Chapter 6 - A Messy Situation
1674 Words
As Lucas watched Lina's expression, he felt a pang of guilt at his harsh demands. He had overreacted by insisting that Lina divorce her cheating husband and marry him. She appeared to be on the brink of panic.
Lina glanced around the conference room, her eyes darting as if searching for an escape. George stood guard, a silent sentinel, and she seemed to reconsider her decision.
Avoiding eye contact, she cleared her throat. “It seems there was a misunderstanding. I couldn’t remember anything from last night, so…”
“So you thought it appropriate to insult me by leaving cash?” Lucas’s unexpected anger caught her off guard, and she looked at him, bewildered.
“I did my best to assist you, madam. You were the one who propositioned me,” he confronted her, and Lina’s face flushed crimson.
“You can’t be serious, Mr. Velissarios. This must be some kind of poor joke, right? If you’re expecting an apology, then I apologize, okay? I apologize for going to that bar and meeting you. I apologize for using you, as you claimed. Is that sufficient for you to stop behaving like a spoiled child?”
Lucas chuckled, but his laughter was icy. “Insult me again, and I’ll take disciplinary action. Perhaps that will teach you a lesson,” he threatened, and Lina found herself speechless once more.
“This is absurd. Everything since yesterday feels like a terrible nightmare God has inflicted upon me,” she muttered, shaking her head in denial.
“Calm yourself and listen to me,” Lucas’s stern tone halted Lina’s rambling.
“Your husband doesn’t cherish you enough, but I suspect you don’t need me to tell you that. He accepted my proposal and sold you to me. All he cares about is the money I’ll give him to leave the law firm to you. Essentially, he planned to abandon you one day. So, whatever happened yesterday couldn’t have been a once-off occurrence. Marrying me is the best way for you to safeguard your law firm.”
Lina regarded him with uncertainty.
“We will sign a two-year contract. During that time, you will be my lawful wife and will display affection and respect toward me in front of my family, including your parents and grandmother. At the end of our contract, we will fabricate a suitable pretext for divorce. Then you can return to England and resume work at your law firm,” he explained patiently.
“Why me?” Lina asked, puzzled.
“It’s simple. Regardless, you will divorce your unfaithful husband. Neither of us harbor affection for the other, right?”
Lina remained silent, awaiting further explanation.
“You mentioned having a daughter. That means you must prioritize her welfare and refrain from conceiving a child with me. If you do, I will terminate the contract and strip you of everything, including your daughter. Is that understood?”
Lina paled, but then, suddenly, she moved toward him. He stood up, taken aback, as she slapped him across the face.
“Don’t you dare threaten me with my daughter, mister! Is that clear?” she hissed, standing before him, unflinching.
A smug smile spread across Lucas’s face. “So, it’s permissible for me to threaten you with your grandmother’s business? Because I’m only a phone call away from withdrawing my funds from her hotel,” he said, turning away to retrieve his phone.
“Ela Gianni. Ean se deka lepta den epikoinosiso mazi sou, apesire ti sinergasia mas me to xenodoxio…” (Hey John. If I don’t call you in ten minutes, withdraw the partnership with the hotel…)
His phone slipped from his hand, crashing to the floor. Lina smacked him on the shoulder, and he whirled around, furious.
“What the hell—”
“Tha to vris apo to theo ilithie,” (God will punish you, you id.iot), Lina spat in his face.
“Oh, so you speak Greek,” he said with a crooked smile, momentarily forgetting his anger.
“Don’t you dare touch my grandmother, do you hear me? Fine! I’ll marry you and then make your life a living hell for the next two years. Are you satisfied?” She yelled, but Lucas's expression remained impassive, devoid of emotion.
“Yes! That’s what I wanted to hear. You prepare the divorce documents, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“The rest?” Lina asked, bewildered.
“Yes. Your parents and your daughter. You want their approval, don’t you?”
“What are you going to do? Are you insane?” Now she looked frightened, and Lucas felt another twinge of guilt. He touched his chest, concealing his discomfort, and smiled coolly.
“Leave it to me. I know what to do.”
Plucking one of her business cards from the conference table, he headed for the exit, with George following suit after retrieving the fallen phone.
“Let’s go find that jerk,” Lucas said, heading to the reception to inquire about Adam’s office. He then made his way there, standing outside the door, where he overheard Adam’s conversation.
“Yes, Emma. I’m telling you. This deal is much better than transferring funds to my name before I divorce Lina. The kid? I’m not sure, baby. I trust Lina will take her with her. I’ll have visitation rights as her father.”
Lucas couldn’t believe his ears. His suspicions were confirmed. The scoundrel was having an affair, and not just a fling.
His instincts urged him to burst through the door and pummel Adam Forester into oblivion. However, he composed himself and knocked instead.
“Come in.”
“Mr. Forester, let’s talk,” Lucas said arrogantly upon entering the office, taking a seat and crossing his long legs. Adam stood behind his desk, nervously tapping his fingers on the wooden surface.
“Lina has agreed to marry me. All you need to do is sign the divorce papers, and the money will be in your account on the same day. I’ve already had my people evaluate your law firm, so that won’t be an issue.”
Taking a pen from inside his jacket, he wrote an amount on a piece of paper he found.
“That should suffice,” he said expressionlessly, and when Adam saw the amount, his eyes widened.
“That’s a substantial sum,” he whispered, rubbing his chin.
“I expected a different reaction. But then again, who am I to expect that you truly love your wife and would refuse my offer?” Lucas’s sarcastic remark startled Adam. His head jerked up and his face flushed like a lobster.
“I… um…”
“No need to explain, Mr. Forester. I don’t care.”
With that, Lucas turned to leave and saw Lina standing by the door, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Is that all I'm worth to you after everything we’ve been through over the years? You make me sick,” she whispered. She entered the office and threw an envelope at Adam’s face.
“The divorce agreement,” she spat, and then left, her head held high.
“That settles it, then,” Lucas told Adam.
“When your divorce is final, contact me for payment.” With that, he left, feeling disgusted by Adam’s behaviour.
“Call our people and have someone tail him. I want photos. Lots of photos,” he ordered.
“Yes, boss,” was all George said before following him outside.
In the car, George gave Lucas a strange look while driving.
“What?” Lucas seemed irritated.
“Lucas, why did you do that? Auntie will be furious with you. The woman has a daughter, and you forced her into divorce, for God’s sake. What’s gotten into you?”
“None of your business, George. Just keep driving,” Lucas exhaled, looking out the window.
“Cousin, I'm worried about you. You barely know the woman, and you're willing to spend a fortune to marry her. That’s crazy, man,” George attempted to reason with him.
“I told you, George. If I found her, I’d make her pay for insulting me,” Lucas replied.
“So far, it seems you’re the only one paying,” George retorted, but the sharp look Lucas shot him silenced him.
“Let’s return to the hotel. I have work to attend to, and you should contact our people to arrange for someone to tail that Forester guy,” Lucas concluded, closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, Lina entered her office, grabbed her bag, and left the firm. She needed time to calm down and process everything that had transpired since morning.
She drove aimlessly, lost in thought about the events in her office. How could Adam be so callous? Where had all his promises of everlasting love gone? When did he transform into a calculating monster? He hadn’t even attempted to fight for their marriage, humiliating her beyond measure, more so than when she caught him cheating.
The more Lina dwelled on it, the more she felt hurt, shattered, and betrayed.
As if that wasn’t enough she had succumbed to the blackmailer’s demands and agreed to marry him. How would she explain everything to her beloved daughter? How would Anastasia react? She was deeply attached to her father. Lina felt utterly helpless.
Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was nearly midday. She recalled Sia’s request to have lunch together.
“I can’t face her right now,” she whispered, overwhelmed with despair.
“Sweetie, Aunt Sally called again. I won’t be home for lunch. See you tonight,” she texted her daughter and then called Sally.
“Lina? What happened? I was about to call you,” Sally said anxiously.
“I’m coming over. We need to talk.”
“Hey, girl, did something else happen? You sound dreadful. Don’t keep me in suspense. Say something, please,” Sally pleaded.
“I’m getting a divorce,” Lina stated.
“Oh!”
“And getting married!”
“What?”
- Writer
