A HEART'S BETRAYAL
Chapter 2: Strictly Business
"Get your hands off me!" Sakura demanded, attempting to pull free of Syaoran's iron-grip hold on her upper arm.
The amber-eyed man simply ignored her words and shoved her none-too-gently towards her former seat, his eyes daring her to oppose him.
"Like I said, if you want your shop back, you better sit down," he sneered, letting go of her arm. However, long, red, finger marks remained on her porcelain skin, a silent witness to the forceful moment.
Sakura growled audibly, announcing her anger and annoyance quite clearly. Begrudgingly, she sat back down and proceeded to glare daggers -very sharp, poisoned daggers- at the man sitting across from her.
A perky waitress suddenly made her appearance, a wide smile gracing her overly-painted face.
"Are you two ready to order?" She asked, looking from one to the other, completely oblivious to the air of loathing and hostility surrounding the table.
"I'll have a cup of coffee, black, sugar only," Syaoran ordered, momentarily breaking glaring eye contact with Sakura in order to flash a charming smile to the young waitress.
"Nothing for me, thank you," smiled Sakura, not allowing her anger and irritation with the strange man affect her behavior with others.
"I'll be right out with that," the waitress declared, offering both customers a smile, her eyes lingering a few moments longer on the chocolate-haired stud.
Now that's more like it, thought Syaoran, noting the waitress's obvious attraction to him.
Sakura turned to face the amber-eyed man once more to resume her glaring; sharp, poisoned daggers and all.
What a mean woman, he thought, glancing at her indifferently, a purposeful attempt to miff her and get her to believe he didn't care one bit whether she was glaring at him or not. But of course, he did care. If an attractive lady wasn't swooning over him or admiring him in any other way, it was very worrying; very unnatural. I don't know what I was thinking yesterday. The mixed scents of those flowers must have messed with my head. Any female able to resist my charms is obviously unstable. It's just too bad this is the perfect opportunity; otherwise I'd be well on my way by now.
Syaoran continued to ignore Sakura's obvious hate towards him, remaining silent until his coffee was brought to him. He thanked the waitress and watched as she grinned suggestively before turning around and sashaying off to another table. Sakura barely managed not to puke.
"Now then," began Syaoran, sipping his coffee rather condescendingly.
"Yes, could we get on with this?"
The tall, handsome young man put his cup down and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers in a very business-like way, all humor and arrogance wiped from his face.
"You'll get your shop back, once you agree to my business proposal," he stated matter-of-factly, his amber-eyes boring into emerald ones.
"You have no right to close my shop! Who do you think you are?" Demanded Sakura, her blood seemingly beginning to boil.
"You need my help, as I am in need of-"
"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't need anyone's help," Sakura interrupted angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair stubbornly.
"Oh I think you do, Ms. Kinomoto," Syaoran began haughtily, taking another sip of his coffee. "You see, I've taken the liberty of looking into your financial situation. You're barely making the minimum payments on that little shop as it is. And soon you'll be forced to choose between paying the apartment rent and feeding your precious pet as well as yourself."
Sakura's anger was quickly forgotten as she was reminded of her current situation.
"Without my help, Little Blossom will be lost forever."
An arrogant smirk graced his flawless face once again as he reached into the inner-pocket of his black business suit and withdrew a considerable amount of folded papers before plopping them down in the middle of the table. Sakura recognized them right away as the documents she had been skimming over yesterday, when Syaoran had first entered her precious shop. Her extremely late, unpaid bills.
"Where did you get these?" Asked Sakura, shakily picking up one of the papers.
"The where's, why's and who's are of little importance, Ms. Kinomoto. Just know that I have connections in high places. Along with the right amount of leverage, the right amount of money, I can have my way pretty much under any circumstances. But let's put the past behinds us, shall we? There are more important matters to discuss at hand."
Sakura dropped the paper back on top of the stack of documents and looked up at Syaoran.
"What kind of help are you offering?" She asked.
Syaoran grinned.
"I will personally pay off all your credit cards, bills and payments, as well as give your credit score a substantial boost. I will also purchase the land your store is situated on, as well as the store itself, and have the deeds drawn up in your name. Furthermore, if you agree, I will remodel as well as expand Little Blossom and pay the wages of any and all employees you decide to hire."
"And what would my part be in all this?" inquired Sakura, her heart skipping a beat at the prospect of being pulled out of her financial nightmare and officially owning the shop, instead of doing as her mother did and renting the space for the little business.
"Simple. My father passed away roughly three months ago and he-"
"I'm so sorry," interrupted Sakura, her facial expressions softening, her hate for the man briefly forgotten.
Syaoran was taken aback by her unexpected show of compassion but quickly regained his thoughts and thanked her for her condolences, albeit a bit uncaringly.
"As I was saying," he continued. "My father passed away recently, leaving a major company in the hands of my mother. In truth, the Li Enterprise is mine to inherit, but due to certain stipulations, I have yet to gain possession of it."
This can't be good, thought Sakura, clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking visibly.
"It is clearly stated, in my father's will, that before complete ownership rights are transferred to me I must marry. Once I am married, the Li Enterprise as well as all the other controlled companies will be mine, entirely."
"You're not serious are you?" she asked incredulously, only to be met by a calm, straight face. "This has got to be a nightmare," she groaned, rubbing her forehead.
"Ms. Kinomoto, my proposal is quite simple."
"Simple? How can you call that simple?"
"It is simple in the fact that both of our problems could easily be solved if you would simply slip on a ring, sign a marriage contract, and do a bit of acting."
Sakura stared at Syaoran, mouth hanging open slightly. He couldn't possibly be serious. This was the most ridiculous proposition she had ever heard of.
"Once we are married, it is imperative that you do not gape like a fish, as you are doing at this very moment," Syaoran said matter-of-factly, drinking more of his coffee.
Sakura promptly shut her mouth at his comment and resumed glaring at him.
"Well?"
"I don't know about this. I feel like there should be more to it."
"There is nothing more."
"Well then I need to think it over."
"I don't have time for that. The deal is simple enough," sighed Syaoran, eyebrows pulled together. "We play the husband and wife role, you get pulled out of your financial hell AND get the store back."
Anger flared up in Sakura once again at the mention of her precious shop and the memory of the three bulky men taking her belongings.
Abruptly, Sakura stood from her chair and looked down at the chocolate-haired man, her emerald eyes full of detestation.
"I don't need your help with my shop," she hissed venomously, resisting the urge to shout at him so as not to draw attention from the other diners.
When it came to Little Blossom, Sakura was prideful of the fact that she had managed to keep it running all on her own for over 3 years. And although she was behind in her payments, she hoped that one day a couple would walk in and ask her to take care of the flower arrangements for their wedding. Just as her best friend Tomoyo had done.
If mother was able to manage the store while supporting the both of us, then I can surely do the same for me and Tamahome, she thought, imagining her cute feline.
"Fine," snapped Syaoran. He briskly took out his cell phone, punched in some numbers and waited a few seconds before speaking. "Li, Syaoran here. Have you finished yet?" The young man paused to listen for the reply. "Wonderful. Stop loading things and wait for Ms. Kinomoto to come unload everything." Flipping his phone shut, Syaoran grinned at a seething Sakura. "Have fun unloading everything," he smiled conceitedly, standing up and making his way towards the waitress who had served them earlier.
A look of disgust crossed Sakura's face as she watched the two flirting shamelessly.
Unbelievable. How can anyone stand that guy? He's so snooty and rude
Deciding not to dwell on the matter, Sakura shook her head clear of those thoughts and headed for the exit.
-
As she made her way back to the flower store, Sakura contemplated on whether or not she had made the right decision.
Rounding the last corner, Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and took in the following scene.
The yellow van that had been parked in front of her shop was now across the street. In its place was a gigantic dump-truck, slightly filled with what looked to be wood and drywall. A chain of men, which started from the back of the truck and disappeared into her shop, were quickly passing chunks of wood and drywall to each other, where the last man would hurl it onto the truck before grabbing the next piece to do the same.
Oh my god, thought Sakura, quickly running up to her store, fearful of what she might find.
"OH MY GOD!" Sakura screamed at the sight of her once-precious shop. It wasn't simply bare, but it was also missing the entire back wall as well as half of one of the side walls. Clutching at her hair, she watched in horror as two shirtless men worked with sledgehammers to reduce the rest of the side wall to mere rubble. "What the heck is going on?!" She shouted, only just recognizing the many steel beams that supported the roof where her back wall had once been.
"Sakura!" Chiharu's cheerful voice suddenly bounced of the walls.
The auburn haired girl turned towards the direction of the call, eyes widening at the sight of her good friend tied to a chair.
"Oh my god, Chi! Who did this to you?!" Sakura cried out, moving to untie the ropes, completely mortified at the idea that someone had actually tied the brunette down.
"Oh," giggled the brown-eyed girl, watching as her friend untied her. "That dark haired shirtless one over there," she grinned, indicating the direction of the man with her chin. "It was all in good nature really. He told me he didn't want me to get hurt so he was just going to have to tie me up for my own safety!"
Sakura gaped at Chiharu in disbelief. Her friend was nuts. No really, she had actually enjoyed being tied to the chair by some strange man. AND, it was very obvious that the man was not going to suffer a lawsuit.
"Chiharu! Do you see what's going on here? They're RUINING the store!"
"Well I tried to stop them," pouted Chiharu. "It's just that they're all strong and full of ripped muscles! How am I supposed to go up against that?! Or even resist…" The brunette trailed off inaudibly, drifting over towards the man she had mentioned earlier.
Sakura sighed. What was she thinking? How did she expect to keep running the store in her current situation? And did she really think she could move all her belongings back into her shop?
Those display shelves aren't exactly made of paper! She thought, angry tears threatening to spill. If I had the money for a lawyer, I would definitely sue that vile man!
Sakura blinked back her tears and allowed her shoulders to slump, finally accepting the reality of the situation; finally accepting defeat. She had failed. She had failed her mother. She had failed herself.
Making up her mind, Sakura fished around in her jean pocket for the card with Syaoran's number on it. Staring down at the number in her hands, the young lady turned around to ask Chiharu for her cell phone, but stopped midway as a pair of feet came into her line of vision. Her head snapped up instantly and her eyes registered the devil himself.
Syaoran was standing a mere two feet away from her, smug expression and all, a small black box lying in his outstretched palm.
"What the hell have you done to my shop?" Screeched Sakura, pointing an angry finger in the direction of her nonexistent walls, that smug expression grating on her last nerve.
"I knew there was no way you could refuse my offer," Syaoran grinned, "so I decided to get the expanding and remodeling underway. It needs to be bigger and better if a Li is going to run it and own it."
Sakura glanced down at the little box, suddenly feeling queasy and lightheaded.
"Take the ring and there will be nothing more to worry about," he whispered, wanting none but the possessor of emerald eyes to hear.
Before his arrogance had a chance to get her all worked up again, Sakura quickly snatched the ring-box out of his hand and glared at him.
"Good. Now take a ride with me, we've got more to talk about," Syaoran more demanded than asked before turning around and walking out the store, or rather, what was left of the store.
"Chiharu," Sakura called out to her friend, slipping the ring box into her jean pocket. She really didn't want to discuss this with anyone yet. She wasn't even sure she was allowed to.
"Yes?" Replied the brunette, skipping over to the petite store-owner.
"I'll be heading out for a while," explained Sakura, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll give you a call later, okay?"
"Sure thing, Saku," smiled Chiharu, hugging her friend before returning to the shirtless men who were continuing to knock down the side wall.
Sakura shook her head at her friend's behavior, amused at the fact that the other girl was completely infatuated with a man that had tied her to a chair.
A loud horn sounded, reminding the auburn-haired girl that she was supposed to be going out for a drive with an obviously impatient man.
"I'm coming," she growled under her breath, making her way outside and up to the passenger side of a very sleek sports car. Careful not to feed Syaoran's already enormous ego, Sakura made no indication whatsoever that she thought his vehicle was anything special.
"Get in already!"
Annoyed, Syaoran revved the engine suddenly, startling Sakura into quickly pulling the door open and jumping in. Avoiding his eyes, she reached for the seatbelt with a shaky hand and buckled up.
"Where's the ring?" Syaoran asked as he pulled out of his parking spot.
"My pocket," replied Sakura, not bothering to look his way.
"Don't you want to look at it?" He questioned, raising his brow. Women usually couldn't wait to see the ring, whether it was theirs, their friend's, their mother's, their brother's, their cat's.
Sakura awkwardly lifted her tush off the seat and reached into her jean pocket. She quickly pulled out the little box and settled back into a comfortable position, hesitating slightly before opening it to reveal a gorgeous ring.
Sakura gasped inwardly.
The ring consisted of a platinum-silver band with a large princess-cut, pink diamond in the center, bordered by two smaller white diamonds on either side of the main stone.
"Wow," whispered Sakura, completely in awe at the ring. For one reason or the other, she was expecting some dull, bronze ring. And really, who could blame her?
"Now, for the rules of this contract," began Syaoran, evidently pleased with her reaction towards the piece of jewelry. "You are to act as my wife anytime there is even the scent of another human being around, regardless of whether or not I am there. You will refrain from disrespecting the Li name in anyway, even if it means putting an end to certain friendships with certain gaudy girls."
"Are you implying that Chiharu is gaudy?!" Sakura argued, finally turning to face him.
"Don't expect me to be home every night," Syaoran continued, opting to ignore his companion's angry outburst. "In fact, don't expect me to be home most nights. You however, must be home every night or there is sure to be a wildfire of rumors. Unlike me, you have no reason to be out. On the other hand, I have the excuse of work."
Syaoran beeped angrily at an old man who had begun to drift into his lane.
"Furthermore, our marriage must last a minimum of five years if I am to keep my father's companies. The alternative would be to have a child as soon as possible, and then file for a divorce. This, of course, is out of the question. There will be no drooling monsters coming from me. Lastly, be sure to remember that this is in no way meant to be personal or romantic, understood?"
"As long as you don't expect me to cook, clean, wash laundry, and anything else that might fall under the 'wifely duties' category, it's a deal. You get your companies, I get everything paid off and the shop."
"But you will act as my loving wife in front of others, even if that means serving me tea or lunch once in a while. Otherwise, you are exempt from all other 'wifely duties', as you put it. But if you do not act accordingly while in the company of others, I will not hesitate to fully destroy your flower shop." Stopping at a red light, Syaoran turned to Sakura with a dead serious look on his face. "I mean it. You do anything to tarnish my good name, Sakura, and it will be the end of Little Blossom."
LYM: Wow. So that was a pretty long chapter, eh? Well you guys deserved it ;D Thank you all for your honest reviews! One of you was dead on with their assumption of Syaoran's motives. Go you!
PS-C: Yes! We absolutely loved all your reviews! Also, be sure to check out my NEW C2 guys! And keep those reviews coming :D