#THE_SACRIFICE
EPISODE 3
*GRAND HILLS CLUB*
Jade’s heart thumped wi-dely against her che-st, as his gaze pierced into her eyes. He just looked at her in silence.
She couldn’t make out why he kept staring at her silently. Maybe she had taken him by surprise or maybe he was angry, she couldn’t tell.
She feared being rejected by him because she wouldn’t know what to do if he did. From the bartender’s words, he seems to be the best there was. By best, she meant riche-st.
She had never thought a day like this would come when she would do something against her morals. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
She gazed at this man who was nearly casually dressed in a white shi-t tucked over a black pair of trou-sers, which he wore with a pair of white sneakers. His dark-sleek hair was neatly combe-d, and a few stray strands pushed forward. She wouldn’t be wrong to say he looked beautiful, but his beauty was the least of her problems now.
She watched as the others seated around made mocking gestures at her.
“She must be bold to have approached Jake…especially when he just returned. Isn’t she being too overconfident?” a redhead girl at the table whispered to another girl seated by her side, but she was audible enough to Jade’s hearing.
“No one has ever done something like this. I’m sure Jake will reject her,” The other girl replied with an envious look in her eyes. They both eyed Jade angrily. They had both been s£nding b©dy signals to Jake since he arrived, not minding their p@rtners seated by their sides, but Jake hasn’t cast a single glance their way.
She heard all their snide remarks but chose to be unaffected by them.
She had a sole purpose for being there, and that was saving Cale…she had to. She’ll be damned if she’d let him die. She had to do all she could to save him, even if it meant selling her b©dy to this man in front of her. She had never imagined giving up her innocence to any man other than Cale.
She had always fantasized about her first time with Cale after getting married, where she will give herself freely and wholly to him. But that wouldn’t be possible after tonight, but at least she’ll know this was all to save him.
If there had been better alternatives, she’d grasp it with both hands. She had only begun her internsh!pat the company, so she couldn’t request advance pay, especially when her salary was ba-rely enough to cater to her mother and brother.
Jade has always been s-en-sitive and reciprocative towards people and feelings.
She kept looking at him anxiously with her hands still stretched. Mixed emotions of fear and confusion enveloped her, but she refused to give in to cowardice.
She felt hopeful when Jake reached for the envelope in her hands and took out the result in it. He quic-kly looked at it before raising his gaze to her again, which made her bite her bo-ttoml!pnervously.
She suddenly noticed a pas-sionate look in his eyes. His eyes lit up with pas-sion, and they made her shudder, and her knees felt weak. His hazel eyes concealed a lot of emotions inside them, emotions that shook her to the core.
*********
Jake was hesitant towards this; as a matter of fact, he felt like rejecting her. But his eyes kept wandering back to her. There was an internal war happening right inside of him every time he glanced at her. He seriously de-sired to rest so he’d have a clear head by morning, but something in him also wanted her. He knew he wanted her more than anything.
Jake was not only successful and rich, but he was also a fascinating man who looked more gorgeous than most women. It sounds unreal, but one would see him and say this was true. In addition, he was smart, intelligent, pas-sionate and charismatic. Not just a few knew about it, but the whole country knew he was a pla-yboy. He broke hearts at his wake and had no regard towards women except to use them to curb his S-xual appetite…but that has never hindered his capabilities as a strategic visionary, or his ability to make perfect decisions un-der pressure, which has brou-ght the company to its pinnacle of success.
He gro-an ed inwardly when he saw her bite her netherl-ip. If Jake had been hesitant before, well, he wasn’t anymore. That single action has awoken the slee-ping beast in him.
He took a quic-k look at her, gulped down his drink and j£rked to his feet.
“Leave a car for me before you leave,” He said to no one in p@rticular as he kept looking at Jade transfixed.
Obviously, it had to be Blake, who had been watching the spectacular scene unfold before him in surprise, and with his mouth gape. He had for a moment there thought Jake might turn her down, but he also knew his brother too well. The guy would never say no to an opportunity of getting la-id.
Jake suddenly pu-ll-ed her by the hand and said, “Let’s go” as he led her out of the club.
Jade’s heart skipped a beat when Jake gr@bb£d her hand and said, “Let’s go” those words kept resounding in her head.
She lowered her eyes to his hand, holding hers while he gently led her out of the club. She felt like breaking free from his hold, but something kept her in place as she obe-diently let him lead her out.
Jade kept looking at her hand locked in his as different thoughts ran throu-gh her mind. Uncertainty pricked every fibre of her being. She was de-eply lost in thoughts and had no idea when she walked into the elevator. She could tell they were moving up and her heart rate increa-sed ra-pidly because she knew what this meant.
Jake glanced at her and saw her in a daze. His eyes fell on her red paintedl-ips, which looked full and pillowy. He didn’t know if it was the colour of herl-ipstick or just herl-ips that made him want to k!ssher s-en-seless. He diverted his gaze from them and noticed how her gaze was fixed to their hands.
Jade j£rked back to reality when the elevator chimed on arrival, and Jake gently pu-ll-ed her out as they walked towards one of the suite’s doors. Jake pu-ll-ed out a key card which made Jade wonder when he had gotten it…but she couldn’t let that bother her. She had to prepare herself both mentally and emotionally for what was about to happen.
He keyed in the card and walked into the luxurious suite with his hand still holding hers before finally letting go.
Jade would have been super excited had it been another day. She definitely would have taken pictures of this suite if the situation had been a little different. But today was different. Because today nothing mattered.
“You should use the bathroom first,” Jake told her calmly as he walked to the be-droom.
“That won’t be necessary”, Jade replied in a small voice, still standing on the same sp©t, while Jake turned to look at her.
“Come closer,”
Jade lifted her gaze to him, and her heart rate skyrocketed when she saw the de-sire in his eyes. He looked at her like a meal he so wanted to ravish.
She had never felt so uncertain in her life as she felt that very moment. She had come here fully prepared, but now, every bit of courage she had mustered up had totally disappeared.
She had heard him say ‘come closer, but her feet felt rooted to the ground. Her b©dy felt unyielding.
Jake could s-en-se her nervousness; a slight frown flashed across his face when he noticed her unwillingness. ‘Could it really be her first time? That’s strange. Didn’t she approach him by herself?’
He obviously did not believe her words about paying him with her innocence. Weren’t ladies like herself always putting up such acts? Tsk…he has seen enough of her kind.
He looked at those set of blue eyes that were looking at him like they were communicating something to him…something he didn’t un-derstand.
He slowly walked closer as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears.
He didn’t know what was happening to him, but this lady was messing up his s-en-ses. Jake lifted her chin with his thumb and looked at those red lvstrousl-ips, which were very tempting, ma-king him li-ck his bo-ttoml!phungrily.
Jade stood transfixed as her gaze met his. She tried to look away, but the ha-rder she tried, the more she couldn’t. Those hazel eyes shined brightly like you could see the world throu-gh them.
Jake took a step closer and covered the space between them. Jade wanted to take a step back in fright, but something about his eyes kept her in place as he slowly lowered hisl-ips and covered hers.
Jade’s b©dy stiffened when hisl-ips t©uçhed hers. Her b©dy j£rked slightly when he sli-pped his hand around her svelte w@!st.
Jake saw a mess of emotions in her blue eyes. If it had been any other woman, he’d walk her out. But he just wanted to pacify all her wrecking nerves so that he could have her right now.
“Shhh”, He hushed softly and s£dûçt!velyas he slowly pats her hair, which made Jade’s shoulders slouch involuntarily. Jade couldn’t make s-en-se of what was happening to her.
Jake pu-ll-ed her closer to him once more and directly went in for herl-ips…thosel-ips that had been tormenting him all night. He put his hands around her as he de-epened the k!ssand drew in her scent. It wasn’t perfume, but whatever it was, felt soothing to him.
Jade stood still with her hands to her side as Jake feasted on herl-ips like a hungry man. There was something about this k!ss, his k!ss, that made her feel he shouldn’t st©p….it simply felt different. Different from the ones she had shared with Cale.
Cale was the reason she was doing this. She closed her eyes to push the thought of Cale out of her mind if she didn’t want to bolt and take to her heels. If she really wanted to do this, then she had to be here and pl@yalong. Jake sm-irked in his mind when she suddenly returned his k!ss. This caused a wave of excited emotions inside of him, his hands moving all over her b©dy.
Jade slowly raised her hands and placed them around him, which made Jake lift her off the floor, take her to the room, and place her on the be-d.
“Wait!” Jade said when she heard that familiar ring tone designated for Cale before pushing the heavy built man laying on her as she jumped off the be-d.
Jade wh!pped out her phone from her purse, which she had earlier dropped on the floor. Her hands trembled when Cale’s name was displa-yed on the screen. Only one thought pas-sed throu-gh her mind.
‘I hope nothing happened to him.’
“Jade… where are you?” A voice cried over the phone as soon as she answered. Jade’s heart fell throu-gh when she heard Mrs Stuart voice.
“Mom?” She called out in fear. She didn’t want to hear what she most feared.
Helen Stuart was Cale’s adoptive mother, who was highly fond of Jade and saw her as her own daughter. She loved Jade like her own and could only wish Jade and her son would end up together soon.
“Jade…It’s Cale,” Mrs Stuart said as she cried hysterically.
Jade stiffened at her words. Her heart constricted ti-ghtly.
“What…happened to Cale?” She asked in a small voice, almost in a whisper, but her fears were evident in it.
“The doctor said he had a hypovolemic shock because his kidney is bleeding out. He nee-ds surgery immediately, but..but Jade, we still don’t have the money,” She said as she continued crying.
“Money? I’ll s£nd the money to you right away,” She said as she slowly turned to a red-faced Jake before turning her back to him again.
“How will you..” Helen tried saying, but Jade cut in.
“Get the doctors to save him. Nothing will happen to him. He’ll be fine,” She said convincingly, not so sure if she was actually trying to convince herself or Cale’s mom.
“Okay…Thank you, Jade,” Mrs Stuart said in light sobs before disconnecting the call. Jade stood fixed to the same sp©t with the phone to her ear. She was scared by Mrs Stuart words over the phone. ‘Cale, you better not die on me’, she said in her heart.
She was startled when she felt a warm pair of hands on her arms, which slowly turned her around, “Can I plea-se have the money now. I’m definitely not leaving tonight, but…can I get it first?” She said softly without meeting his gaze. She was too embarras-sed with herself to look at him.
Jake looked at her for a split second; her eyes seemed sad, and he didn’t know why that was. And he also didn’t know why she bothered him this much.
He pu-ll-ed out his phone and opened his banking app, “Here, put in your bank details and the amount you’d like”, Jake said, handing the phone to her.
Jade slowly reached out for it and put in the right details and the amount she nee-ded to save Cale. She looked at the phone for a while before handing it back. She looked at the amount she had put in; it was not a single cent more than required.
That was the cost of her b©dy…her love. She shook her head lightly to take such derailing thoughts out of her head. She had to believe she was doing this for the right cause.
Jade confirmed the transaction, which he showed to her. He looked at her and their gaze met.
“So, can I have you now?” He asked in a husky voice, ma-king Jade bit herl-ips as she responded with a simple nod, her heart racing frantically.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 4