FORBIDDEN MARRAIGE: RUTHLESS VOWS.

The new boyfriend

All through the weekend, up until on Sunday, Raymond had tried to reach Rachel, but the reply was the same. She did not pick or respond to any of his messages or calls. Raymond was in the worse position ever. He made effort to show up at her parents house, but no one was in. The entire family had moved out. He spent the entire week scrambling his thoughts and varying possible reasons as to what transpired with the wedding plans. He had mixed emotions, there was sadness and sorrow for what had happened to him, he may have lost the woman who he loved and she had not given him any explanations for the steps she took. He felt anger in return for the unanswered messages and calls, and the canceled wedding, he saw it as betrayal of the highest order.

On Sunday evening, in his serial thinking about Rachel and his failed wedding and a possible relationship, he had gotten into drinking and was stress cleaning his house. He saw the manuscript he recovered from the strange audacious lady and he opted to throw it away. But as he did, the papers accidentally fell to the ground and scattered. When Raymond was down, retrieving the papers one by one, he stared at the title once more. ‘The battle of all kinds of love’ and for the first time, the title spoke to him. It reminded him in great volumes of his predicament and spoke of an unidentified emotion that made him relate to the book. In his present state, he decided to have a look at the book before throwing it away. And so Raymond commenced reading.

To his germane shock and astonishment, the book was incredibly good. He read the beautiful tale of love transgressing just romance and the desperate plea to find acceptance and stability. He resonated with the character loosing her family to.a fire outbreak and the s****l abuse phase. Raymond didn't find the affiliation he was looking for, but he found something more a desperate bond with the character's story as the author's words melted a core sense of emotions on paper.

Raymond didn't realize that it took him just two hours to complete the entire manuscript. As he took the book to dispose it in the bin, he had a second thought and it was hire her. He enjoyed the book so much that he was willing to pay her a visit at wilham Street just to hire her. On a second thought, he would have the book re-read by his team for their own input before sending her an email of acceptance.

“ Zoey Hart huh, “ He had her manuscript in his hand as he stared at her name, “ You have such a beautiful book, I hope you aren't the character in your book. “ He safely kept the book.

Now, it was Monday morning, Raymond was preparing for work. Since he had not seen or heard from Rachel, he had expectations from seeing her in Saturn. Maybe then he would get an explanation from her. As he prepared to leave, he saw his brother Raphael in his front door.

“ I have been calling you, and you failed to respond. How have you been doing? “ Raphael asked.

“ I am off to work. “ Raymond brushed past Raphael and made his way to his car.

“ I am talking to you, and news from Rachel? “

“ I do not want to entertain any talk about that issue. “ Raymond saw himself having a heartattack whenever he thought of the issue.

“ Please, “ Raphael held him, “ I do care about you. Any news? “

Raymond had a second thought and decided to share, “ You would not believe that up until now Rachel had not answered my calls and texts. I have given her a hundred. “ he shook his head, “ What do you think happened? “

“ You're asking me? What do you think? Don't tell me that you still believe that she had a reasonable explanation that would land you back on the altar with her. “

“ What do you expect me to think? She has failed to reply me! “

“ C'mon brother, you are a very smart man, the obvious has happened. “

“ And by that you mean? “

“ That she had found someone else, someone better than you. “

Raymond shook his head, “ No way, i am Raymond Voss. Who could be better than me. I gave her everything she wanted. “

“ And you Still got abandoned at the altar with no explanations. “

Raymond felt his heart sting, “ I reckon to meet her at Saturn today, then I would demand an explanation from her. “

“ And Saturn shares? What if she want the business to end? “

“ She owns a Whooping 50 percent, I know Rachel i doubt she would want a split. Raphael, don't think so grave of the issue yet, Saturn would be fine, my relationship would be too. “

“ Oh my God, you are still a believer. Well, I wish i could be there to witness what would happen, but I am on business details. “

Raymond eyed him, “ Finally opening up that law firm? “

“ You know father wouldn't let me, it is family business. “

At the mention of family business, Raymond got chills. He had separated from the family and wanted nothing more to do with it.

“ You know I don't like to talk about family business. “ Raymond said.

“ Father wants you back. His lands are stretching past borders and he needs all the help he can get. “

“ Do you know what that man wants from me? He wants me to use Saturn as a motherboard for illegal drugs and weapons dissemination. “

“ You are his first son, you are to play your part. “

“ That is too much for me, I humbly refuse. “

“ Why did you leave the family business? “

“ Raphael, not every man is cut out for mafia business. If i change my mind, i will do well to let you know. “

“ That Will open a new shed to your business venture, you will get to meet new customers and get the best news that suite us. Think about it, not just the money involved. “

Raymond entered his car and started it, “ I will, I remember Rachel telling me to dismiss the idea. “

“ Rachel again? Maybe you should have not had issues with your sister because of her. Look at what she did to you. “

Raymond remembered his father's words at the wedding location, where he was ridiculed and called a disgrace and a foolish cunt. He almost fell.

“ Speaking of the devil, I have to leave to Saturn, I have business to attend to. “ He drove off.

**************

Raymond had gotten to Saturn and had dropped Zoey's manuscript at the ordained sectioned. He notified them to email her if they liked the manuscript, and he went away. He had waited for Rachel and when he did not see her, he opted to visit her family's home again after work. Raymond sat in his office going through some case files when he stumbled on a particular headline.

‘Italian mob leader, Diablo sanchez found hung to death in family home’ he took the case file and kept it separate.

Somehow, in his desperate attempts to stay away from his family business with the mafia, it always found him. Diablo sanchez was one of his father's allies and he deals with illegal weapons just like Donald Voss. Infact, he had heard from Raphael that diablo was just about to make a huge amount weapons sale to his father. And now, he just mysteriously dies? Raymond was tempted to look into the case further.

While he was on his computer, his assistant bursted into his office.

“ Can't you knock? “ He launched at her.

“ I am sorry sir, but I just saw Rachel. She is at the Central meeting center with the other employees. “

At the hearing of Rachel, Raymond sprang to his feet, abandoning his case files as he dashed out of his office. He was lucky to meet Rachel at the parking lot, she had already started her car and was driving out of the vicinity when Raymond launched himself in front of her moving car. He spread his hands, blocked and view and restricted her from moving further.

“ Rachel! “ He yelled from the top of his voice, “ Get down now! “

Rachel still had her windows up and although the car had stopped moving, the engine was Still running. Inside the car, she couldn't hear what he was saying, but she saw him.

“ Rachel! “ He screamed again. And when she didn't reply him, he ran to the drivers window and knocked on it viciously. “ Open up Rachel please! “

she was on a phone call with an associate.

“ he's knocking on my window as we speak. You know I pity him right? “ Rachel smirked in an evil manner. “ Dont worry dear, I have it all under control, I still wait for your actions too. “ she stared at Raymond as he struggled to open the locked car.

“ Let me answer him please, i have to somehow. Goodbye for now. “ she clipped her phone off and finally took down the car windows, now faced to face with Raymond Voss.

“ Can we please talk? You don't realize what you have done to me Rachel. “ Raymond immediately launched at her the moment he saw her.

Rachel majestically got down from her car and took down her sunglasses.

“ Rachel, “ Raymond instantly hugged her tight, “ Where have you been? “

She gave him a close scrutiny, from his head to his toe. “ Busy. “

“ Busy? Is that it? Tommy appeared in her wedding instead of you and said that you had cancelled the wedding. How could you do that to me? Worse, I had no clue that you wanted out of the relationship. I have been calling and texting you and you replied none. “ he shook her, “ Please tell me it is a mistake? I need a viable explanation from you. “

“ There is no mistake in what you have heard, I can't marry you and I sent my brother to break the news. “ She said.

Raymond was stiff for a while.

“ I am sorry Raymond, this is the truth. We go well in terms of business, but I wasn't sure of spending the rest of my life with you. “

He narrowed his eyes, “ You broke up with me on our wedding day for this? “

“ There's more, she gestured inside the car for Raymond to see a man sitting on the passenger's seat in a well tailored suit.

“ Meet my new boyfriend, Peter Landmark. “

Raymond's heart tore open, “ What? “