MY UNEXPECTED MARRIAGE TO THE LOVELESS CEO

Chapter 15 🌷

"You are late,"

Harin says as I walk into my office. Her covered feet are propped up on my working desk. Her lips are stretching sly with a smirk. I frown for a moment, pausing by the door frame. How the hell did she make it pass the security?

"I don't think so," I walk until I reach the desk. Then, my briefcase rests at the edge of the table. "In fact, if you are expecting me to ask, how the hell did you get in here, that'd be just a waste of time,"

My cousin roars a laugh. Then, when it's nearing the end, she turns her head to stare at me. "Lisa," she mutters the name in a loathing way. "I know you'd say it that way," she sits still where she is even though I've been sending clear signal that I want her to fuck off from my office. "Well, since you're not interested to know about it, I won't tell" she adds, toying with a pen of mine. "What do you want?" My patience is thinning.

"Calm down, cousin," Harin says. "Or shall I say Your Royal Highness?"

"What you say doesn't matter here" I argue. Then, I look in the direction where I came from earlier. "Just one command from me and the security is going to drag you out here like a filthy scoundrel that you are,"

"There's a lot of venom in that sentence to process," Harin eventually gets up from the chair and lazily strolls to the side of the desk. Her eyes watching me with every step that she takes. "Anyway, I won't prologue this meeting further. Just say yes to my offer and I'll go,"

She fixes her cufflinks. I notice that just like mine, hers has the H mononym engraved in dark silver instead of royal gold. "I'm not interested," my voice is icy cold. So does my reaction to her laughing her guts out. "Oh, Lisa" she says with a throaty voice when the laughter is nearing its end. "You're going to love this transaction,"

"Very well. What is it?"

"I want your wife"

She says with every bit of determination in her tone that it reflects brightly in her all black; predator type of eyes. "Every inch of her, I want" she adds, not even ashamed by the fact that she has made that request public.

Not that I haven't known or noticed that she has been interested in Roseanne before. This thing has been going on for years now. And Roseanne has been telling my cousin in her face, multiple times, that she just doesn't feel the same. But of course, poor Harin won't take no as the answer.

"It's not in my power to provide you with an answer for that, I believe"

I stare into her eyes tediously. "Isn't that Roseanne's part to tell? To ask you to fuck off once again because she doesn't feel the same?"

"I don't care about what she says," Harin shakes her head. She takes a step backward. "Your marriage is a sinking ship, Lisa" she touches the tip of her pocket square and now I notice that our antics might be similar to one another. Except she's always in second place while I'm in spot better than that. "Not that I don't know,"

"Stop beating around the goddamn bush,"

Harin throws a tantrum. Her voice echoes in the office, shattering one piece of decorative plate on the wall. I stay calm. "It's just a yes or no, Lisa"

"Again, I don't think it makes any difference"

I inhale. "Yes or no, you'd always be pursuing after my wife"

"Because we know the truth," Harin slams her words fiercely. "A truth you won't be able to deny,"

"Look,"

I clench my jaws. "Just because you saw her first didn't make her yours"

"And, just because you're married to her doesn't mean I can't snatch her under your nose" she smirks, back to her usual composure then exits my sight.

***

The room is still infiltrated with Harin's perfume when Roseanne walks past the door frame in her all black dress. Her blonde hair glows against the complexion of her pale skin. I secretly notice that these days, she has appeared to be a shade paler than usual. "Lisa" she calls my name like she's tired of doing it. Behind her, one of my staff stands with guilt on his face. "I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness but your wife,"

I gesture for him to stop and exit the room. Roseanne's eyes are bloodshot. God, please don't tell me she's here to continue our argument from this morning. "What do you want?" I ask, strictly not looking at her. I guess she couldn't take it because the next thing I know is that she slams every piece of decorative plates on my wall.

One by one until there's nothing left. "Do you need another?" I stand up, my fingers instantly check on buttons of my suits. Then, my cufflinks. "I think the office has a dozen more in the back room, where the silverware is. Please, be my guest" I light up my cigarette and blow the smoke into her direction.

"What would it take?"

Her voice shivers. Her eyes are bloodshot with the tip of her nose turning bright red, almost identical to Rudolph's. "What would it take?" She repeats her same question as she locks her eyes with mine, then looks away when I invest a second of staring back into her brown orbs.

"You know I've loved you since the first time we met back then,"

She states and I roll my eyes. I smoke again, then turn my back on her as I approach the drinking cabinet and pull out a bottle of scotch. "Tell me if you want it" I say, leaving another glass on the cabinet along with the bottle. "Fuck you, Lisa. I just want you to love me but all you give me back in return is just hell,"

"Interesting theory," I glance at the glass in hand. Then, I take another sip. The content burns my throat. "So, what do you want?"

"After all these years" she sobs and her small frame starts to rattle. "After all these fucking years, you aren't still able to show me kindness. Let alone love! Lisa, I've told you a million times, if you're not going to give back the way I've been giving you my all, I'm going to leave,"

"Well, leave"

I lift an eyebrow at her. I've heard her saying the same shit for years now. "Leave, Roseanne. I've never requested for you to stay anyway,"

"No," Roseanne shakes her head. "Of course you wanted me to stay. You just didn't have it in yourself to say it out loud,"

"That's not true," I put the cig off, then sip the rest of the Scotch. "I've wanted you to leave from the very first time we were married,"

"No, I won't believe you"

She shakes her head. Palms covering her ears. Refusing to hear. "But you know why I stay?" I ask. "Ask me why" I insist but she just won't.

"JUST FUCKING ASK ME WHY," I push her against the wall where the decorative plates were. Roseanne sobs, asking me to stop but I don't listen to her. Instead, I frame her face with my hands harshly. "LISTEN," my voice echoes. "I CHOOSE TO STAY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A DUTY TO MARRY YOU. AND WHEN YOU GIVE ME NONE OF HEIRS TO SECURE MY PLACE, YOU REALLY THINK YOU'D MEAN MUCH TO ME? EVEN IF YOU DO GIVE HEIRS, YOU NEVER REALLY HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART, AND THAT SHALL REMAIN JUST LIKE THAT, NO MATTER HOW LONG,"

Then, I slap her one time across the face and retreat to the window. My chest heaves up and down from the heavy breathing. "Just go," I light up another cig. "I don't want to see you anymore"