Chapter 3 Two

• Michelle's face was filled with shock and awe as she stared at the house, no, a mansion, in front of her. She double-checked the address written on the calling card given to her by the stranger at the hospital to ensure she was at the correct location. And she's in the right place.
• She returned her gaze to the massive mansion. Every aspect of the mansion screams wealth. A large sum of money.
• That stranger is damn wealthy. She pondered.
• It took her a few moments to decide to ring the doorbell.
• A few minutes later, an elderly woman emerged from the mansion, and if her suspicions were correct, the elderly woman is a housemaid.
• The old lady smiled at her, and she returned the smile.
• "Do you need anything?" The elderly lady questioned in a gentle and kind tone.
• "Hello, my name is Michelle. I'm searching for Mr. Rafael Standford." She politely said.
• "You are Michelle? Oh, he's been expecting you. Come on in!" The elderly lady extends an invitation.
• She frowned at what the elderly lady said.
• He's been expecting her? Does this mean he already knows she won't be able to refuse his help?
• She hesitated for a few seconds but when she remembered her brother's condition, she took a deep breath and followed the old woman.
• She was already blown away by the mansion when she first saw it from the outside, but she was even more bewildered now that she had entered. As they proceeded down the mansion's hallway, she felt as if she were inside a wonderful castle. She couldn't help but notice the diversity of paintings that were hung on each wall of the hallway as they walked.
• She had been interested in painting since she was a child, and she had even dreamed of being a renowned painter one day. But fate intervened in her life and stole her parents so soon, preventing her from achieving her dream.
• When they arrived at the end of the corridor, they came to a halt in front of a closed door to a specific room. She became even more nervous. She didn't know the man, but she's desperate enough to find a large sum of money to save her brother's life.
• The elderly lady knocked three times on the door, "Your guest is here, Señorito." The elderly lady announced and then looked at her. The old lady's lips still had a warm smile on them. "Please enter the room." The elderly lady stated.
• "But, he has not yet given permission." She stated,
• "But the old lady just held her hand and dragged her towards the closed door. "There is no need. Señorito has already informed us that when you arrive, we will simply take you here and let you into his room."
• She sucked her breath. "Is that so?" She asked nervously.
• In response to her question, the elderly woman nodded. "Yes, so please come in. Señorito absolutely hates waiting." Before leaving her without saying goodbye, the old woman said.
• W-wait!" She tried to stop the elderly woman, but she didn't even look at her and kept walking until she was completely out of sight.
• She stood in front of the closed door once more. Her heartbeats increased by threefold. A stranger's room is right in front of her, and only God knows what will happen to her once she enters it.
• Michelle bit the inside of her lower lip. When she's nervous, she's always like this.
• She began to second-guess whether she should continue. But every time she tries to back out, the image of her dear brother enters her mind.
• She closed her eyes tightly, weighing her future decision and the possible consequences of whatever she chose.
• In the end, she decided to go ahead with it. She's doing it for her brother, and she's willing to put everything on the line, including her own life, to save Michael's. She can't bear the thought of him in pain.
• If only she could bear the agony instead of her brother.
• She took a deep breath and placed her cold, trembling hand on the doorknob. When she finally turned the doorknob to open it, her bite on her lower lip became even worse.
• She slowly opened it, and darkness descended on her, exacerbating her nervousness. She took a small step towards the darkroom when the lights unexpectedly turned on. She even shrieked in surprise before taking a step back.
• Only her head peered into the room, while the rest of her body remained on the outside.
• What if the stranger is a murderer? At least, she won't have any trouble running.
• When she looked around the room, she was surprised to see the same man who had approached her in the hospital.
• His eyes were closed as he leaned against the wall next to the door. And, as she had done the day before in the hospital, she admired the young man's good looks and handsomeness.
• Every detail of its face was flawless. It has a smooth forehead, perfectly shaped brows, a sharp nose, and thick but reddish lips.
• Damn! He has the most kissable lips she's ever seen in her life.
• "Are you going to stare at me all day?"
• She was taken aback by its unexpected utterance. "What? You thought I was sleeping, didn't you?" The man opened his eyes and moved his gaze to where she was standing before staring at her. Their gazes locked, causing her heart to race. "I was expecting you." He continued.
• She found herself speechless. She couldn't think of anything to say to the man. His intense gaze is distracting her.
• He straightened his back so they could face each other. While staring at her, his eyes were cold but intense. He is also much taller than she is. She is already 5'8" tall at the age of twenty, which she inherited from her mother. And, based on her estimation, the man is about 6'2 in height.
• "Please come in, young lady. I hate to waste my time." Even the sound of his voice made her shiver.
• He went into the table beside his very large bed and poured some wine into the two glasses that were resting on the table, which she didn't even notice.
• Despite her nervousness, she entered the room. If the man had not just spoken, she would not have planned to close the door. "Close and lock the door." He said this in a commanding tone.
• Her hand trembled as she obeyed its commands. He averted his intense gaze from her the moment the door clicked, and she bowed her head because she couldn't deal with the excessive tension caused by its eyes.
• She remained motionless, unsure what to do until she heard his footsteps approaching her, causing her to panic. With each step it took towards her, she would retreat until her back touched the hard and cold door, causing her to be cornered by the man.