Ch. 6..10: Love Slave to the Mafia Boss's Passion Chapter 6-10

Chapter 6: Debt Contract

That’s impossible. My parents never mentioned taking out any debt from the mafia and definitely not five hundred million dollars. What would they even need that much money for anyways? We lived a normal life. We didn’t have any crazy money to spend like that.

I turned to look behind me at my sobbing grandmother who had a look of absolute shock on her face. I knew it, this is probably also my grandmother’s first-time hearing about all this. I was worried about my grandmother. She looked so pale like she could pass out at any moment and her silent sobbing cries had gotten louder as the situation worsened around us.

"It’s just as the contract states. Your parents borrowed five hundred million dollars from our boss and we’re here to get it back. Simple," the man continued in a passionless voice.

Simple. My foot.

I looked down at the contract that I clutched tightly in my trembling hand. Scanning it, I could see the words and figures of five hundred million dollars. The signature of both of my parents were on the document. Did they really take out this ridiculous loan? Why?

"But…my parents passed away many years ago…" I whispered, still unable to come to terms with this.

I was in no position to pay off any debt. We could barely afford to get by. We had no money to spare, let alone the five hundred million dollars that the man was talking about.

"Exactly. That’s why we’ve been looking high and low for you, their only daughter. Since your parents are dead, you’ll have to pay the boss back," the man said while nodding his head.

"But…I don’t have any money…" I said, completely at a loss.

"Well, that’s not exactly my problem. However, the boss wants his money back. So, you’re coming with us," the man said.

Before I could react, the man’s hand had reached forward in astonishing speed and was gripping my wrist tightly in his large hand. He didn’t hold me too tightly and it didn’t hurt but no matter how much I struggled against him, his grip wouldn’t loosen.

"Let go! What do you think you’re doing?" I cried out loudly as I continued to struggle vainly against his grip.

"Stop struggling. You’re making this unnecessarily hard for both of us. My boss has ordered me to bring you to him if you don’t have any money to pay him back with," the man said as he dealt with my struggling effortlessly.

"No! I refuse!" I shouted.

"Well, I’m just doing my job. Hurting women and old grannies isn’t my thing. I suggest you stop struggling now and come with me willingly," the man said sternly.

"Lisa!" I heard my grandmother call out my name repeated in a strained and broken voice when she witnessed the physical struggle between the man and I.

However, soon after my grandmother was silent. I turned around to see that she had fainted. Oh…what do I do now?

"Let go! Can’t you see my grandma has fainted! This is all because of you…" I shouted at the man, tears stinging my eyes. This is the worst; I can’t start crying now. I need to help grandma first…

"Yo…you stay behind. Call the ambulance and get dear granny there to the closest hospital. Girl, you’re coming with me," the man instructed one of his teammates while pointing a finger at my grandma.

The next thing I knew, my body was being lifted off the floor. The man carries me up and threw me across his shoulder effortlessly. I cried out in surprise at what was going on before I started beating my firsts on his shoulders and kicking my legs wildly.

"Grandma! Grandma!" I called out as loudly as I could as I continued to struggle.

I watched my grandmother’s unresponsive form as she laid on the floor and I felt tears running down my face. Is she going to be, ok? I don’t have anybody left…I can’t lose her too.

…

Everything that happened once I entered the black limousine was like a scene from the movies where the young woman was kidnaped by the mafia, stuffed into a car with her hands and feet bounded and a black bag placed over her head to stop her from struggling and to make sure that she didn’t know where she was being taken.

Just like in a movie, once I was inside the car I wouldn’t stop struggling and yelling at the top of my lungs. The men restrained me to the seat at first with their hands before they looked at each other and decided that more needed to be done to restrain me.

"Listen, Miss. I’ve been ordered to treat you kindly and with respect. I’m not allowed to use violence but if I deem that you will do less damage to yourself if you were restrained then I will restrain you. Do you get it?" the same man from before explained with a tired sigh.

"I don’t care!" I shouted in his face.

Seeing that I wouldn’t cease screaming and struggling, the man nodded to his men and one man started bounding my hands together while the other bounded my feet. I screamed at the top of my lungs and cursed at them all the way until they taped my mouth shut, literally.

"This is for your own good, miss. I can’t let you arrive in front of the boss in a damaged condition. Bear with us for a while…" the man said with a chuckle as he took out his mobile phone.

"Yes…you can tell the boss that we’re on the way. Yes, the girl is with us," the man reported to whoever was on the other end of the line.

The phone call was short and succinct unlike the journey that I was on. Since they didn’t blindfold me, probably because they thought that it was unnecessary, I was still able to see the scenery outside of the car’s windows. I couldn’t tell where they were taking me, but it was clear from the direction that we were going that we were headed to the capital city.

I haven’t been back to the buzzling and busy city since I moved to the countryside to live with my grandmother. I wondered if that place has changed at all?

"Wake up, little miss. We’ve arrived,"

 

Chapter 7: We Meet Again

I heard a low voice call out to me before a hand reached out and shook my right shoulder. I woke up with a small jump. When did I fall asleep? I must have dozed off during the multi-hour ride to the city. I guess I was tired, I didn’t realize when I had fallen asleep at all.

Where am I?

The car had come to a complete stop and looking out of the window I could see that we have arrived at a gigantic mansion decorated in the baroque European style. This building is massive! Are we at a luxury hotel?

I could see the beautifully decorated garden outside with its cupid water fountain and flowers of various types and colors. If the circumstances of my arrival here had been any different, then I’m sure that I would have enjoyed the view and would have felt super excited to be in such a nice place. However, the only thing I felt right now was anxiety, fear, and stress.

The men wordlessly unbounded my hands and feet before carefully peeling off the tape from my mouth. I cleared my throat nervously before trying to make a sound. I didn’t know how I would sound after being unable to speak for such a long time.

"Umm…where are we?" I asked the moment I got my voice to function.

"This is the boss’s mansion. I warn you; the boss is…a very serious man. Watch what you do and say if you want to live to see the light of dawn," the man said as he offered me a hand and pulled me out of the limousine.

The boss is a very serious man…

Suddenly, the reality that my life could be at risk was starting to sink in. I bet the man wasn’t joking. If I said or did the wrong thing, I could get myself killed. If this was a nightmare, now’s the time to wake up, Malissa!

I wondered for a brief moment what type of man the boss of a mafia gang was like. Then, I realized that it was better if I didn’t have to find out…

I was lost in thought and fear as the man dragged me by the arm after him. The other men flanked both my sides, preventing my escape. To be honest, the thought of escape never crossed my mind. There was no way I could outrun these men no matter how hard I tried. If I wanted to escape, I had to come up with a cleverer plan than just plain running away…

I was right, the mansion was huge. I’ve been walking through the mansion’s numerous hallways for a while now and the boss’s room, wherever that was, wasn’t in sight. I was shocked at how luxurious the mansion was. The decoration of rich velvety red color mixed with gold was everywhere.

Marble sculptures, large paintings that looked extremely expensive, baroque style furniture and finely patterned marble floor were sights that I was not used to seeing.

I knew from the movies that mafias were supposed to be filthy rich; however, I never thought I would get to see what filthy rich really meant. Despite the luxurious decoration, the mansion was freezing cold inside, and I shivered all the way during the long walk.

"Wait here," the man said as he came to an abrupt stop. I almost walked right into his broad back when he suddenly stopped walking. Have we finally arrived?

I nodded my head slowly in acknowledgement. The man disappeared behind a pair of very tall and large dark wooden door, leaving me behind along with the other two men who stood close by my side. I swallowed nervously as I waited for what was to come.

After a short while, the man reappeared from behind the wooden doors and beckoned me inside. Unlike the darker hallways, the golden light inside the room I had just entered was blinding. The crystal chandelier hanging from the room’s ceiling was too big to be real and blindingly bright. The room was large, so large that I couldn’t see that there was a person inside the room at first.

"The boss is this way," the man murmured under his breath at me. Was he nervous?

Following the man’s gaze, I could finally see a man standing at the end of the room behind a large wooden table. He wasn’t looking our way as he stared outside through the glass that spanned the entire height of the wall from floor to ceiling. His aura was intimidating, and he must be the mafia boss.

The man behind me nudged me forward towards his boss. I felt my body froze in panic, and I didn’t know what to do or how to react. He didn’t think I should just waltz in to see the boss now, right?

"Come in,"

A booming voice commanded from the other end of the room. The voice held so much authority that I found myself obeying without a second thought. I had no doubt in that moment that I would be killed if I didn’t do exactly as that voice commanded.

I walked forward on shaky legs until I reached a large set of burgundy sofas, organized around a marble coffee table.

"Have a seat, Malissa," the older man said as he turned towards me for the first time. His large hand gestured towards the sofa where he wanted me to sit.

I quickly approached that sofa and sat down without uttering a sound. I watched as the older man, dressed in a grey suit approach me, and sat down on the sofa opposite where I was seated.

"Well, it’s certainly nice to meet you again," the old man said smiling brightly at me.

I had a strange feeling like I had seen him before but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out where and when. I mean, you don’t just bump into the mafia boss randomly on the street, especially if you lived in a poor old town like I did…

Wait…a second…

"You are…" I gasped in shock as I realized that I have indeed met this man before.

It’s him. There’s no doubt about it now. He’s the uncle I met while I was running to the supermarket on my shopping errand. He told me that he was looking for his friend and…

He’s the mafia boss?!

 

Chapter 8: Marry My Heir

"So, you do remember me. Excellent!" the boss said with a warm smile that showed off the wrinkles around the corners of his eyes.

I have to say that I did not expect the kind-hearted uncle to be a mafia boss. In other words, I did not expect the mafia boss to be a smiley uncle figure.

"Yeah…umm…hello…once again, I guess," I stammered when I finally found my tongue.

"Have a drink, dear. You look a little tired from the trip. It must have been a long one…" the boss said as he gestured to a glass or water that was placed on the coffee table.

"Thank you…" I whispered as I reached for the glass.

"Did my men treat you roughly? I did order them to be gentle with you…as gentle as handling a feather," the boss asked, suddenly his gaze was serious.

For some reason, I figured that I shouldn’t tell him that they bounded my hands and feet and taped my mouth shut.

"I’m fine…thank you. More importantly, why…am I here?" I asked in confusion. I mean, there’s the matter of my parent’s debt but…

"Five hundred million dollars," The boss began speaking.

"If it’s the money. I don’t have it right now, but I swear, I’ll work or do whatever it takes, and I’ll pay you back. Please!" I cut in desperately.

"Oh…you’d do anything, huh?" the old man said, his eyes twinkling.

"Umm…anything…not illegal, I guess…" I said my voice trailing off.

"Hahaha! You’re such a good girl and I like that so much. I knew you were such a good girl the first time we ran into each other," the boss said after laughing out loud at my words.

"Umm…so about the debt…" I began saying hesitantly.

"About the money, I don’t want it back," the boss said bluntly as he waved his hand like it was nothing.

"Really?!" I asked in surprise, but I could feel the sense of relief flooding through my body. I mean, let’s be realistic, I probably won’t earn even close to that amount in my lifetime.

"Of course. Instead, I want you to marry my son," the boss stated, his tone suddenly very serious.

"WHAT?!" I shouted in shock before choking on the water that I had been drinking.

**cough cough cough**

"Are you…ok?" the boss said as he watched me cough and choke on the water.

"…yeah…" I whispered between ragged breath as my coughing started to subsize.

"So, I was saying…that I want you to marry my son," the boss said seriously as he smiled with satisfaction.

"Is this some sort of bad joke?!" I exclaimed in shock.

’…the boss is…a very serious man. Watch what you do and say if you want to live to see the light of dawn,’

I heard the stern voice of the man in black from before and I felt goosebumps on my whole body. Shit, did I just say the wrong thing just now?

"You did just say that you would do anything," the boss reminded me with a grin.

"But marrying your son is…" I began protesting.

"I can understand why you might think I’m joking; however, I am dead serious. I want you to marry my son," the boss repeated, his eyes never leaving my face as he continued to observe my every reaction.

I felt exposed. I felt like he could read me like an open book…

"But I…I’m very sorry but I can’t imagine marrying someone I don’t even know…I don’t even love…" I began explaining the best that I could. Not to mention, above all else, I could never marry a mafia.

"I totally understand. That won’t be a problem at all. You’ll definitely fall in love with my son," the boss said with confidence as he waved his hand as if brushing away from concern.

"No…I…I can’t marry your son, I’m sorry but…is there something else that I can do to repay the debt instead?" I said with a clear plead in my voice.

"Perhaps we could cut you apart and sell all of your organs in the black market. I don’t know, maybe even then you won’t amount to five hundred million dollars…" the boss said as he looked me up and down as if appraising my worth.

"Please let me go home. I have a very old grandmother and we don’t have anyone else apart from each other. I need to be there to take care of her…" I pleaded with him.

"If you marry into this family, you will have it all. Power, wealth, fame and whatever it is that you need. I only have one son and he will take over as my heir," the boss said passionately.

Marry his son?! That is crazy. I have only thought of marriage once before but…I guess, things just didn’t work out…

Anyways, if I ever get married, I don’t want to marry the heir of a mafia gang!

"What happens…if I refuse?" I asked in a small hesitant voice.

"Hahaha! Seriously, honey dear, what makes you think that you can refuse? I didn’t bring you all the way to my base just so you can turn down my offer and waltz right out. Only the mafia top members know where this place is, I can’t let you leave now that you’ve been here, you know…" the boss said sweetly as he continued to smile gently at me.

However, his actions couldn’t be more of a stark contrast to his words when he slowly placed a black object onto the coffee table. I realized to my utter shock that it was a gun.

"You’re going to marry my son just as the contract says," the old man said firmly.

"The contract?" I asked in confusion. There’s something about this ridiculous arrangement in the contract?

"Exactly. See the terms for yourself," the boss said as he gestured towards the papers of the contract.

"What the…" I muttered to myself as my eyes scanned the terms of the document.

On the very last page, the term states that ’in the event that the debt cannot be repaid, debtors agree to let their daughter, Miss Malissa Maxford, marry a member of the lender’s family based on the lender’s choice without exception.’

What kind of out-of-this-world term is that? How can my parents sign such a thing? Were they so sure that they would be able to pay back the debt no matter what?

 

Chapter 9: A Trade

"So, you see, that family member that I have chosen is my son. Trust me, it’s much better than marrying me, is it not?" the boss said, laughing at his own sick joke.

I stared at the document in shock as my hand shook. If I tear this paper apart, will that void the contract? I guess not…

As I was deep in thought as to what I should do next, the boss’s mobile phone started to ring loudly, disturbing the tense atmosphere in the room.

"What? I see…and? We’ll cover it…give her the best treatment," the boss spoke through the phone.

The conversation came to an end and the boss looked at me with a sad face and I wondered what that whole phone call was about.

"The man that took your grandmother to the hospital just called," the boss said solemnly.

"How is she?" I asked with worry.

"I think she already knew this but…I guess she never told you. Your grandmother has stage four lung cancer…" the boss said making a regrettable face.

"What…?" I whispered so softly that I bet he couldn’t hear me as my shock took over.

"The doctors are not sure how much longer she has left…" the boss continued.

"That can’t be…she…" I mumbled under my breath.

"I’ve told the hospital to give her the best treatment and of course, I’m willing to shoulder the expenses…" the boss suggested with a smile.

"If only I would marry your son?" I quickly completed his thought for him in anger. Was he seriously using my grandmother to negotiate with me right now?

"You’re smart. You’re catching on really fast. I could force you with the debt contract alone but…since I really like you, I’ll throw in a bonus and take care of your dear grandmother for you too. I mean, there’s no way you can afford her medical bills right now, right? She’s going to have to stay in the hospital for god knows how long…" the old man said with a sad face.

I wasn’t sure if he was genuinely sad or feeling completely lucky for having another thing to use against me.

The other thing that had been bugging me since the very beginning was…

"Why me? I’m sure there are plenty of other women for you to choose from. Why does it have to be me?" I asked with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"It has to be you," the boss said slowly as he stressed every word.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I’m sure that my son can fall in love…if it’s with you…" the boss replied with certainty.

That’s it. This man is completely out of his mind.

I was sure that his son wouldn’t fall in love with me and vice versa. The other thing I was also sure of was that I couldn’t afford my grandmother’s hospital bills. I also can’t seem to leave this place…alive. It didn’t seem like I had any other choice.

"What if…your son doesn’t want me as his wife? What will you do? Will you…put an end to all this?" I asked, daring to hope just a little.

"I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you…but how about a little trade?" the old man suggested with a grin.

"A trade?" I asked, curiously.

"I’ll forfeit your debt. I’ll pay for all your grandmother’s hospital bills and I’ll set you free. In exchange, all I want is for you to get my son to agree to take over the family’s business as my heir. Do we have a deal?" the boss said.

That sounded too good to be true. Getting his son to agree to take over the gang didn’t seem difficult at all. I mean, he was born the heir so it was obvious that he would take over one day, right?

At least, it was better than being married to him all my life.

"O…k…" I said in a whisper.

"Great! The wedding ceremony is tomorrow. I have everything prepared and ready to go. Your dress, the venue, the guests, and everything else has been prepared. All I needed was the bride and now I have her right here!" the boss shouted happily.

"Wait a second…I thought if I could convince your son to take over the family business you would set me free," I said confused.

"Of course, that’s the deal. However, you haven’t achieved that yet so until you do, you will marry my son and live as his wife," the boss said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"Wait! The wedding is tomorrow…already?!" I cried out in panic at the sudden realization.

How did I get myself into this mess…again?

…

**Back to the Present**

After changing out of the glamorous wedding dress into regular clothes, I rode in a black limousine as it followed the ambulance that had my grandmother inside to the hospital where she was receiving treatment. As promised, the boss had placed my grandmother in the best medical facility in the capital and was paying for all her hospital bills, which must be massive.

My grandmother wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital anymore. She spent her life in her private hospital room with her body hooked up the multiple machines. I didn’t have any medical knowledge, but I could tell that her condition wasn’t great. However, with the help of the doctors her condition has stabilized enough for her to live comfortably in the hospital…for now.

I watched silently from the side of the hospital bed as the nurses hooked multiple machines to my grandmother’s body after she had been lain down. She looks so frail and weak. After the nurses had left, I asked the men in black, who were in charge of following me around, if I could have a private moment with my grandmother.

When we were finally alone, I took her hand in mine and placed in on the side of my cheek as I felt warm tears sting my eyes. My grandmother had been so shocked when I told her that I have decided to marry the boss’s son. She was so selfless and worried only about my wellbeing like she had done since the first day I arrived at her doorstep. Now, however, it was my time to pay her back.

I will protect her with everything that I have.

I must be strong. However, now that the wedding ended in a disaster, I wasn’t sure what will happen now. It was clear that Hayden, just like me, was in love with someone else. However, I bet his love has a happy ending, unlike mine. I took out a heart-shaped locket necklace and slowly opened it. I wiped the tears away from my eyes so that I could see the photo inside clearly.

Inside the locket was a photograph of me and my boyfriend…well, ex-boyfriend now. I really miss you, Ethan...

Chapter 10: Moving in with Him

"Miss Malissa, the boss wants to see you now," the leader of the men in black said as he poked his head in through the opened door.

"Ok…let’s go," I said as I walked towards the door.

I wished I had gotten to speak with my grandmother, but she was still asleep. I wanted to talk to the boss too. Perhaps, he had already given up on the wedding based on what happened earlier today.

…

"You want me to what?" I said as my eyes widened in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

"Hahaha! You don’t have to act so excited. It is as I said, I want you to move in and live with Hayden. He’s handsome, isn’t he? Just like me when I was younger…" the boss said cheerfully as he sipped red wine.

"Umm…what he looks like isn’t the main problem here…" I muttered.

"You will do as I say. It’s part of the deal. You will move in to live with my son for 30 days. If you both decide that you don’t want to get married at the end, then I’ll set you both free and you can leave. Simple, isn’t it?" the boss said with a satisfied smile.

"I can’t…live with him…" I stated firmly as I enunciated every syllable.

"I’ve already prepared everything. Don’t worry, I’m not forcing you to sleep with him or anything like that. I’ve prepared a two bed-room penthouse suite at the most prestigious condominium in the city for you two so that you can both start out fresh!" the boss said happily as he clapped his hands together excitedly.

Hmm…so we’ll have separate bedrooms. It’ll be like living with a male roommate. I could shut myself in my bedroom forever for 30 days. That didn’t sound too bad, to be honest. There were plenty of people who decided to room with people of the opposite sex and didn’t have any issues. Plus, Hayden seemed to have a girlfriend already so there should be no problem…

"Umm…are there other conditions?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes. Every day for the 30 days that you live together, you must either do something for Hayden or grant him a wish. Of course, the two of you will have to choose between you doing something for him or you granting him a wish for each day. That’s it," the boss stated.

That’s it?

"When you say do something…you mean like normal things, right?" I asked, still feeling cautious.

"Certainly. You can just listen to what he has to say, cook for him, give him a massage, take out his trash, accompany him on a walk…anything," the boss said.

"What if Hayden makes unreasonable requests?" I asked skeptically.

"Then you just have to turn him down and convince him to agree to let you do something for him instead," the boss said as he shrugged.

"I see…" I said softly as my mind thought about all this.

"Good. We have a deal then!" the boss shouted excitedly as he clapped his large hands together.

"Wait…not so fast," I protested.

"I’m older than you think I am, little miss. I’m not going to sit here and wait forever. Now off you go, you’re moving in with Hayden today!" the boss declared as he stood up proudly.

I blinked rapidly in surprise. This old man and his ’having the wedding tomorrow’ and ’moving in together today’ is driving me insane.

"Wait…one more thing. It seems like your son has someone that he wants to marry already. I think…her name is Amelia…?" I asked, curiously as I bit my lower lip. If Hayden would just marry Amelia, then there would be no need for me.

"Amelia won’t marry Hayden…she can’t," the boss answered dispassionately as a dark shadow fell on his face, darkening his expression.

What does he mean by that?

Before I could ask him any more questions, two men in black came in and escorted me out of the room.

30 days. I just need to hang in there for 30 days…then I’ll get my old normal life back.

Hayden has someone that he loves already so he would never fall in love with me. We can both call it quits after 30 days and the boss will have no choice but to keep his words. Plus, if I can talk Hayden into taking over the mafia group then perhaps, I could leave even earlier…

…

Oh wow! I knew that the penthouse would be luxurious, but I didn’t expect it to be this luxurious. This penthouse was on the highest floor where I could see the unobstructed view of the city. This place was also extremely spacious, and the interior design was truly a piece of art.

After the men in black dropped me off and led me to this penthouse suite, they immediately left. However, I was not alone in the penthouse. A smiley auntie with grey hair and a very round face greeted me enthusiastically as she introduced herself.

"Welcome dear! My name is Sarah, and I am your housekeeper. Well, that’s my formal title but I’m actually more like Master Hayden’s babysitter…caretaker…or whatever you want to call it. Please just call me Auntie," she said happily and proudly.

"I see. Nice to meet you…Auntie. My name is Malissa Maxfort," I replied with a polite smile.

"It’s a pleasure to finally meet you! Let me show you around this place. All of your stuff has been sent here and I’ve already arranged it in your room which is over there. This is Hayden’s room. This is the living room…dining room…theatre room…fitness…the pool is outside…the kitchen for your personal use.

The staff has another set of kitchens for, you know, heavier cooking…" Auntie said as she showed me around the place.

I dutifully followed her as she took me around to see all the rooms in the penthouse suite. I knew that the place was huge, but I didn’t expect it to pack in so many facilities, most of which I probably won’t use such as the gym and the swimming pool. Well, you never know…

After the walking tour around the suite, Auntie brought me back to the dining room as she motioned for me to have a seat. While we were walking around together, someone must have arranged the dining table and served food. There was so much food on the table, and they all looked so delicious. Apart from that, there were also candles on the table.

A candlelit dinner on our first day here, isn’t that a bit much?

I almost laughed out loud at how forced this whole set up seemed.

"Miss Malissa, you should take a seat. I’m sure that Master Hayden will be arriving soon," Auntie said reassuringly as if I was anxiously waiting for his arrival.

I was about to open my mouth to tell her that I didn’t mind if he never turned up when the door to the suite opened with a loud bang.

Someone should check for cracks in the wall later tonight, I thought.

"Master Hayden!" Auntie exclaimed as she headed over to greet Hayden.

I tried my best to keep my face emotionless as I stared straight forward at the still-empty seat opposite to where I was seated at the dinner table. Within a few minutes, without uttering a word to Auntie or to me, Hayden entered my view of vision as he plopped himself down in the chair opposite to me.

Hayden was dressed in a black leather jacket that he wore on top of a white T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. His light blond hair shone in the candlelight and so did his bright blue eyes as he stared at my face.

I didn’t know what else to do, so I just stared back into his captivating blue eyes.