A MAN in a gray polo and black trouser butt in, and then he walked towards the old man, whom he called ‘dad.’
“Helios, son,” the old man greeted as he stood up. A sly smile crept into the old man’s lips.
“What are you doing here, dad? And what are these people doing here?” the guy named Helios uttered as he stopped his gaze on Zoe.
“You’re doing it again?!” Helios’ booming voice roared on the corners. He walked closer to his dad and grabbed the old man by his collar. “I’m warning you! Don’t you dare tint my place with your schemes!” he asserted.
Instead of answering, Helios’ dad let out a devilish laugh.
“Let them go, dad,” Helios asserted once again.
The old man’s devilish smile is still drawn to his lips as he equaled Helios’ death stares.
“I will if…” he paused, which made Helios clench his jaw. “Well, I will let the young lady go—”
“Both of them. Let them go,” Helios said.
“No. The older one needs to pay debts to me—”
“I am clear, dad. Let them go!” Helios shouted, making the old man’s bodyguards point their guns at him. However, the old man raised his hand as a sign for them not to shoot.
Zoe doesn’t know—she was confused about what was going on, but when the old man mentioned debts, she looked at her mother. Their eyes met, but her mom broke the gaze.
She knew that her mom was doing her best for her future, but she was also aware that she was good at gambling.
If Zoe analyzes the situation, her mom seems to have large debts to the old man, and since she can’t pay it, she will sell her own daughter to save her ass—and thinking of this, her heart is being torn into pieces.
The thunderous voice of the guy who butts in cuts the hum of her thoughts.
“It’s just money. And stopped this, now that I still have respect for you,” Helios said as he pierced his eyes into his dad. “Remember, you killed a person once, and when you do it again, I’ll make sure that you will rot in jail,” he added.
“You can’t do that, son. And why do you care about these people?” the old man asked as he glanced at Zoe and at her mother.
“I’ll pay for her debts and let them go,” Helios said and let go of his dad.
Helios walked closer to Zoe. And she locked her eyes on the man.
“Are you aware that your mother will sell you?” he asked, which made her shake her head and glance at her mom.
Helios leaned over. “Come with me if you still want to live,” he whispered.
“Since you wanted to sell your daughter to this man? Then you better sell her to me. And don’t expect me to return her to a mother like you!” It was Helios’ last words before they left the club, and those words keep on replaying in Zoe’s mind.
She was inside his car, and no one dared to talk, and she had no idea where he was taking her. She wanted to ask him. However, his aura is frightening. She tried to glance at him, but she seemed like she’d be dead if he caught her.
She heaved a deep sigh as she simply pulled down the hem of her dress, but it caught Helios’ attention.
“If you don’t like your dress, why would you wear it?” His husky voice sent chills down Zoe’s body which made her shiver.
“Let me clear things to you. You are already sold to me, and I don’t want you to get back to your mom. Stay—”
“I’ll stay with you,” she interrupted, and this time, she got the courage to face him.
However, the man’s eyes are still on the road.
“Yes. And that old man that you just met earlier is my father—”
“I know. I’ve heard it,” she cuts in again, making Helios’ forehead crease.
“You took the courage to cut me off?” he asked, and this time, he glanced at her.
She pressed her lips as she looked away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and looked down. But she cursed inside her head when she looked at her body. Her cleavage is showing up!
She pulled her dress upward, but her long white legs flaunted this time.
Helios frowned when he saw what the woman was doing through his peripheral vision. A sly smirk crept into his lips. “Uncomfortable?” he asked.
“Yeah,” the woman replied, which surprised him because of how she answered him. It seems like they’ve known each other for a long time.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
Zoe’s forehead knitted as she looked in his direction. Helios turned to her, and their eyes met. It lasted for seconds before he returned his gaze to the road.
“Why would I be afraid of you? You just save me—”
“What if I’ll be the one who will hurt you?”
Zoe’s eyes widened, and they weren’t expecting those questions from him. She knew that he was a stranger, but he did earn her trust when he saved her.
“You can do it? You will hurt me?” she asked as she steadied her gaze at him.
“So, you really don’t know me,” he stated.
Zoe saw how he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. She frowned. “I’m sorry. But who are you?” she asked. Indeed, she doesn’t know him but the old man earlier, she got to know him in the news and newspapers, and it was two years ago.
She doesn’t know a man named Helios.
Honestly, Zoe is not into social media, and that old man she got to know when she accidentally flipped a newspaper, and the news spread all over their university.
She doesn’t even have a cell phone. She devoted her life to studying and buying the things she needed when she finished school. She got part-time jobs, but she never bought a phone. Her mom wants to buy her one, but she always refuses.
She has no friends to call her, to begin with, so why bother?
“Is that how quickly you forget about those people who’re helping you?”
Again, she frowned and tried to think where and when did she meet the guy. He’s handsome and got a perfect shape. He got muscles, but Zoe sucks at describing a man’s features. All she could say was the man was Greek god-like. He got a sharp nose, tantalizing eyes in the shade of blue, and kissable lips. And she wonders how many women he kissed— ‘shit, Zoe!’ She cursed herself as she put those thoughts away.
She shook her head and looked past through the window. “We haven’t met before,” she replied.
Helios let out a devilish chuckle. “I see. At first, I didn’t know that it was you; your back is facing my direction when I butt in with my father’s business. But when I got a chance to see your face, I was surprised, and then I saw your mom—”
“Can you just get straight to the point?” she asked as she glanced in her direction again. “I’m sorry, but you need to know that I’m not good at recognizing people. I can memorize the names for a long time but not their faces,” she replied honestly.
Helios nodded, and a faint smile crept into his lips. “I see. Don’t worry. Just forget it.”