?Arranged Marriage?♀️
To
a
?complete ?
? stranger?♀️?
By: worthy stories
Chapter 33
Hailey’s pov ?
After returning from my so called honeymoon, I got really busy with work.
For some reason, corporate cases were just stacking up. It’s like everyone decided that this time of the year was the perfect to sue someone.
Being so busy, I didn’t even have time to breathe peacefully and haven’t seen or heard from Nathan in a while.
I come home late and leave early and barely catch any sleep, but this is nothing new to me as it has been a routine I followed many times since forever.
Right now I was busy with my ex, Roman’s case. I had won the patent infringement case for his firm and my boss Mr Kane had been so happy that he had sent me a box of premiere Swedish chocolate from London.
As of now, I was going over the paperwork my associate Claire prepared, for the latest collection of jewellery that the company was putting out and checking for any flaws.
Then we would file for patent application.
“Very good. Go ahead and file the patent. I want to the confirmation on my desk by the end of today,” I ordered her.
As she left, my landline beeped which signalled my secretary calling me.
“Mr Hunt wants to see you now, shall I send him in?” Came Kate’s voice.
“Do I have an appointment with him?” I asked because I don’t remember having a meeting with Roman today and neither did Kate notify me beforehand.
“No ma’am, but he insists on seeing you,” she said.
I pressed my temples. I never wanted Roman as my client because of the history we share. I always believed that personal and professional life should never be mixed. It gets in the way of business.
Now I had no idea why he wanted to see me. It could be for work related issues or for a more personal reason.
I didn’t have an idea if he was here as my client or as my ex. But I couldn’t really tell him no as I was his attorney and he had a right to see me during work hours.
I let out a sigh. Maybe when Mr Kane was back, I’d ask him to hand over the Hunt’s to a different attorney.
“Let him in,” I told Kate. I brushed myself up and prepared to receive my ex putting on a professional front.
He gave a small knock on my door and after hearing the ‘come in’ from my side, he swung the door open and strode in, confident and tall.
He was still as handsome as the day we first met but now he had a more mature air around him.
“Hailey,” he greeted.
“Mr Hunt,” I stood up. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Sorry for dropping in like this, I just need a few minutes of your time to inform you about an offer that was made for a new deal,” he said as he slid into the chair opposite me.
“Plus I was wondering what was holding up the deal of the collection we’re about to launch?”
“I have already reviewed the papers for the designs and we’re in the process of filling for patent,” I informed him. “As soon as we get the patent, we are good to launch the collection.”
“That’s good,” he said. “I want the new collection to be out before the end of the year award show season begins so I could have celebrities model them on the red carpet. I am sure we can get all the legal work done at the earliest.”
“That won’t be a problem,” I assured him.
We spoke for a while and concluded our business. True to his word, it took us only a few minutes to go over everything. When he was about to leave, he stretched his hand and I gave him mine in a formal handshake.
However upon taking my hand in his, he didn’t shake it nor let it go but instead flipped it over so he could study the back of my hand.
“When I first heard about it, I didn’t want to believe it,” he said. “So it is true? You’re married?”
“Yes,” I answered simply and retracted my hand from his.
He gave me a sad smile and nodded before leaving my office.
——————————–
Nathan p.o.v?
I was in my office supposed to be reviewing the progress of construction of my new resort, however my mind was on something else, more like someone else and that someone was none other than my wife, Hailey.
Ever since we returned from Greece I have seen less of her and for some weird reason, I didn’t like it.
She would leave the house early and return home late at night and this made me both uncomfortable and suspicious.
Sometimes she wouldn’t return at home all night and I was curious about where she spent those nights or rather with who.
I wondered if she was cheating on me? did she have a lover on the side were those late nights spent with him?
was that the reason she was keeping away from me? I knew she and Michael had a thing but was she also sleeping with him? Or was there another man?
I had always suspected there to be more to her relationship with Harry, was she sleeping with him?
Was she having an affair at her office, behind my back? I was restless and sent my PA, Robert Frost to investigate.
As I was brooding in my office, I heard a knock on my door and looked up to see Hannah and her beautiful smile.
She looked so pretty and delicate standing there and I smiled at her. But it felt more forced than genuine.
Usually I would be excited to see Hannah at any given point, especially on a tiresome office day like today, she was always a breath of fresh air.
But now I didn’t feel that joy but I was irritated. When did that happen?
Looking at her I felt guilty about feeling this way and about thinking of another woman.
My baby deserves better. She was the most precious and angelic thing and I was lucky to have such a kind hearted and considerate, courteous lady and yet here I was thinking about a rude, opportunistic and self centred woman.
“Hey babe,” she said before coming around and giving me a peck on the cheek. “You missed me?”
“More than you think,” I pulled her into my lap and kissed her deeply. She was just back from a holiday in California.
“So how was California?” I asked after breaking the kiss.
“It would have been better with you,” she purred.
“I see you’ve got a new tan,” I noted.
“Do you like it?”
I’ll have to check it thoroughly first to know,” I said seductively and she blushed beautifully.
“Hmm,” she Mõ@ɲed ask sucked on her neck and trailed light kisses up her jawline.
“You need to s..sto..pp before someone enters and catches us,” she said with some difficulty.
I reluctantly pulled back but still held her sitting on my lap.
“I was wondering if you had some free time, could we go out? Maybe to the movies, lunch and then shopping?” She asked.
“That sounds fantastic, but you know I can’t,” I told her sadly. “This is New York. If someone sees us there’ll be a scandal.
And moreover, I have a lot of work piled up from the week we spent in Greece.”
She pouted and looked sad. There was hurt in her eyes and I felt like the most horrible person on the planet.
“Hey cheer up,” I told her. “How about you take my card and go treat yourself to wh@ťěver you like. Go to the movies, go shopping and have a good time.”
“But it won’t be the same as being with you,” she said. “I h@ťě this. h@ťě having to hide my love, hide our relationship. I feel like a criminal.”
“I’m so sorry I put you through this my love,” I said painfully. “You deserve so much better.”
“What I want is you and only you,” she whispered. “And for you, I’m willing to do anything as long as I’m yours and you’re mine.
I h@ťě this but I will endure it for you. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish things to have been different, where I wish that it would have been you and I that were married.
But I know that this is a test and our love will win.”
I pulled her in for a deep kiss and savoured her sweet lips. It lasted for a good many minutes and we only broke when we were in need of air.
“Enough of this now,” I said giving her my card. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
After Hannah left I picked up my phone and called Hailey to check if she would be able to accompany me to the banquet tonight.
But her phone was not reachable so I dialled her office and her secretary picked up.
“I’m sorry Mr Rodriguez, but Ms Anderson, I mean Mrs Rodriguez is currently in a meeting with her client Mr Roman Hunt,” her secretary said and my eyes turned cold at the name of her ex fiance.
“Would you like to leave a message? Should I inform Mrs Rodriguez that you called?” The secretary asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” I said before ending the line.
So she was back with that ex of hers. It seemed like she wasn’t over him. How pathetic could this lady be. So unbelievable.
I was cursing her and myself more for worrying about her. Why did I even care, she wasn’t worth my attention. That’s when my PA Robert came in.
“Sir I have the information you asked about Mrs Rodrig-”
“I don’t care about her neither am I interested in knowing what she does. I got the answer I needed. And don’t ever refer to her as Mrs Rodriguez,”
“….”
————————-
Evening rolled and I was at the banquet thrown to inaugurate our new project with the Andersons called ‘New Horizons.’
I was really looking forward to working with my brother in law Aaron Anderson who was a young legend.
The man was said to close deals with a blink of an eye and make even the most experienced and ski||ed businessmen slutter and tremble.
He was remarkable and many people were dying to work with him but not all were as fortunate.
He picked his partners carefully and the people he worked with even more carefully.
I met him a couple of times but never we interacted and twice he attended my weddings and even then we never spoke but he was intimidating even from miles away.
This suit and tie banquet had practically every known business figure in attendance. It wasn’t a ball or a party and everything that happened here was pure business.
Some had been accompanied by their partners or plus ones but it was still down to business only.
Some people here were the ones we’d be collaborating with but most were here to observe and witness this glorious new project firsthand while others looked to further their interests today.
Thus far it has been my grandfather and dad that had managed this deal but it was clear that I would be the one heading it for the Rodriguez’s and I had little doubt that it would be Aaron for the Anderson’s.
I was talking with some executives and there was still no sign of Hailey or her brother or anyone from the Anderson’s yet.
It was common knowledge that Aaron almost never attended such events and also at our wedding party he was there for only a few minutes before making a dash.
So not everyone was bothered by his absence and the CFO and other executives from Anderson corps were there to talk business.
I wondered if Hailey would attend in her brother’s stead. I wrapped up talks with the executive and turned to meet Darren Williams, Hannah’s brother walking up to me.
“Nathan!” He said enthusiastically. “Long time no see.”
He spoke as if we were long lost buddies which we were not. He was my girlfriend’s brother and that was it, we never had any further relationship but nevertheless I entertained him.
Darren was heir to the Williams’ company but he was a poor excuse of a businessman, something I learnt from the many times we collaborated.
I never liked doing business with the Williams’ as I felt that they were inadequate and not up to the mark.
Hannah’s dad wasn’t a too good businessman either but he had some ski||s which kept the company formidable through the years but Darren was a crisis. He just wasn’t cut out for business.
“Darren,” I said formally. “It’s good to see you.”
He was accompanied by a pretty blonde woman who I assumed was his date. She was dressed in a formal black dress and looked smart and alluring at the same time.
“This is Gina Reid,” Darren introduced. “My girlfriend.”
“A pleasure Ms Reid,” I said as we shook hands.
After talking for a while Darren proudly begin talking about a new project Gina, who was also an executive at his firm, would be heading. They were venturing into the jewellery business and Darren was boasting about how good this was going to be.
“Gina is so d@mn awesome,” he proclaimed. “Once you see this new project, you’ll be blown away.”
“You’re being too nice Darren,” Gina blushed. “It was a team effort.”
We spoke a little more and I congratulated them and wished them luck. When I left them, there was a slight commotion and I watched as Hailey entered on her brother’s arm.
The brother-sister duo looked regal together and everyone stopped to watch. Hailey had defied the unofficial black dress code for a beautiful silver dress that made her stand out in the crowd.
She looked so pretty and delicious and men were practically drooling at the sight of her. She carried herself with all the grace and elegance of a queen and I had to remind myself not to kneel at her feet.
Catching myself checking her out, I chided myself and then walked up to the duo.
“Mr Anderson,” I said stretching out my hand in greeting to the fine handsome man in front of me.
“Mr Rodriguez,” came the deep and intimidating reply.
“Nathan,” Hailey’s voice was soft and she removed herself from her brother’s arm and leaned towards me giving me a light peck on the cheek.
The contact sent a shiver down my spine and I felt goosebumps over my body. I wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her near my side.
We may not be an actual couple but we still had a role to play for the public and the media. And we would play it.
—————————
Hailey p.o.v?
I was standing with my husband’s arm around me as my brother and husband spoke business.
The conversation was formal and strictly business. I had to warn Aaron beforehand to be on his best behaviour.
.Ace and I both h@ťěd these upper class functions and meaningless conversations, but we understood it’s importance and had to endure it.
But at times he would get so annoyed that he would snap at people and his brutal honesty in a scene that required pretense and false courtesy would come off as rude and arrogant.
After a brief conversation with Nathan for the first time, Ace left us alone and walked over to others begging his attention leaving me alone with Nathan.
“Well,” I said as I looked my husband and found him studying me. The sneer on his face was ever present when he looked at me but it was carefully masked so as to show love and care.
Nathan, surprisingly was a really good actor in the public eye.
“None of your lovers tag along?” He asked in a low voice. This was his favourite topic I guess, always talking about my imaginary boyfriends.
“Who needs lovers when I have my brother?” I asked. “And besides, I can’t see your mistress either. She got lost in California or walked over to Hollywood? You know she’s a natural actress.”
Nathan couldn’t seem to decide if I was complimenting or mocking his love so he let the comment slide.
“You’re a vile woman Hailey,” he said before walking away. I wonder what I had done this time.
—————————–
In the ladies washroom I was busy washing my hands when I heard the clicking sound of heels but didn’t bother to look up at whoever had entered.
“Nice dress Hailey,” said a voice and I looked up in shock.
“Gina,” my voice was cold as ice as I came face to face with my former best friend.
“Looking good Hails,” she said with a smirk on her face. “And heard you’ve been doing even better. You’ve missed me? Haven’t seen each other in a long time now.”
I was wondering what she was doing here but I wasn’t too surprised. Gina was very talented and could make it to the top based on her intelligence but she wasn’t too hardworking. She always wanted things too quickly and was a social climber.
That being said, she wouldn’t shy from using any means to get to the top. I quickly dried my hands and tried to get out as I didn’t want to talk to her nor be in her presence. But before I could leave the room she stopped me one last time and said
“A fine guy you’ve got there, really handsome,” she was talking about Nathan. “I’d be careful if I were you. You know how history tends to repeat itself.”
She laughed harshly and I just stormed off from there.
When I returned to the party, I was surprised to see Josh and Claire waiting for me. They asked me to follow them out to the corridor where it was quiet.
“What happened?” I asked them. Claire looked nervous while Josh’s expressions were consealed.
“The patent you asked me to file for the Hunt’s jewellery?” Claire asked and I nodded carefully. “Well I did, but it was rejected. Someone beat us to it, filing just hours before us.”
I paused. I was shocked truly but managed to keep calm.
“Do you know who?” I asked Josh.
“The Williams’ company,” he said.
“They’ve claimed the designs to be their own creation and designed by their executive, Ms Gina Reid.”
TBC?