I woke up at midnight – not really. It's actually 4am now. I look to my side. Tristan was still fast asleep. He is often sometimes a sleepyhead.
I carefully took his arm – which was around my shoulders, and kept it softly on the sheets. I got out of bed like a thief in the night.
I pick my nightdress which was lying on the floor and wore it with nothing underneath. I fit into my slippers and grab my phone from the ground where I carelessly threw it last night.
Then, I headed for the door.
....
I fixed my robe and hair properly when I got to the described door – on a different floor. Before I place my fist for a knock, it opened and a man with just white towel around his waist leaned on the door.
I look sideways first before following his gesture.
I held onto my robe like the weather was cold as I stood almost at the middle of the room. It was a presidential suite just like the one Tristan and I lounge in. But they were just different floors.
I look at the man as he back-faced me while pouring two glasses of wine. Was he that rich now to book such an expensive suite?
I begin to imagine how many nights he was going to spend here. He didn't look so much like his former version. He looks….. fine and different now.
I kept tapping the back of my clasp fingers and bit a little bit of my lower lip as I waited for him to take the first move.
"How is our daughter?" He handed me a flute glass of red wine.
How am I sure that he didn't spike this drink now? I only saw him pouring a drink from an expensive vintage wine bottle but I didn't see him inject the liquid.
I kept my chin up after a sip and sat on the edge of the bed. "Fine." I only say.
He just nodded and took a sip from his glass before sitting beside me.
It was really awkward sitting next to my ex when my boyfriend was sleeping in the upper floor.
I didn't pay attention to him. I just kept my gaze in space but I witness him staring at me like he'd never seen me before.
I just pray that he falls into my trap by daring to touch me. I'll scream and cause a scene in the hotel.
"You know what…." I give up. I place the glass on the nearby table. "What are you doing here in Barcelona? Do you live here now or you're just stalking me?"
He heaved out a deep breath, then shrugged. "Actually, I came here for business. I'll be flying back to Poland tomorrow."
Ah. I see. So he now lives in Poland with his third wife. – I won't count myself as first anymore because am out of the league long ago.
Only God knows how many more women he has impregnated and dump in the past.
Am happy for you, Marc.
I nodded. "How did you find out I was here?"
"I saw you last night when you walked in with your date." So he was monitoring me? "Am sorry if that's rude. I tried your old number and it was available."
"That's my boyfriend, Tristan Travis." I gloated. "You must have heard about his biggest airlines industry, huh?"
He chuckled and took a sip of his wine. "That's your business, Virginia. I didn't call you here to ask about him."
I felt myself fuming a bit. Did he just damned me?
"Then…..why am I here?" I gulp my wine.
He kept quiet for a while and dropped his glass on the table. When he leaned closer, I felt our arms brushed and my body got electrified.
Why do my body always betrays me whenever am close to a man? Especially, if that man is gorgeously, dead drop handsome.
"To talk about our daughter."
No. He is crazy. If he think bringing me here into his room and trying to pry into my daughter's life just so he could win her over me, damn it's never gonna work.
"Now you want to talk about Irene after abandoning her for ages. NO! Marc." I stood up for the door.
But then...
"Virginia, come back here." His soft voice suddenly turned cruel and serious. "I said COME. BACK. HERE. NOW!"
I had to stop and stood still like the sun.
Is there a way I can possibly deprive him of his own child now? Please, I need an urgent response because I won't watch this mad man steal away my only happiness after what he did to me.
He stood up and approached me because I refuse to sit with him on the bed.
I cross my arms and turn my face to one side – avoiding his direct eye contact.
"I know what you're thinking. But am not anywhere close to it." He started. "I know Irene was doing fine before I asked you. The secret bodyguard I assigned for her always gave me details of her wellbeing."
I slowly tilt my face up to him. So, it's wasn't just me he has been monitoring but also my daughter?
But come to think of it. Is he now that rich and wealthy to hire someone to work for him? This guy doesn't seem too much like the guy I used to know.
Someone who usually depends on my wealth.
I remember I use to cloth him, feed him, shelter him – do everything for him with my money because he was nothing.
An handsome guy with nothing in his wallet suddenly became busty and full? Am still finding it hard to believe this.
Or did someone booked this suite for him?
"Listen to me and listen good, Marc…." I gritted my teeth. "You have no right or whatsoever to monitor my daughter."
"Correction. She is our daughter and am her biological father. I'll do anything in my power for her."
Oh gaw'd. This sound funny to me. Anything? Did he just said ANYTHING?
He abandoned her – us, and went after another woman and here he is. Busy claiming rights!
He gestured towards a velvety white couch in the small parlor. "Let's sit. There's something important I need to tell you."
I grumbled and hesitated for a while before agreeing to sit on that couch.
He sat – close to me but I wasn't facing him as usual.
"What do you want to say? Make it fast, my boyfriend is waiting." I hope Tristan doesn't wake up and find an empty space on the bed.
After about ten seconds, he said something that made me scream.
"I arrange for our daughter her future husband."
"What?!" I sat facing him now. My hairs on my head and skin pores are almost standing in an erection. "Did I just heard you well? You did what? Are you crazy? Are you thinking straight? A man for an eighteen years old kid? What the fuck is up with –"
"Shh," He hushed me. I didn't even picture his hand on my small arms. "It's just for the best." He said. "When I tried to locate you in reality, I was opportune to meet you here in person."
I just place my hands on my wide hips and listen.
"The company I work for, works with the palace in England. Things got mixed up in a one time offer. The king is growing old and might soon die. His son, the prince of England, Harry, is said to marry now in a short time. I know him, I assure you, he is different. I was privileged to speak with him one time. He is not a roughish guy. When I heard about this, I volunteer. I had a conversation with the king in honor of my company. In fact, Prince harry just graduated high school and will soon be going to college. And if you look at it, Irene will soon grad to college."
I kept quiet for a while. Why do I feel like nature is repeating itself?
It's the same royal guy I met in replacement for Coral's at the hospital years ago that has suddenly become king and his son is said to marry my daughter?
Is fate telling me something like if I had obeyed when the palace sent for me, my marital life would have ended well?
"Marc, listen. You can't fool me, okay? Why do you choose Irene when you have another daughter with Rita? Why not hers?"
Uh huh. Tell me. What happened to that bitch's child? Why do you want to use mine as an experiment?
He just stare at me like he found the answer in my eyes. Then he answered in a simple word. "Chloe is not my biological daughter."
Wawoo!
Ouch! This one shocked me.
"I later discovered that she has been having an affair with a man I hired to be my gateman, Lucas. Chloe is Lucas's daughter and they've been seeing each other before I hired him. She requested I hire him. She ran away with him two years ago." He sighed. "Irene is my only bloodline."
"What about the other woman after Rita?" I asked him.
He just frowned at me like he misunderstood me. "What woman?"
Why is he pretending? Of course I heard from people that he left Rita and married another –
"Virginia, I don't know who is feeding you with all those lies but – I never married another woman after Rita."
But..... they said to have a son with the third wife. So...
Whatever, forget about it. "Marc, the two are still very young and tender to…..to...to – get married, have babies and as you know, marriage is a thing of the heart and a life sentence. Irene will definitely freak out if she hears this."
Yes. She will. For an arranged marriage? Trust me, she'll definitely break bottles on someone's head.
Even though, I kind of like the offer. It's just for the best. Royal lives are very different from the ordinary.
Their men usually stick with one wife – especially, the British empires. That is one reason why I'll like my daughter to marry a royal man so she could live the type of life I couldn't.
"First, we won't be telling her about it for now, Virginia. Let's wait until she grad from high school. Moreover, Irene will have no choice. I have signed it and the king has approved it. It doesn't matter if she bears children for him now – it's the monarch! It has been a deity for years. It still won't stop her from going to college." He sighed and stated in a low tone. "I've seen girls like Irene grew up without knowledge of the opposite sex and end up becoming lesbians."
I disagree on that one. What is he insinuating? "Irene is a good girl – it's just her nature and personality to be the way she is."
"Fine." He stood up. His lips pressed together into a thin line. "But there has to be a consummation before they both go to Cambridge."
Cambridge? What the hell?
I stood up abruptly. "Marc, you know how much Irene hates to school in Cambridge, she's been saying it since age four. She said to study in Stockholm after high school. And second of all, why should they consummate now? Irene is too young."
"They're both young and that consummation is to prove you right that she's not a lesbian. For goodness sake, Virginia, they have to do it before going to college. It'll show that she officially belong to him. Fuck!" He snapped.
Am tongue-tied. Stiff and quiet. My both arms resting on my head like the world is finished.