The Billionaire Who Saved Me.

Elice McLean never thought there would be a sadness that could make her shed tears so intensely as she did now. Not only did her cries appear heartbreaking, but the repeated sobs shaking her shoulders also proved just how hurt she was. It was as if her world had been completely shattered without any trace remaining.

“I truly love you, Elice. Really. I truly love you.”

Elice wanted to push that voice out of her mind. But the more drinks she took, the stronger the voice echoed. She could not get rid of it, no matter how much she wanted to.

You heartless scoundrel, Ariel!

Elice tightly squeezed the glass in her hand. The transparent object made of glass seemed to transform into the embodiment of her heartache. She needed an outlet. And perhaps soon, that outlet would turn into shards of broken glass.

“Ssst.”

As it turned out, the empty glass was still fortunate. Suddenly, a hand gently took it from Elice's grasp. As if a hero was saving an innocent victim from senseless slaughter.

Elice turned her head. She blinked her eyes and shook her head once, trying to focus her slightly blurry vision. The effect of the drinks she had consumed and the flickering lights in the place.

There was a man. Dressed neatly in a combination of a black suit and an open-neck shirt. The top two buttons of the shirt were undone, revealing a bronze-colored skin that glistened with a thin layer of sweat.

“I'm Garrett. And you?”

The hand placed Elice's glass at a safe distance. Then, he offered a handshake, a gesture of introduction, which was met with Elice's disdain. Her hand went up and waved it away.

“Go and leave me alone. I have no business with you.”

The man who called himself Garrett smiled wryly. He did not seem bothered at all by the ignored handshake. Instead, he was straightforwardly rejected, right in front of a bartender who was mixing his drink. The bartender snickered, signaling Garrett, who merely shrugged briefly.

“It seems like you have quite a big problem.”

The disgusted expression on the bartender's face became even more pronounced. He shook his head repeatedly and decided to walk away. He did not want to witness the show that might start any moment.

“A problem that should never have come to make a beautiful woman like you cry alone like this.”

Elice closed her eyes. Now it seemed she had managed to drive Ariel's voice out of her mind. Unfortunately, it was replaced by another voice, pretending to be concerned about her current state.

“Can't you leave from here?” Elice asked with a gruff tone. “Don't you know where the exit is?”

Garrett laughed, completely unoffended. Instead, he did something that made Elice widen her eyes.

Garrett pulled over a round chair nearby and sat down, right next to Elice. Seeing this, Elice growled.

She did not want to add to the mess of her day. Dealing with Ariel had already made her a wreck. She did not want to deal with a crazy stranger that night.

The chair Elice sat on spun. A clear signal that she was about to leave. But Garrett did not allow Elice to walk away from him.

Elice found her chair spinning back to its original position. She saw Garrett's hand do it.

“You.”

Elice's eyes were not just wide now. Instead, they were glaring. And that should have been more than enough to signal that she did not appreciate what Garrett had just done.

Garrett grinned, pointing to his watch. “It's still eleven o'clock, Miss. It's too early to go home now.”

“Why should you care? Even if I decide to go home at three in the morning, you have no right to stop me.”

Garrett's grin widened. His eyes focused on the rosy red hues on Elice's cheeks. Whether it was due to the influence of the drinks or maybe because of her anger, he did not care about the cause. He only cared about one thing. The natural blush on her face made him want to gaze at Elice's face for a long time. She looked fascinating.

“I indeed have no right to stop you, Miss,” Garrett said, moving a little closer. Closing the distance between them, he took the opportunity to look deeply into Elice's eyes. “But honestly, I can't bear to see a woman like you cry alone in a place like this.”

Again, Elice snorted.

“Even more than that, a woman like you shouldn't be crying.”

Hearing that, Elice blinked once, then a smile appeared on her lips, forming an expression that made Garrett furrow his brows. It seemed strange to him.

“If you want to woo a woman,” Elice spoke again, “look for someone else, Sir. I'm tired of hearing sweet words from macho men like you.”

Garrett could not help but marvel. He burst into laughter and did not seem offended at all.

“Hahaha.”

Elice found his laughter annoying. And she had no plans to listen to it all night. She would leave there. Before her emotions inside her erupted and she could not control them anymore. Who could guarantee that Elice would not be provoked to smash the empty glass she held earlier on the man's head?

However, for the second time, Elice's desire to leave was thwarted. This time not because Garrett spun the chair she sat on back to its original position. Instead, now Garrett openly held one of Elice's hands.

Elice stared; her eyes wide. Seeing how daring Garrett was to hold her wrist. She tried to pull her hand away, but Garrett brought her even closer to him.

Garrett held Elice's hand and, using the wheels on the chair's legs, he effortlessly slid her closer to him.

Elice instinctively closed her eyes. When she felt how close they were, the warm breath from Garrett's lips brushed against her skin. When she opened her eyes, Garrett smiled at her.

“I'm not trying to woo you, Miss. But....”

Garrett took a deep breath, his eyes moved, observing Elice's disheveled appearance. Though she looked beautiful in her knee-length black dress, there was something odd that made Garrett's eyes itch every time he looked.

“I just want to know. Why a woman like you can cry like this all alone? Uhm... you should be enjoying life. Not crying over it.”

For the last time, Elice tried to pull her hand away from Garrett's grasp. But the result was the same. Garrett made sure Elice would not leave. At least not until she answered his question.

“Do you want to know why I'm crying like this?” Elice repeated the question she was asked. “Do you want to know why I look so sad?”

Somewhat hesitantly, Garrett nodded.

“I've already told you,” Elice said, gazing intently at Garrett. “... it's because of macho men like you.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“With a crazy stranger like you?”

Elice's question made Garrett chuckle.

“Thanks, but no,” Elice shook her head. “I have many other sensible things to do than discussing my private matters with a stranger like you.”

“This stranger won't make you lose anything.”

Elice was stunned by Garrett's words. Especially when she saw his expression. He looked so relaxed and carefree. And he smiled, creating an appealing impression on his face.

“You're sad. You need an outlet. And, coincidentally, I'm available,” Garrett said lightly. “I have a few hours ahead to listen to all your troubles. Isn't that an attractive offer?”

Dramatically, Elice took a deep breath, her eyes then fixed on the flickering lights illuminating the place. It seemed like she needed pure oxygen to breathe smoothly. So, her mind could stay clear.

“Compared to someone you know, uhm... especially someone close to you, talking to a stranger gives you freedom. No judgment, no preconceptions. There's only one thing. Absolute listening.”

Elice furrowed her brow. Now she wondered if she had drunk too much that night. Otherwise, why did the words of the stranger in front of her sound reasonable?

Meanwhile, Garrett, when he saw Elice silent, knew that his words had somewhat influenced her. Something that made him more confident and continued his words.

“And I can assure you that I am a good listener.”

Taking a moment, not immediately accepting the offer presented to her, Elice used those few seconds to observe Garrett. He gave the impression that he was relaxed. And that's why Elice was certain about something. That Garrett was the kind of womanizer. Because it seemed like that was the law of nature. Womanizers had good social skills, especially when it came to greeting strangers without any awkwardness.

“Tell me, Sir,” Elice finally said. “Is this how you usually try to seduce random women in clubs?”

“Hahaha.”

Garrett laughed heartily, shaking his shoulders completely. His dark eyes even looked a bit watery.

“I never try to seduce random women in clubs, Miss,” Garrett denied. “Feel free to ask everyone here. I always spend my time here, and I'm sure everyone knows me. And I can assure you that none of them have ever seen me trying to seduce women like I'm talking to you now.” He smiled. “That is, if you consider my words as a form of seduction.”

Elice's face felt hot. She could clearly sense the faint sarcasm in Garrett's words. Something that inevitably made her feel embarrassed too.

Oh, God! This doesn't mean that Elice is too confident, assuming that Garrett is trying to seduce her. But, what else could a woman like Elice think when she found a stranger approaching her and inviting her to talk? Of course, there was nothing else.

“If this is not a seduction...” Elice stared at Garrett. “... then why?”

Elice's gaze was met fully by Garrett's. For a few seconds, there was only silence between them. As if the music playing there failed to reach their ears.

At that moment, it was not only Elice who questioned it. Garrett did too. Why? Why did he have to leave his spot and approach a crying stranger? Was he bored? Or... what?

And now, as Garrett looked at the remaining tears on Elice's cheeks, he realized one thing. The reason why he was still holding Elice's wrist when she showed no signs of leaving. It was because...

“I'm curious. How great of a man can make a woman cry like you are now.”

*