Memory of the Heart

Chapter 41: Contract Reveal

Luke has been running around for a while now while searching for a particular woman.

'Just where could she have gone to pick flowers? Why take so long?' Luke thought.

Out of nowhere though, he heard faint sobbing sounds and saw a familiar figure's back.

As he heard the painful little sounds, Luke became worried as he slowly approached the figure.

It's the first time he had seen that woman cry and he did not expect that she would cry this much. Even though she was the one crying, it felt like it was him who was hurting instead.

"Hey, why are you crying for, hmm?" Luke whispered softly, as he took Dalena in a back embrace without warning.

With his hold though, Dalena immediately flinched and pushed him away with all her strength. Her sobbing suddenly stopped but she was still catching her breath.

Luke worriedly looked at her swollen red eyes, but Dalena just glared at him back as she wiped off her remaining tears.

"Get away from me! You are the last person I want to see now!" Dalena screamed.

"Huh? Why are you so upset for? Please calm down, let's talk this out, alright?" Luke calmly replied.

In an attempt to comfort his woman, Luke reached out for Dalena's hand but she moved away before he could even touch it.

"No! Oh please, just stop being so pretentious!" Dalena said in an aggressive tone.

Luke, on the other hand, just looked at her with a confused expression. He really had no idea why Dalena was reacting like this.

"You're still not stopping because you still haven't slept with me, right? Do you just want to fuck me now so you can stop bothering me already? Huh?" Dalena asked, challenging him.

Luke was surprised once again at how Dalena violently reacted, especially the vulgar words she's saying.

Then, just while Luke was processing Dalena's reaction, Dalena started to unbutton the nanny uniform she was wearing. There were buttons at the front, that's why it was easy for her to do it.

When the cleavage of her plump breasts appeared in front of Luke's sight, he groaned and stopped her immediately by holding her hand that was unbuttoning the buttons.

"Ugh! What are you doing!? Okay, I do lust for you but that's not all of it ok? I like you! I have real feelings for you!" Luke said in an aggrieved tone.

"Bullshit!" Dalena let out. It was only supposed to be in her thoughts, but she unconsciously screamed that to Luke.

She glared at him once again and because she couldn't control it as she was frustrated, new tears started to form in the corner of her eyes.

"Please, just stop... You want to play with me, right? That's why you had that specific condition in the contract that was made. I don't want to lose my job and I genuinely enjoy working with Little George. I can't afford the penalty and going against that contract so please, just let me be." Dalena said in a shaky voice.

Afterwards, as if she had let everything that has been bothering her, Dalena let out painful sobs. Her throat was actually hurting as well, from all the crying that she has been doing.

Luke frowned his eyebrows as he was still confused and at the same time, his heart was hurting even more at the sight of Dalena's appearance. Why does she have to cry so much for? Does she not know how much she's hurting him right now?

'Maybe because she saw me and Nori hanging out? But how could Nori compare to her? She's like my sister.'

Sensing that it may be because of Eleanor's presence, Luke quickly spoke.

"If you are reacting like that because of Eleanor being around, please do not worry. She is like another sister to me. We were engaged before but only for a short while, as it was arranged and it was only for publicity. I needed to be engaged with her as part of the former duke's conditions for me to inherit the title. I never had that sort of relationship with her..." Luke explained gently.

Although Dalena's eyes were quivering, she still had a frowning expression on her face. She glared at Luke while her sobs still haven't calmed down.

"Bullshit. Stop spouting bullshit."

She didn't even care now that she was swearing at him.

Realising that the explanation wasn't enough, Luke sighed and held Dalena's hands even more tightly, refusing to let her go.

"And what do you mean with what you said back then? What contract?"

At the mention of that cursed word, Dalena's expression became even uglier. Was it even possible? Dalena didn't even know.

"Can you stop playing dumb, Your Grace? You clearly know what contract it is! My employment contract, didn't you tell Sir Hamish to create it specifically!?"

Luke looked even more dumbfounded. What was up with the employment contract? Was it not the standard one?

It was shameful, but Dalena has actually read the contract a million times. It was her way to remind herself to stay on her place and because she has read it that much, it came to a point where she has actually memorised that particular rule number twelve.

She's fucked in the head, she admits that.

"Rule Number Twelve - Must not fall in love with the 11th Duke of Rothesay, Luke Alexander Grosvenor. Penalty: Once the employee develops such atrocious feelings for His Grace, the contract will be terminated immediately. The Grosvenor Group will call the Work & Immigration Department to send the employee back to their home country. At the same time, depending on the situation, the employee may be asked to return every payslip that the Grosvenor Group has provided for her." Dalena declared in a shaky voice.

Luke had to blink a few times just to make sure what he was hearing was right. It's the first time he has heard of such a thing in the contract.

"What the fuck? I never ordered such a rule?" Luke angrily swore, which is highly contradicting to his image.

While her tears were still falling down, Dalena let out a sarcastic laugh.

"You're making me look like a liar now that you're trapped in your own trap, Your Grace? I honestly didn't think you would be this kind of indecent man. I kind of looked up to your character before." Dalena gritted in a frustrated voice.

Because Luke was too dazed at the situation, Dalena had the opportunity to let go of Luke's grasp on her hand.

Once that happened, Dalena ran far, far away and never once looked back at the stunned duke.