Her Possessive Billionaire

PART 1 - BACK TO WHAT? - Story of Khalan and Aliyah ------ CHAPTER 1 Manila Yacht Club – 11:30 in the evening The tall, aristocratic man carried the very drunk lady onto the luxury yacht. They started sailing immediately upon boarding. The lady had passed out from drinking and dancing the whole night; her friends, like herself, were also drunk. The man gently placed her inside the cabin room. He looked at the lady with pity in his eyes. The splash of the alcoholic drink she had spilled on herself ruined her beige office wear. He carefully changed her clothes into his clean white under-shirt. He avoided looking at her tempting body as much as possible. It took him considerable self-control to undertake that simple task. She was so tempting and irresistible, and he was no saint. Khalan Weston, 34-year-old- bachelor, and a Phil-UK business tycoon, gazed disconcertedly at the sleeping lady. He couldn't believe that the lady was capable of drinking as if there was no tomorrow. As Khalan gazed at her, he brushed aside some strands of her long black hair, covering her gorgeous and clear heart-shaped face. He smirked and shook his head while looking at her tamer version. Her face is so sweet and angelic, very different from the arrogant and hideous snob she presented herself lately. While his chocolate brown eyes appreciating scanned her irresistible beauty...the lady moved. "Uhhh!" She murmured, holding her head. He uttered, "Sleep, Aliyah, sleep," he cautiously placed the white sheet to cover her exposed lower body. She kicked the cloth away. "Get out of here. Stay away from me!" she also pushed him away from the bed. He was unsure if she recognized his voice when she pushed him away. Khalan smirked before leaving, "Foolish lady." he murmured. Feeling amused after giving another glance at her alluring appearance. By chance, he saw her at the bar earlier, and he was about to leave after meeting his lawyer for a drink while the lawyer handed over the documents he needed for the next day's island inspection. Khalan heard her distinct voice while laughing with a bunch of people her age. Her voice quality was too familiar and distinct for him not to recognize easily. He decided to stay at the bar as he watched her dance and drink with friends for the rest of the night. He recalled that he had seen her again two months earlier after they parted six years ago. Khalan learned she's already an architect and a successful one at that. She gained extensive experience abroad, and she came back a year ago to establish her own architectural firm. AC Architectural Designs (ACAD) has a comprehensive portfolio, their designs - world-class, all the architects' have extensive experience. They gained numerous recognition abroad, especially their company head, co-owner, and CEO ... architect Aliyah Ledesma. ACAD won the bid for the architectural design of the 6th Business Center building of KD-Manila, his own company where he stands as its Chairman and CEO. Khalan was in the UK when the negotiation took place. He relied on his lawyers and officers' expertise in dealing with mundane tasks such as construction biddings. He trusted their expertise in choosing qualified constructors. Hence, they were right in selecting the company. ACAD's credentials were promising and unquestionable, and the proposed design of the building was outstanding compared to other bidders. He arrived in time for contract signing. He wouldn't do anything to stop the negotiation, but he hoped he came in more prepared in meeting Aliyah. Or better yet, their paths should have crossed sooner than the contract signing itself. Aliyah practically brushed him aside for the past two months. Apart from cordial greetings during meetings, she avoided all personal communication with him. She was icy cold, blunt to the point of rudeness, and ridiculously distant, highly unlikely- the lady he once knew. While outside of the room, he sat on the couch for a long time, resting his full, perfectly muscled build on the cabin couch. He gazed at the ceiling and uttered... "I shall prepare for her anger tomorrow. Her reaction will be unpleasant--definitely unpleasant." He closed his eyes with a wicked smile on his lips and settled himself on the uncomfortable couch. He never anticipated his accommodation for this trip would be a stiff couch due to an unexpected guest, the famous- Ar. Aliyah Ledesma. But before he slept, he muttered, "This time, you can't avoid me, Aliyah." The luxury yacht moved toward its destination and currently floated in the middle of the ocean. --- The following day at 7 a.m. Aliyah woke up to an unfamiliar environment. She felt like she was floating; on top of it, her head was pounding. She thought it might be due to the alcohol she consumed last night. She looked around. She saw bottled water on top of the side table; she hastily twisted the bottle cap and drank the water straight down. Her throat was so dry, and the water quenched her thirst instantly. Aliyah made her way to the bathroom after drinking the water and seeing an unopened toothbrush and toothpaste by the sink; she used them immediately. But where the hell am I? She asked herself. Suddenly, she felt a bit dizzy as the floor swayed. "What did I do last night? Where am I?" Aliyah tried to clear her head. The last she remembered, she was having fun with her friends at the bar. It had been one of their crazy nights. But what happened after that? "I better check where I am." – she uttered and hurried to the direction of the door. As soon as she opened the door, the glare of the sun hit her eyes. She instantly raised her arm to cover the blinding rays of the light. Then she heard a deep, commanding, but a somewhat calming voice. "Good morning, architect Aliyah," But no matter how calming the voice was, her reaction to it was repulsive. She tried to focus her vision on the couch and muttered to herself, "Who the hell is this bastard?" Her eyes were sharp, and her teeth clenched. As her vision cleared, she saw the face of the man sitting on the couch. It was definitely the one face she wouldn't wish to see for the remaining days of her life. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to withstand his presence until they completed their construction contract, The Boss. Mr. Khalan Weston. Instantly, her blood boiled, but she maintained her composure and said in a passive and cold tone... "Why are we here?" Khalan spoke with a Londoner accent. "I know it's an odd situation, but I saw you at the bar last night, dead-drunk. It would have been dangerous and utterly inconsiderate of me to leave you in such a condition.” His eyes looked at her intently... after a few seconds, he smiled naughtily. His eyes scanned the white shirt that hung on her body, reaching her mid-thigh. Very sexy, he thought. Aliyah ran her hand down her hair and spoke with sarcasm... "Goodness. I am in the middle of what? The ocean? It's better if you mind your own business." Khalan’s deep and commanding voice uttered calmly... "My apologies. This weekend's sailing trip was arranged before I even saw you. I didn't know where to send you. Hence, I decided to bring you along," he crafted the excuse last night. In her toneless and cold voice, Aliyah replied... "Seriously? You should have refrained from troubling yourself." Khalan responded confidently but coldly... "Listen-- I made a hasty decision because I didn't have the time to waste. But it was impractical to leave you with a bunch of people who are dead-drunk." She furrowed her brows, but her voice was surprisingly toneless when she replied sarcastically... "For all you care? I was with my friends, and the owner of the bar is also a friend, so we are safe." Khalan released a deep sigh and reiterated his earlier response. "As I said, I made the decision rashly." Aliyah breathed deeply as well and asked... "How am I supposed to get back?" being stuck with the man was not her idea of being safe. His voice was too sexy when he replied, but Aliyah tried to remain immune to it. "We go back tomorrow, Aliyah." When she heard his reply, her cold expression turned gloomy... Her work schedule would definitely be affected, and anything that concerned her work was a guarantee to annoy her. Her blood suddenly boiled, and she spoke at the top of her voice. "Tomorrow? That will be too late for the drafts that I need to complete!" "Calm down, Aliyah." Khalan chuckled. Khalan's coolness agitated Aliyah even more. She couldn't stand his calmness and salacious glances. Aliyah shook her head in disbelief. She was in a situation entirely beyond her control. To relieve her tension and avoid uttering remarks that would further reveal her displeasure, she hastily went outside the cabin and walked straight to the ship deck. "Aliyah, clear your head. That's the best you can do for now." She silently told herself. The wind blew and pushed her long straight hair at the back of her head when she reached the open space. The sea was very calm, and the fresh air slowly soothed her tension. She tried to ease her thoughts. She knew her blood pressure rose, causing tension in her veins, and told herself... "Aliyah, you can do this. Just ignore the man for the rest of the sail."