Chapter 4

"Before anything else---"

"Are you for real, Mr. Gallagher?" I cut off what he was about to say.

He stopped talking and his eyes widened as I stared at him... blankly. I don't think this is okay. I don't really feel like talking to him right now.

"W-wait, I'll tell you why I'm he---"

"No. Get out." I said as my patience was running out and pointed my index finger to the door.

I closed my eyes and before I lost control and threw my phone to Mr. Gallagher, we heard three knocks from the door. My forehead creased as I looked at the man in front of me, he looked terrified.

"Ms. Elizabeth? Uh, you have a visitor." Mr. Peter's said from the door.

I tap my nails as I looked around, trying to calm myself down. And who is this other visitor today?

"Who is it?" I will ask.

Mr. Peter opened the door slightly and his head peeped through the space and he looked at me and I noticed that he seemed hesitant to tell me who was outside. My head hurts even more because of what is happening right now.

I looked again at Mr. Gallagher, I really can't talk to him right now. I appreciate that he came here and he tried to talk to me after what happened yesterday.

But... not today.

"Mr. Gallagher, can we talk some other time? I just can't... I mean I can't really talk to you right now." I wanted to be angry with him, that was my first thought and feeling when I saw him here in my office.

But as long as I can be professional in front of a big client like him, I don't think I can be angry with him today. Because of the memories of what happened yesterday is still fresh in my fucking mind, and I don't want to remember it while talking to him.

I feel like my logical reasoning is going to vanish if I remember it over and over again.

He smiled at me, an apologetic smile and nodded his head, stood up and gave me his calling card if I think I can finally talk to him and he left as if nothing bad happened between us.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. I stared at the ceiling for a minute or two while thinking about Mr. Gallagher's reason to come here to meet and talk to me here. I closed my eyes tightly as I controlled my stress level this morning. I just felt more stress and frustration again. I sighed deeply, opened my eyes and turned to the door, only to find out that there's a demon waiting for me.

"Hello, Eliza. Nice to see you again! How are you?"

Fuck. It's Marcus the demon.

---

"I thought you're going to stay in Italy for two months? It's not even one month when you leave, right?" I asked as we ate at the new restaurant where he brought me.

So this man is the reason why Mr. Peter can't tell me who is my visitor? Because he is a demon. A living demon here on earth.

After he entered my office without my approval, he immediately asked if we could eat outside. Like for hell? It's only 9 in the morning and he wants to ask me to eat with him? What does he want me to do? I will leave all my work here just to eat with him?

Is this one too arrogant for me to agree?

But I decided to reject his offer. I have a lot of work to do and I don't want any distraction like him. I don't want to leave these tons of work for an asshole like him. But then again? Who am I to reject his offer when my father just said yes to him? Well, how do I know? Mr. Peter called me on the telephone and Mr. Buenaventura said yes to Marcus Dela Cruz to ask me to eat outside of this goddamn new restaurant that he found.

And we are here, eating like I didn't kill him inside my head.

I really want to say no, because I have so much to do today. I don't want to rely on Mr. Peter and my secretary Janet. My job is not their job for fucks sake.

"I miss you so much, Elizabeth. Why don't you just agree to come with me to Italy? There are a lot of beautiful sights there, rather than here that are just repeated over and over again, right?" he said, raising an eyebrow. He smiled at me indicating that what he was saying was true.

Miss me? What the hell? Well, you didn't enter my mind on the days you weren't here. And going with you to Italy? I prefer to bring my secretary and Mr. Peter. It's like they have a vacation with me.

I don't know where Marcus gets his arrogance from. I mean, he is so popular and rich, a typical casanova. His willingness to give you everything and anything you want, but damn, I don't fucking like him.

I just eat my steak without answering any of his questions, a medium steak that they serve to us. Well, the meat is so delicious and tender. I don't know why this restaurant is new here, I want to take out of this later.

"Eliza?"

I looked up to look at him. "Hmm?" And then my eyes widened in surprise, I wiped my mouth and said sorry because I didn't even listen to his stories about how beautiful Italy is.

I know Italy is beautiful, but it only bothers me when you're the one talking about how beautiful that country Marcus. That country will be deleted from my bucket list of awaited countries that I want to travel to.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes? Of course! Yes! I'm okay!" I said and changed the tone of my voice that I am totally okay.

But the truth is not.

As good as the food here is, I feel the opposite about Marcus. I was disgusted by his presence. I laughed softly and took another bite of the food that was served on my table. He was looking at me as if he was surprised but I didn't want to show him that I wasn't really listening to what he was saying.

God knows how I want to ditch him at this table or just walk out and not look at him again.

"Oh. Good. Anyway, you still don't have an answer to my question until now?" he asked, making me stop from opening my mouth for the last piece of meat on my plate.

I want to ask him like "are you really going to ask me that in front of my delicious steak?"

Of course! I can't do that! I don't want Mr. Buenaventura's rage poured it on me again just because of what I said to this man.

Because they are always in cahoots. It's like we need to change fathers.

Well, he was asking me HOW many times if he could court me or just straight answer him a word "Yes" just for him. And also to start our relationship—I mean relationship shit.

Yes. Relationshipshit because I don't want to be with him in that kind of setup. I am Elizabeth Buenaventura, and I don't want to be under this kind of bullshit.

"You already know my answer—"

"You still don't want to give me a chance?" said with his hopeful eyes.

Yuck. Who would agree with someone like you?

"My family's net worth is—"

"Please stop, Marcus." I don't want to hear it. "You know my answer already so please stop asking me a hundred times."

"But Mr. Buenaventura already said yes to me. He was very happy when I told him that I intend to date you. You know, I am head over-heels to you, Eliza. Why don't you give us a chance? Maybe it's gonna work, right?"

If only I didn't know how to deal with men like him, I know I would give up myself. But the Dela Cruz family is a bullshit in my father's company.

They want to grow their businesses to make their children marry each other. But no. If it's a tradition or not I will never do that over my dead and gorgeous body.

When I heard that directly from him, I couldn't eat the last piece of steak I was eating. Marcus is a useless piece of shit. He is useless to talk to.

"My father is out of this, Mr. Dela Cruz." His eyes widened in shock when he saw me standing up from my seat. I don't want to leave this last piece, so even though I don't want to eat it anymore, I forced myself.

I am going to say goodbye to Marcus when someone bumped into me from my back to my left shoulder. What a fucking piece of shit is this?

"I'm sorry, Miss. Are you okay?"

And it was like a bomb exploded in my brain when I heard that familiar voice. I feel like I'm going to throw up the last food I swallowed because of this man's arrival today. And wow? Did we really meet here? In this unexpected or expected place?

"Yes, I am." I simply answered without looking at the man behind me.

I'm not in the mood to talk to him or fight like the last time we had it inside the restaurant yesterday. And now? We also met at a restaurant? Wow? Is this my karma already?

I sense Marcus eyes on me and the man still standing behind my back. I gave space between us so he could walk where he was going. But damn? Minutes have passed since and this asshole is still standing behind me? What is he? A statue?

"I said I'm okay. Could you please leave now?" I couldn't stop being irritated because the other customers were already looking at us while eating. I guess they thought there was a scene here, right?

I'm done with the scene I did last time and I don't want to add more to it.

"Are you sure?" he asked all of a sudden, making me frown.

Not because he bumped into me but because of another reason. I turned a little and I squinted my eyes at him like "what the hell man? What do you want?"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"What?! That's disgusting!" And that's it!

I couldn't really hold back my feelings because of what he said! I ended up facing him and my eyebrows almost met because of what I heard from him!

My blood is boiling with anger!

Where did it come from? No way in hell that this man is my boyfriend! Ew! Yuck!