Page 7 of Billionaire’s Promise

I was kicking myself inside for not going somewhere else for the monitor. The thing was if I bought one from somewhere else, I’d feel like I was betraying my own business. On the other hand, at Bennet pharmacies, the staff would automatically apply my VIP discount, and the business wouldn’t be making much profit anyway. Then it was almost like I was ripping my own business off.

Welcome to the over-thinking mind of Dr. June Bennet.

“No.” Short sentences with a stern voice, that’s the key to delivering a concise, straight to the point message–a tip I learned from my best friend Chloe.

“For old time’s sake.”

Clearly short and concise didn’t work on Mack as he forcibly pulled me towards him for a sideways hug.

It had been more than 10 years since I last saw Mack. I may have even had different colored hair back then. And I didn’t answer to June back then, but my middle name. Despite my efforts to avoid certain people from my past life, one of them had found their way to me.

Mack smelled like he had been smoking weed and probably hadn’t had a wash for days. With all the energy I could muster, I struggled to get myself out from his grip and shoved him.

“Don’t!” Do that, I finished the sentence in my head. This time louder and in a higher pitch. Everyone–though not many–started to stare, and I didn’t care, I needed some witnesses if this guy was about to try anything.

My palms started to sweat. It wasn’t in my nature to cause a scene. I dreaded attention. I had always hated it.

Perhaps the real reason I agreed to do the marketing campaign was just to shut my brothers up. I was so sick of them constantly comparing me to my sister-in-law, Chloe. My supposedly dead best friend. The one who had a crush on Liam thirteen years ago but ended up marrying Lincoln. She turned out to be alive all these years, hiding from the gang who killed her parents. She’d been working at a strip joint all this time. They kept saying that Chloe was much more worldly than me. So stunning, and fearless on stage. And that I should really step out of my comfort zone and be a little bit like her.

It was true that I admired Chloe deeply and wanted to be more like her.

Bolder. More confident. More everything…

But I feared him more.

I dropped the monitor in the baggage section and headed for the door. At this moment, my blood pressure was no longer an issue. Well, it wasn’t my highest priority right now anyway.

My face was warm, my heart was beating fast, and my blood boiling – I didn’t need a monitor to know that my pressure was high.

Quickly, I walked to my red Tesla and jumped in.

“Hold on.” Mack grabbed the door with his gorilla sized hand.

“Let go.” I was ready to slam my door, and Mack would lose his fingers – the red of my car was perfect for covering his blood.

“I’ll be quick. I just need some cash.”

Cash? So, Mack was just here for some money.

I was a little taken aback by his audacity though. So straight to the point, he’d wasted no time at all. Secretly, I let out a small sigh of relief. Mom had led me to believe that if a problem could easily go away with money, then it was not a problem at all. Side note: you had to have the money in the first place.

I knew full well that I was really fortunate to be in that position, and that without my parents, I might never have been.

“Cash machine isn’t far from here. That shop over there has one.” I pointed at a convenience shop on the next block. I immediately regretted my smart reply, I shouldn’t have teased him like that because I wanted this conversation to be over as soon as possible.

“Bitch!” Mack’s free hand punched the roof of my precious Tesla. My body shrunk and my eyes started to water. A minute ago, I was ready for this to get bloody and now…what was going on? I couldn’t just back down. His gorilla hand would pay for that bang.

I had no idea what I was feeling at that moment.

Fear–yes.

Anger–most definitely.

“Stop being smart with me, June Horyi Melisa Bennet.”

Did he just call me by my full name?

“How much?” I hated myself for surrendering so quickly. No one even knew my full name. I hated it being so long, so I never used it, not even at school. And I sure never told Mack about it. The way Mack said it, indicated that he knew more about me than just my full name.