9. Duke Grand.

As a businesswoman, of course I've had to go through different kinds of meetings, and discuss different kinds of things and sign different kinds of contracts. I've always prepared myself to be able to negotiate and come to a favorable deal in any situation and any circumstance.

However, this is something totally different. No amount of preparation or training could have prepared me for this sort of thing.

"W_what?"

"Think about it, Pagne," P_pagne? No one calls me that. Why is he calling me that when we don't even know each other.

"What's the point of dying? That's just being a coward. If you die, nothing changes. Nothing at all. They won't feel more or less guilty about what they have done. Instead it's one headache out of their way. They will thrive over your death and will only grow stronger, richer and happier than they already are."

When he says it like that, it hurts. It hurts because when you think about it deeply, he is right. Even now, they are probably laughing at me. I still remember the look on my aunt's face as the will was read, and the look on Alicia's face as she clung to my naked husband… ex-husband.

They are the ones who did me wrong, why am I the one who feels pathetic? Why am I the one who should be called a coward when they are the ones who hurt me even though I have never done any wrong to them?

"So," He moves from the foot of the bed and slowly walks till he's standing right beside me… this handsome stranger.

"Instead of choosing death cloaked by the delusion of you being reincarnated," he leans closer to me and I can do nothing but stare in his eyes as he says, "choose revenge."

When he says the word like that, he makes it sound like something sweet.

He makes the word revenge sound like a cake baked by a renowned chef. The kind that a person would do and pay anything to get. Revenge suddenly sounds palatable.

But do I really want that? "I_ I don't think I want revenge." I say and he frowns. He suddenly sits himself down on the bed, causing me to shift back a little. This strange man has no sense of personal space at all.

"Trust me when I say, revenge tastes good when you have the resources to carry it out."

"Taste?"

"Yeah, it gets to a point where you can taste it."

"Have you ever tasted it?" I ask.

He smirks, devilishly… "Many times."

"A_and what does it taste like?" Why am I indulging him? I don't even know him. So why? I don't even want revenge. O_or do I?

At that moment, his tongue slips out from between his lips, long and wet… And it moves over his upper lip slowly as though he had some milk stuck there and was licking it off like a cat… A big cat.

What is this? This feeling in my stomach? Like insects crawling inside me.

"Delicious." He purrs into the air like a cat. A_are we still talking about revenge?

"Mhm!" I clear my throat out loud and shift further from him. Slowly backing away until my back touches the head of the bed. This man is dangerous, I don't know why but I just feel that way.

"L_like you said, revenge is only accomplishable when you have the resources. And like I've been saying since last night, I already lost everything I have. I can't take any sort of revenge."

"That is why I asked you to marry me." How does marrying him help my revenge? "I can give you what you need. Revenge over your cheating husband, your cunning cousin, your wicked aunt and the entire Gold group. I can give you just that. So marry me."

"But—"

"I have the resources you need."

"Still you—"

"Rather than escape like a coward, I can give you the power and resources to carry out your revenge. The only condition is―marry me."

He keeps saying 'marry me' but, "Who are you? I_ I don't even know your name."

"Oh," He says and rises to his feet. "My bad." He straightens up his shirt and stretches forth his hand to me, "Duke," he says and I raise an eyebrow, "Duke Grand, pleased to make your acquaintance."