STIGMA

Clip clop...Clip clop...

The approaching footsteps echoed down an otherwise quiet corridor, as the bodyguards stood up straight and greeted Carlos respectfully. They didn't dare to raise their hands until the distinguished individual had stopped in front of the door and raised his hand.

With his slender hand, the man squeezed and twisted the doorknob with a slight click.

He pushed the door and it swung open with ease. As he stepped in, his eyes caught sight of a beautiful woman standing next to the window, ripping the sheets she had pulled out from the bed with her bare hands.

'Why is the quality of these bed sheet so good? Gosh! How am I going to escape like this?'

Time was of the essence and she was getting agitated by the fact that no matter how hard she tried it seemed as though nothing could tear those bed sheets.

Too immersed in her troubles, she failed to hear the sound of the door opening, nor did she notice the man's footsteps approaching her.

He walked up to the cherrywood wardrobe near the bed, quietly slide the drawer open and took out a pair of scissors.

The moment Celia Ling saw the pair of scissors, her eyes lit up with delight as her lips broke into a smile. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

The moment the man's sophisticated voice graced Celia's ear and caught her attention, her body jerked her out of her concentration.

"Ah!"

As she turned around swiftly and saw who it was, a startled gasp escaped her lips and she dropped the scissors on the floor.

"Mr...Mr. Gu..."

Celia's voice trembled and she fought the urge to run away.

As a matter of fact, she did, or at least, she tried.

But how was an innocent little rabbit supposed to outrun a full-blooded male lion? Right after the first step, she tripped on her on feet and was about give the floor a hug.

Fortunately, Carlos' had strong, muscular arms and with leopard-like agility he swooped in and caught her waist in mid-air

"That was a bold attempt, I'll admit. But did you really think that you could get out of here without my permission?" The towering figure that stood in front of Celia had an air of enigma about him and his breath had the ability to send chills down her spine in small doses.

"Mr. Gu, you can't..."

Before Celia could finish, Carlos cut her short.

"I've given you enough time already. What I want now, is an answer."

"I am sorry, but I can't marry you..."

Bang!

Without a word, the man loosened his grip and dropped her on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch!"

That wasn't very nice of him.

Tilting her little face upwards, Celia's jet black eyes sparkled with resentment.

She had meant to burn a hole through the man with a deathly glare, but before she knew it, his face was close to hers, so much so that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheeks. Suddenly, she couldn't process her thoughts any more.

Although she knew that Carlos was the most powerful man in the city and no one would dare to provoke him, he was also very unsociable, moody and cold. Rumors had been afloat for some time that he wasn't interested in women, but there was no evidence to support such speculations.

However, facing such a handsome face, especially at such a close distance, was not only stress inducing, but also incredibly irresistible.

"I see," said Carlos, lowering his face and concealing his eyes from giving away his emotions. "But I don't usually take 'no' for an answer! Especially from people who burns bridges after crossing them. Are you sure you want to go back on your word?"

The man's breath fell on Celia's nose, making her heart skip a beat.

This wasn't the first time she had been face to face with a handsome man, but the person in front of her was and exceptional example of the word.

His tousled hair was midnight black and his eyes were dark brown, framed by graceful brows. He had prominent cheekbones and a well-defined chin and nose. He had smooth flawless skin, which was like a sheet of well-done cloth.

He carried himself with such confidence and bravado that he could make people surrender with just his words.

To be precise, he was more demon than man.

"Mr. Gu, I am really grateful for your help, but I don't have any feelings for you, how could I..."

The more Celia tried to explain herself, the less confident she was.

ok

Although the memories of what transpired that night was seemingly unclear to her, she remembered losing consciousness at some point.

Did she make love to the president during that period?

But, wasn't he only attracted to men?