Deceitful Desire

Chapter 2

"Reina, what were you thinking?" Dad's voice thundered through the phone. "I just got off the phone with the CEO of Lustria Jewelry. He said you declined their offer for collaboration. Do you have any idea what kind of opportunity you just threw away?"

I closed my mouth tight, trying to stay calm. "Dad, I had my reasons. The offer from Lustria didn't seem right for us. They wanted too much control over the new project, putting our brand in a weak position. It wasn’t worth the risk."

"You always think you know better, don’t you? This is exactly why I hesitate to give you more responsibility. You're too impulsive. Lustria is a huge company. Their support could have made us very successful."

"You mean let them take over?" I shot back, frustration creeping into my voice. "I'm trying to protect our interests. We don’t need to sell out to grow. We have the resources to expand on our terms."

"Don’t lecture me about business," he snapped. "Your job is to do what's best for the company, not your feelings. This is why I doubt your readiness for leadership. Your spending, your rash decisions — it all paints a picture of someone not prepared to lead."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain composed. "I'm doing my best to manage everything. I’ve been running the branch effectively, bringing in new clients, and keeping operations smooth. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m learning. Turning down Lustria wasn’t a snap decision—it was carefully thought out."

"Thought out? More like careless," he sneered. "You need to understand that in business, sometimes you have to compromise. This was a chance to secure a strong partnership, and you blew it."

"I'm not against partnerships, Dad, and you know that," I countered, my tone firm but controlled. "But they need to be the right ones. We can build our own name without relying on others. We can't always stay in the shadows."

"Enough," he said sharply. "I've made my point. From now on, you will consult with me before making any major decisions. Do you understand?"

I bit back the retort sitting on the tip of my tongue. "Yes, Dad. I understand."

"Good," he replied curtly. "We'll discuss this further when I get back. And remember—this business isn’t just about you. It’s about the legacy our family has built."

"Yes, Dad," I repeated.

He hung up, leaving me in the heavy silence of my office. The real reason I rejected the deal was that one of the owners was Davin’s woman. I’ve met more than one, and over eight years, he’s made a fool of me time and time again. It might sound like a shallow reason, but I don’t care. It’s part of it. I refuse to let anyone else’s business dictate ours.

Right now, Davin has the audacity to show up again. He's following me! I thought I’d never see him again, but here he is.

"Shivani!" A familiar voice called out.

I quickened my pace toward my car. I didn’t expect him to be waiting for me outside! After I electrocuted him, he still dares to show his face? Can’t he understand that I don’t want him anymore?

"Shivani!" he called again, but I ignored him, fumbling with my car keys. He was too fast, though, and before I could open the door, his hand grabbed my arm roughly. The grip was so tight it felt like my arm was going to break.

"Let go of me!" I shouted at him. But instead of letting go, his hold tightened even more, and I could feel the pain shooting up my arm. "You're hurting me!"

"Do you have any idea what you've done to me?" Davin yelled, his voice trembling with anger. "You ruined my career! Do you even know what it's like to lose everything you’ve worked for? Because of you, I lost my position as senior partner at the law firm! They didn’t want to be associated with the scandal your family caused!"

I glared at him. "That has nothing to do with me or my family! You know I’m not important to them. They don’t care what happens to me! You knew that my dad wouldn’t waste his time on me!"

He paused for a moment, caught off guard, but quickly recovered. "Oh, right. I forgot. You're the outcast. You’re right. I should have known."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. "W-What?"

He smirked, a cruel twist to his lips. "I forgot that you’re worthless to your family." He laughed mockingly and yanked his hand away from my arm. "Eight years with you wasn't even worth it. The only reason I stayed with you was because of your family’s reputation. It got me what I wanted."

I felt my chest tighten. My eyes widened in disbelief at his words. This wasn’t the Davin I knew. He wouldn’t talk to me like this. He’d been gentle and charming, even though he cheated. I had thought, at least, that he loved me.

But the look in his eyes now was cold, devoid of any love. It was like a mask had fallen off, revealing his true self. His words hurt, not because they were true, but because they showed how deeply he had deceived me.

"You used me," I said softly, realization sinking in.

He smirked again, making my skin crawl. "Using you was worth it. But being with you? That was hell. Still, you were good for something. You weren’t all just high-maintenance drama. You were fun while it lasted."

I couldn’t blink. The pain in my chest was unbearable — it felt like my heart was being ripped apart. His words cut deep. This wasn’t the man I thought I knew. The cruelty in his tone, the way he looked at me like I was nothing… it shattered everything.

"H-how could you…" I whispered, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His grip was painful, and I clutched his wrist, trying to pull away.

"You're so full of drama, and you irritate me. Sometimes I even want to slap you because of your attitude." He laughed mockingly. "I'm the only man who can put up with your trashy behavior, Shivani. No other man would tolerate you for eight years," he added, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You're off the mark there, buddy."

Davin turned towards the side of me. He roughly let go of my chin. I couldn't even glance at who had arrived because Davin's words still echoed in my mind. My knees weakened, and I collapsed to the ground.

"And who might you be?" I heard him ask.

"Me? I ain't special. Just some random stranger trying to seduce your girlfriend."

"Excuse me?" Davin sneered, turning fully toward the stranger. "You think this is a joke?"

"Oh, do I look like I'm joking?"

That's when I looked over. Davin stepped forward quickly and grabbed the man by his collar. I just watched them, too out of it to even try stopping them.

"f**k off! Get out of here unless you want me to break your face, you bastard!" Davin yelled furiously.

My vision was still blurry, as if there was smoke obstructing me from seeing the people around me clearly. But despite the haze, I knew Davin was extremely angry.

I tried to stand up and move toward them. I grabbed Davin's arm because he was dragging someone else into his anger. "Davin… stop it. He has nothing to do with us! Why are you involving others in your rage?!" My voice shook as I said that, my hand gripping his arm tightly.

But I didn’t expect what Davin did next. He shoved me with all his strength, and because of the force, my back hit the car bumper. A sharp pain shot through my entire body, and I groaned. It felt like I was about to lose consciousness, my knees trembling, and my eyelids growing heavy.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm. I knew Davin's touch too well, and this wasn't him. I looked in their direction and saw Davin lying on the ground.

"D-Davin…" I tried to shake off the stranger's hand, but he stopped me.

"Your boyfriend just hurt you, and you still want to go to him?" he asked coldly, his tone dripping with mockery. "Let him rot there."

"Get your hands off me. You don’t know anything about me. I don't even know you!" I snapped, my voice rising in frustration as I tried again to pull my arm back. He didn’t budge. Instead, he tightened his grip and pulled me closer, forcing me to face him.

"You really don’t remember me, do you?" His voice was deep, resonant, and somehow familiar. His eyes locked onto mine, and I couldn’t look away. There was something captivating about them, something that stirred a vague memory.

"I don’t know you," I started, but he silenced me by placing his finger gently against my lips.

"You know me. Don’t make me look stupid right now, Miss," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied my face.

I tried to recall who he was, but my mind was blank. His intense stare made me uncomfortable. I studied his prominent jawline, light stubble, and piercing eyes. He was definitely good-looking, but I couldn’t place him in any of my memories. Was he someone from my past I had forgotten?

He frowned, his expression frustrated. "You really forgot me."

"I don’t remember you," I replied plainly. Who is this man?

He released me and took my hand. I couldn’t quite grasp what he was doing until he slid a ring onto my finger. It slowly became familiar to me.

"Remember this? You left it at the bar. Don’t forget to wear it again. It’s for you," he said, his voice softer now but still carrying an edge of command.

I stared at the ring on my finger, realizing only now that it fit perfectly.

Time seemed to stop as I connected the ring to the man standing before me. Without hesitation, I removed the ring from my finger and threw it at him. It hit his chest, slipped from his hand, and landed on the ground.

"You're the guy who proposed to me at the bar! And now you're back again?" I said angrily. "You can keep it. I don’t care how expensive it is; I’m never wearing that thing!"

He picked up the ring, letting out a bored sigh. "Only you can wear this. Do you know how long I’ve been searching for a woman who could wear this ring?"

I couldn’t help but scoff. "What? Are you telling me you went around putting that ring on women, and whoever it fit would marry you?"

He scratched his head. "Well, you’re not wrong, but since you’re my type, why not?"

His audacity fueled my anger, and I didn’t hesitate to kick his thigh. Pain flashed across his face, but he remained unnervingly composed. "Men like you are all the same, using people for your own benefit!"

Without hesitation, I got into my car. I glanced at Davin, now unconscious. I wanted to help him, but his words from earlier stopped me. The man turned and knocked on my car window. I couldn’t hear him and didn’t care to. I started the engine and drove off without looking back.