Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 235: The agreement

Chapter 235: The agreement

In a lavish room, the single lamplight on the wall cast a soft, golden glow over the expensive furnishings. Owen sat casually in an armchair, a phone held to his ear. His expression was one of satisfaction as he listened to the person on the other end.

"Good," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "I’ll be there when she wakes up next." He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket, turning his attention to the woman sitting opposite him.

The woman had light brown hair that framed her face, a face that was a mirror image of Mia’s, however with sharper eyes that made her seem like an enchanting fox, and dark red lips that gave her a fierce and dark aura. Usually, she wore a mask, but in Owen’s presence, there was no need for such pretenses as they were now accomplices. Her elegant legs were crossed, and her demeanor was one of calm composure.

"Mia has been taken to the place," Owen informed her, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he saw the satisfaction laced in her brown eyes. He couldn’t help but be affected by the sight of her; her angelic face brought back memories of all the times he’d spent with Mia in Whispering way, all the times she was still his fiancee. Sometimes he almost forgot this woman wasn’t Mia until she spoke.

Mariana’s lips curved into a smile, revealing a deep dimple on her cheek. She tapped her long fingers against the glass of wine in her hand, her eyes never leaving Owen. When she spoke, her voice was identical to Mia’s, yet it lacked the warmth and sweetness, instead carrying a detached, almost blank quality.

"That’s good news. But I hope that now that she’s in our custody, you won’t try to outsmart me after our agreement," she said, her tone as emotionless as her gaze.

Owen was reminded again that this woman wasn’t his Mia. Those emotionless eyes and detached voice always brought him back to reality and fueled his desire to get his own woman back. He averted his gaze; he couldn’t stand to see such a look in the eyes of a face similar to Mia. He’d loved Mia because of her sweetness and generosity. She fit with him so well that he would be willing to do anything to make her his again.

However, he was willing to do anything but stick with the agreement he’d made with her twin. Did this Mariana think him a fool? He was no fool. In fact, he had no intention of working with her if it weren’t for the fact that he liked the idea of playing with Wayner’s head. Their agreement had been simple and plain: Mariana wanted Neil while he wanted Mia. Thus, they’d agreed to take Mia away and keep her until she’d given birth in their custody. Then Mariana would have the baby and return to Neil as Mia, while he’d have Mia and do the same thing her real mother had done to her twenty years ago—make her forget and then take her far away from Neil Wayner.

It was as simple as that. But Owen wasn’t a fool; he wasn’t born a fool and he would never become one now. After everything Neil had made him go through over the past few months, the bastard had not just ruined his company but also his underworld business with Rodrigo. He’d taken away everything Owen had worked his ass off to get in just three months. He’d made him a laughingstock in the country, and his fame and business were all gone, all thanks to Neil Wayner.

He’d be damned if he stuck to some fucking agreement of not involving Neil in the kidnapping and letting the son of a bitch be. Mariana had made him agree not to play any mind games with Neil with the kidnapping or blackmail him into doing everything Owen wanted, but he wasn’t an idiot. He’d use this opportunity to make Wayner regret ever crossing him.

Mariana, who noticed the calculative look in Owen’s eyes, frowned. She regarded him suspiciously, then raised a brow, "I hope that long silence of yours is not a sign that you don’t want to stick with our agreement?" she said. "I’d hate to have to kill my sister if you go back on your word. Xavier is all I want, but if I have to wipe Mia out of the picture to get him...I won’t hesitate. You know me so well, Owen, and I hope you act wisely." She took a sip of her wine, her eyes never leaving Owen.

Indeed, Owen thought disgustedly, he knew her so well, which was why he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t see his plan coming when he struck Wayner. Mariana had been raised by underworld men; she’d grown up seeing death and witnessing the most terrifying things. If not for her stupid feelings for Wayner, Owen would have believed she had no heart at all. She was skilled in making all sorts of weapons and knew how to use every single one of them. He’d watched her fight off men twice her size without breaking a sweat.

She was a female version of her father: cold, heartless, and emotionless. She rarely smiled, and he’d learned that she was a big bully in every school she went to. She could kill without blinking an eye. The reason he wasn’t rebelling against their plans was that he feared she’d harm or even kill Mia, just as she’d said. Her connections in the underworld went deeper than his, and he dared not let her know that he had no plans of sticking with the plan.

Cursing under his breath, he gritted out his response. "I have no plans of going against our agreement, so relax." So I can stab you in the back, bitch! he thought silently. He hated the fact that she acted like she was the boss of him. Women were created to be below men, their place was in the kitchen and bearing children, not to take charge of a man’s business like this little bitch was doing to him.

Mariana smiled, but it never reached her eyes. "Good. Remember, you must not contact Xavier until the day she gives birth. I heard he’s turning the entire city upside down to look for his wife. He even took his soldiers and barged into my father’s hospital room to accuse him of taking Mia last night. But Kelvin laughed in his face when he couldn’t find any evidence of his involvement. Let him continue his search and don’t interfere." She said with a faint smile on her face as she imagined the day she’d live in his house as his wife.

She could still remember those bewitching gray eyes of his that had looked at her with so much love twenty years ago.

It had rained in Mirage Mesa that evening when she stepped out to go after her father’s car to remind him of the pony he promised to buy her. She’d run out of their estate gate calling for him to stop but ended up falling into a puddle and ruining her favorite pink dress. She’d been crying and wiping the dirty mud off her dress when a boy ran towards her and gave her a hand while scolding her not to run next time.

Mariana had never known there was a boy like him in their neighborhood, and she’d never met him until that day. He used his handkerchief to wipe her face.

"Why were you running after that car?" Neil said as he tried to get the mud off her face and clothes, "You shouldn’t run after cars. It’s not safe for little girls like you. Now be a good girl and come with me so I can help you look clean again." He pulled her little hands and guided her towards the Galverra estate.

Mariana had been so mesmerized by the boy that she didn’t care he was taking her to a house she’d never entered before. She could imagine her mother scolding her for going into a stranger’s house, but she didn’t care at that time and followed him wherever he was taking her. He’d taken her to his mother, who had welcomed her like she knew her before, gave her a change of clothes, and cookies to eat while her dirty clothes dried.

"Xavier, is she the girl I heard you talking to the housekeeper about yesterday?" Catherine, his mother, had teased him, and Xavier had blushed and glared at his mother to shut up and not embarrass him. From their exchange, Mariana had realized that Xavier had perhaps seen her somewhere and had taken an interest in her. She’d liked him instantly from then and made sure to go to his house to play all the time.

He’d even given her the nickname Mimi and taught her how to play the guitar. She’d been the one he liked in their childhood; he’d never even met her twin sister back then, but now she’d taken her place as his wife. Though Mariana had been sent to the States after she graduated high school, she had never forgotten about the boy who’d made her know the true meaning of love.

She’d looked forward to the day she’d return to Mirage Mesa and look for him again, but her father had not allowed her nor given her the choice of returning when she pleased. She’d been stuck there learning how to make weapons and deliver them to his underworld men. She’d been trained in several ways and had been taught to kill her emotions. She’d killed every emotion in her, but her heart had remained reserved for only one man. Xavier.

And now she was back to claim him from her backstabbing sister. Remembering all the things she’d had to endure because of Mia in their childhood, her fingers tightened around her wine glass until it shook and spilled on her. Mia, a girl who had no name before and the sister she had once cared about, had been the reason she’d lost everything. If it weren’t for Mia, their mother would still be alive right now and perhaps Mariana wouldn’t have been hardened by their father like she was now.

Looking down at the scar on the back of her hand that had been caused by Mia, Mariana felt her hatred burn deeper than anything. She’d make sure Mia paid for everything, and what greater punishment was there than to take away her child after she gave birth and claim them as hers? That would be a more satisfying punishment than death, she’d have Xavier and his child.