Chapter 6: Chapter six

Damien’s POV

She crossed her legs, “I was thinking, a period of three years…”

“Five,” I cut in.

Her lips slowly curved into a smile, “And here I thought you were not interested in marrying me.”

I chuckled, “Three years is suspicious, five is a benchmark.”

“Hmm, very well then,” she responded, “I’ll get the lawyers to draft the contracts…”

“But we are only just getting started,” I cut in.

Her brows knit in confusion, “What else is there?”

I leaned backward and rubbed my jaw, “I don’t think you've given this much thought, Clarissa…”

“I have…”

“I highly doubt it.”

She had a look of defiance in her eyes as I stared at her in amusement.

“Tell me, then. What important details have I missed?”

I didn’t miss the hint of sarcasm in her voice, “Housing arrangements?”

She frowned.

“You will move into my house and not the other way around,” I explained. It was clear that she hadn’t thought about this.

“But my house…”

“Do you want this or not?” I asked.

She sighed, “I like my house.”

“I like mine too,” I held her gaze, “If we’re to do this, to convince anyone, to take revenge on your sister and your ex, it must be believable. A married couple in love will live in the same house.”

She exhaled, “Very well then.”

“I will bear all the financial responsibilities,” I offered.

She shook her head, “No, you don’t have to.”

“I do and I insist,” I replied with a tone of finality, “I’d like you to remain the princess that you are.”

She averted her gaze and cleared her throat, “While I don’t expect fidelity from you, I’d expect that you be discreet in your dealings. The last thing I’ll need is your affairs becoming public news. If you can’t continue, I’ll…”

“I do agree to your terms,” I replied with a smile.

She nodded and stood to her feet, “You’ll sign a non-disclosure agreement that will last through the period of our marriage and beyond.”

“I can work with that.”

She smiled in response and then grabbed her purse, “I think that sums it up. My lawyers will be in touch. For the other part of our business, I think that should be a walk in the park. We are to be married after all.”

I smirked, “I couldn’t agree more.”

“See you later then, Mr. Martinez.”

My eyes followed her as she sauntered off. She was halfway out of the door when I stopped, “Rissa…”

She spun around.

“If you’re going to be my wife, I expect your fidelity.”

Clarissa’s POV

“Right here with me, we have Clarissa Devor, CEO of the Darcel group and heiress of the Devor fortune. What a pleasure it is to have you here.”

I smiled at her, “The pleasure is all mine.”

“I can argue that we are more than pleased to have you here,” she replied, “I am Natalie Kessinger on the Inside Buzz. Clarissa, the media has been abuzz with all the latest news concerning you, your family, and your company, and we are curious to know how you feel about all of this.”

I let out a big exhale. It was a lot, a lot that I couldn’t tell anyone, even though all I wanted was to scream on a rooftop. I was like a passenger on a moving train, with no controls or brakes. I tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled, “It has been a whole lot.”

The lady nodded, “Indeed it has. Let’s break it down. How is your father, Mr. Devor? The last news we heard was his health was deteriorating. Have there been any improvements at all?”

I nodded. My thoughts went to my father, and the foul play involved in health. It was important to keep things under wraps. “I can’t say anything for certain. All I can say is my father is lucky to have the best team of doctors, and I can only hope for his full recovery.”

She nodded, “All our thoughts and prayers are with him. We knew you guys had a wonderful relationship. How has his continued absence impacted you, especially with regards to running the company?”

“I can’t lie, I wish he was hale and hearty, handling the company like he would before. But my father had a lot of faith in me. A faith he demonstrated when he handed me the reins of the company,” I said and tucked my hair behind my ear. “With that at the back of my mind, I don’t want to disappoint him, so I put in my best. Not to leave out all the fantastic employees that make my work a lot easier.”

“The Darcel group has been thriving under your leadership. I think that’s a testament to your abilities,” Naomi said with a smile.

I smiled back at her, “Thank you.”

“There’s also the issue of your older sister Lilly Devor. She believes she is the rightful heir and should be in charge of the company.”

I let out an exasperated sigh and put on a polite smile, which was a facade for my true emotions. “I believe my father has his reasons,” I answered curtly.

“Of course, however, there’s the issue of her becoming a partner. There has been a conversation all over social media that you’re deliberately denying her, her position in the Darcel group because of her affair with your boyfriend…”

“Ex,” I corrected. “And no, my sister not becoming a partner has nothing to do with my ex. It was a unanimous decision reached by the board…”

“Karl says you’re acting on your own.”

I swallowed. I was slowly becoming irritated. “Karl has no say. He doesn’t understand the inner workings of my company. As a matter of fact, he is not privileged to private information about me and my family,” I absentmindedly rubbed the large diamond rock on my fingers. It was a gift from Damien, a gift that I tried but failed to turn down. It was hard to tell him no, and it was more than his ability to convince. It was his powerful aura, his perfect... “I am engaged…”

“Hello, Miss Kessinger.”

I turned in the direction of his voice, my eyes widening in surprise. “Damien.”

Naomi looked genuinely surprised. “Mr. Martinez, it is a surprise. We weren’t expecting you.”

I sat up straight and let out a deep breath as he came up behind me. I felt goosebumps spread from my neck all over as he kissed the top of my head.

Naomi’s jaw dropped.

He took my hand in his and kissed it fervently. “I and Clarissa have an announcement to make.”

I bit down on my lower lip. “We agreed I would make the announcement myself,” I whispered.

He leaned forward and kissed my cheeks. “Well, change of plans, love.”

“I had things under control,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Of course you did.”

I frowned at his tone.

“You were clearly overwhelmed with the questions concerning your ex-boyfriend. I came in just in time.”

“Da…”

He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on my lips, startling me. “Trust me,” he whispered.

I was too stunned to come up with a comeback. I wasn’t expecting him here, let alone a kiss and that on live television. His lips felt soft against mine. I wanted to touch my lips, but I stopped just in time. We were a couple in love who had kissed a lot of times, after all.

He looked up at Naomi, who was staring at us, tongue-tied. “Miss Kessinger.”

She covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, I was surprised by it all. The chemistry, the tension…”

He hummed in my ears. “Indeed…”

“How? When? This is…” she shook her head. “Okay, okay, I’m rambling.”

“I have something better for you…” He began. He took my hand in his and showed her the diamond ring I had somehow managed to keep concealed up until this point in the interview. “I and Clarissa Devor are engaged to be married…”