"NO? WELL THEN, DO YOU KNOW WHY I BROUGHT YOU HERE?" Samantha tilted her head, smiling like she was amused and scoffed after getting no answer once again. "Oh come on, at least make an effort. We haven't seen each other for so long—"
"And I preferred it that way." His voice was razor-sharp. "Everything was better that way."
She blew out a slow breath, forcing her irritation into a brittle smile, "I was working as a waiter here after my father and I had an argument and well I met you, sitting alone by yourself—"
"Again I preferred it that way."
Her jaw clenched, "So I served your table. A handsome man, all alone, I thought you would be nice but instead you complained immensely about the state of the plate I served. Said that I should be fired. You know what I thought—"
"You were right to quit." He didn't even blink." You weren't any good." He said emotionlessly and casually as if his words weren't meant to anger her.
"Dick." She gritted her teeth, her nails curling into her palms. "That's what I thought. You complained about the smallest things and well I was scared of you."
"Of course you were."
"I thought you hated me until that one day when I saw you again. You were angry and I was angry too and that led to—"
"Why am I here, Samantha." Oliver's chair creaked as he leaned forward. His voice was ice. "You think this is some kind of nostalgia trip? I despise you. And you despise me. Every time we cross paths, I want to destroy you. So save the fake smiles. This little meeting or whatever the fuck it is is over. I'm leaving." He shoved his chair back but before he could leave Samantha hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and he immediately took ahold of hers.
However she didn't let go. "Oh come on, look at where you are. You wouldn't want to make a scene now would you?" She murmured, low enough that only he could hear, looking around at the people present.
He froze, his jaw tight. "Fuck you." He sneered.
" I love when you get physical with me but that can wait." She smirked, "This won't take long, I promise." Then her eyes went to his crooked tie, "Let me fix it."
"That's not for you to do." He shoved her hand away at the attempt and she shook her head, a sly expression playing on her face. One of trickery and games.
"I'm afraid it will be, you better learn to get comfortable with me now my short tempered lover."
He snickered at the word lover, "What are you saying, Samantha?" He sat down again and narrowed his eyes on her.
"You know you're very selfish, just how they say you are. I always loved you, you never returned that. Call it a one night stand if you may but it's deeper than that now. If you leave me," She lifted her purse from her lap and unzipped it to remove her phone, "This will be leaked."
The video played for just a second—enough to make Oliver's jaw twitch. He reached for the phone, but she yanked it back with a smug little shake of her head.
"Take it if you want." She said sweetly, " I made a fuck ton of copies."
He ground his teeth, "Is it money that you want?"
"Of course, when will I ever deny it?" She purred, "But the thing is I don't want it temporarily. I want more than that. Think more darling, "And to make sure that happens…"
Then, almost casually, she reached into her bag again. This time, she placed a slim folder on the table and slid it toward him.
Oliver's expression darkened. "What the hell is that?"
"Read it."
He didn't move.
Her smile turned cruel. "That's not all I have on you, darling. This one's a little more… permanent. Copies of contracts, records, those little mistakes you thought no one would ever find."
He grabbed the file, flipped it open, and his face went stone still.
"Go ahead, take it," Samantha said with a shrug. "I have plenty more where that came from. Do you think I'm stupid? You could burn that right now, and it wouldn't matter."
Oliver's fist clenched around the folder. "You're playing with fire."
"I've always liked the heat."
He stared at her, his mind working. Finally, he let the file drop back onto the table and sank back into his chair.
"You're insane," he said, his tone flat and deadly.
She leaned forward on her elbows, a sinister smile on her face, "We're getting married, love." She smirked and crossed her legs when she leaned back into the chair, "Surprise! We'll finally be all together. Daddy will be happy to meet you again too."
Oliver let out a low dark chuckle, "Never in my fucking life am I ever going to marry you. Not in this life and not the next one. This Samantha," He gestured to the both of them, "Will never happen."
"Then a scandal would."She said,"The whole world gets to see this," she said, tapping the folder with one perfectly manicured nail. "And the video, of course. A complete destruction of the perfect image you love so much."
You're pathetic."
"You're angry," she countered. "And scared. You think you're untouchable, but you're not. If this were to leak you'll only be known as a cheat, not to mention a liar am I not right? That reputation you've tried so hard to build will be tarnished."
"Leak it if you may, I'm not going to marry you."
"Excuse me." She batted her false lashes.
A million thoughts went through his head on how to get through the situation. He knew she was right and so he thought of the only thing that he could, and he wasn't even sure if it would work but…
Oliver's smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "I will be getting married, Samantha. Just not to you. Sorry, sweetheart, but I already belong to another woman. I cannot marry you when I am already to be married to someone else. If that were to happen, you would be known as a liar, am I not right?"
Her smile faltered for the first time. "You're lying."
"No, that's you."
"You're not engaged." She lifted her phone. "I'll post this right now. I know you're not."
"Go ahead. But if I am engaged, you just become another obsessed little liar desperate for attention. The story will die in a day just like the many others. Unimportant."
Her palms slammed onto the table, rattling the glasses. "When I find out you're lying, you'll regret this. You'll beg to marry me."
"You're the one making a scene now, Samantha." He stood, calm again, collected. He lifted a glass on the table and poured out the rest of her champagne. "Enjoy life without me," he said smoothly. "Though I know it'll be hard."
And with that, he walked away, leaving her seething.