CHAPTER 2

Jayden's POV

It's been two years already.

Two f***ing years of torture. Two years since she died with my baby.

I have been through the phase of remembering the memories of the night we spent together and what led to our quarrel before death took her away. It's been nothing but pure torture and hatred for myself and what I represent.

I still blame myself for her death.

If only I had listened to her, if only I had given up on the dangerous family business like she used to call it, maybe this wouldn't have happened and we would still be together with our child.

But I didn't. I was too stubborn to let go of the life I have been brought up into. My Father was the Mafia Leader. I was trained to become one too but Helena was in the way. 

She hated what we do with passion. She wanted me to cut ties with anything that will make me go into it. It was hard for me. I loved what we did. I loved being in control. I loved punishing the offenders.

Helena hated it till death. 

Now I have abandoned every single thing that reminds me of her as well as cutting ties with my ever busy father. He understands my plight and we haven't spoken in more than a year.

Mother on the other hand has been pestering me about getting a wife and a grandchild. Helena and I didn't make it to the altar and I doubted if I could ever love another woman as I do love her.

Ever since she died, love scares me and it has been erased from my dictionary. In fact, commitment means nothing to me. I hate the word.

Mother keeps pestering me and I want to prove to her that marriage or having kids isn't for me. They will be an object of target to my rivals and enemies. I hate to go through another tough phase of losing loved ones.

I am done.

But I will satisfy her by getting married to someone, then we would be divorced after a year.

This was my confusion last night after a video call with her. But the problem was who to tell, who to discuss this with, and who to take as a wife.

I told my friend, Gabriel and we have plans to go to a club tonight. Gabriel is married and he is in support of me getting married too by letting go of the past.

But is it that easy?

Yes, it is.

I have let go totally but I would never believe in love, I would never be committed and I would never be married on my own free will. 

As soon as Isabella with her long straight black hair and vivid blue eyes entered and began to stutter about her problems, I decided to use her problems to my advantage. 

She needs my help and I need hers too. I expect her to understand. In fact, I am glad she is someone I can control. I am glad I don't need to go out in desperate search of a woman that I know absolutely nothing about.

Isabella is a striking-looking girl who is exceptional in her work. The only thing I hate about her that pisses me off is her clumsiness and I hope we can work together to make sure the marriage I am proposing to her looks real and then after a year, we would go our separate ways.

A year is enough to stop my mother from pestering me further. It is enough to prove a point to her.

I don't need a woman in my life. I am good this way.

But she doesn't understand that. She thinks I am still hurting from the death of Helena and our child, Susie. But I am not. I have healed from the hurt.

Isn't two years enough to heal from your wounds? Isn't it enough to make the scar oblivion like it never existed?

Time heals all wounds. I believe this and time has healed mine.

"What?!" She exclaims again, this time more loudly.

I watch her blue eyes piercing deep into me like she wants to read through me and know what I have in mind and why I am proposing this.

"Yes. Sit down!" I instruct sharply.

She blinks and rushes over to sit. I can see her hands trembling and her eyes turning red in anxiety.

I lean backward, watching and thinking of how it would be a success after a year. I know how calm Isabella can be and I'm sure we can pull this through.

"Are you calm now?" I demand impatiently and she nods vigorously.

"Good", I lean forward. She takes a large gulp and drops her hands to her lap. "This is going to be a contract marriage. I just want you to be my wife for just a year. After a year, I will pay you additional money and you can leave. In total, I will pay you $50,000- the first $25,000 will be as soon as the contract is signed and the next $25,000 will be after the marriage is over", I explain, expecting her to jump up in excitement that she will be free after a year and I will pay her handsomely.

But she isn't doing that. She looks scared. She looks like someone who is about to cry. She doesn't look excited about the idea of getting married to me in secrecy for a reason known to me alone and getting paid for doing that.

I sigh. "Do you understand?"

She shakes her head and a tear drops. I furrow my brows.

What the hell is this? Why the hell is she crying?

Anger courses through me and I am thinking of dismissing her when she raises her eyes to stare at me.

"Marriage? Why? Why me?" She wipes her years with the tip of her fingers.

"Are you in or not? Stop interrogating me!" I reply harshly. 

I already said it is a contract marriage and it means a contract will be drawn for this purpose. She can go through the rules and regulations guiding the contract and if she isn't satisfied with any of them, she can inform me or decide not to do it.

What is the big deal anyway?

I am doing her a huge favor here and she ought to be grateful. Why is she behaving as if I am punishing her?

She shakes her head and my brows crease further in confusion.

"I'm sorry, sir", she apologizes for no reason. "I'm sorry, sir but I can't do that."

"Why?" I question with a frown on my face. 

Why the hell is she rejecting an awesome offer like this? Does she even know what it means to get this huge money for just a year's job?

"I just can't", she sobs. "I can't get married if you need a contract…."

I begin to laugh, interrupting her from going further.

She can't marry me based on a contract? She wants to marry me because of what then?

Anger fills me up again and I slam my fist on the desk, making her bolt upright.

I ball my fist and watch her with a deadly look. 

I regret putting this to her. I shouldn't have told her. I should have just stuck with the initial plan of going to a club with Gabriel later tonight or asking his wife to help me get one of her friends to be my wife for just a year.

"You know what?" I ask pointedly with a serious face. My hands shake in anger.

She bows her head, not wanting to look me in the face.

"Forget I said all of that", I say to her. "Get out!"

She hoists her head with disbelief skating her expression.

"Get out!" I hell, making her scurry to the door. She stands there for a while as if contemplating what to do with my offer.

Before I can shout at her once more to leave, she dashes out.