Raven Rival

When No means Yes

AN: This chapter is dedicated to Chioma. Thank you for the kind words.

While walking to the bus station, Mari realized the flimsiness of her excuse to her brother. Maybe that was why he saw through her lies. She told him that the building would be closed when she got there when, in fact, it’s only the supermarket and the department stores that would be closed. The office part of the building was open 24 hours. Apart from the stores, their offices shared the building with a BPO Company or a call center.

Mari tried not to think of what she witnessed between Rachel and Jed. If she could never trust him after this, there was no way she could forgive him. Marriage to Damien Constantine would be purely a business arrangement and if her boss specified that he be allowed to date other women during their marriage, she would comply with the terms, provided he be discreet. Mari didn't know why or how exactly, but she knew she could trust Damien to keep his word. Maybe it was in the way he spoke to her about his grandfather's will.

According to Damon Terzakis's will, Damien could only inherit the ancestral home in Greece if her boss lived there with his wife for at least three months. Having worked for Damien Constantine for more than four years, Mari was very sure his wife would be quietly served divorced papers if not an annulment. Damien gave her a copy of the contract and of the will before he called her into his office.  

She didn’t know what made him ask her to marry him. Maybe he believed she was unattached. After all, Jed never made the effort to pick her up from work.

Why was she only thinking of those little signs now?

She frowned and felt a little upset that the bus seemed to be late. What if Damien Constantine had made a different arrangement? And why was she suddenly considering his offer? Was her pride that high that she could not accept that Rachel had bested her again? It was not like she was competing with her. Besides, she’d never win.

Mari fished out her cell phone from her bag. She’d never called Damien Constantine in the four years she’d work for him.

There’s always a first time…

The question is if he would pick up.

One time, while she was looking for a file in his office, a certain ‘woman’ was calling him and he just let the gadget ring until it rang again. On top of his table. He didn’t even pick it up, just glanced at it to see who was making it noisy. It made her furious, and she was quite sure Damien Constantine didn’t answer the cell phone simply to infuriate her.

That was why she was surprised that her call was answered after the first ring.

“Yes?” Why was she noticing his clipped upper-class accent?

“Are… are you still in the office?” And why was her voice husky, as if she was going to cry if he told her that another girl had said yes to him?

“I’m still in my office. Do I take it you’ve changed your mind my regarding my offer?”

“Is it still available?”

“This may be the only time I’m going to ask you, Mari Miller. Will you marry me?”

Mari took a deep breath at the same time she closed her eyes, wondering why she was feeling so relieved. “Yes.”

“Where are you? I’m going to pick you up. We need to choose your ring.”

That was when the bus arrived. "It'll be easier if I meet you at the office." She hanged up and got on the bus.