<h4>Chapter 23: Just Fun</h4>


    The hospital’s sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic engulfed Eliana Bet the moment she rushed through the sliding ss doors. Her chest tightened as her heart hammered wildly, each beat echoing in her ears. Just hours ago, she’d been drowning in worry, trying to figure out how to keep her father’s treatment going when every penny had already been stretched beyond its limit.


    Then the calls came—first from the hospital, then from Rafael Vexley’s secretary. Each word had felt like lightning striking her still heart. Her father’s bills... paid. All of them. Cleared without a trace. By him.


    Rafael Vexley.


    The very man she’d woken up beside not too long ago, her mind foggy with regret and humiliation, convinced she’d given away a part of herself she could never get back. She could still feel the icy disbelief this morning, the crushing guilt as she fled his estate.


    Now, her worn-out sneakers squeaked against the hospital’s glossy floors as she weaved past bustling nurses and worried families. Her thoughts were tangled in a storm of relief, confusion, and something dangerously close to hope. Why would a man like Rafael—a man who moved through the world like nothing could touch him—do something so kind? So... impossibly generous?


    Or was this his way of putting a price tag on her dignity? Of making sure she knew exactly who held her fate in their hands?


    Eliana swallowed hard, her chest burning with the question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered.


    Eliana reached the hospital’s billing office, her breath catching as the clerk handed her a stack of documents. The numbers blurred before her honey-brown eyes—zeros erased, debts dissolved. She signed the forms permitting her father’s treatment, her trembling fingers betraying the dreamlike haze that enveloped her. It felt like she was floating, like the world had tilted into a fairy tale where hope wasn’t just a flicker but a zing light. She clutched the papers to her chest, her curly ck hair spilling over her shoulders as she whispered to herself, "This can’t be real."


    Frank Bet, had been moved to the VIP ward by the time she reached him. The room was a stark contrast to the cramped, dim space he’d upied before. Sunlight streamed through wide windows, spreading it’s warm glow over crisp white linens and a tray of steaming food—roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and vibrant green beans, a far cry from the watery soup he’d been served for the past days. Frank, frail and weathered, his dark eyes gentle despite the pain etched into his face, looked up from his bed. His balding head gleamed under the fluorescent lights, and his voice, weak but warm, broke the silence.


    "Eliana, sweetheart," he rasped, his gaze flickering to the luxurious room, "how in God’s name did you manage this? The bills, this room... it’s too much. Tell me, how’d you pay for it?"


    Eliana froze, her heart lurching. She couldn’t tell him the truth—or what she thought was the truth. That she’d woken up in Rafael Vexley’s bed, her body tangled in his sheets, believing she’d traded her dignity for his money. The shame burned her cheeks, but she forced a smile, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.


    "Papa, don’t you worry about it," she said, sitting beside him and taking his thin hand. "I... I got another job. A good one. They gave me an advance, and I used it to cover everything. The hospital worked with me on a payment n, too. It’s all taken care of."


    Frank’s eyes narrowed, searching her face. "A job? What kind of job pays this much upfront, Eliana? You’re not doing something dangerous, are you?"


    Sheughed, the sound brittle but convincing. "No, Papa, nothing like that. It’s another caregiving job for a nice wealthy family. They’re... generous. I just got lucky, that’s all." She squeezed his hand, her smile softening. "You just focus on getting better, okay? Let me handle the rest."


    Frank studied her for a long moment, his expression a mix of pride and worry. Finally, he nodded, his voice bing a whisper. "You’re too good to me, Eliana. Always have been."


    The words pierced her, and she blinked back tears as she spent the day by his side, watching nurses run tests and doctors murmur reassurances. Frank’s strength was returning, bit by bit, and the sight of him eating a proper meal filled her with a fragile hope. But beneath it all, a fire burned in her chest. Rafael Vexley. She’d march to his mansion tomorrow and set things straight. She wasn’t his pawn, and she wouldn’t be his ything. Every penny he’d spent on her father, she’d repay—without selling her soul again.


    Meanwhile, across town in the sleek, ss-walled office of Vexley Enterprises, Rafael Vexley reclined in his leather chair, his steel-grey eyes glinting with amusement. The CCTV footage yed on the massive screen before him, capturing Eliana’s hurried exit from his bedroom the previous morning. She’d been wearing nothing but his oversized white shirt, her long legs bare, her face a mask of mortification as she clutched the fabric around her. Rafael’s lips twitched into a grin, and a low chuckle escaped him.


    James stood nearby, his brow furrowed as he nced at the screen. "What’s so funny, sir?" he asked, adjusting his sses. "She looks like she’s running from a ghost."


    Rafael leaned forward, pausing the footage on Eliana’s wide-eyed expression. "Oh, James, it’s priceless. Look at her—scrambling out of my room like she’smitted a crime. The girl’s got no idea I didn’t touch her." Heughed again, the sound sharp and edged with mischief. "She thinks she slept with me. And I’m letting her believe it."


    James raised an eyebrow, his tone cautious. "You’re ying a dangerous game, sir. Why toy with her like this?"


    Rafael’s grin faded, but his eyes sparkled with something darker. "Because it’s <i>fun, </i>James. I haven’t had this much entertainment in years. She’s so... earnest. So easy to rattle." He rewound the footage, watching Eliana stumble into the hallway, her curls bouncing wildly. "Look at that determination. She’s probably cursing my name right now."


    The footage shifted to another camera, showing Eliana’s encounter with Celina, Rafael’s spoiled step-sister. Celina’s venomous words echoed through the speakers—insults hurled at what Eliana was wearing and Rafael’s ughable disability." Rafael’s jaw tightened, his amusement reced by a cold fury.


    "Cut Celina’s allowance," he snapped, his voice like a whip. "Three months. Let her learn to keep that mouth of hers shut."


    James nodded, making a note. "Done, sir. Though I doubt it’ll teach her much. She’s as stubborn as theye."


    Rafael didn’t respond, his attention back on the screen. The final clip showed Eliana at the gate, her voice trembling with resolve as she told ra, the housekeeper, "I’ll never set foot in this house again. Never."


    Rafael threw his head back andughed, the sound rich and unrestrained. "Oh, she’s adorable. Look at that face—pure conviction. Like she’s going to storm off and never look back." He leaned back, folding his arms. "She’ll be back, James. Mark my words."


    James tilted his head, skeptical. "You sure about that, sir? She sounded pretty serious. And after what Celina said to her..."


    Rafael waved a hand dismissively. "She’s tasted the money, James. Paid her father’s bills, didn’t I? She’lle crawling back, just like the others. They all do. She’ll probably try to seduce me next, thinking it’ll keep the cash flowing."


    James frowned, his voice low. "If you think she’s like the others, why <i>her</i>? Why choose her to... you know, bear your child?"


    Rafael’sughter returned, sharp and mocking. "Oh, James, you’re too serious. I’m not serious about her. It’s a game. I’m proving a point—to someone. A man who has so much faith in humanity. He needs to see and learn. Eliana’s just a pawn. Weak-minded, naive, money hungry. Just like the rest of them." He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with a dangerous edge. "I’d never let someone like her carry my legacy. She’s just... fun to mess with."


    James didn’t respond, his expression unreadable as he turned back to his tablet. Rafael’s gaze lingered on the frozen image of Eliana, her honey-brown eyes zing with defiance. For a moment, his smirk faltered, and a flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps—crossed his face. Why was he so fascinated by her? She was just another caregiver, another desperate soul chasing his wealth. And yet, watching her storm away, he felt a spark he hadn’t known in years.


    "Tomorrow," he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible. "Let’s see if you keep your word, Eliana Bet."


    *******


    Eliana sat by her father’s bedside, the hospital room now quiet except for the soft beeping of monitors. Frank slept, his breathing steadier than it had been in months. She brushed a curl from her face, her mind racing. Tomorrow, she’d face Rafael Vexley. She’d tell him she wasn’t his toy, that she’d repay every cent, and that she’d never let him touch her again. Her heart ached with the weight of her mistake, but her resolve was irond. She was Eliana Bet, and she’d fight for her lost dignity, no matter the cost.