Betrothed To My Sister's Husband

Chapter- [ 19 ]

[ Nicholas ]

The dinner plan went into the trash bin for two reasons; firstly the over annoying presence of Rain's mother and secondly my wife's over meekness. She never retaliates when people tries to crush her either by words or by actions. She takes everything quitely and it frustrates me.

I hate weak people but my own life partner is one of the weakest straws. The one quality I admired in her sister was her independent and rebellious soul. She never let anyone walk over her, the way she used to carry herself, she was an inspiration if I exclude her black heart.

On the other hand, Rain is quite the naive girl who still needs to learn many things. She must stand on her own feet but she always looks up to men in her life. I hate to admit but she also includes me in the list. I know I have some responsibilities towards her as her legal husband but I can't be her amputee hand. She needs to learn how to thrive among the odds of life.

Speaking of Rain, I've observed a few unique things about her. She loves children. The way she interacts with my niece, it's not fake. Breece is naturally drawn to her. Rain loves photography, a very rare hobby I find in rich girls in my social circle. She even went on a risky road trip in Kenya just to capture an endangered night animal.

But I want her to open up to the challenges in the business world if she's willing to take over her father's business. I want her to flourish the Anderson Corp. so I can dip my hands in profit when I merge their company with mine.

Yes, I haven't forget my revenge on them for destroying my life, my happiness. I can't be the same person anymore and Andersons are responsible for everything I endured.

Rain is just the bait I am going to use against them. I won't hurt her physically. No, I can never hurt a woman. If I was a man who treats woman like shit, Roselie would be found in the depth of hell.

"Nicholas.."

Her soft voice brings me out of my thoughts. I turn around from the railing of terrace to look at her. What is she doing at this hour? I glance at the time, it indeed past the mid night. I hardly sleep for three or hour hours but I never seen her awake this late.

"Do you need anything?" I ask her blankly.

Disappointment flickers in her big eyes but she doesn't go back, in fact, she padded slowly to where I am standing with a glass of milk in her hand.

"Here, take this, it will help you to sleep." She forwards the glass in my direction.

"Thanks but I don't take milk at this hour." I don't accept her efforts to get closer to me.

"Please, have this. I know you can't sleep for eight hours, I don't know the reason, may be the stress but it's not good for your health." She insists and I find no reason to refuse her suggestion.

Taking the glass from her, I look at it before gulping it down in one go. It tastes heavenly.

"What did you mix in the milk?" I ask her once I place the empty glass back on the tray.

"Why, you didn't like it's taste?" She frowns with guilt on her innocent face.

I am now hating this. Why she always has to act all naive and clueless and increase the guilt in my heart.

"No, it tastes good actually." I suddenly responds.

Her face lit up like a bulb.

"It's my grandmother's secret remedy for insomnia. You'll feel the effect in no time." She smiles proudly as she explains me about the milk's secret.

"We'll see." I say and again turn to stare at the silvery sky. The noise of crickets and cold breeze somehow soothe my aching nerves.

"The night is beautiful." She says.

I mentally groan. Doesn't she know the meaning of privacy? I thought she would leave but she has something up in her sleeves.

"You should sleep now, Rain." I tell her without looking at her. May be, my coldness compell her to leave.

"I can't sleep either. It doesn't happen often but I am not sleepy." She shrugs her shoulders.

I can feel that she wants to talk but I am not the person whom she should consider as her companion. I have had given her enough glance of my personal life today but not more.

She's contagious, in a good way.

"I am not ready for the position that my Dad is desperate to impose on me. I can understand his concerns. I mean my siblings chose their own way and now his hopes are settled on me but it doesn't feel right. I do have a business degree but I lack the practical knowledge. I am only twenty three, twenty four in next month." She says.

"Age doesn't matter if you have passion burning in your heart. Yes, the experience with the age matters and plays the pivotal role in concreting the business but passion is the fuel you need. My father handed me the company when I was of your age with no working knowledge. He only gave me six months to learn my duties as the solo heir of his company that his father built from scratch with no support from outside. Establishing an empire is an achievement but rooting and expanding it is a bigger challenge. I got a throne of needles but you can see where I stand now." I explain her as smoothly as I can.

"You're my inspiration, Nicholas. You didn't know me when you-" She pauses," Your achievements for the Blackwood Industries are unsurpassed. I read your interviews in business magzines and at that time I really wondered how you manage such a huge and complexed business on your own without your sub ordinates." She looks at me with same admiration.

"I knew who you were, Rain. How could I ignore you in your own house?" I tell her the truth. Yes, I used to notice her shy presence somewhere in their big mansion but she never came across me on her own. It was always accidental.

"I thought, you wouldn't notice a nobody like me." A tint of blush appears on her face which is glowing without any make in the moonlight.

"You don't have to force yourself for something you father wishes for you. Follow your own instincts, what you want to do in your life before putting others' wish for you. Be selfish for once if it doesn't hurt others. Be yourself, Rain." I advise her.

She stares at me with unreadable expression as silence invades in the air.

"Will you do a favor on me?" She asks me after a brief pause.

"What favour do you want from me?"

"I want you to take my position. If my father really wants me to inherit his assests then my husband is equal holder of my inheritance. Please, consider my request. I know you will take my father's blood nurtured company to another height while I'd learn from you and live my dreams which makes me really happy." She says and I'd be lying if I say that she surprised me in the most unexpected way.

My jaws harden. Does she really think that I am after her father's money when the truth is the other way around. They want my name to be linked with theirs. Is it her father's master plan to use his daughter's innocence to trap me?

"How dare you to propose such humiliating wish to me, Rain?" I grab her by forearms and push her against the railing.

Her smiling face a moment ago welcomes pure horror. She trembles under my presence, her eyes moisten.

"I..I..don't..understand." She stammers in her shaking voice.

"Oh here you go with your Oscar winning acting, Rain Anderson. It was your family's whole plan since the beginning, right? To lure me in your innocent charm and offer your company in the platter so I will run after you like a greedy dog and you would get the chance to sink your claws in my own wealth. Brilliant! " I leave her with a jerk and clap my hands.

Tears stream down from her eyes and it stirrs something within my heart but I ignore the pinching as the anger dominates my thought process.

"You're getting me all wrong, Nicholas. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It is what I want, please don't blame my family for it." She says in a low voice.

"They don't deserve anything but insult from me. Either you're playing it very well or you're too dumb to see their real faces, Rain. I don't fucking care what you want but I want you to keep your distance from me. Is that clear?" I warn her but my own words feel foreign to me.

"Nicho-" She tries to say something but I am already on my heels to leave the same air as hers.

What I was thinking when I assumed she's different from other Andersons?

'May be you're taking it wrong this time?' A faint voice in my heart murmurs which stuns me.

I never felt in this way before, not with Roselie nor with anyone else.

Why is Rain's presence turn my world upside down and I am not willing to stop her?