True Love
(Book 3) – Chapter 112

-Oh, Mr. Dubois! It’s good to see you so well. The blonde gave him a radiant smile, which to Zoé seemed even more false.

-Yes, my dear, I’m better now. Come sit with us.

The blonde obeyed, watching the girls in an unfriendly manner. It was as if the two of them were a pair of bugs to be squashed.

-Adelaine, my dear. Meet Miss Zoé Bonnes, and her friend Maya Weber.

-Oh, how do you do? She smiles at them unkindly. – I didn’t know you had guests this morning.

-They are not my guests, my dear. Miss Zoé is Jean Pierre’s fiancée.

-What? asks the surprised woman looking at Zoé as if she should be dead.

-Yes, apparently my son has been dating this young lady for a long time. And he has decided to marry her. Says the old man with a bit of disdain which pissed Zoe off.

-A long time? I never heard from you. He says directly to the brunette.

-We kept a bit of a secret, I lived in Texas and Jean didn’t travel much. The brunette lies very convincingly.

-I get it. She smiles teasingly, as if she’s hiding something.

-So you’re not that close.

-We will be, that’s why we’re getting married in a week. Zoé blurts out.

-What? She frowns.

-I’ve decided it this way. Sentences the old man.

-But, Mr. Antonie… I…

-Calm down, my child. says the old man, which causes Zoé to look at him with a curious look. -You don’t worry. He pats her hand.

Zoé and Maya look at each other at the same time, asking the same question… What was that crazy old man up to?

-Well, I’m happy for Jean. The blonde lets out with a tone of annoyance, followed by standing up. -I must go, I have some business to attend to.

-Stay for breakfast. The old man asks.

-I’d love to, but I’m really just passing through. He makes a displeased expression towards the girls.

-Well, we’ll be here, the ladies are staying at home. So if you want you can come and visit us.

-Ah! What a surprise. She answers more annoyed than ever. – I hope they are well, excuse me.

The blonde leaves, her fine heels clacking, while Zoé rolls her eyes as she watches her go. She looked like a shrew, that woman thought.

-She’s pissed! comments the old man, putting a mouthful of food in his mouth. -She’s in love with my son, in fact she was the woman I had chosen for him. But the idiot didn’t accept her, and I understand that. If you two have been dating for a long time, I can see why he didn’t want to get married.

Zoé kept silent at her father-in-law’s comment, he was a very cruel man. He didn’t even care about the woman’s feelings. It was as if they were all pawns for him, who he used as he pleased.

-Maybe this woman feels hurt.

-Probably, but if my son doesn’t like her, there’s nothing to be done. Besides, you shouldn’t feel bad for her. You are the one he has chosen, you should be flattered. She tells him with cold words.

-But…

-If you’re going to be so soft, you should reconsider marrying my son. I don’t want a weak and soft daughter-in-law with everyone. Antonie speaks sternly to the young woman.

-Excuse me.

-Let’s finish eating. She orders, and the girls obey.

Jean Pierre was preparing in his office for an important meeting he had… the opening of a new restaurant in Las Vegas depended on this meeting. It was very important for him to make his own way out of his father’s business.

If he managed to open this new restaurant, he would already have three, being the only owner… his thought was to expand his business, since the old Antonie had taken over the whole of France.

He was picking up some documents, when suddenly the door of his office was opened with a crash. In stepped a scowling blonde. Jean frowned as he watched her walk towards him, clicking her heels.

-What are you doing here Adelaine? I’m quite busy and I don’t…

-You’re a f*****g son of a bitch. His eyes widen like saucers. -You’re getting married! You f*****g liar. You told me you didn’t want to get married, and now it turns out you have a fiancée living at your father’s house. She said to him in disgust.

The blond imagined that the woman before him had paid a visit to her father, meeting Zoé.

-Yes, I’m getting married.

-And in a week, dammit. The girl bangs on the desk in her office.

-Adelaine, we had absolutely nothing. We just had one night of s*x and that was it.

-Sure, and you had a girlfriend in Texas while you’ve been cheating on her here. Does your pretty little girlfriend know? Does she know what kind of man you are? He asks with irony.

-That’s none of your business… and if you’re not going to say anything that interests me, I’m going to a meeting.

-You’re going to pay for this, Jean, this humiliation won’t stand.

-Very well Adelaine.

The Frenchman leaves the office while leaving a very pissed off blonde… she didn’t expect news like that, she always thought she was going to marry that man. And now it turned out she had competition. She would have to take matters into her own hands, but fast.

In the house, Zoé and Maya walked through an immense garden and came across a kind of labyrinth, curious, they went into the long and sometimes short corridors covered by huge walls of bushes.

-This is beautiful, a girl can get used to this place. The brunette commented, taking a red rose from the wall of flowers.

-Yes, it’s very pretty, but not the owner.

-Come on Zoé! Let it be, in the end you will marry his son. The old man can’t do anything else.

-Didn’t you think that man’s attitude was strange? He’s planning something.

-Of course he is. If it doesn’t work out with you, he’ll marry the son to that blonde woman. It’s easy to understand.

The friends reached the centre of the labyrinth and found a huge water fountain, in the middle of which lay the beautiful figure of a woman. She looked like an angel, she was very well carved.

-She is beautiful! says Zoé.

-Do you think it’s someone who lived in real life?

-It’s my mother!

The girls turned to replace themselves in the presence of Jean Pierre. He was admiring the statue before him. Zoé noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, why would that be?

-I’m sorry, we didn’t know it was forbidden to come here. The brunette said to him

-It’s not forbidden, it’s just that nobody comes here, except me!

-I’m going to leave you alone. Quickly the brunette walks away.

-What are you doing here? I thought you were working.

-I’m the owner, I can come and go as often as I want. He replies arrogantly.

She rolls her eyes, turning to continue looking at the statue of Jean’s mother… she was a very beautiful woman, so elegant and refined. She would never need to go into a bar to dance half naked.

-What happened to her? she asked.

-She died when I was a very young man.

-I’m sorry.

-It’s okay, it was many years ago. Besides, he’s better off where he is now.

-Why do you say that? This one frowns.

-My father gave him a bad life.

And Zoé didn’t doubt it, the old man was so arrogant and cruel to people… no wonder he was like that with his own wife.

-I’m so sorry.

-Yes, well… he turns the fountain around and meets her face to face.

Jean’s eyes narrowed when he saw her, he couldn’t deny that she was very beautiful… her eyes shone that afternoon, and with that light and volatile dress she looked like a lady… Well, not so much a lady.

The blond agreed to the little space between them, standing so close to her that he could smell the fragrance of her perfume. Why did she drive him crazy from time to time?

Zoé felt Jean’s presence very close and shivered, remembering what had happened between the two of them that morning. She unconsciously bit her lips. That’s when she felt both of his hands on her cheeks.

She opened her eyes wide, noticing that he was pulling her close to his… the contact of both lips was electrifying for the couple who were kissing in a different way than at other times.

The brunette was kissed in such a delicate way, so sweet, so special… that even she felt very special in Jean’s arms. So she brought her hands to Jean’s neck, clinging to his coat as they deepened the k**s.

When they separated a little, they took a little of the lost air… Jean joined his forehead with Zoé’s, remaining with his eyes closed.

-Be mine Zoé… please! he asked.

She ends up separating from him by putting both hands on his chest…

-No! she answers pulling away from him. Jean watches her go, and he only manages to sigh for yet another rejection…

The brunette runs through the maze of flowers with her heart in her hands. That Frenchman threw her off, she couldn’t think clearly when he kissed her or touched her. And even less when he asked her for something.

-God, how am I going to survive this marriage?