Chapter 7 – Tension
1492 Words
The three of them settled into the cave and sat against the rough stone walls. Andrew chose one side, and the two women chose the other. They made sure to keep lots of distance between them while they kept their focus on Andrew, an unspoken competition between them.
Andrew clapped his hands together, and the sound echoed throughout the small cave. “Alright! Since we are going to be here for a while, let's get to know each other. What do you say?”
“Okay!” Victoria quickly agreed.
Cassie only sighed in response.
Andrew volunteered to go first and began to talk about how he was born in a rough area of Arizona. He told them about his deceased parents and how he was a medical school graduate with no job.
“So you really are a loser,” Victoria joked. “You know, my father will most likely wish to repay you for saving me. He could buy you your own hospital!”
That was when Victoria revealed her identity. She was the daughter of the CEO of Parker Industries, Matthew Parker. He was a billionaire business tycoon in Phoenix. The local news media often reported that he was competing with another rich man, Jacob Lambert, for the title of the city's richest man, but Andrew had heard that Matthew was in poor health recently.
Cassie stuck her chin up a little. “Well, I guess it's time that I reveal that I have shares in Lambert Manufacturing that are worth millions. I could also reward you for saving me with a hospital.”
Andrew was dumbfounded. It turned out that Cassie was Jacob Lambert's only daughter, and he couldn't believe his luck. Somehow, he had saved the daughters of two of the richest men in America.
“Ladies, you are both extremely generous,” Andrew said as he held up his hands in surrender. “But I don't want to rely on someone else to support me. I want to be able to do the hard work and earn a living. And whoever I end up with one day, their background won't matter because I will like her for who she is, and not her wealth.”
Cassie and Victoria processed his words and liked what they heard. Since they both came from affluent families, they had always been cautious about people using them just for their money. But it was clear that Andrew was different.
In reality, Andrew was ecstatic. Not only were two women fighting over who got to reward him, but the prospect of one of them being his girlfriend meant that he would never be poor again. Although he said that he wouldn't want to mooch off of them, he didn't actually mind if a woman supported him.
If he was the old Andrew, he wouldn't even dare to fantasize about marrying a rich girl. There was only a slim chance that a poor loser like him could marry a beautiful and wealthy woman. He was average-looking at best and had little confidence to chase anyone out of his league. But now, he felt that things might be different.
Perhaps the current situation offered him a chance. Both Cassie and Victoria had expressed interest in him in their own ways, but deep down, he knew that they were just getting caught in the moment because he rescued them. It was most likely a survival instinct.
Now that Andrew was aware of the system's existence that was magically inside him, his goals didn't need to be simple. If he put his mind to it, he could even surpass Matthew Parker and Jacob Lambert. After all, those men were just ordinary people, while Andrew was destined to be extraordinary.
After Andrew chatted with the women for a while, Victoria announced that she was hungry as she hadn't eaten anything since she got kidnapped. Cassie also expressed a similar sentiment, and she joined Victoria in staring at Andrew expectantly.
Andrew hauled himself up on his feet. “Let me go walk along the road and see if I can find anything someone might have discarded,” he offered. In reality, he was just using it as an excuse to make some things appear from the system.
He walked to the road and made sure he was just out of sight of the cave before he took out three bottles of water and the digestive biscuits from the system. Andrew let some time pass before he returned to the cave and presented the women with his “finds.”
Andrew explained that he had found it in a backpack that he guessed had fallen out of a car, and the women were too grateful for the sustenance to question it. They consumed both items greedily but made sure to leave some biscuits for Andrew.
While he drank his water, Andrew thought about if every reward was helpful, then he could predict what the future might hold based on the type of items in his inventory. Meanwhile, Cassie was thinking about how much of an airhead Victoria was.
Victoria scooted closer to Andrew and tilted her head to the side. “Andrew, how did you take down the kidnappers?” she asked.
“You wouldn't guess it, but he's very good at martial arts,” Cassie answered for him. “One of them came at him with a knife, but he defeated him with nothing but his bare hands. Kind of like... Bruce Lee.”
“I do not deserve such a comparison,” Andrew said modestly. “When I was going to med school, I signed up for a martial arts class to let out some steam.”
Victoria gazed at him in awe. “Don't be so humble, Andrew! Those men were really vicious criminals, and neither of my bodyguards was able to survive them. Rest in peace, Will, and Alex,” she added sadly.
“I'm sorry you had to see them die.”
“Thank you. You are a very kind-hearted person, and I am so thankful that I met you, Andrew.”
“I am thankful, too,” Cassie interjected. “You have done so much for me in such a short amount of time. I don't wish to be just a beautiful burden, so if there is anything I can do to help you, Andrew, please let me know.”
Victoria caught on to the pointed remark, and she frowned. “Why is it that every time I talk to Andrew, you get all bitchy?” she shot back.
“I just don't like that you are hitting on him all the time,” Cassie huffed.
“Hitting on him? Please. I haven't even started.”
“Ladies, please. There is enough of me to go around,” Andrew teased.
Both Cassie and Victoria turned to him and leveled him with a glare.
Day turned into night, and the temperatures dropped inside the cave. When everyone started to shiver, Andrew took a much-needed break from the battle of wits between Cassie and Victoria to forage for more wood. He might not be able to do much given the current situation, but he can at least make a fire.
Once he had gathered enough dry vegetation and twigs, Andrew built a fire in the cave and surrounded it with a few rocks. He then used his lighter to start it, and soon the sounds of crackling wood filled the dark cave.
The appearance of the fire improved the women's moods, and they focused their attention on the dancing flames instead of exchanging jabs.
“No one has come to investigate the fire,” Cassie remarked sadly.
Andrew glanced at the road for the thousandth time that day. The fire had burnt itself out and had also taken the smoke signal with it.
“What's the plan now?” Victoria asked.
Andrew leaned back against the cave wall. “Since no one came today, we don't have to stay here anymore. We will get up early tomorrow and try to make some headway on that road before it gets too hot out.”
Victoria gasped. “You mean we have to sleep in this cave? On the hard ground?”
“If you can, yes.”
“But... I'm only used to pillow-top mattresses. It's impossible for me to-”
“I'm sorry, your highness. There was no room available at the Four Seasons,” Cassie cut in dryly.
Instead of a retort, Victoria switched tactics. “Andrew, I suppose I could just... Sleep on you. Would you do that for me?” she questioned sweetly.
“Andrew, I wasn't able to sleep at all last night on that rocky shore. Please, let me get at least a little sleep and use you as a pillow?” Cassie countered immediately.
Andrew looked back and forth between the two women and felt a headache coming on.
- Writer
