Proven

Chapter 17

             (Fourteen months later)

Justin

As I sat in my office in Paris, the door swung open in a forceful manner to reveal a smirking Genevieve.

"Genevieve, what do you want now?" I sighed.

"Justin, I thought we had a deal. You give me money and I shut up about your little whore. That was a year and a half ago. I've kept my end of the deal so why can't you, Justin. I'm drowning in debt and it is all because of you. You promised you'd take care of me- " I cut off the nonsense that she kept uttering.

"I never promised to take care of you! I never promised you anything for that matter. My mother might have but I never did. Our engagement was a sham so do not come here pretendingto be some lost lover. Where is your mate, anyway?" I chuckled, "You know, I am very grateful for that man. He saved my life by taking you away. Does he even know that you are here, asking another man for money?"

I could see flecks of black flashing into her eyes to indicate that her wolf was present. She snarled, "You know nothing about that so shut up!"

Her lips turned up into a wicked smile, "Oh, you think you are so smart, don't you? Coming out here to protect you and that minor. Oh please, everyone knows that you are only protecting yourself, Justin. That's the thing; you only care about yourself. While you are 'protecting' your little princess in this fancy office behind a laptop screen all day, she is being bullied. Oh, I'm sorry. She didn't tell you?" She laughed and turned towards the door.

"Oh, and Justin? The whole bullying thing is just the beginning," with that she walked out of my office.

--

Katy

The bothersome ringing of my phone was the cause of my awakening. I felt around my pillow until I found it, swiping the screen to answer.

"Hello," I voiced out groggily.

"Katy, switch on the lamp. I want to see your face," a firm voice spoke.

"What?" I was very confused, mostly because of my still dazed state.

"Switch on your lamp so we can video chat." At that moment, my mind cleared and before I could think about how I looked, Justin called out my name. My full name, that is. The one that he only uses when he is dead serious, sending chills onto my warm body.

I gulped and switched on the said lamp. It was when he told to remove my phone from my ear that I realised the call was already in video mode.

"Hey," I waved nervously. A ghost of a smile appeared onto his lips. One which he killed even further with the clearing of his throat.

"What is this I hear about you being bullied, Katy?" I felt as if my all my blood had been drained out of my system. The one thing that I dreaded had happened. Justin had found out.

"Wh- what?" I stuttered.

"Katy, are you being bullied?" The strain in his voice broke my heart and all I could do was nod.

"Why have you not told me this, Katy?" I could tell that he was frustrated by the way he pulled on his grown hair.

"What would I say about that? 'Hey, babe. I'm being bullied because I'm apparently not pretty and my scar doesn't do me any good'? Is that what I was supposed to tell you? I knew you would feel guilty and I did not want you to-" Justin cut me off as I was in the middle of expressing myself.

"I am supposed to feel guilty! I caused you the pain that left the scar that has you being bullied. I should be the one that bares the pain that was caused by me, not you. I am a monster, Katy. How does one even hurt his own mate?" His voice cracked as he whispered the last sentence to himself.

As much as Justin liked to show a strong form of himself at all times, I was lucky enough to see the soft side of him and very few times such as this one, when I would see but a vulnerable man with insecurities. That is one of the many things I have learnt about him during these past months. He has insecurities about himself but really, so do I.

"Justin, you know that was not intentional and I do not blame you for the incident. Baby, please, do not crack. I am on the edge of self destruction and if you break, I don't know what will keep me together. We'll be okay, okay?" I tried to assure mostly myself than I did him.

"I just do not understand why you would not tell me this. We tell each other everything," he said making me cock up an eyebrow.

"Do we, Justin? Do we really? Who the heck is Genevieve?" I sassed.

"What? How did you- who told you? Oh goodness. This is getting out of control." He mumbled, "You know what? I have had enough of this. I am leaving Paris and I am going to be with you, Katy. You hear me? Nobody is ever going to touch you while I am still alive. Even if I die, I will find someone to stop whoever tries to hurt you. I have caused you enough pain already and I will not stand for anyone to cause more."

He had stood up from his chair and seemed to be packing while saying all that he has said. Just as I was trying to understand what he was saying, Justin appeared in front of the screen once more.

"Katleho, I will call you when I land."

***