Thirteen

A middle-aged man was waiting for Alex's arrival at his residence, his fingers tapping the sofa repeatedly as if counting down the limits of his patience. Not long after, his house guard entered, followed by several other guards from outside, indicating that Alex had finally come in response to Robinson's summons.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late," Alex said awkwardly. Robinson ignored him, his expression flat and cold.

"Explain!" Robinson snapped, throwing a newspaper right before Alex.

Alex froze, his hands clasped tightly together. The carefully planned words in his mind evaporated as he saw the front-page headline announcing that his only son had officially married.

"What are we supposed to tell the investors about this? Your son acted without permission? A fatal mistake!" Robinson's voice was sharp and firm, his words dripping with resentment he struggled to contain.

"I'll fix this, Robinson! Just stay calm!" Alex tried to sound composed, though his mind was already spiraling out of control.

"How? Do you really think I'll still marry Anna off to Griffin? Don't be ridiculous!" Robinson barked angrily. Alex clearly hadn't considered the impact on Robinson's reputation; he only cared about maintaining their business partnership for profit.

"Just leave it to me! Trust me, Robinson! Everything will go back to normal," Alex tried to assure him. But Robinson wasn't swayed; his anger only grew stronger.

"Everything's already a mess, Alex! If you had controlled that idiot son of yours, we wouldn't be in this situation! And forget about me marrying Anna to Griffin, that man who survives only thanks to his father's power," Robinson said, pointing furiously in every direction.

Alex clenched his fists, frustrated by Robinson's insults. He knew Griffin's recklessness had caused the mess, but hearing someone else berate his son made his blood boil.

"So what do I need to do to make this right, Robinson?" Alex asked, his face carefully arranged to look remorseful.

"I'll consider working with you without having to marry our children, but only if you give me 30% of your company's sales profits," Robinson declared with a devilish grin.

"You mean our joint product sales?" Alex asked, confused.

"No, your own company's products, not our collaboration," Robinson clarified, his laughter echoing through the house.

"Bastard!" Alex swore silently, realizing what Robinson's idea of "cooperation" actually was.

"Are you taking advantage of me? I refuse! That's like giving you free profits!" Alex slammed his fist on the table.

"The decision is yours, Alex! I've given you compensation for the losses Griffin caused me!" Robinson shot back. Marrying his daughter to scandal-ridden Griffin was out of the question, no matter the future inheritance.

Alex didn't say another word, storming out of Robinson's house, his face twisted with anger. His efforts to persuade Robinson not to cancel the agreement had been pointless.

"Dad! Is the news out there true?" Anna asked, approaching Robinson, who was still smirking as he watched Alex leave. He was confident Alex would return, begging for mercy.

"About what? Your fiancé getting his secretary pregnant?" Robinson sneered, his irritation toward his daughter growing. He couldn't understand why she still had feelings for Griffin.

"Dad, maybe Griffin was framed? Maybe that witch Zaylee set him up? Or maybe Zaylee was with another man and blamed Griffin…"

SLAP!

The loud smack echoed through the room. The guards who witnessed it lowered their heads. Anna froze, the world around her seeming to stop. Her mind struggled to process what had just happened.

In her whole life, Robinson had never hit her. Now, he had slapped her hard, humiliating her in front of his staff.

"You better forget that bastard Griffin! Bury your dreams of marrying him!" Robinson yelled, his patience ending.

"Don't you see? Griffin never cared about you! How could you be so crazy in love?" he added. Anna remained silent, her father's words stinging.

"I'm going to kill that witch!" Anna said, clenching her fists before running barefoot and jumping into her car, genuinely resembling the madwoman Robinson described.

Anna drove recklessly, her mind spinning. She couldn't go to Griffin's apartment; he'd likely disappeared again.

"Dicky! Yes, he must know everything!" Without thinking, she pressed the gas pedal, speeding toward her fiancé's friend's house.

Zaylee watched as Griffin paced back and forth, unable to sit still. He had been busy unpacking bags filled with women's clothes.

Griffin handed her a brand-new phone, the latest model. Zaylee sighed deeply, clearly displeased with his gift.

"What's wrong? Did you want a different model?" Griffin asked, finally sitting beside her, looking at her face closely. His heart fluttered strangely at the proximity.

"You didn't need to buy me all this," Zaylee replied, eyeing the bags filled with clothes.

"You'll need to wear them for the next few months," Griffin said, glancing at her current outfit.

"Our marriage is temporary, Griffin! Why are you buying me this stuff? I don't want to owe you anything," she snapped. She could feel his judgment over her simple pajamas. After all, she had barely left the house since the incident, living like a prisoner.

"Consider it compensation for marrying me," Griffin muttered, avoiding eye contact. Zaylee fell silent.

"For how long? How long do I have to live like this? I miss my old life. I want to go back to my apartment," she lamented. Her carelessness that night had cost her dearly.

"Be patient! Until the baby is born, I'll let you go," Griffin said softly. Zaylee snorted in frustration. His answer only made her feel trapped.

Zaylee walked to the kitchen. Their conversations always ended unresolved, like their entire relationship. She opened the fridge, checking the vegetables.

"If you're bored, we can eat out!" Griffin called. Zaylee shot him a disinterested look.

"I have no appetite! Besides, how can we relax? We'll probably be caught by your father today!" she retorted.

As she washed the vegetables, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. She froze as Griffin buried his face in her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

"Griffin, get away from me!" she ordered, refusing to fall for his warmth.

"Why? Is your heart beating faster?" Griffin teased, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Don't be ridiculous! Get off me!" she said, trying to calm her racing heart.

Peck.

Griffin laughed as her cheeks turned bright red. When he let go, she took a deep breath.

"I thought living with you would be impossible, but maybe marrying you isn't so bad," Griffin said with a smile. Zaylee paused, unsure how to take his words.

"One more thing: Don't fall in love with me again, Zaylee. Your past mistakes won't be erased from my memory."