Chapter 5: Chapter 05

Collective gasps filled the air—

“Oops! ” She laughed.

Darian’s eyes popped largely in disbelief, anger, and a little bit of embarrassment. He looked around to see the attention on them already hence he forced himself to compose.

“It’s a little misunderstanding, mind your business!” he said sternly.

“Sorry,” Averie said amidst a hiccup.

Darian Graham looked down at her small physique trapped in his arms. With her big round brown balls, lips reddened like a beet, rosy cheeks, and ears, Averie tried to stick the torn shirt back on his body.

“Do not bother Miss Quinn, I think I’ll have to give you something else to heal from” he told her, with malice dripping from his voice.

Darian dragged Averie to his car, forced her inside, and strapped her firmly to the seat.

“This is kidnapping. Help! Is there even justice in this world? I got fired by my brother-in-law and now he’s trying to…” Darian immediately covered her mouth with his hand.

Jayden appeared from behind with a confused face “I never thought Miss Averie was this fierce … she was always easy going and…”

“Shy?” Darian completed Jay’s statement with a smirk.

“Tonight, I’ll force her to show her true colors. I should have known these little women are all the same” he said.

When he realized Averie had suddenly stopped moving, he leaned closer to examine her “She fell asleep”

“Should I send Miss Averie home?” Jay proposed.

Darian flashed him an irritated look.

“Apologies boss. You asked me to follow her all day I should know better that you have a plan” he didn’t want to offend his boss.

“You can leave for the day. I’ll drive” With that, Jayden had no choice but to leave as instructed but his face held concern for his fellow coworker.

Darian arrived in front of a very big mansion. He waited a few seconds for the gate to open before he swerved inside roughly.

As soon as he got out of the car, he looked around, then over another big building a few steps away from where he stood.

“Grandfather should have retired by now” A mischievous smirk came on his face.

He opened the car door and got Averie out. He lifted her onto his broad shoulder and walked gallantly through the big door of his home.

He paused before a couch and set Averie down on it. He noticed Averie stirring back to consciousness and he walked away.

Soon after, he returned with a determined expression on his face and a bottle of water in his hand.

Darian Graham had returned with a bottle of cold water. With a wicked smile playing on his lips, he emptied the water on Averie slowly.

Averie cried from her sleep, her hands fighting and kicking the air.

“How can you be so cruel to me Esther?!” She angrily brushed her wet hair to the back, and raised her head, ready to lash out at her friend but when she saw the frosty Darian Graham, her legs turned jelly.

“B… boss?” she stuttered.

“I’m no longer your boss remember?” he reminded as he closed the bottle cap tightly.

“I know that no amount of sorry can make you forgive me right now or refund you for your expensive shirt but please spare me. I already got fired… please Mr.Graham”

Darian picked up his ripped shirt from the floor “Someone almost stripped me naked last night” Darian’s grip on the piece of clothing tightened.

Averie acted surprised “Oh my gosh!”

“Where… where are we?” she asked fearfully.

“My home” He replied to her plainly.

“What? He had never invited anyone home before” Averie mumbled.

“There are a lot of things I was naive about in the past and now is no different… what can I do differently this time?” Lost in thought, Darian thought she was scheming again.

“You claimed to be cheated on but in fact, it was you who spiked my drink, and offered yourself to me! Have you forgotten that I’m your boyfriend’s brother?” he chuckled mockingly.

“I didn’t spike your drink… everything that happened was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened” she said quietly.

Darian’s face surged with rage, and he roughly grabbed Averie’s jaw. He raised it to meet his piercing gaze.

“A mistake?” he repeated.

“Didn’t your parent arrange for you to spend a night with me? I bet Tyler wasn’t enough for you right?”

Hearing the demeaning words from Darian, she was brimming with anger but in this new life, she’s refused to suffer for the mistakes of others.She has decided to go all in.

“Mr.Graham’s, instead of sulking, why don’t you marry me?” She said seriously.

“What did you just say?” his knuckles cracked “You keep shooting yourself in the leg. You all are so hard to trust” he released his hold on her with malice dripping in his voice.

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t bring yourself to trust me. I knew nothing about my family’s plan for you but from now on, I’m acting alone” she clarified.

“What if I kick you out right now?Do I have a reason to agree?” He turned his back on her, walking to the door.

Averie could tell he was going to kick her out next so she started racking her brains on the next course of action. Then, she remembered a secret of his she mistakenly found out in the past.

“Don’t blame me for being ruthless, I died once” Averie rose to her feet, ready to speak when a knock came to their hearing.

KNOCK—KNOCK

“Mr.Graham, your grandfather is here” Jayden informed.

“What? This old man is kinda fast”

“Why are you outside young man? Are you trying to bail him out?” The old man, Darian’s grandfather opened the bedroom door.

His face brightened with a smile when he saw his grandson with a woman for the first time in his life.

“Oh! You’re that young lady from the picture” he hurried over, laughing loudly.

Averie wiped her tears, staring between Darian and his grandfather.

“Grandfather! That picture was made up” Darian said.

“Then what’s she doing here so early in the morning unless she slept here…” he averted his gaze to Averie.

“Young lady, have you considered marriage?” His grandfather proposed.