The Deceiver's Game

Chapter 4: A Tasteless Breakfast

ARABELLA

I woke up the next morning feeling awful. That engagement surely triggered that memory causing me to have dreams about it.

Now I still remember those days vividly and in detail. Partly, I'm thankful to the fiend because if he never did that, I wouldn't have learned anything in life and I surely won't experience what I did when I was with Navin. Also, we accidentally met again a year ago and to no surprise, I felt no resentment towards him which made both of us happy for our little reunion. Though I didn't feel the same like before, I still consider him special to me in other ways. That wasn't his fault anyway, he was also just a victim of that demon.

Whose face greeted me as I was about to have breakfast downstairs.

I guess morning wasn’t so good to me then. This is supposed to be a good breakfast after that dreadful night.

I rolled my eyes and proceeded to go to the dining area. He just walked after me while repeatedly saying good morning which I ignored. Uhm... that maybe why he kept repeating his greeting, and so?

"Good morning—"

"Good morning to you too" he cut my morning greet to my parents who are already eating which made me roll my eyes again and didn't mine him.

"—mom, dad" I continued and sat in front of them.

"Hey, about me?" he asked and sat beside me.

Can I ask something? Where's that cold and usually emotionless CEO of the Blackwood Corporation that everyone is afraid of but still talks about? I'll just tell him that a clone is pestering me in our house and it's his job to clean up this mess of a person.

“Why are you here?” I whispered while my breakfast is being served.

“Can’t I visit my lovely wife-to-be?”

I squeezed my eyes shut while trying to calm myself and gave her a sweet smile.

“How sweet of you. Why didn’t you have an accident while driving here?” I asked in a sweet voice, as I make it sound like one.

“Of course, I am. And aren’t that harsh of you to think about an accident about your sweet future husband and an innocent driver of his?”

I squeezed my eyes shut while trying to calm myself and gave her a sweet smile.

It's weird for him to say that with a huge smile on his face. It's one of those rare sightings that I'll never regret missing.

“I was merely asking, didn’t you hear me right?”

I began to eat, cutting the meat with so much force that it’ll be possible to cut the plate if it’s not just because of the cutlery that’s not sharp enough to do so. I panicked a little when I saw that my parents are almost done while they’re silently eating but taking quick glances at the two of us.

"Can't you talk to me?"

I grasped the fork hard to keep myself from sticking it to his throat and it is really giving me a hard time.

Is that love of him true? Probably not because I know that he isn't capable of loving someone. Especially me, I mean—we never knew each other personally plus he did something in the past that still makes my blood boil even though that's already long ago. I just can't shake that smirk off my mind and that always pisses me off for some reason.

I heard my father cleared his throat so I automatically turned my head to him.

“The both of you will discuss the details for the wedding. Colors, themes, cakes, gowns, and everything you could think of”

I stilled. Yes, that marriage contract doesn't mean that we’re married. But I never thought that we’ll have a formal event for this. Can’t it be just a private one like a civil wedding with just us and some important person and never invite other people? I can’t—

“Don’t think that something will be simple when it comes to a life event with me. Also, do you think that they’ll not suspect something if the two top families’ merging will be a private one?”

That made me think but yeah, he’s actually right this time.

I sighed before answering.

“I don’t want to choose. It's still months away anyway we still have lots of time. You can do whatever you want, besides, I don’t like any of these”

Everyone stayed silent. All you can hear are the clanking of cutlery to the plates.

“We’ll leave the rest to the two of you”

They rose to their seats leaving their plates with finished meals.

Another moment of silence and the presence beside me finally made me lose my appetite. My taste buds aren't working anymore, these taste nothing now that I'm currently too focused on the tension we're making. I was about to stand up when he gripped my arm, not too tight to hurt me.

“You barely ate anything”

I just looked at him and saw him eyeing my food.

“I won’t eat with you. Besides, having you here—”

“We’ll do it everyday and every meal once we’re married. I don’t want a skeleton as my wife” he cut me off.

“Then don’t eat your breakfast in our house. You have your own, you could just eat there” I replied then pulled my arm from him.

“But I want to eat with you. And don’t you want to look good on your wedding dress? Though you look like a goddess on everything that you wear, still—”

I didn’t hear what he said after that. The selective hearing only focused on the positive side and that’s when he complimented me.

“—mouth isn’t too proper and your expression should be calm and composed but that didn't change my love for you. But overall—”

“I hate you”

Forget his compliments, that monster won’t really say anything good to me. I took steps to the staircase when I heard him chuckle so I frowned and turned back to face him in case that I’m just hallucinating things.

But then I saw her smiling while shaking his head.

“You’re still a girl after all. You can all be swayed with flattery”

I was too stunned and confused to feel any kind of frustration because of his time-to-time low chuckles.

It really feels weird seeing and hearing him like this. That one seems genuine which I don't expect from him at all.

But then he caught my expression and suddenly stopped and cleared his throat.

“Anyway—”

“Can you do that again?” I also was surprised with what came out of my mouth.

Oh this is s**t.

“Nevermind. I was just—”

“It’s okay. You can hear me laugh like that again once we’re together” a smirked appeared when he stood up leaving his half finished meals on the table.

“I—I don’t really need to—”

Another second and he’s leaning in to level my face.

“I can accept it if it’ll be your addiction”

All the air in my body was restrained and I couldn’t go out for some reason. Even more when he continued to move his face towards mine.

“You’re too close” I whispered under my breath but instead of stopping, he continued to lean in to reach my ear.

“You might hear me laugh again, but only after I hear you moan in pleasure”

Oh God, someone take me away from this specie. Now.

I forced my feet to walk away and locked myself in my room while... cringing.

What the hell did he say? He did say he loves me but doing that—that thing? With him?! No.

No no no no no no, not soon, not after the wedding, not ever!