The Homeless Billionaire

Chapter 46

She looked surprised when I invited her in, but I didn't give her a choice to decline. Instead, I held her thin shoulders and led her inside the gate.

Mark is going to raise hell but fuck it.

As I entered Mark's house with the girl, I noticed his angry expression. His narrowed eyes made it clear that he was not pleased, but he didn't say anything. I knew he was upset, and I could feel the tension in the air. It was only a matter of time before he exploded.

I tried to keep my composure, but I couldn't help but inwardly grimace. I knew Mark well enough to know that he was not going to be happy with me. Especially once the girl was out of sight.

I turned to face Mark, taking in his appearance. At 32, he looked younger and more fit than his age suggested. His years of hunting and roaming the forest had kept him in shape, and it showed. I, on the other hand, looked a bit more mature for my 27 years.

I watched as the girl went into the guest room that I had pointed out to her. Mark waited until she was out of earshot before he exploded like I'd thought.

"Are you out of your damn mind, X-man!? How can you invite her in like that!?"

"Hey, look, I understand that you're angry. You have a very good reason to be, anyway but..." I trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

"Let me guess? You felt pity for her, so you couldn't leave her out there?" his tone was sarcastic, his eyes filled with skeptism.

"I know it sounds...touchy-feely, for lack of better words-" I began.

"You're right, it sounds touchy-feely," Mark interjected.

"But you just have to look at the girl," I continued. "She doesn't look older than seventeen and she's out in the streets. And she's okay in the head if that's what you're going to say next."

There was a moment of silence as Mark observed me. I could tell he thought I was acting strangely, especially the way I was defending the girl. But I also knew that he respected me enough to consider my perspective.

"Xax, man...." Mark sighed. It was a capitulation.

I smiled, "It's just for a while. Once I leave this place, I'm taking her with me."

"Alright...for now." Mark grumbled in defeat.

"Thanks, man. I'll check on the girl, and I'll make sure she keeps out of your way." I slapped his shoulder, grateful for his understanding.

"You do just that. I don't want to run into her anywhere," Mark replied as he walked away to get the video game ready.

As I walked towards the guest room, I couldn't help but wonder what was Mark's story. We had been buddies for years, but we still kept a lot of things secret from each other. I wondered what crucial details of his life I was missing.

I knew one thing for sure, though. Mark had been burned badly by a woman before, and it had left a mark on him.

ANYA

I didn't mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, but as I sat quietly in my room, I couldn't help but overhear their discussion. My heart was filled with joy at the thought of finally having a roof over my head again. However, my joy was short-lived when I heard the owner of the house objecting to my stay. I could tell that they were trying to keep their voices down, but it wasn't enough to hide their conversation from my ears.

The man who had brought me in was pleading with his friend to let me stay. They seemed to be good friends, and I didn't want to cause any trouble between them. I felt tears fill my eyes as I contemplated the possibility of being forced to leave yet again.

As I made my way out of my room, intending to leave quietly, I ran into a massive figure blocking my path. It was the man who had rescued me.

"Where are you going?" he asked softly, as he noticed me trying to sneak out.

"Don't bother about me, Mister. I really appreciate your efforts in wanting to help me out, but your friend doesn't seem okay with it so I thought of leaving so I don't be the cause of trouble between you two." I didn't want to be a burden on him or his friend.

I felt ashamed as I looked down at my toes, which were dirty and hurting from all the running around I had done. The man took a deep breath and said, "No, don't see things that way. Mark is just not comfortable in the company of people, especially women."

The word "women" sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of fear creeping up inside me. I looked at the man with questioning eyes, wondering what he meant by that. He must have seen the fear in my eyes and quickly reassured me, "No. Mark would avoid you more than coming closer to you. You are safe."