Ann’s POV
I thought Vince was bluffing when he told me he was coming with me. Until I pack up a few things and step out to see him with a bag slung over his shoulder as he watches me with that same intense look from yesterday.
I’m fine now but Vince still treats me like I am not.
He kept coming into the room several times yesterday to check if I was okay. It made me feel more special. And happy to have at least one person show me care.
“The car is waiting,” he mutters, making my eyes go wide in shock. “Let’s go.”
He grabs my hand and I resist. “Aren’t we supposed to go to the academy and move along with others?”
He shakes his head. “I am coming with you so I already called that jerk…sorry, Mark. He agreed for me to bring you. They are already on their way so we need to go now.”
“What?!” I can’t hide my surprise. “You called Mark? When? How did you know his number in the first place?”
He only shrugs without an answer.
I fold my arms around my bosom and watch him. I know how much he despises Mark. I know the feeling is mutual so why would Mark give him such permission? Did Vince threaten to beat him up and Mark gave him quickly?
“I thought you were joking yesterday,” I finally voice out my thoughts.
“Well, I wasn’t.”
He grabs my hand and we take the staircase out. I don’t know what to make of this. I could barely sleep a wink last night because my emotions and thoughts were all over the place.
I know Vince is jealous because of how I relate with Mark but I never thought he would go to this length to prove his jealousy.
Why would he leave everything back home and decide to come with me when it’s just a two-day trip?
I should talk to Mark as soon as we get there. I need to know if Vince threatened him just to let him come.
“You can’t just leave everything behind, Vince. You told me you had lots of work to do yesterday,” I remember, hoping this will be enough to stop him from what he is about to do.
“I’m done with them. I finished up overnight,” he answers sharply as we get to the waiting car.
He opens the door for me and I get in. He shuts the door and turns to the other side to get in beside me.
Luca is driving us.
To be sure, there won’t be more cars following us behind, I look back as the car drives out of the mansion.
After a few minutes of not seeing any car following behind, I heave a deep sigh of relief.
Great.
I already have Vicente to deal with. I can’t bear to deal with having all his men around, hovering over me like some sort of pests.
This is just a trip. It means nothing at all.
It’s just an hour’s trip from home and we should be back in a few days. I agreed to it immediately because I felt this was what I needed to get my normal self back.
I want to see things from the good side. At least I saw my mom before she passed. If I hadn’t seen her, I would have been more sad.
I saw her and she was happy to see me again.
Realizing we have been driving in silence, I turn slightly to steal a glance at Vince. He is looking straight ahead with his arms folded and a serious look on his face.
His gaze found mine and I look away instantly.
“Did you eat this morning?” His question makes me snap my head back to him.
“Why do you ask?”
“We could get you something quick at…”
“Never mind, I’m fine.” I cut him short, knowing what he is about to do. I can’t get there late, not when I don’t even know my fate yet. I have to get there first before knowing if Mark succeeded in getting the Chef convinced from punishing me.
If nothing works, I guess I would have to inform them about Mother. Just tell them she passed and I have been in mourning.
I see a leg move and I look down to see Vicente shaking his legs. I turn back to him but his face is still not showing any emotions.
Why does he look nervous?
“How do you feel this morning, then?” He asks again, surprising me. “Much better?”
He tries to follow up the conversation with a smile but it falters. Probably because of the look on my face.
Without waiting for my reply, he looks away.
Did Vince just try to start a conversation with me? What the hell?! Was he nervous because he was thinking of how to strike up a conversation?
I stare at his leg from my peripheral view and it is still moving. Shaking.
“Did Tessa call? Fernando mentioned she was trying to reach you last night.”
Without meeting his eyes, I reply. “No.”
My heart is pounding. Hammering so loud I can hear it. I don’t want to look at him and lose my shit.
This can’t be happening.
I’ve always known I had a flexible heart. Even though Ryan was my only boyfriend, falling overheads with other men would have been pretty easy for me. But I was so focused on him because I was committed.
I knew who I was when I agreed to stay married to Vince but I thought I could handle it. I thought I would be able to control myself and my silly heart since this was an accidental union.
Perhaps, I should have disagreed. I should have insisted on an annulment. I should have just gone my way, without looking back. I should have just pretended we never met and we never got married.
But I couldn’t.
I forced him to the altar because I was so obsessed with the idea of being married.
Vince got married to me because I wanted it. He has helped me all along, he saved me and even saved my mother.
He has been nothing but so kind to me.
No matter how much I think about it, I keep telling myself this isn’t real. No matter what happens between Vince and me, it can’t be real.
This is just to protect my heart. I don’t think I can survive another heartbreak, not when I am just overcoming one.
What his mother said the other day, kept ringing in my ears after he suddenly blurted out that he liked me.
I don’t want to think too deeply about it, though. If a man likes a woman, it could be platonic, not necessarily in a romantic way.
There is no denying how my heart jolted at the sound of that or how my body always reacts to his touch but I can’t allow this.
Not when I know Vince is being pressured to like me. Not when I know what this marriage means to him. Not when I know Vince will want to do whatever he can to ensure we don’t get any annulment anytime soon.
I have mentioned that topic to him severally but he always ignored it. He avoids talking about it and it makes me wonder what else he wants.
This marriage is bound to end someday. This is not a love match and I doubt it ever will.
Whereas what I want is a love match.
“Ann?” His soft voice calls to me again and I force myself to look up at him. After a moment of silence, he mutters. “Never mind.”
The familiar heat of humiliation creeps beneath my skin. Vicente is a good and nice man but I don’t think this can work. He has mentioned how much he doesn’t believe in love and how he never will.
I can never forget that.
If he truly likes me, then he would find it easy to start a conversation with me, just like I always do with him.
He wouldn’t call my name and then ask me not to mind. It makes annoyance fill my veins.
So I look forward, trying to calm my nerves.
I shouldn’t be mad at him. This is just Vince. That is just who he is. The sooner I find a solution to this thing between us, the better.
Focused on not looking or talking to him anymore, I lean backwards and shut my eyes. I don’t realize I am beginning to feel sleepy until something hard touches my shoulder.
I force my sleepy eyes back open and turn to see Vince’s head on my shoulder.
With my head in a haze, I stretch to see his face. His eyes are closed and his breathing is even.
Then it hits.
Vince doesn’t sleep. But when he is with me, he passes out so easily, just like he has done now.