2 chapter one

I should be parading the streets of Alabama looking for a job as I have been for the past three months with no luck after losing my only surviving job as a waitress in Buckman's dinner three months ago with no reasonable explanation.

As the breadwinner of my family, we are practically domed if I do not get another good paying job soon, but here I am doing a delivery shift for my best friend Jessica.

She works in a pizza delivery company and her boyfriend Landon decided to do a surprise getaway for her during her shift day, so here I am being a good girlfriend spending half my day delivering pizzas.

-𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯, 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵.

Stopping by a one-story building book publishing company to deliver pizza to Anthony Barnes.

Coming down from the delivery bike as I remove three pizza packs from the delivery box, greeting the elderly doorman by my right as I walked into the building.

Reaching the reception, I informed the receptionist of my intentions, though the huge pizza drawn on my polo and cap did most of it.

Pointing to the stairs behind me, the sharply dressed blonde receptionist directed.

"Follow these stairs, it would lead to a lobby, the first office by your left is Mr Anthony's office".

Thanking the receptionist, I swiftly took the stairs entering into a large simply furnished office.

"Your pizza delivery, " I said bringing him to notice as he was quite busy with whatever he had going on in his computer.

Raising his head, to my greatest surprise I knew him, though we did not talk much, he was one of my high school classmate.

Though he is a bit different from the nerdy, shy boy he was in high school considering how bold, captivating he became and his nerd ugly glasses replaced for contacts.

"Lucy?" he asked a bit unsure.

" Anthony", I surprisingly replied.

"You remembered me? "he asked surprised.

"Why would I not, did you not attend grade field high?", I asked unsurely.

"Well, I would not exactly place me among the popular people in high school unlike you," he said teasingly.

" You are just being modest." I teased back. " Who wouldn't remember the most brilliant student in our class," I said and he smiled.

"You brought my pizza?" he asks noticing the pizza I was still holding.

Dropping the pizza on his office desk, as he signs off the order.

Astonished he asked, "delivery girl?"

"Yes, but just for a day, covering for a friend," I answered, stealthy noting how huge his office was.

"Do you own the place? " I asked.

"Yes well, it was established two years ago. " He answered and stood up to get a file from the shelf at the left corner of his office.

"Nice place," I said, genuinely admiring the place. " Well thanks", he said smiling.

About to go, I decided it was fate that brought us to meet, I might as well ask him for help.

"Er, I know we are practically strangers considering we were never exactly friends and this is our first time meeting in nine years, but I do not have any other choice, am desperate since you own a place like this," I explained.

" I wanted to know if you have any job opening I can get? I need some money to pay off my house mortgage money and my mom's hospital bills since the house mortgage could not cover it ." I finished and flushed in embarrassment.

There's nothing to be ashamed of, I chided myself. It wasn't my fault that things turned out the way they did and I couldn't complete my university studies.

After about a minute, he replies, " have you ever edited a book before? I could get you a spot it pays well."

" I have never edited a book before but I can try". I answered, ready to take any job as long as I don't end up in the streets.

"No, am looking for a professional ." He replied sternly and I blinked disappointment.

Wryly I turned to leave his office, but almost reaching the door, he called back.

"Lucy, I understand that you must be quite desperate to ask me for help." He said and I turned.

He was now sitting on the barnacle of his desk as he says. "But just how desperate are you ?"

A hint of danger playing on his face.

"I might be able to help you after all," he says giving off a croaked smile.

Who was he? Was this the same shy Anthony I knew in high school cause I could barely recognise him and Gosh, what was he asking of me? Let it not be sex, I prayed.

"Desperate enough, " I answered unsure whether my answer was convincing enough or that I was making the right decision.

"Here is the deal, I will pay for your mortgage even your mom's hospital bills and an extra ten thousand dollars in your account, hell right away, but you have to do a job for me first. "

Wow! I thought. He must be very rich then, it's no surprise that he could give such an amount of money to a total stranger, but first, I needed to hear his request.

Thinking of how relieving it would be to for once have no problem to worry about, I desperately replied.

"Anything at all. "

Then he let on a devilish grin and went to sit down on his seat. He must be explicitly enjoying this, he gets to taunt the same girl that rejected him in sophomore year, or maybe it was just me being paranoid. Am sure he doesn't even remember such a trivial event, either way, I hope whatever he had in mind for me, I could truly do it.

"I need to you to help me take a very powerful man down."

"What?"

"Okay, I would keep it really simple." He said. "Four years ago, my sister fell deeply in love with a very rich and powerful man. Nathaniel Bennett, the CEO of Bennett's Enterprise, he's company is worth billions of dollars.

She was so in love with this man that she relocated to London to be with him against my father's wishes. 

Then, after three months of being with him, she became pregnant. She went to him to inform him of her pregnancy but he rejected her; he threw her out of his house in mockery of her.

My sister was fragile, she couldn't bear the pain and barely three days after the incident, my sister took her life; and it was only a week later when I went to visit her, to convince her to stop her madness and return home.

You can imagine my shock when I saw her rotting body cut open and the suicide note she left on her bed for me to see.

She had killed herself and it was because of one man; one man that just couldn't get himself to take responsibility for his damn careless actions." He clenches his fists, a look of hurt in his eyes, but he continued, undeterred.

"When my father heard the news, he had a heart attack and died right on the spot; my mother became depressed and ended up in a mental home. my entire family...My entire life wrecked and destroyed by one self-centred bastard who couldn't take responsibilities for his actions.

Gritting his teeth, he suddenly choked on grief and anger. "One wealthy, arrogant, evil bastard."

He cursed, his eyes grim with pure grief. When he spoke again, his eyes were filled with determination. "And so I made a promise to myself, I was going to make the bastard pay, I am going to destroy him, wreak havoc on everything he holds dear; he'd never see it coming.

I'd hurt him just like he hurt my family, and when am done with him, he'd wish he was dead."

He turns to Isabelle. "That's where you come in." Drumming his fingers on his table. "I need you to be an inside man for me, my avenging weapon," he said.

"You are to infiltrate his life, destroying  him from within, you'd strip him of every dime he has and make him pay for what to did to my family."

"That's a lot," I said, trying to wrap my mind around everything he've just said. I understood his pain, I couldn't imagine if anyone was to hurt my brother like that, I'd go to the end of the world to make sure the person pays, but then how did this involve me. I mean what had I to do with any of this?

Completely overwhelmed and confused, I asked.

"And how in the world do you suggest I do that?"

And just like that; he said.

" I want you to seduce him."  My eyes went wide, seduce who?

"I want you to make him fall in love with you and trust you and get every information necessary to destroy him and make him pay." He says again with determination.

What was he saying?

Has he seen me?

Was he blind?

I wasn't the kind of girl guys notice immediately they walk into the room.

I mean look at me; with my boring short black hair; dark freckles against my conventional brown skin, my too-curvy hips, and my very plain face.  I was nothing seductive.

He must have noticed my contempt, cause he said.

" You are an extremely beautiful lady and am not saying this as the sixteen-year-old who had a crush on you, I am saying this cause it's true. You have this sex appeal aura but also filled with innocence, and checking the statistics of women he has dated, you are of the high percentage he would fall for you. "

Oh-okay, maybe I've never seen myself in that light.

Beaming and blushing, I replied. "Thank you, but how am I meant to start? how do I even see him make him fall in love with me is not as if I can see his type everywhere I go. "

"So I guess that means you are in?"

"Can I think about it?" I asked.

"No you can't," he answered, stern.

I stood, thinking about his proposition for a while, weighing everything.  What could be so hard in seducing someone to fall in love with you? And really, do I have the luxury of choices?

I nodded, " yes, am in."

Fantastic." He smiled.

"I will pay for your mortgage, hospital bills but they and the ten thousand dollars can only be handed to you only when the job is done." He said and I nodded.

I was beaming with joy, I mean he's even paying for the mortgage before I did the job, that's...that's a lot.

"But for the job to be done," he continued.

"You are to travel to London where you would stay in a hotel and don't worry it will be prepaid, you will stay there for as long as it takes for the job to be done."  He finished and I nodded like a student listening to his teacher.

"There are rules," he said.

"Just two simple rules;" he said sternly.

" Rule one: do not let your feelings get the better part of you, trust me he is also a charmer ."

"I am not the first girl you have sent on this mission am I?" I asked completely curious.

  He must have been desperate to send someone like me.

"No," he simply replied, impassive.

"So what makes you think I would be any different ?" I asked again, I mean if he could charm others like that what makes him think that I, an ordinary waitress could be any different?

"Well, you are desperate—"

"Wow okay, that's harsh," I angrily replied, and he raised warning eyes at me reminding me that I was the one that asked for his help.

"You didn't let me finish," he said. "I was going to say, that I am desperate too."

I scowled, look into his eyes, and I could see the hurt buried in his eyes.

And he was right, I was really desperate, and when you are desperate; you will do anything and not let anything stop you, not even a really good charmer.

"Rule two," he continued.

"You are to not contact or tell anyone about this conversation and trust me there are consequences if you do."He said.

Giving off a ghost smile he says, "told you they were simple. "

"Yes," I simply replied, wanting to get this whole conversation over with.

"You made a good call Luciana, thank you". He said.

" This might be the break we are both looking for". He finished.

"Thanks," I replied.

Taking out a brand new phone, handing it over to me.

"I will be in touch for further instructions. "

"Okay then," I answered and I began to leave the office.

As I leave the room and closes the behind me, with my resting on the door and my hands on the doorknob I suddenly feel a certain chill, -maybe it's fear or maybe it's excitement for a new adventure, could not quite tell the difference.

I contemplate whether it was something I should take or call him later and decline his offer.

But the truth still stands, I needed the money.

It's just like acting in a movie I reassured myself even though I knew nothing about acting.

I decided to head home after doing two more deliveries, I needed a nap.