Some Like It Hopeless

Book 2: Others Like it Ruthless

Margaret Montgomery is one step away from being the CEO of Monty&Co. Trading Enterprise when an ultimatum was placed upon her; marry Cole Noir or lose all her eight-years worth of hard work. Of course the marriage between them is nothing more than a way to secure the merger between two companies. Margaret is willing to do absolutely anything to achieve her goal but Cole is a different story. Forced to leave the girl he loves to ensure her safety, Margaret and Cole's marriage is nothing but a cold partnership that has no way out.

As Cole secretly meets with the woman he loves, Margaret can't help but feel like she's the mistress rather than the wife.

Excerpt 

"Margaret," he recovered first. "What are you doing here?" he asked his anger showing. Yea I kinda knew he would be pissed, I've been hiding from him after all.

"Scared I'll meet your mistress?" I taunted, daring him to let me in his office. I am curious about this girl he loves.

"I don't have time to play with you, what are you doing here?" He sounded impatient this time. Well that is how it usually is, when men get caught doing something they shouldn't be, they respond in anger.

"Must we discuss it here?" I asked signalling him to look around and sure enough, all eyes were on us. He groaned and unwillingly opened his office door. I stared a little longer at him as I felt a stab of pain in my chest, and went inside.

"Surprised to see no one?" He scoffed closing the doors behind him. I was actually disappointed not meeting his other woman. I'm sure she just left minutes before I came.

"Disappointed," I replied letting myself sit on the couch. "Do you have time to play with your toy now?"

He looked at me recognizing the words he threw at me outside. "You know that's not what I meant."

I had to laugh at that, how can I not when he almost got me fooled? "Oh Cole, with you it's hard to know what you mean exactly."

"I guess we make quite a pair." He replied while pouring himself something to drink, he offered me one but I graciously declined. "I'm sure you didn't come all the way here to verbally attack me."

"You're right, I don't like wasting time."

"Is that what you think you're doing right now, wasting time?"I sighed, as much as he hurt me, I do not want to hurt him back. 

I like you, you idiot.

"I came to give you this," I handed him a thick envelop containing information about our company operations. "There are a lot of things needed to be sorted out and the investors are not exactly happy with the delays in our operations so I'm asking for more time before we officially merge you're father's company and ours."

After looking over the documents, he place them back inside the enveloped and turn to face me. "I'm not the guy you should talk to about this."

"I already talked to your father, he did not seem all too happy about the idea so he directed me to you."

"Do what you want then, I don't care about these things." He dismissed me which caused me to ask questions I do not dare ask out loud.

"Let me get this straight, you're leaving the entire company under me?"

"From the start I do not desire to acquire your company, especially my father's. What makes you think I started my own?" He gestured for me to look around his hard earned success.

"If that is the case, why did you agree? If you had refused, we wouldn't have anything to do with each other." As I said that, his head snapped around to look at me, hurt and anger burning in his eyes. I swallowed subconsciously as his heated gaze made me aware of myself.

When he finally looked away, silence sat heavily between us. I decided then that its the perfect time to leave before it gets any more awkward than it already is.

"I don't think I'm suppose to say this but, my father's company is not doing well." As if reading my intentions, he broke the silence first with a news that shocked me.

"What do you mean?"

"He's on the verge of bankruptcy but that does not stop my father from doing whatever he please. He's still influential after all. He threatened me into marrying you to save his company and his finances. He is that kind of man, he's always been like that."

I sat on the sofa quietly thinking to myself. If what Cole is saying is true and I could prove that claim, I can contest the validity of the presented document and basically null the darn prenuptial agreement we made that binds us to each other.

"He lied to us," I simply said while Cole nodded his head in unspoken agreement. "Cole this means we could get rid of this marriage. If I could stop the merger from happening then that ill-considered prenuptial document we signed essentially means nothing."

"Last time I checked that document we signed did not state anything about a merger. So unless you're grandfather and my father forgot to sign the document as witnesses, we cannot contest it."

"But there must be a way to get rid of this marriage," I flung my hands in the air in frustrations. How do I get rid of these feelings? If I could disconnect any bridge that connects me to this man, I can finally be free and move on. Knowing his father's trickery is the first step, no merger means less interaction with Cole.

"Why are you so anxious to get rid of me?"

"Because I don't love you," I lied.

I watch as his jaw tighten and started moving towards me in slow, steady strides. "You don't seem like a woman who'd see someone just because you love him."

"Love is still as important as respect, trust and security." I replied stepping back each time he step forward.

"Say it again, say you don't love me." He commanded, his voice gruff in annoyance.

"I don't love you." Before the words were out of my mouth, in one swift movement, he's right in front of me, his lips next to my ears. 

"Again," he whispered huskily that sent shivers down my spine. My senses coming alive within close proximity with Cole's body.

"I don't love you." I repeated but this time my words sounded unconvincing even to my ears. He seized my waist, crushing me against his frame while his lips hovered over mine.

"Again," he demanded with like the domineering man he is but I wanted to show him he doesn't have complete control over me. Kind of hard when the man you love is only a breath away from you.

"Fuck you," I growled and smashed his lips to mine.