My Words Are Law

Caught in the spiderweb (2)

Chryses smiled at his grandmother.

"Goodness... You almost shocked me to death. Have you finished brooding now?" she asked as she descended towards the sitting area of her grandson's office with an innate grace no one could imitate.

"Brooding? Grandmother must be joking," he replied as he stood up to join her in the visitor's lounge. "I was merely happy to see you."

Geneva raised a doubtful brow. "I'm glad if that's the case because I'm here to talk about your... ex-fiance."

Suddenly, her grandson doesn't seem so happy anymore. He straightened his already perfect posture as he crossed his legs. "I don't want to talk about unnecessary people."

"Well, I want to."

He stared at the old woman as he drank his tea. If he was feeling irate, nobody could notice it. His cool and collected appearance resembled a stone wall that was hardly impenetrable. His fingers smoothly placed the teacup on the table and seemingly, like a good grandson, listened to whatever his elderly had to say.

"Your parents might not care, but what you're doing is not right. I have already taken measures with the police, so won't you think twice about your decision, Bastien? You're going to destroy a whole company, dragging innocent workers down in your selfish fixation to appease yourself-" 

"Appease myself." Chryses seemed amused. "Well, she did try to drug and rape me, so of course I want to 'appease' myself, as grandmother put it."

Geneva let out a helpless sigh. Oh, he'll listen patiently, but that doesn't mean he'll agree.

"Bastien, you weren't this so..." She couldn't utter the word as she shook her head.

He cocked his head to the side, thinking in a perfunctory manner. "Ruthless? Vile..? Or dastardly?" Chryses uttered a few options impassively as if he wasn't referring to himself. "You can say it, grandmother." He finished with a slight smile as he retrieved the tea cup from the table to take another sip.

"Haa...What am I going to do with you?" His grandmother stared at him with a helpless expression, her shoulders drooping glumly. "Have you treated that girl this way, too? Was that why she ran away even in such a poor state?"

His hands froze briefly, the tiny, fragile cup stranded mid-air before sitting back down with a soft clink. "You know I would have dragged her back if you hadn't arrived so conveniently."

Geneva sighed as if in distress. "You have a fiance, Bastien. What would people say if they saw you frolicking with a different woman?"

"Had... a fiance. And one that tried to rape me at that,"  he replied sharply before standing up.

The woman raised her hands in surrender. "Had. Fine. I will not discuss this matter anymore, so why don't you tell me what you're planning now?"

Chryses glanced at her briefly before answering a call that interrupted their conversation.

"...Amaryllis."

Geneva Simmons leaned back and watched him in silence. He isn't even trying to hide it now. The way his eyes twinkled as the corners of his mouth raised mirthlessly disconcerted her. Even his stance relaxed like a mist had been lifted, and the sun shone through. Did he notice it, as well? He had never looked so humane displaying such blatant fondness, but what happens if that girl doesn't reciprocate it..? She thought both of them might become good friends, but it was obvious her grandson thinks otherwise.

She shuddered, feeling a sense of foreboding slowly gripping her heart. As soon as the call ended, Chryses looked at his grandmother as if challenging her to say something in opposition.

She started hesitantly, "Does she know you're..."

"A black-hearted bastard?" He finished for her again, still in a non-caring, careless manner.

Geneva stared at her grandson in displeasure. "A mass of contradictions," she corrected him, and Chryses raised a brow out of amusement before he answered in a wistful voice.

"She hates my entire existence. Does that answer your question?"

A puzzled expression surfaced on her wrinkled face, then surprise. "And you're still... interested in her..?"

Chryses chuckled as he grabbed a neatly placed folder on his desk. "I share the same sentiments, but not quite, as you can see." He replied flippantly, but she didn't miss the dark swirling obsession in his amber eyes.

Already, she could feel the storm coming. And it's big, dark and even stronger than the one he brought years ago when he decided to go abroad at the drop of a hat.

"Chryses... She's a sweet girl." She finally referred to him using his real name, hoping it would bring reason to his clouded mind.

He didn't immediately reply but walked until he reached the spot across from his grandmother before turning to her with his usual frustrating aloofness. "I know."

He clearly doesn't know. "Please don't do something you'll regret..." She said with an exhausted appearance that was mingled with worry, evident in her stiff posture.

He stared at her for a while as if lost in thoughts, then he looked away. "I'll leave you to finish your tea in peace. Priscilla will have to drive you back later." He ignored her words and left the office wearing an unreadable expression.

How many times had he heard her say that in his dreams? Five? Ten? He couldn't count. He shouldn't.

And neither should he recall such nonsense. When had he even started to dream? For all he knows, Amaryllis could also control his subconscious mind, injecting ridiculous visions to make him second-guess his decisions.

But he'll know about that soon enough, won't he?

Their supposed last meeting was uneventful. He wasn't able to see her because his father appeared unannounced. He hesitantly canceled the appointment to accommodate him, however, thinking about it now, he should have ignored the unwanted visitor, who only came to talk nonsense—something about quitting school and focusing solely on the company instead.

How could he do that when things have just become interesting? In the end, both men's expressions became as cold as winter, and soon his father decided to leave, frost trailing behind his back.

Now Chryses waited for Amaryllis in the most expensive cafe he could find. The memory of his conversation with his father receded at the back of his mind as he thought of how it would make her uncomfortable to enter the establishment. She would be flustered and probably anxious, but that was what he wanted to happen.

To rattle her out of her wits so that he could gain control of the situation.

His eyes soon veered towards the entrance, feeling her timid presence tinge the atmosphere. It was always obvious whenever someone of different status entered their territory. It's evident in how they walk, how their wide eyes dart from the floor to the walls and ceiling, and most especially how they talk.  

"Thank you..." Her wobbly soft whisper reached his ears as the attendant took the coat from her, revealing a right arm that hung helplessly with the help of a medical sling.

Thunder clapped in his ears, and for a moment, he was rooted in his chair.

Now, what is that supposed to be..?

***
A/N: Something that needs your healing touch..? Hahahahaha. I can't believe I just wrote that! 😂 Cringe AF