The Otherside Of Love || Sadistic Billionaire

Natalie’s POV

As I expected, all the gazes of the security guards were on the car. Its shiny color easily caught their attention. I was glad that I was already late for work and that all the employees were now in their offices.

After I parked the car, I headed straight to Rafael’s office inside the building, hoping to catch him before he got immersed in the day’s endless meetings. I tightened the scarf around my neck as a group of employees joined me in the elevator. I greeted them with a small smile, and they returned the greeting, continuing their conversation.

“Is Rafael in his office?” I asked the secretary once I stood before her desk.

She smiled broadly and replied, “Yes, Miss Natalie. And he’s waiting for you.”

I raised my eyebrows slightly in astonishment, then narrowed my eyes at the realization that he knew I would come to him. So, he was doing all this on purpose.

Suddenly, a harsh voice from the speaker on the secretary’s desk rang out loudly, saying, “Hasn’t Miss Natalie arrived yet?”

The secretary replied promptly, “She’s here, Mr. Merrin.”

A sound signaling the end of the call crackled from the speaker. I don’t know why my legs turned to jelly. I adjusted my stance and opened his office door. Our eyes met as I closed the door and turned to him. He was sitting at his desk, tapping his fingers on the surface, crossing his legs, and wearing a small, sidelong smile. He resembled one of the Hollywood celebrities.

His sidelong smile fueled my anger. I realized he was mocking me. I stormed towards his desk, slammed my palms down on it, and snapped, “What the hell are you doing, Raf?”

He raised an eyebrow calmly and asked, “What did I do wrong? The last time I remember, you were totally satisfied! Is it because I didn’t give you a morning kiss?”

I pointed my finger at him and exclaimed, “You!”

He stood up from his seat, circled around the desk, and loomed over me like a tall model. I took a defensive step back, but he didn’t let me. He cupped my face with his hand and kissed me. It was a soft and gentle kiss, not like last night.

Then, he rested his forehead against mine and mumbled, “I missed you.”

Before I could reply, he kissed me again. This time, I pulled away, but he let out a sound of refusal, refusing to let go. I punched him lightly on his chest and whispered, glancing towards the door, “Stop! Someone could see us.”

He let go of my cheeks and asked while staring into my eyes, “Are you afraid to this limit if anyone sees us?”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

I distanced myself from him and stammered, “It’s kind of odd, what’s between us.”

“I don’t care! It’s only a matter of time before we announce our marriage,” he said, trying to hold me in his embrace. But I avoided his touch and walked to sit on the big sofa. I couldn’t stand on my feet any longer. I wasn’t ready to face the world about our marriage. I didn’t want to be seen as the woman who took someone else’s fiance. Having an affair like step-siblings wasn’t socially acceptable.

“But I care, Raf. And everything you did this morning is not acceptable to me,” I said in a soft, sad tone.

He knelt before my chair, placing his palms on my thighs, and asked, “Do you mean the car? It’s safer than yours. I drove yours, and it doesn’t have as good of a safety system.”

“But it costs a fortune!” I snapped, feeling his soft touch on my thighs.

“I won’t ask you for the price!” he said.

“But I can’t accept it, though,” I said with a determined tone.

“Nat, I want you to be safe. I can’t let you drive a car with less safety,” he mumbled, his touch growing higher.

I put my hands firmly on his hands, raised an eyebrow, and said, “And the bell? Is that for my safety too?”

“”It’s for your comfort if you need anything,” he replied.

I shook his hands off my thighs and cried out, “This is too much, Raf! You didn’t even consider that the maid, Rosy, might see the hickeys on my neck. You just sent her to my room without thinking!”

He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did she see them?”

The realization hit me, so I narrowed my eyes at him and asked, “Did you send her on purpose? You wanted her to see!”

He didn’t reply, so I asked again in confusion, “But why?”

He stood up, walked towards the big window, put his hands in his pockets, and said with a cold tone, “I have something to discuss with you.”

I flinched at the sudden change in his mood. He turned to face me and added, “What’s your relationship with Daniel? You didn’t even break up with him. What’s your plan for that?”

I wasn’t thinking about Daniel because we didn’t have a relationship in the first place. I swallowed and said, “I didn’t break up with him because we don’t have anything to break. He’s not my fiance or even a boyfriend.”

A quick hint of relief went through his gaze, then he asked, “Then, he wouldn’t affect your decision regarding what I’m going to say.”

“No, of course not,” I exclaimed.

“The first decision I make about us is that I don’t want you to sign the contract,” he said, locking eyes with me, trying to read my reaction closely.

I blinked in shock. I couldn’t understand why he changed his mind now, especially after we spent the night together as his slave. Could it be that I didn’t satisfy him enough? This thought overwhelmed me, and I felt a little disappointed.

Even though I cleared my throat and said, “And the second?”

“We can cancel the marriage agreement if you’d like. As you know, I have my own wealth; I don’t rely on the Merrins. So I can pay you the amount that was declared in the agreement, even if we don’t comply with the terms.”

Every word he said felt like a dagger cutting into my veins. I couldn’t hide my shock any longer, nor my anger.

I said with a disdainful tone, “Let me get this right. After you slept with me and did whatever you wanted, now you’re looking for excuses to end everything!”

He stared at my face blankly, studying my words, I guess. However, I didn’t wait for his reply and snapped, “You’re such a jerk. Don’t ever be in my way again.” Then, I dropped the Bugatti key on his desk and left the office.

Before I reached the door handle, he pulled me back into his embrace, wrapping his strong arms around my body. I struggled to free myself, but I couldn’t. So, I yelled at him between my sobs, “Let go of me, you bastard.”

He buried his nose in my neck, sniffed, and whispered, “Please, let me explain!”

I heard my heart pounding loudly. I tried to calm myself. I didn’t want him to hear my miserable, crazy heartbeat, but wait, this wasn’t my heart; it was Rafael’s heartbeat.

He turned me around to face him and said, “I’m not letting you down; I’m just trying to save you from myself.” He cupped my face between his palms and added, “I’m a sick man, Natalie. If you bind yourself to me, you will suffer a lot of pain from what you feel now. I can’t promise you love. I know you’re seeking it, but I can’t give it to you. The wrong is not in you; it’s in me. I love torturing women.” He finished his sentence with a red face; I knew he had just confessed something he didn’t really feel proud of.

“The only thing I can give you is safety,” he whispered in a barely audible tone, as if he was ashamed of this confession.