Discover Novels Library Profile

A Devil's Deal To Ruin My Ex-husband - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Eloise's heart skipped so hard, she swallowed the big lump in her throat and widened her eyes at him.




He pulled back, smirking and loving the look of shock on her face.




‘ Am I not making a mistake?’ she screamed in her head, hating his smirk that was too cunny to be brushed off.




“ You're joking, right?” she asked with a little chuckle and the thought of backing out slowly crept in, but her eyes flashed across the warning, and her heart sank.




‘What have I done?’




This was her business rival, a man too arrogant and cold to have a heart. But his saying began to make her see him as a man of no morals.




He looked away, smiling, and walked towards the car.




“ Get in, let's go get your stuffs.”




Her mind immediately snapped from what was running through her mind.




“ No, I can't.”




Antonio paused and turned to her with a questioning gaze.




She grabbed her bag, the envelope, and her can of cola before getting on her feet and taking steps closer.




“ I can't go home now,” she said, “ Mason would definitely be home. He was unable to catch up to us earlier, but he'd be home believing that's where he'd find me, if not, then in the hospital.”




“ So…,”




“ If I face him right now, I might ruin everything, it'll take me lots of strength not to do something dangerous,” she said, her eyes dulling again.




The look in her eyes hints to Antonio that her rage and sadness might be more than Mason cheating on her or taking her company.




“ Fine,” he cut in, hating her eyes looking like that again, “ just get in.”




With that, he stepped into the car and waited for her to get in before driving off.




Eloise sighed as she sat quietly in the car, biting her lips and wondering what was going on through his mind.




“ Where are we going?” she asked, hoping he was not being adamant and taking her to her place.




“ Home,” he replied not sparing her a glance,




“ Home? My place?”




“ Your home belongs with me now, sweetheart,” he glanced at her, “ I'm taking you to my place.”




She heaved a sigh, glad to know it wasn't to her place and she wouldn't be seeing Mason.




‘ When next I see that bastard, I want to be seeing him in a pathetic situation,’ she said in her mind as she relaxed back into the seat.




After an hour of driving, he pulled over at a magnificent black-painted penthouse in an estate. She gasped lightly upon seeing the building while wondering if that's where they were coming to; the gate slowly slid open, and he drove inside.




“ This is your house?”




“ No. My favorite farm.”




This doesn't look like…her shoulder and face dropped as she realized, and she glared over at him.




‘What a rude brat!’




“ B.Brat?!”




Oh shit! She thought that loud.


*******



Eloise sucked in air with her open mouth as she trailed behind Antonio into the living room.



‘ This is so beautiful, more stunning than the outside view,’ she said in her mind as she stepped onto the tiled floor.



A large, black leather sectional sofa forms a central seating area, arranged in an L-shape.



“ This is my house, where we'll be staying throughout the contract duration,” he said, turning around to face her.



She nodded, glancing around from the striking chandelier with multiple hanging clear glass globes that descend from the double-height ceiling positioned above the living area. To the floor-to-ceiling windows by her right side, letting the natural light flood in.



The room was dominated by shades of black, grey, and white.



‘Did he stay here, all alone?’ she asked in her mind as she glanced around the big place only for her eyes to land on the grand piano set at the far end of the living room.



“ You play?” she asked, astonished.



He nodded, “ Come, let me show you around.”



She turned back and took a step forward after him before he paused and said,



“ That's the kitchen,” he pointed at the kitchen. A compact but luxurious kitchen featuring dark cabinets, textured grey backsplash, and a marble island counter.



There are two bar stools placed on the island, suggesting a casual dining space.



“ Hm,” she nodded and trailed after him as they climbed the staircase with glass railings.



He introduced her to the rooms.



“ This will be your room. If you need to furnish it in some kind of way, you can let me know,” he said, and earned another nod from her.



She's been doing nothing but nodding at anything he showed her.



When they arrived at his room, he refused to open it for her to see.



“ This is my room. You're not allowed in here for whatever reason,” he asserted.



“ Why?” she scoffed, “ had lots of heads in there?”



“ Don't let me add yours to it,” he said plainly.



Eloise cleared her throat, suddenly feeling the need to touch her neck.



He coldly warned her not to take a step into his room, whether he was around or not. The only person allowed to enter his room is Mrs. Jones, the housekeeper. He remembered the last time someone crossed the line.



(Flashback)



With his hand tucked into his pocket, a scary, deepened frown startled the maid who had just stepped out of his room. Vanishing the satisfied smile off her face. She fidgeted upon seeing his scowl.



“ What are you doing here?” his deep baritone voice sent shivers down her spine,



“ I.i.,” she stuttered feeling her heart gallop like a horse.



“ Mr. Brayden,” the housekeeper arrived just then and was surprised to see the maid shivering before him, “ what happened?”



“ What is she doing here?”



She turned to the maid, “What are you doing here?”



“ I..I..,”



“ Fire her,” cold and precise, he ordered.



The maid fell on her knees, rubbing her palms together as she pleaded, but because of Mrs. Jones, he knew he could be more brutal than that. Without listening to any of her pleas, he walked out without sparing any of them a second glance.



(End of flashback)



He watched her walk back to the room he'd shown her to be hers.



‘Oh yes, she's going to need some clothes,’ he said to himself and took out his phone, slid through the contact, and was about to click on the name ‘housekeeper’ when a call came in.



He picked up and stepped aside.



Eloise peeped when she heard him speaking and saw that he was on a call with someone. She turned back to the room. It was less moody than other parts of the house, not painted in black or grey but in white. She pressed the large bed to feel the softness against her palm before giving herself a tour around the room.



“ Eloise.”



Her heart jumped. The call of her name with his deep voice makes it sound more pleasant to the ear, and that's when she realized that'd be the first time he'd be calling her by her name.



“ Hm?”



“ I need to go, have some work waiting for me at the office,” he said and watched her nod, “ if there's anything you need, give me a call.”



“ I will,” she replied and he left.



She stood still, listening to his sharp, receding steps until they were gone. She exhaled turning back to the room.



“ I guess this is indeed happening,” she said to herself, and grabbed her phone from her bag when she noticed her hand hit something.



“ Oh,” she mouthed, and she took the stuff out, “ I forgot to drop this at the hospital,” she said, looking at the wristwatch in her hand.



Her face slowly dropped; she sighed heavily and strode towards the window to gaze out and occupied herself in her thoughts when the blue shimmering light caught her attention. She glanced down.



“ A pool,” she uttered staring at it, looking all clean and beautiful.



She turned away from the window and found her way round the house to the pool. Admiring the beauty and the serenity, wanting to drown herself in it, she couldn't; she doesn't know how to swim.



Rather, she rolled her jeans up and sat at the edge, dipping her legs into the cold water.



She shut her eyes briefly, smiling as she felt the water cooling her spine from her legs.



Enjoying the feeling of the water, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand and swiped up to check to see another missed call from Mason, making it seventy-eight missed calls.








Chapter 20


She hissed, gritting her teeth as she glared at his name displaying on the screen. She had put her phone on vibration. She ignored the missed calls and swiped off, sliding to her calendar app. It was still May, 2025.



Slowly becoming her daily routine, checking the calendar at every chance she could get.



‘ I might be back in time, to the time I had no baby, to the time Alisha doesn't even exist, and I wasn't pregnant,’ she said in her mind and looked at the wrist watch in her other hand, ‘ that doesn't mean all those feelings cease to exist, doesn't mean those feelings vanished along with the time.’



Tears brimmed in her eyes as she thought of Alisha.



~ She's not your child



~ Your baby was a boy, not a girl



Eloise chuckled bitterly as she remembered.



“ Tamara,” she called out, slowly clenching her fist. She's been so fixated on getting back her revenge and company that she hadn't thought of what to do to her, she couldn't think of any. The sight of her, the call of her name makes her stomach turn.



“ I'll do anything, and everything, to make your life a living hell,” she mumbled to herself with the image of Mason and Tamara on her mind, staring at nothingness as her chest feels wrapped with coldness and aches.


*********


| STRATMORE COOPERATION |



Antonio’s face remained unreadable as he flipped through the pages, but Oliver, who was sitting opposite him in his well-tailored suit, could see his jaw clenching and his knuckles slowly turning white.



‘ How was he able to do that?’ Oliver asked in his mind, knowing Antonio was pissed at the moment but a hint of it wasn't showing on his face.



Oliver glanced towards the floor-to-ceiling window to see the day gradually getting dusky. He turned back to Antonio and saw his lips slightly parted, ready to say something.



“ What percentage are they now settling with?”Antonio asked, his icy tone slicing through the silence.



“ Sixty- five percent,”



“ Ridiculous!,” he flipped the files shut immediately and fell back into his seat.



Oliver exhaled, “If we don't agree, they won't sign with us, and the construction might be halted.”



Antonio looked away, his elbow resting on the chair’s arm and his fist balling slowly. He clenched his jaw tight and said between his gritted teeth.



“ That's because they feel like they're the only option,”



“ Currently, we don't have many options,”



“ We do,” he disagreed, “ send the deal to Hemsworth's cooperation,”



“ Eh?” Oliver turned sharply at him. He leaned towards the table with his brow furrowed, “ The Hemsworth? You don't like that CEO,”



“ This is no time for likability. Richard believed we had no other choice but to accept his terms,” with his blank face, he tapped on the table with a finger, “ that's why he became senseless. Give the deal to the Hemsworth, the negotiation must not exceed the addition of five more percent,”



“ And if they don't accept?”



“ You better make sure they do,” he glared up with the corner of his eyes.



Oliver exhaled, “ putting it on me huh?”



Just then, they heard a knock on the door, and with Antonio's permission, a lady in a corporate gown strode in.



“ Sir,” she bowed slightly.



Oliver glanced at her to see her visibly shaken; she was slightly holding the tip of her dress with her head hanging. He wasn’t surprised. Workers always tremble in Antonio’s presence.



Antonio glared up at her, picked a file neatly folded by the side of the table, and pushed it towards her.



“ Sixteen errors.” His cold icy words twisted her stomach and increased the pounding rate of her chest.



Her knees were gradually feeling weak as she tried to remain composed.



“ This is the second time I'm reviewing that thing,” he continued, “ and in two pages I already found sixteen errors. A chance close to getting fired.”



She threw her head up, her eyes holding fear and plea,



“ Please s..,”



“ Don't. Take it,” he stopped her and glared at the file which she immediately took and scurried away.



Oliver smacked his lips and turned back to Antonio, “ I hope I won't be getting fired if I don't come back here with the deal,”



“ You better not come back here at all.”



Oliver chuckled and stood up, grabbing the files from the table, “Well, you can trust me on it; it's in my blood not knowing how to fail.”



“ Don't care where it is,” he replied, standing up and reaching for his coat hanging on the cloth valet, “ just make sure to come back with it.”



Oliver twists his lips, eyeing him. Antonio looked away from him, getting unmoved by the expression he was used to getting from him.



Just as they both strode out of the office, Oliver had a flicker of memory about Antonio, who suddenly canceled their meeting and left the building after receiving a call that morning.



“ Did something happen this morning?” he asked,



“ What?”



“ You suddenly left this morning like something urgent came up, was it Grandma? Is she okay?”



“ Yeah,” he replied in one word, not wanting to dive into the subject.



Oliver noticed his brow deeply wrinkled and he trailed his glare to the lady who was told about her files full of errors sitting behind her desk and busy applying makeup while she chewed on gum loudly.



Oliver frowned.



“ Fire her,” sharp and precise, he ordered and walked away.



Oliver nodded, tightening his lips, and called on her department director, whom he instructed, to make sure it was her last day at the company.




******



Dressed in a white skimpy skirt and an armless top, Tamara hurriedly locked her car before heading towards the door which she pushed open without a knock. Her eyes fell on Mason, who was pacing to and fro as he continued to dial someone's contact, which kept dropping.



“ Mason?” she called.



He turned around at the call of his name; his hair was messy with the frequent roughening of his hand, and his face contorted with anger.



His frown deepened upon seeing her,



“ I know you're so jealous, but can't you use your goddamn brain!” he thundered, startling Tamara, who immediately dropped her purse onto the couch and stepped closer.



Her face twisted with worries, “ what's wrong? What did I do?”



“ Oh, you're asking me that?!” he flared, his blood boiling. He grabbed the panties off the couch and threw them at her face.



Tamara took the piece off her face and checked it out.



“ Just what the fuck were you thinking!?.”



She furrowed her brow, ignoring Mason's yells as she checked the panties out. Realizing it was a panties, she held it with the tip of her fingers.



“ What's this?” she asked frowning,



“ Are you asking me that? Do you know the damage you've caused with that?”



“ Can you stop talking in parables and just tell me what the heck is going on?” she asked, her tone getting tense.



She had received a call from him about an hour ago, sounding so urgent and pissed that she had to rush down there to meet him. But her face wasn't wearing any worries anymore, rather, it was contorted with confusion and frustration.



“ What were you thinking when you dropped this? Were you thinking about the plans we…,”



“ Wait, wait,” she placed her palm forward, cutting him short mid-sentence, “ what do you mean by I dropped this?”



“ Didn't you? She stormed into my office today to humiliate me, slapped me, and threw this thing you left behind to my face,” he yelled, his veins popping out of his arm as he pointed to his face.



Tamara's frown deepened. She took another look at the panties and back at him,



“ What are you saying? This isn't mine,” she shook her head,



“ So is it mine? Do I wear lace panties?”



“ I wear lace panties, but this..it isn't mine; I don't have any panties with this design or pattern,” she said innocently.



Mason paused.



He felt a ring in his head and his heart skipped.



‘ Does that mean... It's for Priscilia?,’ he asked in his mind as his shoulder dropped.



Tamara's eyes narrowed as she slowly looked back at Mason,” you said she threw this at you, at the office. Does that mean…you're cheating on me?”








Chapter 21


“ Are you cheating on me?” her question caught him off guard and caused his heart to skip so hard.


He darted his eyes towards the door and back at her.


“ What are you talking about?” he tried to sound unmoved, and surprised.


“ Who is the owner of these panties? Eloise caught you with it, and it isn't mine,” she fired, her breath getting ragged and her heart racing so fast.


“Why would I cheat on you?” he countered. “I love you. I wouldn't risk what we have for anything.”


“ Then explain this,” she threw the underwear to the floor, her voice breaking,


“ I don't know, I've only been with one person, and it's you; why do you think I called you? Why do you think I believe it's for you? If I've been with other people, I could have called them to come for it or something.”


Tamara turned away, blinking her eyes multiple times. She felt a pang in her chest, her face twisted with worries and confusion.


She loves him, she loves him so much, and the thought of him betraying her causes her breath to tremble. She can't lose him, not for anything. And he was making so much sense, but her heart, the sudden aches from her chest spun her thoughts.


‘ But who owns the panties Eloise found with him?’ the question kept popping up in her mind.


“ I want to believe you,” she said, turning back at him, “ I know you'd never cheat on me, but what can you say about this?” she pointed to the lace underwear on the floor.


“ I don't know,” he yelled in frustration with his heart racing fast.


‘ Shit! I fucked up, I should've called Priscilia first,’ he said in his mind.


“ Stop saying you don't know,” she yelled back in frustration, “ did these panties just suddenly appear on you? Or are you saying Eloise is lying against you?” her voice shook, wanting valid answers.


‘ This is it, my escape route,’ Mason said in his mind immediately after she said.


“ What if she's lying,”


“ What?!,” Tamara exclaimed in disbelief, “ she's lying against you? Why? Why would she do that?”


“ I don't know, I'm confused too,”


“ She loves you, she loves you more than anything and wouldn't toy about anything that concerns you, that I know much enough, so why? Why would she lie against you.”


Mason roughened his hair when he suddenly paused, “ what if she caught onto us,”


“ Huh? How? Even if she did, she wouldn't…,” Tamara paused, her eyes darting around, “ There's no way she could have found out,”


“ Then do you have any other explanation for this?”


“ I know Eloise, she's my best friend; even if she finds out about us, she'd have done something to me, fight me, say some harsh words, called or barged into my house,” Tamara said with confidence.


She had known Eloise long enough to know that she wouldn't sit still if she found out about them; if anything, she'd attack her first before her husband.


“ I didn't cheat with anybody; if she didn't catch onto us, then explain what is going on. Are you saying she mistook her own pants for someone else's,” he threw his hand into the air and turned away angrily.


Tamara paused as the word repeated in her head, ‘ Mistook.’


“ What if that's it?” she uttered,


“ That's what?” he turned back to her,


“ She mistook her own panties for someone else's and thought you were cheating on her. Though, this is very unlikely,” she said folding her arms and taking a finger to her lips, thinking so hard.


“ Let's find out,” she suddenly said after a long pause.


“ Find out what?”


“ If she was mistaken,” she said.


‘ if she's not, then it means you're indeed cheating on me,’ she said in her mind and felt a hard skip against her chest.


“ And how do you plan on achieving that?”


“ By checking her underwear, Panties like this do come in pairs; if she's mistaken, then we should be able to find other pairs.”


Mason's heart skipped, ‘ oh shit! She's going to know it doesn't belong to Eloise and would now be convinced that I cheated,’ he said in his mind, sweat trickling down the back of his neck,


“ I don't think that's a good…,”


“ She's currently not home, so we should go check…,” she said hurriedly and dashed past him.


Anger brewed in her as she noticed his hesitation.


Mason ran upstairs after her, his heart racing so fast as he dashed into the room after her.


She immediately went for the closet; a mixture of fear and anger wrapped around her heart as she reached out to where she knew Eloise normally arranged her underwear.


She began searching.


Mason's eyes darted around with his palm sweaty and curling. He felt the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and wiped them off with the back of his hand, taking a peep from behind Tamara.


‘ what should I say? What should I say?’ he thought in his mind and noticed Tamara’s sudden pause of action.


His heart rate picked up as she slowly turned to him.


With two lace panties in her hand.


She raised it to his face and slowly stood up smiling. Her heart eased, and a feeling of relief washed over her.


“ These are the other two pairs.”


Mason felt a rush from his shoulder to his knees. He took the black and blue undies from her and checked them out. It was indeed of the same pattern and design as the one lying on the floor in the sitting room.


‘ Fuck. God. Thank you,’ he said in his mind.


Then a new feeling of anger brewed in him.


“ So it's indeed for her, she slapped me and humiliated me because of her own foolish mistake,” he fumed,


“ Such a mistake is really unlikely, I wonder how daft she has become to make such. No wonder she's not fit for that company,”


“ Do you know how much of my reputation she put in jeopardy?”


“ Don't worry, babe, we'll have her restore what she tried to destroy,” Tamara stepped closer and touched his arm, “ we just need her to apologize in public just like she humiliated you. And by then, there's nothing she'd be saying in the future that anyone would believe, in fact, people are now going to be seeing her for how impulsive, unreasonable, and stupid she is,”


“ Do you think she'd want to apologize in public, she'd never do anything to humiliate herself,”


“ Then we get a video of her apologizing and send it to the public. And with that, the board members would fully have no reason to remain loyal to her. A perfect way to make allies with them all.”


Mason paused for a while, reasoning with what she said, and smiled.


“ That's such a wonderful idea.”


She blushed. Her tensed heart eased up. She scolded herself inwardly for doubting him, even for a second, for letting the thought of him cheating on her creep into her mind. She loves Mason so much that the thought of him liking other women makes her blood boil.


“ So, now, you believe me?” he gave her a side-eye.


Tamara giggled, “ c'mon…I always trust you,”


“ Oh really?..,” he drawled showing he wasn't buying it.


She laughed and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.


“ I always trust you. I was just surprised, and I didn't know what to think.”


He spanked her ass, “ now you should.”


She giggled and nodded before planting her lips on his. One of his hands grabbed her butt as he kissed her back before taking her to the bed.


“ We need to be fast before she comes back,” Tamara said as she quickly started unbuttoning his shirt.


“ You mean someone I called more than fifty times but didn't pick up would come home that night? She's definitely at the hospital crying herself to bed for her own mistake like a dummy.”


Tamara laughed as she pulled his shirt off.


“ You'll go to her first thing tomorrow morning, we can't risk anything going wrong with our plan,”


“ Yeah? But for now, I need this,” he said and claimed her lips with his.







Chapter 22


Eloise stepped out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around her chest, barely covering her upper thighs. Her damp hair clung to her back.


She rubbed her shoulder and looked around the room, then walked over to the closet. She opened it, half-hoping to find something—anything—to wear. It was still empty.


With a sigh, she shut the door and sat at the edge of the bed. Her shoulders slumped as her eyes landed on the clothes she had worn earlier.


“I can’t wear that to sleep,” she muttered, shaking her head. A cold draft brushed against her skin, and she rubbed her arms.


“I need to find something to wear. I’m freezing,” she whispered, hugging herself tightly.


Then a thought crossed her mind. One she immediately tried to push away. She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lower lip and shaking her head—but when the goosebumps began to rise and her skin started to feel like ice, she sprang to her feet.


“He's not going to kill me,” she mumbled with an assuring nod and walked out of the room to his.



She stood outside the door with her arms still wrapped around herself, her chest rising and falling as she tightly clenched her fist before holding the knob and twisting it open.



The sound of its opening caused her heart to leap.



“He said not to enter, and he didn't lock it,” she said, blinking her eyes severally and peeping inside.



She didn't see a heap of skulls; rather, she saw a room of black beauty, and without hesitating, she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.



She gasped as she looked around. Never thought she'd ever see anything as aesthetic as this, and surprisingly, it was all in black color.



The wall shimmered in sleek black, its polished surface reflecting the room’s ambient light like obsidian glass—rich, commanding, and unapologetically luxurious. Apart from the chandelier that hung from the middle of the ceiling, everything in the room was in sleek black, including the well so laid bed.



Tempted to jump onto it, feel the softness and smoothness beneath her skin, she shook her head, stepping away and avoiding the temptation.



“How can a room scream this much danger and beauty at the same time,” she muttered, loving everything she set her eyes on. She loves black but the room is making her fall in love all over again.



The wall has only one portrait sitting against it, a picture that breathes life into the room.



Eloise’s shoulder softened up, her eyes glued to the woman in the portrait. It was a black and white painting but the color couldn't hide the impeccable beauty of the woman.



“Is this…his lover?” she questioned, but no one to give an answer.



“She's a beauty to make other beauties jealous,” a smile crept onto her face, and she exhaled. Remembering her purpose of being in the room, she quickly went into his dressing room and gasped.



It was like she stepped into another universe; the room was so bright, the walls were painted white, and he had a glassy table full of collections of rings, wristwatches, and glasses. His cloth rail has different kinds of suits, shirts, and trousers, but there are just two colors. Black and white.



All neatly arranged.



Eloise checked through his clothes section and saw a big white shirt, which her hand clung to.



“This will do,” she said and picked it. She stepped out of the towel and put it on, leaving the last four upper buttons unlocked.



The shirt stopped mid-thigh, but her arms were covered, warming her up.



‘I should get going before he gets back,’ she quickly said not buttoning the last buttons with the thought of doing that in her room.



She grabbed the towel and quickly stepped out of the dressing room. She headed for the room door and made to exit when her eyes fell on the portrait, and with a final look, she stepped out of the room.



“What are you doing?.”



The cold baritone voice startled her, and she jumped in fright.



“Ah,” her breath became a slight pant and her heart rate picked up as her eyes fell on Antonio standing right outside the door.



His eyes, grey, dark, and mysterious, glared murderously at her. She trembled under his glare. He has the kind of eyes that could pierce right into one's soul and dig up their darkest secret.



“I asked you a question.”



His next statement felt like a warning for an upcoming storm. She couldn't bring herself to look at him; even though her body felt small in his shirt, she could still feel chills running down her spine.



“I.uh..i..was..uh,” she stuttered and the next thing he did caused her to gasp.



In a swift, her back slammed against the door with his hand holding her jaw tight enough to cause her a little pain.



Their eyes locked and fear gripped her. His eyes weren't only dark, they were blazing.



‘Not like there's anything forbidden in that room, why the hell is he this angry,’ she cried in her mind.



“What did I tell you this morning? Didn't I warn you not to go inside?” he said between his gritted teeth.



She let out a soft exhale through her parted lips. Her breath rose and fell fast.



“You didn't lock it,” her voice came almost like a whisper,



“What?!,”



“You didn't lock it. So I thought you didn't mean what you said. You know, sometimes we mean the opposite of what we said.”



Her voice said, laced with innocence that left him baffled and speechless.



Eloise could swear she saw a flicker of awe in his eyes, but it was like it was never there.



“I hate being disobeyed more than anything,” he tightened his grip, causing her to wince in pain.



His grip loosened immediately, upon seeing the look of hurt in her eyes.



That damn look again.



He slammed his palm against the wall, getting more pissed. His breath ragged as he trapped her between himself and the wall.



Eloise heaved heavily after he let go of her jaw.



She looked up at him with no fear in her eyes. Rather, she wore a soft gaze that picked on him, one that said.



‘Is that all?’ and yet says ‘What more can you do’



He gritted his teeth, hating the confusion of thought he was falling into, her innocent voice that speaks a different language with her eyes. Was she daring him? Or was she just…really innocent?



They stared into each other's eyes without saying anything. Then his eyes fell on her exposed chest, giving him a glimpse of her breast and he immediately shut his eyes.



He bit his lips and let out a heavy breath through his nose before opening them on her.



“Was this your motive?”



“Huh?”



“To seduce me?” he said and looked at her fresh-looking breast with her nipples poking out of the shirt.



His fist slowly clenched against the wall as he looked at them.



She looked at her chest and yelped. She immediately covered her chest by holding the shirt together against her chest.



“That was a nice view by the way.”



Her face turned red, “ pervert,” she cursed in between her teeth and quickly slipped out from where she was boxed in, running quickly to her room.



The way her face turned red softened every anger he had seconds ago; he found it so cute. And her lips, how small her slender body was in his shirt, her breast, her nipples...



He grunted as he thought of what they'd feel like against his palm.



Then his half-closed eyes flung open.



“What are you thinking?” he yelled at himself inaudibly.



He groaned, “ I must be sexually starved; I should visit the usual soon,” he said and went into his room.








Chapter 23



Eloise dragged herself out of the room barefooted after washing her face, her hair tousled like she just rolled out of the bed. She scratches the back of her neck and yawns, her throat feeling dry so she headed to the kitchen.



Her mind remembered how embarrassing the previous night was and how she'd run straight to the room and pulled the duvet over her body.



‘ How could he say that? He's such a perv,’ she'd said in her mind with her face all red. She knows a gentleman could have found a better way to let her know without making her feel embarrassed or just look away, say nothing, and leave. But Antonio was no gentleman.



She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen and nearly jumped.



A little startled, she hadn't expected to bump into him that early morning. But there he was, backing her, a glass cup of water on his lips. Shirtless.



He was such a morning beauty.



From behind, his wide shoulders and powerful back are a breathtaking display of male beauty. The muscles along his shoulder blades and spine ripple with even the slightest movement, taut and symmetrical. His back narrows into a slender waist, with the faint dip of the V-line visible just above the waistband of his pants. His arms, strong and veined, hang with relaxed control, and even in stillness, there’s a quiet dominance in his stance.



Eloise immediately looked away as he dropped the glass cup from his lips, her cheeks slightly flushed. She cleared her throat before looking back to his eyes now fixed on her.



She gave him a ‘ What?’ look.



“ How long have you been standing there?”



“ Just now,” she said, too quickly causing Antonio to narrow his brow at her.



“ Checking me out?” he said looking back and returning the glass cup.



Eloise scoffed, blinking her eyes more than twice, “There's nothing to check out. I've seen a more gorgeous body,”



“ Good to know you find this gorgeous.”



Eloise snuffed and rolled her eyes.



“ Walking around the house shirtless,” she shook her head, “ so shameless.”



Antonio turned around, facing her now. “ Talking about shameless, huh? Coming from the lady who raided my closet,” his gaze fell on her chest. He could still see the nipples pointing through.



He turned his gaze away almost immediately, swallowing down and trying to maintain a clear mind.



“ I had no choice; I have no clothes here,” she said with a shrug, trying to maintain her gaze above his chest, above his tight abs, chiseled six-pack, or are they right?



‘ what are you counting?’ she scolded herself inwardly, looking away, but they slowly moved back to his shoulders, then his sharp and masculine collarbones. Drawing the eyes upward to his strong neck and confident jawline.



“ I know my scent is Irresistible, but next time, try asking before committing a fashion crime,” he said and walked past her.



Eloise scoffed, “ Irresistible you say? I could hardly breathe.”



Antonio halted in his tracks, smirked, and walked away without answering or sparing her another glance.



Just as he got to the stairs, a thought flashed across Eloise's mind.



“ Wait,” she called.



He halted and turned back at her; his gaze became tense as he looked at her and intertwined her fingers together while she slightly bit her lips.



“ What's it?” he asked.



She exhaled as her shoulder slumped. Her eyes slowly drifted from brightness to dullness.



“ Can you follow me home? I need to get my clothes, I have nothing to wear here.”



The thought of seeing Mason rekindled her anger and pain; she felt a pang in her chest, and her fingers curled.



‘Oh yes, I forgot to call Mrs. Jones later yesterday,’ he said in his mind as he remembered, then looked back to her, turning to face her properly.



Antonio tucked his hand into his pocket, “ This will be the last time I say this. Your home is here now, with me. That place? It's just somewhere your clothes are,”



“ Speaking of that, my home isn't here as long as I'm still married to Mason, you said…,”



“ You'll get your divorce papers today,” he cut in, taking her by surprise,



“ Today?”



“ And I'll have my men get your clothes, but before that, we'll get you some,” he said and reached out for his phone in his pocket while he walked away.



‘ His men?’ Eloise asked in her mind as she furrowed her brow.




********



Stucked on a spot for more than twenty minutes, Mason kept clenching and unclenching his fist against the wheel, his patience getting thinned.



He was on his way to the hospital to see Eloise when he encountered an obstruction on the road. A car had broken down, and another driver had gotten pissed with the delay the faulty car was causing him, and soon the two drivers were lashing out at each other, creating a commotion.



Now frustrated beyond words, he poked his head out of the window and yelled at them,



“ Can you bastards fuck out of the way?!,”



“ What?!” one of the drivers turned towards him, “ bastards?” he repeated.



Seems like the word bastard got on his nerves.



“ You disgusting piece of shit!” the driver thundered and made for Mason, who at this point gives no care.



Furious, he stepped out of the car, “Can't you idiots see that you're blocking the road?” Mason said angrily as soon as he got out of the car,



“ Does the road belong to your father?” the man pushed him against the chest aggressively, sending Mason off the rails. He glared angrily at the man and punched him in the jaw causing him to stagger back.



And before long, they began to exchange fists.



During the scuffle, a bystander trying to calm things down stepped aside to call the police and make a report.



A few minutes after the report, police arrived, and the situation became a shocking one for Mason.



He was the only one pointed at.



Some witnesses showed some videos to the police, starting from where Mason punched the other man, and the majority at the scene gave statements that he was the one who caused the fight.



Surprised beyond words, he shook his head in protest.



“ That's not true; they're all lying; I didn't start this…” The policemen refused to listen to what he was saying and had him arrested on the spot for disorderly conduct and public disturbance.



…



“ It wasn't me; they were blocking the road?” he nearly yelled at the policeman questioning him at the police station.



“ Which is why you decided to beat him up?”



“ Noo, he hit me first!”



“ But the videos showed you hitting him first,”



“ Maybe they didn't start recording on time,”



“ So all of them didn't start recording on time?.”



Mason hit the table, looking extremely pissed and frustrated, and the soft counter from the policeman gets on his nerves every second he speaks. It was like he was employed there to piss the hell out of him.



‘ how could all the recordings miss him pushing me first,’ he fumed in his mind; he could nearly swear that they set him up.



‘ fuck! This is all because of you; you put me in this situation, Eloise,’ anger brewed in him, and he clenched his fist so tight his knuckles turned white.



He wouldn't have been here if she was picking up her damn calls; he wouldn't have been in this situation if she hadn't made a dumb, stupid mistake.



It was his first offense, so after the questioning and mediation with the affected party, the police offered him a chance to sign a code of conduct instead of facing formal charges — a commitment not to engage in violent or aggressive behavior in public again.



Boiling from the depth of the stomach, he took the pen from the police and signed the forms, without reading or wanting to spend one more second at the station.



Looking so disheveled, Mason gave the driver he had a fight with a dagger glare after he was released, long enough to notice the mole at the side of his eyes before he angrily stepped out of the station.





Please Log In or Sign Up to continue reading.

No account? Sign Up

Unlock all Chapters with 3$

Proceed to payment to unlock all chapters and continue reading.

Tags:
Previous Post Next Post

You Might Like 😎

See All