Chapter 3 A contract marriage

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she sat in front of a restaurant on the street. The sound of the doors opening and closing scattered her thoughts.

It was unreal to think that her father had just thrown a flower vase at her after she found out that he was in on the plan to kill her.

She gulped, bile tasting in her throat. Tears rushed out of her eyes and she placed her head on her laps, crying bitterly. The day got worse than it already had been and rain started pouring heavily.

Dahlia didn't move, she sat down there, letting the rain drench her, all of bitterness, all of her anger. Here, she count scream and no one would hear her because of how heavy the rain was. This was her perfect place.

The rain suddenly stopped above her and her anger intensified. Even the sky couldn't understand her predicament and just let it fall? But when she raised up her head to rant, her eyes came in contact with him. He was holding an unwanted umbrella over her head.

Like cloud sync, her brain retrieved all of the memories and she realized where she'd seen him. On the TVs, on the tabloids, in the prison. He was everywhere.

Lucien Black.

"Ms Vexley." He called her name in velvety voice, "Get out of the rain."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" She didn't care if he was Lucien –arrogant– Black, he couldn't order her around, not in her most shitty moment.

He stared at his watch again, like he was in time control. "Do you plan to stay here?"

"Yes, I do. Why won't you just leave me alone? Can't you see I want to be left alone?!" She screamed out, "And please, take your stupid umbrella over my head." She didn't want him to see her crying. And the rain would do the job.

He obliged, pulling the umbrella over his own head and letting the rain drench her.

"Leave." She looked away.

"I'm trying to get into the restaurant." He said nonchalantly.

"Then do."

"Eaten yet? If not, you need more energy to cry." He said and walked in. Dahlia took a minute to understand he was inviting her. Her stomach rumbled just in time, but the appetite wasn't there. She didn't want to eat.

A glance at the woman in the restaurant and she made up her mind, walking into the restaurant. She pulled out a seat opposite him and he stared at her.

"You eat at restaurants like this?" She asked quietly. It was a low class restaurant, located somewhere at the end of the street, far away from her family's– Chris Vexley's house. They were no longer her family. However, she was in front of the restaurant because she had realized she had no place to go. No friends, nothing. She sat in front since it had a porch and she could probably pass the night there when it got quieter.

"No. But I can't walk around in the rain." He said, pulling out a tissue. "Clean your face, you look crazy."

"I haven't had a bath in two days. And a clean bath in a year."

He stares at her blankly, unsure of what she wanted him to say to that revelation.

She stared at him, midway of cleaning her face. "Don't you want to know what happened? Or you are just comfortable sitting with an ex convict in public?" She asked.

He glanced at the food being placed in front of him and back to Dahlia. "You think?"

"Yes." She muttered, picking up her spoon. "Thank you for the food. I have nothing to pay you back." She said and started eating before he could change his mind.

"A marriage proposal." He suddenly said and Dahlia coughed out the food she'd already eaten. It scattered all over Lucien's suit and he let out a low curse, anger flashing in his eyes.

"I'm...so sorry." Dahlia shook her head. "What you said was just shocking to me. You shouldn't have said that while I was eating."

"Are you blaming me?" He raised a brow.

"No. I'm apologizing." She shrank back into her seat.

Lucien pulled out multiple tissues, cleaning off the stains on his suit.

Dahlia went mute, eating as though nothing happened before. He watched her, like a predator monitoring a prey and she felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Can't you stop watching me and eat?" She asked.

"I'm not hungry."

"Then why did you come here?" She asked.

"I have something for you." On cue, the secretary who'd come with him in the hospital appeared again.

"If you want me to sign that stuff–"

"You want revenge, Ms Vexley. I can give you that." His secretary pushed a new file towards her. The title was written in large bold fonts 'MARRIAGE AGREEMENT.'

"Is this a joke?" She asked.

"The moment you sign this, you become Dahlia Black and you'd leave your husband."

"I'm not divorced." She stated as a matter of fact.

"You'll soon be. If you sign a divorce paper, I'll have them sent to Draven Marrow as soon as possible. Since the world doesn't know about your marriage, it'll be easier." Lucien said.

"What is all this? Who said you could take account of my life the way you wish?"

"I'm only telling you to apply wisdom. You want to take revenge on those who wronged you, your family. To do that, you'll need my help. Which I'm willing to provide to you, on one condition, marriage."

Dahlia pushed the tray of food from her front and got up. "Thank you for the offer. But I'm not interested." She stated clearly and started to walk away.

"The moment you get out of that door, you'll probably be dead."

She halted in her steps. Lucien pushed his chair backwards, getting up and walking towards her.

"It'll be classified as a hit and run accident. Evelyn made sure of that." He said.

Dahlia's face lost color. "How do you know all these?"

"There are very few things I don't know about you, Ms Vexley." He stared at her, "So what will it be? Marry me and get everything you ever wanted. Fame, money, power, revenge."

"What do you get in return?" She asked.

He smirked. "You."