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A Devil's Deal To Ruin My Ex-husband - Chapter 29


Chapter 29


Not easily pleased and not easily attracted are the first two attributes Oliver knew about in Antonio, even before they became best friends. He wasn't the type to be easily moved by anything. The first time he saw him shaken up, the first time he saw him wear his emotions was when his parents died.


Ever since, he has become more stoic, cold, and aloof.


Until now.


Oliver wondered if this was a good thing or not. The smirk on his face and the mischievousness in his eyes were visible enough for him to see.


‘ He seems to be having fun,’ Oliver muttered inwardly as he stared at Antonio, ‘ Should I be worried?’


“ That reminds me, you saw my email right? About canceling the interviews?” his question snapped him out of his thoughts.


Oliver sat right and nodded, “ yeah, do you have someone you want to give the position to?”


“ Eloise recommended one.”


A look of surprise flashed across his eyes. Antonio is taking a recommendation from someone who is not his grandmother or his best friend.


“ You're taking a recommendation from her? And that made you cancel the interview?”


Antonio paused, his mind drifted back to how her tone was when she was making the recommendation. Even though his gaze was fixed on his laptop, his ears couldn't miss the hint of pleas, and urgent hope in her tone.


He wondered why she sounded like it meant more to her if the person got the job.


“ She was a CEO; there's no way she'd be recommending someone who's not good at her job,” he replied, returning his gaze to the report he picked from the table.


‘ Is he trusting her judgment? Someone else's? Not his own? Wow. Interesting,’ Oliver said in his mind, and a smile crept in.


“ I'd be expecting her resumé,” Oliver said, arching a brow, with a smile.



************


Eloise sat at the restaurant waiting for Laera to show up. She ordered a cup of coffee to pass the time as she waited.


Her soft gaze constantly drifted towards the entrance, her chest tightening with the passing seconds as she thought of her not showing up.


What if she doesn't? Would she lose contact with her again for two years?


‘ Or should I call her?’ Eloise asked in her mind. Her heart pounded as she thought of her not being able to repay her. She picked up her cell phone to dial her contact when a voice stopped her.


“ Eloise?”


She looked up from her phone and there she was, standing by the table, smiling gently at her. Laera.


Eloise’s heart sank the moment her gaze fell on her; her throat became dry, her lips slightly parted, her fingers curled, and tears brimmed in her eyes.


She hadn't thought the sight of her would stir the emotions she's buried deep inside of her. She hadn’t thought of how much she'd missed her, not until this moment. Without a word, she stood up and threw her arms around her, holding her tight as all the emotions she'd held back came crashing down.


Remembering the look on her face when she was with her in the hospital, remembering how she turned out to be the only one by her side during her worst moment.


Eloise couldn't hold it back any longer, she buried her face into Laera's neck and broke down.


Laera was taken aback. She stood frozen; her heart skipping so hard as she'd never seen Eloise that vulnerable or seen her ever shed a tear.


‘ All because of that bastard,’ Laera thought angrily, her fingers curled into fists before she gently wrapped her arms around Eloise and tried to calm her down since they were in a public space.


Her lips parted as she thought of how much she must have loved him for him to betray her like that.


“ He's not worth it, Eloise, he's not worth a single drop of your tears,” she whispered to her as she rubbed her back, hugging her tight.


…………..


A few minutes after Eloise’s breakdown, they both exited the restaurant for some fresh air. Now seated on a bench along a quiet pathway, each held a can of drink.


“ I was so worried when I couldn't reach you. I thought something had happened,” Laera voiced,


"I'm sorry. I should have reached out."


"No need to apologize," Laera said, facing her. Her face dropped with concern.


"There are many reasons to apologize. I was basically one of the reasons you lost your job."



Laera snorted. "Yeah, you made a big mistake by giving your company to that scumbag, but it's not your fault. It's his. How dare he cheat on you?" she said in between an angry scoff.


"I'm so sorry."


“ Can you stop apologizing already? What's done is done; I don't want an apology, I want your anger for revenge, to screw him up, and I'm sure he's already afraid of that, which is probably why he fired me,” she fumed.


Eloise furrowed her brow a little, her mind drifting to the tiny change of things.


He had said he fired Laera because she was incompetent, and he didn't like her. Even though she now realized there was more reason for that.


But could that reason have changed now?


"We can't just let him get away with this," Laera continued. "I knew he wasn't a good man the moment he proposed to you the week you were grieving your parents."


She did say this statement at the hospital; she was saying it now again.


“ I should have known then too, I should have seen beneath the layers,” Eloise said, biting her inner lips, “ but trust me Laera, I'm going to make him pay for everything,”


"Now we're talking. We should start by figuring out who he’s cheating with. Do you have any idea who she might be?"


Eloise felt a stab in her chest when Laera asked that. Her hands curled tighter around her can.


"No, I don’t," she lied.


It was her best friend. Someone she had loved and trusted. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Laera—not yet. Maybe after she confronted Tamara. Maybe after she asked all the questions crowding her mind. Like: Since when? Since when has she been lying? Since when did she stop being her best friend?


"So what's your plan?"


"For now, to get back my company."


As much as Laura liked that, she knew that wouldn't be easy.


“ Eloise,” she called gently, “ you gave your shares away, and right now, the board members…,”


“ I know,” Eloise cut in, nodding, “ which is why I've decided to do this,”


"Do what?" Laera asked, raising a brow. She noticed Eloise hesitating, darting her eyes. Something big was coming.


"To work for Antonio Brayden."


The name rang a bell. Laera’s lips parted. The name sounded too familiar.


"I'm working as an assistant for Antonio Brayden, the CEO of…"


"Stratmore Corporation," Laera finished, nearly yelling. "Are you crazy?"


Eloise knew it sounded insane. But she wondered what Laera would say if she found out she wasn’t just his assistant, she was also getting married to him.


"Working for your rival? As his assistant? Have you even thought about your reputation?"


"He assured me of confidentiality. I was at work today, and no one seemed to recognize me.”


Except Oliver.


She added the thought silently.


"They don’t know now doesn’t mean they won’t find out. And how exactly does working with him help you get your company back?"


"He has a plan. He’s the only one with the power to make it happen."


Laera groaned, shaking her head, “And so to help you get it back, you have to be his P.A.?” Laera frowned deeply, “ have you thought of this through? To me, such a deal seems more like he wants to use you.”


Eloise’s face dropped in guilt. She hadn't told Laera the whole truth, and to her, she'd be benefiting more from the arrangement. He wouldn't only be getting back her company, he'd also be helping her bring Mason down. While all she had to do, was pretend to be in a romantic relationship with him.


“ I know you want to get back at Mason, but you shouldn't put yourself out like that just because he cheated on you.”


“ He didn't just cheat on me, Laera,” Eloise snapped, her voice cracking, “ He ruined me.”


Tears spilled, fast and angry, like it was in store, waiting for a moment to break free. “He never loved me. It was all fake, every moment, every word, what they did to me was the most unthinkable thing.”


Her lips quivered as she said, her chest tightened as her thoughts centered on Alisha, her buried longing for her baby, the pain she felt in her chest each time she saw a woman with a baby.


Laera's heart sank as she watched her bawl out her eyes. She could feel there was more than Eloise was letting out.


“ I’ve felt so hollow, Laera. Every morning, I wake up with this crushing weight in my chest, like I can't breathe like I'm drowning in air. None of these days feels real; I can no longer differentiate between reality, a dream, and a nightmare. But whichever one it could be, there's only one thing I want, Laera. Revenge. I need them to pay. For everything. For Alisha.”


Laera’s breath caught. She didn’t understand everything Eloise was saying, but something in the way she said that name made her skin prickle. Her expression tightened with confusion and concern as she asked, quietly, “Who’s Alisha?” 











Chapter 30



She wanted to tell her; every part of her ached to spill the truth, to confide in Laera about everything.


But would she believe her? Would she not look at her like she's crazy? How can she tell her she was reborn, that she died and returned in time.


Sniffling, Eloise wiped her tears with the back of her hand.


“ Alisha is someone that hasn't existed,” she muttered.


“ Hm?” Laera's brow wrinkled in confusion, “ someone that hasn't existed?.”


Eloise forced a brittle smile, trying to wave away the growing questions in Laera's eyes.


"Forget it," she said quickly, brushing imaginary dust off her lap. "I still can’t shake off the guilt. You lost your job because of me. What are you going to do now? Do you have a plan?"


Laera sighed, the sound heavy with uncertainty. She understood that Eloise was hiding something, but then again, they weren’t exactly best friends. Business partners. Good friends, maybe. But not close enough for secrets that might be too big.


“ I don't know,” she sighed deeply, looking away from Eloise, “ Maybe I’ll try applying to other companies. Or just go back home, help out on the family farm for a while... see where life takes me."


Eloise cleared her throat. "If you’re open to it... there's a vacancy at the company. You might be interested."


Laera’s head snapped up, eyes widening. “Seriously?!”


The thought of job hunting had been weighing her down like a bag of stones. Her savings were nearly gone, and the designer clothes she’d impulsively bought now felt like a mistake she couldn’t afford.


She clasped Eloise’s hand in between hers, “ thank you, thank you so much,” she grinned.


Eloise’s face twitched into a tiny smile, “ No, Laera, I should be thanking you.”


Without another word, Laera pulled her into a tight hug, grateful and yet still uneasy.


Her heart was full... with gratitude and a twinge of worry.


I should contact Tamara, Laera thought as she pulled away. She’s her best friend. Maybe she’d open up to her.



*****


The car glided down the dimly lit road, its headlights slicing through the misty dusk.


Then, a screech of tires.


Antonio slammed the brakes, his heart thudding, eyes wide as he stared at what he’d almost hit.


The light of his car flashed onto a cat that leaped to the side of the road. His face twisted and his brow furrowed deeply. He quickly stepped out of the car and saw it curling around itself against the wall.


It meowed in distress, and Antonio walked towards it, squatting before it with his eyes scanning through its big body, trying to see if it was injured or what was wrong with it.


“ Are you hurt, buddy?” he murmured.


The cat meowed softly, a sound laced with distress. He leaned in closer but saw no visible injuries and then let out a sigh of relief.


“ Where are you from, buddy?” he asked worriedly, looking around the quiet estate. It wasn't a usual place to have lost such a big, beautiful cat.


Antonio’s gaze softened, and a charming smile crept onto his lips as he admired its thick, silky fur. Like a cute teenager who just found his new favorite candy, his cold demeanor slipping away, he reached out to pat the head of the cat when it snarled and slashed the back of his palm in protest.


Antonio withdrew his hand immediately, a little bit taken aback.


“ Feisty, huh?” he chuckled softly, sucking in a breath and examined the scratch, then smiled, “ just like her.”


The cat meowed, flattening its ears.


“ You planning to stay out here all night?” he asked, then glanced around. No one in sight. No signs of a pet owner searching.


When he tried to reach out again, the cat scooted farther back, pressing itself against the wall.


He crouched lower, settling one knee on the floor, eyes flashing with determination and a smile not leaving his face.


The cat meowed in distress again.


For some reason, it reminded him of her.


“ I know of someone just like you, stubborn and feisty, even when her eyes held some pain,” he said with a smile,“ She'd probably do the same. Scratch first,” He said, glancing at the back of his hand that was scratched, “ though sometimes, her eyes sparkle with fire, and sometimes,” his smile dropped and his fist slowly clenched, “ it looks dead,” he said remembering the look in her eyes when she was sad, the look she wore when she strode into the restaurant, “ I hate that look more than anything I think I've ever hated. I don't know why I hate it this much, not like it's any of my business.”


He said and looked at the car that was now looking at him, no longer pressed against the wall.


“ After the meeting today, I honestly feel the need to always piss her off, push her buttons, see her fight back, get her to yell, glare at me like she was going to hit with something deadly. That way, her eyes wouldn't have the chance to be that dull. Or, is this just my excuse to have some fun?” Antonio chuckled and saw the cat hopped towards him.


He giggled and extended his hand which it reluctantly took.


“There we go,” he whispered, gently stroking its head and down its back. But as he did, he noticed its rear leg, slightly bent, trembling.


“Oh, poor thing.” Carefully, he scooped it up and cradled it in his arms. “Let’s get you to a vet.”


He took it to the car and carefully placed it on the passenger's seat before pressing the ignition button.


He briefly glanced at it curling around itself on the chair and smiled. He pat its head before he drove off.


The moment his taillights disappeared around the bend, a figure stepped out of the shadow, a tall woman with blonde hair, grinning ear to ear.


“ That was easier than I thought,” she said, eyes gleaming, “ I told you, love, you're mine, and mine alone.”







Chapter 31


Eloise whimpered as her body jerked beneath the sheets, sweat coated her skin despite the cool air in the room, soaking into the pillow beneath her head. Her breath became restless as her fingers clenched the sheets tightly. Eyelids fluttered wildly, pupils darting beneath them in chaotic patterns.



“ Ahh,” she yelped as her legs kicked violently, jerking her up from the horrifying nightmare.



She sat on the bed panting heavily, her body shivering, and her eyes wide open. The nightmare seems to be getting worse each night. Every night has been the same since, but tonight's different; it was more vivid and more terrifying.



Eloise swallowed hard and pushed the duvet off her thigh. She sat at the edge of the bed, feeling the cold floor beneath her leg, and palmed her face.



“ It's okay, Eloise, it's okay, it's just a nightmare,” she mumbled before brushing her hair back with her trembling fingers.



She turned on the table lamp and her chest heaved.



“ Why can't I just have a peaceful night?” she said, and her shoulders slumped, her throat became dry.



Just then, her eyes fell on the wristwatch on the table, and she reached out to touch it. The longer she stares at it, the more she feels on the edge of something.



The dream surged back into her mind, jolting her to her feet, and she immediately reached out to her bag and grabbed her jotter and pen before sitting on the chair and brightening the table lamp.



She immediately scribbled down things that had happened, things that ought to happen years from now but have happened due to her changing her fate, an example of which is Laera's statements.



Eloise pushed the side of her lip against her teeth with the pen's tip.



“ If what's ought to happen then started happening now, then I'd need to be more careful and watchful,” she murmured to herself.



What are the things she should be watchful of?



She began writing the things she could remember, things that happened before her death and she was able to recollect some due to the frequent dreams.



She also remembered the news she heard on her way to the office but because of what was on her mind, she didn't pay much attention to it.



“ I should write that also, it could be useful,” she said to herself and wrote it down. It was the news about a plane crash. She doesn't remember hearing about how many victims were in the crash, but she heard that one of the youngest billionaires in the city of New York had died along with his best friend in the crash.



Eloise heaved as she wrote it all down, “With this, I'd be able to track what's happening and what's changing,” she nodded, but her eyes moved to the last things she jotted.



The death of the CEO and his best friend.



She exhaled. There was something about it that caused her gaze to linger on the note.



….



Thuds!



Eloise jerked her head up, and her vision was immediately blurred by the rays of the sun. She groaned and looked away, trying to adjust her vision to the light.



She had fallen deep asleep on the table while she was jotting things down, and the sudden sound of a thud in her room had jolted her awake.



“ I'm so sorry to have woken you up, ma'am,” she heard the voice of a woman behind her, and turned to see the unfamiliar woman, standing and smiling at her.



Eloise stood up with a wrinkled forehead, “ Good morning, sorry please, who are you?” she asked the woman who seemed to be in her late forties,



“ Hi Mrs Eloise, I am Mrs. Jones, the housekeeper.”



“ Oh,” Eloise mouthed and bowed slightly, “ Good morning,”



“ Morning, Mrs. Eloise, I'm sorry to have woken you up like that; we were bringing this to your room,” she pointed at the suitcase, and, just then, saw a maid dragging another one in.



She hadn't noticed the case until Mrs. Jones pointed. Eloise was surprised when she recognized the cases to be hers.



“ How come you have these?”



“ Mr. Antonio instructed us to bring it to your room.”



‘ How did he get my stuff?’ she asked in her mind with her brow furrowed and walked out of the room to go find him.



Mrs. Jones followed her out.



“ Is he in his room?” Eloise asked as she approached his room,



“ No, he's not; he went out for a jog; he should be on his way back,” she replied, smiling.



Eloise stopped on her track and sighed. She turned back to the housekeeper and said,



“ Thanks for bringing them,”



“ You don't have to Mrs. Eloise, we're just doing our job, and if there's anything you need, please, don't hesitate to let us know,”



“ Um,” she mumbled feeling uncomfortable having a woman old enough to be her mother run errands for her. She'd have preferred younger people.



“ Is there anything you need, Mrs. Eloise?,” Mrs. Jones asked seeing her dart her eyes around,



“ Eloise,” She replied, “ please don't use Mrs. for me, just Eloise,”



“ I'm sorry, Mrs. Eloise, but I can't do that; we can't call the boss’s wife by her name.”



Eloise looked at her in surprise, “ The boss's wife?”



She scoffed inwardly, ‘ He's already going around and telling everyone we're married? He hasn't even taken me to his grandmother yet, nor has he fulfilled his part of getting me a divorce,’ she frowned in her mind before turning back to the housekeeper.



“ I'm not married to him, not yet, just,” she shrugged not knowing what to refer to herself as, “ Just call me Eloise,”



“ Mrs. Eloise...”



‘ Oh, she's damn stubborn,’ Eloise cried in her mind not bothering to listen to the rest of her protest.



“ I understand you're just doing your job Mrs. Jones, but using formality with me makes me uncomfortable, and moreover, I'm not married to Mr. Antonio, yet, I'm just…,”



“ Just what?” The rigid tone of Antonio cut her short.



She turned to his direction to see him standing behind her, some feet away. He was in sweatpants and a T-shirt. His hair was damp and scattered, and his face and neck were coated in sweat.



“It’s unfair that someone so arrogant could look that hot—even while disheveled.” she scoffed and eyed him in her mind.



“ You're just my what?” he asked snapping the head of the bottle of water open,



“ I don't know, why don't you tell us, cause I know I'm not your wife,”



“ Yet,” he added and placed the water in his mouth, gulping down till he was satisfied, “ She's my girl, and a stubborn bull, so just call her whatever you want,” he said to Mrs. Jones, walking away.



Eloise scoffed loudly at how unbelievable he was.



‘ His girl? Who the heck is his girl?’ She eyed the closed door he had just entered, feeling more annoyed.








Chapter 32


| WOLF RIVER PRISON |


Just a call, within a limited time, each prisoner was granted access to whichever person they wished to speak with. Michael's lips tightened into a thin line, his heart racing as he took the phone from the inmate before him. He wants to eagerly call his wife, to ask her how their son was, what the doctor was saying about their son's health, but rather, his fingers typed in someone else's contact number.


The first ring. The second ring. Then the call was picked.


“ Hello,” the curious voice of a familiar person said over the phone,


“ It's Michael,” he said, darting his eyes and lowering his voice.


“ What's going on? Why are you calling me?” he could hear the anger and panic laced in the person's voice,


“ Relax, you already know why I'm calling,”


“ I don't know why you're calling and I don't care, we have no business together anymore…,”


“ Oh..of course we do,” he quickly interrupted,


“ What are you talking about? I paid for the job and we parted ways,”


“ You paid for two lives,” Michael's tensed voice replied, “ Mr. Stewart and his wife, you told me they were just going to be two people in the car. But turns out they were three, there was a little boy also.”


He felt a twist at the bottom of his stomach and his fingers curled into a fist. Taking the job was something he did out of necessity; he was desperate to save his son. He was told there were going to be two people in the car, but was caught off guard when he realized there was a little boy also, a boy about the age of his son.


The suffocating guilt of what he did had pressed on him since then. He took the life of another boy to save his. He knew he deserved to be in jail. He shut his eyes and fought the tears welling up, realizing he was taking advantage of the child he had killed.


His wife surely does not deserve to be with someone like him.


He said in his mind as he replied to the person on the other end of the phone.


“ So? I wasn't aware there would be a boy in the car,”


“ That doesn't matter, what matters now is that you have to pay for the third person,” Michael said between his gritted teeth.


“ You've got to be kidding me, I have nothing else to pay you.”


He chuckled mildly, “ Guess I'll just turn to a bird, fly to the roof and start singing about every damn thing…,”


“ Okay, okay,” he heard a mumbled swear but Michael cared less, “ how much?”


“ Five hundred thousand dollars,”


“ What?! Are you fucking serious?,”


“ I'm damn serious, send it to the account you did the first one. I give you three days, or I'd become the musician of the truth,” he said, and without bothering to hear his response, he hung up and passed the phone to the next inmate, stepping away from the line.


Michael took in a deep breath and exhaled sharply.


‘ I don't think I can ever be forgiven for this,’ he said in his mind and his heart sank.


************


“ It's been a while, how have you been?” Tamara asked sweetly over the phone. Her voice switches from an angered tone with the person she was earlier on a call with to a sweet, calm tone as she speaks to another person.


“ I've been good, and you?”


“ Quite good also. How's business?”


“ Ugh!,” Laera groaned and exhaled, “ getting in a kind of way. How's Eloise doing?”


“ Eloise is fine,”


“ You two spoke recently, right?” Laera asked with worries laced in her voice cause she knew Eloise wasn't in any way close to being fine.


“ No, why are you asking?” Curious, Tamara sat up, grabbed the pink pillow on the pink bed, and placed it on her lap.


“ We spoke recently and I don't think Eloise is fine, at all, It'd be nice if you check up on her, I feel like since you two are buddies, she’d share more stuff and cheer up,”


“ Oh, so you two spoke recently?”


“ Yeah. Haven't you guys been in touch?”


“ Of course we've been in touch,” Tamara lied, her brow furrowed, “ Just that she hasn't been picking up her calls since the stuff that happened between her and Mason,”


“ I think I can attest to that,” Laera nodded, remembering how she wasn't picking her calls also, though she later returned the calls, “ Maybe you should go to her place of work if she's still not picking up,”


“ Her place of work? Eloise is working?”


“ Yes, at Stratmore Corporation."


Tamara scoffed in disbelief. She couldn't believe Eloise was already working but her disbelief soon changed to anger and curiosity.


Mason has been restlessly looking for her, visited the hospital countless times, including her, but she was nowhere to be found, yet, she was somewhere, living her life and causing them all sorts of stress and trouble.


She is working, as what?


A CEO ? No, Stratmore corporation belongs to the Braydens, and ain't Stratmore and Penafort rivals?


Tamara's face was squeezed in confusion.


‘ Just what on earth is that bitch thinking?,’ she asked in her mind.


“ Thank you so much for this, Laera. I really appreciate it. I've been so worried and trying to reach her to no avail, but now I'll pay her a visit. Thank you,” she appreciated sweetly,


“ It's nothing, I'm just worried about her. Okay then, take care,”


“ You too, bye,”


“ Bye,” with that Laera hung up and exhaled. She stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind her before she began to pull off her heels. She had just returned from the job interview at Stratmore Corporation.


She strode into the apartment and threw both herself and her designer bag onto the couch, looking a little bit exhausted. Her stomach grumbled and her mind began to picture what meal to eat when she received some notifications.


She grabbed her phone, threw her head back, and raised the phone to her face when she saw the name of someone who caused her to frown appear on the screen.


Jeremy. Her ex-boyfriend.


He was texting her again, after she clearly repelled him.


She tapped on the message.


'My love, my baby, are you still angry with me? I miss you '


Her heart skipped as she read and frowned in disgust. With a twisted stomach, she quickly blocked the new contact he was reaching out to her with.


‘ Just how far will he go? How many more new numbers would he use to reach me?’ she asked, sitting up.


Jeremy was someone she never wanted to meet again, like an ugly shadow from the past she loathes, one she must stay far away from.


But the situation with Jeremy was getting creepier, he had different accounts stalking her social pages, commenting on every little thing she posted, and frequently trying to reach out to her even though she made it clear that it's over between them.


And that there's no way, she'd ever get back with an abusive boyfriend.








Chapter 33


Eloise could feel her sweaty palm as she curled her fingers on her lap. She sat quietly through the drive, staring out the window, at the flashing lone road. On both sides of the road are nothing but green, tall trees. Her chest was switching between skips and aches.


She glanced over at Antonio, his cold gaze fixed on the road, one of his hands against the wheel while the other elbow relaxed at the tip of the window with his fingers resting against the side of his head. He looked so calm, so controlled like he cares about nothing in the world.


“ Do you think we should be meeting your grandmother yet?” She asked, unable to stop the pinch of wrinkle creeping onto her forehead.


“ Why? Is there any reason why we shouldn't yet?”


She rolled her eyes. He had told her to go dress up that morning that they're meeting with his grandmother without bothering to ask when she'd be free enough or more comfortable.


But a deal was a deal and she seems to have no say.


“ Maybe you're forgetting that you can't get married to a married woman,” she muttered,


“ Is that so?” he asked innocently and stirred the wheel, not sparing her a glance.


His response causes her frown to deepen and her teeth pressed together, hard.


“ I'm still married to Mason, you want me to fulfill my part of the deal then you should start doing the same,”


“ I don't think there's a part of my deal I haven't fulfilled,” he scoffed, finally glancing over at her to see her scowling at him, one he found cute that it nearly made him chuckle, but his face remained unreadable.


“ There are a lot on your part that you haven't fulfilled, I haven't gotten my company back, and I'm still married to Mason,”


“ Why does it seem like you're just taking advantage of me,”


“ What?!,”


“ Hm,” he nodded, “ you just reminded me what my deal with you is, and yet I've done more than that,”


“ And what is it that you did?”


“ Like getting your friend a job.”


Eloise scoffed. She knew about Laera's interview that took place that day, but wasn't aware whether she got the job or not.


“ I'm not aware she has gotten the job, but she did her interview, If she gets the job, then it's because she's qualified,”


“ She will get the job, but ain't you the one who made me canceled the whole interview? Just so she could get it,”


“ That's..,”


“ And that isn't part of the deal,” he cut in, “ it wasn't part of the deal to help you get your friends’ jobs.”


Eloise’s furrowed brow deepened.


Her fingers curled into a fist, she glared murderously at him.


She felt mocked when he put it that way.


“ You were not getting my FRIENDS jobs,” she emphasized as she eyed him, “ Laera is just a friend, someone I'm indebted to, I just wanted to repay her kindness and also knowing I'm part of the reason why she lost her job,”


“ Oh yeah, of course I'm the tool you're using to right your wrongs?”


‘ Oh God,’ Eloise fumed in her mind.


She shut her eyes and tightened her fist, trying to maintain her annoyance. She should have seen this coming when he accepted with no second thought, cause this was Antonio, the man who gets on her nerves at every little chance he could get.


“ All in all, you took advantage of me, but it's fine,” he flashed her a tiny smile she scowled at, “ Just know you owe me one.”


Oh no! That's the last thing she wants. To be indebted to such an infuriating man.


Antonio glanced at her to see her looking out of the window with her fist still clenched, along with her jaw.


He smirked and stepped onto the accelerator and the next word she heard from him was his announcement.


“ We're here.”


With that, the drive came to a stop in front of a breathtaking mansion. Eloise's mouth parted as she took in the view, the perfect definition of opulent retreat.


He stepped out of the car before her; her eyes couldn't miss the beautiful fountain in the middle of the compound. She walked by his side to the entrance and was greeted by two guards at the doorstep.


The door was opened for them and they both strode in.


‘ This..is a palace,’ Eloise said in her mind as soon as she stepped into the room.


She trailed behind him while she let her eyes take in every beauty of the painting hanging on the walls.


“ Antonio?” she heard a familiar voice call and averted her gaze from the painting,


“ Old lady,” Antonio called and halted his steps with a slight bow,


“ This is unexpected, I didn't know you were coming.”


The voice seems more familiar to Eloise.


“ Had to visit the old lady,” he said and stepped away from the view, for her eyes to land on the pretty lady standing behind his big self.


Their eyes locked on each other, and they both gasped. Both the grandmother and Eloise.


“ You?” grandmother exclaimed.


Eloise’s face brightened and a huge smile appeared on her face. She bowed in greetings before her.


“ Good afternoon, ma'am.” Just then, it dawned on her, and her huge smile vanished. She seems to be the only grandmother in the house, and Antonio had said that they were visiting his GM.


Then, the grandmother she met at the hospital, the way she took a walk with, was Antonio's grandmother.


She turned sharply to Antonio, “She's your grandmother?”


Antonio read between the exclamations and gasps that happened some seconds ago, and he raised a brow.


“ You two know each other?”


“ I can't believe I'm meeting you again,” she exclaimed excitedly, and turned to her personal maid, Mrs. Yasmin, “ you remember her?”


“ Of course I do,” Mrs. Yasmin replied, smiling, “ she's the lady you took a walk with at the hospital,”


Eloise's heart skipped so hard, her face dropped and twisted with concern. Her palms got sweaty as she looked at her.


Antonio snorted at the irony.


“ Come here, come here,” the grandmother cooed, extending her arms towards Eloise who reluctantly stepped closer.


She was briefly engulfed in a warm hug, her nose taking in the grandmother's rich scent and a faint scent of IV fluid.


“ I'm so glad to have met you again.”


Eloise forced a tiny smile, not sure she could say the same. She was glad to meet her again, not just as Antonio’s grandmother.


The grandmother glanced at Antonio with a questioning gaze.


“ This is Eloise Stewart. My fiancé.”


He dropped.


Grandmother exclaimed. Mrs. Yasmin gasped. Eloise’s heart sank.



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