All throughout that dinner, there was an intense stare down between Scott and Ilham. Good thing the parents never noticed. It was after the parents went in for a nightcap that Scott and Ilham pulled each other aside. The night had just begun and Scott preferred to watch it from the balcony. Ilham invited herself into the bubble
Her piercing eyes made him feel naked. But he didn't want to let her win this time. He was already being dragged into a path he never dreamt of, so he might as well just build his stand, showing her that he wasn't a weakling.
"Where were you last night?", she asked,
"Why do I have a feeling that you already know?", he too asked,
"I do, but I want to hear you say it.",
"Why give you that pleasure?",
Ilham's lips twitched in an attempt to smirk, not that she was happy.
"Does your father know that you're fucking the orphan?", she asked, her tone bitter.
"He would if that was the truth.", he answered, flatly,
"A man spends the night at a girl's place without doing anything?",
"We slept.",
"Same bed?",
"Jealous?",
"Curious.",
"Don't be. Looks bad on you.",
"Honey, I look good in anything.",
"Mh.", he faced away from her.
"You know why we're doing this, right?", Ilham continued, "My family and yours need this to happen. I know you're well informed.",
"I am.",
"And still, you spent the night with her.",
"Well, if you didn't send someone to invade her house, we wouldn't be having this conversation.",
Ilham huffed. That was news to her, "I did no such thing.", she denied.
"Right.",
"No, seriously. I sent nobody to attack her.",
"Can you stop lying, please?", he controlled his voice from turning into a roar, "You knew where I was last night because you planted a spy. Your spy went into her apartment last night, broke stuff and hit her. I'd have sat still if he just broke a couple of furniture, but he HIT her.",
"I'm sorry that happened but I had nothing to do with it.",
"Do me a favor, Ilham. Stop acting like you and I are a genuine engaged couple. We're just performing a family duty. Who I like, where I spend the night, they're all none of your concern.",
"They are. You're my fiance. Everything about you is my concern.",
"Leave River alone.",
"You leave her alone. What you're doing is pulling her into this. She's going to get hurt. And something tells me that she got the idea. She knows the truth. She might as well be trying to turn you against me. I told you the other day; She threatened me.",
"I asked her. She did no such thing.",
"Think with your brain for once. I don't know what this girl has done to you but you're speechless when it comes to her. Scott, you can't be with the orphan. You just can't. You'll cost us everything. We're so close. Payment has been made, just a few more steps and we're done. Forget about her. Focus on me, focus on this.",
"Don't touch River. Just don't.",
He didn't want to walk away first and so he stayed. That was the que. Ilham took it upon herself to leave the balcony. She'd realized that nothing she says would be taken seriously by him. He was never going to listen to her. The fate of both their families rested in their hands. No fuck ups allowed. She wasn't ready to witness the crumble. And so, she went all in.
***