His Ex Girl

Chapter 2- Wives and Board Games

Rafael's Pov:

"Rafael, this is serious. You can't go on like this for much longer. You need to find a wife."

I shrugged on my jacket, preparing to leave my impromptu interrogation session. When I agreed to have dinner with my parents, I made it clear I wasn't about to entertain any conversation about my marital status. I should have known my mother wouldn't have been able to adhere to that request, but it was surprising how easy it was for my father to agree with her.

For the last three years, my parents, mostly my mother, have made it their mission to always remind me I'm not getting any younger and I need to marry someone soon. The conversations have been bearable for the most part, but when I turned twenty-eight, it caused a ripple effect that I could have never seen coming. Marriage was no longer the annoying topic I could easily ignore. Now it's become a virus that spread all the way to my boardroom and now even my board members were on edge.

"I don't need to find a wife," I spoke calmly, hoping they would listen to me for once. "Why are you guys so hellbent on marrying me off to someone?"

Dad sighed, his fingers running through his luscious brown hair. "It's bigger than us now, Rafael. You're almost thirty and you're still a bachelor who picks up women, has casual hookups and all your relationships end at the three-month mark."

"So?" I shrugged, unable to deny any of what he said. "What does my dating have to do with the company?"

"It has everything to do with the company," he continued. "The board doesn't want a playboy running a multibillion dollar company and neither do I. I hate to be the bearer of bad news son, but if you don't find a wife by the end of the year, then they're voting against you as the CEO of the company."

Voting against me? Everything he said sounded like a thinly veiled threat and, as much as I loved my father, I didn't like feeling threatened. I held the majority shares in the company- a whopping forty percent. My parents owned ten percent each, while my sister had five percent. That left thirty-five percent of the shares, which were spread out among the board. If they wanted to strip me of my position, they wouldn't be able to do it without my parents' consent and by the way they've been pestering me, it was safe to assume that they were not on my side.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

They shared a look, one that screamed they would do whatever it took to make me obey them. "You know what we're saying," Mom spoke up. "I just hope you'll play this smart and really think about it. Would it be the worst thing in the world to settle down and start a family?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. She was right. It wouldn't be the worse thing in the world to settle down. In fact, I would say I'm almost ready to do just that. Almost. Having kids was an entirely different thing.

I left without another word. I mean, what could I have said? They've already made up their minds and while I could easily play on their emotions and get myself at least another year without them pestering me, I knew that wouldn't be the case with the board. There's no way I could sweet talk them into giving me a break. All they cared about was the money rolling in and if my playboy image affects that, they would gladly agree.

So I'm fucked either way.

I either get married or risk being demoted.

I've spent years building the company into what it was. I'd rather be in a loveless marriage than move down the corporate food chain or have someone else reap the benefits.

With that being said, I pulled out my phone, about to call my best friend, when someone bumped into me, knocking the phone out of my hand. Slender arms immediately reached out to grab the phone mid-air, successfully saving it from plummeting to its death.

"I'm so sorry," she rushed out, her silky dark hair covering what I already knew were beautiful gems that could pierce through my soul. Time seemed to stand still as I processed my ever troubled thoughts. Beautiful gems? For fuck's sake, when did I become a poet? And when was the last time just a woman's voice turned me on?

"Here," she lifted her head, her beautiful long hair parted, allowing me the privilege of having her stunning hazel eyes locked on me. "I'm sorry for bumping into you, but at least I saved your phone, right?"

I wanted to mumble a response, say anything to not appear a robot, but I was frozen in place, unable to move. Her eyes drew me in, but it was the tears in them that made me pause. Even in this shitty lighting, I knew this wasn't the first time I've seen her. Seeing her for the first time in person was unexpected, especially at this hour at night.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about meeting my ex-best friend's wife on the street, but I was quickly getting used to it. "You're Ethan's wife, right? Yasmin Alarie?"

She took a step back, her grip on my phone tightening even more. "H-how do you know who I am?"

I couldn't help the tiny smirk that graced my lips. "I know everyone important in the city."

"Is that so?" she titled her head towards me, her earlier nervousness nowhere to be seen. "Are you flirting with me, Mr..."

"Amato, Rafael Amato and not at all. I'm simply stating the obvious."

She smiled slightly, then looked away. A chilling breeze swept by, enveloping us in his coldness. Yasmin, who was not at all dressed for a night out, was shivering. It was a subtle movement that likely could have gone unnoticed if I wasn't paying attention to her.

"Here," I shrugged off my coat and leaned forward so I could drape it over her shoulders. She stood perfectly still. A faint smile graced her lips as she watched me take a step back. "Why is a stunning woman like you doing here all alone? Where's your husband?"

"Ex-husband," she corrected me before I could even think to say anything else. "Sorry," she sighed, as she ran a hand through her hair. "This is a touchy subject for me."

I glanced at the scenery in front of me, taking in the cars that drove by. "No need to apologize..." I snuck a peek at her again. "I'm guessing Ethan was the one at fault."

"How'd you know?"

I shrugged, not giving anything away. "He's a lying piece of shit who's easily manipulated by his family."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I almost forgot he was your best friend."

I responded immediately. "And you're his ex-wife after just months of marriage... I'm guessing he was a lying piece of shit to you as well."

She looked everywhere but at me. I didn't need her to tell me what he did. I already knew he did something wrong and based on the way she avoided looking at me, it was something big. Maybe he cheated on her or he accused her of cheating. I kept my eyes on her, analyzing each nervous shift of her feet and the way she nervously bit her lip whenever she glanced at me.

It was then that it clicked that we were standing outside my hotel in the freezing cold. The warmth of the indoors beckoned me closer. Even so, I wasn't ready to end this conversation, not when I decided we could be of mutual benefit to each other.

"How about some tea?"