Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Camila Carson fumbled through her bag after she heard her phone ringing. She frowned her face in disgust when she saw that it was Bella calling. “Hello” she muttered. “Camila you have to help dad please, he has been kidnapped and they said if we don’t give them the money in the next 24 hours he will be dead. Please help our dad, I know that you will never let something bad happen to him” Bella kept on ranting over the phone with nervousness in her voice.  Camila felt weak and she started sweating, she couldn’t imagine something bad happening to her dad. This was a bad nightmare which she didn’t foresee. The two of them didn’t get along very well but she knew that Bella would be incapable of lying about something grave like that. So she began to pay attention. “What?” She asked dumbfounded at the turn of events” but he was okay this morning when I left for college? What happened?” “They said he has a huge amount of debt which he has failed to pay. Please, the company is not doing well and we don’t have the amount of money they are demanding. Hurry up …. For the Love of God I am begging you, do something.” Bella’s voice was desperate and she understood. “How…..how much are we talking about” Camila was afraid that it will be a huge sum of money. If that was the case it would be difficult for her to get it in such a short period. “3 million” Bella didn’t hesitate to reply. “Alright Bella, I am going to take care of it” Camila said and hanged up the phone. Honestly she didn’t even know where to start from, Camila was only a nineteen year old girl going to college. She didn’t have any savings or friends to contact. However there was no time to feel sorry for herself. Camila quickly wiped her tears and breathed in deeply. It just clicked on her head that lately she has been thinking of a way to help her father out of the debts he was in before the goons got to him first. There was still hope, she can still save her father’s life. In the darkly lit room, Camila was sobbing helplessly. She had to do the unimaginable and she wasn’t sure whether her father will be able to forgive her once he was free. But this was her last resort and she will never regret it. The door opened and she sat straight on the bed. She could not see the stranger but his shadow was tall and straight. He brought an aura of power and dominance. Yes …why wouldn’t he when he has agreed to give her that huge amount of money? She was sure that her problems will be over once the money is in her hands and her father was safe. What brought sadness in her face was the fact that she may never go back to finish her degree in art. The man walked slowly and stood in the middle of the room. Although she could not see him, she was practically shaking from fright. She thought of running away but then her father will be dead and she will never forgive herself for that. “Are you ready” the man asked with a deep and emotionless voice. “I ….I think so” Camila replied with a trembling voice. “Good, we talked about the rules before and I do hope that you remember them. Because if you break a single one of them you won’t receive any money from me” he said arrogantly. “Yes….Yes I do”“Strip for me and lie down on the bed” the man ordered as Camila heard him take off his clothes. Then he climbed on the bed and he was on top of her. His hands started caressing her back and forth and just when she thought that he was going to at least prepare her for the main deed, she felt an excruciating pain in between her legs as the man broke through her pride. He didn’t show her any mercy as he pushed his length deeper and deeper while hurting her. As if it wasn’t enough the man now started moving his hips and Camila moaned in pain. He didn’t care, as for him this was business and Camila was just a deal that he was about to seal. There won’t be any foreplay and emotions involved, those were the main rules of the agreement. He finally stopped and got up from the bed satisfied that he had accomplished what he came for. Camila recoiled back on the bed in pain and hoped that he could just go away. “For being a virgin, you will get a bonus of 20 % after you have done your part. “He said and then added” the deposit amount of 3 million dollars has been transferred to your account. But make sure you perform well or you won’t get the rest.” His voice was cold and distance. “Thank you.  Camila muttered. As soon as he left, Camila swiftly took her phone and transferred the money to the account Bella sent to her earlier. Then came a reply from unknown number“   We have received the money. Your father is safe and sound in his mansion.” That was all she needed to hear as she heaved a sigh of relief. The following week Camila saw a red spot on her panty and she communicated this to his house maid. She looked at her with a disgusted face and rushed back to the house. Camila guessed that she was going to report to her boss. The next few minute she came back and all she said was” the boss said that the deal is off and you can leave this house at once. You are not useful to him if you can’t become pregnant.” Camila didn’t say anything, she just picked up her things and left the house quietly. 9 months later a baby could be heard crying and Camila was doing her best soothing the baby. “I am sorry honey…..It’s okay. Are you hungry, don’t worry I am going to feed you right now” The baby heard her voice and kept silent. She had sent the mysterious man a message that they should meet. She needed to talk to him about the baby. The man replied arrogantly that he had nothing more to discuss about with her and so he was going to send his assistant. While waiting for the so called assistant at the restaurant, a man soon came and whispered in her ears” the boss said that I should take you to your usual place” Camila became afraid, the memories were still fresh in her mind as if it were yesterday. However she had no any other choice. If she wanted to negotiate further, she had to appear before him at all costs. She wrapped her soundly sleeping baby well and then entered the car that had been sent for her. Soon they arrived at the mansion and no one needed to tell her where she was supposed to go. The room was dark as she remembered and the man was also siting in the dark waiting for her. She could feel his presence and slow breathing.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

“I am here now, what did you need to talk to me about?” the man’s deep and arrogant voice startled Camila and the baby too. Before she could talk, the baby started to cry again and the man stood up swiftly. He was surprised, he didn’t expect that the woman would bring a baby. He was sure she wasn’t pregnant when she left. “Ssh…..Ssh……Ssh….There baby….please don’t cry any more. Mommy is here right with you. Don’t be afraid.” Camila talked to the baby gently. Camila rocked the baby on her chest and found herself a seat. The baby was hungry, Camila realized that so she decided to breastfeed the baby. A tear dropped on her face, she was sad because may be this was the last time she will be able to hold and feed her baby. After the baby was done feeding she resumed the conversation. The man had been silent in the dark, as always she could never read his mind. “I have your baby and I want to give the baby to you as per our original plan” Camila then waited patiently for his reply. “How sure am I that the child is mine” he challenged Camila. “If you think I am lying you can simply do a DNA test. I wouldn’t have come to you if I weren’t sure. You are the only man I have slept with in my life. Besides when I left 9 months ago I didn’t know that I was pregnant and when I found out the doctor explained to me that the red spot was normal during implantation.” Without showing any reaction the man muttered “We have a deal. I know you are a sensible woman and won’t try to lie to me. But in any case if you try to do it, I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands. “Camila shivered at his dark tone. Deep inside the man was happy. He couldn’t wait to take the baby to the hospital and perform a paternity test on him. “I will take the child so that he can go through the process” the man said but Camila held on to the baby and didn’t want to let go. He belonged only to her. She knew that she sold him even before he was born. It broke her heart all over again to have to do this. “Please…just a few more minutes with him” Camila couldn’t help but beg him desperately. “Don’t waste my time. I am a very busy man “he said and grabbed the baby forcefully out of her hands. Camila felt lonely without her baby. She didn’t know that it would be this tough. “Bring him back so that I can say my goodbyes” she muttered as the man was about to open the door. She wished she could have a peek at his face. She wanted to see this man who saved her father but still made her life a living hell. Now she was handing him her own flesh and blood. “That does not concern me, woman” he muttered and closed the door behind him. Camila cursed under her breath” he is so heartless. If it weren’t that I need money so much I wouldn’t have given my most precious possession, never.” After a few hours the man came back with the baby. He handed him over to Camila. She took him gladly and hugged the baby so tightly. She smelled the baby’s scent and whispered in his ears. Camila wanted to make sure that the baby felt loved even though she won’t be the one to raise him. “Congratulations, I have done my confirmation. And indeed his blood runs through my veins. You are going to receive the other 10.2 million” he announced as if this was just a normal deal to him. Camila couldn’t believe her ears, that was a huge amount of money and she would be able to start all over again. She tried to say something but her lips suddenly became heavy. Tears of relief flowed through her eyes. “Is that all for me?” She finally managed to ask. “The money comprises of the other half we agreed on, the bonus for being a virgin and lastly another 50 % is included in the amount. “ Camila stared at him in a daze. “Before you get excited, you can only get the 50% if you agree to sleep with me one last time” he added with an arrogant demeanor. A dead silent fell in to the room, her mind was all over. But the fact remains that she needed the money urgently and since she had slept with him before it wouldn’t hurt to do it one last time, of course for the money. “I agree” Camila readily replied. Later when she was about to leave she handed over the baby to him. “Please take good care of him. I know that I wasn’t a very good mother but I beg you to try to compensate for all those things that I couldn’t give him.” Camila sobs was so heartbreaking for the man but he didn’t want to show any softness for the woman. His only interest was the baby and nothing else. “Don’t worry he will be well taken care of” he muttered in the dark room. Camila held her baby then she gave him a hug for one last time. Hurriedly, she left the room without looking back. If she would have tried to hesitate she wouldn’t have the strength to leave him. It was hard enough for her to come all the way here to give him to his father. When she left the house, the man took the baby to his maid and ordered ” take care of this child with your life. I will hold you responsible if anything happens to him. Do we understand each other well?” “Yes sir” Cindy, the maid said. She didn’t have her own kids and now she was going to raise the child with all the love in the world. She could remember that day when her baby was taken out of her and the doctor said that she had died. It was the saddest day of her life, she went crazy and left the hospital without looking back. In the beginning she never liked the baby’s mother but it was only because she thought that she couldn’t get pregnant but now her perception has changed. In her absence she will look out for her baby because she knew she was a young woman who was lost. “Come with me baby….there… there you will be fine. I will spoil you and love you, okay” the baby heard her soft melodious voice and calmed down.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

In the city’s capital Center lies the tallest sky scrapper in town. The building is owned by Hudson group, the biggest company in town dealing with fashion and design. It is headed by Samuel Hudson, who is the grandson of the business tycoon, Joshua Hudson. Samuel was seated in his office, today he had a very special guest who he knew demanded so much of his attention. Even his employees were aware of that and accorded the person a good reception. “Hello son? How are things here? His deep and confident voice vibrated in the four corners of the office. Joshua Hudson was the only man that Samuel bowed to because he made him who he is today. But even before he started talking he already knew what he came here to talk about. It was going to be the same old topic. “Give me an heir”“We are doing fine grandpa, how are things over at the house?” he pretended to want to know but in real sense he avoided the family mansion as a plagued, every time his grandfather mentions about an heir to him he felt pressurized. “Everything seems to be okay, but I am still waiting for your action. I need to make you the president of this company as soon as possible. As you can see age is not on my side. “He said and looked at Samuel desperately. Samuel too lifted his face and observed him carefully. His grey silvery hair seemed to have increased since the day he saw him last. But still the same, he was looking healthy and fit. He never knew what gave him that glowing look. Joshua knew that his grandson would just try to down play the topic but he was surprised that he was more calm than usual. “Don’t worry grand pa, things are promising. I am sure that in the near future we won’t have to talk about this matter anymore” Samuel said this knowing very well that he already had a son to present to him. But he wanted it to be a surprise. Samuel sounded mysterious but Joshua didn’t give much thought to it. Instead he felt happy that he was working on his request. “That is good news, son. My journey here wasn’t in vain.”  He glanced at him for a while then said” I don’t care whether it is a girl or a boy, As long as the child has my blood in his veins.” Joshua gave his grandson a wide grin and rounded the table to give him a hug. However he didn’t fail to remind him immediately” As soon as the deed is done let me know, I will prepare a big party to welcome him home” “Very soon grand pa, sooner than you may think” Samuel managed to put a smile on his lips, he usually doesn’t smile with anyone except this old man who never seizes to amaze him. He is his role model and he would be lost without him. Whatever he wants somehow he ended up granting it to him. Joshua hesitated and thought that something was amiss. There was another vital thing in his mind. “What about the mother? “He asked curiously.” I think you should bring her to me first for my blessings and then we can organize a big wedding for the two of you.” Samuel smiled again and then stated” Don’t worry, I have planned all that well and very soon you will get to meet them” he lied. He hated lying to him but there was no way he was going to get married to any woman. They were all the same and will only drag him behind. That is the main reason why he chose surrogacy. In that way his grandfather will have the grandchild he wanted so much. And soon he will get some breathing space again. As for a wife that will remain pending until further notice. “If you say so son” Joshua whistled happily and picked up his walking stick.” I have to go back to the mansion, but do remember that I will be waiting for the good news.” The old man knew very well that Samuel didn’t want to get married but he is contented with him giving him a grandchild. So he lets the matter rest for now. Samuel was relieved when his grandfather left, he breathed in deeply then picked up his phone and called the house. After a few rings he heard the maid’s voice. “Is he okay?” the woman knew exactly who the boss was talking about. It can only be the kid he left under her care. It somehow sounded sweet because the boss was always cold, seeing him concerned about a baby was so nice. “Yes sir”“Make sure that you feed him well and keep him as comfortable as possible.” He directed and disconnected the phone conversation “I understand” the maid said as she placed the phone back on the table. 5 years later Camila alighted from the plane at the Jomo Kenyatta international airport. She was looking gorgeous as the wind blew her long black hair. She wore a tight fitting black dress with a slit at the side bringing out her curvy and elegant figure. As she wheeled her luggage to the exit gate a soft and sweet baby voice spoke from her side. “Mommy I am happy to be home” A little girl of around 5 years was holding her hands tightly. She was a piercing image of her and Camila looked at her daughter with a smile on her face. “Lucky, I am glad that you like this place. I am sure that we will both be very happy here, okay. I will find you a good school. You will see that you will make a lot of new friends” the girl smiled sweetly at her. Camila then pinched her delicate cheeks softly, she usually liked to watch the beautiful dimples on her cheeks. If one thing she was sure of was that the sweet little girl took almost all of her features.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

All of a sudden Lucky held her stomach and said” I am sorry mommy but I am hungry, can we find somewhere that we can eat?” Camila heard the loud rumbling that came from her girl’s stomach. This was so typical of kids, she knew that’s Lucky won’t let her finish the journey in peace. Even though she could afford the foods in the restaurant now, she still felt that they should go home first so that she can prepare for her a good home made food. “Honey…. can’t it wait until we reach our new house? I promise that I will cook for you the noodles that you like so much then I will add a chocolate cake for you” she tried to convince the girl but she wasn’t listening to her at all. Any way they had arrived early so it would not hurt to go and buy her something light at the restaurant while they wait for her friend to come and pick them. The two soon settled on the restaurant and Lucky quickly gave her order. She was waiting patiently when she spotted another boy eating with his father on the other corner of the restaurant. He seemed to be bored and quiet as his father read a newspaper. Strong men wearing black suits were standing on their side. “Leo, please hurry up and finish your food. We should be headed to the mansion now. “Samuel told his son without leaving the page he was reading. They were just coming from Mombasa where they had gone to relax for the weekend. As much as Samuel was busy, he liked to spare some time for his kid. He wanted him to like him except that it was proving to be difficult because the kid was a little complicated. “I want to go and visit my grand pa” Leo insisted. “You just came from over there last weekend, Leo. Do you need to go so soon? “He asked surprised at the way Leo doted on his grandfather. The man spoils him so much and that was to be expected as his grandfather spent so much time waiting for his arrival. The boy pouted his mouth in annoyance and Samuel gave up. He was a tough man but when it came to him, he had no choice but to soften. “Alright I will take you to go and see him for just a few hours. Is that a deal? “ “Thank you daddy” After uttering those words, Leo looked at his side and his eyes caught the sight of a pretty girl. She was also looking at him and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. She was smiling at him as if they had known each other all their lives. “Leo, why are you looking at that girl like that?” Samuel asked his son. His son never mingled with other kids so he was definitely surprised. He took him to good schools where the children of the wealthiest were. But he always felt that the boy missed something which he couldn’t put his hands on. “I don’t know, Daddy” he said subconsciously.” Can I go and say hello to her? “Leo asked while on his feet already and even before his father gave him permission he was standing beside Lucky. “Hello, my name is Leo” he introduced himself once in front of the girl. “Hello I am Lucky. Pleasure to meet you and this is my beautiful mommy” Lucky said and looked towards Camila who was really impressed by the young boy who just showed out from nowhere. “Leo you are welcomed, are you here alone?” Camila couldn’t help but to ask. The airport was a crowded area and in case the child was lost she could get in to trouble for kidnapping. So she had to be sure about how she dealt with the boy. “No I am with my dad, he is over there” Leo pointed to the spot where his father was sitting and when Camila looked at him their eyes met. She had never seen him in her life but he seems like a wealthy person. He was very attractive and even before she had thought about it twice she noticed how powerful he looked. “That is nice” she swiftly replied then went back to drink her cup of tea as he watched the two children interaction. They just clicked together so fast and Camila wondered what was the deal between the two. Her sweet little girl was so choosy, she didn’t make friends that easily, but the boy just swept her off her feet. “Do you mind sharing my food with me?” Lucky invited Leo. “Of course why not, we are friends now and friends share things. I was just eating alone over there and it was kind of boring and I do feel that it will be fun eating with you” Leo said with happiness written on his little face. Lucky giggled cutely and settled on her chair well and they both started to eat the plate of food. Tears of sadness started rolling Camilla’s face. Her very own son would have been just the same age and Lucky would have a companion to play with but destiny had to play a bad jock on her life. Soon Samuel thought that his son had gone for a long time and so he decided to go and get him. He walked hurriedly and stood beside the table while looking at the two kids. “Leo your time is up, please say good bye to your friend” he was kind of envious at the attention that Leo gave the girl, he was never that free with him however how much he tried to. “Alright Daddy, Have you met my new friends?  Let me introduce them to you…….” But Lucky cut him short” I am Lucky and this is my mother…..pleasure to meet you” without expecting her to embrace him, she was already at his side and Samuel had no choice but to crouch down to give her a hug. “Pleasure to meet you too.” He said and then released her. He turned to her mother and nodded towards her as he took his son away.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Upon seeing their retrieving body, Camila was filled with sadness. She had seen the boy only ones and he had such a huge effect on her. She still couldn’t get her hands on exactly what was going on. Camila just felt moody when he left. “Mommy, why are you sad? I don’t like that ugly frown on your face?” Lucky rushed to her side and gave her a warm embrace. She just knew what to do to calm her down. “I wasn’t sad, honey. I was just reflecting on things that concerns adults.” She hugged her tight and then kissed her cheeks. Lucky giggled at the warm sensation on her cheeks. “Don’t you think that Leo’s father looked handsome? Do you like him? Can he be my daddy one day?” Lucky said innocently, she wasn’t even aware that people just don’t become married like that. They had to be in some relationship. Camila looked at her suddenly, she didn’t expect to hear this from Lucky so it caught her by surprise. Tears rolled on her face, she denied her only child the right to have a father. Since that day the mysterious man took her innocence and left her depressed, she vowed never to be touched by any other men. Camila could see clearly that her baby girl needed a father but she was in no condition to provide her with one. “Oh……honey, we have talked about this before. When the right time comes, we will find your daddy, okay” she consoled and caressed her soft cheeks with affection. Camila didn’t like her being sad. Somehow she thought that by giving Lucky all her love, she will be paying for the wrong she did to her brother. For abandoning him with the man and for selling him just like a property. “Do you promise me that I will get to see my daddy and hug him like I did to Leo’s daddy?”“Yes I do” She then heard a familiar voice call her” Camila”. She was still the same, with a beautiful smile and body. Camila turned her attention to the sound of the voice and couldn’t believe it. She pulled Lucky up and both of them rushed to the woman and gave her a tight hug. “Nova, you are here my friend. You look so lovely, you haven’t aged much” she complemented her looks with a delighted face. She was honestly happy. She had been in a foreign country with strangers, it was a relief to come home to her loved ones. “Thanks for the compliment Camila, but you look absolutely gorgeous yourself. Tell me your secret? “She finished saying and turned her attention to the little girl. “I did pretty much nothing. All I had was this little bundle of joy beside me” Camila said while Lucky giggled beside her. It was an adorable scene. “Aunty Nova, I am glad you came to pick us up. That boy left with her dad and we were the only ones left. I feel so bad that my mommy is sad. Do you know why?” the girl pouted her mouth mischievously and Nova pinched her cheeks playfully. Lucky had recognized Nova immediately. Camila had been talking to her lately on Skype and she just fell in love with her. “Come here, honey.” she pulled her in to a tight hug and whispered” Mommy is not sad. She just came back home and she remembered the memories she left behind, both good and bad. “Is that true Aunty Nova?  I only wish for the good memories.” Lucky said innocently. “I promise you that she is fine. Now that the matter is settled, give aunty Nova a huge smile that will lighten the whole world.” The girl complied and Nova could see how Camila was relieved. She was right to introduce Lucky to her and she was sure that she would be a good mother figure to her. Camila sent them both a kiss. “Come on both of you. Let’s us go to the car, I want to show you the new house. Camila, I did as you asked and I found you a small apartment. You are going to like it, I promise. It happened that I knew a friend who was vacating her house and I booked it for you.”“Thank you, bestie, what would I have done without you. I imagined coming back to this city to start hustling around the streets to look for a house. It wasn’t going to be easy on me.”“It’s nothing. It was my pleasure. I missed you so much and I couldn’t wait to see you and hug you. I wanted to meet this sweet little girl that you have and maybe someday you will tell me what happened 5 years ago “ Camila just kept quiet and didn’t comment and so Nova knew that she wasn’t ready. “It’s okay I will be patient “she offered and led the group to the car right away. After entering the car, they were driving along the highway towards the new apartment. Camilla’s heart was beating so hard as she saw the familiar roads and places she used to visit. She looked outside in a daze wondering if she could catch a glimpse of her father or any member of her family. She wondered if they had missed her the way she had. She had wired half the money she was given to her father’s account and so she wondered whether he figured it out that she was the one who helped him to pay his debts. All this thoughts were going through her head and she became overwhelmed. Camila knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but she thought that she could handle everything. Camila didn’t manage to talk to her father all this year’s because she feared that he wouldn’t be happy to find out that she sold herself to another man. A man that she didn’t know about and to add salt to the injury she was still lying to him. She was a mother and she didn’t tell him before she traveled away.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Nova looked at her side and was immediately stunned. Camila was lost in her own thoughts. “Camila, why are you so quiet like that, is there something on your mind disturbing you?”“Nothing Nova, I just missed home” she replied and gave her a faint smile. Lucky was curled in her arms sleeping soundly. She must have been really tired to fall asleep. She didn’t even have the energy to look around. Soon they reached the apartment and Nova assisted them to carry their bags in to the house. It wasn’t that big. It was only a two bedroomed house, a small kitchen and a living room. It was just enough for the two of them for the time being and when she earns good money she would buy them a good house. She smiled and said” it looks perfect Nova. I appreciate you for taking your time and getting me this house. All this while she was carrying Lucky in her arms, the child was a bit heavy but she didn’t mind. Instead Camila held her so tight on her chest as if her life depended on the little girl. She placed Lucky down on the couch as she went to prepare her bedroom. After Camila finished putting Lucky for a nap, Nova touched her hands lightly and said “what are friends for? Anyway just continue decorating this house, I wish I could help but I have a very urgent meeting. I will call you later so that we can catch up. If you need anything just call me, I will be available anytime.”“It’s okay, I understand my friend. You have already done enough for us today. Thank you” Camila said and hugged her goodbye. The following day she woke up early in the morning, she was a bit nervous because it was going to be her first time working in one of the biggest players in the fashion field. Due to her exemplary work she had been sent back to the country to work in the headquarter. A slight knock on the door brought her back to reality and she quickly went to open it. The nanny she had hired stood there looking at her with respect and she felt she could be comfortable leaving her with Lucky. Lucky was still asleep so she explained everything to the nanny as she went about preparing herself for work. Yesterday in the evening she had made sure to tell Lucky about her new nanny and she hoped to God that she will be okay. If anything happens to her baby, she will not be able to bear it this time round, it wasn’t enough that she had given up her son. Meanwhile back at the Hudson offices, Samuel looked at nowhere in particular. He thought that the new designer would have arrived early and as it seemed she was late. His handsome face was devoid of any emotion. He sat on his leather chair while looking at his personal assistant. “Caleb, “Samuel called his assistant. “Yes boss” he replied “Has she arrived? I thought that she would be here at exactly 8.00 AM. Look it’s already a quarter past the reporting time.” Samuel looked at his wrist watch impatiently. This new designer has started on a bad note. He needed to deal with the designer quickly so that he would move on to the next agenda of the day. Now he will be forced to go on the next meeting late. A man cleared his voice. “If I may suggest, give her some time. Since she is new, she might have lost her way to the office or something else” Caleb said and Samuel gave him a dark stare. Caleb was not serious at all, how can he defend her when he knew that she has so many ways of contacting the company. He clenched his fists and became enraged. “For God’s sake, don’t give me that bullshit. What do we have our phone for? Find me that woman immediately or she can forget about the job. I don’t like unreliable people” he almost shouted and Caleb knew his place better, he didn’t want to get on his boss’s bad side. “Alright” The moment he turned to leave the office, the secretary called him “Hello” he answered under the watchful eyes of Samuel. “ Caleb, there is a woman here. She says that her name is Camila Carson and she is supposed to report to work here .Should I send her up to the boss’s office?” So the woman was already in the company premises? How come I missed her? Caleb was shocked. He had to do things as fast as possible to bring her to his boss. “Tell her to wait for me “Caleb instructed. The moment he finished speaking on the phone he turned toward Samuel. He saw that he was patiently waiting for him to talk. “She is already here, I will go get her” Caleb said to his boss but he didn’t say anything. All the same he went ahead opened the door and went to fetch the woman. He didn’t want his boss to have more reason to hate her because she wouldn’t want to be on his bad side. After a short while Caleb came back with Camila following from behind. He didn’t get to ask her the reason why she was late since he needed to get her to Samuel as soon as he could to avoid unnecessary situation. Camila was stunned, the office screamed of elegance. Surely the man behind the desk must be very wealthy. There was a dark walnut book case lining the entire back of the office. On the right side there was a black leather sofa shinning pleasantly to the eyes with a fur rug over the back. In the middle there was a lovely mahogany table and a green carpet on the floor. It was just serene. Camila obviously looked out of place as she was trying to take in everything in front of her. She was thinking about her very own office

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

With uninterested face, Samuel looked up the moment the door was opened and the first person he saw was the woman. He remembered her from yesterday and he became stern as he asked” You, what are you doing here?” Camila came out of her stance and her eyes widened in shock. Isn’t this the father of the boy we met yesterday with Lucky? She brushed the thought aside and decided that as the time progresses she will get to find out. “I am the person sent by the branch oversea to come help in the design department” Camila simply replied as calmly as she could, but she didn’t like the look he was giving her. It gave her Goosebumps. As he talked his Adams apple moved up and down in a seductive way and for a moment Camila couldn’t help staring at him. It didn’t last long before she heard his angry voice. “Why are you late? I am sure that you know that here at Hudson we don’t Condon such kind of behavior” he said with hate. His eyes were cold and dark at the same time. At least he was soft toward the boy. That was the only thing that Camila could think about. It would be a shame if he was to treat the child the way he was already making her feel, weak and unsure of herself. Camila became nervous immediately. She was told that the boss was a tough one and she prayed to God that she gets to sit on his good side. But as it seems now, he already hates her.  However, she needed the job for her baby girl and even if the man was the devil himself she will take him head on. Samuel didn’t miss the confidence she was trying to put in front of him. “I have to say that I was never late, Boss. I was outside waiting for your secretary to come and show me your office but it seemed that she was still busy with you. I had to wait for around 30 minutes.” He shot her a sudden stare and in those unreadable eyes Camila saw how irritated he was for her talking back at her. She waited for him to say something. To tell her that he was sorry for making her wait outside and then accusing her of lateness. Nothing came forth, he remained as defiant as when the door to the office was opened. At the end he didn’t even apologize and Camila swore that she will make him regret his cruelty. “I see” he muttered and went back to his seat completely ignoring Camila and the man that came to collect her. At the back of his mind Samuel did remember that she had a very important matter he had to discuss with his secretary. It took a while before she went back to her desk. With great disappointment he did realize that after all the woman was telling the truth and he was just attacking an innocent person Well Camila happened to come at the wrong time and since he was never a person to apologize, she won’t get it from him. “Pleasure to meet you , my name is Caleb and I am the assistant of Samuel Hudson, the owner of the company. Please if you don’t mind, have a seat” Caleb offered. “Thank you” Camila said and sat on the chair with her head held up. “Camila, tell me about yourself. I like to know people who I am going to work with. Tell me everything about your life. I want to know your personal and career life” A deep voice vibrated in to her ears. The question was sudden and she didn’t expect him to ask her about her personal life. Anyway she didn’t have much information to say so it wouldn’t be a problem. What Camila knew was that she won’t tell him everything about her life because it wasn’t that appealing. And she didn’t want him to use it against her in the future. With piercing blue eyes, he waited patiently. “Well I have won a number of awards to my name during the course of my work and I have been fortunate enough to work with big clients and celebrities even here in the country. They know me and have sought me out several times.” Samuel looked bored, he already read about that in her resume. Did the woman think that she could avoid the question? Last time he allowed someone to work at his company blindly, it didn’t go well. It turned out that he was a criminal who later stole from him. So he decided that contrary to the labour rules of not asking about personal life of an employee, he will make his exceptional. Each one of them will have to divulge every single thing about their lives. It helped him a lot of times and Camila will have to do the same. Camila hesitated and he looked up from his desk” what about your personal life, are you married? I already know you have a child. What else do I need to I know?” “Umm…..I wonder why this man is insisting on my life. Camila thought. “Nothing, I am just a single mother” she said not wanting to go in to details. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him that she gave up her child long time ago. Samuel sensed that she was lying. She wasn’t looking at him directly in the eye. He should have fired her immediately but something kept on telling him that the woman was harmless and he should give her a chance. After along uncomfortable silence, he finally talked. “Alright, I have a couple of assignments for you and I do wish that you will do well because I don’t like failures. Our department head left us for unavoidable circumstances and we didn’t have enough time to recruit for a new designer.” The man hesitated and then looked at her again. “We have an upcoming run way and that is why I requested for you because I needed someone competent who knew what she is supposed to do. Can you handle the work?”“You can be sure that I will do my job well” Camila answered.

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

Samuel then turned to Caleb and instructed” please take her through proper orientation and show her the office. I want her to start immediately.” “Thank You” Camila said as she stood up to exit the office. The temperature was too much, she was beginning to sweat. She can only hope that the man won’t be hard on her when she see her work. Immediately she turned to go outside she had the same deep voice calling her back. “Wait” he called, before you go I want you to report everything to me. At the end of the day I want you to be here in my office with summarized reports. Do I make myself clear?” “Okay” Camila replied. “Take this “he handed her a file with special specifications. “This will be your first assignment, read through the details and bring back the results in 2 hours” Her mouth opened in surprise, a quick scan through the document told her that she will need at least 2 days to come up with something acceptable. But she will have to do it and she will have to do a good job in order to show the man that she wasn’t intimidated by him. “Get out” he shouted amidst Camilla’s confusion. She started to walk out quietly and followed Caleb out of the room. She was introduced to the department and every one was surprised at how young she was to become the head of department. Everyone just didn’t believe that she could make it. She was too young to do the job as there were some older designers who were more experienced. Then from the corner of her eyes she saw a woman looking at her strangely and smiling at her. Although she seemed friendly, Camila was still new and she never trusted people easily. Before she could dwell on the thoughts further Caleb was on her side and pointing at that woman. And Finally Camila, she will be your assistant. Her name is Mercy. She used to work alongside our head designer who left and I am sure that she will show you everything that you will need to know about the company. “Hello Camila, pleasure to meet you”“Hello Mercy, the same applies to me.” She said and gave her a smile. After exchanging pleasantries with her new colleagues, she sat down and started reading the specification given to her by Samuel. It seemed that the person concerned was aged around 50 to 55 years old. He wanted a custom made suit with special instructions, he wanted it to be exclusively unique, he wanted the designer to match the fabric with gold embroidery on the hands. The material was not supposed to be of cotton but something in between. It took Camila several readings to get what the person wanted and then she began to work on it. She just wanted it to be perfect. She didn’t want any more reason for the president to mistreat her. In her life she had been mistreated and it wasn’t fair that he was also going to be on that list. She didn’t want to be late again. Camila got a clear message in the morning that his boss liked to keep tight deadlines and so she was going to make sure to keep time. But the thing is that she hadn’t completed the assignment the way she wanted. At exactly 2 hours since she left his office, Camila knocked on his door. She didn’t know what to expect from him and after hearing a come in from the inside, she opened the door and let herself in. “Have you finished?” he asked and she brought the file down on his desks. Her hands were trembling. Camila had never been this terrified in her life. She didn’t know why the man’s aura reminded him of someone but she pushed the thought at the back of her mind. This time round he didn’t shout but he spoke more calmly that it tore through her flesh. “I am sorry but I don’t like it” he said and pushed the file back to her. Tears of frustration welled on Camilla’s eyes, but she wiped them before he could see them. All she had to do is sugar coat it just a little and everything will be okay. Did he even realize how hard it was to come up with the idea in just 2 hours? “I tried my best, Mr President. I needed more time to make it look better as you can see the client needed something unique” she said and Samuel shot him a dark stare. “Okay another 2 hours” he said and she took the file and rushed out of the office. Samuel gave a mischievous grin. He always liked it when people are fearful of him. His life was so boring and he held high hopes that the woman would make it enjoyable. After 2 hours of working nonstop, the man wasn’t satisfied. He returned the file back to her and she was now tired. She hadn’t eaten from morning and she was starting to feel a migraine develop on her head. Since she didn’t want to get humiliated again she worked on the project until 5 pm in the evening. Every one left and she was still busy fine tuning her work. He had to be okay with it because she wanted to go back home and release the nanny. To be honest, Samuel wanted to prepare something nice for his grandfather’s upcoming birth day. He knew that he wanted to surprise him and so he came up with the idea of the suit. In a way he wanted to test the new designer. He wanted to see if she had the will and zeal to work under intense pressure. To his dismay she passed very well and the design she came up with was absolutely fabulous. Samuel just liked to see the disappointment in her eyes every time he sent her back to re do the design. 2 hours ago she brought him the best design none of his employee has ever made. He was impressed but he just had to push her more.

Chapter 9 Chapter 9

“This is the last draft I am making and I am going home, my baby needs me” she whispered to herself and walked up to his office. Camila stood in front of him with the file in her hands. She dared him to try to reject it. She was going to walk out on him and there was nothing he was going to do. She was exhausted. “Are you done” he asked. “Yes” Camila replied. “Put it down on the table I will look at it tomorrow” he said sluggishly. Camila couldn’t handle the man anymore. Did he mean that she spent all her energy to work on the same thing and then all he could say was that he was going to look at it tomorrow? “I am sorry but you looked as if you wanted it so urgently. Why are you adamant now to check it out, could it be that you did this on purpose” she asked. “Know your place Camila,” he sounded honestly annoyed” I am the president of this company and my word is final. If I said I didn’t like it, it is simple it was bad and pathetic. So don’t come here to complain when you knew you didn’t impress me.” But Camila wasn’t intimidated by his arrogant words, instead she held her head high and stared at him directly. “I am very confident with my work, President Hudson and so for you to tell me that my work is pathetic is not fair” Camila retorted immediately. She felt tears stung her eyes but she wasn’t going to let him see her defeated. She had been through enough in her life and this was just like the rest of the humiliation she had to go through. “You are a sadistic jerk who does not see the value of others” Camila said in a fit of rage. She couldn’t care less of what he thought. “What? I dare you to repeat that statement. Apart from coming late to work and doing a bad job, you also have a loose tongue. I am only going to forgive you this once because you are new here, but don’t you dare talk to me like that ever again in your life.” He said advancing on her until he cornered her in to a wall. Camilla’s legs became weak like a jelly. She should have never talked to him in that manner, but he was getting on her nerve and she felt her filters lifted. “Please…..leave me alone” Camila tried to defend herself. Who did the man think he was? “Oh….I know. Women like you are sluts and I think you dared to talk to me like that to have my attention and now you have it.” He said while caressing her neck bringing little shivers on her skin. His touch was like a spark of fire traveling through her body, Camila trembled and he produced a sarcastic laugh. “If this is what you wanted then you can have it “Samuel said as he brought his lips on to hers. He didn’t wait for her permission but the next thing Camila knew was that he was kissing her senselessly. His hands were all over her body, caressing her everywhere. “No….No …please let me go”  she said with a weak shaky voice while her head kept on asking” when did I become so lose to lay my hands on the boss, No …No it can’t be, I am doomed , How would I face him tomorrow when I allowed him to kiss me like this? “You wanted this, right? That is why you started behaving like that, right? “He kept on asking while ravishing her lips. Camila didn’t have the energy to resist or stop him. For one, his body was strong and masculine and her head failed to focus. He was also holding her tight on the wall that she felt trapped. “You are my boss… please let me go” Camila pleaded but he assumed and continued kissing her. It was a hungry kiss that told her that he hadn’t slept with any one for quite some time. He was really hot and she didn’t know how to stop him. She could feel him hard on her abdomen and she didn’t want to think about what might happen between them. With one final push she managed to get out of his grip and she rushed straight to the door without looking back. Her chest was heaving heavily, it has been long since she felt that kind of sensation. But why did it have to be with her new boss? She wiped off the sweat on her forehead and proceeded to climb in to the elevator hoping that she wouldn’t find someone who could see how flushed she was. For God’s sake it was her first day at work and she was already making bad moves. She didn’t fail to hear the comments coming from other employees. They were jealous that she got the position of head designer and will be closer to the president. While on the outside, she didn’t look back. All was on her mind was to run as fast as she could to get to her baby. She was the most important thing to her and as it seemed now she was already late. When she reached the house, Lucky was impatiently waiting for her. So when she heard Camilla’s footstep she ran towards the door and jumped in to her warm embrace. “You are so late mommy, I missed you” the girl said and Camila felt guilty. While her baby had been alone she was busy kissing someone who didn’t even care about her. President Hudson was someone who would never even look at her a second time. “I am sorry honey, but it took me long to finish my work. You know my boss doesn’t like it when I leave my work unfinished. I hope you do understand that” she said while caressing her little cheeks. The girl leaned her head on her chest and felt comforted. “Mommy I do understand that your boss is strict but does he know that you have me? I also need you and I don’t want you to ever leave me alone for long.”