Marry Me

The six-foot-tall wall of muscle wrapped his strong hands around her protectively, stopping the assault with a single gesture. The warm protective hands around Elaine told her one thing. She was in safe hands.

“Move,” he commanded in a deep authoritative voice, the first word he’d uttered in her presence. Slowly, with trembling legs, she followed his guidance as he led her away from the scene, his presence impactful.

She was already breathing heavily, her breath loud and clear, her eyes hazy. All she could see was red. Suddenly, they stopped walking and he threw the blanket off her, his gaze accessing her condition.

Digging his hand into his pocket, he produced an inhaler. With his gentle/ strong hand on her hair, he brought her closer, guiding the inhaler into her mouth and helping her with it until her breathing stabilized.

“You can open your eyes now,” he spoke.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Elaine pried her eyes open, eyes widening at the broad chest they fell on. The cologne? goodness.

Her blood drained from her face just as her gaze drifted to his face. Like he was some sort of forbidden plant, she stepped away from him immediately.

“Mr Romano?”

He remained stoic, closing the distance between them, cleaning her body with the blanket before discarding it with a careless flick of his wrist.

“Get in the car.”

Elaine only realized that they were in the parking lot when she heard his order. Her eyes scanned him from his neatly styled black hair down to his obsidian shoes. Everything about him was shrouded in darkness, his expression included. But why was he present at her company? Even with an inhaler. Had Jimmy perhaps sent him?

From her memory, she had met with him a few times. The first time they’d met, at the ancestral home of the Romano family, he never spared her a glance nor spoke to her. She also knew that he and Jimmy were on bad terms.

Xavier Romano. The name was synonymous with Power, face and to top it all, wealth. The 30-year-old most sought-after bachelor and CEO of the RC group. Shocking, he was Jimmy’s uncle.

Weird right? Well, he and Jimmy were only five years apart and from what Elaine had heard, Jimmy’s mother had him at 18.

“Wh…what? Why?”

“Get in. We'll talk later. You stink.”

Hearing him say that, she sniffled herself, her nose scrunching up in disgust. He was so damn right. She stinks. Yuck!

As she got into the front seat of the car, he opened the backseat and brought out a dress which he threw at her. “Once you're done changing, inform me.” He turned away from her.

Without a second thought, Elaine pulled her blue knee-length dress over her head, immediately throwing it to the back of the car before putting on the black dress that Xavier gave her. It fitted her perfectly, hugging her curves in the right places just like her previous dress. But how did he know her size? Truly, he came prepared. All of the questions in her head, she knew their answers not, and for an unknown reason, she felt safe around him.

“I’m done.”

Xavier quickly rounded the car, settling into the driver’s seat, and maneuvering the car away from the scene.

Elaine fished out her phone from her bag and scrolled through the news article only to be met with a video of Ria.

She was seated on a hospital bed, explaining to the world how she had been maltreated by her sister and boss who bullied her for months, making her feel worthless and pushing her to commit suicide of all things. She told the world how her sister was jealous of her wedding, begging for justice. Elaine turned off her phone in anger, dumping it back into her bag.

She’d treated Ria with nothing less than kindness, even offering preferential treatment compared to the regular employees, and yet? Yes, she had raised her voice and told her off a few times, but that was the nature of their working relationship. She never bullied her or talked down on her. About Ria’s wedding, she was only hearing about it. It was no surprise as her whole family saw her as an outsider.

Finally, the car stopped in front of a five-star hotel, her eyes scanning the luxurious environment.

“Why are we here?” She asked.

Xavier said nothing and got out of the car. Without waiting for her, he strode into the hotel with purpose. leaving Elaine with no choice but to trail after him. She followed, casting glances at the decor, she didn't realize that the man in front of her had stopped walking and she ended up colliding into a six-foot-tall wall of muscle- his back.

“Ouch.”

“Be more watchful. If you’d been, your company wouldn’t be crumbling.” His cruel words hit her like sharp knives.

Elaine’s voice quavered. “What do you mean?”

“You were distracted, girl. You failed to see the danger always lurking around you.”

He led her with fast strides toward a presidential suite without seeing the desk lady, the door opening after the input of its password. He made way for her but she stood rooted on the floor in confusion.

“You brought me here all of a sudden. Can I know the reason?”

“Get in, little girl. We have a lot to talk about.”

“About what?”

He leaned in, his face inched closer.

“Your boyfriend.”

Hearing about Jimmy, she nodded, making her way into the large room, eyes scanning the room. Her mouth fell open at the interiors of his presidential suite. King-sized bed with plush mattress, white sofa, and a private living area with a large TV screen. They all screamed luxury.

“Sit.”

He commanded, striding to the private living area but not without grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses from the bar.

Elaine perched on the edge of the sofa, eying him warily as he poured a generous amount of wine into each glass.

“Can you just tell me why I'm here already?” She demanded.

His gaze flicked up to meet hers, and the unexpected words rolled out from his mouth.

“Marry me.”

Elaine found her head thrown backward, her stomach rumbling as she laughed loud and long.

“Mr. Romano, you can’t be serious,” she choked out between sobs. “I’m Jimmy’s girlfriend, such a joke.” Her smile dropped, realizing the steely resolve in his eyes. “You’re serious? I'm Jimmy’s.”

“No, you're not. The boy’s getting married.”

“He’s just angry.”

Xavier chuckled.

“Grow up, little girl. Here.”

He passed his iPad to her, forcing her eyes down to Jimmy’s pre-wedding photos.

“Ria?” Her heartbeat increased as her eyes fell on the smiling pretty lady beside Jimmy.

“Th…that's Ria. My sister. They both have been deceiving me.”

They cheated on her after everything. She had been nothing but a good girlfriend and sister to them but this was how they repay her kindness? Why hadn't she noticed? There were so many signs. How bad she let them play her.

“Marry me, and we'll make them pay together. You want that, right?”

With red eyes that managed to control her tears, she stared at the man astride her. The man whi managed to always make Jimmy’s legs tremble at the call of his name.

“You’re Jimmy’s uncle.”

“We have the same enemy here, girl. The boy keeps getting on my nerves. Marry me and get to teach your damn boyfriend a lesson. I'll help you with your company and before you know it, you'll be at the top.”

Elaine stared into space, her head trying to register the words of Jimmy’s Uncle. If there was anyone in the entire world who could help her company back on its two feet in just a snap of a finger, it was Xavier Romano.

She would no longer be the Elaine that they used so easily. This time, she was going to teach them a life lesson.

“Fine then, let’s get married, Mr. Romano.”