Chapter 13: Offer Her A Job

Rominic's viewpoint

Lavender's death drove me mad, but the silent treatment she gave him the past months made me feel worse. It wasn't easy pretending she didn't exist but I had to do that to secure our future. I could tell in an instant that the two eldest children held a significant value to her mentally than the others. They were intelligent and clever, that was part of the reason. The girl especially, was dramatically cunning and she was my first target. From the reports submitted by Stacy, the bodyguards stationed around their house and the information I got from the other children, she was the center. Winning her over is the first step to weakening Zach and then Lavender.

Ah, I couldn't believe I was plotting against my children.

Lavender not only hated me, she doubted every word that came out of my mouth. In her mind, I was a giant asshole. A well-deserved image but not something I wanted to leave. Still, changing it overnight wouldn't be possible so the best action was to act exactly like what she thought I was to get her closer. If Lavender is still the woman I fell for, then that method would bring the fastest result.

Phineas, my best friend, sighed from across the desk. My eyebrow twitched, but I pretended like I didn't hear him. He sighed again, louder this time. My eyes scan through the papers, still ignoring him. A loud bang on my desk and a heavy sigh made me flinch and almost jump out of the chair. Phineas slammed his palm on the desk to make sure I didn't ignore him this time.

I grunted and glared at him. "Can I help you?"

He smiled brightly. "Yes, you can actually. I haven't heard from Rylee, why?"

"How is that a problem of mine?" He tutted his tongue at me and shook his head with a pitiful gaze. "Phineas, if you have a problem with Rylee, don't drag me into it. It never ends well for me,"

"That's why you're the sacrificial lamb, asshole," I stared at him emotionlessly. He smiled boyishly and winked. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I picked up the papers again to continue from where I stopped, but he wasn't done. "Has anyone ever told you how much of a terrible best friend you are?" I ignored him. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible brother?" His question was met with silence. "Here comes the big one. Has anyone ever told you that you suck as a boyfriend and husband?"

I slammed the papers on the table. "If you're trying to die, please find a way to do that outside of my premises. I'm trying to work, Phineas, so please return to your own company. Why—"

"Isn't it difficult to see her every day without being able to touch her?" He asked out of nowhere. I pursed my lips. Of course, it was! That was also part of the reason I agreed to stop seeing her. I couldn't tell if poverty or childbirth did that to her, but she got ten times hotter than before. Her skin was lighter than I remember and her body… Jesus, she was going to be the death of me.

"As much as I know that you're a dick, I'm still Team Rominic so I want you to be happy. How are you going to win her back, man? You don't expect that you can magically change things with a wave of your hand, do you?"

"Sorry, but I'm not you,"

"Obviously," he said with a snort. "My magic actually works. Take your tyrannic sister for example,"

"I wish she could hear you right now and dash you a black eye," I said with a sigh, dropping my forehead on my palm. My forehead feels tight, like a drawstring with the rope being pulled. I rubbed my aching forehead with a small moan of pain.

"Sorry, Brother. Take it easy. Everything is going to be fine,"

"She hates my gut,"

"As she should. She'd be crazy not to," you're damn right she would, but that didn't mean I couldn't wish. "The best way to make her see that you've changed and repented is to keep her around you,"

I look at him from underneath my eyelashes. "Mr. Magician, got any spell to turn her into a wristwatch?" I ask sarcastically.

"I do but I doubt it would work considering the person I'm doing it for is a total asswipe," I smiled tightly. He rolled his sky-blue eyes disorderly, creeping me out. "You know you love me and because I love you more I will give you my humble suggestion and if you dare spit it back on my face, I'll tell Rylee you called me a limp dick. How 'bout that?"

"Stop threatening me with my sister," I groaned.

He shrugged with a smile, revealing his slight dimples. "I can't beat you, so I might as well use who can,"

"Just tell me what you have in mind and get lost,"

"Offer her a job, problem solved!" He spread his hands to exaggerate his point. I stared at him like the stupid fellow he was. He blinked innocently. "What?" He was genuinely confused. Fucking dumbass.

"Mr. Magician, why on earth would she agree to work for me? I don't hate you but I prefer to shove your ass down a trash can. How do you think someone who hates breathing the same air as me would feel?"

"And why would she not?" He questioned back. "She hates you so being your personal assistant is a tempting offer,"

"How tempting is the position of my PA? She doesn't want anything to do with me. Are you sure you are alright, Phineas?"

"Because she hates you and wants you dead. Her hate for you would make her accept because then, she would have a way to pay you back for all you did. It's revenge brought to her on a platter of gold," he said cheerfully, once again spreading his arms but this time, to prove an invisible point.

"And how is that supposed to make me feel any better? That she would agree to work for me just so she can kill me?!"

"It's not, but it is certainly making me feel better," he laughed. I deadpanned him, causing him to choke on his laughter. "Oh, come on, man, it's funny. Do you wanna know why? Because you are the one whose head she wants, not mine. Just picture her axing your head off. It's hilarious!" he continued to laugh.

"Phineas, stop being a pain and be serious! I'm having a real crisis here! My first son and daughter are probably harboring my funeral song in their hearts, especially the boy. Their mother hates me and the youngest is extremely wary of me, even if he tries to hide it. I can't lose her this time but I don't want to be a total ass to her. You either help me come up with a good idea or fuck off!" I shouted at him.

He smacked his lips with an amused expression on his face. "Are you done?" I drew in a sharp breath, pinched the bridge of my nose, and nodded. "Good. Now listen. I'm serious when I say you should offer her a job. First—because I like being a total pain—I'm going to remind you of what you did to her. Fuck face, you ruined her life, her family, her career, her destiny—" I winced at his painful words. "Better listen. Her father disowned her because of you. Her stepmother died of a heart attack because of what you took away from them. One of her brothers died unable to cope with poverty and the rest went into robbery to provide for themselves. Where are they now? One got shot in a raid, the other in jail and her father died a miserable drunk. She doesn't even know about that part and she already hates you. Now imagine what she would do when she finds out. You ruined her, man, you ruined her already unhappy family. You know sorry is never going to be enough to make up for what you did, ever."

"I know, I know," I said sadly, burying my face into my palms. "But what am I going to do? I don't know how to get her to forgive me. Phineas, I want her back, I want her forgiveness, I want my children to forgive me—"

"And that is why you need to do this. The best way to get her to forgive you is to show her that you have changed and that you are sorry and the only way to make her see it is if she is close to you. There is no other possible way to get her to be near you except through this method. Don't worry, she won't try to ruin you because she loves her children, and hurting you would be hurting them—"

"They hate me—"

"Two out of five," he interjected. "Plus, why would she destroy something her children will benefit from?"

"I already know that, but that doesn't make convincing her any easier,"

"Look," he sighed. "You didn't ask or listen to my opinions when you destroyed her, so don't vex me. I'm only giving you this advice because your life has been miserable enough, and that lady deserves love and peace again but some selfish bastard won't let her go so he might as well be her Mr. Right. You either do it, or you don't. It's none of my concern."

"But how am I—"

"Figure that out, Einstein," he said snarkily. I thought it would be impossible for that to happen. However, the universe seems to be on my side or karma decided I had enough. She presented a means to me. I didn't like treating her like that but since that was the only attitude she would believe, it would suffice.

For now.