Erica's palm was silk with sweat as he came closer, his cold gaze scanning her before he even got to her.
Standing in front of her, Erica was about to speak when she noticed his brow raised, before he looked at the door, which only meant one thing.
She was in his way.
Erica's chest tightened as she silently stepped away, giving him enough room to go in. Just as he took a step, the door flung open and Mrs. Selena stepped out, rubbing her eyes from drowsiness.
Her hands stretched over her head as she yawned loudly, staggering forward while Jamal could only stare in disgust.
"I heard the—"
"Excuse me," he muttered coldly and, without waiting for her to speak, and as she took a step back, with one last glare at Erica, he walked in, leaving just the smell of his cologne behind.
Mrs. Selena heaved a heavy sigh, stepping out. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, seeing Erica standing beside the door with her bag over her shoulders. Her head was bent downwards as she stared at the golden, intricate tiles.
With the petite stature, milky skin color, and chestnut long brown hair that was tied into a bun like the last time they met, she knew who she was.
The chauffeur's daughter.
She gulped hard, calming the anger rising in her chest.
"Hello, darling! What are you doing here?" she asked, holding back from glaring at her.
"I'm go—"
"It's alright. I know what you are here for," she cut her off.
"Erm, Jonah?" she snapped her fingers, drawing the suited man's attention.
"Take her to the sitting room. I'd like to have a word with Jamal first."
The man nodded before gesturing for Erica to move.
"Your father says you should marry her because of the land for our new resort," she rehearsed as she went up to his room. The door was slightly ajar for her to see that he was taking off his clothes.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat.
Jamal's cold gaze found her at the door, and he could already tell. It was one of those days. The days she needed his favor and had to act like a mom.
"Spill," his baritone echoed as he took off the last piece of his jewelry.
Selena exhaled sharply; all she had rehearsed was gone, and it was normal—things Jamal's look could make one do.
"You have to marry her," she blurted, keeping her eyes rooted in him and knowing there was no way he was going to agree with her.
"Marry who?" he asked, sitting tiredly on the bed before his gaze narrowed at her.
"Don't act too naive. You were there when Pa—your grandfather—made the decision. I have done my part by getting her to marry you. It's left for you to round it up."
She could feel his cold gaze on her as she went to the sofa and sat down.
"You agreed to all that he said?" Jamal asked, his voice echoing in disbelief. "I mean, you were against him that day, so why are you telling me about it or even inviting the thing over?"
His vibe reverberated through the room, loud enough for her to want to shut him up with her hands or even with a tape.
"Don't let her hear you," she whispered harshly, with her index finger over her mouth. "She needs to be on our side at least till she signs the contract." Her hands crossed over her chest. "Pa said he can't give you the company without you having a wife, so she's the best option."
He stood up from the bed, straight to the large-sized wardrobe covered with a mirror. Pulling out a pack, he took one of it straight to his mouth, lighting it with a lighter from the window before glaring back at her.
"If you know what's good for you, send her back to where she came from. I have spoken with Gromani's daughter and also apologized. She has agreed to forgive and go out with me, so the chauffeur's land is not needed."
The harsh smell of his cigarette filled the room, forcing Selena to seal her nose with her elbow.
"You promised your father you'd stop," she gritted, and he scoffed.
"Is that your problem now?" The smirk on his face made Selena curl her fists. He was the only child of hers that was a problem to her.
"Listen, Jamal," she said calmly, walking towards him. "The board meeting will be on Monday. Today is Friday. One of the major discussions will be about the CEO position. Pa was wicked enough not to give it to your father because he found him unworthy. He will waste no time in doing the same to you."
She exhaled sharply.
"He will waste no time in doing the same to you. You have to prove yourself to him, and the first is that you can do anything for the company, like marrying an ally and—"
"So you are doing all this for the company?"
"Yes. Yes, baby. Anything for the company."
"Not me, right?"
Selena could feel the pain in his voice even though his gaze on her said otherwise.
"This is for you too. Your happiness is my happiness, and—"
"You are mistaken. This is not my happiness." He puffed the rest of the smoke out and was about to leave when she held him back.
"Money is everything, darlin'. You might not know it now, but you will soon. Marry the girl, dump and treat her like furniture in the house. You can still get the woman you want. At least with the marriage, she gets you the position and the land for the resort."
Jamal yanked his hand off, his grey eyes piercing hers.
"Don't you dare speak about this again or that stupid contract…" he bellowed, throwing off the stack of papers on his wardrobe. "Take it and get the fuck out of here."
Selena wanted to protest, but with the look, she knew better than to.
"You'll regret this," she hissed, kicking off the papers as she left.
Erica's eyes wandered in the sitting room. She had never seen a masterpiece up close. Jonah's presence was the only thing keeping her from letting her lips fall open.
Chandeliers hung above, complementing the way of the morning sun in the room. The cushioned chairs were black with gold designs, glowing more neatly than the sun's reflection in the room.
"Okay, okay, ma'am," she heard Jonah say, and just by looking at him, she could tell he was responding to whoever was talking through his black wireless Bluetooth earpieces.
Her eyes swept him whole, and it was hard to tell his complexion with the amount of tattoos covering his face and exposed hands. He had black shades on, coupled with his black suit, giving him an undertaker look.
His muscles threatened to pop out of his suit jacket as he stood still, his arms crossed at his back.
Erica was forced to look away as he took a step closer.
"Get up," his baritone echoed. "You are going back home."
Selena's breath hitched.
"No, no. What are you talking about? I'm here to marry Mr.—" she rasped, the rest of the words refusing to come out because something flowed down instead.
The door flung open, and Jamal strode in with a stack of papers in his hands. Jonah's gaze widened while Erica quickly wiped off the trace already trickling down her face.
"Sign these papers," he said, throwing the papers on the table. "The wedding will be tomorrow."
Her jaw dropped open as her gaze flickered from him to Jonah, and with the look on his face, she was sure he didn't see it coming.
He gulped hard, moving closer to her. "Don't you want it?" he asked, and she shook her head negatively.
"No, no. I do," she said, and moving away, she grabbed the papers to her lap, straight to the last page before signing her name.
"Don't you want to read it, in case of anything like divorce and—"
"I would never want that," she cut him off, handing the papers back to him.
Jamal buried his hands in his pocket while Jonah took the papers from him, and with a mischievous smirk, he bellowed, "Go and seal it."