Engaged to the Heartless Heartbreaker ✔

Chapter 34 - Missing Pieces

To @flyawayfreddy, for the wonderful support since the very start, for the contagious laughs in her comments, for willingly raising her hand to accompany me in this journey...
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~~~ CHAPTER 34 - MISSING PIECES ~~~

Both Mother Clarita and Mrs. Riviera weren't able to move or speak up from where they were standing. They seemed to process all the words they heard from Nigel in their brains. One look at them and you would know they were totally shaken up.

Why wouldn't they? I was even shaken up myself!

"I'm here to take her home," Nigel spoke again.

The bastard.

"Stop it!" I snapped at him. "You're not taking me anywhere. Do you hear me?"

"Althea..." he muttered, back to his pleading tone like a while ago when there were just the two of us.

Mother Clarita eventually gathered her wits and talked to him calmly, "No wonder you fell in love with her cakes... No wonder I have this weird feeling every time I see you like remembering my dear Thea here, like wanting the two of you to meet..." Then, she turned to me, "Oh, so you're engaged to him, dear?"

"No, Mother. I was never a fiancèe to him," I stepped towards the two women to beg for some sympathy.

Mrs. Riviera shook her head, still in a state of disbelief. "A very powerful man, Thea. The famous Nigel Sarmiento! You're engaged to him?" she asked me in a whispering manner.

"No, it wasn't real. The engagement was just a product of my crazy illusion. But now, I've already moved on and I want nothing of him anymore," I said casting a furtive glance at Nigel.

He was gazing at me intently, that I didn't miss as I glanced at him. He really thought he could just take me to The Fields like that? Was he ever in his right senses?

"Mother Clarita, I want to ask some time with her," he pleaded at the nun who was not still able to move on from everything she heard.

"No!" I complained.

The old nun nodded her head. "Go ahead, have as much time as you want with her, Mr. Sarmiento."

"No, I'm not talking to him anymore, Mother. I have to leave now. I still have work."

"No, you're not working today at the shop, Thea." It was Mrs. Riviera who answered me. "Talk to him. Face your past."

No, no, no! This couldn't be happening to me.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The two older women left Nigel and me in the receiving area.

Okay. Face my past it is.

He came near me and stood in front of me very, very close. I clenched my teeth. How on damn earth could I disregard his presence when his mere presence alone was like a torture to me?

He gripped tightly both of my shoulders with his hands. I squirmed under his touch.

"You really hate me," he said more of like a whisper to me.

I raised a brow at him. "Perfect observation, Mr. Sarmiento."

"Althea, please, don't Mr. Sarmiento me."

What was with his pleading tone?

"Stop with your pleading tone, okay? It absolutely irritates the hell out of me because it just doesn't suit you." I pushed him away. He pulled back one moment but attempted to reach out to me once more. I stepped back. "And please, don't tell me what to do and what not to do. You have no right."