accent becoming sharp and jagged. "I am working double shifts while you gamble our life away! That was my degree!

"Why are you always so dramatic?"

"You know what?" Alex stood up, kicking his chair back. The cowardice in his eyes turned into a cruel, petty rage. "I'm sick of the lectures. I'm sick of you acting like you're some saint just because you pay some of the bills...... If you're so worried about the money, go find that billionaire who was sniffing around you at the bar. We both know he'd pay more than just your tuition."

The silence that followed was absolute. The words hit Star like a physical blow to the stomach. The man she had loved supported for two years had just told her to sell herself to fix his mess.

"You know what? I'm done. I'm going out, and I'll be back in thirty minutes. Before then, I want you to pack your things and get out of my house. Get out of my life."!!!!

The words hit her like a physical blow. The man she had sacrificed everything for was throwing her away like trash.

"Alex, please-"

"Thirty minutes, Star. If you're still here, your shit goes in the hallway." The door slammed with a force that made the thin windows rattle.

Star collapsed against the frame, her chest heaving. She was alone, penniless, and in half an hour, she would be homeless in a city that was currently five degrees below freezing.

Less than ten minutes had passed when a heavy, authoritative knock sounded. Star wiped her eyes, her heart leaping into her throat. Had Alex changed his mind? Was he coming back to apologize?

She swung the door open, her plea dying on her lips.

It wasn't Alex.

Adrian Scott stood in the dimly lit hallway, looking like a dark god who had descended into a slum. His tailored wool coat was damp with rain, and his presence made the narrow corridor feel even smaller.

"How did you find me?" Star gasped, clutching the doorframe.

"I have people for that," Adrian said, his voice a low, professional chill. "But more importantly, I saw your boyfriend leave. He looked like a man who just lost the only good thing in his life. I believe he gave you thirty minutes?"

Star's face went pale. "You were watching?"

"I was protecting my interests," Adrian stepped into the apartment, his eyes scanning the "Final Notice" on the table.

"I sacrificed everything for him,I missed my rent payment cause of this gig he had,I loved him"....she lashed out

"How could he..." She continued "I gave him everything...my whole world"

She let out a hollow, bitter laugh that sounded more like a sob, her hands trembling so violently she had to grip the edge of the marble counter to stay upright, her eyes brimming with hot, stinging tears that finally spilled over "I gave him every piece of me. I made him my whole world......and he throws me out like I'm nothing but a burden."

Adrian watched Star crumble, feeling an unfamiliar, physical ache in his chest as he witnessed her spirit break.

A primitive urge nearly drove him to pull her into a reassuring embrace to stop her shivering, but his cold nature intervened.

As a man defined by logic and steel, Adrian didn't do emotions or comfort. He forced himself to remain a statue of ice, clenching his fists to resist the impulse to touch her.

Choosing power over temporary comfort, he suppressed his humanity to offer her a cold, calculated solution instead of the hug she needed.

"I'm not here to buy a night, Star. I'm here to make an investment. My car is downstairs. I have a room in my penthouse ,a wing where no one will trouble you. Not even me."

He reached out, his thumb brushing a stray tear from her cheek. The heat of his skin was a shock against her frozen face.

"You will finish your degree, you will sleep in a bed that is actually warm, and you never have to see that boy again."

Star took a step back, her pride warring

with her desperation.

"And what do you want in return? No one gives away a room in a penthouse for free."

"The return is simple," Adrian said, his eyes darkening with a possessive, hungry glint. "Once you have your degree, you work for me. Only me. You will head the media team for Scott Global. Your talent, your voice, your loyalty; it all belongs to my company."

Star looked at him, her voice trembling. "I don't want to live in the same building as you. I want my own space."

Adrian's mouth tilted into a slow, deceptive curve. "I can see to that in the future. But tonight, Star, you have no money, no heat, and a man returning in twenty minutes to throw you into the snow. I am the only door that is open to you."

Star looked at the empty, miserable apartment. She had no parents to run to,no friends no savings left, and a city outside that wanted to break her.

Adrian Scott was offering a warm bed, a path to her degree, and a shield against the world that had just crushed her.

If she had to play a game of shadows with a billionaire to survive, she would. She would stay independent, she would keep her door locked, and she would save every cent till she found her feet.

She would use him, just as he intended to use her.

"Ten minutes," she said her voice gaining a sudden, sharp edge of defiance. "And I want a lock on my door. One that you don't have a key for."

Adrian's smirk didn't fade; it deepened, his eyes glinting with the look of a man who loved a challenge. "Pack your things, Star. The clock is ticking."