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CHAPTER EIGHT
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The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER NINE
I don't know what I expected to find, but it certainly isn't the hundreds of reporters and photographers standing outside Giancarlo and taking pictures. I stare at them from inside the building not knowing what to do. What do they want? "You should go out and speak to them, Natalie," Hailey says. "How can I? What would I say? How do they even know I'm here?" I go back to my office upstairs while Hailey tries to get them to leave. When they wouldn't budge, I finally succumbed and put a call through to Brandon. He makes it to Giancarlo in less than an hour, and somehow, manages to push through the crowd of reporters and get into my office, where I'm sitting on the sofa with Hailey. "What do they want?" I ask as soon I see him. He puts one hand in his pocket and runs the other through his midnight dark hair. "To speak to you. This happens now and then." "Why?" "Why?" He throws his hands upward and continues. "You just married one of the most eligible bachelors in Seattle. Of
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER TEN
Brandon's plan worked perfectly. Like he said, we gave the press something to chew on. Our pictures are splashed all over magazines and people actually believe that there is love or at least between us. I mean, who wouldn't? I watched the video too, and what I saw left me embarrassed. Brandon and I looked like a couple head over heels in love, and me? The video showed my knees buckling after the kiss, and Brandon's arm steadying me. I was looking up at him like a lovesick puppy! Lovesick? I mean, I don't even like the man! For several days after, Brandon and I continue to avoid each other. Of course, I know why he's been keeping his distance. He thought that the kiss might have stirred up emotions in me that are best left unstirred. But I'm not a child. I don't need someone to make assumptions about what I feel and what I do not. Whatever reaction I had that day was an in the moment thing. I could never fall in love with Brandon. As the days go by, I feel my anger continue to build.
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER ELEVEN
My jaw falls open in surprise. I try to form words but it truly feels like my brain is failing me. I'd like to think that I have met many crazy men, but never one as crazy as Brandon. The fact that this is the response he can come up with makes me begin to question the wisdom of agreeing to marry this man. I know that he didn't exactly give me a choice, but could I really not have run away? How difficult would it have been to walk in front of a train?"What?" I ask exasperated."You heard me, Natalie. I can no longer share bed space with you. I need my space. Also, I don't care whether you're happy or bored. Cut all ties with that man. You will no longer see him.""You can't stop me from seeing him," I respond defiantly."Oh yes, I can, Natalie." He closes the laptop in his lap and leans forward. "You see, the problem with you is that you underestimate me. You have no idea what I'm capable of doing, Natalie. I wonder how you'd feel if your friend suddenly got accosted by a group of th
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER TWELVE
Sometimes, I think that I'm the only sane person among the people that surround me. A divorce? Hailey is suggesting a divorce? How am I supposed to divorce a man who threatened me into marriage, fooled me into thinking he was a good man before the wedding, and has been switching between nice and crazy since we got married? With a heavy sigh on my breath, I respond. "I can't threaten him with a divorce, Hailey. He won't buy it." "Because?" "Because we signed an agreement." "Doesn't matter. Scare him. Give him reason to think that you're going to break your end of the bargain. It is important to him that you two stay married until he gets his inheritance, Nat. You have that power over him. Use it." I think over what she has said for some minutes. She has a point. Brandon needs me. If I leave this marriage, it will not only taint his image, it could cost him his inheritance. Rebecca Martinez is known for keeping to her words. If Brandon didn't actually believe that she'd cut him o
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Brandon drops me into a chair in the living room and bends to remove the glass from my feet, the chairwoman and several of the servants have rushed down to see what the cause of the noise is. He yells for one of the maids to bring a first aid box, and for another to bring a glass of brandy which he forces down my throat before attending to my cuts.The chairwoman scoots over to my side to hold my hand while he administers treatment to the cuts. I try to hold back my tears but more fall as he washes the cuts gently with soap and water. By the time he covers the wounds with a band-aid, I am down to hiccups. Ignoring my protests and the chairwoman's confused look, he lifts me in his hands, and up to his room, leaving everyone wondering what just happened.Placing me gently in his bed, Brandon gets into bed with me and gathers me into his hands. "I'm so sorry, Natalie." He says quietly. "I'm so sorry."I don't know if he is apologizing for the cuts or for his actions earlier, but I f
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Brandon's POV"Mom, I was drunk!" I respond with an annoyed look on my face. Rebecca Martinez sits gracefully at my desk staring pointedly at me. Because of the time I spent making sure that Natalie was okay, I was late in getting to the office. Truth is, I didn't even want to come in today, but I needed a form of distraction. Thoughts of Natalie have been intruding in my thoughts lately, and I couldn't be more surprised. I don't even like the girl!When I stepped into my office, my mother was already at my desk waiting for me. I knew that she would want an explanation after yesterday's drama, but I sure wasn't expecting to find her waiting for me."And since when do you get drunk?" She asks with a calmness that only Rebecca Martinez is capable of exhibiting. I run a hand through my hair and place the other over the lower half of my face. I don't have a response for her. I can't possibly tell her that I can't get Natalie out of my head. Even admitting it to myself, the thought is appa
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Natalie's POVThree days after the 'bottle incidence' as I have chosen to call it, I resume back to work at Giancarlo. Brandon has been shuffling between awkwardly caring and suddenly distant for the past three days, and I have finally decided to simply take his actions as they come. To choose to react to any of his emotions would be setting myself up for a mental condition.In my absence, Mariah has hired more staff and interviewed them. I complete the formalities by conducting a personal interview with them early in the day. By afternoon, I met up with a tech guy Hailey recommended to set up the restaurant's website. True to her hype, he is really good, and he sets it up faster than I envisaged. We decide on a day for testing before he leaves.After that, I join the kitchen staff to knead dough, and prep other items, to Alfredo's delight and everyone else's horror. For me, being in the kitchen is essential. That's one thing they do not seem to understand.When I return to my office,
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER SIXTEEN
For the next few days, Brandon and his mother worked tirelessly to find out who was behind the chase. When he continues to hit dead ends, Brandon is frustrated beyond words. I, on the other hand, am mostly over the incident. Brandon insisted on going to work with me for a week after the incident, but I soon realized how difficult it was to work with the man.By the third day, I was frustrated beyond words. Brandon had something to say about everything! He talked too much, complained incessantly, and snapped at a couple of workers. When I couldn't take it anymore, I grabbed my bag, held him firmly by the arm, and dragged him out. That was the last time he went to work with me.Now, as I sit at my desk going over accounts, I'm reminded of the thousand and one reasons why I never liked maths in high school. I have to be honest. This is one of the few reasons why I can't let Mariah go. She might be a witch from hell, but she does an excellent job. Even though I am only going over an alrea
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The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Brandon's POVStill, I stood there, my phone still clutched in my hand, my chest furiously heaving up and down, my heart seething with anger. Arlys had driven me to the limit, and now she threatened me once more. The words still rang in my head, "This is just the beginning."What more was she to do?I had underestimated her, knowing no better than to think she'd keep in her bounds. Now I knew just what kind of danger she was. It was finally time for me to take matters into my own hands and bring this to an end once and for all. But Natalie-just the mere thought of her tear-stained face, how she had left with so much pain in her eyes-scared me on a whole other level.Gotta get outta here, needed some fresh air, you know? Just would not shake, would not.Quiet, it was a house where every room was just a little colder without Natalie inside. I went up the hall and passed her room, now so bare. My hand fell onto the cold doorknob, and I turned it slowly before stepping inside. Just a mome
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Brandon's POV"Brandon! Open this door right now!" My mother's voice pierced through the house, razor-sharp and commanding, cutting through the heavy silence that had fallen since Natalie left.I didn't have the strength to get out of bed and face her. Now, sitting in bed, staring only at the floor with all that on my mind, my chest cramped, my heart was heavy with all the guilt and regret that Natalie was gone and had left me, and hadn't found even the strength to go after her.“Brandon!” she yelled out this time louder, and pounded on his door a little harder.I did with a deeper breath rise to my feet with the firm realization embedded in my brain-that the more I took to avoid her, the grimmer things got. I walked up to the door, knowing full well what lay on the other side-my actions blowing right in my face. Slowly, I opened it, and there she was, standing, her arms across her chest, her face contorted in anger."Well? Going to explain to me why the whole world is talking about y
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Natalie's POV"Are you sure about this, Nat?" Hailey asked as she extended a glass of water in my direction, her eyes deep with concern. I knew that furrow in her brow and pursing of her lips meant she'd bitten her tongue not to ask a thousand questions.I nodded, swallowing as my throat welled up with tears that threatened to fall. "I didn't have a choice, Hail. I just couldn't stay there anymore."Hailey plopped herself beside me on the couch and reached across to set a hand on my arm, turning toward me. "And you just packed up and left just like that?"Just like that," I said-my voice as flat as his. "What was I supposed to do? He's going to have a baby with Arlys and didn't even have the balls to come to me. I had to find out just like everybody else did-on the damn internet."Anger twisted all of the features on Hailey's face. "That snake knew it, I knew something was off about her, but I didn't fathom it, didn't think she would go this far."By this time, I was whispering now; s
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Brandon's POVThe house was cold the minute I stepped through the door. Not warm, nobody was waiting to greet me in the doorway. There was this silent feeling, a feeling which told me within an instance that something was wrong. She should have been in the sitting room or at least heard her humming emanating from the kitchen. Today, there is nothing but stillness.I went down the hall, my footsteps resounding in the big emptiness. My heart started to beat this weird rhythm the closer I came up to her room. The door stood ajar, and one could hear someone rummaging inside."Natalie?" I half-aloud quietly said, yet nobody answered me.I flung the door open and saw her by the bed, the suitcase opened, and clothes scattered around; she was packing. My heart fell into my tummy, and for one moment, I stopped breathing."Natalie, what are you doing?" I said, stepping inside, lacing my voice with confusion and fear.She didn't turn but went on with the packing,-folding a sweater and laying it
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Natalie's P.O.V.I barely felt the weight of the office door closing behind me as I stepped out, my vision blurred by the tears that kept falling though it tore my heart into pieces. It felt just like the walls of Brandon's office closed in on me and suffocated me, and now that I was outside, I couldn't breathe. Maybe my legs were lead, and little I did but walk, step after step, without an end at all in or direction toward the sight.How blind can I be? How come I let it seep inside my head that things between us were getting better? The last weeks had been speckled with instances of warmth and tenderness-quiet moments indeed, but which made me feel secure and sure that finally, we were on firmer ground. But all that was one big lie.Snicker, grim, escaped; images flashed of soft stroking, the way Brandon had held me up through the night, the look in those eyes, which I had mistaken for love. I had let my defenses down, and given him my trust. Now it seemed I was paying the price for
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Brandon's POV "Thanks, all, for your time," I said, nodding to close the meeting, trying to focus on the investors seated around the table. It had gone well-or so it seemed-but my mind was elsewhere. A cloud had hovered over my head for weeks now, and I just couldn't seem to let it go. Until finally, the room emptied, and that little voice in my belly started telling me I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's one of those feelings that I just couldn't shake-and boy, was I right: the minute my secretary Olivia burst in looking like she'd just seen a ghost, I knew my world was going to come crashing down. "Sir… You need to see this," Olivia stammered, extending the tablet toward me. Her hand was shaking. What is it?" I asked her, frowning as I took the device from her. "Arlys… she… she gave an interview," she managed to say, her voice cracking. "It's everywhere. It's viral." It was as if blood oozed out in one go. The instant it glued on the screen when I scrolled
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Natalie's POVThe kitchen din enveloped me: clinking dishes, and hum of dining-room voices; this is just background noise that I almost always hear. I finally looked up and stopped to revise this menu since new seasonal dishes needed my attention. There is only one rhythm here in the restaurant that continues day in, and day out that assures me that all is right with the world in its place.Today, however, was stretched to a breaking point. Of late, Brandon had gone standoffish: not catching glances, short conversations, the way he came home late and blamed it on work. I really did want to believe him, but something really did not feel right, and I couldn't get it off my mind.It was that knock on my door that pulled me out of this reverie. I didn't get a word said, let alone get words formed, before Hailey walked into my office, white-faced, shaking her hand, holding her phone out in front of her like some sort of explosive."Natalie, you have got to see this," she said, her voice ju
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Brandon's P.O.V. "Anthony, I need your help," I said into the phone clutched to my ear, while my voice quivered. My hands were all wet from sweat, and I could just feel the weight of everything weighing down on me. The walls in my office closed in while I paced, unable to sit down. A second later, Anthony answered on the other line saying, "Brandon, what's up? You sound a mess." "I… I messed up, man," I said rubbing a hand over my face in frustration. The guilt just about ate me alive and I couldn't shake this image of Arlys leaving my office with that smirk on her face. I hated her for the angle she was playing but God I hated myself even more for putting us in this situation. "It's Arlys. She's pregnant, Anthony. And she's threatening me." "What?" Anthony's voice all but reached a high pitch, incredulous at the good news palpable. "Pregnant? Brandon, you gotta be kidding me right now." "I am. I didn't even want to believe her in the first place, but then she came back and t
The Billionaire’s Bargain CHAPTER FIFTY
Natalie's POVThe morning in the restaurant had been busy, but finally, some afternoon lull appeared, which gave me the chance to catch my breath and think about something other than work. It was ages since I saw Brandon's mother Rebecca, and all of a sudden I started feeling how much her presence was missed.She was always nice to me because of this ever-pressing turbulence between Brandon and his family. And so I went over to them, hoping to have a nice afternoon.I had done everything that needed doing, passed it on to my assistant, and left. The backseat was comfortable, and my mind began to stray. Something tugged in my brain concerning Brandon, but I'd just blown that off. We will sort that out later. Now, all that I wanted was to be with Rebecca.Finally, as I was approaching her estate, my driver slowed down since some other car seemed to materialize from the opposite direction. I went forward and peered into an immensely familiar sleek black car driving out. My heart barely m
