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Chapter 9
Hannah
I can’t fight the feeling of not belonging when I sit next to Tobias around an oval-shaped
table. I’m wearing his much-too-large suit, and the other people here, board members,
partners, and other important people, are all staring at me.
“Tobias, you have forgotten the most important part! She isn’t wearing a ring.” someone
points out. It’s an older man whose smile is friendly when I look at him. His eyes crinkle.
“You must be Hannah.”
My nerves make me blush, but still, I find my voice. “Yes, I’m Hannah, now Mrs. Ford, it’s a
pleasure to meet you, Mr-”
“Ford,” he says and laughs at the shock on my face. He then further explains. “I’m the
funny uncle, Elias. Tobias’s father, Paul, who is no longer with us, was my brother. I’m sitting
on the board as Tobias’s advisor. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Oh, and welcome to the
family.”
“Thank you!”
We shake our paws over the table, and I immediately relax. Elias seems nice, and the
elderly lady at his side, dressed in a white dress, smiles sweetly at me before reaching out
her hand.
“I’m Joana Ford, Elias’s wife,” her smile is all fake teeth, but she seems really sweet. “I’m so
happy that Tobias has found someone he loves so much that he couldn’t help but marry her
immediately! You two must like each other a lot!”
I inwardly grimace at that but keep the smile on my face. “Yes, we love each other very
much.”
When I say that, I notice that a gorgeous woman, not much older than me, sneers.
Gorgeous brown hair cascades from her head, and her eyes are surrounded by thick, dark
lashes.
Could it be Sarah, Tobias’s ex-wife? I glance her way and smile, and she immediately averts
her eyes with fire in her gaze. So yes, it must be the ex-wife, based on her behavior.
As if reading my mind, Tobias leans forward to whisper in my ear while everyone else is
laughing at some. joke around the table. “Joana and Elias are good people. They already like
you, but the scowling brunette is Sarah-she hates you already. I love it and will make things
worse for her by kissing you.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtI shudder when Tobias lips my chin and moves my head to look deeply into his emerald
green eyes. His lips curl, and my pulse quickens when he leans in to kiss me in front of
everyone.
It’s a quick taste, but I’m tingling all over when he leans back. The worst part is that my
chest is filled with longing. Tobias is beautiful, and his lips have awakened something within
me.
I try telling myself that Tobias’s kiss was only for the point of revenge and held no emotion,
but it doesn’t quench my thirst for him. I’m burning even as the waitresses ask us what we
want to order.
It’s so bad that I can’t focus. The waitress is speaking to me, but I can’t hear her. It forces
Tobias to order for me. I don’t have to lift a finger. Soon there is a starter dish on my plate.
Tobias chuckles above me, whispering, “You’re welcome.”
I blush at that and eat the chicken salad on my plate. At least, I think that’s what it is. There
is probably a fancier name for the dish, but I will call it a chicken salad with garlic bread.
The buffet continues. I eat a delicious filet mignon for the main dish, and since I don’t like
vegetables, Tobias fixes me a side of french fries. Some of the wealthy guests look at me
weirdly, but to make me feel better, Elias and his wife aiso order french fries.
Everything is perfect, except for the fact that I now have Tobias stealing french fries from
me. I send him an offended glare when he nips another from my little basket.
“Get your own fries!” I growl at Tobias and try to stop his third advance with my fork.
“But they are so good!” Tobias argues with his mouth filled with french fries. “Give me a few
more, then | will be settled!”
“A few more?!” I question. “There are barely any left! You even stole the entire dip sauce
that I specifically asked for! My ranch dip is gone, you monster!”
He snorts in amusement but still tries to sweet-talk me into giving him more of my food.
Persistent bastard. “Come on, Hannah. I’m starving, and you won’t finish all of your french
fries anyway.”
“Oh, I most definitely will!” I narrow my eyes. It doesn’t matter that Tobias is pouting. I’m
fierce when it comes to my food. “And there is nothing worse than a french fry thief!”
“Amen to that!’ Joana says and swats at her husband’s fingers when he tries to reach for
hers. She also gives him a playful glare. “If you want more fries, you have to order more!”
Elias laughs. “I might just do that.”
“Same here,” I say, and continue to dig my eyes into Tobias. “Because SOMEONE has eaten
all of mine…”
Tobias perks up. “Great! You should definitely order more! Then I can steal more fries from
your basket!”
I gasp at him. “No way! Order your own!”
“But it’s funnier to steal them from you,” he teases. “I’ve never seen you this fierce before. I
expected you. to be all nice and kind and hand over all of your french fries willingly. I was
wrong.”
My face scalds. “When it comes to things that are mine, like food, I become a warrior to
protect what is mine…”
“I see,” Tobias leans in close, and it speeds up my heartbeat. I don’t know what he is doing.
I freeze into an ice cube, waiting until I feel his warm breath on my ear. “How about a trade
then? You give me more of your french fries, and I give you something else later?”
By now, I’m close to passing out. What does something else mean? And is he serious or just
putting on at show?
I secretly glance at Sarah and find her fuming in her seat. She is beyond jealous. Fury is
written all over her pretty face. She is pretending to talk to who I’m assuming is her
husband, though.
I look up at Tobias, and my heart falters when I see him looking at Sarah. He isn’t obvious
about it. It’s just. a quick stolen glance, but it’s not enough to make me realize none of this
is real.
It hurts.
It hurts so much that I want to cry, but… I got into this willingly. I knew what I was getting
into. And I won’t let this revenge game break me, so I plaster on a smile and become a
player.
“Sure,” I say and wink at Tobias before whispering. “I will definitely trade you some french
fries for some fun later.”
His lips slightly curl by the corners. “Looking forward to it,” he steals another french fry from
my basket.
Delicious.”
I smile, but on the inside, I’m breaking apart. I’m too weak for this revenge game; I know
that now. Tobias is… Unique, and it’s unrea! how much I already like him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmI cut up another piece of my filet mignon and notice that Sarah is glaring daggers at me. I
almost laugh at
the visible hatred in her eyes.
Ironically, Sarah is jealous of me when I’m jealous of her. She has something I want-Tobias’s
heart, but she isn’t aware of that. She thinks Tobias is in love with me.
Oh, how I wish that would be the truth…
I stare down at my plate, and once the desert comes, Tobias lifts himself from his seat.
“I will be right back,” he says. “I have to visit the bathroom.”
I pass him a smile. “Of course,”
Tobias smiles back and leaves. I look after him when he disappears around the corner, and
then I pick up my water glass to drink. It’s then I notice that Elias is looking at me with
curious eyes.
I inwardly grimace. I like Elias, but his eyes have a glimmer that frightens me. Is he onto us
already? Does he know our marriage isn’t based on true love?
I smile at Elias, and that’s when he breaks the silence. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal
question, Hannah?”
Before I can answer him, Joana glares at her husband. “Elias! Tobias left the table three
seconds ago, and you’re already planning on grilling the poor woman?!”
Joana is sweet. I like her a lot and smile despite my unease. “It’s okay. I expect questions
from Tobias’s family. Ask away.”
For some reason, Elias’s lips curl into mischief, and he leans forward a little, lowering his
tone to a private one. “What is your favorite thing about my nephew?”
Oh, is this a test?
I inwardly laugh because the joke is on Elias-I already like plenty of things about Tobias. We
might not have spent that much time together, but I’m good at reading people.
“Tobias is quite possibly the grumpiest man that I’ve ever met. He has trouble stepping out
of his comfort zone, and he is also a french fry thief. But if you can ignore that, then Tobias
is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” I think back to him helping me with all the items
I dropped on the floor yesterday and then. how Tobias swiped my face with a tissue before
the brunch, and my smile grows into a genuine one. “He looks intimidating, but… He has a
good heart-that’s my favorite thing about him, and it makes everything else.”
up for
Silence falls after I’ve spoken. I look up to see Elias and Joana smiling at me, and then I
blush when I notice that Tobias is back. He is sitting beside me, blinking at me with an
expression I can’t read. Shit, how much of that did he hear?
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