Contract Marriage starring Love and Revenge
Chapter 78. You can take things slow.

Chapter 78: 78. You can take things slow.

{Champagne’s POV}

As I climb down the stairs, fully dressed to go to work I can hear the twins giggling aloud along with Mary. They are outside.

I can’t believe the twins woke up before me. Duke must have turned off my alarm again. I can’t believe I’m going to work by this time. He’s been doing that now for the past week, turning off my alarm like it’s fun to him.

I don’t understand what’s wrong with him.

Where is he? I should give him a piece of my mind today before I step out?

"Good morning Signora," I hear Gio’s voice.

"Gio! When did you return?" I ask with a broad smile on my face. It’s been almost two weeks since the old man went on his vacation.

"I arrived earlier this morning."

"Really? How was your vacation?" I ask.

"Well, it turns out my granddaughter is a more troublemaker than the twins put together, and she’s a year younger too. The little witch would not let me have a minute of peace, and my goodness you would not want to hear her start crying. It’s like a hundred police sirens ringing inside one room. Her cheeks are like that of a squirrel hiding fifty nuts inside her mouth. Oh and that little thing can consume a house. All in all, it was an unbelievably exhausting vacation."

He’s saying with a straight face, but from the slight different tone of his voice, I can tell he enjoyed his vacation more than he had expected to.

"I’d love to meet your granddaughter some day." I say.

"Oh, no you would not be able to handle that one. She is something else." He says with a soft and short chuckle.

"I’ll surprise you." I shrug and walk past him to go look for Duke.

"Master Duke is in his study." Gio kindly says.

"Thank you, Gio." I gratefully say.

In his study? Duke? What’s he doing there? I didn’t even know he actually used that place. I thought it was just there as one of the many rooms in this mansion. I’ve never seen that lazy man doing anything in there.

As I walk toward the door of the Study, I look out the glass walls and I finally see where the kids and Mary are. She’s running after them trying to catch them. I can’t help chuckling as I see them happily enjoying themselves with no concerns in the world.

"What do you think?" I hear Duke’s voice as I reach the door to the Study. Is he on the phone with someone, or is Alan here?

"I also think we need to find this Jonathan wood if we want solid proof." Oh, it’s Alan.

But wait, Jonathan Wood? That’s Rowan’s doctor friend. The one who carried out the operation on me.

"I mean, to be honest, there is no proof of him diagnosising her of cancer. Just her words." For some reason, now I’m standing in front of the door, with my hands on the knob and silently listening to them talk.

"He didn’t even bother to make a fake printed report of it, and she didn’t ask because I’m sure she trusted his judgment."

Oh, it’s about me.

"How do we prove that she didn’t have the hysterectomy procedure on purpose? She signed the documents after all. That’s one score for that bastard." That’s true, other than my words that I was told I had cancer, thee more I think about it now, I don’t think there is really any proof against Rowan.

Like Alan said, I didn’t even see a proper report or test results on a hit of paper. Damn, longer this matter goes on, the more foolish I become. I just keep on realizing how gullible and easy to manipulate I had been all my life. How could I accept I had cancer without seeing a concrete report?

Seriously was I really that blinded by love? Or was I just that dumb?

"The only major proof to back her statements is Jonathan wood who our guys are still trying to track down." Alan says.

I flinch as I hear something bang on a table probably in annoyance. "The bastard hides like a rat."

"Indeed." Alan says.

"If anyone would have proof of Rowan fletcher’s malpractice towards Champagne, it would be Jonathan Wood." Alan is saying.

I don’t know what I hate right now. Myself for being so easily fooled and now giving everyone a hard time, or the person who fooled me because I loved him.

I finally turn the doorknob and slowly open the door, "What about the others I asked you to gather?" Duke is asking.

They are both sitting on the huge wooden table they haven’t noticed my presence.

"Here." Alan hands over a rather thick file to Duke. "Contains every act of medical malpractice we could find on Rowan Fletcher. The man is a serious piece of trash. I wonder how someone, like Champagne ended up with the bastard in the first place."

Indeed, how did I end up with a bastard like Rowan? I feel so ashamed.

"He’s done some serious messed up shit and it’s almost suspicious how the law hasn’t caught up to him sooner. With the things in that file alone," Alan taps his index finger on the file in Duke’s hand, "he will not only have his license revoked, he’d spend a good number of years in prison."

"He could rot in prison for all these things but it will all mean nothing if he doesn’t pay for what he’s done to Pagne." Duke says.

"True and—" Alan pauses and something tells me to look up and when I do I see his eyes are on mine. He’s finally noticed me.

Duke’s head also turns towards me, "Pagne, you’re up." He instantly places the file on thee desk and rises from the desk.

"Why did you turn of my alarm?" That’s not what J want to even say again. I want to say I’m sorry for cashing you so much trouble?

He shrugs and smiles, "Is it wrong for a husband to want his wife to rest a little more?"

"What work have I don’t to deserve rest?" What I actually want to say is, thank you for caring about me. Thank you for standing by me.

He starts walking towards me. "Pagne, I understand you want to see Gold group come to the ground, but you can’t keep overdoing it."

"I’m not overdoing anything. You just have to put this much effort into things to make them work." What I’m trying ti say is, I know you’re going through so much for me, I wish I was stronger. I wish I had been more wise and not so easily used.

He reaches my side, "Pagne, can’t you just listen to me. Just let me—"

"Duke, I can’t keep relying on you for everything. I can’t keep making you clean after my mess." He’s done so much for me and I don’t know how else to thank him. J really don’t.

He lifts his hand to caress my face, "That’s why we are a couple dearest. That’s the whole meaning of being a couple. We clean each other’s mess."

I take a step back away from him and my back touches thee door "But I was in this mess before I met you and I want to do this myself." Why does he have to join me in my mess? Why did I have to bring my messy life into his perfect world?

"I understand that, but do everything in moderation." I can see the hurt in his eyes as he withdraws his outstretched hand. "You’ve been going to work early, working late, traveling for conferences and even working on weekends. You have no time for yourself."

"Until I take everything away from Alicia I don’t deserve any spare time." I should at least do this much to make up for all the trouble I’m causing him.

"This is exactly what I’m trying to say." His voice has gone up a pitch, I can see he’s getting frustrated. "Will you only rest if you fall sick? Do I have to tie you down inside the house to make you rest? Your bitch of a cousin is going nowhere," I know that too but I’m scared if I slack a little she will take everything again.

I’ve been slacking too much ever since I was little and look how my life turned out.

"I’m letting you do this on your own when I can handle everything for you but I know you don’t want that and that’s why I’m allowing you to do this, but not at the expense of your health. No one will punish you if you do things gradually, so you can takes things slow, Pagne."

"I don’t want to!" I snap, "I’ve been taking things slow for too long and that’s why I let them do all these things to me."

"Pagne,"

"Why does it feel like you’re trying to stop me? You’re the one who talked me into having revenge, why won’t you let me do what I need to?"

"Pagne I’m not telling you not to—"

"I’m already late. I have a meeting by one today, I’ll see you when I get back." I instantly turn around. I don’t want to keep arguing with him, especially not in front of Alan who has been watching us both all this time.

"Good morning Alan." I say as I step out I hear him utter a greeting back as I walk away.

Dear God, keep helping me. Please.