Chapter 1(A): Contractually Yours

Jem's POV 

I was still sitting huddled under the small bus shelter.

I kept checking the time on my wrist watch… I realized the last evening bus might arrive late today—probably because of the rain or something.

Today wasn't just my day. 

Maybe I'll eventually have to walk all the way back home… Who knows?

I pulled my jacket tighter over my shoulders, trying to stay warm, but my mind wandered elsewhere, running through everything that had happened to me since the start of the day.”

This was when a black SUV rolled to a stop across the street, the rain commenting over its polished surface. 

At first, no one stepped out of the car so I didn't pay much attention to it. I looked away just immediately. However something about this car seemed different—it looked way too expensive and important for local streets like this one 

Finally, the driver's door finally slammed open and a tall man stepped out instantly.

I froze at once. “That's Dante Williams!” My brain clicked.

Even from a distance, I knew instantly who he was.

Who on earth doesn't know him—Dante Williams—the heir to the Williams family empire, a business genius whose name has travelled farther than he has travelled himself.

The same freaking rich, untouchable and at the same time cursed Dante Williams. 

Yes, he's cursed. Everybody knows—every male heir in the Williams family dies on or before their fortieth birthday. And, as rumors have it, Dante is close to clocking forty.

To my surprise, Dante wasn't holding an umbrella. And at the same time, he didn't even flinch at the rain soaking him so quickly.

He slammed the car door shut and stepped away from his car… his steps were surprisingly intense, and the way he moved screamed that something was clearly wrong.

I frowned, confused. I was surprised—why would anyone willingly stand in the rain like that? 

Look at me. I've been sitting here for about an hour now… patiently waiting for the rain to reduce so I can rush home by foot.

But Dante? He willingly stepped into the rain just like that? Why would someone want to catch a cold in the easiest way like this?

On TV, Dante was always perfect, always smiling—but right now… this wasn’t that man. This one looked tired, worn out… like life had dragged him down.

My gaze followed Dante as he approached the bridge. Step by step, he climbed onto the ledge.

My heart skipped twice and I instantly shot up from my seat.

Dante opened his arms wide while he stood there at the edge of the ledge like he was ready to jump.

“Fuck, he'll jump!” The voice screamed inside my head.

Without thinking, I bolted across the street, water splashing around my feet as I dodged rain drops to get to Dante.

I didn't scream or try to call his attention… I simply got close and grabbed him from behind at once, yanking him down from the edge of the bridge.

We hit the wet ground hard, but my arms were still tightened instinctively around him like I would never let him go. “No! Don't! Please don't jump! Everything's gonna be okay. Don't give up just yet—!” The words kept fumbling out of my mouth while I was still holding him down like letting him go means dying.

While I was still there giving dry motivation to why Dante should still stay alive, the SUV door suddenly burst open again.

A massive figure stepped out immediately—it was Shark, Dante's personal guard. Everybody knows him to always be around Dante. He never leaves Dante's side.

Before I knew what was happening, Shark had already charged forward and sent a deadly punch to my side.

I barely had the time to blink before he yanked me up and shoved me aside to the floor.

“And who the fuck are you, young man?” Shark’s voice echoed as he walked towards me to punch me again.

I could barely stand up because of how weak I suddenly felt. Shark had shoved me so hard I couldn't even feel my rib anymore.

“Wait… wait—” I tried to explain myself but the words barely came out of my mouth.

Shark jerked me by my shirt collar, pulled me up at once and shoved me to the ground again.

I let out a loud cry, louder than the previous one. However, Shark wasn't listening. He stepped closer again and was just about to kick me hard in the stomach when Dante's voice suddenly cut through the rain—loud and sharp, “Shark, stop!”

Shark instantly obeyed and withdrew his legs just before it slammed hard into my stomach.

I grabbed my aching ribs and staggered to my feet—my chest heaving loudly. I was so weak I couldn’t stand alone. I sank back down and stayed there on my knees.

Dante's gaze suddenly softened as he looked at me calmly. I wondered what he was thinking at the moment.

“Who the hell are you?” He asked with so much softness in his tone, I thought I might be misinterpreting things.

I didn't waste a second thinking, I instantly crawled forward and started to explain myself, “I—I thought you were going to jump,” I stammered, my voice trembling in the storm. “I didn’t mean to grab you like that. I swear I just… I couldn’t let you—” my words cracked under the rain, but I was honest with my explanation.

Dante didn’t interrupt me while I spoke, however I saw the dangerous look on Shark's face… he couldn't just wait to kick or punch me one more time—I bet he's just waiting for that one ‘go ahead’ from Dante.

Dante only studied me silently while I hungrily swallowed the rain water that slid down my swollen face.

After a while of silent observation, Dante finally spoke, his tone low and steady. “I wasn’t going to jump. I just… needed the rain.” He said softly, almost too comfortably.

And with that, he turned away from me and lifted his face up against the sky as if truly he wasn't having enough of the rain yet.

He stood there, letting the droplets soak him completely, a faint smile playing on his lips as the rain washed over him from head to toe. 

I was frozen in shock.

I couldn’t believe I had run straight into the same rain I’d been hiding from—only to humiliate myself like this.

So that was it? He wasn’t going to jump… he just wanted the rain. Just the rain.

I blinked hard, my heart still pounding as I sat on the floor, stunned… and shaking.

Dante didn't wait to hear one more word from me. He simply turned around and ordered Shark back into the car. He hesitated but obeyed.

But just as Dante was about to step back into the car, I suddenly rushed towards him and reached out thoughtlessly.

Our fingers brushed—just a quick, accidental touch. It wasn’t intentional, but its result was unthinkable.

The moment our skin touched, a violent jolt suddenly ripped through us—like live wires snapping together, and electricity tearing through our bodies in a single breath.

I froze at once, then I jerked back instantly.

Dante's eyes snapped towards me at once then he shrugged and stepped away as quickly as possible.

His eyes were wide open—clearly still in shock.

He didn't seem to understand what had just happened either.

I looked down at my trembling hands, shocked at the miracle it'd just performed right now.

I wanted to ask questions. To understand What'd just happened.

But before I could say a single word, Dante had already slid into his car and suddenly zoomed off like he was running away from someone—something.

And as for me, I just stood there, alone in the rain, shivering—not just from the cold, but from the knowledge that something had just changed. 

I suddenly felt different inside… like something sealed had just ripped open within me. Something powerful.

My legs suddenly felt weak, so I dropped to the ground and just remained there under the rain. 

Dante’s car had already vanished into the night, so I didn’t care who else might be watching. I just sat on the floor and let the rain wash over me.

I looked up into the sky, letting the cold rain sting my eyes, but I was too drained to care.

After a while, it started to hurt, so I lowered my face and dropped my gaze back to the pavement—and that’s when I saw it.

There was something small glittering next to me…like a tiny transparent vial, rolling slowly close to the gutter.

It's a green liquid glittering inside the small transparent bottle. 

I didn’t move at first. I was still confused about what the bottle was, and why it was lying there on the floor, looking suspiciously special and—and dangerously out of place.

I kept staring and staring, refusing to be lured any closer to the little bottle.

But then, there was suddenly a heavy storm, and just as the bottle was about to roll into the narrow drain, I lunged forward, my fingers barely catching the small transparent glass before it disappeared into the gap.

The vial was cold in my palm, and somehow, it felt too delicate and rare. 

The green liquid inside the bottle glowed proudly, like it was alive or responding to some unseen energy.

This was when my eyes caught the thin black label wrapped around it. It read; ***Life Extension Serum***

Beneath it was a simple instruction which says, **Single Dose, One-Time Use Only**

My breath suddenly caught in my throat 

“Life extension?” I muttered.

My mind rejected it at first. It didn’t make sense—things like this didn’t just exist. And they definitely didn’t roll across dirty streets in the middle of a storm.

But then, as I brought the bottle closer to my eyes and read the label again and again, I realized this could truly be a Life Extension Serum. One person suddenly popped into my head—Mom.

At that moment, my grip tightened around the vial, like I suddenly cherished what I once found meaningless.

My heart swelled with joy.

If this truly is a Life Extension Serum, then maybe all my prayers have finally been answered. I’ll take this to Mom, and she’ll finally get another chance… another chance to live.

I have no idea how this vial got here, but I’m certain of one thing—I somehow saved it.

Because if not for me, it would have rolled straight into the drain and been lost forever.

Who knows, maybe this wasn't a coincidence—maybe this wasn't an accident. Maybe this was the answer I’d begged the universe for an hour ago.