Billionaire Toxic Love

CHAPTER 17

“Claire, Claire, where are you?..” his voice decreased as he said those words. I guess his fuming mind must have cooled off seeing his sweet fiancé lying peacefully asleep on the bed.

He got closer to the bed and tapped her. “Claire, wake up this moment”.

His voice was decisive and dangerously toned. Even those asleep would jump in their slumber on hearing those words. Talk more about Claire, who was only pretending.

“Yes sir..” Claire replied in a sleepy and distressed tone.

“What's going on? Why didn't you dress up and come for our surprise visit? And where is Joshua?” Questions kept spewing out of Richard's mouth.

“I'm sorry I couldn't make it, I have a terrible migraine and the pain is really eating me up”

“Migraine..? How?”

“I guess it's as a result of the news concert last night… ‘Ouchhh’" Claire proceeded to add a scream to make it look a lot more real.

Well, her act worked, as fuming Richard sat down beside her and began stroking her hair. Her acting is working. Who would have thought if only she and Joshua hadn't left the condom wrapper on the floor?

It was at that moment her eyes sat on the piece of rubber on the floor on the corner of the bed. “How could they be so careless?!”

“Didn't Joshua see it? How could my eyes overlook that deadly sight?” Claire's mind skipped, her heart raced fast as her breathing increased. A drop of sweat rolled down her eyebrows to the side of her bottom lip.

“My love, what are you staring at with such passion?” Richard said, noticing the change of mood and demeanor in Claire's composure.

He subconsciously then tilted his face towards the same direction Claire's eyes were fixated on the moment she saw the condom wrapper.

His eyes met the appalling piece of rubber on the floor. Claire jilted back into reality upon seeing what her actions caused.

“It's not what you think Richard,” Claire whispered, her voice shaky and quivering as she bent her face downwards, directing her gaze to her trembling fingers.

“What do you think I think, Claire?” a slight smile appeared at the side of his lips.

“Do you think I don't believe you and think you willingly didn't want to come for the surprise outing?” Richard asked rhetorically, now standing up from bed. He sat beside Claire. “I have a sixth sense of lies and I don't have any feelings you're lying to me. By the way, if you actually didn't want to meet up for the outing with me, Joshua would have known and told me”

Claire stared at space dumbfounded. It was clear Richard misunderstood what she said earlier and, most definitely, he didn't see the implicating rubber on the floor.

Claire, heaving a sigh of relief at the discovery, turned her face towards Richard who was standing facing her with a slight smile and piercing gaze, “Thank you for your trust and understanding.” She then sat up on the bed, now wearing a somewhat seductive smile, “I have thought about your proposal to marry me Richard, carefully and should I say how lucky I am to be getting married to the most sought out bachelor in town”

“What happened to you Claire”, Richard interrupted Claire with a wanting smirk on his lips.

“I am going to get married to you, but first I will need to see the contract first” replied Claire in a sweet tone as she stylishly got up from the bed and moved towards the corner where the implicating rubber lay annoyingly unperturbed on the floor.

“The contract?” Richard asked.

“Yes… Or did you think we're getting married without a contract?” She said in a playful yet alluring tone, and with a sharp decisive kick from her legs, the implicating rubber flew immediately under the bed.

“No Claire, No…” Richard then proceeded to walk towards her direction, still maintaining strong eye contact, “I'm surprised as to who gave you the right to choose.”

“What do you mean?” Claire interrupted him with a high but annoyed tone. “You want to force me to marry you?”

“Have you forgotten you have no choice, or don't you know who you're again, Claire?

“Richard, the only thing I've not forgotten is that my marriage to you is going to save you a lot, your reputation and prestige included.”

Claire paused. She expected Richard to interrupt her, but he didn't. Richard just stared into her soul through her eyes. Maybe he knew what Claire was saying was right. Claire, seeing the impact of what she said had an effect, she continued talking. Only this time, with more wit and charisma.

“I can decide not to marry you Richard, and guess what you'll lose?” She paused, walked closer towards Richard and crossed her arms round his neck, looking at his lips and eyes, “You'll lose your reputation, dignity, influence, honor, maybe respect, and most definitely your affinity.”

“So with that, my dear, I really do think I have a choice, and my choice is of great importance.”

There was a long silence in the room after Claire finished talking. They were both staring at themselves as if communicating telepathically.

Finally, Richard broke the silence.

“So what are your terms on the contract, Claire?"