"Why the hell were you eves dropping on me?" he asks instead, arching his eyebrows at me.
"I wasn't, I swear or at least I didn't mean to. You were so loud I could hear you from downstairs if I wanted to." I snort, rolling my eyes at him as I fold both of my arms under my boobs.
He snickers, stepping closer as he squints his eyes at me, "Aren't you supposed to be with your husband?"
"Ex-husband. We got divorced this morning." I tell him, shuffling from one foot to another as I can't help but feel a bundle of nerves shoot through my spine.
"This morning and you are here already. He was that bad?" he says, his lips stretching into a stupid smile.
"The worst." I say, my lips twitching into the smallest of smiles and for a moment Caison totally fizzled out of my mind.
"So what's this deal?" Mr Richard asks, moving too close for comfort.
"I want us to fake date for the next two months." I blurt out the words, wincing as they sound stupider out loud than in my head.
Mr Richard blanches back like I just slapped him as his eyes widens, "You just got divorced today and you want to— oh, I get it now." he trails off, nodding his head weirdly.
"Caison thinks I can't cope without him, and that useless Chloe is always all over him. I just want him to get a taste of his own medicine besides I can follow you to your parents so we prove to them that we are dating and you get your inheritance." I explain, jutting my hand forward as I speak, my entire face burning up.
"While you get your husb–"
"Ex-husband." I cut him off, correcting him with an eye roll.
"Jealous. It's a fair deal, I mean I get to kiss a beautiful woman like you and still get my inheritance." My eyes widen at his words, I can't help as I swing forward slamming my palm over his mouth.
"You won't be kissing me." I whisper, my face burning impossibly brighter as I feel my cheeks go pink.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Am I so attention deprived that I am now acting like a blushing child.
Yes, yes I am.
"How are we going to be acting couples who can't kiss? I don't think that's very convincing." he smirks, his fingers moving from my waist to my back.
It's only then I realize that I am pressed up against him, my fingers grazing his jaw while he flexes his on my back.
This is too close.
I haven't been this close to Caison except two weeks ago when he got drunk and we had sex.
No, no thinking of Caison.
"Fine. But no tongues." I glare, trying not to blush like a teenage child.
"I wouldn't dream of it." he grins, pulling me in tighter and somehow I don't mind.
It feels nice.
~~
The entire week went faster than expected, I moved out of Caison villa into my own–the one I bought for myself a year ago as an escape– now we have the board meeting that announces me as his Co CEO.
Whispers have been going round the office, some I listen to, some don't bother and most of the time Pat is the one bringing them to me because they can't say it to my face.
"Are you ready for a hot show?" Richard's cool voice booms in my ear, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I roll my eyes, twirling around in my seat before rising to my feet, straightening the hem of my light pink gown.
"I was born ready." I murmur, moving round to meet him.
Richard –as he insists I call him– has been quite distant, according to him it would be better we start showing off from today than to allow suspicion go round which means I couldn't even tell Pat.
She is killing me today.
The entire room goes silent as we step in, my arms linked around Richard's.
I can't help as my eyes search for those red manes. Caison is seated in his usual seat at the head of the room but this time there is another seat beside him.
My seat.
My breath hitch as I take slow steady steps towards him, my pink totally contrasting the all black suit he is on.
Caison squints at me–rather where Richard and I are joined together– as he leads me to my seat.
"What is the meaning of that?" Caison growls quietly beside me once I sit down, the familiar smell of lavender that sticks to him engulfs me immediately causing my knees to go weak.
No.
"What?" I snap, pulling my lips into a smile as I keep my eyes strained on Richard as he takes his seat between the head of finance and the head of products.
Their names always seem to escape me no matter how hard I try.
"Why are you holding him? We just got divorced and you are already whoring yourself out?" The harshness in his voice has me going still as my eyes go red.
"At least I have the decency to wait till I am divorced. Now mind your business." I snap at him, my irritation goes higher than it normally would.
What the hell is his problem? Is he perhaps jealous or something?
"Just image the reputation you would cause for our company, what you would do to my nam–"
I snort, my entire walls going right back up.
I am so stupid.
Jealous? Caison Diamond can never be jealous, not when he sees me as something to control.
"I am not here for small talks, can we have this meeting because your presence is making me sick." I snap, my voice louder than I intended so the entire room goes quiet again.
My inside twists as his eyebrows furrow, his lips quirks before he nods and starts the meeting.
I really can't do this.
The entire meeting I am twiddling with my thumbs just waiting for it to be over so I can just leave.
I hate this.
I hate how I feel close to him, I hate how he makes me feel.
I hate that he is worried about the company reputation and not me.
I hate it all so much.
"That will be all for today. Miss Zoira, would you like to say something?" Caison words snap me out of my thoughts.
"No, that's all." I murmur, my heart aching at the realization that he called me 'Miss' not 'Mrs'.
I move back, rising to my feet as I turn to leave but a firm finger wraps around my waist pulling me back.
"Are you forgetting something?" Richard murmurs in my ears, leaning down.
Before I can say a word his lips press on mine. My eyes widen as a sweet flavour of chocolate mixed with something floods my mouth.
My eyes flutter close as I move to wrap my arms around him but I don't get to do so before someone rips us apart.
"What the hell is going on here?" Caison booms, eyes blazing red as he breathes out heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
It all happens so fast one minute I am pressed against Richard, the next thing I know Richard is on the floor with Caison on top of him.
"YOU BASTARD! THAT'S MY WIFE!!" Caison shouts, swinging another fist at his face, eyes blazing red as he grunts.
I haven't seen him this mad in over four years.
"CAISON ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? LET HIM GO! SOMEONE CALL SECURITY!" I scream, my lungs burning from the sheer volume of my voice.
"You let her go." Richard says, his lips curving out but he doesn't fight back instead he watches Caison like he can see right through him.
It must irritate Caison because he pulls his fist back and slams it on Richard's face.
My heart thuds loudly, fingers biting into my palm as my vision blurring with tears as the entire room spins. I let out a sharp breath unable to get air down my lungs.
Without thinking I stumble out of the board room, a pit forming in my stomach as I rush to my office.
" Zoira, wait!" I hear someone call but I can't decipher the voice.
My fingers tremble as yank the door open, heading straight to my bathroom. I barely make it to the sink before retching all over the place.
I heave and heave until I have nothing left inside my body.
" Oh dearie, you have been acting weird all week now you are vomiting?" I hear Pat say as she pulls my pigtails up.
Tears run down my cheeks as I let out a choked sob, my body shaking as I let Pat dab my mouth with a washcloth.
"I bought this kit for myself, here use it. You have too many symptoms." My eyebrows squint as I watch the kit in Pat's hand like it's an alien.
"Pat, I don't–"
"Just do it." she cuts me off, placing the device on my palm before whisking herself out of the bathroom.
I am not pregnant, I agree I have been feeling weird lately but it doesn't mean I am not fine.
I let out a deep sigh before pushing myself to my feet because I know she won't let it go until I test myself.
Once I am done, I flush the toilet and clean the sink as I wait for the results.
"What does it say?" Pat peaks in, moving to stand beside me as I raise the stick.
My spine stiffens as the two red lines mocks me.
No, no, this can't be happening.
It can't be.