Chapter 1 Ruby

"Get ready to pick up your sister's corpse the next time you come to the hospital!"

The voice from the other end of the line barked at Ruby, causing a cold shiver to run down her back.

"Wha-what?" Ruby muttered. "What do you mean by corpse?"

""I'm afraid your sister's treatment has been put on hold due to unpaid bills, Miss Ruby." The nurse replied with a much sharper tone now.

Ruby sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, I'm begging. Don't take her off treatment, you know she needs it, Ma'am"

"If you think I'd keep giving her drugs and injections when you are yet to pay the money you owe the hospital, and risk losing my job, then you need to have a rethink, Miss Ruby!"

"I'll try to pay up, just don't abandon her in that state, please"

"My hands are tied. You need to pay before anything else can be done. Do you want to see her dead?"

"No!" Ruby cried out.

"Then, pay your debt so we can resume treatment on her!"

With that, the call ended..

Tears streamed freely out of Ruby's eyes, messing up the light make-up she had on in preparation for work.

Her mind raced with numbers and deadlines, but thinking about everything only made her feel more helpless. After almost three weeks of not paying the hospital bills for her sister, she was sure that she had incurred a large amount of debt.

How could she possibly come up with the money?

Her sister's life hung in the balance, and Ruby felt like she was watching her life flash by with speed. She went back to the mirror in her small, cramped apartment and redid her makeup again. This time, she paid no much attention to it as thoughts about her sister filled her mind.

With shaky hands, she slipped into her work outfit and hurried to the restaurant where she worked. The cool morning air did little to calm her anxiety. As soon as she arrived at the restaurant, she forced a smile on her face and shuffled to the back of the serving counter.

The words of the rude nurse in charge of her sister, echoed in her head, "Pay up your debt or lose your sister"

For the first time, the reality of losing her sister hit her. The nurse had sounded determined to carry on with her threat. And, if that happened, it meant only one thing: her sister's condition might get worse.

Ruby caught herself before her imagination got worse and she shook her head.

"I'll make sure I save you, Kimberley" She swore under her breath.

The question remained; how did she plan on pulling that off?

She had barely 24 hours left to make sure she raised enough money to offset the debt she was in, so that her sister's treatment could continue.

How was she going to do that? She wondered again, her frustration mounting.

Ruby blinked back tears as she approached a couple that sat at a table. She quietly placed their orders on the table before she turned away on her heels to go over to another table and get their order.

"My sister" She muttered, worry clawing through her, "I have to find a way!"

She went behind the counter to pick up the fresh orders. An hour later, Ruby was sent by the restaurant manager on an errand. She took off her work apron, hung it on the rack and headed for the exit of the restaurant.

She was too caught up with her thoughts to notice that a tall, imposing figure was making his way into the restaurant.

It was in that moment that she misstepped and crashed into him. The bump was so sudden that she tripped and fell with an embarrassing thud to the floor.

The already seated customers in the restaurant craned their necks and watched her in amusement.

Her face flushed she tried to pick up herself.

The man whom she had bumped into, let out a long hiss, glaring at her.

"You have a pair of eyes! Why don't you make use of them?" He barked.

She shuddered, raising up her chin to glance at him. His blue eyes were narrowed down on her.

"I am so-sorry" She stammered. Tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Keep that to yourself!" He snapped, "You are too lucky that you didn't stain my suit with your body" He scrunched up his nose and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off his blue suit.

Ruby picked up herself from the floor, fully aware of the eyes that were on her.

She adjusted her shirt, "Sorry, Sir. I just didn't see you coming." She said, but she didn't know whether he had heard her because he abruptly turned to walk away from her without any response.

She watched him, stunned.

Today wasn't a great day for her, she reasoned.

She quickly rushed out of the restaurant in a bid to avoid any other. When Ruby returned to the restaurant, she was distracted by a loud masculine voice from one corner of the restaurant.

She stopped in her tracks.

"You have to be kidding me!" The voice boomed, "You have to find her for me!"

Ruby quickly met with the restaurant manager, delivered the message she had for him before edging close to the booth where the loud voice had come from earlier.

"The wedding must go on. I need a bride. Find that damn woman for me!" The angry customer yelled again, this time, louder.

She could only see the customer's blonde hair from where she stood. She shoved her hands into her apron's pockets and walked towards the direction of the yelling voice.

As she got closer, she realized that the customer was on a heated phone conversation, his voice rising in anger. "I don't care what it takes, just get her here... the wedding can't be delayed..."

Ruby couldn't control her curiosity as she wondered what kind of man would yell about a wedding like it was a business deal gone wrong. She rounded the corner and stood by the customer's table just as he was saying, "Damon, If you don't find me that woman before noon, I'll make sure death will feel better than what I shall do to you."

Ruby's eyes almost popped as she recognized the man who was yelling on his phone, distracting other customers. It was the same handsome stranger she had bumped into earlier.

He shot her a cold glare and slammed his phone on the table before him. It startled her, causing her to stagger backwards, and just before she slipped, her hands flayed and grabbed a nearby seat for support.

"I see that you have a love story with the floor. You are always falling for it." He snarled, eying her.

She cleared her throat noisily, as she looker at him squarely.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said with a voice that was almost inaudible, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I have a proposal for you."

The customer raised an eyebrow, "What kind of proposal?"

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "I'll marry you," she said.The words tumbled out before she could reconsider. "You will have to pay me, Sir. I need the money to pay my sister's hospital bills and I'll do anything to save her."

The customer's expression changed from anger to surprise, and for a moment, Ruby could swear that a small smile formed on his lips, "Marry me?" he repeated, "You're either very brave or very desperate, Miss...?"

"Ruby," she replied, "Ruby Walcott"

Jaxon leaned back in his chair, watching her closely, "Tell me, Ruby, what makes you think I'm the kind of man who would marry a stranger for convenience?"

Her breath hitched.

Damn it! She cursed under her breath. She had only thought about how to milk his desperation for a wife, without thinking whether he would agree.

She obviously wasn't in his league.

She looked away as a flush crept up her cheeks, "It is okay if you find my proposal too offensive. I apologize." She muttered and wanted to leave.

Her legs felt too heavy to carry her as she tried to get away from the rude customer.

"I am down for it, Ruby" A familiar male voice said behind her, "I'll give you what you want. You only need to sign the documents!"