Cross POV

Yesterday was my dad's birthday and I attended the ceremony. I'm regretting that now.

Why?

It ended up in a fucking disaster. It always ends in a disaster.

A normal person would be happy his busy child honoured him by attending his birthday party but my dad?

Nah.

My dad's case is different. He knows how to make one annoyed. Instead of him asking about how the company is performing and other things we are yet to accomplish or other reasonable things, he would ask of the same old topic, 'wife'. I've always tried to explain in the best possible way I can uncountable times that I'm not ready for that at all, but you know how typical dad is, he won't stop yelling, cursing and gathering all the family every Friday for a meeting, reminding them of how un serious the heir to the throne is. He won't stop all of this until the day I bring someone, and not just someone, someone I'll marry. I don't really blame him though, I'm his only surviving son and he's old already, so I don't have a choice but to search for someone to sign a contract with to be my wife.

Right now I'm in the car with my P.A who is also my best friend, David. David is the only one that gets me and I don't know how he does it, he knows what's on my mind even though I'm very good at hiding my emotions, 'I read you in all capital letters' He will always say. His eyes were focused on the tab and his finger was scrolling on it, he turned his head to me and his usual naughty smile appeard on his face.

He's going to say something stupid.

"We're just coming back from your dad's birthday, not his funeral" He broke the peaceful silence I was using to calculate the whole contract marriage stuff for the past thirty five minutes.

"I'm trying to think, David" I told him sternly, not bothering to look at his playful face.

"Just at least try to look like a normal person.....not a kid that misplaced his candy" His voice was full of joke, I rested my elbow at the side of the car, placing my fist on my forehead and kept mute. I'm not really in an energetic mood.

"It's okay, challenging period visit sometimes" He said in a fake concerned tone "But you have to challenge and win it no matter what happens" I pressed my lips together. I'm gonna punch the adviser beside me, just give me a little more time.

"That's fact about life man" He said, tapping me on my shoulders "Right, sir?" He rotated his head to the direction of the driver who didn't dare utter a word.

"There are different seasons, number on..." I didn't let him spit out the remaining of his nonsense before swiftly turning to him and slashed him a glare.

"Okayyy" He smacked his lips together immediately I shut him up and glanced at the tab on his laps then back at me.

"I was just acting like the good friend God wants me to be" He preached, giving me this...good boy look. I increased the volume of my hard look on him, he tightened his head back and paused for a sec.

"Skipping ahead" He said looking straight, I averted my stare to the car window with satisfaction, he finally zipped up, temporarily. David never zips up permanently in his entire life.

"You've improved a lot in that glare of yours" He said after facing me again. I clenched my jaw and snapped.

"Do you ever shut up?!" I furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes at him.

"In my perspective, no" He replied truthfully. I rubbed my hand on my forehead and sighed in frustration. He knows what's going on in my head all this while and he's making some unnecessary jokes.

"I'm here doing a mind research on the marriage contract, you're there spilling out...."

He interrupted me, clicking his tongue and snapping his finger "That's it!" He said, "You're overthinking and I had to take your mind off it for now"

"I'm not overthinking" I said in a low, blank unconcerned tone, looking away from him to the driver's seat.

"Says the guy who's been fussing after he made up his mind about the contract. I read you in all capital letters, Cross" He said and he's right.

"I've never dreamt of doing this stuff before....like.....never" I said and he nodded, "Where do I start? Who is the suitable person for this job? How do I keep the terms?" I paused. "This is not that easy as it looks"

"Nervous huh?" He asked with a light smile.

"Curious" I said curtly and moved my hair backwards.

"I have an idea who would be suitable for the job, I mean really really suitable " His face and voice was so serious, I sat up and licked my lips eager to know who this person is.

"Who?" I asked rubbing my chin.

"A stripper" He blurted out spreading his arms. My shoulders dropped down, I rose a questioning brow. This guy is so fucked up.

"What?" I asked him. He shrugged still spreading his arms.

"You've got any other better idea?" He said, I scoffed and shook my head, I don't know why I believed him in the first place.

"Kindly keep that idea to yourself" I said and flinched a little as the car suddenly started moving fast.

"Do you think you're in a car race competition?" I asked the driver who ignored me and drove more faster. I wrinkled my brows and squinted my eyes. What's wrong with this guy?

"Umm.... Did you sleep well sir?" David asked in a shaky voice, he kept mute and continued racing. racing too fast now, this guy is gonna kill us.

"Hey, slow down!!" I shouted at him in anger and fear.

"I'm trying!!" The driver shouted back at me. I gasped and grabbed the sit belt, the car was hitting anything beside it now. That's it!. We are going to die!

"I don't wanna die!" David cried out, hugging me, almost squeezing me.

"Use the brake you dick!" I shouted.

"I'm trying, it's not working!" He said marching the break continuously.

"Perhaps a ghost is controlling the wheel!" David screamed on top of his lung. I turned my face to the side and shut my eyes so as not to see the lady who was about to cross the road get crushed. We're gonna kill her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa" David said still hugging me tight and then car stopped which made us jerk and hit our head backwards, my eyes were still shut so tightly

"Jesus Christ!" David whispered releasing me from the hug. My heartbeat was banging like crazy. We've killed her. We've killed the lady.

"Cross, look" David said softly and tapped me on my shoulder, but I was not willing to open my eyes, I didn't even have the courage to do that.

"No, no, no, no" He said still tapping me "I mean look, she's not dead"

"Huh?" I said moving my face and opened my eyes slowly, she was sitting on the floor holding her stomach in pain. I sighed heavily in relief and swallowed down.

"Thank God" I whispered and rubbed my face with my palm, watching the poor girl wince in pain. David quickly opened the car door and rushed to attend to her. I really hope she'll be fine.

"Oh!" My skillful driver said dropping his hands down and shook his head. I glared at his back, he's gonna be sorry for playing with me.

Alicia's POV

I paid the taxi driver and he drove off. The whole scene flashed on my head as I stepped up the stairs one after the other. If someone had told me that I'll see him, as in Cross Jackson, face to face today, I'll say It's another big joke. But where was he going to or coming from? He's a well known business man and it's rare for business men like him to be seen on the street right? But I saw him and he talked to me.... just like that, I mean what was that? A coincidence?.

"Whooo" I stretched up my hand to press the door bell and smiled widely at the thought of Heather almost passing out if I tell her I saw her one and only 'Man' today.

"It's opeeneedd" She drew out loudly with her tiny cracky voice and I turned down the door's handle to get in.

"Hey youuuuu" She sang with her natural high pitch tone as I got inside, her eyes and hands flipping on the books and textbooks scattered allover the sofa she was sitted.

Heather. Bookholic.

"Heyyyyy" I said, and winced a little as I dropped myself on the chair, Heather looked up at me fastly and shook her head negatively.

"Period cramps?" She dropped the pen in the middle of the book in front of her "I hate it. Sometimes I wonder if it's even painful than child birth" Her pouty mouth pouted, blinking at me through her glasses with pity.

"Sorry" She whispered, slightly using her index finger to push in her glasses. I sighed softly, getting prepared for the reaction I'll get if I tell her it wasn't period cramps but an accident. And I am also getting prepared for the other reaction I'll get if I tell her I saw 'HIM'.

"Okay, first, don't scream, and secondly, don't tell Granny. It was a road accident" I said. When I heard the expected scream from her, I jumped a little.

"Blood of God!" She shone her eyes in horror and ran towards me.

Blood of God? seriously?

She knelt in front of me and I shook my head "No, no, I'm okay. I am okay" I quickly assured her.

"Accident!" She exclaimed in a sharp inhale, her small hand on my stomach. "Oh my God, are you okay?" She asked worriedly, covering her mouth with the other hand.

"Yup. And I told you not scream Heath, the neighbors might get mad again." I said almost in a whisper.

"I have the right to scream, because you got hit for goodness sake!" She said loudly, but not as loud as before, throwing her hands in the air.

"You know I think the person is madly drunk" She sat on her kneels "Because if he's not, he would not hit you with his heavy truck" She said folding her arms and looking at me squarely.

"Heath, I'll be dead by now if it was a heavy truck" I said and smiled.

"What's the difference?" She replied almost immediately, popping her head and eyes forward at me with her arms still crossed at eachother.

"Lot of difference Heath" I said gently "And besides, I don't think Cross Jackson is the type that goes around with an old truck or something" I said casually.

Heather adjusted her glasses with her first finger and curved up her upper lip. I nodded and dipped my hand in my bag to show her the card.

"The only Cross Jackson I know is THE Cross Jackson" She said, dropping her hand on her lap as I handed over the card to her with a smile.

"The only Cross Jackson I know too is THE Cross Jackson" I said back and she scrunched up her face in confusion as she assesed the card. She raised her head up and shrugged questioningly. I nodded and smiled broadly.

"So you're saying you saw Cross Jackson? Like Cross Jackson? That Cross Jackson?"

I nodded.

She stared at me questioningly. "The CEO of JS Company?"

I gave another nod.

"And he gave you this card" She said slowly with an unsure look, lifting up the card.

"Mmmmm" I hummed with the smile still on my face.

"You're sure you didn't get hit there?" She said and pointed her finger to my head. I laughed and got up, grabbed my bag and walked to my room with Heather following at the back.

"He gave me the card himself." I said as I pulled off my shirt. Heather looked at the card and then up at me, she pulled away her glasses, placing it on the bed.

"Okay...." She made a calm down gesture blowing air from her mouth and rolled up her tied hair. "Please tell me you're not kidding, or joking, or playing or anything?" She said and I grinned at her while unfastening my black bra.

She blinked when she saw I wasn't lying about the whole Cross Jackson situation. She stretched her mouth widely to bring out a fake cry and put the card in her mouth, screaming and throwing the things in the room uncontrollably.

"Yaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh" She jumped on the floor, like someone poured hot oil on her body but I knew she was only excited.

"Lunatic" I laughed in between my words and wrapped a towel around my body.

"No way!!" She almost whistled. " You know what? Give me your phone" She demanded, stretching her hand forward. I stiffed my head to the side and narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion. I hope she's not thinking what I think she's thinking.

"No" I pointed at her and she twisted her body on the floor.

"I wanna call Lillllly" She whined and I knew she was lying.

I placed my hands on my waist. "No" I said sternly, opening the bathroom door. I looked back at Heather and caught her smirking. I don't trust Heath when she does that evil smirk thing.

"You better not try shit there, you hear me?" I snapped and went in the bathroom.

"Have a nice shower" She said in fake sweet voice as I shut the door.

I rolled my eyes and unwrapped the towel and hung it. I reached for my soap and turned on the shower. The water dropped on my hair down to my body and I softly breathe in and out. It's been a long day. My hand and soap froze at my back as I overheard Heather's statement from the bathroom.

"Yes we have a deal Mr Cross, just send the money"

What?!!

I dropped the soap on the floor and dashed out of the bathroom. Heather winked at me and I covered my parted lips with my hand.

"Okay, tomorrow morning right?" She said to the phone on her ear.

"What are you doing!!" I screamed and walk fastly to snatch my phone from her. She grinned and ran out of my room, I ran after her with soap literally all over my body and I was screaming like someone that got bitten by a dog.

"Give me my phone, Heath!!" I yelled.

"Okay, okay, no problem" She said still running around the living room and me running after her, I slipped and landed my butt on the floor, she looked back and laughed pointing her first finger at me.

"Agghh" I groaned, touching my hips and tears swelling up in my eyes

"Why did you call him!" I cried out.