Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Angelica

What did just happen? I pull myself to one of the corners of the room and place a hand on my pulsing chest. My heart was beating high under the palm of my hand. I look down at my legs with my welling eyes and find them shaking. My trembling fingers reach my rims. My lips were quivering with the aftermath of the kiss.

An immediate blaze of anger strikes my existence as I regain my senses. I look around the room with my tearful eyes and everything felt blurry because of the tears residing in my orbs. For a moment I did not know what I felt about myself. I liked his touches, those gentle caresses of him. My instincts defied me and my body became a traitor. Why couldn’t I resist him? Was it the sheer disgust on my own existence? Or was it the pity that I felt for myself for being forced to sell to this philanderer? I didn’t know what my feelings were, but one thing was clear. I should leave this place immediately. Away from his presence implies, away from his touch and his tantalizing smell. Get a grip of yourself Angelica….

As I took hasty steps towards the exit of my room there was a knock at the door. On call I push open the door of the room and there stood his driver in his shining white uniform ready to take me out of this disdained place. I quickly wipe away my tears and give a forced smile to Oliver. “Are you ready to go home Ms Evans?” He asks me politely.

The drive towards home felt like eternity. My tears refused to listen to me and kept flowing continuously. I knew Oliver was watching me from the rear view mirror. Sometimes he looked at me with a deadpan emotion and at times with deepening pity but sometimes with a frown on his creamy wrinkled face yet whatever his feelings were I didn’t bother to make a note of his presence. I know what he was thinking about me. There hasn’t been any girl in the past that could resist the charm of Augustus Martin and yet here I am, crying unstoppable and mourning for a brief kiss that happened between me and my fiancée.

I falter with the keys of my house with my shaking hands. I was an unquenchable crying mess unable to think about anything with sanity. I drop the keys and my clutch on one of the sofas sitting on the drawing hall and rush through the steps to reach my room. It was my abode of serenity where I did not have to restrain myself from doing anything. I twist the door knob hastily and fall on the neatly made inviting bed breaking into another heart wrecking yowl.

Few seconds later there was a knock at the door but I did not bother answering it. After a few moments I hear the twisting of the door knob finding my dad silently examining me standing at the foot of the bed. He takes a few moments with his guarding eyes and occupies a place beside me on the bed. Running his warm hand on my hair soothingly he asks me in a soft voice. “What happened princess? Did Augustus scold you for something?”

I look at my dad with my tearing red face and burst into another cry hugging him tight. “Dad, he kissed me.” My dad relaxes in my hold. I know he presented calmness outwardly but in shallow of his heart he was anything but peaceful. His caring hands were continuously running on my back. “Princess Augustus is your fiancée and your ‘to be’ husband. I don’t find anything wrong if he kissed you.” He tells me suggestively.

I look at my dad in disbelief. “Dad, some manipulative scoundrel kisses your daughter and this is how you support her and ease her of the pain? My voice rises to an irate shooting my blood shot eyes at my father. “Princess I want you to listen carefully and peacefully on everything that I speak now.” He tells me a patting my shoulders but with seriousness on his features. “Look around this house. I was declared bankrupt two and half years back yet you continue to live in this costly mansion leading an opulent lifestyle with the same number of facilities, servants and cooks. Do you know who could be the reason behind all this luxury?” He gives me a disgruntled sigh. “With my present financial condition, I couldn’t afford even a hut leave about a mansion.

You go on a shopping spree and empty your account.” He addresses me slightly irritated. “Have you got a least idea on how your bank balances go replenished?” “I earned that money dad….” I counter him before he speaks further. He shakes his head looking at me in disapproval. “I don’t think there is any employer in this world that pays two millions to his staff and readjusts her balance whenever he finds its depleting. Augustus stands behind every action of yours like a shadow and for everything that you possess today.” Dad’s words were like a thousand arrows piercing my heart. I did not understand if my growing agony was the result of the blow off caused on self ego or it was my irresistible jealousy emerging for Augustus because of my dad’s praising words for him.

Dad was never this strong for all that I heard from him in my life. It appeared as though he was trying to mark his sentences in my brain. My dad is completely mine and I am the only person on this earth whom he is supposed to love. “Dad you don’t have to always praise Augustus for every opportunity you get to support him.” I tell him kicking a pillow on the bed which lay near my legs. “If Augustus was so supportive of me and loves me so much, he could have easily set us free from the giant debt announcing about his large heart and generosity.” I tell him in exasperation with my arms spreading wide in air.

Bringing my small hands in his large ones dad brings them to his lap and looks at me with so much affection. “You are jealous.” He softly tells me the obvious with a knowing smile on his profile. “If that was what he did he could have turned a joker in front of his staff, a love sick fool who couldn’t keep his dick under control and would mix pleasure with business. He would have now been the starring topic in news papers, magazines and his employees would have given him two hoods and a finger to fuck off.”

Leaning towards the headboard, my dad picks up the receiver of the phone from the night stand. “Maria, get the dinner ready within fifteen minutes. Little miss muffin is hungry and throwing tantrums.” He teases me looking at me with a tender smile. “Daddy…” I whine giving his shoulder a soft push. “Augustus is a very balanced and intelligent man, princess. He knows how to play his cards.” Dad assures me silently and pushes the wild hairs away from my face to clean my face with a soft napkin. “I have lot many enemies in this country. Sunshine industries rules three fourths of American economy which you already know. No businessman having brains would try to invoke a rivalry with Augustus Martin. You being working closely for him nobody could dare to touch you and that are what Augustus has exactly planned for. Outwardly he was employing you to discharge the debt and people recognized him as a tough business man but inwardly he was protecting you from all my enemies.”

Dad was singing all laurels about Augustus Martin but was there indeed a truth resting behind all this? Or was he just meddling with my dad’s emotions in tackling me into this loveless marriage for a calculative rogue that he is?

We eat the dinner in silence each one of us occupied in our thoughts. I look at my dad and he was in turn looking thoughtfully towards me. I hug my dad bringing myself out of the chair. “Don’t worry so much about me dad. I can take care of myself. I would kick that bastard in his balls if he ever dares to touch me.” I tell him with a reassuring smile.

My dad looks at me as though I had grown two heads and gives me a warning look. “You will never do such things to your husband. I know like many Augustus doesn’t boast himself with speeches of giving you a life of luxury. I also note he doesn’t give you cliché speeches like the hero on those romantic tales that you read in books. He is definitely not your knight in shining armor but if you could read, there is love behind every move that he makes for you. Actions speak louder than words, Sunshine……If only you could understand them.” He tells me with a defeating sigh in his tone.

I wasn’t still ready to buy everything dad told me. Augustus’s territory in manipulating humans was exquisitely excellent and probably he attained a grip even on my dad’s hairs but for a penny to my thoughts….

Was my dad telling me the truth?

What if Augustus indeed loves me and is really protecting me?

Am I ready to accept him as my husband?

What if he kicks me out with no second thoughts after two years and the expiry of the deal?

Augustus Martin I am never going to love you and break my heart but….I think the damage has already been done.