AsYa: Elastic Heart Pg5 - Page 3

She wanted to leave? Asad was furious, how dare this little model...gosh, he'd lost his ability to form coherent sentences, that's how mad she made him. After everything that transpired, everything he'd done for her, she wanted to discard him like a used good? Perhaps she wasn't much different from the scores of others before her who flocked to his money.

"You can't leave", he stated firmly.

"That's all you heard from our conversation? Not the part where I told you I care about you, not anything else, only what you want to hear. Therein lies our problem".

He was well past the point of argument. In this house, no, in this town, his word was the law.

"You cannot leave without my say so".

"Watch me".

"Zoya, you have a contractual obligation", he almost pleaded, almost.

"Asad, let me go. It isn't easy for me. I am not strong enough to fight you. If you just ask me to stay, you don't even have to say nicely, I won't deny you".

She was so stupid in love, she would turn her body over for a flicker of his attention. She was asking for a life where she could breathe without choking on her tears every night when he left naked and alone in the bed after he had his fill.

"Then stay". He said those two words so easily as if he didn't know he'd disarmed her. Zoya Farooqi was completely defenceless against this man she loved so desperately. She hadn't set out this way, they both knew. But when agreed to this marriage, she took a long look at the man and realized she would undoubtedly grow to love him. He was just so charming, you had to be a fool not to be in awe. He was everything she dreamed of so she should be grateful with what she had. But like any woman, she fell victim to the illusion of a great love. She conjured up a life where he would tell her he loved every waking second, a life where she would be enough, a life where the world and his business didn't matter. She'd been living in delusion too long. His heartless tell-off was all the waking up she needed.

"You are never going to love me, are you?"

Shit! Asad had known he held her heart for a while now but he wasn't born right. He was so wrong, so very twisted that he was about to tear apart the one person who loved him unconditionally.

"No" was his only answer.

Zoya sank to her feet and stilled. He walked away without a second glance.

XXX

Asad appeared at the kitchen table for brunch. The air was still awkward but a confrontation could hardly be avoided when you lived an apartment, a penthouse, but an apartment all the same. Zoya quietly twirled around in her workout clothes, fussing over this thing and that thing. Finally, she set a plate of poached eggs and spinach salad in front him. Asad poured himself a glass of green smoothie from the pitcher on the counter. Zoya had made the entire pitcher for herself, that was her only breakfast. But after seeing him gulp it down so enthusiastically, she didn't have the heart to tell him no. She never said no, even when he left her pride in pieces like earlier.

He eyed her outfit from head to toe. She was wearing her snow-white dyed hair up in a high ponytail, a hot pink sports bra adorned her top. The material was stretched over her chest so strategically, he could tell boobs were squished together. The pathetic excuse for a tank top exposed half her brasserie and dipped down at her waist, what clothing does that? Her high rise leggings were hugging her curves like a glove. Dear god did this ensemble made his heart drum in his ears.

"You wearing that out?"

Zoya sensed disapproval in his tone.

"Yes, I have a photo op planned for the sponsor".

"How come I didn't know about this?"

Why did she feel like she was being interrogated? Because I don't know what you do in your business either, she wanted to retort but held back.

"I am going to the gym and the paparazzi will be around. I want to be presentable".

"There is a perfectly good gym downstairs. I will call my personal trainer, she can give you some lessons".

"You're missing the point Asad. I am wearing my sponsor company's clothes. They are paying me to get noticed by cameras on the street. The best way is to walk in these", she pointed at her outfit, "and work out".

"So you are going out knowing there is paparazzi?"

Zoya gave him an affirmative nod. Fascinating stuff, who knew how entertainment worked.

"I even do sponsored instagram and twitter posts. I get paid for most of my photos, one way or the other".

"Wait", he saw a business opportunity here. Zo knew that look, the wheels in his head were running fast. "You ever take pictures with my team on instagram?"

"There were a couple of guys on the team who wanted to take selfies but you gave them the death glare and they thought even a goddess like me isn't worth being beaten to a pulp by her beast of a man".

She chuckled at her own joke, he was not amused.

"Why don't you promote my company this way? Start with the hockey team, we can talk about other things later. I will have Shek draw up your payment contract", he declared.

"Don't be silly, I won't take payment from Shek, he is family".

"It's my money not Shek's".

"Well, you're family too", she said without hesitation.

His expression darkened as he considered her words. "Family? Does that sound easy to you? So easy that you can decide to up and leave at a moment's notice?"

This was the first time the man had show any emotion. Zoya wanted to cry for joy.

"No, family isn't easy at all. It is precious and important and only a few lucky ones in the world get to have it. I won't leave, I can't leave. I'll try harder, I'll make you happy".

Even he could probably sense she was being pathetic. Zoya was making big promises with no hope of realization. He shut off her destructive thoughts with an equally destructive kiss on the lips. She opened up for him like it was the most natural thing in the world to chase a man who refused to be caught.