MARRIAGE.

===

In the car, before King showed up at Payton’s house.

===

“Stop the car, Dariel,” King gave off a loud hiss and slapped his forehead.

“What’s going on?” Dariel asked as he looked around for a perfect spot to park the car.

After a while, he pulled the car, and King came out from the back where he sat.

Moving over to the front beside Dariel, he hissed again and turned the iPad in his hand to him.

“What is this?” Dariel asked as he stared at the screen.

“These idiots are coming up with things that I’ve not even done before. Why am I being termed as a womanizer?” King frowned.

Dariel parted his lips as he browsed through the tons of podcasts that were being aired and he shook his head.

“What the fuck?” Dariel burst out in laughter as he saw the clearly edited picture of King coming out of the hotel with another woman.

“Is this a comedy show?” King snapped his brows together as he stared at Dariel.

“Your head is edited on another person’s body. Damn, lies are spreading already,” Dariel laughed again.

Dariel has been friends with King for over ten years and he knew for a fact that King was not even half of what the media was saying at the moment.

Although he was cold, in fact cruel, and the man had definitely been living up to that reputation as he did not even care to change that about him.

But womanizing…?

King was one person who hated women very much.

Not like hate… but he definitely does not like them or go closer to them.

He has a girlfriend, and he is madly loyal to her. So, womanizing or cheating was the last thing that King would do.

“Should I just call a conference and reject all allegations? This is sickening!” King exclaimed.

“And tell them what?”

“I don’t know that woman. I have never seen her before! And this nonsense…?” He pointed at the screen and shook his head.

“They are fake!”

Dariel twitched his mouth upward like he understood his friend but instead, he burst into laughter and slammed his hands on the steering.

“And who will believe that?” He asked amidst laughter.

“Who wouldn’t? I have never been involved in a scandal my whole life! Why do you think I have not announced my relationship with Sasha yet?”

“Nobody will. I for a fact will not. Did you forget? You just announced that woman as your fiancé about thirty minutes ago. You even kissed her in front of the paparazzi!” Dariel laughed again.

Oh, shit.

He had totally forgotten that he did that.

“Fuck,” King exhaled and looked out of the window.

“See? Don’t even think of calling the media to tell them any bullshit. You’re ruining your chances of making them believe you.”

“Then, what do I do?!”

“Keep her as your fiancé, or better still get married! It is actually going to help your image also. Did you forget that your nude is out there? Everyone knows how you fuck and how you moan,” Dariel said and shook his head.

King sighed again and buried his head in his palms. He has never been involved in scandals, so he does not know how to sort them.

Yet, he knew that the only way to sort this was to keep pretending to be that woman’s fiance or whatever!

“Something is wrong, Dariel. There is no way I would get drunk over a bottle of martini,” King shook his head.

“Are you still trying to put the blame on someone or something?”

“I did not remember fucking her! I did not take her to that room or something, I promise!”

“King, you gotta think. Okay? Maybe not now, but think. Don’t be a kid blaming the alcohol for their actions.”

“You think I am trying to blame the alcohol?” King frowned.

He smacked his tongue and shook his head again. He did not know how this got to happen, and unfortunately, even his friend would not believe him.

His phone rang at the moment and he hurriedly picked it up.

“Sir.”

Came the voice of one of his informants.

“Did you find anything?”

“Yes, sir. She is Payton Vass, and she runs a little art gallery. Her father is the CEO of Vass and co,” he said.

“Anything unique?”

“Not at all. She has a stepmother, step-sister, and a fiance, that is all. I have emailed you the file.”

King nodded his head and dropped the call.

“Who is that?” Dariel asked.

“I asked someone to run a background check on that woman.”

“And?”

“Nothing,” King shook his head.

Suddenly, a live video came up the big screen and they both turned their attention to face it.

King drew his brows as he stared at the woman whose face was blurred as she began to say things about him.

“Everything King has said about that woman is a lie. He is indeed a womanizer and he will do anything for any person under the skirt…”

Dariel stopped the video and moved over to another video and then shook his head at the tons of videos that were flying around.

Some said he was gay…

Some said he was impotent…

A lot of untrue stuff about him was flying around and all he and Dariel could do was open their mouths agape.

“Gay? They all saw me fucking a woman, no?!” He burst into anger.

“This is crazy,” Dariel shook his head as another photoshopped picture of King in bed with another woman came up.

“What do I do?” King asked.

“Are you asking me?” Dariel widened his eyes.

“Shit, talk!”

“I don’t know!” Dariel laughed.

“Dariel.”

“Okay, marry her! That should shut them up!” He said amidst laughter.

King dropped his eyes on Dariel who kept laughing for a few seconds and then twitched his mouth upward.

“Okay, I am just kidding, I don’t…” when Dariel saw the serious expression on King’s face, he shook his head.

“What are you thinking?”

“Marriage.”

“What?” Dariel widened his eyes.

“Start the car. Let’s go to Payton’s house.”

“What?!” Dariel asked again as he watched King adjust his seat belt.

“You asked me to marry her and that’s what I’m about to do.”

“But I am just…”

“No one dares to drag my reputation in the mud, Dariel. I’ve been building it for years. I will marry that woman, and I will punish her for making me go through this shit!”

He said, his lips tugged in a dangerous smirk and his face as hard as a rock.