Leave Me If You Dare

6 years ago, at the hospital.

“Sir, we captured the person who played the video at the party.” The man on the phone prompted Bill.

“I will be right there,” Bill answered quickly. His dark eyes went darker as he strode to the exit of the hospital.

Ed Sky was still in the emergency room but instead of staying, Bill went out his way to investigate the mess brought by the video.

“Boss the person is inside.” When Bill arrived, his men acknowledged his presence by bowing their heads.

Bill went inside with his overbearing cold expression.

“Release him,” Bill ordered calmly while his hand was in his pocket.

Two men quickly followed his order and released the person who already had suffered their punches.

“Boss! Boss!... Please help me.” The man crawled miserably in Bill’s direction but was quickly held by Bill’s men.

“Speak!” Bill ordered calmly but dangerous when delayed.

“Boss, I am just a waiter at the party.” The person announced with a bruised and swollen face. He seemed to assess the person standing in front of him if he believed his words. He felt intense terror seeing the man who was unmoved by his words.

The person standing in front had no emotions swimming in his eyes but he saw the danger.

Great danger when fooled.

He then went to his knees on the ground crying his regrets.

“Boss, I was just used. I need money that’s why I agreed to do it.”

“It’s not me. It’s …….” The confession stopped.

“Say it!” This time, Bill shouted which made everyone held their breaths. The man trembled in fear and also Bill's men.

“It’s… It’s…”

“It’s Jayson Hansen and Ms. Arabella Jones. They worked together.” Finally, the man spewed it out facing his face on the ground not wanting to see Bill's terror expression. He was obviously afraid of the man in front of him.

“They told me to play the video and paid me for a big amount of cash.” The man continued.

Bill looked at the man with eyes darkened as he studied the waiter. Then George came beside Bill.

“Sir, we investigated the CCTV at the party, this man was seen talking with Ms. Jones and Jayson Hansen before the video came out. We also saw Ms. Jones giving this man the USB to use for the presentation. We also checked the video authenticity. It was Ms. Jones' voice. The pictures in the video were also authentic. Mr. Hansen and Ms. Jones spent the night together in Hotel Zeus and went out together in the morning. We got the hotel’s CCTV file.”

Bill listened to George crossing his arms up to his chest.

“In my opinion, Ms. Jones was helping Mr. Hansen to get the Blue Emerald account.” George continued.

Bill had also thought the same but he didn’t mention it to George. In the business world, Hansen Group had always been the great competitor of Sky Corporation. Blue Emerald was the biggest account Sky Corporation wanted to acquire for the year. It was a company creating all the newest technologies in the world. From cars, planes, jets, robots, weapons and the newest appliances. They were famous in the world for research and innovations. It was known to the public that Hansen Group had also shown its great interest to acquire Blue Emerald. He's been gone for a long time and stayed abroad just to work on the acquisition.

The President of the company was a noble old man in his 70s. He was a family-oriented person as he always brought his wife whenever he is. He only had one daughter but died in a car accident. At his age, he just wanted to retire but he had no heir to continue the business. He just didn’t want to sell his company for money but to the person who would earn his trust.

At the party, Bill invited him personally. Mr. Bushman attended with her wife but to an unexpected event, the most important event in the history of Sky Corporation was ruined because of one girl.

Just one girl!

Arabella Jones.

'She tendered her resignation in the morning before the party. She seemed to plan it all along.' Bill dropped by his office and saw her resignation letter on his table before he went to the party.

No wonder Jayson Hansen showed up at the party. The two had been a couple for so long.

How could he trust her?

“How’s Mr. Bushman and his wife?” Bill asked George.

“They fly out with their private plane after the scandal,” George replied quickly.

“Hmmm…” Bill replied.

“Sir, the news got in. Mr. Bushman announced and chose Hansen Group for his company.” George was trembling inside with his news.

Bill frowned. He never loses a business deal ever until she met this girl. This was the only time the Hansen took over him.

It’s a first!

But no! He refused to lose by a lame scheme of Jayson Hansen and Arabella Jones. He swore to teach them the correct definition of the proverb,' an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.'.

"Find the brains of all brains of Blue Emerald's research team and buy them out," Bill ordered George with a devilish grin. George's eyes widened in disbelief. Without the brains, everything would malfunction.

Then Bill's phone suddenly rang. Not perfect timing but he answered.

“Mom.” With no emotions in his tone, he answered.

“Bill! Bill! Bill!” Kelly was crying hysterically on the other side. The way his mom cried on the phone, he already knew what happened.

“Your father…. Your father…”

“He didn’t make it…” Kelly finished the announcement with her sobbing.

Bill dropped the call and gave his cellphone to George who was standing beside him.

He strode towards the waiter who was still kneeling on the ground while two men holding his shoulder to keep him unmoved.

“Release him!” Bill shouted angrily. His shout was like a wave of catastrophe that could extremely ruin whoever stands his way. Intense anger that only appeared once in a blue moon but was very dangerous.

“Stand up!” He shouted again with eyes that could kill. “Fight or die!” His words were like venom to one’s soul.

Scared and rattled, the man stood up to save his life but was directly shoved back to the ground with Bill’s heavy punches. He was bleeding a lot and so Bill’s fists but he seemed not to feel it. Bill continued punching and kicking the unconscious man on the ground. He was releasing every anger in his body especially his anger to Arabella.

The woman who made him feel alive again.

The woman who made him feel wanting her every day.

The woman who made him sleep peacefully at night.

The woman who betrayed his trust.

Gone were all the special feelings he had inside for her. He didn't want those anymore.

For a man who didn't know love until he met her but sooner betrayed. His anger was immeasurable.

Meanwhile, In the coastal compound.

“Get him!” The leader of the group shouted angrily.

The two men were unmoved and didn’t want to follow their leader. They saw how this man just smashed their car. He was fearless.

“Get….” The leader shouted but didn’t finish his words as Bill quickly strode towards him and gave him a heavy blow. He shoved directly to the ground crying like a stubborn kid.

“How dare you touch my woman!” Bill said with a deep threat in his tone that made the leader and the two men run away in panic leaving their car still covered with heavy smoke.

“Stand up!” Bill ordered Arabella who was still on the ground unmoved. She could feel her swollen feet. She wanted to cry so hard as the pain was so extreme.

“Go away!” Arabella shouted angrily.

Bill frowned a bit and was displeased by her anger.

“If I didn’t arrive, you will be dead meat by now,” Bill exclaimed.

“I was long a dead meat Bill,” Arabella replied with a cold tone.

“Okay. Then be dead meat forever for all I care.” Bill said calmly while striding away from her.

In just a split second, she could hear his car had started its engine. He’s leaving. Arabella heaved a sigh of relief but she held her breath realizing how she could get out from there without any help. She quickly got her phone.

“Shit!” Her cell phone’s battery was drained. She tried her best to pushed the on button hoping to get some help but it didn’t work. She could feel more pain rushing inside her body from the swollen ankle as she tried to move. She stopped as she could not bear the pain.

“Shit!” She cursed again struggling to move. She had to get out from there as she was pretty sure the men who attacked her would go back to get their car. At this time, the leader might bring more of his men.

She was really in deep shit but she refused Bill’s help. Never would she accept his help ever again.

Gathering all her strength and determination, she moved again struggling to stand up “Aaahhh!” but failed for the third time.

Her ankle was badly injured because of her high stiletto. Just when she moved and was ready to try standing again, her body was lifted in the air. When she felt the scent of the man, she didn’t need to look up to see who carried her in a bridal style.

Bill.

“Put me down!”

“Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!”

“I hate you! I hate you!” She struggled hard in his arm but the man’s grip got tighter as he strode towards his car. Her tears uncontrollably falling like rain while her body was shivering in his arms.

Bill didn’t mind her struggles and quickly put her in his car, locked the door, and strode to the driver's seat.

“I don’t need your help!”

“You are worst than those men!”

“You are a killer! A monster! The king of all evils!”

“Go back to hell!”

“I don’t want to be with you!” Arabella shouted with all her vex. Those words were all her heart wanted to say to him. It was stuck in her for a very long period of time and now she had the chance to say everything to his face. The air got tensed up as her shouting resonated inside the car full of hateful words for him.

“Are you done?” Bill asked while fixing himself in the driver’s seat. He had no emotions in his face, not even a single reaction reflected in his expression from Arabella’s shouting.

Arabella wiped his tears. There’s no sense in arguing with the man who had no heart. She looked at the man with killer eyes. She swore he cursed him so many times in her heart. Bill didn’t spare her a glance and just focused on his driving.

It was dark in the area as other houses had no lights. Maybe because some houses were just a getaway of the riches. They quickly reached the entrance gate of the compound.

“Stop! I want to go down here now!” Arabella ordered when she saw the arch of the entrance but Bill didn’t comply. He drove like he heard no one.

Arabella got panic. Her heartbeat was thumping very fast.

“I said stop!” She yelled at him in her loudest voice.

Bill stopped with a screeching sound. He stopped the car abruptly causing Arabella to bang her head on the dashboard.

“Ouch!” She cupped her head as she thought it bleeds already. “So evil!” She murmured trying to check her head but good thing there’s no blood. Realizing that the car stopped, she quickly opened her door but it was to no avail.

“Open this fucking door! I want to go out here.” She ordered again with her eyes glaring daggers at him.

“Tough mouth! It seems that you didn’t learn your lesson very well.” Bill looked at her wearing a wicked grin.

“Shut up!” She said quickly as she didn’t want to hear any of his words anymore. She didn’t want to remember the thing that happened in his office. She felt disgusted about herself.

“Never order me around.” He said sternly. No one dared to order him except for this woman.

“Oh well, Mr. Sky, If you don’t want to be ordered then let me out here.” Arabella was obviously targeting his ego. She knew Bill hated people so much who dared to provoke him.

No one provoked him but Arabella.

Why?

Because she can!

She could provoke him without being killed.

Bill started the engine again never minding her nagging.

“Hey! Hey! Are you some kind of a fucking deaf?” She was really furious that she didn’t mind her language anymore. If she could not hurt him physically might as well hurt him with her sharp words.

“What is there that you don’t get that I don’t want to be with you! I am suffocated by your presence! Let me out of here!” Arabella’s nerves were contracting indignantly. Even her swollen ankle had lessened the pain because her all attention was to the man driving the car.

“You want to go out?”

“Fine!” Bill drove the car almost flying then the door in Arabella’s side automatically opened.

Arabella was very nervous seeing the street beside her with the wind gusting heavily to her face.

“What are you waiting for? Go out!” Bill’s expression was displeasing. He's running out of patience for her stubbornness.

“Shit!” Bill suddenly cursed beneath his breath.. Then, the next moment, a screeching sound due to an abrupt stop of a car was heard again.