Chapter 3

Christian's POV.

I watched the color disappear from Belle's face when I muttered those two words. She didn't reply immediately. She only stared, as if processing what I had just said.

Served her right, I thought. 

She was sitting opposite me, looking beautiful as always. I wanted to touch her, I was dying to touch her, but everytime, the thought of the pain of waking up from my coma five years ago and not seeing her there was enough to keep my hands away.

I looked for her. Searched for her like a crazy person, yet I couldn't find her. No one had hurt me like she did. And now she was sitting before me, listening to a proposition of me asking for her hand in marriage. I wanted to punish her for leaving me. I wanted to tie her down so that she wouldn't be able to love anybody else and still wouldn't get love from me. She deserved to pay for what she did to me. And if I will inherit the company in the process, then two birds will be killed with one stone.

Her response was taking a while so I cleared my throat and she blinked twice.

"Are you crazy?" Belle asked, but I wasn't moved by the question. I expected it.

"Crazy people don't go ahead asking others to marry them now do they?" I asked still studying her face.

"Why in the world would you want to marry me? Make it make sense Christian. You just saw me again yesterday after 5 whole years." She said.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"It doesn't matter. Like I said, I need the marriage for something"

"You're offering me marriage because you need it for something? Marriage used to be sacred to you Christian." She argued.

"Don't you dare talk like you know me" I snapped. "I have been looking for someone to get married to for a while now. For business purposes. It's better I married whom I knew than who I don't, don't you think?" I asked. 

She continued to stare at me, disbelief in her eyes.

"And what do you need it for?" She asked me. "What is so important that you are willing to throw your values of marriage away by marrying someone you are not in love with?"

It was a ridiculous question. Of course I was not in love with her, not anymore. Why was she trying to make it look like I was the devil?

"I'm inheriting Martin Constructions" I said and her facial expressions relaxed. 

"Really?" She asked genuinely happy for me but, I made sure to show my disgust at her exclamation.

"Congratulations Christian. You have always worked hard for the company." She added.

It was annoying hearing her say that. As if she knew my background and had been there to know if I deserved anything or not.

"To inherit the company, I need to be married." I said. "That's the stupid clause my father attached to it when I come of age. He needs to be sure I can handle family and the business together." 

I watched her shake her head.

"It's not enough reason to make you sacrifice your beliefs..."

"You shouldn't worry about my beliefs young lady" I said cutting her short and noticing the puzzled look on her face. "You should be thinking about saving your parent's house and not me" I said standing up.

I looked down at her while standing and she in turn, looked up to meet my gaze. Her huge eyes pierced mine, looking pitiful as it used to.

"I have proposed a good deal to you. Whether you take it or not, is left to you. I can still look for someone else if you do not comply but remember, the clock is ticking on your parents house." I said.

"Christian..." Belle called weakly but I cut her off again.

"You take the deal, I pay your parent's loan and we get married for one year. Then after I've secured the company, we get a divorce and you can go your way. The decision is yours. You know how to reach me." I brought out another address from my pocket and dropped it on the table.

"I'll be in Milton hotels, suite 65 for two more days incase you agree to my proposition. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important things to take care of." I said and walked out. 

I didn't care to turn to see her facial expressions when I left, I kept walking till I got into the car and till my driver zoomed off.

"There's nothing you can say to change my mind Gabrielle, I will not be at the stupid dinner. I can't cut my trip short, I'm a busy man." I said over the phone to my cousin. She was pestering me about attending our family's function and that was the last thing I wanted to attend.

I looked outside the window from the car and noticed that we were almost at my destination.

"Three more blocks Dominic" I said to the driver who nodded his head.

"This so called trip of yours was supposed to have ended since yesterday Chris. You are delaying it on purpose" Gabrielle said to me.

Of course I was delaying it on purpose. One, because I wasn't in the mood for family and two, well, Belle; she was supposed to give me an answer yesterday but Gabrielle didn't need to know that.

"I have things to do Gabrielle. That's the only reason I am not attending" I said removing my seat-belt when the car came to a stop. "I have to go. Have fun and be merry" I said and hung up without waiting for a reply. I imagined the facial expression Gabrielle would have on because of my attitude and couldn't help but smile a little.

I alighted from the car to the construction site and shook the hands of the engineer who walked to me immediately he saw my car. I accepted the helmet given by one of the workers, nodding in appreciation. Then we walked to the site as we inspected the place.

"The projector would be facing that way" Thomas, the senior engineer of the project said to me. "We are demarcating the size of each vehicle that will be parked to see a movie"

I nodded, impressed at the sight of the to-be drive-in cinema under construction. I didn't necessarily need to be here. I trusted the work of my people, but waiting for Belle's response was taking a while and I needed something to do since being on the plane back to Arizona was not in my plans.

"How many projectors are we looking at?" I asked him while watching with enthusiasm at the way the labourers worked diligently and expertly.

"Three" he said using his hands to make a direction on where each would be mounted.

I nodded again, already imagining how busy and packed the place would be when it was completed. The site was located at a very famous spot in St Louis city and I was very sure it would bubble with activities.

After inspecting the ground and seeing what materials would be used, I shook hands with Thomas and his assistant engineer and walked out, leaving him with his workers to go ahead with their jobs.

I spent a little time at a restaurant, discussing business and rounding up everything I came to St Louis to do. Tomorrow I will be on a flight back to Arizona whether Belle contacted me or not.

When we arrived at the hotel, I waved off my driver and went straight to my suite, not paying much attention to the receptionist who was always trying one way or another to bat her eyelashes at me. If only she knew I was a busy man and busy men do not entertain guests.

I took the elevator to the third floor of the hotel and when I turned to the direction of my suite, I halted briefly at the sight of a woman, squatting in her heels with an envelope in her right hand.

Belle.

I didn't need to move closer to know it was her. I could tell from the figure and posture. I was used to that figure and posture.

I was glad her head was between her knees so that I could have some time to arrange my composure. As I walked closer, I tried to make my footsteps louder so that she could be aware of my arrival. Belle raised her head and immediately she saw me, stood to her full height. She was not a short woman but wasn't too long to be considered tall either.

She used to be perfect for me. I thought but immediately shrugged the thought off.

Her hair was left to flow over her shoulders as the sandals she wore complimented the simple gown she had on.

As I got to her, her facial expressions changed and something in me knew she had made a decision. She stretched towards me the manilla envelope I had left on the table of the restaurant, which contained the contract I had offered her.

"Good evening Christian" she said, her voice unusually bold considering the circumstance she was in.

"We need to talk."