Xavier's pov:

"Why aren't you saying something?" I asked her trying not to loose my cool.

" One doesn't talk back or answer when someone's scolding." She said with her head down .

For a moment, I thought who put these rubbish things in her mind. Then, her father came to my mind. A person who forced her to get married can even feed these rubbish things in her mind.

"And who told you this?" I asked her.

" My parents." She said still looking down.

" Look at me."

She was still looking at the floor. I lifted her chin through my index finger and her tear filled eyes came to my sight.

" What are you so scared of Maya? No one will say anything to you here. If I say something, that doesn't mean I'm scolding you or shouting at you. It may be possible that I am just trying to have a talk with you. Understand the difference between the tone.

I know, I made a mistake by shouting at you earlier. But, trust me I'm really sorry for my behaviour. Right now, I was just trying to have a talk with you, you know, like normal human beings. But, that's only if you're a human." I said smiling.

She kept quite for a second and then she understood my last sentence. "What do you mean by that Mr. Adams? Kindly elaborate." Her eyes that held fear and hesitation a minute ago, shot up immediately.

" I meant nothing more than the fact that I wanted to talk to you , Mrs. Adams." I said with the same tone as hers.

Maya's pov:

As soon as, the word left his mouth, goosebumps erupted over my complete body. I didn't know what to say anymore. I just nodded my head .

" Can we talk?" He asked me with his softest tone I ever heard.

" Okay." I said. Then , I realised that he was still holding my hand. I looked at it and that's when he released his hold.

I sat on the chair and looked at him , waiting patiently to hear him out.

"So....." He said.

"So."

"I want to know." He said.

I didn't understand anything.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything." I still didn't understand anything.

I kept quiet.

"About this marriage, about the pre-nuptial agreement and most importantly about you. I want to know you Maya."

I looked at him not knowing what to say.

"I don't understand." I said.

"What I want to say is that I want to know if this marriage happened with your will, whether you know about the agreement or not."

I looked at him shocked.

"You know everything. You arranged everything." I replied.

"Yes, I know everything. But, that everything includes only the things that were kept forward to me. Not the things that you know."

"Did Anna...." I couldn't form words.

" Yes , Mimi told me . But, not bcoz she wanted to but, bcoz I should know it. But, still I want to hear everything from you. And, don't be upset with her. She is like a mother to me. She just tried to correct me where I went wrong."

"Ohhh. What do you want to hear more? Anna told you everything, right?" I asked him.

" She told me what you told her. But, I want to hear everything from your mouth."

Seeing him so determined, I understood that he won't let the matter slide untill he knows everything. So , I told him everything. Literally everything.

He looked shocked and mostly angry.

" I didn't know that you were forced into this. I never meant to force you or anyone else. First of all, I wasn't the one who proposed this alliance. Your father did."

"What do you mean by you didn't put forth this proposal?" Getting a big shock, that too from Mr. Adams was the thing, I least expected.

"I meant the exact same thing you heard." He replied, his expressions clearly telling that he didn't understand my confusion.

"I was told that you somehow blackmailed my father into marrying me or you won't give him the money." I told him, looking at my laps when my tears were threatening to spill out.

"You have to trust me on this Maya. I never forced or blackmailed your father into any of this thing. He himself proposed this alliance. When I found no loss in this, I agreed. But, I had this thing in my mind you'd be willing to do this and that's why your father said this. I never knew he tricked both of us into words.

I even asked your father to confirm that matter with you. He said it was okay with you. Even the day before our marriage, when he came to submit those papers to me, I asked him whether he asked you or not. He said yes at that time also. I didn't know he was lying all the time."

" Leave that matter. If I keep thinking about that, it'll only remind me if the bitter betrayal by my parents. It doesn't matter now. I just have one request now. Can I ?"

" Yes , ask whatever you want to." He said.

" I wanted to read the papers I signed."

" I don't have them right now with me. They are at my office. I'll get them tomorrow." He said.

" Okay." I said .

There was a silence between us. None of us knew what to say anymore. That's when he asked.

" You like reading books?" He asked.

That was the topic to my interest.

" Yess. I love reading. They kind of divert your mind from the things happening around you. They provide a kind of peace to mind. " I told him.

He looked at me shocked.

" What happened?" I asked him.

" You know, I exactly think the same. You won't believe but, even I read books for diverting my mind. They give you a different peace. That's one reason I love reading."

I was excited to see that someone thinks like me and understands my love for books.

" And what are the other reasons?" I asked him smiling.

He smiled back. "They provide you with knowledge. They kind of make you feel every emotion. Happiness, suspense, thrill , romance, love, hate and all others. They give you solutions about almost every problem to your life. "

He told me. I really liked his thoughts about books.

We were disturbed by the knock on the door. It was Renee.

"Sir, Miss Caroline is here to meet you." She said .

His facial expressions changed as soon as he heard her name. I wondered who the girl is. He got up from the chair and went towards the living room.

I continued reading my book for like half an hour. Then, I started feeling thirsty. I drank water and then, I remembered that I didn't carry my phone to the library. I was going to get a call regarding a project.

I went towards my room. As soon as I reached the corridor, there I see Mr. Adams and a girl passionately kissing each other. He picked up the girl by her waist and they both went inside his room.

I don't know why,but I felt betrayed and heartbroken. I know we don't have any relationship between us, but, still he should have respected this marriage. My eyes started to fill with tears. I quickly went in my room and closed the door.

I just don't understand that why the hell am I so emotional. I started to cry. Then, Daisy's words rang in my ears , "Never waste your tears on someone who doesn't deserve it."

That's when I stopped crying. I remembered that tomorrow I have an appointment with Daisy. I'll have to tell her everything tomorrow and also talk to her about my increased anxiety.

I'll have to confirm my appointment with her . I dialled her number.

"Finally,you got time to call me . Thank God that I'm alive. I thought that I'll die even before hearing your voice. " She taunted me.

" Hello to you too." I said.

" Do hell with your hello. I'm trying to reach from the past 5 days. I even called at your home. Your Mom said that you don't live there anymore. What's the issue Maya? I called you like 30 times and probably sent hundreds of messages before 15 minutes. But , you weren't replying. I was hell worried about you." She shouted from the other side.

" I want to meet you Daisy. "

" You have an appointment tomorrow with me. We are going to meet anyways." She said.

" Aren't you free now? Today's Sunday."

" I need to leave for hospital within 20 mins. But, it's a quick case. I'll be free till 11. We can meet after that . What say?"

" Ya... That'll be fine by me. " I replied.

" Text me the address. I'll pick you up . Okay byee. I gotta go. Love you." She said and quickly cut the call. If she needs to go to the hospital on Sunday, then it must be urgent.

I looked at myself in the mirror only to find a sticky tear stained face. I went for a shower and then got ready in a simple jeans and shirt. Honestly, dresses are quite comfortable but, I prefer jeans and shirts over everything. I like wearing them and the most important advantage of it is you can pair the same shirt with different jeans and vice versa to get a different look. So, you don't have to keep buying clothes. This way your money is also saved.

It was almost 11 . I took my phone and the book that I was reading with me and headed outside. As I reached the living room, I found Anna talking to the house helps.

"Anna." I called her.

" Yes dear. You want something?" She asked.

" No. Just wanted to inform you that I have some work. I'll be back in the evening."

" Ok. Take your time dear. Do one thing. Take a car and a driver with you."

" No Anna . My friend is gonna come and pick me up. "

" As you wish dear. Take care ."

" Bye."

With that, I moved out of the mansion.