Chapter 28 Out Of My Car
Kian
Zita returned to London and today was another beautiful day where I wasn’t overstimulated by her affection and Mikaelson Williams's emails.
With a bag of berries in one hand and a box of chocolate in the other—for my parents. I smiled at the gardener who trimmed the lawn at my mansion.
I had a board meeting scheduled for the next thirty minutes but my parents had called, telling me to stop over at their house.
Since dad was short-tempered, I got him chocolates to soothe his anger. I kind of figured out that the reason he asked to see me was because of the slight drop in the company’s sales.
The butler came down the small steps, welcoming me with a smile as she reached for the things in my hand. “Good morning, Mr Kian”
I handed it to her. “Morning, Rhoda. What is the mood like inside?” I darted my eyes to the door then back to her.
“Explosive?”
She chuckled softly. “Not really”
Relief.
Before I could start towards the grand foyer, I glanced at Rhoda over my shoulder. “Please unwrap a bar of chocolate and offer it to him before he starts—”
She cut in. “I know exactly what to do—” She walked past me, opening the double doors to the foyer.
I sucked in a deep breath, stepping into the foyer while glancing at the tiered chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Rhoda brushed past me, disappearing into the hallway that led to the guest living room, and for a second, confusion rocked me. My parents hardly used that room unless they had actual guests.
What was this about?
“Here,” she motioned with her hands.
“Hi mum” I bent slightly to my mum who sat on the couch, kissing her on the cheeks but her body language—
Stiff. Cold as she nodded and fixed her eyes directly to—
Dad. He sat across from my mum with his legs crossed, fingers steepled while my brows furrowed in confusion. “Hi Dad”
No response. All he did was bob his head continuously. Like he always did whenever he was boiling inside.
And then to his right were Zita’s parents who glared daggers at me through their huge rimmed glasses. For a second, I stood in the midst of the brewing storm until my eyes landed on Zita who sat on the staircase with her upper body angled to the side.
Her eyes were tense, sad, and pathetic so much that it infuriated me. I thought she had left for London? How dare she come to my parents’ house?
Then my eyes swept through the room and the reason for my being here suddenly hit me.
It was because of Zita.
I closed my eyes briefly and then turned. I would have no part in this meeting until—
My dad’s voice boomed through the room. “If you take one more step, consider your spot in the company gone!”
The same threats that always ruffled me.
A scoff escaped me as my hands ripped through my hair and I closed my eyes shut to reign in the anger that stirred deep inside of me before I spun with that killer smile on my face. “What is this about?”
Zita’s dad, Mr Clarke erupted from where he sat. “What is this about? You threw a pregnant woman out of the house into the chill of the night. What kind of man are you—”
I rolled my eyes, stuck a finger in my ear, and gave it a lazy shake as he gasped at my complete insolence until he fell back to the couch in disbelief.
“Are you done?”
Silence and shock on their faces.
“I guess that you are done. In response to what you have just said, if your daughter hadn't caused a scene and had gone when I asked her nicely, she wouldn't have been thrown out of the house”
A strangled laugh left my mum’s mouth and in the next second, she was on her feet, hitting me on the chest with tears streaming down her face. “How could you do this to the woman who finally gave you the child, how could you do this to the mother of my grandchild—” She was still hitting me.
“What is your obsession with that woman that has nothing to offer to the family, no child, no womb—” I caught her wrists mid-air, staring daggers into those brown eyes as anger coursed through me.
“That woman has a name. Verena!” l shoved her hands to the side as her eyes widened at me in disbelief.
“Zita would join our family whether you like it or not!”
I glanced lazily at my wristwatch. “If you want Zita in our family, you can marry her off to Dad. I have an important board meeting and don't have the time for this mess”
My mum clutched her chest. “How dare you—”
I shook my head and turned to look at everyone, not without shooting a glare at Zita who glanced away immediately. “Dad, you should be more specific when you call for me”
He lifted his gaze to me and I was about to turn when his words made me stop dead in my tracks. “Sign the divorce papers and I am giving you three months to marry Zita. If you don't, not only would you be stripped of your position as the CEO but you will be disowned as my son,”
“But, it doesn't end there. Mikael—”
I froze.
“Mikaelson would take over as the CEO. Since he is single, he would marry Zita and I would strip you of everything. If you agree, you can go but if you don't—” He shot a glare at me. “Sit Down!”
The sound of blood rushing into my ears drowned out the other noises and the name ‘Mikaelson’ kept repeating in my head. In that moment where it seemed like I almost exploded, I hated myself and whatever power Mikael had over me.
Even in his absence—he still haunted me.
I didn't care for Zita but Mikaelson would take my position, take my child because if there was one thing, I knew that bastard would jump at this opportunity just to get back at me.
I sighed in defeat and sat.
Whatever was discussed after I sat blurred. My head wasn't there anymore. The only time they had my attention was when Verena was mentioned and it had to do with our divorce.
I watched as Zita’s mum helped the maids in dragging her suitcases down the stairs and my eyes snapped to the butler who unwrapped the chocolate that I had gotten.
Before she could hand it over to dad, I rose to my feet—still numb from the blow that had just hit me. Heck! I hadn't even processed this yet.
“Return the box of chocolates and berries into the car…” My dad’s face grew with disbelief as my gaze landed on the unwrapped bar. “And that too”
With that, I stormed out.
The drive back home was suffocating as Zita’s hand rested on my leg. “I am sorry for using Mikael just to get you to marry me. That was shitty of me, knowing how you already told me about how he affected you psychologically. I should have never told your parents about the way Mikael made you feel but what could I do? It was the only way to make you take responsibility” Her voice was infuriatingly calm.
I didn't respond, all I did was drive— my mind still spiralling from the fact that I had to marry Zita just because I couldn't stand Mikael.
Zita sighed, hands moving to my face. “Kian, you haven't said a single word to me since then”
My jaw clenched.
“Kian, that was selfish of me but I believe I made the best decision. I was raised in an unstable home and I can't count the number of times that my parents separated. All I want is the happy home I never had. That is what I want for our child too and only you can give me that,”
I opened my mouth, releasing the tension from my jaw as I turned to her with a blank stare. “I know you are not loved at home but you don't have to make it this obvious. After what you did?” I scoffed.
“Don't expect any form of love, affection, or attention from me” I fixed my eyes back on the drive and her hand dropped from my cheek.
Silence stretched between us for a second before she started. “This is because of Verena, right? News flash Kian, Verena has moved on with your uncle”
My grip tightened around the steering wheel as different emotions clashed within me—most importantly, the rage that stirred inside of me, threatening to consume and burn everything in sight.
“I hope she gets married to him—” Trigger. “Travel all around the world—” Another trigger. “And have the fun of their lives. She is never coming back to you, Kian and I am sure she is choking on his dick right now—”
My heart turned cold as the car came to a halt in the middle of the road.
I turned to Zita. “Get out of the car” My voice was barely a whisper.
Her laugh was shaky as she blinked continuously. “What do you mean, did the car suddenly develop a fault?” Her shoulders tensed.
“Get out of the car” Something dark took over my voice.
She stilled, staring into my eyes with fear, and then she laughed and that laugh was the final trigger. In the blink of an eye, I snarled. “Get Out Of My Fucking Car!”
I had never felt so much rage at once. Never raised my voice at a woman like that. But this Zita—
She always got on my nerves and now she trapped me into a marriage with her and had the audacity to say that Verena was choking on my uncle’s dick?
She trembled, struggling to unbuckle her seatbelt. I leaned forward, yanked out her seat belt. Zita came out immediately and as soon as the door slammed shut, I sped off.
But, I couldn't stop picturing Verena looking at me with disdain growing in her eyes because of what I had just done to Zita.
What if Verena hated me more than she already had.
A groan ripped from my throat as I slammed my fist on the steering wheel and made a sharp U-turn.
Zita was still standing in the same spot, scared and alone, and the fact that she was pregnant—
Damn!
What was wrong with me?
Maybe I had to let go of Verena at this point. I was turning into this version of me that I didn't recognize.
To help myself and my unborn child, I had to let go of Verena. That was the right thing to do.