Chapter Nine

Alexander’s POV

I watched her as she walked out, to make sure she had the rings before she left my space. It was in times like this, when she wasn’t speaking, when I could stare at her without her realising, that I sometimes couldn’t believe this was real.

The girl I had spent all my teenage years detesting, was now here, a woman, my prospective wife, mine to control. I could finally get closure, knowing that there was someone who could at least pay for the injustice served me a decade ago.

The door clicked shut. I dropped the smirk and looked at Jason who was still fuming. He had probably head that a certain lady had been escorted to my office and wanted to see for himself. “What?”

“I can’t believe you’re going through with this. You didn’t even say anything to me.”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my computer. “You can tell why now, can’t you?”

He sighed and marched towards the chair opposite me and sat, leaning forward as if staring directly at me was going to change my mind. “Who else, if not me, will try to knock you back to your senses?”

“Well you’ve tried, and it’s not going to work, so stop.”

“Alexander,” he grilled out my name slowly. “You know deep down that this is wrong. She may not be innocent, but she is not the reason why your parents died.”

I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not discussing this with you. Get out of my office if this is all you’re going to say.”

“Shit Alexander, this is insane!” He stood and planted his palms on the desk dramatically. “You can’t possibly marry her just to make her life miserable.”

I scoffed. “Try me.”

He sighed again and straightened up. “I can’t believe you were keeping tabs on her this whole time and you didn’t tell me. I didn’t even know what she looked like.”

“And what exactly would you have done with that information?”

“Keep her away from you. I could’ve hired her for crying out loud.”

I raised a brow and grinned incredulously. The interview had just been a formality. “No, you wouldn’t. That’s why Kathy is out there.”

“That’s not the point. Damn it, Alex, please… Stop this.”

I shut down my computer and sent a text to Kathy to prepare for the meeting, and then took my jacket, standing up. “You’re wasting your time.”

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “She remembers you hurt her all those years ago?”

I stopped and pursed my lips. I nodded. “Yeah.”

“And you’re confident she won’t screw you over instead in the long run?”

Power swirled anew through my veins. “That’s why this is my game. I switch the rules to my convenience. She won’t catch up.”

“This won’t end well.”

I smiled at him. “My point exactly.”

“Alex.”

“I’ll see you later. I’m heading out for a meeting.”

Without sparing him another glance, I walked out.

Kathy, my secretary stood up as soon as she saw me. Yes, I was the kind of person who let’s new recruits work immediately after they passed the interview. But it wasn’t a big deal in this case, since she already knew the job was hers. It wasn’t a thing I did at all, it was a simple favour for a brother, so she better be worth her salt. If she kept up her performance so far, then I was certain I wouldn’t have a problem.

“The contracts for the meeting are ready sir. I’ll take them from legal before we go downstairs,” she announced.

“Sure, meet me downstairs. I’ll be seeing my wife off. I hope you made her comfortable.” Daniela stood up from beside Kathy and kept er eyes on me. She looked uncertain.

“Yes sir.”

I nodded. “Good.”

When Kathy headed out, I stretched my hand out to Daniela. Today, everyone was going to know she was mine. She came to me carefully and slipped her hand in mine. I hadn’t said much to scare her, but she was more obedient today. All the better for me.

“What was Kathy talking to you about?” I asked her when we got into the elevator.

Her hand twitched in my hold. There was no need to do this in the elevator, but for some reason, I didn’t let go. “She asked if I was your wife.”

“And…?”

“She recognised me. I mean we were in the same waiting room yesterday. That means so many other people here can. How would you explain me coming for the interview, if I’m supposed to be your wife?”

I sighed. I needed another conversation with that bastard. “She didn’t recognise you. Jason told her. And even if anyone else suspects something, they wouldn’t do a thing.”

“Jason’s your friend?”

We stepped out of the elevator and into the main lobby. As expected, we made an audience out of everyone there. I pulled her closer to me. “You’re learning. Keep your eyes on me.”

She nodded again and shifted her hand in mine. She was nervous. I almost smirked. This was just the beginning. “And why did he tell Kathy? Do they know each other?”

“Find out.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’re going home, and I’m killing two birds with one stone”

She looked like she had more questions, but she didn’t say anything afterwards. Perhaps she had finally learned to stop being so nosy. Whatever it was, her silence and pulled me in to analyse her all over again.

She didn’t look much different from yesterday, to me. Maybe that’s because I had known what she looked like my entire life. I never stopped thinking of her. Not when I jumped out her window eleven years ago, not when I was surviving in the orphanage, not even during my therapy sessions. How could I?

No amount of psychological manipulation could convince me that moving on from my past was the best answer, especially when her life seemed to be going on better than mine. Even after her own parents died, she still managed to be happy, while I still dealt with the pain of my misfortune every blessed day. So no, I never stopped thinking about how I could make her life as miserable as mine. Even more so when I started making a name for myself.

I had people watching her even before she moved to this city. So, I knew when Bertha bought the space for her restaurant and I was the reason its ratings did not rise about 2.5. I knew when she graduated and likewise, there’s a reason why her credentials don’t mean shit to any employer in the city. But with all my thoroughness I forgot to safe guard my own establishment, and she came running to me. Now why would I miss the chance to take my revenge higher when fate brought her like a parcel to my doorstep?

This is my tribute to the family I lost.

She released a deep breath once we were out of the building only for her to freeze at the top of the short flight of stairs that would lead her to the car. This time I let the grin out.

“There are people with cameras…” she whispered, her words faltering when she looked at me. “What are you doing?”

It wasn’t an ambush. They were hiding as they took photos, as my men had instructed them after giving the tip, but anyone with eyes would notice them. “Showing my property to the world. Act accordingly.”

She exhaled again, but quickly put a mild smile on her face. Then we resumed our walk. Mike got out of the car when we got down and opened the door for her. We stopped there and I gestured for him to get back into the vehicle.

I turned to my ‘wife’ and loosened my hold on her hand. Instead, I opened up her palm, and led her hand to my shoulder, resting it there. In turn, I brushed my fingers through her hair, tucking the strands behind her ear and then cupped her cheek. Her eyes widened in alarm. Of course, I would recognise her in every situation. That hair. She was always beautiful. And I hated it.

“Cooperate.” That was the only thing I told her, before I lowered my lips on hers.

It was a short kiss, just an announcement. She didn’t really kiss back- I didn’t give her the opportunity to, but that short period was enough to carve a permanent memory of her taste in my brain. She tasted like vanilla, precisely ice cream, as if that was all she had eaten today. I would confirm from Mike, but whatever it was, it almost made me take her lips again.

When I looked at her after pulling away, she was already staring at me with those big eyes of hers. Whatever she was thinking, I knew it was best I wasn’t aware of it. I hadn’t had any woman look at me that way before, not even Delphine, and it was unsettling.

I stepped back. “I’ll see you soon, my love.” Get in the car, I mouthed.

She looked away immediately and entered. Without much thought I shut the door and walked towards the car Gus was driving up, clearing my head for the meeting.