I Am An Illegitimate Child With A Legitimate Reason For Revenge-Chapter 34: A partnership contract?

In the following days, Ariel made little passes to Marco both openly and secretly. Marco foolishly went ahead and put meaning to her actions while daydreaming about the day he could get her laid.

Also, the distance between Ariel and Raymond seemed to expand. Though she continued with everything she usually did and did not avoid him, it was clear that she was trying her best not to get involved with him if it didn’t have to do with her act.

"It’s been a week." Raymond said and a startled Ariel raised her head from her food.

They were having dinner but she did not think he’d suddenly bring up that issue while they were eating. How was she going to stomach her food now?

"I..."

"I need a response from the other party, White." Raymond said, confusing her but at the same time, relieving her. He wasn’t talking to her. He wasn’t talking about Marco.

"They seemed to be silent for their own selfishness." White answered. "But I’ll be able to convince them, if you let me."

"Alright." Raymond drank from his wine glass and looked up at Ariel. "Were you about to say something?" He asked and she shook her head.

"N-No." She said and faced her food.

Raymond looked at her as she ate and continued his own meal.

After the meal, he called her to his study.

Ariel was a bit nervous, wondering why he was calling for her all of a sudden? And to his study room? She never went to the study room.

She took in a deep breath before opening the door.

"You’re here?" He asked and Ariel gazed at him. He was wearing a simple Tshirt but his appearance was far from simple. The shirt did not do him justice at all. "Come in."

Obediently, she walked in and stood before him.

Raymond took out a document from his drawer and handed it to her.

"Here, read this and sign." He said and a confused Ariel wondered what it was. Then, she caught the heading.

"A partnership contract?" She looked up at him but he did not say anything about it and just let her read it. ’What is this, all of a sudden?’ She couldn’t help but gulp.

To her, she was a chess piece, a pawn, that could be thrown away the moment her role was fulfilled, so to suddenly see this, it was like Raymond was telling her that there was more to her. And that she had more responsibilities by being his partner.

Though confusing as it was, she felt elated. There was nothing that pleased her more than to know that Raymond needed her.

Ariel picked up the pen in haste and attempted to sign when she hadn’t even read anything more than the headline.

Just as she was about to sign, Raymond took the pen and she looked up.

"I said to read it before signing. Never blindly sign a contract, no matter how pleasing the surface might look. You could get cheated."

"But it’s from you." She suddenly said, stunning him.

"What?"

"Even if I get cheated, I don’t have much to lose, do I?" She asked and Raymond fell silent. This girl... She was a real piece of work, wasn’t she?

"You’re right." He said. "But I cannot be satisfied unless you read the terms carefully. In a contract, both parties have to be satisfied with the terms given by both sides."

’In other words, I can add my own terms?’ Ariel wondered but failed to voice it out as she stared at his expressionless face.

Left with no option, Ariel read through the contract, though there were a lot of places she did not understand, she understood the key points.

"Party A and party B must be fully fulfilled and satisfied with each other’s service before their connection can come to an end." Ariel read out and looked up at him. He gave a slight nod and she continued. "If there is a chance where party A suddenly finds a new reason to need party B, party B must comply and be of utmost help to party A." She paused.

"Why did you stop?" Raymond asked.

"Party A in this context is talking about...?"

"You. You are party A." He said and she found herself swallowing her saliva.

"What exactly does this part mean?" She asked, her gaze unsteady on his and he dropped his folded arms.

"It means exactly what it entails." He said. "If in the future, after you and I have successfully gotten our revenge on the people we hate, there might be a chance when you need me and my ’resources’, I will make sure to help you to my utmost best." He explained and Ariel once again stared into his gaze.

For some reason, her heart leapt in joy.

"Does... Does that only entail when we have accomplished our revenge plan?" She suddenly found herself asking and he thought about it.

It didn’t cross his mind that there might be anything other than revenge in Ariel’s mind at the moment. After all, the only thing she looked like she wanted to do was to drive a knife in the backs of all the dirt bags in her life.

"I suppose not." He answered and looked at her. "If there is any reason you need me other than for your revenge, I will help you out. Ariel, you should use me as much as I use you, okay?" He said and once again, Ariel swallowed hard on her saliva.

How does this make them sense? She has yet to pay him back for saving her. And here he was trying to make their values equal before the other?

And other than that, her status... Her status as a pawn was wavering. He said she could use him? What exactly did that mean? What could she use him for?

This contract... It felt too good to be true. Was that why he asked her to read it first? It didn’t make sense.

"Here." Raymond handed her back her pen and she took it with quivering hands.

Her hands weren’t trembling because she was scared or anything of that sort. Rather, it was because she felt too elated that she couldn’t really say, show or express it.

If she wasn’t paying him back now, that meant she could stick to him far longer in the future with a valid reason.

And right now, the only thing she could really think about, the only thing she needed Raymond for, was to satisfy the little greed that was creeping up in her heart.

She couldn’t believe that he needed her to such an extent of labeling her as a partner and not a pawn. She needed some kind of proof that he would really do what she wanted, whenever she asked.

"Are you okay?" Raymond asked, noticing her unusual pause and her slight tremble.

"Sir Raymond," Ariel called with her gaze down. "Will you really do what I want?" She asked, trying to clearly confirm it before making a huge mistake.

"Yes."

"Then, will you pat my head each time I do well?" She asked and he tilted his head.

Every time... he kept forgetting that Ariel, despite how she showed herself to the world, was a weak naive little girl who was desperate for affection and recognition.

She wanted to be recognized for her hard work? He could do that but anything closer to affection, he couldn’t do that.

"Alright." He nodded and Ariel squeezed her pen, wanting to go for the other that was weighing in her mind.

"Then, will you let me make you happy?"