Chapter 7: Chapter 7

She placed the papers into the file and handed them back to me, leaning back on her seat with a look of expectation on her face; as if she was waiting for me to say something. But the silence that followed was awkward. So I decided to speak first.

“So,” but we said together coincidentally and I let out a slight giggle; I noticed Laurel staring at me in a confused manner so I cleared my throat and put on a serious look.

“Oh, you go first,” I said, gesturing for her to speak.

“No, you do,” she insisted, also with a serious look on her face.

“If you insist,” I replied, “I’ll make a second copy of the contract for you and also send you a soft copy for your records. We'll also need to keep the news of our marriage private until I give Miss Shirley my feedback tomorrow. We don't want to raise any suspicions before the decision on the investment is made. I'll release the news after that's been decided.”

“Alright, good. May I speak now?” Laurel asked, her expression still looking serious. It didn’t look like she was going to break free from character.

“Of course, go right ahead,” I replied, eager to hear what she wanted to say.

She took a deep breath before continuing. “After the news has been released by the press, I’ll move into the house.” She said, casting a glance around the living room where we were seated. “I get to have my room right? Given this is a mansion, there’d be more than just one room.”

“Yes, yes you will,” I responded.

I couldn’t help but let a narrow smile across my face but I quickly suppressed it so as not to let Laurel notice.

“I’m curious,” I started, “What made you change your mind?” I asked as I crossed my hands around my chest and leaned back, looking straight into her eyes.

She let out a sigh and looked away, avoiding eye contact.

“I couldn’t bear to see the company and its employees including myself suffer because of a ball that’s in my court. And it’s just for six months after all, I’ll do what I’ve always been doing and go on with my life regardless. It’s not like we’re really married, it’s just for the title anyway.”

My expression turned serious as I considered her words. I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Was this all she thought about our marriage? Just for the title?

“Well, that’s good,” I said, masking my disappointment with a serious tone. “I’m glad you thought about it thoroughly and finally came to that decision.”

“I’ll take my leave now,” Laurel said, standing up from her seat.

“Let me drive you home,” I offered, rising to my feet as well.

“No, it’s okay,” she insisted.

“Come on, Laurel.” I urged. Let me drop you off, just this once.”

Laurel was now under my care. We were now practically couples and I couldn’t let her leave on her own like that. What if another incident happened to her on her way back home? This was one of the reasons I offered the contract marriage anyway, to keep her safe. I just couldn’t let that happen.

“Fine,” she finally conceded, much to my relief.

“Sit and wait a minute, I’ll grab my keys and be right back,” I said, rushing into my bedroom.

***

The drive to Laurel's house was filled with silence. I stole glances at her, noting the way her gaze was fixed on the window, her posture stiff and tense. I couldn't help but wonder when, or if, she would ever feel comfortable around me.

What did she think of me? What was going through her mind? I knew that she held no affection for me, but I at least hoped she would at least feel comfortable around me.

But there was no denying the history between us, the connection to her step-sister and how I rejected her a year ago. It was a complicated situation, and I knew she now despised me and didn’t want to ever bring it up.

We finally arrived at Laurel’s house and she hurriedly jumped out of the car, thanking me for the ride. I watched her disappear as she rushed into her apartment without giving me a chance to respond.

I sat in the car for a moment, releasing a sigh as I prepared to head back home. Suddenly, I heard a clear scream, sending chills down my spine.

“Laurel?” I exclaimed,

“That’s Laurel!” I could feel my heart pounding through my chest.

Without a second thought, I jumped out of the car and raced towards her apartment but I found the door locked. I kept pounding on the door, shouting her name and begging for a response, but there was none. I knew I had to take more serious measures. I looked around me and found a brick and used it to break the handle, bursting into the apartment in a rush.

And there was Laurel on the floor, struggling for her life with a masked man.

“Laurel!” I yelled as I rushed towards the man, landing him a kick that knocked him away from her.

I expected him to strike back, but instead, he took to his feet and fled from the apartment. I wanted to chase after him, but with Laurel lying helplessly on the floor, struggling to breathe with her hands on her neck, that wasn’t an option. I rushed to her side, kneeling and placing her in my arms to check if she had any injuries.

“Laurel,” I said, my voice shaking with fear and concern. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

She looked up at me, her eyes teary and filled with pain. Gladly, she was still breathing, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Her voice trembled with fear and tears streamed down her face as she spoke, "He tried to kill me," she sobbed, "he strangled me."

I pulled her into a tight embrace, trying to comfort her as best as I could. “It’s okay Laurel, it’s all okay now,” I said gently. “I’m here.”

Laurel buried her head into my chest, her body shaking with sobs.

“Let me take you to the hospital,” I suggested.

“No, no, I don’t want to go there, please don’t take me there,” she protested weakly, attempting to stand on her own but falling back into my arms.

I sighed heavily. “Fine,” I surrendered. “But you can’t stay in this apartment for now, it’s not safe. I’ll take you to my house, and my doctor can treat you there.”

“But-“ she tried to speak.

“No buts, Laurel,” I cut her short and she surrendered, nodding her head as I cooped her up in my arms and carried her to the car.

As I drove, my mind raced with questions and suspicions. Who would want to harm Laurel this much? Could it be who I was thinking of? No, it just couldn’t be them. They wouldn’t go this far, right? It just didn’t make any sense.