Chapter 7 ***

Avery Rose

It’s been four hours since I was detained. In those four hours, I caught up with all the information. Apparently ‘Avery Rose’ started an online business with housewives as her target audience and scammed them out of millions of dollars.

This ‘Avery Rose’ conveniently added my school degree, CV, phone number, and house address to show her legitimacy. After my mother did not answer her calls multiple times, I did not need a fortune teller to tell me she is the ‘Avery Rose.’

The bruises on my body hurt so much and my vision is getting blurry but none of the officers seems to care. Of course, nobody cares about the scammer.

I lean against the wall hoping to get some sort of support but it only increases my dizziness.“Avery Rose?” A female officer calls and I pry my eyes open and sit up.

She unlocks the bars and opens them wide. “You’re free to go. “Has my mother called?” I ask.

A smile was about to creep up my face. She has probably decided to own up to her sins.

“Your mother? No.”

The officer looks at me like I’m crazy. “Someone paid off the debt and asked this case to be closed. ”What?“ Who? It’s not possible.”

The only slightly rich person I know is Mr Rashford and with the current situation, he’s the last person to ever bail me. Plus the amount of debt incurred is not something he can just cough up on a whim for someone like me.

“Look. Do you want to leave or not? I ain’t got all night.” The officer spits and I mumble an apology before heading out. “There is no way Ethan Styles bailed her.”

I hear someone whisper as I walk out of the station.“She’s on every article. Maybe she knows him.” Another says. I shake my head in disbelief. Ethan Styles is the number one name in the business industry.

Although I have never actually put a face to the name, his name alone shook everywhere. The business world and the entertainment industry.

They should at least have made their gossip believable. What in heaven would Ethan Styles be looking for in this crappy part of the city not to mention bailing a nobody like me?

I take my phone from the front desk and quickly leave the station. The night air hit my face and I sighed. “Miss Rose?” A voice calls and I jump in surprise.

Maybe I should’ve left this place immediately before someone else locked me up. I turn to my left and it is Malcom. He is still dressed in a suit, looking like a statue. “I’m sorry I ran off earlier. I..” "Follow me please.” He simply says. He doesn’t even wait for a reply before heading off to the parking lot.

I sheepishly follow him. I didn’t have anything to lose anymore. The worst that could happen is that I get kidnapped or killed and at this rate, I couldn’t care less.

We stop in front of an expensive-looking car, different from the one I was in earlier. It makes me wonder just who his boss is.

Malcom opens the back door and nods for me to enter. I do just as he instructs and he closes the door before heading to the driver’s side.I feel the presence beside me but I keep my head down.

My slow brain finally clicks and I realize that he is probably the one who cleared the debt and is powerful enough to close the case.

“Did you bail me?” I ask and he doesn’t give me a reply. That is all I need to know. “I’ll pay you back. Just send me the account details. I’ll pay in installments but I’ll surely pay.”

Still no response. “I know my current situation doesn’t look so good but trust me. I’m not the type to munch on people.” I insist but he has yet to look up from his phone.

“I don't want your money.” He says.

Of course, he doesn’t. That is when it clicked in my head. “There is no way Ethan Styles bailed her.” The expensive cars. The power.

He is Ethan Styles.

“Are you really Ethan Styles?”

I ask and a slight smirk appears on his lips.

“I knew it was either that you were pretending not to know who I was or that you genuinely didn’t know. I guess you proved me wrong.”

He says and I can swear my jaw is literally hanging open. I kissed Ethan Styles!! I cried on his shoulders! My face burns in embarrassment as I recall the events of the past 48 hours that involved him.

“I’m so sorry. I..”

I don’t even know the right words to use to apologize anymore. At this point, I just hope he magically reads my mind and knows how sorry I am.

“I’ll cut to the chase.”

He suddenly says handing me a brown envelope. “I have a job proposal for you.”

“Me?”

I ask as I open the envelope. The first word that hits me in the face is marriage. I take a deep breath and scan through the document and I realize it’s a marriage contract. “What's this?” “I believe you’re educated enough to know.”

Sarcasm drips from his tone and I frown.“I am aware. Why are you giving it to me?”

I ask.

“You need a job and probably anything that would get your image fixed and I just need a wife.”

He says like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“The drama around you is icing on the cake. We could turn it to our favor.” I stare at his devilishly handsome face, which I’m not even going to go into details about, for a few seconds waiting for him to say he is joking but the cold look on his face sends shivers down my spine.

“I can’t… Why me?” I ask.

He is Ethan Styles. He can have literally any woman he wants and here he is proposing marriage to me, a nobody.

“It’s not like you can get a job anywhere as it is. Plus your love life is basically nonexistent as it is. Your family life is even worse. So this marriage is a new beginning for you.”

His words are like a sharp sword and each sinks deep into my injured heart. He is right. I have nothing to lose if I go through with it. I take a deep breath and conclude.

Ethan smiles and hands me a pen. I take it from him and gently place it on top of the envelope before pushing it towards him.

“Thanks for the offer but I’m not interested. I will send you part of the money tonight and will continue till my debt is cleared.”