Chapter 4 DAMIAN

You better be worth something!

You're pathetic!

You ruined me!

I'll kill you!

I hate to look at you!

You're worthless!

You look just like him!

I jolted awake to the sound of breaking glass. Breathing heavily, I got out of bed and scanned my surroundings, but I couldn't find anything.

"Must have been part of the nightmares." I muttered as I filled a glass cup with water.

I have been having these nightmares for as long as I could remember. A proof of just how fucked up I was. I headed back to my bedroom, and stepped out to the veranda. It was way past midnight, but the city was still very much alive. New York was a city that never slept.

I glanced sideways, and my eyes fell upon my reflection in the mirror. For a moment, I thought I saw her face, her eyes blazing in contempt , as it blended over mine. Everyone always thought I looked like my father, but my eyes were my mother's. A bleak grey; the kind that had stared at me with so much hate since she gave birth to me.

Yawning, I headed back into my room, and settled at my desk to get some work so done. I noticed an envelope on my table, and pulled it out the paper. It was the contract I gave to Lauretta Morales that she had declined. I scanned the contents and sighed, maybe she did have a point, it was a bit too stiff. I opened the draft in my laptop and deleted some numbers, editing it until it looked more bearable. Since she wanted to have a way in it, I sent it to her to review and edit if she wanted.

I couldn't believe I was getting married. Never in my twenty nine years on earth would I have thought, I wouldn't have ended up in an arranged marriage. I opened up the file on her that my secretary had sent to me; Loretta Morales. She was impressive, and if my grandfather had given me a normal chance to get to know her, then maybe I would have liked her. But that wouldn't be happening anytime soon, I doubt I'd fall in love with Loretta Morales anytime soon.

****

It was bright, if not too bright. I couldn't stand all the smiles, the laughters, and the unbearable music. How the hell did a month fly by so quickly? One minute, I was adjusting my schedule, getting my apartment ready to accomodate another person, visiting Diego Morales and becoming his lawyer. Next, I'm standing beside a priest, waiting to get married to a woman that I barely know. I tuned out everything and everyone, right until it was time for the bride to walk in.

I had to admit, Lauretta was stunning. Her wedding gown, which hugged all of her curves, shimmered in the dappled sunlight, giving her an ethereal glow. Her long dark hair was let down freely, which almost hinted at her bold nature. She walked alone, her heels probably sinking into the wet grass. The guests were on their feet, beaming brightly at the woman that was heading towards me.

Lauretta held a smile, and I had to give to her, she held on better than I did. If I was stranger and I didn't know it was arranged like most people here, I'd think that this was a normal wedding of two people who were so in love, that they didn't even care about what anyone would say. She finally got to where I stood, and I noticed her smile faltered slightly as she saw me, before plastering back on her face.

"It is an auspicious day indeed.." The priest began.

It was time for rings, and we both clearly hesitated at that part. This was it, no turning back.

"Welcome to my prison, inmate Morales." I whispered, and gave her a small smile.

"At least one of us still has our humour left." She replied, and tiptoed to kiss me. It was quick, but her little bite on my lower lip made a point. This was going to be one hell of a marriage.

"Thank God you're good looking, that'll make my time with you bearable." She whispered and grabbed my hand, smiling at our audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr and Mrs Reinhart!"

A loud round of applause and cheers filled the air. It was done, I was binded to this woman for twenty four months.

The reception was just as dreadful. I had to keep greeting a whole bunch of people, some I had never met, our business partners, my grandfather's friends who think it's normal to wave a large stick of tobacco around.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the married man of the hour." I turned towards the direction of the voice and smiled. The only face I could tolerate today; my best friend, Micheal.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and pulled me closer to himself. "You look like shit for someone who got married a couple of hours ago."

"Everything about today is more than draining." I muttered, and took the glass of whiskey from his hand. "I can't wait for the day to be over."

"So you can get some of that latina ass." He replied, winking at me.

I elbowed his side. "Shut it. That isn't happening anytime soon."

"Oh come on, you lied to me that she wasn't all that, but she looked the exact opposite of what you've been complaining about. Bro, She. Is. Hot."

I rolled my eyes as I emptied the glass and handed it back to him. "I never said she wasn't hot. I said she wasn't my type."

"She's definitely my type." Micheal said, staring lustfully at Loretta who was busy keeping some of the guests occupied.

I slapped his head, snapping him out of whatever fantasy he was in. "Get your shit together, that's my wife."

Micheal grinned at me. "Look at you being all dominant."

"I'm just being reasonable, since your dick suddenly became a replacement for your brain. Besides, people are always watching, and unless you want some stupid online source saying shit, I'd advice you to go flirt with someone,or do something that doesn't have to do with you ogling at my wife."

He scrunched his nose as he stared at the crowd. "Too many familiar faces here, it almost feels like incest. I'm trying to avoid the news, not be on it. My father is already giving me an earful for messing things up with the Qin heiress." He took one last look at Lauretta and sighed. "I wish I knew she existed before your grandfather set his claws in her."

I placed my hand on his shoulder, and pushed him foward. "Go home, you're drunk."

He slapped my hand away. "I am not...oh shit, who is that?" He adjusted his jacket before winking back at me. "I'm off to go work my charm. You better go dance with your wife or something, it's almost so obvious that you're both avoiding each other."

"What do you..."

He was off before I could get my sentence out. Fucking idiot. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a call from my secretary, which was weird, because I had warned her I wouldn't be fully available today except for emergencies.

"Martha?"

"Sir, we have a problem!" She half screamed, her voice frantic.

"Calm down, Martha. What happened?"

She took a deep breath, her voice still shaky. "It's Mr... Mr Morales. I just received a call from the prison. He was found dead in his cell this morning."

The grip on my phone tightened. "What do you mean, found dead? What happened?"

"They want to rule it out as suicide, but that doesn't make sense because.."

"He was so sure he was going to get out soon." I said, completing her sentence.

That was impossible. I had just spoken to him last week, and he seemed excited by how the case was going. All he was going to spend in the prison was a couple of months, if not a year, especially with the luck on his side and the connection on ours. But this suddenly happening, who killed Diego Morales?

The laugh of my grandfather filled the air, and I couldn't help but worry that he had a hand in it. Could it be him? He did mention that Mr Morales had something on him, but could it be enough to kill him.

No, if he wanted to, then he would have done it before the wedding.

I glanced at Loretta and my heart surprisingly clenched. How would she take it hearing about this news? From what I knew, her father was all she has left.

As if sensing my gaze, her eyes met mine. Her smile faltered for a bit, and I could tell she knew something was wrong, because she excused herself and was heading towards my direction.

"Dance with me." She commanded, pulling my hand and leading me to the dance floor.

I was still trying to wrap my head around, trying to figure out how I was going to break the news to her. I placed my hands on her waist while hers found my shoulder, her plastic smile still in place.

"What is it?" She asked quietly, her gaze not leaving mine.

I pulled her closer to me, moving our bodies to the rhythm of the music. "I just got a call from my secretary."

She said nothing, but I expectant gaze told me she was waiting for more.

"Lauretta," I whispered softly. "Your father is dead."

I waited for her face to crumble, for her to cry, scream, demand I tell her what happened. Instead her eyes drifted to my collar and she sighed.

"What happened?"

"They say it's suicide, but..."

"It can't be." She said, cutting me off. "My father was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them."

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

She didn't reply, but instead rested her head on my chest, humming whatever song was playing. My chest tightened as I held her closer. I didn't know why, but something about her silence didn't sit well with me.