Chapter 6— Predator

Fina was more into the design world— mostly fashion and graphics. She barely had any idea what Josette was into and that in fact made her more concerned than she should, especially now that she was a divorcee. Unwrapping the food box, Fina watched Josette remain in silence.

" Care for some food?" She asked but all she got from Josette was a flat nod.

" Do you care to tell me what exactly is the problem with you?"

" I'm just thinking."

Fina wrapped the food back and leaned further to her friend. " You know I'm always here for you. I bet you can trust me with anything. I hate to see you like this, Josie. What's wrong?"

Her gaze was concerned but also attention catching because she just noticed that Josette was still wearing her nightgown.

" I was just thinking of... Benson."

" Yeah. You never really told me what transpired between you two."

Well, Benson had every right to be mad at her but that didn't mean he should have divorced her. All she did was because of him, even though she went too far. Fina knew he was into Tech and that Josette was his little supporter but she knew nothing about the dark side and all the mess they dived into. And for some reason, she wasn't ready to let her know yet.

" He said he didn't love me anymore, turns out he had a mistress this whole time we were married."

Josette comprehended Fina's reaction— astonishment, suddenly pale face and slightly trembling lips. Her eyes were wide in shock too before she furrowed her brows and leaned even closer. " Do you know who this mistress is?"

Josette sighed. " No. I've never seen her."

" What about her name?"

" Nothing either." Fina shook her head, unwrapping the food again. " Benson is fucked up! A true son of a bitch."

She cleaned the cutlery with a small piece of tissue paper found inside the box. " Listen, I don't know about you. But I'm not going to stop until you get justice."

" A justice that you deserve, Josie."

It was almost six— evening. A time that dinner could be prepared and served. Zade was coming over. Josette hadn't wasted her time preparing anything, instead she kept panicking— thinking of what could be done aside from partnering up with him but no matter how hard she thought, nothing fitted the box.

" Josie?"

She felt a tap on her arm and she immediately snapped back into consciousness.

" You're zoning out. This isn't just about Benson, is it?"

Josette shook her head absentminded as she thought of a way to ditch Fina.

" No, no, it's not just about him."

" Then why aren't you saying anything? I am your friend, whatever is going wrong with you also affects me. What happened to Forever Together?"

" I promise to explain everything to you tomorrow. But first there is something that I need to take care of."

" What's more important than—"

" Fina. Please. It's private. And...it could get a little." She sighed. " It could get a little messy."

Her phone beeped and she didn't need to check before she knew who it was. Fina remained quiet. True pain reflected in her eyes and action as she packed up her things. No words were shared between the two until Fina was out of the door.

" I didn't know we'd be having a

guest and I must say, I'm really

unimpressed by your lying skills, Wifey."

He had been here even before Fina left— how could he be such a perfect stalker? She hadn't heard his car driving in nor did she perceive his breathtaking cologne so how was he snitching on her without her acknowledgement?

Another message popped in as she was pacing around, awaiting his knock.

"You have five minutes to change

into something nice. Wait! How much

do you know about courtesy?"

She was still wearing her nightgown. She hadn't even heard her bath and despite the cool air conditioner, she was drenched in sweat. She knew better than to present herself the way she looked. She didn't hesitate to change into a better dress— a purple shorts and a black tank top.

His knock came in eventually—light and soft and even while he was still outside, she perceived his cologne— something that made her wonderfully uneasy.

When she opened the door, he stepped in wearing his usual presentable outfit— a white sleeve, a blue corset waistcoat and his black suit pleased his entire fit.

" When I said something pleasing, I expected something better. How bad are you when it comes to fashion?"

She neglected everything else and was eager to go straight to the point.

" Enlighten me more about this contract."

He raised a brow. " So fast? But I was thinking we have that little dinner first then we can slowly dive into the topic."

He walked past her but abruptly came to a stop. " Has something happened?"

His back stiffened a bit but came to relax soon. His question bugged her but she feigned negligence.

" I will sign this contract with you but I will give my conditions." She hadn't noticed the suitcase he was holding. Zade went over to her couch and unlocked his case before bringing up a stockpile of documents.

" You want to read the contract? Or you want a summary from me?"

Josette collected the documents, scanning the pages. It was too many, she wouldn't be able to get halfway through it in the next hours.

" You said I'd be your wife and you'd protect me. This document certainly says a lot more than that."

" It mostly contains my terms and conditions but since I made them, I could just tell you." He said that, his face exhibiting normality.

" Talk." She crossed her arms.

" Easy." He reached for the document and slid it from her grip before flipping through the pages.

" Clause one— you become my wife, legally. Publicly. No strings attached. No distortions."

He watched her for a reaction. Eagerness. She was too eager to hear what he had to say.

" Clause two— you'll be involved in my business affairs. At least 30% hands-on. You'll be my partner. Not just a mere figure. This document explains that in several pages."

She blinked. " That's it?"

Zade hesitated. His eyes flickering to her. Of course he wasn't done. He hadn't even begun but Josette was too far on— too eager. She stretched her hand reaching for the pen in his chest pocket.

" I'll sign it."

She said and he smiled— a psychopathic smile that accompanied a devious look as though she had fallen into his demonic den of which he had set easily for her.

But it wasn't just an assumption. It was the reality and she had actually fallen into it.