Chapter 2 Do You Really Want To Marry Me

After she shot off the message, Irene got zero response. The silence lasted all the way until she pulled up to her apartment building.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

Henry Shaw had made a name for himself as a hotshot airline captain at a young age. He had probably blocked her number ages ago-right after she had rejected him three years back.

The rain was coming down hard outside. Irene let out a sigh, popped open her umbrella, and climbed out of the car.

Her phone rang while she was heading back to her place. Sean was on the other end. "Irene, I deleted your resignation letter," he said. "You're being completely selfish! Levi's got tuition bills piling up for his overseas program, and Neil's startup is bleeding money. If Mr. Smith cuts us off, we're all screwed!"

Last night, things had gotten ugly between Irene and Caiden. She had fired off a resignation email to him after that. She hadn't thought Sean would get his hands on it first.

She pulled in a long breath. "Sean, Mr. Smith's true love just came back to the country," she told him. "They're getting married."

Her voice was shaking, but she pushed through. "I'm not going to be the other woman," she said firmly.

"Rena, do yourself a favor and just hear me out," Sean replied. His voice was soft, but his words cut deep. "You don't have much education. Your family background is nothing special. And you've been Mr. Smith's kept woman for three years now. Nobody else is going to want to keep you."

Irene's eyes went wide. "Keep me? What the hell are you even saying?" she exclaimed.

"Isn't that just how it works for women? Snag yourself a rich guy while you've still got your looks and your youth," Sean responded. "Just listen to me. Stick with Mr. Smith. Stop being so pigheaded!"

With that, he ended the call.

Irene stared down at her phone, a sarcastic laugh bubbling up from her throat.

Walking away from Caiden wasn't just about her feelings for him. Her whole family was sucking her dry like a bunch of parasites.

Things had been so rough for her over the years that even the tiniest scrap of kindness from Caiden was enough to make her fall head over heels. The irony was that all his sweetness had really been meant for someone else.

A furious voice suddenly cut through the air. "Is that you, Irene, you ungrateful girl?"

Irene jumped and spun around. There was Tobias. His face was wild and disheveled.

Tobias was drowning in debt. He gambled constantly and drank like a fish. He stirred up trouble wherever he went. All four of his kids avoided him like the plague.

Irene never thought she would be the unlucky one he tracked down first.

Panic hit her, and she tried to bolt. But Tobias chucked the bottle he was holding off to the side and stumbled after her. He grabbed her arm. "Where's your cash? Fork it all over right now!" he demanded.

"Let go of me! I don't have any money!" Irene screamed.

She fought to break free, but Tobias seized a handful of her hair. "You think you're getting away? Your mother wouldn't have died in that car crash if it wasn't for saving your sorry hide! You're a curse, you hear me? You owe me a wife, and you're gonna pay me back in cash!"

"What... What are you talking about?" Irene whispered.

Her mother's death was the deepest wound Irene carried.

While she was reeling from the shock, Tobias made his move. He ripped her bag right out of her hands. His big, weathered hand went up in the air.

Irene braced herself for a brutal slap, squeezing her eyes shut.

However, the pain she had been expecting never came.

What filled her ears instead were Tobias' agonized groans.

Irene's eyes flew open. A tall man had Tobias in his grip.

His back was facing her direction. The only thing she could make out was his hand clamped around Tobias' throat. His fingers were long and lean and the veins stood out prominently. An undeniable force radiated from him.

Black clothing covered him from head to toe. A sharp aura surrounded him. The pressure he gave off was absolutely crushing.

Irene's heart lurched. The man shifted his head just a bit. All of a sudden, she got a clear view of his face.

His features were absolutely striking. Sharp brows sat above a perfectly straight nose. His eyes were deep-set and narrowed. They were piercingly cold. A shiver ran straight down her spine just from looking at them.

The downpour was intense. Everything in Irene's field of vision got blurred out by it.

But Henry's face was so sharply handsome it burned itself into her vision with crystal clarity.

It felt like a dream to Irene. Then the next moment rolled around. She heard Henry speak in a calm tone. "Did you get hurt?" he asked.

Irene froze up for a second, then she quickly shook her head.

Henry gave a slight nod. He let go of Tobias, disdain written all over his expression.

Tobias clutched at his wrist and bared his teeth. He was gearing up to curse when he spotted several bodyguards heading their way. They were all dressed in black.

Tobias hurled threats back at them as he retreated. "Just you wait! You're gonna regret this!" he yelled.

...

Even when she was back in her cramped little apartment with Henry, Irene still hadn't completely gotten her head on straight.

Had Henry seriously just shown up because of the message she had sent an hour earlier?

Irene expressed her gratitude to Henry. After that, an uncomfortable silence settled over the living room.

Her eyes bounced around nervously. Noticing Henry was soaked through from head to toe, she offered to hunt down a dry towel for him. Then she made a quick escape to the bathroom.

Henry's eyes stayed on her retreating form for a few beats. Then he shifted his attention to take in the living room's setup.

The tiny apartment had a simple arrangement. But warmth radiated from it. It easily called to mind that comforting word-home.

A faint smile unconsciously curved his lips. Then his gaze landed on an entire row of nutrition books sitting on the shelf. His lips compressed into a thin line.

Henry walked over to the bookshelf. His eyes narrowed slightly. A few medical journals were hidden toward the back. He spotted them along with a yellowed stethoscope.

The shadows had tucked them away. They were evidence of Irene's stubborn dream to work in medicine.

In the bathroom, Irene didn't want to keep Henry hanging around waiting. She dug through the cabinets frantically. A new towel finally turned up. Then she bolted back out. "Mr. Shaw, you-" she started to say.

Her words cut off halfway. Her eyes went wide. Then she clamped her mouth shut.

Henry had taken his shirt off. That was the reason.

Her gaze landed on his broad shoulders. Then it moved to his lean waist. Well-defined abs came next.

Raw masculinity poured off him. An enchanting allure came along with it. Irene found herself unable to tear her eyes away for a moment.

Water droplets were clinging to his skin. They ran down the grooves of his abs. Then they vanished into the waistband of his suit pants. Her eyes followed the droplets involuntarily. They traveled to a place she really shouldn't have been looking at.

Henry cast a cool glance in her direction. That was when Irene finally snapped out of it.

Her cheeks turned bright red. She instinctively tried to make a run for it.

But Henry moved faster. He stepped forward and had her cornered against the wall.

"What are you-" Irene's heart was hammering wildly.

Her words were cut off as Henry's deep voice sounded from above her. "Do you really want to marry me?" he asked.