Rebound with my Fiance's Arch-Enemy

Rebound.

“You have to be kidding me.” Pierce whispers under his breath, loud enough for everyone to hear though, including Ray, while their eyes roam the physical contact between the duo.

Elijah takes a step forward, entwining his hands with Isla’s. “You do not have the right to be here harassing my woman, so leave. You two.”

Pierce steps forward as well, practically into Elijah’s face. “No. ‘Your’ woman owes us, and we will not leave until our needs are met.

“And what is this need of yours?”

“She will sponsor our wedding, as damages for the one she made me spend on our wedding and then ruined it at the last minute. She should do everything, all of the planning, and we will get off her back,” He turns to Elijah, “and maybe yours too.”

Isla tries unsuccessfully to not laugh but she does anyway. “You, both are the most shameless couple I have ever heard of…”

“You want a wedding planned? You’ll get it, now leave.”

All three other people in the room look at Elijah with bewilderment.

“What do you mean?” Ray chips in, her eyes lit up in hope. “You will take care of the wedding on her behalf?”

“Yes, I will. I do not go back on my word. Get prepared for your wedding, I will handle the hall and the other preparations.”

Pierce, though, looks doubtful. “I don’t trust you.”

“You trusting me is as good as a pig trusting it’s boss to not end up eating him. It’s fruitless. Whether you accept it or not is up to you, but if after I offer to take care of your wedding, you bother her, you will have yourselves to blame.”

Ray tugs on Pierce’s elbow. “Let’s go, I trust him.”

Isla does not miss the soft and seductive flutter of eyelashes from Ray to Elijah before Pierce finally succumbs to her pulls and they leave the office together.

“Why would you do that?” Isla whips around to him as soon as the door closes behind the duo. “Why will you offer to pay for their ridiculous wedding?”

“I see I don’t deserve a hello or a thank you. For my consolation, I will take it that you do not have any issues with me calling you my woman to them, because I assure you, before the end of the day, that piece of news will not stay as a secret.”

Isla rolls her eyes, exasperated at the man’s confidence. “Who are you? And who gave you the permission to barge into my workplace like this?”

Elijah sighs, “Don’t mind my manners. I am Elijah Richmond, unfortunately cousin to that retard who just left. You made use of my services just a little while ago if you remember clearly. I will be hurt if you do not remember me.”

Isla is tempted to bring down that ego of his down a notch but she swallows the venom, “I appreciate you standing up for me just now, even pretending to my boyfriend but going as far as promising to help with their wedding is just plain wild.”

“I will accept to do anything if it means I get to speak to you, or hold your hands.” He peers down, her eyes follow his gaze and she sees that their hands are still together. She takes her hand out, embarrassed.

“I appreciate your help but you are trespassing as much as they are. Please excuse me.” She motions to the door, a bit taken aback by the entire thing.

He had swooped in like some knight in shining armor and like the stereotypical damsel in distress, she had lost her cool because of his disarming looks and way he speaks.

Damn, the man is hot.

She shakes her head vigorously, getting the stray thoughts out of it.

“Fine, I will consider my offer still on the table.”

“What offer?”

“To be your rebound. It would be an absolute joy of mine, give it a thought and make your decision before the media does it for you… and you never know just how it can get twisted if they get hold of the news first. For example, they could say you could have been the one who cheated and then planted Pierce to be the victim.” His eyes twinkle oddly, and it is not lost on Isla.

“If I didn’t know better, Mr. Richmond, I’d say you had planned for all of this to happen.”

Elijah chuckles, “I am but a businessman, I do what I think is best for my company.”

This time, the twinkle appears in Isla’s eyes. “And what if I say yes to being my rebound?”

Elijah does a full three hundred and sixty turn, “We’ll take the world by storm. You and me, together, helping your ex’s marriage. What do you think that will do to our stocks?”

“You are crazy then, to think I will agree to this so your stocks can rise.”

“No, our stocks will rise eventually. It might take a dip first but eventually, it will soar.”

Isla eyes him suspiciously. On one hand, he’s speaking like a company crazed maniac while on the other, she wants to do something risky, daring, something that feels like a breath of fresh air.

But with Elijah Richmond? Someone she knows nothing about?

What bigger risk could there be though? All he seems to care about is his company, he’ll be the perfect person to discard at the end of it all… why not try him? Also, he is good looking.

“And at the end, we will have the last laugh. I can promise you that, aren’t you burning for a revenge? You want it at the altar stunt? They will get married and it will end there? That is as good as a happy ending for them? You will become the woman he did not marry. The one that ‘he cheated on’ and went ahead to marry the cheater.”

“Stop.”

“You will become the past. The one that they walk over, it’ll become a story of ‘well, people can sometimes be in a relationship and still find the one they love they most’ and you will be the loser at the end of it, the laughingstock…”

“I SAID STOP!” Isla yells, her eyes blazing. “Whatever it is they say, I don’t care.”

“You think your Mum won’t care if she were alive?” Elijah retorts, softer. “Do you think she wanted to raise a coward? Take your stance, by my side, and let’s get you a revenge and more money for us while we’re at it.”

Isla releases her clenched fist, remembering her biological mother, and true enough, she’d never want her daughter to take the easy way out.

“You have a dirty way of making your point, Mr. Richmond.” She expresses, a hard scoff escaping her lips. “What is in it for you if I say yes?”

Elijah smiles, genuinely, “There is nothing such as a company too successful. I just have a goal to reach, and you are my ticket. I am no world record breaker but I am quite wealthy too. If you say yes, you won’t regret it.”

Isla pauses for a second too long. “Fine then.”

Elijah’s eyes light up, a smile springing to his lips.

Isla smiles ironically, seeing just how much he wants to be rich while using and helping her as well.

“What’s our first step to make this story true?”

“Let’s go grab lunch, shall we?” Elijah asks rhetorically, taking her elbow in his.

“You planned ahead, I see.”

“I don’t leave unfinished whatever I have started.” he whispers, his blue eyes sparkling in the light.