A marriage proposal

Chapter 2

The sun shone on the window, casting a warm glow on Camilla's sleeping face. Silence was the only sound that filled the room.

Camilla's eyes fluttered open but closed almost immediately. She rolled over to the other side of the king-size bed.

A groan escaped her lips, her eyelids parting slowly, taking in the sight of her unfamiliar surroundings.

She lazily sat up. The tender ache and soreness in her core reminded her of the past night's incident.

A gasp escaped her lips, and her hand found its way to her mouth, covering it as the memories of what transpired between her and Vincenzo flooded back.

The rate of her heartbeat increased, and breathing became difficult. She grabbed the sheets tightly, trying to hold back the scream that threatened to burst out of her throat.

"What have I done?" She slapped herself countless times. She got down from the bed, avoiding the soreness in her core, and rushed to the window.

She expected to see clouds, but to her surprise, what she saw was a big, beautiful compound with guards patrolling around. Realization hit her — she was no longer on the private jet, but...

"Where am I?" she questioned herself. She walked away from the window, and that was when her eyes met the wall clock. 1:30 p.m.!!!!!

Never had she slept this long since the day she was born. She exhaled, trying to calm her nerves. How was she going to face Vincenzo, her boss? She had messed up big time, but it wasn't her fault.

If there was anyone to be blamed, it should be her so-called husband — ex-husband — and his mistress, Sophia.

If it wasn't for their betrayal, she wouldn't have been here. But they had to stab her in the back and put the blame on her.

The ringing of a phone distracted her from her worries. She started searching around the room, and surprisingly, she found the phone ringing on top of the bed — wait, it was her phone.

She picked it up, but frowned when she saw who it was. Ryder. She was tempted to decline the call but held back.

She answered the call and placed the phone to her ear.

"You really thought I would agree to sign these divorce papers? Uh! You can't force me to do what I don't want," his angry tone was the first thing she heard, and she rolled her eyes in the process.

"Suit yourself then," she said, and was about to end the call, but his next words stopped her.

"Listen to me, Camilla, I'm the only man who would bear to be with you. I'm the man who can stand your weak performance in bed. I'm the only man who can tolerate you," he roared, and she just moved the phone a few inches from her ear and placed it back.

"Isn't Sophia enough for you? Or did she leave after finding out about your problem getting a woman pregnant? And guess what, I already have a man in my life, so fuck off. My lawyer will visit you later today," she said, and removed the phone from her ear before ending the call.

She immediately blocked his number.

"What an asshole," she mumbled, and threw the phone on the bed. She grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it back.

"Goodness, I'm so cooked," she whispered to herself, and turned toward the door. She needed to explain things to Vincenzo — she wasn't in her right state of mind when she made that move last night. She needed to plead with him to spare her job.

She turned to the door, and that was when she noticed the shirt she was wearing. It was an oversized long-sleeve, big enough to cover her body to her mid-thighs. She clenched her legs together when she realized she had no panties on.

"Did he change me into his clothes?" she mumbled to herself, and reached to grab the doorknob when it twisted open and Vincenzo's face came into view.

She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide open. Vincenzo's piercing gaze met hers, and she gasped.

He looked angry, yet mad handsome at the same time.

She took a step back and called, "Boss."

He just ignored her and walked into a door in the room, like a closet. She stood on the spot with a confused expression.

She thought he would scold her for last night, or maybe pour his anger on her. She inhaled deeply before exhaling, trying to calm her nerves.

Just as she was about to take a step, Vincenzo came out of the closet. His shirt was gone, leaving him in black pants with a gold necklace hanging around his neck. His muscles were attractive, tempting her to touch them, but she dared not.

He walked to the window, turning his back to her. She gulped and clenched her sweaty palms together before finding the courage to speak.

"Boss... I... I—" she stuttered.

He turned and walked to her. "About last night," he said, standing in front of her, his tall, intimidating figure towering over her.

"I... I can explain, I swear I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't in my right sense. I'll do anything you want, please don't..."

"You're not planning to use and dump me, right?" he questioned, his deep yet cold voice firm.

"Uh?.. I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying," she said.

"Last night, when you pleaded for me to touch you, you told me your husband cheated on you and that you're divorcing him," he reminded her. Memories of what she'd said came flashing back.

"I'm sorry for that, please don't fire me, I need this job. I was just carried away, I promise it won't happen again," she pleaded desperately. She planned on getting her revenge on Ryder and Sophia, and she could only do that with the help of her job.

"I never planned on sacking you. I just need you to do something for me," he said, and her eyes shone as she moved closer to him.

"Anything, I'll do it," she replied desperately.

"Marry me," he said, his deep, cold, authoritative voice commanding power, leaving Camilla stunned.

****

Ryder smashed his phone on the floor, and it shattered, startling Sophia, who sat on the couch behind him.

She'd spent the night over, and even called Jacob that morning, telling him she was sick and would skip the day.

She sprang to her feet. "What happened? Why did you smash the phone on the ground?" she questioned as she stepped closer to him, staring at the shattered phone.

"That bitch, how dare she! She thinks I'll let her go easily. How dare she cut the call on me. She was even with a man," he barked furiously, and Sophia held his face, patting it softly, with the aim of calming him.

"Relax. The plan was to divorce her, why are you so worked up about it?" she questioned.

He removed her palm from his face. "You don't get it, Sophia, I can't let her go. I'm owing a lot of debts, and I need her to pay for them," he explained, and she frowned.

"You have me. I mean, her salary is only a percent higher than mine. And you don't have to worry about the house — you can come live with me after the divorce, till you get a well-paying job," Sophia said. He smiled and held her waist.

"Are you for real?" he asked.

"I am," she assured him. He pulled her closer by the waist and claimed her lips in a rough kiss that she reciprocated immediately.

****

"Sir, what you're asking me to do—"

"I'm not asking you, Camilla, I'm telling you. I know you need someone powerful to back you up, and that person is me," he said convincingly.

"Sir, I can't be in a relationship with my boss. What will the public say? That I was having an affair with my boss while I was still married? You don't know Ryder, he'll play the victim if he finds out," she explained.

"Fuck the public opinion, and fuck your ex. Look, this will be beneficial to both of us — we get married, you conceive an heir for the Torricelli family, and I'll be your backup when you want to take revenge on your ex. Think about the possibilities and benefits," he pressed, his voice calm and manipulative.

She heaved a sigh. "It's true I need your help, but—"

"No buts. Think positively," he cut in.

"Can you give me some time to make my decision?" she asked, staring at him.

"Time is a luxury we can't afford. Fifteen minutes before the offer expires."

"What!"