waking

2.Chapter 2 Stick With Him

Naomi let Shawn’s hesitant embrace linger just a bit, sensing his restraint.

She noticed his reaction to her presence first, no sign of discomfort. She was a breath of fresh air that seemed to settle rather than disturb him. When Shawn hugged her more firmly, he still seemed at ease. Then, he stepped back. “So you’re serious about sticking with me?”

“Yeah,” Naomi said, no doubt in her voice. “Totally.”

“You have no idea who I am, and you’re ready to tag along?” Shawn sized her up. Naomi stood at a respectable five feet six inches, with a balanced and athletic build. Her makeup-free face was radiant in the sun, her light fuzz catching the light. Naomi’s amber eyes, framed by long lashes, sparkled with determination, her features sharp yet delicate. Without any bangs, her long, sleek hair fell down her back. She should have turned heads everywhere, but her vibe was more grit than glam.

“You saved me,” Naomi stated with conviction. “That’s all that matters right now. I owe you.”

“Attaching yourself to my hip then?” Curiosity piqued, Shawn raised an eyebrow, teasing. “Thinking of using yourself as the payback?”

Naomi’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I might, though I doubt I’m your type.”

Shawn chuckled, a real one. He’d intimidated so many women away, yet here she was, offering herself and worrying he’d say no. His body hadn’t rejected her, so he decided to let her stick around. “Okay, you’re in.”

“Thanks, really,” Naomi said with a subtle but sly grin. She scored—that much was clear.

She knew exactly who was in front of her—the legendary, elusive Shawn Fischer from Atopan. Tales of his cutthroat nature were famous, as were the stories of his deep love that ended when a car accident disfigured him, leading to a runaway bride at the altar.

In her last life, Naomi was just like every other woman, spooked by Shawn’s scars. But not this time. She was dead set on holding tight to him. Shawn was her ace card, whether it was for repayment or revenge.

Shawn led the way, striding. Naomi hurried after him, debunking the gossip that he’d been wheelchair-bound after the crash. The guy was all grace and power.

When Naomi first met Shawn in her last life, she had run too fast to look around. Now, trailing behind Shawn, she took everything in.

Soon the Edwards family and Freddy would come looking for her—right after Naomi’s fall, Rosalind got sick and needed a blood transfusion. Previously, Freddy had dragged Naomi to the hospital while she was still weak from her period, and they’d taken so much blood for Rosalind. It nearly killed her. But Naomi wasn’t playing the martyr this time; she wanted Rosalind to feel the bite of desperation for once.

Naomi kept her head down as she walked, hiding the hatred that bubbled up in her eyes. She was going to stick close to Shawn and grab every chance to get stronger. That way, when Freddy and the Edwards family came to pawn her off on that devil, she’d be ready to stand up for herself. After dying once, trust didn’t come easy to her.

Shawn stopped suddenly, and Naomi, not paying attention, bumped into his back. She gasped, feeling as if she just hit a wall.

A smile that Shawn didn’t even realize had crept onto his face. “Be careful,” he said.

“Oh, sorry,” responded Naomi.

Now keeping her distance, Naomi followed Shawn to a sleek black Rolls-Royce that waited ahead. A young man in a sharp suit stood by it. He straightened up and opened the door as soon as he saw Shawn. The guy’s eyes then landed on Naomi trailing behind and he blurted out, “Mr. Fischer, who’s this girl? Are we taking her in?”

Shawn gave him a look, and Chandler Jensen clamped his mouth shut. His eyes were full of questions, but Naomi stayed cool. The car drove off smoothly.

Sitting in the fancy car, Naomi kept her eyes steady. She wasn’t about to let curiosity get her in trouble with the guy sitting next to her. She got a do-over in life and wasn’t planning on finding out just how tough Shawn could be for herself.

They pulled up to the famous Spring Villa in Atopan. The place was huge, with acres of land and a big white house sitting on the edge of a cliff. The electric gates opened, showing off a tree-lined driveway. After a twenty-minute ride through some nice greenery, they came to a giant fountain with a statue of a woman in the middle, with colorful fish swimming around in the water that shot up in sync with music every thirty minutes.

Past the fountain, another ten-minute drive took them to a massive pool right in front of the villa. The Rolls-Royce stopped at the fancy front door. Chandler stepped out and held the door open, asking with respect, “Mr. Fischer, is the young lady staying?”

Naomi’s hands clenched tight. Nervous but hopeful, she looked at Shawn and quickly said before he could dismiss her, “I’ll work hard, Mr. Fischer. I’ll do anything to pay you back.”

“Chandler, take her to Carla,” ordered Shawn.

“Sure thing.” Chandler’s face didn’t show it, but he was totally surprised inside. Everyone knew Shawn didn’t like having women around. But here was Naomi, back safe and sound, and Shawn didn’t seem bothered at all.

“Come with me, Ms. Edwards,” Chandler said, his voice filled with a bit more respect now.

“Thanks,” Naomi said, her voice soft and polite as she followed Chandler to meet Carla Roberts, the housekeeper of Spring Villa who was in charge of the whole staff and got a chauffeur herself. Chandler was the head of security. Everyone working at Spring Villa knew to keep their distance from Shawn, except for Carla and Chandler, who could go around him without any trouble.

After Chandler handed Naomi over to Carla, he left.

Carla looked Naomi over and nodded. “Alright, come with me!”

Naomi was taken upstairs to a big bedroom. “Get cleaned up, then put this on and head to the first bedroom on the left on the third floor. That’s Mr. Fischer’s room.”