Chapter 7

CRYSTAL

Sundays were my most favorite part of the week since I didn't have to wake extremely early in the morning and I didn't need to get up from my bed at all. I was content gazing up the ceiling—my mind was scattered everywhere while curled up under a blanket.

If only I had the power to slow down the time or stop it for a while, it would surely be on weekends. You couldn't blame me. Although I was getting paid for my work, it was consuming a lot of energy out of me. More work, less pay as they say. I had no choice, though. That's why most of the time, I wondered if I deserved a life like this. I was still young. Ladies at my age usually go to school, cries over their impossibly tough home works, stupid bully classmates, or cheater boyfriends. I, on the other hand, needed to give up my schooling in order to help my mother deal with our countless bills.

But, like what I said, I had no choice. But when I got enough funds, I'd definitely go back to my schooling. That wasn't impossible, right? I just needed to work bloody hard.

I only wore a strapless hanging top and very thin panties when I went to the kitchen a couple of minutes later. I didn't mind if my body could possibly be seen at my regular house attire since Mama was the only one with me in this apartment. Now she wasn't around though. But she left a note on the table top beside the plate of pancake, telling me she went to work. Even on Sundays, she would rather go to her shop than to reward herself a little day off.

"Thanks for the food, Mama," I said under my breath as I got myself a slice of pancake. Her thoughtfulness was touching. She still prepared me breakfast even though I was no longer a child.

However, she was quite forgetful too.

"Oh, she left it…again," I chuckled when I noticed the black purse resting on the sofa. So I lifted my mug of hot chocolate and transferred to the living room. Our apartment might be a bit smaller compared to our neighbor's units. But our place had decent divisions. Who needed a huge unit when all the things I needed were already in this house?

Getting back to Mama, should I call her about the wallet since her cash and keys were all inside of it?

A series of knocks made me turned to the door. "It's her. Finally she figured what's missing in her items," I grinned, putting my steaming mug on the coffee table and getting up the couch.

Not even checking into the peephole, I grabbed the knob and pulled the door open and began my lecture to her. "I think you must discontinue using the pills prescribed to you. I'm starting to worry about the side effects it's causing to… You?!"

My eyes almost popped out of its sockets when I saw the person outside my apartment. What I noticed first was the dark suit and grey necktie. When I raised my face higher, my nerves froze upon gazing at those deep set of emerald green eyes.

"E-Erik Jimenez?" I managed to chant his name, although I was a bundle of nerves—there was a building ball of shiver in my voice.

"Oh, please. You can call me Erik for short," he said, smiling.

My grip on the cold doorknob tightened. I breathed as deep as possible to avoid myself from panicking. "The last time I check, when I refuse to go with you, our business that day have also ended."

"Oh, is that how you see our last conversation?" he asked, one brow arched up. "I'm afraid I have to oppose to your expectation. Because my business with you will continue until you fulfill your father's plan for you. So, whether you like it or not, you'll be seeing more of me than you ever wished."

I wanted to shut the door right at his gorgeous face. But before I could even tell him to get lost, he walked in. With his wide back on me, he surveyed the room and nodded in silent approval.

"W-wait, you can't just barge into someone's house!" My hands on my sides began to ball into fists when I stepped toward him. "How did you know I'm here, anyway?"

"It's nice to see you too, Crystal." He turned around to face me. "And to spare you to more confusion, it's your father who've told me your address. Remember the necklace I gave to you?" He suddenly frowned. "Where is it, by the way?"

"My mother doesn't even know about the necklace," I whispered, turning my sight away.

"It's your family's legacy that you should be proud of. You are a Wayne."

"There's no Wayne in this house, not even in this building or in this city!" I ranted. "Have I forgotten to mention that I live by the name Crystal Bretz?"

"No one forbids you to use your mother's last name. But your father's blood is flowing in your veins so the least you can do is accept it," he said, sighing and lounged on the couch without tearing his gaze at me. From there, a smile curved across his face when his sight shifted to my body. "Less clothes maybe, but you look cute over all."

"What are you talking about?"

My blood had turned to ice when I looked down at my body. Why on bloody earth didn't I realize I was still in my sleeping clothes? Since I had no bra, my nipples could be easily seen behind my thin top.

Oh, shit!

"You stay here. Don't move and don't touch anything while I change clothes!" That's what I told him as I raced to my room.

My cheeks heated when I heard him chuckle.