Chapter One Hundred and three

Damien's POV;

I was trying to get over Ariana's rejection. I had never been turned down by any woman in my entire life. I had never actually been in love with anyone before now. With Ariana, I was going through so many firsts.

I wanted to go back to her, I wanted to speak to her. I couldn't give up just after one trial. But, something just kept holding me back. I couldn't place my finger on it but there was something that just kept telling me to stay put.

The date and time on my phone told me otherwise. It was the thirtieth of the month. The nine month mark was here and our contract had officially come to an end. Our marriage had become the real deal now and the next three months were either going to make or break it. I couldn't sit still and watch the only woman I'veever loved slip out of my hands. No way.

I quickly got on my feet and dressed up for the three-hour journey ahead of me.

Getting downstairs, I saw mom coming towards me with a sullen look on her face.

"Good morning mom." I said, giving her a side hug.

"Morning Damien. You're heading out so early? It's Sunday." She said.

"Uhhh yeah. I have something urgent to attend to." I answered just as one of the drivers came to me with a car key. I took it and dismissed him. I wanted to drive myself all the way to San Diego.

"You're driving yourself?" She asked, looking a bit concerned.

"Yes I am."

"Damien, I'd advise that you don't go out today and it worries me even more that you're going to be driving yourself. I have a bad feeling about you or anyone in this house going out today."

I had never seen her so anxious before. It was unsettling especially because I had a similar feeling.

"Relax mom, I'll take my guards with me in another vehicle. They'll be following closely. You don't have to worry so much." I tried to pacify her by giving her a hug.

"Please promise me you'll be safe." She said getting teary eyed.

"I will. And when I return, my wife will be with me." I said confidently.

Her eyes lit up.

"You're going to get Ariana?" She asked in excitement. I nodded, smiling a little.

"The Lord be with you. Both of you." She prayed.

"Amen mom." I said clasping my hands together in a silent prayer and giving her a hug before heading for the door in quick strides.

I got into a vehicle similar to the one I got for Ariana, only that it was a deep brown colour.

"All set Miguel?" I said into the earphones as I eyed the car behind me via the side mirror. I was riding alone.

"Yes sir."

I took Miguel everywhere with me because I sort of trusted him. Maybe it was because of how well he got along with Ariana or how well he did his job that made me give him the position of head bodyguard.

I turned on the ignition and drove out.

"Hopefully we'll be there in three hours." I said to myself, glancing at my watch as I sped on to the highway with the black Cadillac Escalade following closely behind me.

****

Ariana's POV;

Sheets of paper littered the coffee table placed in the center of the living room. I had been drafting out my business plan since I got up that morning despite the fact that I hardly got any sleep throughout the night for the same reason.

I looked like a kid with my hair in styled in pigtails and the bright abstract patterned top with leggings I had on.

My legs swung in the air as I laid on my belly with my left hand propping my chin even as I wrote with my right hand on a sheet of paper.

My phone pinged and I picked it up. It was past twelve pm. My mouth formed an 'o'. I had lost track of time and hadn't had anything for breakfast.

"I certainly do not have the energy to cook anything." I muttered as my stomach rumbled.

"Food delivery it is." I concluded in a soliloquy and picked up my phone to place an order for some fast food. Not a healthy choice but I didn't have the patience to start deciding what to eat at that point.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell dinged.

"Now, that was fast." I thought aloud as I dragged myself up from the floor. I was certainly going to drop a great review for that restaurant.

I opened the door and my smile disappeared immediately.

"Damien?" I asked like he wasn't obviously in front of me.

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure..." I said after some hesitance.

I opened the door wider and stepped aside for him to walk in. I saw Miguel standing out on the porch with two other guards. I poked my head out to salute him.

"Hey Miguel. How are you?" I said, giving a genuine smile at him.

"I'm good ma'am. How are you?"

"As you can see..." I gestured at myself.

"You look amazing." He complimented with a wide grin.

"Thank you." I giggled. I closed the door and once again my smile dropped.

"You look cute." His cat like eyes took me in from head to toe.

"Thanks. You can sit, you know?" I said to him as he was still standing in the door way and was too close for comfort.

"Sure." He sat.

I watched his eyes roam the room.

"I see you've been busy."

"Yeah, I've been trying to draft a business plan."

"You're starting up a business?" His brows rose in both askance and surprise.

"Yeah."

"Tell me about it."

I reluctantly sat next to him and gave a short summary of what I was trying to do for myself.

"That's amazing. I'm sure you'll make a great CEO."

"Coming from a world class CEO, that means a lot. Thank you Damien." I said. One by one, I picked up the pile of papers that were all over the place then I arranged them on the table.

"You're welcome." He said.

We stayed in silence for a while before the delivery guy came.

"Have you had anything to eat yet?" I asked him as I set the food on the table. Damien had a habit of skipping breakfast a lot more than any other meal of the day.

"No." He said reluctantly.

"Just as I thought."

"Let's share this one." I said. He agreed and we ate together for the first time in a pretty long while.

I cleared up after the meal and sat down next to him again.

"You're here because of the contract, aren't you?" I stated the obvious.

He gave a curt nod and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Our contract ends today, as you know. And, this is where a real marriage between us begins. No contractual obligations and all." He tore up the contract statement into pieces in front of him and threw it in the bin.

I let out a breath of relief. The contract was over, I was getting closer to my freedom.

"I have a deal for you."

My eyes snapped up to his immediately. I shook my head slowly and repeatedly.

"No Damien."

"You haven't even heard what I have to say." He protested.

"Whatever it is you have in mind, cannot be good." I strongly believed so.

He came close. Too close. I stood up and took a step backwards.

"What? Am I so irresistible you can't trust yourself around me?" He said smugly, pinning me against the wall next to the entrance door.

I was trapped between his arms and I wondered how we got to such a compromising position.

"Damien, please move away." I said, shutting my eyes.

"Why?" He questioned in a mocking tone and I opened my eyes abruptly.

Why? Because you're clouding my senses with all that hotness, you idiot!

I really wanted to scream that out but I didn't want to massage his already massive ego.

His lips slowly pressed on mine. I tried resisting him, I swear I did. I blamed it on his intoxicating scent or was it the beard that had started to form on his usually clean shaven face? Or was it the fact that I just missed this man so much that I kissed him like my life depended on every action of our lips against each other.

We pulled away to catch our breaths.

"I've missed you so bad." He said breathlessly as he leaned his head against mine.

"Me too." I confessed and I watch him give me a slow smile.

"Come back with me." He said, placing my palm on his chest.

"Damien..."

"Let's make this real babe. And if within the next three months, you don't fall in love with me. If you decide you still don't want me. I'll give you the divorce you want without any hassles and ten million dollars to fund your business with."

His speech was going well up until he mentioned the huge sum.

My nose flared.

"You want to pay me off? Do I look like a money hungry whore to you? I am not Aleena!" I said with a deep scowl.

"No babe it's not like that. Of course you're not Aleena. I'm only trying to support you. Ariana, I promised I would take care of you. That's all I'm trying to do."

His explanation fell on deaf ears.

"I'll say this again. Damien I do not want anything more from you. The allowances you've given me over the last few months are more than enough to set up my business. Thank you for all you've done." I said truthfully appreciating him no matter how angered I was.

"Now, leave." I pointed at the door.

"Ariana-"

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer in three months time. Have a nice life, Mr Kingston."

I didn't give him a chance to speak further.

"Leave Damien!! Just leave!" I yelled, fighting back tears of frustration.

The pained look on his face brought down the tears I had been fighting even as my heart tore apart at the fact that I had hurt him so bad.

I saw how stressed out he was. I was no fool. I knew this man was going through a lot mentally without me by his side. He looked exhausted, he looked like he needed to be loved but I couldn't be that woman. I couldn't.

He left, taking one last glance at me before shutting the door behind him.

It wasn't until I heard the sound of cars leaving the premises that I fell to the ground breaking into uncontrollable tears.

It was the right thing to do but why did it hurt so bad?