The Billionaire's Secret

AURORA

'Never have I thought that being sexually harassed was a thing that would happen too quickly, I have heard of people who had gone for job interviews giving their experience on it but I always thought it was a cover-up story to hide how miserable they had failed in their interview and to avoid being mocked at by friends and family until I was the one in that position.

I was his worst encounter so far and I wasn't going to take any harassment from anyone. I don't care if I get the job or not, I wasn't going down without a fight' That was the only thoughts Aurora's mind as she slammed the wooden surface on her interviewer's head.

EARLIER THAT DAY

"I'll drag your asses through the streets and make you pay until you have nothing left!" The voice was angry and the sound of footsteps hurrying down the hallway startled Aurora from her sleep. The voice raged on, spitting lewd curses and threatening to tear the house apart.

Aurora pulled her eyes open and tried to stand up from the creaky bed and the mattress that was so thin she could feel the metal digging into her sides.

"All I did was loan you money and now that it is time to pay back my money and you're giving me excuses?!"

Loan?

Then it registered. It was the man her mother had loaned a few hundred dollars from months ago to help clear some of the bills that were piling up.

She stifled a yawn and shifted in the bed, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her ass, making her toes coil. Eyes half closed she tuned out the voices and reached out her right hand to grab her phone from the stool beside her bed.

"Shit!" Her eyes widened when she saw that it was forty-eight minutes past her alarm time.

Her hand brushed her hair, muttering more lewd words as she picked up the alarm, and thoughts of hurling it across the room settled in her mind.

She was supposed to be up at 5:30 am, shower immediately, get dressed and eat breakfast if any at 6:15, and be at the bus station at 6:45.

This is not a fucking shift at the diner!" Aurora muttered, padding barefooted to her bedroom door. She turned the doorknob and peeped into the hallway. It was dimly lit as all the bulbs were out and there was no window. The only source of light was from the sitting room where the voice was still shouting profanities and making a big show of destroying the little outdated furniture they had in the room.

Magdalene's eyes met Aurora. "Get in, don't let him see you!" She mouthed to her, her brows knotted.

"But..." Aurora made to protest but her mother's warning glare made her swallow her words.

She retreated back into the room and headed to her wardrobe to pick out her clothes and lay them on the bed.

She rummaged through her collection of second-hand shirts and skirts, she searched for her gray turtleneck blouse and the pencil mouth skirt. They were the only suitable clothes she could boast of.

Things had taken a bad turn after they spent all they had on treating her father. Her mother had been depending on the measly salary she gets from working at the clinic. But the past few months had been tough as they had to pay off her brother's school fees, and the clinic was going through some sort of crisis.

Aurora heaved a deep sigh, then she tugged her nightshirt over her head, careful to not ruffle her hair that was trimmed and styled last night.

She moved into the bathroom down the hallway and turned on the shower. She hurriedly brushed her teeth as she waited for the water to heat up.

She could hear her brother trying to calm the loan shark down, but from the loud curses that were screamed at Bryan, Aurora knew the man wasn't going to listen to an 18-year-old.

He wasn't going to listen to either of them.

Aurora stepped under the cold spray and sighed as the water spilled over her chilled bones.

'Fuck we are out of hot water' Aurora cursed, blaming no one but her situation for being poor.

Tilting her neck to the side, she scrubbed her skin with the washcloth, she hurriedly rinsed off the soap and the washcloth.

Shutting off the water, she toweled herself dry before walking back to her room with the towel wrapped around her petite frame. She had been careful to not get water in her hair. As she touched it, it was dry except for the tips which wasn't a problem.

After dressing up and taking a short glimpse of herself in her dressing mirror, Aurora pulled out her red bag from her wardrobe and packed her lip gloss, the printed-out document the company had sent to her mail, and a pencil.

6:48. Aurora's beat accelerated as she hurried around, careful to not slip on the wooden floor of her room.

The man was still there and with each word he spat at her mother, Aurora's heart sank deeper. Her mother's faint voice caused a heavy weight to settle in Aurora's chest. It was always the same emotion rushing through her each time her momma talked with so much sadness dripping from her voice. But today was different though, there was some sort of hope that shadowed her words.

Hope that Aurora was going to bag the job and make them financially independent. If not a hundred percent, at least half.

She peeped into the hallway again. Bryan stood beside their mother, shielding the man from peering into the hall. His hand gestured at Aurora to use the back door.

"Run!" His mouth over his shoulder.

"Go and bring my fucking money before I plug out your eyes! What the fuck is wrong with you!"

Magdalene muttered something under her breath and then dashed into the hallway. It was dark, so the man couldn't quite make out the figures hugging tightly and the whispered words eluded him.

"Go, I'll tell him you're visiting your aunt Eliza," Magdalene said.

Aurora wanted to tell her momma that Aunt Eliza was dead. She died two years ago, but then she realized her mother was just trying to cover her ass.

She ran. Pushed through the broken back door and made her way to the road through the overgrown field.

The sun had burned off the morning chill by the time she made her way into the high-end building in Uptown Chicago. It was 45 minutes away from her house. She had managed to get there a few seconds before the interview.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief she made her way into the building, nodding briefly at the man that stood at the entrance with a deep frown that made him appear fierce and unapproachable.

It was bustling with activities. No one paid attention to the young lady with a red handbag and slightly disheveled hair with a brown worn out coat hanging on her right arm.

Aurora stared at the map in her hand and tried to follow the directions that will lead her to the fifteenth floor. Her heart sank. She was never going to make it with the fleet of stairs and the four inches heels she had on.

Then her eyes darted to an elevator just west of the long hallway with pristine floors. She dashed to it and pressed the buttons for the fifteenth floor.

"Thanks fuck" She muttered under her breath.

"I'm here for..." She started, gazing at the older woman that was typing furiously on her computer, she appeared to the secretary of the interviewer.

"Second door. Left wing. He's waiting." The woman cut in without glancing up.

'Oh well, what if I was a serial killer?' Aurora thought with an unimpressed frown.

The door was slightly ajar but she still went ahead to tap on the hardwood. She refused to peep inside even though her head swirled to the open space.

"Come on in." A deep baritone voice echoed from inside

Aurora walked in, keeping her gaze focused on the man seated on the black revolving chair. He looked younger than she had imagined and his blue eyes speared through her, making her want to turn away.

He must have sensed her discomfort. He stood up and gestured at the empty seat opposite his desk.

"Thank you," Aurora said bravely before taking it.

She crossed her legs, fighting to keep her nerves intact. She was shivering from the sheer power that emanated from his hard stare, it was as if he was trying to read her.

It was a damn PA job, not some sort of illegal shit that he'd need to know she won't rat him out.

"So, from your resume, you're fresh out of college, yes?"

'Yes. I graduated two years ago."

He sat down and crossed his leg, resting his right hand on his knee. "Coffee? Water? Tea?"

Aurora smiled. "I'm fine, thanks."

He was silent for a brief second then picked up his tablet and swiped his finger on the screen, gazing at her as he scrolled down whatever document he was perusing.

Then he lifted his head. "You see, I'm not going to prolong this." He stood up and walked over to the edge of the table, his knee a breath away from hers. Aurora stiffened.

He held her gaze and continued. "If you see here, there are hundreds of applicants. Most of them have years of experience and twenty percent were recommended by top agencies."

Aurora wriggled her fingers on her lap. Her stomach was growling and hunger made her want to bend her head over the desk and beg him to cut to the chase.

"....and the job will be yours."

She raised her head. "Did you say something, Sir?"

He moved a step closer and brushed her exposed knee with his. She could feel the heat that radiated from his skin.

Aurora shifted her knee and looked away.

"Sleep with me and the job will be yours.... please me... show me how much you want this." He said in a throaty whisper

Aurora arched her brow. Maybe she had come to the wrong company or was it the wrong floor? What the hell was going on? She raised her head and gazed around the vast tastefully furnished space. Pentagons were inscribed on a board like frame. It was placed on the shelf behind his chair.

She sighed and pinned her gaze on him, not wanting him to see how scared she was to be in the same space with a pervert.

"I can't." it was short and clipped

"Why?" Anger shadowed his words. His eyes had darkened, Aurora noticed they were pinned to her breasts. She was petite but had voluptuous breasts.

"I don't think I should answer that, Mr. Bruce." She read his name from the nameplate on his desk.

Before Aurora could blink, he was on her, trying to grab her breast and mesh his lips with hers.

She struggled and fought to push him away, but he was strong and his right hand held her in place while the other tried to move under her blouse.

"Get off me!" Aurora barked, her eyes brimmed with anger.

"You won't get away from me. I must have you.... I must..." He nipped on her earlobe. His warm breath tickled her neck and made her want to coil in a corner and cry.

"I must... have you... come on!" His hardened length was visible through his pants.

When his thumb brushed the underside of her breast, Aurora spat on his head and pushed him away but he didn't even budge.

She tried again and this time, she shifted away from his mouth. That made her move closer, giving him more access to her breast. He was fondling the right one now, his forefinger brushed her nipple.

They were hard. Her body had betrayed her.

Aurora's eyes darted to the nameplate on the table and in one swift motion, she picked it up and hit his head with it.

"Fucccccckkkk!" He groaned and loosened his grip on her for a second and Aurora used that as an opportunity to hit him again and again.

"You're sick! Sick!" She said as the hardwood made contact with his head. Her eyes blazed and she didn't care that he could die.

When blood began to tickle down his head, she dropped it on the floor and grabbed her bag, dashing towards the closed door.

Before she pulled it open, she glanced back at his slumped figure. He was staring at her and the death glare in his eyes didn't even make her regret her action. She'd been through worse after all.

"Fuck you, Mr. Bruce." She snarled before rushing to the elevator. Careful to not rouse suspicion from the people milling around.

"Come on, Damnit!" Aurora fumed, thumbing the elevator buttons repeatedly. If humans could breathe fire, smoke would have been spilling from her nostrils right at that moment. She was so pissed that her fist balled rigidly, making her knuckles turn white.

She didn't care about the stares she was getting from the people moving up and down the brightly lit hallway.

"Calm down and try it again." She muttered to herself, trying to calm her nerves that were raging on the edge.

Then she closed her eyes and opened them slowly, biting her bottom lips to keep in the sobs that were finally making their way out.

For the first time in eons, she cussed the universe. If things hadn't been so damn tough for them, she wouldn't have been out here job haunting and letting some loser try to take advantage of her.

Did he think she was some loose girl? Was the desperation in her pale blue eyes glaring?

She thought back to the way his eyes had assessed her like she was a toy shipped to be one of his possessions. As at then, Aurora had assumed he was assessing her, trying to figure out her persona or something, but when he drew closer and rubbed his hands against her knee, she knew it wasn't an interview anymore.

Bastard! She cursed him in her head over and again. The door opened and she stepped in absentmindedly, her breathing still raged and chest heaving.

"Watch out! Fuck!" A voice barked at her as she stepped into the glass elevator, her gaze locked on the ground below.

She jumped and shifted back, hitting her elbow on the glass. "Oh my!"

But the deed had already been done. The man's shirt was stained with coffee and he was sizing her up.

She rubbed her elbow and tried to look away from his stoic face, but there was something in his gaze that dared her to glance away. She didn't.

"I'm so sorry... I... I had no idea I'd be seeing anyone here." She said, keeping her voice remorseful.

A disapproving frown wrinkles on his face. He was visibly pissed. "For fuck sake this is a public place and you can't tell me you expected no one in a fucking elevator!"

Aurora bites her lower lips. The scene earlier at the man's office was forgotten. She wished she had been calmer. It'd have saved her from running into the man in the elevator.

Now, she would have to deal with her bruised ego and an angry man that wanted to tear her apart with his dark glare.

"Not that....I...I..."

"You what? You own the building?" His eyes assessed her. A mocking smirk tipped the edge of his lips, but it didn't erase the anger in his gaze.

Aurora ignored the jab, her lip parted in shock when he threw the coffee cup on the floor. The remaining liquid splashed on her feet. She looked down, then raised her head slowly to gauge his expression. He wanted her to react.

Aurora sighed and shifted to the other end, five feet away from him and the spilled coffee.

"Nice to see that you don't like being drenched in coffee." He sneered

Drenched? Her eyes widened a fraction, but then she swallowed and looked away, praying for the elevator to get to the lobby fast. Why the hell was it so slow?

Aurora ignored his baits and pinned her glance on the blinking light. Maybe she should have used the stairwell. Pull off her heels and stroke on barefoot.

There was nothing to be ashamed about. It was obvious she wasn't going to work here, so there'd be no need to want to protect her dignity.

She scoffed at the thought, palming her mouth when the man's glare turned even darker.

"You know, I think you might just have to get me a new shirt." He said like he was talking to a child and not a twenty five year old woman with a head on her neck.

Aurora closed her eyes for half a second. She wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. Looking at it now, the stain wasn't that big of a deal.

She lifted her head and made to speak, but he raised his right hand, silencing her. Aurora's eyes spotted the gold Rolex on his wrist. He had on a wrist band too, one that matches the watch.

He was apparently rich, so why was he so hung up on her about spilling coffee on him 'by mistake' when he can afford more than a dozen new shirts?

"You are not some child running around in a hallway." His gaze drifted to her breast. The blouse had caused her perky tits to appear fuller. "You are a grown ass woman for fuck sake"

Aurora stifled a groan when he raised his voice. The morning episode with the loan shark flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall.

Her hands shook and she just wanted to crouch down on the floor and bury her face between her knees.

She had shed tears throughout the years. There were nights she had cried herself to sleep. The night she had wished she wasn't born, nights she contemplated suicide and then there was a day she had tried running away from hom, leaving behind the cumbersome responsibilities that were endless.

However, the past few weeks, the days after she got the mail that she was shortlisted. Her hope had soared and for the first time since the death of her father two years ago, she had danced around the house. She had dared to dream again and even went as far as making a list of things to do once she got her first salary.

Now the hope was pushed down a cliff and she was left with nothing but a crushed ego and a man that was threatening to make her life miserable because of some damn coffee.

"....that should teach you some manners!" He spat, tucking his hands into his pants pocket. He was tall, 6.7ft perhaps and his tanned skin oozed healthy living.

Aurora's mind began spinning. "I'm sorry... I know I should have been more careful but I wasn't myself." She brushed a strand of curly blonde hair behind her ear, then intertwined her fingers, "I can't afford a new shirt right now" she glanced up, and her eyes shifted to his dark curls. Well-trimmed and slicked back. "Maybe you could give me some time.... like a month?"

She sniffed and looked away when his gaze was unbending.

Aurora already had so much piled up for the month, and with the new job... okay, almost new job gone, she had to go back to waitressing and saving up to pay off the loan, the bills, and Bryan's fees.

He snorted. "That's funny." He regarded her slowly. "You were blabbing about not expecting to see another being in an elevator, I thought you were some rich woman that wouldn't mind losing some change."

Her jaw twitched. "If I recall correctly, I didn't give you that impression. I was polite and..."

"You calling me a liar now?" he shook his head. "I see you have no manners... none at all."

That ticked her off, but Aurora held her ground and refused to be pushed into a corner. She just wanted to go home, shower, and read a book before her Friday night shift at the bar.

He went on, "I can't give you a week even. A day, yes, but nothing more."

Heavens. He was serious.

"I can't... please." Aurora looked down and muttered a mantra she had conceived over the years. "Don't fret. Stay strong."

She looked up and smiled wearily, tuning out his scoff. "I work three jobs... three. I have bills to pay, I have two siblings to take care of... a mom that is aging by the day, and... and... hell, I can't add buying a shirt to the mix... I can't.... please."

She let a teardrop and made no attempt to brush it off. She was so tired. So damn tired.

He drew himself up straighter. As he made to speak, the elevator started juddering. Aurora swallowed a scream and pulled her eyes tightly shut.

With her eyes tightly shut, Aurora thought about her mother and her siblings. She remembered the surging hope in her mother's voice that morning when she was trying to pacify the loan shark.

"God, I can't die... not today..."

Her heart sank and with each shaky breath, her strength dwindled.

The man was uttering silent. She didn't open her eyes to see what he was doing as the elevator was shaking faster and faster.

She wondered if the people below had noticed what was happening.

"God....please..!"

Someone laughed and another voice called out to some lady. Life was still going on but Aurora was stuck in an elevator with some stranger.

You're going to die. Fear screamed in her head.

She shook off the thought and searched her mind for some distraction. Come on! Her heart kicked into high gear. There was nothing to hold onto to at least steady her feet.

Images of her body laid stiff in her own blood with broken glasses sticking out from her skin speared through her mind. Tears welled in her eyes.

"No." She whispered repeatedly, forcing her mind to think of something to hold her afloat in the deep waters that her body was being pulled under.

You're going to die.

A crushing panic set in. Aurora's mind spun. Her fingers scratched at the glass, she wanted to grab a hold of it, but it was slippery.

Breath, Aurora

She inhaled, exhaled.

You're going to die

Her neck muscles tightened as the elevator jounced. Oh God! Her mind whirled and everyone she had met all through the years flashed in her mind. Each face was vague, but one face lingered.

It was her roommate and friend from College, Chloe. The older girl had gotten married immediately after finals and she was based in Seattle with her husband and two adorable kids.

They don't really talk, things have changed. She had kids to look after, a job managing one of her husband's businesses, and then there was the occasional fancy party rich people throw every other week.

Each time they talked and Chloe recounted the fun she was having and how much she wished Aurora could join them. Deep down, Aurora would have loved to, but the thought of leaving her family and going across over 9 hundred kilometers was something she didn't want to go through.

And another thing, she didn't really know Chloe's husband and wasn't one to be in an awkward position. How long would it take to get her own place? How much would she earn? How legit was the offer?

She sighed when the fact that Chloe hasn't reached out to her in months. Aloneness stirred deep in her belly as she sank to the ground, dropping her bag beside her on the vibrating floor.

The man was quiet, it was like he wasn't even there. How did he manage to not get affected? Did rich folks have some trauma absorber? Aurora glanced at him and looked away when he refused to acknowledge her. Some men would have tried to play the hero.

But this one right here was indifferent. Perhaps, it was the fact that she wasn't sophisticatedly dressed. Her heels screamed BnQ shop that sells the cheapest wares in town and then there was her bag, slightly peeled and faded. She wouldn't have bothered with one, but she needed something to put the document and her phone.

Phone? She could call for help, 911 or the building's lobby. She unzipped her bag and pulled out her phone.

More tears clouded her eyes when she noticed there was no service. Aurora chewed her bottom lips, thinking of what to do to get the attention of the people milling around below.

Her gaze darted to the man again. He was still in the exact position he had been minutes ago, his posture showed he was in control and just waiting for help or whatever was coming to fish them out of the cramped space with no ventilation.

Douchebag! Aurora scoffed and pulled down her eyes to her phone which was clenched tightly in her hand. When the wallpaper caught her attention, a slow smile grazed her full pink lips.

It was the summer before finals. She and Chloe had been hanging out a lot creating memories as the school year was drawing to a close. Chloe was engaged and she was headed back home to North Dakota, her dad was working in one of the textile industries and they were quite comfortable.

The picture was taken the day before she traveled home for an emergency that couldn't wait until after her finals.

"Aurora! We're going to be late if you don't hurry up!" Chloe screamed from the bedroom.

"I'll be right out. Order us a taxi!" Aurora's voice came from the adjoined bedroom in their one-room apartment off campus.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Steve is coming to pick us up, Aurora. You keep forgetting!"

Steve!! He was the guy that had been trying to date Aurora since the beginning of the year, he was rich and a total package, but her mind had been sorely focused on finishing school and going home to her family. Her dad had been in and out of the hospital and the boys needed someone to look after them while mom took care of their father.

"You know I don't want to lead him on, Chloe. What if he gets the wrong idea?"

She emerged from the bathroom and twirled around in her short black dress that accentuated her curves. She was exquisite and pale blue eyes gazed at Chloe. "I'm going home soon, and I can't have some guy dragging my ass back every now and then... I have so much to do.... and I won't be able to keep up with...."

Chloe hugged her from the back, resting her head on Aurora's neck. "I know, I get it, yeah. But for once in your life, Bee, allow someone to take care of you. You deserve this night." She tickled Aurora's neck, making the other girl laugh and try to detangle herself.

"Stop!" Aurora screeched

Chloe laughed and turned Aurora around to face her. "Your birthday is in a few days. We can start some sort of warm up... yeah?"

Aurora was silent for a minute then she nodded and allowed Chloe to see the smile in her eyes. "Alright." She tucked her hair behind her hair, "But, don't ever leave me alone with him. He's always gazing at my tits."

Chloe threw back her head and laughed. "Girl, I don't blame him. You have the most beautiful pair. Even I can't help but ogle them all the damn time."

Aurora pushed Chloe away laughing. She walked over to her bed that was just beside the window facing the busy streets of Sand Grove in West London.

"You ready?" Chloe asked from her own side of the room

"Yeah, I just need to get my phone and my credit card."

Chloe chuckled, causing Aurora to give her a quizzical stare.

She shrugged. I hid them because I knew you'd want to spend your own money."

"But the bar is quite expensive and I can't let you...."

She had forgotten again that Steve was taking them out. Chloe shook her head and gestured at her to leave the room

"He's downstairs."

When they got into the car with Chloe on the back street, Aurora pretended to be having fun even though she wanted to go back to their apartment and binged-watched Dual.

Chloe winked at and mouthed at her to have fun.

Steve said something and just as she made to reply her phone rang.

It was her mom.

Hey, Momma."

"You have to come home, baby. Please."

Her mother didn't even give Aurora time to tell her about her finals before she hung up. Aurora had a feeling it was really serious and while she had sat there, trying to gum the pieces together, Chloe had snapped the picture with her head on Aurora's shoulder. Her body was leaning across the front seat.

"Oh no... oh no... oh... no n...... no"

The voice jolted Aurora from the memory that was playing in her head. Her head perked up and she rushed toward the man that was crouched on the floor opposite her. The person that pretended to not care was having a panic attack. Part of her wanted to ignore him, but there was something in his voice that aroused pity.

Fear. He was just as scared as she was.