Thwarted plans

The reporters looked somewhat tired and out of breath as they were sweating profusely, even with the huge air conditioners that were properly functioning in the large room that they were gathered at. The walk from the Millers gate was a extremely long and tiring one, coupled with the heavy cameras and instruments they had brought with them. No one would ever do the favour of bringing them in, from the journey of thousand miles from the gate to the main building.

Aria had made a grandeur entry into the room confidently, and smiled modestly at the reporters who were a bit surprised as they didn't know who she was. As far as everyone knew every single member of the Miller family, they were so sure they had never seen the lady who had entered into the room. Nevertheless, they were all astonished by her beauty, as they came closer to the door to take pictures. That was when realization hit them.

There had only been rumours about Dalton's wedding and new wife, but not many people had seen his wife ever since their supposed marriage. She was looking so radiant and breathtaking, and as well as effortlessly impeccable which stood her out. As expected, they all rushed to ask numerous questions at a time.

"Are you Mrs. Miller? Since when have you really been married to your husband?"

"Mrs. Miller, is the divorce with you and your husband, Mr. Miller real?" One reporter asked her.

"Is it really a loveless marriage? Was that what prevented a public announcement after the high class wedding? Any comments on that?" Another inquired, flashing his huge camera at her.

"Are you the one that initiated the divorce?" shouted another, "Any reasons for that?"

"Can we get a personal interview with your hus....."

Suddenly, the noise in the room which was almost ear deafening stopped, as Aria was not quick to notice what had disrupted the nosy reporters from their talkative nature. It was when she raised her gaze to look outside of open hall, to see who was making an effortless ostentatious arrival to the scene.

Dalton descended from the luxurious marbled floor stairs, with his head high like an imposing king figure in his manner of walking. They all watched him through the open door that was been guided by the bodyguards, to prevent the reporters from rushing into the main residence talk more of getting close to him.

He stood right in front of the door and casted a narcissistic look at Aria, who first caught his attention and sneaked a sneer back at him. He could not believe the eyesight of the dress that she was wearing. He was even amused that she did not even hide, how she felt even in front of the strangers they were standing in front of.

'Had she being always this provocative and so daring? Was this to rebel against her suffering for the past years?' Well, we would see about that.'

"Mr. Miller, Is the news about your divorce with your wife a genuine one? What exactly had influenced this decision concerning your marriage?" A curious reporter who could not hold his wit, suddenly Dalton asked in anticipation to hear an answer.

Dalton looked so disdainfully at the slow-witted man who seemed to be senselessly bold, which made him quickly shift the expectation he had in his eyes to the other side of the room. The kind of intimidating presence that Dalton radiated, should have made the clueless man keep his mouth shut and wait for orders.

Within few minutes, Alex brought the divorce papers that Aria had sent earlier in the morning. He passed the papers to Aria who was giving Dalton a killer look, as she began to wonder what could be going on in Dalton mind.

'I thought the sick bastard said he didn't want a divorce earlier. What changed his mind? Is he by any chance doing it because of the reporters?'

Aria who was having skeptical thoughts about what was going on suspected a foul play, as her eyes glanced through the paper that she was presented. Even if it was the same one she had gotten a lawyer to prepare for her, she still read from line to line racing as fast as she could read in her head.

"Damn it! Why are this letters this much?" she muttered in frustration, as her eyes found his signature at the end of the agreement which made her sneer.

She hated the fact that even his signature, was inscribed like a work of art on the paper. The content of what was in the paper presented to Aria by Dalton's assistant, really made the reporters so much curious to their thirsts. None of the couple were even giving them an answer to their endless questions, as there seemed to be a intense feeling that was brewing cloudy smoke in the room.

Aria gave the divorce papers one last check as she was surprised, that the papers did not indicate any penalty regarding contract breeches. That alone made her wonder if he had also being relentlessly anticipating, for her to be the one to put an end to the marriage.

'Who would have thought getting the papers of her torment annulment, would have been so easy to get signed in less than twenty hours?'

She wished that her mother-in-law and Dalton's sisters were present in the room at that moment, to see her sign her way out of their disgusting and sick wealthy lives.

Presented with a limited edition fountain pen by Alex, she marked her signature rapidly on the papers just below where Dalton had marked his.

The attention of the reporters quickly became centred on the billionaire's wife as the cameras clicked and took pictures of her, while she signed the papers that they had no clue about what it was. They speculated in their minds that it could be the divorce papers that they were really signing, but couldn't dare publish lies without any confirmation from the family.

Aria felt so elated from within as she dropped the pen on Alex's open hands, that she was finally free from their monstrous family and the nonhuman rules they had set for her. Her eyes traced back to her husband who was standing do poised, as she stared at him with inward pure disgust. She could not believe or fathom in her head how someone as strikingly handsome as Dalton, would be a dangerous terror alongside his heartless family.

The reporters were in a tight spot as they mumbled and fumbled, with no idea on how to ask what the papers Aria had signed was all about. One wrong move or question from any of them, would get them thrown out of the mansion without any regard. Relief washed down the tension they had glued to their body and bones, when it seemed like Dalton would tell them without even having to ask.

"It is not anything close to a divorce agreement papers, as the media must have published hours ago. They are bonding agreement papers indicating the fact that, Mrs. Aria Miller is going to be the CEO of one of the Miller's company on our third year anniversary," Dalton announced to the shock of everyone present in the room, with a stern face that totally established the validity in his words.

The reporters who were expecting so curiously to hear the huge news that would take tabloids by storm, were definitely confused to hear a news that was totally different from what they would expected to hear. It was never possible for someone who was in talks to divorce his wife soon, to making her the CEO of one of his companies that worth billions of dollars.

'Was it by any chance her alimony?'

There was commotion and loud murmuring in the room amongst the reporters, who wanted to know what was up with the new shocking news. They clamored loud questions at almost the same time to no one in particular, while the ones with the fastest fingers had tried to publish the news before the others would. Only for them to find out that internet connection was restricted in the areas that were standing in, as it would be difficult for them to publish any news at that particular moment.

Even Aria who was well relaxed in her heart to listen to her final victory, was startled by what she had just heard Dalton disclose to the reporters. She hurriedly turned and snatched the papers she had just signed from Alex, who was already waiting to present it to her for her check through the document she had really just signed.

'They were not divorce papers?!'

She thought her heart would drop alongside the loud bang that hit her head, when she found out that some informations in the paper had been tactically messed with. Everything about requesting a divorce was so exact the way she sent it, except for the fact that a reasonable amount of words had been altered to Dalton's favour against her.

"There is a mishear from your informants, and that is it. Any further news concerning issues that defames the Miller's would be counted as defamation and slander, as legal actions would be taken against anyone and company that is involved," Alex finally cleared the air to the reporters, who absolutely knew they could not get anything out of the news they were going to write.

The couples were not divorcing. Instead, the wife was getting a company on their third year anniversary. No one even knew when they got married to one another, talk more of knowing what date the anniversary would be. To make the news even more uninteresting, he didn't tell them the company that she was going to take over too. It was sure a waste of time and energy.

Aria felt her mind drop evasively into a void bowl of emptiness and anger, as she watched the deriding look Dalton had on his face for her failure. She couldn't believe the monster. Her head tried to race against thoughts of a fast step to take, but ended up taking a stroll with dead cells of no idea on what to do. Dalton had played a very strategic and clean game a step ahead of her, which made her realize that divorcing him would not be as easy as she had it would be.

She should have known better that his mean and contriving personality, would not have changed that fast in just a day. Her mind blamed her inability to have being vehemently skeptical and keen, when he suddenly consented to their divorce just when the reporters arrived. Their presence was nothing to him. Nevertheless, she was so enraged to the point of her contorting bones to pain.

'Third year anniversary? What in the world was the spiteful jerk spewing? CEO of one of his companies? What a joke!'

"No sane person would stay that long in this hideous marriage," she muttered in fume.

'How dare he lie so confidently in front of the press? What was he going to gain from tormenting her freedom? The Miller's heir has totally lost his sanity!!!'