Chapter 4

The clouds in the sky rumbled slightly as Duncan kept his eyes fixed on them, sipping from the glass of whiskey in his hand. He let his burdens and thoughts drift away slightly as he kept his focus on the rumbling clouds. He couldn't explain why, but he had always found peace being lost in the sky right from when he was little.

He gulped down the last bit of his whiskey and walked back into his room, closing the balcony door shut; he approached his drink table, picking up the bottle and filling the glass again.

He suddenly felt arms wrap around his stomach, kisses being placed on his bare back. Not saying anything, he picked up the glass, slowly pulling the arms away and making his way to his bed.

“You're bored of me already?” She slowly opened up his shirt she had on, making sure to reveal herself in her lingerie to get his attention.

He took and sit and looked up from his drink, assesing her with his ever cold grey eyes. His emotionless deep voice sounding the words “take off my shirt”

She raised a brow “sorry? Are we really still doing this again, Duncan?”

“Doing what exactly?”

“Treating me like trash as soon as you get what you want”

He looked up at the red haired, his eyes searching her face carefully “I didn't put a gun to your head, Bianca. I asked for company and you ran right over. What did you expect, for me to treat you like my girlfriend after everything was done and over with?”

“So what, I'm just your play thing?”

He averted his gaze back to his glass, taking a slip “well, you’ve said it all”

In a split second, she snatched the glass from him, shattering it to pieces right in front of him.

Duncan had his eyes glued to the floor, his gaze shifting from one glass piece to the other. He slowly stood to his feet as he locked eyes with the red haired. His usual cold gaze darkened even more, somehow keeping Bianca in place until she began to feel out of air.

“Du..ncan” she called out to him as she placed one hand round her neck “Duncan, I….I…can't….”

“Do I look like your regular men to you?”

She shook her head vigorously as Duncan began to corner her

“Du…Duncan”

A small smirk formed on his face “I'm glad you recognize that. However, not sure you've gotten the clear picture”

She clapped her hand on her neck almost falling to the floor. Almost immediately, his room door flew open with Michael on the other side.

His eyes travel to a suffocating Bianca, then to his friend who seemed to be enjoying what he was doing

“Duncan, are you crazy!? Let her go, your father is downstairs!”

At the sound of his father's, Bianca could finally breathe again. She fell to the floor as she began to gasp for air.

“Get out” he said to her, quickly grabbing his shirt off her and putting it on, leaving her alone to catch her breath on the floor.

…….

“How didn't I hear his car come in?” he started buttoning his shirt as they made their way down the stair

“Probably because you were trying to kill Bianca”

He rolled his eyes and they made it downstairs “Father”

Steve turned to look at his son, observing him in his roughly bottomed shirt and messy hair “busy?”

“No, why do you ask?” Just then, Bianca quickly walked past them, her hand still clasped around her neck.

Steve let out a chuckle, taking a sit “I came to check how you were doing…. didn't know you were having fun”

“It's not….I wasn't….Dad, I'm mature enough, don't you think?”

“You're getting me all wrong, Duncan…I never said you weren't mature enough, that wasn't even the fun I was talking about”

Duncan frowned “What other fun could that be?”

Steve's face turned dead serious “Why was her hand on her neck?”

Michael folded his lips in while Duncan began to stutter

“Dad….”

“Do you think with all these stunts, I would really give you my company?”

“She provoked me, Dad”

"Someone will always and forever provoke you, Duncan, it's left for you to hold in your temper which you clearly still can't do”

“I wouldn't do anything to your staffs, you know me better than that. Haven't I been doing well so far?”

“You've been doing well working beside me, Duncan. This is about working alone, without me there. All that work load, some times incompetent staffs and rude Business partners will now be on you…..and you can't handle that Duncan”

Duncan let out a scoff “is there a reason you came here, Dad?”

Steve gets up “If you're not ready to take a step in other to get what you want, then I'm not ready to make the step of giving you my company. Have a good night, Son” he takes his leave

So he came because of a wife? Duncan let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair.

“Just get a wife, Duncan” Michael spoke up

“No” he walked past him and up the stairs.

He wasn't willing to get married, he wasn't ready and he wasn't going to let this push him to.

~°~

I was losing it slowly and I wasn't even realizing. Past 12pm and for some reason, I was still awake, my mind shifting about. I sat glued to my bed, my back to the well and a letter on my hand.

What in God's name do I do?

Where do I even begin?

I've been going round in circles on my finances, nothing more than what I usually earn; how do I survive?

At this point, any opportunity I can lay my hands on, I'm grabbing it.

My phone starts to buzz, the landlord's name appearing visibly on my screen.

Was all these torment worth it?

I've gotten the letter, what else?

I simply ignore the message and push myself off the bed—maybe preparing for the day ahead could ease my mind.

~°~

“You're serious?” he had to ask while his eyes stayed glued to the document in his hand.

“It's better than actually getting married, right?”

A contract? He's suppose to get married using a contract?

“How did you say it works again?”

Michael let out a sigh “it's simple, you and your chosen lady sign the contract that states that the marriage lasts for only 6 months. During that time, you should be able to get the company and right after, it dissolves"

“A contract means money, Michael. This contract says 5 million dollars. I'm not giving my money to any lady” he made it clear

“Can you make a decision? Either you pay someone off to get this contract marriage rolling or you get married for real.”

Contract marriage, arranged marriage, real marriage, he didn't want any.

“No woman in this business line would want a contract marriage with me.”

“How about going outside the business class?”

He raised a brow, dropping the contract flat on the table “no way”

“Duncan, any woman at this point would do”

He pushed his chair out, standing to his feet “I'm not getting married to a pauper”

“Duncan….”

“That's completely out of the question” he walked past him, headed towards his door.

Michael picked up the contract, chasing behind him

“What about just an ordinary girl? Someone who actually needs the contract money?”

“All this talk is making me hungry, enough about it”

Michael let out a sigh “Alright then.”

~°~

“Here you go, Sir” I handed the customer order, dropping my fake smile as soon they left—I was exhausted.

“We can finally take a break” Lucy stretched out, taking a seat

“We've barely made any sales” how could she be so calm?

“But we've made sales, that's all that's important”

As I was about to argue with her, the door was pushed open by two unexpected men.

Lucy slowly got up, eyes fixed on them.

“Are they in the right shop?” She whispered.

“Um, welcome….how….can we help you?”

They looked oddly familiar.

“We would like to get coffee and some donuts” one of them said.

Expensive suits, unexplainably powerful aura, document in hand—okay?

“Please, hurry up. We have 20 minutes max”

“Isn't that Duncan Stones?”

His face suddenly ringed a bell as soon as Lucy mentioned his name. That's the wealthy bachelor, right?

“S…Sure, please have a seat” I immediately pulled Lucy into the backroom, closing the door shut behind us.

“That's the famous bachelor, right?”

“The one who currently broke up with that actress, yes” she affirmed

In our shop?

I waved off the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was about to happen as I head out to get their orders ready.

They seemed to be having a conversation which Mr Stones seemed very uninterested in. He seemed to be visibly getting pissed at whatever his friend or assistant was saying and that anger was suddenly thrown at me.

“That's enough, Michael,” he whisper-yelled before turning to me “where the hell is our order!”

I jerked at the sound of his voice, the coffee spilling on my hand and causing me to drop the cup and coffee jug.

His friend suddenly stood up “Duncan, can you relax?” he rushed towards the counter “are you okay?”

I was a complete mess “I….I’m sorry” I tried to grab a napkin, despite the pain I was passing through.

“I've lost my appetite” Mr Stones pushed his chair back, getting up and heading out the shop

“I'm very sorry” the guy apologized on his behalf “here” he took out some cash, placing it on the counter “I'm really sorry” he rushed out, probably so Mr Wells doesn't leave without him.

“What happened?” Lucy rushed out “oh my…..how did you hurt yourself?”

I just shook my head “don't worry about it” I head to the back and place my hand under running water.

“Just great” I whispered. My hand was hurting like crazy.

I just wrap it in a towel and head out to the bakery as I notice Lucy standing close to the table were Mr Wells was seated, flipping through a document.

“What's that?” I walked towards her, my hand still wrapped in the towel.

She stretched it towards me as I placed the towel down.

“they left it behind. Looks like a contract” she said.

“Contract?” I opened it up, flipping through it slowly.

I felt my eyes were deceiving me, at the same time, I felt I was seeing something which appeared as an opportunity, an opportunity to get me out of everything I was going through….

A contract marriage for 5 million dollars?