He's Sugar, She's Spice

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Alaric's POV:

She hit me.

"I am so sorry Mr Sylvester."

"No." I reply with a whisper. "We aren't that close to care. I understand."

I stand up and leave the room, shutting the door behind me.

My hand moves to my nose and it's bleeding. Resting an ice pouch on my nose, I head to sit on one of the couches.

I stare at the blank screen and back at her still closed door. The door clicks open and I turn my focus back to the turned off television.

Then on second thought, I turn to her.

"How often do you get stomach pains?"

"This is a first."

"Then you should see a doctor."

"For a mere stomach pain?"

"You hit me because of that mere stomach pain."

She exhales. "I apologize Mr Sylvester..."

"And why do you call me that even when it's just the both of us?"

She could keep it up in public or wherever. Couldn't she be a little less formal here?

"Would you ever consider calling me Rosaline?"

No. Never.

"Fine."

I pick up my phone and head to my room. She didn't even notice that my nose was bleeding.

Even if she did, she said nothing. Did she not care? At all?

I hiss at the name on my phone and let it ring out and disconnect twice before picking it up on the third time.

"I think dad is up to something."

First this marriage. Who knows what next. "What?"

"I think he's not convinced enough to hand you the inheritance."

My brows furrow and I drop the ice pouch. "Excuse me?"

"I overheard him and the board talking about it."

"He had a board meeting without me?!" I scoff and run my hands through my hair.

"You have to be careful, Ric. Give them nothing to sniff out." She pauses. "It may be difficult but you have to try."

I exhale and hang up. Then I text Miss Carter everything.

"That's not an issue." Her reply comes in.

Only?

By the next morning, my instincts are on point and another board meeting is held.

"Make sure to make this work." I speak to miss Carter through clenched teeth.

She stares at me with a blank expression that I cannot read.

"I won't."

The board room goes quiet once we step in. Someone clears their throat.

"Miss Carter should wait outside. This is no place for a secretary, a woman."

I pause in my tracks and look at Mr Fontaine.

Throw him dung, throw him dirt, throw him garbage, as long as it's from my father, he'll be grateful.

"Did you just tell my wife to wait outside?" The words are weird and strange on my tongue but I get them out.

"This is a board meeting Mr Sylvester. Not a date."

Small fits of laughter ripple through the hall. I pull out a seat at the right side of mine and take Miss Carter's hands and lead her to it.

She gives me a sweet smile.

Heat rises to my cheek. I clear my throat as she sits. "You seem to forget..." I say and pull out my own seat. "That I call the shots here because this is my company."

I sit.

"And my wife will sit beside me in every damn board meeting..." I pause. "From now onwards."

Murmurs surface but die down immediately my father steps in. We all rise.

His gaze travels round the entire hall and sets on where Miss Carter and I are standing. She smiles at him, he ignores her.

His eyes meet mine and a hood appears over them. My breath gets caught in my throat as we stare at each other.

Women have where they are meant to be. He always says.

What if he tells Miss Carter to leave? I will not be able to say no to that.

But if I can't say no... That'll be more tea for Mr Fontaine who is the head of the fake marriage rumours. He'll say that a man in love won't stand and let anyone tell his wife off.

He will use this to prove his point to the board, to make my father applaud him.

Why hadn't I thought of this earlier? It was a trap. I had just walked into a trap.

He furrows his eyebrows and the hall grows so quiet that a falling feather would be heard.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Mr Fontaine grin.

My father groans and I release a quiet exhale. My head becomes light and I feel an expanding feeling in my chest.

We all sit and I turn to Mr Fontaine who has murder written all over his face. I can't help but smirk at him.

"We are here regarding your marriage Alaric." My father speaks without a waste of time.

I straighten myself.

"The board says it's fake. What do you have to say to that?"

"That's a false accusation, father. They have no proof whatsoever."

"What if there's proof?" Mr Fontaine asks.

My heart skips and I work it to stay calm. They have no proof, I had left no loopholes whatsoever.

"Proof?" I ask with a chuckle and lean into my chair. "What proof Mr Fontaine?"

The hall goes silent.

I chuckle. No proof. Just bluff.

"This..." He searches for the right word. "Marriage was out of the blue..."

"Haven't you heard of true love?" I ask him. "You have. It is known that you fell in love with your wife once you saw her. You married her against your father's orders."

My father's attention turns to him and Mr Fontaine's face pales. "Where did you...."

I sit up. "I have proof unlike you who doesn't."

Games. Games. Games. Let's play.

He turns to my father. "Chairman, I can explain this."

"Rosaline." My father calls and the hall goes silent over again. "You have said nothing since you came in. Don't you have anything to say?"

I turn to miss Carter, she smiles. "Nothing sir."

He chuckles. "Prove to us that we are wrong."

"Wrong?" She asks.

"Give us something to make us believe your love for my son."

My brows furrow. "Father! Do you believe such rumour?"

"I am meticulous son, and I hate deception..." He says. "Kiss her. "

"No!"

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.