Thorns of Roses

Best Self

Song for this Chapter:

Monster-Shawn Mendes featuring Justin Bieber

CHAPTER 57

BLAZE

No one will stop this wedding, even her.

She needed me and this wedding more than anything in order for her survive.

So, I am sure that she won’t stop nor object in this wedding.

It is what it is for Corinne Lewis, business. She only sees this opportunity as a way out in the pit she’s at. She only sees me when it’s convenient for her.

One thing that I didn’t expect from her is for her to point out my relationship with her friend Hannah. I didn’t expect her to do that in order for her to get what she wants.

I had information about Hannah’s current location, and I know my Father gave her enough money to stay away from me and Corinne.

But they didn’t know Hannah very well. At first, you only saw her as a liberated teenage girl who wants nothing but attention and fame. But Corinne didn’t know her, my Father didn’t know her the way I had known her for a month now since the night Corinne chooses Diesel over me.

You see, I have been trying to protect Corinne since that day, and I don’t even know why I bother when she chooses her fate.

Hannah knows something about her that I wanted to stay as a secret for everyone to feast on. That’s the weight of loving her since day one. Having to sacrifice my life for her secrets, a secret I know she’s been trying very hard to keep.

So, you can't blame me if I got angry with her for letting my Father know about Hannah. Even though my Father gave Hannah enough money and her own house in Europe in exchange for her avoiding Corinne and me because I know how crazy Hannah's mind is. She won't stop there, she won't stop until Corinne is destroyed. That's why I know sooner or later, she will appear, even if she fights the King of the Mafia. Just to get back with Corinne.

I still didn’t know how she managed to know all the secrets that’s been happening behind close doors. Hannah isn’t that rich just like us, just like the Lewis. And it was so impossible for Corinne to tell it all to her on her own.

So, I wonder whose working with her all along? I have my suspects. One, Corinne’s step-mother, Martha. She had all her reasons to destroy Corinne as per her madness with Anne. But when she tries to destroy Corinne, or tries to damage her reputation, her own husband will get damaged in the process too. Second, Corinne’s step-sister, Carina. I had my reasons for not trusting her enough even though I see how close they are right now after what happened. But I also know that she’s really in love with Diesel, and Diesel is madly in love with Corinne. Jealousy and insecurity can lead someone do unexpectedly bad. They are the only ones in Corinne’s life that I know will knew this secret behind closed doors and informed and maybe also working with Hannah.

A knock leaves me on my trance.

“Come in.” the door opens and Diesel stepped in.

“Blaze?”

I sigh and fix my tuxedo and rolls Royce watch “Yes?”

“I thought you might need to know about this.” He walks in front of me looking so lovesick.

“What? That you’re still in love with her that I should stop this wedding as soon as possible and let her to be your f*****g mistress—” I looked at him unpleasantly “—is that it?”

He sighed in defeat “I am happy with my marriage with Carina right now, and yes, I still love her. But that’s not enough reason to break all the cycles we need to do in order to save the family.”

I scoffed “Too coward, isn’t it? You f*****g love her but can’t do anything about it.”

"We're in the same situation right now. We know you love Corinne, but what are you doing now? Hannah is still haunting you because you're afraid of her. You're trapped just like I am." He smirks.

“I am not f*****g afraid of her.”

“You are—” He took a deep breath “Look, it’s not the reason why I am here.”

“Then tell me why, I don’t want this deep heart to heart talks with you. You know we’re passed that.”

“I am the one who tell Uncle Havoc about you and Hannah.”

I stopped and stilled “You what?”

He took a deep breath, gaining his confidence again as I stride closer to him, to face him “I am the one who tell Uncle about your relationship with Hannah, look, Corinne needs—”

Before he can finished talking I backed him up the wall that made all the paintings hanging drop to the floor, not that I mind. “You don’t know what you just did!”

"Corinne needs you, and I won't be the one to help her at that time. I had to do that, if Hannah is the only thing stopping you from helping Corinne, I will f*****g get rid of her!"

I scoffed bitterly “Oh, how I wished you just get rid of her forever.”

“What?”

“I wished you just f*****g kill her and take that in your grave forever, you just released the secrets inside the Pandora’s box, My dear cousin.” I warns as my blood boils because I throw insults at Corinne’s face knowing she’s that desperate to stoop that low but I am wrong.

“What Hannah had in you, Blaze? You’re the f*****g evil of all evil and yet here you are pale as a white sheet.”

“Not in me, she had something with Corinne.”

When I said all those words, Diesel reflected my reaction right now and he’s just white as a snow as I am.

After the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception, I noticed that Corinne is disoriented and often looking at her surroundings.

The last report I had about Hannah’s whereabouts is in this morning, Apollo, one of my man called me to tell me that he still had eyes on Hannah, and Hannah is in New York right now.

I know she will be here, everywhere. But I didn’t know that she won’t stop the wedding, or she’s too smart to do just like that.

She knows when she does that, it will be the end of the line for her. She will be vanished without a single trace. Her secrets had some powerful men on her tail. And they won’t let Hannah get out of this country alive.

Three days before our wedding, I bought some fancy Penthouse in the middle of New York at Madison Square Park at Kohn’s Pedersen Fox’s Skyscraper. I already had it furnished and bought some furniture’s along with the unit. It’s expensive. But the thing I wanted in the place that made me bought this is the view and I also know that Corinne is a fan of skies and open vies. That’s what I know she will love the place.

Earlier, when I see her walking down the aisle, with tears on her eyes. It’s the most perfect view I ever had in my life.

The songs, that I secretly chose because that song specifically the one I choose whilst she’s walking towards me, I don’t know if she remembers, but that is the song she was playing on her car when she almost hit and killed me in the process. After that, instead of getting mad at that song when I heard it, its kinds of reminded me of her. The church, I choose the church because my Father knew damn well that it is where he and my mother held their own wedding too.

Everything felt surreal, I had never felt the same way about it for how long.

The songs, the church and her.

That is all that matters to me that time.

My wedding vow, I didn’t think of it hard, it was so easy to come up with that vow when the person you’re doing the vow to is always on your mind.

It’s short, but it wasn’t simple, the words were easy but the meaning is so much deeper than that.

How I wished she decodes it, I know Hannah is there. and the last thing I want is to provoke the little devil and have clipped the wings of my own angel.

Her vow, I tried to decipher every meaning behind those words, along with her gaze on mine that time. One thing leads to another, and all I can thought about is she’s in love with me. how I wish I am right. I wished she’s loving me right now.

Angus drove us here at Madison’s.

As soon as we need the penthouse, Corinne gasped. She’s still quiet and didn’t say another word after the church. I know she saw Hannah, and it bothered her.

“Wow! This is so beautiful!” This is the first time she smiled and say another word after today. She stepped foot outside the balcony and looked at the busy streets of New York city underneath us.

I knew she’ll live this place.

I joined her outside and took a deep breath. “This will be our home.”

“Ours?”

She looks at me, her smile falls.

I sighed “I know that we got married because of the merge. But we need to be a team to make this work. All of this.”

She nods and bow her heads “Yeah—”

I offered her a scotch and she drink it, I smiled at her and she did the same to me.

It’s peaceful and quiet on this top. And I love it here already.

“We need to act as one, Corinne. What yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. No matter what it is.”

She nods “I know.”

“We need to build a strong relationship in front of everyone, just like what Diesel and Carina’s doing, you feel me?”

“I know, Blaze.” She looks at me exhaustedly “I know what is signed up to.”

I nod and offer her my scotch glass to clink “You’ll respect, and I’ll do the same to you.”

She smiles in pain and clink her glass with mine. “Okay.”

“What are you feeling right now? Your now Corinne Angeline Mayhem.”

She smiled, but avoids looking at me “Like I am free. Like I can breathe freely.”

I know what she’s talking about. As much as I want her to spread her wings on her own, and have her taste the sweetness of power and freedom, I can’t. at least, just now.

I want her to need me.

Her tears fell from her perfect cheeks and I wanted to be the one to wipe it off of her.

“I am sorry, I am being insensitive.” She chuckles awkwardly.

“Insensitive to what?”

“For being so happy when I snatched you your happiness with Hannah.” She looks at me, and I see how genuine my girl is.

I wanted to tell her that she’s the happiness all that I ever want, but I can’t. Not now.

I sighed and took a swig on my drink, “What Hannah and I had before this, I did that for the best.”

She just nods and I am glad that she didn’t pressed any details anymore. I don’t know what I might tell her if she did.

“Thank you.” She didn’t look at me, she’s just closing her eyes as if feeling the wind blewing her hair away from her face. And this is the first time I had ever seen her so free and happy. So glowing and shining.

That is when I know, she’s at her best self right now, with me.