I ignored the ring of my office desk phone; maybe Opal catches on. I looked back at the spreadsheet I was trying to organise for my meeting tomorrow with Kingston Industrial Constructions. It was going to be a big contract for both companies, and I needed to make sure that everything was perfect.

Before I could reach for my keyboard to type, the phone rang a second time. I sigh, maybe it was important.

I lifted the phone to my ears, "Yes?"

My secretary's high pitch voice came through the speaker, "Mr Hope is here to see you."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I told her a million times what to do when the jerk came to my office. Apparently, she didn't get the memo or else she'd stop calling me when he arrived. "Opal, I told you what to do when he comes here. Do it!'

"But Ms Mona, it's not him. It's the other Mr Hope."

My eyes widen at her words.

The next Mr Hope.

What is he doing here?

"Send him in." I placed the phone back on the receiver and continued the work I was doing before I was interrupted. I didn't lift my head when I heard the door opened and close.

"Are you here to gloat?" I asked with my head still down.

A husky laugh was my response which caused me to lift my head and look at the figure in front of me.

With the smirk on his face, the lush black hair, the prominent cheekbones, and his steel-blue eyes, Harlyn Hope could have any woman falling at his feet, and that's why many women did. The man was gorgeous, and he knew it.

I looked at him with a straight face. There was no way I could let him know that I found him the least bit attractive. We've hated each other for two years, and that's just how it's meant to stay.

"Are you here to gloat?" I repeated my question since he chose to ignore it the first time.

He shook his head, maintaining his smirk, "You know me so well,"

"There is a saying that says, keep your friends close, your enemies closer," I replied. From the day I started to 'date' his brother, he made it known that he disliked me, and I returned every bit of his feelings. We couldn't be in the same room for more than ten minutes without arguing.

He chuckled, "Oh, but we're not enemies anymore, at least I don't consider you as an enemy." he paused and smiled, "Since you're no longer my brother's fiancé."

I remained silent as he moves from where he was standing and takes a seat in front of me. He folds his hands and places them in his lap.

"Are you here to gloat?" I repeated for the third time. The only reason Harlyn every visits me was to gloat over his brother's mistakes and failures.

"Oh, no, honey. I'm guessing after what happened you hate my brother's gut, and you know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is a friend."

I rest my fold hands under my chin at look at him. "So, you're not here to gloat? You're here to make friends."

He smiled and shook his head, "Not friends, something way better."

I frown, "What is better than friends?"

"Family."

I raise my eyebrows at him. "I don't understand, explain."

"I have a proposal that I think you'd be interested in."

Harlyn and I might not have gotten along for the two years, but he knew that when it came to business, my head and heart was always in "Go ahead."

"Do you know Laco Investments?"

I nod. Laco Investments is a new, but successfully investment company that was slowly making its way into the global industry, many persons want to join the group because of it's the high-interest rate they offered to their members.

"I own 50% of the company, and I'm willing to give you all of my shares if you accept my offer."

I raised my eyebrows again. This conversation was getting more and more enjoyable. Why would Harlyn give up half shares of a company that was making millions? And why would he give it to me? The woman he hates, or should I say used to hate.

Harlyn was known for his ruthlessness. He cared for no one but himself so the only reason he'd offer me 50% of a company that was on it's way to success was if what he got in return outweighed what he is going to lose. Harlyn was a businessman, and he knew how to do business, so what did he want that I have?

"What's your offer?"

"Marry me."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. That was the last thing I expect from a man who has hated me for two years, the same man whose brother I broke up with only two days ago.

I stayed silent for a minute trying to process all the possible reasons why Harlyn would want to marry me, but I couldn't find a solid one.

I frown as I finally started to talk, "I don't understand, what would you gain from marrying me. You're a billionaire while I'm barely a millionaire. I have nothing to offer you in return."

He smiled, which showed the dimple he had on his right cheek. "That's where you're wrong."

I stared into his eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you know what my brother hates most in the world?" he asked.

I nod. After 'dating' Joesph for two years and a few months, I learned about all his likes and dislikes and even the things he hated. He hated only two things.

"You and he hates to lose."

"Bingo!" he beamed then stayed silent as he watched me trying to process everything he was saying.

"You want me to marry you because he hates you and I was going to marry him, but instead I'll marry you, so he loses, and you win. The two things he hates the most put together." I looked down at the keyboard with my head rested on my chin. It was a great proposal; I had to admit. But did I have the strength to go through with it? Yes, Joseph cheated, and it wasn't the first time, but this time it was with my cousin and not only did he cheat he stole my plans for the Ricken Foundations and got all the credit for it. It was my hard work and research, and he took my success away from me, and because of that, I hated every second hair on his head.

"We both want him to pay for what he's done to us. What better way than to get married to each other? The girl he loves and..." I interrupted him before he could finish.

"He doesn't love me."

He shrugged and continued, "the girl he was going to marry and the brother he hates getting married. That would crush him. It would be an act of perfect revenge for both of us."

I lifted my head and looked in his eyes, "You're willing to give up a million-dollar company for revenge?"

"Yes," he stated, his face serious, and I believed him. The rivalry between the two brothers has been like that for years. It was all because of a girl they both dated in college.

Unbelievable!

"What's wrong with the company?" I questioned. There must be something wrong with it for him to give it away.

He frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Is Laco failing? Why are you willingly giving it away?"

He chuckled a little and shook his head, "There is nothing wrong with Laco. What's wrong is that my brother can go around doing whatever he wants, when he wants and no ever corrects him. He has never paid for the things he's done wrong, and now I want him to pay."

"By revenge?"

He shook his head, "Not just Revenge, Sweet Revenge. The type of revenge that will drive a person crazy. Don't you feel like breaking his neck every time you see him? Don't you feel the hate consuming you whenever he comes close? Because I do and he's my blood imagine how you feel since he cheated on you. Your heart must have broken into little pieces."

It wasn't the cheating with my cousin that broke my heart it was the fact that he stole my Ricken Foundations plan and I wanted him to pay. Pay for stealing what rightly belongs to me.

"I'll marry you." I accepted. "For however long it takes to see him crumble, I'll stay married to you." There wasn't anything keeping me back from getting married to him, I was no longer in a 'relationship' with his brother, and my parents didn't care who I married, as long as he was financially stable. It wasn't a big deal If I married him instead of his brother. Both marriages were for business, but this was for revenge as well.

"Six months should be good."

"Even if it takes six years, I'm getting my revenge on that son of a bitch," I spoke with so much hatred in my voice it shocked me. I wasn't the type to swear, but after what happened with Joesph, I gave myself a free pass.

He smiles, "That's what I'm talking about. Sweet Old Fashion Revenge."

"When is the wedding?" the sooner we got married, the sooner I could have my revenge on the thief.

"As soon as possible but before I'd like us to have dinner tomorrow night at Le Rouge. I'll bring the ring and the paparazzi. We'll be over the papers by the next morning. I don't want it to be a long engagement, the longer we wait for, the less real it seems."

"What about Saturday?" Why wait when we could bring our revenge as soon as possible.

His eyes brighten with excitement, "Perfect. I'll get everything sorted out. You worry about the dress, your hair and anything else women do on their wedding day. I'm thinking a purple and white wedding theme, two bridesmaids, two groomsmen. Something small and intimate, not something my brother would want for his wedding. We have to make it as romantic as possible."

"Let's write our vows. There is nothing more romantic to people that a couple who writes their vows." My sister said the same words to me last week. Fabiola and I were opposites, she was a hopeless romantic, and I didn't have a romantic bone in my body. When growing up, everyone thought she was going to get married before me. She was always the one who was more willing to go on dates and party, but as romantic, as Fabiola was she was very picky when it came to men, and thus she was never really satisfied with what she got.

Me getting married first is how it's meant to be, the oldest Mona sister getting married early and not the other way around. Even if I wasn't getting married for love, it was still married in my family's eyes, especially when you write your vows.

I brought my attention back to the man in front of me as he smirks, "Good idea."

"Make sure your brother gets an invitation." I would love to see his green eyes stare at me while I walk down the aisle with his brother instead of him.

He laughed, "I'll deliver it in person."

I smiled, "This is going to be an act of very sweet revenge."

......................

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