Chapter 9 Unexpected Proposal
“Just fuckkk me Damien,” Talia groaned, slurring words as Damien dumped her on her bed. She had gotten drunk right after the auction. Watching Julian carry Seraphina right out of the Moreau hall after she collapsed sent her spiraling with both saddening envy, and dread.
She could swear that Julian wouldn’t have bothered looking at her twice if she was the one who had collapsed in his presence. That was how much Julian detested her.
Yet, he had carried Seraphina protectively in his arm, even though she had told him that she was with his twin brother. Why wasn’t he repulsed by the idea?
She couldn’t take it. So she had gone to get drunk then called Damien to come pick her up after. But she wasn’t that drunk. She was aware of her surroundings and knew what she was doing.
“You are drunk, and I’m leaving now.” Damien started to turn, but her voice halted him.
“Don’t you dare bail on me, Damien.”
He turned around, his face hard with displeasure.
“Why shouldn’t I leave? We both don’t have any business together again.”
Talia laughed- the mocking and high-pitched kind of laughter.
“You must be kidding. We still have a lot to do. And you aren’t going to walk out on me like your brother!”
Damien scoffed then pressed his lips together into a thin line. “If my brother hadn’t ignored you like you don’t matter, you wouldn’t have looked my side, would you?”
Talia sluggishly detached herself from the bed and sat up, her eyes fighting hard to keep her gaze on him. “I was betrothed to Julian. You know it, but he was just being a bastard. But right now, I don’t care about him anymore. I chose you.”
“Right. You did. But you know what Talia?”
“What?”
“We are both the same.” He spat. She shook her head like she wanted to say something but decided against it. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…if you didn’t have such leverage that you have against me, I wouldn’t be here with you. You do know that, right?”
The tipsiness in her eyes seemed to clear at that moment. “I always knew you were a nut-head like him.” Her voice choked amidst sobs.
Damien swallowed. He turned to leave but again, her voice carried on
“If you think you can leave our work unfinished, then you must be joking. I will ruin you, Damien.”
Damien closed his eyes as if regretting why he had to get involved with her in the first place. He pivoted sharply. “Are you delusional? She knows our plans. I told you that. She heard everything. There is no way on earth that I can get her to open the vault any more. Don’t you…don’t you get it?”
Talia rolled her eyes and curled back into her bed. “Whatever, Thorne. You don’t bail away from me easy until you fulfil your part of the deal.”
Damien was speechless for a moment, his fingers went to his hair, running them through it.
“I’m going to leave now.” He didn’t wait for her to acknowledge.
“You may need this little bit of information before you do. Your brother might be together with Seraphina as we speak.” Talia revealed, venom in her voice.
Damien stilled. But in his mind, he called her bluff. “You are drunk.” He slipped out of her door and stormed out.
On his way out, he came across Sheryl as she parked in the driveway of the estate, but he didn’t stop to acknowledge her even as she looked after him with wonder.
When he got into his car, he pulled a file from underneath his shirt, then smiled at it.
~
Meanwhile, at JulCrest Cove, Seraphina was still stunned at Julian’s offer.
“You can’t be serious right now.” Her voice broke.
“I am” He said, deadpanly looking at her. She tried to search for humor in his features but nothing about him seemed like he was joking. He meant it. Then he added, “Marry me for a year, Seraphina. You will have the journal after you sign the marriage contract.”
Oh, it was a fake marriage he wanted. “So you have a marriage contract prepared already? I don’t get it, did you know we were going to meet or…”
“No. I just made the decision. I will prepare the contract.” He cleared.
She decided not to be dramatic even though she knew she was in the presence of a dangerous man that she should be running from. “There must have been a reason for this proposal. What’s it?”
He folded his hands together and for a second, Sera almost noticed something like hurt flashed across his eyes. But he recomposed easily.
“I was exiled by my own father,” he revealed. Seraphina was aware. He had exchanged words with his father at the auction and she was there.
“My twin brother framed me for a murder I didn’t commit. He made our father believe I killed…his right hand man. I was casted out. Never to come again.”
Sera's throat tightened. But he had truly killed before. She thought. “So you left?”
His eyes narrowed at her. She blinked. He smirked. “Only for a while. I’ve been in same city as him for two years now. But he never knew.”
“Oh,” Seraphina muttered.
Julian continued, “I started all over again. This time around, I had to do it all alone. Without my father’s wealth. I Built Juls Technology Dynasty from scratch. Laid low. I couldn’t afford to be traced, but I always planned to return. And I’ve always intended to…to find you.”
Seraphina swallowed. She had to part her lips to breath well.
“Find me…why?” Her chest rose and fell faster than usual. The suspense was killing her and she didn’t even understand why.
“I…Whatever that transpired between us felt like unfinished business.”
Seraphina couldn’t think straight. “Who’s Talia to you?”
Julian’s jaw clenched. “She was my bethrothed.”
Her mind was spinning too fast. Years ago, she had learnt that Talia was betrothed to some billionaire heir. But she didn’t know him because she had never lived as a Moreau.
So it was him…The evil man she had a one night stand with. And another fact stood- She had seen Talia and Damien kissing. What kind of sick game was at play?”
“If she’s your betroth, then why do you want a fake marriage with me?”
Julian leaned in once more, his gaze glued on her. “You are not with Damien anymore, are you?”
She shook her head.
“Then what do you have to lose?” He asked. Many things. She thought.
The implications struck her hard.
A fake marriage with Julian meant—Tying herself to the brother of the man who destroyed her. Risking him knowing about his child. And risking being seen with a man as dangerous as him. He wasn’t aware that she knew that part of him.
She stared at Julian and all she could see was the baby she had hidden. The child with gray-bluish eyes like his and a quiet strength that now felt like had been emulated from this man in front of her.
Sera rose abruptly, “Your restroom, please?”
He rose after her, “Are you okay?”
“I just…need a minute.” He directed her and she excused herself.
Once inside, she pressed her hands against the sink, chest heaving. The walls swam in her gaze. Even Her reflection trembled in the stylish mirror in front of her. Everything she had sighted in this building was built in style and class.
But she could hardly see it at the moment. Her mind went over everything—since she overheard Damien and Talia till now. It was all surreal.
She had been pregnant for the two men before and they had to be twins. What was life trying to teach her? She thought about forgetting the journal, and run away with her child to start a new life elsewhere? Her thoughts kept wandering.
She relaxed till the panic slowed off.
She had to make a choice or else, she would never make one.
She exhaled shakily, then splashed cold water on her face. She took the opportunity of the moment to cleanse her private area too.
When she returned to the room, her mask was firmly in place. She sat down on the bed without a word.
Julian was watching her carefully, almost as if he knew she had needed that moment of solitude.
Then, gently, he said,
“Do you want to sleep through it? You don’t have to decide rightaway.”
“Yes.”
“Yes what?” Julian asked.
“Yes, I will sleep through it. And I will leave tomorrow morning. I won’t make my decision here.” Julian’s piercing gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he nodded.
“Sure, Seraphine. I will have my cook send something light for you to take. Let her know if you need meds.”
Seraphina nodded, waiting for him to leave. His presence was so thick she couldn’t wait to breathe.
Then he stood and started to walk away, but before he could slide out, her voice stopped him.
“If I agree, what are the conditions?”