Chapter 40 What are you doing here?
Jason.
Holding the note, my hands trembled so much that it almost fell down..
That handwriting, and the name at the end? It was all Dahlia. But I had her locked in the room with the driver, right?
Noo! I shook my head as I bolted out. At that point, I couldn't care less that people were watching.
I wanted to find Dahlia, to ensure that she had nothing to do with the note that somehow bore her signature, and to confirm that she was unaware of my plans.
And most importantly, I wanted to make sure that, just like I had been turned into the country's joke, she had her reputation ruined too. After everything, those lewd videos of Sofia, I felt like I was being choked, as if something was slowly slipping away from my grasp and seeing Dahlia, locked into that driver's arms, tangled together, seemed like the only way I could breathe.
I definitely had to have the last laugh. She couldn't be better than me!
At the room's door, I pressed my ears, fishing for a moan, a whimper,anything to confirm to me that somehow, she was in there, and even after Sofia's betrayal, Dahlia had nothing to do with the streamed videos, but there was nothing.
No sounds, no moans, just deep and unsettling silence. My fingers trembled as I fished for the specific room card from my pockets and when I found it, I held my breath as I swiped it, preparing myself for many scenarios, and yet, nothing had prepared me for what awaited me in that room..
Looking at the neat bed, speckles, just like it was when I placed Dahlia there, earlier, my vision tunnelled.
And then there was the driver. The fool seemed to have been knocked out, and he was there on the floor, unmoving.
His clothes were in place, just like he was before. Nothing had happened, and the realisation had me storming out, heading to my private room in the hotel..
The room had CCTV cameras installed, and they were linked with my laptop.
The room wasn't very far from where the other one was, and after a few seconds of walking, I entered, I didn't even bother to close the door before I went for my laptop.
On the screen, from the moment I had gotten out of the room, she had taken some pills before she sat on the bed.
Occasionally, she would throw a glance above, on the camera, as if she was mocking me.
And when the driver got in, she had wasted no time before knocking him out, her movements swift, ruthless and precise. And for a moment, I went into a daze as I watched everything. On the screen, she looked nothing like the Dahlia that I had known my entire life.
And before leaving, she had even waved at the camera, and watching her resolute and retreating figure, I felt like an invisible hand was choking me.
And with a numbing clarity, everything clack to place.
All along, while I was making plans to humiliate her, to ruin her life while paving way for Sofia, she had been watching, and probably, with amusement as I made a fool out of myself.
She knew about Sofia and me.
She had known that the wedding she had prepared was for Sofia too.
And the video that she'd exposed of Sofia doing all those dirty things? That was a brutal move, a dent to my image, and ego.
She had not only wanted to show the world how blind I was, she had probably wanted to ruin my image too, and yeah, she had won..
I was not only blind, but stupid, too. I had failed to see Sofia for who she actually was. I had even chosen her, thinking that she was innocent and cultured, over Dahlia, the woman whose purity and love for me I couldn't question...
" How dare you?" Just then, the door was roughly pushed open, and my father entered, dragging Sofia with her. He then pushed her forward, and she tumbled, falling on the bed, and the impact had our skins glazing each other, and I pushed her away, disgust contouring my face.
In the past, before I saw the videos, I used to love the feeling of touching her, but now, just looking at her repulsed me to the very core.
"And you!" My father snapped, and I didn't even flinch when his slap landed on my face. I deserved it.
" Is this slut the woman you fell in love with?" He questioned, tremors of anger accompanying his voice.
" You let go of the real heiress for some street rats," he said, and from where she was, I felt it as Sofia trembled at the mention of that name.
But my father was right. I had let go of the real gem while chasing some cheap slut, and now? I was regretting it.
" The situation is still reversible, Father." I stated, foreign calmness edging my voice.
"Dahlia still loves me. She has been in love with me for over ten years. That love, over ten years of love, can't be erased in an overnight ." I explained, confidently, and at my words, my father relaxed.
" I believe that, as long as I apologise sincerely, she will forgive me."
" I already regret betraying her. But it was a moment of slipping and losing focus. Sofia was a temporary distraction. It is Dahlia that I want." I whispered, my voice filled with conviction.
" That's right, son. I am highly disappointed in you. But I will overlook it if you solve the mess you have created." He added, sternly.
"Don't worry. Tomorrow, my lawyer will handle the divorce papers, and soon, Sofia and I will be divorced. By then, I will have convinced Dahlia, and I will marry her instead." I went on..
"But, I am pregnant.." Sofia tried protesting, and before I could react, my palm connected with her cheeks.
" Shut up! Who knows, the pregnancy is not mine. You probably don't even know who the father is, " I mocked, my eyes filled with disgust as I looked at her.
"Before that, you two will play a couple and go to Silverdale. "
" I already have the details of Dalton's schedule. You have to go and meet him and his newlywed wife."
" I have prepared the gifts. I don't know how you two will do it, but you and Sofia better play happy couples when you go to meet them later." He added, and although I wanted to go and search for Dahlia and apologise to her instead, I knew my priorities.
" Don't worry. We will be in our best behaviour. " I vowed, mild excitement burning through my veins.
Sofia and I boarded the plane quietly as we headed to the Capital, to the shared location, and when we got there, after a few minutes of waiting after ringing the doorbell to the seaside villa, the door was finally pushed open but what I saw had my eyes going wide with shock, and my blood freezing.
" Dahlia?"
" Why...what ..."