Chapter Four

Five days had flown by before one could even register it properly.

37 more days to the freeze.

The ground had been broken and work was progressing nicely. I sat in my car, sipping ice coffee. Noah sipped his cold lemonade as well, playing a game on his tablet.

We could as well enjoy the cold as a refreshment during this heat before it became a perpetual curse.

“Mummy, why are they digging the ground? Are they planning to bury someone?” His eyes grew moist with tears.

Shaking my head quickly, I patted his cheeks. “Of course not. They're creating a castle under the ground.”

His eyes widened in amazement. “Really?”

Before I could respond, my phone vibrated with a message. I nodded and picked my phone.

‘Celebrity businessman Adrian Vale set to marry the love of his life Vivian Wilson in a beautiful ceremony.’

Their faces filled my screens as different news blogs and channels discussed their marriage.

Clicking on a link, I watched Adrian feed lies about me to the public.

“My ex-wife, Lena, was really my everything. I treasured her but she chose to abandon me. She has always struggled with mental issues and I cared for her with every cent I had!”

The comments from people who barely knew me filled my screen. Thousands of them.

‘Lena is so heartless and cruel! How could she abandon someone who was so nice to her?’

‘Good riddance! I'm glad that Adrian has someone who will test him better.’

‘Some people don't even know what they have until they lose it.’

After swiping all notifications away, I tossed my phone to the back seat. The lies and hateful comments were the last thing that could bother me.

Everyone was still having a good time, thinking life was going on as usual.

Little did they know that in a month's time, talking about someone else's life would be the last thing on their minds.

A tap came on my window. It was Mike, the contractor.

“Ma'am, work is progressing nicely but we've hit a roadblock.”

I stepped out of my car, wearing my sunglasses. “What's the matter?”

“Two people here are asking to see you. They claim to be the owners of the land.”

*

The man standing before me was slightly familiar. Towering over me with roughly seven inches, his eyes were dark and his sharp jaw remained set in a stern frown.

Beside him stood an older man whose expression was much warmer.“You're the one digging up my property?”

My jaw slacked. “Your property? This is an abandoned desert. I did my research before starting.”

No one owned a freaking desert! Right?

The younger man sneered. “Well, you clearly didn't do it right. This is my family's property.”

I bit my tongue to try to hold back my words but it shot right out anyway. “I didn't make a mistake. Don't talk to me like I'm a child, you spoiled man-child!”

His eyes widened a fraction for a split second. Something flickered in his eyes. Not anger now, almost like amusement.

“Then, stop sulking like one and halt all operations here.”

My eyes darkened and I took off my sunglasses.

Who was this guy and why did he speak like he owned half the country?

“Calm down, Marco. The young lady must probably have it wrong. We can sort this out.”

Marco?

Staring more intensely at his face, I recognised him. Marco Steel. I had seen that face in Adrian's target board, disfigured by multiple darts.

For the number one businessman in the country and the most eligible billionaire, he certainly had the attitude of a prick.

He seemed to recognise me too and a sly smile crept on his lips. “Well, well, if it isn't my dear business partner's ‘gaga’ ex-wife.”

His words stung, but I held my head high, glaring at him.

“And if it isn't the gaga rival of my ex-husband who can't stand women because he's no different from one.”

Satisfaction swirled in my stomach when his face paled slightly.

I turned towards the older man who seemed to be more understanding. Something that I couldn't quite place twinkled in his eyes.

“Young lady, we should take this conversation somewhere more private.”

Ignoring Marco’s glare, I nodded at the older man with a smile. “Sure.”

*

Under the tent set-up within minutes, I sat opposite the two men.

My resolve was back up and strong. I couldn't let myself get bullied out of a land with no one's name on it.

I had done my research and clearly, no one had claimed this land in over two hundred years. Even the government had declared it an abandoned desert.

The older man, whose name I realised was Francis and was Marco’s grandfather, placed some documents on the table.

I picked it with trembling hands.

“This desert has been in our family for generations. My great grandfather was given it in honour of his service to the nation during the war.”

The documents explained it all.

The Steels land had been intentionally avoided by the government or any other person because of its significance.

I let out a groan as a sharp pain short though my head. I had been too bothered about the Freeze to actually take my time to dig deeper into the matter of the ownership of this land.

Dropping the documents with a sigh, I stood to my feet.

“Thank you for explaining so wisely, Mr. Francis. Thankfully, I've not begun any serious work apart from breaking the grounds. I'll call the work off. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.”

Marco had a glint in his eyes even though his face remained cold. Not victory exactly. More like curiosity and strategy.

“I see you plan to build a military-type bunker.” Marco spoke up now. “Why?”

His question caught me unaware, making me pause sharply.

His grandfather, Francis, interjected calmly. “Why waste so much money on this kind of project?”

Folding my arms across my chest, I kept my face straight. “Why do you want to know? Would it make you give me the land anyway?”

“Answer me first.” Marco demanded.

“No. You answer me. I owe you your land, not my plans and my intentions!”

The tension seemed to swallow Marco's grim expressions and he paused. “You're right. You can leave.”

But as I turned to leave, Francis's next words stopped me sharply.

“He wants to build exactly what you're building on that same land.”