~UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS~

~The best way to predict your future is to create it ~

- Abraham Lincoln.

Song - Mercy by Shawn Mendes

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Sophie stood outside Julian Saint's office, fidgeting with her hands as she tried to calm her nerves. She had been searching for a place to stay all day, and Julian's offer of accommodation had been a lifeline. But now, as she prepared to ask him to follow through on his offer, she couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty.

She took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Julian's office. He looked up from his desk, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Sophie, come on in," he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk.

Sophie hesitated for a moment before launching into her request. "Julian, I was wondering if...if your offer of accommodation still stands?"

Julian's expression turned serious, and he leaned back in his chair. "Of course, it does," he said. "But I have to warn you, Sophie, it's not going to be easy. You'll be staying in a small apartment above my garage, can you handle that?"

Sophie nodded eagerly, feeling a surge of relief wash over her. "Yes, I can handle it. Thank you, Julian. This means a lot to me."

Julian smiled and leaned forward, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're welcome, Sophie. I'm just glad I can help. Now, let's talk about the details."

"Okay, I'll be here for a month or so before going off to college, so how much is the rent?"

Julian chuckled, shaking his head. Sophie stared at him in bewilderment, she couldn't tell what was funny.

"No need for that," Julian said, his voice cold.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want your money, I'm accommodating you for free."

"Free?" Julian nodded, a smirk dancing on his lips.

Sophie couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to Julian's offer. Something he wasn't telling her.

"Julian, can I ask you something?" she said, her voice hesitant.

"Of course, Sophie," Julian replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What is it?"

Sophie took a deep breath before asking the question that had been on her mind. "Why are you doing this for me? I mean, I know we've only just met, but...but you're being really kind to me, and I don't understand why."

Julian chuckled a bit, peering at Sophie. "Sophie, I know we've only just met, but I think you're....a remarkable person. And I believe that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, no matter what their circumstances."

Sophie bit her lip, nodding her head to Julian's words. Julian appeared to be nice, but Sophie was aware that nothing comes for free. Especially from men.

"Thank you, Julian," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Julian smiled, his eyes still on Sophie. "You're welcome, Sophie. Now, let's get you settled into your new place."

Sophie followed Julian out of his office and towards the garage apartment. She felt hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something better.

The apartment was small, but it was clean and cozy. Sophie's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the comfortable-looking bed, the small kitchenette, and the bathroom.

"It's perfect," she breathed, turning to Julian with a smile. "Thank you so much."

Julian smiled back and handed her a set of keys. "You're welcome, Sophie. Make yourself at home."

As Sophie took the keys, she felt a sense of excitement and possibility. She was starting a new chapter in her life, a chapter without Aunt Mildred.

But as she turned to smile at Julian, she caught a glimpse of something in his eyes. Something that looked almost like. . . She couldn't decipher what it was.

"Sophie?" Julian said, his voice low and serious. "Can I tell you something?"

Sophie's heart skipped a beat. "Of course," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What is it?"

Julian's eyes locked onto hers, and Sophie felt a shiver run down her spine. "Be careful, Sophie," he said, his voice low and urgent. "There are people who might not have your best interests at heart."

Sophie's eyes widened as she stared at Julian. What was he talking about?

But before she could ask any questions, Julian turned and walked away, leaving Sophie feeling confused and more than a little scared.

She watched Julian disappear into the shadows. Sophie couldn't shake off the feeling that she had just made a deal with the devil himself.

              ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

"Here, take this and get lost," Aubrey said, tossing a wad of cash to Victor LaGraine.

Victor LaGraine's eyes narrowed as he caught the wad of cash, his gaze never leaving Aubrey's face. "You think a few thousand dollars can just make me disappear?" he sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

Aubrey's eyes flashed with anger, but he kept his cool, his voice even. "Yo, I'm not asking you to disappear, whatever your name is. I'm telling you to leave that girl's life, forever."

Victor's laughter sent a shiver down Aubrey's spine. "You think you have the power to tell me what to do?" he sneered. "Sophie and I have a past together, I trained that ingrate on the streets. You're just a foolish little rich boy playing at being a big shot."

Aubrey's face twisted in anger, and he kept his fists clenched at his sides. "Listen dawg, I don't care what your connection is with her. All I know is you make her uncomfortable, so make like a rubber tree and bounce out of her life. For good."

Victor's eyes glinted with amusement as he sniffed the wad of cash. "How much is this?"

"Ten thousand, isn't that what Sophie owes you?"

"I know that, a'ight? But I want interest now, Sophie owed me for way too long, so the amount just doubled."

"Yo, are you crazy?"

"I want twenty, so add ten thousand extra."

Aubrey's eyes widened in outrage as he stared at Victor. "You can't be serious man," he said, his voice incredulous. "Twenty thousand dollars? That's extortionate!"

Victor shrugged, his expression unyielding. "That's the price of doing business with me. Sophie should have paid me back a long time ago. Now, you're going to have to pay the price."

Aubrey's brows furrowed in anger as he realized that Victor was not going to back down.

"Fine," he spat, pulling out his phone. "I'll transfer the money to your account. But this is not the end of this, Victor. I'll make sure you pay for what you're doing."

Victor scoffed as he watched Aubrey's angry face. "I'm shaking in my boots," he sneered, holding out his hand for the phone. "Now, let's get this over with. I have better things to do than stand around all day waiting for you to pay up."

Aubrey's eyes flashed with anger as he handed over the phone, but he knew that he had to keep his cool. He watched as Victor's fingers flew across the screen, transferring the money into his account.

As the transfer was completed, Victor handed the phone back to Aubrey, a smug look on his face. "Thanks for the payment," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll make sure to put it to good use."

Aubrey's eyes narrowed as he watched Victor turn and walk away, the wad of cash clutched in his hand. He knew that this was far from over, and that Victor would be back, demanding more money and more favors.

"Gaah!" he groaned, kicking a stone out of his way.

As he walked back to his motorcycle, Aubrey couldn't shake off the feeling of frustration and anger. He hated being blackmailed by anyone, and he hated even more that he had to pay Victor off to protect Sophie.

But as he thought about Sophie, he felt a pang of responsibility. There was something about Sophie that made him want to help her, to protect her from people like Victor.

Aubrey sighed and rubbed his temples. He was getting in over his head, and he knew it. 'This calls for One Bottle Casino.'

As he got onto his bike and started the engine, Aubrey's mind was already on the whiskey he was going to have.

He pulled up to the bar, killed the engine and swung his leg over the bike. He strode into the bar, the neon sign creaking in the wind above him.

The bartender, a gruff old man named Joe, looked up as Aubrey slid onto a stool. "The usual?" he asked, already reaching for the bottle of whiskey.

Aubrey nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, Joe. Make it a double."

Joe raised an eyebrow as he poured the whiskey. "Rough day, kid?"

Aubrey took a swig of the whiskey, feeling the burn all the way down. "You have no idea," he said, shaking his head.

Aubrey's mind wandered off to Sophie, he remembered she works as a waitress here. He would finally be able to meet her again, and maybe this time, ask for her number.

"Um, Joe?" Aubrey called out to the bartender.

"Yeah?"

"A chic named Sophie works here, right?"

"I have no idea," Joe shrugged, wiping the counter with a rag. "Alot of chic's work here."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow, his deep voice laced with skepticism. "C'mon, Joe, don't play dumb wit' me. I know she works here. I seen her myself, servin' tables and whatnot."

Joe looked up, a hint of a smile on his face. "Alright, alright, I know who you're talkin' 'bout. Yeah, Sophie works here, but she's off tonight."

Aubrey's face fell, his hopes of seeing Sophie again dashed. "Aww, man, that's a bummer. I was really lookin' forward to seein' her again."

Joe chuckled and leaned in, a conspiratorial look on his face. "You got a thing for Sophie, huh?"

Aubrey's dark skin flushed with embarrassment, but he couldn't help but grin. "Maybe, maybe. I mean, she's a cool chic, and I'd like to get to know her better."

Joe laughed and clapped Aubrey on the back, then went back to wiping the counter.

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A/N

Thank you for reading, please vote and comment your thoughts ❤️

CiCi 🌹