Present
Rosalyn
I smoothed down my plain knee-length skirt before putting on my brown knee-length coat. I looked at my appearance in the mirror. My dark brown hair hung around my shoulder limply, and my face was done with makeup. I caressed my stomach over the coat that looked almost flat. I was four months pregnant, but my baby bump was hidden under my clothes and I was happy with it. I was not embarrassed about being pregnant but about the baby’s father. Three months ago there was a rumor that I was pregnant with Dave Francis's child, and Dave didn’t stop this rumor because he knew I didn’t want Travis to know about this baby. And I would never let him know about this.
Did he remember that night?
“Alright, we’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Avika said on the phone. “No, thanks though. We have our driver.” She disconnected the call and looked at me. “Are you okay, Rosa?”
I frowned. “Yup, everything is okay.”
She scrutinized me. I hate this pitiable look. “How do you act so beautifully as if nothing is happening in your life? Your father’s disease, your devastated brother, your depressed nephew, and….” She held my eyes. “Your psycho fiancé.”
Despite that, there was a beautiful thing in my life. Dave Francis, my best friend.
“I’m not acting,” I said and grabbed my purse before heading to the elevator. I didn’t enjoy talking about my personal life with anyone else.
“Wait, I’m coming,” Avika shouted from behind and followed me. We stepped into the elevator before pressing the down button.
After a moment, the elevator ding opened, and we got out before walking to the exit gate. Shannon had already been waiting for us out of the hotel. When he saw us coming, he immediately opened the door for me. “Good morning, Ma’am,” he greeted, smiling.
“Good morning, Shannon.” I nodded and sat in the car. Avika took a seat next to me. After a moment, Shannon drove away. I looked out through the window. It was my last time in Las Vegas. After that, I would never be here. Never! I didn’t want to see his face ever again. Last night! I closed my eyes. I would have kissed him back if he would not have withdrawn his mouth back.
How could his kiss feel so addictive? How could I give my heart to someone who didn’t have a heart at all? He was heartless.
“Rosa,” Avika called. “We’ve arrived, shall we go?”
“Of course,” I said and got out of the car. “Have you prepared for the papers, I asked you yesterday?”
She nodded and handed me a brown file. “Here you go.”
Grabbing the file, we headed to the building. Since I had a meeting, Avika was not allowed in the hall. She was going to stay down in the waiting room. Mr. Watson had informed me that today he was going to introduce me to his other business partner. Watson was famous across the USA for its innovative technologies in the market. I and Dave had invested in digital marketing. I was hoping this conference would go smoothly.
But somewhere I was distracted because of yesterday’s incident. Travis had almost shaken me. He was my biggest fear, but I was wondering how long? One day, I should have to learn how to face him. Shaking my head, I walked to the receptionist. “Excuse me.”
“Yes, how can I help you, Ma’am?”
“Could you help me meet Mr. Watson? I have a meeting with him.”
“Wait a moment,” she said politely. After a while. “May I take your name?”
“Sure, it’s Rosalyn Capone.”
After a moment. “I’ll show you to the conference hall, right this way.” She directed me.
I nodded and trailed after her, clutching the file against my chest. We entered the elevator and punched the twelfth floor. After a while, we arrived and got out. We walked down the hallway and turned left, which was leading to a huge dark brown door. “This is a conference hall, and Mr. Watson will be with you momentarily. Can I offer something to drink?” she asked.
“No, thank you.” I smiled softly.
She nodded and walked away.
Stepping to the door, I pushed the door open
“Ah, fuck! Yeah!” He groaned.
My heart missed a beat when I caught Travis with a woman.
A blonde was riding on top of him and scratching his bare chest and moaning in pleasure. Travis’s one hand was fisting her hair while another was squeezing her ass as he was pounding her harder and faster on the couch. His shirt was still on, but his front was unbuttoned and his pants fell to his knees. I couldn’t see the woman’s face because her naked back was in front.
“Travis, I’m coming. Oh my god, oh my god!” Woman cried.
“Fuck, yeah! Come for me, baby!” Travis growled, fucking her harder, like an animal.
Goddammit!
I stepped back, swallowing hard. A dull ache shifted to my heart as I gripped the file tightly.
So he was Mr. Watson’s second partner?
Suddenly, my back bumped into someone. “Watch your step, Miss Capone,” Mr. Watson said and all at once every moan died in the air as the entire hall fell into silence. Now Travis found out that I had seen him. I immediately turned around to face Watson because I didn’t want to catch Travis’s expression.
For a few minutes, no one spoke out as the atmosphere became thicker and thicker. Suddenly, a huge conference hall felt so small that it was suffocating me. I could feel Travis’s eyes burning in my back. Did he feel guilty or bad? Or he was still inside her. My jaw flexed. I couldn’t be silent for long because he would take a hint that I was hurt. I couldn’t give him satisfaction.
“This is not a brothel, for Christ’s sake, Mr. Watson!” I yelled at Watson, even though it was not his mistake.
It was damn Travis Lizardo who was fucking a woman in the conference hall. Gross!
“For fuck’s sake! This is not your house that you are yelling around!” Travis fired back from behind.
It pissed him off because Travis hated the word ‘brothel.’
I scowled but didn’t retort. I heard his footsteps coming closer to me and the next moment he stood next to me, buttoning his pants. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore his smug smile that was gracing his face. “Mr. Watson, could you please give me a moment with my fiancée before we can begin our meeting?” He asked him so professionally as if he had not been fucking a woman in this hall a minute ago.
Does he fuck every woman at every place where he works?
“Sure,” Watson said, before disappearing behind the door.
What the heck! Why was he behaving like Travis’s pet?
“I don’t want to talk!” I gritted and stepped to the door, but Travis instantly blocked my way, smirking. His shirt was undone, showing off his smooth, tanned skin and chiseled abs. His thick black hair ruffled, and his lips were swollen and there were several marks of lipstick over him, over his jaw, chest, and his abdomen.
He cleared his throat and grabbed my attention. I stared back at him and found him smirking. “Do you want to touch them?” He showed his abs.
“I want to scratch them!” I hissed and headed to the door, but he came in my way again. “Move!” But he didn’t budge an inch. He was taller and even broader, blocking the door. “Travis..!”
He stared straight into my eyes and my pulse sped up. “Where is your bodyguard?” He asked.
My bodyguard meant Dave. I looked away and kept quiet. I didn’t want to talk to him.
He stepped up to him, and I immediately backed off. “This is my company,” he said, and a surprise registered on my face. “I’m the co-founder of the Watson group.”
Before I could speak. “Alright,” I heard a woman from behind. “I’ve got to go,” she said and reached Travis. She wrapped her manicured hand around his neck and leaned him down to kiss.
I chewed the corner of my lip while looking away, but still, I could feel his eyes were burning in me, even though he had a woman in his arms. She was exactly his type, tall, blonde, and slim, unlike me, short, brunette, and curvy.
Minutes passed, but they didn’t break their kiss as they kept devouring each other in front of me.
I gripped the file, feeling irritation, but I kept my expression stoic. Travis’s one hand wrapped around her small waist as he kept kissing her and her hands were roaming all over his upper body. I couldn’t bear it any longer and I headed to the door, but he shot out his hand and grabbed my hand. “I’m waiting outside.” I gritted.
Finally, he set that woman free and gave me his full attention. “Stay.”
I snatched my hand from his grip. “I said, I’m waiting outside.”
He glanced at the woman. “You may go, and don’t wait for me at the club. I won’t come.”
Her eyes fell into sadness. “Why?” She mumbled, disappointed.
Travis stared at me. “Get out!” He gritted at her as his jaw clenched and his eyes on me the entire time.
He only knows how to use women for his pleasure.
The woman gave me a frosty look before heading to the door. “Why are you doing this?” I asked, feeling the pound of my heart in my chest.
“To see if it hurts you or not,” he said, coming closer to me. “Didn’t you feel an ounce of jealousy when I was kissing her in front of you?” I swallowed. My chest was rising and falling rapidly. When I didn’t reply he continued, “because whenever I saw you with him, I felt fucking shot in my gut!” He growled, getting in my face.
I closed my eyes, my throat thick with a sob.
“You loved me, didn’t you?”
“You loved me, Rosalyn!” He growled in my ear, flinching. “Rosalyn…”
I glared into his eyes. “I don’t love you!” I snapped and anger settled over his face, and his jaw clenched harder. “I don’t love you! Do you hear me! I don’t love….” My voice died when he pushed me back to the wall and came over me.
“Shut up!” He breathed and glared into my eyes that were burning with fury. “Just shut the fuck up!”
“I ran away from our wedding because I wanted to be happy, Travis,” I whispered, feeling his heartbeat against mine. He was so close to me.
“And what about me?” He whispered. I could feel pain in his voice. “What about me, huh?”
I don’t have an answer.
I was not an Angel of heaven who would turn a devil into a better person. I was a human with needs, wants, and wishes.
I was more than happy without him, and I would stay happy forever if he would not come back into my life again. His life had always been pitiable, and I didn’t want this kind of life. He had his demons inside, and I knew he could never defeat them. He had two sides and I couldn’t take them both.
Travis pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “You betrayed me!”
Because you hurt me. I wanted to scream at him, but I kept quiet and took his hatred.
“If your silence is my answer then trust me, Rosalyn Capone, I won’t leave you in peace until I destroy you completely!” He threatened, his warm breathing fanning across my face. “Just wait and see!” He hissed and spun around and stormed out of the hall.
I pressed my hand to my chest and waited for my heart to calm down. After a moment I smoothed down my skirt before walking out of the hall.
I found Watson was waiting for me. His expression was concerning. “Why didn’t you tell me that Travis Lizardo is the co-founder of the Watson group?” I asked.
“He barely attends any meetings. All he cares about is that the company would make high profits and take rational decisions. I didn’t know that he would show up today. I’m sorry Miss Capone. I couldn’t refuse him after all. He is the half-owner of this company,” he said apologetically.
Travis’s outbursts shocked me. He was hurt and angry. And I didn’t know how far he would go to take his revenge!
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