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Terms

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Chapter 50: Terms (Rowan's POV)

A soft chuckle escaped me as Evie pushed me into my chair and leaned forward, teasing me with her gorgeous grin before kissing me. Her lips trailed down my jaw and to my neck while her hands roamed around my body, making my breath hitch. 

"This is," I mumbled breathlessly, "highly inappropriate for my office." 

"Good thing work hours are finally over," she smiled at me. "And there's nobody in this whole building right now other than us." 

"You don't know that, Lyubov. Anybody could walk in." 

"Hmm, we'll see," she shrugged, undoing the buttons of my shirt, both of us halting when we heard footsteps rushing down the hall. She groaned while I took her hands and pulled them away from my shirt. 

"Not all alone after all," I smirked. 

"Can't we leave?" she whined, sitting in my lap. 

"I still have a little bit of work to do." 

She hummed and nodded slowly. "A little coffee?" 

"Bad idea." 

"A little tea?" 

"I hate tea." 

"You love it when I make it," she reminded me. 

"That is true," I nodded with a chuckle. 

"Great. I want some for myself, so, I'll be right back." She left my office, her heels clicking on the floor. 

Not even a moment later, the door swung open but it wasn't Evie. Instead, it was my father. I watched him as he entered the room and stood across from me. 

"You're back. Good to know," he nodded once. 

I ignored him. 

"How was Russia? I'm sure you felt good to be back at your mother's." 

"What do you want?" 

"I only came to tell you that the board is discussing holding the final voting." 

"I'm aware of that. I am head of the shareholders in case you're forgetting, Daniel." 

He chuckled dryly, "How could I?" He paused in thought and stared at me, his eyes slightly narrowing. "I just had a question for you, Son." 

"Stop calling me that. Ask whatever you need to and get out." I said, lifting a brow. 

"Does she know?" he asked after a pause. "Does she know why you married her?" 

"You definitely don't," I replied. 

He chuckled, placing his hands on the chair in front of him. "Does she know it's just because she has a vote?" 

"You don't know what you're talking about," I said, pushing myself up to my feet. 

"Isn't that it, Rowan?" 

"Get out of here." 

"It's what makes sense to me. You read the will, found out that she has a vote that decides if you win or not, and decided... she'd be your best bet." 

"She's not my bet. She's my wife. I will not tolerate you talking about my wife like that, I don't want to hear another fucking word come out of your mouth. Where Evie and I are concerned, you have nothing to do with it." 

"Ah, but the will does, yes?" 

I sighed in frustration and rolled my eyes. "Get out before I lose my mind, Daniel." 

"You're not going to tell her? You won't confess to her that you married her just because she decides your fate? You don't even love her, Rowan." 

"Stop," I ground out. 

"You don't love her, Rowan." 

"Get out." 

"Even if you do, what makes you think she loves you?" he laughed, shrugging at me. "Rowan, you're using this girl for your own benefit. If she finds out, she'll leave you. You'll lose. She won't love you. She has no reason to once she finds out the kind of person you really are." 

"And what kind of person am I really, Daniel? Before you question that, what kind of person are you? What kind of father were you?" 

His jaw ticked as his gaze hardened. "You don't know how it was for me after your mother was gone, so don't you dare go down that road, Rowan." 

"And me? What about how it was for me? And Nate? What about us? What about your duties as a father to two children who lost their mother?" 

"We lost her because of you!" 

"I believed that. My whole life, I believed the bullshit you fed me, all about how it was my fault." I shook my head with a scoff. "It wasn't. It was an accident—" 

"You killed her." 

"She was my mother." 

"She was my wife!" he snapped. 

"And I was your son!" I yelled back, my whole body raging with anger. "Do you even remember the things you did to me?! Do you know what it was like?!" 

The door swung open and we both turned to where Evie stood frozen in the doorway. She looked between us with wide eyes. "I'll come back later," she mumbled. 

"You stay," I demanded. 

With a pause, she nodded. "Okay." She walked in and put the cups down, standing by my side. 

Daniel pulled his hands from the chair. "I should leave," he mumbled. "Before I go, my dear," he said, turning to Evie, "you never wondered why he chose you?" 

"Leave," I ordered. 

"Chose... me? What?" Evie looked between us in confusion. 

"Get out," I demanded. 

"Why did he really marry you, Evie?" 

I rounded the table and Evie moved out of my way, taking a step back. I stopped in front of him and fisted my hands at my sides. "Leave right now, Daniel." 

"You've never questioned it?" he asked her, ignoring me. 

I moved forward to grab him and throw him out myself. 

"Rowan," Evie said softly. 

I huffed, looking at her. "What?" 

She shook her head slowly, "It's not worth it." She cleared her throat and looked at my father. "You should leave. Now." 

He put his hands up in mock surrender as he backed out of the room. 

As the door shut behind him, a heavy breath fell out of me and I ran a hand through my hair before scrubbing my face. 

"Rowan..." 

I put my hands on the table and looked at her, my jaw clenched. 

"You okay?" she asked hesitantly. 

I shook my head with a scoff. "No." 

She nodded slowly and stayed on the other side of the table. "I'm sorry." 

"Why are you sorry, Evie?" 

"I... I'm confused, I don't know what he was talking about. And I know you probably don't want to talk about it." 

"I don't," I said firmly. 

She paused and then took in a shaky breath. "I've never pushed you to talk about anything like this. I don't want to do it now. Do you want to tell me?" 

I stared back at her and knew that she deserved to know. "He was talking about... why I chose you to be my wife." 

"Isn't it because... I know you best?" 

"Partially." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Evie, I..." I released a breath and lowered my head. "I want to be honest with you but I don't want to hurt you..." 

She thought for a beat and then nodded with a small shrug. "Try me." 

"You have a vote where my position at the company is concerned." 

"I know that." 

"I..." I groaned as my shoulders fell. "I would be lying if I said that didn't push me to choose you. It wasn't the only reason, but it was one of them." 

She blinked in confusion. "What were the others?" 

"You know me, Evie, better than anybody. I trust you, more than anyone. It was you, it had to be you. It's always going to be you. I chose you because you are my best friend. I chose you because we fit together and you are the only person in this world I want. I chose you because I love you," I sighed in exhaustion, my arms falling limp at my sides. "I love you." 

Her eyes widened and her breath hitched. "You what?" 

I stared back at her. 

"Y-you... you love me?" 

I nodded, "Yeah, I do." 

"Then... why? Why think about the vote?" She straightened up. She was visibly upset and rightfully so, I fucked up big time. 

"I was selfish. I didn't want to let you in, didn't want to admit how I felt for you, how I've always felt for you, I..." 

She blinked and let out a sigh, her arms unfolding as she rounded the table and walked to me. "You married me for a vote?" 

"No," I shook my head. 

She shot me a pointed look. 

"Yes? I... I don't know," I groaned. 

Staring back at me, she hesitated. "Do you really love me, Rowan?" 

"Of course, I love you, Lyubov. You're everything I have." 

She chuckled, stepping forward and grabbing my shirt, pulling me in. "You seem cranky and exhausted, it's a little cute." She took in a breath and then admitted, "I love you," she whispered, "I wanted to tell you how long I've loved you but... I didn't know what you would say." 

"I'd say I fucking love you so much," I exhaled, "so much that I feel like I could drown in you." 

She laughed softly and came up, putting her arms around me, "You're a little delusional right now."

"Yes, delusionally in love," I sighed, my whole body relaxing at the realization that she wasn't too upset, that I hadn't lost her. I couldn't survive that.

We stood in silence for a while until I pulled back and picked her up, seating her on my desk and leaning down to kiss her immediately. 

She giggled into the kiss as I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it off, breaking the kiss and stopping to lock the door. She kissed me the second I got back to her while my fingers worked on taking off her dress. "I'm not sure what we're doing meets the terms of that contract we signed. Aren't we husband and wife on paper only?" she laughed as I trailed kisses down her neck and chest, unclasping her red lace bra. 

"The terms of that contract are simple," I said, both of us breathing heavily. 

She pushed herself off the desk and kissed me, backing me towards the glass window that overlooked New York City. I turned us around just in time and she gasped loudly as her bare back touched the gold glass. 

"As far as the terms are concerned, we're husband and wife. That's it. What happens between us is nobody else's business. But I would shout it from the fucking rooftop if you wanted me to, that I love you," I said, tugging her matching underwear off. "I fucking love you." 

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Chapter 50

drama but no unnecessary breakup >>> 

ya'll wanted it and I served <3

next ch: truths