Chapter - [ 4 ]

[ Claire ]

The warm temperature in the luxurious living room of Tristan Pierce comforted my body. I could feel my pulse. The awkward silence between us could be sensed in the thick air.

I had a homely feeling wrapping me in its warmth in a complete stranger's house whom I trusted and accompanied him here.

“Here, have this, it’ll help to normal your body temperature, Miss Jones.” He offered me some brandy which I took and gulped with an incoherent ‘thanks’.

He sat across me with crossed legs and his hands rested on arms of his single sofa. I tried my best to avoid looking at him.

“Are you feeling better now?” He asked after a few moments of excruciating silence.

“Yes. We can talk now.” I said gaining some confidence.

“Great, I can tell that you’re a smart woman, Claire.” He said addressing me by my first name for the very first time and I hate to admit that it sounded so good, strange.

“What is the use of this smartness when I can’t fight for my rights, Mr. Pierce. I allowed them to ridicule me and made a joke of my dignity in front of the people I know.” I chuckled bitterly.

“You shouldn’t care what people perceive about you, Miss Jones. They’ll forget everything once you regain a higher aim than your family, trust me.” He said.

“I wish I could but I doubt if I even get a job to sustain myself.” I replied.

“Ryan Bale is my stepbrother from my mother. She divorced my father and married a richer man   I was only three. You know what is the irony?” He took a pause and sipped his drink, “My father bought his company within a year. Since then, my enmity with Bales is like mouse and cat.”     

I was shocked to hear this revelation. Ryan Bale is Tristan’s half brother yet they’re poles apart. At least, knowing these two men in a few hours meeting I could trust Tristan alone in his house whereas Ryan gave me creepy vibes in front of many people.

“Why are you telling me this, Mr. Pierce? Isn’t it your personal matter?” I narrowed my eyes.

“I am telling you this because whatever I am going to tell you the next part of our discussion, Miss Jones. But before I speak, I want you to help yourself with more wine. You're  a curious person  but you can't  take surprises very well." He said and I felt knots in my stomach. How could he know this habit of mine?  I never told anyone?

I poured more drink for myself to prepare for his next words.

“Your brother is a disaster for business. Please, no offense but I am stating it as a businessman. Ryan knows it and this is the reason he is acting to play your family’s knight in shining armour. Caleb Jones is a kid for him. He wants to swallow your father’s company, that’s what he has been doing since he took over his company’s command.” He told me, which didn’t come like a shocker. My brother is forced into business by my father since he’s the only son. Caleb always wanted to become a pianist.

“I don’t care what happens to them, Mr. Pierce. They have brought this problem upon themselves.” I said nonchalantly but deep down I knew, I cared for the company which my grandfather built by his hard work.

“You should care, Miss Jones because you’re thirty-one percent share holder of the company. Your father hid your grandfather’s will from you since your grandfather retired and chose a solitary life with his wife. Harris Jones never wants to give you your inheritance. Don’t you think you must take what’s legally yours?” He raised his brow but I was in daze. My parents kept me with meagre financial support, they didn’t even send me in a good school like my siblings and also stopped my college f*e saying I was only wasting their money.

They stole my rights. How could they be this heartless?

“Let’s bring them down, Claire. You have my words. I’ll help you to avenge Ryan Bale because he is our mutual enemy. He’ll try to marry your younger sister Mia Jones but you must know a secret, Claire.” He said and rose from his seat. He walked towards me in slow steps.

For some reason, his eyes reflected so much, some unfamiliar and some twisted emotions. 

“What?”

“He is already married. He treats his wife like a trash. No one knows about her existence but she is his goose who lays golden eggs. She’s the daughter and heiress of the president of “The Clark” hotel chains. Once she dies, he’ll lose everything. Knowing your stupid sister, she’ll jump in to marry Ryan and to stop him, we have only to ways.” He paused and waited for my reaction.

“I am listening.” I nodded my head firmly.

“Marry me and claim your inheritance because then you’ll have my back. You are a smart woman, Miss Jones. Rest you know how to handle.” He lay out his preposition.

For a moment, I thought I misheard him.

“Excuse me? What…what did you just say?” I knitted my brows together.

“Marry me, Miss Jones. I need a mother for my son. You don’t have to act like a real mother to him but he never asks for anything. For the first time he wished for something and I can’t refuse his request. He is my only child, my world.” He said boldly.

I blinked my eyes for a second to process what I just heard from him. Did he really want to marry me because his child needs a mother?

“Where is his mother? I mean your wife or girlfriend?” I blurted out and his face turned hard.

“None of your business, Miss Jones. I am proposing a fair deal to you here. We both can have what we want with no strings attached. You just have to act nice with my son and in return, I’ll make sure all those people who made you suffer will pay.” He said.

“This is insane, Mr. Pierce. Marriage isn’t a joke.” I shook my head.

“We’ll be married on papers only and once my son will understand that he doesn’t need a mother in his life. He has everything he’ll ever need and I am there for him, then you can separate from us and start your fresh life with someone you’d chose.” He tried to state it as it was very simple.

I remained silent. It was true, he saved me when nobody came for my help but what he was proposing, it sounded really crazy but then I thought about my life. What will I do tomorrow when I’d be back on the streets?