Violent Sins (New York Sinners Series Book 3)

12| Win

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Win

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Chapter 12: Win (Kai's POV)

"And you?" 

God, how can she sit there and look so... 

"Kai?" 

How can she sit there, smiling and grinning, after ruining my life for the past three weeks? How dare she? 

A throat loudly being cleared snapped me out of it. "Kai?" 

Inhaling a startled breath, I forced my eyes off the woman I considered the bane of my existence and shifted my attention to the woman sitting before me instead.

"Yes," I said, "I'm listening." 

There was a slight pause as her eyes narrowed. "Are you?" she asked. 

"I am now, Clarissa," I said, "continue." 

A soft, incredulous scoff escaped her as she leaned back in her seat. "We've been at this for nearly a month now, Kai," she said. "I need you to make up your mind. If it isn't going to be me, I'd prefer it if you didn't waste any more of my time than you already have." 

"Yours and mine," I exhaled quietly, reaching up to scratch my brow bone. 

"What?" she huffed in annoyance, and I simply shook my head dismissively. 

Three weeks had passed. Three goddamn weeks since absolute havoc rained on me. Three weeks of my mother putting me through one torturous blind date after another until I finally caved in and settled for the most tolerable woman out of some of the least tolerable women I'd ever met. Clarissa. 

Three weeks of my father trying to fool me into thinking marrying Rose Chen would be a good idea. 

Three weeks of seeing her everywhere. All smiles. It was like she was a totally different person, and she was everywhere, goddamn it. Having candlelit dinners at Nova, grabbing lunch at cafés near the headquarters, exiting the steps of The Met. 

Date after date, she did it all hand in hand with Nick. 

It irked me. And I had no fucking idea why. That was precisely the question I'd been asking myself for the past month. Why did it have to be Rose fucking Chen? What could possibly convince my father that an alliance with the Chens was a good idea, that Rose and I getting married was a good idea? 

It drove me insane, not knowing the truth behind this alliance facade. There had to be an ulterior motive. God, but if she had an ulterior motive, then she'd be willing to marry me, and yet... she was just as unwilling as I was. 

As my traitorous eyes drifted her way once again, I caught a glimpse of her before she excused herself and stood up, leaving her napkin on her seat before heading to the bathroom. 

"You're right, Clarissa," I cleared my throat, "I won't waste any more of your time than I already have. Excuse me." Tossing the napkin at the table, I rose from my seat.