Chapter 9 Nibbling on the trap

"Give me my phone," she ordered him. She opened her palms in front of him and a curl escaped the man's lips.

"Beg." Just one word and it sent so many emotions in the back of her head.

"Never mind." She immediately gave up.

"Ohh? But this is the hospital calling. I put your number as the recipient, what would you feel if something bad happened to your stepmom?" Randall pulled the strings.

"Don't do it like that, Randall. Give me the damn phone..." She is starting to feel anxious. Thoughts filled her head of what could have happened and she does not want to assume the cruel one.

She left the house with her stepmom looking pale, like she had no blood. Thinking about it, she hadn't gone home overnight so she might have overthinked and stressed about it.

"Please..." she bit her lips. The man is tall, and surely he's a spurge of energy. "Please, give me my phone."

Randall laughed as he realized how easy it was to use her stepmother against her. She's a prey with her weakness displayed for him to use.

He knew how to make her obey every single damn thing he'd like her to do.

He handed out the phone and Gabrielle anxiously answered it.

"Hello?" She whispered over the phone.

"Hi, this is Helen speaking from Southampton Private Hospital. Is this Miss Gabrielle Angelique?" A woman spoke and asked for verification.

"Ahh yes, that is right," Gabrielle responded in a hushed tone. "May I know why you called me?"

Randall just sits still, staring at her expressions. He tried to find amusement in her current situation but instead, felt remorse.

"I called to say that Laura was rushed to the emergency room a few moments ago. She needs a blood transfusion because her Hemolytic Anemia is getting worse. We cannot schedule her operation for her brain tumor either unless the bills will be settled." The doctor said,

Gabrielle covered her mouth so as not to cry, she was in deep shock. "Ho-how much is the bill?" She whispered in a hushed tone, not knowing how she could settle them.

"Right now, your bill has reached $600,000 and the blood transfusion hasn't been counted yet."

Gabrielle's world crumbled before her bare eyes. "Where will I get that amount of money..." the thought filled her head and she was out of words.

"Ma'am? Are you still with me?" Helen confirmed. "May I know how you will settle the payment?"

Tears fell on her eyes as she calmed herself. "Is it okay if I call you back later?"

"Ohh? It's alright. We'll check back on you shortly after an hour. Let's keep in touch." The woman said. "Thank you!"

The call was dropped and she was trembling in fear.

"Did you transfer my mom to the private hospital just so you can trap me?" She accused Randall, she doesn't know where she can burst her frustration.

Randall crossed his arms on his chest, straightly looking at Gabrielle. "And if I did?"

Gabrielle laughed sarcastically. She is trapped even before she knows It.

There is no way out. If her mother died, she'd be left with debt. And if she lived, she'd also pay for it.

There were no good options, Randall surely did his best to keep her chained.

Gabrielle looked straight at those dull, empty eyes of Randall. "Then fine, let's play this game."

"I'll play the role of your wife and you solve all my problems. How is that?" She proposed something she surely would regret.

A smile escaped Randall's mouth. Gabrielle could not understand how he fancied her that much when she wasn't the kind of woman that should be his standard.

Randall slowly walked up to her. She lifted her chin to stare at him only to be surprised by him leaning close to her.

Her eyes widened in shock. He could almost feel his breath touching her skin, the tension making her cheeks burn up.

She felt her heart beating faster as if it was about to escape from her chest. She couldn't hold eye contact and her stomach was filled with butterflies.

He smiled and it almost made her melt on her stand. "Didn't know you'd accept my proposal after arguing that you wouldn't."

"I..." she struggled to breathe, what more with talking. "I'd withdraw that if you would not get away from me."

She tries to push him away only to be pulled closer.

She felt Randall's hands down her waist as he continued to look at her with his predatory gaze. She's locked, couldn't take even a step away, and she's being manipulated within a second.

"Don't try to run away, woman." He said with so much conviction, ready to devour her anytime if he pleases.

"There is only one thing I hate the most in this world..." He opened up, an unusual decision.

"Cowards."

Gabrielle could not move an inch. Like, she was put under a curse where she couldn't do anything but stare at the man as she drowned in his alluring gaze.

He hated cowards, that is the same definition of the personality Gabrielle holds.

His hands trailed the lace of her dress and she felt it loosening up.

"Hey, let me go..." She tried to resist, but the man was stronger than she thought he would be.

"Randall, I told you... let me go-"

"Or what?" His eyes darkened. He dislikes the way Gabrielle acts and does not want to take no for an answer.

"A womanizer..." Gabrielle thought to herself.

"Say the word and I'll stop." Randall pin-pointed her eyes. He is forcing her to make a decision that instant.

His other hand caressed her cheeks which made her gulp. He was admiring her beauty so much that he could not resist touching her.

Gabrielle surely wanted him to stop. But the words, they are gone.

"Do you want me to stop?" Once again, he asked.

She wanted to ask him to stop doing what he was doing but her body betrayed her.

She shook her head which made Randall smile. He leaned closer to her, and she could feel her heartbeat racing faster, as if a horse was running after her.

She could feel the heat in his body as their faces stood closer to one another.

Her hands don't know where to go. She closed her eyes as she anxiously waited for their lips to touch one another.

"Not today." Randall teasingly whispered in her ears as he planted small kisses on it.

It sent shivers to Gabrielle's body and she knew how to react. She could feel Randall tying the lace in her dress and she felt him pulled away.

"Haha..." Randall laughed mockingly. "You're too weak... it makes me want to crave for more."