My Words Are Law

Caught in the spiderweb (5)

"Hot choco?" He offered, but she shook her head.

"I don't need anything."

Seemingly deaf, he took a short trip to his water dispenser and came with a glass of water, anyway. Amaryllis frowned but didn't say anything.

"What happened..?" he finally asked as he stepped back to sit across her while wearing his favorite harmless expression. It should have helped her relax, but it only did the opposite.

A small coffee table only served as a barrier between them, and she found herself glancing at the half-open door to her chagrin.

Dammit.

She later returned her attention to Chryses' calm face. To his sinister amber eyes. To his poison-coated lips that curved into a perfect bow, ready to shoot words that never miss the mark, and how she hates it.

Hates how he's always right where it counts. Just the sight of him now drives her into a state of spite and anger. She realized her answer to Mrs. Simmons' question was true, after all. Who'd want to meet a perfect person..? Certainly not Amaryllis. She knows that now.

She looked away, her gaze drifting to the pool for respite. The furious thuds in her chest caused her breaths to turn ragged, and frustration quickly jumped in the mix for being unable to control her emotions in front of him. Her hand couldn't help but grab the glass of water, and her mouth greedily drank its contents.

Dammit.

Dammit...

"...I'll accept the conditions," she croaked out painfully afterwards.

Then came silence. A drawn-out silence that made her want to vomit the water that was now sitting uncomfortably at the base of her stomach.

"There's a contract," Chryses finally replied. "And you can't tell me to stay away from you."

Of course, there's a contract.

Amaryllis slowly nodded. A long, drawn-out breath escaped her mouth. "...Okay."

"You can't change your mind later. There will be repercussions, and I always get what's due," he added, seemingly dissuading her from her initial answer, but she nodded again.

"I'm serious, Amaryllis."

She rubbed her face with her uninjured arm, breathing in large amounts of air before exhaling them slowly. "What do you want me to do..?"

Her voice sounded like a whisper, shaking and almost cracking as her throat continued to constrict.

"Are you disappointed because I agreed too early..?" A hollow laugh came out of her, and somewhere along the way,  it slowly turned to choked-up sobs.

Dammit...

She hurriedly looked down as she clamped her mouth shut, gulping the sobs and wiping the wetness on her cheeks with the sleeves of her sweater.

"You know..." There was shuffling in front of her, and sometime later, her arm was pulled down. "You should have realized sooner that you can't run away... Then I wouldn't have become so desperate."

Amaryllis sniffed as she lifted her eyes to meet his. Tears continued to overflow as she glared at Chryses, who was now squatting in front of her.

"You knew this would happen... You knew..."

He smiled as he brought his free hand close to her face to wipe the tears.

"͎D͎͎o͎͎n͎'͎t͎ ͎t͎͎o͎͎u͎͎c͎͎h͎ ͎m͎͎e͎!"

He raised his brows as his arms instantly followed her words. "Pity." He shrugged, stood up, and backed away. "Just know that you can't tell me what to do as soon as you sign the contract."

"I hate you..." She uttered, each syllable ringing with intensity.

He paused, looked back at her, then smiled. "I know."

Angry tears flooded her eyes as she grew stiff with rage. She wants to scream. She wants to hurt him. She wants him to hurt as much as she's hurting. She wanted so badly to wipe the smug smile on his lips.

But everything grew dull as he slipped the contract on the table. Rip it. It was her first thought, but it quickly vanished as soon as it came. This piece of paper is the only thing that can save her aunt. As well as the only thing that can secure Ivor's future.

The tears blurred her vision even more.

"You're only allowed to accidentally use your ability three times. After that, I won't be so considerate."

When she didn't move to verify his words, he continued to narrate the important clauses in the contract like a real businessman. "Also, keep in mind that you can't decline my gifts... My calls and messages. In addition, you'll agree to have your location forwarded to me at all times. Any injuries will also be reported to me... Do you understand, Amaryllis?"

No. She doesn't understand. And it's irritating that he's already talking as if he owns her. Why does he want to know where she is all the time? Ridiculous!

Despite her complaints, she nodded and grabbed the expensive pen a little too hard. She scribbled her name at the end of the paper and watched as he took it to inspect her signature with a look of satisfaction.

"It's not so hard, is it?"

She didn't respond.

"Is there anything you're not satisfied with regards to the contract?" He asked.

Everything.

But her tongue uttered the opposite. "I know you'll be taking risks as well in helping my aunt. Like you said, it's business. If you think everything in that contract is enough to even the cons, then there's nothing for me to say..."

He watched her as he closed the folder. "I'm glad you understand."

Amaryllis gritted her teeth.

"I'll be butting heads with a conglomerate similar to TCorp... Imagine the consequences. And who knows..? I might even be disowned."

She flinched, not quite expecting the latter subject he had casually dropped. It never crossed her mind, but that could happen. She looked at him, the tears slightly drying from shock.

"Rest assured, that will not stop me from fulfilling our agreement. It's a fair deal. I hope that made you feel a little better." He flashed her another smile.

...He must be crazy.

***