⭐ Leona's POV ⭐

I am lusting over him.

God, this is so embarrassing!

Thankfully, after all that happened, he left and I didn't see him for the rest of the day, until late in the evening, when he gave me dinner in the room only and left without saying anything.

He's on my mind all the time, every thought leads to him, everything reminds me of him. Even when I was watching a movie, I couldn't help but think how similar the actor's lips were to his.

I am officially going insane.

Later that night, I was about to lay down to sleep but I realised that Rafe wasn't there. I contemplated on whether to call him or not.

He's not a child, he must be somewhere. With that thought, I laid down and closed my eyes to sleep.

Minutes passed by and turned towards his side which was empty and I couldn't help but wonder where he must be. Is he...okay?

For the first time in my life, I didn't want him here because I was afraid to sleep alone, instead...I was worried about him.

Before I could change my mind, I picked up my phone and dialled his number.

A few rings later, he picked up and I heard his deep voice. "Yes?"

And I literally forgot why I called him. "Um...I...um..."

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He asked softly.

Yes, you.

"Um...no...I mean yes...I am okay. Where...where are you...?"

He replied after a pause. "I was out with Westly; I'm about to reach home though..."

"Oh, okay..."

"Hmm... anything else?"

"No, no. That's it. Bye."

"Bye." And he hung up the call.

Why is my heart beating so fast? I thought as I placed my palm over my racing heart.

Am I... falling for him?

No. No. No. I am not falling for him. I can't. Not again.

It would be much better if I go to sleep. And I tried to sleep but as soon as I closed my eyes, Rafe's face appeared in my mind making me open my eyes with a groan.

I need to stop thinking about him.

Suddenly I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and I closed my eyes and pretend to sleep as the room's door opened.

I could hear him walking closer to me. "Leona?" He whispered.

I kept pretending to be asleep and he seemed to believe that as he didn't say anything else.

Then I felt him grabbing my duvet and pulling it over my body properly and for a second, I felt his thumb caress my cheek making my heart skip a beat.

Knowing, he was home now, I started to feel sleepy and the closing of the bathroom door was the last thing I heard.

.

.

.

Running towards father, I engulfed him in a tight hug and chuckling he hugged me back and kissed my forehead.

"I missed you, father!" I told him, pulling back and he ruffled my hair. "I missed you too, daughter."

I smiled and stepped back as Rafe forward to greet him and father side hugged him.

We were all currently in uncle Matt's house.

Later, when we all sat in the living room, I noticed how the atmosphere changed; everyone became serious.

I sat beside father resting my head on his shoulder. I really missed him.

Uncle Matt was the first one to speak as he cleared his throat. "So, we all have a meeting late in the afternoon."

"But it's Sunday!"

"We all? With who?"

Rafe and I said simultaneously looking at them in confusion.

"Yes, it's a Sunday but we have a meeting..." Father said, "and...um...the meeting is between me, Matt, Leona and Rafe."

"With who?!" I looked between uncle Matt and father.

"Carl Abraam." Uncle Matt answered.

"Meeting with him? Is that why you are here?" I asked father and he nodded slowly.

"We thought of solving the problem by trying to discuss it and Isaiah convinced his son to that so now we have a meeting with him." Father explained.

"How great!" Rafe muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

We are going to have a meeting with Carl Abraam? As if us making him understand would work.

My father and uncles come up with the weirdest ideas ever.

.

.

.

I wore a sleeveless, plain, white dress, with a plunging neckline and it reached till my mid thighs and I tied my hair up in a messy bun.

This time, I was ready on time for which Rafe was very thankfully as he drived us to the company.

We met father and uncle at the reception and together we all went up to the meeting where we waited for Carl and Isaiah Abraam to arrive.

We all sat at the round table with Rafe beside me who was awfully silent and his jaw was clenched.

I glanced at my wrist watch (the one which Rafe gifted me) wondering when that asshole will be arriving.

My question was answered soon when Rafe's assistant announced his arrival and he strode in wearing an all black suit, a strand of his chestnut curly hair falling on his forehead, well defined cheekbones and a perfect jawline and his green eyes settled on me first, his soft pair of lips curling up in a smirk.

And along with him was his assistant too.

"Fuck. He wasn't this hot when I saw him last time. How did he get so hot?" I said to myself, still in disbelief.

Rafe heard that cause his head snapped to me. "Are you fucking serious right now?" His said in a low voice so that no one else could hear.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You are calling him hot!" He said as if he was offended.

"Yeah, he is looking hot. Can't you see it? He is looking fucking gorgeous. Like damn." And I looked at him again as he stood there smirking at me.

Father noticed this and got up, averting his attention. "Where's Isaiah?"

"Oh, dad's a little busy so he couldn't come." He answered.

"He said he would be here. Where is he? What did you do to him?" Father was getting angry.

"Aww, you care about my father so much. Don't worry, he's alright..." He drawled and took a seat opposite to me.

"Damn." I muttered. "He's looking so good."

Rafe looked at me in disbelief. "He's like a villain to us right now and you are saying he's hot?!"

"But villains are hot." I argued and a dreamy look took over my eyes. "Very hot."

I looked at him again as he ran his fingers through his hair and I fanned my hand. "Gosh. He's making feel hot."

"Leona." Rafe leaned closer and growled lowly in my ear. "Call him hot once more and I will show you all the ways I can make you hot myself."

And he placed his palm over my thigh and squeezed it and a blush crawled up my neck. And his fingers started move upwards and my thighs clenched.

Fuck.

I wrapped my fingers around his wrist. "S-stop it, Rafe."

His fingers stopped moving and he removed his hand but not before he trailed his fingers down to my knee causing goosebumps to arise on my body.

I hate the effect he has on me. And at the same time, I love it.

He smirked and leaned back on his seat looking victorious.

I'm on my periods; that's why I am feeling like this. I assured myself and took a deep breath and focused back on the meeting.

"She's married already." Uncle Matt told him firmly. "And the companies have been merged too, you can't--"

"Oh, really? I didn't know that", he said sarcastically, leaning back. "But...you merged the companies on a fake matrimonial alliance, didn't you?"

What? How does he know that?

He glanced between me and Rafe. "I know it. Their marriage is fake, and you merged the company over that, lying to everyone." He got up from his seat and placed his hands inside his pockets.

He started to walk back and forth, a smirk playing on his lips. "What if this information gets out? How will it affect the Wilbrose Enterprises? Or should I say both the Wilbrose and Andrews Enterprises?"

Father opened his mouth to speak but he held up his hand to silence him. "And that's not it..." And he took out a pen drive from his pocket. "This little thing contains everything that could destroy your companies in a minute."

Rafe's jaw clenched and his palms folded into fists as he glared at him. "We are here to negotiate!"

"Oh, I am negotiating only. Don't worry."

"I feel like practicing all my training on him." He hissed to himself.

"So, back to what I was saying..." Carl continued. "The thing is, you give me Leona and I'll give you this pendrive." His gaze locked with mine and he licked his lips. "Or else your companies get destroyed. You can choose."

Okay, now I am hating him.

"She's not a property that you could trade!" Rafe got up angrily.

I wanted to be a part of the conversation too but I had no idea what to say.

"Carl, this isn't negotiation." Father spoke in a calm voice. "You need to give us another option. A better one."

He sighed and tossed the pendrive up in the air and catching it back, placed it inside his pocket. "Very well...I have another option."

The evil glint in his eyes scared me. "I love to play games and not just the small ones. So, I would like to play a game with you all. How about I hide this pendrive in a forest and give you a week to find it?"

Uncle Matt slammed his fist on the table. "This is ridiculous!"

"Believe me, it won't be difficult. I'll provide you with a map which will tell you the location of where the pendrive is, and all you have to do is retrieve it. And one more thing...only these two will be going." He pointed at me and Rafe.

"Fine! I accept it but I will be going alone."

"Rafe, you idiot!" I hissed at him. "Have you gone insane?!"

He gave me a pointed look which told me to shut up.

There's no way he is going alone. "I'll go with him." I stood up.

Father and uncle's head snapped to us and they both glared at us.

"You won't, Leona. It's dangerous." Rafe argued with me and I glared at him.

"And you are what? An immortal that you won't get hurt, huh?"

"You are not coming with me."

"I am coming with you!"

"No one is going anywhere!" Uncle Matt's voice boomed silencing us both. "Sit down, both of you."

Glaring at each other, we sat down and Carl chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, I won't be sending you both to somewhere dangerous. Don't want to get my future wife hurt, now do we?" And he winked at me which was quite hot but at that moment, I didn't like it.

"You have a week to prepare for it after which I will personally escort you there and then you will have another week to retrieve this pendrive. You can take whatever things you will need, I don't care. But no one except you two will be going. The rules are quite simple." He added, smiling tightly.

"And now I will be taking your leave. Thank you, gentlemen and my future wife for your time." And he waved his hand and left before anyone of us could react.

What the fuck just happened?

"Are both of you fucking serious?!" Father yelled, getting up. "Why did you agree with him?"

"Uncle, I agreed but she had to butt in." Rafe shot me a glare.

"He said both of us have to go, how can you go alone then?" I shouted at him.

"I could have negotiated with him! And then went alone myself."

I scoffed. "As if he would have agreed with you, idiot!"

"Atleast unlike you I was paying attention to everything instead of drooling at him!"

I gasped. "I wasn't drooling at him!"

"You were! You said it almost ten times that he is looking hot!" He accused stepping closer.

And I stepped closer too. "So, you were counting instead of paying attention?"

"Oh my goodness! Stop arguing!" Uncle Matt intervened.

I was breathing heavily due to shouting so much and we shot daggers at each other.

"We will have this discussion at home. We are leaving now." Father spoke firmly, gesturing us to leave.

Which I did, making sure to bump my shoulder with his harshly before leaving and instead of going with Rafe, I sat in uncle Matt's car and thankfully, no one said anything.