Contract Go Wrong: The CEO’s Tempting Bride

However, Gina was not fazed, already immune to their hatred.

She glanced again at her father, then lowered her head and resumed walking toward the huge door.

“Look at her,” scoffed her eldest auntie. “All acting innocent!.”

“Yeah,” Her third auntie seconded. “Who knows what tricks she uses to elicit the old man’s sympathy.”

“What else could she use while the act of cunningness runs through her veins? Isn’t that the same thing her mother had used to get the old man’s approval?” said her second auntie who had been seething in anger, after hearing from her daughter that the girl had talked back to her.

By then, Gina had stopped in her footsteps, her eyes flashing with anger. She clenched her fists and let out a breath.

“Dad” she turned to her father, masking every kind of emotion she was feeling at the moment, with a slight smile. “It’s getting late, let’s go home,” she said to her father who had his fists clenched.

Even though he couldn’t talk back, the man could not control his emotions when the contemptuous women kept mentioning his dead wife.

And the fact that they would bully his daughter at any given opportunity, a burst of regret surges in his heart, as he had failed both his daughter and wife.

But as the only child from his mother, he couldn’t stand against his brothers who had deemed his mother as a homewrecker, causing their mother’s demise.

He stood up after suppressing his anger and walked toward his daughter. “Let’s go, Gina,” he said, held her shoulders, and they left silently.

After they were out of the door, Gina wrapped her arms around her father. She hugged him tightly and started sobbing.

“D… Dad” she called out in between sobs and felt him patting her back. Her cries were muffled as she buried her head in his chest. “I missed you so much, Dad.”

The man continued patting her back and sighed. “I’m so sorry, dear.” His tone was filled with regret.

After some time her cries subsided and Gina shook her head. “Don’t be, Dad… I finally feel like I’m doing something meaningful,” she whispered.

Now that she thought about it. If Adrian had not intervened, then that means that the family’s business would have long crumbled to ashes, and her grandfather’s condition might be worse.

Her uncles would have had the opportunity to overthrow her father, and she and her father might both be in dire states.

So even if she was going to be ripped off her freedom, live the rest of her life with the devil, in fear and despair, then it was all worth it.

Her father released her from the hug and held her by the shoulders. “Thank you, Gina,” he said, a sad smile gleaming his eyes. He was the most useless father on earth, and he was lucky to have such a brave daughter.

Gina wiped her tears and smiled back. She just needed to be careful and not step on the devil’s tail, then everything would be alright.

At the thought of the devil, horror flashed through her eyes which did not escape her father.

“Gina?” He frowned at her and said, “Are you alright?” and now he was pressing a hand to her forehead.

Seeing his daughter’s paled expression, his heart wavered and his eyes gleamed with worry.

“N… Nothing Dad, I’m fine” Gina quickly shook her head. Knowing that she would only add more to his regret if he knew what she was thinking about.

He might have also thought that Adrian likes her and had wanted her to be his wife, right?

She plastered on a sweet smile and said, “I just remembered that Adrian had been waiting for me at the hotel… I need to go”

“Hotel?” her father gave her a confused look.

“Yeah.” Gina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. “We just returned from our honeymoon… and, since no one else knows that we’re married, I told him to stay back and wait.”

‘Sniff’ Gina cried inside. But the joy in her father’s eyes was a certainty that her lie was not in vain.

“So… you see,” she continued. “I have to go back now, lest he becomes bored”

“Hehe.” Her father let out a hearty laugh, one she hadn’t seen in a long time. “Okay,” he patted her shoulder then said, “I’ll have to take you back.”

“That explains why I couldn’t reach you on the phone or find you in his house… hehe, so you were on your honeymoon” he gave her a playful grin.

Gina blushed and looked everywhere but him. Even though it was a complete lie, she couldn’t help the ripple of joy that rose in her heart, seeing that the lively atmosphere around her father has returned.

They started strolling toward the parking lot while conversing casually, with her father mostly poking witty remarks at her. And she regretted cooking up the honeymoon’s lie. She could have said something else.

Gina suddenly thought back to those happy times growing up. Her father would sometimes cuddle and sing for her, or poke fun at her, and a lot of times taught her all the things she needed to know about life and the dangers outside one’s shelter. Gina could see that he was trying to play both a mother’s and father’s role despite his pile of works.

Just as she was about to be overridden by emotions, thinking back to those blissful times, the gates opened and they both stopped in their footsteps.

A black car sped inside, flashing its headlights in their direction.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Gina squinted with a frown and shielded her eyes with the back of her hand. The car was driving at an unnatural speed, leaving the security guys at the gate flabbergasted.

It was not heading to the parking lot, and Gina and her father had to step back. 

When the car came to a stop just a little distance from them and she realized who it was, her breath caught up in her throat.