KALIA
"What!" Kate yelled unprovoked, drawing the attention of everyone seated at the cafe to our table.
"You want to ask Darren to marry you?" She whispered, gawking at me with her eyes wide open and her jaw dropped to the ground in shock. She couldn't believe what I had just told her and neither could I but it's the truth.
"Only on contract and stop yelling." I chided her. "You're drawing attention to our table. Everyone is staring at us."
After my call with Kate last night, we talked at length and she set up a meeting for us at a cafe nearby so that we could talk about the preposition I had for Darren and why I wanted to meet up with him.
All through the night, I couldn't sleep a wink because I didn't know if I was ready or sane enough to go down this road.
Doing this meant that I would be opening up old wounds for the second time; It meant that I was openly declaring war. It also meant that there was no turning back at any point and I would have to see it through to the end.
I kept on having second thoughts about my decision but I knew deep down that I had no choice.
I needed to do this for myself, for my dead baby and for everything that I had lost and sacrificed in my past life. I needed to pay them back and I wouldn't mind walking through fire and a burning furnace to achieve it.
They had done a number on me by making me go through hell so it was finally their turn to suffer and get a taste of their own medicine.
All of them, including the dead beat bastard I had mistakenly married in my previous life for a husband.
"What do you mean by you want to ask him to marry you? Isn't that a little too much for a cheating fiance?" She repeated for the second time, snapping me out of my quick reverie. I didn't even realize that I had zoned out on her.
"Do you even know what you're asking for right now? Do you know what you're trying to get yourself into? Are you trying to get killed? Are you mad?"
"The Alexander's are no joke, Kalia." She went on to lecture me. "They are titled the most powerful pack and family for a reason."
"You should be grateful that you even managed to crawl out of there with your life intact after calling off the marriage. You could've been dead by now if they wanted to make you pay."
"Death doesn't scare me anymore Kate." I said to her with a forced chuckle. "I have been through everything that is worse than death and if death is what's waiting for me at the end of this route that I'm about to take then, so be it."
"Kalia—"
"They ruined me, Kate." I started, interrupting her as I forced myself to swallow down the pain and hurt in my voice.
"You above everyone should know what I went through in that place called family and when I finally thought that I was about to leave everything behind, I got stabbed in the back in the cruelest way possible."
I wanted to tell her about how I had lost my child in my previous life. How I got rejected and divorced but she wouldn't understand any of it because only I knew that I was reborn.
"Even Celyn slept with Callum to hurt me. Believe me, there's nothing more painful than what I'm going through right now so tell me, will you help me out or not?"
She thought about it for a while before responding. "Fine. I'll help you get your revenge. What are friends for anyways?" She added the last part and reached out for my hands from across the table to squeeze gently.
Kate not only works for Callum's family but her family also shares a special relationship with them and both families have been friends for a very long time now.
"I'm glad that you're finally taking a stand for yourself, Kalia." She whispered softly. "Trust me, it's been long overdue."
"Okay, first things first," She began, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears. "I think Darren might be gay." She broke down the news to me and I couldn't help the surprise that masked my face at that shocking news.
"W-Why would you say that?" I asked, blinking my eyes furiously. "Did he come out as gay? Did he tell you that?"
"Well not really. I don't know if it's true or not but it's just a rumour that has been going round for a while." She informed me.
"I have worked with their company for five solid years and not once have I ever seen him with a woman talk more of being romantically involved with one but I'm sure it won't be a problem since it's going to be a fake marriage anyway."
I nodded my head slowly. I don't want to believe what Kate had just spewed but I didn't want to rule out the possibilities either. For all we know, she could be saying the truth but still, he didn't strike me as someone who could be gay.
I mean, that day I hit his car by accident, he was so kind and polite to me. He even hugged me so that I would feel better but then again, most gay men are in touch with their feminine sides so it could likely be true.
Anyway, I wouldn't bother myself with that. It is going to be a fake marriage and it's not like we would be sexually involved or anything.
All he has to do is agree to my proposition. He just has to marry me for a short while and after that, we'd get a divorce and end things between us so that we can both go our separate ways.
"Anything else I need to know?" I inquired.
"He's a workaholic and his family's dynamic is pretty strong. His mother is a bit hot headed, chaotic and his twin sisters are a handful." She went on.
"Plus, as much as it's going to be a fake marriage, you still have to be on their good side so that you won't have a hard time."
I nodded in understanding while she sipped on her slurpee.
"Now, about your supposed fake husband to be." I rolled my eyes at that statement. Kate always has a way of joking about important matters.
"Darren is the Alpha's favourite son and also next in line to the throne of the Crescent Pack and his empire which would be a little bit of a problem for you."
"Meaning?"
"Well, for starters you are his half brother's ex-fiance. He doesn't get along with his half brother and what's worse is that you were already engaged until recently."
"His father already hates you for calling off your marriage and might not accept you into the family so it could be a serious problem." She said to me.
"I didn't forget about that part. I know that the Alpha King doesn't like me because of my status and what I've done but I'm not banking on his affection for me." I looked at her straight in the eye.
"He loves his first son a whole awful lot and that's what matters. I'm only banking on Darren to accept me. He's the main character in all of this. If I'm able to get him on my side then handling his father would be secondary problem for me."
"How do you mean?" She arched a brow at me.
"Because his father loves him and he can't hate him no matter what. Plus, he's next to rule after him. That's the sick thing about love. You'd give in eventually." I told her and she nodded in understanding.
"Anything I should know about Darren? His personality, what he likes and dislikes? How to get on his good side?"
"Simply put, he's an arrogant, stubborn, self-absorbed and self-centered bastard." She dropped the bombshell but I still listened anyway.
When he greeted me at home yesterday, he didn't look like someone who could be all of those things but then again, fake appearances deceive people a lot.
I would definitely know better because I grew up with three of them under one roof and ended up marrying one in my previous life.
"He doesn't like talking to people. He prefers his own personal space. He's a perfectionist and doesn't give two fucks about anyone but himself."
"Still, it wouldn't really matter since it's going to be a fake marriage if he agrees to it." She said in consolation."
"I mean, it's not like you would get to be with him every single day so you'll actually be safe from his problems." She assured me.
"Okay." I breathed out slowly. This is actually going to be a little harder than I thought. "So what's next with the plan?"
"Meeting him." She answered. "You wouldn't want to do it when he's cranky from work or worn out from a long day at work so it has to be somewhere in between. That way, he wouldn't be too fussy and would actually want to hear you out. Plus, you have an advantage too."
"Which is?"
"You're now the sad, miserable and frustrated ex-fiance of his half brother so if you play your cards right, there's no way he'd avoid talking to you."
Picking up her cellphone, she texted someone who texted back almost immediately.
"I just spoke to his secretary, she's a close friend of mine." She informed me when she saw the curious look on my face.
"She just texted me that Darren will stop by at his favourite spot in the city to meet up with someone at exactly 5:00pm tomorrow evening before leaving for home. If you're really serious and ready for this then, this is your chance."
I thought about it for the last time. Is this really worth it? Should I back out now? After battling the internal conflict within me, I let out a deep breath.
"What's the name of the place that I would be meeting him?" I asked and she smiled at me before texting me the address.
"Goodluck, Kalia. I'm rooting for you." She wished me with a smile but I don't need luck, I need revenge and for the life in me, I will do everything in my power to get it.