THE BILLIONAIRE WHO BROUGHT BACK MY TOMMROW

woke up to the sound of someo

en this door

nket over her head, and che

5 a

s clearly had no idea wh

ssi

wake,

coming over today, and I won't have you

p, rubbing he

ay. Anoth

cleanest dress she owned. It was a simple yellow dress with

she found her mother standing beside

orry. Jessica will tak

ca st

ryt

the call and tu

You'r

is it,

s weekend. I promised to help her arrange some things, but

ca bl

supposed

help with the decorations, serve

tated. "Will

r's face

ng be about mo

. I just

least you might learn something useful

ssed her li

pay her for the work, Jessica could finally buy some foo

Mama. I

once in your life, tr

ked down at

aid n

e morning would bec

important thing

lock, Jessic

arations were taking place. It was farther away than Jessica had expected, and she

a roadside stall and boug

l she cou

she walked, tryi

ssi

tu

as standing beside a parked c

a a moment to

nes

smiled

ness! It re

sa had been one of the most popular girls in their class. She

ad been the quiet girl who pr

doing here?"

ewhere to help

elled over Jessica's dress. "Ar

smile fade

with the pr

O

d at her expen

veryone has to s

but the expression on her fa

asked, changing the subj

biggest companies in the city. The pay is a

ce. Congra

nk y

ar door but paused b

oming up next month. You should come. I

a hesi

ure I'll b

y n

ew things t

ave a sma

f you can. It would be a shame

spond, Vanessa entered

the road, watching

eak to someone who made her feel as though he

" she mutter

time and hurried to

lready ru

buzzing with activity

anged flowers and balloons. A group of young women were lau

a woman who appea

ca. Mrs. Margaret sent me to

ooked at he

re the extra p

ca no

would you li

hall. After that, help arrange the chair

ay,

ours, Jessica work

ables, and helped the decorators fix the fina

was doing something th

a loud voice suddenly

nged thes

one t

a red dress marched t

here? The photographs are suppos

workers hur

were told to arra

ou that has no idea

turned tow

Come

approa

s,

be careful with those flowers. They cost

red at her

she n

s,

earest table, but the

pay people to stand a

the inside o

his to know that defending herse

he flowers, and returned to the ki

n everything

across the hall,

but another worker came through th

col

pped from Je

AS

ttered acro

e hall fe

red at the

h

n red rushe

out of yo

orry! I d

ow much those

. I'll clean e

o is going to pa

heart bega

mean to br

n't change

inted toward

ght before I have

stood

eople had beg

ere la

of curiosity people reserved

wn to pick up t

h your bare hands!" a

ped imme

n red folde

why people like you take

slowly s

nside her w

s she could. She had barely rested, had not eaten

to make everyone treat her

" she whisp

alked out

eeded

moment away f

from crying in front of people who wou

ssica sat on a low concrete

one vi

ssage from

? My friend says you arriv

t out a bi

cou

g to help, she was stil

ped a

g my bes

ater, another m

has never

those words until

the traffic or the voices comi

was her mother's

has never

eyes quickly

ng to let anyo

to

find a quiet place where she could gather h

the junction when a bla

owed near the

black suit. His expression was serious, and his

s Alexander

rman of Blackwood International, a business empire with

zines called

es called h

lled him

nderstood one thing above all else: Alex

liked order, prec

ad a habit of refusin

id, "we're running l

r didn't

drive

affic i

nother

s,

anced toward

a stationary bus. Its rider swerved to av

nding near the ro

shoulder, and its contents

book landed

e it, a gust of wind pus

" she

shed f

luxury car slamm

pped just short

looked u

the

ped to her knees and

alled toward the c

belongings, but a passing vehicle sp

ica

y stains spreading acr

t the expensive c

augh escap

e whispered.

ice the driver

ng to get you

oice made

de the black car, his

ckly rose t

sir. I wasn'

y idea how dang

w. I'm

u run into the roa

's eyes

ng to save

r stared

ile, someone had answered him w

the notebook

lion dollars wr

ca fr

ha

for a notebook. I was wonderi

at him in

shook h

d to lose things and si

out before she

fell bet

xpression cha

the situation, looked as though he had just

Alexander Blac

bo

im seemed more concerned about her sc

er stud

s were worn, and her fingers trembled slig

omething else i

id

at came from we

when life had taken a

glanced at

you h

shook

, s

you s

es

re careful

to pick up

u for the

at his driver looked aw

raised a

speak to strang

straig

speak to me as

closed his

ing to get herse

d at Jessica fo

y, the corner of

e a smile, but

eres

ca fr

intere

thi

oo

nd started w

r watche

is

reluctantly an

at

out a fe

he tro

t the money,

need yo

t got hit

r didn't

r I give it to y

s mouth

lways this

y became fascinate

d the money back

eep your

s face g

nten

d away before he cou

e the car, watching her

driver aske

finally lo

ha

d we l

ced at

already fiftee

es

but something about the

been sadness in her eyes, the kind that didn't d

ll found the courag

didn't kno

know where

w why he was still

he had never met a

the event centre f

d was waiting n

have yo

a swal

tep outside fo

p outside? Who gav

sor

ointed towa

and help in the kitchen. And don

dded and h

maining work withou

rinks, collected plates, and cleaned up afte

fingers at her when he wa

it without

k, the event wa

e woman in red, who w

I wanted to ask

man lo

yme

ca no

ing with the event. I thought there

laughed in

you that I wa

lt her sto

worked

e you food

stared

spent the entire day drinking wate

't eaten sin

not my

need the money. I

picked up

ment before starting. Don't co

alked

ed standing in

econds, she c

wly picked u

e entire day wor

no money left

ith tears, but sh

spered to herself.

ide into the co

nd the streetlights

checked

d calls fro

call back, the

ered imm

lo,

e are

my way

late! Do you think I have nothin

closed h

The event took lon

tonight if you're going to

all e

tared at

d whether her mother had

ked up at th

owhere el

ne into her handbag

w long it would ta

her mother would open th

a short distance away, a black luxury car

kwood was arguing with hi

anized today's ev

ant sounde

r,

anced throug

ame young woman walking a

nd she was hugging her

dn't explain, the s

she had refu

he had spoken

someone who had been left to

said so,"

ed the

," he told

owed besid

y from it, looking suspicio

window ro

r's face

red at him

you a

ored h

t i

at the car,

use

n. I'll drop y

shook

thank

gettin

awa

have no t

es nar

you kn

r the last twenty minutes, and

lanced at

that he

ard way that kindness som

ant to help m

ned back agai

e always b

ual

ent, neit

opened the do

r notebook, or your life story. I simply don't want to read abo

folded h

at if I

king, and I'll continue h

lf, Jessica a

mo

oad ahead, then at the m

rt of her warned

r stomach was empty,

she opene

e at the nex

r looked

in

ttled against the far side of the seat, leavi

oor c

r pull

few minutes,

he window, watching the

r glance

s your

hesi

ssi

ica w

ned tow

nning to write a

a quie

a question without m

without sounding like you'

r stared

ica's surpris

ief, unexpe

though he had suddenl

ha

she repli

ad and looked o

epeated, as if

trangely familiar, though

ask anything els

nswe

der Bla

head snapp

ckw

ard that n

in the

s and commercial properties in the country. Its chairman was a

onaire was sit

stared

offered her mo

e had call

car she had ne

ed one of the riche

ven her into h

is call and notic

t is

a swal

Alexander

ed an e

hat the p

ace b

y goo

at a p

, s

oking at me as if I'

ed back towa

ave insulted you

ver

her face w

sor

tudied her

laughe

d everyone who annoyed me,

ered he

're not

n't sa

yes w

er, a faint smile

to hear your apol

stared

nn

xander B

y the entire street

ly shook

ease, just take me

s smile di

a moment, then nodd

erever she w

ut a quiet br

ched the next junction, he

A

answ

el

s voice came thro

is the man calling me to say you've been i

ica

ha

turned t

evening, the amusement d

an mentioned next was no

," Margaret snapped. "And if you've done something

rs went cold ar

ce com

nothing excep

e came through the phone-a man's voic

e need you to return immediately. Something valuable is m

s heart

slowly s

y is missing

the phone w

he an

ce belonging to o

yes widened

t take a

ll had alr

seconds, n

er looked di

nk you need to tell me everything

him, tears gathe

e was afraid that no matter how honestly s

ty, the woman in the red dr

s going exact

CONTIN