C2 A Woman Can Restore The Soul Of Any Broken Man

He was a total mess. A broken soul. It was funny how everyone felt sorry for Monica instead of Joel when he was busy pulling her into the limousine. He even kicked the driver out and drove it himself.

8pm.

That's when he reached his mansion.

From the outside this building looks nice and traditional. It has been built with walnut wood and has cypress wooden decorations. Large, octagon windows allow enough light to enter the home and have been added to the house in a very asymmetric way. When she walked inside she was blown away.

The house is equipped with an old-fashioned big kitchen and five bathrooms, it also has a large living room, five bedrooms, a snug dining room, a game room and a snug storage room, an office and a bookshelf.

The building is square shaped. The house is half surrounded by stylish gardens.

The second floor is smaller than the first, which creates a layered style of look in combination with the roof. This floor has a very different style than the floor below.

The roof is low, triangular, but one side is longer than the other and is covered with grey wood shingles. One small chimney pokes out the center of the roof. Two roof terraces let in plenty of light to the rooms below the roof.

The building itself is surrounded by paved ground, with a pool at the backside of the house.

Monica woke up in the car only to see she was left alone there. One thing she did first was to call Huddleston but the number didn't even exist.

She knew she can't sleep in the car and she had to make her way inside the mansion.

When she got out. She saw that the gate was very far but still open. And saw an opportunity to escape.

She gently took off her heels and ran as if someone was chasing her. She was busy looking behind to see any sign of him.

When she reached the gate she looked back but when she turned she hit a muscular chest.

“What are you trying to do?” His deep voice really scared her causing her to scream at him and push him but he was way too strong for her.

“You didn't think you'll escape right?!” She tried by all means to escape his big hands but she was already locked inside them. For a moment she thought she was saved when an officer with a torch walked towards them.

“Is everything okay?!”

“Yes Officer. Everything is okay.” The officer gave him a reassurance look.

“I was talking to the lady…” Joel smirked. And he turned Monica around. She looked at the officer.

“Guess the world is full on injustice why aren't you asking me? But never mind. Tell him Princess. Everything is perfectly fine.”

“N… n—” Before she could talk he tightened his hands around her arm. “..Yes. yes officer. Everything is okay.”

“Princess… tell the Officer that we got married today. Show him your ring.” He let go of her left arm and she showed the officer the ring. “She's just mad I didn't buy her a diamond ring. In stead I went for gold.” The story was believable.

“Congratulations!! And please… sorry for the disturbance… enjoy your night.” The officer waved when Joel closed the gate with a remote.

“You heard the officer. Let's enjoy our night, Princess.” Monica looked at him confused. He rolled his eyes. “You seriously didn't think that our wedding night is going to end this way right?” she looked at him and tried to escape but he caught her.

She hit him but he just picked her up and put her on his shoulder. While she was whining.

He got into the mansion with her and threw her on the floor. She found three empty bottles whiskey and the 4th one was already half way.

“Who sent you?” he asked while taking his shirt off.

“…I wasn't…”

“ANSWER ME!” he yelled making her more scared.

“…It it was Huddleston.” Her eyes shone so bright.

“Oh. I see now, princess or should I say… Monica?” The way he said her name made her even more scared because she never told him her name.

“Listen Mr. Dallin this wasn't my intention. I was sent to destroy your wedding that's all.” She tried to explain but he laughed. He looked at her in the eyes while walking towards her.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The air heated and crackled and the same chemistry that had been present from the wedding sparkled into life, sizzling the air like a high voltage cable.

“…I have to get back my friend is probably waiting for me.” She said as she looked away

The air was filled by the heat they created. Joel jabbed his hand into his hair so that he can't reach for her again.

He stepped towards her and she moved away from him, as if she didn't trust herself to stay too close to him and not touch him.

“I'm pretty sure. She doesn't know you destroyed the wedding. Right? Here.” He took an envelope from the table besides them and he gave it to her.

“What's this?”

“Marriage contract and the certificate it's needed tomorrow.”

“But… we are not married."

“Yes. The priest was a witness and everyone was a witness. I need you to sign that.” He moved away from her and grabbed his bottle. While she read the contract.

“But there are lots of reasons why I can't sign this. One of which is… like it or not, that you forcibly wedded me without my concern.”

“Well it's either that or 15 years in prison for lying about my ex fiancée. Your room is on the left upstairs.”

Well of course she didn't want to go to prison. So he left her there while she read the contract.

“What have I done? Monica Dallin? What worse could possibly happen?” she signed the papers and put them on the table. She walked up stairs. She heard weird sounds coming from another room.

She walked right into his room to see him in his vest punching the mirror on his dressing table.

“…Oh." She stopped and grabbed his attention. And he looked at her.

“Something you're looking for?” he asked as he walked towards her.

“Name it. It will be granted.”

“What? You don't even know what I need.”

“I have what you need.”

“Oh that's romantic.”

“Sarcasm. But romantic is the lies people tell to soften the fall into bed. And I don't tell lies. Is that what you're going to do Monica? Are you going to tell all the lies that women always tell? Because if you are, then this is the moment that you share with me that you love me. And we both know you don't. That's not what this is about. This is about Physical Chemistry. The sort you don't think about.”

She blinked twice. “You're very confusing.”

“I'm very straightforward.”

“Well… I don't sleep with men I don't know. And especially not with men who don't care about emotions.”

“…I'm not careless. Intimacy is intimacy. It doesn't have to complicate things.”

“So… you're telling me that you'd make love to me right here in this room and you'll sign the divorce papers?”

“Love? Who said anything about love?”

“Emotionless love then.”

“Intimacy....” He touched traced his finger on her face and felt the chemistry again. “It's an appetite. Hunger. An urge to be satisfied.”

She gave a soft a soft gasps of pain and took her head in disbelief. What insane magic had overtaken her in this enchanted mansion?

“Who did this to you?! Who broke your soul?” blinking back tears. But his face all hard strong lines.

“Oh come on. Why do women always want to discuss the competition? You're the one lying naked next to me at the moment. That should be enough for you. And besides you n I both know who broke me.”

She smirked. “I feel sorry for you. You expect too little.”

“I'm realistic. I don't expect more and I don't want more.”

“Well I do. I need a great deal more than that.” He didn't even budget.

“What woman doesn't? And you will have it,” he promised. “Everything. I bet you find me an incrediblely generous husband.”

“Generous?! Do you think I'm talking about money?”

“Well I do. Listen… the only figure I'm interested in is yours Princess. Naked and underneath me. None of the rest matters."

“I have a life back. A job!!” she worked as a bookkepper and she's studying medicine.

“Forget that Job. You don't need it anymore.”

“I do. Seriously Joel?!” she had to get at least a source of income.

“Come on. You have a far lucrative source of wealth.” He gave a slow smile.

“Oh I see now. I didn't choose to be in this situation. Do you think that I am that sort of person? I don't destroy weddings!” did he know so little about her? And then she closed her eyes and smiled. He knew little about her.

And was that really his fault?

Wasn't one of the risks you took when you allowed blind passion to overwhelm rational thoughts? To her it was more than chemistry. So much more.

“I'm making the point that you'll never go short of money. I mean you just got paid 2.5 million to destroy my wedding.” He stood up. “Oh you just not literate enough to spot the difference between a cheque and piece of paper?” he went into the bathroom. She stood there quiet digesting the information for full 10 minutes straight.

It ringed her mind. She looked around to see her purse and opened it. She noticed the cheque was fake. It was a piece of paper. She tied the gown.

“…What have you done with the cheque?!” she followed him. He was already in the shower.

“Joel!! What have you done with the cheque?!” she yelled but he didn't give her attention. She turned off the water and he sighed and grabbed a towel and walked out.

“JOEL!!” she yelled following him around. As soon as she stepped into the room her grabbed her face and pulled it to his first.

“First of all… I'm right next you… you don't have to yell like a mad woman. Secondly… it's not my fault that you can't spot the difference between a real cheque and a piece of paper.” He pushed her to the bed.

She stood there quietly.

“I needed that money.” She whispered Joel looked at her from the mirror. She was desperate.

“Relax… your generous husband paid your rent. And the rest of your debts.” He didn't even look at her. He was putting on his t-shirt.

“Excuse me?” it was a lot to take in.

“Oh you're excused.” He opened the drawer and took out a black envelope. And walked to her. Gave it to her, he also took a copy.

She opened it. It was her biography. He knew everything about her starting from her bra size. She was shocked.

“Monica ‘Nica' McKeon is a 23-year-old bookkepper who enjoys planking, glamping and painting.

She grew up in a low class neighbourhood. Her parents separated when she was small, but remained friends and provided a happy, stable home. Aww…That's adorable.” He read the paper out loud and she looked at him.

“She is currently in a relationship with Norris Rexton Dawson. Norris is 19 years older than her and works as a senior programmer. Oh you got a thing with old men?”

“Was… was in a relationship with Norris. And I don't have a thing with older men. It's not like I had a choice.” She was protective. He looked at her from the mirror and she sighed.

“Monica's best friend is a lawyer called Jayla Tanner. They are inseparable.” He then took the paper and threw it in the bin. “Get out.”

She looked at him confused. “This isn't your room Monica. Get out.” His words were full of venom. She stood up.

“I don't even kn…”

“Next room.” He cleared his throat and she walked out. “Don't even think of escaping this place.” Well… indeed that was one of the plan.

She walked to the room. The room was twice her bedroom and was designed for a queen. Not a country girl like her. She sat down. She opened her phone to find 32 missed calls. 25 messages.

Have you seen the news? Are you okay? Monica answer my calls.

She just looked at her phone and laid back and closed her eyes with the intention that this would be a dream.

11pm.

Obviously you can't expect to sleep in a stranger's house peacefully. She opened her eyes and noticed that her bathroom is actually linked to Joel’s. So she found a flower vessel on the dressing table.

Took off her heels. She took out those red roses. She walked to the bathroom and filled the vessel with water and carefully placed it on the toilet seat slowly pouring water into the toilet and carefully secured the vessel.

She slowly went out of the room. And saw an opportunity to run. When she was about to reach the steps. Two set of sapphire eyes reflected by the moon's light stared deep into her and she couldn’t move.

“What are you doing Monica?” she knew there's no way she could take the stairs she instead ran back and saw a sliding door turns out it's only the balcony.

“If you want to leave this place that bad… that's the only way down.” She was busy patting so bad while looking down and noticed she'll break every bone of her body if she jumps.

It was a lot to take in for her mind. It eventually collapsed and she fell to the ground.

The Next Morning.

She woke up to bird sounds. She yawned and noticed she slept on the balcony with a rug for goodness Sake.

“Find me outside. In the garden. I'm expecting visitors.” Joel was already dressed up. He walked away without even waiting for Monica to respond.

“I don't have…”

“Everything you need is in your room.” Joel continued and she stood up. She took a look at the view and it was beautiful. But her neck was painful from yesterday.

For Two Hours straight she made it a goal to annoy him. But when she walked into the garden in shoulder off blue dress with beautiful ruffle sleeves.

Joel was already seated at the table when she arrived in the garden. He had a drink in his hand and his navy shirt was open at the neck and revealed just enough bronzed male flesh to draw her eyes on him.

Even dressed casually he looked so cool and sophisticated. She scanned him.

What was it about him that had a huge impact on her? But she didn't want him to think her guilty of his broken soul.

"You must think I'm awful," she said as she slid into her chair. "making a man wait for two hours." He was still, his eyes was on her face.

“I mean the garden is a better view. Just saying." His low smooth deep voice flowed over her tattered nerves and she knew he was teasing her.

“You look… incredible.” his voice was molten sexuality. It was impossible for her not to look at his lips and remember what happened last night.

Her mind was full of wonders. Did he really leave her there? She shook her head to clear the vision.

“Did you really leave me there?” She asked and he laughed.

“I knew you'd eventually wake up. Oh look they're here.”

“Well… Mr Dallin!!! Oh… what a gorgeous woman you have next to you.” A man around his 50 grabbed Monica's hand and he kissed it. Joel looked at him and licked his lips.

“John Kelveys… I've been waiting for you for an hour now.” Monica turned to Joel. The man sat down.

“It's better late than never. Anyways this is Chris Cage. He's my executive assistant.” Monica yawned. As a goal to annoy Joel she took Joel's drink.

“Inventory investment…” As soon as they mentioned this Monica paid attention. She looked at Joel talk. He looked so neutral. There's no way a man can hide his feelings like this. She examined his body language. He had a ring on and she sighed.

“Fuck.” Getting everyone's attention. “Sorry… I'll grab a drink.” She stood up. An opportunity only comes once not twice. She walked inside the mansion.

“Inventory investment equals production–Thus, if production per unit time exceeds sales per unit time, then inventory investment per unit time is positive… can I check my friend… she might be lost.” Joel stood up to look for Monica. She was nowhere to be found.

“Hi have you seen Monica? My wife? I mean that woman in a Blue dress?” he asked the gardener

“Oh. She just left…” He didn't even say thanks. He looked at the open gate and noticed a taxi leaving.

“Fuck!” he cussed as he kicked the bin and took a deep breath. Took out his phone.

“Hey! I need you to find Her. Now!” he was busy yelling walking inside only to find Monica sitting down with John and Chris explaining.

“So He's right… in continuous time, the time derivative of the stock of inventories equals the instantaneous flow of inventory investment. It's simple.” She turned to see Joel as he hanged up his phone.

“…What do you do for a living?”

“She does nothing.” Joel answered for her while sitting down and Monica smiled.

“Nothing huh? You're good with inventory management.”

“Learned from the best haha.” She was right though… her father used to teach her economics while her mother wanted her to be a doctor.

“I bet your husband is one lucky man. Guess you're not married. Tell you what… I need a personal assistant… so what do you say?”

“…No.” Joel banged the table and scared Monica. “I mean… she's my personal assistant.”

“I am?” She looked at him and he gave her a death stare and giggled. “Of course I am. I am his personal assistant.”

“Oh… No wonder Sarah left you. You can't seriously sit next to this good looking woman without touching her.” Monica coughed to John's words. Chris whispered something to his ear.

“Well… You said your name's Monica? I hope to see you at the Business date next month.” Monica smiled. And Like that he left with his executive assistant.

“Inventory management huh? Bet it was always negative.” He mocked her. She looked down then into his sapphire eyes.

“Mispredictions of customer demand Joel, I had no control over it.” She took a sip and looked at him. "I haven't even thanked you for the dress. It's beautiful and it fits just... perfectly" she kept her voice low. "The owner was probably a model. It's small."

“It looks better on you." He looked at her as if she's the brightest star under the sunlight.

“The owner must be in a rush to leave this gorgeous dress behind.” She looked at the glass and played with its rim and he looked at her.

“Not really… she was dragged out from her own wedding… yesterday. Remember?” He talked as if it didn't bother him.

“You need help.” She looked away very pissed.

“Do I look like I need help?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of help? I have money… what more can I ask for?” He was right though… he forgets how much he makes.

“You need love. I’ve been giving you the benefit of the doubt. That you're a broken man. You've had a hard time in your life and that's bound to make things difficult.”

“…Haha. What are you implying Mrs Dallin?”

“A woman can restore the soul of any broken man.”

“I see women…. Are mechanics. But what if the same woman broke you? Because you Mrs Dallin… you broke my soul.”

“I am a woman Mr Dallin. I can restore the Soul of any broken man.”

“Is that a challenge? To win my Heart?”

“No. I broke your soul so I will restore it.”

“Okay. Monica you can restore my soul without touching me, kissing me, not even a single touch not even my hair, no physical contact. Okay?”

“…Fine.”

“Good luck. Remember you touch me. You lose. You'll go to the media and apologise to Eylssa.”

“But…”

“No buts. Monica.” He looked at her. “You didn't think intimacy could fix any of this right? I have to admit man you have a killer body and everything but that won't change how I feel about and that's nothing.”

“So I'm going to remain Mrs Dallin until you feel something or what?”

“That's Rhetorical.” He leaned towards her. “But one thing for sure… you'll remain Mrs Dallin until I find someone who will turn my world around."

“What do I tell my family? My friends?”

“Easy. Tell them you're married to the same man who paid all your debts.” She was shut when she saw the gardener coming towards them.

“Sir. I'm done with the garden.” The gardener stood there embarrassed.

“…Oh Ricco my man.” Joel looked inside his wallet and took out a pile of money and handed him.

“But Boss… it’s not payment day.” He was so grateful for the money. Joel smirked.

“Your wife is probably waiting for you. You should get her a gift or something… she earned it by loving you wholeheartedly.” When she heard the words she looked away. Wives are getting Presents but she's getting rules.

“Thank you boss.” Just like that he left them. Joel sat down and Monica took a gasp.

“You claim not to like people and yet there's kindness in you. I know there is."

"Don't start with me Mrs Dallin." There was a warning in his voice and she smiled at his words. "No... never that." His gaze didn't stop her from talking.

"But you treated the gardener with kindness and respect. And you clearly care about his wife."

His eyes mocked her. "I am generous. I'm sure you heard about me."

“I don't like to gossip. Besides… I've never heard of you and I prefer to make my own judgements." She looked at him with confidence.

"A woman who doesn't gossip? I see you're a betrayer of your gender, Mrs Dallin."

"No but I know looks can deceive. People make judgements based on their own experience.” She looked at the side. “I wonder what your family will say. About me.”

“Clearly you didn't think I'd let you meet my family after what you did?”

“People won't know right?”

“They will.”

“Then… you wouldn't introduce me as your friend!! I had it with you!” she stood up and walking towards that gate.

“If you step your foot outside that gate… there'll be a severe punishment for you." He sat there calmly but she didn't care more.

She wanted to leave the place. On her way she saw the gate slowly close and she tried to run but who dares to run in heels when they're not used to them.

She screamed. She yelled. But most importantly she was speechless. Like a mad woman would do. She sat down there.

“When you're done find a way back to the house.” Joel yelled as he walked inside the mansion.

She took her phone texted Jayla. Everything. Except the fact that she was forcibly wedded but the fact that she is engaged to the kindest man in the world. Jayla spent 8 months away from home so she bought the story.

Hours Later.

She knew he didn't care about her so she had to make her way to the house. She stood up on barefoot feeling cold. She walked inside and he was nowhere to be found. She looked into his room but he wasn't there. She walked to her room and stood while leaning to the door.

“Mrs Dallin.” His voice brought her back to reality. Making her gasp.

“Mr Dallin.” She responded and when she turned he had the power to back her up and pin her to the bed.

“Listen. Princess. Next time if I see another man touching you… you'll witness the same man losing his fingers one by one. Understood.” She nodded like she had a choice.

“Tomorrow. 9 am you should be in my office, you should be ready by 7:30am. Come at 07:31…” He got off her and walked to the door.

“What happens at 07:31?” he turned slowly. “You can always see for yourself.” His words was warning her not to be late.

Let's go see what happens at 07:31 shall we?