MY CONTRACT WITH THE SUPREME ALPHA

Chapter 05

My terms were simple. Arvel would cover all the costs of medication so that I wouldn't get pregnant, even though I wasn't taking any. I would only go to meet him if he was available then. Besides, I wanted to be treated well and pampered; after all, he was a billionaire next to me. Threatening to tell everyone about our Mate would be punishable by a transfer of five thousand dollars.

“Are you serious?” he said, laughing, as he read my terms. “Anna Avilla is a gold digger? I didn't know,” he said, still laughing. ‘It seems the Avilla don't need me to muck things up,’ he continued. At other times, my blood would have been up, and I would have been furious at the accusations, but at that moment I remained calm.

“You owe me five thousand dollars,” I said, smiling. ‘And in reply, I'm not a self-interested person; I'm just benefiting from a contract,’ I finished by saying. He seemed to laugh again.

“I haven't signed yet, so I don't owe anything,” he said, showing the empty field of his signature. I already knew that the Kain were known for their audacity, ego, and the like. If he liked to play, I was willing to join in. Revenge was perhaps closer than expected.

“Are you sure? I thought your pheromones were already your signature; I'm surprised you know how to use a pen,” I said, mocking him. Judging by his expression, he hadn't expected an answer like that. Dumbfounded and laughing, he pulled a check out of his pocket and filled it out.

“If you want it that badly, take it,” he said, handing it to me. “But remember, it's a courtesy. Legally, I don't owe you anything,” Arvel said, stepping closer. I smiled at him, victorious. Perhaps it would be an adventure to experience all this with the enemy. It would be comical if the Moon Goddess was playing with our faces.

Again, as I headed for the exit of the house, Arvel came to meet me. “Can I make it up to you by buying you lunch?” he asked, without flashing that all-conquering smile. It looked like the most sincere expression I'd seen on his face since we'd been in contact. I thought about refusing, but it seemed like a bad idea.

“What if they see us? We've just signed a contract that requires confidentiality, and now you want to expose yourself next to me?” I asked. ‘We should be careful,’ I commented, even though I wanted to accept the invitation.

“We could go to a less frequented place, further away,” he said. “The important thing is that we don't become the talk of the town, but that doesn't mean I won't fulfill my obligations to you,” he said. It sounded convincing. I agreed, but said I'd go with my car. Arvel didn't seem to like the idea. I was sure he was planning to leave with me in his car, then return to his house and make my dessert. Twice in one day? Not with me. Reluctantly, he sent me the address of a coffee shop, and then we set off.

Arvel drove calmly. It was so easy to follow his car that it was unnecessary to have received the address. I think all he wanted was access to my private number. It was twenty minutes.

I parked my car next to his. The day was blue, with few clouds and bright sunshine. Perfect weather for lunch. As soon as we entered the place, it was full of people, and the only table available was at the back. The place was chic, and although it was a café, it looked more like a restaurant.

“There doesn't seem to be anything to worry about,” he said, as he pulled out my chair in a polite gesture for me to sit down. “Everyone here seems irrelevant to us,” he said, putting the chair back. I didn't plan to accept the gesture, but I didn't want the people around to think we were a fighting couple or that they should keep an eye on us in case there was a problem. Discretion.

I discovered that Arvel liked to eat pasta. His order was a pasta dish prepared with fine herbs and a sauce that I didn't know what it was. It looked delicious, and I couldn't resist ordering the same as him. I'd never been there before, but the way Arvel treated the staff indicated that he was a regular there. It seemed like the kind of place I would have gone to if I had known he existed before.

“How did you know about this place?” I wanted to know, as I started to eat. Delicious, just delicious. The façade of the place didn't look five-star, but the contents on offer were surreal. I could get used to going there if I didn't live so far away and work all day.

“I often bring some clients here to close deals. Usually, with women, they feel more at ease,” he said, while also eating, staring at me, making sure. And I heard what he had just said.

“If you're trying to provoke me or make me jealous, know that it won't work,” I said, taking a sip of the wine that I wasn't good at identifying. “Besides, that's not what I asked.”

Arvel's smile appeared again. I should get used to these kinds of comments, as it seemed to be a natural part of his personality. “Celeste referred me,” he said. “She loves traveling and seeing new places. She found out about this one this way and then passed it on to all the siblings, even though she knew that the only one who would be interested would be me,” he said, with that same sincere tone he had used at home when he called me for lunch.

“I'll bookmark this place,” I said. “I'm enjoying it.” The smile he gave me was so sincere that if he hadn't been my enemy, I would have kissed him. We hadn't kissed. Apart from s*x in its naturalness and purity, we hadn't touched each other. For me, kissing was a huge act of intimacy. He seemed pleased with the comment. A few minutes later, after a few nibbles of various foods, Arvel paid the bill. A nice unlimited card, predictably. Of course, I had one too, but when it came to Arvel, I didn't intend to spend anything.

When we left the place, the sun looked even brighter. Arvel hadn't said anything yet, and I think he was waiting for me to start talking. Then, like the inconvenience I was, I heard a voice. “Anna?” the voice called out. When I turned around, it was Edmon. “What are you doing with that guy?” he asked as if he wanted to pick a fight. Arvel seemed interested too, but all he did was say goodbye and go to his car, leaving soon after.

“What do you think you're doing? Have you forgotten my mission? I need to get close to him,” I said, indicating that it was all part of the plan. “Don't get in my way.”

“I don't know, Anna; you know I never liked this revenge thing, not with you involved,” he said, still staring at the car disappearing over the horizon.

“Edmon, I've got everything under control,” I said as I walked to my car, leaving him behind. As soon as I sat down in the driver's seat, I checked the noisy notification on my cell phone.

“I wish I could have spent more time with you. Can we see you later?” Arvel asked.