CHAPTER TEN

Hayden and Jeremy approached us, their eyes dead serious. I cocked my eyebrows at Hayden who just merely shrugged beckoning me to come over to him. I stood up and left my place, Jeremy immediately took it. He looked at Katie asking her if she was alright. Katie didn't reply.

"She is shaken Jeremy" Ivy told him.

"Well, I have decided that Katie will stay with Clare and Hayden, for her utmost safety" He said in an authoritative voice.

"But she could be safe in the S.A.C. more than here" Dom said in a pointed voice.

"How could she be safe in a place where the owner wants to kill her?" Hayden implored. Dom kept quiet. They stood up in order to leave while me, Katie and Hayden made our way up the elevator. As we entered the penthouse we took a huge sigh of relief. As if a weight had been lifted off our shoulder.

"What do you want to have?" Hayden asked, making his way to the kitchen. I gave an evil smile.

"Stop smiling like an evil little elf, will you?" He looked at me amusingly. I glared at him playfully, and happily danced towards the kitchen.

"I would like to have a lamb steak along with a lemon pie with Swiss meringue topping" I called out as if I was ordering in a restaurant.

"The order will be there in about 40 minutes mam." He answered dialing away to order the lemon pie. I looked over to Katie who looked like she was being tortured to death.

"This year has been pretty much fucked up" She groaned out loud.

"It is only the starting of the second week" I laughed at her helplessness.

"I know but trust me this one is surely one of a kind year" She looked like she was already giving up on the excitement.

"It's too much!" She wailed and I threw a cushion at him. We were in the lounge as I shuffled through the playlist trying to find a song suitable for the situation. I ended up throwing the phone at the sofa. It started playing Monsters by Ruelle. My stomach suddenly started aching. I looked over to Hayden's room and estimated the time it would take to go to the bathroom. After judging I bolted, right for it. Oh man, the last thing I would want in this world was to get my freaking stomach upset. Well, maybe I had too much pasta. I came outside to see a worried Hayden.

"What happened?" He asked as I plopped down on his bed.

"Too much pasta" I groaned out loud. He just looked at me shaking his head as if I was a child who did something wrong even when he was told the thing was wrong.

"What? not my mistake. It was you who made it so good" I complained, throwing the whole thing at him as if it was his fault. Technically, it was. He was the one who made it.

"So you are saying it was my fault and not yours, who ate it like a pig" He squinted his eyes at my child like behavior.

"I so do not eat like a pig," I answered crossly. He was about to retort when the oven bell dinged. He went outside to check on it and I lazily stood up, following him. I came outside to see Katie sleeping on the sofa. I called her but she was in a deep slumber. I went near her and screamed at the top of my lungs. "KATEEEEEEEEE" She woke up startled and started thrashing around as if trying to kill someone. I couldn't hold my laughter in.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" I rolled on my stomach as she was still scared that she was being attacked. It took her awhile but when she was in her senses she bombarded me with punches. One punch hit my stomach and that was the end to it. "NO, not my stomach" I warned her and she sat down sulkily.

"Dinner is ready,"  Hayden called out.

"Yes, dear we are coming" I replied back, imitating a sickeningly sweet woman's voice.

"Stop it, It just makes me gag" He scolded me. I stood up, helping Katie along who was not in the mood to eat so I showed her the way to the guest room. I made my way towards the kitchen where Hayden had already started. I sat down and was about to fill my plate when Hayden stopped me.

"You are already sick" I pouted at him and started on my food. Within the time of five minutes I had finished my plate and in the total of fifteen minutes I had also finished my dessert. Ah, I should probably take part in those food racing games, for I surely will win. Hayden cleaned the table and  I washed the dishes as he placed the leftovers in the refrigerator. After we bid goodbye, we made our way to our rooms.

It was 11 o'clock at night when my stomach started making noises. I was hungry and when I couldn't take it no more, I called Hayden, knowing he stayed up late working in his office. He picked up almost instantly. "What happened?" He asked, tiredness visible in his voice. Feeling bad for him, I just told him that I was just checking on him but at the same moment my stomach decided to grumble, again. I turned beetroot red as I shut the phone embarrassed, as I heard him chuckling. A minute later, the door opened and he entered switching on the lights of the room. I was still red in the face. He came forward, his chuckle turning into laughter as I hid my face in his shoulder.

"Come on, get up we are going to have some coffee and cake" He pulled me up and I stood up happily grinning like a child.  Fifteen minutes and twenty five seconds later, we were sitting in a café near central park. After finishing our coffee and a slice of caramel cake along with a slice of NY cheesecake, we made our way to the central park. The side we were walking through was dimly lit and you could only make out shadows. We were walking happily when I heard a rustle. I turned around but was pulled off my feet. It took me a while to understand what had happened. I was in the middle of my mother and Hayden and another man, whom I didn't know.

"Not my daughter you bitch" My mom spitted and the guy along with Hayden's guard, who were following us in a distance in the shadows, showered the people with bullets and they immediately died on the spot. She turned around and I embraced her tightly. Hayden on the other hand was so happy that his face was shining with happiness.

"He is his father" My mother whispered and my mouth turned into a 'Oh'. No wonder they both looked alike. The man turned to me, smiling gently. "So you are the one who has swept my Hayden off his feet'' It was the second time I turned beetroot red. My mom laughed. "Stop teasing my little child, Henry''. He just shrugged before asking me again. "So, tell me, was it you who pulled that wrenched woman's hair?" I nodded my head proudly. "That is my daughter in law" He high fived me looking like a father who was proud of his daughter, due to the trophy she had won. He then turned towards Hayden. "You know, son, I am proud of your choice. Hold onto her tight but if I hear you have done something fishy, you know me" He advised Hayden who just shook his head.

"Well, we better leave. We will catch you soon guys" They hugged us and vanished into thin air. I looked over at Hayden, who looked at me. We both exclaimed at the same time and I ran jumping on him, my hands around his neck and my legs around his waist. We stood there for a while, until I jumped down. "That was a lot of PDA?" I flattened my shirt.

"PDA? Oh now I see. Public display of affection, right" He reassured me and I nodded as we made our way back to the car. We made our way back to the penthouse but I, on the other hand, was too tired and fell asleep in the car. I opened my eyes when I felt  myself laying on something soft. I opened my eyes which were shut by Hayden who whispered me to sleep. After dreaming of some weirdly stupid things, I woke up when a unicorn was about to eat me mouth full. I looked around to see that I was not in my room. Then realization dawned on me and my mouth hangs open. I swallowed my spit, took a deep breath calming my erratic heart as I looked around, panicked.

I had slept in the car and Hayden brought me to his room. I looked around thanking that I was fully clothed when I was pushed back on the sheets by a heavy hand. I looked around to see Hayden's hand on my waist as he snuggled close. I stopped and observed him. Man. If I ever am going to admit something to him, it would be his Oh-so-sharp jawline that I was obsessed with, hehe. He was my fiancé, contract marriage or not.

'This new year really brought up something I would never have imagined doing' His hand moved inside my shirt and I slapped it away. "Pervert" I called him and he opened his eyes. "What did you just say?" He asked, his voice hoarse. '