CHAPTER 18


    Following supper, the males adjourned to the billiards room, while thedies opted for the music


    room''s karaoke session. Danie casually exited the music room on her way to check on AJ.


    Although Patty was in the room to keep an eye on AJ, she feltpelled to personally check on


    her. She was dressed in a lethal ck ninja suit with a crimson belt. While she was previously in the


    dining hall, she spotted the man who kept sneaking nces at her. Put an end to your thoughts


    about that man, she chided herself. She attempted to ignore him, but how could she when the man


    continued to give her an up and down nce, making her feel uneasy in her position. She was


    mildly tempted to flirt with her partner ninja for the night, despite the fact that his eyes were


    also...blue.


    Danie was on the verge of entering her bedroom when she encountered him in the corridor. What


    did he intend to do in the main house? Unless...


    "Pardon me. "Are you Mr. Ortega?" she inquired.


    "Yes?"


    His voice seemed simr to Marcus''s, but the guy had been gone for more than two years, and who


    knows whether she was dreaming things, and she should also notice that the man responded when


    she addressed him as Mr. Ortega. "Did you like your stay in the guest room?" She desired to hear


    from him on his satisfaction with his amodations or his desire to transfer. She instructed


    Paloma not to alter anything in the room, but when she returned, it had already been altered.


    Additionally, Paloma allocated an exclusive attendant to that guestroom, leading Lilian to believe


    Paloma was having an affair with Mr. Ortega.


    "Certainly, thank you. So, how are you doing?" Marcus grinned upon learning that the ninja was


    indeed Danie. He deduced that it would be enjoyable.


    What was the matter with her? Why did she sumb to that man''s hypnosis? "Of course," she said,


    though she wasn''t sure she''d make it until midnight. Her body had be ustomed to


    remainingte.


    Danie took a step towards Lilian''s room after checking on AJ. The mom was unable to attend the


    meal due to her daughter''s uncontroble weeping. "Lilian," she said as she knocked on the door.


    When Lilian allowed her in, sheplimented the geisha, "You''re lovely."


    Danie was convinced that the geisha outfit would be a better fit for her than Lilian''s. "What if we


    rece our costumester for photographing?" She made an offer.


    "Does it indicate my costume is superior to yours?" Lilian was adamant about not exchanging


    costumes with Danie. "Come on, let''s get going." She stated as the photographing would begin in


    a moment.


    When they arrived at the Zen garden, they found themselves gathered around a made-up stage


    with a backdrop of Japanese art. The photographing has begun sooner than anticipated.


    Paloma stood in front of the young guy with the camera in hand, doing her best to ensure the


    photographer captured her finest appearance for the night. Paloma was followed by sumo wrestlers


    who appeared to be in a battle, and then by a couple dressed as samurai warriors. The same is true


    for the other visitors.


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    When the photographer called her name to be the next in line, she felt frightened and uneasy, since


    she was unustomed to having her photographs taken in public. She had to remind herself that


    Paloma''s guest would be unable to identify her due to her ninja mask. She had already stepped


    onto the stage when the photographer summoned a spectator to join her. Danie''s eyes widened


    as Mr. Ortega joined her, but she decided to give the picture session her all because it was a one-


    time event.


    "Now, for yourst photograph, you must pose as if you''re a couple preparing to kiss." The


    photographer gave the instructions.


    "Kiss, kiss, kiss!" the mob chanted incessantly, and she feltpelled to join in. She reminded


    herself that she was doing this for pleasure.


    "All right, in one...two..." the photographer instructed the ninja pair to wait for his signal before their


    lips touched.


    Danie became worried as Mr. Ortega removed her mask and then the mask he was wearing, and


    her eyes widened when she recognized the guy. It was none other than her ex-husband, Marcus


    Madrigal, but it was toote to deny him with the audience roaring them on.


    "Three!"


    They heard the camera snap, but her brain was not operating properly as their lips connected, and


    the man continued to move forward long after the shot was taken. She required pinching the man''s


    side in order for him to quit humiliating her. Marcus reced their mask after the kiss before they


    descended off the tform... holding hands and vanishing into one of the garden''s dark corners.


    "How did you get here?" Danie inquired as to when they would be unheard. "Did you crash my


    mother''s birthday party?"


    "I was invited by Paloma, Dani." He replied, but the woman found it difficult. He then tightened his


    teeth as he recalled one of the reasons he came here: "Who was the other man?"


    She was perplexed since she hadn''t seen anyone since the celebration started. "What are you


    referring to?" Danie enquired.


    "You are Mugsy''s father,dy!" Marcus raged at Danie for feigning ignorance when he inquired


    about the identity of the man with whom she had slept apart from him.


    Danie smiled at his request, iming that he had no authority to inquire. "I don''t believe it is your


    business to find out," she said, "and you should have declined the invitation even if you received it."


    Danie mentally jotted down a note to speak with Lilianter. Her stepsister was in charge of guest


    supervision, and she was unaware that her ex-husband had been invited.


    Paloma''s decision to invite Marcus was perplexing, and she despised it. She believed she had


    made it quite obvious that thedy should refrain from interfering with her love life! "Did youe


    here using Mr. Ortega''s identity?" Danie questioned him as she recalled meeting him earlier in the


    corridor.


    Marcus chuckled at Danie''s irrationality. "I informed you that I was invited...and Ortega was


    present."


    Mr. Ortega remained an enigma to her, and she desired to learn more about his rtionship with


    Paloma. Was he a boyfriend or a casual acquaintance? Lilian, too, was suspicious! "Speak the truth


    to me, Marcus. What was your friend''s connection with my stepmother?"


    Marcus narrowed his brows as he realized why Danie wanted to know and that he should warn


    Ortega about Paloma''s daughter''s erroneous character evaluation. "Paloma was a client of his," he


    said.


    "Client? What then is his business?" She persisted in her inquiries.


    "Dani, it was a detective agency." He responded, but he refrained from going into detail at the


    moment. Danie did not need to know everything, but she was a wisedy, and before he could


    voice another untruth, Danie gazed at him as if she already knew. "What?" Suddenly, he felt


    uneasy with her look.


    "Are you sure you''re not working for Ortega?" Danie inquired, but she was certain that their


    rtionship extended beyond that of colleagues, and she discovered that they were also friends.


    Marcus gave a nod. "It was a part-time gig, Dani. I work full-time at Hacienda Vsquez as a


    farmhand." He was rarely verbose about what he did for a living and so on.


    What is a farmhand? Danie could only envision him looking wonderful with a cowboy hat. "I''m


    sure your side job provides you with enough money to travel," she remarked without blinking her


    eyes. Even in the dark, she would detect any attempt by Marcus to fabricate or embellish his


    ount.


    His mouth remained mped shut. Any erroneous word would increase her suspicions about his


    identity.


    "What? Are you sure you''re not going to tell me I was your job in Hong Kong?" When the man


    declined to respond to her statement, she dared to inquire.


    Danie was bing increasingly frightening as the minute went, and he was on the spot. If he


    were aware of the implications of his previous game, he would never attempt it. He believed he had


    the upper hand, but it turns out he was mistaken! "Paloma was afraid you might do anything


    unusual," he informed her.


    "Like procuring a man to conceive me?"


    "Perhaps," he shrugged.


    "Ortega must have forgotten to advise you not tobine business and pleasure," she replied,


    attempting to contain her emotions. She was enraged and dissatisfied. She had believed that they


    were thrown together by fate, but she was only a job for Marcus, and the darn man wanted to flirt


    with her!


    "He did, but you want my presence." Marcus reminded Danie of the few times the woman had


    attempted to gain his attention.


    "And I forced myself into you," she concluded the statement Marcus was unable to continue without


    upsetting her. He nodded, and she gave a sour chuckle. To be honest, she hoped he would return


    to her, but following his recent revtion, she realized she had wasted a lot of time waiting.


    "However, you are not permitted to stay here, and I hope I do not see you again in the morning."


    She stated as she shifted her gaze away from him.


    "I''m leaving when the celebration is finished!" Marcus chose not to shrink in the face of the cruel


    woman. One incorrect move and he would resemble Samuel!


    "All right, then, when they identify you, im to be a ghost!" Everything would be OK if he could


    remain invisible to the servants, her stepsister, and Paloma.


    "I understand why you''re not pleased to see me, but Paloma will be disappointed if I bring Ortega."


    Marcus utilized information gleaned from workers to determine that Ortega was a VIP for Paloma''s


    birthday.


    "That is extortion!" When the man spoke Ortega''s name, she screamed.


    "Perhaps, but allow me to make one point, Dani." He stated as he drew closer to her, "You look


    stunning today," he murmured as he blew hot air into her ears.