Gisele was going to argue with him but his phone chimed on the dinning table. He looked at it the picked it up. A gentle gaze flashed past his eyes.
"There is no wa_" She started to voice her complaints but was cut off even before she could get to the main point.
"Have that contract signed before I'm back" this was not a request but an order. He was bluntly telling Gisele he was less concerned about whatever arguments she had to give. With that he stood up, turned and walked out of the dinning room with his phone still ringing in his hand.
Gisele huffed and puffed but there was nowhere to channel her anger to, breaking the furnitures around her would be illogical, those innocent things did no harm to her. The person that should be yelled at was that overly pompous and heartless man leaving the room. She stared at his reclining figure and cursed him to her heart content. At least in her mind though. She dare not say it out.
He was being the biggest jerk in the history of time. There he goes now, off to see his lover. It was obvious to see. Gisele had caught a glimpse of a warmth in his eyes and his lips had unknowingly turned up in a small smile before he walked away. It could only ever be his lover that could make the Cold man show signs of happiness. He was publicly flaunting and enjoying the life of having a girlfriend but expected—no demanded that as long as she was his wife she either sneak around like a high school student in love or settle with being single.
How ironic it was to be married yet still single.
She dropped her spoon and stared at the documents angrily. It's content had made her loose her appetite. That was even more annoying for her cause she had not even had the chance to savour all the dishes she wanted to. Sigh! why was she always the one at a loss? That is so not fair!
She stood up and walked back to her room. She had a lot to do. Aside from crying for her pathetic life she had no sat down to think the previous night.
This phase was one she did not plan for. When she left the Andres family, she had assumed she would spend days—probably weeks—trying to piece her homeless and jobless life back together but now she ended up getting married. Thank God that came along with having a roof over her head but she had no idea on where to go from there or what she would do.
Maybe the answer to those questions lied in first answering what exactly she wanted. Before now she had never had to think on what to do cause everyday she opened her eyes there was a laid out agenda already waiting for her to follow. Maybe that was why she had never stopped to think what exactly she wanted for herself.
So what did she want?
For a start, she was tired. Tired of living other people's lives, tired of making choices based on what others wanted. She wants to live for herself, do something she loved without thinking or minding what other people would say, take every opportunity she gets and make her own choices. She wants to restart her life.
She knows just where to start.
A series of knock sounded in her door.
"Miss I have something for you?" Aunty Lou's voice rang out from behind the door.
"Come in" Gisele called out and sat up.
The door was pushed opened and Aunty Lou walked in, as always a gentle and graceful smile grazed her lips. She didn't dilly-dally and immediately began speaking.
"I told master about your lack of clothing's and accessories, he has ordered the Jeweler to stock up your cabinet. I hope you don't mind me making choices for you but I thought you might be uncomfortable going to the mall with all those bodyguards and Maids so I took it upon me to give them a rough estimate of your size" she explained politely and respectful, she was more than twice of Gisele's age but her professionalism was top notch.
Gisele smiled gratefully "No Aunty Lou, you have saved me the mental stress, thank you"
The bodyguard rule would also have been one of her complains if only he had stayed to listen to her.
What was she? A prisoner? Why did she need to be followed around by bodyguards? Was he afraid she would run away when she had the opportunity or was he afraid his grandfather would snatch her away from his hands?. Her running away was out of questions, It had to be the latter.
"That's good then" Aunty Lou continued "The Jeweler would be here in the evening for you to test all the clothes out to see if there would be a need for amendments or replacement. Before then is there anything miss would like me to give you?"
Gisele's flashed a bright smile which made her exceedingly beautiful "I might have to go somewhere very soon and would be back by the evening but first can I get a pen and paper?"
Aunty Lou nodded " coming right up".
★★★
With Heavy hasty steps, Devon made his way down the corridor and towards his personal elevator, people bowed and greeted him as he passed but he was in too much of a hast to reply to any of their greetings. He got into the elevator and before any of the people following after him could even get in he pressed the button to the last floor and counted every minute till he got to his office.
Ding!
In less than five minutes, the elevator came to a stop at the 25th floor which was set aside as the office of the CEO of MK corporation. Before the door could even fully open, Devon rushed out and was half sprinting to his office room.
He pulled open the door hastily and his eyes scanned the whole room from left to right in a frenzy, at the same time, a slim figure pounced into his arms.
His Secretary and Assistant who had been running after him had no choice but to walk out and close the door behind them.
Sounds of heartbreaking sobs immediately filled the room and Devon's ears. His brows furrowed and a pained expression displayed itself on his face.
"Chloe, what is it? Why are you crying?" He Carefully picked the girl up and took her to the long couch in the office. He sat and placed her on his laps. The girl didn't say anything, she kept her head burrowed in the crooks of his neck, gradually her tears soaked his suit. He became even more worried.
"Chloe please talk to me, you know my heart breaks everytime I see you cry, you're making me worried" For someone who was rigid and cold with everyone else, he was overly gentle with this missy glued to him like a koala.
Slowly Chloe lifted her head to show a tear stricken face. First she blushed at their position then went ahead to adjust to sitting on the couch next to him. Devon didn't query her, he just let her do what she wanted to do, he had always known her to be very timid and shy so it wasn't surprising that she was embarrassed by their position.
He caressed her cheeks and asked. "My love tell me what made you cry?" He was worried that his grandfather had done something to her again.
Did he not reverse the band he placed on her?
Chloe shook her head "I was just... I was just happy" as she said this tears began flowing down her eyes again. The girl was pretty, not as strikingly beautiful as Gisele but she had the looks that would make heads turn and move hearts to pamper her, with tears on her face it was even moreso. Men would ditch their sworn vows to dote on her.
"I finally got a modelling gig after so long" her palms went up and covered her flooding face.
Devon gently brought her hand down, lifted her chin up and looked into her brownish eye. His heart bursting with love and warmth "Is that why you're crying?" He asked.
She nodded "you don't know how long I prayed for this. I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to measure up to you in future but now, I can finally groom my career and when I have risen to stardom, I could boldly shout it to the whole world that I was your woman all along"
"You don't need stardom to announce I'm yours" Devon tried to say but she immediately distanced herself and showed a pained expression.
"No! I went to measure up to you, if I don't I will never have the pride to pronounce my love for you. I need to be your equal through and through" She declared vehemently.