Page 14 of The Payment

“Ah, now this is bliss.”This moment of peace, at least, was hers alone.

Reaching for the soap, her searching hand encountered nothing but empty space.Frowning, she wiped the water from her eyes and stared at the bare glass shelf.The familiar lineup of her toiletries had vanished—no shampoo, no conditioner, not even her loofah.

“What the hell?”Water dripped from her hair as she yanked the shower door open.Wrapping herself in a towel, she hunched down and flung open the cabinet doors beneath the sink.Empty.Her fingers scrambled through each drawer, finding nothing but vacant space.

With her heart pounding and a chill creeping up her spine, a suspicion came to life.Her feet left wet prints on the carpet as she rushed to the walk-in closet.The sight stopped her cold.Bare hangers swayed slightly in the climate-controlled air.The dressing table stood stripped clean, with its surface gleaming as if to mock her.

Her hands clenched into fists as her nails bit into her palms.Rage bubbled up from her core.

“That fucking asshole is asking for it!”An inferno slowly rose inside her.Water still dripped from her hair, but she barely noticed as she stormed down the hallway.The sound of her wet feet slapping against the marble floor chased after her.

Soft jazz notes drifted through the air, causing her fury to spike higher.Of course, he would be lounging out there, probably congratulating himself on his latest power play.Her jaw clenched so tight, it ached as she stalked toward the great room while clutching the towel around her like armor.

“What fucking game are you playing now, Jarek Farrel?”The words hissed through her teeth, barely above a whisper, as she prepared to confront him.

She found Jarek lounging in one of the leather chairs.His relaxed posture was in stark contrast to her fury.The desire to slap the smug expression off his face burned through her when one condescending eyebrow curled upward at her entrance.His eyes traveled over her towel-clad body with deliberate slowness.

Despite her rage, her traitorous body responded to his appreciative gaze with a trail of heat in its wake that she immediately despised.The unwanted arousal only fueled her anger.How dare her body betray her like this when her mind was filled with nothing but contempt for him?

“Now that’s the kind of attire a man appreciates his wife wearing for the special Valentine’s dinner he has planned.”His voice dripped with smug satisfaction as each word was clearly aimed at provoking her further.

“Fuck you, you manipulative bastard.”Her voice shook with rage as she flung her wet hair back.Droplets of water scattered like her already shattered control.“Where the hell are my belongings?”

His lips curved into that infuriating smile she had once found charming.“Where they belong...in the master bedroom.Where you’ll be sleeping from now on.”

“The master bedroom is yours.”Her words cut through the air as her fingers clenched the towel tighter.“Or has your oversized ego forgotten that I refused to share space with a lying snake?”

“Our agreement specified a marriage.”He leaned forward, his casual demeanor at odds with the steel in his voice.“For five years, Tatiana.A real, normal marriage.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to warm your bed or pretend—”

“I gave you time to adapt.I’m afraid the current sleeping arrangement isn’t conducive to fulfilling the terms of our contract.”He lifted one shoulder in a dismissive shrug that made her blood boil.“Marriage, my dear wife, includes all aspects.Consider this my way of helping you honor our agreement.”His eyes gleamed with triumph.“Though, of course, the choice is yours.”

Her skin prickled with goosebumps, both from the chilled air and the implications of his words.The towel suddenly felt too thin, too revealing, as his gaze continued to devour her.Every cell in her body screamed in protest at the way it responded to his attention and at how her breath caught when his eyes darkened with desire.She hated him.She hated herself more for not being immune to the magnetism that oozed out of him.

“Chef Tony informed me a while ago that dinner will be served in thirty minutes.”His gaze flicked to his designer watch before returning to rake over her body with deliberate insolence.“That leaves you twenty minutes to either dress appropriately for Tony’s culinary masterpiece and his romantic table setting, or...”A predatory smile curved his lips.“Stay as you are and risk losing that towel somewhere between appetizer and main course.”

“You’re a fucking asshole, Jarek Farrel.”The words whispered out between thin lips as she fought to control the trembling in her hands.

“Tsk-tsk.”He clicked his tongue, the act reminding her of her math teacher when she showed disappointment in Tatiana’s results.She never liked cranky Ms.Shue.“If you insist on hurling insults, at least be creative, dear wife.Your current repertoire has grown rather...tiresome.”

Her vision blurred with rage at his patronizing tone.

“Heaven forbid I bore the sanctimonious, impious louse that you are.”Her lips curved into a razor-sharp smile.“Though I suppose I shouldn't expect more from someone who began life as a deuterostome and clearly never evolved past that stage.”

His rich laughter followed her as she stormed toward the master bedroom with punctuated fury.She would find clothes alright—the bulkiest, most unfeminine outfit in her closet.

“He can ram his romantic setting so far up his pompous ass he’ll be tasting Tony’s garnish!”The words echoed off the hallway walls, followed by the satisfying slam of his bedroom door.

Jarek

Jarek’s laughter echoedthrough the great room as Tatiana's footsteps faded down the hallway.The slam of the door sent a satisfying vibration through the penthouse.Her fierce intelligence and sharp tongue never failed to entertain him, even when aimed like weapons in his direction.

His amusement faded as memories surfaced of their time before marriage.They had been electric together, their connection transcending the physical.Her eyes would light up when he entered a room, her smile always genuinely warm.Now, those same eyes held only contempt.

He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, watching it catch the dying light.Her declarations of eternal love had proven as ephemeral as morning dew.The revelation of his true nature and motives had shattered her affection like a fine crystal.The fact that he had used her to destroy her grandfather's company meant nothing to him.Business was business.Yet his feelings for her remained unchanged.Her strength, her brilliance in the boardroom, and her unbreakable spirit still captivated him.

When Tatiana reemerged, Jarek nearly choked on his drink.The oversized sweatshirt declaring “SUCK IT UP” paired with baggy sweats should have looked ridiculous.Instead, her defiant stance and fierce expression only heightened her appeal.He forced his attention elsewhere as his body responded traitorously.

---