A Contract Marriage!

Augustus in his car read the mail sent by Luca to him. This time a detailed information about Eliana. “Thank you for coming in my life, Eli. Now, only you can save me,” Augustus muttered. He put the phone aside and started the engine. “She must be at the restaurant for her day job” he turned the steer wheel and drove to the restaurant which was mentioned in the details by putting the address in car’s GPS. 

Eliana was hitting on her back as today there was more rush than actual. Her feet were hurting, standing and walking in those high heels. “This is the order for table 14” she heard and checked the food trolley.  

“Eliana, there is someone looking for you at the counter. He even called the manager,” a waiter informed Eliana and told her to go out. Eliana nodded and walked out of the kitchen. She went towards the counter and saw Augustus there. 

The manager of the restaurant saw Eliana and told her to come there. “You shall go with him. Don’t worry. Your wages for today will not get a cut,” the manager told Eliana who confusedly peered at him. 

“But, Sir, why do I need to go with him?” Eliana questioned. The manager gave a tiny smile to Eliana and then looked at Augustus. 

Augustus without giving an explanation grabbed Eliana’s wrist and dragged her out from there. She was telling him to leave her but he did not listen to her. 

Opening the car’s door, Augustus pushed Eliana inside at the passenger seat and buckled up the seat belt around her. He did not want her to run away so, he quickly went to the driver’s seat and closed the doors from inside. 

Eliana struggled to open the door. “Open it. You already ruined my morning shift and now you are behind my day shift!” Eliana shot a glare at him. 

“I will pay you thousands times more than that so just listen to me and keep quiet,” Augustus proclaimed. Eliana still did not stop when Augustus started the engine and drove the car at its maximum speed. Eliana kept shouting at Augustus but he did not listen to her. 

Fifteen minutes later, the car was stopped in some quiet place. The car door was opened and Eliana quickly got down from that. She went towards a tree and vomited there. Augustus too got down from the car and went to her. He patted her back when Eliana turned to him and slapped him hard on the cheek. 

Augustus touched his cheek and chuckled. “Have you lost your mind?” Eliana questioned Augustus and placed her hand on her chest. 

“I am in my right mind. If I had not driven like this then someone would have taken me away,” Augustus stated. Eliana did not pay heed to that and rested her back against the tree. Augustus went to his car and brought a water bottle from there. 

“Here. Drink this,” Augustus forwarded the water bottle to Eliana who refused. Augustus opened the bottle cap and put the bottle’s mouth near Eliana’s lips. “Drink,” he said. Eliana grabbed the bottle. She first rinsed her mouth and then drank the water. 

Eliana looked around and found they were near a church. “What do you want to talk about?” Eliana asked. 

“Marry me,” Augustus replied. 

“Pardon me?” Eliana knitted her brows. “You have indeed lost your mind,” Eliana said and walked past him when Augustus caught her wrist and pinned her against the tree. 

“I have not lost my mind. A contract marriage with you, that’s all I needed,” Augustus affirmed. Eliana averted her gaze away from him.

“I know you won’t agree to me that easily. Your brother did a mistake by filling your candidature in my company. He is working on a big project. Do you want me to take action against him?” Augustus asked Eliana who now turned her gaze to pried into him.

“You are blackmailing me?!” Eliana questioned him.

“Sort of. Don’t blame me later that I took action against your brother. I found out that he is going to participate in the next week’s tech festival and let me tell you something interesting. I am the one of the judges of that tech fest,” Augustus proclaimed. Eliana was a little scared upon hearing the threats of the man in front of her.

“You are thinking right. I will reject his application no matter what how talented he is!” Augustus pronounced and grinned.

“Why do you want to do a contract marriage? Don’t take me wrong but I want to know the reason first before announcing my decision,” asserted Eliana.

Augustus gave a nod and told her how he would be forced to marry Gia if he would not marry by the evening.

“Then ask someone else. You can find many women for you. Why are you involving me in your family matters?” Eliana queried him.

“Because you are the most suitable for this contract marriage. You are a trained martial artist and I need a bodyguard as well. Luckily, you have all these qualities. There are benefits for you as well. I will look after you father and his treatment. I will not take any action against your brother and I will pay the entire debt which is only increasing year by year because of the interest rates,” Augustus affirmed and waited for Eliana’s response.

“I can take care of my own things. As for my brother, I apologize to you. He did all that because he wanted to see his sister working in a good company. If you want me to pay for the damage then I will do that too but I will not marry you,” Eliana asserted in her firm tone.

Augustus found that the woman in front of him had high self esteem and self dependency. He hardly encountered such a person in his life. For money people could do anything but this woman refused such an offer. He could not believe that such a person could exist in this era.

“Your apologies won’t going to benefit me in any way. Don’t blame me later for ruining your brother’s life. You have decided this. You will be bombarded with some new debts by this evening and I am afraid if you will be able to pay that in this lifetime to me! Your poor father might die because of the lack of the treatment,” Augustus gave the insight of bad things that would soon happen with Eliana.

“I saved your life that day. At least for that sake, let it go,” Eliana requested Augustus.

“You saved my life that’s why I am nice to you else by now your brother would have been behind the bars. Since he duplicated the documents for his beloved sister so he will get a severe punishment for that. He wanted to beautify the life of his sister but soon will end up destroying his own life thanks to his lovely sister,” Augustus asserted and smirked.

Eliana drew her brows together. She felt stuck for the first time in her life.