Chapter 4.

Prepared and dressed to leave, Ivy took a long last look on the wall mirror in her room. Tarquin’s assistant John had contacted her that morning stating that Tarquin wanted to meet with her and sent an address.

Ivy had been nervous after the call, she was afraid that he was going to take her to meet his lawyer and didn't want to honor his invitation at first but she later changed her mind, preparing for whatever it would turn out to be.

She had spent the previous night drowning her sorrows in a bottle of wine, but the call from John that morning had given her a strange sense of strength and resolve. She knew she didn't have a lawyer or the money to fight this, but she was determined to face Tarquin head-on and talk this out like adults. They were both at fault, and she was ready to accept responsibility for her part in it.

It wasn't going to be easy, but she was ready to face whatever came next. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, encouraging herself for the difficult conversation ahead.

Wiping her hands on a hand towel, she adjusted her makeup up again. She knew what was coming next wouldn't be easy, but she had to brace it. She smoothed her hair, adjusted her clothes, and took a deep breath. It was time to go.

She walked out of the bedroom and made her way to the front door, her heart pounding in her chest. She hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the door handle. Then, with a deep breath, she turned the handle and stepped outside.

She arrived at the address he sent and it was a five star hotel. She checked the time, it was almost 7pm, and She made up her mind to go in to meet him and face whatever would come up.

She walked into the bar and headed to the table he indicated she should wait for him through the receptionist. It was located in the VIP section.

IVy sat on one of the chairs and dropped her handbag on the table.

A waiter approached her but she politely turned him away, saying she was waiting for someone and didn't need anything. She picked up her phone and started scrolling through it to keep herself busy.

Tarquin arrived at the bar thirty minutes later alone, he didn't bother to come with his Assistant as it would be a personal matter between him and Ivy. He walked in like a walking corpse with his gray eyes hollow and dead and went straight to the table he earlier booked that he thought Ivy would be sitting at. As he got there, he found her busy with her cell phone.

She was looking very simple but still as beautiful as ever and he did not allow it to sway him because only what he felt in his heart for her was loathe and nothing more.

Tarquin cleared his throat as he sat on the other chair facing Ivy and noticed Ivy flinched with fear immediately. He chuckled darkly in his mind and looked straight at her in the face even as Ivy couldn't.

"Good day, Mr Tarquin!" Ivy bowed in greeting but Tarquin didn't bother to give her any response. He only continued staring at her and it gave her goosebumps all over.

After some minutes, Tarquin cleared his throat again and said coldly.

"I won't sugarcoat anything or beat around the bush."

These words pierced directly into Ivy's heart and made her very nervous as she waited for him to drop whatever he had decided.

"I want you to sign a Marriage contract with me. You will get to leave with enough pay after 365 days," Tarquin announced, looking at her.

Ivy became stiff as she heard his words, it was as if the devil was inviting her into his nest and she knew that if she got to accept, she would regret it for the next 365 days of her life.

"I'm sorry_" Ivy tried to say and Tarquin caught her off.

"Here!" He threw a sealed envelope at her and Ivy picked it up with shaky hands. She tore it open and looked into it, it contained the marriage contract.

"Isn't there any other way to resolve this_" Ivy tried to say.

"Sign it you bitch… I know you love money. Sign it and you will get lots of it at the end of a year of our marriage contract," Tarquin thundered with disrespect and placed a pen on the table.

Ivy flinched and brought the paper up to look at it. His words got her angry, she gritted her teeth in anger and tried to control her temper. She started reading through the paper. At intervals, she would look at Tarquin who quietly looked at her with a mocking grin.

"Isn't the rules too much? I cannot_"

"Are you complaining?" Tarquin coldly asked, cutting her off and she shut up immediately.

"Sign the damn papers or get ready to face whatever you get to see from now on," Tarquin said in an agitated tone, glaring quietly at her and she in return could understand the underlying threats he already had in his eyes.

Ivy took a deep breath and hit the table with her fists in anger when she couldn't tolerate it anymore.

"What if I don't ?" She thundered with rage and stood up, glaring back at him.

Anger surged through her, and she slammed her hands on the table, causing the wine glasses to rattle.

 "What if I don't?" she repeated, glaring at him in the eyes as her voice trembled with emotion.

Tarquin gave her an unimpressed look. "Is that a threat?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "Because I can assure you, that's not a good idea."

“You threatened me first," Ivy said, her voice rising in volume. "I know my worth, and I won't let you treat me like some lowly peasant." She picked up her bag, glaring at him with fire in her eyes.