Four

Lily stared wide eyed at the man brooding over her. What the hell was he doing here? Out of all the things she had planned for herself today, opening her door to receive Asher Allard wasn't one of them. Did he come to deliver the divorce papers himself?

Her grip on the door knob tightened the second that possiblity crossed her mind. She knows that he has been looking forward to getting rid of her, and now that Charlotte is back in the picture, serving him the divorce papers must have made him so ecstatic that he decided to deliver them himself. She took a deep breath and readied herself for it.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, meeting his gaze

Asher's eyes bore into hers for a while, and he could see the confidence blazing in them. He couldn't help but wonder what he did that made her serve him the divorce papers, and stare at him with such hard eyes. Her gaze has always been soft and tender towards him, but today... He tore his eyes away from hers and glanced over her shoulders, trying to get a better look into the house, but she immediately adjusted, blocking his view.

When he got her location, he imagined that she was probably lodged at a hotel around there but he was surprised when he found out she had gotten an apartment. A part of him questioned if she got herself another man, it made no sense for her to move out so quickly and find a house that quick in New York, but he knew Lily better than that, or at least he thought he did, therefore finding another man might be the only reasonable explanation for the torn up divorce papers in his room now. He tried once again to look around into the apartment, to satiate his conviction that there was no other man, but Lily firmly blocked his line of view, and that sent his blood boiling. He thought of a million and one ways to kill whatever man that she might hiding in there.

"Mr Allard, what are you doing here?" Her voice brought him back to the present moment and he looked at her with both eyebrows raised.

"Mr Allard?" He asked, "that's a first."

Lily swallowed the lump in her throat and stared at him, unfazed by his observation. "I asked what you are doing here, and I'm yet to get a response."

Asher stared at her for a little while before he flicked his nose, and took a deep breath, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm here to take my wife home."

Lily's eyes widened in surprise and she blinked rapidly, trying to process what he just said. He wasn't here to throw the divorce papers in her face, but to take her... Home?

She immediately blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You are here to take your wife home?" He nodded and she looked around. "Well then, my apologies but I don't have your wife here with me." She said with the straightest face possible and Asher exhaled loudly.

"Don't play with me, Lily. We are going home." He reached out to grab her but she recoiled out of his hold.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Asher. This is my home now."

"Are you freaking playing with me right now, Lily? We are married, you can't possibly...."

"Didn't you get the divorce letter?" She interrupted and he halted, "I'm sure I got it delivered this morning."

"I got it," Asher said, his voice dropping a few octaves. "I'm not going to sign them." He said and Lily's mouth dropped open, and her heartbeat skyrocketed.

"Wha-wha.. why?" She asked, flustered. "Why? Why won't you sign it?! It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?" Her hopefully eyes bore into his confused one. Asher couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten that idea from.

"I am not going to divorce you, Lily. That's final. You are coming home with me."

"No, I'm not."

"Don't make this hard for either of us. You're coming home with me, end of discussion."

"I am not, Asher. I want a divorce."

He immediately shook his head. "That's not an option. You signed a contract, darling. Do I have to remind you of that?" He took a step towards her, and she immediately took one back. "You are smart, Lily... You know what the contract states, you know what will happen to you and your little darlin family if you break the contract, don't you? So stop putting up a fight, and just come home."

Lily clenched her jaw and shook her head. "I am not leaving this place, and I am fully aware of the contract, Mr Allard. If I remember correctly, and I know I do... Everything should work out just fine if either I or my sister is with you, and to my knowledge, you are with Charlotte. That nullifies whatever threats you are making."

"That is where you are wrong, Lily. The contract states that i should be married to one of the sisters, and to my knowledge... It's your name and your signature that sit pretty on our wedding certificate, Lily, not your sister's. Your argument is baseless."

Lily felt the strength sap out of her at his words, and she rested her weight on the door. Why on earth is he fighting so much to take her back home? Contract security? Ego? Why won't he just let her be!? The Charlotte he wants is back in his arms so why!?

"The contract is to last for 6 years, we've been married for 5, can't you just let the remaining year go? I..." Her words were cut off by the burn in her throat. Ashers heart clenched almost painfully when he saw the tears that had formed in her eyes, and he immediately looked away. She could cry all she wants, that doesn't change a thing.

"You have until 7:30 to come back to the house, Lily, or I'm going to cancel the contract I have with your father. Have you forgotten? You are a token for a successful business contract... If you decide to leave or walk out before the contract is due, the contract has to come to an end as well." He turned back and met her gaze, "if you want to leave, that's not a problem... I'll sign the divorce papers, but I'd also dissolve the contract I have with your father. The choice is yours."

"You... You don't mean that." Lily whispered, and she couldn't decipher if she was talking to herself or to the man before her, whom she couldn't recognize anymore.

Asher was a terrible husband, but at least he was a decent human being... His words a while ago, however has diminished whatever sense of humanity she saw in him, and her feelings that were once incomprehensible, has been squashed to a drop of water in the ocean.

He knew the relationship she had with her father, he knew what dissolving the contract would do to her, to her father, to her relationship with her father and her family at large, yet he was using it to keep her married to him, even though he has made it clear that he doesn't want her?

Was all of this an ego play to him? A way of asserting his dominance over the situation?

Her nails dug into her palm as these thoughts ran through her mind. Eventually, she wiped away the tears that had made their way down her cheeks.

"After the year is up, I am free to go, right?"

Asher looked up at her in surprise, before he slowly nodded. After the agreed 6 years is up, he'll no longer have any reason to hold her back.

Lily thinned her lips and nodded. A year... She could do one year, she can tolerate him for one more year, and while she's at it... She might as well make him regret blackmailing her today and make him pay for the 5 years she spent with him.

"I'll move my things back today." She finally said, and Asher shot up a brow... He knew the card he played would work, yet he couldn't control the smug feeling that pulsated in his veins, but underneath all that was a little feeling of happiness.

He has been angry that she thought she could just walk out of their agreement, but a part of him had been undeniably scared that she walked out.

His eyes glazed over her face and he gave her a quick nod. Before the year would run up, he would find a way to keep her for a little longer. She has become a part of him now, and he isn't willing to let go anytime soon, he would find a way to keep her for however long he wants, no matter what it's going to take.