Chapter 3 A Fcking Marriage Contract!

Chapter 2: A Fcking Marriage Contract!

Janice's POV

--

Almost an hour had passed. I had been itching to check if Matteo was still outside my door, but I was too afraid he'd realize I'd been inside the whole time. A small part of me still felt guilty for avoiding him, for pushing him away without any real explanation.

I glanced at my phone, resting on the small table. Without thinking, I grabbed it and checked to see if I'd missed any texts from him, but there were none. I let out a frustrated sigh. Then, after a deep breath, I dialed Jeydon's number. It was the only way I could think of to find out if Matteo was still waiting outside.

The line rang a few times before I heard his familiar voice.

"Hello, Jeyd? Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm driving home, why?" he replied.

"Can you call Matteo? I want to know where he is right now," I said.

"Why me? Can't you do that yourself?" I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"He's your damn friend, Jeydon!" I snapped.

"Yeah? But friends don't go around giving updates on where and what they're doing," he teased.

I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "He called me and said he's waiting outside my door," I admitted, knowing that beating around the bush would get me nowhere.

"Oh? And if I'm not mistaken, you don't want to entertain him?" Jeydon asked, followed by a mocking laugh.

"Jeydon, I don't mess around with my employees," I said firmly. My patience was wearing thin, and I started pacing back and forth in my room.

"But he likes you... a fcking lot," he said with a chuckle.

"Obsessing over someone isn't healthy," I replied.

"Then why don't you tell him that?" he shot back.

"I've told him many times-we can't have any affair. Not even a fcking buddy arrangement! I can't ruin the reputation I've built in this industry!" I hissed, my frustration growing.

"But you want him, don't you?" The question made me freeze. Yes, I want him. I fcking want him.*

"Five-second rule. Silence means yes," he said, teasing. "Janice, stop fighting your desire for him. Your feelings are mutual, so why not just give in?"

"What? Hell no!" I snapped instantly. I would never give in to Matteo. I had never surrendered to a man-not even the ones I'd slept with. I had always been the dominant one, the one in control. My fck buddies loved being tortured by me during our intimate sessions. No one ever had power over me, not like this.

"Letting go of your pride can lead to ecstasy, you know," Jeydon teased from the other end.

I groaned loudly in irritation. "Jerka*s," I muttered under my breath.

He laughed, which only made me more annoyed.

"Fine. I'll call him this time-but this is the last. If you want to get rid of him, do it yourself," Jeydon said before ending the call.

I sighed deeply, lowering my phone. I dropped myself onto the foot of the bed, eyes still fixed on the bedroom door. After a moment, I couldn't resist anymore. Slowly, I crept out of the room and tiptoed to the front door, peeking through the peephole to check if Matteo was still there.

I didn't see anyone outside. Could it be because of Jeydon? I was about to return to my room when I jumped at the sudden sound of the intercom.

"I know you're there, Janice." Matteo's calm but insistent voice came through. "Please open the door and let's talk."

"Fck!" I muttered, frustration bubbling up. Taking a deep breath, I reached for the door handle and turned it.

When I opened the door, Matteo stood before me, his expression dark and intense. His brows furrowed as he stared at me, like he was trying to read my thoughts.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I tried to sound tough, but my knees shook for reasons I couldn't understand.

Is it because of the way he looks at me? I thought, shaking my head to push the thought aside. I couldn't give in to whatever attraction I felt toward him.

"Let me in," he said, his voice firm with authority.

"No," I replied immediately, trying to stand my ground. "I'm tired, and I want to rest. I have an early meeting tomorrow with a VVIP," I added, hoping to push him away.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a small smile. "A VVIP, huh? Is that how important it is to you?"

"Of course," I answered quickly. "MC Underwear Trading Co. is one of the major undergarment suppliers. Meeting with the CEO is my top priority, so please, go home."

He stared at me for a long moment, silent. I didn't want to be rude and slam the door in his face, but the tension was thick between us.

"Okay, you win-I'll let you win... for now. But I'm not giving up, Janice. A deal is a deal, and I want you to keep your end of the deal, or else..." He waited for me to respond, but then turned and walked away.

Or else what? I thought, frowning, feeling an unsettling flutter in my chest.

I finally closed the door when I saw him enter the elevator. I walked toward the kitchen, trying to shake off the feeling of his presence lingering. My phone buzzed, and I saw a text message from Jeydon.

Sorry, he knows me. I can't lie. ?

"That jerk!" I muttered angrily. I was glad he wasn't standing in front of me right now, because I would've slapped him. I quickly typed a message and, after sending it, I grinned and walked over to the fridge to grab some water.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzed again. I grinned when I saw it was from Jeydon.

"I'm going to sleep. Stop calling me," I typed back.

"What did you just text me?" he replied, clearly annoyed.

I chuckled softly. "Nami wants to meet some of my male models, so I conducted a party," I responded.

"And why would she do that?" he asked, curious.

"Uhm... let's just say she wants to claim herself from being a fool," I replied, a little smirk playing at the corners of my lips.

There was a long silence on the other end. It seemed like Jeydon was struck by what I'd said. He should be, because what he was doing to Nami-leading her on-was utterly wrong. But I knew I'd be in trouble with Nami if that idiot ever decided to tell on me.

"I'm just kidding," she said, laughing. "The truth is, I invited her to come with me. She needs to have some fun," she added with a grin.

"And where are you taking her?" he asked, clearly curious.

She yawned, signaling that she was about to head to bed. "I'm tired, good night!" Without waiting for him to say anything else, she hung up. She didn't care if he was flustered or angry. He deserved it for being a jerk.

***

The next day, I made sure to arrive at the office early. I needed everything to be perfect for my meeting with the CEO of MCUT Co.; securing this company was a big win for Sun Glow Fashion. It would make importing high-quality fabrics and products easier. I was confident that it would help the company gain even more global visibility, especially with the Queen of Arc Fashion Show in Paris coming up in three months.

"Darla, please check with the IT Department to make sure there won't be any issues with our team's presentation later," I instructed my assistant.

"Sure, Miss," Darla replied before leaving me to prepare.

Once I was alone, I took a moment to survey my surroundings. I couldn't afford for the CEO of MCUT to notice anything out of place. From what I'd heard from other business people, he was known for being meticulous and picky about local investors.

MCUT had been featured in international magazines and showcased at major fashion events, so I couldn't let this opportunity slip away. As I was deep in thought, I received a call from the CEO's assistant.

When the meeting time arrived, Darla and I headed to the Conference Hall. We waited for a few minutes, and right on the dot, at 9:00 AM, the meeting partners arrived.

Since I had been facing away from the door, I didn't notice who had entered at first. But when I turned to greet them, I froze. A tall, muscular man, wearing a dark navy slim-fit suit, walked toward me. His presence was as commanding as a king's-everyone in the room would obey him.

"Miss Ortega?" his companion called to me.

I blinked a few times, shook my head, and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry," I said with a smile, trying to recover from my surprise. "Welcome to Sun Glow Fashion."

"Thank you, Miss. By the way, I'm Niccolo Montenegro, and this is Matteo Cordova-Montreal, CEO of Montreal-Cordova Underwear Trading Corporation. I believe you already know him," Niccolo said, introducing his companion with a warm smile.

I stared at Matteo, unable to hide my shock. I had seen his portfolio before, but the surname Montreal had not been mentioned.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know him," I said, staring at Matteo. "I only know Matteo Cordova, but your boss... I don't know anything about him," I replied seriously.

He didn't answer me. He just kept staring at me, and I stared back. The irritation inside me was building, especially towards Matteo. I never expected to see him here.

He fooled me! And I want a damn explanation! I thought to myself, my patience wearing thin.

Niccolo cleared his throat, breaking the tension between us. "Can we start the meeting? Let's talk about business, everyone," he said, clearly trying to keep things on track.

I forced a smile, turning my attention to him. "Of course, let's all have a seat."

I signaled for Darla to hand over the contract to them, but Matteo spoke before she could sit back down.

"Leave us," he muttered, looking at Niccolo and Darla. "Both of you."

I froze for a moment, stunned by his command. I was about to protest, but Niccolo quickly stood up, politely asking Darla to leave. She waited for me to give some signal, but I just nodded. Whatever his game was, I wasn't going to back down.

Once we were alone, Matteo picked up the papers from the table and started reading them in complete silence. I crossed my arms, my gaze fixed on him. I had so many questions and was determined to get some answers.

Time seemed to drag on. He kept reading, and I kept watching. He should've been asking questions and discussing the document, but thirty minutes passed, and no word was spoken between us.

Finally, Matteo pulled something from his jacket. I raised an eyebrow when I saw the pen. Without hesitation, he signed the document. When he was done, he looked at me and said, "I signed the contract. Now it's your turn."

I smirked. "I already signed the-"

He cut me off, his voice steady. "When I say it's your turn to sign, I didn't mean this contract. What I mean is the marriage contract."

I blinked, confused, as he stood up and opened the attaché case his assistant had brought. He pulled out more papers, walked over to me, and placed them in front of me. My eyes widened when I saw the large letters at the top of the document: CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

"You're going to sign it, Janice, or else I'll tell everyone that we're having an intimate affair," he said with a playful smirk in his eyes. "I'm sure you don't want that to happen."

My teeth clenched, and I could feel my anger rising. If looks could kill, he would have been dead by now. How dare he corner me like this? My reputation, my career-it all meant too much to me. I wasn't about to let him ruin it all for a damn scandal.

"Fck you!" I snapped, grabbing the pen and signing the marriage fcking contract with a harsh flourish.

He immediately snatched the paper from me and smirked. "Yeah, I will... only if you really mean it."