My dad looked at me with the most deadliest glare of the world which deadpanned me. My mom too stared at me, her patience thinning.
"Care to come again, Caitlyn?"
"Tw–two days—"
"Oh Jesus help me or I will do something bad!" My dad snarled, slapping his hands on the teak table.
I flinched, closing my eyes as a reflex.
"Caitlyn, what are you speaking? Do you think it is a joke?"
"Mom, his parents are forcing him to marry someone else and that is why he wants me to marry him as soon as possible." I murmured quietly, making up stories of different kinds in my mind.
"Forcing the black panther? Unbelievable." Dad scoffed in disbelief while I just sent my prayers to god.
Peace. Yesterday, I read about peace. May god provide my raging parents too some mindful peace.
"Dad, you are also forcing me. You don't understand me and that is how his parents are too. They want him to marry their relative's daughter. I'm speaking truth, dad. Please support me." I begged, wailing loudly.
"I'm going nuts." He sat down on the chair.
"Me too." Mom muttered under her breath, sitting down.
"I thought that you both will support me."
"How can I let my daughter marry a stranger? And that too when I know what kind of person he is." Dad shook his head, clutching his forehead.
"But dad, he is not a stranger to me."
"I am tired of this, Caitlyn. When would you grow up?" Mom spoke strictly, her voice sharp as the knife she uses in her kitchen.
"Mom, I can't explain it any way. You both will just have to give it a try. He is a very good man. He can't come to meet you here because that would grab attention but once you meet him on our marriage, you will realize, he has the heart of gold."
Heart of thorns.
"I don't know what to say."
"Patrick, why don't we give a chance to them? If he is that successful, he must be smart and you also know that paparazzi just feed lies to people. You can't judge someone without meeting." Mom still looked unconvinced with my lies but that was okay as long as she was supporting me.
"But what I have seen in industry cannot be fake. He takes over every company he desires and there's no stopping him."
"He does that with hard work and brain," Mom argued, "He does not put anyone on trigger of gun, right? It is his hard work and as you say if he is that successful and powerful, he would keep our daughter safe."
"Safe? Who will keep her safe from him then?" Dad shouted, fire burning in his eyes.
"Why would she need to be safe from him? He loves her, for fuck's sake!" Mom bellowed, standing up abruptly.
Dad quietened down, jaw clenched tightly.
I bit my lip and waited for dad to calm the fuck down.
"Okay, go and marry him then. Who am I to object?" He looked into my direction, glaring at me.
I exhaled, groaning. No emotional blackmail anymore.
"Dad, c'mon , don't behave like this. I know that the way I brought this up was wrong but I did not have any other option. Either I would have run away with him or marry him with your blessings. I chose second one."
"I can't say anything else then. You are sugarcoating me now." He paused, rubbing his head, "And your mom, the woman has zero brain cells."
"Excuse me? I am still here." Mom muttered, looking at dad with her wide in disbelief eyes.
"I know,"
"Mom, dad, I need to be somewhere in half an hour. Can I leave?" I gulped, interrupting them as I saw the environment getting light again.
"Oh look, she did not require any permission before loving that man but she needed permission today. How obliging daughter!" Dad mocked for the thousandth time, anger dripping his words.
"Dad, can I go?"
"Yeah, go. I still not agreed." He looked away.
"Mom, dad.." I groaned, frowning in disappointment.
"Patrick!"
"Okay okay go. I will come to your office tomorrow and we will talk." He muttered, throwing his frostly glare my way.
I exhaled deeply, nodding my head. I strode to door fastly before looking back at him.
"I am on leave tomorrow," I yelled and ran away, not hearing the rain of curses from my dad's mouth.
♤■■■♤
I pulled the sleeves of my shirt and folded them till my elbows. I set the collar and picked up my blue blazer, draping it over myself. I opened the security lock and opened the door.
I stepped down from my car and shut its door back.
"Ma'am, you cannot park it here." The guard on the door spoke when I started to walk towards the big building of Bradford Corporations.
I pressed my lips together before throwing a cold glance towards him. I pulled the keys from my pocket and threw at him, which he caught.
"Park my car beside your boss's car, understand?" I tilted my head, raising my eyebrows slightly.
"Ma–ma'am, boss?" He frowned, genuinely confused.
I sighed and finally turned towards him, removing the sunglasses.
"Are there multiple bosses here? Park my car beside your boss's car in private parking or don't touch my car. Got that?" I calmly spoke, looking into his eyes.
"But we aren't allowed to do that. Only sir's and his family's cars stay there." He refused, the key hanging in his hand.
"Consider me family then." I put my left hand in my pocket, silencing the ringing phone.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't."
"Then," I snapped at him, snatching my keys back, "Let my car stay where it is."
I pushed past his way and strode towards the big glass building. Christ Jesús! I groaned as a hand wrapped around my arm, stopping me.
"Ma'am, you can'—" I did not let him finish and jabbed my elbow on his hand.
"Don't you dare touch me or any other woman! I won't hesitate to show you your place." I snarled, glaring at him.
He rubbed his a while few other guards came around us.
"What is going on here?"
"Tell your partner to never touch a lady outside. It is disrespectful." I hissed and threw my key towards them,
I strode away, neglecting their murmurs behind me. The doors opened as the sensor sensed me. I strode towards the receptionist, not giving a second glance towards the glassy building.
It was beautiful but of my enemy.
"Where can I find Theodore Bradford?" I spoke, drumming my fingers on the large, light yellow desk.
The lady looked up from the screen and stared at me for a full minute.
"Pardon, Miss?"
"Theodore Bradford, your boss?" I raised my eyebrow, taking a full look at her.
"I'm sorry but are you talking about Mr. Bradford sir?" She frowned, her tone unsure.
"The one and only," I titled my head, "Details now."
"I'm sorry ma'am but can I know your name?"
"Caitlyn King." I licked my lips and peaked a glance at my surroundings.
"Oh, you, ma'am. It is noted here that your presence was required three hours earlier. You are late. Mr. Bradfo—"
"Give me the floor details." I hissed, clenching the table in tight grip.
"Yes, right away, Miss. King."
She typed something before picking up the call receiver.
"Miss King is here. Sending her on floor sixty." She cut the call and again typed something.
"Go straight and turn right. There is the lift. Sixty floor number. Mr. Bradford's secretary, Richard Burachi, will receive you there."
"Thanks," I muttered dryly and walked past everyone.
I entered the lift and tension grew in the atmosphere. Why was I here? I was powerless and alone in another world. I played with my fingers, leaning back on the metal gold wall. The lift came to halt as we reached his floor.
I stood on my legs and walked out.
"Miss King." A male voice called me and I turned towards the source.
My eyebrows pulled together as I saw severly familiar man. The one who bid against me from the starting. He greeted me, notepad in his hand.
"Please follow me," He murmured, walking past me.
I followed him throughout the white and golden corridor. We came to a halt as he opened a door.
"Please enter. You will find sir inside. He is in a lunch meeting." He spoke professionally, his posture not giving a hint of what I was called here for.
Other than dress selection.
"Thanks,"
The door closed behind me with a gush of air falling on me. I shivered and trotted ahead, trying to find him. This place was magnificent and very very big. It felt like they were playing hide and seek.
More than a office, it looked like a cursed place. Atleast to me. I turned towards the source of voices coming from somewhere. I entered into the room on my right. There he was, bidding bye to his clients.
I entered the room from back door quietly as they vacated the room. I walked towards him with subtle, silent and timid steps. There was almost nothing in the room. No furniture. White room with two tables and chairs and some electronics.
He spun back on his heel as I reached him. I shrieked as I collided with his chest and lost my balance. My ankle twisted and felt myself falling backwards.
My eyes became shut while my hands grabbed whatever the first thing they could. I breathed heavily and waited for the fall but it never came. I opened my orbs to meet the grey ones.
Our faces were so closer and I could take a good look at his skin which was rich with calcium colored melanin.
His arms were around my thin waist, chest clashed with mine. I looked into his cold, deep and squinted eyes. My hands clutching his shoulders became loose as I tried to stand up.
He blinked out of the trance and pulled me upwards effortlessly. He roamed his hand roughly through his hairs shortly before glancing at me. He looked at his watch, bringing his hand in front of my face.
"You are three hours and twenty one minutes late." His frosty voice soothed my ears with the intensity that anyone could not have measured.
"Well, you did not ask me about my schedule, Mr. Bradford." I stated back at him with a challenging smirk on my lips.
"One message could have sufficed." His fierce eyes bore holes into my face while I just folded my hand on my chest.
"My fingers were hurting from last night." I inhaled the masculine scent in the room, roaming my gaze across the room.
"Were you gripping too hard?"
"Of course, did not want to fall off the table." I snarled lowly, my lips twisting into a curve.
"Noticed." His predatory orbs were blank, judging mine.
"What?!" I frowned, focusing on the task I came here for.
"You like table sex, noticed." He tilted his head and I gasped, my ears turning red, "Follow me to my cabin."
Sheer hot-red embarrassment consumed me and my lips fell apart.
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