Chapter 2

Before I knew it, a week had passed. I discarded Dariel’s words, not thinking about them.

‘What the hell was his ordeal anyways? What does he want from me?’ I thought casually.

Jared must be living happily in his marriage and I should search for my soulmate too. I couldn’t stay at one point.

Humming to myself, I was wrapping my work to return home and surprisingly Sarah, my elder sister, called. Must be to get burgers on my way home.

“Hell-”

Instead, I was greeted with her panicking voice, “Saafia, come home, quick!”

“What happened, Sarah? Is Father okay?” I asked worriedly. Our Father was in a coma and his condition was worsening day by day.

“It’s not about Father. I have no idea what is going on, someone is here. Come home and deal with the mess you have created.” She scolded.

“What are you talking about? What did I do?” My mouth gaped.

“Just come home, dammit.” She hissed and cut the call.

“What’s her ordeal?” 

Mumbling, I shook my head, taking my things, completing my work and returning home as soon as I could to see what happened.

“What was the emergency, Sarah-” 

My jaw dropped in utter flabbergast to find the man I least wanted to interact with at MY HOME! 

“You? What are you doing here?” I hissed, throwing my things on the couch, standing before him with my arms folded at my chest.

The grimace on my face indicated I didn’t prefer his presence at my beautiful home of hope. I didn’t want his pessimism to ruin my expectations.

His eyes gradually shifted from Sarah to mine, the pseudo smile not leaving his lips as he rose from the couch.

Looking devilishly handsome in his suit jacket. The air around him spells his wealth, asserting his power here too.

And to increase my sensations, he called my name in a low, charming resonance.

“Saafia Blooms.” 

The back of my throat dried as my heart skipped a beat. My mouth was closed instantly upon hearing my name on his lips.

“Is there anything you need, Sir?” I asked, inhaling sharply to regain my posture.

To grasp the situation in his palm, he put his one hand over his chest and bowed slightly, offering his other hand to me, his smile converting into a dangerous smirk- 

Proposing for the worst, mismatched couple.

“I am here to ask for your hand in marriage. With me.” 

What?

When he proposed to me on the spur of the moment, I merely blinked with pure confusion. 

“Come again?” 

I was praying desperately that I heard him wrong which I didn’t.

“I would like to marry you.” He repeated his words in his false enticing voice, locking his eyes profoundly with mine.

But I had seen the fire of wrath, the ocean of darkness in them. I won’t be fooled with his display.

“Why?” I frowned, folding my arms at my chest.

Instead of angering me, it baffled me. 

We were entirely different, two sides which shouldn’t meet, which could never collide. Yet he wanted to marry ‘me’- Why?

“Can I talk to her alone, please?” He asked gallantly, turning to Sarah.

She turned to me, I gave her a reassuring nod as she agreed, “Sure.”

I had no intention of taking him to my room to talk alone so I made Sarah leave and the second she was out of sight, my frown deepened.

“What is this, Mr. Cannedy? What are you trying to prove and show by all this?” 

I didn’t like him showing abruptly at my home with this strange and unreasonable proposal.

When we were alone, his eyes revealed that malevolence again. This daunting air began to surround him again and holding his head high in pride, he declared- 

“My employee married my wife and I will marry his girlfriend. Simple as that.” 

My mouth gaped in utter disbelief. I knew it from one glance he was darkness, one from the abyss.

But didn’t expect him to be ‘this’ hateful. 

“Do you realize how selfish you sound right now?” 

“I do and I have never declined the fact I am selfish. Unlike you who can accept fate and other shit with a smile- I can’t.” He responded heartlessly. 

“You have lost yourself in hatred, Mr. Cannedy. Do you think you can use me for your revenge?” 

Frustrated at his extent of trying to use me as a tool of revenge, I moved back, holding my sides. My mind was in a state of shock, failing to function properly.

“I can and I will, woman. I want to show them what they lost. I want them to regret, to suffer and for that I will go to any extent- even marrying the person I would least prefer.” He snarled, curling his hands in a fist.

“You also don’t stand on top of my list too. We are so different. We have nothing in common, Mr. Cannedy. This would be destroying lives only.” I scoffed, barely controlling my composure. 

“So?”

“Why do you want to marry me?” 

The second this question escaped my lips, he closed our distance and began to take slow, deadly steps towards me.

“Because I want you to hate those cheaters as much as I hate them.”

“What…?” Gulping, I moved back, holding the hem of my shirt.

Each step I took back, he closed the gap until I hit the wall with no escape and his dominant form hovering over me.

“I hate people like you from the bottom of my soul.” 

My heart skipped a beat from dread along with an unwanted shiver. He frightened me by the intensity of blazes in those silver orbs.  

To enhance my apprehension, he placed his one hand across my face, completing his statement with a hiss.

“I want to corrupt your heart with resentment too. I want you to release the pain and anger you have buried.”

‘He wanted to marry me to taint me too… How villainous.’ I thought, staring deeply at him. 

He leaned fatally closer to my face to the point I could feel our breaths mixing up which dried my throat as he shifted to the side.

He whispered seductively in my ears, “I will teach you how to hate them as much as I do.” 

Closing my eyes, I stopped myself, breathless, immobilized.

“To your dismay, Mister Dariel Cannedy, I hold no hatred for anyone. I am not that type of person so leave. I am not interested in your offer. Leave.” I demanded, slowly regaining my posture and glaring at him, moving out of his space.

“Don’t make pitiful choices, Saafia. I am giving you a chance to marry ‘me’.” He hissed, taking a step back.

“I don’t need nor asked. Before I do anything, kindly leave,” I requested politely, putting my hand in between to stop him.

“So you won’t accept?” He asked for the final confirmation.

“No.” 

He narrowed his eyes in rage. I gulped, not falling weak before him as he glared at me for the next few seconds, displeased with my rejection.

“I will see you, Saafia Blooms.” 

He would go to an extreme, he was self-centered after all.  With those words muttered under his breath, he turned to leave and glanced for the last time.

“You WILL marry me. Just watch.” 

Enunciating his vicious plans, he left finally.

The second the door closed, I gasped for air which restricted when he left and leaned on the wall, holding my dress.

“What the hell was it?!” Sarah yelled, coming to me while I was utterly stunned, blinking to perceive what happened.

“I have no idea. What was his problem?” I defended myself, having no idea why he chose me as a prey.

“How does the worst billionaire know you in the first place?” She frowned, not liking him too. Everyone had seen his interviews, he was not the best or desirable. 

“I don’t know him. We are strangers. Jared’s wife, Veronica, was his ex-wife. What was my fault?” I argued.

“What?! Then why does he want to marry you?” 

Sighing, I took a seat and told her everything, his eerie and nefarious intentions to make them pay and my disinterest in that matter.

“Wow, you sure are stuck, Saafia. That man won’t leave you easily.” Sarah breathed out.

“Like hell I will marry him.” I muttered, getting up to leave for my room and then Sarah asked which pricked a needle in my chest.

“Because you are afraid you will become like him too?”

“No. He can never change me. I would never let anyone annihilate the kindness in me, the pieces of softness I have.” 

I declared emotionlessly before leaving to my room and praying to not see him again.

“I won’t murder my soul like him.”

I won’t marry him. He couldn’t change me, I won’t let him.