Chapter 8 At. All. Cost.

Luke walked down the corridor as her eyes were unable to part from his, tears brimming as she could feel bad omen eliciting a disruption in her heart.

Luke’s heart skipped a beat, he stopped in his tracks. He could feel her eyes were affixed on him, she wanted to speak something still didn’t.

And glancing over his shoulder, he smiled beautifully.

“I love you, Arabella…” He grinned, “I love you so much!” He shouted from the corridor, uncaring if anyone would hear or not.

Taken aback, it was the first time since their relationship where he expressed love openly and grinning, she replied ecstatically.

“I love you too, Luke!”

All her worries vanquish, all the tension reduced to nothingness and chuckling from relief, Luke finally left.

‘We will marry and then he won’t be able to do anything…’

Thinking with determination, she beamed and went inside when her apprehension was diminished.

Luke knew he couldn’t leave peacefully until his beloved would be at ease and for that, he did what he actually planned to do when he would send a proposal.

“Ah, this woman,”

Running his hand through his soft locks, laughing when Arabella was finally at peace, he left for London.

After gathering her composure and unfortunately ending all her valid vacation, Arabella returned to her work at the Estate agency as her Boss’, the executive assistant.

Returning to her nonchalant self, she considered working to shift her mind from William and went to work only to find her colleagues managing files vigorously.

“Hey, Amy… Is our new boss here yet? What’s with the rush?” She asked with a nervous chuckle.

“You haven’t read your mail?”

“No, I was enjoying the wedding. Did I miss something?” She shrugged, checking the time and taking a seat.

“They have already sold four properties, we are finishing the paperwork and he demanded the records of the previous unsold lands,” Amy replied, gesturing to her to help and arrange the file.

“Oh that explains this hectic schedule. I wonder how our new Boss is going to be like,” She trailed off playfully, stacking the files for their new Boss.

Noticing the meetings were higher than usual along with delegating tasks for brokers, finance department and managers.

“You are acting as if you don’t know, Arabella, you must be going to start your most prestigious time,” Her friend stopped, smirking at her.

She knitted her brows, “I-I seriously don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

“Your best friend’s brother, William, is the owner of Greenwood Real Estate. He has assigned his subordinate, Warren, as our investor!” She beamed in a whisper-like tone.

Giggling to imagine how fun it would be but it brought nothing but horror on enticing features.

“What?” She prayed she heard wrong or some horrible prank.

“Although I thought he would be our Boss,” Another friend joined them.

Separating the current records from the past ones as Arabella stood stunned with her heartbeats doubling by each passing second.

“Don’t be silly, he is the most successful business man, he owns a variety of businesses and now real estate. He doesn’t have time for us,” Amy scoffed.

Doubting William himself would bother to step on their workplace only to get cut off by the irresistible billionaire’s playful resonance.

“Actually, I do,”

‘What the fuck! What is he doing here!?’

Arabella’s whole being was stiff, her back facing him. Trembling slightly in fear to spend a second in his proximity. Contrary to her discontent, her friends gasped at his unforeseen arrival.

“S-Sir?!”

Smirking impishly, William stepped forth.

“Since this is my first step in real estate, I would love to stay and contemplate the functionings of this market personally,”

Not sparing a glance at Arabella yet she moved away, holding her shirt with words purloined from her tongue.

Slyly taking the file from Amy’s hand, bringing a blush on her cheeks, he replied in his renowned tender tone.

“Before deciding whether I would like to invest further in this chain or not. Are you getting me, Miss..?”

“Amy,”

“Miss Amy,”

Ending in his persuasive smile, she swayed along his charms and nodded shyly.

“Ah, I see. Welcome, Sir, we hope this brings you success,”

“Thank you,”

“Now that you ladies are done discussing, kindly go back to your work. Warren, your new boss, is extremely strict,”

Gesturing to them to leave which they did wholeheartedly, to be working for a man with great bewitch as his.

“And send these files to the office, Miss Dew, your Boss will be here any time,”

Snapping his fingers dominantly, he gestured to her to follow, dragging her out of her scary perceptions.

Stopping outside the cabin, he glanced over his shoulder with a hysterical smirk, sending a dreadful shiver down her spine, afraid to be alone in the room with him.

Her throat dried, filled with disbelief to fathom for how long he held those dark intentions at bay, setting up a stage to execute his plan.

Yet left with no choice but to obey, she picked the files and followed his trail unwillingly until they were all alone in the cabin.

Placing the files down, he stood beside her, startling her when he leaned against the table, folding his arms at his chest with a questionable smirk.

“Why are you doing this? What is it that you are trying to prove?” She whimpered, holding the hem of her shirt, taking a step back cautiously.

“What happened to you, William? What have you become?”

Sighing at her disappointment, he stood dangerously closer, softening his gaze, praying his in-depth emotions would reach her core.

“I am merely expressing my desire for you, Arabella,”

He brought his hand to touch her to which she tensed her shoulders, not allowing him, piercing his heart.

Curling his hand in a powerless fist, he swallowed hard.

“That for you, I could reach any extent, for that one day, one moment, my feelings will reach you,”

Her jaw clenched, pushing him away furiously for crossing such a thought about his brother’s girlfriend.

“Perish with those mindless desires, William. I love Luke and I am all his,”

Growling, she was filled with disgust and turned to leave but he suppressed a mocking chuckle with an undeniable fact.

“We both know that I have spoiled Luke to an impulsive point. He is a brat, a manchild. He can barely handle himself let alone to express worry for you,”

She glared, “You have lost your mind. How can you even think like this?”

“Oh, Darling, I have thought beyond your imagination so let’s just not go there,” He smirked heartlessly, raising his hand in the air.

Narrowing her eyes sorrowfully, she whispered painfully, retreating her steps, unable to spend a second in his vicinity.

“Why are you here? What do you want?”

“You.”

“What?”

To her distress, William became abruptly serious.

Resting his hands in his pockets, asserting his dominance, he stepped forth latching his eyes unfathomably with hers, declaring openly.

“I want you, Arabella Dew, At. All. Cost,”