APRIL 8
EXCLUSIVE: GOLDEN BOY TALKS ICE QUEEN
Finn Collins speaks to Soulmate Daily in an exclusive expose about his relationship with Clarke Griffin, detailing all the dirty business behind the scenes and everything you wanted to know about our resident Ice Queen.
Two weekends ago, the couple was spotted attending the Unity Day Ball separately. Collins had attended with an unnamed brunette girl while Clarke flew solo. They barely spoke to one another and Clarke appeared to have spent the evening by Raven Reyes' side. An inside source reveals the Golden Couple is done and it's not a temporary separation. Our hearts are broken but as always, we have the interview for you.
SD: Let's jump straight in, Finn. You once said Clarke was your soulmate. Two years is a really long time to date someone. What changed?
Finn Collins: She told me she didn't want a relationship. She said she didn't even think we were soulmates. She had this weird idea we would Bond just so we wouldn't have to find our soulmates. She thought I was on the same page which is really weird because I've been hinting for the past couple of months that we should Bond. I couldn't let my feelings get played that way so I left.
SD: I'm so sorry it happened to you, Finn. I can imagine it must have been really tough dating Clarke Griffin. I've heard she can be really cold and it's not just her Ice Queen act. Let's hear your side of it.
Finn Collins: She's also extremely calculating and ruthless. [Laughs] Cold might be the correct word to describe Clarke but let me tell you, she was fire in bed. She knew how to make a man pray to God with that mouth of hers. I always joked that she had had a lot of practice but she never said anything about it. She just smiled her beautiful smile.
SD: Phew, that's scandalous, Finn. But you still haven't answered the question. What was it like dating Clarke?
Finn Collins: What can I say? I'm good at what I do. [Laughs] Dating Clarke was like dealing with two persons at once and you'll never know whom you get. One minute, she can be absolutely amazing. She'll make you dance around her living room. And the next, she's all glaring and yelling for you to leave her alone. It wasn't easy. I thought I loved her. I do, actually but I have to do what's best for me. She was sucking the life out of me and I didn't want that kind of a relationship. There's no pleasing her. Clarke Griffin is the kind of girl you have while waiting for your soulmate to come along
SD: I heard that she was married to her job. After all, you can't be that successful without being devoted.
Finn Collins: Don't even get me started on the amount of hours she spent in that office of hers. I'd plan a wonderful romantic dinner and just as I am about to pick her up, she tells me she's too busy and that she'll reschedule. When I go to visit, sometimes, she barely looks at me. After sex, she doesn't even cuddle. She just goes straight back to work like I was some sort of cheap booty call. I guess it's because she never considered me her soulmate and that explains why she's always avoided the romance of our relationship.
SD: But the two of you are always together seen together. You went to Rome last year and Paris the year before that. There was the Jaha's annual soiree and the Blake Industries Fund Raiser. That doesn't scream non-romance to me.
Finn Collins: Oh, Clarke is the master of putting up fronts. She can smile and preen and dance for the cameras but once we're behind doors, she drops it all. Until I get her into bed, of course. It's the only time I ever see any real emotion from her. To Clarke, sex is a temporary distraction and solution.
SD: For the past two years, we have been trying to get the both of you to sit down and chat with us. In fact, everyone out there has wanted to do so but the both of you are just so private. So, tell me, why now? Why break the silence?
Finn Collins: Because the world deserves to know Clarke is not the woman you thought she is. [He refused to elaborate.]
SD: There was a rumour that Bonding was in the plans for the both of you. Would you like to address it?
Finn Collins: That was the work of her publicist and her PR team. They thought it would make her a little more approachable to the public. Of course, I was thinking about Bonding with her but I never wanted it to go public. I like to be private with this sort of thing, you know. After all, you only have one Soulmate in your lifetime. You'd better make it count, right?
SD: Which brings me to my next question, what is Clarke and Abby [Griffin]'s relationship like? Sources have told me they constantly butt heads and are at odds with each other. I'm sure you have some insight to that.
Finn Collins: Phew, that is one huge can of worms but I promised you a story. Clarke once told me Abby betrayed her father, stole all his money and then built the company. Crazy, I know. So, Clarke really hates Abby and though they look like the perfect family, they're really not. They avoid each other all the time and they'll never be together in the same room. Like I said, Clarke is really good at putting up fronts. Abby's story about how her husband left her penniless is another publicity move. It's not real. Clarke told me the truth.
SD: They're selling us a lie! I can't believe it!
Finn Collins: You had better because that's what it is. That's how our world works. It's just a whole bunch of lies, misconceptions and playing with everyone's feelings.
SD: We have a couple of questions from our readers. Devon of Polis wants to know what kind of lingerie Clarke wears.
Finn Collins: Surprisingly, Clarke has really sexy taste in underwear. She may look prim and proper on the outside with her fancy suits and dresses but damn, she's an A-class vixen on the inside. Her favourite colours include red and purple and she loves diamonds. [I asked him for a picture but he didn't have one. Clarke apparently isn't big on bedroom selfies]
SD: Xara of Owa wants to know what your favourite positions are.
Finn Collins: We don't have one. [Laughs] Clarke likes being on top. That's all I have to say.
SD: Michelle, our intern, wants to know what is the most romantic thing you have done for Clarke and what has she done for you?
Finn Collins: Most definitely surprising her at work and taking her on a week-long trip to the Maldives, complete with extreme privacy and a personal chef. The most romantic thing Clarke has ever done for me was to cook dinner. She burnt it, of course, and we had to get pizza but that was the most romantic thing. And it was only once.
SD: One final question. For all the lucky hopefuls out there, where is Clarke's Mark?
Finn Collins: You know what's funny? In the two years that I've known her, I've never seen her Mark. I always thought I didn't need to. I thought the connection we build would be enough to justify our love. Like, how can someone you feel such a connection to, not be your soulmate? Then, she told me our Marks weren't the same and we were never meant to be.
Clarke couldn't believe this was happening to her. She was the perfect girl. Her name was never in the tabloid for anything but praise. She knew Finn was vindictive but she never expected him to stoop this low. They had reputations to protect. It looked like this was how he was going to play it with society and his retainers.
"Fucking spineless son of a leper's daughter!" The string of profanities was loud in the quiet of the office usually dominated by the noise of scientists taunting each other and simultaneously working together.
In fact, it wasn't just ominously silent, it was also dark. The only source of light came from Clarke's office where four of Griffin Medical Empire's top management were gathered around her massive oak desk. In the centre of her desk was the magazine, opened to the heinous article with a large slash through Finn's smiling face. The sombre gathering coupled with the rising sun filtering in through her floor-to-ceiling windows made her usually cheery office look like a war room. It looked as if they were preparing for battle (and in some ways, they were).
All but one of them contemplated the object that caused the impromptu meeting and Clarke's sudden cuss. "My SpiFlies didn't catch it. I think they jammed the technology. Or they stored it on a secure database we haven't identified…or…Finn blabbed and told them to keep it all on paper until the last possible moment."
"What do we pay you for, Monty?"
Hurt and shock registered on Monty Green's face as Clarke snapped. Fear and anger were controlling her at the moment and she groaned, collapsing into her leather chair with her head in her hand. "I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault."
Marcus Kane chimed it. "She's right. Not with all the new…or old technology these days."
Monty nodded, accepting her apology and offered Clarke a sympathetic smile and his coffee. Clarke returned his smile with a tired one and accepted the coffee. He knew her too well. She downed the bitter office sludge in one go and then rubbed her eyes. Her hair was tousled from sleep and repeatedly running her fingers through it in frustration. She had been rudely awakened when her mother had stormed in and tossed the magazine onto her desk where she had fallen asleep reviewing her latest research project.
Across from Clarke, Abby looked like the regal queen of the Griffin Empire with her hair perfectly brushed and her tailored suit wrinkle-free. Even her make-up was on point. Correct that, Abby was the queen and Clarke was…at that moment, Clarke didn't feel like much. The sun was barely up and Abby was already ready to take on the day. Clarke was ready to get into bed and never come out from under her covers.
"There's nothing more we can do except to get them to pull it back. Which would probably cause another media mention and we can't afford it." Marcus' tone was final which added to the leaden feeling in Clarke's heart. "All we can do is wait for it to die down."
"We can't wait! For fuck's sake, do something. Anything! Press conference, something! That son of a bitch is a fucking liar!"
Clarke's hands trembled with the uncertainty of her situation but she clenched her fists to stop, digging crescents into her palms. She also knew, in her heart, Marcus was right. There was nothing they could do except to put on a good front and weather the scandal. Not only did Finn try to ruin her reputation, he had also dragged her mother and Griffin Medical Empire into the fray. It was an unforgivable crime and she was glad she had broken up with him the moment he had started searching fervently for her Mark.
"He's also telling the truth –"Abby was cut short as her phone vibrated on the table. Clarke held her breath as her mother read the message. A scowl marred Abby's perfectly composed features and with much restraint, she put the phone back on the table. She folded her hands and regarded Clarke and then, Marcus with a grim look. "That was Thelonious."
"What did he say?" Marcus spoke first and Clarke was glad he did.
She was frozen in her chair and she gaped at her mother like a fish out of water. The Chairman never contacted Abby directly unless it was an emergency. Clarke wished a pit would form beneath her chair and swallow her up. Clarke knew that if it was a work emergency, Abby wouldn't be here which meant that the emergency was Clarke's "scandal".
"The council has gathered." Abby ploughed her hand through her hair, finally messing up her perfect hair. She faced Clarke straight on and asked as gently as she should, "When did you tell him about me and your father?"
Clarke couldn't look her mother in the eye as she answered so she looked out her window, watching the sun rays break through the night clouds. Even the sight she loved so much could not stop the roiling sea inside her. All her secrets were being made known today. "Two months into our arrangement…after I found out. I was drunk and I was upset."
Abby frowned and suddenly, Marcus and Monty were all ears. "What arrangement?"
"The one Finn was talking about."
"Explain." Abby's tone indicated her request was not up for discussion.
"When I first met Finn, neither one of us believed in this soulmate bullshit but we were being pressured into it. He couldn't get his inheritance until he was eighteen and Bonded. For me, well…," Clarke left her sentence hanging and Abby nodded slightly, understanding where she was getting at. "So, we decided to pretend we were in love and we were Soulmates. It worked. Everyone left us alone and the sex was great."
"Oh, Clarke." Abby reached out to take Clarke's hand but Clarke edged her hand away and her mother got the message. She wasn't ready to be comforted at the moment. She needed to be logical and clear-headed to get through this. And, she needed her rage. Comfort would just dissolve her into a puddle of tears.
There was a silent moment as Abby and Marcus exchanged secret looks, communicating with just their eyes and some facial expressions. Clarke should be used to Abby and Marcus' dynamics but it still made her uncomfortable, especially after what her mother had done to her father. Decisively, she put her hands on the table, inhaled sharply and put on a brave smile even though she wanted to die inside. "We can't sit around and do nothing. We are going to hold a press conference to address the allegations Finn made against us –"
Once again, Abby's HoloPhone interrupted with a violent vibration but this time, instead of a message, the screen flashed, indicating an incoming video call. "It's Thelonious."
Abby grabbed Clarke's hand before her daughter could pull away and gave it a squeeze. Clarke inhaled and nodded, holding her mother's hand as well. It was an awkward position, stretching over her massive desk but both women found comfort in each other, despite their differences. Abby placed her phone flat on the table and accepted the call. Immediately, Thelonious Jaha appeared on the hologram screen and nodded to Abby, Marcus and Monty before turning to face Clarke.
"Clarke Griffin, the Council has convened and we have decided that your latest media mention has threatened the company and our integrity. These allegations by Finn Collins are serious and now, public. Furthermore, we do not believe a woman unDiscovered is fit to be in the position of CEO of Research. The position requires a degree of professionalism and character which you have not shown us in the two years you have held this position. We are disappointed in how you have handled yourself, Clarke Griffin. The council has decided that unless this matter is resolved within the next two months, we see it fit to remove you from your position as CEO of Research and relinquish hold of your two-percent of shares." And then, the screen disappeared.
"What does he mean, Mrs. Griffin?"
Monty was the first to break the silence that followed while Clarke just remained stone-faced. She had to or she would fall apart. Clarke released her mother's hand and tucked it under her thigh to stop from shaking. She couldn't look at anything but Abby's now-still phone for she didn't want to see the expressions of pity on the people she loved most. It's so obvious, Monty. You don't need to be a genius to see what Jaha meant but Clarke kept her thoughts to herself. Snapping at Monty wasn't going to take away the Council's decision.
"It means Clarke is going to lose her job if she does not Bond within the next two months. That bunch of misogynistic pigs! I am going to speak with them personally. They won't get away with this shit." Abby moved to get up but Marcus rested a hand on her shoulder, gently urging her back into her seat.
"They didn't say Clarke had to Bond. All they said was to resolve the scandal. Right now, Soulmate Daily is saying the company is built on The Event. We just have to make a press statement and discredit Finn. I'll have my people dig up some of his secrets."
"They're also saying I am a heartless woman who plays with people's feelings and has no interest in Soulmates, Engagements and Bonding." Clarke regarded the four faces of family with steel in her eyes. "It's true. I have no interest in that forever love crap. Not after what Mom did. I am not Bonding or even getting Engaged."
Abby tried not to roll her eyes although her expression said she had heard this argument before and she wasn't bothered to hear it again. "Hear me out, Clarke," Marcus began, "you don't have to Bond. You just have to get Engaged. At least until this all dies down."
"And then what? The Council is still expecting me to Bond."
Clarke looked over to Monty for help but all he could do was hold her hand. He was born a male. He didn't have worries and burdens like Discovery and Engagement Balls. "You are going to lose your position if you do not." Her mother's tone was firm and it incited the rebellion inside Clarke.
"Engagement is old, archaic and frankly, it should be outlawed. How is it even remotely romantic to be stared at and pawed by strangers, hunting you down just to get a look at some stupid mark? You should know. That's where you met Dad." The last bit was said with a sneer, hoping to get a rise out of her mother. "Was it romantic when Dad practically cornered you, stalked you and trapped you like an animal?"
"I will not have some silly schoolgirl whim and fancy ruin everything that you and I have worked for. This is not news to me, Clarke. The Council has been debating over the past couple of months to replace you with Wells. You are doing an Engagement Ball and that is final."
The blood roared in her ears as Clarke stared blindly at her hands, now folded delicately in her lap. Wells was her best friend. Surely, he wouldn't have agreed to do it. He knew how much she loved researching and discovering new things. Abby and Kane were discussing what the theme of her Ball should be and where it should be held. Monty was helping them, offering helpful insight into all things youthful and trendy like where the hottest places were and who were the most eligible Bondmates. But, Clarke couldn't hear anything else except for the protests in her head.
She swallowed hard and then took a deep breath. She would be rational about this. The both of them had worked too hard to get the company where it is to let the reigning positions go to some boy who probably was going to be a puppet of his father. She couldn't allow her mother's sacrifices to go to waste. Clarke might resent Abby for robbing her father blind but Clarke also knew the price of hard work and success. Her mother had sacrificed her integrity to get her where she is today. Clarke would have to do it as well.
"We'll do the Ball."
"What was that?"
Clarke cleared her throat and held her head high. "I'll do the Ball."
Abby beamed and Marcus looked relieved. Instantly, the two of them began animatedly discussing the finer details of the Ball. There were caterers to be hired, crates of champagne and wine to be bought and outfits to be chosen. The more the number of dresses a Debutante had in one night, the more appealing she was. However, Monty didn't look convinced and he slid his chair closer to Clarke.
"Are you sure about this?"
She rested her head on Monty's shoulder and fought the tears that threatened to spill over. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She would cry when she was home. Already, she could hear the early bird employees filing into the office. She was sure that each of them carried a copy of Soulmate Daily; every flipping person in the world read the tabloid like it was their lifeline.
"What other choice do I have?"
"Let's get you home, Clarke." Abby was smoothing down the imaginary wrinkles in her outfit. "We have an Engagement to plan and a PR move to design."
Sluggishly and robotically, Clarke stood up and ruffled Monty's hair before following her mother out of her office. She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, that someone else was controlling her movements.
Clarke vowed to herself that even though she was going to do the Engagement Ball, she would never allow herself to be Bonded. If she had to, she would pay an escort to pose as her Soulmate. She would not allow herself to get destroyed by the hurt and pain of breaking a Bond.