Chapter 0013

•DARLA•

‘Great.’

I sighed when I saw him. Seeing him turned out exactly as I had imagined. Emotionless and completely different than how I thought I would feel five years ago when I left while pregnant and decided to raise the twins with Ethan.

Even though I no longer cared or loved him like I used to before, my heart sank for a second at his presence and the way his eyes lingered on mine.

It almost felt like the second time I saw him and my parents introduced him as my arranged husband at a dinner invitation at his house.

Except that I was thrilled by the news, even though I knew about the other woman.

“Elijah.”

“I’m sorry, I thought that everyone was back,” he said as he glanced at me for a moment before he turned around and left.

“That was weird,” Ethan shrugged when Elijah walked off and left us alone.

“It doesn’t matter. We are already here anyway,” I smirked as I wrapped my arms around Ethan’s neck.

“That smirk,” Ethan chuckled softly. “Is there something that’s on your mind?”

“You are on my mind,” I kissed him. “The sooner we get to our hotel room, the better.”

He chuckled softly as he kissed my neck, sending electric shivers all over my body.

“I don't think you want to know what I want to do to you once we get back to our hotel room. I want to taste -” he bit my ear, and I giggled. “-every part of your body and take in every scent of you.”

I felt myself getting wet from his words, and I bit my lower lip as he leaned back and kissed my forehead.

Ethan knew his way around my body and I couldn't wait for him to fuck me so hard until I forgot that I was in business with the man who broke my heart and divorced me because he had gotten another woman pregnant.

“Let me restrain myself before I close the door and find ourselves naked,” he chuckled.

“I'm definitely going to have a hard time concentrating now that you've told me what you want to do to me.”

We chuckled as we walked out of the boardroom and went to the refreshment room to get something to eat.

***

After the end of the conference meeting, Ethan and I got ready to leave for our hotel room and rest when Elijah grabbed my wrist and turned me to him.

Ethan was inside our car waiting for me when I turned back and went to the boardroom to get my notebook.

“Let go of my arm, Elijah.” I frowned as I yanked it from his grip.

“Can we talk?”

“Talk?” I scoffed. “What’s there to talk about?”

“I know that you hate me for what happened,” he said as he leaned closer to me.

I shook my head, chuckled, and folded my arms on my chest.

“I don’t hate you for anything. I don't have time to hate you for setting me free and allowing me to realize my worth and fight for my place in this world. So if you ever think that I hate you, then it’s all in your head.”

“Then listen to what I have to say. If you truly mean that you don’t hate me, then I want to say something to you, and I hope that you won’t walk out on me.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. My husband is waiting for me,” I rolled my eyes and turned around to walk away when he reached out for my wrist again and held me back.

“I’m sorry, Darla. I’m sorry for how I treated you and ended our marriage. I need you to forgive me for everything that I did.”

“Let me go, Elijah,” I snarled. “You made your priorities clear to me the day you chose her over me. Even when you pushed me out of the way and landed me in the hospital. You proved to me that I meant nothing to you, and if you ever think that I will just forget what you did and let bygones be bygones, then you’re wrong.” I scoffed. “But it doesn’t mean that I hate you or that I haven’t moved on from what you did. I moved on and stopped caring about you. So there you have it, your apology is accepted. But stay away from me.”

“Please -”

I yanked my hand from his grip, and when I turned around to walk out of the boardroom, Ethan was at the door.

“Is he disturbing you?” He asked as he walked closer to me.

“No, please, let’s go. I’m tired,” I took his hand into mine, but he let it go and leaned toward Elijah.

“Darla is my wife, and the next time you think that you can have your way with her, you will have me to deal with. Now, listen and listen very carefully, Mr. Houston,” the two looked eye to eye. “If you still want this project to be successful, you will stay far, far away from my wife. Don’t ever hold her against her will again. Do you understand me?”

“She may be your wife, Ethan, but that doesn’t mean that you can tell me what to do when it comes to her. If I want, I will make her mine again, and you will never disrespect me like you do right now.”

Ethan frowned, took my hand, and walked out of the boardroom with me without saying a word back to him.

“What was that about?” I asked him when we got outside the building heading to our car.

“I heard his speech trying to apologize to you. I had to make him understand that you’re my wife, and he had no right to talk to you like that.”

“Your contract wife, Ethan. You didn’t have to do that. He won’t let it go now that you’ve given him a challenge,” I scoffed as I opened the door at the back of the car and got inside.