Chapter 4: Chapter 4

"So, what did your mom tell you about Ares' proposal?" Elena asked me again as she peered into my cubicle.

I ignored her and continued what I was doing. I simply glanced at Ares' office again because until now it was still empty. When I looked at Elena, she was already beside me and looking at my arm.

"What happened there?" She asked me a serious question in a threatening tone.

I quickly adjusted my dress and forced the sleeve of the blouse I was wearing to cover my arm. I averted my eyes from Elena and stapled the papers scattered there.

"Aren't you going to do anything? I have a lot to do, Elena. Let's just talk later," I replied evasively to her but she didn't seem to hear that.

Instead, she even grabbed my arm, so I quickly looked at her. It looks dark. I winced as her eyebrows rose. That's where Matthew held me last night. I couldn't even make an excuse for that because his fingers were scratched there that had become bruised.

"Has Sir Ares seen it yet?" She asked more, so I just shook my head.

"We haven't talked again," I sparingly replied to her. Next, I heard her sarcastic laugh.

"I can't believe you're still letting your brother do that to you. That's too much, Ana, just so you know," she began and sat down next to me.

I turned my gaze to the computer and tiredly sighed.

"Because I didn't do what he ordered when—"

"Girl, you better be joking. Those lame reasons of you won't change the fact that he was abusing you since then. The audacity! You're already giving them money, and yet they're still hurting you. What the fuck is wrong with your family?" She angrily told me that her patients seemed to have run out.

But before I could answer, my eyes caught Ares's quick entry into his office as if he wasn't in the mood. I just looked at Elena and suggested that we talk later. She just stared at me and hurried back to her cubicle. When she left, I hurried to arrange the papers that Ares had to sign. I also adjusted myself before finally marching towards his office.

I knocked first before entering. When I entered, I immediately heard the angry tone of his voice. He was talking to someone on the phone.

"Stop making excuses again. If it weren't for dad, I wouldn't let you come home here after what you did," he said emphatically to his interlocutor.

I wondered if I would continue but finally, I came. I quietly laid the folders down on top of his table and looked at him. It turned in my direction.

"You've been a big disappointment to our family since then. Why should I even wonder — No! I'm not fucking competing against you. You're just his bastard!"

My mouth dropped open when I heard that. His tone of voice was also full of anger, so I guessed who he was talking to — his half-brother in another country. This is how he speaks every time he talks to him. I’ve always wondered why he was like this to his brother, but I couldn’t help but ask him the reason. It loses its mood every time it is talked about.

Sometime later, I heard Ares let out a series of cuss before putting down his phone. I even saw his slight shock when he saw me.

"You're here..." He immediately said and quickly approached me. He kissed me on the forehead and hugged me. "I'm sorry. I didn't even notice you entering my office. What's wrong?" He said softly and started staring at me.

"I just brought the clients' contracts you need to sign. Are you okay?" I asked him when I noticed that his forehead was still furrowed as he watched me. He seemed to be in trouble.

Instead of answering me, he instructed me to sit on the sofa there and quickly went to his mini pantry.

"Did you eat your breakfast? I didn't pick you up earlier because I have an urgent meeting," he changed the subject. I just looked at him while brewing coffee.

When he noticed I wasn't answering him, he turned his gaze to me. He stopped what he was doing as if he realized something then quickly crossed the path between us.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered while looking at me intently.

My forehead furrowed. "Why?"

"You waited for me, I know. I just … fuck …" He almost whispered to himself and slightly rubbed his forehead then closed his eyes firmly.

I quickly took his hands and kissed them, so he looked at me again.

"Tell me what happened, and I'll forgive you," I simply told him without still letting go of his hands.

He was about to speak when someone knocked on the door, so we both looked there. Sometime later, it suddenly opened and spat out a very beautiful woman. It is tall and white. It looks like a model.

I quickly let go of Ares' hand and stood up, even Ares did the same. As much as possible, I want to be professional and not bring the mediator between Ares and me here in the office even though many already know. If I could just move to another company, I would have done it. This man doesn't want the case.

"Lorraine, what are you doing here? We're done with our meeting." Ares' voice was serious and problematic. I stayed silent beside him. I saw this woman turn to look at me for a moment, he called Lorraine and then smiled.

"So, this was you're doing while I was gone, huh? Is that why you didn't take care of the partnership that dad offered you?"

I bit my lower lip when I heard that. Maybe she's not referring to me, is she?

"Don't make everything personal, Lorraine. I already said the reason in our meeting earlier," Ares replied coldly to her and returned to his table. He just told me not to leave, so I just nodded.

I saw the woman finally approach his table. It stood in front of Ares as its arms crossed over her chest. I watched it from head to toe. Just by her outfit, it is obvious that she also comes from a wealthy family like Ares. The woman is sophisticated and very intimidating. We were only about the same height but I was a little whiter than her. Who is this?

"Isn't this personal to you yet? You're dating your secretary—"

"She's my fiancé now, Lorraine," Ares firmly said to her, cutting her off. I looked at him because of what he said.

I also saw the shock in this woman even though I only saw her side profile. After a while, she suddenly turned to me and focused her sharp gaze on me, so I was barely backward.

"So, she's really the reason why dad didn't pursue the partnership between you and our company. How cheap," she said arrogantly as she looked at me from head to toe.

When I heard that, I immediately frowned. At the same time, Ares was walking fast in front of me, so I blinked quickly.

"I was the one who didn't push through, and you can ask your dad on your own the real reason why. Don't you ever include my personal life here especially Ana," Ares firmly said to her in his baritone voice.

The woman's face wrinkled even more. "But Ares, you can still change your mind—"

"I will never ever change my mind anymore, so please leave and don't fucking come back here trying to insult my soon-to-be wife," Ares cut her off. I sighed because of that.

I was silent as I watched them stare for a moment. Sometime later, the woman finally came out with a bang and Ares quickly turned to me. I immediately greeted his worried face with a smile that seemed to be apologizing.

"I'm fine," I was quick to say what he was going to say but he ignored it. Instead, he tiredly sat on the sofa there and suddenly grabbed me causing me to sit on his thigh so I shouted loudly.

"Ares! We're in the office!" I shyly told him and forced myself to leave on top of him but he hugged me even tighter. I even felt his head sink into my chest so I was stunned.

"Stay here. I want to rest. I'm so tired ..." I heard him whisper and he even lazily sighed, so I also felt even more tired.

"What happened? Who was that?" I asked him as I tapped his back. He still remained to hug me.

"She's the heiress of the Chua clan. I withdrew the partnership her dad proposed to me a month ago," he replied lazily to me, so my eyes widened.

"Are you serious? Why did you do that? Haven't you wanted to merge your company for a long time?"

In fact, he had been waiting for several months for the Chua's response to the proposal made by Don Damien, and only last month did he respond. The Chua are the second most successful business tycoon in the country and the only third is the Aragons. Leading the way is the Galvez who to my knowledge are also distant relatives of them. Ares has been eager to be at the top of them since then, so when he got the answer from the Chua's about Don Damien's partnership proposal last year, he was very happy.

And now he withdrew it just like that?

I heard Ares sigh again. His hug with me was tighter.

"I found out that they have been committing fraud just recently. I know dad. Even if he likes them, he wouldn't want our name to be stuck with illegals. It's better that I found out earlier," he explained to me, so I just nodded.

Why did that Lorraine seem so mad at me before?

"I'm sorry for what Lorraine said to you earlier," I heard Ares say. I just shook my head and hugged him tightly.

"It's fine. I'm used to it," I laughed in response to him because that was the truth. "Just rest, Ares. I'll stay here for a while until you're okay," I changed the subject.

Instead of answering, he pulled away from me suddenly and looked up at me. His eyes were already tender so I felt even more sorry. It doesn’t seem to have a proper rest yet.

"I talked to your brother earlier before I went here. I'm sure he won't do that thing to you again, but please tell me once he did something to you again. I'm fucking pissed off, but I don't want to ruin my relationship with your whole family," he told me seriously, so my mouth fell open.

I don't know what to say because I don't know if he already knew. I also don't know how I would react to what he did so I just nodded.

"I will. I'm sorry ..."

"Let's have lunch together if you want me to forgive you. Come on. I'm hungry," he quickly commanded me so I just laughed and stared at him.

-

"Just mention it to Sir Ares later, ah," Elena told me again while we were in the elevator.

I just looked at her and frowned. "Why?"

Elena looked at me meaningfully and winked some more. "Riley and Via are going home now. We have prepared something for you," she seemed excited to answer me, so I immediately shook my head.

"I don't want to," I immediately told her and preceded her in exiting the elevator.

"You have no choice this time, Anastacia Solei. I already told Sir," she chased after me, so I quickly turned to her. It just smiled at me and passed me by.

"You're getting married, so you must first experience the things you haven't experienced while you're still a virgin. You too, you might regret it," she said and left me there.

What else is that woman planning?

I just shrugged and went to my cubicle while typing a text for Ares about what Elena said. Later, while I was waiting for his answer, I saw a man quickly pass in front of me and go straight into Ares' office. I even caught that look because of its fragrant smell that seemed to hang in my place for a long time. When I looked at him, I could only see the wide back of him on that coat of his. He is tall and obviously muscular. I wonder who was that...