Claiming the Billionaire's Frosty Heart

KAREN ANDERSON

"Boss, she is here."

I heard the man that has led me in said to another man who was seated on a sofa. He was sipping from one of the glasses filled with liquor and ice.

And it was he that I came to find.

He was called Capon, a loan shark. He lowered the glass of wine back onto the table, reached for the saucer that held the remains of finished cigarettes and a fresh fat cigar stick and slipped into his mouth.

His face roughened up more than it already was and his eyes pinched as the heavy smoke escaped his nostrils and mouth dancing randomly into space.

All these while he acted like he never saw me, like I wasn't even standing before him.

My teeth gritted but that was as much as it could go.

"Capon hates to be interrupted. You must wait until he speaks to you before you speak." His man, the one that led me in had told me right at the door before we walked in.

My eyes darted across the large room. It was the VIP section of the nightclub. Only the elites dared to step foot into the place.

Somehow it was worth it.

The atmosphere was calm and light music played in the stereo from one corner of the room unlike in the other section where I had passed that had the music loud.

There were a few other men in the places. They all looked wealthy. A few of them were smoking and drinking while others had ladies in between their thighs smooching away. Some of the men looked really older than the girls.

I noticed a hint of discomfort from one of the girls.

The man was particularly large in size in contrast to her tiny self and was squeezing her breasts very aggressively, with a satisfied mischief grin plastered in his fat face. Like one that hadn't been opportuned to see a firm breast in his entire life. Men like this disgusted me a lot.

Then I wondered why she couldn't say no, and why exactly she was there instead of landing a slap on the geezer's face and stomping away.

But I knew better than to judge her. Sometime ago, I almost found myself in her position.

Something bitter stirred in the walls of my stomach and my teeth gritted in my jaw.

Moments like this had my blood boiling but then I remembered I had my own worries to face. I pulled my gaze away from them and back to Capon.

His fingers were adorned with different kinds of rings. I wondered how much each of them cost. Maybe one of it could even afford one of father's medicine.

If only I could have just one of it...

"Miss, did you bring my money?"

Capon's voice came halting my thoughts.

I blinked and my eyes settled on him. My lips had become too heavy, and my throat dried up. But my knees didn't as I quickly fell on them.

"Please sir, give me one more chance. I promise to get the money and bring to you...just one more chance is all I ask..."

Capon scoffed with irritation. "One more chance...you all always ask for one more chance but you never do anything with the chance."

"No sir, I promise I will bring the money to you..."

"Or maybe you wouldn't need to..." he said and sipped slowly from his glass of drink.

I looked up with wide eyes to meet his own, unsure of what I just heard him say. Was he going to let off father's debt? My heart started to beat fast.

"What do you mean sir?"

He dropped his glass of wine back on the table and faced me.

"You are not a kid. You know what I'm saying..."

I forced a thick swallow down my throat and bit down on my lower lip. I would have wondered if he was suddenly possessed. I have heard stories about Capon and he had never, ever let off a debt. Never. The only time as I heard he ever let off a debt was when he wanted a sex mate. More like a slave mate.

"I'm sorry, sir but I don't understand you," I said, keeping my voice as calm as I could.

I watched as his face formed into a thick frown. He lifted his glass and began to sip from it again. He made sure to down the entire content before he started to speak again. His man rushed over and refilled his glass.

"Look here, I am a businessman and I don't have time for this. Pay up your father's debt if you still wish him to be alive."

His tone was hostile.

"I will pay you sir, just give me a little time...please..." I pleaded.

He glanced at me and tapped the seat beside him.

I looked at him in confusion.

"Come and sit here," he said.

I stood up from the floor and slowly I made my way to he spot he had tapped. I sat two inches away from him. I was aware of myself, of my short gown.

For the first time since I stepped into the room, my body felt the impact of the air conditioner even when it actually had been there all along. The coldness struck the bareness of my flesh, my exposed laps. I immediately regretted not listening to my inner self. I held my two legs tight against each other.

He patted on the seat again, closer to him and nodded a smile at me.

I felt myself getting jittery. I wanted to get on my feet and walk out of that place without another glance behind me. But I knew I couldn't.

I pushed myself closer to him, still making sure to give a little distance between us.

"What if you don't have to pay your father's debt anymore?" He asked, glancing at me.

My heart started to beat fast again. The excitement came bubbling inside me again and I imagined what it would be like to not have to pay up father's debt anymore. It would be an impossible wish come true. I would have loved to use the money to get myself and Lilly new clothes and then we would go somewhere fun with father and have fun... but that was a luxury we couldn't afford even if Capon scraped off father's debt.

"You are young and beautiful and you shouldn't let your old man's debt pull you down. You like nice clothes huh? You know, nice shoes, nice things. I could even get you a nice house. Yeah?"

His hand started to move, towards me, slowly as he spoke and finally it rested on my lap.

"You like nice stuff, don't you?"

I nodded slowly, stifling down the bitter bile of anger that had started to surge through me.

My fist curled up tightly and gripped the fabric of the sofa hard.

"Yeah, all of them nice things. I can get it all for you... I know you will like them and you won't have to worry about your old man's debt. I will take care of you..."

He was slowly touching my laps as he spoke. I felt my body hot from anger. My eyes fixed on the bottles and glasses on the table. A stretch and I would reach any of it and smash it on his head.

But each time I tried to reach any of it, father's face flashed before me. His face when he was in pain and agony. His face when he needed a new set of drugs. His face when it was time for his monthly medical checkup.

The door of the Vip section flung open and a woman marched in looking really furious.

I watched as Capon's hands flew away from my laps and he scrambled to his feet.

"What...how...I mean what..." he stuttered facing the woman.

I regarded the woman. The woman that had the power to bring Capon to his feet and trembling. I was surprised.

She looked classic and just like Capon, she adorned her neck and fingers with a little too much jewellery. Different kinds of bangles dangled in her wrists that I imagined the clank clank sound coming out each time she moved her hands. Her face was masked with a heavy makeup that looked cakey and uneven. I couldn't let myself imagine what it would look like if she mistakenly got drenched in rain. It would be a disaster.

But that was the least of my worries as she had turned towards me now and was shooting me a glare.

"I'm sorry, boss, I tried to stop her..." Capon's man was saying but was shut up almost immediately as Capon shut him a deadly glare.

"You didn't tell me..." Capon started to say.

The woman shoved him away and walked past him stopping before me.

"You, isn't it enough that your miserable self can't pay up a debt. Now you choose to seduce my husband?"

What? Husband? His wife?

I looked at the woman and then at Capon and back at the woman again and it immediately sank in. The famous Capon's wife that even the Capon himself dreaded.

I got to my feet realising the danger I had fallen into.

"I'm sorry, ma'am...I only came here to ask for another chance to..."

She lifted a glass of drink on the table, tried emptying the content on me but stopped halfway.

"I will write off your debt if you can do anything I ask you to..."

I didn't let myself get excited. The only thing I smelt from her offer was danger.

KAREN ANDERSON

I refused to let myself get excited about her offer. All I smelt from it was danger.

She scanned around the place looking for what I had no idea about.

"How about you show me your skills... go ahead, seduce that man over there successfully and I will write off your debt," she said and as though she hadn't said the most ridiculous thing ever, she lifted the glass onto her lips and gulped down the entire content of it.

I looked at her, hoping she would tell me she was joking.

Only that she didn't look one bit like she was joking.

"What are you doing? You won't do it? Oh, I thought you were desperate to write off your debt. I guess I thought wrong..."

"I will do it..." I blurted.

Yes, I wasn't thinking straight. Anyone in my shoes had no right to be thinking straight.

"I will do it," I repeated as if she hadn't heard me the first time.

She chuckled and lowered herself onto the sofa. Where her husband had stood from. Capon was still standing and with his eyes pleading, hoping she would leave.

"Go on, show me what you have got," Capon's wife said.

I started towards the man. The man I was supposed to seduce. A man I knew nothing of and had never seen before.

I forced myself to take a deep breath. I wasn't one to fret in tasks or anything. In fact, I was always known as a fearless and bold woman. But that moment, I felt a patch of sweat forming underneath my arm, between my thighs. I had done a lot more riskier things in my life in the past but seducing a man I knew nothing about hadn't been among them.

But there was always a first time for everything.

I let out another breath. I remembered father and Lily and imagined how much burden would be lifted off my chest by just seducing the man over there and writing off our debt with Capon.

Determination surged through me. Putting on my cape of braveness, I started towards the man. He wasn't far from Capon's table.

I stopped a few feets from him and observed him. My prey. He was alone at his table and was drinking alone calmly. I couldn't see his face as his back was turned against my angle. I wondered what he would look like underneath the suit he was cladded in. Would he be handsome or ugly?

But I quickly waved the thought off. His looks weren't of any importance to me.

I dipped my hand into my cleavage and pushed up my breasts a bit and straightened out my dress. Maybe it wasn't an entirely bad idea to have worn a short dress after all.

I wished there was a mirror to have a good look at myself.

Another deep breath and I moved.

I rounded the sofa and stopped before him.

"Hi, I see you are alone. Erm, well, I am alone too. Mind if I join you?" I asked and before he could even raise his face at me, I took the sofa across from him.

He lifted his eyes and looked at me through his packed lashes and then focused back on his drink without saying a word to me.

"Wow. Cold." I couldn't help but mutter within me. I seized him up. He was gorgeous, like a demi-god. His face was chiselled, and his jaw, rigid and perfect. His pointed long nose sat straight in his face giving him the look of a man any woman would wake and see beside her in the morning and knew immediately how great her day would be.

"I hope you don't mind if I pour myself a drink?"

I started to pour myself a drink from one of the wine bottles on the table.

He ignored me all these while slowly sipping from his glass. And not a single word had he said since I sat down.

But as I lifted the glass to my lips to drink, he charged forward and grabbed my wrist.

"What do you think you are doing right in my space?"

For a moment, I ignored the meaning of his words, the hostility in his tone and let myself drown in the dark yet warm eyes that rested on me.

He held my gaze coldly. It was then I noticed that it wasn't just his eyes that were beautiful. His full brows along with his packed lush lashes could draw anyone in.

"I do not appreciate having a second person in my space. Especially not anyone like you."

He snatched the glass from me and dropped it down on the table. I felt a little hurt even when I knew I shouldn't be.

Everything about his tone screamed brusque.

Everything screamed arrogance. But I am Karen Anderson. I liked arrogant men more. I knew how best to turn them into a humble sheep.

Except that this situation was different.

I casted a look behind me to see Capon's wife's eyes fixed on me.

I wondered if she had been watching me the whole time without taking her eyes off even for a second.

"Erm," I coughed, adjusting in my seat and wearing back my confidence and seductive smile.

Come on, look at me, please. I couldn't do anything if he wouldn't look at him. I knew I had to get him to look at me somehow.

I intentionally dropped my phone.

"Oops! My phone." I bent and started to search for my phone. It didn't fall too far from me but I pushed it deeper beneath the table. Towards his own side.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my phone fell over there. Could you help me get it please?"

He slowly lifted his head from his phone that he was fiddling with and glanced at me before turning back to it again, without saying a word or making an attempt to get my phone.

"Oh, my bad. I shouldn't make a gentleman run errands for me." I let out a small laugh, hidden behind my nervousness as I stood from where I was seated, rounded the table and walked to his side.

I bent, low enough to have my body brush slightly against him.

"Aw...a little more and I will reach it..." I moaned, stretching my hand further under the table. Pushing my arse out.

Seeing that my seducee had no intention of helping me get my phone nor did he pay any attention to me, I reached for my phone and picked it up.

"Oh, found it." I half exclaimed, glancing at him.

Still no reaction from him. Thankfully most of the men were occupied with their drinks and the women before them. His silence embarrassed me.

I looked at Capon's wife and she had the look that said my time was up, that I had failed and my father's debt wouldn't be written off.

I had to push further. I must try harder.

"Oh, you have something on your neck," I said slowly, taking an imaginary thing off his neck.

He glared at me and caught my hand in his.

Then he charged up, dragging me up with him.

"You! How dare you lay your filthy hands on me? What is your deal? Didn't I tell you? I hate anyone being in my personal space and especially, I hate women like you... " he spat.

"All you do is go around seducing men you think can get you out of your miserable lives. You disgust me!"

I felt everything went still and the entire eyes of everyone in the room directed at me. My cape of confidence withered off and the cape of sheer embarrassment enveloped me.

They had lied to me. The movies, the stories. What happened to the man pinning the woman down and falling for her seduction?

I was a fool for thinking I was in the movies. This was in reality, my reality. And in reality, it was only myself that could save me and not anyone else. Not some handsome stranger I had just met the first time and was trying to seduce.

I tried to speak but the only thing that came out was bubbles. Invisible bubbles. They stuck in my throat blocking off whatever words my head drew to let out.

He shot me another angry stare before he shoved me out of his way and trotted out of the place.

My eyes darted across the room. I heard the giggles but I never bothered to check from who and where it had come from. But I knew it was a laugh directed at me. At my foolery.

From one of the tables across, I saw one of the men in a cluster of three men and a few women took a drag on his cigar. Then I watched as he exhaled the smoke slowly and how the smoke moved randomly and afterwards vanished. And right there and then, I wished I could turn into a smoke and disappear along with it.

KAREN ANDERSON

"Sis! Wake up!"

I heard my sister's voice in my dream. But It sounded too close. Too real to be just a dream.

I rolled away, away from the sound. But it came again. This time, closer than the first time.

Then I felt something spank my body and my eyes fluttered open from the sudden pain.

"Lily?" I mumbled, staring up at the brown eyes before me.

"Do you know what the time is right now?" She asked with a deliberate frown.

I rubbed my eyes. I still wanted to sleep. My eyes felt heavy. It was as though I had just shut my eyes to sleep only to be woken up.

"Time? Why?"

She sighed exasperatedly. "It's almost 8:00am. Aren't you going to work today? Big sis, don't tell me you have been fired?" She added with a suspicious frown.

Work?

"Work!" I jumped up from the bed.

"Shit! How did I oversleep..."

I dashed into the bathroom and turned on the shower and began to bathe.

"I did the chores and helped dad take his bath and eat. Eat something before you leave for work! I'm going to school..."

"Lily, wait!" I yelled from the bathroom. I unhung the towel and dashed out of the washroom again, foams of soap all over my body.

"Here, take this and get some snacks."

I squeezed some notes into her palms and dashed back into the bathroom again.

Moments later I heard the door shut and I knew Lily had left for school. I continued my bathing which didn't last for more than another minute.

I stared at the two outfits that lay on the bed.

One a dress and the other a chiffon long sleeved shirt with palazzo trousers to match.

"Just pick anyone idiot. It wasn't like what you wear mattered at work..." I murmured as I quickly grabbed the dress and wore it. I picked my handbag and slipped my feet into one of my stiletto heels.

I stood before the mirror and looked at the reflection of myself.

When I work, none of what I was wearing would still be on me. None of it really mattered. Well, except my underwear.

I shrugged and started out of the room.

Father was rolling his wheelchair out of his room as I walked out. His face broke into a grin when he saw me. "Did you lose track of time? It's unlike you to oversleep. Is something going on?" he said.

"Did you sleep well, dad? How is your leg? Any pain anywhere?" I asked, lightly ignoring his question as I scooped some milk into a cup.

He sighed. "Well, it's the same. I slept and I woke up. That's all that matters." He said, still smiling.

I was looking at him but then I quickly tore my eyes and turned away. When has he ever said he didn't sleep well? Even if he didn't, he would never say. But I knew it all. I knew how much pain he was in each day. And I wished I could take it all away. All his pain.

The thought of how close I almost got rid of one of the debts crossed my mind.

"That snob..." I cussed under my breath.

Well, I couldn't blame him much. No matter how much I thought about it, that was a crazy thing I did. Any sensible man would have been mad about it.

I sighed and shook my head.

I drank hurriedly from the glass of milk and stuffed my mouth with the bacon and scrambled eggs Lily made.

My phone beeped signifying a new message. With my right hand clutching onto my glass of milk, I dug my left hand into my handbag and retrieved my phone.

"Pay up your father's debt. You have three days."

I felt a weight around my chest, so heavy I could neither breath nor think for a split second.

My palms suddenly felt wet around the handle of my glass and I lowered the glass down hurriedly.

"Karen? Are you okay?" Dad asked me.

"Uh... yes. Dad, did you say you needed something?"

"No, I don't need anything but.. Karen, is there something going on? Did those men come by?"

Dad's eyes looked downcast. He looked away, withdrawn.

"It's all my fault... It's all my fault..." he muttered with shaking lips.

"No! Dad, I told you to stop worrying about them. I will take care of them. Okay?"

He nodded quietly and forced a smile.

I downed the last of my milk and shoved the remaining scrambled eggs into my mouth.

"Take it easy so it doesn't choke you," Dad said.

"Mm-mh," I nodded as I lifted the dishes and took them to the kitchen.

"Leave the dishes, I will do them." Dad called from the dining room.

"Lily will take care of it. Get some rest, dad and call me if you need anything. Okay?"

I didn't look to see if my father had nodded or not.

It wouldn't have made a difference anyways. He would still go on and wash the dishes before Lily got back from school sometimes. He said it was part of the way he used to stay sane when left all alone in the house.

"Dad, I'm going. Bye!" I pecked his cheeks lightly and dashed out of the house.

"Shit!!"

I glanced at my watch and it was way past 9am.

It was my first time getting to work late since Mr. Hendricks took me in. He had clearly told me to ensure I got to work before 9am.

He had told me he was going against the rules employing me as he was only meant to employ elderly married ladies. He never told me why and I thought I would be intruding if I asked and so I never asked.

I saw a taxi drop off a passenger and flagged it down.

At exactly 9:50am, I arrived at the Adams Mansion.

The enormous building stared right at me as I dropped off the taxi. I had the man swipe my card and handed it back to me before I proceeded into the house.

"You are late," Urn said as he held open the gate for me.

"I know. Is Mr Hendricks in?" I handed him my gate pass. He scanned it at the gate pass scanner and looked at it before he handed it back to me. He had seen it a good number of times yet each time I handed him the gate pass he looked at it as if he was seeing it for the first time.

He nodded affirmatively and let me walk through.

The walk from the gate down to the main house was a long walk.

As I walked, briskly, I glanced at my watch hoping there was a way I could freeze the damn thing from moving anymore.

"Phew!" I heaved in relief the moment I stepped into the servants' building. I quickly changed into my servant's clothes and went off to do my work.

"Why are you late today?" Caro, the elderly servant asked. She turned off the vacuum cleaner she was holding and faced me.

I clasped my hands together, twisting my nails and lost on what to say.

"I'm sorry..."

She frowned. "Get to work immediately. You don't want Mr Hendricks finding out you just signed in to work."

"Thank you, Mrs Caro. I will not be late again." I said with determination surging through me.

I was going to ask her if by any chance Mr Hendricks had asked of me but she had already disappeared into the hallway by the time I looked again.

I shrugged and got to work.

I was cleaning when Mrs Rhoda walked up to me.

"My dear Karen, please may I ask you for a favour?"

I stopped cleaning and turned to face her. Her face didn't look good.

"Mrs Rhoda, is there a problem?" I inquired.

"I'm sorry, but I have no one else to ask..." her voice strained off.

I stared down at her hands. Her fingers shook.

I reached and held them.

"Tell me, what is wrong?"

"My son... my son has been taken in by the police..." she broke into tears.

I opened my mouth to speak but words refused to come out. I had absolutely no idea what to say.

She sobbed and I let her, only gently patting her.

"It's going to be fine. He will come out safely."

"Help me... can you help me clean the young Master's room?"

"Huh? The young Master's room?"

She nodded, sniffing.

"I know I should tell Mr Hendrickd but I can't..."

I stared at her, speechless. I understood her predicament but how could she ask me to clean the young Master's room?

I was supposed to never be near the room of the young master. Mr Hendricks had sternly warned me to stay off there. All I ever knew about him was his name, Jay Adams, Mr Hendricks' grandson. I heard he was stinkingly rich and owned a large business enterprise but I had never seen his face nor what he looked like.

I didn't care about all of that. I only cared about the money. Mr Hendricks promised to pay me well and I had only been working there barely a month.

"But..."

"Please... help me. I must go to my son now. You don't have to worry about anything. The Young Master's is never home by this time. He must have left for work already. You only have to clean and leave."

Her pleading eyes bore into me.

"You... you may go..." I stuttered, feeling almost as if her wet hopeful eyes would pierce my skin.

"Thank you so much! I will remember this... thank you Karen!" She gabbled as she dashed off.

I sighed. Should I inform Mr Hendricks? What if he found out?

Then Mrs Caro would be in trouble. And I, too. It was a risk I shouldn't take.

I took a deep breath before I started for the Young Master's room.

I tapped lightly on the door. Mrs Caro had told me the young Master wouldn't be around but it was my habit... knocking before I step into any room.