CHAPTER 20: — SO NEEDY —

"What do you mean we need to talk?" Viviana’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Take your hand off me."

Fernando began to drag her off.

"Let go of me!" she yelled at him. "Fernando, let go!"

"Will you calm down?!" He snapped around, frowning at her. "I just want to have a word with you. Is that such a big deal? Why are you making a fuss—"

Viviana slapped him hard across the face and shoved him, spikes of disgust rolling down her spine. "Don’t you ever dare touch me again."

Turning, she stormed off to return to her car. But Fernando, who’d come from behind, grabbed her by the bicep, spinning her on her feet. "I said, we need to talk!"

She lowered her gaze right where he held her.

"Don’t make me repeat myself."

Fernando angrily dragged his fingers through his hair, sighing frustratedly. "Can’t you spare me a few minutes? You don’t even know what I want to speak to you about."

"I do not care," she shut down. "Keep whatever rubbish you have to say to me to yourself. I’m not interested at all."

"Viviana!"

His grip tightened, almost bruising.

"Just a few minutes..." He hesitated before adding, "Please."

Viviana gazed at him and pressed her lips together. What did he want to talk to her about?

To find out, she begrudgingly agreed, "Fine. Five minutes is all you have."

"Come with me." He reached for her hand.

"Don’t touch me." Her eyes glinted dangerously. "I can walk just fine by myself."

"Gosh, you’re insufferable," he muttered behind clenched teeth, walking off toward the café opposite the company.

Viviana followed behind him, over to an empty table and took a seat across from him. There was no one beside them in the shop for now.

"What do you want?"

"Come back to me," he threw his words out.

She said nothing as she stared at him, waiting for him to say that the nonsense he just spat out was a joke. But no change of expression occurred on this man’s face, and that made her lips curve into the faintest smirk. "What?"

"You heard me." Fernando said, "Come back to me."

"Are you playing stupid, or are you just a moron?" Her voice was low and deliberate.

"Viviana—"

"You really thought that if you asked me to do that, I’d actually say yes?" Pausing mid-sentence, she smiled faintly. "Wait a minute. What in the world gave you this confidence? Have I ever seemed desperate for you, or did I ever give you that impression?"

Fernando rolled his eyes. He grinned, asking, "So? You’re trying to say you’re happy with that guy?"

"Keep him out of your mouth." She glared pointedly at him, warning.

Fernando lifted a brow, taken aback. "Whoa..."

"...I never knew you could be this protective of someone."

"If you have nothing important to talk to me about, I’m taking my leave." She stood up to go.

"I want you to come back to me."

The words brought her to a stop.

"I need you to come back to me."

Her stomach turned as both bile and irritation crawled up to her throat. Amusement of disbelief slowly crept into her eyes, and she turned to look at him.

Fernando continued, "I need you, Viviana. And as much as I don’t want to admit it, I do. I’m sorry about the whole cheating thing. Actually, I’ll be better. I’ll do better, and I’ll be a good husband to you. Everything you’d hoped for. I promise you that. Just come back to me, please."

Her eyes locked, unblinking, drilling into him until he shifted on his seat in discomfort, wanting to look away.

She laughed. It was devoid of any humor.

Standing there, watching him sputter on like a parrot, she couldn’t describe the level of anger she was swallowing back.

"Why?" She taunted, "Because your family is tasting the consequences of your action? Is that it?"

Fernando stood up. "What?"

Viviana stepped up to him. She leaned in just enough and her lips slowly curled into a sardonic smile. "Let me guess, my father has threatened to cancel the deal, no? Likely so. I can see it."

"Viviana!—"

"I know my father all too well." She shrugged. "He’d never accept what you’d done, and he’d punish you for it. It’s clear he’s already begun, and that’s exactly why you’re here giving me your half-baked apology. That insincere, tearful need you have for me now. Oh my."

She clicked her tongue, shaking her head in derision.

"I can’t even begin to imagine just how mad your family must be. They were this close—" She snapped her index finger to her thumb, gesturing. "—To partnering with Vizera Luxe, and you ruined it. Now, you have no other choice other than to do anything, including begging me, to fix your mistakes. If I come back to you, my father will reinstate the deal, won’t he?"

"Viviana, listen—"

"My answer!—"

She sneered cruelly at him.

"—is NO."

"You worthless b***ch! No? After I pulled myself down to ask you to com back? Do you think you are anything much? Or do you think anyone would ever love or want a woman like you? Pfft, why? Because you picked up that nobody that is with you only because you’re rich?" Fernando spat. "Stop trying to be anything special and accept when I am being nice about it. You—"

She snatched his tie too suddenly, yanking him down. "I don’t think you understand, Fernando. I hate you. I hate you so much I need to see you miserable, but there’d be no one, not one person, to help you. You thought I was naive just because my father swung me around like a bat?"

Her lips pressed in a tight-lipped smile.

"You had no damn idea just how long I’d been planning to make you pay. And just so you’re aware, this is only the beginning. Don’t assume even for a second that I’m done with you. I’ll make sure that you have nothing left of you, no one to cling to, not even your dear daddy, and I won’t stop until your knees hit the floor to apologize thoroughly to that woman you denied and disgraced."

Viviana shoved him. "You went too far."

She turned her back on him to leave. But before she could reach the door, Fernando yanked at her shoulder and forcefully spun her around.

"Useless trash! Who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?!" He grabbed her jaw, lifting his hand to hit her—

His face, however, was struck with such force that he flew across the table, crashing through the glass window to plummet outside onto the concrete ground below.

The window shattered to pieces.

Viviana’s eyes grew and she jolted back into a solid chest. She quickly tilted her head up only to find Nikolas staring down at her.

A teasing smile ghosted his lips. "I was wondering why my wife wasn’t home yet. You had me so worried, cupcake."

Her lashes fluttered as she forced down a tense swallow, her throat visibly shifting.

How had he done that?

Yes, he was broad with much too good height and everything, yes, of course, but to hit someone like that? What kind of strength was that?

Fernando wasn’t small by any means.

"I take my eyes off you for a single day, and you find yourself in this mess."

She scowled at him. "How did you—"

"Don’t worry about him. He’ll be up in a few minutes." He added, "I think."

"I’m not worried for him," Viviana bit out.

"Then let’s go home." Nikolas grabbed her hand and walked her out of the café. As they headed toward the car, Fernando, who felt too dizzy to even stand on his feet, breathed heavily.

His mouth was bloody, nose broken and bleeding.

His vision was too blurred; he could barely see anything. But even as darkness closed in on him, he tried to get up, staggering a few steps before he dropped to the floor, passing out.