LUKEIt wasn’t like me to confess something personal. She had utterly bewitched me and had me bound under her magic spell.
I wasn’t my usual self anymore. Normally, I would find another woman after a senseless fuck, but I just wanted to fuck her again. Seeing her enveloped in another man’s arms just made my blood boil.
Her lips parted. The only thing we heard was the sound of our breaths.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” I asked.
“I’m not allowed to think?”
“I think what I said was clear.”
“You still don’t believe me. You only see what you want to see.”
“Can you blame me?” My eyebrow raised. “I think what I want is simple. I want you, and I don’t want to see you with any other man. What’s so hard with that?”
“I can say the same,” she uttered. “Is that so hard?”
I trailed a finger across her lips. “I can promise you that. Will you promise me?”
She heaved a sigh, and eventually, she nodded.
“Yes. I promise.”
“Good.” I set her back to the passenger seat and roared up the car. She sat there frozen. “I’m still taking you to my apartment. You won’t get away this time, witch. This time, you have to pay for your sins.”
Scarlet was silent in the entire drive, and when we arrived at my penthouse, she followed me like a lost puppy. She kept looking and typing on her phone, and it kept on vibrating whenever she received a text. I didn’t want to bother myself with such trivial things, so I ignored it.
I pressed the key code on my door.
“Hey,” I called her attention. “Ladies first.”
“Oh,” She slipped the phone in her pocket and stepped inside the door first but stopped when a flash of light illuminated the whole floor.
What the—
Gene and Dad’s face startled us by tugging out a cork of a champagne bottle in front of our faces.
“Surprise, surprise!”
“Mom?” Scarlet reacted in confusion.
“Dad, Gene. What are you doing here?”
“What kind of question is that?” Dad asked with a scowl. He gave Gene a glass and poured it with the champagne. “Aren’t you happy to see us?”
“No, I mean, of course. But why so sudden?” I crossed my arms around my chest. Well, wasn’t this bad timing? I apparently don’t remember any special occasion, and we just got here a week ago.
“I didn’t know Scarlet would be here,” Gene said, a little surprised. “We’re planning to surprise her tomorrow, but it seems we’re more astonished seeing you together.” She gazed back and forth to me and her daughter.
“I um… we’ve been close since your birthday,” Scarlet reasoned, which sounded believable. “I’m so happy to see you!” She spread her arms wide and immediately embraced Gene.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Great. My plan was completely fucked up.
“Come here, son! It’s great to see you together. We’re so worried for nothing.” Dad gave me the glass he was holding. “I know this brand is one of your favorites. Dom Perignon Rose.” He hooked an arm on my shoulder and walked with me to the living room, leaving Gene and Scarlet getting emotional.
“What exactly are you doing here, Dad?”
“Ah! We came because your mother misses Scarlet too much,” he paused and patted my shoulder. “If she can’t stay with us, then why not go follow her here?”
I looked at him and stopped. “That can’t be the only reason.”
“Right.” His mouth pressed into a hard line. “You know me too well.”
“Yes, well?”
“I think you know why.” Dad sat on the couch. “I want to meet our German partners. They’re here.”
“You should’ve thought of that before letting me meet them by myself,” I complained, settling at the seat across him. “They’re hard to deal with. If I were you, I’d just going to break the deal.” Finally, I found myself sipping the taste of the drink.
“You can’t do that, Luke. It’s possible but not now. I’m going to go to the office tomorrow, have someone contact them, and see if they can meet with us in the next two days.”
I scowled in frustration. “Two days? Where are you staying tonight?”
“Here. Where else?”
“What?”
“Come on, son. It’s family time. But we’ll catch up again about that.” He grinned and patted my shoulder once more before he waltzed back towards his wife and the witch.
He’s got to be kidding me!