Billionaire Daredevil In Love

CLAYTON.

The butler stood in front of me as if he was frozen. I found it eerie so I did not look his way. I took another sip of the wine.

“What do you think is wrong with her?” I asked him as I set the glass down.

“Well, sir, I think her sister is sick, or something,” he said. “I heard her say something like that over the phone.”

“Ohh, she has been using your phone to communicate, hasn’t she,” I said accusatoryly.

He bowed his head and said, “yes, she has. I figured that it would be harmless.”

“Of course,” I said. “You can go.”

I watched him as he left. He was built, muscular, almost like me, and he was an eccentric figure. He rarely spoke, but he carried out his orders timely and effectively. I had had no problems whatsoever with him. My mind drifted to Nadine. Her sister being sick and she wanting to see me meant something – it meant that she was in an impossible situation and perhaps needed my help. I chuckled to myself. Being vulnerable meant that she would take any offer that I presented to her.

“Isn’t this great?” I said to myself as I lay stretched on the bed.

I had a sudden thought run through my mind and I sat up. I was connecting the dots. Abducting Nadine and keeping her locked wasn’t the entirety of my plan, I also did not want her to go. I hated her, she disgusted me, but there was something about her that made me want to keep her close, like a trophy, and go to where she was locked, look at her in admiration and leave. I stood up and went towards the basement where she was.

“Who is it?” Her weak voice said from the inside when I knocked on the door. I normally did not knock, but I was being extra cautious.

“It’s me,” I said, then I opened the door and walked in.

“Clayton,” she said, looking at me like I was some sort of savior, her tone laced with desperation.

“I hear you want to see me,” I said. “What exactly do you want?”

“Yes, I did want to see you,” she said. “Erm- I don’t even know where to start…”

“Bitch, spill whatever the fuck it is you wanted to say, and get this over with,” I said, raising my voice a few octaves, enough to have given her a start.

“Okay, okay,” she said. “I want to ask you a favor.”

“A favor, hunh?” I said, settling in the armchair.

“Yes, Clayton,” she said. She stood up and started twiddling her fingers. She was nervous, I knew. I knew from my experience as a shrewd businessman that being nervous meant a vulnerability that could work to my advantage.

“What kind of favor is it?” I asked.

“You see, my sister, my younger sister, Anna, is sick,” she began, her voice cracking like she would burst into tears anytime soon. “She’s sick with cancer, and she’s outside in the world, alone and-”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“If you’re asking me to let you go, forget about it,” I said. “You’re not leaving here. The time I stipulated hasn’t elapsed yet.”

“No, no, far from that” she said, waving her hands. “What I need is a bit of financial help. I mean, even if I wasn’t trapped in here, I would not be able to help her with the money she needs.”

“Money, hunh?” I said nonchalantly.

“Please, Clayton, Anna is all I have,” she said, already crying. “The money for her medications is an exorbitant amount that I can’t afford, money that I have never seen in my life before. But … I know you can help, Clayton. Please, help me save the life of my little sister. She’s too young; I can’t lose her now.”

“I see,” I said, still indifferent. “And what makes you think that even with all of the money that I have, that I would offer help to you, of all people. I mean, I’m not a fucking charity organisation.”

“Ohh, Clayton, please, I’m begging you,” she said, dropping to her knees. “I have no one else. Not a friend or a relative to turn to, please.”

She crawled on her knees to where I was seated and, weeping, continued to beg some more. Something about her weak she looked, how broken, made me want to scoop her from the floor, throw her on the bed and fuck her hard, but I controlled myself. I was playing the game right already.

“Mmm, Nadine,” I said serenely. “Well, I’m going to think about it. Besides, how much money are we talking about here?”

She stopped sniffling and managed to speak.

“Well, the amount sums up to about ten thousand dollars a month, and the treatment has to go on for six months and that’s-”

“Sixty thousand dollars, yeah?” I said.

She nodded innocently.

Sixty thousand dollars was a drop of water compared to the ocean of money that I had. I had spent way more in clubs, on blowsy women, and in various acts of debauchery. I could give her the money right away, but I was not going to let this slide so easily.

I stood up and straightened up.

“Nadine, I have to go now,” I said conclusively. “I’m tired and I have work tomorrow morning. About your proposal, I will think about it, and we’ll see what I can do, alright?”

I said no more, just turned around and shut the door behind me, locking her in.

Nadine:

When Clayton left, I buried my face in the armchair he had just gotten up from, and cried with what little strength I had inside of me. I knew he had the money. He could give it to me without having to do any calculations, but I knew he was stalling, trying to make me miserable. I cried till I fell asleep, but there was little comfort in slumber.