Chapter Five

Thora's POV

It all gets messy

I sat still in the cold hospital chair, my heart pounding heavily as I watched the unconscious Luke struggling to breathe through the oxygen mask.

Watching his chest rising weekly sent chills down my spine.

“Why did you do that, you idiot?” I whispered softly, squeezing his hands softly.

I brushed his hair softly, my red eyes screaming sleep and exhaustion.

You didn’t have to take that bullet. You didn’t have to make this real.

The nurse came in and checked his vitals. I went cold. The fear wouldn't allow me to flinch.

I was supposed to protect him, now I dragged him into this madness.

I told him to send a guard and not come by himself and play superhero. Damn…

“You look awful.”

His eyes blinked warmly. I leaned forward, frozen.

He's alive. Thank God. I want to kiss him now, like, damn!

“You got shot and you’re cracking jokes?” I managed to force a smile through the tears.

“I couldn’t let you die. That wasn’t in the contract.” He chuckled. “And besides, you should be thanking me…”

“Shut up…”

He looked at me with his glowing eyes, and dropped the silliest message I've heard in years.

“Marry me.”

What? I'm not sure I heard him well. Did he say marry me? No, he didn't.

“Pardon?”

“I said marry me. I love you.”

I blinked in shock. My heart skipped a beat.

“What?”

“No contracts. No fake anything. Marry me.”

“You’re high on meds.” I scoffed.

The drugs must have gotten to his medulla. Let me get the nurse.

Marry who?! Like of all times, it's now! No. I can't… I won't.

“Maybe. But I’m also in love with you.” He grinned. I feel like slapping those words in his mouth.

In love with who?

Like I was shocked!

I didn't answer him, I just left. I can't stand another heartbreak. No, I've got enough.

Back home, the TV blared across my room, the headlines screaming.

“Quentin Allen Jackson; arrested this morning in connection to financial crimes dating back six years…”

I calmly read everything, digesting each word. Although, financial crimes, that's new…

“Guess karma finally had a deal with him.” I smirked. It's been a long night. I need to rest this morning. Avis was already asleep, she needs rest.

“You’ve been granted full custody of Avis.” My phone pinged with a message.

Oh thank God! It was our family lawyer.

It's done. Finally, I can now live in peace.

I watched the video of how he was dragged out of court. I couldn't attend the proceedings. I just couldn't stand to see his face.

However, he said something in that video, mom told me too.

“...It’s not over. Ask your billionaire what he’s hiding.”

I want peace. I want this whole thing over already. I'm sick and tired of fighting here and there and him saying it's not over or Luke was hiding something, put me to work.

He gave me an assignment.

I ransacked the house, going through Quentin's old things, the ones I kept.

Don't know why, maybe it's fate.

I looked through old archives, scrolling for hours into Luke's public records, and I found nothing. So frustrating.

However, the entire thing changed when I found it. Just one thing, and that's all.

I froze with a gasp. It was a photo, five years ago. I saw it online, Luke and Quentin, together, shaking hands at a gala.

“No. No, no, no…”

I can't believe this. Hope my eyes aren't deceiving me.

I zoomed in. It's them, I'm sure. They were smiling, standing too close for strangers.

Damn you Luke!

You said you wanted to ruin him. But you knew him.

How dare you?

I flung the tablet across the room.

I waited for another day, boiling and fuming all day. I wish I could just strangle both of them.

Aargh!!!

Later, I stormed into the hospital room. I had gotten a printed copy of the photo.

“Yo… why the long face…”

“What is this? Explain it!” I shoved the photo in his face, my hands trembling in anger.

“Uhm, it looks like a photo. Anything else?” He replied. Damn, I need to grab his neck. I need to strangle him already.!!

“Don’t play dumb, you know him. You knew him…”

Jeez!!!

“Yes. Years ago. One deal. That’s it. And I told you we once crossed paths right?”

“You did what? You didn’t think that mattered?”

He struggled to sit up, it didn't even bother me.

“I didn’t use you.”

Guilty conscience. Did I ask if you used me?

“But you used this. You used me to bring him down.” I cried and threw the photo in his face.

“You weren’t a pawn. You were the weapon.”

What?! And I was even beginning to love him? Oh God? Why do I always get it wrong at this?

“You want me to marry you right? That’s not love.”

He doesn't feel my words, he doesn't feel my pain. I need to break something; his head.

“No. It’s revenge. Love just happened along the way.”

He just talks without even thinking.

Like I was shocked. So this was all a game to him right?

“You know what, I need air.”

“I’m not sorry for what I did. But I am sorry you found out this way.” He tried to explain. Oh! Now you're sorry. I thought it happened along the way?

Silly bastard.

I walked out, leaving the photo on the floor with him.

He saved me. He used me. He proposed. And now I don’t know if any of it was ever real…