Need You Now

Chapter 3 If You Want To Risk Your Life Again, You Are Free To Leave

Hearst had brought Heidy to his large, luxurious villa.

Feeling the soft wind, Heidy stood at the balcony as she looked up at the blue sky. Her hand tightly gripped the railing, her eyes full of anger.

For nearly two days, Heidy was in a coma. Jack Xu told everybody that she fell down the stairs and that she might never wake up. He obviously did not expect that Heidy would be able to fight the drug given to her. If he had succeeded with his ploy, the Hua Group would fall into Jack's hands.

Memories of his sweet words and their marriage flooded Heidy's thoughts. 'How could I have been so stupid? To let that bastard fool me for two whole years! Not to mention that bitch of a sister!' Sherry Hua was not related to Heidy by blood. She had been adopted from an orphanage. Still, Heidy treated her as if she was truly her sister.

Whatever Heidy's father bought for her, she would share it generously with Sherry. When people spoke ill of Sherry, Heidy was always there to stand up for her sister and protect her. All those years, they were like the best of friends. Heidy loved Sherry very much, and opened her whole heart to her. This was why it was such a terrible shock to Heidy that Sherry turned out to be such a snake. 'That ungrateful whore!' Heidy sneered in her heart.

It was her father's funeral, but she couldn't go back home. Tears fell down on her cheek, one after the other. "Dad, I give you my word -- I won't let those people snatch the company you've built with your own sweat and blood!" said Heidy, gritting her teeth.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She turned around, and saw Hearst Tan walking towards her. "Mr. Tan, why did you save me?" Heidy asked flatly. It was easy to judge from the looks of the villa and its location that he was a rich man. The only thing was that she had never heard Hearst Tan's name before.

He came in closer and pulled out one his hands out of his pocket to stroke Heidy's hair. Heidy jerked away to avoid his touch. "That's none of your business," he replied calmly, his eyes focused on her face.

Something about him made Heidy uncomfortable. Her instincts told her that the man in front of her was not as simple as he looked. "I have almost recovered. I'll leave tomorrow morning so that I won't disturb you any further," Heidy said with a calculated smile.

"Sure. If you want to risk your life again, you are free to leave," he retorted with a shrug.

"Are you saying that I won't be able to handle myself? You should know that I won't let my good-for- nothing husband get what he wants. The Hua Group belongs to me. Jack Xu won't get a single cent," Heidy said resentfully.

Furrowing his thick eyebrows, Hearst grabbed her chin and tipped her head up to make her look at him. The touch of his cold fingers sent goose bumps running down Heidy's spine. "Well, from what I know, this Jack fellow has been managing the Hua Group for quite some time now. And JA Group is currently the Hua Group's partner," said Hearst with a half-hearted smile.

Heidy didn't say anything, but her eyes were twinkling with chagrin. Years ago, her father had asked her to run the company, but Heidy refused. Business matters wasn't something she was really interested in. After she got married, it was natural that Jack replaced her to be the general manager of Hua Group. It seemed to be beneficial at first since Jacob Xu, Jack's father, was the chairman of JA Group.

With her face growing paler, Heidy was only starting to realize the weight of the situation. She looked at the tall and handsome man in front of her. "Can you help me?" she asked, tears already forming in her eyes. At this point, she didn't know what she could possibly do on her own.

"Why should I help you?" said Hearst, the corners of his mouth turning to an amused smile.

Closing her eyes, Heidy took a deep breath. 'Can I trust this man?' she thought to herself. Then, she looked at him with a ferocity in her eyes. "If you help me get the company back, I will give you twenty percent of the shares of the Hua Group."

Taking a step back, Hearst put his hands back into his pockets and frowned. "Not interested," he said with a shrug. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Then tell me what you want," Heidy said through clenched teeth. Although she had no idea who this man was, Heidy had a feeling that he would be able to help her.

Much to her surprise, Hearst stepped in closer to her and bent over to level his head with hers. Heidy leaned back in shock. Her back was already over the railing as Hearst came in closer and closer, his warm breath grazing her face.

At this point, his face was barely an inch away from hers. "That would depend on my mood," he said in a hoarse voice, his gaze never leaving Heidy's beautiful, bright eyes.

"And.. what's your mood right now?" Heidy stammered, her legs starting to get weak.

Slowly, Hearst lifted his hand and gently caressed her soft face. "It's pretty good right now," he uttered, his low voice sending vibrations through Heidy's body.

Their bodies were so close to each other at this point. Suddenly, without warning, Heidy suddenly pushed him away, and turned to leave. "I'm going downstairs." Heidy left as quickly as she could.

Seeing her leave in such a hurry, a devious look flashed at Hearst's eyes. He turned around and tapped his fingers on the railing, starting thoughtfully at the horizon.