Aboveboard
- being honest or straightforward
74
"W-what?" I asked.
"I just had to marry her cos her mother wants me to. She's pregnant and the man that got her pregnant left her. It's for her image." He answered.
"Bullshit." I spit.
He reaches for my hand. "It happened too fast. Mrs. Devaloines asked me to do it and since she helped me a lot, I couldn't say no. I had to marry her daughter to save their name from embarrassment. In return, they'll be giving me a huge portion from Mrs. Devaloines' properties, a vast percentage on the shareholders for the Devaloines Group and they'll clear my name from what I had done on the past."
My brows are creasing and I just don't know what to feel. I'm happy about what he said, confused cos I can't believe it, and sad cos I'm with Damon.
"It's a fake wedding." He says.
A fake wedding?
"We have a signed contract. We'll divorce after three years." He says.
"Why are you saying this to me?" I asked.
"Because you need to know."
I paused and laughed humorlessly as I shake my head sideways.
"And what? You want me to wait for you for three years? You expect me to wait for you?! Nick I have dreams! So many dreams and I'm already starting at Devaloines without my dad's help. This means a lot to me and you know that. If you forgot, you were the one who left me! You fucking left. Now you want me to wait?! For you?!" I yelled.
I started dressing up and put my underwear and bra over my body.
"I left you because your dad always downgraded me. I felt bad about myself. I thought he was right. Im not good enough for you. Now, I'm doing this because I want to show your dad that you deserve me. I'm going to win you back so I want you to wait for me." He says.
I turned to him. "By marrying a rich woman?! That's how you want it Nick? That's your solution?! You think money is so important to me!?"
"Because if I was rich your dad would let me marry you! He would respect me. He would look at me as one of you guys and not just some ex-convict." He screeched.
I paused.
"I wanna marry you so bad Savannah. You're the only woman who I see walking down the aisle for me." He says.
My heart leaps.
"Savannah if you just know what I've been through when I left you and how miserable I was when I did that to you, how painful it was seeing you with other men!" Nick's voice shakes.
"Your father's words runs through my head all the time even until now. I was so down when he looked at me like that. I did everything I could to be rich even if it's in a wrong way! I love you Savannah. I fucking love you so much that's why I'm still fighting for us even if you're not anymore! I'm still hoping!" He says and I could see his tears filling his eyes.
I'm also starting to cry but I'm biting my trembling lip hard. I shake my head, he's doing this for me.
"I want to prove myself to your father and your mother that an ex-prisoner like me could run a huge conglomerate like Devaloines Group. I wanted to show them that my past doesn't make me who I am now. That it wasn't me." He says.
me Nick. Seven months you were gone and I have
why I accepted your father's money and I had to stay away from you or else he'll file a case against
My... My dad said
He nods.
I couldn't believe this. How could my own father do this? He told me that Nick accepted the
Nobody knows why I did what I did before. Alec and Tracy doesn't even
My brows furrowing. "Tracy?"
needed the money
"Why?" I asked breathlessly.
cancer on December."
I gasped.
break. She had throat cancer. She needed surgery right away. I was scared Savannah. I had no choice. I really needed the money to
had cancer and I didn't know about it. Nobody even dared to inform me. I was so naive about all the things that
where you got the money from?" I
out."
blaming herself when she visited me in New York two years ago. That's why she kept saying
I was letting
the truth to you. I needed more time before I could say it cos if your father will sue me if I ever talk to you again, I have the same power as him. I
shake my head. "This is too much for me in the morning. I... I need to
you believe
me he's saying the truth. "I need to go Nick."
me drive
I wanna be alone Nick. Please." I
headed out of his room. All those words he said to me felt surreal. All the things I just found out just now after two fucking years, how could I have been so blind? How could I have been so insensitive about the things happened to me? I'm so mad at myself for not finding out sooner. I'm so mad at Nick cos he didn't say anything to me. I'm so mad at my
me everything I need to know. They need
asked the maid and as soon as I saw
sis! What brings
you
looked surprised. "Lied
that look anymore, I won't fall for that! I know you lied to me! You, mom
you come here to fight about something that we lied
crap?! It's been two years! I have been in agony
held my arm. "What are
as hard as I can. My tears are now streaming down my face and the maids were looking at us, shocked as hell of what I have done. Cameron slowly turned his head back to me while holding
I loved him so much Ron! You knew how much I loved Nick and yet you hid it from
to talk about that guy who left you?! He left
"Because he needed it!"
hear the
I knew it was
like that in front of me, disgusts me. My fists are
why are you
"Princess what happened?"
me baby. Stop calling me princess. You are both pathetic."
taken a
"Savannah what--"
are such big
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