A deal with my fiancé’s uncle

Chapter4

My hand had clamped around the doorknob so hard that the blood seemed to have been squeezed out of my knuckles into some futile will to escape. The scene that met my eyes before me was almost ghostly, a materialization from one of my nightmares: there were Carlos and Sabrina, entwined in some sort of passionate embrace, oblivious to my very existence. My heart was banging away at my ribcage with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and every beat announced to my psyche.

For a second, I could not breathe. My vision started becoming a little misty, and the room seemed to be spinning while a sharp, searing pain slashed through my chest. Tears blanketed my vision, pooling down my cheeks, unchecked. I wanted to scream, I wanted my scream to be heard, to finally let out all these feelings before they swallowed me whole, but no sound could escape my lips.

They would break into pieces across their plateau, as though they would've found me being there appropriate. Carlos's eyes were popping out of his face, and Sabrina had clutched for the sheets to cover herself, a smile of certain satisfaction playing at the corners of her lips.

"L-lana," Carlos stammered, leaping to his feet. "It's not. I mean."

Sabrina blew a bubble of gum. Her eyes did not flinch with the slightest tinge of guilt. She turned away in an apparent show of disinterest.

"Why didn't you knock?" Carlos suddenly blurted out, his voice shaking. "You—you didn't mention coming here."

A raw, biting laugh was wrung out of me, full of pain. "And that's all you have to say, seriously?"

He raked a hand through his hair that was now sticking out of his head. "I'm sorry, okay? It's not what you're thinking."

"Not what I think?" I let out, raising my voice. "I found you in bed with my step-sister on the night of our engagement party! What am I supposed to think?"

He exhaled with frustration. "I was looking for you, but I couldn't find you. It just… happened."

"Looking for me?" I parroted, incandescent. "I was by your side all night! And this was your answer?…to do this?"

Sabrina laughed again, her voice now dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, please. Spare us the drama."

I whirled on her, my eyes blazing. "How could you? You're my sister!"

She shrugged, shameless. "A woman in love has no shame."

"Carlos," I implored him, desperation creeping into my voice, "Do you know what day it is today? It's our engagement party! We are to get married tomorrow!"

He raised both his hands, palms facing me, in a defensive manner. "I know, I know. It slipped my mind. I'm sorry. But you're making this into a big deal for nothing."

"I'm making a big deal?" I was so angry at this point that it was all I could do to keep from losing it on them. "I caught you in bed with my sister and you think I'm overreacting?"

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's time you knew the truth."

Carlos gave her a warning look. "Sabrina, don't."

She ignored him, her look remaining merciless on mine. "Did you believe that Carlos loved you? The whole marriage is just a business deal to save your mother's failing company."

I felt the floor drop from under my feet. "What. What are you saying?"

Sabrina smirked. "The way with you is always divorce after three months and take over the company. You were blinded not to see it."

Carlos was looking away, and the shame was on his face.

My world was just shattered. The betrayal cut inside me in a way no blade ever had in my life. Tears still flowed down my face as the heavy truth of their words played mind games with me. I had only been a moving figure in their sick little game.

I said nothing but turned on my heel and ran. Walls squeezed in about me, people became all blurry outlines, and in a rush, I crashed into somebody, knocking all her papers all over.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," I said, scrambling to pick them up.

"It's alright. No problem," she said, replacing her glasses and bending beside me to retrieve the files. It was the moment our eyes locked that I saw something, flickering there like a spark of electricity.

"Are you Lana Rivers?"

I nodded, stupidly swiping my hand across my cheek to rid myself of the rogue tear. "Yes. "

She smiled a lop-sided smile. "My boss would like to see you. He has some very important information."

"Your boss?" I parroted. My head was now spinning.

"Yes," she said, rising to her feet. "Please, follow me.".

5

Sebastian's POV

I stood by the window, swirling wine in a glass, with the beaming city lights like distant stars. I had lit the back room softly, and its long, heavy shadows matched the thoughts that besieged my mind. My other hand was in my pocket; the cool fabric grounded me in the moment I awaited.

That image of her from that day flashed again in my head, the woman I'd spotted at the traffic light. Faces I don't forget, especially not ones like hers. Lana Rivers. Soon to be Lana De Luca, if everything went according to plan. The smirk tugged at my lips, and I took another sip of champagne. If she only knew what she was walking into.

Yet, that was precisely why I was here. If she agreed to my terms, we could both win this twisted game. I had listened to Carlos, his mother, and that snake of a stepmother of hers. Their scheme was plain: use Lana, dump her, and take over her mother's company. It made me sick.

But I wasn't here out of some misplaced sense of chivalry. No, I needed a Bride too, somebody who would help me reclaim what was rightfully mine: the position of CEO at La Costa Group. He thought he held the upper hand, but what Carlos didn't know was that he didn't know me as well as he thought. He had no idea I was ready to play dirty.

The creak of the door behind me heralded her entrance, and I heard her before I turned to see her. Voices—hers sharp and demanding, my secretary's calm and insistent. I didn't turn around, not yet. I wanted to savor this moment, the calm before the storm.

"Miss Rivers," my secretary said, her voice clipped. "He only requests a brief moment of your time."

Lana's voice was taut, threaded with a hint of annoyance. "I think you should save your breath. I have nothing to discuss."

I smirked, finally turning to face her. "And here I thought you were smarter than that," I said, my voice low and smooth.

She halted at the sight of me, narrow-eyed, absorbing the view. I watched as she figured it out, that flicker of realization as the pieces clicked into place. Good. Let her remember.

"Who are you?" she spat, trying to keep her voice level, though the tremor beneath was quite evident.

"Wrong question," I said, sipping the wine again. "Better question: how do you plan on getting out of this one?"

Anger flashed in her eyes. "If you don't mind, Mr. Whoever-You-Are, I have an engagement to get back to."

"An engagement," I repeated, the very word a sneer. "To a man who's probably still tangled up with your step-sister as we speak."

She flinched, just barely, but enough that I caught it. She was trying to be strong, but the cracks in her armor were clear as day.

I walked toward her slowly, setting the empty glass down on a nearby table. "What's more important, Lana? Standing beside a man who doesn't love you, or saving yourself from the disaster that awaits?"

Her arms folded across her chest defensively. "What disaster?"

"Your soon-to-be husband plans to rip your family apart. That little company of your mother's? Just the beginning. You marry Carlos, and you'll lose everything and probably end up in jail."

Her eyes narrowed once more, but this time doubt crawled in. "Why should I believe you? Who are you to tell me this? And why will I end up in Jail."

I brought out her helmet with my eyebrows raised at her. Her eyes widened at the sight of it before they met mine. I caught the fear in her eyes and I knew I had her where I wanted.

Leaning into my chair, I said, "I could call the cops right now and let things be easier for your family who are planning to get rid of you. But I can save you from all this only if you agree to my terms."

She was taken aback, unmistakably torn. "And what are your terms?"

I smiled and extended a hand to tip her chin up with one finger. Her skin was soft and warm, but my touch remained light, almost teasing.

"Marry me instead”.