A Contract Marriage with my Highschool Crush

Chapter six

Derek pov.

“f**k!” I muttered as I watched Lexie walk into my father’s company. Guilt trickled down my skin. Have I been too harsh to her?

I have been calling her a w***e ever since we crossed paths. But what can I do? Lexie can't be my wife. I can't even stand her.

I wonder why my dad decided we get married. He would have gotten me married to anyone but Lexie.

I heaved a sigh and turned my car on and drove out of the company. I would immediately get to my office and find another way to make Lexie reject my dad's offer.

Immediately I got to my office, and I called Charles to find out about everything concerning Lexie. My dad must have done something good or promised her something that made her want to marry me even after our history.

I opened my office door only to see Mark on my chair. His face turned into a poker smile immediately he saw me.

Seriously! What was he doing here? I thought he would be gone by now, or maybe he stayed to mock me.

I shot him a glare as I walked towards my chair. “Stand up,” I ordered in a serious tone.

If it were anyone else, they would have stood up immediately, but not Mark. Mark took everything for a joke.

“I heard you are getting married to Mrs. Katelyn the second,” he said, amusement laced in his tone.

I frowned. Who was he talking about. “Who is Mrs. Katelyn?” I asked confused.

The name sounded familiar, but I could not just place my fingers on where I actually knew her from.

“Have you forgotten about her? Our chemistry teacher, the one you compared your fiance to,” he explained.

For a minute, I did not remember who he was talking about. Then I remembered the obese woman I had compared her with.

“Well, she is not Mrs. Katelyn the second. Her name is Lexie, and she is beautiful Now stand up I have work to do,” I replied curtly.

He whirled around for a while and stood up only for him to sit on the visitors chair.

“So, how did she get to know your dad, and are you going on with the marriage?”

I shook my head. That was the point. I did not know what sort of relationship she had with my dad that would make him trust her.

“No. He just told me we are getting married. Although I have called Charles. He would try and find out more about her. I am sure my dad is doing her a huge favor.Something that would make her sacrifice herself.“

He scanned my face for a while and sat up, his face void of the usual amusement.

“You can't let this happen, Derek. She is not even in our class, and let's not forget about the rumor we heard about her in school, he said.

I knew what he was talking about. I think the whole of our school suspected she was sleeping with Landon and his father. Firstly, Landon fought with me even though it was against our school rules, and his father threatened to pull out his forty percent shares if something happened to her.

Although after that incident I made sure nothing happened to her, I could not help but wonder if what he was saying was true. Why would a multimillionaire fight for someone who is not his child?

Charles walked in holding a magazine in his hands. He stood opposite Mark, making our attention fall on him. He was carrying a frown.

“The media already knows about you and her, and they are digging up her past. Your engagement to her is already making headlines,” he said.

I nodded; it was expected. We were the Salvators after all; the media fed on our lives like hungry shacks. It would be the usual announcement about me getting married to a strange woman they have never seen me with.

“The headlines are bad. Really bad,” he said, still clutching on to the paper.

I furrowed my eyebrow. Don't tell me they have started another scandal.

“What is it? Give me the paper,” I said, stretching forth my hands.

“Promise me you would not get mad at her. I mean, we don't even know if this is true. She might be innocent,” he said in a pleading tone.

I scoffed, “She is already a w***e. She can't be innocent.”

“Then I won't tell you,” he insisted.

I furrowed my eyebrow. What could he be hiding? I looked at Mark, who shook his head; he did not have a clue about what Charles was saying.

I took in deep breath. “I won't get angry,” I promised.

He looked at me for a while, contemplating whether to give me or not. Finally, he tossed the paper to my side.

“The fiancé of Derek Salvatore, son and heir to the billion-dollar Salvatore company, is a gold digger and a w***e. According to reliable resources, Lexie Clark has been dating serval men without their knowledge. One of them is Liam Shun, but he quickly discovered and broke up with her a week ago. So it came as a surprise to us when we were informed that she is getting married to Derek Salvatore. Could he have fallen into her trap, or could it be an arranged marriage meant to please the public? Let's not forget that Derek Salvatore engagement was called off two months ago. Another claim is that she might be sleeping with her boss, who happens to be Derek's father, and he had decided to pay her off by making her marry his heir and only child.”

What the hell! What the f**k! Who the hell are these people? How did they come up with such a misconception about us, especially my father?

“This is bad. Really bad,” Mark muttered beside me; only then did I realize that he was beside me reading the paper.

But then again, this would work for my good. If my father found out about this, he would cancel the wedding.

“What do we do?” Charles asked, seeming confused.

I needed to do something to counter this report. It would reflect badly on us. They might start seeing my dad as a man w***e or see me as a fool who fell for a gold digger. I am quite sure, this Liam of a guy had a past with Lexie.

And he would stop at nothing to prove himself right if we made him look like a fool.

What do I do? Should I back down or just get along with this engagement because I am sure my dad along not cancel it? He might get angry at her, but he would never cancel it. Not because he loves her or anything, but because it would hurt his ego. He would make him a bad matchmaker and he hated defeat.

I picked up my phone and dialed the head of communication for our company.

“Good afternoon, sir,” he greeted. “How may I be of service?” He asked.

I cleared my throat. “Are you in your office?” I asked

“Yes.”

“Good. Now pick up your laptop and begin to type,” I ordered in a lethal voice.

After a few seconds, “I am ready, sir.”

“Good. In regards to the rumor flying around. We have decided to hold off the engagement and would continue to do a thorough background check. But till then, the engagement is called off. Signed, Mr. Derek Salvatore, I said.

Mark glared at me and mouthed, “What do you think you are doing?”

"Sir, are you... sure about this?” he asked and I resisted the urge to shout at him.“I don't remember- I began but I was cut off by Mark.

Mark dragged the phone from me and spoke, "Look, Damon, you would not publish that statement till you get approval from Mr. Alberto; remember, he is your boss and not Derek,” he said and cut the call before turning to me with flared nostrils.

“What do you think you are doing? Do you think your father would be happy if he found out about this? Beside, we are not sure if the claim is correct. You are meant to be standing with her, not against her,” he said.

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched his horrified expression. This was my chance at letting go of Lexie, and I was not going to lose it. I picked up my phone and turned towards Charles, my beloved cousin.

“Do you think he is correct?” I asked while typing.

“Yes, we can't just rush into answering them. It is fake news,” he said.

I shook my head. “Well, too late for you all. I have posted it on my i********: page

“What!” The both shouted.

“And now I have posted it on my Twitter page.”