The Vindication Gents

Chapter 3.8

Kiara Hoffman’s POV

The next morning, Charles came to the room to get me so that we could get breakfast together. If I was not holding something for him, I might think that he was sweet. But he was far from it, as I know he was keeping something from me as well.

“What would you like to eat?” He asked as we were looking at the menu right then, in the restaurant of the hotel. It was very expensive, yes, but I think we got that covered. As far as I’m concerned, the boss got us covered for the whole mission and his funds were endless.

“Hmm, I don’t know. I never had Finnish breakfast before,” I said as I was looking at the different names of the breakfast menu. I think I might get sick if I ordered something that I was not familiar with.

“Then, what do you want?” He asked, as I could sense he was putting the menu down. I put it down as well before I turned to look at those hazel eyes. It seemed cold today, as I can sense it was from our fight last night.

And it was not a lovers’ quarrel, mind you.

I sighed as I was looking around. People were not crowding the area yet before a waitress came into view.

“Excuse me?” I asked in English as she stopped to give her attention to me.

“Do you think there was another menu that has names that I would recognize? I’m afraid my Finnish was not that good,” I said as I was laughing at my joke. The waitress smiled at me and asked me if I would prefer to have a normal breakfast, which was an American breakfast with French toast, scrambled eggs, and sausages.

“That would be wonderful actually. Can you make it two for me and my husband then?” I asked as she nodded at me before disappearing into the kitchen. I turned to look at Charles as he had been watching me for quite some time.

“And that’s, husband, was how to get things on your way,” I said as I was smirking at him. He was unreadable as he did not smile nor smirk at me. I was looking around again before the waitress was coming with two American breakfast and I asked if she could serve some coffee for us.

“I would like mine with some creamer and sugar. What about you, honey?” I asked Charles as I was putting on the charade that we were a lovely couple that was on their honeymoon.

“I would like mine black, please. Thank you,” he said curtly before the waitress disappeared again.

“Oh, don’t be a sourpuss,” I said in French as he was cutting his sausages and putting them in his mouth. I smirked at him as I knew he would love this more than the things that we might be ordering from the menu.

“I was not,” he mumbled before he scooped some eggs and the waitress came again with our drinks. I thanked her before she went to serve someone else.

“Now, it is not too bad if we’re being civil with each other,” I said as I was looking at Charles who was sipping on his coffee. I saw his Adam’s apple was bobbing up and down. Suddenly, a rush was coming from the inside that was between my thighs.

Bloody hell!

What was going on with me? I need to calm down and this heat might be because I was drinking coffee in the morning. I cleared my throat as Charles’ hazel eyes were staring at me.

“Are you finished?” I asked him as he nodded. I nodded as well before I signaled for a waitress to get our check. It came a second later and I was ready to put my credit card on before Charles took it from me.

“Hey!” I said as I was about to protest before Charles slid his credit card and he gave it to the waitress that was waiting at our table before she went to pay for our meal, with Charles’ credit card nonetheless.

“I could not bear my wife to pay for the meal. As your husband, it was my duty to make sure that you are well fed and clothed.” He said as I was about to protest. He continued.

“I know you value your independence, sweetheart, but let me indulge you once in a while, especially during our honeymoon,” Charles’s hazel eyes were shining as if he dared me to protest. I huffed before I was crossing my hands in front of my chest.

“It's not like we’re truly married,” I said before Charles smiled wickedly at me.

“But for the time being, we are,” he said before the waitress came and gave him to sign the receipt. Then, we went out of the restaurant. And now, I don’t know what we should do.

“Should we spy on Virtanen again?” I asked Charles before he was looking at his phone. His face was distraught before he was typing away furiously.

“Charles?” I asked again, but it seemed that he was in his zone right now. He was not aware of his surroundings as he was typing something.

Maybe to his fiancée, no doubt.

My heart suddenly ached as I was being punctured with knives a million times. I should not have cared about his marital status, but it seems my heart has its own mind.

“Charles,” I said as I was touching his elbow before he turned to look at me. His eyes were distressed.

“What is it? Is it Boss?” I asked, but that would be incorrect. The boss only contacted me as he trusted me more than Charles with the information that we might be needed.

“Oh, sorry. I was distracted. I just got some news that my fiancée’s house in Denmark was destroyed and they cannot retract any of Sophia’s remains in the house,” he said as he was looking at the email again. I think I never have something that I might want to kill but now, I do.

And it was Sophia, Charles’ fiancée.

I cleared my throat as I was trying to keep this urge to kill under control. God damn it! What was wrong with me? I cannot let this happen. He was my father’s archenemy’s son. I need to get that fact in check.

“Was she good?”

“Sorry?” Charles asked, because he was becoming distracted again. I sighed.

“Was your fiancée a good woman?” I asked as I was trying to get the words out. s**t, it even burned my tongue to say that out loud. Charles was quiet as he was considering answering the question.

“No,” he replied.

“No?” I asked him as I was trying to confirm his answer. He sighed as we were walking to the entrance of the lobby before Charles asked the valet to get our car.

“What do you mean no?” I asked again before Charles pocketed his phone and looked at me.

“That’s just what I said to you. She was not a good person. She made me do stuff that I didn’t even want to do but she forced me to,” he declared as he was looking ahead, troublesome, by sharing this news with me. My heart ached as I cannot imagine what that b***h had made Charles do.

“What kind?” I asked as I was looking at the ground.

“What?”

“What kind of stuff does she force you to do?” I whispered as I was looking at the ground. Suddenly, Charles was quiet and I thought he didn’t want to answer that. I waited but he only sighed.

“She made me kidnap someone, doing some illegal experiments and all that. I’m not a good person, Kiara, and I don’t think I will ever be,” Charles said as we were getting inside the car, as the valet handed him the key to the car. He thanked him before he went to open the door for me.

“Thank you,” I said as I slid inside the car. He closed the door before he went to the driver’s seat and got in. Then, he shifted the gear to D and sped off from the hotel as we were going to the unknown destination.

“Where are we going?” I asked Charles as he was focusing on driving. He turned to look at me briefly before he smiled weakly at me.

“It’s a surprise,” he said as I arched my eyebrows at him.

“Whatever for?” I asked him. He sighed as he was gripping the steering wheels.

“I think I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have been so harsh towards your…choice of attire or anything like that. I have no rights or rights. Consider this as an apology. Forgive me?” He asked as he was looking at me briefly. I was considering playing with his kindness before I looked at him. He seemed sincere.

Just like when we first met.

“Well, if you want to apologize to me so much, I think it would not hurt to get something in return,” I said as I was trying to conceal my smirk.

“What do you want? Just tell me and if it was in my power, I will try to get it,” he said as my heart bloomed at his answer.

What the hell?!

I cleared my throat as I was trying to think about something that I would want from him, but I already knew what I wanted.

“What about a truce?”

“Truce? What do you mean by that? I am almost certain that you might want something else in return, like handbags or heels or anything womanly,” he said as he was smiling at me. I smiled back.

“Ah but you forgot, doctor, I was not like other women,” I said as I was smiling while I looked at the road ahead. I’m not sure if my hearing deceived me but I was certain that I heard those words.

“On that matter, I would certainly agree,” Charles mumbled before we were heading somewhere. I still don’t know the destination.