Billionaire gangster falls for a single Mom.

My past briefly.

"Here's your bag and purse," Bravyn said as she walked into my room without knocking. I was seated on the couch, drooling at what I had just asked of him.

Why would I do such a thing? Was it Christie? Did I want to prove something to her? I sighed and wished for something hot, such as coffee, but decided to wait for my tormentor.

"So, do you still believe there is no chemistry between us?" Bravyn asked carelessly. He still wanted to pursue the matter, but I was tired of his drama.

"You have proved whatever you wanted to prove; there is a certain chemistry between us, but honestly, one kiss and you expect me to take you to bed. I am not as easy and vulnerable as you think, and I do not do one-night stands, so please do not touch me the next time." I told him, my voice firm, that I needed it to penetrate his thick skull.

"I would like to know why you cannot have men in your life," Bravyn, who was sitting on the opposite couch, inquired.

"I will tell you that story, but I am tired; I need to sleep and freshen up; it has been a long day!" I told him.

"You can go freshen up; I will order whatever you want, and tomorrow you can sleep all you want. I will only come by dinner time!" he insisted.

"Just promise me you will keep those hands to yourself!" I raised my brows and waited for his answer.

Bravyn never answered; he just stared at me and withdrew his hands and hid them behind his back, and I understood he was gesturing that his hands were tied up and couldn't move.

I took my small bag and disappeared to the bedroom, securing the door with a latch. And I did not bother with the bathtub; I can soak up the next day, so I took a shower, put on nice lingerie, and checked myself in the mirror. "Damn, this is see-through; if I wear it to the sitting area, he will think I am trying to seduce him!" I thought.

I went through my bag and discovered that I had only brought one piece of lingerie; I had packed the bag, and I had no idea how I expected to find another piece there when I had put none in.

Then I heard a small knock on the door, and I wondered why he could not follow orders and what he wanted now. I stomped on the floor and creaked," What is it? I'm almost through!"

"There are a few clothes and gowns in the closet. I am a caring husband. I can never let you get cold!" Bravyn said.

"Okay, I will check; maybe there is a gown in there!" I replied, I was happy to find a gown in there. There were three of them—dresses and bags—all brand new, and I was surprised that they were all my size. Did he buy these, or did he send someone to do it?

"Don't be surprised. I bought them and kept them in my house, but since you want your own separate house, I told Gainty to bring them here!" He shouted. I was surprised he was still at the door. And I can't stop hating how he keeps reading my mind.

"Thank you then," I said, picking up a dark blue gown and slipping it on top of my lingerie. I opened the door to find Bravyn seated and waiting.

"Are you a kid? Why wait for me at the door,just like my daughter Mellisa?" I smiled. It was more childish when Bravyn did it. Mellisa would wait for me on the floor countless times because she did not want to disturb me.

"You are beautiful when you smile!" Bravyn smiled, and I turned away. His smile tore at my heart like it was calling for attention.

" I ordered both tea and coffee snacks; I hope you will love them!'

"Of course not; do they have a restaurant here?".

"I have ordered from the main hotel; this is only for up to 11 p.m.; the main hotel is 24/7".

' Okay,, I understand," I nodded and sat down at my previous spot. I glared at him,, dating him,, to lock a gaze with him.

"I will meet Mellisa soon; over time, I will bring her goodies, gifts,gifts and snacks; I will win her heart; and she will call me Daddy." He said.

" Your head is overthinking; stop running, and we haven't started walking!" I giggled, and he stared at me with a smirk on his face.

"I would like to know why you keep rejecting me, as if I am some ugly poor man who can not afford you and your entire clan!" Bravyn sat down on his couch, his shoes off, and I was struck by the beauty of his feet. Soft nails are well trimmed.

"When I was 23, I met Mellisa's father; he was a nice man who loved me and promised to give me everything I wanted," I began.

"So it's a verse men also use to win ladies' hearts," he smiled, rubbing his hands together.

"Shut up and listen. I won't get into big details unless you will need to know the whole story in the future." I told him, "I prepared him.

"Give me the basics!"

"All right, when the time came for us to be together, I moved in, and true to God, he gave me everything I asked for." He was working though I had never gone to his workplace, since he used to tell me that I should stay indoors; he might kill any man who tries to touch me ".

Bravyn was attentive, and he kept nodding".I never took it as a big deal, but I also had no reason to roam the estates or the streets".

"Life was very comfortable until I got pregnant with Mellisa; he started drinking, and he used to beat me till I was hospitalized."

"I would never lay a hand on my beautiful wife; I never will; it can't happen." Bravyn said, shaking his head.

' He used to tell me that, but when he started,he never stopped; he was aware I didn't have anywhere to go and I had no one except for my ailing grandmother, so I bought his daily punching bag.

"I survived, gave birth, and he was happy I gave him a daughter, but after Mellisa reached the age of one year, he began again, and he could beat me and apologize in the morning." I wanted Mellisa to have a father, so I endured and hoped he would change."

"They never change. I'm sorry!"

He started drinking more, and he got a lot of physical; he could come home with fresh bleeding cuts and bruises, and I would take care of him. But no matter how good a wife I tried to be, he doubled his beatings, humiliation, and torture.

Then something happened. The police came knocking on my door. Mellisa was 3 years old then. When they pushed some papers into my hands and entered my home like a recce squad looking for a terrorist, I can still remember hesitating at the door because I did not want them in.

I read the paper and realized my husband was the head of a gang. I felt like I was living with a stalker because they used to engage in various forms of robbery and drug use. All this time, I thought my husband was working somewhere in the office; if you could see the kinds of suits he wore, they were original brand.

' Why are you quiet?' When I questioned him, he was visibly uncomfortable all over and slouched in his chair. You would say he was invaded by ants. His body didn't stop itching.

"I can hear you continue. Don't mind me. I may be cold. I itch when cold," he said, his voice low.

"I was flabbergasted, if you will allow me to use a big word. How could he treat me like that? I was married to a thief,a drug trafficker, and a molester. I could not figure it out. It was not only unbelievable, but also disturbing.

Mellisa had bonded with him since most of the time he was indoors, so they played a lot by the pool. I have a mansion and a variety of vehicles, but I never had a Lamborghini. Believe me, I lived like a queen.But all that was lost. We lost everything when he was sentenced to ten years in prison. The bank ordered his property to be sold to compensate for people he had stolen from.

"Oh, my Jesus,I call your name," Bravyn said.

"You are about to call God himself!" I said," Tell me how different you are from my ex-husband; I know you deal with two or one of the bad things I mentioned; I have seen your anger rise; what difference would I have made to myself if I jumped from the frying pan to the fire?" I told him. I wanted to scare him by letting him know what I knew was good. It was a good reason to reject him.

"But that's no reason to say you don't need a man in your life," Bravyn said. His palms were sweating, meaning he was meeting them but trying to disguise it.

"To pretend to be good and later make me a punching bag?" I asked.

"I would never hit you; I can't do that to you. You need care and therapy, and a professional who can pour out that anger, bitterness, and resentment will make sure you overcome your fear." Bravyn intercepted.

"Anybody who uses drugs, leads gangs, and deals with illegal activities can become a nightmare to their partner!" I looked him in the eye, eagerly waiting for his defense.

"Why are you staring at me, like I have such issues on my sleeves?" Bravyn asked when her gaze became intense.

"What do you have, Bravyn? Didn't I mention something you don't do, or did I forget some details?" I spoke sarcastically, and he averted his gaze.

"I don't like the way you are judging me; I look like a drunkard or a drug addict to you!" He asked, wounded.

' Exactly. I don't expect to repeat the same mistake again." I stared at him coldly.

"I can never be a mistake; this guy never married you; he lied about his job, but I am trying as hard as possible to involve you everywhere!"

"That's the reason I detest most liars. I just hope you will understand why I need to heal and why I am not interested in material things. It takes a day to flatten your life back to square zero." I laughed—not laugh like a laugh, but I did it for lack of screaming. When I remembered what I went through in that man's hands, I always felt like I wanted to kick some ass.

"Don't judge me; speculations when you have not caught a person are not a good way to address your husband!" Bravyn had the audacity to lie, standing right there, Master, in front of me.

"If you had the guts to stand before me and lie, then what kind of husband would you be?? More reasons men disgust me; do you think I don't reason because I am a woman?" I asked him, my anger rising.

"You were not supposed to be angry; we were talking about why you hate men. Now I feel like I am being vetted." Bravyn protested.

"Do you still need more why's, or are you content with what I just told you?" I asked him, trying to find out if he found the news I just shared with him sensible.

"He was wrong to treat you, so it doesn't matter if he had a few side jobs; he was trying to survive and get money. A man has to do whatever it takes to feed his family, whatsoever, in any way possible." Bravyn started to defend himself.

"Why the justification?? This man caused me trauma. I fear men, especially powerful ones like you. They strike you as princes, but they are scounders." I said.

"My God, how will you get that bitterness to end?" He asked.

"Now you know, can I get my sleep now?" I asked,though he was still sipping his coffee with trembling hands. I had to touch the loser in his life, but I knew he couldn't come out now. But one day, he will.

His voice sounded quiet, which was unexpected and irritating. I have heard you, and I sincerely apologize for the difficulties you and your daughter experienced. Please accept my sincere gratitude in lieu of any other response. It was not right for your husband to treat you like that. But we could still try our story. When it comes to what I have heard about Melissa's father, I have to admit that even after what you just told me, I still need to be a bigger part of your life. I want to free you from that cocoon of resentment and anger and give you the happiness you deserve. I may be experiencing some of the same things you said your husband dealt with, but I can do better for you. I must first schedule you for therapy, and once you have dealt with your anger and bitterness, I would like to hear from you about how bad it would be for me to be rejected. I think there is something we share, and I cannot be attracted to you in such a way if it is a scam.

Then, without giving me a chance to respond, he had already opened the door, and when I came to check him out, he was already making long, inpatient strides that made me feel a certain amount of irritation. How could he just leave without saying goodnight? It's like my story, and it touched him that he was so bored that he ended up anxious to be out of this room.

He turned around and shouted," Thank you for today and for many more days to come. You are mine, Shelby; you just need to heal." Then he continued walking towards the lobby, and I retreated back to my house, hoping to get a good night's sleep.