I arrived 30 minutes late to the meeting spot, but I didn't get out of the car immediately. I sat in the car and started humming an unknown song to pass the time. It's too much, I know, but can you blame the guy? I endured too much; it was payback time after all. Shreya was waiting for me, and she was desperate. In this meeting, anything could happen; I had not planned anything or prepared myself for any crises that may arise. I am going with the flow; things worked till yesterday, but that won't be the case today. I need a solid plan, covering every corner, or else I would drown in my own play. That could never happen; I can't let things turn south for me, not at this point, at least, where everyone is anticipating and waiting for things to blow up for me. I have covered everyone through this play; literally every asshole's ass is burning because of this, and I need to solidify my play. There is only one way, and in time, I am going to cover him too. I should meet him soon.
Finally, with a heavy heart, I walked out of the car. The humid weather was not at all helping me in any way; as my steps were getting closer to her, my confidence was slowly dripping. Shreya's actions and her hold are deeply rooted in me; no matter what, I can't shake the fear of meeting her. 'Get a hold, Rowan. I chided myself. 'You have gone this far; just a few more days, hold on, and you can get rid of her for good. I tried to boost the confidence that was dropping as the step got closer to her.
As I entered the restaurant, I inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm and compose myself before facing that freak. 'I should not let her win this time. ' I murmured as I started walking.
As I approached the table, she was messaging rapidly on her phone, and the anger was radiating from her. I was only a few feet from her, but I could feel the heat. I chuckled at the irony. "Baby, sorry for making you wait purposefully." I jabbed through words as I stood opposite her. Her anger was replaced by a smirk, giving me the knowing look. "Well, every dog has a day, darling, and I love waiting for you." She never loses her charm, always adept at giving back without wasting a second. I really want to pluck that out of her, but I don't think I am that capable. "Someone cautioned me about being late, and every fucking second counts to them." I reproduced the sentence as it is to her; at least I tried, but the meaning was the same. She chuckled in return. "As I said, darling, every dog has a day, so enjoy." Damn, she is getting to me. I tried to mask my anger but miserably failed. 'Don't lose your composure, Rowan. I reminded myself of my words. I can't let her get to me, not fucking now. "Baby, I want to be good, and all prepped today; don't force me, and I can't promise what you're going to witness." As if she hid anything. As if reading my mind, she spoke. "Darling, that was nothing." I gulped at that, not knowing how to react.
'That was nothing.' I repeated the sentence. I don't know how many times I did that. What was that supposed to mean? She has more up her sleeve. She is not a hiding type; if she is not revealing, then it's beyond my thinking, too far-fetched for my liking. I thought I could ace her as I did with others. I even boosted myself with words, but she is always ripping anything apart without doing much, only with words. I was a little shaken, and it's been fucking few minutes. I stretched my hand in one go and took the glass, gulping the water in one go. 'Rowan, you shouldn't have come to meet her; it was a big fucking mistake.' I chided myself for a different reason. The table is getting flipped, and it's been a few minutes. I can take control back any moment, I soothed myself.
She chuckled while watching me, and I wanted to dig a hole and jump without a care. "I have ordered food." Here we go with that again. "I can do that myself." "Darling, you can't take care of yourself, trust me." "Shreya, I am fucking 25, and I can take care of myself very well." "You are 25 and confused." I squinted at that, and once more, she chuckled. "Darling, you are 25 and confused with your sexuality; see, you can't take care of yourself. Let me take care of you." I was taken aback at that sentence. What the hell? Various emotions were running on my face; I am sure of it, as she was watching me without batting her eyes. "I, I am not confused." At last, I spoke, but the voice was not hard enough. "You are darling, and I will let it slide only this time. Ok, baby?" What was that supposed to mean? "Don't repeat your mistake, ok? I am generous enough to give a chance, only one chance; that's it." Her hands were on her chest, crossed, and she was composed as usual. "Your grandfather told me to play a nice card on you; for a second I considered it too." She continued with a more determined tone. "But I don't think a nice card would work on you; maybe spanking and tying could." She nodded at her words, as usual, making up her mind. Once again, I was lost. What the hell is she talking about? Fucking spanking, tying? "Things can be straightened out if you are good and obedient, I promise, baby. Deal, darling?" At last, she stopped waiting. Is she asking for my opinion? Is she? "Let it be, as if I care." She took the water and started sipping slowly, watching me keenly. I am sure she read the fear that was on my face as she smiled with satisfaction.
Our order arrived, same old shit, full of veggies. 'The tables are turning, Rowan,' I reminded myself, but my mind was blank, like she had cast some spell on me. Once again, she dominated the environment just through words, properly framed words, and I was speechless.
"We should clear the mess you created." She said while chewing some green leaves. "Well, that comes to giving a statement; we should do it together, and Rowan, I won't let you act smarter this time." I watched her, nothing registering in my mind. Statement, together, only that I grasped, and suddenly my mind lit up. My fucking card, which I totally forgot to use. She always pushes me into a corner, and I'm bound to forget everything.
"Sure, I would love to, but I don't think my boyfriend would agree to that." Her movements were stopped, and her hold on the fork turned tighter, making her knuckles turn white. She sighed, frustration evident. "You should stop this, Rowan." I was perplexed at the sentence. "Stop, what?" Genuinely curious. "Stirring things when clearly it's not going anywhere. No matter what, your faith is sealed; trust me, dear." That confidence is only pushing me to think twice and doubt everything. "I am doing so much for your family before even becoming a member. I am keeping things at bay at your company; your grandfather is fond of me, and trust me, that old guy would never let things go south for him. And Rowan, please think about your dad, who is doing so much for you." She leaned back on the chair. "You are not a kid, Rowan; please, for fuck's sake, grow up and act like a bloody man." She whispered-shouted. "I have not taken any step after the heaviness you created; my patience has a bloody limit, darling. If you push me too much, I will make sure the consequences are unbearable not only for you but for your whole family." The air turned cold at her statement, and I really wanted to choke her to death. She is fucking threatening, always fucking gets to me with her cold words involving my family and using my dad as her leverage.
"Baby, you see, I am fucking cooked here." I slowly spoke, measuring words. "You do realise I can't go against my boyfriend, Dante, right?" She chuckled at that. What's so funny? "Darling, you should stop this. Dante doesn't do relationships." If I hear the sentence one more time, I am going to choke myself. I am fucking done hearing the same old bullshit; they are saying as if they know him closely. I halted my thoughts at that as realisation dawned. They both knew each other. I gulped. Closely? Does she know this whole thing is fake? No, she would never be here to give a warning to me; instead, she would have dragged me to clarify everything without wasting any second. ′ Handle with care, Rowan.′ I once again murmured, calming myself before speaking.
"We were on a short break, but we never broke up. You happened, and he is back to claim me." She watched me with predatory eyes, trying to weigh and to find something on my face. "You should drop this." Once again, cautioning with anger. "I have broken up with him multiple times, but he never let me go, and I always bounce back to him." The air turned colder, and I smirked while watching her. The doubt flickered in her, not against me but with the whole thing. Till now, she thought I was playing the game; now she doesn't know whether I was telling the truth or not. I could work with that.
We stayed silent, and I tried to enjoy the veggies by gulping them down. "No official statement has been made by Dante." "He hates media, and he hasn't denied my statement. " I retorted with more firmness. "Do you think I am an idiot, Rowan?" "Absolutely not, baby." "You agreed to meet me, and we spent time together. Now, you are fucking telling me that you are gay and taken by someone." Well, what can I say? "Shit happens, baby. I was cornered and forced." "We had a good time, don't we, baby?" Her tone turned softer. "Of course, darling. I even got hard a few times, and you leaked because of me. The chemistry was undeniable." I mocked her, and she glared. "Baby, I have started to gather a crowd against you; a revolt is bound to happen. Don't blame me for the consequences." I sighed at her threat. "Good luck with that, Shreya. I hope you are ready to go against Dante." She waved her hands as if she still didn't believe me. "Stop feeding me bullshit, dear; I can only tolerate up to a certain level." She spoke in an agitated tone. Everyone bought my bullshit, though, but this one is thick as hell. I am not getting how to tackle and rope her into this lie; I should before she does some crazy shit where there is no way out.
"Let's make a deal," I spoke to her slowly, this time calculating my words and my next move. "One statement from Dante, denying everything." I continued, getting her full attention. "We get married." She went still for a whole minute, dwelling and not able to digest my words. Even myself. I have dug something too deeply this time. "Marriage?" In a bewildered voice she spoke. "No going back, Rowan. I am always ready to drag you; this time I won't hold myself back." I managed to dig something bigger for myself, and she was going to make sure to make use of this situation. "It's a deal, darling. Just one statement: No more running or hiding; I will be yours." She sighed in content. "You don't know what you invited, honey." I know, I know. My heart was thudding strongly in my chest, pushing me into a panic state. "Your faith is sealed, and hubby, prepare for the worst with me; you can't expect anything better. From now on, any second you will be mine; I won't waste a second once the statement is issued from Dante." She stood from the chair; confidence was oozing from her, and she chuckled while watching me. She wore the goggles, watching me. I scanned her from head to toe; as usual, she looked exquisite and radiant. I would get hard 'N' number of times watching her, but I didn't dare to be inside her, pounding. On the other hand, after everything that happened today, I hardly believed she would let me do the work. Her craziness is beyond my imagination, and I really don't want to be at the receiving end. Everything about her should come to an end.
She started walking, giving a flying kiss. I watched her till she reached the exit door; the way she was swaying and her way of presenting herself were bewitching. I had thought I would loosen the grip from her, but her hold on me was at the same level. The announcement had bruised her ego, and now her yearning to have me doubled or maybe tripled. I have riled her up thoroughly this time, and there is only one solution. I couldn't delay things anymore. I should meet Dante before it's too late. Shreya and Dante know each other. Of course, Morris has a strong hold on everything; their surname is enough that everyone wants to be close, but something tells me that they know each other better. Not in a professional way; she knows him closely. My heart once again thudded at that closeness. How close? She was giving the same vibe Eddie and Tristan were giving, and I can't comprehend how close they might be. I shivered a little; my bubble could burst anytime soon, and my happy days would come to an end if I didn't do anything sooner.
Shreya is fucked up. She is capable of ruining and destroying things if it doesn't serve her favour. Now, I am her target, and from day 1 her clutch on me has grown tighter no matter what. There is firmness in her hold. My announcement had no effect on her, which only depicts her resoluteness. The tables must have turned, at least for Shreya, because gayness is not something a girl could take lightly, but strangely, she is unmoved by the news. On the other side, there is more firmness in wanting me, and I am not getting why. She is not into long-term relationships, that I know, but how things were going to work if a guy is gay. I am not able to grasp the situation; she is into me not because of love but due to some craziness or maybe wildness. I once again repeated the sentence, and I was in shock the moment the realisation hit me. I started feeling sweaty when there is flash back surrounded me about Shreya and her actions around me.
She is sick, I concluded. Rowan, your countdown has started; run as far as you can.
I was at the open window, watching the view. It's been a few days; chaos is at the same level, and things are turning hard to handle. My PR team was working nonstop, but these paparazzi and the media were getting on my nerves. These things were familiar, not something I could handle, but once again, it's been a few days, and I don't know what to do. My anticipation was thickening. I am in a dilemma for the first time, and I want some insight into what should be done. I can delay this as much as I can; things were never going to affect me, but that's not the case for the other party. I sighed in trepidation.
My cabin door opened without turning; I knew who it was. "At last, your anticipation came to an end," Thomas said. I turned to face him, and I saw a smirk playing on his face; I shook my head in return. "Shreya is trying her best to reach you. From the day the news spread, she has turned into a wildfire." I chuckled at that. "She tried to barge in forcefully today." I leaned on the window, thinking. She is desperate; that's for sure. Barging in means something might have happened. "She once again tried to get an appointment to meet you." I nodded at that. "Well, I kept on hold as I received another call." That piqued my interest, and I saw Thomas earnestly, to which he chuckled. "Rowan wants to meet you. Trust me when I say this: he is not only desperate but also pleading. So, as a good gentleman, I gave him an appointment for tomorrow morning." My lips crooked at that, once again, and I nodded at him. "I have cleared your appointments for tomorrow." "Thank you," I sincerely thanked him, covering everything that he had done at once. Finally, it was time.
We were silent, and Thomas was watching me intently, for which I rolled my eyes. "What are you going to do?" I raised an eyebrow at that. "Don't play dumb, Dante." I chuckled at that. "I have not met him; it's been years, and I don't know what's waiting for me." He nodded at that. "And what about Merdith?" I coughed at that. "She can wait for her turn to come." He chuckled at that. "It's Merdith; you should be careful." I hummed at that. "Of course," I replied, not minding much about her. She is dangerous when she goes silent and crazy when she opens her mouth. Either way, she is fucking hard to handle.
"You are not going to take advantage of the situation, right?" Thomas spoke cautiously, with hidden worry evident. "No," I answered him with a straight face. "I won't let him suffer from anyone; that includes me too." Thomas nodded in satisfaction. "I don't know how you are going to handle your dad," I smirked at that, and Thomas chuckled. "One at a time, Thomas, one at a time. Everyone gets their turn when it's the right time. No one can forge or surpass Rowan in my life. I have kept my distance for a reason, and I am intent on being that way." The sadness flickered on Thomas's face, which he masked immediately.