Before I knew it, a week had passed. I discarded Dariel’s words, not thinking about them.

‘What the hell was his ordeal anyways? What does he want from me?’ I thought casually.

Jared must be living happily in his marriage and I should search for my soulmate too. I couldn’t stay at one point.

Humming to myself, I was wrapping my work to return home and surprisingly Sarah, my elder sister, called. Must be to get burgers on my way home.

“Hell-”

Instead, I was greeted with her panicking voice, “Saafia, come home, quick!”

“What happened, Sarah? Is Father okay?” I asked worriedly. Our Father was in a coma and his condition was worsening day by day.

“It’s not about Father. I have no idea what is going on, someone is here. Come home and deal with the mess you have created.” She scolded.

“What are you talking about? What did I do?” My mouth gaped.

“Just come home, dammit.” She hissed and cut the call.

“What’s her ordeal?”

Mumbling, I shook my head, taking my things, completing my work and returning home as soon as I could to see what happened.

“What was the emergency, Sarah-”

My jaw dropped in utter flabbergast to find the man I least wanted to interact with at MY HOME!

“You? What are you doing here?” I hissed, throwing my things on the couch, standing before him with my arms folded at my chest.

The grimace on my face indicated I didn’t prefer his presence at my beautiful home of hope. I didn’t want his pessimism to ruin my expectations.

His eyes gradually shifted from Sarah to mine, the pseudo smile not leaving his lips as he rose from the couch.

Looking devilishly handsome in his suit jacket. The air around him spells his wealth, asserting his power here too.

And to increase my sensations, he called my name in a low, charming resonance.

“Saafia Blooms.”

The back of my throat dried as my heart skipped a beat. My mouth was closed instantly upon hearing my name on his lips.

“Is there anything you need, Sir?” I asked, inhaling sharply to regain my posture.

To grasp the situation in his palm, he put his one hand over his chest and bowed slightly, offering his other hand to me, his smile converting into a dangerous smirk-

Proposing for the worst, mismatched couple.

“I am here to ask for your hand in marriage. With me.”

What?

When he proposed to me on the spur of the moment, I merely blinked with pure confusion.

“Come again?”

I was praying desperately that I heard him wrong which I didn’t.

“I would like to marry you.” He repeated his words in his false enticing voice, locking his eyes profoundly with mine.

But I had seen the fire of wrath, the ocean of darkness in them. I won’t be fooled with his display.

“Why?” I frowned, folding my arms at my chest.

Instead of angering me, it baffled me.

We were entirely different, two sides which shouldn’t meet, which could never collide. Yet he wanted to marry ‘me’- Why?

“Can I talk to her alone, please?” He asked gallantly, turning to Sarah.

She turned to me, I gave her a reassuring nod as she agreed, “Sure.”

I had no intention of taking him to my room to talk alone so I made Sarah leave and the second she was out of sight, my frown deepened.

“What is this, Mr. Cannedy? What are you trying to prove and show by all this?”

I didn’t like him showing abruptly at my home with this strange and unreasonable proposal.

When we were alone, his eyes revealed that malevolence again. This daunting air began to surround him again and holding his head high in pride, he declared-

“My employee married my wife and I will marry his girlfriend. Simple as that.”

My mouth gaped in utter disbelief. I knew it from one glance he was darkness, one from the abyss.

But didn’t expect him to be ‘this’ hateful.

“Do you realize how selfish you sound right now?”

“I do and I have never declined the fact I am selfish. Unlike you who can accept fate and other shit with a smile- I can’t.” He responded heartlessly.

“You have lost yourself in hatred, Mr. Cannedy. Do you think you can use me for your revenge?”

Frustrated at his extent of trying to use me as a tool of revenge, I moved back, holding my sides. My mind was in a state of shock, failing to function properly.

“I can and I will, woman. I want to show them what they lost. I want them to regret, to suffer and for that I will go to any extent- even marrying the person I would least prefer.” He snarled, curling his hands in a fist.

“You also don’t stand on top of my list too. We are so different. We have nothing in common, Mr. Cannedy. This would be destroying lives only.” I scoffed, barely controlling my composure.

“So?”

“Why do you want to marry me?”

The second this question escaped my lips, he closed our distance and began to take slow, deadly steps towards me.

“Because I want you to hate those cheaters as much as I hate them.”

“What…?” Gulping, I moved back, holding the hem of my shirt.

Each step I took back, he closed the gap until I hit the wall with no escape and his dominant form hovering over me.

“I hate people like you from the bottom of my soul.”

My heart skipped a beat from dread along with an unwanted shiver. He frightened me by the intensity of blazes in those silver orbs.

To enhance my apprehension, he placed his one hand across my face, completing his statement with a hiss.

“I want to corrupt your heart with resentment too. I want you to release the pain and anger you have buried.”

‘He wanted to marry me to taint me too… How villainous.’ I thought, staring deeply at him.

He leaned fatally closer to my face to the point I could feel our breaths mixing up which dried my throat as he shifted to the side.

He whispered seductively in my ears, “I will teach you how to hate them as much as I do.”

Closing my eyes, I stopped myself, breathless, immobilized.

“To your dismay, Mister Dariel Cannedy, I hold no hatred for anyone. I am not that type of person so leave. I am not interested in your offer. Leave.” I demanded, slowly regaining my posture and glaring at him, moving out of his space.

“Don’t make pitiful choices, Saafia. I am giving you a chance to marry ‘me’.” He hissed, taking a step back.

“I don’t need nor asked. Before I do anything, kindly leave,” I requested politely, putting my hand in between to stop him.

“So you won’t accept?” He asked for the final confirmation.

“No.”

He narrowed his eyes in rage. I gulped, not falling weak before him as he glared at me for the next few seconds, displeased with my rejection.

“I will see you, Saafia Blooms.”

He would go to an extreme, he was self-centered after all. With those words muttered under his breath, he turned to leave and glanced for the last time.

“You WILL marry me. Just watch.”

Enunciating his vicious plans, he left finally.

The second the door closed, I gasped for air which restricted when he left and leaned on the wall, holding my dress.

“What the hell was it?!” Sarah yelled, coming to me while I was utterly stunned, blinking to perceive what happened.

“I have no idea. What was his problem?” I defended myself, having no idea why he chose me as a prey.

“How does the worst billionaire know you in the first place?” She frowned, not liking him too. Everyone had seen his interviews, he was not the best or desirable.

“I don’t know him. We are strangers. Jared’s wife, Veronica, was his ex-wife. What was my fault?” I argued.

“What?! Then why does he want to marry you?”

Sighing, I took a seat and told her everything, his eerie and nefarious intentions to make them pay and my disinterest in that matter.

“Wow, you sure are stuck, Saafia. That man won’t leave you easily.” Sarah breathed out.

“Like hell I will marry him.” I muttered, getting up to leave for my room and then Sarah asked which pricked a needle in my chest.

“Because you are afraid you will become like him too?”

“No. He can never change me. I would never let anyone annihilate the kindness in me, the pieces of softness I have.”

I declared emotionlessly before leaving to my room and praying to not see him again.

“I won’t murder my soul like him.”

I won’t marry him. He couldn’t change me, I won’t let him.

‘You WILL marry me.’

His words were echoing in my mind, disturbing me. I knew he wouldn't leave me until I fulfilled his demand. He was selfish and too powerful, he will get what he wants.

Shit, shit, shit, what should I do?

“What happened? You look… frustrated.” My co-worker, Anne asked, noticing the scowl not leaving my face.

“Because I am, Anne.” I sighed, stopping my work and hiding my face in my hands.

“Is it about Jared? I thought you moved on from him. He cheated on you after all. Why shed tears for someone like him?” She mumbled, shrugging her shoulders.

My mind already shifted from him because of a certain man who was hell-bent on teaching me how to hate.

“It’s not about Jared.” I sighed, rubbing my temples.

“Then?”

“Anne, what would you do if you were given a chance to take revenge on the person who cheated on you? Would you take it?” I asked expectantly to get an answer on what to do.

“Of course. I would want their heart to break like mine… and I know you are not like this. You wouldn’t do this but you should.”

And her response pushed me into turmoil too. Should I accept his offer? Should I hate Jared? Can I do that?

“You think?”

“Hmm. Not everyone deserves forgiveness. Cheating shouldn’t be forgiven.” She nodded.

“I don’t know. Maybe we were never meant to be. And besides,”

Shaking my head in denial, I rose from my seat to get myself some coffee. Taking a deep breath so I could be my usual self and smiled.

“I cannot force myself to hate.”

That is right, I cannot hate anyone, never. No one can force me to feel that emotion for anyone, not him too.

After being determined he couldn’t change me, even if we got married, I returned from work. I was at the bus stop, tapping my foot with an empty stomach.

I wanted to go home and fill my stomach but a certain someone who adored ruining the peace of my mind came in his opulent BMW, stopping before me.

“Hey.”

Folding my arms at my chest, I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, “Are you following me?”

“This time, I am. Your car is gone for maintenance, the bus will take time. Come, I will drop you.” He offered nonchalantly.

I scoffed, not wanting to spend a second with him, “No. Thank you. I don’t need your so-called courtesy, Sir.”

“Do you think I will take no for an answer? I am not used to refusal, woman. Come…” He called sternly, turning his gaze towards the people who were whispering to see a rich man stopping for me.

“Unless you want to gain attention and act like an attention seeker.”

Shrugging his shoulders, he returned a teasing smirk. With a grimace, I stared at him for the next few seconds, knowing he wouldn’t be at peace.

“Call me an attention seeker then.” I rolled my eyes off and sat at the station, pissing him off at my stubbornness.

“You sure are stubborn, woman. You refused a chance to sit in a BMW.” He added, narrowing his eyes in irritation.

I began to use my phone while watching him from the corner of my eyes. My heart began to race when he refused to move an inch and to scare me, he honked at me, gaining attention deliberately.

“Ah!”

My mouth gaped, not believing how far he intended to go for his selfish purpose to convince me. Gulping, I tugged my hair behind timidly.

“Be grateful I am offering you politely to drop you off. I am not this generous to many people. Come.” He ordered and not wanting to create a scene, I got in the car as we drove off.

“I didn’t ask for it.” I muttered, bringing a silence between us but soon I noticed him staring intensely at me.

Hugging my sides, I looked down with a scarlet shading coming to my cheeks. My throat dried, not meeting his gaze accompanied with thumping heartbeats.

“What?”

Growing nervous by his keen eyes observing my body, I turned to him finally. Tightening my grip on my dress, I began to feel distressed by my choice to enter this car.

“Hmm?”

“Why are you looking at me like this?” I whispered worriedly.

“Doesn’t your heart hurt? Doesn’t it agonize you to find the man you once loved being someone else’s husband?” He asked in a serious resonance, stopping the car at the red signal.

Gritting his teeth, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, turning his head away as his large hand held his chest.

“Because my heart burns when I think about it,”

My lips parted, tilting my head to the side. Not expecting him to be this sensitive about them.

“No. I have accepted that we were never meant to be. Who knows if someone much better is written in my fate?” I breathed out, tone softening.

An eerie hint gleamed in his eyes as he raised an eyebrow temptingly. Before I could explore it, he concealed his disheartened emotions with his affectation.

“And that ‘better’ is me.” He whispered, starting the drive again.

“As if.” I scoffed.

“Excuse me, you are with your ex’s boss. I am rich, good looking and kind enough to give you a ride home.” He reminded me nonchalantly.

“With overwhelming arrogance and selfishness.”

“Not everyone is a saint.”

Growing irritated because at a certain point, I had begun to think about his proposal too and I didn’t want to.

“Look, I have told you before, I don’t want to marry you.” I growled, curling my hands in a fist.

“Why?” He asked nonchalantly which increased my rage. Acting as if he had no idea why.

“We are different. We have different points of view on life. You and I can never live together, never be one.” I hissed.

“Who says I want to be with you? I only intend to break this facade of yours and teach them a lesson. I will make you hate them too and stop acting.” He remained calm.

At this point, I was infuriated, he couldn’t judge me, “I am not acting. Goodness exists in this world, not everyone is heartless like you.”

“Hmph, we will see.” He muttered, turning his head to the side as we stopped outside my place.

With my head fuming and overflowing with distress, I quickly held my bag close to my chest and got out of his comfortable vehicle.

“Now, thank you, Sir, for dropping me off but I am leaving now.” I muttered rudely, turning to leave.

The second, I took a few steps, his rough hand grabbed my arm before everyone, stopping me.

“Wait.”

My breaths hitched as I turned to him slowly, averting my eyes from his stern one.

“Leave me.” I whispered, breaths becoming heavy when he refused to leave and brought me close to the point I could feel his aura drowning into mine.

“Are you sure? I am giving you a golden chance, place your conditions but marry me. I would do anything, I repeat-”

My heart skipped a beat when he leaned down and whispered dominantly in my ears, “ ‘Anything’, to teach that woman a lesson.”

Controlling my feelings, I put my hand in between, hoping to escape the prison of his arms. Intimidated by his cruel intentions, I gulped.

“And then I will make you like mine.”

I gasped when he was almost touching me, not leaving me with a deadly eye-contact, revealing his intentions which were scaring me.

“What are you doing…?” I whispered as he let go of my arm finally, giving me a moment to regain my posture.

“No one should be this kind and forgiving in this cruel world.” He growled, bringing his hand to touch me but I pointed my finger at him to stop.

“Don’t touch me again.” I warned, converting my apprehension into rage.

Still I was intrigued- how could one be overwhelmed with corruption?

“You can’t force someone to feel how you want. Plus this would destroy us.” I hissed in a low tone so the people won’t create more rumors than they already would.

“That is exactly what I want. I want to destroy their lives and when they return from that point of ravage, return to us, they will realize they closed this path too.” He growled breaths becoming heavy, stilling me for a moment to register.

He was breathless from atrocity, standing too close and I failed to notice the distance because I was only bewildered.

“How hateful can a person be? What she did apart from cheating on you that you have gone ‘this’ blind for revenge?”

To my compassionate question, he scoffed, “You wouldn’t understand nor need to know.”

I took a deep breath to empty my mind and glanced at his large form. Narrowing my eyes, I pondered about his intentions and I had faith in myself.

“If you think you can corrupt me, then you are wrong. Now, before I do something, kindly leave. I have no intentions of marrying a man like you.” I enunciated strictly as I pointed at his car.

“You will marry me. You are entangled in this web now.” He also spoke in the same tone.

“I am not like you who is unaware of the term called ‘moving on’.” I taunted with a fake smile.

“She doesn’t deserve it.”

“Leave.”

“I won’t leave you this easily.”

He growled, sending daggering in my direction which I ignored and rolled my eyes but the fumes emitting from him indicated he won’t end this here.

“Hmph.”

The second I turned my head away, his husky voice reached me, stopping my whole being as he hissed in my ears before leaving.

“Deny all you want but soon you will enter my place as my bride, Saafia.”

After he left, a few weeks passed with no sign of him again. I knew he wouldn't leave my trails easily. He was not that type of man.

I was having a feeling the next time we will meet, I won’t have another choice but to marry him.

‘What he wanted to gain from it? It couldn’t be all revenge, was it? Why did he want me? All this sham? Ugh, why am I thinking about him!?’

I failed to shift my mind from his proposal. For a moment, I also thought about it- What could possibly go wrong?

‘No, no, no, stop thinking like this, Saafia.’

The next week, I went to work a little late and saw everyone was working furiously. My mouth gaped, blinking to perceive what I missed in thirty minutes.

“What the hell is happening?” I whispered, grabbing my friend, Anne’s arm.

“Did you hear? Boss is selling the company. We will work under a third party now. You missed his speech. I saved you by telling him you went to the bathroom.” She whispered back.

“What? Why?”

That was unforeseen. Things were going exceptionally great for us. Selling company was totally unexpected.

“I have no idea. He came out of the blue and announced. Though it won’t affect our work, he says. I have no idea what caused him to do it. Probably profit.” She explained.

“Hmm. I guess we are growing. So, who bought the company? Who is going to be the boss of our boss?” I asked nonchalantly, reaching my desk only to find a file filled with too much work for me to do.

“You won’t believe it, the business tycoon, Dariel Cannedy!”

“Huh?”

This has to be a joke.

A quiver surged through my skin as I was frozen in horror to hear. Immediately understanding the reasoning behind these sudden actions.

“Pardon?” I asked in pure appall.

Okay, now he was going too far with his demand.

“Dariel Cannedy! He will come next week after we are done with the new changes. We are going to become robots now.” She sighed in frustration.

We all knew how he was at work. High wages and extreme work. He ensured if he was paying higher than other companies, he would make you work double.

From directors to janitors- everyone.

“I wonder what that man saw in the insurance company. He owns a variety of businesses anyways.”

Anne continued as I stood with heavy breaths and slightly dizziness, turning my hands blood cold.

“Next week?” I asked, gulping hard, making a frightened face.

“Too early, isn’t it? He should have given us a month but because of his order, we have to overwork this week. We all know he is a workaholic.” She hummed, leaning on the table.

“Your ex also works in his company, right? He must be one hell of a boss. Is he as dangerous as they say?”

‘He is.’

Due to my lack of reaction, Anne snapped her fingers to bring me to my reality.

“Saafia? Where are you lost? We have a lot of work to do.”

“Let’s get back to work.” I spoke instantly, getting the file to focus on work but from inside my stomach curling into a tense feeling.

A strange numbness began to steal my strength and I was worried where this might lead. He had sworn that he won’t stop.

“You are right, we are already going to overwork.”

“Hmm.”

This action of his made it clear that he won’t sit quietly until he marries me…

Before I knew it, a week passed and the time to meet the man who literally bought our company only to prove his power came.

With a scowl lingering on my face, I was holding a bouquet. Of course the head staff was greeting him one by one.

My hands were icy, my mind was in a state of turmoil to fathom his intentions to convince me to marry for a measly and pathetic reason.

“Welcome, Sir.” I greeted him with a fake smile, giving him the flowers.

“She is Saafia Blooms, The head of marketing-”

And when my turn to be introduced came, he deliberately didn’t take my flower and turned his head away, putting his hand dominantly in the air to pissed me off.

“I know. I have gone through the list. Instead of wasting our time on introductions, let's complete our pending work. I need to leave for a meeting in two hours.”

My frown deepened. He was fine when everyone was greeting him and at my turn, he stopped instantly, walking away.

“Sure, Sir. Please, this way.”

Rolling my eyes, I turned to leave for my work and shifted my mind, to pretend I had no connections with him but he called me.

“Miss Blooms.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Send me the past annual reports in my office.” He ordered.

“Yes, Sir.”

Judging his sore focus on work and ethics, I doubt he would bring the topic of his proposal here.

“Here are the files, Sir. I have put them in order.” I spoke coldly, placing them. As far as I heard from Jared, I had no intentions of losing my job by enraging him.

But, I won’t sit quietly too.

He didn’t react as I stood on the other side of the desk, folding my arms at my chest. He was engrossed in work, checking things and reports with focus.

When he was focused, his features were enhanced and made them strict yet arresting. He noticed I was not leaving and arched an eyebrow handsomely.

“Hmm? Why are you still here?”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked sternly.

“I believe you are aware of the fact I don't fancy interruptions during work.” He replied in the same tone.

“We both know why you are doing this. Stop acting.” I added, inclining my hands on the table which caused him to stop.

Lifting his mysterious eyes, he locked them with mine with an energy that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Really?” He asked seductively.

My heart skipped a beat when his lips curled into a devilish smirk. Clearly using his overwhelming power.

“Don’t.” I whispered, rolling my tongue over my lips, becoming nervous slightly.

Resting his elbow on the table and leaning forward to look dead into my soul with his one demand.

“Then marry me. Don’t make me do this.”