The CEO's Love Contract

There was a little spice shop a few minutes from where Ariel normally parked her truck. It had amazing blends that often gave Ariel's cooking a flavor that kept her customers coming back for more.

As often as she could( even under the difficult times that she was facing), Ariel made sure to visit the shop. She was currently doing just that, walking at a leisurely pace, and stopping every now and then to taste a sample.

Stopping near some red powder, she picked up a tiny sampling spoon and brought it to her mouth. The tip of her tongue instantly caught fire.

"This is strong," She wheezed, trying to get her breathing under control. The shop attendant gave her a knowing smile. Then she pointed to the sign above the red powder.

Bird's eye chilli it read, and Ariel could have kicked herself for her habit of tasting things first before finding out what they were. In the kitchen it helped her create amazing flavor combinations without limitation. But it also sometimes led to her poor tongue suffering. Her mouth still flaming, her face no doubt an unflattering shade of red, Ariel carried on with her work. Slowly filling up her basket.

She was looking over at some cloves when she felt eyes on her. Straightening instantly, she looked to the street outside, but there was no one watching her.

The fact that she'd found no one there the first time should have been enough for her to relax again. But as she made her way through the spice shop, going through her shopping list, Ariel could not make herself calm down.

Every so often she'd glanced over her shoulder but she could not see anything. But that did absolutely nothing for the goose bumps that sprang up over her skin.

"Stop it Ariel," She whispered to herself as she made her way to the cashier. But that did not help. Given everything that was going on in her life. Now she had paranoia to deal with as well.

"Are you alright?" The young lady behind the counter asked and despite the unease prickling at her skin, Ariel nodded.

"Perfectly fine. I have just had a long day, that is all," She told the lady as she paid for her stuff and slowly made it out of the shop.

Don't go out there. Part of her whispered, loud and frantic in the confines of her mind.

Ariel briefly entertained the thought of just camping out in the store until her heart stopped feeling so jittery. But that would have helped no one. She would no doubt stress out the poor young lady who was working there. That was something that Ariel did not want to do.

Even if she was having her own problems that gave her no right to pass them on to others, and it would be even worse because she was scared for no reason. There was nothing out there. She was just being paranoid because she was worried about madam Mo and about CEO Asher maybe sending some people after her. Taking a deep breath, Ariel stepped outside the store and looked around a bit. Again, there was no one suspicious looking at her, and so Ariel began walking at a brisk pace. She had decided to leave her food truck.

It was often easier to move through the city without a vehicle weighing head down.

It was something that she did quite often and so long as she was quick about it, the police would not be on her case about improper parking.

Thinking about the possibility of getting a fine in addition to everything else that she was facing. Ariel upped her pace and for a few minutes her focus was only on getting to her truck as quickly as possible.

So intent on getting there fast, Ariel nearly didn't notice when proof that she was being followed presented itself.

She first saw the man from the corner of her eye.

Rather than dismiss it, she turned around, taking a route that she normally would not have, because there were more people on that particular street than in the alley that she had been planning to use as a shortcut. Sure enough, as they passed in front of a coffee shop, Ariel saw them walking a few steps behind her. Their reflections in the glass windows. There were two men keeping a distance from her.

Unaware that she could see them through the storefronts, every time she sped up so did they, and when she slowed down they fell back. They never took their eyes off her, and she could feel their gazes burning into the back of her neck.

Oh.

If she panicked, they would know instantly that she had spotted them.

So rather than speeding up immediately like she wanted to.

Ariel did the opposite, she slowed down. As they had been doing in the past few minutes, the men copied her, and began moving at a snail's pace. She waited for them to fall a bit further back, then, taking her chance, she broke out into a run.

It was the time of day when the streets were not too packed after the rush of everybody heading home, but there were still enough people to be able to weave around and hide.

Having to run around so many people slowed her down somewhat. But it was a benefit because it also hindered the men behind her. Clearly whoever they were, they did not want to cause a scene by pushing people to the ground in an effort to get to her.

Who are you guys? Ariel wondered as she ran, her lungs burning.

Were they thieves? No way they could not be thieves. Thieves would not have taken the time to stalk her in the spice shop, and she was pretty certain that it had been them that she'd felt back there. If they were regular thieves, and had been scouting her, they most definitely would not still be chasing her after checking her out. She was not swimming in money and it showed.

She had no expensive jewellery and her clothes, while well taken care of, were clearly old. So these people had to either know her, or know of her and there was only one reason why people like that would know about her. Most likely they were working for madam Mo. Whatever the old woman was thinking,

in sending people after her, Ariel did not want to know what would happen if they managed to catch her. But unfortunately for her, just because she did not want to be caught. That did not mean that she would be able to successfully avoid being captured.

She ran for as long as she could, her lungs burning, her legs feeling as though they were about to give out. But eventually, she began to lag.

When she began to feel as though she was about to pass out. Ariel wondered whether it would do her good to slip into a store. But she decided against that. That would be bringing trouble to people who did not deserve it.

And so Ariel reached deep within herself and began running faster again, this time weaving through the dark, silent alleys that she had been avoiding. Perhaps she could find a dark corner to hide in.

When she looked back after a few blocks, she saw only one of the men chasing her. Not knowing where his partner had gone off to, Ariel, despite barely having anything left in her, ran even faster, trying to get away from the man. He had chased her down a few more blocks, until realization finally dawned on her.

He was herding her.

In her panic. Ariel had been so focused on, 'let me get away, let me get away,' that she had forgotten to account for where exactly she was going. Now it seemed that wherever it was, it was where the man wanted her to go. Her suspicion was proven correct when while still trying to keep her distance from him, she looked up and she recognized his companion ahead of her.He was standing in such a way that even if she tried to change direction she would be stuck.

Oh no.

What if the orders had changed? What if madam Mo had decided there was no way Ariel would ever be able to pay her back and she just wanted her dead?

What if they were here to break her hands so that she definitely would not be able to make any money at all.

Looking around, Ariel realised that she'd been led to an area of the city that she often tried her best to stay away from.

Store windows boarded up. Scantily glad women leaning against lamp posts. Whistles coming from the shadows.

Oh...in this area of the city, screams were the norm. Police did not show up to investigate murders for days, and that was if they bothered to come at all.

Ariel was not in too deep yet, she could still see cars zooming past on the safe side.

She stopped running, realising that if she continued then she would just be placing herself deeper into enemy territory. Sweat flowing down the side of her head. She looked from the man in front of her to the one behind, her pulse racing.

Whatever was going to happen, was not going to be pretty. That much she knew. Clutching the bag of spices that she had somehow managed not to drop in her mad run, Ariel tried to breathe in and out, blinking away tears as she did so. Whatever was going to happen to her. It would not be anything good.

She was just thinking that when a car pulled upright next to her.

It was not the type of car that belonged in the area that she was in.

Dark, sleek and just oozing money and power. madam Mo? Ariel thought. Only someone feared would dare drive such an expensive machine in the area they were in. But when the window rolled down, she was greeted by a face that she had not expected at all. Tristan Asher!

"Get in," 

Ariel startled at the authority in his tone. She looked to the men. Like her, they too had paused at the arrival of the new player. Shock and wariness easy to read from the way they were standing too still.

Tristan Asher had taken them by surprise. But pretty soon, they would be moving again. 

Weighing the two evils, Ariel decided that Tristan was the better option and without a second thought she opened the car door and got inside. Within seconds they were speeding away. The would be attackers fading into the distance.