Chapter 7 Fate baited us

The soft sheets touched Gabrielle's skin. The small rays of the morning sun touched her face, and she felt strange.

Her head hurts so bad. She couldn't remember a single thing she did other than drink the liquors that were presented to her. She felt so stupid, regretful, and used. It was as if all the bad luck was her burden.

Gabrielle forced her body up and slapped her face multiple times to sober up.

"The fuck did just happen..." her voice ragged as her eyes roamed around the place.

She doesn't know where she is. She couldn't recognize the place and seeing the tall buildings in the wide, big, and scary window makes her want to throw up.

She couldn't believe her eyes. How could she sleep in such a place when she knew it was expensive and only wealthy people could afford units in high buildings?

She questioned everything. From the moment she had slept to the moment she woke up. She tried her best to recall everything and wished she did not do something dumb.

When she heard footsteps approaching her, she felt cold sweat falling onto her chin. She doesn't know what to do once she sees whoever the person is.

She forced her eyes to close, acting like she was asleep. The only thing that she could hear was her heavy breathing while she prayed that the person wouldn't attack her or take advantage of her.

The door opened and she could not catch a single glimpse even from squinting her eyes.

"I know you're awake. I've seen you from the cameras." A cold, deep, and taunting voice sent shivers down her spine.

She gulped hard as she crumpled the sheets, still not paying attention. Her nerves were already shaking from too much anxiety and not to mention, she slept inside a stranger's house, inside a man's house!

"Quit the act, Gabrielle." His voice made her even more scared.

"How can he... know my name?" Gabrielle thought to herself while she bit her lips to stop herself from crying.

Footsteps approached and she couldn't breathe properly. Her eyes were being forced to stay still, and she did not want to engage in any act that would make their eyes meet.

She can feel his presence beside her. She was about to open her eyes when suddenly, she was startled to feel the man's hands touching her forehead.

"Open your eyes, you don't have a fever."

She met his gaze. Those beautiful eyes... and that jet-black hair.

"You?!" Her voice raised and she lifted her body. She grabbed the blanket to braise herself and was terrified. "You were the man in the VIP seat!"

The man's eyes had grown bored. Their faces almost touched, as if igniting a kiss. The tension between the two grew deeper as the clock ticked by, they couldn't get a hold of themselves.

The room was filled with this overwhelming tension and feeling that only the two of them shared.

"Why-why are you wearing that towel?!" Gabrielle was stunned to realize that the man was wearing nothing on his top and just a towel wrapped around his bottoms.

He moved away from her and simply stood there, not caring whether she felt uncomfortable and had the need to close her eyes.

"I'm Randall." He said. It was the coldest word, it wasn't even friendly.

"I'm your husband," he said.

Gabrielle's ears rang when she heard that phrase. "Husband? Since when did I get married?"

"Since you placed your thumb mark on the contract that says you would be my wife in exchange for money." He explained.

"Money?!" Gabrielle was mortified by the way her decisions escalated quickly. "How can I sign such things? It is like selling myself!"

"Wow, you forgot what happened last night?" Randall laughed wryly.

"What did I do?" She said in a way that made her look vulnerable. It just gave way for Randall to make some silly fun of the situation.

"Hmmm..." Randall bit his lips. He took some cigarettes from his bedside table and smoked inside.

That was one of the things that Gabrielle hated. She dislikes people who smoke tobacco, especially on a closed door.

"Could you please step out if you're going to smoke? I'll also prepare to take my leave." she annoyedly said.

"Leave?" The shock was plastered on Randall's face. "No, you cannot. I have had your stepmother transferred to some private hospital, how else would you pay if you would withdraw from this pact?"

Gabrielle held her breath. She cannot believe that Randall knew the case of her stepmother.

"Have I told you about that?" She massaged her nape from stress and thought about the silly things she might have blurted out.

"Yes. You even said that you would do anything, even selling your soul to get money." He blew out smoke from his mouth and stood up to get some papers.

He threw them on the bed and Gabrielle took it as quickly as she could. She needed to know the weight of her decisions and how many mistakes she had made.

"This is clear... forging of the document. Or at least, taking advantage of the vulnerability of a woman just because she is drunk..." Gabrielle thought of a way to get away from a marriage she did not want in the first place.

"I do not want to marry a man I do not know, a man I do not love." she sighed and took a deep breath. "Please, stop making things complicated."

"Love? Since when did love provide?" Randall mocked her mindset. "I never heard about love being able to pay debts."

Gabrielle closed her eyes, irritated. She had never met a man with that kind of mindset, thinking that everything could be bought with money.

"Unlike you, wealthy people, love is the only treasure pool citizens like me can get a hold of. I do not want to throw myself in a pit of darkness just so I can get money." Gabrielle said, boldly. Her pride overstepped her and was talking for her.

"I will never waste my life like this over such a thing," she whispered.

"Ohh... so are you saying you're going to reject this proposal now?" there was a hint of disbelief in Randall's tone of voice.

"But I thought you'd sell your soul for money?" He laughed in a gut wrenching way, allowing Gabrielle to remember what she needed.