Forced Marriage, True Love

10. Fiancée

I was shocked speechless as Taki Tachibana kissed me. I could see cameras clicking and chorus of gasps because my eyes were wide open. However, I quickly snapped out of my daze and tried to push him away, slamming my fists against his chest. However, he pulled me closer such that there was no space between us, his one hand wrapped around my waist, tightly pressing me to his chest, while his other held my face, those long fingers sliding into my hair in the process. He bent his head down and continued kissing me, pressing those sweet lips on mine while his tongue darted out, trying to part my lips. He deepened the kiss and I soon found it hard to breathe.

Tears spilled out of my eyes as I continued trying to break free from his grip. But this man has monstrous strength in his arms. And so, I did the last thing I could do to make him free me. I bit his lip harshly, and only then did he pull back while I gasped for air. "What the-" I burst out but he cut through me.

"Everyone," Taki put his arm around my waist again and turned to the media. "Meet my fiancée, Mitsuha Miyamizu." WHAAAAT!! I stared at him incredulously while loud cheers and applauses erupted from the crowd. Guests flocked around us to congratulate us, while the media came forward with their mics in their hand and asked us various questions. However, I was too shocked to understand anything. I slowly turned to my friends and the entire designing department looked at me in bewilderment. And the looks on my friends' faces were priceless. Tessie gave me a shocked and betrayed look, making me turn my head away as more tears spilled out of my eyes.

"How long have you been dating him, Ms. Miyamizu?" One reporter asked, blocking my friends' views. "Ms. Miyamizu, are you crying?" Another reporter asked. "We've been dating for three years. I guess she's so happy now that I finally proposed to her that she started crying. I apologize for her." Taki Tachibana said, making me stare at him in horror.

"How did you meet her?" One more reporter asked us. "I once met her in a club and later found out she's an employee of mine." Taki smiled and looked at me in adoration. "She's really beautiful to go unnoticed. We talked and I guess," Taki shrugged once before he smiled, "Love blossomed."

"Mr. Tachibana, this is the first time you talked to the press and the first time we have seen you smile. Is she someone that special?" Another reporter asked. "Very," Taki smiled at me and then glanced at the press. "My fiancée is a bit shy of cameras. You may take a few photos and leave us."

Few was an understatement, because they took a gazillion, to the point where I went blind. Realizing that press wouldn't stop, the security came and forcefully ushered them out. When they were gone, I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. I opened again. "W-w-wha-at." I tried to speak, but my voice cracked. "Need a drink?" Taki asked me with a smirk on his lips and anger started boiling inside me at a tremendous speed.

"What the fuck!!" I yelled. "You fucking bastard!!!" I usually don't swear, but... everyone has exceptions. "I'll kill you!" I shouted as I stretched out my hands, ready to grab his throat and choke the life out of this man. However, Taki grabbed my wrists and pulled me closer.

"Calm down Mitsuha." He leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Or I'll make sure you won't have a job for the rest of your life." Then he pulled back, giving me his annoying smirk while I gaped at him in shock. "How dare you threaten me!"

"I told there will be consequences." Taki said. "This is absurd! You already have a fiancée!" I said while pointing at Miki, who was standing behind Taki and glaring at me in anger. "Now she looks like she wants to kill me." "I told you she's not my fiancée." "The who is she?" "She's the woman my mother chose for me."

I scoffed in disbelief. "So, she is your fiancée." "I choose my own fiancée, not my mother. And I choose you." Taki said making me ball my fists in anger. "Have you lost your goddamn head-" Taki interrupted me before I could complete. "Can we have this conversation somewhere else? Because people are looking."

"Let them look! Let them know you're deceiving them!" I said angrily while Taki laughed. "I'm not deceiving anyone. I simply introduced my fiancée to the public." Before I could argue, he kept a finger on my lips. "And if you do something to expose us, my threat will be very much active, and that chief of yours who helped you disobey me-" I widened my eyes. He knew the chief helped me? "he will also be in trouble. And that will be your fault."

"You bastard!" I said angrily. "Good." Taki said while smiling. "Now that we're settled, you can enjoy the party." He said while giving me a dismissive wave and walked back to his group.

I stayed in my place, shivering in rage. "What the hell just happened Mitsuha!" Saya-chan asked as she ran towards me in her six-inch heels. "Mitsuha..." Tessie's voice was low and broken, making tears swell out of my eyes. "How long have you been dating him?" He asked, making me look at him in horror. "Tessie!!" I shouted, making everyone turn to me.

Unable to bear it anymore, I ran out of the hall. Given how much I was crying, I was sure I'll get a headache soon. How much water did I drink? The tears just won't stop. I'm sure many people are following me. But I didn't care. That bastard just ruined my life!

Suddenly, I felt a hand grip mine and pull me back, making me crash against a hard chest, the same chest I hit with all my might. "Let me-" Before I could complete, I was spun around, and my back crashed against the wall. I was about to scream, when a warm hand covered my mouth while the other locked my wrists together above my head.

"Mitsuha, calm down." That Dracula said as he leaned forward. Calm down?! How the hell can anybody be calm after being humiliated like that! Just because you want to get back at me, doesn't mean you can harass me like this! I struggled to break free from his grip and kept thrashing about.

Taki sighed. "You leave me no choice." Before I could understand anything, he moved his hand away and dragged me out of the hotel, to his car. All along the way, I held my head, feeling humiliated and disgusted with myself. I shouted at him to let me go, but Taki didn't listen. He made me sit in his car and put my seatbelt on for me before getting into the drivers' seat and drove away.

I tried to jump out of the car, but Taki turned on the child lock, not letting me open the door. I wanted to choke him so badly, but I refrained myself. After all, he was driving. If something happens to him, it will indirectly affect me. I cried and cried, until I finally passed out from exhaustion.

"Mitsuha." I woke up with a jolt when I felt a hand touch my arm. I looked around in confusion. Where was I? It took me a few moments to remember everything. The anniversary. Fiancée. Kiss. Tessie's broken look. I rubbed my forehead. I'm sure I was in all the newspapers' headlines. Would grandma and Yotsuha have seen the news? How would they react?

Suddenly, my friends' betrayed look and Tessie's broken look came to my mind, making me cry. How I wished this was a dream. But no matter how much I wish it was a dream, it was real. "Mitsuha-" Taki raised his hand, but I slapped it away. "Bastard! What more do you want from me! Was it not enough that you gave me so many designs to finish in such a short time, even making me hospitalized with overwork! And now you have to ruin my life like this!"

Taki just looked down, not responding to me. "Answer me damn it!! Do you have to ruin my life this much? Fine! I admit! I did take the chief's help to keep my job! I admit it! I admit it, okay! So take back what you said to the press!!" I shouted, slamming my hand on the seat. However, he simply got out of the car and pulled me out as well. "Taki Tachibana! What more do you want from me! And how long should I be doing this!" I shouted in rage. However, Taki simply pulled me towards him, making me crash against his broad chest before wrapping his arms around my waist. I gasped.

Taki gently stroked my hair and hummed a soft lullaby, trying to calm me down. And it did. Somehow, I did calm down... even in this devil's arms who ruined my life... I calmed down before more tears spilled out of my eyes. After I calmed down considerably, Taki leaned down to my ear and whispered. "Till death do us part, Mitsuha."