47. Give a Chance

**47. Give a Chance**

“I want to turn our fake marriage into real.”

My heart thuds thunderously as I stare into his deep eyes, which are searching for an answer in mine. His face looks scared, panicking, and mostly hopeful.

“I know our relation, this entire marriage set up is all fake, but I want to make it work. Maybe we can.. Give each other a chance.”

I look away with nerves pulsating in my ear. Is he saying all these things because he is jealous and doesn’t want Cason to flirt with me or even be around me?

“Is it because of your brother?” I ask Ceasar and he clenches his jaw as he takes a moment to breathe deeply.

I can see the turmoil in his eyes, a battle between his anger, desire, and his pride.

“No.” He finally responds, his voice low and heavy with emotions.

“It’s not because of Cason. It’s you..”

My heart pounds wildly in my chest as he stares down with uncontrolled emotions rolling in his eyes. “And our baby, and it’s future.” He adds.

I am actually taken aback by his words. I never expected him to actually make an effort into this fake marriage, which started on rocks and pebbles.

“I know I am not ready to dive into a real relationship. But I want to take responsibility as a husband and be a good father for my child. And I believe it would be easy if we are not faking.” Ceasar says, looking deep into my eyes.

I can feel sincerity in his words and longing in his eyes to have a family. But I can’t forget the fact that this whole marriage was just a business deal arranged on his terms and condition.

A month before, I despised his face and now..

“I don’t know if I can accept you as my husband.” My heart thuds in my ribcage anxiously with a mixture of conflicting thoughts and feelings.

I feel a hand on my thigh and my skin jolts with the sudden warmness. Tingles of spark generate under his touch, spread in all the directions of my body like wild bees.

“We will never know unless we try.”

Grey eyes keep me captive in their gaze while he gently strokes his thumb on my flesh.

A hope flutters in my chest. When I was a child, I dreamed of marrying the love of my life who would adore and pamper me for the rest of my years. But as I grew up, I realized all the love of my life I dated were fuck boys and they only wanted one thing.

I left the idea of meeting my Prince Charming and became a Female Fatale to survive in this heartless world.

“And we already made things official in the eyes of media, so I think we should call this a real marriage as well.” Ceasar says as his words sink into me heavily.

*Oh.. So that’s why he is insisting!*

The car slows down to a halt and I realize we are home. *His home.*

My heart clenches with anger as the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. It all makes sense now, his breakup with Irene, then his sudden insistence on making our marriage real, it was all not out of love or care, but for the sake of his precious reputation.

I forgot that he is a businessman, and he is here to negotiate to keep his aristocratic nose up and clean in front of the media so no harm comes to his company and shares.

“No!” I shake my head, feeling the rage slowly building up in.

““I-I can’t do this.. Especially after knowing that you have been sleeping with another woman all these nights while I slept alone.”

“Joycelyn..”

“No.” I retort, grabbing my purse and attitude. I am done getting played. I don’t need no prince charming or a billionaire to write my fairy tale.

I raise my finger and point at the businessman beside me. “We made a deal. And we will stick to the deal.”

Ceasar’s expression falls and I see disappointment in his eyes. But I don’t care, like he didn’t even care to comment on my appearance tonight, because he was busy eye-fucking someone else.

And he thinks he can be a good husband.

“One year of marriage, then we go our separate ways.” I tell him and step out of his car angrily, slamming the door and his offer behind me.

My two-inch heels click on the marble floor as I walk alone to our condo. Ceasar didn’t follow me, nor did he step out of the car to convince me otherwise. Instead, he drove away.

He is selfish than a shell-fish!

A businessman with only one wish.

To make all the money he can,

Then pretend to be a Batman!

I change into a slip nighty and brush my teeth as I think about him. It’s 12:32 AM and he is not back yet.

Not that I care, but the dread feeling of Ceasar going back to his ex girlfriend eats me from inside. What if he reunited with her, slept with her and continued to keep his affair while I am forced to witness it all over again?

With anger boiling inside, I furiously spit in the sink, unable to shake the images of them together from my mind.

“I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care.” I keep repeating the mantra as I get in the bed with a pounding heart.

It’s 1:10 AM.

My gaze drawn to the window between our rooms and I see no movement in his room. He is still not back yet. Where did he go?

Suddenly I hear a thud coming from outside. I instantly close my eyes and pretend to sleep. My heart beats rises as the door opens of my room and seconds later, I hear the click.

*Someone entered!*

My breath hikes in anticipation as I feel the dip in mattress behind me and my heart stops beating. I bite my lips as I feel a heavy hand snaking my waist and slowly pulling me towards a hard chest.

“Joycelyn..”

Ceasar whispers, his breath hot against the back of my neck and I feel a shiver run down my spine. I keep my eyes shut as he nuzzles his face into my hair and a strong essence of alcohol hits my nose. *He is drunk!*

“I missed you.” He whispers again, skipping my heart beat.