My Mysterious Love For him

CHAPTER-11

ADAM

For the first time again, I was feeling uncomfortable almost afraid to meet him.

Elevator dinged landing on top floor. It was past office hours, the eerie silence was unsettling. The moment I stepped in the corridor few feet away from his cabin, my hands were clammy and knots in my stomach twisted with each negative emotion. I have to drag my feet to approach his cabin.

My breathing was morphing with cold shivers. I shook my head ‘Azrael might be angry with me, it doesn’t mean I could forget rest of his kind behavior he showed me in our previous meetups.’

Glimpses of his fractional smiles, easy conversations crossed my mind. I blew a deep breath relaxing myself. It honestly was embarrassing that for my age I still feel nervous to face confrontations.

Mustering my courage, I was about to knock. “Come in, Adam.”

He knew, I was outside of his cabin! Okay, it’s fine maybe he has some security cameras fixed around. There is no escaping then.

I timidly pushed the door inside entering from the little gap. His back was to me, to distract from my nerve wreckers, I glanced around. As usual every tiniest aspect was perfectly arranged nothing was out of place. The people who keep their personal space clean, I get oddly impressed by them.

It could be due to the miserable experiences I had for cleaning their mess. Sure it was in my job profile though some people take the liability far too much. None of them were slightest of appreciative. My shoulders slag recollecting the exhaustive days, gazing back at him I straighten my spine quickly.

He was already looking at me.

Not saying anything, his face as usual neutral showing nothing. My mind having their own consent, took in his appearance- navy blue shirt tucked his muscled built, his scruff was denser yet it only magnified his manliness.

The thumping of my heart escalated as he rounded his desk slowly, his shoes merely made any sound. His body language reminds me of a panther, dangerously skillful in every little thing normally people doesn’t pay attention to. And he seems to take advantage of their ignorance.

“Hi…Azrael,” I greeted him breaking the eerie silence.

He barely nods, forwarding his palm, “Take a seat,”

‘No, please in his sentence.’ Adam, he is still angry with you. It’s fine.

He perches himself on the armrest of the couch, ankles crossed in front, opposite from mine. As he folds his arms to his chest, I notice a thick black covered file in left hand. I frown in confusion, what they might be?

“You will know it in a minute,” he answers my unasked question.

I try to grip my wandering thinking as he was catching me off guard with every spoken sentence. Again there was silence, never before the silence felt so suffocating to me. I wiped my hands on my jeans, commencing all the encouragement inside to initiate the conversation.

He saved me from Vincent that night, at least he deserves an explanation or sort of. I can’t tell him the truth completely.

“Azrael, he doesn’t even blink. Clearing the discomfort in my throat, I continue “whatever you must have heard in the restroom was not the whole truth. None of the words spoken about you were true. I…it was not my intention to hurt you, I mean it mustn’t have affected you. As I’m nothing to you anyway. But, I’d still want to apologize for my…words.”

His greyish blue eyes flicker with something though it was gone before I could understand.

“Okay, if you say so.” He says in an emotionless tone.

Even if he accepted my explanation and apology, it wasn’t convincing. There was something wrong, I couldn’t pinpoint at it.

He untucks his ankle, standing upright he extends the file in front of me. It astonished me, I hesitantly reached for it.

“Read the documents till the last line only then we’d discuss further,” his cryptic responses was raising my pulse in anticipation.

The file felt heavy, placing it in my lap, I flapped it open. The title written in bold capitalized letters swept the rug from my feet.

'Marriage contract.' My widened eyes flew to him in shock, he unblinkingly stared at me.

Wisps of dark clouds scampered in the ambience as I began reading each paper, each line- shoving me into an endless pit. A mix of emotions clouded my mind- aggravation, perplexed, apprehension.

“I want you to marry me.” my breath clambered in my throat hearing his bold statement.

Meanwhile a flood of butterflies erupted in my heart deluding his declaration as sort of happiness.

It wasn’t though.

“What is the meaning of all this, Mr. De Luca?”

His eyes hardened at the use of formal honorifics. ‘Please correct me, Azrael. Like always’

He doesn’t. Slipping his hands respectively in pockets of his black slack opting to pace across the sitting area.

“The documents says, you want to marry me… only for one year.” I stutter, reading the last line repeatedly in my mind.

He halts his steps, facing me he resumes each step closing the distance between us.

“Yes, that’s exactly what it states. Knowing the rest of your obvious questions, let me answer them before handedly. The wedding would take place after Soraya and Marcus’s wedding, on the same day in the same venue. Everything is accordingly being arranged. You only have to walk in, repeat the vows, wear my ring. That’s it.”

His monotonous description infuriates me to no end. 'That’s it, how could he flip my world and end with the simple words as if it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe for him it was.'

“Why do you want to marry me? What if I say no? Actually, my answer is no-

He swiftly looms over me, his hands grasping the frame of the couch I was being seated and lean down aligning our gazes.

“Give your response only when you have completely analyzed the circumstances, Adam. My heart skips a beat, despite of the situation. “If you deny the proposal, Marcus and Soraya’s wedding would be cancelled right on the spot,”

My mouth unhinges in shock, “You won’t…won’t do it. Marcus won’t agree with you.”

“Try me,” his cynical smirk prickle my skin with goosebumps.

It was all game for him, he was avenging for what I have said about his importance that evening. Though why it’d affect him, I was nothing to him, right? My fears reemerge echoing the harsh reality, people like his status won’t spare anyone who’d insult them.

Like a fool, I was fantasizing he’d be different from the elite group, I have experienced. Just couple of words against him, he was ready to destroy my life.

Marrying him would bring me out of my closet. My personal choice would be bare to all judgmental eyes.

I’d hardly find my foot in the overwhelming reality then he’d divorce me. To leave my wounds open, untreated.

Again, I’d be tossed aside after being used.

A warm thumb swipes my cheek, startled I refocus on him. For a moment, his eyes soften fresh tears blur my vision as my body is shaking to receive any kind of his comfort. He was shattering my existence still my soul was craving to be held in his arms.

“Say, yes. Adam,” he whispers on my lips.

I squeeze my eyes shut, to not have breakdown in front of his demands.

“Please, Azrael. I open my eyes, “Don’t do this. It’d damage our lives, no especially mine irreparably. I’m six years older than you, a low class housekeeper, importantly I haven’t revealed…about my sexuality. I was desperate to make him realize the scary future ahead if this was to happen. “Think of the society, media, and your name would be tossed around. Anyways, I’m nothing to anyone but you are. Please, drop this contract.”

My throat was utterly dried, I was about to put down the file when his hand shot up grasping it midair and laying it back in my lap.

“Whatever you have mentioned, that’s my look after. Another fact, you must have read the second last paper- the clauses should have answered your fears. When we’d divorce, you’d be allotted fifteen million dollars, a well-furnished property wherever you’d decide.”

He seriously thought, the materialistic benefits would convince me. It only promoted the fact, I was so low in his eyes.

“Also, no one would dare to lift a finger against you about age or sexuality. You have my word.”

I stubbornly move my head from his touch, tightening the edges of file. “Everything is impossible between us. I don’t want to marry you,” my voice was strained, clogged with unlevelled breathing.

Not feeling his presence, I avert my eyes to find him standing intimidatingly in front of me. His eyes swirling with unspoken emotions.

“You are mistaken. You don’t have any choice, Adam. You have to sign the contract. If you don’t of course the other wedding would be called out but I’d ruin everyone responsible even if its indirectly, for your disagreement.” His voice loss of any warmness I have previously detected.

“It’s a promise.” He fetches a pen from his desk, placing it on the center table.

So confident, I won’t deny. Because he was right. Sora was my only family who mattered the most in my life. One year of sacrifice would secure her happiness for lifetime.

Composing myself from whatever strength I was left with, flipping the file with trembling hands I picked the pen. The black dotted line felt like pair of shackles- with one signature, I’d click the lock.

Remembering something I hesitantly asked him, “You didn’t answer my earlier question- why me?”

The pen was slipping from my sweaty fingers, clutching it I waited for his answer. His upper lip slightly tilt, grey bluish eyes pinning mine.

“Because I want you.”

'Liar.'