Sealed to the billionaire

The phone rang twice before Brad Williams decided to take it. It's been two weeks since his teenage daughter disappeared and he has been trying all he could to ensure she returns safely. He loves Nora too much to want to see her hurt. Holding the phone to his ear, he didn't know what to expect. He was already tired of hoping.

"Hello?" His voice held a hint of fear.

"It looks like you're not willing to cooperate." The husky voice he'd come to be familiar with threatened. "Two weeks, Brad. It's been two weeks since you last saw your daughter and trust me, you don't want to know what we've done to her."

"Please, don't touch her. I have done every single thing you wanted."

"Two million, Brad! Two million dollars or I'm sending a picture of your girl. Dead!" He threatened and immediately hung up.

"God!" Brad fought the strong urge to swear or ram a punch through the wall.

"Sir?" A female voice jolted him back to reality. "Are you okay?"

He looked up to see his employee walk in with a stack of files in one arm. Since he has been told not to involve the public or the authorities, he's had to keep this to himself.

"I'm fine, Cassy. Just drop the files. I'll call you later." She did so reluctantly.

"I hope you are fine."
Thirty minutes later, he grabbed my suit jacket from the hanger and walked to the door. Two weeks of constantly transferring money to these people is not a joke. Pulling it off was only possible because he was a billionaire. He has to pretend for the camera by smiling when his daughter is in the den of kidnappers. But he cannot hide it for long.

Brad Williams happens to be one of the top three richest men in the whole of North America. He got most of his money from inherited wealth and also his knowledge as a business tycoon. He got married when he was twenty one to his high school crush, Asher, but the marriage only lasted three years as she was only after his wealth. In the court, Asher did not think twice about leaving her baby with Brad as she wasn't ready to raise one according to her.

That baby has been his only source of happiness and love. He had raised her with nothing but care. He would tear himself apart if anything were to happen to her. He would plan something that can help her but first, he needs to have coffee.

"Sir?" That familiar feminine voice stopped him as he made to enter the elevator.
He turned.

"What is it, Cassy?"

"We have someone coming over today that you wanted to interview personally." He paused, trying to remember when he said that. "You wanted to hire a personal assistant."

"Oh." At this point, that might be impossible. He can barely trust anyone. Everyone might just be a kidnapper at this rate. "You can tell her there's no vacancy and we are no longer hiring."

Moving out of the company, He was hit with a pang of fresh air. The air was a bit damp because of the weather. No wonder drinking coffee isn't such a bad idea for straight thinking. He drove off to the company's nearby coffee shop, putting on his sunglasses to avoid attention. That did little to conceal his identity because when he entered, everyone adjusted themselves.

He didn't even notice any of them. He just wanted to sit quietly and be on his own.

"Can I have the private booth reserved for me?" An interestingly warm voice asked beside him as he made to order. Who has the audacity to ask for a space everyone know is reserved for him alone?

"I'm really sorry, ma'am, but that place is reserved for someone already." The barista tried to reply politely.

"Who's the person? Is that person so important you get to keep a place for them even before they are here?" That tone was so defiant he was forced to turn to see who it was.

As he turned, removing his sunglasses, the woman he saw made his jaw drop mentally. Long brown hair that cascaded down her waist and surrounded her round face. Her small red lips spoke so fast one could hardly see them move. When she tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, he was able to spot her dimple. Her curvy body was seductive and he is quite sure they turned heads everywhere she went. Her skin were as appealing to the eyes as milk. He didn't know he was staring until I felt her eyes turn to mine.

His heart squeezed and instantly, he was stunned. Forest green eyes that seemed like they would bore into his soul if he tried anything rash and would break down into tears at the slightest push. Her lashes were so long and curved they acted like a canopy for the eyes.

"I want the private booth, now." She continued to say, even though their eyes have just met in what seemed to be the shortest passionate minute.

He forgot why he'd even come to the coffee shop in the first place.
"I'd like a double espresso, Steven." He ordered and when the barista made to answer him, he could sense rage welling inside the woman beside him.

"I got here first. But he orders and you had to cut the line to answer?" Her voice wasn't raised but it held authority and more like she wouldn't take this. "How much more humiliation do I have to take simply because I want to be hired here?"

Brad looked at her again. "You came here to seek a job?"

She nodded. "Yes. But it looks like a bad idea."

"What would you like to be hired as?"

"Why the question? I don't even know you." She said and when Steven made to say something, he raised his hand. She doesn't need to know.

"To get to know more about each other. What do you think?"

She shook her head. "No."

Steven gave Brad what he ordered for and asked hers. "What would you like, ma'am?"

"A single espresso. I want it extra steamy." She said but added. "And a private booth."

"Ma'am, I told you already. Someone already reserved that space. The rest are filled up."

She grabbed her purse. "Forget about the drink then."

For the next thirty minutes, he couldn't get that woman out of his mind. Her beauty and confidence got to him. Such woman should be a threat to a man's ego but she isn't a threat to his. In fact, she is the type of woman he'd want for myself if Asher hadn't acted like a wuss.

Sipping the last drop of his coffee, he rushed back to the office, ready to think about what he can do next. He needs to talk to someone. He needs someone he can trust. But who?

"She's here, boss." Cassy met him at the entrance, her face worried. "She won't leave even after I told her we are no longer hiring."

"Then, have the security drag her out." He said dismissively.

"Yes...yes sir!" Cassy answered hesitatingly that he was forced to ask who the person was. No one else could pull off making Cassy think twice about following orders.

"Let me see her."

A relieved sigh. "She's in front of your office."

He took the elevator upstairs and walked down the corridor to his office only to see a familiar brown hair. She now wore a fluffy coat to warm herself.

"Miss?" She turned with drooled eyes that widened in familiarity.

"What are you doing here? Are you seeking a job too?"

How could she be so ignorant? He is technically the richest in the continent but she doesn't recognize he is the CEO of the company.

He dug his hands in his pockets. "Do you do this everywhere?"

She tilted her head. "Do what?"

"Act like you're the boss everywhere." He stepped forward while she walked backwards until her back hit the wall behind. "You're in a company where you need to find a job. Act like you want it."

"Actually, I need it." She said. "Plus, you don't get to talk to me like that. Who the hell are you anyways?"

They are now a few inches apart and although he really wants to shut her blabbering mouth up by pressing a hand against it, he strangely enjoyed watching her speak. Their eyes locked for a while and slowly, he found himself dropping his gaze to her lips which she bit nervously.

"I see you met the crazy woman already, boss." Cassy cut in and her last word made the woman's eyes widen even more.

Nothing else can be as annoying as having to be raised by an irresponsible father. It's not annoying. It's life threatening. Losing her mother as early as when she turned six and having to cater for her younger brother who was then two was the hardest job ever for Isabella Martinez Hailey.

Her father, Santiago Martinez, was a man of the street who would do anything to survive the world. Why her mother married him was something she would never understand till date. He abused her till death and although, he always insisted on how he loved Hailey and her brother, she doubted his words. When she turned ten, her brother, Javier had chicken pox. She would beg, steal and do all sorts to ensure he ate and used drugs. Santiago could care less.

"We have to move." He had said one day when Javier was still recuperating.

"To where?" Hailey asked.

""Valencia ya no es seguro." He said, stating Valencia was no longer safe for us. "I have enough money to help us reach America. You just have to brace up and follow me."

"But Javier? He is still sick, papa."

"Do you want to carry him on your shoulder!? Eh? Or do you want to carry him on your head? Let him be. At least, you're alive! If these people get to catch us, we are in big trouble!" He yelled, making her flinch.

"Which people, papa?"

"You ask too much questions, Isabelle. Go to your room and pack. Don't tell your brother anything. I'll arrange where he can stay."

The thought of leaving her brother filled her with disgust and pain but she had no choice than to listen to her father. However, she needed to be sure he would be safe. Rushing to his room, she met his bed empty.

"Javier!" She shouted, knowing fully well he's not fit enough to move yet. "Javier, where are you!?"
Silence!
"Javier!" Going downstairs, her father was already at the door, all prepared. "I'm not leaving without seeing Javier, papa!"

Santiago had rage all over his face that could kill. "Follow me gently now or I might resolve to force!"

Tears streaming down her face, she left Valencia with her father without seeing her brother. Till date, she can't tell what really happened to her brother. Is he alive? Is he dead? How has he been able to cater for himself? Is he eating well? All questions she was forced to answer herself as a means of moving on.
Javier is fine and he's probably married to a beautiful woman and living his best life in Valencia. Unless she wants to deceive herself, she knows that's far from reality. But it's best to hope.

"You don't think sitting around doing nothing will help you live the life you want, Isabelle..."

"Hailey!" She snapped, sitting on the small cozy chair as she played game on her console. "My name is Hailey."

"That name was given by your stupid mother who was obsessed with her American ex boyfriend." He explained out of spite, while going to grab a bottle of alcohol.

Silence. She just kept playing, while filling her mind with different thoughts. Seventeen years later and she'd been nothing but traumatized. Her father tried making it up to her by sending her to good schools and college but she never cared. He didn't care about her brother either.

"So, as I was saying. We are in great debt and I don't think it's ideal to keep running." He started to say.
Hailey shifted her headset, ready for what's to come.

"Great debt. Who is it again? And, who are you sacrificing this time?"

"We are not sacrificing anybody, Isabelle..."

"Hailey! For the last time, Hailey." He stood up and walked to her like he wanted to attack her.

"You do what I say, okay? Everything I do, is for you. When we were in Valencia, I got into a debt of about one hundred and fifty million dollars that I took with me. Now, they want their money." He explained.
Hailey turned her chair to face him as she couldn't believe her ears. Immediately, she broke into sweat. Her heart began to beat violently against her chest.

"How did this happen?" She asked.

"We had a deal but we got scammed." He continued to explain. "They threatened to come after me and my child, because I told them I've got just one daughter. Explains why I had to leave him."

"There's no excuse for leaving your eight year old son to the cold hands of the harsh world."

"True." For a while, they were buried in deep thoughts. Each of them reminisced on their past hurdles and how they have always ran for most part of their lives. But now, nemesis seems to have caught up with tough Santiago.
"They have a new leader. He contacted me and said he's coming after us. We need help, Hailey."

"And, what do you want me to do? Sacrifice myself?"
He placed a roughly wrinkled hand on hers which she quickly snatched away. Her eyes took in the interior decor of the house which they may soon flee from. The cozy house has to be the best they have ever lived and also the safest. She wasn't ready to lose the ancient built duplex her father bought from an old couple that were moving to another country.

"I want you to move close to someone." He blurted out. "He's our only way out."

"What?"

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

The rain drizzled as Hailey rushed into the coffee shop to get something to warm her stomach. She didn't wish to do this but unless she was ready to be killed and dumped on the roadside, she needs to cooperate. Working with this billionaire is the surest way of helping her father go ahead with his plan.

"That poor man. I heard he hasn't gotten involved with anyone romantically since Asher." One of the three women who sat on the first table in the shop blurted out pitifully.

"That woman for sure broke his heart."

"I know he has been a loner since then as soon as I notice he always comes to this private booth to drink coffee." Another woman stated and it further piqued her curiosity about who this mysterious man is.

Moving over to the barista, she decided to take up that seat. Perhaps, meeting him personally might help her get closer to him. But the barista had refused to help her secure the place. To make matters worse, while she was still talking with the annoyingly rueful attendant, she caught him staring.

Tall, broad shouldered and brooding eyes that captured her very soul. For a while, she took time to study his manly features that could not be concealed even by his suit jacket. He had a stoic expression on his face that spoke volumes and almost broke through her wall of confidence.

"I want the private booth, now." She continued to say, even though his she could still feel his gaze on her. What a creep! She thought.

"I'd like a double espresso, Steven." He ordered and when the barista made to answer him, she had to confront him for answering someone sho obviously cut the lines.

"I got here first. But he orders and you had to cut the line to answer?" Her voice wasn't raised but she knew he was watching her. Taking in her every move. "How much more humiliation do I have to take simply because I want to be hired here?"

The stranger man looked at her again. "You came here to seek a job?"

She nodded. "Yes. But it looks like a really bad idea."

"What would you like to be hired as?"

"Why the question? I don't even know you." She said and when Steven made to say something, he raised his hand. Who the hell is this man?

"To get to know more about each other. What do you think?"

She shook her head. "No."

Steven gave the man what he ordered for and asked hers. "What would you like, ma'am?"

"A single espresso. I want it extra steamy." She said but added. "And a private booth."

"Ma'am, I told you already. Someone already reserved that space. The rest are filled up."

She grabbed her purse. "Forget about the drink then."

When she got to the reception, she was led to a woman whom she later got to know as Cassy. The woman seemed polite but strict with orders. She turned her down saying the boss doesn't want to hire anybody.

"Why?" But there was no definite answer. Things almost turned sour as she demanded to see the boss. "I've submitted my application form for over a month now. Your boss personally invited me over for this interview after postponing several times and now? You're not hiring!?"

After taking a deep breath she knew she had no choice than to do the unthinkable. Rush to his office. While she waited outside his office, that creepy strange man approached again but this time with an aura she cannot miss. Something about him was not only mysterious but alluring.

When he got too close to her, their face inches apart, she could feel his eyes shifting down to her lips. But she wasn't as more shocked as when she heard Cassy call him the boss.

"What?"

Walking into Mr. Williams' office, Hailey couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed. The room was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The furniture was sleek and modern, and the walls were lined with bookshelves filled with impressive-looking tomes. In the corner, there was a massive mahogany desk, and behind it sat Mr. Williams himself.

"You're adamant." he said, his voice deep and authoritative.

She couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult. Her blood boiled through her veins as she kept looking at the handsome son of a devil that sat behind the desk. She had been rude to her prospective job. How is she going to get this job then?

"Your name?"

"Hailey Martinez." She replied, still clutching her purse nervously.

"Hello, Hailey. Where are you from?"

That multimillion dollar question She's always been asked since they moved to America and started schooling. When she got to college, she had to lie about growing up in the country to avoid getting traced. Will thus job be worth her honesty?

"I was born and lived in Valencia until we moved to America many years ago." His eyes assessed her thoughtfully, his eyes making her toes tingle.
"Any other questions?"

"Look here, Miss. Martinez. I know I was the one who said I needed a personal assistant about a month ago but I assure you that I am no longer in need of one." He paused as if to let that sink in. Hailey ignored the itch to ask why.
"We have so many things on our table and we are trying hard to resolve them. Besides, I wouldn't want to employ a rude woman to be my most trusted confidante."

"I'm sorry, Sir." Hailey apologized, desperate to change his mind. "But I don't think you understand how much I need this job. I'll do anything to prove I'm as capable as you want."

Mr. Williams shook his head. "You don't understand, do you?"
He rose from his chair, his body intimidating and towering above hers. He turned around the table to face her, their eyes not leaving each other's.
"If I want to hire a personal assistant, I need it to be someone I can trust," was that a plea behind those authoritative brooding eyes? "Someone who will follow orders and not prove stubborn."

"You can count on me, Sir."

"And, stop with the 'Sir', it's making me feel old. Just call me Brad." He dug hands into his pockets and went back to sit.

Hailey nodded. "So?"

"So, resume work very early tomorrow morning until I've trusted you enough to let you come home with me." What's it about this man and trust?

"Alright, s...Brad."

Going back home, her mind was filled with images of Brad. His lovely eyes that looked at her dismissively. His physique when he leaned against the chair and when he had moved closer to her. Her heart had been hammering against her chest for a way out. Placing a gentle hand against her fast beating heart, she couldn't tell what it was about him that made her nervous.

His aura or her shattered confidence?

Reaching home, she told her dad the good news which is not actually good to her. He celebrated by drinking heavily until he was wasted on the sofa. Hailey locked herself up in the room, hoping this job will be a means of escaping her filthy reality. Staring out the window as the rain continued to drizzle, she couldn't help but remember her brother again.

"Where are you, Javier?"

The sun stood bright in the sky as Hailey rushed through the bustling crowds. Holding a bottle of warm water, a huge bag full of what she called necessities and a bulky coat draped over her arm, she found it hard to run through.

She flagged down a taxi and got to the company. The car had barely stopped when she opened the door and ran to the office. She ignored the glares she got from distinguished guests, office workers and even the receptionists. All she wanted to do was reach his office before he does.

The elevator stared at her in the face from across the corridor. She rushed to get to the elevator as a group of men got out. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't looking and so bumped into someone.

"Jeez!" The person screamed, making her flinch.
Her shirt had stuck to her chest because it got wet from the waterbottle she was holding. If anything, she should be the one screaming, not the richly dressed woman before her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, ma'am."

"Are you blind? Plus, who the hell runs around a company like a toddler?" Her words stung like a wasp but she had no choice than to apologize. She'd learned to be humble in environments like this one.

"Like I said before, ma'am. I'm sorry. I wasn't looking and I..."

"Next time, ensure you do!" The woman passed by, pushing her a bit violently out of the way.

"Pfft." Hailey scoffed after she was.gone. "next time, ensure you do. People!"

She needed to dry her clothes rather than look like a wet poodle to work. As soon as she got to Brad's office and met it unlocked, she rushed to use his restroom.
Taking off her shirt, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Beneath the older looking woman lies a kid with trauma.

"Javier!" Her frantic tiny voice replayed in her head again. How she had been so scared to live her life without looking back.

"What are you doing here?"
Hailey flinched, turning around and gripping the counter behind her. Her wide eyes dropped when she saw who it was.

"Brad."
For what seemed to be a striking moment, Brad took in her body, letting his gaze linger on her chest. His expression made her cheeks redden but she couldn't put a finger on why he was staring at her.

"You...you may want to dress up and leave my restroom." He said with no hint of expression before turning to leave.

Turning to face the mirror, Hailey clasped both hands against her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She was wearing nothing but her bra with her shirt in hand. This explains why he was staring.

She wore her shirt and got out of the restroom. Looking him in the eye seemed like an unachievable feat owing to the fact that her boss had just seen her shirtless.

"You were late." He muttered, his eyes not leaving the computer.

"I was busy with some things. It was hard to get a taxi and the traffic..."

"I see you met Asher."
Hailey paused, wondering who it is he's talking about. Then, it registered in her head. She'd heard in the coffee shop that a woman named Asher broke his heart a long time ago and now he is saying she met the woman. The only woman she met was that rude blondie with fake body parts.

"The one who bumped into me?"

"She told me she met a woman at the elevator who bumped into her and whose apology doesn't sound genuine." He looked up from his computer. "Sounds familliar?"

"I didn't mean to."

"It's fine. Let's get to work." He waved her off while sitting straight on his chair.
Hailey picked her pencil and jotter, ready to arrange his schedule for the day.

"I need to see a few contractors and business men this morning. Asher and I need to go somewhere as well and, I need to disburse two million dollars to some people. The hours in between are free."

Hailey paused after hearing such amount, brows raised.
"Two million dollars to who?"

Brad simply looked away at the window, face thoughtful. "To some greedy bastards!"