City Beast Bachelor's Baby
- Genre: Billionaire/CEO
- Author: Juris Ivy
- Chapters: 17
- Status: Ongoing
- Age Rating: 18+
- 👁 10
- ⭐ 5.0
- 💬 0
Annotation
Christian Rist earned himself a lot of enemies in the city where he lives. But at the face of danger, this CEO stood unfazed and even grinning. He had long since missed the thrill of hunting an enemy, so when a problem occured, he vowed to make his chase worthwhile. To make his pursuit of vengeance hidden, he needed a cover. Marrying a woman swimming in debts is as good option as any. He's paying her money, and she, in turn, will play by his direction. No one will be at the short end of the stick. Prila Marie Selis just hit a new low, and she's not happy with the new pit she just brought herself into. After a night of running away from the loan sharks her father owed, meeting Christian was like a rainbow beam from heaven. Prila thought she met her savior, but it turned out the man was a cold and cruel user. A beast. Christian pushed Prila's boundaries every chance he got. Her loyalty was tested, her body was sacrificed in his stead and her mind was no longer the same as before. After almost losing her legs in an accident, Prila vowed to never go back on his side. The debt was paid and his enemies were all at his mercy. He should not want anything more. Too bad that Christian needed one last thing. He realized that the need to extract revenge was never as strong as the desire to be close to Prila again. But the woman won't even give him the corner of her eyes. He begged, and chased, and bleed. The question is... would she try and gamble with the beast again?
Chapter 1: Christian
"It was sorted yesterday. The man was all talk— he's just trying to rile you up, Jacob. Don't play by his rules." Christian eyed the road ahead and nearly sigh. He missed the party that was supposed to end at midnight. Christian got too wrapped up in his work that he barely noticed the time. He dusted his lap and spoke to his cell phone, "Yeah, I need to go now. Don't forget what I said."
The line fell and Christian was finally able to exhale loudly. He leaned on the leather backseat and watched idly as city lights sweep past his eyes. It was already eleven in the evening, and the traffic had eased. His driver worked the car at a moderate speed, appearing blind and deaf because he never once looked at the rearview mirror to check up on Christian. One of the rules he implored to the people working for him— do not speak unless it's necessary.
"Perry, did you call Amber?" he initiated.
The man in the driver's seat answered briefly, "Yes, sir. She said, if you want her to agree with your terms, then she has to gain more than the loose change you're offering."
Christian smiled, although it wasn't a good-looking one. "What more does she want? She's not a sought-after model. She wasn't even that good-looking. Where does she get this confidence?"
Perry didn't respond. Christian snorted. "Cut communications with her and send out letters. Let the industry know she's one picky ass."
The driver flinched. He clearly disagreed with his decision and found his orders extreme. Christian eyed him through the rearview mirror and he asked, "Is there a problem?"
"No— None, sir."
Christian nodded. He shifted his eyes away and turned to the window. "I need this, to keep my family and my business safe. I've sent Amber several invites and we talked a few times, she wouldn't say no. She keeps stretching things out in the hopes to get more out of me and that's dishonest. I hate people like that the most."
"Yes, sir." Perry swallowed. The man intended it to be discreet but the silence inside the car made his actions loud. Christian pursed his lips.
Few people have commented on his overbearing attitude before. His parents, and then there's his older sister. Full stop. The others weren't lucky enough to have the privilege to say that to his face. He knew sometimes he tended to go overboard. But he is capable. He's able to do it. Christian can do it without getting reprimanded by the law, or the people surrounding him.
And so, by his logic, everything is fine. As long as he is still in power, he'll be able to pull what needs to be pulled and push what needs to be dealt away.
Simple.
Unfortunately, a lot of people in the Larga city think just like him. And when the likes of Christian met each other, a clash was about to commence.
Most went and resulted in underhanded methods while only a few would fight him face on.
Christian didn't know who out of his many long standing enemies started to send criminals after his parents five months ago. Up until now, they're still being ambushed every few days. He didn't need to worry about them though, they can hold themselves in a fight despite old age. They have bodyguards, and they're veterans of war. They didn't need his extra hands.
But they hated the constant trouble. They both rallied over Christian's life choices until he decided to do one thing— marrying someone.
His parents were too far from him. Christian can't possibly monitor their moves because the two were free spirited lovers who travel most of the time. What he needed was a front. Someone who can be the focus of his enemies' attacks. He needs someone to play as his wife.
Christian toyed with the idea in his mind for a month before fully deciding on it. He figured it should be fun. Later on, he sent out invites to the women he considered good enough.
Which was only Amber, so far.
Unfortunately, Christian couldn't find a good candidate. Everyone was too fine, too dainty and too shiny for his liking. He'd want to choose someone he's going to enjoy going out with. One who can excite him past the clashing of mouths and thighs.
"What the—" Perry unceremoniously hit the brakes. Christian felt his vision darken for a moment because of the impact. His upper torso jumped forward but was held back painfully by the seatbelt on his chest. He coughed. "What happened?"
'Don't tell me someone sent a fucking truck to finish me?' Christian rolled his eyes.
"I— I think I hit someone, sir." At forty-nine years old, Perry's lips trembled with guilt. "She— She's not moving!"
Christian sighed noisily before getting out of the car. The sudden stop irritated the hell out of him. Just when he was about to look at the mess his driver made, he was stopped by three rugged men pulling out an unconscious woman from the ground.
"Shit— Look closely! She can't fucking hit her head and play amnesiac now!"
The man with the most piercing suggested, "Shake her head. Try slapping her face if it won't work."
Christian looked around and noticed that they're now close to an abandoned factory. The establishments nearby were all bankrupt or too poor to own a CCTV camera. He shuffled his feet and stepped closer to the three thugs. "Gentlemen, you could have done this play elsewhere."
The men stopped hustling the woman and eyed Christian critically. One spat, "Take your assumptions up your ass, man. We're not here to mug you! This woman's father owes us big. Either you move away or you're going to kiss our fists."
Christian's jaw worked. He itches to get a gun and just pull, pull and pull. Outwardly, he moves his eyes to the woman who's regaining her consciousness. 'Who's the unfortunate girl?'
Her face was exposed to the beam of his car's headlights and Christian stared.
The woman was a brunette beauty.
Christian straightened his back and observed some more. The miserable woman was considerably taller than most. The highly striking feature of her face was a mole at the corner of her lower lips.
"How much does her father owe you guys?" He stepped closer and squatted, aiming to inspect the woman's clothes.
They're in tatters. The colors have faded and there's bruises on her exposed arms. These thugs have been chasing her for quite a while now. And based on the injuries she sustained, she'd been almost caught quite a number of times.
In close... he can see the full potential of the woman's appeal.
"A hundred and fifty thousand. Not that big, aye? It's just that her family is pretty poor."
Christian's lips stretched in a smile. "You have the papers with you, no? A ledger."
One of the men eyed him carpingly. "What are you planning to do?"
The harsh voice awoke the girl. She gasped and blinked furiously, still barely awake. The look she gave Christian was full of questions.
He shrugged. "I'm going to pay her father's debts. You can let her go now."
The woman's relief was palpable. Her untrusting gaze shifted to an appraising one. As if she'd kiss Christian's shoes if he asked. The thought tickled him from the inside. He laughed. "Stand up and go inside my car back there. We'll talk later."
The comfort that the woman felt gradually calmed down and turned to confusion. Christian was not about to explain his matters in a smelly road. He helped the woman stand up and push her towards the back seat of his car. He pulled out his wallet. "What's your name, darling?" he asked belatedly.
"Prila," she croaked, "My name's Prila Marie."
Christian blinked. 'No way.' He tilted his head back and sniffed. 'What a bad name. No wonder she's riddled with bad luck.'
He beamed to put the woman at ease. She finally sat and waited for his next move. Christian lowered himself until they're eye to eye. He said, "I'll buy your freedom, sweetheart."
"I— I can work for you." Her voice lacked fear. Christian wondered if he's not scary enough. "You don't buy people. I'm paying you back."
He scoffed. "Tell that to your father. Stay here."
Christian walked back to the thugs. "Gentlemen, tell me how you want me to pay."
"What do you plan to do with the woman?" The man, who Christian remembered to have offered slapping the Prila awake earlier, looked a little concerned. "I know you're rich. We've seen guys like you regularly. We're not after you."
He put his wallet in his pocket and sighed. "I plan to make her my wife. So, what's next?"
The men looked disconcerted and miffed about his reply. They refused to believe what he said, and Christian didn't care what they thought.
When the ink dried on the paper and the money was given, he clapped his hands. "Job well done, gentlemen. Thank you for the delivery."
Christian looked up and saw that the night sky was clear and bright. The moon shines, the stars twinkle, and the air is cold and smooth. He turned to his driver who came out to stand by his side. "What a lovely night, Perry? Just the right time to go wife hunting."
Perry was unamused. He looked worried for Prila back in the car. Christian rolled his eyes and told him, "Look at my catch. Beautiful, right?"
"What if she declines your offer, sir?"
He chuckled at his question. Christian lifted a sardonic brow. "As if she has a choice. The debt of her father was paid by me. How can that woman refuse?"
Perry nodded and deigned to reply. He shrugs carelessly and removes his coat before going back in the car. The woman inside eyed him like a scared chicken, afraid what a jackal like him could do.
Christian winked. "Relax, sweet face. I'm a good man."
'Not. Ever.' He smiled and settled in his seat. 'Was never called a good man really.'
"Okay."
The meek response delighted Christian even more. He plans to tolerate the bad smell that sticks to the woman's clothes but it's hard. He pursed his lips and commented, "You stink."
Prila nodded sagely and said, "Falling unconscious on the dirty road would result in that sometimes."
Christian froze and reeled for a moment. 'Did she just... respond to me sarcastically?’
Chapter 2: Prila
Prila wondered if she just hit a jackpot or another shit hole for a moment. Then, she totally surrendered thinking. She's too comfortable inside this sleek black car and warm seat. She remembered being cold earlier. And that type of chill sent prickles of morbid awareness in her skull.
She could have been raped. Worse, her organs could have been sold to sickly old wealthy people. There's a lot of things that can go terribly wrong because of their family's debts.
Her father was an alcoholic and a gambler. He's rarely home everyday but the news that reached Prila never carried any good faith about him. She longed to cut him off her life but... currently, there's just the two of them.
Prila's mom died when she was eleven. Up until now, her dad was her only company. She didn't know when he started to spiral down the dark path but Prila has her own life too. She has to work and develop herself. Prila later loses the time to bond with her father, especially since he's no