Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Caleb held the door for her and she walked into the massive space, her eyes bulging out.

“Make yourself comfortable while I go get us drinks. We should be celebrating.” 

She walked over to the window to look outside and gasped at how high up they were. 

“You won’t fall if that’s what you are worried about.”

She spun around a little too fast and found herself staggering a bit.

“ I…” 

“Take it easy,” Caleb warned, catching her by the hand and dragging her away from the window. “Here,” 

Jane cleared her throat and pulled away from him, accepting the glass of wine. “Thank you,”. 

“Let’s talk in my office,” He told her and led the way to the office which was on the other side of the room behind a small door that she hadn’t noticed before. 

When Jane stepped inside the office, she was amazed. Seeing the small door on the outside, one would think it was similar to what was inside but the office was two times the size of her bedroom, almost the size of the living room area she had just been in. 

“If you are so easily impressed by all this, how would you react when you see my mansion?” 

She simply walked over to one of the seats and sat down, placing the wine glass on the table.  

“I was quite surprised when I saw your call.” 

She shrugged and looked up to meet his eyes. “I thought things through and realized I had to get back at him for everything he did to me.” 

Caleb nodded. “You made the right decision.” He stretched his glass towards her. “This is to celebrate your first victory against them.”  

Jane flushed as she raised her glass to clink it with his. “Thanks for being there to support me.” 

“OF course, I told you I would help with anything.” He said and she nodded. “So, what next do you want to do?” 

She shrugged having not thought that far ahead. “Sincerely, I don’t know. I haven’t given it much thought.” 

She sighed and raised her brows to meet his.

“I’ve been too absentminded to ask. Why are you helping me?”

He grinned and took a little sip from his glass and dropped it on the table.

Caleb observed her for a while and then leaned closer to her. “Well, it is simple. I want us to get married and then we will join forces and ruin him.” 

Jane burst into a fit of laughter, shocking and confusing him at the same time. 

“Did I say something funny?” he asked with a frown and she shook her head, fighting back more laughter. “Surely I must have said something because you are still laughing.” 

She laughed some more and then fell silent. “Marry you? Really? Is that the best you can do?” 

Caleb gritted his teeth and glared at her. “Look, I want to bring down Dragon Corporations and Marcus and expose him for the lying scum that he is.Two years ago, he stole a very vital information and trade secrets from us which he is using to blackmail our company. My dad died as a result, thinking the secret would be out " 

He noticed she was about to say something but stopped her. 

"Don't say sorry... He had a bad heart already and hearing of the leak of the trade secret, it only triggered his fragile heart" he looked away from her and continued. 

"It is such trade secret that sets his company in the same pedestal as ours in competition. I've been monitoring him for the past two years, and that's how I was able to find out about you"

"I was happy when you walked into my bar. I  approached you and offered you help because I know you both are about divorcing. I don't know why, but I think it's too sudden and something must be wrong "

"Great! So you've been watching me?" 

"Not you, your husband. And you're affiliated to him, I can't deny not to notice you as well."

"Okay, we both want revenge... Why are we talking about marriage?" She folded her arms around her chest.

"Marrying you is for my mom's sake since she’ve been on my case for a while about settling down. And in my dad's will, if I don't get married within 4 years of his death, his brother... that's my uncle is to take over the company” 

"My mom hates my father's brother... And I hate him too, she wouldn't want him to take over the company that's why I really need to get married as well"

She opened her mouth to speak but he continued talking. 

“Marrying me will also be some kind of protection for you later on. Who would want to offend a Lockwood?"

Jane sighed and thought about it for a second, shaking her head after a while. “I’m sorry, I can’t marry you.” She rose to her feet and started to walk to the door. 

“So, you’re just going to give up then? You don’t care about the revenge?” 

She frowned and spun on her heels. “I care about getting back at Marcus because I don’t want him to get away with everything he has done to me. He has to pay.” 

“Then marry me.” Caleb urged, rising to his feet. 

“No.” she told him with a shake of her head. “I am barely out of one marriage. Why would I want to enter another one?” 

Caleb shook his head, smiling as he walked up to her. “I don’t care about love or feelings Jane Roberts, see it as more of a business transaction. I scratch your back and you scratch mine. It’s that simple.” 

Jane scoffed and looked away. There was nothing simple about it. She didn’t know this man or anything about him and the mere thought of partnering up with him was a big risk, one she didn’t want to take in the first place but after seeing Marcus and Abby together like that, it broke something in her. 

“I understand if you need time to think things through. You have my number so you can call me when you have made up your mind.” 

Jane didn’t say anything, she just simply stared at the door. 

“It’s late. Let me prepare the guestroom for you.” He made a move to leave and she caught his hand. 

“I am sorry but I can’t stay in your house. I don’t even know you.” She told him staring him in the eye. She let go of his arm and they just stood staring at each other.

Caleb grinned, slipping his hands in his pocket. “Do you have somewhere else to go?” 

Her face fell at that question. “No,” she whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. 

“Then where do you want to go?” 

She stood there staring at nothing, her mind blank. She didn’t have anyone else in the town to turn to except Marcus and Abigail and now him, Caleb. And she can't certainly go back to her father because she's a rebel. 

It again dawn on her that she had no choice but to marry Caleb. But she saw her was desperate too as she was. But she didn't want to show how desperate she was. She wanted to take things slowly. 

The fear of Caleb getting someone else for the purpose of his revenge scared her. But she immediately relax and sighed. After all, she's the ex of Marcus and if there's a better person that knows Marcus and can help bring him down just as they both wanted, it was HER. 

she was still lost in her thought when Caleb sighed, grabbing his keys. “Come on, I will take you to a hotel.” 

Jane opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. she knew it would be pointless to argue now that she had no other option. 

“We can talk more in the car if you still have something to say.”