Runaway From The Billionaire

Zephy had never had the chance to meet her parents as she grew up in the squatters. However, at the age of seventeen, her life took an unexpected turn. An elderly woman helped her and brought her to London, where she was sent to school and provided with everything she needed in exchange for staying by the woman's side.

On the day the elderly woman passed away, her family lawyer spoke to Zephy about her last will and testament. It was almost unbelievable that all the properties had been put in her name. However, there was a condition attached. Zephy had to return to New York to find one of the Ravenshaw quadruplets, Alaric Ravenshaw.

At the age of twenty-three, she was supposed to marry this man and have a child with him. The last will stipulated that she could only inherit everything once she turned twenty-six. If the conditions were not met within the specified time frame, everything would go to charity. The lawyer handed Zephy a sealed envelope, instructing her not to open it until she had fulfilled the conditions in the last will.

Five years later,

“Welcome to JFK Airport,” echoed several times over the plane’s PA system as Zephy arrived from London to New York.

As instructed by the lawyer, she headed straight to the domestic airport to check in. Zephy had a connecting flight to Ithaca, followed by a boat ride to Ravenshaw Private Resorts. She couldn’t afford to waste any time because her time was limited to accomplish the mission.

Zephy repeatedly tried to figure out the best approach to the man. She had no idea who he was or what he looked like. All she had was his address and full name. She woke up from the flight attendant’s announcement. They were about to land on Ithaca Island, one of the famous beaches in New York. Zephy smiled as she felt the cool breeze on her face as they disembarked the plane.

She wore a simple white loose shirt and rubber shoes, with shades covering her face and her long hair cascading down, some strands framing her face. After retrieving her two average-sized luggage bags, she exited the arrival area. Zephy couldn’t understand the man who approached her. So, she decided to ask if he understood some Local language or English since she knew Ithaca was part of Greece.

“Can you speak Greek or English please?”

“Ah, yes, Ma’am, I mean, where is your destination?”

Zephy turned to look at him because of the oddity of his question.

“I’m alone, Mister, and I’m going to Ravenshaw Private Resorts.”

“Sorry, Ma’am. Please come with me. You need to take a boat to get there.”

“Okay, can you send me there, please?”

He didn’t reply but nodded in response. He silently escorted her to the location. Once he had delivered her to the boat and she had paid, Zephy was overwhelmed with gratitude to God. A crew member greeted her.

“Welcome, Miss,” he said with a broad smile, radiating warmth as he welcomed her.

“Thank you. By the way, how long is the trip?” She asked.

“It’s more than an hour, Ma’am,” he replied, smiling and remaining quiet for the duration of the journey.

...

Zephy couldn’t understand why she felt so nervous. She kept wondering what the man would look like. Was he young or old, kind or gruff, handsome or ugly? She shook her head, scolding herself for overthinking. All she needed was for him to agree to marry her so she could claim the fortune left to her. An hour later, they arrived safely at their destination. She gaped at the beauty of the place; it felt like paradise.

“It’s a paradise! Oh my God, this is heaven,” she exclaimed.

She almost forgot her two pieces of luggage, but the crew member called her back to get her luggage. She hurriedly dragged her bags, thanking him before turning away. But someone else approached her and asked. She mentally slapped herself as if she was about to go through an interview before reaching her destination.

“Excuse me, Miss. Who are you, and what do you need?”

She looked around because she was alone, but it felt like she had a crowd with her based on the way the man questioned her.

“Excuse me, are you talking to me? Because I’m alone, and yeah, I want to check in here for some important matter.”

“Sorry, Ma’am, but this resort is private and does not accept outsiders unless you are a friend or family of the owner.”

She felt embarrassed by what he said.

“I mean, I know the owner of this resort, Mister. I want to stay here because of Mr. Alaric Ravenshaw.”

However, before the man could respond, his boss suddenly appeared, and just his voice alone was intimidating.

“Who are you?!”

She became nervous and pale upon hearing his deep, and thunderous voice. Perhaps he was angry at her for trespassing into the resort. Maybe the staff was right, and outsiders weren’t welcome here. Nevertheless, she needed to stay strong because she had a mission, and that’s why she was there.

She slowly turned to face the man, even though she was scared, and forced herself to stand her ground, despite his intimidating seriousness. In her mind, it didn’t matter because her mission was more important.

“I said who are you?” he asked once again. That baritone voice.

She had to muster up her courage and put on a brave face. She couldn’t let this all go to waste and the reason why she was there.

“Hi, I’m Zephyrine. I-i j-just want to check in h-here,” her voice quivered.

“Leave! This resort is exclusive for Family. As my staff mentioned, outsiders are not allowed here!” He turned his back on her and took big steps away from where she stood.

“Please allow me in. I-I don’t know anyone else here!” she shouted.

“I don’t care! Now leave!” he retorted, yelling, and quickly left.

She was about to say more, but the man was already far away. She felt like crying in her situation. She was left standing alone while her eyes scanned the beach. Darkness was falling, and she began to wonder where she would sleep. That man was heartless. She had no choice but to retrace her steps to where she left her suitcase. She pulled it along and started walking away from that place.

She walked through the area, looking around. She hoped to find some shelter for the night, even if only for that evening. But almost thirty minutes of walking, she found no place. She felt exhausted, having come straight from London without rest. She hadn’t eaten or slept yet, and tears welled up in her eyes. Wasn’t she loved by God at all? She had suffered and struggled since childhood. She had briefly experienced comfort when the lady brought her to London at the age of Seventeen. Now, she was back to her old life. She had some money, but it was just enough, and she had to be frugal.

It was almost pitch black, and she could barely see her surroundings. She decided to sit on a rock and began arranging her luggage. She hoped there were no bad people around because this was a private resort. She thought it would be safe. She opened her backpack and took out her phone, but to her dismay, there was no signal in the area.

As it got colder, she opened one of her suitcases and pulled out something to keep herself warm. She didn’t have a jacket because the climate in New York was warm. She hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. She wiped away her tears, thinking about where she could sleep. She considered herself lucky that there didn’t seem to be any malicious people around. She decided to lie down on a large stone and used her backpack as a pillow.

She was awakened by heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. She didn’t know where to go. Her tears welled up again, and she felt hopeless. Suddenly, she heard a noise. She stood up, and in the distance, she saw someone carrying a flashlight. She shouted and asked for help. Her spirits were lifted when she saw them approaching in her direction.

The flashlight was pointed towards her, but her heart sank when she heard what they said.

“Wow, jackpot! She’s all alone, and she’s pretty.”

She shivered in fear upon hearing this and immediately started running away from them.

She thought she was safe when suddenly she tripped and fell. She didn’t have time to react as the men chasing her quickly caught up.

“Please, have mercy!”

“Shut up, your voice is hurting my ears!”

She screamed as the two men grabbed her. They were yelling at each other as the rain poured down, making it hard to hear who would have their way first.

She still tried to resist, but she couldn’t do anything.