Contracting Hearts

Chloe Blackwood woke up on a Tuesday morning and performed her daily routine before heading to the gym. While she was working out, all the able-bodied men stood behind her, staring at her perfect shape. Chloe would always look back at them each time she noticed that and smile at them before she continued working out.

Chloe was the type of lady whose smile never ceased her lips, and she was very jovial and fun to be with. Chloe has a curvy shape and a beautiful face to match her smiling cheeks. She always ensured her big curly hair was perfectly resting on her shoulder.

After staring and smiling at them, Chloe was about to focus on the treadmill she was working on when her phone started ringing. She picked up her phone where she had placed it so she could check who the call was, and was shocked to see her elder brother calling her by this time of the day.

Chloe stared at it as she reluctantly picked up the call.

"Hey, big bro," Chloe said happily, but her big brother wasn't just in the mood for jokes.

"Chloe, Dad is in trouble," Nathaniel said, his sad voice coming from the other end of the call.

"What is it, big bro? Any problem with Dad?" Chloe asked curiously as she slowed down her treadmill machine.

"Remember I passed the night here with you guys?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yes, I know Nathaniel. I wanted to knock on your door before coming to the gym, but I realized you were still asleep, so I left unnoticed," Chloe responded, looking confused as to why Nathaniel was asking those questions.

"I had prepared everything I came here with and was about to leave when some cops came to Dad's house saying someone close to us discovered that Dad was involved in illegal dealings. I tried reaching out to a few shareholders in dads' company if they could stand up for Dad and attest to the fact that he wasn't involved in any illegal dealings

Immediately I logged into the company's website to get their details, that was when I realized that they've all withdrawn their shares, leaving the company back to where it started from," Nathaniel explained.

"What?" Chloe exclaimed loudly but immediately covered her mouth.

Chloe knew her father too well that he wasn't the type to always involve himself in any illegal dealings, so it was somehow hard for her to believe everything she was hearing from Nathaniel.

"How did this happen?" Chloe tried asking, but it was then she realized that the call had been disconnected.

"Who should I call?" Chloe thought as she scrolled through her contact list, gritting her teeth.

When she noticed that people around were starting to get worried about her changed mood, she hurriedly moved to the changing room.

"It's best I call Dad," Chloe thought as she sat on the available long bench.

She wanted to call him and find out if it was true about what Nathaniel told her. Chloe dialed her father's number several times, but he wasn't picking up.

"Maybe he's too weak to talk to me; I guess it's true after all," Chloe thought as she gently placed her phone on her lap. She sniffed back the tears that were planning to fall and picked up her phone again to call Nathaniel since her father wasn't picking up. She called him several times, but it seemed he already silenced his phone.

Chloe felt weak and down. She had no idea what to do next or which step to take at that moment. All that was going through Chloe's mind was to meet up with the pathetic person who dug p dirt against her father and beat him up till he confessed and took responsibility.

Chloe didn't have any friends she could ask for help. She was about to call her best friend to pick her up because she was even scared of going home alone when her mind suddenly went straight to her boyfriend, Marcus.

Marcus is from a rich family, so solving Chloe's family financial issue shouldn't be a problem for him at all. Chloe isn't the type of person who asks for help from people, but as the case may be now, she has no choice but to call Marcus and ask for help. She dialed Marcus' number several times, but he wasn't picking up.

"Why isn't everyone picking up?" Chloe thought as she angrily pulled off her hand gloves.

"I need to go to his house then!" Chloe muttered as the last call ended without him picking up. She ordered an Uber online before picking up her things from the lady's room.

A few minutes after she finished picking up her things, she got a message from the Uber that he was waiting outside already. Chloe hurriedly got in and went to Marcus's house. Immediately she got to Marcus's house, she got out of the car and crossed to the other side of the road to knock on Marcus'' door, but then realized that it was left unlocked.

"Maybe he forgot!" Chloe thought as she made her way into his house. She looked around his living room and realized everything was scattered, but there was no sight of him.

Chloe walked close to check his bedroom maybe he was probably resting.

"Ha! Damn!" Chloe overheard someone exclaim loudly with a burst of laughter.

Her brain wasn't processing at that moment, so she couldn't guess who it was but tiptoed closer to the bedroom door to hear the voice. Chloe was so careful with her steps, so she wouldn't be noticed.

Chloe was about to open the door and check who it was when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. That voice was so different from Marcus's voice; she listened carefully and realized it was the voice of her best friend.

"She's so daft. How could she not notice that we were dating? I overheard that her family's business had gone bankrupt. So, tell me, Marcus, did you do it? You know that you don't keep anything away from me," Lila asked while playing with Marcus' short beard.

"You know I'm not up to that stage of digging up dirt against someone, but I know who did it. Should I tell you?" Marcus asked, smiling.

"Sure, I want to know who did that huge favor for us," Lila said, anxiously.

"It's my father's doing!" Marcus said.

"What?" Chloe exclaimed silently, covering her mouth.

Chloe had wanted to run upon hearing that, but she stayed back to hear the full details.

Chloe stayed very close to the door to listen to what they had to say next.

"How was your father able to dig up dirt against Chloe's father?" Lila asked, curiously.

"My father said he approached Mr. Blackwood with some business ideas so they could both work together, but Chloe's father stupidly refused and even threatened to expose the illegal business my father was into to the world.

To pay Mr. Blackwood back for threatening him, my father dug up some dirt against him with the help of his little friends. Mr. Blackwood is just as daft as his daughter," Marcus said, kissing Lila on the forehead.

Chloe couldn't believe what she had just heard from Marcus.

Is this the reward she gets after committing her whole life to him for two years?

As if breaking her heart wasn't enough, his father is the man behind everything that happened to Chloe's father.

"I can't believe Lila thought this is the best thing to pay me back with!" Chloe thought with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Though Lila came from a very poor background, Chloe didn't mind becoming Lila's friend because she cared less about status and just lived a simple life. All she cared about was how they treated each other. Whenever Lila needed anything, Chloe was always her go-to person, and it would be provided immediately.

Chloe gave Lila everything she ever wanted she wanted. She even treated Lila like her blood sister and even told her secrets that were supposed to be kept within herself. After everything, this is what she gets for taking Lila as a best friend.

"Betrayal!" Chloe muttered.

Soon, Marcus and Lila's laughter echoed through Chloe's ear.

"What about the drug you have been injecting her with?" Lila asked.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. The drugs have been effective; she is barren already, and in fact, her womb is now damaged. She will find it hard to give birth. She might lose her life while trying to give birth if I give her another dose of the drug, so I stopped it," Marcus said.

"The mistake she made was trying to oppress me with her family wealth. I will show him that I have something she does not possess," Lila said, with pure hatred surging through her voice.

Chloe held her stomach in shock. Immediately, Lila stopped talking. So, Marcus and Lila have been feeding her with drugs she thought were good for her health, not knowing it's an infertility pill. Chloe couldn't hold onto the tears anymore as she kicked open the door angrily her face filled with disappointment and betrayal.

Lila and Marcus were scared to their bone marrow when they saw the door being kicked open angrily. They were even more shocked when they looked up and saw Chloe's teary face. Marcus pushed Lila to one side so that Chloe wouldn't guess if there was anything going on between them, not knowing that Chloe had already overheard all their secret conversations.

"So, you both planned to ruin my life and my family, why? What did I do wrong? Where did I go wrong, huh, answer me?" Chloe asked angrily with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Chloe attempted to speak, but the lumps in her throat held her back from saying a word, so she had to wait and calm down for a few seconds before she could speak a word. Marcus saw a close choke as an opportunity to step down from the bed. He made an attempt to touch Chloe, but she flinched and stepped back.

"No honey, it's not what you think. We were talking about a movie we watched together. We were just rehearsing each line we heard in the movie," Marcus lied.

While Marcus was busy apologizing, Lila laid on the bed acting non-chalantly and not caring if Chloe heard their conversation or not. She didn't even bother to cover her nakedness.

"Not what I think, huh? The drama should be interesting to that extent," Chloe said, laughing mockingly and loudly.

"Here's one thing love birds," Chloe started as she walked closer to them.

"I will make sure to ruin both of you. I will wait and see the end of you two and I will take my revenge. I will make you feel the pain I and my family are feeling now," Chloe said.

She stared at both of them and immediately ran out of Marcus' apartment with tears rolling down her cheeks. Marcus stood up making an attempt to chase after Chloe, but Lila held him back and made him sit on the bed.

"Where are you going to? What she just said is just an empty threat. Remember that her family's company has gone bankrupt, and her life is totally in ruins. There's nothing she will do, so there's nothing to worry about," Lila said as she wrapped her hands around Marcus and planted a kiss on his forehead.

Chloe looked back and realized that Marcus didn't even bother to chase after her as that was the only evidence that he never loved her from the beginning of their relationship.

Chloe couldn't stop crying as she stepped out of Marcus' apartment onto the street. She walked aimlessly around the street before she spotted a high, classy, lively bar nearby.

She looked around her to see if there was another classier bar than that before she walked in a while cleaning her teary eyes. All she needed was just something to clear her head and cool off the troubles and pain going through her mind.

She walked into the bar and signaled to the waitress to come closer.

"I was to drink, but give me two bottles first," Chloe said, indicating with her two fingers.

"Here, ma'am." The waitress said, handing over two bottles to Chloe and an opener. Chloe rejected the beer glass and asked the waitress to leave.

Chloe cried as she gulped down the beer. The pain she had encountered today alone was too much for someone her age. She wasn't ready to go through all those pains and never expected it, but nobody knew that it would eventually come from the people she loved.

At the right corner of the bar where the VIPs were seated, a young man named Adrian couldn't help but notice a lady crying and drinking at the same time. He wondered what she was going through that would make her be in that state.

He was very shocked because this was the first time he had ever seen a lady cry and drink herself into a stupor at the same time.

Adrian tried taking his eyes off Chloe after a few minutes of staring at her, but it just wasn't working. After a few minutes of distracting himself, he will find himself staring at her again.

Chloe, on the other hand, tried using the back of her hand to clean off the tears that were strolling down her cheeks, but soon, her eyes filled up again, and she busted out crying like a baby this time around.

Adrian didn't know what to do, he just sat at the other side of the bar staring blankly at Chloe. A few minutes later, three young old adults walked up to sit beside Chloe, but Adrian didn't get bothered about it because he thought they meant no harm.

Immediately, Adrian noticed that they were already making stupid advances at Chloe; he shook his head, drawing the attention of his security to Chloe's table.

"Teach those three guys a lesson and bring that lady to my table," Adrian whispered to security while pointing toward Chloe's table.

The securities were immediately taken aback as if the word they heard their boss spit out was an abominable word. They were shocked at the same time because this was the first time he would ever interfere in someone's matter in this bar.

Anytime he sees such about to happen in the bar, all he just does is stand up and walk out. What surprised them the most was the person he asked them to bring to his table was a lady.

"Are you still waiting for my order? Bring that lady to my table!" Adrian said in a low and calm tone.

"Noted, boss!" they said in unison, stared at their boss, and walked away.

When those three men who sat in front of Chloe noticed that she was dead drunk, they decided to use that opportunity and take advantage of her.

"Hey damsel, do you mind if we join your table and have a drink together?" One of the guys asked licking his lips seductively at Chloe.

Taking a glance at Chloe, he was already on the other side of the world, imagining how Chloe would sound when she was beneath him. Chloe stared at them for a minute but ignored them and continued sipping her alcohol.

"Damsel, let's leave this place. This surrounding isn't good enough for you, we will make sure to take you home ourselves," one of the guys said, stood up, and moved closer to Chloe.

He was about to touch her when he noticed a gun beside his ear. He wanted to argue with them, but he looked back and saw his friends shivering, he had to quickly surrender.

Adrian's guards walked them out of the bar and threw them into the streets. Chloe, on the other hand, was dead drunk and unaware of her environment. She wanted to stand up and move around when her leg suddenly hit a metal, and she staggered back, almost falling, but Adrian was quick enough to catch her just before she could touch the ground.

Chloe dozed off the instant she noticed a hand holding her waist. Adrian made Chloe stand upright and told his security to take her to his car before he drove to his house.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, has been making different calls, calling both his friends and his father's associates to see if there could be anyone to get them out of this mess, but it seems everyone intentionally ignored them.

"Dad, have you tried talking to your shareholders or some of your friends?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yes, but all are negative answers. Where is Chloe currently? Tell her not to come home for the time being," Mr. Blackwood said going through the files on his table.

"I can't even reach, but I'm sure she's okay wherever she might be," Nathaniel said.

"Dad, they are already packing our properties to the station," Nathaniel said, looking scared.

"There's nothing we can do for now. Allow them to pack it while we try to find a solution," Mr. Blackwood said.

Mr. Blackwood has been a man of integrity right from time. Many people were equally surprised when he got involved in illegal dealings, but no one dared to help him because of the threatening message they received.

Nathaniel continued calling Chloe's number while Mr. Blackwood continued contacting his friends so that maybe help could be rendered.

Mr. Blackwood didn't know whether to cry or beg the officers as they took all his property away, but he had to act strong in front of his only son.

The next morning, the bright sun shining inside the room Chloe was laid in made her face look more beautiful and charming. She tried opening her eyes, but the bright sun made her unable to do so as she had to use her right hand to shield the sun that was piercing through her eyeballs.

Chloe's head was banging so hard from the pain of too much alcohol she had taken the previous night. She raised her head to look around and noticed she was in a strange room. She closed her eyes so hard as memories of what happened to her the previous night filled up her mind making her wallow in pain.

Chloe heard the door creaking open a few seconds later but refused to look at the door.

"I'm glad you are finally awake!" Adrian said in a cold voice as he walked in.

Immediately, Chloe heard the cold, authoritative voice; she sat straight on her bed only to see the Almighty Adrian Blake. She found it hard to believe that the handsome man standing across the room was no other person than Adrian Blake.

Chloe rubbed her face so many times to be sure of who she was seeing and yet, it still brought out the same result.

"What happened last night? The only thing I remember was being dead drunk and hitting my leg on a metal," Chloe asked, careful not to get on the nerves of the big international businessman as this was the first time she would see him this close.

The only frequent place she saw him was in the newspaper or TV station during any of his interviews.

"Please, where am I?" Chloe asked, carefully looking around the white-painted room.

"Marry Me!" Adrian said, not caring about the thousands of questions Chloe had in mind.

"What?" Chloe exclaimed shockingly before she let out a loud laugh.