Chapter 4 His Rules

• After the walking tour around the suite, Auntie brought me back to the dining room as she motioned for me to have a seat. While we were walking around together, someone must have arranged the dining table and served food. There was so much food on the table, and they all looked so delicious. Apart from that, there were also candles on the table. A candlelit dinner on our first day here, isn’t that a bit much?
• I almost laughed out loud at how forced this whole set up seemed.
• “Miss Malissa, you should take a seat. I’m sure that Master Hayden will be arriving soon,” Auntie said reassuringly as if I was anxiously waiting for his arrival.
• I was about to open my mouth to tell her that I didn’t mind if he never turned up when the door to the suite opened with a loud bang.
• Someone should check for cracks in the wall later tonight, I thought.
• “Master Hayden!” Auntie exclaimed as she headed over to greet Hayden.
• I tried my best to keep my face emotionless as I stared straight forward at the still-empty seat opposite to where I was seated at the dinner table. Within a few minutes, without uttering a word to Auntie or to me, Hayden entered my view of vision as he plopped himself down in the chair opposite to me.
• Hayden was dressed in a black leather jacket that he wore on top of a white T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. His light blond hair shone in the candlelight and so did his bright blue eyes as he stared at my face.
• I didn’t know what else to do, so I just stared back into his captivating blue eyes.
• Hayden had arrived and was sitting very close to me opposite the dinner table. This is the closest that we’ve gotten since we met at the church at what was supposed to be our wedding. Although, it failed miserably to my relief.
• Well, at least, he isn’t dead drunk this time, I thought as I looked at the man sitting opposite to me.
• Now that I had a chance to see him up close, I had to admit that Hayden is extremely handsome and attractive. Light blond hair, flawless skin, bright blue eyes, and a very handsome face with a straight nose. He looks like an angel, a prince, a Greek god, and everything else along those lines.
• As I have observed before at the church, Hayden was very tall, and I barely reached his shoulders even in those ultra-high heels I was forced to wear at our failure of a wedding. I wasn’t surprised that he had a girlfriend or at least a lover…or two…or more…?
• I was also sure that someone as dazzlingly attractive and charismatic as him would not be interested in a girl like me. I wouldn’t say that I was a plain jane, but I wasn’t exactly supermodel material either. I bet Hayden only dates supermodels and superstars based on his wealth, social status, and his looks.
• I hated to admit it, but it actually works in my favor…
• Despite his handsome and attractive face, I found that there was nothing about Hayden’s character that resembled his face. The aura he had been emanating since he stepped into the room was purely dark and suffocatingly intimidating.
• The silence is choking me, and this tension is unbearable. What should I do? Should I start a conversation first? Or should I just start eating? Would that be rude?
• Sigh…why am I overthinking everything right now?
• “Umm…I’m Malissa Maxford. It’s…nice to meet you,” I said as I tried to smile a little. I couldn’t see what my face looked like at that moment, but I was sure that the smiling part failed.
• “I already know your name and I know that you don’t truly think that it’s nice to meet me. I could say the same thing…” Hayden replied flatly.
• “I guess you’re right. I already know your name too, so I guess, I’ll just start eating,” I said, equally flatly.
• To my surprise, Hayden continued with the conversation that I had started.
• “I heard that you’re here because you owe my old man five hundred million dollars. Thirty days of your company is worth that much? You’re pretty expensive…what’s your ‘professional name’, I want to look you up,” Hayden asked as he continued staring at my face.
• “I…don’t do that type of work…” I replied.
• “Of course, you don’t. You don’t look the part,” Hayden said as he flicked his eyes from the top of my head down to my waist which was all that was visible to him since I was seated.
• “What?” I said without hiding my annoyance.
• “Your face is plain, and your figure is so-so. I wouldn’t buy you, let alone for five hundred million bucks and to be honest, I’m surprised that my old man has such low standards,” Hayden stated as if he was merely appraising a product on sale.
• “For your information, I don’t want to be here either,” I snapped.
• “Good. I don’t need another gold digger on my hands, especially one that doesn’t have the looks. So, listen carefully to what I’m going to say,” Hayden said as he placed his hands under his chin and looked straight at me.
• “…I’m listening,” I said firmly.
• “Just to make this clear between us, after 30 days, we’re both going to tell my old man to end this crazy deal. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to leave and debt-free just like that,” he said quite clearly.
• “Agreed. Great! Music to my ears!” I replied in joy, speaking much louder than I had intended.
• “While we’re stuck living here together, I have a few rules…” Hayden continued, ignoring my loud outburst.
• “Ok…” I replied, softly this time.
• “Rule number one, you must never…ever…enter my bedroom,” Hayden stated, his blue eyes still on me.
• “Sure…” I agreed without needing to think. I mean, why would I even think of entering his bedroom?
• “Rule number two, you will not touch me without my permission,” he continued.
• --To be continued…