The billionaire's intern: Hearts in high places

Kylie realized how much she had changed as she stood in front of the mirror.

It took her almost one hour to brush her hair as it hadn't been combed in ages.

She wondered if it was right to want to live again after losing the most important people in her life, or should she be ashamed that she was nowhere near avenging them?

The country's legal system was nothing to write home about as only the rich and influential got their way.

But she'll still blame herself anyway.

Just then, the door opened and her father walked in.

They had the same brown eyes and light brown hair

Since she tried to, she couldn't hide the exhaustion on her face.

Her smile was only a mere facade

Her father put on a show of excitement for her sake. After her mother and brother died, they also died with them.

They only lived to an extent for each other.

As she passed through the dining room, she caught sight of the dining table peeling away at the edges.

Her mother's hospital bills had cost a fortune and they barely had enough left.

Not even enough to file a legal case.

As Kylie waited for the bus, he remembered how her mother would always pray for her before an important event, and her brother would buy her sweets. But now they can never do that again.

As she sat in the bus looking out the window, everywhere she looked, she saw spiked memories.

The fried food restaurant where her brother and she would stuff their faces with fried chicken.

The local shopping mall where she and her mother would try on so many dresses.

Kylie was one of the few students who would be living with their families instead of looking for accommodations elsewhere.

After all, most people her age would like to live independently and explore life, but then again, he was the baby of the house, and she had no one else now but her father.

On her way to the hospital, her phone buzzed and it was her best friend who was calling.

Eleanor was a petite blonde girl with the right curves and beautiful eyes.

She was a natural beauty but wouldn't mind showing off her figure in too short skirts.

She said she was calling to check up on her.

They had been friends for a long time now.

It was hard not to notice both of them as they were so different, but despite that, they were very close.

As Kylie went to the hospital, she met the receptionist and was told to fill out her internship form.

She was then called for her first assignment.

Kylie readjusted the stethoscope around her neck for the hundredth time, and her palms were damp despite the chilly air in the hospital corridor.

It was officially her first day as an intern at St Charles General Hospital.

She wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic in the morning but she was nervous as hell now.

Her mind was racing with wild scenarios:

Forgetting a drug name, making a mistake, or even throwing up in the hospital corridor.

She had double checked her bag and reironed her lab coat and even printed out a copy of the hospital's plan just in case.

At 10:00 am sharp, the hospital floor dinged and a flurry of nurses, attendants, and some doctors moved around the whole place.

She felt like throwing up right there and then.

"I presume you're Kylie," said a voice.

She turned to find Doctor Abel, who was the senior doctor she had been assigned to.

He was older than she expected but he seemed calm and composed.

"Yes, hi!" she said, standing a little too awkwardly.

"That's great" he smiled. "Rule number one: don't faint in the ICU. Rule number two: always pretend you know what you're doing even when you don't".

And with that, they began the day.

They moved from bed to bed, attending to the patients.

Then they came to a particular woman's bed, the lady was in critical condition, and reminded Kylie of her mother.

Blood rushed to her ears, and her heart rate increased; she was about to have a panic attack.

She suddenly made up an excuse and rushed out of the hospital.

As she was scurrying out of the hospital, she bumped into a man which made her bag drop to the floor due to the impact.

The man also bent to help her pick up her things.

She hastily stood up and looked into the greenest eyes she'd ever seen.

She quickly collected herself and muttered a curt "sorry" then made her way to the lobby.

She quickly called a cab and cried all the way home.

Kylie sat on the floor of her room crying her eyes out.

Why did she freak out when she saw that lady?

She was supposed to be feeling guilty after all her mother and brother had just died.

If only she hadn't distracted her mom in the car, then maybe they would still be alive.

She was supposed to die with them.

Why did she survive?.

Kylie's thoughts ran free as her mind went back to what happened four months ago.

Oh! What wouldn't she give to find the son of a bitch that had hit their car and shred him to pieces.

She blamed herself for everything that happened on that day.

She couldn't even avenge them and bring their murderer to justice.

But then, she also can't just forget the man she'd met in the lobby.

There was just something about him that felt odd but also strangely comfortable.

She couldn't forget the way his eyes looked over her body.

Has she gotten countless stares from men before? Sure.

But there was just something about him that she couldn't shake off.

He seemed oddly familiar, she could have sworn she'd seen him before.

Anyways she kept that thought at the back of her mind as her father came into her room.

Her father, Jayden, was a quiet, soft-spoken man in his late forties.

He'd always had a soft spot for his only daughter, and his heart bled seeing her in that state.

He ran a small cafe shop around the street which was thriving a little bit.

But the money was not just enough.

The hospital bills had taken a toll on their finances and he was struggling to make ends meet.

Kylie had stood up and given her father a hug as he entered the room, crying into his shoulder.

Jayden quietly dried his daughter's tears and offered the little reassurance he could as he was on the verge of breaking down.

Kylie had finally fallen asleep after hours of tossing and turning on the bed with "only" memories of her mom and brother etched on her mind.

Or so she wanted to believe.

Alexandro sat in his car on his way back to his office thinking about his encounter with Kylie.

How could she not recognize him?

Maybe it's for the best.

He couldn't care less anyway.

He has other things to think of.

Alexandro Castillo was the CEO of the Castillo enterprises and the only son of Marcelino Castillo.

He was a ridiculously rich and strikingly gorgeous man whom any girl would be honored to bow down to, and he had the deepest greenest eyes.

"I want this report completed by the end of today"! he said as he slammed the report on the table and glared at his secretary who was almost on the verge of tears.

She was a new recruit and was still learning the ropes.

"Is that clear"? He asked as the secretary flinched at his hard voice.

"Yes, Mr Castillo".The door to his office opened as she scurried out, and his father, Marcelino Castillo, entered with the family lawyer, Edward Calderis.

His dad's expression was something that spelled worry.

"Dad"? He asked as both he and Mr Calderis took seats on the opposite side of him.

"Alexandro, Edward is here to show you your grandfather's will".

It wasn't something he was expecting so soon, as his grandfather had only passed on bout three weeks ago, and he had never brought up the will.

He leaned back in his seat and tugged at the tie on his neck nervously.

"I'm kinda busy right now, Dad, can't it wait till I get home"?he sighed while glancing at his dad, who had quite a serious expression.

"I'm afraid not, son". Marcelino said. His body cringed internally as he imagined all the twists and conditions his grandfather would definitely have in the will.

Then Edward began," Mr Alexandro, your grandfather had it in the will that in order to inherit the Castillo Enterprise and his other numerous buildings, you must settle down". He paused to gauge his reaction, then continued, "You are required to get married".

Alexandro's jaw dropped as he looked between the two of them who still maintained their serious stance.

His grandfather had always given him shit on how he should settle down and start a family but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he'd actually put it in his fucking will!.

His mind was in shock and denial too.

Marcelino exhaled, then he said, "he isn't joking, Alex, your grandfather had it in his will that he wishes you get married to a nice girl of your choice and provide the family with an heir to continue the ancestry".

Alexandro was clearly pale and shaken, as he hadn't fully grasped the seriousness of the situation at hand.

He was still trying to process the information when Mr Edward spoke again, "If not adhered to, when your father dies, the entire will goes to William's".

"The William's? Our enemies?" The lawyer slowly nodded as Alexandro punched his fist into the table, making the lawyer shift warily in his seat.

That was the most ridiculous fucking thing he has ever heard in his life.

His dad looked tired while the lawyer looked scared. Scared of him?

The only scary thing there was tGeneral Hospital

Alexandro hoped to God that it was just a prank. His grandfather couldn't have actually done that. Could he?.

"I don't get it. Why do I have to marry? My life is perfect the way it is.

Alexandro lamented.

"Well, you must get married now. And fast"! Marcelino said.

"I need some time to think about this"

Alexandro said and raised his head to find his dad and lawyer looking at him like they were about to drop yet another bomb. The thought alone was very unsettling.

Then Mr Edward said, "You have only one year before settling down. Alexandro already had a bad migraine.

"There's a deadline," Alexandro said dejectedly, and he honestly wanted to bang his head on a wall, but all he could do was let out a humorless chuckle.

"And what else? Am I required to spawn a dozen children?"

One might call it sarcasm but Alexandro was already loosing his fucking mind.

"No such thing was mentioned," Mr Edward said as he flinched under his glare while his dad looked sick with worry.

"We'll leave you to it," Marcelino said as he got up with the lawyer and was out of the office the next moment, leaving Alexandro to his emotional and psychological turmoil.

There was no fucking way this was going to happen.

He was Alexandro Castillo for crying out loud.

He has never had any intentions of love let more of marriage

And now, he doesn't even have a choice anymore.

It's either he gets married or the stupid William's inherit everything

Damn it! Why was his grandfather so hard and unrelenting even when he was dead?

He had always been the strict kind but that...was extreme.

His grandfather sure loved to torture him even in his grave.That man had always been hard on him but he had gone too far this time. How could he easily bend him to his wishes even in the grave.

Alexandro tugged at the tie on his neck again as he was at a loss for what to do. He pondered for hours on a way out of the situation but came up with nothing.

Alexandro Castillo was a playboy and he could never fall in love. He had so many women at his disposition and many more willing to give up everything for him so he could never get married. One night stands were majorly his thing and he could never sacrifice that for one woman

Ever since his mother left,Alexandro had sworn to never love another woman

Or so he thought.

Alexandro was very pissed after having a terrible day at the office.

And now he was also required to pick up his Dad's meds from the hospital.

Alexandro drove up to St Charles general hospital and stormed into the lobby.

The stupid receptionist was giving him a form and telling him to wait patiently. He was already losing it and slammed his fist on the receptionist's table which made her flinch in her chair.

The elevator then dinged at the same time and Kylie came out.

Her jaw dropped immediately she saw the familiar man staring at her but she quickly collected herself.

She went over and gave him a nervous hi which he responded to.

"I'm so sorry for bumping into you the other day, I had so much going on so I needed some space" she nervously apologized.

"It's fine. No offense taken".

Kylie was about leaving when Alexandro said "can we meet up and talk later today?"

Kylie was taken aback then he quickly added "it's completely fine if you don't want to ,I understand".

Kylie thought about it for a few secs then she agreed to meet.

She gave him her number so he can text the location to her.

Finally,the receptionist called in Alexandro for his Dad's meds.

*****************

Kylie had already gotten home when she received a text from Alexandro.

"Meet me in my office at the Castillo Enterprise by 2 pm the next day".

Kylie couldn't help but feel curious as to why he wanted to see her so urgently. She couldn't sleep the whole night thinking about what he could possibly want from her.

She already had a lot on her plate as her Dad's health was deteriorating and they were running low on finances.

They were barely surviving.

And now yet another problem was about to show up,she guessed.

Around 1:30 pm,the next day, Kylie hurried out of the hospital and flagged down a taxi to Castillo Enterprise.

She knew the company because it was very popular. Anybody that didn't know it was definitely a newbie in the town.

She eventually got there and said to the secretary "umm...excuse me. I'm here to meet Mr Alexandro Castillo."

"Do you have an appointment with Mr Castillo?" The secretary asked.

Kylie affirmed and the quite young secretary asked again "Can I get your name?" "Kylie Smith". She said

The secretary nodded and pressed a button on the phone and spoke to someone,she then hastily kept the phone down and said "Mr Castillo is expecting you" then she ushered Kylie into Alexandro's office

Kylie marveled at the furnishings in his office. The whole damn place was literally screaming stinking rich. She would have drooled over the expensive interior decor if not for the urgency of the meeting

"Umm,hi,good afternoon"she nervously greeted Alexandro.

Alexandro gave her a warm handshake and offered her a seat.

"So do you need anything? Water, coffee, champagne?" Alexandro said.

"I'm fine,I don't need anything" Kylie declined.

"So why did you want to see me"?

She asked.

Alexandro sighed then said "I'll go straight to the point,I want to make an alliance with you. You'll be my pretend wife till when I get the will and I'll give you the sum of ten million dollars and you'll never have to pay for anything in your life".

Kylie almost had a heart attack as she just gaped at him.

What the actual fuck!?.

This was definitely a dream.

There was no fucking way it was gonna happen.

She had so many questions but her mouth couldn't form actual words.

She was in shock,her brain was trying to process the bombshell Alexandro just dropped on her.

She finally collected herself after several minutes.

All she could say was "I'll think about it". She then stood up with so much force that the chair almost toppled over.

Could she survive a loveless marriage even if it was temporary and fake?.

She quickly made a call to the hospital calling in sick and she couldn't make it back.

She hurried into a taxi and went home

***************

Alexandro sat in his office wondering if he had done the right thing.

What the hell was he even thinking?

What if she finds out who he really is?

Imagine dragging Kylie into that ridiculous fake marriage scheme!

If only his grandfather hadn't been so unrelenting then he wouldn't have had to resort to such measures.

And what would Kylie think of him?

What would she do when she finds out the whole truth. He was also doing this as a way of helping her out....at least financially.

Alexandro had hoped to God that Kylie would accept his offer. He needed her as much as she needed him.

He tried to keep down the guilt weighing him down at the back of his mind. He would face that when the time comes and he really hoped that it would never come to that.

Only if he hadn't lost his cool and drank so much that day.

*************************

Kylie was sitting alone in her room thinking about the life changing discussion she had with Alexandro. She knew deep down that she really needed the money for her father's surgery.

Jayden had a bad case of prostate cancer and was barely holding up while the medications. They obviously couldn't afford the surgery and she knew it.

But it was a matter of her pride. But then,was her pride more important than her father's life?

But her father must never know about the contract. It could literally kill him.

She picked up the phone and called Alexandro's number before she could have second thoughts and change her mind.

He answered on the second ring but didn't say anything.

"Hi,can we meet tomorrow?" Kylie said.

"Yes,of course. Please at my office by one pm".

"Deal" Kylie said and ended the call.

***********************

The next day at his office,Alexandro picked up a file on his table and gave it to Kylie.

Kylie's eyes widened as she scanned through the paper realizing that everything was real. She was actually required to sign the marriage contract.

So this was fucking real!

She was gonna be his wife for one year till when he inherits his will.

"I also have my conditions" Kylie said.

"My father must under no circumstance hear about this" Alexandro nodded and she continued.

"And we will never have sex" she said a bit shakily.

Alexandro's mouth curved into a smirk at this declaration which made Kylie raise a questioning brow. Alexandro flashed her a cocky grin and said "we won't.... unless you want to". He smirked

"I would never". Kylie scoffed . Humor danced in Alexandro's eyes and he almost laughed out then.

"Never say never, honey. Kylie had a sudden urge to smash a nearby coffee mug on his head.

Christ! How could she survive one year of that? And they would have to live together in close proximity to keep up the lie.

Kylie finally signed the contract after looking for ridiculous conditions like being required to provide an heir immediately.

Her head started spinning with doubts as soon as she set the pen down. She was suddenly thirsty and helped herself to the glass of water on the table while being all too aware of being watched under Alexandro's scrutinizing eyes.

Would she regret this later?

"Now that's all settled,we need a story" Alexandro said.

"A story?" Kylie asked confused.

"Of how we met, honey. The engagement is in three weeks and we need a cover plausible story on how we met".

Kylie almost went into shock. She was getting engaged in three weeks?! Alexandro continued "we met at the lobby in the hospital and it was love at first sight. Sounds good?" Kylie nodded "that should do. Can I leave now? I have a job I have to attend to". Kylie asked as she glanced at her watch.

"Oh that,you don't need to work as a part-time waitress anymore. Alexandro replied.

Wait....how did you know....you did a background check on me? Kylie was pissed.

"I'm sorry but I had to make sure you were the right person for this contract. Just go home, we'll be meeting someone tomorrow .

Kylie didn't say a word. She'd already had enough and all she wanted then was to go back home,a nice warm bath and some much needed rest.