Chapter 1

"Michelle, are you okay?"

From bowing, Michelle's face rose when she heard her younger brother's voice.

She looked at her brother and with a hesitant smile on her lips, she shook her head. "Yes. Of course, I am. I was just really worried about you yesterday. You made me nervous, Michael. I thought you would leave me too."

Just the thought of losing her only brother makes her feel like crying. She will not be able to cope up when even his brother would disappear from her life and she may have completely given up on life.

Michael smiled at her, the smile that she loves to see every day, the kind of smile that gives her the reason to keep on working so hard even though she is already struggling. And she wanted to see that smile every day.

"I'm sorry if I worried you. If I could just prevent my body from getting sick so you wouldn't have a problem, I already did."

She felt the guilt in her brother's voice that saddened her. She put down what she was holding then took one of his brother's hands.

She gently squeezed its hand. "Don't even think about it. The important thing right now is that you need to get treatment so that your illness would not get worse." She gently told him.

"But we don't have enough mon---"

"I will take care of it. Just rest and do everything the doctor says. Don't be stubborn." She immediately said.

She saw the resistance in her brother's eyes but it didn't say anything and chose to keep quiet.

The silence was eating them until Michael's gaze shifted to the thing that she was holding.

Disconcerted, Michelle put the thing in the pocket of her pants. When she looked at her brother again, Michael's forehead was already furrowed.

She gave him a hesitant smile but Michael did not smile back.

"Ahm, just take a rest first. The doctor will be back later so in the meantime, you can just go back to sleep." She said, trying to divert her brother's attention but she failed.

Michael kept staring at her but this time, his face is serious. "I am telling you, Michelle. Whatever you are planning, don't do it." Michael said while still seriously staring at her.

Michelle took a deep breath and stared back at Michael with determination in her eyes. "Everything will be okay, Michael. For now, just rest. I'll just leave you for a while but I'll be back soon." She said and kissed Michael's forehead.

She was about to leave when she heard her brother saying, "Please Michelle, don't do anything that might harm yourself. Do not rush into your decisions." Michael's voice was begging but she was already determined to do everything to save her brother's life.

"Everything I do, I do it for you, Michael." She answered her brother and then finally went out of the room.

When she closed the door of the room, she pulled out the calling card from the pocket of the pants she was wearing. "I hope you can help me." She whispered as she stared at the name written on the calling card.

Rafael Standford.

Shock and amazement reflected into Michelle's face as she stared at the house, no, a mansion, in front of her. She re-read the address written on the calling card given to her by the stranger at the hospital to make sure that she is at the right address. And she is in the right place.

She looked at the huge mansion again. Every part of the mansion screams money. A lot of money.

So that stranger is wealthy. She thought.

It took her several minutes before she decided to ring the doorbell.

Just a few minutes later, an old woman came out of the mansion and if her suspicion was correct, the old woman is a housemaid.

The old woman smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Do you need anything?" The old woman asked with a gentle and full of kindness tone.

"Ahm, I'm Michelle. I'm...looking for Mr.Rafael Standford. Is he there?" She politely asked.

"You are Michelle? Oh, he's been waiting for you. Come in!" The old woman invites.

She frowned at what the old woman said.

He's been waiting for her? Does that mean that he already knows she will not be able to refuse his help?

She hesitated to enter the mansion 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 very impressed with the mansion when she was still outside but she was even more amazed now that she was able to get inside. She felt like she was inside a beautiful castle as they walked down the mansion's hallway. And while they're walking, she couldn't help but admire the variety of paintings that were posted on each wall of the hallway.

Since she was a child, she was already interested in painting and even dreamed of becoming a great painter one day. But destiny played with her life that it took her parents so early, making her unable to fulfill that dream.

When they finally reached the end of the hallway, they stopped right in front of a closed-door of a certain room. She suddenly felt even more nervous. She did not know the man but she's also desperate enough to find a large amount of money to save the life of her brother.

The old woman knocked on the door three times before saying, "Your guest is here, Señorito." The old woman announced then looked at her. A warm smile was still posted on the old woman's lips. "Go." The old woman said.

"But he has not given permission yet." She said.

But the old woman just held her hand and slightly dragged her towards the closed door. "There is no need. Señorito has already informed us earlier that when you arrive, we will just take you here and permit you into his room."

She sucked her breath. "I-is that so?" She asked the woman nervously.

The old woman nodded in response to her question. "Yes, so please do come in. Señorito dislikes waiting." The old woman said before leaving her without saying goodbye.

"W-wait!" She tried to stop the old woman but she did not even look at her and just kept walking until she completely disappeared from her sight.

She faced the closed door again. Her heartbeats tripled. Right in front of her is a stranger's room and only God knows what might happen to her once she's inside the room.

Michelle bit her lower lip. She's always like that when she's nervous.

She started to have second thoughts if she will continue or not. But every time she tries to back out, the face of her dear brother immediately infiltrates her mind.

She closed her eyes tightly, weighing her future decision and the possible outcome of whatever her decision might be.

In the end, she decided to go through. She's doing this for her brother and she's willing to risk everything, even her own life to save Michael's life. She can't afford to see him in pain.

If only she can take the pain instead of her brother.

She took a very deep breath then settled her cold and trembling hand on the doorknob. Her bite on her lower lip got even worse when she finally turned the doorknob to open it.

She slowly opened it and darkness immediately emerged on her which doubled her nervousness. She took a little step towards the darkroom when the lights suddenly came on that surprised her. She even shrieked out of surprise and then took a step back.

Only her head peeked into the room while her body remained on the outside of the room.

What if that stranger is a killer? At least, she won't have a hard time running.

She looked around the room and was surprised again to see the man that approached her in the hospital.

Its eyes were closed as he leaned against the wall just beside the door. And just like her reaction at the hospital yesterday, she once again admired the young man's good looks and handsomeness.

Every part of its face was perfect. From its smooth forehead, perfectly shaped eyebrows, sharp nose to its thick but reddish lips.

Damn! He has the most kissable lips she has ever seen in her entire life.

"Are you just gonna stare at me all day?"

She was startled by its sudden utterance. "What? You thought that I was sleeping?" The man opened his eyes and his face went into where she was standing then he stared at her. Their eyes met, which made her heart beat fast. "I was waiting for you." He continued.

She found herself speechless. She could not come up with the right word that she could say to the man. His intense gaze is distracting her.

He straightened his body so that they could face each other. His eyes were cold yet it was full of intensity while he was staring at her. He is also very tall compared to her height. At the age of twenty, she is already 5'8 in height which she inherited from her mother. And if she would estimate it, the man is about 6'2 in height.

"Come on in, young lady. I hate wasting my time." Even his voice was so cold that it made her shiver.

He went into the table beside his very spacious bed and poured some wine on the two glasses resting on the table which she did not even notice.

Even though she was nervous, she still entered the room. She would not have planned to close the door if the man had not just spoken. "Close the door and lock it." He said through his authoritative voice.

Her hand trembled as she followed its wishes. The moment the door clicked, he averted his intense gaze on her and because she could not cope with the excessive tension caused by its eyes, she bowed her head.

She remained unmoving, not knowing what to do until she heard his footsteps coming towards her causing her to panic. Every step of its feet towards her, she would also retreat until her back felt the hard and cold door causing her to be cornered by the man.

Rafael's palm rested above her head while its free arm snaked around her small waist.

She sucked her breath. Their bodies were only inches apart that she could smell his addictive perfume scent. Then she felt his lips slightly touching her ear. "You're thinking too much. Relax, I won't hurt you." He whispered using his soothing voice but because of its slender arm around her waist, she still could not calm down.

"L-let me go." She softly said.

Rafael moved his face away from her but its arm remained on her waist.

Rafael stared at her, his thumb tracing her poreless checks down to her lower lip that she was biting unconsciously. "You're scared, aren't you?" He asked and because that is the truth, she just decided not to answer him and just tried to avoid having eye contact with him.

Rafael stared at her for a few seconds before finally letting her go. It was only then that she breathed a sigh of relief.

Rafael went back to the table and took the two glasses where he poured wine then he went back to her and gave her the glass. She hesitated for a moment but when she stared at Rafael's dark, cold and icy eyes, she reluctantly took the wine.

Rafael went back to the table and sat in a chair that she did not even notice. Well, the guy caught all of her attention that she no longer paid attention to other things. Unsure of what to do, she remained standing near the door, holding the glass of wine.

"Take a seat, Ms.Smith, and let us talk about the help that I could give you and your little brother."

She gulped first before following what Rafael said.

She sat down in a chair that is in front of where Rafael is sitting and put down her glass on the table.

She put her palms over her thigh then bowed down. She couldn't stand the hot and icy stares the man was giving her.

"Look at me. I want you to look at me while we were talking." That is not a request but a command.

Biting her lower lip, she met Rafael's eyes. Rafael looked at her lips and she saw how lust clouded his eyes. She felt uncomfortable so to finish what they should discuss, she voluntarily opened up about the help Rafael could provide her, or if he really could help.

She's not a fool. She knew that he had a hidden agenda and based on how he looked at her, she knew immediately what he wanted in return for the help he would give her.

"Mr. Standford," she began. "I'm here about what you said at the hospital yesterday. You said you could help me."

She thanked the heavens that she did not stutter as she spoke even though she was so nervous.

"Yes, yes." He said before sipping wine on his glass.

After he put down the goblet, he put his hands on his crossed legs which she found very sexy.

She secretly scolded herself.

How could she think of those things knowing that the man in front of her is dangerous? Very dangerous.

"And since you came, I assume you are interested in my offer." Even his cold voice is very sexy.

She wanted to slap herself for thinking those things.

She nodded in response to what Rafael said.

He smirked. "Good." He leaned his back on the chair and crossed his arms on his chest. "This is what I can offer you, Ms.Smith. I will be providing everything that your brother needed for his medication. I'll transfer him to an expensive and most advanced hospital here in our country and of course, he will be taken care of by the professionals and the best doctors this world can offer." What Rafael said finally got her attention. Just what she needed to alleviate her brother's suffering. "Also, I will be giving you a condo unit where you can stay since you don't have a decent place to stay. I will also send you to a University, you can take any course that you want and make your dreams come true and of course, I'll be giving you a 30,000 allowance per month. "

Michelle suddenly felt dizzy by what Rafael said.

His offers were so tempting that she just wanted to say yes right away.

"I can give you everything, Ms.Smith. Everything. There's only one thing that you have to do for me. Only one thing and you'll have everything that you desire."

Just like what she thought. Everything has a price.

Who is a sensible person today that would help someone he doesn't even know?

"And w-what is it?"

Even though she already knew the answer to that question, she still wanted to hear it from the man himself.

Rafael moved his chair and brought his face closer to hers. Suddenly, she felt suffocated.

"Be my bed warmer. Be my lover." Rafael said that made her suck her breath.