Ciara’s POV
It was on a Tuesday, three days to Sophie’s grand welcome p@rty…
I had called in sick at work since I nee-ded time to figure out my life…I had a well thought out plan in my mind of how I was going to get out of this mess, even went ahead to set an alarm at 7am, wrote in my diary every detail of the plan but guess what I woke up at 11am.
Where was the motivation to fix this mess??? un-der the table perhaps…
I got out of be-d, cooked some noodles and lazily sat on the sofa watching Netflix…The house was kinda boring, Jane was out looking for a job whereas Max had gone on a business trip with his boss and so I was home alone…
My eyes were stuck on the television when I heard a knock at the door. At first I thought I was hallucinating until the knocks bec@m£ loud and constant…
“I am coming…” I shouted irritatingly.
I peeped throu-gh the window and saw Jordan in a black suit looking all handsome…
Did I say handsome??? Yeah, he wasn’t bad looking…
“What do you want????” I asked when I opened the door.
“We nee-d to talk about our marriage…” He pushed me aside and walked in.
“I thought I was clear, I am not marrying you . Why don’t you marry Emma???” I asked coldly..
“The minister knows you are my girlfriend..What do you want people to think, that I cheated on my girlfriend and lose my contract??? Never…” He spoke in a firm authoritative voice.
“But I love someone else Jordan
. I am in love with someone else…” I stated in a shaky voice…
“The fool who dumped you and got another girl pregnant…You are unbelievable but anyway I will pay you five million and also that fool. We will only be married for two years…” He said as if it was no big deal.
To him, marriage was more of a business deal not about love, commitment and un-derstanding.
“Is marriage a joke to you??? I wanna be married to the love of my life…Not a man with no character or feelings. Who thinks he can order me around….”
“We are getting married whether you like it or not…” He said with a straight face.
“But I am not even your type…”
“I know you are nothing close to my type but I nee-d you…”
He looked unbothered but that statement kinda sounded insulting to me…
“You see, so don’t drag me down with you. I am not marrying you…”
He shoved both of his hands in his pockets and looked at me coldly, “are you sure you want to go down this road????”
“I am not afraid of you. I won’t let you manipulate me…So just leave my house and know what to tell the minister because this girl ain’t doing such sh-t…” I sneered at me and he just gave me a glare that ordered me not to mess up…
“Okay….” He walked to the door, paused and turned his face to me, “I will have to do this the ha-rd way then…” He slammed the door out…
His statement s£nt cold shivers down my spine but I wasn’t willing to let him step on me. I had to fight for the love I had for Jaxon. I had to stand firm or else I was gonna end up married to someone I didn’t like let alone stand….
I looked over the window and saw him getting to inside a black Mercedes Benz with a custom plate Marcias….
****
Been a friday, I was as busy as ever at the fashion studio doing the final attaches at the suit in which Jaxon was going to wear tomorrow during Sophie’s Grand p@rty…
“Jordan has asked the driver to come get you???” Natalie tapped my shoulder.
“What do you mean???”
“In other terms, he wants you to go to his office ASAP. He has said it’s urgent and the driver has clear instructions not to go back without you…” She emphasized…
“Okay…”
“Is he into you???” She raised her eyebrows expectantly.
“I have to make him a suit that he should where during a conference end year…” I lied looking myself at the mirror if I was still on point.
Maybe he finally c@m£ back to his s-en-ses and changed his mind about me marrying him. Maybe the minister un-derstood why we lied that day…
Without resistance, I got into the car and the driver drove me to the company… I walked into his office, my heart singing with delight until I met with his cold face….
“What is it????” I asked haltingly.
“Sit…” He spoke in an authoritative voice.
“But…”
“I said sit down Ciara Kimani…” He snapped at me that I flin-ched and nodded…
After sitting down, he pushed a file to me…
“What is this???” I asked coldly and rolled my eyes at the file infront of me…
“Open it and find out..” He replied in a calm voice…
I didn’t un-derstand what was going on but the file was filled with pictures of our beautiful land back in the countryside…
The land that was a source of livelihood for many… Our ancestral land, the land that paid for my education, fed me and my family, my father’s pride was there paraded in a file…
“This is our land. Sorry but we can never sell it…” I emphasized word by word and there he was laughing his lungs out like I had said something funny…
“It’s a very good land and it can be a very nice place to build the grand h0tel of my dreams…” E smiled, “But I am not sure yet…”
“Leave my family alone,” I stood up from the seat and slammed the table, “Don’t dare mess with my family or I will kill you. I swear Jordan Marcias I will kill you…”
I had begun losing my temper with this man. He had crossed all limits. When it c@m£ to my family, I would l@ymy life for them.
“Calm down and sit your bu-tt down…” He yelled but I didn’t care..
“I will not..” I yelled back…
He stood from his comfortable chair and walked to where I was…
He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked de-ep into my eyes, “Sit down…” He pushed me down to my seat and sat on the seat beside me..
“Do you know I just nee-d to make two phonecalls and the land is mine???” I rolled my eyes away. I didn’t want to see his victorious smile…
“What do you want???” I whispered.
He raked his f!ngersthrou-gh his hair and sighed,” How many times should I say this??? God…Do I write it on paper, all I want is you to marry me..” He shouted…
“I can’t marry you. There must be another way..” I stood up and walked to the sofa looking out throu-gh his very large bay window…
“Hello, Mr Tikibeti I nee-d a little favour from you. About The Kimani’s land back in Maro district I want to….” I snatched the phone from him and ended the call
“Why are you so heartless???” I asked in a coarse voice. I was losing it, I was becoming desperate and helpless…
I couldn’t bear in the future seeing my dad’s land being taken away while I could have prevented it…
“I am a greedy businessman who will do anything to be successful…” He replied arrogantly…
“Do you think what you are doing to me is fair???”
“I don’t care…” He took his phone back and got back to his seat…
“So are you marrying me in three weeks time or not???” He confirmed in a calm firm voice.
“I don’t want to!!! I don’t want to marry you!! I don’t want to marry you. Don’t you get it, I dont love you..” I begun yelling shaking my head side to side…
“I don’t want to marry an animal. A heartless cold man like you. I hate you. I hate you…” I turned into an emotional dramatic girl…
“I won’t let you manipulate my family.
. I won’t let you take our land…” Half of the things on his table were now on the floor. I was losing it and I couldn’t help it…
I had begun to screaming luckily only his office together with his PA desk were on the fifth floor…
“Enough!!!!” He stood from his table and wra-pped his hands around my b©dy from behind, “Enough with this drama…”
“Let me go!!!” I tried fighting off his grip but nothing..
“You will listen to me crazy mud girl, you either marry me or you will lose your ancestral land..Think about your family, father, all the people that work in the farm. Are you gonna ruin their lives because you are being selfish???” He whispered into my ear…
Tears were burning my eyes but he wasn’t worth it…A sob was choking me, I wanted to scream on t©p of my voice, run away from reality but I was caged in the arms of that heartless man…
“Let me go!!!” I whispered and he pushed me forward that I almost fell on my face…
“Do you think I love you??? I don’t love you. This marriage will be more of a casual sleep over. I can’t even bring myself to make love to you as my wife. The mere sight of you disgusts me…” He ranted insults over insults but I was speechless…
I got back to my seat, placed my head on the table and an-alysed my odds. This was a losing battle…
It was either my family or me…
“I will marry you…” I stammered, tears threatening to make my cheeks we-t…
“Smart woman…”
I stood up and walked to the door where I bu-mped into Sebastian. I looked at him with no words to say and walked on…
It was finally over. For the first time in my life I had lost….
Jordan’s POV
“You did it, didn’t you???” Sebastian questioned as he got inside my office…
“Did I have a choice???” I raised my voice…
“You are practically destroying her life right now. There is always another way…” He explained calmly as he sat where that crazy mud girl had sat earlier…
“Bring two cu-ps of coffee!!!” I ordered my PA on the telephone and got back to my seat..
“You are supposed to be supporting me..”
“No Jordan, you have crossed all the limits anyone could ever think of. I am so disappointed…”
What was he disappointed about??? I know I was a wicked tornado but being my best friend he should have learnt to deal with it by now
. I am a businessman to me life is like business deals, emotional ru-bbish is for weaklings.
In fact Ciara should be happy that I am marrying her. Does she know how many marriage proposals I get everyday??? And here she is acting like queen Beyonce…
“So what do you expect me to do because you are disappointed???” I could feel i was erupting into my furious state…
“To do the right thing. Take your damn phone, call the minister and make this right…” He thun-dered slamming my table…
Before I could reply to his stupid thinking, the PA walked in my office without knocking…
“Sir here is…..”
“Don’t you have manners..
. Does my office look like a toilet to you????”
“But sir…..” I could see her trembling and her eyes glossy with tears and you know what it was soothing to see someone’s life depended on me..
“Turn around, get those cheap useless rags you call clothes and that cheap face out of my office…” I thun-dered and she run out of there like a scared dog. It felt good to make someone feel less of themselves.
I turned to my best friend and saw him give me this dirty look,”Why are you so mean??? Where is my best friend who was kind???? “Did you have to insult her???”
“To me life is like a business deal. If you thought just because we are best friends you would change my mind, my friend the devil fooled you. I am gonna marry that girl even if I have to drag her to the aisle I don’t care. This deal is good for me and I won’t let anyb©dy mess it up for me…” I cussed out, glaring at him with angry cold eyes.
I don’t know why he still remained calm..
“A marriage based on a lie is gonna destroy you. Ciara is not the type of a girl to let someone step on her like a carpet.”
What was with him and this Ciara girl???.. It’s all her fault that this is happening. If she wasn’t a designer, she wouldn’t be working for my brother and we would never have met. It’s still her fault she c@m£ to my office at the wrong time and so she had to deal with it…
“And I am not the kind of a guy to back down easily. I won’t let people make a mockery out of me like they did five years ago….”
“You should move on from that and st©p dragging everyone down with you…”
I had reached my breaking point with him.. His statement made the emotions I have tried so ha-rd to hide over the years weigh my heart down once more.
“Get out of my office!!!!!” I ordered, my hands covering my face…
He didn’t talk or resist. He just stood up and slammed the door on his way out.
I hated the feeling of defeat. The rage was overpowering me…
The anger I felt was so powerful that I could feel it taking over every other ounce of my being.
Why did I have to love her???? I trusted her so much that I didn’t think she would do such a despicable thing to me..
With her my life was like a fictional ro-mantic story… I was on t©p of the world and I loved it there. She brou-ght out the best of me, made me the best version of myself until she decided to betray me…
There I was waiting for hours at the aisle for my bride, the woman who I hoped will be the mother of my children but she never arrived. People kept whispering to me to call off the wedding but I couldn’t bring myself to believe she wasn’t coming. But she had the nerve to leave me there standing like a fool infront of prominent people who I had br@gged to about being married.
F-ck the word love.. I was willing to give her the world but that wasn’t enough to make her stay. I was like a white wall but instead of drawing something beautiful on me, she threw dark paint all over me.
Day in day out people made a mockery of me. I was all over the blogs, social medias, newspapers, television shows name them all. The runaway bride who left a billionaire’s son for a mere b©dyguard… I wished I could go back in time and prevent myself from loving her but it was alre-ady too late…
The kind sweet charming p@rt of me died when she left…I turned into a cold feared wicked tornado and I loved it. I loved the fact that people feared me, that they trembled to the mere thought of wanting to mock me. I learnt to hide my weaknesses, my pain, my kindness and shut everything away from the world.
From that day I swore never to love again.
. To me girls would be objects to be used for my own agendas. These creatures don’t deserve to be loved because they are selfish, manipulative and liars .
Everytime I thought of her, I got crushed one hundred times more painfully. Maybe I wasn’t over her, maybe she was still the owned my heart. The anger and the rage was a way to hide the pain and betrayal I felt…
Everyday and everytime I keep asking myself, where did I go wrong??? Why did she leave??? Did she even love me????
One sided love is dangerous. It’s like a ticking time bomb one that got closer to exploding and I guess mine alre-ady exploded…
I was dragged back to reality with a knock at the door.. I hadn’t realised tears had trickled down my cheeks by the mere thought of her. She still had an effect of me, she was still my weakness, she still had the power to get me down on my knees and that’s why I desperately craved for changed to get myself out of the unwanted claws of a stupid love…
At a point I am marrying Ciara because of the deal and maybe her nonst©p bickering would help me forget about Beatrice and focus on my life…She nee-ded to make me forget her or else her life beside me is gonna be a living hell…
I wiped my face, composed myself and pretended to be going throu-gh a file…
“Are you gonna stay out there all day long???” I thun-dered.
“Excuse me sir???” The project manager stammered.
“What????”
“I have the budget of the c0nd0miniums that we are supposed to start building coming next month…”
“Have you discussed it with the financial manager????”
He stood there silent for a while forcing me to lift my now red eyes like tomatoes from the file.
“Should I repeat myself ???” I looked at him with burning reproachful eyes.
“I haven’t discussed it with him sir…” He trembled.
“Get out of my office before I forget how good you are at your work and fire you. Are we together???”
He nodded and walked to the door.
“Tell that PA to come to my office immediately…”
I was more determined than ever to have Ciara marry me. She is a tough cookie and I had to act fast before everything backfires on my face.
Am I scared???Yes, scared that she might do something stupid and refuse to marry me. Then history will repeat itself…
I don’t care if I had to drug her, point a gun at her head but no other woman is going to make a fool out of me.
I will propose to her tomorrow at Sophie’s p@rty infront of the paparazzis and then we will see if she will have the guts to say no…
“Sir, you called me???” The PA c@m£ in running.
“Make calls I want all paparazzis, reporters from all the media houses in my house tomorrow during Sophie’s p@rty. One mistake and you are fired…” I bossed, took my coat and walked out of the office.
I nee-ded to buy an expensive engagement ring for my dear wife to be..
Tomorrow the whole world is going to know she is future Mrs Marcias…
Ciara’s POV
I rolled on the be-d and covered myself properly with the duvet to try attra-ct sleep but nothing.
Jordan and his stupid threats kept reappearing on my eyes…
When did I get here??? Was I going to allow him to control my life like a remote???
No, I wasn’t willing to let him step on me like a carpet. I nee-ded a plan..
. Nob©dy messes with Ciara Kimani…
“Dear, I brou-ght your favourite. Cocoa and cookies…” Jane smiled…
“I am not hungry…” I turned over the other side…
“You think not eating is going to put everything in order. You nee-d energy to come up with a master plan. I also don’t want you marrying Jordan…”
I sat upright, “I feel defeated, helpless. We are talking about my father’s land. He loves that land even more than his children and wife…”
“That’s funny…” She started laughing and I gave her a deadly glare that made her cover her mouth..
“Sorry love but are you gonna let him step on you like a carpet??? Take this bullsh-t by the horns and show him he messed up with the wrong cookie…”
Jane would make a good motivational speaker…
“It’s 8am and the p@rty is at 7pm…Think baby, think….Were is the unbeatable Ciara??? Right now I prefer the grumpy Ciara than this crying baby…” She retorted.
Jane always knew the words to say at the right moment and she just gave me a plan.
I jumped out of be-d, rinsed my face, brushed my teeth, changed into a pair of jeans and a regular jeans…
“Are you not taking a shower???”
“I don’t smell…” I shrugged smelling my armpits.
They neither were fresh nor stinky. They were ordinary..
“And your hair???” She asked when she saw me hold my head at a shaggy bun.
“What about it???”
“Your wig????Your hair looks f0rç£d into a bun…And you look funny…” She chuckled.
“scre-w you…” I ran out out of the house…
Jaxon had told me about a meeting he was having at Tankara resort with one of his sponsors and that’s where I was heading
. I nee-ded his help to get out of this mess..
I ran inside the resort past the security. In seconds they were behind me like I was a terrorist.
“St©p!!!”
“Don’t move!!!”
I looked around for Jaxon in the silent restaurant and sp©tted him at a corner looking busy. People had started throwing me dirty looks but I didn’t care..Yeah, For a moment I regretted my actions but I had no choice.
“Madam, you have to get out of here now…” The guard ordered taking me by the arm.
“I won’t…” I bit his hand and begun running to where Jaxon was. I guess I even dropped a plate from a certain table… I was more of a maze runner running between tables..
By now the number of security guards after me had increa-sed. For a moment I felt like I was a national threat…
Finally I arrived at his table and there he was looking all shocked… I know I was dramatic but what is life without a little drama???
“Jaxon can we talk???”
“Madam, you nee-d to come with us…” Two of them held me by the arms but Jaxon st©pped them.
“Ciara???? What are you doing here??? Leave her alone, i know her….” He ordered and they nodded…
“What are you doing here???” He placed his hands on my arms….
“Help you, I nee-d help…” I was p@n-ting heavily…
“A minute…” I nodded and he explained something to the people on the table and turned back to me.
Damn!!!I was restless.
“Let’s go up to a pri-vate room on the second floor at Mr Hamaki’s office…” He held my hand and walked me to the elevator…
In the elevator, there was a tensed atmosphere. He looked a little pissed whereas I tried to come up with a believable story in my mind.
“We are here….” He said in a bored tone..
“I am sorry but I think it was wrong timing….” I refused to get out of the elevator.
“Are you kidding me??? the fact that you almost humiliated yourself it’s evident it’s urgent…” For once since I knew him he raised his voice at me..
Why are you acting all stubborn Ciara???? Swallow your pride, he is the only person who can free you from this misery…
I got out of the elevator sulking and followed him to whatever place he was taking me…
“What’s wrong???” He asked in a more calmer voice.
“Nothing, It was a wrong idea for me to come here…”
“What’s wrong???” He cu-mpped my face…
“You yelled at me and that hurt me…”Tears were at the corner of my eyes..
“I didn’t mean to, I am just un-der pressure with the sponsor about my albu-m launch…”
“You know I am here for you right???”
He nodded and drew me in for a hvg,”I know my love so what’s wrong??”
A sudden cold fear took over me. I didn’t want to come between brothers. I didn’t want to be the cause why there would be a conflict between the Marcias brothers. I wasn’t that heartless…
He pu-ll-ed me back, “Something looks different with you today???” He scanned me from head to toe…
“I don’t have my wig…” I said embarras-singly and he smiled, “Yeah, I always thought you had a long hair. But you still look good.”
Now that made me laugh…My hair could act like a steel wool, that’s how bad it was.
“Don’t lie on my face,” I chuckled and he joined in the laughter, “It a little funny especially the bun..”
“Anyway,” He got his straight face on, “What made you act like a maze runner???”
“I want us to make our relationsh!pofficial.” I stammered looking down.
“What happened???”
“You said you love me. Are you going back at your word??? Are you not willing to make me your girlfriend???.What about the promises???” I was about to get a panic attack..
“Did you re-ad my mind???” He smiled.
“I knew it. You don’t love me. Were you using me??? Yes, you used me. I can’t believe this…” My eyes were glas-sy with tears and he just stood there smiling his hands shoved in his pockets as I made a fool out of myself.
But he knew what I nee-ded, a k!ssto s£nd me to shut mode.
“I wanted to surprise you tonight…”
“What???” I was stunned….
“Yeah, I can’t stay away from you anymore. I want the whole world to know you are the future Mrs Marcias…”
“Really, I knew it my love. Don’t mind the earlier me, I guess sometimes I get possessed..” Did he buy it???
“You mean crazy right??” I nodded looking away and he smiled,”I just love you the way you are…”
“Yes Jaxon, I will be waiting for you to make the announcement.
. You don’t know how happy you have made me…” I begun plastering k!sses all over his face.
“I couldn’t hold my emotions together. I want to hold your hand in public. k!ssyou un-der the stars without any worry. Shout to the heavens above, how much I love you…” I sounded more of a poet than a girl in love,”Jaxon Marcias I wanna be the face you see first when you wake up and the last thing you see before you sleep…”
“Your wish will come true tonight…I would love to stay and chitchat more but I nee-d to go back to the meeting. I love you so much my love…” He ru-bbe-d hisl-ips on mine before we shared a pas-sionate k!ss..
Thanks heavens I brushed, I almost didn’t….
“Is there anything else???”
“No, You can get going. I know my way out …”
When he left, I jumped up and down excitedly singing I don’t know what lyrics. Shaking my bu-m…
I can’t wait to see Jordan’s face tonight. When he finds out Jaxon and I are d@t!ng, he will back off and st©p threatening me.
It’s a win win situation… I always knew I was smart…
When I walked out of the resort, I felt like stucking my ton-gue out at the security guards and shout, “On your faces dudes..”
But I had humiliated myself enough for the bloggers to create a story….
I couldn’t wait for Jane and I to take over tonight’s p@rty with a ban-g. I was going to officially be Jaxon’s girlfriend.
On your faces David and Jordan…A bunch of losers..
It’s getting h0tter and juicier my people. Jaxon’s plans to introduce Ciara as his girlfriend to the world tonight whereas his brother plans to propose??? This is going to be fun….
Tbc