CHAPTER 13

Christopher

The shocked look on Allison's face made me even more curious about her interest in my cousin.

I could tell that she hadn't just seen him tonight and admired him.

She had met him before tonight.

"The contract mentioned that I was allowed to be with whoever I wanted."

I remembered her words from the day we met.

When she mentioned being with whoever she wanted to be with, was she referring to Matthieu?

I tightened my hold on her and pulled her even closer,

"Matthieu, this is my girlfriend, Allison."

Summoning his charm, Matthieu replicated Charles' annoying bow, placing one hand over his chest while holding out the other one for Allison.

Beaming, she placed her hand in his.

Of course, even Allison could not resist Matthieu.

He always had that effect on women, every woman- even old women.

"It's an honor to meet you tonight, Mademoiselle." He brought her hand to his lips while maintaining eye contact with her.

Before his lips would touch her hand, I yanked it away from him.

"You do not kiss a woman in front of her man. That's extremely disrespectful to her and her man. You didn't learn that in France?"

I didn't even bother controlling my anger.

How could he think it was okay to kiss Allison when I was right beside her.

We weren't a real thing but nonetheless, we were a thing and tonight, that was what mattered.

I wasn't angry because I cared. I just hated how Matthieu thought it was okay to kiss her, especially in my presence.

No one else had attempted such disrespect tonight, except him.

Allison didn't say anything.

She didn't have to.

The look in her eyes was louder than every person's voice here combined but right now, I didn't care.

I could deal with her later.

"Ah!" He bowed again.

"Please, forgive me for being disrespectful." He made sure to lay sarcastic emphasis on 'diarespectful'.

"Mademoiselle," he took a step forward toward Allison.

"It's Allison." I corrected him through clenched teeth, pulling her farther from him.

If looks could kill, her continuous glaring would have burned me to the ground.

I would rather that happened than letting Matthieu sweep her off her feet.

"Allison," he called her name in the most disturbingly sensual way.

I hated how the way he called her name seemed to get under her skin.

The anger that I already felt doubled when I saw how she smiled at him in adoration when I looked at her.

He had managed to enchant her with his charm.

"I apologize for being disrespectful tonight. I wasn't expecting our first official meeting to turn out like this. I do hope that you let me make it up to you in the future."

First official meeting....?

What did that even mean?

"I do hope we meet again." Allison smiled at him.

For several seconds, they just stared at each other, smiling.

She didn't even try to hide her attraction for him and Matthieu, of course, shamelessly flirted with her.

"Matthieu." I couldn't take more this disrespect.

"Have a wonderful evening, Cousin." He barely even looked my way.

"Enjoy the rest of the night, Mademoiselle." He winked at Allison before walking away.

He fucking winked at her, in front of me.

I didn't wait for him to come anywhere near Allison and get another chance to flirt with her again.

The party had come to an end and Allison had already met everyone here.

Our time here was up and we needed to leave.

"Wrong idea, mischief." I warned her once we were seated in my car.

"Wrong move, Jacobs." She fired back, that angry look from earlier, returning.

"I didn't say you could date my cousin."

"You didn't give any rules regarding who I could date."

"What is wrong with you?!" I yelled, holding my head in frustration.

"What is wrong with me?" She laughed sarcastically.

"Christopher, what is wrong with you? What is wrong with you?!"

I tried to speak but she beat me to it,

"I clung to you like the perfect girlfriend tonight. I impressed all of your business associatye. I know she would never admit it but even Rosalind was impressed. I did my job as I was paid to, Christopher."

"My cousin...." She interrupted loudly without letting me finish.

"I'm not finished yet, Jacobs."

"I have strictly followed the contract, Christopher. You're the only person who seems to have a problem with the contract that you drafted."

"I agreed to your stupid contract out of desperation. And let's not forget that you set me up for that position of desperation. I signed your contract and so far, I've done my obligations. Yet, you complain."

"So now, Jacobs, I ask you again, what is wrong with you?"

Not even that long speech was enough to dissipate the anger burning in her veins.

I knew that if I wasn't careful, she was going to burn me but I didn't care.

I wasn't going to let her be with Matthieu.

"Our contract is between just us, Allison. If you agree to date Matthieu, he'll know we're not actually together. And if anybody finds out, the contract will be null and void. You cannot be with Matthieu, Allison. I will not allow it."

"The same way I could have been with Liam is the same way I could be with Matthieu. By the way, I never said anything about being with Matthieu. For someone who claimed didn't care who I was with, you seem awfully interested in my romantic life." She wasn't interested in understanding my point.

"You and William are no longer together yet you keep bringing him up like he's still a big part of your life." Suddenly, I wasn't just mad that she thought being with Matthieu was okay.

I also hated that she brought up Liam.

What was wrong with me tonight?

"And if he is?" I knew he wasn't and she was only trying to taunt me but it still drove me mad.

My head began bringing up images of Liam romantically together with Allison in her house.

"The same way I do not get to know your reason for even drafting this whole contract is the same way you do not get to have a say in my romantic life, Jacobs."

If she thought that was enough to make me let her be with Matthieu then she was delusional.

"You cannot and will not be with my cousin."

"And according to you, I can do whatever I please as long as I did not bring him into your house."

"Mischief...." Could she be reasonable just this once?

"You know what I think, Jacobs?" She folded her arms, her voice now surprisingly calm.

"You just can't accept the fact that Matthieu is naturally a gentleman. Something unfortunately for you, is impossible."

"You know, you're the most delusional person to exist to think that any woman in her right state of mind would want to cling to you. You are rude, you are disrespectful, you are a far cry from charming."

"I bailed you when your boyfriend and best friend turned their backs on you and left you to rot in prison."

Usually, getting me to argue was the hardest task anyone could be given.

But Allison always found her way under my skin.

And when she did, she would poke and pinch until I was arguing just like her.

"You bailed me only to send me back to prison." She fired back.

"What about when you tried to take your own life, huh? I saved your life and paid your fucking bills...."

"Because you needed my help!" She shoved her finger in my face.

"I never asked you to save me, Jacobs. You walked into my life without my permission and deceptively planted yourself there. You have no right to complain."

"Miss Davies," Charles spoke from behind the wheel, interrupting us.

I had almost forgotten that Allison and I weren't the only ones in the car.

"We've arrived at your house." His voice was calm but I could hear the frustration in his tone.

Finally, she retreated, taking in deep breaths as if to calm herself down.

"Thank you, Charles." When she spoke to Charles, her voice was rid of anger and malice.

I rolled my eyes at how gentle she was with everyone else.

She grabbed her purse and turned to leave.

Charles helped her with the door but even after getting out of the car, she refused to leave.

She simply stood outside and pinned me with a stare.

"Never kiss me like that again unless it's necessary."

"It...." I was about to snap back but the stillness in her tone was more than enough warning.

"Be rest assured, Jacobs, the next time you make that mistake, I'll bite off your lips. Bear it in mind, that's a promise I'll be keeping."

When she was sure her threat had sunk deep enough, she walked away.

"You didn't inform me that Matthieu had returned from France." I eventually broke the silence when we got to my estate.

"I had no information of his departure from France, Sir. I apologize."

Why did Matthieu leave France so discreetly?

If even Charles couldn't have gotten a hold of that information, then Matthieu had intentionally been discreet with his departure from France.

"Find out everything you can find about Matthieu's last three months in France and why he's here."