Chapter 4
1215 Words
ARIANA
“You must be joking.” I spat, after a few heartbeats, praying that for the life of me, I hadn’t just heard what I had thought I heard Gabriel say. “You are joking.” I said again, with effect, taking a few steps back to put a little distance between us. He really had to be joking because there was no way in hell..
Gabriel raised a brow at me, c*****g his head to the side with his eyes set in a way that made me aware of just how long his lashes were. Oh dear..
I shouldn’t be looking at the man’s lashes! “Do I look like I’m joking to you, Ariana? That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.” He said curtly, and then he was walking away, with his hands in his pocket and jaw set firmly.
I had to try around as my eyes followed his movement until he was standing next to the shelf on the other end of the room, with his back to me. “Mr Fernandez, how can you ask my to marry you? You have just called off an engagement to my sister, which is pretty much the trending news on the blogs, even if they somehow always get the two of us mixed up..but then again, it doesn’t seem right that I..” Hell, I couldn’t even bring myself to complete the statement. I felt my head start to this lightly, signaling an incoming head ache. “If this is a form of revenge…” I trailed off as I was arched Gabriel turn around to face me, with an expression that showed me just how angry he was.
Shouldn’t I be the angry one..?
Gabriel raised a finger and pointed at me. “It’s Gabriel, to you.” He hissed, then gave me a pointed look. “And yes, it is my form of revenge. I don’t know if you have been listening well enough, but I made that very clear when I said that I would make your lives a living hell, if you don’t marry me. And you said it yourself, the blogs confuse the both the both of you a lot. If you get married to me, you won’t have to worry about that, because then it will be just you.” He said like he had just said the simplest thing in the world.
I swallowed again, suddenly feeling my eyes start to burn. “Listen..I can’t…” my throat suddenly felt clogged up as tears began to fill my eyes in earnest.
No no..
I shouldn’t be crying.
I had come here to beg this man, so he could at least have mercy on my family, and not pull away from the company like he intended.
I blinked at him, swallowing lightly as I tried to speak again. “W_why? Couldn’t it be something else? I’m barely even out of college..” the last words came out in a whisper.
Gabriel was in front of me, so fast, that I barely had time to register his presence, before I was hit by his cologne. “And? You are twenty two. Hardly a baby.”
I took a step back, forcing my legs to move. Suddenly, he seemed like the most wicked person I had ever met. “I’m in a relationship. I have a boyfriend.” I said, fighting back the tears. Maybe he would change his mind..
If that had even done anything at all, I could t see it, because the next thing I knew, Gabriel was laughing his heart out and walking away from me yet again. “You better leave, Ariana.” He said, settling into his seat, and gesturing towards the door while he picked up his phone with the other hand. “I’m giving you exactly forty eight hours to give me an answer, my dear Ariana.”
I wasn’t sure how I did it, but at the end of his statement, I was rushing to the door and pulling it open. In the blink of an eye, I was out of his office and heading towards the elevator before I could even register what was going on, or what I was doing.
It was only when the elevator doors closed, that I took a deep breath, then exhaled shakily.
I was in big trouble.
GABRIEL
As soon as Ariana left, I made a quick call, and dropped the register down, exhaling sharply and leaning back on my chair. I closed my eyes, feeling the stress wash over me.
What the hell did I just do?
That was the question that had kept repeating itself in my head from the moment I had asked her to marry me.
Hell, I wanted to deal with all of them. I wanted my revenge, but on a normal day, I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me, just so I could do what I wanted with them.
“f**k!” I hissed, banging one hand on the table and wincing when it rattled loudly from how much was on it. “Heather!” I bellowed, shouting loud enough for my assistant to hear me.
She came rushing into the office, her face ashen with fright. But I couldn’t even give a damn. “Sir.” Heather said softly, placing both hands in front of her, with her shoulders obviously tensed.
“Why do I have so much on my table right now?” I asked angrily, noticing the mess on the table for the very first time since I arrived at the office that morning. In my distraction and anger, I had failed to notice how unkept my table looked. Besides… “When did you get in this morning?” My voice was thin as I came to a realization. “Because I haven’t seen you since I arrived.”
Heather looked like she was about to drop to her knees at that instant, and while I tensed, refrained from doing so. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Fernandez. I had a little emergency, and arrived thrifty minutes late.” She explained, but only succeeded in fueling my anger.
I had fired employees in the past for coming even a minute later than they were supposed to.
I opened my mouth to do exactly same, but hissed and closed it. “Just do your job, Heather.” I said tightly and picked up my phone to make a call, stepping away from the desk as I did so.
I was angry. Pissed as hell.
But for the first time, I wasn’t going to lash out. I instead, was going to save my anger for the people who actually deserved it.
The thought made me smile.
At the end of the day, the deed was done. There was no going back. I never backed down on my word.
Ariana was going to marry me. If she didn’t, I was going to pull the ground from underneath her feet and that if her family. They were all gold diggers.
Even if she was the prettiest thing I had ever set my eyes on.
It was only a matter of time now…
I stared at my watch with a sinister smile playing on my lips.
- Writer
