CHAPTER 5 WEDDING CHARADE

"Then that's what I'd do!" She declared. And he watched in amusement as Camila locked gazes with her. She shook her head in disapproval as she showed Samantha the contract clause. What Samantha didn't know was that her disagreement with the marriage could mean an ugly experience for her and her family. "If you're willing to lose everything you own, including that of your father and your mother's hard work, be my guest. I will in no way stop you." He said, leaning back on his comfy chair, a smirk plastered on his arrogant face. Samantha's hand began to shake in rage. Pain? Disappointment? All at once? He couldn't tell. "Why? Why me?" She was breaking, and instead of feeling the satisfaction he had hoped for, Jake felt a weird sense of sadness, which he pushed under the carpet in his mind. "Consider it salvation." He got up from his chair elegantly. He walked to the fridge and took out a drink. " We all know your father would have sold you out sooner than later." He took a sip, reminiscing its excellent taste. "And besides, I saved you and your father's company. I should be receiving thanks, not screams". "I never asked for your stupid salvation!" "You're right. You never did, but your father did, on your behalf." "Please think this through," she said frantically. You don't want to be tied to a person who hates and despises you." She tried to reason with him. "I'm a business icon, Samantha. Of course, I think through all of my decisions". "Why would you want to be married to me when you can have any other girl of your choice." She couldn't understand why he wanted her. What would he gain from all of these? "You'd understand it all soon enough. Soon enough, love." He said before walking out and leaving the two of them to ponder what had just happened. Jake locked himself up in his room, wondering if he had made the right decision or if it was a grave mistake. Samantha crumbled on the floor and burst into tears for what she presumed was her ruined future. Camila wasn't sure what to do or say, so she just held Samantha in her arms, trying to console her without words. ******** Two days later, the wedding was to be held. The bride had her head up high in fake confidence. The bridegroom smiled widely at his troubled sister, and the bride's maid's eyes shone with worry for her brother and best friend. Samantha locked up and immediately accepted her fate. She seemed surprisingly calm and collected, and she didn't look devastated and ruined, as Camila had expected. It would be a court wedding and a very private one at that. They wanted the public to get the hang of it. "Are you alright?" Camila was understandably worried. "Yes," Samantha replied truthfully. "You sure?" She asked again. "Yes". She repeated, giving her friend a reassuring smile. She was going to make his life a living hell. She would make him beg her for a divorce. She would make him pay. They went through the wedding rituals rather quickly. They signed the necessary documents, and Samantha couldn't wait to finish this phase. His father had been in attendance, and he looked anything but healthy. A tiny part of her felt bad for him, but a more significant chunk of her felt happy about it. She hated how often she caught herself staring at Jake. He had cleaned up very nicely, looking like a movie star in his expensive tuxedo and new haircut. She now thought him drop-dead gorgeous, a far cry from her initial impression of him as merely handsome. What was wrong with her? How could she be admiring a man who was hell-bent on marrying her against her will? And to make matters worse, Jake was openly and shamelessly staring at her, his gaze piercing and unapologetic. She told herself to snap out of it, to remember the situation she was in and the fact that he was essentially holding her captive. When she was just about to sign the necessary papers, she noticed a cameraman in a corner of the room. Frowning up at Jake, she asked. "Why do we have a cameraman in the building, Jake? Whatever happened to the wedding was hidden from the public?" "I changed my mind." He said, smiling lovingly at her for the camera. "The world should know I'm taken, isn't it?" He pinched her cheek playfully, and Samantha wanted to bite off his finger. "Now smile for the camera, love. We don't want the whole world to know this wedding is a sham now, do we?" "I, for one, do.." she retorted, making Jake's smile flutter before throwing his head back in laughter. He leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear, his warm breath caressing her skin, sending shivers down her spine. "And risk losing everything? I don't think so," he whispered, his voice low and husky. To anyone watching, it would seem like a tender moment between two lovers, but the tension between them was palpable. They had signed the papers and gone through the motions, and just when Samantha thought it was finally over, Jake caught her arm, his grip firm, and stopped her from leaving. "Not so fast, little wife." He held onto her waist and plastered her body on his. She wanted to lie to herself that she tried to struggle, but she knew she didn't. On the contrary, she wanted to lean into his warm embrace, which made her feel oddly comfortable and safe. Jake marveled at how very perfect she felt in his arms. For some stupid reason, he wanted to bury his head in her hair and smell it. He still would, but when she was a little more comfortable with him. "What…" Samantha was starting to ask, but Jake placed a finger on her lips to quiet her, and the small gesture made her feel things she could not explain and didn't even want to examine. "Shush... We have to share a kiss to make it all the more believable." Jake was smiling boyishly at her, and it was doing things to her that she hadn't thought possible. She intended to say a resounding "no," but her body betrayed her, nodding in agreement as if in a trance. Jake struggled to rein in his racing heart, perplexed by the inexplicable effect this girl had on him. What was it about her that consistently left him breathless and bewitched? He had secretly longed for her lips on his since the first time she visited Camila. Despite their ten-year age gap, she felt utterly right in his embrace. Seizing the moment before she could reconsider, Jake drew her into a scorching kiss, all too brief, as she swiftly pulled away. Her eyes appeared dazed, mirroring his bewilderment. Meanwhile, his body was responding enthusiastically, his arousal growing unmistakable. "Get a grip, man," he whispered to himself, struggling to regain control. Samantha shook her head vigorously to convince herself that she actually kissed the man she couldn't think twice about leaving. Then she turned around to see that Jake was wearing a wolfish grin. Did I miss something? She thought as she struggled not to reveal her surprise at the quick change in his facial expression when he mumbled just enough for her to hear. “That…was for the camera.” Samantha drew closer to him, struggling to hold herself as she hushed into his ear. “This. Never. Happened.” Drawing back, she spun on her heels and walked away, leaving Jake struggling to hide his surprise.