shuhaige
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 5 “You have to pretend to be e my wife.” These words came as a complete shock to me and echoed in my ears three times. I was so stunned that i couldn’t move from my place. Standing back, he flicked his fingers in front of my eyes, which brought me back to the real world. At first, I thought that my cars were ringing and I heard something wrong but his expressions made it clear that what! heard was true. As I felt the weight of the ring slide onto my finger, a sudden pric ing sensation brought me back to the present. Attempting to ease the discomfort, I rolled the ring around with my thumb, but it clung stubbornly to my finger, almost as if it belonged there. 1 “I’m not comfortable with this idea.” I managed to gather the courage to voice my unease, expressing what I truly felt. “Ms. Harper” He walked back to his seat and sat over it as a CEO, ready to dispel orders, his aura taking on an authoritative air. “You are definitely not my type or standard.” From the moment I stepped inside his office, all he was doing was degrading me and hurting me in all the ways he could. “I repel the idea as much as you do. But we are into this together and we have to pretend for the world.” He said he was rolling the globe on his desk. “I…” Suddenly, my throat felt constricted, and forming words became a struggle. “It’s okay. I understand your predicament. I didn’t call you here to hear your thoughts. I simply wanted to inform you of my decision because, given the circumstances, it’s the best option for both of us.” He has such a big personality that he could come out of this very easily but I am a normal person. My existence is known by only a handful of people but if we pretended to be a couple, then it wouldNôvelDrama.Org © 2024.
be my image that would be tarnished forever. My life would be destroyed. He could never think from my angle. Emergency calls only Chapter 5 “Don’t worry, Luciano de’ Valentino. I never take any favor for free. You’ll be compensated generously for the time you spend with me, enough for you to live the rest of your life without financial worries.” He said it so casually, as if he didn’t just ask me to sell my life to him. And even when he said so much to me, I couldn’t form a single word. Every word that came out of his mouth today has changed the image that I had of him in my mind. I don’t like him anymore. For him, people are just pawns whom he could use according to his own needs. “You can take the rest of the day to pack your bag and get ready to shift with me. I will come in the evening to pick you up” I stared at him in disbelief. It is just tomorrow that I called off my wedding and today the CEO, Luciano De Valentino, wants me to not only shift with him but also pretend to be his wife. My head spun as I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening in my life. “Leave; I have a lot to do,” he said in a very rude tone. When he got busy with his laptop, I was not left with any other option but to leave this office. I will definitely talk to him in the evening. For now, my thoughts were a jumble, and I had to gather myself before engaging in promised to be a challenging evening. To save myself from the never-ending questions of my office friends, I came back to the house directly. The whole day went into preparing how I was going to face him again and what I was going to say to him so that he could take his offer back. My mind is already burdened with a lot of pressure and tension. My uncle has been calling me since morning and I have not picked up even a single call because I am not sure what to tell him. He must have faced all the shame after I ran away from my wedding.
Since I have been staying with my uncle and aunt all these years, I don’t even have a house. The apartment in which I am right now belongs to my friend. Last night, when I fled my wedding, I didn’t know where to go, so I ended up at my friend’s apartment. I told her everything that happened to me and she generously offered me a place to stay, but I couldn’t bear to be a burden on her. 2/5 Emergency calls only MO Chapter 5 039% 16:21 Even after pouring my heart out to her, I felt restless. At midnight, I sought solace at a bar, where I ended up drinking so much that I lost all sense of reason. Now, I regret that impulsive decision. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, breaking the chain of my thoughts. My eyes flicked to the clock and I am sure it must be Mr. Valentino, as my friend has already informed me that she is going to be late today. My heart raced, small beads of perspiration forming on my forehead as I anticipated the meeting with my boss. Despite rehearsing my speech all day, I still wasn’t ready to face him. There was something about his personality that rendered me blank and speechless. Drawing deep breaths and getting myself ready, I walked to the door and slowly opened it. My eyebrows were drawn in confusion when I saw a bouquet of flowers. Could someone have brought them for my friend, and did I just ruin a surprise? My surprise turned to anger when the bouquet moved away from the of shock on my face shifted to one of fury as he stood there holding evealing Nathaniel. The expression The audacity of this man! flowers. My nose flared in anger and all I could see was red when his nasty moans and the images of him with my cousin. on the bed replayed in my head. Summoning all the energy within me, I attempted to slam the door shut, but he anticipated my
move. His palm and foot wedged against the door, preventing me from closing it. “Vanessa, please listen to me,” he said “I don’t want to listen to anything, Nathaniel. Go away” I again tried to close the door but he applied more strength, not allowing me to close it. “Vee, please, I am sorry.” I I could see small tears and regret in his eyes as he spoke. I trusted him blindly but seeing him with someone else broke me so badly that I could never ever trust him back. “I really love you, Vee. My promises and my love were never fake. It was just my physical desires, which” He sighed. “I promise that it will never happen again. I can’t even see anyone else other than you. I don’t love her or anyone else. The only girl I ever loved or will love is you, Vee. Please,” he almost begged. 3/5 Emergency calls only M 150. Chapter 5 039% 16:21 “But I don’t love you anymore. In fact, I now loathe you. I want to kill you every time even your thoughts cross my head,” I said, my teeth gritting in annoyance. The pain of betrayal lingered, leaving no room for his apologies. His eyes flicked down my neck for a second before coming back to my face. “If you don’t love me, then why are you still wearing this chain gifted to me?” He asked me to take me off guard. His words made me realise that he was right. I forgot to remove it. Without wasting a single second, I wrapped my fingers around the chain and pulled it harshly, breaking it and throwing it on the floor. It sting when the chain scraped my skin sharply but I didn’t make any voice. The pain was nothing in comparison to what he gave me last night. “This is the place that you hold in my life.” I pointed at the broken chain, which was now lying on the floor. His eyes were on the chain, which
he gifted me with so much heart. I sn atched the bouquet that he brought for me and tossed it in the nearby dustbin. “Go away, Nathaniel, before I shout and tell society what a cheap man you are!” I warned him with a sharp tone. I knew that if I appeared weak and showed him that I hadn’t moved on, he would exploit my vulnerability. I needed to stand strong and protect myself from further heartache. “I know that the wounds are fresh, so you will not listen to me. But I also know that I am the only man whom ever loved. I will win you back, Vanessa. You are only mine, and soon you will be in my arms.”” you His last words left me stunned and frozen in place. Nathaniel had never spoken to me like that, even when we were in a relationship. I could sense a dangerous level of obsession in those words, which sent a shiver down my spine. Before I could respond, he vanished from my sight, and in the next moment, another figure appeared before me. It was none other than Luciano de’ Valentino himself. Don’t tell me he heard the entire conversation between me and Nathaniel!