Chapter Nine
"Zachary, I had no idea that you're still continuing with your ways even after your engagement. Your taste in women has deteriorated so much, I had no idea. Stop this nonsense immediately," said Madeleine Reynor, Zachary's mom, the next morning when she saw him alone, sipping his coffee.
"What are you talking about? I've stopped everything as you both asked me to, " answered Zachary in confusion. Two months back his dad, Frederick Reynor, threatened him to leave his playboy ways or he would hand over the reins of their huge business empire to his unworthy cousin, Eric.
"Then who was that beggar girl who came to see you in the afternoon?" Demanded an angry Madeleine.
"Beggar girl? Who are you talking about?" He asked in confusion.
"You very well know who you've fu*ked lately, Zachary. Don't play games with me," she said, angrily.
"I really don't know. What did she look like?" Asked Zachary. He couldn't believe that Sera would come here and he didn't do it with anyone else in the last two months. So who could it be?
"Blue eyes, blonde hair, clad in an ugly tee shirt and jeans, young girl. She went sobbing from here, " said his mom, rolling her eyes. "Be true to Rebecca, son. This time I'm forgiving you but next time I'll inform your dad." His mom got up and left the room.
Zachary couldn't believe that Sera had come to see him. Did she see him with Rebecca? Was that the reason why she went away sobbing? He felt some pain in his heart as the thought hit him. Her innocent blue eyes filled with tears kept appearing before his eyes. He knew he had broken her heart unintentionally.
For the last few days his dad had been training him relentlessly at office. He was training him to take over their empire. Being the only son and heir to everything that his parents had, he had no one to share the responsibility with.
Two months back his parents had a business alliance with the biggest business families of Vegas, the Harrison's. His dad arranged his engagement with their only daughter Rebecca Harrison, the sole heiress to the entire Harrison fortune. He was tired of their parents' greed. He didn't need a spoiled bimbo in his life, who'd slept with all the men in the city, who had a filthy and more notorious lifestyle than him.
He had the shock of his life when he returned home from college yesterday and saw her waiting for him in his lobby. He had lived peacefully when she had disappeared with her girlfriends to some distant beach in Malaysia. He hated her clingy ways. The moment she saw him, she pushed him on the sofa, climbed on top of him and grabbed his face for a sloppy kiss.
He had to take two showers afterwards to clean himself off her mark. Why did Sera have to see him with Rebecca? He groaned and got up to get ready for college. On the way, he would meet Sera and tell her everything. He might have started pursuing Sera as an obsession, but when he started caring for her, he didn't know.
She was all he thought of for the last few days. But his father was a tough taskmaster and he had no respite from him. He had initially thought that if he could fu*k her once, he would be able to forget her just like the other girls but he was so wrong. After getting a taste of her sweetness, he became addicted. He wanted more of her. He wanted to keep her in his arms forever.
Taking a shower and getting ready, he went downstairs and grabbed an apple and picked up his car keys. He drove his Ferrari to River's apartment. Parking his car, he went up to her door. He pressed the doorbell many times but even after 20 minutes, they hadn't opened their door.
Confused, he called River's number, but her phone was switched off. What was the matter? Did they go out somewhere? He went downstairs and spoke to the security staff in the office room.
"They've left today at around 6 o'clock in the morning," one of them informed Zachary.
He stared at him in confusion, "Left meaning? Left Vegas with their luggage and all?" He asked, his eyes widening at the thought that Sera might be gone from his life forever.
"Yes sir. They had an early morning flight back to their home," he informed and went back to his work of monitoring all the CCTVs of the building.
Zachary thanked him and walked back to his car. He sat down and stared ahead. Sera was gone from his life forever. She went back with a broken heart and he couldn't meet her one last time and defend himself. He didn't get to tell her that he really started caring for her. He couldn't tell her that he didn't play with her feelings.
He couldn't go to her small town. His dad would throw him out of the business and he would be on the streets without a degree, without a penny. He had to complete his studies first, till then he had to stay engaged to Rebecca. He would postpone his wedding till he completed his degree. With a degree he could get a job anywhere.
Driving dejectedly to college, he went about his classes like an automaton. The will to be happy was snatched away from him. He didn't ever think that he would be so devastated when Sera returned home. She said she only could love once, for life. Would she love him forever? Would she wait for him?
He went home after college and saw that his parents were excitedly planning his wedding with Rebecca's parents. He rolled his eyes and walked up to them.
"Oh there you are sweetie. We were planning your wedding. Do you have any special suggestions?" Gushed his mom, with a fake smile on her face.
"Yes. I have a request actually. Please postpone the wedding till I complete my studies. I can't concentrate like this. The officework, the college work and now this wedding," he said with irritation. Can't they take the hint that he didn't wish to marry Rebecca?
"What are you saying? Marriage won't stop you from studying or working?" Said his mom, glaring at him.
"No, I can't do justice to all. Then if Rebecca goes back crying don't blame me," he warned and Rebecca's mom looked at him with a tensed face.
"I think he's right, Madeleine. We can't force the children to get married so soon. They're just 22, they can wait for two more years," said Rebecca's dad, Daniel Harrison.
"Yes, I agree with Daniel," said his wife, Shirley Harrison.
Zachary's parents had no other choice but to wait for two more years for the wedding to happen. Zachary went upstairs to his room with a triumphant smile on his face.
