MARRIED TO HIS MASK (Borrowed Bride, Broken Groom)

Chapter 1

"Next!" The supervisor's voice cracked through the air like a whip, making Dahlia flinch. If she didn't get this job, there would be no rent this month, and worse, no money for her mom's medication.

Her stomach churned but she forced her legs forward, walking briskly, and feeling all gazes pinned on her like needles.

She stepped forward, smoothing her hair while trying to hide the sore on her knuckles. The supervisor stood, circled around her, eyeing her like a vulture circling a carcass.

"Too skinny. Looks like you need a sandwich, not a job. Next!" The lady sneered as she turned away. Her words echoed in Dahlia's ears.

This was her fourth rejection because of her stature. She was fed up. 'To hell with you!' she wanted to scream that so badly, but bit back. She had to think of her sick mother too.

"Please-- I need this job" she hesitated before stepping to the lady and knelt before her, clutching the hem of the lady's gown, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What's wrong with you?! Let go of me!" The lady kicked at her and she fell to the ground.

The other girls there giggled and watched as the drama unfolded. Some brought out their phones and began to film the scene like it was some show.

Dahlia rushed back to the lady, grabbing her leg this time. "Please... My mom is sick... I'll work overtime... Double shifts, I promise to work diligently"

"You think pity gets you a paycheck? Move! You're wasting my time" She shoved Dahlia who fell back this time, clutching her nose.

'Don't let them see your tears' Dahlia bit her lower lip, trying to hold back the tears, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"What's going on here, Miss Chloe?" A voice boomed from the doorside, silencing the room.

"Oh my gosh!"

"He's here!"

"What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be on a tour"

The girls murmured while some arranged their hair and smiled, hoping he noticed them.

It was Jethro Black, Acting CEO of the Black Team & Co. Ltd., the very company Dahlia had come to apply as a cleaner.

"Oh, my, Mr. Black, I didn't know you'd be here today! I was just... eh... Picking new cleaners for..." She bit her lower lips and tried to avoid eye contact while Dahlia struggled to her feet.

Everyone in the hall stood up and bowed as he strode into the hall.

"Who's she? Is she okay?" He mumbled when he noticed a girl with tattered clothes on the floor, her dirty hair covering her face.

"Just another vagrant" Miss Chloe smiled, stepping into his path, blocking his view from Dahlia.

"Move, Miss Chloe" Jethro said calmly while he adjusted his tie, while one of his hands remained in his pocket.

The other girls were busy covering the scene in a video while others were streaming it live.

"Huh?" Chloe said, feigning ignorance, fumbling with her red hair.

"You heard me, Miss Chloe. You know how I hate repeating myself" he touched the bridge of his nose as his voice tone changed, sending shiver down her spine.

"Yes, Mr. Black"

Miss Chloe left the way, enabling Jethro to walk up to Dahlia.

"Hello, are you alright?" He squatted next to her, while she hid her face behind her tangled hair.

"I'm fine" she said in a hoarse voice and sniffed. He helped her up, calculating the angle for the camera while everyone gasped in shock.

He smirked, cameras were rolling. Perfect. 'The world loved a saviour story and he had just handed them one'

Jethro gently brushed aside the tangled strands of hair, revealing eyes swollen with tears.

She immediately felt dizzy and her legs wobbled. His scent was sharp, expensive and totally out of this world.

"Your nose is bleeding," he murmured, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing at her face with unexpected tenderness while she looked up at him for the first time.

His eyes were gentle and fixed, his lashes, long and fluttering as he handled the handkerchief gently and skillfully.

She had never seen someone so beautiful up close that she felt her heart would rupture in her ribcage. His voice became distorted to her. She couldn't even hear him, all she could feel was his touch and how her heart slammed against her ribcage.

God!

"Are you okay?" He held her arms and she felt her body shiver, then she quickly looked away from his piercing gaze.

"Yes... Thank you" she looked around and saw that the people were still there and for a second, she had thought it was just her and this strange man were in the room.

"Get a grip of yourself, Dahlia" she secretly scolded herself for fantasizing about this strange man in front of her.

"Here... For your medication. You have to see the doctor" he counted out five-hundred dollar bills and placed them in her hand. Then placed the handkerchief on her hand as well. It didn't feel like kindness, but it looked like it.

However, he was going to be trending again, not for closing a billion-dollar deal or launching yet another app, but for saving a beggar. The thought almost made him laugh. The world loved a good lie. And his father would find him worthy.

Her fingers trembled around the crisp bills as her lips parted, but no words came out. She had never had so much money before.

"I have a meeting," he muttered, flicking a glance at his watch before turning away. He began walking away with some men in suits following behind him while Dahlia watched in awe.

"Next!" Miss Chloe yelled immediately he was out of sight and walked back to her seat, her forehead creased and her lips pressed into a thin line.

*.*

Outside the company building, Dahlia hesitated, clutching the bills like it was life itself, and staring at the handkerchief in disbelief. It had his cologne.

She should walk away. She had money in her hand.. but money runs out. A job doesn't. And maybe this man may be her way out, and Even if it meant pleading with her life, she would do it.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes into hours. But she kept waiting.

Dahlia became alert when she heard heavy footfalls approaching toward the parking lot of the building.

Among them was Jethro, followed by some men in suits. She followed behind closely, keeping out of sight. She watched as one of the men opened the limo and he stepped in. The door of the limousine was closed and it began to move.

"No no no" she bit her lower lip and ran as fast as she could to the roadside, she flagged at taxi, breathless, and pointed at the limo ahead.

"Please, follow that limo. It's urgent please! I need to... Eh... Return something to him" She lied, trying to catch her breath when the cab man gave her a weird look.

The cabby, noting the urgency in her voice set the car in motion and followed the limousine at a distance.

Meanwhile, Jethro leaned back in the seat, yanked open a deodorant and sprayed under his collar.

"God! The stench... Maybe I should have handed her a bar of soap instead." he tossed the deodorant away and groaned.

"Apologies, Mr. Black." His secretary, Fabian mumbled.

"Someone livestream the scene and it has gotten thousands of views" he continued with his eyes fixed on the iPad.

"Of course they had, I counted on it" Jethro scoffed and rolled his eyes, visualizing what his father would think of him when he saw the video.

Hopefully, he would think him worthy of gathering public opinion in the company's favour.

"I'm very sure that that act of kindness would boost the company's sales this week" Fabian continued as he went through his iPad, reading comments until one caught his attention.

"Huh?! Jasmine commented on the video!" Fabian said.

"She did?" Jethro's eyes bulged as he took the iPad from Fabian when his phone beeped.

Without looking at the comment, he returned the iPad and picked up his phone to read the text message he had received.

`~I'm missing you babe. Please come to Didi's Liquor. Xoxo`

He grinned and slid the cellphone to his breast pocket.

"Take me to Didi's Liquor"

"Yes sir," the driver responded and quickly changed route. It was almost getting late already.

The limousine came to a stop at the destination and Jethro slid out of the car and walked into the bar while Fabian remained in the limousine.

Dahlia alighted from the taxi, paid and hurriedly moved into the bar. The sharp stench of whiskey hit her nostrils immediately.

Music pulsed low from the background, and sounds of laughter echoed from all corners. She pushed through bodies, dodged a tray of shots and scanned the dim room with a racing heart and a dizzy head as the smell of the whiskey slowly made her dizzy.

She saw him heading up the stairs with a phone, held to his ear. He kept glancing over his shoulder and fidgeting with his tie. Dahlia saw him disappear behind a frosted glass door up the stairs labeled "VIP - Authorized Personnel Only."

She felt her last hope of getting a job was slipping away, so she raced to the door but was stopped by the bouncer at the doorside which gave her a look, hinting she explain herself.

"I... Eh..." She swallowed, scrambling for something believable. "Mr. Black is expecting me..." she lied, thinking of what to say next while the man stared at her. She was unable to read his expression.

"He gave me this as proof..." She showed him Jethro's handkerchief he had given her. There's an initial on the handkerchief "J&B"

The bouncer hesitated, questioning the credibility because of her appearance. But he recalled how he almost lost his job because of an incident like this in the past.

He furrowed his brows "You sure he's expecting you?"

"You can call him and ask if you wish" she added, seeing his eyes softened. "I work at Black & Team Co. Ltd., and it's important I see my boss!"

He finally stepped away, giving her access as she slipped past the rope-like curtains to the dimly lit room, her stomach, churning in excitement.

"Mr. Black, I didn't mean to follow you all the way here but__" she trailed off. The words died on her lips.

Her breath hitched, her eyes widened and her heart pounded wildly, like it would crack her ribs. What had she just seen? Why did she even insist on following him?

Her head screamed at her to run, but her feet were rooted to the ground. At first she didn't understand what she was seeing... She was clearly seeing things. Perhaps hallucinating from not having eaten a proper meal since last night.

There was no way she had just seen Jethro Black, locked in a passionate embrace, greedily kissing another man on the sofa!

Her phone slipped from her trembling hand, clattering to the floor. The sound snapped their attention to her.

His eyes locked with hers, wide, furious and exposed, with the veins in his neck visibly pulsing.

A silent scream crawled up her throat. She had come to say thank you, but had instead walked into a secret that could ruin him... And maybe her too.

Her heart stopped beating.

Chapter 2.

"Sh*t!!" The strange man gasped, his face burning red as he stumbled out of the dim room, nearly tripping over his own feet.

Jethro froze; his mind lagged a second behind his hand.

Dahlia turned to run away, seeing the vicious look on Jethro's face. He took three swift strides and grabbed her arms, but hesitated, looking deep into her eyes.

His hands trembled- this wasn't just a mistake. It was a disaster. But she looked more terrified than threatening.

"Who sent you?!" his voice was low, etched with panic. "What the hell did you see?"

"I didn't see anything, I swear--"

"Stop lying! Were you paid to stalk me?"

"I wasn't... I only wanted... to beg for a job! I'm sorry!" She cried, avoiding eye contact with him.

"What's the name.... Um, Dahlia Gerald, huh?" He mumbled, looking at the ID card hung around her neck.

"I think I'll have this" he sniffed and pulled it off her neck, his hand slightly shaking.

"Do yo