The Billionaire's Rebellious Bride

37. "I promise you."

Chapter Thirty Seven

Elena's POV

I stayed in a five-star hotel at the outskirts of New York City. I took a leave in the office and spent it inside the hotel room lying on the bed. Sleeping or staring blankly at the ceiling.

Eating was not my favorite thing. Nothing looked delicious. I had to force some inside my mouth. The sight of the lovely grand bathtub and Jacuzzi never appealed to me. Even the amazing view looked so dull.

Adonis called and texted me. Even my friends, colleagues and relatives showing their concern, but I ignored them all.

I was healing until bearable to move and continue with my life again. Then I would be ready to face everyone, especially Adonis.

Camella, the only one who knew where I was, would come and visit me every evening. We would have dinner together and she would update me about the latest gossip about the controversial pumpkin incident.

That's right. Trisha and I were all over the news that following morning. Photos, videos and memes in the morning papers, magazine articles, internet, and all social media account. I was hardly identifiable with all the orange pumpkin soup covered on me.

"You got the sympathy of the majority," Camella informed me, "Someone commented that Trisha cheated on Adonis, that's why they broke up."

"That made sense. He said I'm also a cheater."

"Exactly, because of your fake ex-boyfriend Christian," she raised her leg on the couch, "so, back to Adonis, he had been betrayed by Trisha. That really sucks after a four year relationship."

"That's like a four year college degree already. And we only have four months."

"Right," she continued, "you know, haters came out, involving past issues in the government with her senatorial father."

"Oh really. That's terrible."

We talked about the past issues in the government, then Camella said, "but there are also crazy comments about you."

"Tell me."

"That you were a rebellious bride. You wore black wedding gown on your wedding."

"That I admit is true," I smiled at her.

"Trisha had an interview yesterday in a morning paper. She told the press that Adonis married you to get back his ancestor's land. But don't worry, nobody believes her. She just attracted more haters."

"Oh God, I can't live a normal life anymore," my heart sank.

"Gossips will die down. Just wait for it. Christian said, it would take two weeks. At least."

"I can't stay out of the office that long. I'm going back on Thursday. I need something to do to occupy my brain. Or else, I'll go crazy."

"Sure. Fine. If that's what you want. BUT, are you ready to face Adonis? He'd been in the office too many times, asking for you."

"Well, it's time to talk. So, we can settle this."

Crazy. But I really missed him so badly. I could not even wait to see him.

After a week of hiding, I went to the office. I was very edgy, because I knew that anytime, Adonis would arrive to talk.

He did arrive after an hour. He brought me a bouquet of flowers, pink ones, obviously fresh from the Stavrakos garden. They were my favorite.

"Hi," he greeted me, the moment he entered in my office.

"Hi," I mimicked.

He put the flowers on my desk, then came around and knelt beside me. He held my hand, caressing my knuckles gently with his thumb.

"I miss you."

I closed my eyes briefly and sighed. Then I stood up abruptly, and went to the couch.

The couch. Where we made love the last time he was in my office.

I hesitated to sit down, but I did.

"Let's talk," I said.

He nodded. He followed me and sat at the other end of the couch.

"You go first."

"Christian is just a friend, nothing more, nothing less," I said firmly, lifting my chin.

"I know that now," he cleared his throat. "I'm really sorry. I talked to Camella, and she told me everything."

"Wait... what?"

"Don't get mad at her, please," he continued, "let me finish."

"Okay," I lifted my chin, higher.

"I'm glad she told me where your anger came from," he sighed, "to set the record straight, I did not comfort Trisha. I prevented her from throwing that bowl of hot soup at you. But she hugged me. I was literally pushing her away."

"You told her about the land."

"Of course. She knew that a long time ago, when we were still in a relationship. It was my frustration. I wanted our ancestor's land so badly. So, it was easy for her to add one info to another, and came up with the real reason of our marriage agreement."

"Do you still love her?"

"Nope." He exhaled heavily, "I'm not in love with her anymore. We ended our relationship a year ago."

"How come she still wants you."

"It was hard for her to accept. She was at fault, she cheated on me," he pressed his lips together, and leaned forward, "when I married you, I was already over her."

I looked away, staring at the door.

"She said you'll divorce me when you get the title of the land."

"That never occurred in my mind, until Camella told me the truth."

I turned to him abruptly, my forehead furrowed, "what truth?"

"It's your original plan to divorce me. When you have your business running smoothly. You want to live with your mom, with a vegetable garden and dogs. No men in your life."

I stared at him. Tongue-tied.

"So, it's true, then," his shoulders slumped, he looked very disappointed. "I thought we're on the same page, in making our marriage work."

"We are. That's the original plan, but... it changed."

"Are you sure?"

"Um... yeah," I stammered.

"You're not sure. You're doubting."

"I can't help it. We're still four months together... and things happened too fast. I don't know if our marriage will really work, and I can't compete with that four-year relationship that you had..."

"It's not a competition. Four months, four years, forty years, or four hundred years... it doesn't matter. As long as we understand each other and doing our best to make our marriage work. It all depends on us, on how we take care of our relationship."

"People have been talking about the land. They said you don't love me, you just wanted your ancestor's land back."

"They're right," he twisted his wedding ring, then continued, "I can't deny it, because it's true from the very beginning. But it changed because of what we have."

"We're not in love," I finally opened about feeling.

He raked his hair, making it messier, "we'll get there. Let's take one step at a time. I promise you, we'll get there."

I was disappointed. I was hoping he would confess his feelings for me. It just confirmed that it was a one-sided love.

"I don't know, Adonis. I doubt if we'll make this marriage work. We started at the wrong footing. People have been judging us on how we got together. Our children would bear this rumors forever, knowing that their parents got married because of the land and not by love."

He rubbed his nape, then leaned closer, "Okay, we'll do it right, Elena. Let's get divorce."