《The billionaire鈥檚 true love》


 01

    The most difficult thing for me to do was to pick out a dress. I mean, for an aspiring model, dressing up was not easy, at least in regr life. But for me, picking out the perfect outfit required a lot of time.


    ¡°Maybe I should wear the green dress,¡± I muttered to myself. As soon as I plucked it out of my closet, I put it back in.


    ¡°No.¡± I ran my eyes over my dresses hanging on the metal rail. ¡°Maybe the blue one?¡± When I removed the blue dress, it took everything in me not to groan out loud. Damn it, I needed to go shopping, none of these dresses were perfect for today, nothing.


    It was in times like this when I missed Hailey the most, my best friend. She always helped me pick out the right dress, and now, I had no one to help me with my clothing dilemma. Hailey was happily married to Theodore; and even though I was happy for my best friend, I missed her and couldn¡¯t help but feel a tiny bit jealous. She had the perfect man-crazy and dominating, but perfect.


    Sighing, I gave up on searching for the perfect dress. Maybe I should find a new best friend since Hailey was now busy with her husband and her soon-to-be-born twins. But I knew no one would be able to rece Hailey. She had always stayed with me, always helped me, and there was no one like her.


    Before I could dwell more on my best friend and her new life, my cell phone rang. Checking the caller ID, I epted the call when I saw it was Jose. He was a photographer, who I hooked up with once. Sex with Jose proved to be a scary experience for me because I thought I was pregnant with his baby, but thank the Lord it was just a false rm.


    ¡°Hello Jose, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked, making myselffortable on the couch.


    ¡°Hi Amanda, I got good news for you?¡± Jose sounded cheerful, which meant that whatever he wanted to tell me was really good.


    ¡°Oh, what is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, a new fashionpany wants you to model their dresses, and let me tell you, Amanda, the dresses are amazing,¡± Jose replied.


    My heart started pounding with excitement. Oh my God, apany wanted me to model for them; I couldn¡¯t believe my dream was about toe true.


    ¡°What is the name of the clothing brand?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a weird French name, it¡¯s not a big brand, but the dresses are amazing. You can meet me in a few days and I¡¯ll take you to them, then you can decide if you want to model for them,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Definitely. Are you free after three days?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Yes I am, we can meet at a cafe, and go from there. But Amanda, the dresses are truly beautiful, and I¡¯m a guy!¡± I had never heard Joseplimenting any clothing brand before, and now, he couldn¡¯t stop talking about this one. Now I really wanted to model for this brand and I had no idea what it was.


    ¡°Yeah, all right. I¡¯ll see you in three days. Thanks Jose.¡± With that I hung up with a smile on my face. Since the moment Jose and I hooked up, he and I had be pretty good friends. Both of us just needed a night of casual sex, no strings attached, and I was d that Jose and I were friends now.


    Feeling happier than I had been all day, I decided to go shopping. I was addicted to shopping, and it was my source offort no matter what the situation was. I was d that I had started to earn money. Maybe one day, some famous designer would want me to model their dresses.


    Grabbing my purse from my closet, I checked my wallet and counted my money, and only when I was satisfied that I had enough to buy a dress or two did I put my wallet in my purse. I grabbed my cell phone and was about to leave my room when it started ringing again.


    ¡°Hello boss man,¡± I said to Theodore with a grin on my face. I had no idea why Theodore was calling me, but whatever it was, I would listen to him, for Hailey.


    ¡°Hello Amanda, how are you?¡± Theodore asked me politely.


    ¡°I¡¯m great, boss man, how are you?¡± I had never stopped calling Theodore boss man, and I never would.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, thank you. Listen, I wanted to invite you to dinner. My whole family is going to be there, and I would love it if you cane.¡± He told me.


    My heart sank when he mentioned that his whole family would be there. I never did well around families. For some reason, I thought that families judged me, a lot, and I hated that. If Theodore had told me he was inviting me to dinner with only him and Hailey, I would¡¯ve agreed in a heartbeat, but now, I wasn¡¯t so eager.


    ¡°Uh, boss man, I don¡¯t know your family, what am I going to do there?¡± I queried.


    ¡°I¡¯ve invited Ingrid and April as well, you know, Hailey¡¯s cousins, so you¡¯ll know somebody there,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Yeah but, it¡¯s your family, won¡¯t I be intruding?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to go.


    ¡°No you won¡¯t be intruding at all. Look, the reason I want you to be there is because I am going to propose to Hailey, and I want her family and my family to be there, so please don¡¯t think about declining, Hailey will be happy if you¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be there, when is it?¡± I finally relented, only because I wanted to be there for my best friend. And I kinda fell in love with Theodore when he told me he was going to propose to Hailey, the man really loved her.


    ¡°Tonight.¡± The word had my heart stopping. I nced at the clock to see it was already 5:30 pm.


    ¡°What?!¡± I nearly shrieked. Shit! I had no dress, what the hell was I going to wear?!


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s short notice but please, Amanda, you have to be there, you are important to Hailey, she won¡¯t be happy if you¡¯re not there,¡± Theodore pleaded.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I heaved an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Where is the dinner going to be held?¡± I asked, eyeing my closet as if it was my life saver.


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you the name and address of the restaurant right now.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be there at 7:30,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Great, thank you so much, Hailey will be happy to see you.¡± With that, Theodore hung up, leaving me to worry about the perfect dress.


    Dropping my phone and purse on the bed, I headed towards my closet. ¡°Okay, now please give me the perfect dress to wear for this dinner.¡± I pleaded to my closet. I wished I had magic so I could conjure up the perfect outfit for this asion.


    Flinging the doors of my closet open, I grabbed a bunch of dresses and took them out and threw them on the bed. I did this until my closet was empty and all my clothes were strewn on the bed. Then, I begun to inspect each and every dress I owned thoroughly, and the outfits which were a definite ¡®no¡¯ were flung to the other corner, while the dresses that could be worn to a formal dinner remained on the bed. At the end, I was left with ten dresses. And after another round of thorough inspection, I finally settled on a blue dress.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    It was a blue gradient dress made up of sheer chiffon. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and fell just a few inches above my knee. The upper part of the dress was a beautiful dark blue and the color lightened as it flowed south, forming a beautiful gradient. And since I could pair the dress with my jewelled heels, I thought it would be perfect for this dinner. With a silent ¡®thank you¡¯ to God above, I quickly went to change.


    ~*~*~*~*


    I arrived at the restaurant at 7:15 pm. The restaurant was beautiful and looked expensive, I could tell that it was the perfect ce for a proposal. I eyed a grand table with sses and other utensils before my eyes fell upon Ingrid. Sighing in relief, I headed in her direction.


    ¡°Hi Ingrid,¡± I said with a smile. She was talking to a  beautiful red head.


    Ingrid turned to face me with a smile. ¡°Hey Amanda, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here. Listen, do me a favor and go talk to April, she looks as if she needs a savior.¡± Ingrid gently shoved me in the direction of April, who was standing in a corner while a guy who strongly resembled Theodore was trying to talk to her.


    ¡°Hi April,¡± I said, hoping she wouldn¡¯t tell me to go away.


    When April¡¯s eyes found mine, instant relief shown in those vibrant green eyes. She sniled at me, God she was adorable.


    ¡°Hi Amanda, it¡¯s nice to see you. You look beautiful,¡± sheplimented.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uh, this is Harry, Theodore¡¯s younger brother.¡± She introduced me to the man who was talking to her. He looked exactly like Theodore, only leaner. He looked amazing in his suit.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Amanda, Hailey¡¯s best friend,¡± I said to Harry, who nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Harry said but his gaze was fixated on April, who looked like a real version of Snow White.


    ¡°Where are Theodore and Hailey?¡± I enquired, wanting to make conversation.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t arrived yet, they¡¯lle around 8:30, you should sit down and rx,¡± Harry suggested.


    ¡°I need some water.¡± Harry pointed at the table where a crystal jug stood proudly, water glimmering against the light. Excusing myself, I went to the grand table, grabbed the jug and a ss and poured water in it. cing the jug back, I brought the ss to my lips but the sound a throat clearing had me stopping. I turned to my left to see another handsome man standing, wearing a navy suit. He had dark hair like Theodore, charcoal gray eyes, and lips that begged to be kissed. He was not only handsome, he was downright sexy. He rivaled Theodore in the looks department.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Trent, Theodore¡¯s cousin, and you are?¡± He asked. His voice had my knees trembling.


    ¡°I¡¯m Amanda, Hailey¡¯s best friend.¡± I introduced myself.


    Trent arched his eyebrow in an arrogant manner. ¡°I see, you are the crazy best friend,¡± he stated.


    My temper ignited. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Why on Earth was he calling me crazy? He didn¡¯t know anything about me.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. And since you don¡¯t know me, I suggest you keep yourments and opinions to yourself,¡± I snapped. I had a short temper, and when people judged me without knowing me, they automatically went on my hate list.


    ¡°See, like I said, totally crazy.¡± This man had no manners. And why was he calling me crazy when he didn¡¯t even know me. Did Hailey tell him about me? No, Hailey would never bad-mouth me in front of anyone.


    I mmed the ss on the table, not loud enough for people to hear. I moved forward until I was standing inches away from Trent and gave him my most deadly re. He had no idea who he was dealing with.


    ¡°Listen you arrogant pig, you don¡¯t know me, so keep your mouth shut before I actually staple your lips together. And no matter how much I love the visual of your sealed lips, I am going to be a considerate human and let you off this once, so get the hell away from me,¡± I spat.


    Trent ran his eyes over my body, making me feel exposed, before stepping forward until his minty breath fanned my face. However, I did not let him intimidate me. Men like Trent just wanted to feel superior, and I knew exactly how to deal with people like him.


    ¡°I know enough to say that you are crazy, stubborn, and a pain in the ass. I am pretty good at reading people, shady,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°It looks like your reading skills can use some polishing, because your interpretation of me is far from urate,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Whatever you say, shady,¡± he stated.


    ¡°And don¡¯t call me shady! What does that even mean?!¡± This guy was an utter prick.


    Once again, Trent ran his eyes over me. ¡°I¡¯ll call you shady because you are shady.¡± He eyed my dress as he said this.


    I frowned and followed his gaze, and realization finally dawned upon me. ¡°Are you serious?! You are calling me shady because of my dress?! My dress has shades of blue, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m shady,¡± I snarled. How was this guy even rted to Theodore, he was an ass!


    ¡°It¡¯s not just your dress, although, I did get the name from there, but it¡¯s also you, shady,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°Keep your stupid interpretations about me to yourself, I¡¯m not interested in hearing about them,¡± I stated, feeling my blood beginning to simmer.


    ¡°Look shady, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re interested or not, I¡¯ll call you whatever I want.¡± I had a really goodeback for that, but before I could utter a word, all of Theodore¡¯s family along with April and Ingrid sat down at the table. Narrowing my eyes at Trent, I turned and a pulled out a chair for me to sit.


    I huffed as I sat down, trying my best to calm down, but I wasn¡¯t seeding. Grabbing the ss of water which I had neglected earlier because of Trent, I quickly gulped the refreshing liquid down. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I sighed in relief when I saw April sitting next to me and Harry sitting next to her. Ingrid sat next to the red head, both of them engrossed in conversation.


    The empty chair next to me was pulled and sat down the man who was quickly making himself number one on my hate list. Trent sat down next to me, and my temper red once more. I had a feeling that I only had to look at Trent to have my temper exploding.


    ¡°Go sit somewhere else, I¡¯d like to eat my dinner in peace,¡± I snarled.


    Trent chuckled before fixing his dark gaze on me. ¡°Trust me, shady, I did not expect my evening to be ruined by a crazy woman, but you don¡¯t always get what you want.¡± Suddenly, I was itching to p him.


    ¡°Go sit somewhere else,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Can¡¯t, no empty seat left.¡± I would¡¯ve gotten up to switch seats with someone, but I didn¡¯t know anyone. Ingrid and April were both busy talking to the people next to them, I didn¡¯t want to be rude. So I stayed put; I¡¯d endure Trent¡¯s nasty presence, for Hailey.


    ¡°So shady, what do you do?¡± Trent asked, mirth dripping from his words.


    I ignored him; at least I tried to, but the man was worse than bed bugs. When I did not respond, he begun clinking his fork against the ss; the noise blinding me with rage.


    ¡°Would you stop that?!¡± I hissed, ring at him. I looked around to see if anyone else would scold Trent for creating such a racket, but no one seemed to notice.


    ¡°You should keep your temper in check, shady. People can do bad things to you.¡± Why did I feel like he was threatening me?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you mind your goddamn business for once, and stop worrying about my temper. And for thest time, stop calling me shady!¡±


    ¡°I should do something about that temper, don¡¯t you think so, shady?¡±


    All right, I had enough of him. I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought but I saw Hailey and Theodoreing towards us. Forcing my venomous words back, I stood up and went to meet Hailey. I shouldn¡¯t waste my breath on Trent, I had to be there for my best friend.


    So with a smile on my face, I stood up and went to meet my best friend.

 02

    Part 2


    The rest of evening passed by without anymore insults being exchanged between me and Trent, or so I thought. However, even though I tried my best to ignore his eerie presence next to me, it didn¡¯t stop Trent from aggravating me. When I did not talk to him, he began kicking me under the tables, and if it wasn¡¯t for my best friend, I would¡¯ve forgotten about any kind of decorum and would¡¯ve pped Trent silly.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem?¡± I hissed, ring at Trent. He had been constantly kicking me under the table and I¡¯d had enough.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± He asked me innocently like I was using him of a crime he didn¡¯tmit.


    ¡°Stop kicking me,¡± I ordered, trying my best to keep my voice low. Across from me, I saw Hailey and Theodore sitting, talking like there was no one in the restaurant except them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kicking you. I¡¯m just moving my leg around and your leg is in the way, shady,¡± he argued.


    Before I respond, Theodore stood up looking nervous. Oh boy, he was going to propose now. My heart gave a nervous flutter as a saw Theodore¡¯s face. He was acting like he was about to propose his girlfriend rather than his wife. But at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the fact that Theodore loved my best friend so much, he was going to propose like a normal gentleman.


    If only the rest of his family members were like him. I thought as I nced at Trent with disapproval. Why did I get the feeling that Trent was adopted? Was it because of the strange way he acted? Was it because he was more unnerving than any other of Theodore¡¯s family members? I mean, Harry was nice, and so were the other cousins, but Trent was different; there was something strange about him, something that made him different than the others.


    I cursed myself when all of a sudden I heard hoots and apuse, only to realize I had missed the proposal because I was thinking about Trent. Damn him. But I managed to put a smile on my face, so Hailey wouldn¡¯t know that I had barely paid attention to her proposal. Theodore kissed Hailey and she kissed him back like he was the first and thest guy on Earth. It was strange how she was kissing and married to the man she was initially running from. Fate worked in strange ways. I was happy to know that she was happy with Theodore; people should embrace danger once in a while.


    ¡°God, your thoughts are so loud, I bet I can hear them even in the men¡¯s bathroom,¡± Trentmented, eyeing his cousin with what could only be described as brotherly love.


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m thinking?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Who says you¡¯re not?¡± He shot back.


    ¡°When will this be over, I can¡¯t wait to get away from you,¡± I seethed.


    ¡°And you think getting out of this dinner is going to aplish that?¡± Trent enquired.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered immediately.


    He shook his head. ¡°You are more stupid than I give you credit for,¡± he replied.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Do you always do this or is today a special day?¡± I queried bitterly.


    ¡°Do what? And today is a special day, look how happy Theodore and Hailey are,¡± he said.


    ¡°Make people feel like they would rather bang their heads against the wall repeatedly than talk to you,¡± I rified.


    ¡°No why?¡± Okay, even I could tell he was feigning ignorance.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s how I feel right now¡­while talking to you,¡± I answered with a shrine smile.


    ¡°You know what I think?¡± He started.


    ¡°Oh no, please don¡¯t, I¡¯m sure bad things happen when you think, so please, don¡¯t think,¡± I muttered, going back to eating my dinner.


    He ignored my jibe. ¡°I think, your little brain can¡¯t handle my level of intellect,¡± he stated arrogantly.


    ¡°Your level of intellect rivals that of the monkeys, so yeah you¡¯re right, I can¡¯t handle it,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Trash talk, very nice. See, just your words are enough to tell me all I need to know about you, and you¡¯re pretty stupid-it is nearly impossible for you to think at a higher level, it¡¯s rather sad,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t need to know what you think of me. I know people like you. You people think you are superior than the rest of the human race, and you try your best to degrade and insult people just to satisfy your huge egos¡­I think there is a disorder for that, I don¡¯t remember the name though,¡± I replied. I was really trying hard to keep my voice at a decent volume, but Trent was making it bloody difficult.


    ¡°Disorder? If you think intelligence is a disorder, then shady, I know you flunked Psychology in high school,¡± he retorted.


    I blushed at hisment. How in the world did he know I flunked Psychology in high school? Was I that obvious? But I was right; an extremely high IQ was a sign that the person was not¡­well normal. At least, that was what the inte said.


    ¡°Stop calling me shady.¡± I changed the subject. This guy was creepy.


    ¡°Stop acting shady and I¡¯ll stop calling you shady,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Why am I wasting my breath on you anyways?¡± I muttered to myself.


    It¡¯s because he¡¯s right, you are stupid.


    ¡°So how did you and Hailey be friends?¡± Trent questioned.


    ¡°Can you tell me why you are talking to me if you think I¡¯m so stupid? Shouldn¡¯t you be talking to people with abnormally high level of intellect?¡± I queried, wishing Jose was here so I could talk to someone other than Trent.


    ¡°I like to maintain a bnce in my life. If I associate with scientists and schrs then I also take time out to mingle with people like you.¡± Trent told me.


    ¡°People like me?¡± I raised my eyebrows.


    ¡°Yeah, you know, ordinary ones,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Ordinary?! You think I¡¯m ordinary?!¡± I was fuming. Trent was perfect for those who wanted their self esteems to be buried six feet under.


    ¡°No. You are not ordinary, I don¡¯t quite know what you are, yet. That¡¯s why I keep telling you to stop acting shady, that way I¡¯ll be able to get a better read on you,¡± he said.


    ¡°So you¡¯re ming me for your lousy skills at reading people, fantastic,¡± I mocked.


    ¡°My skills at reading people are better than you think, shady. Like I said, you failed Psychology in high school, and you really did fail,¡± he argued.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Oh please, you can¡¯t fool me. You blushed like a tomato after I said that, which means you are guilty,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Oh please, it¡¯s hot in here,¡± I fibbed.


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t. When they are guilty, females either blush or change the subject, and mind you, you did both. So yeah, my reading skills are perfect,¡± he stated confidently.


    ¡°You sexist pig! You wouldn¡¯t know how females think even if your precious schrs and scientists searched for eons.¡± I stood up and stormed into the bathroom. This Trent guy was too much.


    ¡°Females blush when they¡¯re guilty, ha, as if! Everybody was different!¡± I muttered to myself as I pushed the bathroom door open and stormed inside.


    ¡°Who the hell does he think he is?! Arrogant animal!¡± I continued bbing to myself, totally unaware of the fact that there might be someone other than me in the bathroom.


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Came a soft voice that made my heart threaten to burst free. I yelped and clutched my chest, takenpletely off guard.


    ¡°Oh, April, hi, what are you doing here?¡± I asked breathlessly.


    She gave me a funny look. ¡°Uhh, using the bathroom,¡± she said like it should¡¯ve been obvious.


    ¡°Right, of course, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, right.¡± I really needed to stop talking.


    ¡°And you are here because you need to cool off, I presume,¡± she said.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I asked in an overly chirpy tone. I was making it so obvious!


    ¡°Uhh, because it¡¯s obvious,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Right.¡± I needed to change the subject fast. ¡°So, are you enjoying the party?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Party?¡±


    ¡°Party, dinner, whatever it is, are you having fun?¡± I looked at my reflection to see if my face was red; usually when I was mad, I resembled an angry strawberry.


    April blushed. ¡°Yeah, everybody is really nice,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°And you are blushing because?¡± I turned on the faucet, sighing in contentment as cold water flowed over my hands and down the drain.


    ¡°You know, Psychology says it takes only one fifth of a second to fall in love,¡± she said.


    Oh my God! What is up with people and Psychology today?!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Well, I thought it was silly, I mean, who can fall in love in one fifth of a second? But, now I think it might be true,¡± she confessed, blushing deeper.


    ¡°The fuck?¡± I raised my eyebrows, shocked at her words. ¡°Did you fall in love already?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, maybe¡­I think so¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± How could you fall in love so quickly?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it feels like to be in love,¡± she exined.


    ¡°And who is it that you think you¡¯ve ¡®fallen in love with¡¯?¡± I air quoted thest words.


    April murmured something I was unable to catch before lowering her eyes, staring at the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Harry Benson.¡± My hand froze on the tap as her words registered. No way. That was not possible.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± she responded.


    ¡°You just met him,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s the weird part,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°April, you can¡¯t love Harry¡­not when you¡¯ve just met him. I mean, this is real life not a Disney movie where a girl falls in love with a prince in less than four seconds and lives happily ever after. Love takes time,¡± I stated.


    April smiled in a way that made me think she was way older than twenty two. ¡°You¡¯re right, Amanda, this is real life, not a Disney movie. But I cannot agree that love takes time. Love happens in a blink of an eye and some realize it while some don¡¯t,¡± she replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Really? Hailey is a perfect living, breathing example. She didn¡¯t know she had fallen in love until after she was forced to marry Theodore.¡± She stepped closer to me, as if getting ready to tell me a secret. ¡°And I think, the same thing is going to happen to you. You will fall in love in the strangest of ways, and you won¡¯t know it until much muchter. And by then, you¡¯ll be so deeply in love with that man, you wouldn¡¯t be able to get out no matter how much you want to.¡±


    Her words scared me. Even though, I did not believe her, April¡¯s words shook me deeply. It felt like April could see into the future, predicting theing events of our lives. However, a part of me couldn¡¯t help but believe her, and that was what scared me the most.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. For me, my career is my first and only love. I don¡¯t and never will have time for any man,¡± I said with conviction.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they all say, and they are ones who get sucked in the fastest in the quicksand that is love,¡± she stated matter of factly.


    What was wrong with her? Why was she talking like this? I thought April was sweet and innocent, but right now, she appeared to be older and wiser beyond her years. It was like she knew all about the mysteries of love and how people reacted to it.


    ¡°Like I said, falling in love with Harry when you only just met him is impossible.¡± I was not going to deviate from my words just because April said some weird futuristic shit.


    ¡°Nothing is impossible when ites to love.¡± I didn¡¯t think she was going to let go of this.


    ¡°Does he like you back?¡± I asked instead, desperate for a change of subject.


    ¡°I think he does, but I¡¯m not sure. The males are a strange specie; they think something else, they do something else, it¡¯s weird,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you somehow rted to Trent?¡± I blurted out.


    April frowned. ¡°Why would I be rted to Trent?¡± She asked.


    Because you sound exactly like him.


    ¡°No reason,¡± I said instead.


    ¡°Right. Well, like I was saying. I think I¡¯m in love because I¡¯m getting these vibes.¡±


    Yup, definitely rted to him.


    ¡°You mean to say that you are reading Harry?¡± I tried to make sense of her words.


    ¡°Yes. Ingrid says I¡¯m a really good judge of character. I am good at reading people,¡± April replied.


    What is up with these guys reading people?! I mean, can¡¯t they read regr novels andic books?!


    ¡°You are definitely rted to Trent,¡± I muttered to myself.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± April enquired.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Okay well, I should get back,¡± she said, turning to leave.


    ¡°Good luck with him,¡± I said.


    ¡°Harry¡¯s a really great guy,¡± April said before exiting the bathroom.


    ¡°I wish I could say same about Trent,¡± I mumbled, before following her out of the bathroom.


    When I arrived back at the table, everyone looked about ready to leave. Theodore and Hailey were talking with a bunch of Theodore¡¯s cousins, while Harry and April were speaking in hushed voices.


    ¡°What were you doing in the bathroom?¡± I jumped at hearing Trent¡¯s voice, I had not heard hime up behind me.


    I turned to re at him. ¡°I was avoiding you,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Avoiding me is not going to get you anything,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean by that?¡± This man was cryptic.


    ¡°Exactly what I said,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ve had enough of you for one day. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± I turned to walk towards Hailey and Theodore, wanting to say goodbye.


    ¡°Wait. You forgot your purse.¡± Trent held out my purse for me to take.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Without another word, I strode over to where Hailey and Theodore were standing.


    ¡°Hey, I came to tell you I¡¯m leaving, it¡¯s gettingte.¡± I told Hailey.


    She hugged me. ¡°All right. Thank you so much foring, I¡¯ll call you tomorrow,¡± she said, her eyes shimmering with happiness.


    ¡°Sure thing. Bye.¡± I turned and walked out of the restaurant.


    It took me a moment to find a taxi. Once the yellow cab stopped in front of me, I sighed in relief and slid inside. I didn¡¯t realize how much my feet hurt until I was in the confines of the car, my shoulders sagging in relief.


    ¡°Where to?¡± The driver asked, his voice a deep gruff, like he smoked one too many cigarettes a day.


    I quickly rattled off my address, and the driver peeled out of the restaurant. I closed my eyes feeling exhausted, eager to hit the bed. My best friend had found her happiness, I just wished she stayed happy forever.

 03

    Part 3


    I was waiting for my martini when I saw him. Jose was striding over to me with a warm smile on his face. I got off my bar stool to hug him. He looked handsome in his white polo shirt and jeans. His blonde hair looked messy as usual, and his hazel eyes were sparkling.


    ¡°Hey Jose, how are you?¡± I asked as Jose wrapped me in his warm embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right, Amanda. Are you ready to go? The designer is looking forward to meeting you,¡± Jose replied.


    ¡°Yes, although I¡¯m nervous,¡± I replied, feeling the familiar heart palpitations, which I always got whenever my nerves attacked me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, they¡¯ll love you.¡± Jose put his arm around me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And led me out of the bar.


    ¡°Is it far? I mean the studio,¡± I asked.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Not really, just a couple of blocks away from here.¡± Jose held up his arm to hail a cab.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just walk there, I can surely use it, sitting in the cab will only result in me being a nervous wreck,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯ll walk.¡± Taking my hand Jose and I walked to the studio.


    ¡°So? How was the dinner?¡± Jose enquired, rounding a corner.


    ¡°It would¡¯ve been perfect if it hadn¡¯t been for Theodore¡¯s infuriating cousin,¡± I answered, my scalp pricking in frustration.


    ¡°Theodore¡¯s cousin?¡± Jose gave me one of his peculiar looks, that said, ¡®The who?¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah, Trent Benson; the man has ego bigger than Jupiter,¡± I grumbled, remembering Trent¡¯s arrogant words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like him very much,¡± Jose observed.


    I let out a bitterugh. ¡°Like him? If torturing humans was legal, I would love to torture him until he sealed his mouth forever,¡± I spat.


    ¡°Wow, he must¡¯ve done something really terrible for you to be this mad,¡± Jose stated as we rounded another corner.


    ¡°Not really, he just had to open his mouth,¡± I responded, eyeing the cars zooming by.


    Jose chuckled. ¡°Well hopefully you¡¯ll be able to forget about this Trent guy once we reach the studio.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. How much further do we have to go?¡± I queried.


    ¡°We just have to take a left from thatmp post and we¡¯ll be there,¡± Jose answered.


    ¡°Right. So, you tell me, anything new with you?¡± I nced at Jose.


    ¡°My brother ising next week,¡± he replied.


    I frowned. ¡°What brother? Do you mean your step-brother?¡±


    ¡°The one and only,¡± Jose responded grimly.


    ¡°Okay, I guess you¡¯re not looking forward to his visit.¡± We took a left and I started looking left and right, trying to spot the studio.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, it¡¯s better when he¡¯s not here,¡± Jose said bitterly.


    ¡°Does he disrupt the family peace?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°In order for him to do that we first need a family, and we don¡¯t have that. But if you think me and him are a family then sure, he practically destroys the goddamn peace,¡± Jose hissed.


    ¡°All right, calm down.¡± I hated seeing Jose unhappy.


    ¡°Sorry. Anyways, forget about him, look, we¡¯re here.¡± Jose pointed at a building straight ahead. I followed his finger and saw a beautiful building that looked as if it came straight out of a home decor magazine. The three-storey building had a gabled roof with dark pink tiles; the facade was white with a window at the gable end. There were flower pots fixed into metal holders, and a brown, wooden door with a brass knocker finished the look.


    ¡°That is one beautiful studio,¡± Imented.


    ¡°Yes it is. Let¡¯s go, the designer is expecting us.¡± Without a word, I followed Jose to the studio. He rang the bell, and the door opened in less than ten seconds. A flustered looking female, wearing a silk blouse and ck cks while holding a clipboard in one hand and the door with the other greeted us.


    ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± She looked to be in a hurry.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Da Vince. She wanted my friend to model the clothes.¡± Jose gestured towards me, and thatdy gave me a quick once over.


    ¡°Wait a second, please.¡± She flipped the page of her clipboard and hurriedly scanned the second page. ¡°Right. Are you Amanda Lawson?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Okay good, you¡¯re here, a couple of minuteste and Mrs. Vince would¡¯ve had my head. Pleasee in.¡± Thedy ushered me inside like a mother rushing her children inside the house when a storm was about to hit.


    The inside of the studio was not what I expected. I expected to see expensive furniture, a kitchen on the left, a staircase on the right, but there was no such thing. The entire space was turned into the perfect ce for a photoshoot. There were various couches in different colors, shapes and sizes, strategically ced all around. There were a few paintings that prevented the ce from looking nd. A fewmps were sitting in the corners, with beautiful silk curtains behind them.


    ¡°Who is Da Vince?¡± I asked Jose softly.


    ¡°The designer who made the clothes,¡± he replied in an equally low tone.


    ¡°Right. So if you could just wait here.¡± The flustereddy gestured to the couches. ¡°I¡¯ll let Mrs. Vince know that you¡¯re here.¡± Turning around, the woman jogged in the direction of a small door.


    ¡°This ce is something,¡± Imented flopping down on the purple couch.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Jose sat down beside me.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll approve of me?¡± I asked, anxiety wrapping its spindly legs around my mind.


    ¡°Hey. She¡¯ll love you. When I showed her your photographs, she immediately told me to call you and have youe here for a trial shoot. So I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have you model her clothes,¡± Jose stated, giving my hand a squeeze.


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t? I mean, there are other models out there-better models, with more experience, I¡¯m nothingpare to them.¡± My insecurities were kicking in.


    ¡°Yes, there are other models with more experience, but they are not you. You are different Amanda, and trust me, Da will pick you, I know it,¡± Jose said with conviction.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I murmured. Just then, I heard a clickety ck of high heels approaching. I turned my head to see a woman who looked to be in herte thirties walking towards me. She was wearing a formal ck coat and skirt with red stilettos. Her hair were pulled up in a tight bun and a pair of diamond spectacle were perched on the bridge of her nose.


    Jose and I stood up to greet her just as she stopped in front of us. I was not going to lie, the woman was intimidating. She had this aura of power, which strangely reminded me of Trent.


    ¡°Good morning, I¡¯m Da Vince, you must be Amanda Lawson.¡± Da spoke in professional no-nonsense tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Vince.¡± I shook hands with her, trying my best to stop my knees from trembling.


    ¡°We better get started. We¡¯ll do a trial shoot first and if we like the results then we¡¯ll hire you,¡± Da stated. She wasted no time with pleasentries and I wasn¡¯t sure whether I liked that or not.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I had no idea what else to say, anxiety had taken over my senses. I just wished that Da would hire me.


    ~*~*~*~*


    After an hour and a half, the camera finally left me. I sighed in relief as the photoshoot came to an end. I took a couple of deep breaths to get myself under control. The camera did not leave me for even a full minute; the only time I did not hear the constant clicking of the camera was in between poses.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll go over the photos and send them to the owner and if we approve, we¡¯ll call you back. Thank you for your time, Ms. Lawson.¡± Da told me. It took me by surprise when she said she¡¯d send my photos to the owner; I thought she was the owner.


    I nodded my head, ready to leave with Jose. He had just slipped his phone in the pocket of his jeans when the flustereddy was back, looking more flustered than thest time I saw her. In fact, she looked as if she would start to hyperventte any minute.


    ¡°Mrs. Vince. Mrs. Vince, he¡¯s here, Mr. An is here,¡± thedy gasped for air.


    ¡°Oh? Well this is unexpected, but I¡¯m d he¡¯s here, he can interview Ms. Lawson here himself,¡± Da stated.


    My eyes widened at her words. Wasn¡¯t it enough that I had to deal with one intimidating woman and now this An guy would interview me; I was way out of myfort zone here.


    ¡°Mr. An is the owner of our brand. Without his approval no design is moved forward and no model is hired. If you manage to impress him, your chances of getting hired will definitely increase.¡± Without waiting for me to respond, Da turned and strode away to greet Mr. An.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me, first Da and now this An guy? Jose what the hell?¡± If we weren¡¯t here, I would screamed.


    ¡°Calm down, you just have to talk to this An guy, it¡¯s not such a big deal.¡± He shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Not a big deal?! Are you out of your mind?! This guy could make or break my career, and why didn¡¯t you tell me he was the bloody owner of thispany?¡± Panic flowed through my mind, making my senses go haywire.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was the owner of thepany,¡± Jose defended.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! Did you not do your research about thispany before telling me?!¡± I demanded to know.


    The sheepish expression on Jose face gave me the answer. And the only reason I did not explode was because we were in public and my career was at stake.


    ¡°Jose, I can¡¯t fucking believe you?! You just brought me here for a photoshoot without researching thispany! These people could be human traffickers for all we know. Oh no, they have my photographs, they might turn me into a prostitute! Shit, Jose do something before these people kidnap me and sell me off in an auction. Oh my God, I think I¡¯m gonna faint.¡± Jose caught me before I could even pretend to stumble.


    ¡°Stop that, these people are not frauds. And you are not getting sold off in any auction or being turned into a prostitute, stop over analyzing everything and just focus on meeting this An guy, he¡¯s important,¡± Jose chided.


    ¡°Next time you don¡¯t do your research, I am going to break your camera,¡± I threatened.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t you dare hurt my Libby, she¡¯s all I have.¡± A spark of terror lit Jose blue eyes before it was reced by the familiar mischief one.


    ¡°Try not to have theplete information next time and you¡¯ll see,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Jeez, calm down. And what is taking Da so long? Shouldn¡¯t this An guy be here already?¡± Jose looked around, trying to spot Da or Mr. An.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just want to get this over with,¡± I whined. As soon as I got home, I was going to eat a whole tub of my favorite ice cream; I deserved it after a day like this.


    ¡°I think we should sit down, I think they¡¯ll be a while.¡± Jose turned to head back to the couch, but before he could take a step, the sound of multiple footsteps echoed before three people appeared in front of us.


    Da and the flustereddy were standing side by side, while a man stood next to them. My eyes widened followed by my jaw dropping as my eyes fell upon the person I never expected to see here. This was one of those moments in which I felt like I was living in an alternate universe. Because the real world was not so surreal.


    ¡°Ms. Lawson, this is Mr. An Benson. He is the owner of ourpany.¡± Da turned to addressed the man. ¡°Mr. An, this is Amanda Lawson, our potential model,¡± she introduced us.


    I had no idea why Da was calling him An, because I knew this man by a totally different name, and that name did not start with A either. No, there had to be some kind of a rational exnation for all this. Either this An guy was an identical twin or the man I knew had lied to me.


    There stood Trent Benson; at least that was what I believed. There was no way I wouldn¡¯t remember the man who insulted me. Not to mention, he was emitting the same aura of power and arrogance like Trent. This was Trent.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lawson.¡± Trent extended his hand for me to shake.


    ¡°Uhh, me too.¡± I shook his hand robotically. I couldn¡¯t believe Trent was here.


    ¡°Mr. Benson is going to interview you, and he will give the final verdict. In our world, his word isw,¡± Da stated, making me wish I had never agreed to take on this project. There was no way Trent was going to hire me.


    ¡°Da, is my office ready?¡± Trent or An-whatever his name was-asked.


    ¡°Yes, it is, Mr. Benson,¡± Da answered.


    ¡°Good. I shall conduct the interview in private. Ms. Lawson, if you will just follow me.¡± Trent/An turned and strode towards the right side of the studio. I followed stupidly, praying with all my heart that the ground would open up and swallow me whole. This was not how I envisioned this photoshoot to go. And I definitely did not envision seeing Trent of all people here, and he was the fucking owner.


    Trent/An stopped in front of a door. I saw a metal te nailed to the door saying An Benson. Trent ced his hand on the door knob and gave me a cryptic look. And no matter how much I wished it to be otherwise, I knew he remembered me.


    ¡°Ready for your interview, Ms. Lawson?¡± Trent asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. I couldn¡¯t believe I had been reduced to monosybic words.


    ¡°All right. Come in.¡± He opened the door and both of us entered his office, my heart pounding.


    Fuck my life.

 04

    Part 4


    I stared at Trent aka An as he rounded his desk and sat down on his high backed chair. He gave me an arrogant smile which told me that my career as a model was about to be extinguished before it even ignited.


    ¡°Take a seat, Ms. Lawson.¡± Trent or whoever the hell he was gestured to the visiting chairs across him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer my question first?¡± I eyed him skeptically.


    ¡°I thought I was the one conducting the interview.¡± Trent arched his eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s only fair that I get to ask you some questions as well, since you¡¯re not the only one meeting a stranger,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Trent looked taken aback, but heposed himself quickly. ¡°Ms. Lawson, you might not realize it, but some people do not have the privilege of time, and I¡¯m one of those people, so if you can just put your irrational demands aside, we can get started with the interview.¡± I knew this guy was not An; he was Trent, he talked just like I remember Trent doing.


    Maybe he is the evil twin.


    ¡°You can ask me all the question you want, Mr. Benson, but I need to ask mine first,¡± I stated. I knew the idea of me confronting the man, who had my career in his hands, about his true identity was asinine, but I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    Trent cocked his head to the side, scrutinizing me with those prating eyes of his, that made me feel both naked and stupid. ¡°All right, since one of us has to be the smart one here, I¡¯ll let you ask your question. Shoot.¡±


    I ignored his jibe. Instead, focused on the question. ¡°So tell me, Mr. Benson, am I talking to a liar or the evil twin?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? What exactly are you trying to ask me here, Ms. Lawson?¡± Trent questioned.


    ¡°I thought you were smart. I guess you are the evil twin and not the man himself.¡± So this man was really An and not Trent. Howe I didn¡¯t see him at the family dinner?


    An-not Trent-narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Cut to the chase, Ms. Lawson, what are you implying?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll tell you in words that you can understand. You told me your name was Trent, but now you go by An, so were you lying or are you Trent¡¯s twin, does Trent even exist?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Would you sit down, you standing there is not going to get you the information you want,¡± he said.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll keep standing until you answer my question,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer you until you sit down,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Okay, guess we¡¯ll just stare at each other for the rest of the day.¡±


    Heughed out loud. ¡°Rest of the day? You¡¯re clearly delusional if you think I am going to waste my time here. You only have five minutes, you either take a seat or I¡¯m leaving and telling Da that I¡¯ve rejected you, the choice is yours.¡±


    He called me delusional, he really was Trent. And he was not a nice man. But then again, his personality was something he never really lied about; he was a douche bag then and he was being a douche bag now.


    Throwing him a re, I pulled up a chair and flopped down on it, making sure to let Trent know how I was not happy. But being the douche bag he was, he didn¡¯t even bat an eye at my childish behavior.


    ¡°Right. Now that we¡¯ve established the fact that you are capable of understanding and carrying out simple instructions, we can talk about the matter at hand.¡± The bastard was really asking for it; my hand was itching to make contact with his face.


    ¡°Who are you really, Trent or An?¡± I asked, finally done beating around the bush.


    ¡°Both,¡± he answered. Now it was my turn to be taken aback.


    ¡°You have a personality disorder?¡± I couldn¡¯t remember the name of the disorder, but I knew there was one where a person had more than one distinct personalities.


    Trent arched his eyebrow. ¡°You really did fail Psychology, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Would you get over that?!¡± My eyes widened as the memory of Trent stating that I flunked Psychology shed in my mind. ¡°You are Trent.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. I can¡¯t believe you have such a weak memory.¡± He just didn¡¯t know when to stop insulting me.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But you told Da that your name is An.¡± If he didn¡¯t lie to me, why did he lie to Da?


    ¡°It is.¡± Okay, now I was really confused. His name was Trent and An? How could one person have two names?


    My confusion must be evident on my face, because Trent immediately borated, ¡°My name is Trent An Benson. Trent being my first name, and An is my middle name.¡±


    ¡°Why go by your middle name? Why not just go by Trent?¡± I knew it was a personal question and I had no right to ask him, but the words were out before I could p a hand over my mouth.


    ¡°Because when ites to secondary businesses, I use my middle name,¡± Trent answered.


    ¡°Why?¡± I needed to learn to stop prying in people¡¯s lives.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my name and I can use however the hell I want,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°And now, you are officially done asking questions and it¡¯s my turn now. Ready?¡±


    I gulped before nodding slowly. Oh boy, here we go. He was now going go interview me and then tell Da how I was not fit to model for thepany. I should just leave and kiss my modelling career good bye.


    ¡°All right, Ms. Lawson. Have you worked at a modelling agency before?¡± Trent questioned, switching to business mode in a blink of an eye.


    I nodded. ¡°I did a couple of photoshoots, nothing big,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Why did you pick thispany to model for?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°Actually, Jose told me toe here,¡± I responded.


    Trent frowned, which was not a good sign. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, you came here because your friend told you to, and not of your own ord?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I mean, I came here because I want to be a model-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask why you were here, Ms. Lawson, I asked you why you picked ourpany?¡±


    I never knew Trent could be so intimidating. Right now, as he waited for me to answer him, I found myself speechless. Unsure. Scared. I felt scared.


    ¡°I told you, Mr. Benson,¡± I said softly, not knowing what else to say.


    Trent sighed. ¡°You may leave, we¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°No wait, Trent-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Benson to you. And since you can¡¯t give me a proper answer, I don¡¯t think I need to waste my time here, you can see yourself out.¡± Trent stood up.


    ¡°Please, Mr. Benson, give me one minute. Please,¡± I pleaded. I wouldn¡¯t have done it if I didn¡¯t want to be a model so badly.


    He sighed again. ¡°You have sixty seconds.¡±


    I took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Look, I only told you the truth. Jose searched forpanies that I apply to, and when he told me about yourpany, I saw it as another opportunity and I took it. I¡¯m sorry to say but I really have no idea what to say in regards to your questions.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lie and tell you that yourpany is wonderful and modelling for you will be a dreame true for me, when I didn¡¯t even know yourpany existed just a few days ago. I can¡¯t lie about modelling-my career-my passion.¡± I finished my speech and waited for Trent to speak.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± God, he was the epitome of an asshole!


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good. Your sixty seconds were over ten seconds ago. You may now leave. If we are interested in you, you¡¯ll get a call from Da.¡± He was so rude.


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you for your time, Mr. Benson. Good bye.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I bothered with pleasentries, the idiot definitely didn¡¯t deserve it. But I had made up my mind, I was not going to model for Trent¡¯spany.


    Opening the door, I prevented myself from making a scene and calmly exited the studio with Jose. It was only when we were a good distance from the studio did I allow myself to explode.


    ¡°That fucking son of a bitch! I swear I could just kill him with my bare hands! Who the hell does he think he is?! Just because he is the owner of some stupidpany, he thinks he owns the bloody world! Narcisstic pig!¡± I shouted, not caring if anyone saw me.


    ¡°Woah, who took your chocte?¡± Jose eyed with a mixture of surprise and concern.


    ¡°That jerk, Trent,¡± I seethed.


    ¡°Who?¡± Now Jose just looked confused.


    ¡°That boss guy,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°You mean An Benson?¡±


    ¡°Yeah him. Trent An whatever the fucking hell his bloody name is!¡±


    ¡°Okay, he must¡¯ve really pissed you off if you¡¯re swearing like a sailor.¡± Jose chuckled.


    ¡°Yes! He did more than piss me off, he made me wish I was a murderer, so I wouldn¡¯t feel guilty about actually killing him,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Let me take you to your favorite ice cream parlor and cool you off. My treat.¡± Taking my hand, Jose dragged me to the ice cream parlor.


    ~*~*~*~*


    ¡°So what he say?¡± Jose asked as I helped myself to my third ice cream sundae. I was somewhat calm now, which was why I didn¡¯t bite Jose¡¯s head off for asking about Trent. I had already told him everything that transpired in Trent¡¯s office.


    ¡°He said if they¡¯re interested then I¡¯ll get a call from Da.¡± I told him, shoving a spoonful of yummy ice cream in my mouth.


    ¡°Well at least he didn¡¯t reject you outright.¡± Jose took a spoonful of his second cup of ice cream.


    Iughed bitterly. ¡°He might as well have. Trust me, I¡¯m not getting that call.¡± I stabbed my spoon in my ice cream, trying really hard not to cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope, Mandi. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get that call,¡± Jose said softly, trying to sound reassuring.


    Shaking my head, I couldn¡¯t stop the tears escaping my eyes. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not going to get that call.¡± I sobbed and covered my face with my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll never be a model. I would never be able to fulfill my mother¡¯s wish.¡± More tears spilled but I was past the point of caring.


    Jose wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Amanda. So what if you don¡¯t get selected, there are other jobs out there for you. You are going to be a model, I know it,¡± he said with conviction.


    ¡°No I¡¯m not. Models are not just pretty and slim, they are smart, too, and I¡¯m not smart, I¡¯m stupid.¡± The fact that I would not be able to fulfill my mother¡¯s wish was so depressing that I had forgotton my ice cream.


    ¡°You are not stupid,¡± Jose stated.


    ¡°Yes I am. Trent keeps calling me stupid,¡± I said in between sobs.


    ¡°All right, this is not on. You are not going to let some rich bastard call you stupid. He doesn¡¯t know you, and his words shouldn¡¯t matter to you. You are bright, funny and incredibly beautiful, and don¡¯t let some pompous ass tell you otherwise, understood?¡± Jose hugged me to him, stroking my hair.


    ¡°What if I never be a model, what then Jose?¡± I wanted my mother to be proud of me. I wanted her to smile up in heaven as she looked down at me.


    ¡°You will be a model, Amanda. I promise you. And if Trent does not choose you, that¡¯s his loss. There are betterpanies out there, and I¡¯m not going to rest until you be a famous model.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You are the best, Jose,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°I know.¡± I hugged him tightly.


    Jose and I soon went our separate ways. He had to deal with his brother while I wss exhausted from the long day. I offered to apany Jose but he shook his head and ordered me to go home and get some rest.


    When I arrived at my apartment, I felt the loss of my best friend. I missed Hailey, and needed her right now. I wanted to tell her about my shitty day, and wanted to sit on the couch with her and abuse Trent with all my heart. But Hailey was married now, there were other people she loved. And I couldn¡¯t call her at this hour of the night.


    With a tired sigh, I dragged myself to my bedroom. Taking a quick shower, I put on a pair of sweats before climbing in bed and dozing off. And when I did not get the call the next morning, I gave up on Trent¡¯spany. I had to find other modelling agencies before I got too old to be a model.


    The day passed with mezying around my apartment. Trent¡¯s rejection yesterday really hit me hard. It wasn¡¯t that I was expecting him to hire me, I just didn¡¯t expect him to hurt me so much. He had really damaged my self esteem.


    All I wanted was to make my mother¡¯s dreame true. When she died, she told me to make sure that I did my best to be a model. When I was growing up, my mother told me that I would be the perfect model. She always told me that the camera loved me and my confidence gave me a certain glow.


    It was the third day when I got an unexpected surprise. I had gotten up and made breakfast for myself. I nned to call Jose and ask him to help me look for other modelling agencies. I was drinking coffee when my phone rang. Without looking at the caller ID, I picked up the call, expecting it to be Jose.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked while taking a huge bite of my sandwich.


    ¡°Hello, is this Amanda Lawson?¡± Ady asked from the other line.


    ¡°Yes, who is speaking?¡± I asked, wondering who thedy was.


    ¡°This is Da Vince. You came for a trial photoshoot,¡± she said.


    My heart picked up speed. ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± Trent said if they were interested I would get a call from Da; was it possible that she was calling me because Trent had selected me?


    ¡°Congrattion, Ms. Lawson, you have been hired to model our newest spring collection. You cane by tomorrow and set up a schedule with our photographer and discuss other things,¡± she responded.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. I was going to be a model now. Trent didn¡¯t reject me. I thought he would¡¯ve burner my application by now. But he told Da to call me back. Maybe he wasn¡¯t so bad.


    He insulted you. Don¡¯t work for him.


    My subconscious was right. But I couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go. Maybe, I should call Jose and discuss it with him.


    ¡°Hello? Ms. Lawson, are you still there?¡± I didn¡¯t realize I had spaced.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. Yes, I¡¯ll be there tomrrow. Thank you so much,¡± I said and hung up.


    A small smile curved my lips. And my heart felt light after three days.

 05

    Part 5


    I ced the steaming cup of coffee in front of Jose before sitting down next to him. The moment Jose hade to my apartment, I told him about Trent selecting me for his fashion line. Just like I had expected, Jose was ecstatic; he picked me up and twirled me in his arms before letting me down.


    ¡°I told you so! You are gorgeous, there¡¯s no way he could reject you.¡± He kissed my cheek once before letting me down. Knowing how much Jose loved coffee, I immediately prepared a cup of coffee for him.


    ¡°So, are you going to take it?¡± He asked, sipping his coffee.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Trent really insulted me.¡± I told him.


    ¡°True. So is that a no then?¡± Jose gave me a quizzical look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you think I should do?¡± I queried.


    Jose didn¡¯t say anything for a while. I could see the cogs turning in his head as he thought about what I should do in regards to this opportunity. I was not going to deny it, the job had its advantages and disadvantages, but I wasn¡¯t sure which weighed more.


    ¡°I think you should take it. You should agree to model for this Benson guy,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because the only downside I can see is the asshole of a boss you¡¯re going to have. Other than that, there is nothing wrong with this. I mean, you¡¯re going to be making your mom¡¯s dreame true. You will be popr. And doing this might give you the opportunity to model for other high end designers,¡± Jose rattled off the points using his fingers.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I should suck it up with Trent because he is giving me a chance to make my mom proud?¡± I was not going to deny it, but I liked the sound of that. Jose wanted me to take the job and that was all I needed to hear.


    ¡°Yes. But, just suck it up, do not kiss his ass. He might be the one to help build your career but don¡¯t let that asshole destroy your self respect.¡± Jose told me. Right then, he sounded more like my older brother than my friend.


    I nodded. ¡°All right. I have to go tomorrow and meet with Da Vince. She is going to go over the details of all this, and you areing with me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ming. You think I¡¯d let you do this alone?¡± Jose scoffed.


    ¡°You know I love you, right?¡± I smiled at him. I wanted to tell Hailey the good news but I was going to wait until it was official, first.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible not to love me,¡± he replied cheekily, before grabbing the remote from the coffee table and turning on the T. V.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I muttered sarcastically, and couldn¡¯t help butugh when Jose shot me a mock re.


    ¡°What do you want to watch?¡± He asked, flipping the channels.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not really a fan of T. V,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. Since I¡¯m being such a nice friend and apanying you to the devil¡¯sir tomorrow, you have toe with me to a club,¡± Jose stated, pausing on a channel disying nts of various specie.


    ¡°Club? Why?¡± I enquired, stretching my legs on the table.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s been a long time since I gotid,¡± he answered tly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I stretched the word. ¡°But you can do that without me,¡± I tried to reason with him. Truth was, I hated going to clubs, I didn¡¯t know why, I just knew I hated it.


    ¡°No way. You are going to be my wingman,¡± he argued.


    ¡°You do know that wingman is suppose to be a man, right?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to go, but I knew I would have to as Jose was quickly bing my male best friend.


    ¡°No, I do not know that. And since there is no rule book about it, you are going to be my wingman¡­you can dress up as a guy, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Jose chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass, thanks.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Do you think Trent has an ulterior motive?¡± I questioned, my mind wandering off to dangerous territory.


    ¡°Ulterior motive? Like what?¡± Jose raised his eyebrows in question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he selected me to give me a false sense of hope, so he can ruin my career before it even starts.¡± I told him my suspicion. I wanted to believe that Trent selected me because he saw my photographs and was impressed, but I just couldn¡¯t. Maybe he had insulted me so much, I couldn¡¯t help but question his every move, even one made out of kindness. Did that make me ungrateful or cautious?


    ¡°I can¡¯t really say much, but what I can say is, you¡¯ll know what his intentions are once you work with him,¡± he replied, looking very pleased with himself.


    I, on the other hand, had the strongest urge to bang Jose¡¯s head against the wall, but I chose to flick his head with my hand. ¡°Thanks for stating the obvious.¡±


    ¡°Ow! What was that for? I just answered your question,¡± he defended.


    Shaking my head, I wished that Hailey was here. She would¡¯ve told me if my suspicions were right or not. I missed her so much, I wonder how I was going to survive without her.


    ¡°So you want to go to the club because you want a one night stand?¡± I asked Jose, who nodded.


    ¡°Yup. There are going to be lots of hot chicks for me to feast on.¡± Jose licked his lips, like he was about to have his favorite meal; while I gave him a look so filled with disgust, it was a wonder Jose wasn¡¯t affected.


    ¡°You are an animal.¡± I flicked his head again, before getting up from the couch and walking over to my kitchen to make myself a sandwich.


    ¡°Hey, are you making food? Make some for me, too,¡± Jose hollered from the living room.


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t deserve it, you animal!¡± I bellowed.


    ¡°Animals need food to live, as well.¡± He just didn¡¯t know when to act human.


    ¡°Yeah, you can have your food at the club.¡± I took a few slices of bread and begun preparing a sandwich for me and Jose.


    ¡°But we have to go there tomorrow, not today,¡± Jose whined, causing me to shake my head in disbelief. How on Earth did we ever be friends?


    ¡°Yeah well, serves you right for your barbaric behavior.¡± I chuckled, pping mayonnaise on Jose sandwich.


    ¡°Barbaric?! You¡¯re kidding! I was mainly acting like a hungry human being.¡± He feigned innocence.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about acting? I think it would be the perfect profession for you,¡± I remarked, cing both the sandwiches in separate tes before exiting the kitchen.


    ¡°No thanks, I think I¡¯ll stick to photography. Acting is not for me. I like staying behind the camera,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Being in front of the camera is not so bad,¡± I argued.


    ¡°For you it might not be, but I hate being in the spotlight. I rather be the one controlling things rather than the one being controlled,¡± he said, taking a bite out of his sandwich.


    ¡°You have trust issues,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now who¡¯s the one stating the obvious?¡± Jose gave me a lopsided grin before taking another bite of his sandwich.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying what you can¡¯t say,¡± I defended.


    ¡°And someday I¡¯ll tell you why I have trust issues,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me now?¡± I asked intrigued.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to spoil the day. Come on, let¡¯s watch a movie.¡± With that Jose got up and strode over to my movie collection, while I sat on the couch and wondered who was the monster that made my friend have trust issues?


    ~*~*~*~*


    I clutched my hand to stop it from shaking like a leaf, but my heart was something I couldn¡¯t stop from pounding. Even though I had been here just a few days ago, my anxiety levels were still off the roof. Maybe it was this ce that got me on the verge of having a panic attack, or maybe the people.


    ¡°Would you calm down, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re here for a trial shoot. You have now been selected to model the dresses, why are you so nervous?¡± Jose chided, giving me a concerned look.


    ¡°What if they make a total fool of me? What if Trent called me here because he wanted to publicly humiliate me?¡± I began chewing on my thumb, trying to distract myself.


    ¡°Seriously? Now I¡¯m starting to worry how will you act when you¡¯ll actually be famous.¡± He looked at me like he was helpless to stop me from having a nervous breakdown.


    ¡°Fuck this, let¡¯s get out of here. Fuck the fame, fuck everything!¡± I stood up only for Jose to pull me back down on the same purple couch that I had sat upon thest time I was here.


    ¡°Shut up. I swear once we go to the club, I¡¯m getting you high,¡± he stated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be going to the club because I think I¡¯m going to die.¡± I was now rocking back and forth, the top of my thumb still wedged between my teeth.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Lawson. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± The rocking stopped, my thumb was released as I heard Da Vince behind me. I stood up and stered on a fake smile before turning around to meet her.


    Da Vince was dressed formerly as usual. She was wearing the same attire like thest time, except her jacket and skirt were purple while her blouse was silver which she paired with a pair of silver stilettos.


    ¡°Mrs. Vince, it¡¯s good to see you, too. Thank you for having me.¡± I tried my best to be polite, when in reality, I wanted to point a gun at her face and demand to know any ns she or her boss had of ruining me forever.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kiss her ass,¡± Jose chided in a whisper.


    Right.


    ¡°If you wille with me to my office, we can discuss your contract and answer any questions you might have.¡± Without waiting for my response, Da turned and strode towards her office, leaving Jose and I to follow after her like a couple of dogs.


    ¡°Rx, I¡¯m here.¡± Jose grabbed my hand and gave it aforting squeeze, and for that I felt extremely lucky to have a friend like Jose.


    Da¡¯s office was exactly like her-professional. There was nothing personal in the stark white walls of her office. A desk which looked to be made of mahogany sat in one corner, with a PC sitting on top of it. There was a bookshelf against one wall, crammed with binders and various other files. A couple of picture frames hung on the walls, with dummies wrapped in sheer garments. It looked as if anyone could have upied this office, as there was no personal touch.


    ¡°Please sit. Would you like some coffee?¡± She asked, sitting on the red swivel chair, while Jose and I took the visiting chairs.


    ¡°Yes please,¡± I spoke for the both of us.


    Da picked up thendline and ordered two coffees before putting the receiver back in the cradle. She picked up a green file which was already sitting on her desk and opened it before pushing the file over to me.


    ¡°This is the contract, you can take your time and read through it, and if you have any questions you may ask,¡± Da stated, before turning her attention to her iMac.


    Jose and I brought our heads together and begun reading the contract, trying to be as thorough as possible. Da didn¡¯t disturb us as Jose and I discussed the different terms of the contract. These people were giving me a five year contract, and in that time period I would not model for any other brand. I was going to be their model only. Every month I was toe for a photoshoot and the photographs would be featured in Thepany¡¯s magazine. After five years, I was free to model for any other brand.


    ¡°I like the terms, I think you should agree,¡± Jose said softly, trying not to let Da hear.


    ¡°Yes but five years. I mean, if I agree to this, I will be like their personal property. And what if I get a better opportunity before the five year period is over, what am I going to do then. If I back out, I am going to be sued,¡± I whispered back.


    ¡°Maybe we can negotiate the terms,¡± Jose suggested.


    I nodded before raising my head to talk to Da. ¡°Mrs. Vince?¡±


    ¡°Yes Ms. Lawson?¡± Da turned her to head to look at me.


    ¡°I have a question about the time period. It says here that the contract is for five years and in that period I will not be allowed to model for any other line.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is your question?¡± Da looked impatient.


    ¡°Can you shorten the time period to three years?¡± I asked, hoping that she would agree.


    But my answer did note from Da. No, it came from the man who was an expert at making my blood boil.


    ¡°We don¡¯t negotiate, Ms. Lawson. The contract says five years, and five years it will be,¡± Trent spoke from behind me. I turned my head to see him striding inside Da¡¯s office, looking handsome in his suit.


    ¡°But contracts can be negotiated. Maybe, for three years she¡¯ll work solely for you, but the remaining two years she can be allowed to model for otherpanies,¡± Jose said,ing to my rescue.


    Trent shook his head. ¡°This contract is non-negotiable.¡±


    I stood up. ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t take this. Thank you for the offer, but I am going to have to decline.¡± I barely restrained myself from snarling at him.


    Trent smirked. ¡°Ms. Lawson, why don¡¯t you and I have a little chat outside, just the two of us. Maybe, we cane to an agreement.¡±


    Oh good, he wanted to negotiate. Maybe Jose was right, Trent found me too pretty to pass up. Well in that case, I was going to y this to my advantage. With a nod, I allowed Trent to lead me out of Da¡¯s office.


    ¡°So you agree to the three year term?¡± I asked, feeling confident.


    ¡°Oh no, bumblebee, I agree to nothing. I just brought you here because I think you should agree to the contract,¡± Trent said, amusement sparkling in his eyes.


    ¡°And why would I do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t you? It¡¯s a great opportunity. You are getting a hefty sry, a five year long contract, basically everything you wanted is being handed to you on a silver tter, don¡¯t be stupid about it.¡± He told me.


    ¡°And I already told you, five years is way too much. What if some otherpany wants me to model for them?¡± I argued.


    Trent shook his head. ¡°They won¡¯t. Nopany will hire you, trust me on that, shady,¡± he stated.


    My eyes widened and my confidence cracked. ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯m not good enough to be hired by any otherpany?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I didn¡¯t say that. No will hire you because I won¡¯t let anyone else hire you. You are going to be my model only.¡± Trent came closer to me and whispered the words that left me no choice.


    ¡°Sign the contract, bumblebee, because if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure nopany in this world hires you.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 06

    Part 6


    I mmed my apartment door shut and threw my purse in one corner before marching over to my couch and flopping down with a huff. What I really wanted to do was punch Trent in the face and knock some humility in him. How could he force me sign a contract that I didn¡¯t want to sign in the first ce.


    The arrogant bastard!


    When Trent had finished ckmailing me, I had no choice but to sign the bloody contract. After that, I grabbed Jose¡¯s arm and stormed out of the studio. Jose tried his best to calm me down, but I was too furious to listen to reason. In the end, Jose stated that I had to go to the club with him tonight because I promised, and he wouldn¡¯t let me back out because of some douche bag. I honestly didn¡¯t want to go, I hated clubs; the alcohol, the dry humping, the drunken one night stands, I hated them all; and a night in the club always ended with one of these. But I had to do this for Jose, he was there to prevent me from being thrown in jail, because if it wasn¡¯t for him, I would¡¯ve gouge Trent¡¯s eyes out.


    The ringing of my cell phone brought me out of my malicious thoughts. Without checking the caller ID, I answered the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Mandi hey, are you ready to go?¡± Jose asked.


    ¡°Give me an hour, then you cane pick me up,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Sweet. All right, I¡¯ll be right over.¡± He hung up and I let my phone drop next to me. Maybe going out with Jose might help me forget about Trent. Going to a club might distract me, so I wouldn¡¯t fume over Trent and his arrogant remarks about me. I just wished he didn¡¯t effect me so much. I didn¡¯t know what it was about him, but he just brought out the monster in me. He was skilled at pushing my buttons, and I knew I shouldn¡¯t give him so much power over me. I should be strong against Trent, after all, he was going to be my boss for the next five goddamn years.


    My heart gave a sudden jolt at the sound of the door bell. With a groan, I forced myself to get up and dragged myself over to the front door. I opened the door to see Jose grinning at me. When Jose entered my apartment, I nearly choked at the strong smell of perfume.


    ¡°What did you do, shower in perfume?¡± I asked, shutting the door and following him to the living room.


    ¡°Girls are attracted to men who smell good,¡± he replied.


    ¡°So you¡¯re nning to be a female ma tonight?¡± It was a rhetorical question. I could tell just by looking at him. Jose was dressed to kill, with the white button down shirt and blue jeans that hugged his lean legs and made his butt looked delicious. Too bad he was only just a friend, I could use someone like Jose tonight. Just by looking at him, I actually wanted to go to the club, maybe I could find a hot guy for myself.


    ¡°Yes, I am. And I would love it if you were my counter part, and dressed to be the male ma for tonight,¡± Jose stated, flopping on thr couch with a contented sigh.


    ¡°Yeah no. I am just going to sit in a corner while you dance with one hot girl after the other.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t drink too much. I smell really good right now and I don¡¯t want to smell like puke,¡± hemented, making me smack him on the back of his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll puke on you after we leave.¡± I gave him a mischevious smile.


    ¡°How about not puke on me at all,¡± he suggested, chuckling at the end.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± I shot back,ughing when he red at me.


    ¡°Are you going to get ready or what?¡±


    I huffed. ¡°Fine. Give me five minutes.¡± I slouched all the way to my room, a very unmodel like behavior.


    Throwing my closet doors open, I ced my hands on my hips and scrutinized my closet. I had a lot of clothes, and I was cursing once again. No matter how many clothes I had, I just never seemed to find the right one for the right asion.


    ¡°Can I help?¡± I jumped and red at Jose.


    ¡°Could you try and not give me a heart attack!¡± I admonished, before ring at my closet.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± He threw my words back at me.


    ¡°Haha, smart ass.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    Jose stepped forward and plucked a few dresses from the rack. He gave each dress a once over before cing them on the bed. He repeated this about three times before he settled on one dress.


    The dress was a ck sleeveless which reached just a little above my knees. ck jewels were lined alternately throughout the dress, giving the dress a sexy look. I didn¡¯t remember where I¡¯d bought the dress from, but I was d I bought it. I had so many clothes, I didn¡¯t remember where half of them came from.


    ¡°Wear this one. You¡¯ll look good in this.¡± Jose handed me the dress before perching on the love seat in my room.


    ¡°Thanks for your help.¡± I hurried to the bathroom and quickly put the dress on. The dress felt soft and cool against my skin as it flowed down and stopped just above my knees. The dress was stunning, and I had the perfect pair of shoes to go with it.


    ¡°Come on Amanda, I don¡¯t want to bete.¡± I heard Josein just as I emerged from the bathroom. ¡°Finally. Now please put your shoes on and let¡¯s go.¡± Jose stood up, pocketing his cell phone.


    ¡°I have to do my make up,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Why?! You said it yourself you¡¯ll be sitting in the corner.¡±


    ¡°So? I still need to look presentable,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Ohe on, you look presentable even in sweats,¡± he argued.


    ¡°Okay, you know that¡¯s not true.¡± I grabbed my lip gloss and hastily applied it over my lips.


    ¡°Yeah okay, you look awful in sweats.¡± I shot him a look before grabbing my mascara and applying a coat over my eyeshes.


    ¡°Can you grab my shoes from the closet, they are in the ck bag,¡± I requested, grabbing my hair brush and running it twice through my hair.


    ¡°Sure, I have nothing else to do anyways.¡± Jose grumbled, but got the ck bag out of the closet.


    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re amazing.¡± I opened the bag and took out my ck stilettos which had ck jewels all over them. Once I had my shoes on, I grabbed my purse while smiling at my friend.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Finally.¡± Jose all but ran out of my apartment, leaving me hurrying after him in my six inch heels.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ~*~*~*~*


    As soon as we entered the club, my vision faltered, and I had to grab onto Jose otherwise I would¡¯ve fallen face down on the dirty floor. Neon lights shed before my eyes, making it difficult for me to see properly. Sweaty body¡¯s grinded against each other, not aware of anybody else. The stench of sweat and alcohol permeated the air, making me regret my decision ofing here.


    ¡°Where will you be?¡± Jose shouted over the deafening music.


    I looked around until I spotted an empty bar stool in one corner. I pointed over to it and Jose nodded before letting go of my arm, allowing me to make my way over to my corner. Once I sat down on the bar stool, I sighed in relief. Finally, I was away from the sweaty crowd. Now I just had to sit here for the next few hours and when Jose would be ready to leave, I would be ready too.


    A bartender appeared just as I fished me phone out of my purse. He was cute with dark eyes, that were hard to make out in the dim light of the club, with curly hair and plump lips. He looked to be about my age, but looks could be deceiving. Yet, there was something familiar about him that I couldn¡¯t put my finger on. Maybe it was the eyes, where had I seen eyes so dark?


    ¡°What can I get you?¡± He asked, shing me an adorable smile.


    ¡°A Rum and Coke please,¡± I stated. He nodded and went to make my drink.


    Not intending to bore myself to death by not doing anything, I opened one of my ebooks and begun reading. I had just finished one paragraph when the bartender slid my drink over to me. I shed him a grateful smile before taking a sip.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, taking another sip.


    ¡°Jordan, a Vodka on the rocks.¡± Came a distinct male voice, that I would¡¯ve recognized anywhere. However, I found it difficult to believe that he of all people would be here.


    But my eyes weren¡¯t deceiving me when Trent n Benson came and stood next to Jordan, the bartender who just served me my drink, cleaning a ss with a rag. I nearly spat my drink out at seeing the badass billionaire working as a bartender.


    However, my reaction was nothingpared to Trent¡¯s. When he saw me, his eyes widened and he dropped the ss he was cleaning, causing it smash loudly. He swore under his breath before stepping aside.


    ¡°What are you doing here, shady?¡± He demanded to know.


    ¡°What am I doing here? I think the better question would be what a badass billionaire like you is doing here? I never knew you were a bartender.¡± I leisurely sipped my drink as I eyed Trent in his ck shirt and pants. He could totally pull off the bartender look, which was surprising to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I am not,¡± Trent stated, forcing me to believe him.


    ¡°Really? Because that rag in your hands and you standing behind this counter aren¡¯t really supporting your statement,¡± I replied, thoroughly enjoying this. If Trent being a bartender was supposed to be a secret, then I may as well had stumbled upon a jackpot. I could use this fact to ckmail Trent.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± he said.


    ¡°Seriously? That cliche statement.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Next you¡¯re going to tell me that there is an exnation for all this. You know, you call me shady, but in reality, it¡¯s you who is the shady one, maybe I should call you shady and you can finally call me by my name.¡± I took a big gulp of my drink.


    Before Trent could respond, Jordan came back. ¡°Hey, dad just called. He said he¡¯ll be arriving shortly after midnight,¡± Jordan said.


    This time, I did spit out my drink. Shocked was not close to how I was feeling right now. Did Jordan have the rtionship with Trent that I thought he did? If so, that meant that Trent had a brother! This man was a total mystery, and I was actually enjoying finding out about him. First I got to know about his middle name which he went by when it came to his secondary businesses, and now-if I was not wrong-he had a brother. But if Jordan was Trent¡¯s brother, howe I didn¡¯t see him during Theodore¡¯s and Hailey¡¯s dinner?


    Trent nodded at Jordan before turning his attention back to me. ¡°You have a brother? Jordan is your brother right?¡±


    ¡°Keep quiet. And Jordan is my half-brother. But if you dare tell anyone that, trust me bumblebee, looking for a decent modelling job will be the least of your worries,¡± Trent threatened, fixing me with a hard look.


    But his threats had no effect on me. ¡°Are you embarrassed of him? Is that why you don¡¯t want the world to know that you have a half-brother?¡±


    ¡°That is none of your business. But no, it¡¯s Jordan who doesn¡¯t want this to get out. He wants a normal life, and if the world found out he was rted to me, let¡¯s just say, a normal life is something he would yearn for. The press, the poprity will eat him alive, and I am not going to let that happen. So you better keep your mouth shut.¡± Trent told me.


    ¡°So you¡¯re protecting him?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Trent¡¯s admission made me see him in a new light. Where I thought he was an arrogant snob, now I saw him as a protector, who was willing to do anything to keep his loved ones safe. Maybe that was why he appeared to be arrogant and rude. Maybe the weight of responsibilities took a toll on him.


    ¡°So, why work as a bartender?¡± I asked, trying to be as nice to him as possible.


    ¡°I work here to spend time with Jordan. Usually I don¡¯t get time having to deal with multiple businesses. So once a week, I take the time out and bartend with Jordan,¡± he answered. I was surprised he was telling all this, I thought he would tell me keep my mouth shut and mind my own business.


    ¡°So you bond over this; selling drinks and stuff?¡± Now I was just making conversation.


    ¡°You can say that. I want Jordan to live as normally as possible, after his graduation, I¡¯ll have him work alongside me in the business,¡± he answered.


    ¡°When is he graduating?¡± I enquired, almost at the end of my drink.


    ¡°In two weeks.¡±


    Just then, Jose came stumbling over to me, and with the crazy grin on his face, I knew that he was drunk.


    ¡°Hey Mandi. I¡¯m ready to go now,¡± Jose said.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± I stated.


    ¡°No. But give me a couple of more drinks and I¡¯ll be there.¡± Jose nced to the side and eyed Trent. ¡°Hey Trent, my man! How¡¯s it going. Are you having fun?¡±


    ¡°We should go.¡± I stood up from my bar stool and held Jose arm.


    ¡°Yes, we should. Thanks foring with me, Mandi, I had a st,¡± Jose said, a little too loudly.


    ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go.¡± I nced at Trent. ¡°Thanks for the drink, and don¡¯t worry, your secret is safe with me.¡± I said to Trent.


    ¡°What secret? I want to know the secret, too,¡± Jose uttered.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s get you home.¡± I started to lead Jose out of the club when Trent¡¯s voice stopped me.


    ¡°Bumblebee.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to say to me.


    ¡°Do not bete tomorrow.¡± With that, Trent walked away, leaving me staring after him. So he was back to being my boss now.


    Shaking my head, I smiled before leading Jose out of the club. Trent was a mystery, a very interesting mystery. And I couldn¡¯t wait to find out more about him.

 07

    Part 7


    I eyed my reflection in the mirror, making sure I looked all right. Today was my first day at work, and I was excited, or maybe nervous, I couldn¡¯t really tell the difference; all I knew that I had this funny feeling like my stomach was filled with bouncy balls, which I got everytime I was either excited or nervous.


    The door of my bedroom opened and Jose dragged himself in, looking haggard. ¡°Hungover?¡± I asked, but one look at his face gave me my answer.


    ¡°Not really, but kinda,¡± he answered, his voice thick and raspy.


    ¡°Drink juice or coffee, whatever helps you,¡± I said. I looked all right; once I made sure that Jose was all right, I would go to work.


    ¡°What happenedst night?¡± Jose enquired, throwing himself on my bed.


    I frowned while ncing at him through the mirror. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±


    ¡°All I remember is fucking a girl name Maggie or was it Mindy, I don¡¯t remember,¡± he groaned. So he didn¡¯t remember seeing Trent as a bartender, that¡¯s good. I had to keep Trent¡¯s secret, even though I didn¡¯t want to; but Hailey had gotten me so used to keeping secrets, that now if anyone told me to keep something a secret, stranger or not, I would.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t so drunk,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°I pretend I¡¯m not, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s true,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Who pretends not to be drunk? I mean, aren¡¯t drunk people not aware of their inhibitions? If you were drunk, how can you say you weren¡¯t as drunk as you really were?¡± I questioned.


    Jose held his head with his hand. ¡°Oh my God woman, shut up. I didn¡¯t understand a word you just said. And stop asking me these brainy questions. Ugh, I need Maggie or Mildred.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said Mindy.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Please stop fucking my mind, I can¡¯t take it. Fuck my body but not my mind, please.¡± Jose groaned again.


    ¡°Been there, done that.¡± I grabbed my cell phone from the vanity table, making sure it was charged before slipping it in my purse.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am going to work,¡± I replied.


    ¡°No. Stay with me. I need someone to take care of me,¡± he whined.


    ¡°Jose, stop acting like a baby,¡± I uttered.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t go home. Nobody is there.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why but I felt a pang of guilt and sympathy for my friend. He lived alone in his apartment; I mean, he only went there to sleep since we became friends, he spent most of his time in my apartment. And just like that, I had an idea, although I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right decision or not.


    ¡°Jose?¡± I called his name.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you move in here?¡± I suggested. Since Hailey had moved out, I had a spare bedroom. If Jose moved here, I would getpany and Jose wouldn¡¯t feel so alone.


    He raised his head and looked me in the eyes. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have a spare bedroom, you can take that if you want,¡± I offered.


    ¡°You really mean it?¡± It was like he didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I stated.


    The next I heard was Jose shouting a ¡°Yes!¡± before I felt him wrapping his arms around me from behind. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll move in here by the time you get back from work.¡± He kissed my cheek.


    ¡°Eww. Brush your teeth, you reek!¡± I pped his arms away, before grabbing my purse. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter. Wish me luck.¡±


    ¡°Good luck. But you don¡¯t need it,¡± Jose replied, azy smile on his face.


    With another smile, I strode out of my bedroom, my heart beat increasing with every step that I took. I just hoped my first day wasn¡¯t a total disaster, or worse, I got fired. Nobody wanted to get fired on their first day, and I was no exception.


    ~*~*~*~*


    As soon as I entered the studio, my gazended on Trent. He was wearing a gray suit with a white shirt. His hair was mussed up in a sexy way, making him look drool-worthy. He was smiling while talking to a blonde holding a camera. As soon as he saw me, his smile faded and a strange look entered his eyes. I felt a sudden pang in my chest as I saw his smile fade. Was he not happy to see me? I mean, I knew he didn¡¯t like me, but to outrightly disy his disdain towards me¡­that hurt.


    The blonde following Trent¡¯s gaze turned to me. As soon as she saw me, a bright smile lit up her face and she came bouncing over to me. She looked perky and adorable. She had the bluest eyes I had ever seen on anyone. Her blonde hair was tied in a high pony tail, and the smile that revealed her small, perfect white teeth, made her look breathtaking.


    ¡°Hi, you must be Amanda, I¡¯m Madigan.¡± She grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously.


    ¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡± I had no idea what else to say.


    ¡°I have been waiting for you for two hours, and now you¡¯re finally here!¡± God she was cheerful.


    My brows furrowed. ¡°Two hours? Am Ite? I was told to be here at 9:00 and it is 9:00 am.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re on time. I was just imagining how you¡¯d look,¡± Madigan said.


    ¡°Uh why?¡± Was this girl one of those creepy ones?


    ¡°Well I wanted to imagine how the woman I¡¯d be photographing will look, obviously. It¡¯s a photographer thing. When we don¡¯t have the real person, we tend to imagine him or her,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everybody do that?¡± This girl was strange, but cute.


    ¡°I guess, but I like to believe it¡¯s a photographer thing,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s only your thing.¡± For a second I thought I had offended her, but the giggle that followed after that told me otherwise.


    ¡°Maybe. But whatever, nice to meet you, and I¡¯ll be your photographer so we¡¯ll be working together, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± She gave me another beaming smile.


    Throughout our exchange, Trent stood at the back, his eyes never leaving us. He didn¡¯t utter a word, just kept eyeing the both of us. It was only after Madigan finished speaking did he open his mouth.


    ¡°We should get started. My flight is in three hours and I want to end this session before then,¡± Trent said before turning around and heading to a room.


    ¡°Right. We must hurry.¡± Grabbing my hand, Madigan rushed me after Trent.


    The room I entered was spacious. There were various couches ced in different areas of the room. Fixtures and other decorations adorned the room. The equipment was already set up, causing me to trip on a wire.


    ¡°Okay. There¡¯s the rack of clothes.¡± Madigan pointed to the rack on the left. ¡°You¡¯ll be photographed in all the dresses but today you¡¯ll only do three dresses. So, go put on the first one. Hurry.¡±


    Grabbing the first dress from the rack, I headed to the changing room. It didn¡¯t take me long to put on the turquoise dress. Once I was out, I was grabbed by team of hair and make up artists, and after thirty minutes, I was led to the couch, where I spent the next forty minutes being photographed from pose to pose. Madigan was an amazing person to work with. I had a great time with her as she took my photographs.


    However, despite her cheery attitude, I was nervous and it was because Trent¡¯s gaze never left me. While Madigan kept on chatting while taking pictures, I could feel Trent¡¯s gaze on me. He stood in a corner, but his eyes were solely focused on me. Twice one of the coffee girls had to snap her fingers in front of his face to grab his attention. And after he had taken his coffee from her, he went back to staring at me. And soon, his gaze was the only thing I was really aware of; even Madigan¡¯s constant chatter couldn¡¯t help me focus.


    ¡°All right. One down, two to go. Why don¡¯t you go change into the second dress.¡± Madigan told me.


    ¡°Can we take a break? And can you ask one of the guys to get me some water?¡± I requested, trying to stretch without being too obvious about it. I didn¡¯t want Trent to think I was tired after only one shoot.


    ¡°There are no guys here, only girls,¡± Madigan said, pushing some buttons on her camera.


    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I tried my best to ignore Trent.


    ¡°I mean, there are only girls here, but I¡¯ll get you your water.¡± She turned and strode out of the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re tired. I didn¡¯t expect that from you,¡± Trent said as soon as I stood up to go change.


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m tired?¡± I didn¡¯t want him to know that I really was feeling a little stiff.


    ¡°You were stretching your muscles,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Well yeah, wouldn¡¯t you after sitting in the same pose for so long?¡± I raised my brows.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t in one pose,¡± he argued.


    ¡°But my body was stiff,¡± I countered.


    ¡°You should do yoga, it¡¯ll help you be more flexible,¡± he suggested in a condescending tone.


    ¡°Thanks for the suggestion but I¡¯m fine.¡± I turned to leave but his voice stopped me.


    ¡°I want you to do yoga,¡± he stated.


    ¡°And I told you I¡¯m fine without it,¡± I responded.


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you I don¡¯t care. I want you to do yoga, and you are going to do it, are we clear?¡± He stepped forward.


    My ire sparked at his words. ¡°I said no.¡±


    ¡°Are you forgetting you¡¯re under contract for the next five years?¡± His question was rhetorical, but I still answered,


    ¡°I know I¡¯m under contract, but this is my body and what I do or don¡¯t do with it is my choice. Nobody tells me what to do,¡± I said with conviction.


    Trent cocked his head to the side and I spotted a sh of arrogance in those hypnotizing eyes. ¡°I am your boss, and in this profession I do get to tell you what to do with your body. I want you to do yoga, and you¡¯re going to do it, got it, bumblebee?¡±


    ¡°I am fine. What is your bloody obsession with yoga?¡± I asked irritably.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I like my girls flexible,¡± he replied.


    The fuck?!


    ¡°That made no sense. I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t want to resemble an stic,¡± I uttered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a yoga instructor for you here. You¡¯ll spend two hours with her three times a week,¡± Trent stated.


    My temper red. ¡°I don¡¯t want a yoga instructor. Stop imposing!¡± I nearly shouted.


    His eyes shed dangerously. ¡°Lower your voice. Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s the boss here,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me how to talk,¡± I seethed.


    ¡°I do. And shady, you¡¯ll soon know exactly what I can make you do. For now, you are going to do yoga, and I don¡¯t want to hear any arguments,¡± he replied.


    I scoffed. ¡°Go ahead, it¡¯s not like you can tell if I¡¯ll attend ss or not. You¡¯re leaving aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am going out of country for two weeks. But that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be getting daily reports regarding you.¡± This man was insufferable.


    ¡°So now you¡¯re a stalker?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe I¡¯m just a concerned boss,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°Right.¡± I scoffed again.


    The sound of my phone ringing snapped me out of anger. Picking my cell phone from the table beside me, I answered it when I saw Jose¡¯s name shing.


    ¡°Hey, you feeling better?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. And guess what, you got a new apartment mate!¡± Jose said excitedly.


    ¡°Wow. I don¡¯t feel so lonely anymore,¡± I replied, chuckling.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°When will you be done?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°In a couple of hours,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯lle pick you up from the studio.¡± He told me.


    ¡°All right. See you soon.¡± I ended the call.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Trent asked.


    ¡°Jose,¡± I responded nonchntly.


    ¡°And he couldn¡¯t wait to call you after work?¡± Trent sounded annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a break,¡± I argued.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not off the clock,¡± he stated, making me roll my eyes.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again, boss,¡± I said venomously.


    ¡°Why did he call?¡± Trent asked, ignoring my outburst.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my friend,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you the reason why he called, bumblebee,¡± Trent rified.


    I sighed. ¡°He wanted to tell me he has moved in my apartment.¡± I told him, wondering where Madigon was with my water.


    ¡°Why is he moving in your apartment? Doesn¡¯t he have a ce of his own?¡± He queried.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you? You might be my boss here but you¡¯re just a stranger outside of this studio,¡± I stated.


    ¡°You reall know how to piss off a man, don¡¯t you shady?¡± The nerve of this man!


    ¡°The hell?! What did I do to piss anyone off?¡± I demanded to know.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell you someday. Right now, I¡¯ve got a flight to catch. Be a good girl while I¡¯m gone, bumblebee.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ll leave in three hours.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but now I¡¯m going to leave now.¡±


    Just then Madigan came back holding a bottle of water. ¡°Here you go. Sorry, I gotte, I started talking to the new girl. Here¡¯s your water.¡± She handed me the cold water bottle.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I unscrewed the cap and took a small sip.


    ¡°Mr. n, you¡¯re leaving so soon, I thought you said you¡¯ll leave in three hours.¡± Madigan looked at Trent with confusion.


    ¡°Change of ns, Madi. I¡¯m leaving now. May I have a word with you before I leave.¡± Trent took her to a corner and both of them talked in hushed tones, leaving me staring at them like an idiot. Didn¡¯t Trent know that whispering while other people were around was downright rude?!


    Well of course he didn¡¯t, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be doing it! My subconscious snapped.


    Trent talked to Madigan for quite a while before he finally nodded in acknowledgement and sauntered out of the room. Madigan came back once Trent was out of sight.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Apparently you¡¯re getting yoga sses from Monday. For two hours, three days a week,¡± she answered.


    ¡°What?! No!¡± I couldn¡¯t believe he would actually go through with it.


    ¡°Yes. Boss¡¯ orders.¡±


    Curse you, Trent!

 08

    Part 8


    Saturday brought a refreshing smile on my face. Finally, I would not have to see Trent¡¯s face or worry about whether my pose was right or not. I was going to sit back and rx and would go visit Hailey, it had been so long since I¡¯d seen her. I would let Jose know I would be busy with Hailey, so he could spend the day doing whatever he wanted.


    After doing my morning rituals, I put on a light blue shirt with jeans before brushing and tying my hair in a pony tail; I wanted to go for a casual look, so the whole world would know that I had a day off and was loving it.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re all dressed up,¡± Josemented as soon as I entered the living room.


    ¡°Yeah, I have the day off, so I am going to visit Hailey today.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Does that mean I get the apartment all to myself today?¡± Jose¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°You¡¯re not having an orgy here,¡± I warned.


    Jose threw his head back andughed. ¡°I¡¯m not a sex addict¡­okay not really, but, I won¡¯t have an orgy here, promise.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so happy?¡± I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Why not? As your friend I have the right to know what you¡¯re upto. Are you going to do something illegal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Give me some credit, and no, nothing illegal.¡± Jose shook his head.


    ¡°Then what? Tell me!¡± I ordered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± he replied.


    ¡°What?! So you were just doing this to annoy me?¡± I red at him.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s so much fun.¡± He grinned.


    I smacked his arm. ¡°I¡¯m going. Call me if you¡¯re dying!¡± I hollered as I left my apartment.


    Hailing a cab, I slid inside and immediately called Hailey. I was so excited to meet her, Ipletely forgot to tell the driver her address; it was only when he called out to me and gave me an expectant look did I realize my mistake. Smiling apologetically, I gave the cab driver Hailey¡¯s address.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Hailey spoke as soon as the call connected.


    ¡°Hey Lee, how¡¯s my best friend?¡± I asked cheerfully.


    ¡°Wow Mandi, you remember you have a best friend, how sweet.¡± Her words dripped with sarcasm and I felt a stab of guilt.


    ¡°Sorry. I have been busy with¡­stuff,¡± I said pathetically.


    ¡°Oh of course, I understand. Please, stay busy, and don¡¯t bother to remember that there are pther people in your life who might need you. No, don¡¯t bother at all,¡± she said.


    I winced at her words. ¡°This is the pregnancy talking,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Not sure what you mean. As far as I know, everyone would talk like this when their best friends are too busy in their lives to care about anyone else¡¯s existence,¡± Hailey replied.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°Not good enough. Plus, I don¡¯t have time to listen to your apologies, I have a husband to go talk to¡­you know, the one who knows that I exist,¡± she snapped and hung up.


    I stared at my phone with my jaw hanging open. Holy shit, Hailey was mad at me, and I was only just starting to see that. A fresh wave of guilt washed over me, damn it, I was a horrible friend. I got my dream job and I forgot all about my best friend, I was a terrible person.


    ¡°Can you please drive faster,¡± I requested the driver, who sped up a little.


    When I saw the familiar estate that was my best friend¡¯s home, I sighed in relief, but at the same time, my heart started pounding. Hailey was angry, and I had no idea if I¡¯d be able to make her smile. An angry Hailey was a dangerous Hailey; she was capable of murder when enraged, if that asshole Ian was any proof, the poor guy was paralyzed for life.


    Getting out of the cab, I paid the fare before striding over to the grand entrance door. I knocked a couple of times before stepping back. The door opened and the maid, whose name I did not remember, appeared.


    ¡°Hi, is Hailey here?¡± If Hailey wasn¡¯t mad at me I whould¡¯ve just barged inside without having to take permission from the maid.


    ¡°Yes. Mrs. Benson is avable. Pleasee inside.¡± She opened the door wider for me to enter. With a grateful smile, I stepped inside the gorgeous estate.


    ¡°Mrs. Benson is in the living room.¡± The maid told me. Nodding my head, I headed in the direction where I assumed was my best friend.


    Hailey was sitting on the couch with her legs propped up on the ss table, the T. V. remote in her hand, her eyes glued to the t screen. Hailey turned her face towards me as soon as I dropped my purse on the table.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, hesitantly.


    Hailey blinked a couple of times before turning her head back to the T. V. Great, she was now going to give me the silent treatment. Sighing, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Okay Amanda, you have to make your best friend smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I sat down next to her.


    Silence. That was the response I got. God, she was not going to make this easy for me. Letting out another breath, I leaned back on the couch.


    ¡°Lee, say something,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to you,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°No. But you¡¯re my best friend,¡± I argued.


    She scoffed. ¡°Yeah right! What kind of a best friend goes AWOL for two weeks?! No calls. No texts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was busy. I recently got hired by a modelling agency and I was busy with that,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Oh? So, your career is more important than friendship. Good to know.¡±


    Shit. That¡¯s not what I meant.


    ¡°I mean, there were things I have to do, and it was crazy.¡± I tried again.


    ¡°You must have a lot of things to do if you didn¡¯t have time to send a single text to me,¡± Hailey mocked.


    I groaned out loud. This pregnancy was fucking with our friendship. Hailey¡¯s emotions and rational thinking werepletely scattered. And I knew it was the hormones talking because Hailey never talked to me like this. She always understood if a person was busy, and always thought rationally.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m a terrible friend. I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me,¡± I begged.


    ¡°No.¡± She deadpanned.


    ¡°Ohe on. Please. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t ever ignore you. I¡¯ll message you every freakin¡¯ day, I promise. Please forgive me, Lee.¡± I swear the only reason I was begging her was because I loved her. Sometimes loving people was difficult.


    Hailey sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you, but on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Anything Lee. I¡¯ll do anything for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I want you to be my maid of honor,¡± she stated.


    My face broke into a smile as my heart rxed. ¡°Of course! I¡¯d love to be the maid of honor. When is the wedding? The second wedding I mean.¡± It was so weird, how Hailey would be getting married to Theodore again.


    ¡°In less than two weeks. And I haven¡¯t even gotten a dress yet.¡± She told me.


    ¡°What?! Why not?!¡± Oh no, I had to help my friend with her wedding dress, and I had less than two weeks to do it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go without my best friend,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go tomorrow. I¡¯ll pick you up and we¡¯ll go and find you the perfect dress. Do you have anything in mind on what kind of a dress you want?¡± If I had to find a dress for Hailey all by myself, I¡¯d do it.


    Before Hailey could respond, Theodore entered the living room, looking like a GQ model in his gray suit. For a second, I saw Trent¡¯s face staring at me, but then I blinked and Trent was no more. I shhok my head, Trent was messing with my mind. Theodore bent down and gave Hailey a tender kiss.


    ¡°Hello princess, how are you?¡± Theodore asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You¡¯re home early,¡± Haileymented.


    ¡°I missed you, baby, couldn¡¯t stay away from you, so I came home early.¡± He gave her another kiss.


    ¡°Hey boss man!¡± I yelled, trying to stop Theodore from fucking my best friend right here.


    ¡°Oh, hello Amanda, when did youe?¡± Theodore asked with a warm smile.


    ¡°A while ago. Are you excited for the wedding?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Excited? Very much. Anyways, it¡¯s good that you came over. Hailey can use a friend since I have work as well. Come by everyday if possible.¡± Theodore told me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I borrow my best friend and your wife for a day, do you?¡± I queried.


    ¡°For what?¡± He asked, perching on the arm rest of the couch next to Hailey.


    ¡°We need to go dress shopping,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have the driver take you both tomorrow, if you want,¡± Theodore said.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll take a cab,¡± I declined.


    ¡°Absolutely not! You will go with my driver,¡± Theodore stated.


    ¡°Theodore. Mandi and I will take a cab, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°And I say you are going to take the driver,¡± he said firmly.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want the driver following us everywhere,¡± Hailey whined.


    ¡°Fine. Then you can stay here and I¡¯ll call the desginer toe and take your measurements. Your choice,¡± he replied.


    Hailey growled. ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll go with the stupid driver!¡± She nearly shouted.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± Giving her a kiss on the forehead, Theodore sauntered out of the living room.


    ¡°Control freak!¡± Hailey muttered, ring at the T. V.


    ¡°He just cares about you, Lee.¡± I tried to calm her down.


    ¡°Yeah well I¡¯m sick of it! I hate him so much!¡± Sheshed out.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t. You love him,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Yeah well, right now I don¡¯t,¡± she argued.


    ¡°Liar,¡± I teased.


    Hailey took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    I patted her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s the hormones,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know. Fucking changes in my body. When will this be over?¡± She closed her eyes.


    ¡°In a few months,¡± I answered.


    ¡°I wish you could carry my baby for me,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°Uh okay, I love you, but I¡¯m never going to carry your baby for you. After seeing you like this, I am sure that I don¡¯t want kids, ever!¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± Hailey snapped.


    ¡°I know, by the way, what colors have you decided for the maid of honor and your bridesmaid?¡± I asked. And for the next few hours, Hailey and I discussed the ns for the wedding. Theodore had given free reign to Hailey regarding the wedding preperations. She wanted a small wedding, but she wanted everything to be perfect. After some time, Hailey finally decided on peach for the bridesmaid and champagne color for me. She even contacted a designer to make an appointment for tomorrow.


    When Hailey excused herself to go to the bathroom, I sat back and sighed in relief. Finally, my best friend wasn¡¯t mad at me anymore. From now on, I¡¯d make sure to text her at least once a day, just until the baby came and Hailey went back to normal.


    While I was wondering about my nephew or niece, my phone buzzed, signalling an iing text. I checked to see who texted me only to frown as I stared at the unknown number.


    UNKNWON: What did you eat for breakfast.


    Frowning, I texted back.


    AMANDA: Who is this?


    UNKNOWN: Your boss.


    AMANDA: Trent?


    UNKNOWN: Do you have more than one boss?


    AMANDA: No. Sorry.


    UNKNOWN: What did you have for breakfast?


    AMANDA: Why are you asking?


    UNKNOWN: Just answer me, bumblebee.


    This really was Trent. No one would dare question me like this. But why on earth was he asking me what I had for breakfast. Was this one of his I-care-about-my-models thing? Because if it was, then I did not like it.


    AMANDA: I¡¯m busy. Talk to youter.


    I thought Trent would stop pestering me after reading my message. But my cell phone started ringing a few seconds after I sent the text. Knowing who it was, I sighed and epted the call.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°I asked you a fucking question and I expect an answer,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°That was a stupid question, one I did not want to give an answer to,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That is not your decision to make. I am your boss. You do as I say. Now tell me what did you have for breakfast,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Why are you obsessed with my diet?! First yoga and now this, what the hell?¡± I asked, aggravated.


    ¡°None of your business. Answer my question, shady, or else.¡± There was a hint of threat in Trent¡¯s words.


    ¡°Or what? What will you do when you are not even here?¡± This man was really starting to piss me off. I was so happy talking to Hailey, and he just ruined my mood with one phone call.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to question my authority or my power, bumblebee, trust me, you will not like the result,¡± Trent replied, cryptically.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll call youter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hang up on me.¡± The tone of his voice scared me into obeying him.


    ¡°What?¡± I gritted out.


    ¡°Tell me what you had for breakfast,¡± Trent repeated.


    I growled. ¡°God, you are so annoying! Fine, you want to know what I had for breakfast. I¡¯ll tell you. I had a cup of coffee!¡± I nearly shouted.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?!¡± Trent roared from the other end.


    ¡°What do you mean, that¡¯s it? This is what I normally have,¡± I replied, trying to rein in my emotions.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying, all you have for breakfast is a cup of coffee?¡± Trent questioned.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. God when would this be over?


    Trent swore incoherently. ¡°God bumblebee, what am I going to do with you?¡±


    ¡°The hell? Who asked you to do anything?¡± What was he going on about?


    ¡°Mark my words, shady. When I get back, I am changing your diet. This fucking ends now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t have any right to change my diet,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Watch me, bumblebee.¡± With that he hung up, leaving my jaw hanging open.


    ¡°Hey, you all right?¡± Hailey asked, looking at my shocked expression.


    ¡°Ye-Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Listen. How well do you know Trent?¡± I asked.


    Hailey frowned. ¡°You mean, Theodore¡¯s cousin Trent?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. Him.¡±


    ¡°I kinda know him. Why? Is everything all right?¡± Hailey looked concerned.


    This time, I shook my head. ¡°I have to talk to you.¡±

 09

    Part 9


    Even though Hailey was already married, seeing her dressed up as a bride still managed to fill my heart with sadness. It felt like she was getting married for the first time and now she would be spending time with someone other than me. Theodore was a great guy and I was d they were getting married-again-but I still felt a pinch of resentment for Theodore. He had taken my best friend from me, because of him, I was left with nothing but an empty apartment which thankfully Jose was now sharing with me. But despite all that, I was truly happy for the couple, and I wished that someday I would be lucky enough to get a man who would really love me.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± Hailey asked, twirling in her white mermaid dress.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need me to tell you that you look absolutely stunning,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Still, I need your opinion. So?¡± Hailey eyed me expectantly.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You look perfect.¡± I told her sincerely.


    ¡°Ingrid? April?¡± Hailey asked the other two women who were sitting with us in the dressing room.


    ¡°I agree with Amanda,¡± Ingrid said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± April agreed.


    A knock sounded at the door before it opened to reveal none other than Trent. Great, my asshole of a boss has finally arrived. Trent looked sexy in his tux as he strode inside the room holding a small, rectangr box in his hand.


    Seeing Trent made me realize just how fast these two weeks had gone by. With my career and Trent¡¯s yoga sses, and on top of that making ns for the wedding, time flew away.


    ¡°To the most beautiful bride ever, I present you with this gift from your husband who is also your husband-to-be,¡± Trent said, extending his hand with the box towards Hailey, who took it with a breathtaking smile on her face.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Trent,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, sister.¡± Trent turned to leave but caught my gaze. And it was like a switch has been flipped because instead of walking out of the door, Trent walked to me.


    ¡°After this, I need to have a word with you. Wait for me in one of the guest rooms,¡± Trent ordered before sauntering out of the room leaving me staring after him. I swear if he wasn¡¯t my boss, I would never do as he said, but right now I was in apromising position.


    The wedding was being held in Theodore¡¯s parents¡¯ estate in their backyard. And when I saw the view of the transformed backyard from the room¡¯s window, I was in awe of the beauty that was disyed before me. It was like my best friend was getting her very own fairytale wedding.


    The door opened once again and this time Harry entered carrying a small maroon box in his hand. Harry was wearing a navy blue three piece suit and his hair was styled to perfection. If the best man looked so dashing I wondered how handsome Theodore must be looking.


    ¡°This is from Theodore,¡± Harry said to Hailey who hadn¡¯t stopped smiling since Trent left.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Harry,¡± Hailey replied.


    ¡°By the way, when are youing down?¡± Harry questioned, checking his wrist watch.


    ¡°In about twenty minutes,¡± Ingrid stated.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you make it sooner, Theodore is getting agitated,¡± Harry responded.


    April giggled. ¡°Tell him to wait twenty minutes. And why is he getting agitated, he already married my cousin.¡±


    Harry gave April an affectionate look, a look that was a little too intimate to be given in public; I actually felt like I was intruding. But that look told me one thing: Harry liked April-a lot.


    ¡°All rightdies, I¡¯ll take my leave now. Hailey, try and have mercy on my brother or else he¡¯ll bite my head off.¡± With a soft smile directed at Hailey, Harry strode out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the boxes, Hail?¡± Ingrid asked.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Hailey quickly opened the boxes and gasped as she pulled out a blue bracelet from the rectangr box and a thin gold ne from the maroon box. She pulled out a small card from the maroon box as well.


    ¡°Princess, even though we are already married, I still wanted to carry out the traditions. The blue bracelet is your something new and blue; and the gold ne is your something old and borrowed. I wish to see you wearing these items when you walk down the aisle and be mine in the eyes of the world. I love you, Theodore,¡± Hailey read out a card, and when she finished, a lone tear slipped from her eye, but the smile that she wore told me she was ecstatic.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in love,¡± Ingrid sighed, her face taking on a dreamy look.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ingrid. You¡¯ll get your man, don¡¯t worry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hailey, can I have Theodore?¡± Ingrid asked.


    Hailey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Take me down before she gets my man!¡±


    All three of us burst outughing at seeing Hailey¡¯s rmed reaction, which caused her to narrow her eyes and re at us. ¡°You are so mean!¡±


    ¡°And you believed us.¡± Ingrid held her stomach as sheughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. I can¡¯t wait anymore, let¡¯s go now. Take your ces,¡± Hailey ordered, and since she was the bride, none of us argued and simply did as she said and took her down to her husband.


    ~*~*~*~*


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± I asked as soon as Trent entered the guest room.


    I had reached the guest room as soon as Theodore was given the permission to kiss his bride and dance with her. While everybody was busy dancing, I located a nearby guestroom and slipped inside, and for the past twenty minutes I had been waiting for Trent to show up.


    ¡°I had to dance with my new sister,¡± Trent exined.


    ¡°Well what did you want to say to me, tell me so I can go,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Trent arched his eyebrow.


    ¡°What?¡± I huffed. I really wanted to go out and dance, Jose was waiting for me, and Trent was making me stay here.


    ¡°Sit down, you¡¯ll be here for some time,¡± he stated.


    ¡°What?! No way! It¡¯s my best friend¡¯s wedding and you¡¯re telling me that I have to stay here and listen to you, forget it, it¡¯s not happening,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°I am not telling you, shady, I¡¯m ordering you. Sit. Down.¡± He emphasized thest two words.


    ¡°Trent, you don¡¯t get to do this, not here,¡± I argued.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Benson to you, and I can do whatever the hell I want, wherever the hell I want, you don¡¯t get to argue, so sit down.¡± He gave me a hard look, but I was not going to back down.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to do this either. You can¡¯t act like my boss whenever you feel like and act like a normal person whenever you want. You don¡¯t get to abuse your power like this,¡± I countered.


    ¡°It¡¯s my power, bumblebee, I can do whatever I want with it. And right now, I choose to abuse it, so sit down.¡± God he was a stubborn man.


    With a withering re at Trent, I looked around for a chair but found none. ¡°There is no chair.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Sit on the bed,¡± Trent replied like I should be smart enough to figure it out on my own.


    With a scowl, I flopped on the mattress, making sure to let Trent know just how unhappy I was over this. Trent as usual chose to ignore my sour mood and came to stand right in front of me, towering over me.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I want you in the studio at 4:00 am tomorrow,¡± Trent stated.


    My eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Four in the morning? Are you crazy? I can¡¯te at four in the morning, that¡¯s insane!¡± This guy was not serious, I couldn¡¯te at four in the morning, I was busy dreaming and drooling at that time.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you had a choice. You have to be there at four and that¡¯s it,¡± Trent responded.


    ¡°Are you crazy?! Why do you want me at work at four? What¡¯s the big emergency?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°When you¡¯lle tomorrow, you¡¯ll know.¡± He told me softly.


    ¡°Tell me now because I¡¯m noting tomorrow.¡± I eyed him expectantly.


    ¡°You are,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°No,¡± I asserted.


    Trent ced both of his hands on the mattress on either side of me before leaning down, causing me to lean back a little in order to maintain eye contact, but not so much as to make me fall back on the bed.


    ¡°You are going to be at the studio at four in the morning,¡± Trent repeated.


    ¡°I am not going to do any such thing. The time you¡¯re telling me is utterly ridiculous,¡± I replied stubbornly.


    He leaned closer resulting in me leaning back. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn with me, shady, bad things happen to stubborn people,¡± he said in a deadly tone.


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to scare me it¡¯s not working. I am not going to sacrifice my sleep just because you want it. And for thest time, stop calling me shady.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, bumblebee. Say you¡¯ll be there.¡± Trent¡¯s voice dropped to an eerily soft tone.


    ¡°What part of no do you not understand? You call me stupid when you are unable to understand a simple word. And don¡¯t you have something better to do than to order me around?¡± This man was infuriating.


    ¡°You are my model, and if I want you at the studio at four in the morning, you¡¯ll be present there at four in the fucking morning, is that clear?¡± I knew by the tone of his voice that there was no room for argument.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done, can I go now, Mr. Benson?¡± I said sarcastically.


    Instead of replying with a yes or a no, Trent ced a hand on my chest and pushed me down until my back met the soft mattress. I gasped in surprise at his sudden actions. What was he nning? Panic exploded in my heart as his eyes darkened and an unusual look entered his eyes.


    ¡°You are not going to be easy, are you?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to me or to himself, but that eerie soft tone had goosebumps pebbling my skin. Trent looked dangerous.


    ¡°Your demands are ridiculous.¡± I was surprised my voice managed to sound normal despite the panic that was building within me.


    ¡°You are going to ept my demands no matter how ridiculous they are, you don¡¯t get a say, you are my model,¡± he enunciated.


    ¡°I can be someone else¡¯s model,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°No you can¡¯t. I will never let that happen. I won¡¯t let anyone else have you. You belong to me.¡± Trent gave me an intense look.


    My heart started pounding, and it wasn¡¯t from fear, it was because of Trent¡¯s words. Just what did Trent mean by all this? Was there a double meaning or was I reading too much into it?


    ¡°Could you move, please. I need to go now.¡± I was getting ufortable with his close proximity and I needed to be a familiar setting, away from this intense man.


    ¡°Why?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Jose is waiting for me,¡± I answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that friend of yours. I really don¡¯t like him.¡± I had no idea why Trent was acting like this, and I didn¡¯t want to stay and find out.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± I stated, feeling a little confident.


    ¡°Actually, I can. And I might do something about this friend of yours. Something permanent, a temporary solution wouldn¡¯t suffice,¡± he whispered. My heart clenched in fear, fear for Jose. No, Trent was lying, he wouldn¡¯t really do anything to Jose, would he?


    ¡°You stay away from him. If anything happens to Jose because of you I swear I will never forgive you,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°If something happens to Jose, trust me bumblebee, you won¡¯t know that I did it.¡± Was he telling me exactly how much power he had? If that was the case, I didn¡¯t need his threats to realize that, his bloody name was enough.


    ¡°You better not hurt Jose,¡± I warned him.


    ¡°Be at the studio at four in the morning tomorrow and he won¡¯t get hurt,¡± Trent stated.


    My panic mounted and at the same time my anger sparked. ¡°That is ckmail!¡±


    ¡°You want your friend to be safe, you do as I say.¡± He told me.


    His words not only left me speechless, they made me feel cornered. Trent had me right where he wanted me, and despite the fact that he was threatening me, he knew he had me cornered. The man was not decent, not at all. Decent men didn¡¯t ckmail you into doing their bidding. Trent was evil, and I was so stupid that I did not see iting. He had power and he loved using it.


    ¡°You are a menace!¡± I seethed, ring at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know exactly how much of a menace I really am, and trust me, you don¡¯t want to know. So tell me, will you be at the studio at four in the morning tomorrow?¡± The victorious glint in his eyes told me that he knew what I was going to say.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be there. But you better stay away from Jose, I mean it Trent,¡± I stated. Jose was my friend. I wasn¡¯t sure if Trent¡¯s words had any truth to them, but I wasn¡¯t going to take a risk. If Trent wanted me at the bloody studio at four, I¡¯d be there; not for me but for Jose.


    With a soft smile, Trent stood up, allowing me to get up from the bed. I kept ring at him as I straightened my dress and all I got from Trent was an amused nce. The man was getting on my nerves and I needed to do something in order to get him under control, otherwise he was going to crush me.


    Just as I neared the door, Trent grabbed my bicep in a firm grip. ¡°Do not bete,¡± he said, before releasing me.


    I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something I would surely regret, and instead kept looking straight ahead as I opened the door and walked out, anger and confusion ruling my mind.

 10

    Part 10


    My eyes felt heavy as I walked to the studio, every cell in my body was telling me to go back to my apartment and sleep, but no, I refused my bodily needs because of Trent fucking Benson. The man was a nuisance and I needed to do something to bring his dominating personality down a notch; I just wished I knew what it was that made him tick.


    Upon entering the studio, the first thing I noticed was the dim lights that bathed the studio in a warm glow. I wasn¡¯t sure if anyone was present if the absolute silence was anything to go by. I swear if Trent had told me toe here under false pretenses then I was resigning, breach of contract be damned!


    I looked around for a sign of another living soul but there was no one. No sounds of soft footsteps let aloneughter; I actually wished a mouse would scurry away just so I knew that life existed over here. But there was nothing.


    By now, my eyes were wide open, any residual sleep gone the moment I stepped inside the studio. And since my senses were on hyper alert now, I was cursing Trent with all my heart.


    ¡°Fuck you, Trent. I swear if I don¡¯t see your stupid face in the next five minutes I¡¯m leaving your stupid agency.¡± Right then, I didn¡¯t even care that by leaving the agency I would be killing my career, I just wanted to sleep and not let Trent¡¯s threats and curiosity bother me.


    However, when I saw Trent emerging from his office, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I cursed under my breath. Even when I was fully alert this man managed to surprise me. He gave me a soft smile and I cursed again, simply because the smile made him look breathtaking. Assholes should never be good looking!


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re on time. Come, we have to finish this before the sun rises.¡± Trent turned and strode in the same room where I had my first photography session. With a groan, I followed him. What was so important that he called me here at four in the morning?


    As soon as I entered the room, my eyesnded on the clothing rack, and my jaw dropped in shock. The clothing rack did not have the usual outfits, no, it was housing a significant amount of lingerie; and not just any lingerie, the sexy kind that had women blushing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I have to model those.¡± I pointed at the lingerie in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, you do. That¡¯s why I called you here so early. I want this to be done with the least amount of people present. Now go, we only have two hours,¡± Trent instructed.


    Okay, I was wrong. I was wide awake after Trent told me all this. ¡°Uh no. I don¡¯t want to model lingerie for you, and nobody told me I would have to be photographed half naked! Forget it, I¡¯m not doing it! First yoga and now this, I¡¯m not doing it,¡± I stated.


    I yelped in surprise as Trent took a hold of my wrist and dragged me inside the changing room. He threw me the first set of lingerie before mming the door shut. ¡°Put this on, you have two minutes. And if I don¡¯t see you wearing this when I open the door, trust me shady, I¡¯ll make you wear it myself, so don¡¯t push me,¡± Trent ordered from the other side.


    Cursing him to hell and back and then back to hell again, I removed my clothes and put on the sexy lingerie that had me sighing in bliss and cursing at the same time as I eyed myself in the full length mirror. The bra and panties were sofortable it felt unreal, and on top of that, they were fucking beautiful. The whole thing was made of sheerce with silk underneath. It was beautiful andfortable, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was practical.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Trent asked, knocking on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m noting out like this in front of you.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see you anyways, so you might as welle out,¡± he replied.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m noting out like this,¡± I said firmly.


    I heard Trent sigh. ¡°Fine.¡± After a pause he said, ¡°Take this.¡± He opened the door and threw a silk robe inside before closing the door again.


    Wow, that was considerate of him. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to be so nice.


    Trying not to dwell on Trent¡¯s unsual kindness, I quickly slipped on the cerulean robe before taking a deep breath and stepping out. Relief washed over me when I saw Madigan standing next to Trent with a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°Hi Amanda! How are you?!¡± She asked enthusiastically, which had me frowning. How was this girl so energetic at four in the fucking morning?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, why are you not yawning right now?¡± I enquired, eyeing her bright smile and glittering eyes.


    ¡°Why would I yawn?¡± She asked, a cute frown marring her forehead.


    ¡°Because your boss called you here at four in the morning,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh! No, no, I¡¯m not tired at all. I don¡¯t feel sleepy much,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Why not? Do you consume a lot of coffee?¡± I questioned, raising my eyebrows.


    ¡°Kind of, not really. It¡¯s just that, I sleep all the time, I mean, after I¡¯m done taking your photographs I have the rest of the day to do whatever I want, so I¡¯ll sleep then,¡± she responded.


    ¡°I see.¡± I wished Trent gave me the day off, I would like to sleep right now.


    ¡°Ladies, if you¡¯re done chatting, let¡¯s get started,¡± Trent ordered, causing Madigan to spring into action.


    ~*~*~*~*


    Right now, I really wished for a cloak, something to hide me away from Trent¡¯s prating gaze. I was posing for the camera-half naked-and all I could focus on were the eyes that refused to leave me since the moment I first took off my robe. And now, five lingerie sets and three hundred photographster, Trent¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave me.


    ¡°Can you lower your eyes a little, give me sultry yet submissive,¡± Madi stated.


    I did as she requested and tried my best to look sultry, although I had no idea if I seeded, but judging by the constant clicking of Madigan¡¯s camera, I¡¯d say that I got the look about right.


    ¡°Try and push your hair back a little, expose your neck,¡± she instructed.


    The moment I pushed my hair back, I could feel Trent¡¯s gaze searing me. He was standing a few feet away, but it felt to me like he was sitting next to me, touching me, imprinting his touch on my soul. And no matter how much I tired to shake off the feeling, I couldn¡¯t; Trent¡¯s gaze felt as real to me as Madigan and her camera.


    Madi sighed before pulling the camera from her face. ¡°All right, I think that¡¯s about it, what do you say, Trent?¡± She looked at Trent, waiting for his word.


    ¡°Yes. That is enough for now. People will being in now. Amanda, you can go and change back into your clothes.¡± Trent told me.


    Sighing in relief, I all but dashed inside the changing room. I quickly removed the bra and panties and put on my clothes. It was the first time I actually realized the value of clothes, and the role they y in protecting you from the world. When I had fastened thest button of my shirt, I felt like the safest girl on the. Finally, I wouldn¡¯t feel so vulnerable anymore in front of my boss.


    By the time I stepped out, Madigan was nowhere to be seen. However, when I saw Trent standing a few feet away, I panicked slightly. I didn¡¯t why, but I wanted to run as far away from him as possible. He had seen me naked-almost naked, and that unnerved me. He had seen me at my most vulnerable, and I doubt I could face him.


    ¡°If there is nothing else, can I leave now?¡± I didn¡¯t look at him as I asked. I was afraid if I looked at him, I¡¯d lose my mind.


    ¡°Look at me when you speak to me,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°I doubt looking at you is important,¡± I responded tartly.


    ¡°No, but you¡¯re suppose to show me some respect. So look me in the eyes when you speak to me,¡± he stated.


    I sighed in frustration before focusing my gaze on him. ¡°Can I go now, sir?¡± I asked, letting the frustration I was feeling seep into my words.


    Trent strode towards me until stood just a couple of centimeters from me. Due to the close proximity, I felt even more vulnerable, and I even had my clothes on! He cupped my chin gently before lifting my face to meet his eyes, and the intensity I saw in those charcoal gray eyes had goosebumps forming on my skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever disboey me, understand?¡± He murmured loud enough for me to hear.


    My fury sparked. The nerve of this man. I released my chin from his grip before fixing him with a re. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve an ounce of respect. The only reason I even bother showing you respect is because you¡¯re my boss,¡± I seethed.


    Trent gripped my bicep before fixing me with a re of his own. ¡°Listen to me, you dare disobey me, I¡¯m going to ruin your life, so think before you act, bumblebee, because if I retaliated, you won¡¯t like it,¡± he threatened.


    I should¡¯ve been scared. Trent¡¯s words should¡¯ve incited fear in me, but they only fuelled my ire. The look I threw at him should¡¯ve either frozen him or turned him to ash.


    ¡°Fuck you and fuck your threats! I am a free human being not a ve who is suppose to obey you! And you better watch what you say to me, Mr. Benson, because I don¡¯t like it when people piss me off. And if you tell me to obey you one more time, I¡¯m quitting this job,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°You do know if you quit, your whole life will be fucked, right?¡± Trent arched his eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I rather live on the streets than work for an arrogant man!¡± I spat.


    ¡°Big words. Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to go through with this?¡± He gave me a challenging look.


    ¡°You continue with this, and I am going to ruin your life.¡± I told him with conviction. And I meant every word of it. If Trent drove me over the edge, I would do something rash, that would clearly ruin his life and his reputation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me,¡± Trent gritted out.


    ¡°Well don¡¯t make me do lingerie shoots. I don¡¯t like them,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°You are getting paid for it, you ungrateful woman,¡± Trent hissed.


    ¡°I wish I got paid for pping you, because you clearly need one,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Shut your mouth before I do it for you,¡± he warned.


    ¡°Let me go and you won¡¯t have to do anything,¡± I retorted.


    Trent barked out augh causing me to frown in confusion. What was so funny that had himughing so hysterically? I didn¡¯t crack a joke, I was sure of that! Had he finally lost his mind? Maybe all the power and wealth finally got to his brain and now he was fit to be locked in an asylum¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s cute how you think you¡¯re getting out of here,¡± Trent said after he had stoppedughing.


    I frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You are not leaving the studio today,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Why not?!¡± My voice rose.


    ¡°I¡¯m your boss, remember. And I say, you¡¯re not leaving, bumblebee,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Yeah right! As if. I¡¯m calling Jose right now, he¡¯lle and pick me up.¡± Before I could reach my phone which was sitting on the table, Trent grabbed it before me.


    ¡°No you¡¯re not. I have a few clientsing in, you¡¯ll stay here until I¡¯m done with my work,¡± he said.


    ¡°Trent, for God¡¯s sake let me go. I am tired and I want to sleep, stop acting like a bloody child!¡± Theck of sleep was getting to me, and I needed thefort and safety of my bed.


    Taking a hold of my hand, Trent dragged me out of the room and all the way into another room. I love the shade of beige that dominated the walls of the room, and the flowy curtains and expensive furniture only added to the allure.


    ¡°See that bed.¡± Trent pointed at the bed that was tempting me to lie on it. ¡°Lie down and go to sleep,¡± he said.


    ¡°What? Here?!¡± He was not serious. Oh God, please don¡¯t let him be serious.


    ¡°Yes. You sleep while I deal with some clients,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°Uh no thanks. I¡¯ll just go home on my own.¡± I didn¡¯t want to sleep here, but that bed was calling to me.


    ¡°I just said you¡¯re not going home. You¡¯ll sleep here,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Why?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Because I said so,¡± he deadpanned.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Can you please give me a straight answer for once in your life?¡± This man was so irritating.


    ¡°No. Go to sleep.¡± He told me.


    ¡°I can do that in my own apartment as well,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can you not argue with me for once in your life?¡± Trent gave me an amused smile.


    ¡°No. Because you never make sense,¡± I responded.


    Trent chuckled. ¡°Cute. Now go to sleep. I don¡¯t want dark circles under your eyes, let alone you be sleep deprived.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll only ever be sleep deprived because of you,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Yes, you will,¡± he whispered huskily. My eyes widened at the tone of his words. What in the world did he mean by that? Why did I get the feeling that his words carried a double meaning? Maybe theck of sleep was messing up with my mind.


    ¡°Whatever. You¡¯re annoying and I¡¯m not going to waste my time arguing with you. I am going to bed.¡± Yes, I had finally given in to temptation, I would sleep here, in that amazing bed.


    ¡°You do that. Sleep tight, bumblebee.¡± Giving my shoulder a warm squeeze, Trent sauntered out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

 11

    Part 11


    ¡°Hey, get up,¡± Trent ordered, disturbing my slumber.


    ¡°Go away,¡± I groaned, burying my head in my pillow. The bed I was sleeping on was sofortable, I could sleep on it forever. Maybe I could work something out with Trent and live here permanently.


    ¡°It¡¯s seven in the evening, shady, get up now, we have ces to be,¡± he stated. I had no idea where he was standing since I had yet to open my eyes, but from the sound of it, he was standing pretty close to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°But it¡¯s mandatory for you toe. Wake up, we don¡¯t have all day,¡± he replied.


    ¡°We can go some other day, but let me sleep right now,¡± I responded.


    ¡°You have been sleeping for more than half the day, get up now,¡± he said, but I ignored him, sleep was much more important than his orders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your clients to deal with?¡± Why did opening my eyes felt like a chore?


    ¡°They left hours ago,e on sleeping beauty, wake up now,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Sleeping beauty is still under the sleeping spell, so go away,¡± I responded. By now sleep had deserted me, but I still did not feeling like opening my eyes.


    ¡°You do know the prince kisses sleeping beauty and she wakes up,¡± he stated; I could hear the smile in his voice.


    ¡°My prince hasn¡¯t arrived yet, so I¡¯ll just keep sleeping,¡± I responded.


    ¡°How do you know he hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°Because if he was here he would¡¯ve already kissed me by now, so I haven¡¯t been kissed yet, that means he isn¡¯t here,¡± I stated.


    ¡°So a random guy cane and kiss you and he¡¯ll be your prince?¡± He queried.


    ¡°Well yeah, isn¡¯t that what normally happens in fairytales?¡± To be honest, if some random dude kissed me I would p him first and ask questionster, hottie or no hottie.


    ¡°So after he kisses you and you wake up, will you ride off into the sunset with him?¡± I felt the mattress dip, telling me Trent just sat down.


    ¡°Uh no, he¡¯ll take me to his castle, like princes normally do,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Good. So get up, I am going to take you to a castle,¡± Trent stated.


    That had my eyes popping open. I sat up and looked at Trent with disbelief. I didn¡¯t care that my hair resembled a bird¡¯s nest or that my eyes were puffy, I just couldn¡¯t believe what he¡¯d told me.


    ¡°Did you say castle?¡± Surely I misheard him.


    Trent nodded. ¡°Yes. I am going to take you a to a castle. So get up, your dress is in the dressing room, change into it, fix your hair and face and meet me outside in thirty minutes,¡± he stated before standing up.


    ¡°Where is the castle? Is the castle even a real castle? How do I know you¡¯re not just making a fool out of me?¡± I narrowed my eyes in suspicion as I regarded Trent.


    He chuckled. ¡°Yes the castle is real and it¡¯s about a forty minute drive from here. So hurry up,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± I stated. And I really didn¡¯t. If there was a castle over here, howe I didn¡¯t know about it? If a real castle existed, wouldn¡¯t it be all popr, since people woulde to see it or admire it from afar?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me. But you are getting up and changing, so don¡¯t waste my time and go change,¡± he said firmly.


    ¡°No.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest in a show of defiance.


    ¡°Amanda. Don¡¯t test my patience. I am giving you to the count of ten, if by the end of it you are not in the dressing room, I am going to change your clothes myself, got it?¡± His face told me he was not kidding.


    ¡°Oh please, you can¡¯t do that.¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Ten.¡±


    ¡°Seriously. We both know you are not going to do anything of this sort,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nine.¡± He looked serious, like he had full intention of stripping me down and dressing me up if I didn¡¯t do it on my own.


    ¡°Trent. Knock it off.¡± He wouldn¡¯t really do it, would he?


    ¡°Eight.¡± Trent took a step forward, causing me to jump out of bed on the opposite side of him.


    ¡°Stop it. Your threats don¡¯t effect me.¡± Okay, that was a lie. Trent didn¡¯t look as if he was giving empty threats, and it was really effecting me.


    ¡°Seven.¡± He started toe forward, resulting in me looking left and right for an escape route, but the only way I could get out of here was through the door which was behind Trent.


    ¡°Trent. I am going to punch you. Or you can tell me if you¡¯re really telling the truth, then I woulde with you¡­willingly,¡± I added thest part as a bargaining chip, hoping Trent would believe me and let me get out of here.


    ¡°Six. I am telling you the truth,¡± he replied, taking two steps forward.


    ¡°Okay. Where is the dressing room.¡± I just wanted him to move a little to the left so I could get out of here.


    ¡°Through the door, to the left. Five.¡± He grabbed my wrist. The touch had ripples of electricity and pleasure rushing to my heart, causing it to beat faster.


    ¡°No, no. Let go. I-I¡¯ll go to the dressing room.¡± I was breathing heavily by the end of it. I couldn¡¯t believe it, Trent was serious; he was bloody serious. And despite my words, he still hadn¡¯t let go of my wrist.


    Without a word, Trent turned and led me out of thefortable bedroom. I looked at the now messy bed with sadness, I would miss sleeping on it. Maybe I could buy this bed from Trent; he could detect the money from my sry.


    ¡°You know you can let me go now,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± he responded drily


    Damn it! Why did have to be so bloody smart!


    Trent let go of me only when I found myself standing in front of the dressing room. With an audible huff, I stormed inside and mmed the door shut. I was not mad at Trent, I just did not like the way he dragged me out of the room. I mean, what if there were lots of people here, my self-respect would¡¯ve been destroyed, all thanks to him and his domineering ways.


    ¡°Hurry up. Only twenty minutes,¡± Trent shouted from behind the door.


    ¡°What?! You said I had thirty,¡± I yelled back.


    ¡°Well you wasted ten minutes refusing to get out of the room, so that makes twenty minutes,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Hey! That didn¡¯t count,¡± I argued, while stripping down to my underwear. I had yet to see the dress, but knowing Trent, it probably would be stunning.


    ¡°Of course it did. You might not know it, shady, but time is very important to some of us. And now you are left with seventeen minutes.¡±


    Throwing a re at the door, I yanked the dress from the hanger and hastily threw it on. It was only when I caught sight of my reflection in the full length mirror did I see the dress, the beauty of which had my jaw dropping.


    The sleeveless, purple, chiffon dress was flowy with silk underneath. And the bodice had silver diamonds scattered all over it. The dress brushed the floor slightly, and I could tell no matter where I turned, the dress would flow as smoothly as water. I felt like royalty wearing the dress.


    ¡°Where are my shoes?¡± I asked Trent, looking around to find a pair.


    ¡°Inside the ck box,¡± he replied, just as my gazended on the box itself.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I shouted before picking up the box and removing the lid and paper. The shoes were a sexy pair of silver stilettos. I eyed the shoes, trying to remember what they were called. The heel was no less than eight inches, and these shoes gave off a sexual vibe.


    Fuck me shoes!


    Satisfied that I had the answer I was looking for, I wasted little time in putting them on. I felt considerably taller after putting on the shoes, was it possible I would be taller than Trent?


    When I emerged from the dressing room, I frowned with disappointment. Damn it, Trent was still taller than me, even when I was wearing eight inch heels. Just how tall was he? I thought he was around six feet, but was he taller?


    ¡°How tall are you?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°That is none of your business,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t have time. You have ten minutes to fix your hair and face. Go,¡± Trent ordered, pointing at the vanity table which was filled with make up and hair supplies. With a disapproving nce at my boss, I trudged all the way to the way to the vanity table.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t slouch,¡± he said sternly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t slouch,¡± I argued.


    ¡°You were just doing that right now,¡± he countered.


    ¡°Well, now you know how much you irritate me,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Less talk, more work,¡± he stated.


    With another huff, I set about to work. Grabbing the hair brush, I quickly ran it through my hair, wincing every now and then when the bristles got stuck, trying to untangle my hair. My hair was a nightmare-I slept for a few hours, and it felt as if I had gone to war with my hair open with the way they got tangled. But sadly, nightmare or not, I loved my hair.


    ¡°So, is this castle yours or somebody elses?¡± I asked, ncing at him through the mirror.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine, but it¡¯s also somebody elses,¡± he answered, checking his watch.


    I frowned. ¡°Care to borate?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know what I mean when we¡¯ll get there.¡± He told me.


    ¡°Alright. Up or down?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Trent frowned.


    ¡°My hair. Do you want it up or down?¡± I rified.


    ¡°Down.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Once my hair did not resemble a bird¡¯s nest anymore, I ran my fingers through it, trying to make it bouncy. I was aiming for a mussed up look, though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was working or not.


    ¡°Does my hair look okay?¡± The only reason I could think of for Trent wanting to take me to a castle was that he wanted to show me off to other people as his model. That was why I was asking him whether I looked okay or not. No matter how much he pissed me off, Trent was still my boss, and I was not going to tarnish his reputation.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± That word had me blushing for some strange reason. ¡°Now just apply some make up and we¡¯re good to go.¡±


    Not wanting to read too much into his words, I quickly applied make up on my face, trying my best not to look like a clown. Right now, I really wished I had a team of make up artists at my disposal, they would¡¯ve made sure I didn¡¯t end up looking like a cartoon.


    ¡°Is this okay?¡± I enquired, cing the tube of lipstick back on the table.


    Trent caught my gaze through the mirror and it was as if he had frozen. His eyes widened and I heard the sound of a faint gasp escaping his lips. And for the next seventy five seconds, all Trent did was stare at me; so much that I was starting to wonder whether I had done something wrong.


    I stood up and faced him. ¡°Trent, are you okay?¡± I snapped my fingers in front of his face, which thankfully did the trick of snapping him out of his trance.


    ¡°Uh yeah. You look fine. Let¡¯s go now, we¡¯re alreadyte.¡± Grabbing my wrist once again, he led me out of the studio and in his car. Trent made sure I wasfortably seated in the passenger seat of his car before closing the door.


    He said your hair looks perfect, yet your make up looks fine! This guy is crazy¡­or blind¡­or both.


    Trent didn¡¯t say a word to me when he slid inside the driver¡¯s seat and started the car. ncing at me once, Trent drove away from the studio and towards the castle, giving me a chance to wonder about the actual reason we were going there.


    ¡°Trent?¡± I asked after five minutes.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why are you taking me to the castle?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Because I want to,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Come on, that can¡¯t be a reason. And even if it is, it can¡¯t be the only reason,¡± I responded, frustrated.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not the only reason,¡± he said.


    My curiosity piqued. ¡°Really? Then what is the reason?¡±


    ¡°I¡­want you to meet some people.¡± He told me.


    ¡°What kind of people?¡± It was so nice when he didn¡¯t argue and answered my questions.


    ¡°Important people.¡± Came his reply.


    ¡°How important?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Extremely.¡± He emphasized on the word. ¡°So you have to be on your best behavior. My repuation is in your hands right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry boss, your reputation is safe with me.¡± I grinned at him.


    ¡°If it was, I wouldn¡¯t he so worried,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not that bad!¡± I defended myself.


    Trentughed. ¡°No, of course not, bumblebee. You¡¯re not bad at all,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can smell the sarcasm, you know.¡± I scowled at him.


    ¡°Who said I was being sarcastic?¡± Trent raised his eyebrow in question.


    ¡°You are being sarcastic. And drive faster, I don¡¯t want to bete, my boss¡¯ reputation is on the line here,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± With a wink, Trent sped up and drove us all the way to the castle.


    When we arrvied my jaw dropped and it felt like I had been transported in my own version of a fairytale. The castle that stood before me was exactly like how castles were portrayed in fairytales,plete with the turrets, towers and numerous windows. My eyes were glued to the structure before me, and I wished for my prince charming to show up and take me inside the castle.


    ¡°Wow, this really is a castle,¡± I said softly, in awe of the lofty castle.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Trent replied.


    Tearing my eyes from the castle, I looked at Trent and asked the question that had been bugging me throughout the car ride. ¡°So, will you tell me who I am meeting?¡±


    The answer that Trent gave me had blood freezing in my veins;


    ¡°My parents.¡±

 12

    Part 12


    ¡°Get out of the car, bumblebee,¡± Trent ordered.


    I shook my head furiously. ¡°No way. I¡¯m not going in there. No way. Nuh uh.¡± I told him, eyeing the magnificant castle with trepidation. His parents?! He wanted me to meet his parents?! What the hell was wrong with this man?! Why would he want me to meet his parents; I already met them during the family dinner once, though we barely said two words to each other, but still!


    ¡°Why not?¡± He asked, looking confused.


    ¡°Are you kidding?! You just told me you brought me here to meet your parents and you¡¯re asking me why I¡¯m not getting out of the car.¡± This man was unbeliveable.


    ¡°So?¡± He arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh my God, and you call me stupid!¡± I took a deep breath to calm myself. ¡°Look. I am not going to meet your parents,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Why would you want me to meet your parents?!¡± I shrieked.


    ¡°Because.¡± He deadpanned.


    ¡°Because?! That¡¯s it?! That¡¯s your reason?!¡± Now I really needed to call Jose so he coulde rescue me.


    ¡°I am your boss,¡± Trent added.


    I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°Trent or Mr. Benson, whatever you prefer. I want to go home. Now. I don¡¯t want to meet your parents. So start driving,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°And I say. You shut your mouth, get out of the car and meet my parents. Plus my brother is here,¡± he stated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if the president is here. I don¡¯t want to meet your parents. Don¡¯t you get it, I¡¯m not good with parents or important people. I am super awkward around them,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°You worry too much, shady. Nowe on, my parents are expecting us and I am not going to disappoint them.¡± Saying that, Trent slid out of the car and came around to my side and opened the door for me to get out.


    ¡°No.¡± I stared at the windshield.


    ¡°Get out of the car,¡± Trent said firmly.


    ¡°No.¡± I turned to look the other way.


    ¡°Amanda, don¡¯t make me do something you¡¯ll regretter,¡± he warned.


    ¡°I regreting here with you. Stupid curiosity about the castle,¡± I muttered thest part under my breath.


    ¡°I am going to count to ten, and if you¡¯re not out of this car by the end of it, I am going to drag you out.¡± He told me.


    I scoffed. ¡°Ohe on! Not again!¡± This man was infuriating.


    ¡°Ten.¡±


    ¡°Oh for the love of all that¡¯s holy, stop counting!¡± I nearly shouted.


    Trent ignored me. ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°I said stop it.¡±


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    ¡°Trent. If you don¡¯t stop counting¡­¡±


    ¡°Seven.¡± Damn it, he was fucking serious.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this all the time.¡± I tried saying, but my words had no effect on him.


    ¡°Six.¡± I yelped when Trent gripped my wrist in a tight hold.


    ¡°Trent!¡± I screamed so loud, I was afraid his parents had heard me.


    ¡°Five. You don¡¯t have much time left, sleeping beauty.¡±


    ¡°You are despicable.¡± I shot him my most vicious re.


    ¡°Four.¡± The hardness in his eyes changed to full fledged victory, and even though I was pissed as hell, the arrogance oozing off of him was making my heart flutter. I hated to admit it, but Trent looked sexy when he was arrogant¡­which was strange.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you.¡± I tried onest time, but Trent and I both knew that I had lost.


    ¡°Three.¡± He gave my hand a warning squeeze.


    ¡°Alright fine!¡± I acquised and reluctantly stepped out of the car.


    ¡°See, now that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± The victorious smirk reminded me why I despised him in the first ce.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that. And I am going to make you regret this countdown method you have going on,¡± I threatened him. I really wanted to make him pay, and it looked like I would have to start searching.


    ¡°You can threaten me all you want, but first, you are going to meet my parents.¡± Turning around, Trent dragged me all the way to the giant front doors and threw the brass knocker against the door.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Oh you can count on it,¡± I replied.


    The door opened as soon as Trent blessed me with his irritating yet beautiful smile. I saw the same guy who I had seen in the club working with Trent. An involutary smile curved my lips as I eyed Jordan. He looked just like I remembered him; the same hair, the same dark eyes that resembled Trent¡¯s; these Bensons were blessed with excellent genes. I wish I had some of their genes.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted Jordan. I decided to behave myself in front of Trent¡¯s family, because no matter how much I wanted to make him suffer, embarrassing Trent in front of his family would effect me as well. I did not want Trent¡¯s parents to think I was an ill mannered girl who did not know how to behave in public.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Jordan smiled before stepping aside to let us enter. ¡°You guys are just in time.¡±


    ¡°What is mom making?¡± Trent asked, while Jordan closed the door softly.


    ¡°Everything that you requested,¡± Jordan answered, walking us further inside the castle.


    I tried. I really tried not to appear affected in front of Jordan, but the bloody castle still had my jaw dropping in awe. Everywhere I turned, I only saw wealth. From the curtains, to the wall paintings, to the giant chandalier that hung from the ceiling, it took my breath away.


    ¡°So Amanda, do you like my home?¡± Jordan asked, a soft smile on his face. Seeing Jordan¡¯s happy face made me want to p myself; I thought I was crazy because that smile was so friendly, Jordan felt like a brother to me.


    Wait. How does he know your name? Ask him. Ask him. My subconscience nagged.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± I replied truthfully.


    ¡°Thank you. My mom designed it. You¡¯ll meet her soon.¡±


    My heart jolted in terror as I pictured myself meeting Trent¡¯s mother, and once again cursed him for bringing me here. Why couldn¡¯t he behave like a normal human being?! And he didn¡¯t even tell me why he brought me here.


    ¡°Wh-Where is your mom?¡± It would be perfect if Trent¡¯s mom was so busy that she would not have time to meet me.


    ¡°She is in the kitchen, cooking,¡± Jordan answered, gesturing for Trent and I to sit on the expensive looking sofa.


    When Trent plopped on the sofa, I winced. It wasn¡¯t even my sofa and I was worried about Trent sitting so casually on it. Sofas like this were meant for royals, who sat with their backs ramrod straight and their butts lightly touching the cushion.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Trent instructed, but I was too afraid to ruin the sofa.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m okay, thanks,¡± I responded, wondering if I was ruining the floor by standing on it. This castle was not fit for living-it had way too many expensive things.


    Sighing, Trent stood up and before I register what he was doing, he grabbed my shoulders, turned me around slightly, and gently pushed me down on the sofa. I scowled at him and all I got in return was another smile. Damn it! These Bensons smiled a lot.


    ¡°I was fine while standing,¡± I muttered to him so Jordan would not hear.


    ¡°Stop being so formal,¡± Trent muttered.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m here too,¡± Jordan spoke up. Both of us turned to see Jordan standing with his hand raised in mid air.


    ¡°Sorry. Please sit,¡± I said, throwing one final re at my boss.


    ¡°Thank you. By the way, forgive me for not saying this earlier, but you look beautiful Amanda,¡± Jordanplimented, sincereity shining in his eyes.


    I felt my cheeks heating up. ¡°Thank you so much. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how do you know my name?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Trent told me about you,¡± Jordan answered.


    I threw a suspicious nce at Trent who ignored me. ¡°What did he say?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Well¡­a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°Care to tell me some?¡± I gave him a reassuring smile.


    ¡°He said-¡±


    ¡°Jordan. Don¡¯t you have something to do?¡± Trent intervened, causing me to scowl at him.


    ¡°Uh no.¡± Jordan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah. So tell me what did your brother say about me,¡± I requested.


    ¡°He likes your eyes.¡± Jordan told me.


    My eyes widened and my heart fluttered with pleasure. No way. Trent said that? He liked my eyes? But why didn¡¯t he ever tell me that himself? Trent always told me how stupid I was, or how I was too stiff, that I needed to eat healthy and do yoga; now that I thought about it, Trent hardly ever said something nice to me. And I couldn¡¯t remember a time when he actuallyplimented me. Except for earlier when he told me my hair looked perfect; but that was it.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± I asked Jordan, ncing at Trent to see him swiping on his phone, acting like he was totally oblivious to our conversation.


    ¡°Yes. He talks about your eyes a lot. I actually thought you only had eyes on your face and nothing else,¡± Jordan joked.


    ¡°Trent, is that true?¡± I finally mustered up the courage to ask him, and this way, he couldn¡¯t even dodge the question.


    ¡°Hmm? What is true?¡± Trent queried, finally looking at me.


    ¡°Do you like my eyes?¡± I had to force myself not to grin like an idiot.


    ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, bro, don¡¯t act so innocent. We all know how you have pictures of her-¡±


    ¡°One more word out of your mouth and you¡¯ll lose your tongue,¡± Trent warned, eyes narrowed at Jordan.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t talk like that to your brother,¡± I admonished my boss.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Amanda, Trent¡¯s like that,¡± Jordan exined, smiling.


    ¡°Yeah. But still, it¡¯s kind of harsh,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, but thank you for sticking up for me,¡± Jordan responded.


    ¡°Anytime. So he had pictures of who?¡± I went back to the topic at hand.


    ¡°No one.¡± Jordan rubbed the back of his head a little. ¡°You know, Trent is leaving the country for two years.¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What? Really?! When? Where? Why?¡± I fired off my questions at Jordan, not bothering to ask the person directly.


    ¡°World tour. He needs to expand hispany, so he¡¯s leaving. And he¡¯ll leave after this month is over and the first magazinees out,¡± Jordan informed me.


    I turned to gaze at my boss. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were leaving for two years.¡±


    ¡°I leave at the end of this month, there is plenty of time for me to tell you,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°When is the magazineing out?¡± I asked. I was so excited to see myself inside a magazine.


    ¡°In a couple of weeks. You¡¯ll get a copy of it, so no need to worry,¡± my boss answered.


    ¡°But what are you going to do for two years?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Work,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Yeah, but hopping from one ce to another¡­isn¡¯t that exhausting¡­won¡¯t you miss your home?¡± If I had to choose between home and being away from home for two years in order to expand my business, I would pick home.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet to see you being worried for my brother, but don¡¯t worry, Amanda, Trent is a big boy, he won¡¯t cry for mommy if he¡¯s away from home for awhile.¡± Jordan chuckled but into full blownughter when Trent shot him a re.


    ¡°I see my sons are at it again.¡± A feminine voice sounded from the corner. I looked towards the direction of the voice and saw an elegant woman walking towards us.


    She was about 5¡¯5 with dark hair tied up in a bun and a smile that had me wishing for my mother, on her radiant face. She was wearing an emerald green dress and her ring finger supported arge diamond ring. The diamond was so big, I was wondering how she was wearing that.


    ¡°Mom, look who¡¯s here.¡± Jordan stood up. ¡°Mom meet Amanda. Amanda, my mom,¡± Jordan introduced.


    I stood up. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Benson.¡± I held out my hand for her to take.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Amanda. Trent has told us a lot about you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Can someone please not tell her that!¡± Trentined.


    ¡°Mom, where is dad?¡± Jordan asked, ignoring Trent who was sulking.


    ¡°Your father should be here in a little while. He had a meeting.¡± Mrs. Benson told us.


    ¡°Oh right, I forgot. When will dinner be ready, I am starving,¡± Jordan stated.


    ¡°Dinner will be ready soon, but let me talk to Amanda right now.¡± Taking my hand, Mrs. Benson led me back to the sofa, and even though I was sitting there just a little while ago, I tried my best to sit carefully, afraid that I would damage the expensive material.


    ¡°Did Jordan tell you that Trent is leaving for two years?¡± Mrs. Benson queried, a warm smile on her face.


    ¡°Yes. He just mentioned that a while ago,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you apany him on his trip?¡± She suggested.


    ¡°What?! She can¡¯t do that,¡± Trent stated, finally finding a reason to speak.


    ¡°And why not?¡± Enquired Mrs. Benson.


    ¡°Because she is a model. She is under contract, so she has to do her job and not tour the world,¡± Trent answered.


    ¡°She can do both of those things at the same time. Maybe she can model in other countries and you can go about your business. That way you won¡¯t be alone and I wouldn¡¯t worry about you,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Trent is right. I have amitment over here, so I can¡¯t go.¡± I told her. Truth was, I had a feeling that if Mrs. Benson persisted, then Trent would¡¯ve told me toe along, but I did not want that. I did not want to be a burden on him. If he didn¡¯t want to take me with him, then I wouldn¡¯t go.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll feel better knowing my son has someone,¡± Mrs. Benson stated.


    ¡°Mom, he is not a baby anymore. I mean, I am the younger son and you don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Jordan said.


    ¡°Well yeah, that is because you are always here, mom wants to get rid of you,¡± Trent shot back.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough you two,¡± Mrs. Benson said before the sound of door closing was heard. ¡°Oh that¡¯s great. Now my husband is here and we can finally eat.¡±

 13

    Part 13


    When I saw Mr. Benson striding towards the living room, for a moment there I thought it was Trent himself walking towards us. Mr. Benson looked like a slightly older version of Trent; the resemnce was so strong, they could actually pass for twins. The same height, same hair and eyes, and the same build, Trent was an exact replica of his father.


    ¡°Hello darling,¡± Mr. Benson said to his wife before kissing her. He then turned to all of us. ¡°And you must be Amanda, I remember you from the dinner the other night. How are you?¡± He kissed the top of my hand before letting go.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you, Mr. Benson,¡± I replied shyly. It was a good thing these people remembered me, otherwise this would¡¯ve been ufortable for me, I did not do well with new people.


    ¡°Dad, how was the meeting?¡± Trent questioned.


    ¡°It was good. People are looking forward to meeting Jordan on Monday,¡± his father answered.


    ¡°Dad! Can you not tell people about me,¡± Jordan whined, earning a chuckle from his father and brother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, son, but you deal with all this sooner orter,¡± Mr. Benson stated.


    ¡°I preferter,¡± Jordan grumbled.


    ¡°But you¡¯re getting sooner,¡± Trent said, an amused smile on his face.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Jordan scowled. ¡°Mom. I want dinner,¡± he stated.


    ¡°All right.¡± Mrs. Benson addressed her husband. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and wash your face, freshen up a little, I¡¯ll get dinner on the table.¡±


    ¡°Alright darling.¡± With a smile in my direction, Mr. Benson strode out of the living room.


    ¡°All of you go to the dining room, I¡¯ll get dinner out,¡± Mrs. Benson ordered.


    ¡°Would you like me to help you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No Amanda, thank you. You just go and sit.¡± Mrs. Benson smiled before walking out of the living room, leaving me staring after her.


    ¡°Where is the dining room?¡± I questioned Jordan.


    ¡°This way.¡± He turned strode towards the left door on the right. Pushing the door open, I saw Jordan vanish inside the room. Taking my hand, Trent followed the path Jordan took and the next thing I knew, I was standing in the dining room.


    The size of the dining room shouldn¡¯t have surprised me after I saw the size of the castle in which they lived in, but my jaw dropped when I took in the dining room for the first time. It really looked like something which had been taken straight out of a fairytale movie set. Everything, from the curtains, to the furniture, to the crockery, everything was cute and beautiful at the same time.


    ¡°Why do you live in a castle?¡± I enquired, eyeing Jordan as he pulled out a chair and sat down.


    ¡°My dad built this castle for my mom. She was always fascinated with castles and fairytales, and since she was my dad¡¯s queen, he built this castle for her.¡± It was Trent who told me this.


    That was the most sweetest and the most romantic thing I had ever heard. ¡°Oh. So, howe Jordan is your half brother?¡± I asked, ncing at Jordan who looked ready to dive into the food the moment it arrived.


    ¡°My mother past away when I was three. My father remarried, and then had Jordan with my step mom who you met just now,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± It was an utterly stupid thing to say, but I couldn¡¯t stop the words from escaping my lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s not your fault, and I was very little when she passed away. I don¡¯t have that many memories of her, but the ones I do have, they are my most treasured ones.¡±


    The fact that he told me this, made me feel something; something which I couldn¡¯t put my finger on; but those words had the all the hostility and hatred which I felt for Trent, vanishing in thin air. I wanted to hug him tightly, and thank him for sharing this with me, but that would be highly inappropriate, so I refrained.


    ¡°Well, if she was here right now, I can tell you, she would¡¯ve been one proud mama,¡± I stated, adding a little jest in my tone to lighten the atmosphere.


    Trent chuckled. ¡°Thanks shady.¡±


    ¡°Dinner is here,¡± Mrs. Benson announced, entering the dining room while holding a steaming dish of rice in her hands.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t your mom just have the maids do all this?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Because mom likes cooking and doing anything rted to food herself. She does not allow maids to touch the ingrediants or anything. She always cooks by herself,¡± Trent replied, leading me to the dining table. I pulled out a chair and sat down, while Trent sat down next to me.


    ¡°She has spoiled you people,¡± I muttered, not wanting Mrs. Benson to hear.


    ¡°I know. I try my best toe and eat lunch prepared by her as much as possible. The regr meals don¡¯t appeal to me,¡± he stated.


    ¡°You know Amanda, I am going to be your new boss, once Trent leaves,¡± Jordan chimed in.


    My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the news. ¡°No way! Seriously?!¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. Jordan was going to be new boss. He just graduated from college, would he be able to take the responsibility of running the wholepany, even if thepany was small?


    Jordan nodded. ¡°Yes. You can ask your current boss if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± He nced at Trent.


    I followed Jordan¡¯s gaze and looked at my boss. Trent nodded, answering my unspoken question. I bit my lip as I thought of Jordan and I working together. Would he be strict or lenient? Would he get along with Madigan, my photographer? A good boss was able to create good employees¡­at least that was what I thought; and if Jordan was my boss, would he be a good boss and help me prosper or would he bring me and my career crashing down?


    ¡°And when were you nning to tell me that?¡± I demanded to know.


    ¡°A week before my flight.¡± Came his answer.


    ¡°And why not before that?¡± He was about leave me with a new boss and he was only going to tell me that a week before he actually did?!


    ¡°Not important,¡± he replied, picking up the spoon and putting some rice in his te.


    ¡°I beg to differ, it is important,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Alright you two, no need to argue. Amanda, eat something, you need some fat in your body,¡± Mrs. Benson said, passing me a te full of fried chicken.


    Did she forget I am a model?


    Not wanting to seem rude and ungrateful, I ced a piece of fried chicken in my te before setting the dish aside. Trent eyed my lone piece of chicken with something close to disapproval, before picking up the dish and cing a few more pieces of chicken in my te.


    ¡°Mom is right, you do need some fat in your body,¡± Trent agreed.


    ¡°Did you forget you¡¯re my boss? The boss of a model?¡± I whispered harshly.


    ¡°I did not forget, sleeping beauty. But I do know that you need to eat more,¡± Trent countered, adding two spoonfuls of rice as well.


    I swore under my breath before going back to acting normal, didn¡¯t want Trent¡¯s parents to think I was a short tempered woman, even though I was. So, taking a deep breath, I picked up my knife and fork and set about to eat. But when Mr. Benson entered the dining room, I paused, the fork hanging in mid air.


    You are so disrespectful, Amanda. Shame on you!


    ¡°Oh no. Please don¡¯t stop on my ount, please continue eating.¡± Mr. Benson told me, sitting down at the head of the table.


    When I saw Trent and the others eating, I rxed a little, then proceeded to take the first bite. My eyes closed as I savored the taste, my tastebuds dancing with excitement. The food was simply divine, and I could understand why Trent did not like regr meals. Mrs. Benson knew how to cook, and she had spoiled her family rotten with her food.


    ¡°This is delicious, Mrs. Benson,¡± Iplimented her.


    Mrs. Benson beamed with happiness, causing her eyes to twinkle. ¡°Thank you so much, Amanda,¡± she replied.


    ¡°You can teach her how to cook, mom,¡± Jordan stated, resulting in Trent shooting him a re, to which Jordan only smirked.


    ¡°I would love to.¡± Mrs. Benson smiled.


    ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t have to do that, it¡¯s okay,¡± I replied. I did not think Trent wanted me to do anything with his family, so I better stay out of this. I didn¡¯t know why he brought me here, but I believe he was not happy. So I would try my best to act formal, because ording to me, that was what Trent wanted.


    ¡°Nonsense. My son will be gone for two years. You cane over and I¡¯ll teach you how to cook; you can even tell me about your day,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really Mrs. Benson, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± I wished there was a polite way to say no to her.


    ¡°That is a very good idea, mom. I can bring some of the work home while you two gossip and cook at the same time,¡± Jordan added.


    ¡°Yes. That way you won¡¯t be bored, darling.¡± Mr. Benson joined in, winking at his wife.


    I looked at Trent for help, but he was already looking at me. ¡°You know what, this might not be such a bad idea. Mom, if you teach Amanda how to cook, can you please focus on her diet, she is too weak,¡± Trent said.


    Oh fuck me! He did not just say that!


    But he did, and I was staring at him incredulously. What in the world was wrong with this man?! First he acted like he was not happy with me being here, and next he was making diet ns with his mom for me. Trent¡¯s sudden change in behaviors were making my head spin. Did he hate me? Did he not hate me? Why couldn¡¯t he give me a clear signal? Why did he have to make my heart flutter with happiness one moment and drum with fury the next?


    ¡°So that is settled then. Amanda, I am going to teach you how to cook,¡± Mrs. Benson announced, sealing my fate with her words.


    Oh fuck!


    ~*~*~*~*


    Days blended into weeks, and before I knew it, the day of the magazineunch had arrived. I was so excited to see myself in a magazine. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would make the front cover or not, but being in the magazine was more than enough. I wondered what Trent would say about my pictures.


    That morning, I woke up extra early, got ready in fifteen minutes, and headed to the studio. When I arrived, it was Madigan who greeted me, waving the magazine in my face.


    ¡°Look what¡¯s here! It just arrived!¡± She told me, grinning.


    ¡°How do I look? How do I look?¡± I asked, eyeing the magazine with excitement. My picture was not on the front cover, but that did not lessen my happiness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see together, because I did not open it yet,¡± Madigan replied.


    ¡°Well what are you waiting for? Open it!¡± Taking the magazine from her, I flipped it open.


    I turned one page after the other, the length of my smile decreasing after every turn. I saw one beautiful model after the other, but I did not see myself. There were no pictures of me, none at all. When I reached the end of the magazine, my smile had sessfully turned into a frown. Not believing this could be possible, I flipped through the magazine again. But my eyes were not deceiving me, there really were no pictures of me.


    ¡°Where are your pictures, Amanda?¡± Madi asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They should be here, right? Are you sure this is the right magazine?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Yes, this is the magazine. And these are the photographs of the models which were takenst month,¡± she responded.


    ¡°So then, where are my pictures?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe there has been a mistake. Why don¡¯t you talk to Trent about this?¡± She suggested.


    ¡°You¡¯re bloody right I will.¡± I gritted.


    Flipping the magazine shut, I marched over to Trent¡¯s office and without knocking, barged inside. Trent was sitting behind his desk, shutting hisptop. When he saw me, he did a double take.


    ¡°Ms. Lawson, is there something you wish to discuss with me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re right I do.¡± I mmed the magazine on the table, ring at him. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± I demanded.


    Trent arched an eyebrow. ¡°I believe this is a magazins Ms. Lawson,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Why are my pictures not in there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You should know that answer to that, Ms. Lawson,¡± he stated.


    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    He shrugged before standing up anding around to stand in front of me. ¡°The reason your pictures are not in that magazine is, because I don¡¯t think they were suitable for the magazine,¡± he said.


    ¡°What do you mean not suitable?¡± What was he talking about?


    ¡°Have you seen the photographs? Have you seen how perfect those women are?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Ar-Are you saying that my photographs were not perfect?¡± He could not be saying that.


    ¡°That is exactly what I¡¯m saying,¡± he stated.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them? And you could¡¯ve helped me. You could¡¯ve made me pose better!¡± I eximed, tears burning my eyes. I worked so hard, and it all went to waste. I twisted every muscle in my body for this, and no one would know how hard I worked. The pain that I felt upon that realization was beyond excruciating.


    ¡°You need to work on yourself, Amanda. I do not just approve any photograph. I only approve the best for my magazine. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a ne to catch.¡± Trent told me.


    An errant tear fell from my eye, but I wiped it away. ¡°You-You¡¯re leaving?!¡± He could not do this to me. He could not!


    Trent nodded. ¡°Yes. I have to leave for two years.¡±


    I wanted tosh out; punch him, kick him, beat him until he agreed to put my pictures in the magazine, but the pain rendered me useless-incapable of uttering a syble.


    ¡°But one thing before I go,¡± Trent said before cupping my cheeks with his hands, and softly pressing his lips to mine. I was too shocked to do anything, the pain not helping me; resulting in Trent kissing me without any problem.


    When he pulled away, there was a strange gleam in his eyes. ¡°See you after two years, bumblebee.¡±

 14

    Part 14


    TRENT


    Two yearster


    As soon as I stepped on American soil, I smiled to myself. I was finally home. After two years and three months, I would see my family again. I had a lot of things to do now that I was back; so many things needed my attention.


    You need to see her. My subconscious stated. And no matter how much I tried to disagree with it, I couldn¡¯t, because it was right, I needed to see her. The woman had not left my mind for even a minute for the past two years.


    Amanda Lawson.


    The woman had possessed my mind the moment I had first set my eyes on her. She was fierce and fuckin¡¯ beautiful. However, she had the uncanny ability to irritate me. She barely took care of herself. She did not eat properly, she did not do yoga, and I did not like it. And so after she hade under my control, I made sure she did yoga. She needed to be healthy and flexible; flexible for the things I nned to do to her once I imed her as mine.


    ¡°To the g, sir?¡± My driver enquired, eyeing me from the in mirror in the car.


    ¡°Yes. Go straight to the g.¡± I told him before settling back in my seat, my thoughts flying to my sleeping beauty immediately.


    I wondered how she would be doing right now. I knew she was doing well-growing as a model, and my heartbeat increased every time I thought about seeing her again. Jordan had kept me up to date regarding her, telling me about every second of every day. I gave him strict orders to keep an eye on Amanda, and under no circumstances let any mane close to her. She was mine, and my family knew that.


    Even though I had left her in tears, I was going to make it up to her. These two years made me realize just how much of an asshole I had been to my girl. I hurt her before I kissed her and told her that I¡¯d see her after two years; I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I attacked her self esteem, had been doing that since the moment I had first met her. I barely everplimented her; simply because I did not want her to think she had any power over me. But she did. She had all the power. But I couldn¡¯t let her know that; not until I made her mine.


    You are an asshole! My subconscious chided.


    Closing my eyes, I let Amanda invade my thoughts. She was so beautiful, I felt like no one deserved to see her, except me. That was why I made sure her pictures would never be published in our magazine. All these months, I kept telling Jordan that no matter what happened, he would not send Amanda¡¯s pictures for publishing. I would not allow the world to see her. I would not allow anyone to take her from me.


    I didn¡¯t remember when my feelings for Amanda grew. Maybe it was when I saw her in lingerie for the very first time. Or maybe when she tried to insult me but failed miserably. I didn¡¯t know. But I did know that she was mine now. And I was going to make sure everyone in this world knew that.


    ¡°How long until we reach?¡± I asked the driver, eager to see my girl. Today was the fifth anniversary of our modelling agency and we were hosting a g in order to celebrate five sessful years. All the models and designers who have served our agency were invited, which meant my bumblebee would be there too.


    ¡°Ten more minute, sir,¡± my driver replied.


    Nodding my head, I eyed the shops whizzing by. Maybe I should get something for her, like a gift. Something that would help me apologize to her. But what could I get her? What did she like? Dresses? Jewelry? Make up? Women liked this stuff, didn¡¯t they?


    But I wanted to give her something different, something unique. Something only she would have; something that is one of a kind. But what could I get her? And when would I give it to her? On her birthday? Before that? After her birthday?


    This woman is messing you up.


    My subconscious was right, but I did not care. I just wanted to see her. It had been two years since I¡¯d seen her. I mean, I had kept her photographs with me and kept looking at them whenever the urge struck, which was all the time; but it had been two years since I¡¯d seen her physically-smiling,ughing, angry, cursing, breathing. Damn it! I missed her so much. Mom was right, I should¡¯ve taken her with me. I had been so stupid not to listen to her.


    When the car stopped, I all but jumped out of the car. Fixing my suit jacket, I jogged inside the hotel, not wanting to waste a second. As soon as I entered the lobby, which was bustling with the people of my agency, I searched frantically for Amanda.


    However, my eyesnded on Jordan, who was dressed in a navy blue suit, sipping a ss of champagne. I headed over to him and when he saw me, his face broke in a smile.


    ¡°Hello brother,¡± he greeted.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I questioned.


    Jordan frowned. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Amanda,¡± I said, searching around for her, before turning my attention back on Jordan.


    He was smirking. ¡°You just arrived and that is the first thing you ask me? You, my brother, are in love,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Jordan had no idea what he was talking about. Or did he? Was this what love felt like? This insane urge to see the one you desired and hold them forever? God, what was wrong with me?


    ¡°It¡¯s all right bro, I have been taking very good care of my sister for you. You¡¯ll see her in about ten minutes; she is upstairs, dealing with some stuff,¡± he said.


    ¡°What stuff?!¡± It felt like my control just snapped. The moment Inded, all I could think about was Amanda and how she was doing. Was she the same beautiful woman that I left two years ago, or had she be even more beautiful? Would she smile when she would see me, or would those gorgeous eyes ze with fire?


    God, those eyes!


    They were like molten honey, swimming with fire and happiness. Those eyes were the first thing I saw whenever I closed my eyes. I could drown in those pools of honey, they were that captivating. As soon as I would see Amanda, I¡¯d make sure everyone over here knew she belonged to me. I was done ignoring my feelings, it was now time to make her mine.


    When my eyesnded on her, it felt like my heart had stopped. Amanda entered the lobby and it felt like my world had lit up. She was wearing a blue dress that hugged her body like a second skin. Her hair was styled to perfection with pearls sticking out of them; and when my eyes locked with hers, I forgot to breathe.


    The surprise on Amanda¡¯s face would¡¯ve beenical if sheer hatred hadn¡¯t taken over. As soon as she saw me, she narrowed her eyes for a split second before turning around and walking away, leaving me staring at her bare back.


    What the fuck?!


    ¡°What the hell is she wearing?¡± I growled at Jordan, who gave me an amused look.


    ¡°Clothes,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°Who the hell gave her those clothes to wear?¡± Her back was bare, for everyone to see, and I could not handle that. Her body was mine to see. She was mine. Period.


    ¡°Da,¡± Jordan responded.


    ¡°She gave her a dress that exposes her body for everyone to see, was she out of her mind?!¡± That¡¯s it; I was not going to stand here and let the men ogle Amanda like this.


    ¡°Would you rx. You just got here and you¡¯re going ballistic, what the hell is wrong with you? It¡¯s just a dress, why are you making such a big deal out of it?¡± Jordan looked confused.


    ¡°She is mine, and I don¡¯t want other men to look at her.¡± Damn it! Why did she had to be so goddamn beautiful?! And to top it all off, she was dressed to kill. Did she not know what she was doing to me while prancing around wearing a dress that I wanted to rip off and fuck her brains out?


    ¡°So, what are you going to do about him?¡± Jordan pointed at a man who was conversing with Amanda. The two were standing way too close for my liking. And before I knew it, my feet carried me over to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, don¡¯t you think,¡± the man said to Amanda. I had no idea what his name was, and frankly, I didn¡¯t care. All I knew was that he was talking to my woman and I did not like it.


    ¡°Good evening. How are you?¡± I said to the man, before turning my attention to Amanda. ¡°Amanda, you look well,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Hello Mr. Benson, how was your flight?¡± The man enquired. He had shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes.


    ¡°My flight was alright, thank you. What have you two been talking about?¡± I got straight to the point.


    ¡°Nothing much. I was just telling Amanda that it¡¯s amazing how thispany has managed to be so sessful in such a short time,¡± he stated.


    ¡°We pride ourselves upon our hardwork and exceptional workers.¡± I nced at Amanda as I said this; but my blood boiled when she rolled her eyes at me. She was pushing my buttons, and she did not know how much trouble she¡¯d be in if she pushed too hard.


    ¡°Excuse me, gentlemen, I have somewhere to be,¡± Amanda said before walking away, leaving me staring after her.


    She did not just do that.


    Without a word, I followed after her. She manuvered through the crowd, her dress flowing with her like water. She slipped between people, and made a few turns before exiting the hotel¡¯s lobby and entering the gardens. I caught up to her, and once we were away from the crowd I grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face me.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± I demanded to know.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Amanda replied, trying to free her hand from my grip, but I only tightened my hold on her. She was not getting away from me that easily.


    I tugged her closer. ¡°Don¡¯t y with me, shady,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Look. I have no idea who you are, but if you don¡¯t let me go, I swear I am going to call the cops,¡± she said.


    I arched my eyebrow. This woman was not serious. Like hell she didn¡¯t know who I was. I could see it in those mesmerizing eyes that she knew exactly who I was. She was lying and she was failing at it.


    ¡°Only lie when you know how to, sleeping beauty,¡± I uttered, staring deep into her eyes.


    ¡°Trent, let me go!¡± She raised her voice.


    ¡°Lower your voice, shady. Trust me, you won¡¯t like it if people showed up here.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Fuck you and your threats! You are nothing! You hear me, nothing! I don¡¯t know who you are, and I have no interest in knowing you! You left two years ago, and you have no idea how happy that made me! So you don¡¯t get toe back and boss me around anymore. Go live your life and let me live mine!¡± She raised her voice after every sentence.


    Oh bumblebee. You have no idea how wrong you are.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s that easy? You think that you¡¯ll tell me to leave you alone and I will agree? You are my employee, that means you are mine. So what I do is up to me, and shady, there is no way you¡¯re getting rid of me. You had your freedom while I was gone, but not anymore,¡± I informed her.


    Her eyes shed with fury and it took everything in me not to kiss her right there and then. This woman was provocative, and she tested my self control, but she was worth it.


    Amanda sneered. ¡°I am done with you. When you left without any exnation and just a few words, that was it for me. Now, you can do whatever you want, but I won¡¯t ever acknowledge you as anyone more than my boss. Now, you are just a guy who pays me at the end of every month. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    Kiss her. Kiss her to shut her up!


    But I ignored my subconscious. She challenged me. She fucking challenged me, and I was going to win. She did not know who she dealing with, but that was alright; she would know soon.


    ¡°Oh really? But as your boss, you will be seeing me everyday,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°You may be present, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will acknowledge your presence. I¡¯ll just act like you are not in the room,¡± she replied confidently.


    Forget aboug kissing her. Just fuck her brains out so she¡¯ll know who she belongs to.


    As much as I wanted to listen to my subconscious, I chose to ignore it. Instead, I focused on my bumblebee who looked angry. She thought she could evade me, but she couldn¡¯t be more wrong. She was mine now, and evading me was not an option anymore. And I would spend my whole life trying to make her realize that.


    ¡°You sure you can do that, sleeping beauty?¡± I eyed her with amusement.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she stated.


    ¡°Be careful there. Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep.¡± I told her, enjoying the feel of her wrist in my hand. Soon I would have her body, and her heart and mind would follow.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. You are my boss, that¡¯s it. I won¡¯t notice you until I day I¡¯m suppose to receive my sry, and after that I¡¯ll go back to ignoring you. You, Trent Benson, are not worth my time.¡±


    Alright bumblebee, the game is on.


    ¡°Just try, sleeping beauty. Just try.¡± Was all I said before I released her wrist. Amanda clutched her wrist, wincing slightly. Throwing her another possessive look, I turned and went back to the g.


    Amanda Lawson didn¡¯t know who she was dealing with. I had just imed her as mine, and now it was time to show her exactly who she belonged to.


    Watch out, shady. I¡¯ming for you.

 15

    Part 15


    I mmed my apartment door shut and stormed in my room. How dare he? How dare hee back after two years and act like nothing had changed? Just who did he think he was? Just because he was rich and handsome he thought he was the king of the world, that arrogant bastard. I¡¯d show him, there was no way I would let him win. He hurt me in the worst way before leaving for two years, and now I would show him how I was not the same Amanda that he left two years ago. I was better, I was stronger. I would try my best to stay away from him; he was nothing but my boss now.


    ¡°Hey Manda, are you alright?¡± Jose asked, entering my room.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jose,¡± I lied. I did not want Jose to be a part of my problems.


    ¡°And you are also a terrible liar.¡± He came and sat next to me on the bed. ¡°Now tell me, what is bothering you?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m fine,¡± I persisted.


    ¡°Amanda,¡± he warned. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong,¡± hemanded.


    I sighed audibly. ¡°Trent is back,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Was all he managed to say. I swear, if that was all he could say, why did he bother asking me what was wrong? Jose was weird sometimes.


    ¡°I need to talk to Hailey,¡± I said. Right now, I really needed my best friend. Jose was amazing, and he was quickly bing my best male friend, but right now, I needed my girl friend. She was the only one who could understand the emotional turmoil I was in.


    ¡°Okay. Would you like something to eat or drink?¡± Jose asked, a soft look in his eyes.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± I muttered. Right now, all I could think about was the fact that Trent was back. And I had to be strong, I had to keep my heart and mind in check, because two years ago, he had almost stolen my heart¡­almost. I could not let him steal it again. No, I would never give my heart to Trent; he did not deserve it.


    Jose wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. He rested his chin on my head and for a while we just sat there, inpaniable silence. Jose could never be what Hailey was, but he tried, and I loved him for it. He really was my best friend.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± He queried, his voice dripping with concern.


    I smiled. ¡°Yeah. Keep him away from me. Don¡¯t let him in our apartment. Please,¡± I requested.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Done. I¡¯ll keep that arrogant boss of yours out of this apartment. I¡¯ll go down and inform security to not let Trent Benson in our apartment,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Thank you. You are the best,¡± I responded. His words helped ease my worries slightly. Now, once I talked to Hailey, I was sure to feel like my old self again.


    ¡°I know.¡± He chuckled, causing me to smack him lightly on the chest. Jose¡¯s arrogance was annoying yet it was nice, but Trent¡¯s arrogance made me wish he either kissed me or allowed me to p him.


    Stop! Don¡¯t think about him. He is nothing. He is nothing.


    Trenting back was difficult than I had expected. I didn¡¯t know I would react so strongly to his presence. However, I wasn¡¯t the only one who had changed over thest two years. Trent had changed as well. He was more dominating, more arrogant, and just¡­more.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want him toe back,¡± I uttered the words to Jose.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Jose queried.


    This time, I had no answer for him. Did I want Trent toe back? Was I happy that he was back and was just pretending to be upset? Or Trenting back was really bad for me, and that was why I was so angry?


    God, what was wrong with this man? He made me question myself and made me unsure of my feelings and thoughts!


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s talk about something else. Or maybe I should talk to Hailey,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Talk to Haileyter. I want my friend to myself for a while. Come, let¡¯s go and watch a movie; it¡¯s been so long since we watched a movie together,¡± Jose stated, standing up and pulling me along with him.


    ¡°Ohe on! I just got back!¡± I whined, but allowed Jose to drag me out of the room.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care. We are a going to watch a movie, and hopefully we¡¯ll get your mind off that douchebag boss of yours,¡± Jose argued.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I huffed. ¡°What are we watching?¡± Jose let me plop on the couch before heading over to the kitchen.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re in such a foul mood, I¡¯ll let you decide. But next time I¡¯ll pick,¡± Jose answered from the kitchen.


    ¡°Jeez, thank you so much for this honor,¡± I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I forced myself to get up from the couch, then dragged myself all the way to the shelf that housed our movie collection. We didn¡¯t have that many movies, which was why Jose was alwaysining about going to the mall to buy some more, but he never did.


    After looking at all the DVDs, I sighed in frustration. There was nothing that we hadn¡¯t already watched at least fifteen times. With another audible sigh, I shuffled back to the couch, without a movie in hand.


    Jose came back with arge bowl filled with popcorn. But when he saw me sitting there with a ck T. V. screen, he frowned then ced the bowl on the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°There is no good movie,¡± I replied sullenly.


    ¡°Well I keep telling you that we have to go and buy some more,¡± Jose said.


    ¡°Yes, but right now, we don¡¯t have anything to watch,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right, we got Netflix,¡± he announced.


    My eyes widened. ¡°You got Netflix? When? How? And why have we been watching the same movies again and again if you already have Netflix?¡± I threw at him.


    Jose shrugged, the mischevious glint back in his eyes. ¡°I like surprising you. And I also like annoying the hell out of you.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± This man was annoying, but dammit, he was my best friend.


    ¡°Well that is why I haven¡¯t told you that we have Netflix,¡± he exined, sauntering over to grab the remote which was lying on the cushions on the floor. He turned on the T. V. beforeing to sit beside me.


    ¡°To annoy me?¡± I asked.


    Jose gave me a funny grin. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And how long have you had Netflix?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Since I moved in to your apartment,¡± Jose replied.


    A string of colorful profanities fell out of my mouth as I red at Jose while he just chuckled. This man forced me to watch all those boring movies again and again, when all this time he had ess to Netflix! The man knew how to piss me off. Well, I believed every man knew how to piss me off, Trent Benson being on top of the list.


    ¡°I hate you.¡± I told him.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± Jose replied.


    ¡°Well maybe I didn¡¯t hate you before, but after what you did, after what you put me through, I definitely hate you,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°You¡¯re just tired and angry and you¡¯re taking it out on me. But that¡¯s alright, once you¡¯ll watch the movie, you¡¯ll feel better,¡± Jose cooed.


    ¡°What do I look like, a baby?¡± Damn it, what was happening to me?


    ¡°Oh no, you, most definitely are not a baby,¡± Jose disagreed.


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± I eyed the screen with something close to disapproval.


    ¡°So, which movie do you want to watch?¡± Jose questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just pick one,¡± I replied drily.


    ¡°Animated?¡± Jose turned to look at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care. Just put something on,¡± I groaned.


    Jose picked up the bowl of popcorn and ced it on myp. ¡°Here, eat something, you¡¯ll feel better¡­more human,¡± he stated.


    ¡°I am human!¡± I eximed before shoving a bunch of popcorns in my mouth.


    The buttery vor exploded in my mouth and I reveled in it. I loved popcorn, but since I was hungry, they tasted extra good. These popcorns were delicious. I would tell Jose to get his own popcorn, because I was not sharing.


    Jose settled back, his eyes glued to the screen. I didn¡¯t bother looking at the name of the movie, too busy munching on my popcorn. As soon as this movie was over, I would go and call Hailey. I missed my best friend, and my niece and nephew. The twins were adorable, and now, everytime I went to the mall, I made sure to buy something for them. I really wished that someday I would be happy and in love with my own kids. But I guess, happy endings weren¡¯t for everyone. Maybe, some of us were destined to be alone.


    Halfway through the movie, my cellphone decided to ring. With my eyes glued to the screen, and one of my hand busy with transferring popcorn from the bowl to my mouth, I answered my phone without checking the caller ID.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Amanda?¡± Trent spoke from the other line. The shock had me nearly choking on my popcorn, but thankfully nothing like that happened. Why was he calling me now? What did he want? I swear if he was going to throw any ridiculous demand at me, I would tell him to take a hike.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I picked up some more popcorn.


    ¡°I want you to be at the studio at 6:00 am sharp,¡± Trent stated, his voice leaving no room for argument.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked with a frown. I always went to work around 8:00 am, and now he wanted me toe two hours early, this man was my sleep¡¯s enemy. Why couldn¡¯t he just let me sleep in peace?


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to ask questions. Just do as I tell you and be at the studio at 6:00 am.¡± Trent told me, his words dripping with arrogance.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Man, I wish I had something on him. Now that he was back, I would show him just how much I had changed. He would regret messing with me.


    ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t get to ask questions. But, if you don¡¯t do as I say, then trust me, you won¡¯t like what¡¯ll happen next.¡± With that he hung up, leaving me speechless.


    Did he just threaten me?


    I stared at my phone¡¯s screen for a few minutes, my mind processing Trent¡¯s words. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, the threat in those words could not be mistaken for something else. Trent meant what he said, which meant I had to be at the studio at 6:00 am sharp, otherwise God know¡¯s what he would do.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Jose enquired, lowering the volume.


    ¡°Trent called.¡±


    ¡°Oh. And?¡± He prodded.


    ¡°He wants me toe at 6:00 am.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Why so early?¡± Jose was now giving me his full attention.


    ¡°Because he is an ass,¡± I seethed.


    ¡°That he is,¡± he agreed. ¡°So, are you going to go?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I have to. Like it or not, he is my boss, and pays me at the end of every month. I have to go, even if I don¡¯t want to,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you want me toe with you?¡± Jose questioned.


    I grabbed his hand and gave it light squeeze. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll be fine. How about you cook me dinner or something.¡± In these past two years, Jose had learned to cook, and now, restaurant food no longer appealed to me. Jose had spoiled me just like Mrs. Benson had spoiled her family.


    True to her words, Mrs. Benson taught me how to cook. But since Jose was constantly in the kitchen with us, he ended up learning as well. Now, he was a much better cook aspared to me; and I was sure Mrs. Benson enjoyed teaching him more than me.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll cook dinner for you. What would you like to eat?¡± Jose smiled at me.


    ¡°Surprise me.¡± I smiled back.


    ~*~*~*~*


    When I entered the studio the next day, I was met with silence. Sighing, I headed inside, trying to spot any signs of human life. But no one was here. Shaking my head, I sat down on one the chairs, wondering where everybody was. I mean,ing at four in the morning and finding this ce empty was understandable, buting at six and still finding it empty was weird.


    But when I saw Trent, I did not know whether to scowl or sigh in relief. He looked sexy in his jeans and polo shirt, and his attire had me thinking that why in the world was he dressed so casually.


    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re here,¡± Trent said as soon as he saw me.


    ¡°Why did you call me here so early?¡± I stood up, straightening my dress.


    ¡°I have a very important business meeting, and I want you to apany me,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t your PA do that?¡± Why did he want me to apany him? And if he was going to a meeting, why was he dressed so casually?


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s not that kind of a meeting. It¡¯s a¡­different kind of a meeting,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Care to borate?¡±


    ¡°No. You areing with me, that¡¯s it.¡± Trent gave me a once over then shook his head. ¡°You need to change. I can¡¯t take you like this.¡±


    ¡°How about you don¡¯t take me at all!¡± I crossed my arms over my chest.


    ¡°Quit being difficult. There is a dress for you in the changing room, go. You only have ten minutes,¡± Trentmanded. He took a hold of my wrist and dragged me to the changing room.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± I shouted once Trent mmed the door shut, leaving me staring at the dress which he wanted me to wear.


    The dress was navy blue and looked to be made of satin. There were a jewels scattered all over the left side. ording to the length, the dress would fall just an inch above my knees. It was one gorgeous dress and I really wanted to steal it from my boss.


    ¡°You have eight minutes left,¡± Trent announced.


    Not wanting to waste any more time. I took off my dress and put on the satin one. And just like I had expected, the dress fell just an inch above my knee. I eyed myself in the full length mirror. I loved this dress, maybe Trent would let me keep it. The cap sleeves went perfectly with the whole dress.


    ¡°Where are the shoes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In the corner,¡± he answered.


    Spotting the bag in the corner, I pulled out the stilettos and put them on. Then, taking a deep breath, I emerged from the changing room.


    Trent smiled and a cryptic glint entered his eyes as he gazed me. He stepped forward and gently took my hand in his. The tenderness in that small gesture surprised me, making me question his motives.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± He said it like a question, but I knew it wasn¡¯t. So taking another deep breath of courage, I nodded.


    I had no idea where he was taking me. But I was ready to face it.

 16

    Part 16


    Trent turned his head in my direction and gave me a sweet smile before focusing back on the road. The smile had me narrowing my eyes in suspicion. Where was he taking me? We had been driving forever. And what was he nning?


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully quiet,¡± Trentmented.


    ¡°Well yeah. I am sitting in the car with someone who I despise, why would I talk?¡± I gave him a pointed look.


    ¡°Do you really hate me?¡± Trent asked, amusement shimmering in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes. A thousand times yes,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Well don¡¯t,¡± he stated.


    I turned to face him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± What did he mean by that?


    ¡°I¡¯m saying don¡¯t hate me. You can dislike me, but don¡¯t hate me,¡± he rified.


    ¡°And who are you to tell me what to feel? I do hate you Trent Benson, and I¡¯ll always will,¡± I sneered. Arrogant jerk!


    ¡°You know, there is a very fine line between love and hate,¡± he said.


    ¡°So?¡± I raised my eyebrows.


    ¡°So, too much love can eventually turn into hate, and too much hate and eventually turn into love. So don¡¯t hate me, shady, because you just might end up loving me,¡± he exined.


    I scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s bogus. And I won¡¯t magically fall in love with you just because I hate you so much and there is a fine line between love and hate.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you might not believe me now, but maybe you¡¯ll believe me once you actually fall,¡± he replied.


    Igonring him, I turned to look out the window, the question which had been bugging me since I sat in his car shed in the forefront of my brain; where was he taking me? Was he going to kidnap me, it sure looked like it.


    Trent was driving through a strange ce. All I could see were trees and vegetation; and I wondered where all the houses were, not to mention that I did not see a single human wandering around. This peculiar ce had my fear spiking, and the only reason I wasn¡¯t going hysterical right now was because I knew Trent was my boss, and even though I hated him, he would not let any harme to me.


    How do you even know that? The man left for two years, who knows, maybe he came back a serial killer.


    ¡°What is the meeting about?¡± I questioned, not looking at him.


    ¡°The executives of my agencies abroad areing. I want you to meet them; they might want to photograph you,¡± Trent answered.


    My eyes widened at hearing his response. He was helping me build up my career? He was actually helping me seed? Oh wow. All this time I thought he hated me so much and would never let me grow as a model, but right now, all my notions went flying out of the window.


    Maybe he was actually a good man and I had been judging him without actually getting to know him. Maybe it was I who was at fault. Maybe, it was I who always pissed him off that he had to act like a jerk to me.


    Maybe you¡¯re being stupid once again and he¡¯s still the same arrogant prick he¡¯s always been.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re okay with otherpanies wanting me?¡± I asked him, staring at him to check if he really was okay with all this.


    ¡°They are not otherpanies, thepany is mine but different branches. If they want to photograph you, basically you¡¯ll still be working for me,¡± he exined.


    ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter if I work for them or not because either way I¡¯ll still be working for you?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Trent nodded, and all hope fled me like air from a balloon. I knew it was too good to be true. I mean, why would Trent let me work for otherpanies when he was barely letting me work in his. It had been two years and not a single photograph of mine had been published in the magazine. I worked my ass off and I barely got any recognition. I asked Jordan why my photographs were never published, but he always had an excuse up his sleeve. I was starting to think that maybe Jordan did not want to hurt my feelings by telling me that I was not good enough to be in their magazine.


    ¡°Yes. But maybe by working abroad, you might get some more exposure,¡± Trent stated.


    I did not respond, the thought of not being good enough weighing on my mind. Trent was clear when he told me how he only wanted perfection in his magazine, which I was not. Did he still think the same way? Did I even want to know? Was I strong enough to handle another blow to my self esteem?


    It took me by surprise when Trent gently ced his hand on mine. I nced up to see him eyeing me with concern. Why was he concerned about me?


    ¡°Are you all right, bumblebee?¡± He asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± I moved my hand which was under his. Trent had no right to touch me, and I would make sure he knew that.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about something,¡± hemented, shifting his eyes back on the road.


    ¡°I am always thinking about something,¡± I said tly.


    ¡°Well, what are you thinking about?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°Nothing you need to be concerned about.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I want to know,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°I think you should focus on getting to your destination, instead of poking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to speak to me that way.¡± A hint of danger entered his tone, but I could not care less.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not allowed to meddle in my business,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Amanda, I will not tolerate this,¡± he warned.


    ¡°Well then you shouldn¡¯t have brought me along. It¡¯s your fault really, so suck it up.¡± I told him. I was done taking his shit. He would not tell me what to do anymore. If I gave him control, then he was going to destroy me, and I would not let that happen.


    Instead of driving, Trent stopped the car, right there, in the middle of the road. He got out and rounded the car before opening my door, unclipping my seatbelt and dragging me out. The action was so sudden and so shocking, I could not even fight against him. Once I was out of the car, Trent mmed the door shut and pinned me against the car, his eyes throwing fireballs at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve clearly forgotten who you¡¯re dealing with. I leave you for two months and you think you have the right to speak to me in any way you want,¡± he seethed.


    I shot him a re. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? You are my boss not my father! And I¡¯ll speak to you in whatever way I please. And you left me for two years, I wish you never came back!¡±


    Trent pinned my shoulder to the car and leaned forward until his nose brushed mine. That little touch felt like blissful spiders crawling down my spine, and I cursed my body for its traitorous response.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, or you¡¯re not going to like what¡¯ll happen to you,¡± he warned.


    ¡°Let go of me or you won¡¯t like what I¡¯ll do to you.¡± He thought he could treat me like his ve and I¡¯d be okay with it; well this billionaire had another thinging. I was going to destroy him once we reach our destination. I would crush his reputation just like how he crushed my self esteem two years ago.


    ¡°What will you do? Tell me,¡± he demanded, his tone cocky.


    I did not answer. I knew what I was going to do now, and I was going to enjoy doing it. But first, I would have to make Trent believe that I was a helpless damsel who had no power. And when we would reach the ce where the meeting was being held, I would strike.


    Trent chuckled at my silence. ¡°Just as I thought. You can¡¯t do anything. I am the one in control, I am the one in power.¡±


    He was so wrong, I had to stop myself fromughing out loud. Trent was way too confident; and he used it as his strength. But the very same confidence that he wore as armor was also his weakness. Killing his confidence, would destroy him, and that was exactly what I nned to do.


    When he let go of me and took a step back, I winced and rubbed my shoulder. The man had power, that much was certain, and not just in the physical sense. He had more power than I could ever dream to have, but I was not going to let that get me down. Today was the perfect opprotunity to get my revenge on him. Let¡¯s see how he liked it when peopleughed at him; and not just strangers, but people who worked for him.


    ¡°Get inside, we¡¯ll bete,¡± he ordered, going back to the driver¡¯s seat.


    With a glower, I opened my door and slid inside. I would run away if we weren¡¯t in the middle of nowhere, but as it was, luck was not on my side. Once both of us were seated, Trent turned the ignition and sped forwards.


    For a while none of us said anything. I had no idea what Trent was thinking, but I was thinking of more ways to embarrass him in public. Once I ruined his reputation amongst his colleagues, my next step would be to ruin him in front of his family.


    ¡°We are going to be spending the night there,¡± Trent informed me.


    I jerked out of my reverie. No way! I would not spend the night with him. Wasn¡¯t it bad enough that I had to suffer for a few hours in hispany, now he wanted me to spend an entire night. No, no, I could not do that; I did not have that much self control. I would most likelybust because everytime I looked at him, all the hurt and agony he put me through came back with full force.


    ¡°No. I have things to do at home, I cannot stay the night.¡± I told him.


    ¡°You can do themter, but we are spending the night here.¡± There was a note of finality to his words, but I chose to ignore it.


    ¡°And I said I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll take the bus home, I have important things to do.¡± I was lying, but I would never tell the truth to Trent about why I really wanted to leave.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to let you out of my sight, then think again, sleeping beauty. You are not leaving, get that through your head,¡± he stated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why we have to spend the whole day there. It¡¯s a stupid meeting which won¡¯tst more than a few hours. Why do we have to waste our time sleeping in motels when we can easily go back,¡± I demanded to know.


    ¡°I thought we established the fact that you don¡¯t get to ask questions,¡± Trent replied.


    This time I closed my eyes to stop tears of anger and frustration from spilling out. Trent was really testing my patience, and I¡¯d be damned if I let him see me like this. The way he was continuously telling me how really powerful he was, threatened to break my confidence which had taken two years for me to build.


    ¡°Trent please, don¡¯t do this. Just leave me alone,¡± I uttered. The fact that I had let those words slip out of my mouth made me curse myself. Trent pissed me off so much, I couldn¡¯t even control my words.


    When Trent ced his hand on my thigh, I did not fight it off. I knew he was not going to stop until he had me begging for mercy. This man was evil, and I hated him. And in just a few minutes, he had me emotionally exhausted.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m won¡¯t,¡± he muttered. I wasn¡¯t sure he meant for his words to reach me, but they did anyway. And the promise in those three words made my heart heavy. Something needed to be done about him. I couldn¡¯t just sit and let him dictate my life.


    Fishing out my cell phone from my purse, I texted Jose asking him if buses ran in this part of the state. But when he asked me where exactly I was, I was at a loss for an answer. I had no idea where we were, so Jose could not tell me whether buses came to this part of the state or not.


    ¡°We are out of the city, right?¡± I asked Trent. Judging by the grass surrounding me, I could tell that we were no where near civilization.


    He nodded and I cursed him. ¡°Yes. We are pretty far away from civilization.¡±


    I checked the time on my phone and nearly groaned out loud. Three hours. We had been on the road for three fucking hours, no wonder my patience was starting to run thin. This was why I could not spend the nigh with Trent, I would blow a fuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find my way home,¡± I muttered to myself, but believed none of it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t. Some animal would end up killing you before you even walk a mile,¡± Trent responded.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep your ears to yourself.¡± I glowered at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that as soon as you keep your thoughts to yourself.¡± Trent chuckled.


    ¡°How long until we reach?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Five minutes,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from driving for so long?¡± I queried. Trent looked as fresh as a daisy. It didn¡¯t look as if he had been driving for three hours.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to long drives,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Of course you are.¡± I wondered when I¡¯d get used to him. Probably never since he kept on finding new ways to aggravate me.


    After a few minutes, Trent said that words that had me sighing in bliss. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    He parked the car and I got out. And as soon as I took my first breath of fresh air, I felt refreshed and determined, ready to destroy Trent¡¯s reputation once and for all. And the best part was, he would never thising. He thought I weak and helpless; well I was just about to prove to him how wrong he had been all along.


    I smiled softly when Trent took my hand in his as if we did this everyday, and begun leading me towards the ce where the meeting was being held; which I had no idea about because everywhere I looked I only saw grass and trees.


    But I gloated internally, because now it was time to finally show Trent just how much I had changed over the years. It was time to show him that I was not inferior to him.


    It was time to destroy him.

 17

    Part 17


    I gasped out loud when I took in the gorgeous chalet before me. If this was deserted and I was filthy rich, I would¡¯ve bought it. It was a beautiful three-storey chalet with a gabled roof, with plenty of windows and balconies present on each floor, allowing people to view the beautiful greennds that stretched on for miles. The chalet looked as if it had been built using the best of materials. And I wanted it so badly I could taste it.


    Without a word, Trent led me inside and what I saw inside had my confidence faltering for a moment. Trent was right, or maybe not. Were meetings supposed to be this¡­casual? There were people milling about like they were at a party and not at a formal meeting. Men in suits and women dressed like they wanted men to devour them, were talking and sipping champagne, while a few waiters went about holding trays of drinks and canapes.


    ¡°You call this a meeting?¡± I enquired, eyeing the crowedughing and discussing God knows what.


    ¡°This is just a gathering. The meeting will start in a couple of hours,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°Why is there a gathering before the meeting? Shouldn¡¯t these things happen after the meeting?¡± I was so confused with all this.


    ¡°I like to do things different, shady. Now let¡¯s go,¡± Trent stated and tugged me along. He led me towards a group of men who were standing in a corner, holding sses of bubbly champagne, which was strange because it was barely noon and these people were already drinking.


    ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s good to see you all,¡± Trent greeted, snaking a possessive arm around my waist.


    ¡°Well well, Trent Benson has finally arrived. What took you so long?¡± A man who looked to be in his mid-twenties asked. He was wearing a gray suit with a white shirt, his blue eyes sparkled with glee as he smiled at us.


    ¡°I had some¡­difficulties along the way.¡± Trent nced at me as he said this, and I resisted the urge to stamp on his foot.


    ¡°I see.¡± The blue eyed man finally rested his gaze on me. ¡°And you must be Amanda. I¡¯m Tony, a close friend of this douchebag.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I said and I meant it. This Tony guy just called Trent a douchebag, and whoever insulted Trent was on my friend list.


    ¡°Trent told me you were beautiful. At first I did not believe him, but now, looking at you, I say the word beautiful suits you,¡± Tony stated.


    My cheeks heated upon his words. Trent called me beautiful, really? He thought I was beautiful? And he told his friends I was beautiful, did he mean it? Or did he say this only because he wanted his friends to photograph me for my career?


    What do you think? The guy was an asshole two years ago, and he just proved to you in the car that he¡¯s still an asshole. Do you really have to wonder?!


    My subconscious was a bitch, but she was right. Trent was a douchebag and I could not let my heart skip a beat everytime one of his acquaintances told me that Trent said I was beautiful. I could not be like those stupid women that believed everything a guy told them. I might¡¯ve believed this two years, but not now. I was smarter now, and would make sure Trent knew that.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, not knowing what else to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. It¡¯s a fact. You are really beautiful, and I can see why Trent has made sure that you work exclusively for him,¡± Tony stated.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, Tony. Let her breathe,¡± Trent admonished his friend.


    Tony chuckled. ¡°How long until the meeting starts?¡±


    ¡°Two hours. I want everybody to rx before we get down to business,¡± Trent responded.


    A server came to us with a tray of canapes. Trent momentarily released his hold on me to grab a couple of them, before passing one to me after which he wrapped his arm around me once again. I had a hearty breakfast, which was so unlike me since my stomach didn¡¯t wake up until 9:00 am, but right now I was d, because after three hours of driving and no break for food, I was still functioning properly.


    The canape was delicious, and once I finished it, I wished for another. The canape had stirred up my appetite and I wished that waiter woulde back. Maybe I could go around and look for some snacks, and also think about how I was going to ruin Trent¡¯s reputation in front of his colleagues. But the stupid arm which he had around my waist prevented me from escaping.


    ¡°So Amanda, what time are you free? I thought maybe you can allow me to photograph you for one of my magazines,¡± Tony enquired.


    I really liked him. He so was so sweet, and he was talking to me while no one else bothered to even look at me; which was strange considering I was Trent¡¯s employee. But Tony did not make me feel left out, and I really liked that about him.


    As soon as I opened my mouth to answer, Trent beat me to it. ¡°She¡¯ll be free after three days. You can bring you photographer and we¡¯ll take it from there,¡± he said.


    Closing my eyes, I forced myself to hold in my growl. What in the bloody hell was wrong with him? I was not mute, I could speak for myself. Why did he have to tell Tony when I was free? If Trent continued to speak for me, no one would consider me a good model, because they would all think I was shy and couldn¡¯t speak for myself.


    Don¡¯t worry, Trent. After today, you will no longer boss me around.


    Right now, I would let Trent act the way he normally did. Once this meeting started, then I would make my move, for now, I would let him think that he was in control. I would let him take pride in his aplishment and treating me like I was inferior to him. And then, I would make him fall; because pride always came before the fall.


    ¡°I can speak for myself, you know,¡± I muttered to Trent, not wanting anybody else to hear us.


    ¡°I am the boss, bumblebee,¡± he replied simply.


    The fuck?! What kind of a response was that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You don¡¯t get to speak for me unless my lips are sewn shut,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I can stop you from speaking, and trust me, I won¡¯t have to sew your lips in order to do that.¡± He told me. The intense look he was giving me, had my knees weakening. Damn him and his looks.


    ¡°Behave yourself. You always tell me you¡¯re my boss, well act like one,¡± I hissed, ring at him.


    ¡°Hey, what are you two mumbling about?¡± Tony queried, eyeing us both with amusement.


    ¡°Nothing. Amanda just asked me a question regarding the meeting and I was just answering her,¡± Trent lied.


    ¡°Liar,¡± I murmured.


    Another waiter stopped by us, offering us champagne. Trent repeated his earlier actions of releasing my waist, taking two sses of champagne, handing one to me, then putting his arm around my waist again.


    When I took my first sip of champagne, I instantly felt better. The bubbly liquid was calming my mind, extinguishing the fire that Trent¡¯s attitude was fuelling. I was d to have some calming liquid.


    ¡°Well hello gentlemen, I did not see you arrive.¡± I turned my head to the direction of the voice, only to see a beautiful woman standing looking like she just stepped out of the cover of a magazine. She was about 5¡¯10 with glossy, raven hair that was styled in an updo. Her gray eyes sparkled with mirth, and her glossy lips were stretched in a smile, revealing her perfect white teeth. She was wearing a purple dress which had a halter neck and looked to be made of silk. And because of the six inch heels which she was wearing, she looked extra tall.


    ¡°Tamara, you look good,¡± Tonyplimented her.


    ¡°Thanks Anton. Hello Trent. Oops.¡± Tamara looked sheepish for a second. ¡°I mean Mr. Benson.¡±


    ¡°Hello Tamara. How are you?¡± Trent enquired, a small smile on his lips.


    ¡°I am good, thank you.¡± She looked at me. ¡°And who is this? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before. Hi, I¡¯m Tamara.¡± She gave me a small wave.


    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Amanda,¡± I replied with a smile.


    ¡°Mr. Benson, you don¡¯t mind if I take Amanda with me, do you?¡± Tamara asked Trent.


    ¡°And where do you want to take her, if I may ask?¡± Trent queried, which pissed me off. Why was he acting like I was a child who would get lost if Trent removed his eyes from me?


    ¡°To the snack bar. What do you say, Amanda, want to grab a bite?¡± Tamara looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°For how-¡± I cut Trent off.


    ¡°Actually, I would love to.¡± I walked over to where she was standing, finally feeling like I could breathe. Trent was so overwhelming at times, it became difficult for me to breathe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back in a little while, Mr. Benson,¡± Tamara stated, raising her voice a little. She then took my arm and led me to the snack bar which was basically a long table containing various sorts of snacks.


    ¡°So, how long have you been working with Trent?¡± Tamara asked me, once we were a safe distance away.


    ¡°A little over two years. What about you?¡± I took the te she handed me and filled it with a few miniature sandwiches.


    ¡°I work in a different state. But my boss is transferring me over here, so basically we¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on. I start next week,¡± Tamara replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. When did you join thispany?¡± I queried, taking a bite of my sandwich, and barely restraining myself from moaning out loud. These sandwiches were delicious.


    ¡°I was hired three years ago.¡± She told me.


    ¡°Oh wow, then you must know a lot about what goes on in here,¡± Imented.


    ¡°Yes. I do know. And what surprised me today was your boss.¡±


    ¡°You mean Mr. Benson?¡± What did she know about Trent? I really wanted to know.


    Tamara nodded, taking one of the cups filled with fruit punch which were lying on the table. ¡°In all my three years of working for him, I have never seen him with a woman. I mean, hees here all the time, but he never keeps a woman practically glued to him.¡±


    A blush made its way to my cheeks. I could not believe this woman; she said she had seen Trent during meetings like this, and had no idea about him. Trent was a possessive overlord who always wanted things to go his way. And I was surprised she did not know that about him.


    ¡°Trent likes to tell the world he owns things¡­and people,¡± I muttered.


    Tamara raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh? How do you mean?¡±


    Don¡¯t tell her. She is a stranger. Keep your mouth shut.


    This time, I listened to my subconscious, and chose to change the subject. ¡°Uh nothing. I¡¯m thirsty, is there anything to drink?¡± I eyed the sses filled with punch.


    ¡°Here. I got one for you,¡± Tamara responded, handing me a ss filled to the top with red liquid.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I drank the whole ss in one gulp, not realizing how thirsty I was until the liquid touched my tongue; the champagne had long ago lost its magic, and the sandwiches made me thirsty.


    ¡°So where were we,¡± Tamara said as soon as I finished drinking.


    ~*~*~*~*


    I was now sitting in the meeting room with Trent beside me. And even though I was suppose to be paying attention to what Trent was talking about, my mind was focused on my revenge, and I had an overwhleming urge to dance.


    ¡°ording to this chart shown here.¡± Trent pointed at the screen disying a colorful bar chart. ¡°We need to hire more models from the eastern region.¡±


    Without thinking, I raised my hand. ¡°Yes, Ms. Lawson?¡± Trent enquired.


    ¡°Why do you bother looking for beauty when you¡¯re so ugly?¡± I asked, grinning from ear to ear.


    Trent frowned, obviously confused. Next to me, a few people snickered, I smiled at them. They were such good people, why did they had to have a boss like Trent?


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Trent¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°You heard me.¡± I stood up. ¡°You are so ugly, you should not be the owner of thispany. These people deserve a better boss.¡± I nearly yelled, gesturing to the people sitting in the room.


    Trent came forward until he was standing an inch away from me. ¡°Behave yourself or you¡¯ll not like the consequences,¡± he whispered harshly.


    Amanda. What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?


    Truth was, I had no idea why I was acting like this, but I did know that whatever I was doing was right. Trent was an arrogant douchebag and he needed to be taught a lesson. However, this was not the way how I imagined doing it, but I enjoyed it regardless.


    He gripped my bicep and tugged me closer to him. ¡°Shut your mouth, or else,¡± he seethed.


    ¡°Or else what? Hey Tony.¡± I locked my gaze with Trent¡¯s friend and gave him a small wave. ¡°Tell the whole world how this man is a douchebag.¡± I told Tony.


    ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m warning you.¡± Trent looked like he was about burst a nerve, and I relished the small fact that I was sessfully pissing him off.


    ¡°Hey everybody. I suggest you find yourselves a new boss because Trent over here sucks!¡± I shouted happily, my voice bouncing off the walls.


    God, what was wrong with me? Why was I acting like this?Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trent opened his mouth to say something but instantly closed it, his eyes narrowing in suspicion and then widened in fury. I had no idea what he was thinking, but I did know that it was not good.


    ¡°What in the fucking world.¡± He grabbed my jaw in between in his fingers and tipped my head up. He stared in my eyes for a few seconds before he swore under his breath. Then without a word to anyone, Trent stormed out of the meeting room, dragging me along with him.


    I waved at everyone, the grin not leaving my face, before leaving the room. My revenge was nowplete. Trent¡¯s reputation was ruined; and even though I had no idea what was wrong with me, I was still d that I was sessful.


    Now if Trent chose to fire me, I would dly ept it.

 18

    Part 18


    Trent dragged me out of the chalet and in to his car. He mmed the door so hard I thought it would break. He then rounded the car and got in his own seat before starting the car and peeling out of the driveway of the chalet.


    ¡°Why so angry?¡± I asked, grinning at him.


    He looked like he was going to explode. His eyes were shooting bullets through the windscreen, while he gripped the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles were white. I, other hand, was loving the fact that he was driving so fast.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Amanda,¡± he snapped, not looking at me.


    ¡°Hey! Watch your tone, Mister!¡± I frowned at him.


    ¡°Shut your mouth, or trust me you will not like the consequences,¡± he gritted out. Was I that ugly all of a sudden that he wasn¡¯t even sparing me a nce?


    ¡°Oh I see the problem here.¡± I pointed at Trent with my index finger. ¡°You just can¡¯t handle the fact that I killed your ego. You are pissed because now you can no longer show that handsome face to your colleagues ever again.¡± Iughed heartily.


    ¡°Amanda, I swear-¡±


    Before he could finish, I leaned forward and pped my hand on the horn, causing Trent to swear loudly while I giggled like a school girl. This was so much fun, I should¡¯ve done this before. But when I tried to repeat my earlier actions, Trent caught my wrist in a painful hold, nearly making me cry out loud.


    I tried to wrench my wrist out of his hold but he only gripped tighter, making me hiss in pain, but didn¡¯t relent. Trent just kept his gaze on the view in front of him, and kept on driving, not caring that he was nearly crushing my wrist.


    ¡°Trent, let go of me,¡± I said, trying to move my wrist around so he would reliquish his hold on me, but that man had an iron-grip on it.


    All of a sudden, Trent brought the car to a sudden halt, making me jerk forward, if it wasn¡¯t for my seatbelt, I would¡¯ve hit my head on the glovepartment. Before I could regain my bearings, Trent turned to face me and what I saw in those eyes had terror sprouting in my core.


    Trent looked like he had been possessed by the devil himself. Those dark eyes that made me feel as if he could see to the very depths of my soul, were now zing with barely restrained fury. The face that sometimes made my heart flutter was now making my heart thunder in the confines of my ribcage.  Right now he looked the epitome of anger. He looked deadly.


    And I was afraid.


    ¡°You dare utter a word now, and I swear to you, I am going to make your life a living hell. You don¡¯t know who you fucked with, but now, now you are going to find out. I have been patient with you long enough, but not anymore.¡± With onest withering re at me, Trent turned back to driving, releasing my wrist. I instantly wrapped my throbbing wrist in my other hand, knowing that it would be bruised.


    Not wanting to test whether his threats were real or not, I bit my lip and turned to stare out the window. Trent was speeding, which meant that the scenery was blurring by. I really wanted to jump around and dance but the fury, which was rolling off Trent in waves kept me in my seat, but I could not stop my legs from shaking.


    Damn it! What was wrong with me?!


    I tried to close my eyes but they had no intention of shutting. My mind was wide awake,ing up with one crazy idea after another. I really wanted to get out of the car and run around until my legs cried in protest.


    ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m letting you out of my reach,¡± he roared, before hitting the steering wheel in frustration. I jumped at his words, having the strongest urge to jump out of a moving car and run for my life.


    ¡°Why are getting so worked up? I think you deserved it.¡± I pped a hand over my mouth. Shit! I couldn¡¯t believe I said that. Oh boy, I was going to get it now.


    Trent turned to face me so fast, I thought he was a supernatural creature, and fixed me with his deadly stare. Thank goodness, there were no cars on the road except ours, otherwise we would¡¯ve crashed by now.


    ¡°What did I say?¡± He asked calmly, although his eyes betrayed the tone of his voice. I could tell Trent wanted to strangle me right now, although I couldn¡¯t understand why he hadn¡¯t already. If he was so pissed, why not kill me already?


    He is going to torture you, and give you slow, excruciating death.


    That thought that bile rising up my throat, but I forced it down. I shook my head at Trent, looking away. Why couldn¡¯t I learn to keep my mouth shut?


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled.


    The next thing I knew, I was being thrown to the left, nearly hitting my head against the window as Trent took a sudden, sharp turn. Fuck my life! With the way he was driving, I feared maybe I would throw up whatever I had consumed during the meeting. This man was a maniac!


    ¡°Would you drive like a sane person,¡± Iined, not caring about his threats right now. And good God, where was he taking me now? I mean, I was not good with directions, but even I knew that while we wereing here, there was no sign of civilization; and now, all of a sudden I could see the most adorable houses ever to exist.


    There were rows of cottage styled houses, all identical to one another with a front and back yards, with flowers and lush greenwns. I stared wide eyed at each and every cottage that we passed, wondering how amazing it would be if I could actually own one of these cottages and live here forever.


    Much to my surprise, Trent slowed down and eventually stopped after turning into the driveway of one of the adorable cottages. Without a word, he got out, rounded the car, opened my door, grabbed my wrist and tugged me harshly out of the car. mming the door shut, Trent stormed inside the cottage, up the stairs, into a bedroom where he all but threw me on the bed.


    ¡°Go to sleep. By the time I get back, I want you back to normal! I¡¯ll deal with you then,¡± He seethed, before turning on his heel and storming out, mming the door hard enough to make the frames on the walls rattle.


    The fuck did he mean by going back to normal?


    Getting off the bed, I headed to the bedroom door which Trent so graciously mmed a while ago. I turned the knob and swore out loud. Locked. That son of a bitch locked me in?! Fuming, I raked my fingers through my hair, discarding the bobby pins that were keeping it in ce.


    Not feeling sleepy, I looked around the bedroom, which was the cutest bedroom ever. It wasn¡¯t big in any way; in fact, it was pretty small, and yet, it looked big enough. There was a king size bed pushed against one wall with the dressing pushed against one of corner. The walls looked like they were made out of barks of trees, and the furniture looked to be made of the same materials. This room felt like I had been transported in a tree house, and I absolutely loved it. If Trent didn¡¯t fire me, then I would earn money to buy one of these cottages; the chalet was nothingpared to this.


    I looked out of the window, a smile stretching my lips as I gazed at the lush grass that stretched on as far as the eye could see. Looking down, I saw a couple of women standing and talking; neighbors probably. If I lived here, than I would have neighbors, too. Jose would have a great time here as well; he would have plenty of things to photograph and what not.


    Fuck me!


    Jogging over to the bed, I picked up my clutch and took out my phone. Jose would be going crazy by now, wondering where I was. I held the phone to my ear and waited for Jose to pick up the phone. After four rings, he finally did.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He sounded groggy.


    ¡°Jose, it¡¯s me Amanda,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey Mandi, how are you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Were you sleeping?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m awake now. So tell me, why did you call?¡± He queried.


    The hell?! I was worried about nothing. He was sleeping, he had no idea where I was and right now I doubted he¡¯d even care.


    ¡°So you have no idea where I am?¡± I questioned just to make sure.


    ¡°Work?¡± Yup, he had no clue. Well as long as he didn¡¯t know, it was fine.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m at work. But I just wanted to let you know that don¡¯t wait up for me, I¡¯lle homete, okay?¡± Considering the fact that he was half asleep, I doubted Jose would ask too many questions.


    ¡°Alright. Bye.¡± He hung up.


    ¡°Well then,¡± I said to no one, before dropping my phone on the bed, where it bounced once beforending on theforter.


    After the call, I was starting to feel better, more like myself. And to say I felt like an idiot would be an understatment. I could not believe, I told the people present in the meeting that Trent sucked; and I called him ugly. Fuck my life. I was surprised Trent hadn¡¯t killed me by now.


    Oh God, what was I going to do now? How could I make this right? Trent was fuming in the car; just one insult away from blowing up. He was so going to fire me. Nobody wanted an employee who embarrassed you in public, and I publicly humiliated him in front of all those people who worked under him.


    Somebody kill me now.


    The sound of door opening had me sucking in a deep breath of courage. Oh no, he was here. I just hoped he had calmed down enough to listen to me. But one look in those zing dark eyes had me wondering how much pain would I feel if I jumped through the window right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I began.


    Trent didn¡¯t say anything. Just strode over, took my chin in his fingers, tilted my head up and looked deep in my eyes. Then, after a few seconds of searching for God knows what, he let me go.


    ¡°Good to know you¡¯re back to your senses,¡± he stated bitterly.


    ¡°Look Trent-¡±


    ¡°No! You listen!¡± I flinched as he shouted. ¡°I cannot believe the stunt you just pulled. Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡°Trent, please let me exin.¡± I started to say, but he cut me off.


    ¡°Exin what? That you hate me so much that you are willing to put your entire career on the line just so you can have a couple of hours where you can publicly humiliate me?!  Do you have no regards for your career that you are doing drugs in public?!¡± He roared, shocking me into silence.


    What? Did he just use me of doing drugs? Did he not know me at all? How could he even consider the fact that I would do drugs? I never did drugs; never smoked pot even. So how could he just stand there and use me like this?


    ¡°Drugs?¡± I said with a frown.


    ¡°Drop the act, Amanda. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know anything. You were high as a fucking kite, bbering shit like you had no care in the world. Your pupils were so fucking dted that I could not see your irises color!¡± With a growl, he turned around and punched the wall with so much force the frame dropped and fell, the ss shattering.


    ¡°Stop this! I never did drugs in my life, why would I start now?!¡± I defended myself.


    ¡°Because you are so fucking desperate to see me humiliated, I¡¯m sure you can go to any lengths just to aplish that,¡± he sneered.


    My eyes narrowed, temper spiked. ¡°Yes. I wanted to embarrass you, I wanted to destroy your repuation, but I did not do drugs. I¡¯d rather jump of a damn cliff than do drugs. My career is the most important thing in my life, and I would not do anything to jeopardize it.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Well congrattions. You fucking did it. You destroyed your career today. And you are now free to do whatever drugs you want, because I doubt anyone is going to hire you now,¡± Trent replied bitterly.


    Tears burned my eyes. I did not do drugs. Why couldn¡¯t he believe me?! I knew what I did was bad, but it wasn¡¯t bad enough that my whole career would be ruined.


    ¡°Stop saying that?! Stop saying that I took drugs, because I did not!¡± I yelled, forcing him to believe me.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± He arched an eyebrow, clearly telling me he did not believe a word I just said. ¡°Then howe you were as high as a kite? Howe your pupils were dted? Howe you embarrassed me and yourself in the most horrible way, without having a care in the world, and then have the nerve to ask me why I was angry?! Huh? Exin that.¡±


    I fell silent, trying toe up with a logical exnation. I rewinded my memories a little, and then slowly examined them. I had coffee in the morning with a hearty breakfast, but I was fine then. But then we came to the meeting, and I had champagne, maybe somebody drugged me then. No, everybody else was drinking as well, so the champagne wasn¡¯t it. After that, Tamara dragged me away, and I had sandwiches and drank a ss of punch.


    Fuck me! The punch!


    ¡°Oh my God.¡± I covered my mouth with my hand as realization dawned. That bitch drugged me. She destroyed me and my career.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Trent questioned.


    ¡°She drugged me,¡± I said.


    ¡°For God sake¡¯s, Amanda. Stop ming others!¡± Trent said, exasperated.


    ¡°No. She did it. Tamara. She slipped the drug in my punch, and told me to drink it. Oh my God.¡± Feeling weak, I sat down on the bed, burying my face in my hands. Tears skipped freely from my eyes, as I cursed myself for falling into this trap.


    ¡°Stop lying to me! I know you used drugs, and I cannot believe you have the nerve to me someone else for it!¡± Trent shouted.


    ¡°I am not lying! I am not lying goddammit!¡± I yelled, crying my eyes out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Trent took a deep breath and I braced myself for the worst. ¡°What you have done today is unforgivable, and I am going to make sure you realize that. You say you¡¯re sorry, Amanda, but I am going to you sorry. This was the first and thest stunt you ever pulled with me, and now it¡¯s my turn,¡± he promised, before striding out of the bedroom, mming the door shut.


    A sob wrecked my body, and I allowed my body to fall on the bed, crying my heart out. What would I do now? He does not believe me. What would I do?

 19

    Part 19


    After crying for another forty five minutes, I dragged my pathetic self to the bathroom, where I washed my face with cold water. Once I felt that I would no longer burst into another set of tears, I sat on the edge of the wfoot bath tub. I took a few deep breaths, trying to get my hupy breaths under control.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trent had practically told me that my career as a model was over, and all because I lowered my guard and trusted that bitch Tamara. And now, when I tried to tell him that I was innocent, he didn¡¯t believe me. How could Trent think that I would do drugs just to spite him? How could he think so low of me?


    Now that I knew that my boss didn¡¯t trust me, I had to think of something to do. But first, I had to quit this job. Working with Trent was no longer an option, especially since he called me a junkie. Once this was over, I would take a few days to see what I wanted to do with my life. Maybe I¡¯d convince Jose to move to another country or state. I needed a fresh start if I wanted to be a model. Right now, the fact that my pictures had never been published in a magazine was proving to be an advantage, since I was not popr, I had a chance of starting fresh. And this time, I would be smart about it. If I ever see that bitch Tamara again, I would end her career as a model, just like she did mine.


    As soon as I got out of the bathroom, I marched towards the bed and grabbed my cell phone. I had no idea where I was right now, but I had to get out of here, and I could not rely on Trent; knowing him, he would order me to stay put, and I was done taking orders from him.


    However, I dropped my phone when I realized that no one woulde to pick me up. Jose was probably sleeping, and Hailey was busy with the twins. Other than those two, I had no one else who I could call for help. Maybe I could go out and ask one of the neighbors if any buses came or went. Yes, I could do that, but first I had to tell my stupid boss that I was quitting the job. I still found it difficult to believe that he used me of doing drugs in public.


    He has no right to use you of anything. Give him a piece of your mind.


    Yes, that was exactly what I would do. Not only would I quit this job, I would make Trent realize what a mistake he made. I had to trust myself, and not expect anyone to be there for me. And I should not let anybody¡¯s negative opinion affect me. I was better than that.


    The door opened and the man responsible for my fury entered. He gave me a nk look before striding towards me. I schooled my features and got ready to face him. If he so much as mentioned the word drugs, I would kill him.


    ¡°I want to leave,¡± I stated, before he could open his mouth.


    Trent shook his head, a clear sign that he was refusing. ¡°We are leaving tomorrow. I told you that already,¡± he replied.


    I raised my chin in defiance. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to leave right now,¡± I asserted.


    ¡°I am not taking you anywhere,¡± he said.


    ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll take a bus.¡± I told him.


    Trent¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°Absolutely not. And no busese to this part of the state.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll just walk home.¡± That was a childish response, but that was all I had.


    The look that he gave me told me what we both knew; I could not walk home from here unless I wanted to die. But that did not mean I was okay with that. In fact, I narrowed my eyes, letting him know just how to furious I was.


    ¡°No you can¡¯t. It was a three hour drive. You cannot cover that much distance on foot unless you have super powers, and we both know how you have none, shady,¡± Trent stated, before taking a couple of steps forward.


    I crossed my arms across my chest defensively. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less.¡± Now I was just thering.


    Trent sighed in a way that made me think that he thought I was a little kid who demanded to meet Iron Man and he didn¡¯t know how to exin it to me that he was just a fictional super hero.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything important to say, then go to sleep. I have some work to do and I would appreciate it if I could get it done without any problem,¡± he stated.


    The anger that I was trying so hard to keep at bay erupted like moltenva, scorching my core, causing my cells to sizzle. And I told him what I wanted to say, not caring about his reaction in the least.


    ¡°Actually, I do have something important to say.¡± Trent eyed me, telling me through those dark irises that he wanted me to get on with it. ¡°I quit.¡±


    His rection was unexpected. Trent burst outughing as if I had told him the joke of the century. I red at him as heughed andughed, covering his face with his hand, hisughter not dying until a full minuteter. How he couldugh for so long was strange.


    ¡°Yo-You ca-can¡¯t quit,¡± he said, trying to regain his breath.


    ¡°Yes. I can,¡± I replied firmly.


    He suddenly turned serious, all traces of humor gone. ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°You might hold the power to fire me, but you certainly have no power to stop me if I want to quit. And I quit, Trent. I fucking quit!¡± I raised my voice at the end, wanting him to know how serious I was.


    ¡°You know, two years is a long time. But it¡¯s not long enough to make someone forget that they are bound by a contract, unless they are suffering from short term memory loss. So tell me, Amanda, are you suffering from memory loss?¡± He looked smug.


    ¡°My memory is fine. But I just don¡¯t care about that anymore. I don¡¯t care about the contract, and I¡¯m sure that you don¡¯t want a junkie as an employee, now would you?¡± Calling myself a junkie was difficult, but I had to say it. Trent had to know that him using me of using drugs was not eptable.


    ¡°You are my employee; working under my rules. You don¡¯t get to decide when to leave; nor do you get to assume whether I want you to work for me or not,¡± Trent responded, acting like the boss he was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want. I just wanted to tell you that I quit.¡± I kept my gaze levelled with his to let him know I meant business.


    ¡°And I am telling you, you can¡¯t. Not until I say so.¡± The confidence in his words shook my confidence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to you,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Actually sleeping beauty, you do.¡± He shed me a smug grin, causing me to scowl.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I argued.


    ¡°You do actually.¡± Trent stepped forward until his lips were mere inches from mine. ¡°You bend whenever I tell you to. You twist whenever I tell you to. You smile when I say, you pout when I say. So yes, bumblebee, you do answer to me.¡± His voice was husky, but that did not calm my ire.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t answer to you. I said I want to go home and I will go home, by myself if I have to,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Alright, go on. Let¡¯s see how far you can go.¡± Trent stepped to the side a little, giving me room to walk out of here. Which is precisely what I did; with my chin raised and my eyes on Trent, I gave him one final nod before I all but ran out of the room. The footsteps following behind indicated that my crazy boss just didn¡¯t know when to leave me alone.


    ¡°I am leaving right now, and don¡¯t you dare expect toe to the studio tomorrow.¡± I told him, not bothering to look behind me to see how to close he was.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± I nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized how close his voice sounded, meaning he wasn¡¯t very far behind.


    As soon as I reached the front door, I threw it open; but before I could take a single step, Trent came and mmed the door shut so hard the windows rattled. This cottage needed stronger windows, I had to tell him to change them. But right now I had more pressing matter to deal with, like an arrogant boss.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I shouted, as Trent leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest, effectively blocking my exit.


    ¡°You need to calm down, bumblebee,¡± hemanded softly.


    ¡°Calm down?! Fuck you! Get out of my way,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Calm down, Amanda, I won¡¯t tell you again. You are not going anywhere on your own, so go back to your room and try to rest,¡± he replied as calmly as if we were talking about what we wanted for lunch.


    ¡°The only ce where I¡¯ll be going is out. So get aside I have to go.¡± This man was horrible for my mental and emotional wellbeing.


    ¡°You¡¯re not. Go to your room,¡± Trent ordered, this time being a little more forceful.


    ¡°No! Let me go or else,¡± I threatened.


    ¡°Or else what?¡± Trent asked, his eyebrow arched.


    I looked around trying to think of something to do when I spotted a gorgeous vase sitting on a table. Jogging over to it I picked up the vase and faced my boss.


    ¡°Let me go or else I¡¯ll break this vase,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Go ahead. Let¡¯s see what you can do,¡± he stated.


    Without thinking twice, I raised the vase a little before finally allowing it drop. The vase smashed as it hit the floor, the sound resonating throughout the room; ss shards scattering everywhere.


    Trent red as he eyed the remains of what was once a beautiful vase. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. It¡¯s your turm to pay now.¡± I told him before heading to the kitchen. Opening the cab, I picked out a te and let it drop, causing it to shatter. I continued doing this-grabbing and dropping tes, the sound of ss tes breaking was music to my ears.


    Before I could drop the secondst te, Trent grabbed my wrist and snatched the te from my grip; his re making the hair on the back of my neck rise in terror. I tried to give him the same deathly re but failed.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve had it with your childish tantrums.¡± He gritted out.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had with you and your bossy attitude. I want to go home, right now!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°The only ce you¡¯ll be going to is in your room,¡± Trent stated while dragging me out of the kitchen and back inside the room which we just vacated moments ago. He mmed my body against the wall, causing pain to explode in my back, before pinning me to the wall.


    ¡°My room is back in my apartment,¡± I retorted.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°For the love of God, just shut up.¡± And he sealed his lips to mine.


    The kiss had my eyes rolling in the back of my head as pleasure exploded in my core. This kiss was nothing like the one he gave me when he left for two years. That kiss was soft; this on the other hand was fucking me up real bad. Even though Trent was only kissing my lips, it felt like his lips were touching every cell in my body, igniting every molecule, heating the blood in my veins.


    I was angry at him. I was raging mad. But that kiss managed to extinguished that fire, managing to rece it with a more calmer, yet more erotic version of it. I had no idea what Trent was trying to convey through the kiss, but I conveyed my anger, my frustration.


    Trent pulled away for a couple of seconds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered before capturing my lips once again.


    Why did he apologize? What was he apologizing for? Did I even hear him right? Or did I just imagine him apologizing? The kiss was messing wth my mind, making my senses go haywire; that now, I could not remember why Trent was apologizing.


    Ask him¡­Ask hi¡­Ask h¡­Ask¡­Ask¡­Ask¡­


    My subconscious was trying to tell me something, but the spell which Trent¡¯s kiss was putting me under, made her seem insignificant; which had me ignoring what my subconscious was saying, and focusing solely on the kiss.


    His hand travelled from my cheek to my neck and lower until it finally settled on my waist. Trent tugged me closer, dominating my mouth with his. It felt like he was eating me alive. There was no corner where he didn¡¯t run his tongue over. From my lips to every corner of my mouth, Trent licked and sucked; not stopping his brutally erotic assault on my mouth.


    ¡°St-Stop,¡± I whispered breathlessly, as Trent kissed my chin and jaw.


    ¡°Why? Give me one good reason,¡± he said.


    ¡°Please,¡± I replied, my core tingling with pleasure.


    ¡°No.¡± I moaned when Trent suddenly bit a spot on my neck, before sucking and kissing it.


    Before I coulde back to Earth, Trent led me to the bed, gently pushing me to lie down. Once I was lying t on my back, Trent pulled theforter over me, before sitting down beside me.


    ¡°I am not going to sleep. I am not tired,¡± I said, which was surprising considering the whirlwind of events that took ce today.


    ¡°You will sleep, I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± he replied, confidently.


    ¡°How?¡± I enquired, curious to know what method he would be using.


    ¡°Bumblebee, I¡¯ll kiss you until you fall asleep.¡± Without waiting for my response, Trent leaned down and silenced me with a tender kiss, taking me to a blissful world far, far away.

 20

    Part 20


    I woke up to someone shaking me like a rag doll. With an irritated frown, I forced my eyes open only to look at Jose. With a scowl, I threw theforter aside, fixing him with a menacing re.


    ¡°What the hell? Why did you wake me up?¡± I asked. Trent had been calling me non-stop sincest night; I barely got any sleep. And now Jose was shaking me awake.


    ¡°You¡¯rete for work,¡± he replied.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, you are. Look it¡¯s already 10:00 am,¡± Jose pointed out.


    ¡°I mean, I am not going to work. I quit.¡± I told him.


    Jose¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You quit?! But why?¡± He enquired, sitting on my bed.


    ¡°Because Trent is a grade A asshole! He hates me. And he¡­he hates me,¡± I spat.


    ¡°Did something happen between you two while you were gone?¡± Jose kept his eyes glued to me.


    I sat up, huffing. ¡°He hates me Jose. And no matter what I do, no matter how hard I work, I¡¯ll never be good enough for him. He¡¯ll never treat me like he treats the other models,¡± I answered.


    For a minute, Jose didn¡¯t say anything. I hadn¡¯t told him what transpired between Trent and I, when we were away two days ago. I was just so angry when I got home that I did not feel like talking to anyone. Thank God it was the weekend, which gave me a reprieve from Trent¡­not really though, since he kept on calling mest night. The man was persistent; even when I put my phone on silent, he did not stop, instead he started calling thendline. Thank God Jose was a heavy sleeper, so he slept through, but I on the other hand ignored it. But now it was Monday again, and I had to face the world.


    ¡°So, does he know that you quit?¡± Jose finally asked.


    ¡°I told him that I quit, he said he won¡¯t let me. But I don¡¯t care. I do not want to work for him anymore,¡± I replied.


    ¡°So you quit, but ording to him, you¡¯re still suppose to show up for work today?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. But I think after today he¡¯ll know that I was serious when I said I quit. Hopefully he won¡¯t bother me anymore.¡± Even though I said it, my heart did not quite believe it. Would Trent leave me alone if I no longer worked for him?


    ¡°What if he shows up here?¡± I gave Jose a horrified look, but he ignored me and continued. ¡°You know, the man is demented. What if hees here and demands to take you back to work?¡±


    ¡°He would not do that.¡± When I looked at my friend, I could tell he didn¡¯t believe me. I mean, I didn¡¯t believe myself; Jose and I both knew how persistent Trent could be.


    Just then, my cell phone started ringing. Jose picked it up from where it was sitting on the nightstand and checked the caller ID. He grimaced, which was enough to tell me who it was. With my heart beating heavily, I took my phone from him. When my eyesnded on the caller¡¯s name, my suspicions were confirmed. Trent Benson. Without thinking, I declined the call.


    ¡°That was not a smart move; especially when your boss is an asshole,¡± Jose remarked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I am done with him. From now on, Trent Benson is officially out of my life,¡± I stated.


    As soon as I finished the sentence, my phone started ringing again. I groaned when I saw my boss¡¯ name shing. Why couldn¡¯t he just leave me alone? Didn¡¯t he understand that I was tired of him and his dominating ways?


    You weren¡¯t so tired when you were kissing him back like your life depended on it.


    Shutting up my subconscious, I red at my phone. Once I declined the call, I switched my cell phone off. I had no idea what Trent wanted from me. I mean, he obviously liked Tamara, because she was so much better than me and had more experience. Why did he insist on me continuing to work when he had an amazing woman who was a bitch, as a model?


    ¡°Ohe on, was turning your phone off really the smart thing to do?¡± Jose threw his hands in the air.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know what is the smart thing to do. I just want him to leave me alone.¡± I nearly yelled, burying my head in my hands.


    Jose wrapped me in an awkward hug, since I was sitting in bed. He patted my back a little, making me feel slightly better.


    ¡°What are you going to do if you are no longer working for Benson?¡± Jose questioned, as soon as he released me.


    I sighed deeply. ¡°I have to get another job. But I doubt anyone will hire me.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t anyone hire you? You¡¯re amazing, and exceptionally beautiful,¡± Jose said, sincerity shining in his eyes.


    Taking a deep breath, I spilled my guts. I told Jose everything that happened at the meeting with Trent and Tamara; and how that bitch drugged me, resulting in Trent using me of doing drugs in public. I was crying by the end of my little speech. No matter how much I tried to be angry at what Trent did, I couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt. Trent had questioned my character, my integrity. He questioned my self respect.


    ¡°That conniving bitch!¡± Jose shouted, causing me flinch. ¡°Do you know where she lives? Give me her address, I am going to go kill her with my bare hands. How dare she get you in trouble?! And to think that greedy whore slipped drugs in your drink!¡±


    ¡°Jose, calm down. Anger will not help. It¡¯s done, it¡¯s over. Now my boss thinks I¡¯m a certified junkie and I can¡¯t do anything about it. My career is over because no one wants a drugged out model. Maybe I¡¯ll look for a desk job or something¡­¡± I trailed off, unable to imagine myself sitting behind a desk, typing away on aptop.


    ¡°No! This is not over, Amanda. Your career is not over; not if I can do something about it. You¡¯re my friend and I refuse to let anyone fuck with you. I¡¯ll figure something out for you; but don¡¯t you dare think of finding a boring desk job. You are a model, and I refuse to see you be anything else.¡± Jose was breathing heavily by the end of his little speech; his eyes held a determined gleam in them.


    My heart felt heavy with emotion. Jose looked like he was ready to take on the world for me. The way his shoulders were set, the determined set to his jaw, made me realize how serious he was about all this. Jose wanted to help me. He was not ready to give up, even though I was almost there.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I enquired, putting my legs on the floor, slipping my feet in my flip flops.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll think of something. You go to the bathroom and get ready,¡± Jose ordered.


    ¡°Get ready for what?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°I mean, go wash your face, brush your teeth. No offence, but your breath stinks.¡± Jose waved his hand in front of his nose. I narrowed my eyes before I hurled a pillow at him, which he dodged,ughing out loud.


    ¡°Get out of here,¡± I shrieked,ughing on the inside. Jose was such an amazing friend.


    ¡°Hurry up. I have to go out for a while, but when I get back, I want you looking as beautiful as you always look, which is¡­when you¡¯re not sleeping.¡± With another chuckle, he sauntered out of my bedroom. ¡°Oh, and keep your phone on, I will call you!¡± He hollered from the outside.


    With a sigh, I turned my phone on before jogging towards the bathroom. I quickly did my business, trying to get my act together while brushing my teeth and scrubbing my face with the face wash. Jose might be determined to help me, but I had to do something for myself.


    I emerged from the bathroom to hear the sound of my phone. With a growl, I marched over to my bed and picked up my cell phone. Declining Trent¡¯s call once again, I called Hailey. Enough was enough, I had to get Trent off my back. Hailey picked up on the third ring.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± Hailey spoke from the other line.


    ¡°Trent is driving me crazy!¡± I shrieked, trying to convey all my pent up frustration through the line.


    ¡°What did he do now?¡± She enquired. Hailey didn¡¯t know much about Trent, as I barely had time to tell her, but she knew he was an irritating douchebag.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t let me sleep. Always calls me, and it drives me crazy, I couldn¡¯t sleepst night,¡± Iined. I would admit, I was exaggerating, but Hailey needed to know how serious my situation was, so she could tell Theodore to tell Trent to leave me alone.


    ¡°Turn your ringer off, switch the phone on silent,¡± she suggested, causing me to roll my eyes. Like I hadn¡¯t tried that already!


    ¡°I did, the asshole started calling my house number,¡± I responded.


    ¡°How did he get your number in the first ce?¡± Hailey questioned.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Benson, Lee, how do you think he got it?!¡± I wanted to throttle my best friend right now.


    For a second there was no response, but then I heard Theodore mumble, ¡°Good morning, darling.¡±


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Hailey asked her husband. I could tell she didn¡¯t want me to hear, but she was not seeding.


    ¡°Is this my cue to leave?¡± I asked her, but got no answer. Fuck it!? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°I slept next to you, I had the best sleep,¡± Theodore responded, causing me to cringe in disgust.


    ¡°Hello, Lee, are you listening?!¡± I yelled through the phone.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here, sorry I was baking cookies for the kids,¡± she lied, it was pretty obvious. However, the mention of the adorable twins had me forgetting my problems for some time.


    ¡°Oh, how are my favorite babies?¡± I enquired, ignoring the ringing of thendline. Trent just didn¡¯t know when to give up.


    ¡°They are fine,¡± she responded simply.


    ¡°I¡¯ming over in two hours and I¡¯m bringing new toys for the kids.¡± With that I hung up, not waiting for her to respond. It had been so long since I saw Matt and Misa, Trent really knew how to upy my time and mind; but not anymore. I was finally free of Trent, at least I thought I was.


    Still ignoring myndline which was ringing as if a devil possessed it, I skipped over to my room. I needed to go toy shopping for my niece and nephew; if Jose would call, I would tell him I was out.


    When my cell phone rang this time, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Damn it, the phones were scaring me. Curse you, Trent Benson! But it was only Jose calling me. With a sigh of relief, I epted the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey Amanda. What are you doing right now?¡± Jose asked me.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to head out. I have to go shopping for Hailey¡¯s twins.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Can you wait for a while, I am just about to reach, we can go together; I have to buy a few things as well,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Sure. When will you be here?¡± I queried, sitting down on the bed.


    ¡°In about thirty minutes,¡± Jose responded.


    ¡°What? Thirty minutes?! I thought you were five minutes away!¡± This man was unbelievable at times.


    ¡°I never said that,¡± he argued.


    ¡°You said you¡¯re ¡®just about to reach¡¯.¡± I threw his words back at him.


    ¡°Yes, in thirty minutes.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°Okay fine. Hurry up.¡± I hung up.


    Since Jose would be back soon¡­in thirty minutes, I decided to wear something extra nice. Heading over to my closet, I begun rifling through my clothes; my mind imagining myself in all the dresses that I slid to the side. Maybe I should buy some more clothes while I was at it, a girl could never have too many clothes.


    My cell phone pinged, alerting me to a text message. Pausing my search, I grabbed my phone to read the text.


    You think you can get away, well think again, sleeping beauty.


    It was from Trent. Those words were simple, but they managed to send a sinister chill to every cell in my body. Taking a deep breath, I typed a response as I did not want Trent to think that I was scared of him.


    I quit. Leave me alone.


    Instantly, my phone pinged again. Damn, Trent was a fast typist. I slid the lock screen to read the text.


    You can¡¯t quit. And never, bumblebee.


    I didn¡¯t know wht to reply, so I didn¡¯t type anything. But it felt like Trent knew I was not going to reply, because I got another text from him.


    You¡¯re mine now.


    The knock on my bedroom door had me screaming out loud. I whirled around to see Jose standing with a confused look on his face.


    ¡°What the hell, Jose?!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Amanda? Why did you scream?¡± He asked.


    cing a hand over my racing heart, I tried to calm down. Trent was fucking with my mind. Even when he was not around me, he still managed to be everywhere. It felt as if I couldn¡¯t evade him, no matter how much I wanted to.


    ¡°Nothing Jose, you just startled me,¡± I answered him, not sure if I was telling the truth or not.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± If it was possible, he looked more puzzled than ever.


    ¡°So, are you ready to go?¡± I asked, forgetting about the fact that I needed to wear something nice.


    ¡°Yes. Do you have to change or something?¡± Jose enquired.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re already toote,¡± I uttered.


    ¡°No, I came back ten minutes early,¡± Jose stated.


    Grabbing my purse and cell phone, I left the room with Jose. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.


    ¡°What do you have to buy?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Just things for my camera, if I can find them.¡± Jose opened the door and stopped short, his mouth falling open in utter horror.


    I followed his gaze, and the person who was standing there, right outside my apartment was the same one who I had been trying so hard to run from. He was dressed impably as usual. But he looked livid; just like how I remembered him in the car.


    Trent Benson was here, and he was pissed.

 21

    Part 21


    Trent eyed the arm Jose had around me, and if it was possible, he grew more livid. The man looked enraged standing at my threshold, but oh so handsome. Trent was stunning; anger suited him. But it scared me.


    ¡°Get away from her,¡± Trent ordered which sounded more like a growl.


    I nced at Jose to see his eyes narrow at my boss. ¡°And who are you to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°The man who owns her.¡± My heart stopped. He did not just say that. Just who did he think he was?


    Jose burst outughing beside me. ¡°Are you fucking serious, man? Amanda is a free human being not your goddamn ve. Get that through your thick skull.¡±


    Trent gritted his teeth, his rage shing in his dark eyes. ¡°She is mine. And if you don¡¯t want me to snap you in half you will get the fuck away from her. I¡¯m here to take her, and no one especially you is going to stop me.¡±


    ¡°She is not going anywhere with you. You¡¯re nothing but a spoiled asshole. Get out of here before I lose that tiny ounce of respect that is still remaining for some unknown reason for you and punch the living daylights out of you,¡± Jose snarled, eyes zing.


    My boss smirked before stepping forward. Jose instinctively pulled me behind him, which had Trent throwing a murderous re at my best friend. My heart was hammering and I had a terrible feeling in my gut. Something told me that shit was about to go down if I didn¡¯t do something soon.


    ¡°Jose-¡± I began but he immediately cut me off.


    ¡°No Amanda. Stay out of this. Somebody needs to show this asshole that he doesn¡¯t always get what he wants,¡± Jose stated, eyeing Trent with barely concealed rage.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, stay out of this. Because your stupid friend doesn¡¯t realize that I always get what I want.¡± Before I could process anything, Trent¡¯s fist flew, hitting Jose on his jaw, causing him to hit the wall. I screamed and tried to help Jose but Trent grabbed my wrist in a tight hold and dragged me out of the apartment.


    ¡°Let me go! Jose!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs but Trent only tightened his grip and increased his pace.


    ¡°Nobody ising to help you. And your friend will be slightly dazed before hees after us, but don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be long gone by the time he gets here,¡± Trent responded, pressing the button on his keychain to unlock his car.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster! Let me go! I am not going anywhere with you!¡± I screamed, trying to attract the attention of security guards or anyone for that matter, but there was no one. Where had everybody gone?


    ¡°Stop screaming, shady. No one ising to help you. I created a little diversion for the security guards.¡± Trent opened the passenger side door and shoved me inside before mming the door shut. I tried opening the door but it was locked. Fucking child lock!


    When Trent slid inside the driver¡¯s seat, I attacked, attempting to scratch his fucking gorgeous face. My actions took him by surprise as I was able to drag my nails through his skin, but it didn¡¯tst long. Maybe it was the anger coursing through his veins or maybe he was just agile, but he had my arms pinned behind my back in less than a minute. He was breathing heavily, resembling a furious dragon.


    ¡°Stop with this shit, or I won¡¯t hesitate to tie you and gag you,¡± he warned.


    The thought of being tied and gagged had my stomach twisting. What was wrong with Trent? Why was he doing this? He did not look like the gentleman I thought he was. I mean, he was not a gentleman, but at least he acted human. But right now, I could not see an ounce of humanity in his eyes. What was wrong with him?


    ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± I demanded, which sounded more like shrieking.


    Trent released my wrist and turned to face the windshield, leaving me massaging my wrists to ward off the pain. This man was one twisted fucker, and I could not believe Theodore was rted to him. No, scratch that, I could believe the fact that the two billionaires were rted, and now I felt like an utter bitch becuase when Hailey wasining about Theodore, I dismissed herins and told her how romantic Theodore was. But now that the same thing was happening to me, and it was not the least bit romantic.


    ¡°Because you are ignoring me, and I am not going to allow that. I won¡¯t allow you to ignore me, bumblebee,¡± Trent stated, turning the ignition and zooming out to God knows where.


    ¡°Oh for the love of God, don¡¯t you understand the fact that I quit!¡± This man was truly impossible.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you understand that you can¡¯t quit. I won¡¯t allow you to,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Who are you, my father?! I can do whatever I want. Go and work with that Tamara bitch, since you trust her so much,¡± I shot back.


    Trent nced at me. ¡°What makes you think I trust her?¡± He enquired.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Iughed in disbelief. This man did not even know half the things he did, and he was a fucking billionaire! Damn it, I felt sorry for the money he earned.


    ¡°Uh, you trust her. You trust her so much because you have this notion that she is perfect and can do no wrong. You don¡¯t believe when I say that she slipped drugs in my drink, you think I¡¯m a junkie. So this is why I think you trust her,¡± I snapped.


    Silence. That was the response I got. Trent didn¡¯t say a word, just kept driving way over the speed limit which had me wondering why the cops weren¡¯t following him. Trent was fucking rich and he was fucking spoilt, and I needed to get the fuck away from him because my mind turned to mush where he was concerned. Stupid mind.


    Seconds turned to minutes, but Trent did not utter a single syble. He just kept driving, taking random turns, taking me to God knows where. My heart felt heavy with fear and trepidation as we entered an unfamiliar area. He had basically kidnapped me, and now he was going to take me to a ce where he would do bad things to me. Oh fuck me, I was doomed.


    Get a hold of yourself woman! You are strong, stop acting like a damsel in distress.


    My subconscious was right. Trent was a human being not a supernatural creature. I could defend myself against a human¡­I think. And I was an independent woman, I did not need some knight in shining armor toe rescue me from the fire breathing dragon. I could do this on my own. I just needed to figure out how.


    ¡°Why was he touching you?¡± Trent asked after a long moment of silence.


    ¡°Who?¡± I frowned as I nced at him.


    ¡°That Jose,¡± he spat his name out like it was filth.


    ¡°He¡¯s my friend, he can touch me if he wants,¡± I answered him.


    ¡°No. He can not.¡± Trent gritted his teeth in frustration.


    ¡°Yes, he can.¡± I looked away.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re mine, and I won¡¯t allow another man to touch what¡¯s mine,¡± he stated.


    Now I was frustrated. ¡°Okay, you know what, you need to stop this. I am not yours. I don¡¯t belong to you. I don¡¯t know where the hell you got this idea from, but I am not yours dude, so stop saying that!¡±


    ¡°Wrong again sleeping beauty. And I will show you just how much,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°Again? What do you mean by again? When was I wrong before?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°When you said I trust Tamara,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well I am not wrong. You do trust her.¡± I scowled at him. People were so blind at times.


    Trent shook his head but refrained from saying anything. He parked the car in front of a stunning skyscraper before slipping out, rounding the car, opening my side of the door and dragging me out once again. What did this man think I was, a fucking toy? I mean, he was dragging me out and about as if I did not possess bones in my body. Jerk!


    ¡°Would you stop this?! Where are you taking me?!¡± I tried my hardest to break the hold he had on my poor wrist but the bastard was strong.


    ¡°Somewhere where I¡¯ll know no man but me will ever touch you. A ce where I will show you just how much you belong to me. A ce where you can never get out of.¡± He told me.


    ¡°So you¡¯re taking me to a prison. You are out of your mind Trent Benson and I am going to call the fucking cops on you. There is no way I am staying in that prison for even a second, you hear me?!¡± I shouted, as we entered what looked like a gorgeous lobby,plete with a mini fountain in the center, and intricate fixtures on the walls.


    ¡°Call it whatever you want; prison or your new home, because you¡¯re not getting out of here,¡± he stated, stabbing the call button which had the elevator doors sliding open immediately.


    ¡°This is kidnapping.¡± Using my other hand, I dug my nails in his cheekbones, wanting to dig them in the flesh of his cheeks. I would not let him to do this. He would kidnap me and imprison me for his own amusements. Goddammit I was not a ve!


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Trent swore before grabbing my wrists and pinning them above my head. He red at me, breathing heavily as I saw a small drop of blood trickling down the side of his cheek.


    Yes! Sess!


    ¡°This is not right, Trent. I no longer work for you. So stop this. This is not right.¡± I told him, trying to talk some sense into him. I would not admit it, but this behavior of Trent¡¯s was starting to scare me. And I was not one to cry easily, but when it came to Trent, it felt like my waterworks never stopped.


    ¡°You stop it, sleeping beauty. Stop resisting me, or else I¡¯ll be force to do something else,¡± he shot back.


    ¡°Why? Give me one fucking reason to stop resisting you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Pushing me back against the elevator wall, Trent¡¯s lipsnded on mine, stealing my breath. He kissed me slow and deep, willing me to melt against him. He was not only trying to melt me physically, but he was trying to melt my heart. But I would not give in, not until he apologized for every single thing he¡¯d done to me.


    The ding of the elevator was what broke us apart. Trent pulled away leaving me struggling for oxygen. Damn, that man could kiss. I had to build more walls around my heart, strong walls so he could stay away. This man was this close to capturing my heart, and I could not let him do that. And I had no idea how he could invade the walls of my heart only to capture the organ, when he did every fucking thing that pissed me off. Man I was fucked up.


    My ex-boss tugged me out of the elevator. He walked with a purpose, his stride powerful and authoritative. We stopped at the only door on the entire floor. Trent slid a key card in its slot, the red light turned green and we entered.


    The new ce had my jaw dropping in awe. The glossy, marble floor looked new as I could see the reflection of the things through it. There was a t screen against one wall which an intricate sofa set against the other. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, the sunlight hitting the crystal forming tiny rainbows.


    ¡°What is this ce? And why did you bring me here? Do you live here? I want to go home.¡± I frowned at Trent.


    ¡°Mypany recently built this, and now it¡¯s functional for people to live in. This is the penthouse,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Let me go so I can go home.¡± I tried to wriggle out, but failed.


    ¡°Did you hear when I said you¡¯re not leaving. You¡¯re mine, and I intend to show you exactly that,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Will you stop this?! I¡¯ve had it with you. Let go of me or I swear I am going to get a restraining order against you, and that is not a threat,¡± I warned him.


    ¡°How are you going to get a restraining order against me when you won¡¯t leave the penthouse?¡± Without waiting for my answer, Trent tugged me along, dragging me forward until we reached a room. He threw the door open and entered with me. Once he mmed the door shut, only then did he let go of my wrist. Damn it, if he kept this up, my wrist would never heal; he might even cause permanent damage.


    ¡°What in the bloody hell are you talking about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, my stupid, beautiful girl, my words don¡¯t need trantion. But if you want one, then that is what I¡¯ll do. This is where you¡¯ll stay from now on. And you won¡¯t be able to leave because I¡¯m the only one who has ess to this ce. So there is no way you can get a restraining order; even though the idea that a restraining order can keep me away from you is ludicurous. So now do you understand what I mean, bumblebee?¡± Trent gave me a soft smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave?¡± I felt moisture pooling in my eyes. Tears of fear.


    Trent shook his head. ¡°No. I told you, you¡¯re mine. And when I make something mine, then it can never leave.¡± He told me.


    My temper exploded. ¡°Well I¡¯m not a thing, I¡¯m a living, breathing person! You cannot do this to me, Trent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon know that I can. And you¡¯ll want it, too, bumblebee.¡± He pecked my lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re utterly delusional if you think that¡¯ll happen. You need to get yourself checked out, because you¡¯re insane.¡±


    Trent kissed my forehead softly, his lips lingering a bit, as if he was a lover and not a ruthless, infuriating billionaire. My fingers curled into fists by my side, and I had the strongest urge to punch Trent in the face. But his next words ceased my mind, rendering me speechless.


    ¡°Wee to your new home.¡±

 22

    Part 22


    New home? Did he really just say that? Despicable man, I¡¯d show him new home. Did he think that he would just tell me to stay here and I would agree just like that? He was mistaken, and I would make him realize that. He locked me in the midst of four turquoise walls, and expected me to sit and wait for him like a docile woman. He couldn¡¯t be more wrong.


    After dropping the impossible bomb which had my temper bursting, he stormed out of the room, mming the door so hard, I thought it would fall off its hinges; leaving mebusting on my own. Andbust I did.


    The first thing I did was march toward the ornatemp sitting on the right nightstand, grabbed the marbled decoration and smashed it against the tiled floor. Once I was satisfied seeing the scattered marble, I strode over to the dressing, took hold of the lone bottle of deodorant and hurled it at the wall of reflective ss. The sound of mirror being reduced to nothing but pieces was melodic. And imagining Trent¡¯s face when he would see what I¡¯d did to his room was even more enjoyable.


    So for the next twenty minutes, I made sure to redecorate the room. I ripped the pillowcases, scattering feathers all over the ce. Discarding theforter was easier than I expected, since I thought the think material would be heavy. Once the bed was destroyed, I moved on to the gossamer curtains. Grasping the fine materials, I yanked the curtains with as much force as possible, ripping the thin cloth from the hooks. The ripping sound that resonated through the whole room as the fine threads separated gave me a new high.


    When I looked around the room, a sadistic smile crept up my face as I eyed my handiwork. The room which screamed beauty and luxury when I entered was now weeping in result of the torture I put it through. I had sessfully transformed beauty into horror; taken Trent¡¯s hard earned money and ripped it to shreds.


    And that fact had my heart jogging in victory.


    Padding carefully, I maneuvered my way around the destruction that I caused and sat down on the bare bed. I had no idea when Trent woulde, and I could do nothing but sit and sulk, and curse every living, breathing male in this entire world; except Jose.


    Or maybe, I could do something else. Something that might just be my ticket to freedom. But what? What could I do that would help me get out of this freaky penthouse, out of this prison?


    The windows.


    Whirling my face in the direction of the windows, I eyed the paned ss which was barely shielded by the tattered remains of the curtains. Before logic made me reject my idea, I carefully walked over to the windows. I leaned forward until my forehead met cool ss. A strong wave of vertigo washed over me as I looked down, trying to see if screaming for help would get someone to help me get out of here. But after experiencing the dizzy spell, I knew I couldn¡¯t do it.


    Then what should I do?


    Stepping around the remains of Trent¡¯s expensive posessions, I tried to open the door again, but it didn¡¯t budge. Damn the Benson to hell and back! Turning around, my eyes widened when I saw a cordless phone sitting on the dressing next to a shard of mirror. Hurrying over to it, I picked up the phone and tried to call Jose, only to find no dial tone.


    Curse you, Benson!


    I was about to m the phone down when it begun ringing. Surprised, I looked at the caller ID to see Trent¡¯s name. Glowering, I answered the call, it was time I gave him a piece of my mind.


    ¡°I am going to kill you, Trent!¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Calm down my dear explosive, and calmly tell me, how are you doing?¡± Trent enquired, his tone calm.


    Heat spread throughout my body, boiling my blood, igniting my nerve endings. This man was too cocky and I wanted to kill him! How could he be so ignorant and selfish?! If he imed that I belonged to him-which I didn¡¯t, the man was insane-shouldn¡¯t he be more considerate of what I wanted, how I felt?


    ¡°Calm down?! You fucking locked me in a room and you expect me to calm down?!¡± I yelled into the speaker, as if my words could physically hurt Trent.


    ¡°Amanda, I said, calm down. I will not have you speaking in this way to me, is that clear?¡± His tone turned serious, telling me that I should tread carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you however I want! You don¡¯t get to tell me how to speak to you, especially when you don¡¯t deserve the kindness and respect that you are demanding from me.¡± Why was it so hard for me to make him understand that I wanted nothing to do with him?


    ¡°Well I am not going to ept it. You either talk with respect, or you stay in your room and wait for me toe home,¡± he stated.


    Iughed in disbelief. This man was fucking insane. ¡°Why, are you paying me? And I will never sit at home and wait for you. But you know, there is one man I will wait for, and that is not you, that is Jose.¡± I had no idea why I said that; probably because I wanted to rile him up, get him as angry as I was.


    The silence on the other of the line had my heart dissolving in dread. What did I just do? Did he hung up on me? Or was he just pissed because I missed Jose and not him? But I didn¡¯t care. Trent pissed me off and he needed to know I would not ept his orders no matter what he did.


    ¡°Take that back,¡± he ordered, his voice soft, but carried the weight of fifty bulldozers.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t take back the truth.¡± I told him, feeling smug.


    ¡°Bumblebee, I said, take back your words,¡± he repeated, his words more forceful.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Give me my freedom and I just might,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Amanda, take back your words or you won¡¯t like the consequences.¡± The threat in those words travelled through the line, wed out of the speaker and wrapped its deadly fingers around my throat, constricting me.


    ¡°Fuck you and your consequences, Trent,¡± I snarled before stabbing the end call button. Throwing the phone on the bed, I massaged my forehead with my fingers. Damn that man was exhausting. But I was strong and I would face his consequences head on. I was not weak, I would let Trent rule me or my life just because he felt like it.


    Gazing at the bed had fatigue embracing me like a lover. With a yawn, I decided to sleep for a while. If I remained awake, my brain would go haywireing up with thoughts of Trent and his consequences and I needed a break from that crazy man. Dragging my feet, I reached the bed and flopped down with my headnding on one corner and my legs dangling and fell into a deep, exhausting sleep.


    My eyes bugged out of their sockets as I watched Trent stepping forward with a coil of chain in his hands. His lips curved in a sadistic smile, his eyes lit with dark intentions as he stopped mere inches from me.


    ¡°Do you know what this is, shady?¡± Trent asked, referring to the snake of metal chainlinks.


    I shook my head, fear cooling my blood, causing me to tremble in his presence. ¡°N-No,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Chains. Bonds. This will bind you to me forever,¡± he answered.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t let you do this! Don¡¯t you understand, I want nothing to do with you. Just leave me alone!¡± I turned around to run as far away from him as possible, but my feet wouldn¡¯t move. Looking down, I gasped in horror as I saw a think coil of chain snaked around my ankles, locking my feet in its brutal grip.


    Tears spilled as I struggled against the chains binding my ankles. Why couldn¡¯t I move? What was wrong with me? Shouldn¡¯t I have at least fallen over from struggling so much?


    ¡°Nothing will help you, shady. You¡¯re mine now,¡± Trent murmured, stepping forward, eliminating the distance. He dropped the entire length of the chain that he was holding, the clinking sounds making my ears bleed as it fell. Taking my wrists in his hand, he bent down to pick the end of the chain and slowly begun wrapping it around my wrists.


    ¡°Trent stop it.¡± I tried to wriggle out of his grip but as the chain wound tighter and tighter around my wrists, it prevented them from moving.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine now, forever.¡± He finished looping the chain around my wrists, effectively caging me in metal. Slipping his hands around my waist, Trent bent his head and inhaled my neck, running his lips all over my neck.


    ¡°Let me go, Trent,¡± I sobbed, hating my body¡¯s traitorous response to my captor as it heated and pebbled under his touch.


    ¡°Never. All mine.¡± His lips travelled up my jawline and finally reached my lips. Trent captured my lips just like he captured my body, drowning out my sobs and screams as he kissed me like there was no tomorrow.


    My eyes flew open and I sat up with a gasp. My heart raced against something unknown, my breathsing out in short pants. Sying my hand on my chest, I willed myself to calm down.


    ¡°My sleeping beauty is awake. Did you sleep well?¡± Trent¡¯s voice tore through the strange fear in my heart, settling deep inside me.


    ncing up, my eyesnded on the man who not only owned my dreams but me in those dreams as well. When had hee? How long had he been there watching me sleep?


    ¡°Wh-What are you doing here? When did youe?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m here becuase it¡¯s my home and I came about forty five minutes ago. I saw you sprawled on the bed, so I had toy you down properly. Although the mess you made pissed me off but we would discuss thatter,¡± Trent answered.


    The fact that he moved me while I was sleeping unnerved me. Trent was taking too many liberties with me, liberties that I was notfortable with. When would he learn to keep his hands to himself? Would he ever learn?


    Looking down, I saw theforter covering the lower half of my body. But there was something different, an odd sensation on my ankles. Frowning, I tried to raise my knees only to be stopped when I felt resistance.


    ¡°Wha-What did you do?¡± Throwing theforter to the side, my jaw dropped when I saw handcuffs surrounding my ankles, glinting at me.


    ¡°I told you if you don¡¯t take back your words there would be consequences.¡± Trent made himselffortable by sitting on the bed across from me. He had discarded his suit jacket, and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked exactly like the sexy billionaire the world portrayed him as, and I cursed my body for reacting to the stunning specimen which had the power to piss me off and make my heart flutter with just one curve of his lips.


    ¡°The fuck?! And this is suppose to be a consequence, you handcuffing my ankles?!¡± Oh my God, the clinking sound of metal in my dreams was real. It was real and not a figment of my subconscious or imagination. I dreamt of Trent binding me to him, when in reality he had done just that.


    Trent nodded in response to my question. ¡°Yes. This way, you won¡¯t leave and go to your Jose. You¡¯ll stay here with me. If you¡¯d just taken your words back, none of this would¡¯ve happened; you wouldn¡¯t have lost your freedom,¡± he stated.


    ¡°You are the most disgusting, most despicable man I¡¯ve ever had the misfortune of meeting. I wish deathes to me, because living with you is not an option. And if keeping me tied up is what you¡¯re nning to do, then I wish deathes for me tonight. It would be more pleasureable for me to kiss the grim reaper rather than you,¡± I hissed, my eyes narrowed.


    His eyes mirrored mine, narrowing to thin slits. For a second I thought he wouldsh out, threaten me, tell me I would regret every word that I uttered. But he did none of that. His eyes went back to normal, a small smile graced his lips. Damn, I loved that small smile; it made him look so beautiful.


    ¡°Rest assured bumblebee, you will be a singing an entirely different tune soon enough. But we won¡¯t talk about that right now. I have a little offer for you, something that will help you gain back your freedom.¡± Trent told me.


    My curiosity piqued. What did he have in mind? It would be something big since my freedom was on the line, but I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t intrigued.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± I queried, eager for him to tell me.


    Trent blessed me with another stunning smile before speaking. ¡°Two demands. I have two demands. If you agree to them, I will give you back your freedom. You can either choose to live me or go back to your apartment if that¡¯s what you want. But if you don¡¯t agree then you can kiss your freedom good bye forever.¡±


    Two demands? That¡¯s it? He only wanted me to agree to two things and I was free to go. I would be an idiot not to take him up on that offer. I just hoped the demands were easy to meet and not impossible.


    ¡°Okay. Tell me. What are your demands,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright. My first demand. I want you toe back to work for me. I will pay you more and will promise that no trouble wille to you,¡± he responded.


    That was not a difficult demand. He was paying me more and would make sure no one bothered me. I needed money to pay the bills, and if I had to work for him so be it. It wasn¡¯t like there were fashion industries begging me to work for them.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle back to work. As long as you promise to pay me more and make sure nobody bothers me. I agree.¡± I told him.


    Trent grinned, happiness swimming in his gaze. ¡°Excellent. That is what I wanted to hear.¡± He paused before continuing. ¡°Now for my second demand.¡±


    He slipped a hand in the pocket of his cks and produced a ck velvet box the size of an infant¡¯s fist. Opening the box, he held it out for me to see.


    My eyes bugged out as panic gripped my heart in its steel clutches. Nestled in the box was the one thing that had my body breaking out in goosebumps.


    A diamond ring.

 23

    Part 23


    ¡°No,¡± I said, my eyes wide as I gazed at the diamond which winked at me mischeviously as it sat, cushioned inside the velet box.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I am going to demand,¡± Trent argued, chuckling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s a still a no,¡± I replied. A diamond ring nestled in a box had only one exnation; well only one exnation I could think of. And I would not agree to it. Marrying Trent right now was not an option. Well I wasn¡¯t sure if if would ever be an option, but right now was definitely not it. I had to stand on my own two feet. I did not want to be dependent on my husband, in any sense of the word¡­except for sexual needs.


    ¡°Shady, stop jumping to conclusions,¡± Trent admonished, an amused smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not jumping to conclusions! And what you¡¯re proposing does not have a thousand interpretations, it has one exnation only.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Oh really? Then tell me, what is it?¡± He enquired, the ring still in front of me, causing goosebumps to pebble my skin.


    I crossed my arms in a show of defence. ¡°You know what you¡¯re demanding. And the answer is no,¡± I stated.


    ¡°And I asked you to tell me what I am demanding,¡± he responded.


    ¡°You know it, stop ying coy.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ying coy, you are. Tell me what I want from you,¡± he ordered. Trent was clearly enjoying this, if the gleam in his dark eyes was any indication, although I had no idea why.


    ¡°Well you want what any other guy wants when he is about to give a diamond ring to a woman,¡± I answered.


    At this Trent burst outughing. He held his stomach with one hand as heughed andughed. I just looked at him like he was a strange specie from another, because throughout the time I had worked for him, he had neverughed like this, and I mean ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-I¡¯m so-sorry,¡± Trent said as he tried to control hisughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this was hrious.¡± He had finally gotten back to his normal self.


    ¡°Why were youughing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because your answer made meugh,¡± he stated.


    Now I was offended. ¡°Excuse me?! What did I say that had youughing likd a hyena?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to marry me, Amanda,¡± Trent said.


    Those words were like a physical punch to the gut. He was not proposing? But he had a ring, and he held it out in front of me; he was not proposing? He didn¡¯t want me to marry him?


    And why did that thought hurt so much? Why did I feel like such an idiot? His words were like a p to my soul, my self respect. Trent didn¡¯t want to marry me. Heughed because I jumped to conclusions and thought his next demand was to force me to marry him. Oh no, I just made a fool out of myself. Fuck my life.


    I scoffed. ¡°Yeah, well¡­I know that. I wasn¡¯t referring to that. I knew you have some other demand which involves a diamond ring.¡± That was a lie, Trent and I both knew that, but I had to save myself somehow; even if it was a lousy attempt.


    ¡°Right. Sure you weren¡¯t.¡± Trent raised his eyebrows, clearly telling me that he did not believe a single word that I just said.


    ¡°Yeah. And what is your demand anyway. Tell me quickly, and for fuck sake¡¯s get me out of these bloody handcuffs,¡± Iined.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of the handcuffs when you agree to my next demand,¡± Trent responded, reverting back to his usual asshole self. An asshole self I was cursing myself for liking. Why did I always had to get attracted to assholes? What was wrong with me? I think I needed counselling.


    ¡°Fine. Tell me your second demand.¡± I sighed in frustration.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want you to wear this ring, and never take it off,¡± he stated.


    Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. ¡°Uh, why?¡± I queried.


    ¡°You don¡¯t question me,¡± he said, clearly irritated.


    ¡°I will if you put demands like this forward,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just do what I ask without question for once in your life?¡± Now he was definitely aggravated.


    ¡°Because your orders are ridiculous.¡± I threw my hands up in a show of hopelessness.


    ¡°They are not. And do you agree or not? Wear this ring forever, never take it off. Yes or no?¡± Man, he was impatient.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± It was a stupid question, but I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    Trent looked at me then eyed the handcuffs glinting from my ankles. I followed his line of sight and I got my answer. He would not let me go if I didn¡¯t agree. Man, now I knew why I hated him.


    No, you don¡¯t. The guy¡¯s a jerk but you¡¯re just as smitten. You are an embarrassment to the female poption.


    ¡°You like the cuffs?¡± He asked, rhetorically.


    How could I ever think that being bound against your will was romantic? Theodore cuffed Hailey and I told her it was romantic. If Trent wasn¡¯t here right now I would¡¯ve pped myself. I was clearly an idiot and needed a serious session with a therapist. Because being bound against your will was not romantic at all.


    You still like him.


    Alright, I liked Trent. But I did not love him. At least I didn¡¯t think I did. Trent hadn¡¯t done anything that would have me dreaming about having his babies and wearing a wedding band. He was an asshole. A drool worthy asshole but an asshole nheless.


    ¡°Get them off, Trent,¡± I whined.


    Trent moved forward before he ced a strong hand behind my head and pulled my face to his. When his lips met mine it felt like my whole world exploded in fireworks. Sparks rained down behind my eyelids as his lips glided over mine, telling me how right this was, even if he was the cause of my rage half the time.


    ¡°Say yes,¡± he whispered before slipping his tongue in my mouth, skillfully exploring every corner. I moaned as pleasure shot down from my lips down to my sex. I held on to his arm which had somehownded on my waist, enjoying the kiss as much as my mind was hating it.


    ¡°Say yes,¡± he whispered again.


    I opened my mouth to reply but he captured my lips again. Only now, his kiss was more demanding more aggressive. Arousal exploded anew, liquid heat dripped from my core as Trent kissed me like there was no tomorrow. He bit my lip, he teased me, causing me to moan out loud. Trent Benson knew how to kiss, and he knew how to use his skills to his advantage.


    ¡°Say yes.¡± The demand was more aggressive this time.


    My mind now losing all it¡¯s functions, had me saying what he wanted to hear. ¡°Yes.¡± I breathed, my lungs demanding oxygen after the kiss.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Trent replied in approval before giving me a tender kiss.


    ¡°Wait. What?¡± I blinked at Trent in confusion, trying to remember what I said yes to.


    ¡°You agreed to wear my ring.¡± Trent shed me a killer smile, that had my heart skipping.


    ¡°No.¡± He confused me so much.


    ¡°Yes. You agreed. You can¡¯t take back your words,¡± he responded.


    ¡°You tricked me!¡± I used.


    ¡°And it¡¯s your fault, because you fell for it. You allowed yourself to get tricked, so now you have to wear this ring. And remember, you cannot take it off, no matter what.¡± He winked at me. He fucking winked!


    ¡°I change my mind. I don¡¯t want to wear your ring anymore,¡± I stated, crossing my arms across my chest.


    ¡°You want to be tied to this bed forever then?¡±


    Damn! He had a point. If I didn¡¯t ept the ring, I was stuck. But if I did ept the ring then¡­then what? What would wearing a diamond ring mean? And he still hadn¡¯t told me why he wanted me to wear that particr piece of jewelry.


    However, epting the ring was better than being cuffed to the bed for eternity. I did not want to grow old on this bed. I mean, it would be weird if people found my dead body after a century only to see the bones of my ankles cuffed to the bed. Yeah, anthropologists would have a field day with that.


    ¡°Fine. I ept your ring.¡± I sighed and finally relented. I knew. I knew it was a mistake, but I had no choice. It was either the ring or the cuffs. And I chose the ring. It was less of a restriction. And it would get me my freedom. As soon as Trent gave me the ring, I would get out of here. God knows what Jose would be doing right now.


    ¡°And you could¡¯ve just said that ten minutes ago. But no, you just love to argue,¡± Trent grumbled, before plucking the ring from the box. He held out his hand for me, and I hesitated again. Taking a deep breath, I ced my right hand in his.


    ¡°Not your right hand. Give me your left,¡± hemanded, totally serious. There was no glint of amusement in his eyes; nothing to tell me that he was enjoying this. But there was another kind of glitter-a shimmer that made me feel as if he was waiting for me to surrender, to submit.


    ¡°Why? I want the ring on my right hand.¡± I told him.


    Trent shook his head. ¡°No. The ring always goes on the left hand,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Not necessarily. That only happens when it¡¯s a wedding or engagement ring; and since this ring represents neither, there is no reason for it to be on my left hand,¡± I argued.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a promise ring?¡± Now that got my attention. Simply because no one ever gave me a promise ring; and I did not know what he was going to promise me.


    ¡°A promise ring?¡±


    Trent nodded. ¡°Yes. A promise ring goes on the left hand, right? So this is a promise ring,¡± he replied.


    I chuckled. ¡°Oh really? And what are you promising me?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°Let me put on the ring first, then I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he responded.


    ¡°No. Tell me what the promise is, first.¡±


    ¡°No. Give me your left hand. The promise is told only after the ring is on the finger,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Where did he get this kind of information from? It wasn¡¯t even true!


    ¡°It is. And the longer we keep arguing, the longer you¡¯ll remain bound.¡± Now that shut me up.


    ¡°Fine. You¡¯re weird!¡± I remarked before begrudgingly recing my right hand with my left one.


    ¡°You argue so much,¡± heined, before slipping the tinum diamond ring on my third finger, of the left hand.


    ¡°Now tell me what the promise is,¡± I demanded as soon as the cool band rested on my finger.


    ¡°I already promised you. And I do not reveal my promises.¡± He smirked, as I glowered at him.


    ¡°That is not fair, Trent Benson! You promised you¡¯ll tell me.¡± Why did he have to piss me off!


    ¡°I did not promise you anything, except for the promise I just made,¡± he stated, rising from the bed, looking like he just conquered the world. Damn him!


    ¡°I hate you so much!¡± I was about to pull his ring off my finger when he captured my hands in his.


    ¡°No. You cannot remove the ring. Ever. That was the deal, so do not even think about gettting rid of the ring. If I don¡¯t see it on your finger, then trust me, sleeping beauty, you will not like what I¡¯ll do to you,¡± he threatened, before dropping my hands.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± I seethed.


    ¡°And that is why you thought I was going to propose to you,¡± he said smugly.


    Ouch! That hurt.


    Not wanting him to know how much his words hurt me, I focused on my anger. Because my anger protected me. It was my shield against people like Trent. Giving Trent power was a terrible thing to do, but I had done it. By jumping to conclusions, I gave him the one thing that could be used to possibly destroy me. Power.


    ¡°I did not think that. I mean, why would I marry you, you¡¯ll be a terrible husband,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see, bumblebee. We¡¯ll see,¡± Trent said, a cryptic smile on his face.


    ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Nothing. Now do you want me to remove the cuffs?¡± He acted like he was asking if I wanted dinner or not.


    ¡°You are despicable. Of course I want you to remove the cuffs, what kind of a stupid question is that?! And you call yourself a businessman.¡± I scowled at him.


    He chuckled, clearly amused at my outburst. ¡°Alright sleeping beauty, rx now. I will remove the cuffs and you can go home, if you want.¡± Trent sauntered over to my bound feet. He grabbed my left ankle, and gently ran his fingers over my naked ankle, caressing it, causing my stomach to somersault, before he unlocked the cuff surrounding my ankle. He then repeated the exact same procedure with my other ankle. If he kept this up, I would be moaning his name in no time. The man knew how turn me on!


    ¡°There you go. Now you are free to go,¡± Trent announced.


    Instantly, I brought my ankles close to me. Running my fingers over the skin, I was d that the metal hadn¡¯t broken skin. When Hailey came home after being cuffed by Theodore, she had bandages around her wrists. Thank God, nothing like that happened to me.


    ¡°Finally! I can go home!¡± It didn¡¯t take me long to remove myself from the bed. The relief I felt when my feet were firmly on the ground, threatened to topple me over. I would never take my feet for granted ever again.


    ¡°Yes, but remember, you cannot remove the ring,¡± he reminded me.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Good bye now.¡± I made my way to the front door, but a hand on my arm stopped me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. You have toe to work on Monday. Tamara is going to be joining us, so do not bete.¡± Trent told me.


    Tamara?! Fuck my life!

 24

    Part 24


    Staring at the studio while standing right outside made me feel queasy. I had to go in there and face my boss who forced me to wear a stupid promise ring. Not to mention the fact that the bitch who sabotaged my career was going to be working there.


    Yeah, Trent hated me, and he wanted that bitch Tamara to destroy me. He could not handle the fact that I spoke up and defended myself against his stupid remarks, so that was why he was going to let his workers do his ugly work for him. Damn, I wish I was my own boss.


    ¡°You sure you want to do this?¡± Jose asked. True to my expectations, Jose now hated my boss to the core. He begged me to rethink my decision. He told me that he would get me a job in a betterpany. But I made a deal; even though it was a deal with the devil, but it was a deal nheless. But Jose was so adamant that he insisted we jump on the next train and get out of the state-go somewhere else altogether. He even started to search through the train schedule.


    And I was going to do that. If that bitch managed to get on a single nerve of mine, I was done. Fuck Trent. Fuck the deal. Fuck my promises. I would leave.


    ¡°Yes. I have to at least try. Trent promised that he won¡¯t let anyone bother me-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t forget he is the same asshole who punched me and dragged you out of our apartment like a fuckin¡¯ caveman! So I won¡¯t take his promises so seriously,¡± Jose spat, putting emphasis on the word promise.


    ¡°But, if something happened. If that Tamara bothered me, then we would leave. I won¡¯t say anything to Trent, I will just leave. Then we can go wherever you want,¡± I continued like Jose hadn¡¯t interrupted me.


    He sighed, clearly showing his disapproval, as if the frown marring his forehead was not enough. My best friend could be so dramatic at times. But I knew he was just worried; after what Trent did, I doubt Jose would ever trust him again.


    ¡°Well if you¡¯re so sure, then fine. But if you need anything or that douchebag does something, I¡¯m on speed dial,¡± he said.


    In response, I hugged him hard, pouring my love and gratitude in that embrace. ¡°I know. I love you. Now go, before I drag you to the cab.¡± With a smile, I waved Jose goodbye. Then took a deep, steadying breath to calm my nerves before I entered the studio.


    It was exactly how I left it. Nothing was out of ce. It was exactly as I remembered it. And somehow, it brought me peace. Seeing the odd colored couches and vases ced in random corners filled me with warmth. Although I had absolutely no idea why, but I was d. Some things remained the same while other things changed rapidly. And those things were what kept us sane-gave us something to hold on to as the change threatened to take us down.


    ¡°Wee back!¡± Now that was something I never heard.


    Trent stood at the foyer, beaming as I came forward. His eyes were always glittering, but today, they had a new glint to them; one I had never seen before. And that glint made my heart dance a tango. Stupid heart. Always the weak one.


    ¡°Mr. Benson,¡± I acknowledged, my voice dripping with sarcasm.


    Immediately, Trent¡¯s eyesnded on my left hand, the one with the bloody diamond ring on it. Truth be told, I had taken the ring off the moment I entered my apartment. I only put it on before I came here.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re on time. Tamara shall be arriving in a short while, meanwhile, why don¡¯t you go and rx a little,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Why should I care when Tamara ising or not? Where is Madigan, I need to get to work,¡± I responded, looking around for my photographer, who was surprisingly absent today.


    ¡°Because Tamara and you will be working together. The next set of clothes are supposed to be modelled by you two. So you will be working side by side,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°What the fuck?! No way! I¡¯m not doing it. No way. Nuh uh!¡± I crossed my arms across my chest and regarded my infuriating boss with rage. How could he do this?! After what that bitch did to me, how could he just decide to make us work together. I was right, the asshole hated me. I was out of here. I better text Jose to book us tickets.


    ¡°Amanda. Do not act like a child and make me repeat myself. You are going to act like a mature woman that you are, and you will work with Tamara,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°And you should stop acting like an infuriating son of a bitch!¡± I got really close to Trent, close enough to see the flecks of dark gray in his eyes. ¡°You promised me that there would be no trouble for me. And right now, you are not doing a really good job of keeping your word.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I sound like an immature woman, but I will not, under no circumtances, work with Tamara. Not after what she did to me.¡± I told him, meaning every word.


    ¡°You do know that I do not like to hear the word no from you, don¡¯t you?¡± Trent cocked his head to the side, regarding me coolly.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t like it when people do not fulfill their end of the promise,¡± I countered.


    ¡°You will work with her. That is an order you cannot refuse. Not if you want to work here.¡± The man actually thought I was dying for his job. God, he was one narcisstic man.


    ¡°Well news sh, I don¡¯t want to work here. I don¡¯t want to work at a ce where the employees are not treated right. And don¡¯t forget, you were the one who forced me to ept this job, so don¡¯t throw ultimatums at me, because I won¡¯t take them,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Yes, and you epted the job. So now that you are here, I am your boss and you are my employee. So that means, what I say goes. Which means, you and Tamara are going to work together.¡± Now I really wanted to p Trent. p him so hard, the map of his face would¡¯ve changed.


    ¡°You know how much I hate her. You know what she did to me. You might not believe me, but I know what she did.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I know exactly what she did. But she is working here now, and I will teach you how to get along with people you don¡¯t like,¡± Trent responded, arching his eyebrow in that overly sexy way.


    ¡°You have been teaching me just fine. I mean, I already know how to get along with you, and I don¡¯t like you.¡± I was pleased at my response. Even though my heart was screaming at my for lying to him. But he would never know. Never.


    ¡°Very funny, shady. Now you are going to be a good model and get along with the model you don¡¯t like,¡± Trent said in a way that told me our argument was over and I should get back to work. But I couldn¡¯t do it, not unless I knew something.


    ¡°Trent?¡± I called out just as he turned around to go to his office.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He turned to face me, giving me his undivided attention.


    ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m a junkie? Do you still think that Tamara is innocent and I¡¯m the culprit?¡± I questioned, dreading the answer. I knew I wanted the honest truth from him, but at the same time my heart froze, fearing his response. If he responded in affirmation then it was over. He would crush the miniscule amount of hope I¡¯ve had left.


    ¡°No Amanda. I do not think you are a junkie. I believed you when you said you never did drugs and would never jeaporidze your career like that,¡± Trent answered.


    My heart deted like a balloon with relief. He did not think I was an addict. He believed me. Despite being an utter asshole, he believed me when I said I was innocent.


    ¡°But then, why did you call me a liar? Why were you so angry?¡± I enquired next. If he believed me then why call me a liar? Why make me feel like the worst person on the?


    Trent looked at me with something akin to regret in those beautiful, dark eyes. ¡°I am aplicated man, bumblebee. And I don¡¯t know if you can handle that. But I really wish you are strong enough to handle me,¡± he replied.


    I didn¡¯t know Trent Benson that well, and I did not im to know him. But his answerfused me. What did he mean by that? Complicated man? Handle him? What was he talking about? I asked him something else and he gave me a totally irrelevant answer. What was he ying at?


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I queried, getting frustrated. Would it kill him to give me a straight answer?


    Yes, it probably would.


    ¡°Be strong. That is what I mean.¡± With a soft smile, Trent Benson walked away from me, leaving me standing there with more questions and barely any answers. I wish things weren¡¯t like this between us. I wish Trent was not aplicated man.


    ~*~*~*~*


    ¡°Hello? Amanda right?¡± I looked up to see none other than the conniving bitch standing in front of me. Was it just me and my hatred or did she look more like a witch than an actual model?


    Tamara stood there with a sweet smile on her face; a smile I was itching to p off her face. In fact, I wanted to drag my nails through her skin. I was sure the sight of her blood would quench my thirst for revenge. But I couldn¡¯t do that, because murder was illegal. So I would just have to extract my revenge some other way.


    The royal princess arrived after two hours. Two hours of waiting for her. Madigan was so close to exploding. The way she was cursing, it was clear how she hated to wait for models to arrive. And it was in that moment that I fell in love with my photographer. She hated Tamara. And whoever hated Tamara was automatically loved by me.


    ¡°Hello, how are you? I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t remember your name,¡± I said to her. Truth was, I couldn¡¯t forget her name even if I scrubbed my mind and tongue with soap, but just for appearences I pretended I didn¡¯t remember her name.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tamara. Remember, we met at the meeting?¡±


    Where you nearly destroyed me and my career? Bitch!


    My eyes widened and my mouth formed an O as I acted like realization just dawned on me. Now I would have to go through the excruciating task of pretending to be her friend. Why was my life so difficult? What was Trent trying to teach me by forcing me to work with my arch enemy? An arch enemy who did not know she was my arch enemy, or maybe she was pretending like I was.


    ¡°Oh of course, how could I forget? How are you doing these days?¡± I enquired like Tamara and I were long lost friends; when in reality I wanted to gouge her eyes out.


    ¡°Oh nothing special. My job barely lets me breathe these days. I¡¯m so d I got transferred here. Trent is an amazing boss and I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t work me too hard,¡± Tamara stated.


    Can I please kill her?


    As much as I wanted to listen to my natural instincts and dance on Tamara¡¯s grave, I knew I had to be smart about this. Tamara attacked me when I was vulnerable, but I would not let her do the same thing again. Now it would be Tamara who would suffer, I would make sure of it.


    ¡°Oh yes, he is an amazing boss. I have been working for him for over two years now, and I can tell you, he is amazing. He makes sure his employees are well taken care of,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That is perfect. I would love it if he took care of me,¡± she responded, and I could clearly see how she was fucking Trent in her mind. There was something seriously wrong with her, and I did not know how I was going to work with her without stabbing her to death.


    I was speechless after her response. I mean, what could I say to that; that it would be amazing if he took care of you, too? That she was right and now should go and make fuckin¡¯ babies with him?


    ¡°Ladies, are you ready?¡± Madigan asked, sounding impatient.


    ¡°Oh yes, of course. But first, I have to freshen up. Can you bring me two bottles of room temperature water along with the freshest fruit that you have. I don¡¯t do photoshoots without proper hydration. Now hurry, we have to get started,¡± Tamara said to Madigan in reply.


    The look Madigan gave to Tamara had me doing a mental happy dance. ¡°I am a photographer, not a waiter. Go and tell one of the waiters to bring you your water,¡± Madigan snapped, clearly at the end of the her patience.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you go and tell the waiter that?¡± Tamara eyed Madigan like she was an insect she wanted to crush with her six inch stiletto.


    ¡°You know what, I will just let my boss deal with you,¡± Madigan stated.


    Tamara chuckled darkly. ¡°Oh really? Do you not know who I am? I have been working as a model my whole life. Just because you got lucky and was hired by one of the top modelling agencies doesn¡¯t mean you are someone special. I have been in this industry long before you could even imagine working here. So do what I say and get me my room temperature water. Because if you don¡¯t, then I will make sure your career is over.¡±


    Okay, now I wanted to p her. Who the hell did she think she was? Just because she was experienced that did not mean she could make others feel inferior to her. This bitch needed to be taught a lesson. And now, I would avenge Madigan as well. No one messed with my photographer.


    Just as I opened my mouth to defend Madigan, a strong, angry male voice spoke from behind me.


    ¡°That is where you are wrong.¡±


    Oh my, Trent.

 25

    Part 25


    Trent marched forward like he owned the ce. Well technically, he did own the ce. He was my boss, after all. He stopped once he was standing right in front of Tamara, glowering at her like shemitted a crime. I wished the crime would be punishable by death.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Benson, what did you say?¡± Tamara asked, acting like she had no clue why he was angry. Well, if she really had no clue, then I must say, she was dumber than a door nail.


    ¡°I said, you are wrong. Tamara, I don¡¯t know how you were treated there, but over here, every single one of my employees is treated with utmost respect. You have no right, and I mean, no right to insult any of my employees. You have a problem with them, youe and talk to me and I¡¯ll deal with them. But you have no right to insult them or bad-mouth them in any way,¡± he stated, his eyes shimmering with barely concealed fury. Trent¡¯s presence was maic, powerful. Not a single voice was heard while he was speaking. Everyone present in the room listened with rapt attention, not wanting to intervene. I had to admit, interferring right now would¡¯ve been pretty stupid.


    ¡°Why are you yelling at me? What did I do?¡± Tamara questioned, acting like a child who was being admonished for something she didn¡¯t do. I rolled my eyes. Feigning ignorance wouldn¡¯t do anything for Tamara. Trent had clearly seen everything, and he would not let her off the hook that easily. And just for that, I wanted to kiss Trent. He might be an asshole but he was an amazing boss.


    ¡°I think you have grown out of the age of modelling if you are forgetting things that happened only seconds before. You insulted my photographer. You insulted Madigan, and I will not tolerate that. You might have more experience in the modelling industry, but you are not allowed to talk to my employees and your colleagues like that.¡± His voice rose a whole octave, causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise on ends. Damn he was scary. And I thought I had seen him furious. This was a whole other level of outrage.


    ¡°You are absolutely right, Mr. Benson. But you should tell this to your photographer who refused to follow a couple of simple orders. She did not do as I asked, so I reacted like that,¡± Tamara defended.


    God I swear if Trent didn¡¯t p her, I would. The bitch was delusional because she thought she was the fuckin¡¯ queen of this. I had to scratch my palm to alleviate the incessant itch, otherwise I would¡¯ve pped her straight across her botoxed face.


    ¡°She is a photographer, not your goddamn servant. You want something, you either bring your own assistant or tell one of the waiters present here. If there are no waiters present, you do things by yourself. You are not a queen, Tamara, and you sure as hell will not be treated as one. All my employees have the same amount of respect. No one is superior than the other. Is that clear?¡± I could clearly tell Trent wanted to hit her with something heavy. And the love I felt for him crossed all boundaries.


    ¡°I am more experienced! Surely that should earn me some respect.¡± Oh great, now she was throwing a tantrum. It would be wonderful if Trent just fired her prissy ass right now.


    ¡°You have respect. But you will not be treated like you are better than everybody else,¡± Trent replied. Dammit, when would he fire her?


    ¡°Do the servants here have less respect than me?¡± She enquired, folding her arms across her chest.


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t. I told you, all my employees are treated equally, with the same amount of respect, you will be no different,¡± he responded.


    ¡°So basically, over here I have the same value and significance as a lowly servant.¡± She scoffed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Mr. Benson, I don¡¯t think you know how this works. There is a reason these people are called servants. They are paid less and they are treated like they are less-which they are. I am a model, a very experienced and a sessful model. I am worth way more than your waiters.


    ¡°Those photographers take my pictures. I get paid for letting you people take my pictures. And the photographers and the waiters get paid because of me. If I¡¯m not there, these people won¡¯t have jobs. So, since I provide jobs for them, it is clear that I should be given more respect,¡± she stated.


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help saying.


    ¡°Amanda.¡± And just as soon as I had spoken, I was silenced by my boss. Trent threw me a look that told me to keep my mouth shut and let him handle her. But he was taking too long in handling her. I had roaches crawling on my hands, wanting to p Tamara until her face was unrecognizable. God, I wanted to kill her right now. The bitch clearly needed a therapist.


    Trent turned back to face the spoiled brat. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know who the bloody hell you think you are, but that is clearly not how it works, and I think it is becuase of that I am the boss and you are just a model who is hopping from industry to industry, like any other model would do.


    ¡°These waiters and photographers do not get paid because of you. They get paid because of their hard work. They do not get paid to serve you, they get paid because they spend hours taking care of you. If you think you demand more respect, then do things yourself. If you expect a waiter or a make up artist toe and handle your needs, then it is clear who is dependent on who.


    ¡°The make up artists fix your ws, and without them you will not be enough for the camera. They make you presentable because it is clear you can¡¯t do it yourself. The waiters tend to your diet and whatever else you need. They bring you whatever you desire so your make up wouldn¡¯t be ruined because you have to face the camera-in other words, they take care of you, you are dependent on them.


    ¡°And you think the photographers get paid for taking your pictures? Those photographers are the reason the world even knows who you are. Because of these gifted people you are famous. The camera may not love you, but these photographers make the camera love you. And the editing takes so much of their time. So keep this in mind, Tamara, these people are not dependent on you, but it is you who is dependent on them.¡± Trent finished.


    Fuck me hard! I wanted to kiss him. The look on Tamara¡¯s stic face was priceless. Shocked. Incredulous. She was livid. She look as if somebody had barged into her pce and pushed her off her throne. She looked like she had lost her crown which made her royalty in the fashion world. And Trent had done exactly that. Right now, he was not only my hero, but he was the hero of all those people working tirelessly so those senior to them could do their workfortably.


    She was speechless. Not a single sound came from that venomous mouth. Instead, pale pink splotches appeared on her cheeks as her eyes zed, shooting daggers at Trent. Which I did not like at all. How dare she look at Trent with evil eyes. If Trent wasn¡¯t here, I swear I would¡¯ve taught her a lesson she would¡¯ve never forgotten; not for me but for Madigan and all the waiters and other people who worked here.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple over here, Tamara. You give respect, you get respect. And whosoever disrespects my people, they have no ce in mypany. I am letting you off this time, but the next time you do something like this, I will not give you another chance. You do not have the power to end someone¡¯s career; that power only belongs to me. And I will use that power if you dare step out of the line once again.¡± I knew by those words, that Trent was done talking to her. And all I could think was, wow, this man knew everything.


    Before heading back to his office, he turned to face me. ¡°Amanda, in my office, right now. I need a word.¡± And he strode back into his office.


    The few people other than me-which basically included Tamara, Madigan and a couple of waiters whose names I did not know but would make an effort to get to know them better-dispersed like tiny marbles. When there was no one else present, I shrugged before turning around and heading over to Trent¡¯s office. I knocked a couple of times before I heard Trent¡¯s voice telling me toe in.


    When I entered his office, Trent was sitting on his chair behind the desk, his eyes closed, a content smile on his face. I had no idea why he looked so peaceful; especially since he just told his newest employee off. What was there to be content about?


    Trent opened his eyes and that smile turned into a megawatt grin. ¡°Shady, pleasee in, sit down.¡± He gestured towards the chair across from his. Eyeing him skeptically, I did as he said and sat down on the chair.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Trent asked me, once I was seated.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I answered with a frown. Why was he asking me how I was? Shouldn¡¯t he be fuming?


    ¡°Good. Would you like a ss of juice?¡± Trent enquired.


    ¡°Uh no, thank you. I¡¯m alright.¡± What was wrong with him? Why was he acting like everything was perfectly alright and he didn¡¯t just shatter Tamara¡¯s ego? No, something was wrong. Trent wouldn¡¯t be behaving like this otherwise. He wanted something from me. Maybe he was trying to be nice to me in order to lure me into a false sense of security before dropping the ultimate bomb.


    ¡°Alright, how about something to eat, maybe a snack?¡± He offered.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I blurted out the question, not caring if I sounded rude.


    ¡°What do you mean, Amanda? I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Now it was Trent who looked puzzled.


    ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± I demanded to know.


    ¡°Acting like what, sleeping beauty?¡± Was he pretending to be innocent or did he really not know what I was saying?


    ¡°This. You are so¡­content, like you just didn¡¯t destroy that bit-I mean Tamara. How can you be so calm? Why are you not pissed off and throwing things around?¡± I rified.


    ¡°You think just because I told her off, I should be angry?¡± Trent eyed me with amusement. Damn him!


    ¡°Yes. Or at least you should look¡­ruffled. It¡¯s like nothing happened and you¡¯ve been working here all day long.¡± It was clear, he was an expert at shifting moods. He was so good, that no one could tell if he was ever angry. Maybe I needed to contact a therapist, just in case.


    ¡°I will not let some brat ruin my mood. I do not give such power to just anyone, bumblebee, you would do well to remember that,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Yes but still. How can you be so calm?¡± I really wanted to know the secret. Maybe I could use it for myself. I did get angry pretty quickly.


    With a smile, Trent stood up, rounded the desk and came to stand in front of me. Taking a hold of my wrists, he pulled me up to a standing position. Running a finger down my cheek, he pulled me to him in a warm, sudden embrace.


    ¡°You calm me down,¡± he murmured against my ear, his lips brushing against the shell.


    What the fuck?!


    ¡°What?¡± He did not just say that. No, I must be hearing things. Trent Benson couldn¡¯t have said those words to me. It wasn¡¯t possible.


    Trent pulled away a little, but his arms were still around me. ¡°I said you calm me down,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Why? I-I mean how?¡± I shook my head to rid myself of the crazy thoughts. How could he say those words to me? He was lying, he had to be. I pissed him off, all the time. There was no way I could be the reason for his peace.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe me right now, but you will. I¡¯ll make you believe. I know, I¡¯m not easy to be with. You lose your temper quicker than you lose your phone when you are with me. I am demanding, I am selfish, I know that. But you¡­you make me feel better. The only reason I haven¡¯t fired Tamara for insulting Madigan is because you were there.¡± He told me.


    The man had lost his mind, and I was going to suffer through it alone. He was lying to me. He told me how stupid I was; how I was never good enough, so how could he say that I calmed him down? He had to be lying. I could not let my heart and mind believe his lies. Because if I did then in the end, I would be left with nothing but a broken heart and an equally broken mind.


    ¡°You are lying.¡± I really needed to learn how not to blurt things out like that.


    Trent chuckled, like he expected this. ¡°I know that is what you think. But I am telling you the truth. I know I did terrible things and hurt you, and I want you to know that I will try to get better. We all need to work on ourselves in order to be better human beings, and I am going to do that now,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Oh really? And why now? Since the day I met you, all you did was tell me how stupid I was and how I was never good enough. And now all of a sudden you decided that you have to get better? Forgive me, but I do not believe a word you¡¯re saying.¡± I told him.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t happen all of a sudden. Or maybe it did. It¡¯s just that, when I saw Tamara insulting Madigan, it made me realize how I insult you and hurt your feelings. You give your hundred percent, but I acted like you were never enough. But you are, you are more than enough, bumblebee,¡± he said, the sincerity in his words seeping into my bones.


    Was he telling the truth? Did he really feel guilty for hurting me? Would he really try to get better? I wanted to believe him. My heart wanted to ept every word, but I couldn¡¯t let it. I had to be careful over here. Trent was dangerous, and I had to be careful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, Trent. I¡¯m so sorry, but I just can¡¯t believe you.¡± I looked away.


    He kissed my forehead. ¡°It¡¯s okay, shady. You are here, and I¡¯m not letting you go, which gives me plenty of time to make you believe. You may not believe what I just said, but believe one thing. Believe that I will earn it. I will earn your body, heart, mind and soul.¡±


    When he finished, Trent ced his lips on mine.

 26

    Part 26


    Trent¡¯s kisses never ceased to take my breath away. Everytime he put his lips on mine, it felt like my world stopped on its axis. Everything else ceased to exist except him and only him. The world around me dissolved into nothing, and I¡¯m left with the feeling of his arms around me.


    That was how his kisses always felt and that was exactly how this kiss felt like. I lost track of everything, lost the feeling of everything except the feeling of Trent¡¯s lips on mine. There were no words to describe the joy my heart was aching to burst with, or the way his lips gliding over mine were sparking every neuron in my body. It was just him and his kisses in my mind, in my body and in my soul.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± he murmured against my lips, slowly nipping at the bottom one.


    I had no response for him, simply because I did not know what to say. My heart screamed yes while mind shouted no. I was in deep turmoil, and did know when this war between my heart and mind would cease. My heart was clearly overpowering my mind, but I knew deep inside me that I could not give in so easily.


    ¡°Be my girlfriend,¡± he stated, pulling away from me just a little so he could look in my eyes.


    The statement shook me to my core. Did Trent just tell me to be his girlfriend? Was he asking me or telling me? Did he even know the difference between the two? No, he did not ask me to be his girlfriend. Why would he do that, he was my boss. No, I must¡¯ve misheard him. I had a habit of doing thattely.


    ¡°What?¡± I searched his dark eyes for the truth that I was desperate to find.


    ¡°I said, be my girlfriend, bumblebee,¡± Trent repeated, looking deep in my eyes.


    ¡°N-No,¡± I stammered, damn it, where was my confidence when I needed it?


    ¡°Why not?¡± His arms were still wrapped securely around me, which he used to pull me closer, closer than I already was.


    ¡°Be-Because no, I will not be your girlfriend.¡± I told him. What kind of a question was that anyway?


    ¡°And I¡¯m asking you why?¡± Oh fuck, he was frustrating.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me why?! The list is so long!¡± I wanted to kiss him and p some sense into him at the same time.


    ¡°Tell me why, then? Tell me your reasons,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Should I tell you in the chronological order or in the alphabetical order?¡± I asked, rhetorically.


    ¡°Tell me your reasons why?¡± He really needed to learn to how to let things go.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a simple no enough for you?¡± I frowned up at him.


    ¡°No. You either say yes or you tell me all the reasons why you won¡¯t be my girlfriend,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Fine. Well the biggest reason is that you are my boss and I am your employee, so we cannot be in a rtionship because that will not be ethical,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s mypany, I make the rules. No one can question that, so your argument is invalid,¡± he responded.


    ¡°What kind of apany are you running then? If you-the boss-does not follow the rules then how can you expect bitches like Tamara to follow the rules?!¡± He aggravated me to no end.


    ¡°Mypany, my rules. And since I¡¯m the boss, I choose not to follow the rules. Do you have a problem with that?¡± He arched his eyebrow, daring me to challenge him.


    ¡°Ye-¡± he kissed me deeply, before removing his lips from mine.


    ¡°Wh-¡± another kiss which silenced me. ¡°Yo-¡± Trent kissed me once more, shutting me up. ¡°Cu-¡± just as I opened my mouth, his pressed his lips to mine.


    ¡°Tell me reason number two,¡± he ordered.


    Throwing him a re, I gave him what he wanted. ¡°Well you are clearly an ass and I don¡¯t need to give you proof regarding that. Since the day you¡¯ve met me, all you¡¯ve done is be an ass to me. And I won¡¯t date an asshole, like ever.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m going to work on myself. I am going to get better,¡± Trent argued.


    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re an asshole,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Actually shady, you¡¯re wrong. I was an ass before, things will be different once you say yes,¡± he stated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Changing your mind won¡¯t take me long, don¡¯t worry. Next reason?¡± His confidence was so loyal to him, never left him in his time of need, which was like always.


    ¡°You being my boyfriend won¡¯t change the past. You sided with Tamara, used me of things without even listening to me. And I know if I be your girlfriend then you will be like those dominant boyfriends who treat their girlfriends like a fucking object,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°You cannot say that, sleeping beauty. You¡¯ve only seen one side of me, I have many other sides to me,¡± he defended.


    ¡°Well one side was more than enough to tell me all about you,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°See, this is wrong. You cannot judge me by just experiencing only one side of me. That is not right,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Well you do the same thing. You always called me stupid and judged me based on that,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°I agree. But that is why I want you to be my girlfriend, so I can get to know you better. I want to know you, Amanda,¡± he replied softly, cupping my cheek.


    Say yes, dammit! Say yes, or I will stop working! My heart threatened.


    I hated to admit it, but Trent had a point. He was right, we barely knew each other and were making judgements based upon that. I wanted to know Trent, wanted to know all the different shades and personality traits that made him Trent. I wanted to know about theplicated man who made my heart soar and pissed me off to no end. I wanted to solve the puzzle that was Trent Benson.


    But I could not do it. Trent had hurt me a lot. Even when he was away for two years, thinking about him always caused me unwanted pain. I was not good enough for him, and I wanted to be good enough for my boyfriend. I wanted to be enough, but I was not enough for Trent. What if he told me how I was not beautiful enough for him? He already refused to publish my pictures in his magazine just because I was not pretty enough. Being in a rtionship and investing my heart and feelings in it and then have my heart crushed would destroy me.


    ¡°Trent, I just can¡¯t. I can¡¯t be your girlfriend.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Your arguments are meaningless, Amanda. Give me a chance, I am telling you I will prove you wrong,¡± he responded, he leaned closer.


    ¡°Give me one good reason why I should be your girlfriend,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°One.¡± Trent chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a million, bumblebee.¡±


    Now it was my turn tough. ¡°Yeah right. Prove it. Give me your reasons.¡± I threw his words back at him.


    ¡°Alright. If you are my girlfriend, you will get a lot of kisses, and by a lot, I mean a lot.¡± He leaned closer to my ear as he said thest part, causing shivers to wrack my body. Fuck me, I loved his kisses. Being his girlfriend would mean receiving a lot of them. It was an excellent reason, but it did not trump my reasons.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°I can get kisses from anyone, what will I get from you that I won¡¯t get from anyone else?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I cannot tell you that, shady. You¡¯ll only know that once you agree to be my girlfriend,¡± he replied.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Alright. Your next reason?¡±


    ¡°If you are my girlfriend then I will keep you happy. I will do whatever it takes to make you smile,¡± he responded, sincerely.


    ¡°Yeah, you might do that for some time before you get tired of making an effort. Next reason.¡± The hurt that shed in those dark eyes had guilt stabbing my heart. But it was gone as soon as it hade. I knew I was being a bitch to him. I mean, Trent was asking me to be girlfriend, unlike Theodore who forced Hailey to marry him. Trent was giving me a choice, at least I thought he was. He didn¡¯te out and tell me that I was his girlfriend.


    ¡°I know there are things that you don¡¯t like about me, and if you are my girlfriend then I will work on those ws. I will try my best to be a better man for you, because you deserve nothing but the best,¡± he replied.


    Now this got to me. Trent wanted to be a better man for me. He said he would try his best to be a better man for me. Shit! I wanted to say yes to him. I wanted to agree, because there was a part of me that wanted to know what it would be like to be Trent¡¯s girlfriend.


    ¡°What else?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you the happiest woman alive, sleeping beauty. Whatever you desire, it¡¯ll be presented before you. You will want for nothing. I will make sure you are happy and content for every single second that you are with me. I promise to protect you, to give you whatever you need, whether it is physical, psychological or emotional. I¡¯ll fulfill your needs and wants. There is nothing that I wouldn¡¯t do for you, Amanda.¡±


    Say yes now or I¡¯m stopping. My heart warned but I ignored it.


    Trent¡¯s words had the word yes sitting on the very tip of my tongue. I wanted to say yes, because his words were sincere, there was no hint of malice or falsehood in them. He meant what he said, so I should give him a chance, right? I mean, everybody deserved a second chance, even that bitch Tamara who was somewhere outside fuming or sulking. He might¡¯ve hurt me in the past, but he was willing to change. I should say yes.


    However, I could not do it. Trent¡¯s words were true, I knew that; but there was something in me that prevented me from giving in just yet. Maybe I could tell him to prove how serious he was about me. Maybe I would make him work for my eptance. If he worked hard enough I would agree to be his girlfriend, if not then I could leave without getting my heart broken. After all, he deserved it after all the things he¡¯d done to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Trent. I want to say yes but I just can¡¯t say it. You have to prove how serious you are about me, about us. Only then can I say yes to you,¡± I said.


    ¡°But, you have to say yes, only then will I prove how much you mean to me; and how serious I am about this,¡± Trent replied, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°No. You said you¡¯ll earn my heart. Well now is your time to earn it. I won¡¯t say yes to you until I¡¯m a hundred and one percent sure you will protect my heart and not break it,¡± I responded, trying to get out of his hold, but not quite seeding.


    ¡°I want you to be my girlfriend. I will earn your heart during the time you are my girlfriend. Say yes, Amanda; I promise you, you will not regret it. I will not hurt you, I promise,¡± Trent stated.


    I was torn. Agreement looked easy and desireable, but disagreement had its own logic and reasoning. Trent needed to know that I was not one of those girls who would be happy being under the control of their boyfriend. I was an independent woman and wanted to be treated with respect. I wanted Trent to know that he could not take advantage of me, in any sense.


    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°I can¡¯t say yes, not right now. I need time, Trent.¡± I finally managed to get out of his hold.


    Trent shook his head. ¡°No. Time is not something I can give you, shady. You give me your answer right now.¡±


    ¡°I need time. If I think you can be my boyfriend, I¡¯ll agree, but I need some time to think it over.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I want your answer right now, Amanda. Yes or no?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What part of ¡®I need time¡¯ do you not understand, Trent?¡±


    ¡°Give me your answer right this second or you will not like the consequences,¡± Trent warned.


    Ah, and there is the asshole I know so well.


    Shaking my head, I marched towards the door, ready to leave. Trent was oneplicated man, and despite him telling me that he would get better, I knew it would be a long time before he would actually get better. And who¡¯s to say that he would actually try to get better? Maybe he was lying to me to get me in bed and satisfy his lust. No, I was right not to agree to this. Trent needed to earn this. He should know that demanding for things was not the way to go.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this right now. You are demanding and I will not say yes because you are going to throw a tantrum otherwise. I need time, Trent and you cannot force me to say yes to you,¡± I stated, cing my hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it.


    ¡°You walk out of this door and I will not be responsible for what happens next.¡± The warning was clear in his words, but my anger had emerged, and it did not care what he had to say. Right now, I wanted to be away from Trent. I needed to be alone so I could think about all this some more.


    ¡°Good bye, Trent. I will see youter.¡± Opening the door I walked out, making sure to close the door after me. Trent could threaten me all he wanted, but in the end my answer was what mattered most.


    But one thing was clear. Trent Benson wanted me to be his girlfriend, and I will use that fact to my advantage. He was no longer the one in power.


    I was.

 27

    Part 27


    Two hours passed and I did not see Trent. Madigan took my photographs with a smile on her face, making me wonder what she was so happy about. Tamara was nowhere to be seen; maybe she was sitting in a corner somewhere, sulking and probably plotting revenge against Trent or maybe Madigan.


    All in all, the two hours passed fairly quickly and peacefully. I smiled when I saw the waiters walking about, talking to each other. They looked sofortable here, so at peace; no one looked like he or she was tired of their job and wanted a better one. They looked happy working for Trent. And the smile on those faces told me a lot about the kind of boss Trent Benson was. He was a jerk, but he was an exceptional boss.


    But I was surprised when Trent came out of his office with a beautiful smile stered on his equally handsome face. That smile might not mean much to other people, but it had me raising my guard. Something was wrong, his smile said it all. And since he was the one smiling, I knew he had a trick up his sleeve. He was about to do something and I had a feeling I would not like it.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make, so please everyone, gather around,¡± Trent announced, loud enough for his voice to resonate in the whole studio. Fuck! He had a strong voice. And I hated the fact that how hot it was.


    Immediately, all the waiters, photographers, make up and hair artists, models and everyone else currently present in the studio walked over to where Trent was standing, that smile not leaving his face. I should¡¯ve ran away, but I needed to know what he had to say, he had never made an announcement before.


    ¡°What is it, Mr. Benson?¡± It was Madigan who asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell once everybody is here,¡± Trent replied. It made me smile to see how sweet he was to her. I mean Tamara just made me want to kill her with the way she treated her.


    And that was when I saw her. Tamara walked forward like she was a queening to sit on her throne. I swear, my hand itched everytime I saw her face. But I had to wait, I had to keep calm. I would get my chance, I just needed to be patient.


    ¡°You want to say something, Mr. Benson.¡± Was it just me or did Tamara just rolled her eyes at Trent? The woman had issues, big ones.


    ¡°Yes Tamara. I have an announcement to make if you did not hear me the first time,¡± Trent responded, his eyes hardening. Damn, he made me hot, in more ways than one.


    When he got no further response, he proceeded to speak again. ¡°So I have a very special announcement to make, and by my smile, I¡¯m sure many of you can tell that it is a good news.¡±


    Madigan pped her hands, a grin on her face. ¡°A good news, that is perfect. I could really use a good news, no matter who it is about,¡± she said.


    Hearing her words made me curse Tamara once more. She hurt Madigan with her words, how dare she. I mentally vowed to Madigan and myself to take revenge. Madigan was my friend now, and nobody got away with hurting her.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to have your support, Madigan,¡± Trent said. ¡°And now if you have nothing else to say, I will tell you guys what I intend to.¡±


    His words were met with silence. I was not surprise, everyone wanted to know the good news Trent wanted to share with us, me included. With a cryptic smile, Trent finally revealed his big news.


    ¡°I am getting married.¡±


    The blood in my veins froze. My heart stopped. What the actual fuck? Married? Trent could not get married. I mean, just a couple of hours ago he was telling me to be his girlfriend. And now he was announcing to the whole studio that he was getting married.


    Well, what did you expect. You rejected him and he moved on.


    How in the world could one move on so quickly? Was this how serious he was about us? No, he could not get married. It physically hurt me to imagine him with another woman. He was a jerk and most of the time I cursed his existence but this man had put a spell on me, and I liked him, dammit, I fucking liked him a lot. And I could not handle it if he married another woman.


    You can¡¯t ept him, you can¡¯t let him go, what is wrong with you, woman?!


    I did not know what was wrong with me. It was true that I did not want Trent to be bossy, but somewhere deep down, I liked him a lot. Enough for me to feel possessive over him.


    Coming back to reality was difficult. It was only because of Madigan identally bumping into me while pping excitedly that I got disconnected from my tangled wire of thoughts. I looked around to see everybody pping and saying congrattions, but no one asked who Trent was marrying.


    ¡°Who is the lucky woman?¡± Tamara asked, and I swore I could¡¯ve kissed her for asking this question. She was a bitch but I liked her for the question.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you asked. She is here right now, my soon-to-be wife,¡± Trent stated.


    I sucked in a breath. Looking around, I gazed at all the female models standing, imagining them with Trent as his wife; and that thought caused bile to rise up my throat. I knew it was not Tamara, it just could not be. If Trent loved her and was nning to marry her, he wouldn¡¯t have told her off in front of everyone.


    ¡°Come on, Mr. Benson, just tell us who she is.¡± Madigan sounded impatient.


    As soon as Madigan finished speaking, Trent¡¯s gaze locked on me. And what I saw in them had me wishing that I was wrong. No, no, no, it couldn¡¯t be. I was hallucinating, because it could not be what I just saw, what he just showed me.


    ¡°Amanda Lawson has agreed to marry me,¡± he uttered.


    Paralysis. That¡¯s what happened to me upon hearing Trent¡¯s words. Did he just tell the whole studio that I agreed to marry him? Why would he do that? I mean, I was d he did not take anyone else¡¯s name, but that did not mean I would start jumping and down with bliss. This was not right, Trent was definitely ying.


    Suddenly, I could feel eyes on me, lots of eyes. I did not want nor need to look around to see everybody staring at me with shock and disbelief. No, my eyes were locked on the man who just grabbed my world and gave it a spin. Trent did not avert his gaze, instead he looked me in the eyes and dared me to disagree, dared me to defy him. But I couldn¡¯t do that, could I? Not with so many people standing here.


    ¡°Oh my God! Amanda, congrattions. I am so happy. This is the perfect good news,¡± Madigan eximed.


    Following Madigan, all the other people standing there congratted me and had the nerve to say that Trent and I made the perfect couple. I wanted to reply but it was like my tongue refused to work, my body refused to move. My eyes were fixed on Trent¡¯s and his on mine.


    ¡°When is the wedding?¡± A model asked, whose name I did not know at the moment since I was trying to murder Trent with my eyes. He was going to pay for this. I just told him I would not be his girlfriend and he was now telling the whole studio that we were getting married.


    Celebrate you ungrateful woman, he is choosing to marry you!


    My subconscious was a lot smarter than I was. It was providing me with all the logical statements, and yet I kept on twisting the simple words around. I was an idiot, but I would still make Trent pay for this.


    ¡°It¡¯s in three days,¡± Trent answered.


    ¡°Oh no, I have to get a dress. I have so little time,¡± Madigan stated, sounding worried.


    ¡°You all will be getting a bonus this month. And every single one of you is officially invited to mine and Amanda¡¯s wedding. You all will get the invitation cards soon, I expect you all to be present,¡± he uttered.


    Three days?! The bastard was intending to marry me in three days. Well he had another thinging. As soon as I got home, I was getting out of here. There was no way I would marry Trent like this. He had to give me a proper proposal. No, this time I would run away. Jose and I would start a new life, away from here.


    ¡°This is perfect, you are the best boss ever, Mr. Benson!¡± Madigan shrieked.


    ¡°Thank you, Madigan. And now, if you¡¯ll excuse us, I would like some time alone with my future wife,¡± Trent responded.


    And just like that, everybody dispersed, going their separate ways, back to their work. With a nod at me, Trent strode in his office. I wasted no time in following after him. Once we were both inside, I mmed the door as hard as I could.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?! Do you have any idea what you just did?!¡± I shouted, not caring if anyone heard me.


    ¡°First of all, lower your voice. These walls might be soundproof, but that gives you no right to speak to me that way,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°Shut up! Just shut the hell up with this crap. I¡¯ve had with you and your demands. Now exin to me what the hell you just did back there,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I told you if you left the room there will be consequences. You didn¡¯t listen, so now face the consequences,¡± he stated.


    ¡°You are sick! Absolutely mental! You were so keen on teaching me a lesson that you did not realise the lies you just told those people. You can lie to me, but why would you lie to your employees, what is wrong with you?!¡±


    ¡°Who says I lied?¡± My eyes widened as Trent smirked. Son of a bitch!


    ¡°So that bullshit you uttered out there was true?! You¡¯re not only sick, you¡¯re utterly delusional if you think we are getting married in three days.¡± I crossed my arms across my chest.


    ¡°I think you are the one who is delusional, shady. You might not know this about me, but I always follow through with my ns. When I want something, I don¡¯t stop until I have it. So when I said we are getting married in three days, I meant it,¡± Trent responded.


    The absurdity of his words had meughing in disbelief. ¡°You are so weird. God, you are the strangest man on the. You just said that you wanted me to be your girlfriend. You gave me an option to say yes or no. And I picked no. And now, you just go out and tell the whole world that we are getting married. You did not give me a choice. The part where you were suppose to give me a choice, you took my options away from me. You took my right to say no away from me.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not like other men. I do things differently. I like doing things differently. You have to ept me, bumblebee. You have to ept me the way I am, with all my ws,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Well I won¡¯t. I am not going to marry you, Trent. You might¡¯ve not given me an option to say no, but that is what I am going with. There will no wedding in three days. I am not marrying you.¡± I told him, not sure if I meant my words or not. I liked Trent despite hisplications, but this was too much, he was too different. And I did not think I could handle him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t run from me. I won¡¯t let you,¡± he uttered, looking in my eyes. The sincerity in those words scared me, and it made me all the more determined to run away from him.


    ¡°And what if I do? What if I do seed in getting away from you?¡± Maybe I could turn this situation in my favor. Maybe I could use Trent¡¯s desires for me to my advantage. The question was, how much did he want me?


    ¡°If you seed in getting away from me, and I¡¯m not able to find you in three days, then you win. And you have the choice to say yes or no to me,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t seed?¡±


    ¡°Then we are getting married, simple as that. You can kiss that ridiculous friend of yours good bye, because there is no way I will let you see him once you be my wife,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Jose is my friend and you can do nothing to stop me from meeting him. He is my friend and I love him,¡± I said.


    Trent gritted his teeth as his hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that to any man. I mean it, Amanda. You are not allowed to love any other man. Just me. You can only and will only love me.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m out of here. You¡¯re too much.¡±


    Trent grabbed my arms, halting my progress. ¡°You are giving up on me, and I won¡¯t let you do that. I will not let you give up on me, bumblebee.¡± He kissed me deeply, causing the bones in my body to melt.


    The kiss ended after a couple of minutes, leaving me dazed. Trent was a dangerous man, and I had to get out of here before I ended up with hisst name. I did not know what he was thinking or nning, but I was not going to take any chances. Staying with Trent would eitherplete me or destroy me, and thetter was the reason which had me running for the hills.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I am not marrying you, Trent. I am sorry, but I just cannot let you force me into marrying you.¡± Without waiting for his response, I turned and ran out of his office and out of the studio. Hailing a cab, I got in and rattled off my address to the driver.


    The bet was on and I had to leave. Trent Benson was an enigma, a beautiful mystery. But I was not strong enough to handle him. Theodore had forced Hailey to marry her; and I thought it was romantic, but I was wrong. I would not let Trent force me into marrying him, which was why my decision was final.


    It was time to get out of this country.

 28

    Part 28Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I smiled as Jose sat next to me on the airne. True to my word, I decided to get out of this country. The moment I had gotten home, I told Jose that we were leaving. He was one step ahead of me, and told me that it wouldn¡¯t take long for us to get tickets for the next flight out. Leaving him to worry about the tickets, I begun packing. I threw in as much as I could in the little time that I had.


    Once I was finished packing Jose told me the good news that we were leaving. I grinned but my heart wilted. Ignoring the stupid organ, I grabbed Jose¡¯s hand, and set out for the airport.


    When we reached the airport, Jose dragged me to the departure area and in a short while, we were directed to the airne that awaited to take me away from the one man who overwhelmed my heart and body.


    ¡°Alright, so we are going to Japan,¡± Jose informed me, buckling himself.


    I frowned. ¡°Why are we going to Japan?¡± When I told Jose that we were leaving, I didn¡¯t give him a specific location of where I wanted to go, I left that part to him; but I had a feeling he knew I wanted to go to Antarctica.


    ¡°Because airnes don¡¯t fly to Antarctica, or so it was thest time I checked. So Japan was the next best option. I¡¯ve got some family members there,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Right. But Japan is not far enough. I don¡¯t want Trent to find me, at least not so soon; I need at least three days without him.¡± I told my friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t find you. Trust me,¡± Jose stated.


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± I questioned.


    Taking his wallet out of his pocket, Jose flipped it open and removed an ID card. When I took in the contents, my eyes widened. It was my ID card, but it wasn¡¯t mine. The woman in the picture was me, no doubt, but the name was not mine. The ID card did not say Amanda Lawson, no, it said Arabe Liam.


    ¡°What is this?!¡±


    ¡°This is your fake ID. I had new documents made for the both of us after what that jerk did to us, in case we ever needed to leave without leaving a trail behind,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°So, you have one, too?¡± This man was a genius.


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m Johnny from now on.¡± He pulled out another ID card with his picture but a different name.


    ¡°There is no way Trent would be able to find us now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. I made the payment in cash, and you did leave your cell phone behind, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I left my phone back in our apartment,¡± I replied. Jose told me that Trent would be able to track me through my phone so I had to leave it behind. I knew he was right; because Theodore tracked Hailey through her phone when she escaped to Canada, at least that¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°Good. Did you tell Hailey that you are leaving?¡± Jose enquired, leaning back in his seat. The ne hadn¡¯t even took off yet and he was already getting ready to sleep.


    ¡°I called her but it went to voicemail. I didn¡¯t leave a message, afraid that Trent might get to know where I was. I¡¯ll call her once I get a new number,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Perfect. Now I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Closing his eyes Jose leaned back, causing me to roll my eyes. He was obsessed with sleep, I wondered how he did that?


    ¡°What family do you have in Japan? And howe you never told me about them?¡± I queried, not caring that I was disturbing his precious nap time.


    ¡°They are distant rtives, but for some weird reason, I¡¯m more close to them than I am to my own family,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Cousins? Boys or girls?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two boys and one girl. And they are my cousins¡­distant cousins,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Cool, new friends. Do they know that we areing?¡±


    ¡°You ask a lot of questions,¡± heined.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve run away, so I need to know everything about where I¡¯m going,¡± I defended myself.


    ¡°They are not going to kill you, Amanda, nor will they sell you into human trafficking, so rx and go to sleep, we got a long flight ahead of us,¡± Jose mumbled.


    ¡°I have to talk to Hailey, I cannot calm down if I don¡¯t talk to her,¡± I uttered, finally noticing my erratic heart beat.


    Just then thedy started speaking throuh the microphone, telling us to switch off our cell phones and other devices. Well that sucked. Taking a deep breath to control my crazy organ that reacted unnaturally in Trent¡¯s presence, I closed my eyes. But I failed, miserably. Images of Trent finding me and doing all sorts of unspeakable things to me started flowing through my mind. Which made it impossible for my heart and my sex to calm down. Fuck my life, even in my thoughts he had the power to turn me on.


    When the flight attendant announced the time it would take for us to reach Japan, I didn¡¯t know whether to sigh in relief or cry in frustration, because Trent was not leaving my mind. I thought I was running away from him, but was I really? Could I really escape him?


    But even though the crazy man dominated my mind, I forced myself to go to sleep. Staying awake would result in nothing except exhaustion and fear; and I needed to force Trent out of my mind because the bastard wasn¡¯t leaving on his own.


    So with a frown on my face and Trent¡¯s dark eyes smiling at me in my mind, I slept.


    ~*~*~*~*


    It was surprising when I woke up and saw the sun shining outside. Wow, what was the time difference between Japan and USA? And were we already in Japan, or did we have to cover some more distance until wended?


    Looking to my left, I saw Jose who was still lost in his dream world. Shakng my head at him, I turned to look around the ne. I thought a lot of people would¡¯ve woken up by now but majority of them were sleeping.


    Once I was fully awake, I decided to go to the bathroom to wash my face. It didn¡¯t take me long to enter the tiny bathroom. I was d that people were sleeping right now, because I could do my business in peace without having others disturb me by knocking on the door.


    After I was done with my morning rituals, I stepped out of the bathroom only to stop short when I saw a man standing outside the bathroom. Clutching my chest to prevent my heart from popping out of my chest, I tried to calm down. Damn it, why did people surprise me so much.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I startled you,¡± the man apologized. He had sandy blonde hair and light gray eyes. What surprised me was the fact that he was wearing a suit, and he hadn¡¯t even discarded his jacket. Did this man even sleep? And howe his clothes didn¡¯t look wrinkled or anything? Or maybe he just wasn¡¯t showing me the wrinkled part.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No worries,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°You had a nice flight?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t say because we are still on the ne,¡± I responded.


    The man chuckled. Was it just my paranoia or was this man talking to me like he somehow knew me? And if my fears were correct, how did this man know me?


    ¡°Of course, stupid question. What I meant was, are youfortable? Are the flight attendants taking care of yourfort and needs?¡± He asked.


    What kind of a fucked up question was that? Why was he so concerned about how the flight attendants were treating me? What was his deal? Who was this man?


    ¡°Yes, they are, thank you for your concern,¡± I answered, intending to get away from him, but it looked as if he had no intention of going to the bathroom and leaving me alone.


    ¡°Pardon me, but I was only asking because this airline belongs to my family, and I just wanted to make sure you were satisfied,¡± he said.


    The sigh of relief that escaped me was so deep, I was afraid he heard it. But if he did, he didn¡¯t show it. Instead, he smiled at me. He was not a stalker; he was just a man who wanted to make sure the passengers were satisfied. I cursed my idiocy. Trent was no more, he was gone, I left him behind in the States. I really needed to get over my paranoia before it became a problem.


    ¡°Of course, I slept without any disturbance and the food was amazing.¡± I told him with a smile. The food part was a tad bit of a lie, but I did not want to crush the man¡¯s spirit so early in the morning, or maybe it was afternoon right now, I was not aware of the time.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. So, are you visiting Japan for the first time?¡± He enquired. I thought he wanted to go to the bathroom, why was he standing here and making idle chitchat?


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m visiting my family,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Cousins or siblings?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t catch your name,¡± I said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t catch my name because I never gave it to you.¡±


    Smart ass!


    ¡°Right, what is your name?¡± I queried.


    ¡°My name is Noah,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Well Noah, are you excited about seeing Japan?¡±


    ¡°Very much so. Even though I have visited a few times, there is something about Japan that is so beautiful and unique, you can¡¯t help but get excited everytime you go,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That is interesting. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I told him, taking a couple of steps back to create some distance between us.


    ¡°You do that. Will you be staying at a hotel?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Uh I just told you I¡¯m visiting my family, so why stay at a hotel?¡± This man was suspicious, and I needed to leave before things got out of control.


    ¡°Of course, my bad. May I know your name?¡±


    ¡°No, you may not,¡± I stated.


    Noah looked sheepish and unsure at my response. ¡°May I know the reason why?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s simple. You are a stranger.¡± With a smile, I strode away from Noah and back in my own seat. I sighed in relief when I felt the soft cushion behind my back. Thank God I was able to get away from him. He was getting way too personal with me. The man only just met me, and already he was asking me where I lived.


    ¡°Why do you sigh so loudly?¡± Jose groaned, blinking his eyes open.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, you just have sensitive ears,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Jose sat up a little, running a hand through his messy hair.


    ¡°To the bathroom,¡± I replied, looking behind to see if Noah was still standing. When I saw no man standing outside the bathroom, I turned back to face Jose.


    ¡°Oh cool.¡±


    ¡°When did you wake up?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°A little while after you left. I sort of panicked and thought that douchebag of a boss of yours got in the ne and kidnapped you, but then the flight attendant told me you just went to the bathroom. She saved me from having a heart attack while being airborne,¡± he answered.


    The fact that Jose was so worried about me touched my heart. Since Hailey got married and became a mom, she had been busy with her life. I understood that things were different now and she had other people to take care of; so it was nice to know that I had Jose who worried about me and took care of me just like Hailey did.


    ¡°If Trent was on the flight with us, don¡¯t you think he would¡¯ve made his presence known by now?¡± After a good night¡¯s sleep, I was able to extinguish fifty percent of my paranoia, the other fifty percent was still present if the incident outside of the bathroom was any indication.


    ¡°Right, thank the Lord he is out of our lives,¡± Jose muttered.


    I agreed with him but my heart didn¡¯t. It clenched painfully after his words. Fuck my life, I needed to be strong against Trent; I couldn¡¯t let him have the upper hand. These Benson men needed to know that they couldn¡¯t control females likes that.


    ¡°You have your cellphone, right? I need it once wend; I have to tell Hailey that I¡¯m out of country for some time,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure.¡± We fell silent after that. After a few minutes, the flight attendant announced that we would bending soon and that had my stomach sinking with anxiety. This was it, I was finally in another country-away from Trent. Three days until I had power over him. I just needed to hide for three days. I could do this, I just hoped nothing went wrong.


    The ne finallynded and I couldn¡¯t help the grin from spreading on my face. Japan was a beautiful country and I was d Jose chose this ce toe to. I had no idea who Jose¡¯s family members were that were residing in Tokyo but I trusted my friend and I was sure he would be there for me.


    Getting out of the ne was difficult, simply because everybody was trying to leave at once. The only reason I wanted to get out of the airne was because I wanted to avoid Noah. I did not want to see him again, he was creepy.


    Eventually, we escaped the confines of the airne and entered the airport. Jose went to get our luggage, giving me his cell phone so I could call Hailey. I turned on the phone and waited for it to start. Once it was on, Jose¡¯s phone vibrated, signalling emails, calls and text messages. I was about to ignore the notifications when one text message in particr caught my attention; well not only my attention but my very heart.


    You think you can get away, well think again. I¡¯ming for you. You cannot hide from me.


    No, no, it couldn¡¯t be. This was not from who I thought it was from. He didn¡¯t have Jose¡¯s cell number. No, it couldn¡¯t be. But try as I might, I couldn¡¯t deny what my heart and mind already knew.


    The message was from Trent Benson.

 29

    Part 29


    ¡°Hey, you alright? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost,¡± Jose asked, concerned.


    Without saying anything, I showed him the text from Trent. He cursed under his breath before he begun typing.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Giving him a reply that would hopefully get him off our backs for good,¡± he replied. As soon as he sent the message, I took the phone from him to read his reply.


    Stay away from Amanda. She is mine now. Go find yourself another one.


    I red at my best friend who was acting more like my executioner right now. ¡°Are you out of your mind?! Why the fuck would you send him this? Trent will freak out!¡±


    ¡°I just told him to back off,¡± Jose muttered.


    ¡°And you think that just because you told him to back off that he would? You know how crazy he is. He does the opposite of what people expect him to do. God, he is going to kill both of us.¡± I wanted to bang my head against the wall right now. Jose knew the kind of man Trent was and yet he goes and does the one thing that would surely have Trenting after us.


    ¡°How about we do not worry about that right now. We should get home, my cousins are expecting us. My aunt prepared a delicious meal for us and I¡¯m starving.¡± With that Jose picked up his duffle bag and begun walking, expecting me to follow behind, which I did because I had no choice.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    As soon as we exited the airport, Jose hailed a cab. We slid inside and Jose started speaking to the driver in Japanese. I was surprised to know that he knew thenguage and never told me. Once he was done, the driver nodded and peeled out of the airport.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could speak Japanese,¡± Imented.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Beforeing here my cousin told me a few things to say to the driver when telling him the address. So that was all I said to him,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh, I thought you knew thenguage and never told me.¡±


    ¡°I think you have more important things to worry about, like a crazy boss,¡± Jose stated.


    ¡°Yeah. I just hope he shows up after three days, not before that,¡± I said.


    Jose gave me a strange look. ¡°Wait. You mean to say that you want him toe and find you here?¡±


    ¡°Uh no, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just saying that he is a very powerful man and it won¡¯t take him long to find us,¡± I responded watching the colorful shops pass us by and the tall buildings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, where we are going, it will definitely take him more than three days to find us. And what happens if he finds us before three days are over?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to marry him,¡± I stated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. It¡¯s your life, he cannot force you to marry him.¡± Jose looked angry.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin. These Bensons are strange people. They take full advantage of the power they have and are not afraid to use it to get what they want.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but tell that to that maniac,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, he will punch me again if I do,¡± he uttered.


    ¡°Did you get a reply from Trent?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°My phone keeps buzzing but I haven¡¯t checked.¡±


    I clenched my eyes shut. ¡°We are so dead. I hope these three days pass quickly; then I don¡¯t care if he finds me or not. Just three days.¡±


    ¡°You worry too much, and you know what I think?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Forget it.¡±


    ¡°What the hell? Tell me what you¡¯re thinking,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Nopes. I changed my mind. Now look outside and admire the beauty that is Japan,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Jose, tell me now or else,¡± I warned.


    ¡°No. Drop it.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I let it go. Instead I tried to focus on the here and now. ¡°How long until we get your cousins¡¯ ce?¡±


    ¡°A little over an hour, they live far away in a secluded ce,¡± Jose answered.


    ¡°That is good. Secluded is good,¡± I muttered, then fell silent watching Tokyo pass me by, and prayed with all my heart that Trent would not find me.


    ~*~*~*~*


    Jose¡¯s rtives were really interesting. Not only were they warm and weing, they were some of the most peculiar people I¡¯ve ever met. The moment we had arrived, they wasted no time in ushering us to the dining table which was filled with the most beautiful and delicious looking food I¡¯d ever seen.


    He had a total of five cousins, three males and two females. It was only when we sat down to eat and helped ourselves to some sushi did Jose tell me how they were the rtives of his third mother. And while he was barely in contact with his family, he was close to these people.


    All of his cousins had hazel eyes and blonde hair, while his aunt had blue eyes. Jose¡¯s uncle was out of country and would note back for another four months. But that was alright, I was not too worried. I was just anxious about Trenting here.


    Once we were finished eating, Jose¡¯s cousins led us out to the living room, while one of them took our luggage to our rooms. It was so sweet of him to do that, I nearly kissed the cute little eighteen year old; it was so sweet whenever people did something nice for me, it made me want to do something equally nice in return.


    Even though his rtives tried their best to entertain me, my mind could not stop thinking about Trent. Jose refused to let me touch his phone, which made it impossible for me to know what he said. So I had no choice but to think about what to do next. The words in the text were serious, Trent was not joking.


    The first day, I managed to control myself and not snoop through Jose¡¯s phone. But at night, all I could think about was Trent; what he was doing? Where he was? Was he angry, if so how much? What would he do when he would find me?


    Even in my dreams I saw him. And the fact that he was angry was an understatement. Trent gripped me tightly, his knuckles turning white and my skin turning red; he told me that I could kiss my freedom good bye. He forced me to wear a wedding dress and all but dragged me to the alter where he forced me to say ¡®I do¡¯ to him. And once we were married, he took me to his house where he ravished me all night long.


    I woke up with shakes and cold sweats. Thank God Jose was not sharing the room with me, otherwise it would¡¯ve been ufortable for me to tell him about my dream. But the problem was, Brynn, Jose cousin who was sharing the room with me. So when I woke up, it resulted in her waking up as well.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked, turning on themp.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, just had a bad dream.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, do you want to talk about it?¡± She enquired.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I feel better now, go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Was it about that man?¡± Brynn queried.


    ¡°What man?¡± What was she talking about?


    ¡°The man who you are always thinking about. Did you have a dream about him?¡± Was I that transparent?


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m thinking about a man?¡± I asked her.


    Brynn shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s in your eyes. You want him but for some reason you are avoiding him, is this why you came to Japan? Is that man responsible for youing here?¡±


    She was the same age as me, which meant I could confide in her if I wanted to. And I needed a woman to talk to, especially now that Hailey was busy with her kids. Maybe, I could tell her what was bothering me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him. I mean, I shouldn¡¯t want him. He is demented and a spoiled brat. He wants to rule my life and I¡¯m not letting him,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°What is he to you? I mean the man, what is his rtionship with you? How do you know him?¡± She questioned. I was relieved to see there was no judgement in her eyes, only understanding.


    ¡°He is the cousin of my brother-inw and he is also my boss,¡± I answered.


    ¡°And how is he crazy and demanding?¡± She queried.


    ¡°He told everyone that we are getting married even though we discussed no such thing. That¡¯s what he does; he makes decisions about my life without even asking me. And one time, he dragged me to his apartment and locked me in there. He even cuffed my ankles! Who does that?!¡± It felt so good to tell someone about my feelings. Jose was an amazing friend, but he was a guy, and I just couldn¡¯t tell him how I felt about Trent.


    ¡°But you like him.¡± Brynn said it like a statement rather than a question.


    ¡°I do,¡± I admitted. There was no use hiding it now, the sooner I epted the truth, the better. ¡°He is so sweet and kind¡­sometimes, and he cares about people, especially those who work for him. He makes sure no one is treated unfairly. He is beautiful andplicated. I want to get to know him, but he does things that make me angry¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°So you like him but you just don¡¯t want him to be so controlling, am I right?¡± Brynn said.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, you are pretty much right.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried talking to him about it? Have you told him how you feel regarding his behavior?¡± She enquired.


    ¡°I tell him how he is being unfair and all, but¡­I don¡¯t think I ever told him how I felt. He just makes me so angry, I keep on yelling at him and threatening to leave him, and then he tells me how I can never leave him even if I want to,¡± I responded.


    ¡°So why not just tell him. Tell him how you feel. If he truly loves you, he will tone it down a little. He is just possessive over you and wants you all to himself. Maybe nothing in his life is permanent and he wants you to be the one permanent thing, the one constant in his life,¡± shemented, taking me by surprise.


    ¡°How do you know that? How can you say that?¡± I asked her. This girl was smart, very smart.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been there. I know how you feel and what you are going through, because I am going through the same thing,¡± she answered me.


    ¡°You mean to say that there is a crazy, obsessive man after you as well?¡± I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she answered in affirmation; Brynn was beautiful and I could see why a man would be possessive over her.


    Brynn nodded. ¡°Yes. He is very much like your man. He is crazy and demanding. He saw me three weeks ago and is demanding me to marry him. And I said no, so he threatened me with my family. He isn¡¯t giving me an option to say no.¡±


    ¡°So did you tell him how you feel?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°No not yet, but I will soon. Maybe tomorrow, I don¡¯t know. Maybe I can get him topromise,¡± she responded.


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t listen to you, tell me and I will kick his ass,¡± I stated.


    Brynn giggled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯ll talk to him and you try talking to your man, tell him how you feel; I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll change for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it after three days.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Why three days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bet I made with him. If he finds me before three days then I¡¯ll have to marry him, but if he doesn¡¯t then I can do what I want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Is that why you came here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is the farthest we could go, so we came here. I hope he finds me after three days.¡±


    ¡°I think he already knows where you are,¡± Brynn stated.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Was she psychic? Maybe she was studying Psychology or something.


    Brynn shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just have this feeling that he knows exactly where you are.¡±


    ¡°If that is true then why hasn¡¯t hee yet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I¡¯m sure he has his reasons.¡±


    If Brynn was telling the truth and Trent really was here, then why was he not here yet? The man was so mysterious, would I ever get to know himpletely? Would I ever be able to im that I know Trent Benson inside and out?


    If so, then when?


    ~*~*~*~*


    The remaining forty eight hours passed by in a blur. Brynn and I talked a lot and she told me that she¡¯d take me to meet the man who was crazy about her. I had to admit, I was excited to see the man who was as crazy as Trent. Maybe I could talk to him and would be able to understand Trent better.


    There was no word from Trent. I was worried that he would show up before three days were over, bur so far nothing happened. If he didn¡¯te before midnight then I would win. There were thirty minutes to go before midnight; thirty minutes until I won.


    ¡°So if he doesn¡¯te today that means you win, right?¡± Brynn asked, flopping on the couch besides me. Everybody else had gone to bed, and only the two of us remained. Jose had given me his cell phone which I had been begging him for, and I was holding on to it with all my might.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do if you win?¡± She enquired.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spend a few days with you before I go back home. Then I¡¯ll tell him how things would be from now on. He will have no choice but to agree.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Mason has been calling me, has been throughout the day. I told him I¡¯ll see him tomorrow. You wille with me, right? You haven¡¯t changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯lle with you. I want to meet the man who is obsessive about you. I mean he has every reason to be.¡± I told her.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird how time flies so fast. From thirty minutes now only twenty remain,¡± she observed, eyeing the clock.


    My heart begun its slow climb up my throat. Twenty more minutes and I would win. But I could not celebrate so soon; a lot could happen in twenty minutes. Indeed, time flew very fast.


    ¡°I hope these twenty minute fly by,¡± I said.


    ¡°Want to watch a movie?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± I shrugged.


    Brynn got up and headed over to her room to bring herptop, leaving me sitting on the couch with a cell phone clutched tightly in my hands.


    She was gone for so long that I started to wonder if she had fallen asleep. Yawning loudly since nobody was here, I checked the time which had my eyes popping open. It was midnight. The third day has ended. I won.


    And then the door bell rang.

 30

    Part 30


    Looking at the door got me into a conflict. I wasn¡¯t sure whether I should go and open the door or not. It could be Trent; actually, my heart was shouting his name, telling me that it was him behind the door. But my mind was telling me to be careful; it might not be Trent but it could be someone else, either way my mind was telling me not to open the door.


    The bell rang a second time. And I stood up, since it suddenly became too ufortable for me to remain sitting. Where was Brynn? Why wasn¡¯t sheing downstairs? Couldn¡¯t she hear the bell ringing? I mean, the sound echoed throughout the small house, and yet no one wasing out to see who was at the door. These people were heavy sleepers.


    Without thinking, my feet shuffled across the floor all the way to the door. My hand, working on its own ord, grabbed the door knob, but didn¡¯t turn it. My limbs were no longer mine to control, but my mind still gave themand.


    Ask who it is! My mindmanded.


    But at the same time, I was afraid to ask. What if, it really was Trent? What would happen then? What would he do? I won the bet fair and square, so he could not be bossy and force me to marry him.


    ¡°Wh-Who is it?¡± I finally found the courage to ask.


    Please don¡¯t let it be Trent. Please don¡¯t let be Trent.


    ¡°Amanda, it¡¯s me Trent. Open the door right now,¡± he ordered. Of course, why would God ever listen to me? Why?


    ¡°No. Why are you here? How did you find me?¡± I knew my second question was utterly dumb, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking.


    ¡°I am here to take what¡¯s mine. And as for finding you, shady, you can never get away from me. I have eyes and ears everywhere. There is no escaping me,¡± he replied. I still hadn¡¯t opened the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s yours? I haven¡¯t brought anything with me that is mine. So go check with someone else. And you were spying on me?!¡± The man clearly didn¡¯t know his limits.


    ¡°You are mine, sleeping beauty. And I¡¯m here to take you back home. And as for spying on you, well you didn¡¯t leave me much of a choice. You are not wearing the ring I gave you, which I need to punish you for, so I had no choice but to send my men after you,¡± he stated.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I won the bet, Trent. You came after three days, so we are not getting married. And how did you know I¡¯m not wearing the ring?¡± I left the ring in my apartment before leaving for Japan. I knew that if I brought it with me, the ring would only remind me of Trent.


    ¡°Oh bumblebee, if you only knew how you actually won. But that is a discussion forter, right now, I want you to be a good girl and open the door so I can take you home,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t have the ring right now?¡± I repeated my question. I sighed in relief when I saw Brynn entering the living room with herptop. When she saw me, she ced theputer on the table beforeing towards me.


    ¡°The ring tells me where you are. And when I went to your apartment and saw the ring there, I was bloody pissed, so that is how I know. Now open the door, Amanda.¡±


    My eyes widened at hearing his words. A tracker. He had a tracker embedded in the ring. I looked at Brynn to see her expression mirroring mine. She was as shocked as I was.


    ¡°Yo-You had a tracker in the ring? Ho-How could you do this, Trent? Do you know anything about privacy?¡± I tried to keep my voice low because I didn¡¯t want to wake up the people who were peacefully sleeping.


    ¡°You do not have the liberty to ask me questions. It was my decision and I am happy with it. Open the door right the fuck now!¡± Hemanded.


    ¡°No. Go away. I don¡¯t want to go with you. I don¡¯t even want to look at you. Just leave and don¡¯te back here.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Fuck this shit! I didn¡¯te all the way to Japan for this.¡± I screamed when the door was suddenly kicked open, hitting the wall, shaking the whole house. Before I could process what was happening, Trent circled his arm around my knees and slung me over his shoulder, before turning around and marching out.


    ¡°Trent, you asshole! Put me down right now! I don¡¯t want to go anywhere with you!¡± I punched his back but he kept on walking.


    Fear elerated my heart as I saw a ck car with tinted windows standing idle on the road. The back door was open, which made it easier for Trent to deposit me in the car before climbing inside with me.


    ¡°Drive. And don¡¯t stop until you reach the airport,¡± Trent ordered the driver, who nodded and drove out.


    ¡°You are not taking me with you! Do you hear me?! I will not go with you!¡± I was hysterical, I had no idea what I was saying. I was terrified, I wanted to run away. But Trent was taking me with him, and the look on his face told me exactly how angry he really was.


    Instead of replying, Trent grabbed a small bottle and dipped the contents of it on a piece of cloth. My mind was working at a million miles per hour, making it difficult for me to focus on his actions. I just wanted to escape.


    ¡°Trent, I swear I will scream at the airport until securityes. I will use you of all sorts of horrible things until you are locked up in prison. I will-¡±


    When Trent ced the soaked rag over my nose, that was when I felt the true meaning of fear. He held my head in ce, his grip tight, unrelenting; while his other hand was firmly ced over my nose.


    The sweet scent took seconds to invade my senses. No matter how much I tried to push his hand away from my mouth, I couldn¡¯t, he was too strong. My vision dulled, the fight left my body, and my mind started to go nk.


    ¡°I tried, I really tried to control myself, but I failed. I cannot control myself anymore.¡± Were thest words that entered my mind before I was robbed of my consciousness.


    ~*~*~*~*


    My eyes opened to dark blue walls and a veryfortable bed. But when my mind started to recall every tiny detail that took ce in Japan, I bolted upright, breathing heavily.


    cing a hand on my neck, I rubbed it a little, trying to get rid of the thirst. I looked around for some water but found none. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls and my vision still hadn¡¯t cleared up, I could only make out the dark blue walls and other major furniture in the room.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Son of a bitch kidnapped me. So much for winning the bet!


    The door opened and in walked the man who I wished to hell and back and back to hell. He held something in his hand as he sauntered over to me, his face void of emotion or maybe I just couldn¡¯t see due to my impaired vision.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± he ordered, wrapping my fingers around a water bottle. Trying my best to re at him, I did as he said, simply because my throat felt raw.


    Having water flow down my throat made me feel as if somebody watered a wilted nt. It felt so refreshing, it was likeing back to life. The water made me feel a whole lot better. I was no longer thirsty, my mouth didn¡¯t feel like it was stuffed with cotton balls and my vision was back to normal.


    ¡°I hate you!¡± I flung the bottle to the side, finally getting my rage back.


    ¡°You can hate me all you want, that would only work in my favor at the end. How do you feel?¡± Trent enquired, looking poised and perfect as if he did not just kidnap a girl.


    ¡°I want to murder you and feed your filthy carcass to my dog,¡± I spat.


    ¡°And I want to fuck you so hard, you wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for a week. I would fuck you so hard and deep, your pussy will have no choice but to suck in every drop of my cum, resulting in you getting pregnant with my baby.¡± Trent kept his eyes locked on mine as he said this.


    My heart begun hammering as I felt lost for words. How crass could he really be? Trent never spoke to me like this. What changed? Was he always like this or did I do something to trigger the animal inside him?


    Trent kissed my lips softly. ¡°Now I know exactly how to shut that pretty mouth.¡±


    ¡°I wo-won¡¯t le-let you d-do it,¡± I stammered, finally gaining my voice back.


    Of course you would. You want him to do it. You yearn for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of when. Are you hungry?¡± How could I switch from one topic to the other so quickly?


    ¡°No. I wan-wanna go home. I have to go home,¡± I replied, pulling the duvet tighter around myself, as if trying to protect my body from Trent.


    He caressed my cheek. I couldn¡¯t even move away because I was still shocked over his words. This man was an utter mystery. And the sides that were slowly unravelling in front of my eyes scared me to death.


    ¡°This is your home now. I bought it just for you. This was going to be your wedding gift but since you won the bet, I¡¯ll give you some control and will respect your decision of not marrying so soon. But you will live here from now on; we¡¯ll live here together. Can you do that without me always having to worry about you running away?¡± He shuffled closer to me, his knee touching mine.


    ¡°I know I have taken a lot from you. I¡¯ve stolen your rights, taken your control, left you with nothing but anger and frustration. But I want you to give me this. Can you give me just one thing. Can you give me some peace of mind and live here willingly with me? Will you give me your trust, shady?¡±


    He is messing with your mind, do not say yes under any circumstances!


    My subconscious was right. Trent was messing with my mind. He once again made the decision for me, and now he was asking me if I wanted to live with him? What was he ying at? And why did he keep pulling me towards him? Why didn¡¯t I find him repulsive? Why couldn¡¯t I hate him because he really deserved it?


    Why?


    Why?


    Why?


    ¡°Yo-You can¡¯t ke-keep do-doing this.¡± I didn¡¯t realize when tears filled my eyes. I was tired, tired of fighting him. I couldn¡¯t do it. Trent was tooplicated, I couldn¡¯t handle him. I was not strong enough.


    ¡°Can¡¯t keep doing what?¡± Trent frowned in confusion.


    ¡°This.¡± Tears fell from my eyes, my voice cracked. I was so tired. ¡°You don¡¯t let me make decisions about my life. You threaten me. You make me feel like I have no rights, nothing. I am human, Trent. Please, just treat me like I¡¯m human for once¡­¡± I trailed off, my tears taking over.


    ¡°Hey no, don¡¯t cry.¡± Trent pulled me to him, making me sit on hisp; a feat I wondered how he was able to aplish.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, I couldn¡¯t. I just cried as Trent held me, rubbing my back in a soothing manner. It was like the dam had finally cracked and all my emotions were flooding out in a mass heap of tears. He forced me to work for him. He dragged me and tied me up in his penthouse. He forced me to wear a ring. He told everyone we were getting married. He made me leave my home and run to Japan. He told me he had a tracker embedded in the ring. And he kidnapped and told me that I would be living with him from now on.


    ¡°You are human. You are the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen. You are strong and resilient, such an admirable woman,¡± Trent murmured, kissing my face.


    He was lying. He didn¡¯t find me beautiful, he didn¡¯t admire me. He wanted to control me. That¡¯s all it was. He was now using sweet words to get me to forgive him but I couldn¡¯t do it. This was too much for me.


    ¡°Home. I want to go home.¡± I just wanted my warm nket and my pillow forfort. And Trent. I wanted him to hold me forever, but I knew that it was not possible. I wanted him and yet he was hurting me.


    ¡°I-How can I make you understand that this is your home now? You belong with me, why can¡¯t you see that, sleeping beauty?¡± Trent whispered.


    ¡°You control me. Don¡¯t control me,¡± I cried.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying, bumblebee. God knows I¡¯m trying, but you keep fighting me and it makes me angry, so I fail. I fail to give you the freedom you want,¡± he uttered.


    Was that what this was? Was I fighting him too much? Was he really trying to give me space and I was fighting him?


    No, this was not my fault. I tried to tolerate his crazy behavior but it was getting too much. Trent didn¡¯t know when to stop.


    ¡°Okay, i-if you want, I can try again. If you give me one more chance, I will make it better, I will try not to control you¡­as much. Please stop crying, bumblebee, please,¡± Trent stated.


    I looked up at him, not caring if I looked ugly. ¡°Yo-You mean that?¡± Was he telling the truth or not?


    Give him a chance. You like him.


    ¡°Yes, I promise to be better if you agree to give me one more chance, please don¡¯t cry.¡± Trent wiped my tears, giving me a soft smile.


    ¡°One more chance. Onest chance. And you won¡¯t control me anymore.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether this would result in my happily ever after or in an utter disaster, but Trent deserved a second chance, we all did. And I was willing to take a leap of faith, just this once¡­


    Because Trent meant a lot to me.

 31

    Part 31


    I woke up with an arm banded around me. ncing to my right, I was surprised to see Trent sleeping next to me, and it was his arm that was holding me close. When did hee? And how he slip in bed beside me without me finding out?


    You sleep like the dead. One could rape you and you would never know.


    My subconscious knew how to exaggerate, but it was right; I did sleep like the dead. But still, I would¡¯ve known if Trent slipped in bed beside me, I mean, he was Trent. It was impossible not to notice him.


    After I agreed to give Trent a second chance to make things right between us, he told me to sleep. I didn¡¯t argue with him, because I was tired and so I fell back in bed and closed my eyes to the world.


    Now I woke up to find none other than my boss in bed with me. Feeling around for my clothes had me sighing in relief, thank God we didn¡¯t have sex. He only slept beside me, that was all he did. He was not a bad man. He didn¡¯t take advantage of me in my sleep.


    Gently prying his arm off me, I stiffened when he stirred, but fell back asleep. Once I was sure Trent would not wake up, I got out from the bed and padded out of the room, wanting to see where Trent had brought me. I gasped as I took in the new ce Trent had brought me to.


    We were back in the States, that much was confirmed. And from the looks of it, we were at a beach house. I could see the golden sand and the glittering blue ocean from the giant French windows that were in the living room. The furniture of the house was contemporary, and yet it had a historical touch to it. A sma screen took up one wall, andmps of various shapes and sizes were ced in strategic ces. It was a beautiful house, one that was my prison. A prison I chose to live in.


    Spotting a door further down the corridor, I made my way towards it. Right now Trent was sleeping so I would explore as much as I could. I opened the door and found another bedroom. Jeez, how many rooms were in this ce? I spotted a grand staircase in the living room, but was not sure how far it went.


    Once I was done surveying the room I stepped out only to stop short when I saw Trent standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. Dammit, why did he always have to sneak up on me like that? He just loved scaring me, in every sense of the word.


    ¡°You scared me.¡± I breathed out.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t in bed.¡± He spoke in an usatory manner, as if Imited a crime by leaving the bed.


    ¡°I-I wanted to look around,¡± I exined.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me. There are things here that you are not privy to,¡± he replied, irritated.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to control me anymore,¡± I pointed out.


    Trent closed his eyes and sighed deeply, the frown on his forehead smoothing out before he opened them again. My heart picked up speed as he strode over to me, wondering what he was going to do now. And it only rxed when Trent pulled me in his arms, kissing the top of my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I will try my best not to control you anymore. I just got worried when I woke up and you weren¡¯t in bed with me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away, Trent. I promised you.¡± I told him. In lieu of him trying his best not to control me, Trent made me promise that I would live in this house with him.


    ¡°I know, but I was still worried,¡± he whispered. He thought I was going to break my promise, he didn¡¯t trust me. Was it just me or did he not trust anyone? If so, then why? What happened to make him so distrustful of people?


    ¡°Do you want breakfast?¡± I enquired. Since Trent had vowed to change himself, I promised to change myself as well. I would try to get a better control on my emotions, which meant not losing my temper if Trent did something that would result in me banging my head against the wall.


    ¡°Yes, I will make breakfast. Go and freshen up,¡± Trent responded, gently nudging me in the direction of the room which I vacated a while ago.


    Giving him a small smile, I jogged back into the bedroom. My eyes widened when I saw the room. It looked as if a tornado had hit it. It waspletely destroyed. How worried was Trent that he turned an entire bedroom upside down? Was this a serious problem? Did he need help?


    Taking a deep breath, I pushed the now ruined room in the back of my mind and walked to the bathroom. After fifteen minutes, I was finished with my morning rituals and exited the room to see Trent working in the kitchen. The kitchen was beautifully designed; it was a not a separate room, it was connected to the living room. You could see the entire kitchen from the living room and vice versa.


    ¡°Hello again, I hope you like scrambled eggs.¡± Trent shed me a heart pounding grin. Fuck my life, why have I never seen him smile like this before? It was the most genuine and the most beautiful smile I¡¯d ever had the pleasure of seeing on his face. He was a beautiful man.


    ¡°Your step-mother taught you well,¡± Imented, taking a seat on one of the ind stools. Trent¡¯s mother was an amazing cook. When Trent was away for two years, she tried to teach me how to cook, but I barely learned anything. I really missed Mrs. Benson, she was an extraordinary woman.


    ¡°She did¡­I think. I can only make breakfast, and a sandwich for lunch,¡± Trent chuckled.


    ¡°At least you can do something. I barely learnt how to make anything from your mother, even though she tried so hard to teach me. I think I don¡¯t have the cooking gene in me,¡± I remarked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If you really focus, I¡¯m sure you can cook like a professional,¡± Trent replied, sliding the eggs from the pan onto two tes.


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. How is your step-mother? It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen her, and Jordan as well.¡±


    ¡°She is fine. She was asking about you, so I guess I¡¯ll take you to see her. And as for Jordan, he is handling the family business. He was a little hesitant before but now he is smoothly continuing on with the Benson legacy. But that was expected, Jordan is a smart kid,¡± Trent informed me.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Can we invite Jordan over, it¡¯s been so long and I kind of miss him,¡± I said.


    Trent¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°You miss him?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°He is like a brother to me, Trent. You said you will try!¡±


    Dropping the pan in the sink, Trent turned around, giving his back to me. He ced a hand over his face for a few seconds before removing it and turning around to face me. He looked troubled to say the least; I had the sudden urge tofort him, to hold him and soothe his worries.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s difficult, bumblebee. I¡¯m finding it very difficult. I j-just cannot stop myself. But I¡¯m trying, I really am,¡± he uttered.


    Standing up, I walked around the granite ind and pulled Trent in my arms. He held me tight, afraid to let go. I ran my fingers through his hair, enjoying the softness of his dark locks.


    ¡°I know you are trying. I know it¡¯s difficult, but I¡¯m sure you can do it. Do you trust me, Trent?¡± I questioned.


    Trent eyed me with a look of confusion. ¡°Trust? Why would I trust you? I don¡¯t trust anyone,¡± he answered.


    ¡°No, but you have to give trust in order to gain some. I promised you that I won¡¯t leave, and you have to trust me on that.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He queried.


    ¡°I trust your words that you will try not to control me,¡± I replied, smiling at him.


    Trent didn¡¯t say anything. I could see the cogs turning in his head. He was thinking hard about this; something that wasmon for people. But Trent wasn¡¯t an ordinary man; he wasplicated, and now I could see that he was damaged as well. Was Brynn right? Was Trent insecure? Was he controlling me because he wanted me to be the one constant in his life?


    I wish you were here, Brynn. I could really use some advice.


    ¡°So if I trust you, do you promise not to break my trust?¡± Well that was an odd questioning from him, but since I vowed to understand him, I decided to answer it.


    ¡°Yes. I promise you I will never break your trust,¡± I replied, sincerely.


    ¡°What if you do? What if you do break your promise, what will you give me?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want.¡± The only reason I was saying this was because I had no intention of ever breaking his trust.


    ¡°Okay. If you break your promise then you will give yourself to me. You will marry me. I can even force you and you will not object,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s a deal.¡± I held out my hand for him to shake it. He took it and we shook on our new deal. ¡°You cannot go back on your word now, shady.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention to,¡± I said as Trent released my hand and went back to the scrambled eggs.


    ¡°Good. So tell me about Jose. Everything. I want to everything about him,¡± Trent stated, as I sat back down on my stool.


    I pped a hand on my forehead as I remembered Jose. Fuck, he would be so worried about me. Was he still in Japan or had hee back to the States?


    ¡°Oh no, I have to call him. He will be freaking out. Where is your phone, Trent?¡± I looked left and right but found no phone.


    ¡°I said tell me about Jose. I didn¡¯t say call him,¡± he said, taking a seat next to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you as soon as I talk to him; which I need to do now. So where is your phone?¡±


    ¡°You are not calling Jose. I don¡¯t like him and I don¡¯t want you to be friends with him anymore,¡± he stated, as if he owned me.


    ¡°Trent, what did I say about trusting me?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I trust you, I don¡¯t trust him.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?! Give me your phone, right now!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No.¡± He deadpanned me. Like seriously?


    ¡°Trent,¡± I said his name as a warning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him, Amanda. There is something not right about him. There is something strong between you two and I don¡¯t like it,¡± he exined.


    ¡°There is nothing going on between me and Jose! We are just friends,¡± I defended.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it. Whenever I see the two of you together, he is always so close to you. He is always touching you, and it makes me want to kill him. So no, you are not calling him. Now sit down and eat your breakfast before it gets cold,¡± he ordered.


    I¡¯ve had it.


    I lost it.


    I blew up.


    ¡°We just had sex once! It was a one night stand! But we never liked each other that way and so we became friends, and that is all we are! Just friends! Why can¡¯t you understand that simple fact?!¡± I had no idea what I just blurted out; Trent¡¯s rigid stance regarding Jose pissed me off. And so, I gave in to the anger.


    Time stood still as I took in Trent¡¯s expression. I saw shock transforming into cold fury as his dark eyes darkened to obsidian. ¡°Sex? You had sex with Jose?¡± Trent asked with a deadly calm, as if a Viper getting ready to strike.


    I swallowed and stood up. Now I was in trouble, I knew that. And for the first time, it was not anyone¡¯s fault but mine. I finally poked the lion and now I must run. I had to save myself.


    ¡°Trent, it was one night. We were drunk, it was a mistake. And I didn¡¯t even know you then. So you can¡¯t hold my past against me,¡± I babbled on, wishing for his anger to dissipate. He was so happy, he was smiling and now he was ring at me like I¡¯dmited the most heinous crime.


    ¡°Run,¡± he said.


    I blinked twice. ¡°Wh-What?¡±


    ¡°Run,¡± he repeated more forcefully.


    Not wanting him to repeat it a third time, I took off for the stairs. Taking them two at a time, I climb up the marble staircase, tripping twice and nearly breaking my ankle in the process. As soon as I reached the second floornding, I looked left and right, trying to decide which way to turn next. The left corridor had a floor to ceiling window that gave me a splendid view of the beach, while the right corridor offered pieces of abstract art. Deciding on the right, I ran in the direction of the paintings.


    I passed door after door and I could faintly hear the sound of thudding footsteps behind me. Oh no, Trent wasing after me; I had to hide. Spotting a dark corridor, I ran toward it without thinking. There was a single door present in that corridor, one I pushed and it opened immediately.


    cing my hand on my knees, I paused to catch my breath. I didn¡¯t know why Trent was so angry. It was just one night with Jose and we weren¡¯t together or anything. What would he do when he found me? Yes, it was only a matter of when and not if Trent found me because the pounding footsteps I heard could only belong to him as there was no one else present.


    However, before I could get my lungs to stop protesting for oxygen, my eyes widened and my heart stopped as I looked around the room I had entered. No, it was not a room; it looked more like a shrine. Wherever I looked I only saw one face. It was everywhere. There was no ce where I did not see that one face.


    Oh God, what is this ce?


    ¡°Bumblebee, you are not supposed to be here.¡± I vaguely registered Trent¡¯s presence behind me, my mind falling in a state of numbness.


    ¡°Wh-What is this?¡± I whispered, too afraid to say it out loud.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    One face. It was everywhere.


    I was staring at my face.

 32

    Part 32


    I felt like I was living in a dream. But sadly, it was no dream. This was the cold, harsh reality that I was seeing with my own eyes. No matter how much I tried to deny that fact, I couldn¡¯t.


    There were pictures of me everywhere; no spot on the four walls was devoid of my face. And looking at them made me realize how these photographs were the ones of me modelling. I could see myself in various dresses and poses, lying on the couch or standing up. Every single photograph in here was taken by Madigan.


    ¡°Bumblebee,e, you are not supposed to be in here.¡± I screamed as Trent touched my arm and pulled away from him.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t touch me! Stay away from me!¡±


    My heart was thumping wildly in the confines of its cage, I was afraid it would either break through my chest or stop workingpletely. What I was seeing was something I could never imagine, neither in my dreams nor in my nightmares. How could Trent do this to me? What was he thinking?


    ¡°Exin this to me, right now!¡± Imanded.


    ¡°Calm down, sleeping beauty. Why don¡¯t youe outside and we¡¯ll discuss it,¡± he suggested, trying to touch me again, but I pulled back just in time. If Trent pulled me in his arms, I was afraid I would crumble. I would not be able to stay strong against him if he touched me.


    ¡°No! You are going to tell me everything right here and right now!¡± I yelled, not caring if the birds outside heard us. This was not the time to be rational and calm. I wanted answers and I would not stop until I got them.


    Trent sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Normally, I would hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but not right now. He was going to tell me the reason behind this. He had to.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to say this,¡± he said.


    ¡°You have to say it. Otherwise I¡¯m going to get a restraining order against you,¡± I warned.


    ¡°You promised you will stay with me in this house, shady. You can¡¯t back out now,¡± he argued.


    ¡°This.¡± I gestured to the entire room which was filled with my pictures from top to bottom. ¡°Changes everything. Why should I keep my promise when you can¡¯t even be honest with me?¡±


    ¡°Being honest is not as easy as you think,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°It is!¡± I argued.


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Not when you¡¯re heart is on the line.¡±


    I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your riddles. Tell me why you did this? Were you stalking me all this time? Are you like one of those crazy psychopaths that keep pictures of women in their room? Oh wait, don¡¯t answer that, I already know the answer is yes.¡±


    ¡°No Amanda, I-I wasn¡¯t stalking you. I was just keeping an eye on you,¡± Trent uttered, looking unsure.


    I gazed at Trent like he had grown three heads. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?! That means stalking! You were spying on me, what for?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I needed to know that you were alright. I was away for two years, and I couldn¡¯t leave you unsupervised,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°Unsupervised? Trent, I¡¯m a grown woman, not a child that needs supervision!¡± God, how could I make him understand that what he was doing was wrong on so many levels.


    ¡°I needed my peace of mind. I had to make sure you were okay. That is why I left Jordan incharge of things,¡± he responded.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it okay! None of this.¡± I gestured to the room filled with my photgraphs once again. ¡°Is okay.¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons for doing things, you know that,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°Trent.¡± I could feel tears burning like acid in my eyes as they rose to the surface. ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand that what you are doing is not¡­normal, it¡¯s not okay? You have been stalking me for the past two years and you don¡¯t think you did anything wrong. You need help, Trent.¡±


    ¡°It is okay. If you knew my reasons, you would know that what I¡¯m doing is not wrong,¡± Trent stated, taking a step towards me, resulting in me taking two steps back.


    ¡°No matter what angle you look at it from, this is wrong. Crazy, obsessive stalkers do this, Trent. They have rooms filled with pictures of women, not sane men.¡± I told him. It was like talking to a spoilt child, who was hell bent on making me see things from his perspective.


    ¡°If you could get a glimpse of my heart, you will know why I¡¯m doing this,¡± he said cryptically, running his fingers over one of my photographs which was stuck to the wall. The way he touched the photograph made me feel like he was touching me, causing goosebumps to spread over my skin.


    ¡°Why are you doing this, Trent? Tell me. That is what I¡¯ve been asking you for the past few days. You don¡¯t give me a rational exnation, but you expect me to be okay with whatever it is you¡¯re doing. And I can¡¯t do that. I cannot take your actions in stride, especially when they are not normal and you don¡¯t tell me anything.¡± Please Trent, let me inside your heart. Let me see the differentyers that make you so beautiful and unique.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t tell you,¡± he responded, turning away from me.


    I sighed. ¡°Fine. If you will not tell me, then I¡¯m leaving. You expect me to give you everything when you don¡¯t extend the same courtesy to me, and I am not okay with that. You have two minutes to give me an honest and a resaonable exnation, otherwise I¡¯m leaving.¡± I threw the ultimatum at him. I really didn¡¯t want to do this, but Trent gave me no choice. In the past, he made my decisions for me, robbing me of control and power. And now, I would do the same thing to him. He reveled in control, let¡¯s see how he liked it when he was robbed of the same power.


    ¡°You promised,¡± Trent said, taking a step forward, only this time when I tried to step back, my back ended up touching the wall.


    ¡°I am not going to give you what you want if you don¡¯t give me what I want,¡± I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk outside. Come.¡± He held out his hand for me to take.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. We will talk here. You have one minute remaining. If you don¡¯t start speaking then I¡¯m walking out of this house and you can forget I ever existed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You can¡¯t leave me. I won¡¯t let you leave me,¡± he replied,ing closer to me.


    ¡°I will if you don¡¯t tell me why you have my photographs all over this room.¡± I told him.


    Trent fell silent for a moment, contemting his next move. I could see the wheels turning in his head, but I could also see anxiety and fear in his dark eyes. Trent looked worried-vulnerable. He looked like he was desperate for a solution, a solution that was anything but the truth.


    Seeing Trent like this had my hands itching to hug him, to wipe this strange look off his face. He was always so confident, he oozed power and dominance; but right now, there was no sign of either of those things.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m possesive about you,¡± Trent finally said.


    ¡°Why?¡± A chuckle escaped me.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? A woman like you needs to be kept under supervision. There are so many vultures in this world, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take you away from me,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Trust me, you won¡¯t be losing much. There is nothing special about me, you know that. You¡¯ve told me that so many times in the past. You like intelligent women, and I¡¯m not intelligent. So you have no reason to be possessive about me,¡± I responded. It hurt knowing that I would never be enough for a man like Trent. I really wanted to protect my heart from him, but the stupid thing had a mind of its own.


    ¡°I lied. When I said that you are stupid and not beautiful enough, I was lying. You are a smart woman, and you are the most beautiful woman I¡¯d ever had the pleasure of seeing,¡± Trent said.


    Trent thought I was beautiful? Yeah right! He was lying.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. You just want to say these things to me so you won¡¯t have to exin about these photographs. And since you refuse to be honest with me, I have no reason to stay here.¡± I tried to walk away but Trent stepped forward, blocking my escape.


    ¡°I am telling the truth. You may not believe me, but I am telling you the truth,¡± Trent replied firmly.


    ¡°Why did you lie before, then?¡± I enquired, raising my eyebrows.


    ¡°Because¡­I¡­I didn¡¯t want my heart to get attached to you. But I lost it anyway,¡± he responded.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°So you want me to believe that you hurt my feelings, made me feel terrible about myself all because you didn¡¯t want to get attached to me? Really Trent?¡± This man was cryptic and infuriating at the same time. Why couldn¡¯t he behave like normal men and ask me out instead of having a room full of my pictures?


    ¡°Yes. Because it is the truth. I tried really hard not to be attracted to you. I hurt your feelings. I tried my best to focus on your ws, but you are so perfect, you barely have any ws, or maybe I just couldn¡¯t focus on them. I thought if I pushed you away, I would be able to protect myself, but no. You were everywhere; in my world, in my heart. I couldn¡¯t get rid of you, and after a while I didn¡¯t even want to,¡± Trent confessed.


    Why was he telling this to me now? Why didn¡¯t he tell me this before, when I really needed to hear it? What was going on in that big, cryptic head of his? What was the reason behind his confession?


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± My mind was giving me the answer to my question, but I just couldn¡¯t make myself believe it. Because what my mind was telling me could never be true; Trent hated me. There was no way he could ever love me the way I wanted him to. My heart was his, but his wasn¡¯t mine. And that was why I could not believe what my mind wanted me to.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that I can¡¯t let you go anymore. I tried to let you go before, but I can¡¯t do it anymore. I tried to stay away, but no more. I tried to control myself, but I can¡¯t do it. If you try to run from me, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep you, even if it means locking you in my bedroom and chaining you to my bed,¡± he answered me.


    My heart twisted in fear. The way Trent was looking at me told me that he would follow through with his threats if I gave him a chance. Did I really want to give him that chance? Did I really want to test him to see if he meant what he said or was just blowing smoke?


    ¡°Why do you have a room full of my photographs?¡± I asked once again. I wouldn¡¯t stop until he gave me a reasonable exnation.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m possessive about you. When I first saw your photographs, I knew I couldn¡¯t let the world see this. A beauty like yours should not be exposed to the world, there are many animals who would love to get their hands on you, and I will not allow that to happen. So I took the photographs from Madigan, and every other photograph she took of you.


    ¡°You belong to me, bumblebee; and I¡¯m not a man who shares. So I kept your pictures in this room, where no one could see them but me. I told you that you were not as beautiful as my other models, but that was a lie. You are much more beautiful than them. Always have been and always will be. And I will never show your pictures to the world. I would lose you if I did that.¡± He gently touched my arms, pulling them away from my body.


    What was I supposed to say to that? Should I yell? Should I w his face out? I didn¡¯t know what to do, how to respond to his confession. Trent basically just told me why my pictures never appeared in his magazines. His exnation was twisted and fucked up. My heart reveled in his words but my mind wanted to wage war. I could never reach the peak of my career all because Trent was too possessive.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What about me? What about my career? I¡¯ll never seed.¡± I threw a withering re in his direction.


    ¡°You will seed. My colleagues and business partners were very impressed by you. And they will offer you jobs, you don¡¯t have to worry about that, sleeping beauty,¡± Trent replied, a soft smile on his face. He rubbed the pad of thumbs over my hands, soothing me.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t be the same. I-If my pictures are in your magazine, then I¡¯ll have a greater chance at sess,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Your chances won¡¯t diminish, shady, trust me on that. If I¡¯m doing this then I¡¯m also making sure that other opportunities will be avable to you,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Like what?¡± I couldn¡¯t see what opportunities he was talking about. So far I had gotten no opportunities; but that bitch Tamara has gotten plenty.


    ¡°You will apany me to my trips. You will be with me in every event. My colleagues and business partners will see you there, and you can build a personal rapport with them, which will give you an advantage over the other models,¡± he informed me.


    Now this was what I wanted. This advantage that others didn¡¯t get. And Trent was handing it to me on a silver tter. But was it right to take this advantage? Were Trent¡¯s actions justified just because he was giving me this advantage?


    No. No they weren¡¯t.


    ¡°Why me, Trent? Why did you pick me, when you have so many women at your disposal?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°You are a smart woman, sleeping beauty. I¡¯m sure you already know the answer to why I did all this,¡± he said.


    ¡°I want you to tell me. My mind tells me the wrong thing most of the times.¡± I told him.


    Trent smiled and cupped my cheek. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious¡­


    ¡°I love you.¡±

 33

    Part 33This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The words registered in my mind, but my brain could notprehend. It was like Trent froze my brain with just three words. Did he really just tell me he loved me? Was this even real? The man who made it his mission to piss me off every chance he gets was now telling me he loved me?


    Yes, it is real. Now kiss him!


    I did not listen to the nagging voice in my head that was telling me to throw everything out of the window and kiss Trent with all my heart. Instead, I listened to the doubt creeping its way in my mind; telling me it was all too good to be true, and Trent¡¯s past actions did not support his statement.


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± I blinked twice, to bring myself back from the confines of my thoughts.


    ¡°I love you, bumblebee. You were the only woman upying my thoughts and attention since the day I saw you at that dinner party. I hadn¡¯t been able to think about any other woman. It¡¯s only ever been you,¡± Trent replied, a soft smile on his face.


    I ran my eyes over the room which was filled with my photographs from floor to ceiling, not knowing how to respond to him. I wanted to believe him, I really did. But I was scared. Scared of believing him. What if this was just a dream and I would wake up only to find Trent hating my guts?


    ¡°Bu-But, all those things you did. That¡¯s not love,¡± I argued. His actions were too fucked up to be given the name of love.


    Trent sighed, a defeated look entering his eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s the only way I know how to express my love. I thought once I¡¯ll marry you, I will show you just how much I love you. That I would make you the happiest woman alive.


    ¡°I know what I did was not something a tranditional man would do, but it¡¯s the only way I believed was right. And so I went with my instincts,¡± he confessed.


    My attention was focused on him. So much so, that I forgot everything else that was around us. No longer did I care about the thousand of photographs pasted to the walls. No, all I saw was Trent. All I heard was Trent.


    Believe him. Believe him before it¡¯s toote and he moves on to another woman!


    My subconscious pointing out my greatest fear jarred me back into action. ¡°But you know it¡¯s wrong,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want Trent to move on. Never. He said he loved me and I would hold on to that.


    ¡°Yes. But it doesn¡¯t seem wrong to me. Whenever I see other men looking at you, all I want to do is to throw you over my shoulder and hide you from their disgusting eyes. Whenever some manes and stands close to you, all I want to do is to mark your skin and stake my im on you in front of the whole world,¡± he replied.


    His words had my cheeks heating up like I had been standing in the sun for too long. A normal woman would find his words scary and obsessive. But I was not a normal woman; at least not after this. Because his words did not scare me; no, they contradicted the doubt in my head regarding Trent.


    ¡°Is that why you did all this? You cuffed me to your bed and forced me to wear a diamond ring becase you love me?¡± It was now that I was starting to see why I was so drawn to him. It was not his looks, nor his confidence and swagger. No, it was his soul. The way he was so different from other men, and how he did things a normal person might not understand. It was the many facets of his soul that he was slowly revealing to me, which made me fall for him.


    It felt like the mist from my eyes had finally cleared and I was starting to see what my heart saw all along. The beautiful man who stood in front of me, looking like he wished he did things differently. Trent was pleading with me to ept him and his strange ways of living life.


    Yes. ept him. Love him.


    This time, it was my heart which spoke to me. It had sessfully shut my mind, preventing me from listening to rational thinking. But maybe, my heart was being rational. Maybe I should listen and do what my heart tells me.


    ¡°O-Okay,¡± I finally said, taking a deep breath, as if preparing myself for a wild adventure. And I was sure life with Trent Benson would be nothing but a crazy adventure, one I was ready to go on.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Trent¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, confusion evident in the dark irises.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I believe you. I know you were not an ordinary man, and you only confirmed that by acting in ways I could never imagine. And I always viewed your actions in a negative manner, never tried to see things from a different perspective. And I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°But now, now I see what you mean. I understand why you did all those things. Though they scared me and pissed me off, I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything else from you. You are not ordinary, Trent, it was unjust to expect ordinary things from you.¡±


    For a while, Trent just stared at me. And I met his gaze with my own. I wanted Trent to know that I understood him; that I was ready to hold his hand and let him love me. I could see the man that was pleading for me to ept him. And I was a fool not to see what my heart saw. They usually said that the heart always led you into trouble, and that listening to the mind was the right thing; but as I gazed at the man who imed to love me, I realized that it was my heart that was right.


    ¡°You believe me?¡± He blinked once, then twice. The way his long, thickshes fluttered with every blink had me transfixed. This man appeared perfect, but he needed someone to make him perfect from the inside. And for some reason he picked me to do that.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I smiled at him. I didn¡¯t know why he was like this, but I intended to find out. Maybe I would do just that before I told him he had captured my heart without even knowing it.


    ¡°Then-¡± Trent looked unsure, worried. ¡°You ept me? Are you willing to be mine?¡±


    Don¡¯t say yes, yet. Make him beg!


    I knew I said that my subconscious misled me, but I couldn¡¯t help but lean towards the suggestion my inner voice was offering. My heart and mind would always be in a disagreement; in the end, it was up to me to decide which to agree with.


    ¡°I-¡± Trent cut me off before I could say anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You do not have to say anything. I know what I¡¯ve done is unforgivable and all I can do now is tell you how much I regret hurting you,¡± he stated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m going to say,¡± I argued.


    Trent shrugged, a forlorn look shadowing his handsome features. The expression did not suit him, not at all. I wanted to wipe it away and see that confident smirk that pissed me off and melted my heart at the same time. Trent was a confident man, nothing less than arrogance suited him. Normally, I hated men that were arrogant, but not Trent Benson; he wore his arrogance in such a way that made him appear sexy.


    ¡°I know what you want, shady. You want someone who would sweep you off your feet and give you roses and shower you withpliments and endearments every chance he gets. You want to be wooed and courted and not have someone force their way in your life. I know that. And that is why, I know what you are going to say,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh really? And what is it that I am going to say?¡± I enquired with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Exactly what I just said. You asked me before why I couldn¡¯t do things like normal men and ask you out on a date. The truth is, I don¡¯t know how to court women the normal way. I¡¯ve always been taught how to take whatever I wanted, and not worry about anything. And then circumstances made me all the more ruthless and cold, that I stopped caring what the world wanted or about the feelings of people. I did whatever I wanted and I will continue to do so; it¡¯s not something I can get rid of, not when it¡¯s all I¡¯ve been taught my whole life.¡±


    Damn! He talks a lot! Much more than Hailey.


    ¡°Trent-¡± he cut me off once again. What was wrong with him? Usually he was so confident and didn¡¯t give a fuck about what I said or did. And now, he was acting like I had crushed his heart and handed the broken pieces back to him. He was judging me-assuming things without even listening to what I had to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Amanda. I understand. You don¡¯t have to tell me that I¡¯m an obsessive asshole. It¡¯s not easy for people to understand me, so I¡¯m not surprised that you can¡¯t either. I love you, and I want you to know that I will always love you; even if you don¡¯t love me back.¡±


    My decision was made. I would ask Trent why he was like this. There was obviously some history behind his words. Something had happened that made him act like the devil¡¯s son, and I would not stop until he tells me everything. He was obviously hiding something, always had been. But now, I could see through the cracks. I could see the troubled man hidden underneath the sexy billionaire. And this time I would not evade him. This time, I would make him tell me everything.


    ¡°Would you just listen to me!¡± I nearly yelled. This man was infuriating. But I loved him. Damn, he owned my heart.


    Trent shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I know what I did was wrong. I will make it up to you. In some way, I will make it up for all those times I hurt you.¡± He looked defeated. He looked like he¡¯d given up. And that nearly shattered me. I always admired Trent for his confidence and tenacity. He was willing to trample anyone just to get what he wanted. And now he was giving up.


    I would not allow it. Never.


    ¡°Trent, stop it.¡± I gritted out, getting frustrated. If he would just shut up and listen to me for two minutes, it wouldn¡¯t kill him. But no, he just kept on talking and talking.


    ¡°No, I have to make you happy. You are not happy. I want you to be happy with me, in my presence, and that is going to be a difficult task to achieve. But I will try my best. I will make you smile, bumblebee. That beautiful smile should always be on your face,¡± Trent responded, my words falling on deaf ears.


    ¡°How can you say such things without even listening to me?!¡± I wanted to p him. The biggest problem with these billionaires was that they believed they were always right. Even if the other person was trying to tell them the right thing, they would disregard their words. I didn¡¯t even understand how they be billionaires. At least this one did that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to listen to you to know that you are hurt, because of me. And I have to fix it. I hurt your feelings, and I will make it up to you. And it looks I¡¯ll have to do that by giving you the one thing you¡¯ve always wanted,¡± he said.


    For some reason, my heart rate picked up at hearing his words. What did he mean by that? What was he going to give me? I never asked Trent for anything, so what could he possibly give me?


    ¡°And what is that?¡± I was almost scared of hearing his answer. Why? I did not know.


    ¡°Freedom from me.¡± Those words. Those were the words that brought tears to my eyes. No, he would not do that. He could not do that after telling me he loved me. No, no, no.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± My voice cracked, but I did not care. I was not worried about Trent seeing my tears. I was worried about him leaving me.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I will let you go. You are a strong, independent woman and keeping you tied down is not fair to you, especially when it¡¯s costing me your happiness. I wanted you to be happy with me, but I don¡¯t think that will ever be possible-I¡¯ve hurt you too much.¡± Trent stepped back from me, giving me space to leave. ¡°So now, I will not stand in your way any longer. You can leave now, I will not stop you.¡±


    Shaking my head, I all but threw myself in Trent¡¯s arms. He caught me, surprise evident on his face. I buried my head in the crook of his neck and let the tears loose. No way, was I leaving him. He could not just tell me he loves me and tell me to leave him the next minute. No, I¡¯d evaded him for too long, not anymore. It was time to give in to my feelings and ept thisplicated man.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. You can¡¯t tell me you love me and then tell me to leave. This is not how things word, Trent! You can¡¯t keep doing this!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me, Amanda. You have no idea how difficult it is for me to tell you to leave. I can¡¯t stop myself if you say things like this,¡± he stated, his arms tightening around me.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t! Don¡¯t stop yourself! I am not leaving you. So don¡¯t tell me to walk away. Do you hear me?!¡± I looked up at him, wanting him to know that I meant every word.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it unless you mean it,¡± he said, softly.


    ¡°I mean it. Every word, Trent,¡± I replied.


    His responding kiss made me feel like I had been transported to another world. It was hard and passionate, brutal yet tender. It was exactly like Trent.


    ¡°You are willing to be mine?¡± He murmured, his breath fanning my face.


    ¡°Not until you tell me everything about yourself,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Everything?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Everything.¡±


    Trent sighed. ¡°Alright. What you want is what you will get. I will tell you about myself.¡±


    ¡°Right now.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±

 34

    Part 34


    ¡°What do you want to know first?¡± Trent asked, runningzy fingers over the bare skin of my arm, causing pleasureable bumps to spread all over.


    ¡°Everything. I want to know everything about you.¡± I told him with a smile.


    ¡°That is something that you will get to know if you¡¯ll spend more time with me.¡± He sent me a beautiful grin.


    After agreeing to tell me everything, Trent took me back to the master bedroom where he made me lie down before joining me in bed, where he ced my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°I know, but I want to know as much as you can tell me. Why are you soplicated? Why do you get angry when things don¡¯t go your way?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°My mom died when I was a kid. Even though I barely knew her, I still remember how much she loved me and how much she spoiled me. When she died, my father tells me, that I lost my temper. Nobody was able to control me. I destroyed all my toys, everything. He even kept a few broken toys as evidence for me for when I grew up; that is how I know that I did indeed lose my temper.


    ¡°After her funeral, when everybody went on with their lives, I didn¡¯t. My fury reached new heights, the servants in the house were terrified of me. Dad hired numerous nannies for me but none of themsted for more than a few days.


    ¡°Years passed and my anger did not subside. I lost my anger over trivial things; so much so that one time I spilled a bowl of hot soup all over the maid just because it didn¡¯t contain enough chicken. She was burned, had to be taken to the hospital.¡±


    I winced at his words. What Trent was telling me was intense. A child experiencing anger this severe was something to be concerned about. I couldn¡¯t imagine what his father must be going through.


    ¡°Why were you so angry?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°I felt like I¡¯d lost everything. Kids cry when you take their favorite thing or person away from them. They get angry, they throw tantrums. When I got to know my mother, the woman I loved most in the world would nevere back to me, I got angry; so angry that I failed to see the other people who were still with me. At that time, I just wanted my mom back. But she was never going toe back. Ever.¡±


    Scooting closer to Trent, I wound an arm around his torso, holding him tightly against me. Losing someone you loved was not easy; and it never got easier. I knew how devastated Hailey was when her parents passed away, she didn¡¯t eat anything for two weeks.


    ¡°Anyways, after I burned the maid, my father got concerned. I mean, he was concerned before, but after that day he was worried-enough to hire a therapist for me, because I was not only bing a danger to myself, I was bing a danger to others as well.


    ¡°The next few years were spent in severe therapy. My father decided that it would be best if I got a change of scenery because everything around me reminded me of my mother. So he sent me to a boarding school in Russia, meanwhile he built a new house for us.


    ¡°I got my higher education from Russia, and was going through therapy as well. My therapist told me how nothing was permanent and I had to learn to let go of things and a whole other load of bullshit which I don¡¯t remember right now.¡±


    ¡°So did you listen to your therapist? Did you do what he or she asked you to do? Did you let go?¡± I interrupted him. I never knew Trent studied in Russia; maybe I¡¯d ask him to say something to me in Russian.


    ¡°No bumblebee, I didn¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t. There was no way I could let go of my mother. But my fury was toned down considerably. I didn¡¯t get angry as much, and if I did, I learnt to release it in a healthier¡­more appropriate manner.


    ¡°But no matter what happened, I knew one thing in my mind; that no matter what happened in my life, I never wanted to feel like that again. I never wanted to feel helpless and hopeless. I never wanted the world to think that I had a weakness, that there was something that they could take away from me if they wished to destroy me.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you are so controlling?¡± I knew the answer to this, but I still had to ask.


    ¡°Yes shady. This is exactly why I¡¯m so controlling. I don¡¯t want people to think that they can screw me over and get away with it. No, not at all. That is exactly why I am so controlling when ites to you. I don¡¯t want to lose you, sleeping beauty. That is why I keep pursuing you, keep pushing you into a corner so that you will ept that you are mine, that you can¡¯t run from me,¡± Trent answered, cing a kiss on my forehead.


    I didn¡¯t know whether to be scared or ttered. But since my heart had won the war, I chose ttery over fear. I could understand why he behaved like a psychotic stalker; it wasn¡¯t the right thing to do, but now that Trent told me why he was like this, I could understand.


    ¡°Then what happened, after you decided you want to control everything and everyone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I came back to USA for college. My father was anxious when he came to pick me up from the airport. He got married to my step mom while I was away. My father did tell me he was nning to remarry. At first I didn¡¯t want him to marry, but then I realized how lonely he would be and he needed someone as well. So I told him I had no problem with him marrying again. He married soon after. He did visit me in Russia, but only during Christmas. He didn¡¯t even allow me toe home, choosing instead toe to Russia. But after a while he calmed down knowing that therapy had worked and I was no longer a destructive individual, and that I wouldn¡¯t hurt his new wife.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you got better,¡± I stated, not sure if it would make a difference to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I got better, too, shady. I feel guilty for putting my dad through so much,¡± Trent responded, remorsecing his words.


    ¡°You were a kid, don¡¯t me yourself. Everybody has a way of coping, a way of channeling their pain, so it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sure your father doesn¡¯t hold it against you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°And I thought you flunked Psychology,¡± he muttered. I could tell he was rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. Tell me what happened when you were college,¡± Imanded.


    Trent took a deep breath. ¡°College years were¡­fun, if you can say that. I spent most of my time partying and socializing with my friends. I guess, college helped me a lot; gave me a new perspective on life and its twisted mysteries. There were girls, lots of girls¡­¡± He trailed off, letting the words sink in.


    ¡°Girlfriends?¡± I asked. Truth be told, I did not care about Trent¡¯s past; because that¡¯s where it was, in the past, history. However, my heart twinged with a burn, signalling jealousy.


    ¡°One night stands, or friends with benefits. You know how I said I didn¡¯t ever want to feel helpless again, well this was why I barely had girlfriends. I couldn¡¯t give them the emotional satisfaction they required. Sex was all I could offer. Because I didn¡¯t want to fall, I didn¡¯t want to care.¡± His fingers which were gliding up and down my arm settled on my stomach, but after a few seconds, they slipped under my shirt, touching me, igniting every nerve ending.


    ¡°So you never had a serious rtionship?¡± I questioned, suddenly curious to know the answer.


    ¡°To be honest, I had no idea how to act in a rtionship. Believe it or not, I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship, at least not any thatsted more than twenty four hours,¡± he answered.


    My heart hooted and danced with joy upon hearing his answer. Trent never had a rtionship. No woman who owned his heart. There was no one I had to worry about. My heart was safe with him because he didn¡¯t know how to break hearts¡­at least I thought he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Okay, then what happened?¡± I queried.


    ¡°After college I applied for my Masters while helping dad with the business. Everyday after finishing up with my sses, I would help my dad out. And before I knew it, I had taken over the family business and had my own office on the top floor of the building.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I don¡¯t know why but it makes me happy to know how you helped your father and eventually took over the business.¡± I told him. Now that I knew more about the man my heart had fallen far, I could see just how beautiful he really was. He was not perfect, but that¡¯s how life molded him.


    Trent chuckled. ¡°Yes, he was d, as well. He had this big smile in his face when he finally handed over the business to me; said that now he was finally free. But one can never be truly free of business. My dad worked on thispany his whole life, no matter how much he tries to stay away, he can¡¯t. He drops by frequently, asking me about the progress and all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to know you have a strong bond with your father,¡± I replied, sincerely.


    ¡°He is my one constant in life, I believe. He never left me, not even once. Yes, he sent me to Russia but that was for my own good. I¡¯m d that he is happy,¡± Trent stated, his fingers now running over my abdomen, causing me to bite my lip. This was not the right moment to moan in pleasure. But damn his fingers and their magic.


    ¡°So the business world made you ruthless?¡± I asked, wanting to divert my mind from his magical fingers.


    ¡°Yes. My father gave me full liberty to do whatever I wanted. And so I did. I hired and fired people at the snap of my fingers,¡± Trent responded.


    ¡°Then what happened?¡± I enquired.


    Trent nced to the left, locking his eyes with mine. ¡°Then I met you.¡±


    My cheeks heated as I gazed into his smoldering eyes. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes you, bumblebee. One evening was all it took. You did something no other woman had been able to do. I took one look at you and I felt the cracks in my heart heal. You made me feel, Amanda. You made me want to care for you, to make sure you stay near me all the time. I never wanted any other woman like that before. I never wanted to care, never wanted to feel. Yet, you made me care, you made me feel. You make me want to do so many things to you, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ve controlled myself for so long.¡± Trent kissed my nose.


    His words made me speechless. I did not know what to say, and the blush on my cheeks was getting darker and darker by the minute. The sincerity in his words was unmistakable. Trent was telling the truth, causing my heart tobust with sheer joy. I didn¡¯t realize how long I¡¯ve waited to hear those words from him until he actually said them.


    ¡°Tell me more.¡± Was all I managed to say at the end.


    ¡°Well, when I first looked at you and my heart felt like it was healing, I wondered who you were and why haven¡¯t I seen you before. Then you opened your mouth and insulted me, that was when I decided that you were going to be mine, in one way or another. You sealed your fate the moment you first insulted me, shady,¡± he informed me.


    I had no idea Trent wanted me then. He insulted me, questioned my intellect. And wasted no opportunity to tell me how stupid I really was. I knew there was much, much more to him than what he¡¯d just told me, but this fact nagged me, a lot.


    ¡°If you liked me then, then why did you insult me? You always said I was stupid, why?¡± I questioned. It still hurt whenever I recalled his harsh words.


    ¡°Even though I decided that you will be my woman, I still had to test you. I had to make sure you could handle me. I¡¯m not an easy man to be with, sleeping beauty, you and I both know that. So I had to see if you were strong enough, mentally and physically for me. And I must say, you passed with flying colors.¡± With this statement, Trent kissed me lips.


    ¡°That is not fair. You hurt my feelings, scared me half to death, all because you wanted to test me?! You sir, are crazy,¡± I stated.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m not easy to get along with,¡± he argued.


    ¡°That is no excuse, Trent. You do not go around hurting people¡¯s feelings, it¡¯s not right. I mean, I know your circumstances were crap, but still. People have feelings, you have to consider them as well,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Are you getting angry?¡± Trent asked, his fingers going higher and higher, near my bra.


    ¡°No, just irritated. It hurt me so much when you called me stupid. And then you said I was not pretty and perfect to be in your magazines. I hated you so much. Then you left, just like that. Gone, for two years. And when youe back you act like I belong to you.


    ¡°I mean, when Theodore did this with Hailey, I found it hot. I know, I¡¯m insane. I realized that after you did the same thing with me. Why would you cuff me to your bed, why?¡± I was babbling, there was no other exnation to the nonsense that left my lips. It was like I wanted Trent to know how badly he hurt me, and constantly rambling was the option I chose. I was crazy.


    ¡°Amanda?¡± He called me name, getting my full attention.


    ¡°What?¡± I frowned at him, still irritated over his past actions.


    ¡°Stop talking,¡± he ordered, his words like molten chocte dripping over me.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Then I will kiss you until you forget everything you have to say to me,¡± he replied.


    Those words were enough to shut me up. Trent had the uncanny ability to shut me up with his words, and at the same time have desire pooling in myher regions. That man was a magician.


    ¡°Yeah well-¡± he didn¡¯t let me finish. Trent took my lips in a raw, passionate kiss. His kisses were nothing new to me, although they still turned me on like never before. But the only difference in this kiss was that¡­


    His hand was under my shirt, touching ces I only imagined in the darkest of my fantasies.

 35

    Part 35


    ¡°Trent, what are you doing?¡± I moaned as Trent cupped my breasts from under my shirt. Even though there were clothes separating us, Trent didn¡¯t care, he did not let them be a barrier between us. I couldn¡¯t help but feel as if I was naked. Bared for Trent.


    ¡°I need you, Amanda. I need you so much,¡± Trent murmured, cing kisses down my neck until he reached my cleavage. He stopped because my shirt was in the way, and red at the flimsy cloth as if it was the world¡¯s biggest criminal.


    ¡°Tell me you want this, too. If you don¡¯t then¡­I¡¯ll stop,¡± he said, now directing his gaze to me, removing his hand from under my shirt.


    You say no, and I will hurt you. My heart threatened.


    You say yes, and there is no going back. My mind warned.


    Truth was, I did not want to go back, not anymore. This was it, I had given my heart to Trent and he said he loved me. There was nothing more that I wanted. Sure, he was not the most stable person, but I would change that. I would help him be a better man. If he did something I didn¡¯t like, then I would tell him. But I would not run away from him. I was done running.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, my voice breathy, betraying my desire for the handsome man that was looking down at me. ¡°I do want this.¡±


    Relief shed in his eyes for a millisecond before it was reced with carnal promises that had my sex clenching in response. Trent looked at me with fire in his eyes before he lowered his head and took my lips with his.


    Our lips moved in perfect rhythm before he parted my lips with his tongue. I tangled my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer as our tongues danced a tango. Trent was not trying to control me through the kiss; sure he was dominating, but as my tongue moved with his, I didn¡¯t feel as if I was being controlled, suppressed.


    As Trent fucked my mouth with his tongue, his fingers undid the buttons of my shirt and slipped the shirt off my arms, while never stopping his assault on my mouth. His fingers fell on my bra next, and he quickly removed that as well.


    Trent pulled away, leaving us both panting. He gazed at me, naked, underneath him, a myriad of emotions shimmering in his dark eyes. God, he was beautiful. Would I ever get enough of him? Sure, he¡¯d told me about his past, but I knew there was so much more I still needed to know. And since the truth was out now, it would be fairly easy.


    I frowned when Trent clenched his eyes and threw his head back, as if in pain. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Trent?¡± I asked. Did he think this was a mistake? Was he going to pull away from me and go back to being my asshole of a boss?


    ¡°I¡¯m an asshole,¡± he stated.


    Well no shit, Sherlock!


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Did he have an unstable thinking pattern? One minute he was kissing and loving me and the next he was calling himself an asshole. Did he think he was taking advantage of me? But no, he asked me before doing any of this.


    ¡°Yo-You are so beautiful. And I made you think that you weren¡¯t. I made you believe that you weren¡¯t perfect. God, I am asshole!¡± He replied. I could tell Trent was regretting his words. But the fact that he felt remorse was more than enough for me. At least he was sorry for what he did.


    ¡°You already apologized for that, Trent.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I know I have. But looking at you right now, naked, so beautiful, so perfect; I can¡¯t believe I said you¡¯re not perfect, when in fact, you are the reason why the word was coined in the first ce,¡± he said, looking down at my bare front.


    My body felt like it was on fire after hearing his words. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help feeling proud of myself, my body. This man, who made me think I was stupid and not beautiful was eating his words right now. He was changing his statements, and said I was perfect. And now, because of Trent, even if no other man called me beautiful or perfect, I wouldn¡¯t care. Because the man I loved called me beautiful; I was perfect for him. And that was all I wanted.


    ¡°You never saw me naked before,¡± I said, for the sake of conversation.


    Trent caressed my breast. ¡°This kind of beauty should not be shown to ordinary people. It should only be shown to a man who will appreciate it, and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t appreciate it until now,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°I know. And what an unfortunate man I am. I do not deserve to see this, let alone touch you,¡± Trent responded.


    Oh shit! Trent Benson just agreed with me.


    ¡°Trent, can you tone it down a little. I¡¯m not used to takingpliments from you.¡± I told him. If he continued praising me like this, I would turn into a puddle.


    ¡°Well get used to it, shady, because I will tell you everyday how beautiful you really are. I know I hurt you, and now I will make up for it. I refuse to see you upset,¡± Trent stated, kissing my lips.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are the same man who called me stupid and said I did not deserve to be in your magazines,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°Lies, sleeping beauty, all lies. I thought if I would shatter your self-esteem then you will be docile and more epting of my demands. But now, I like how strong and fiery you are; these traits only add to your beauty. I can¡¯t believe I tried to eliminate them,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Okay, you need to stop. I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± I ordered.


    Trent chuckled before pulling the duvet over my naked body, causing my brows to furrow in confusion. What the hell?! I thought we were going to have sex. Damn him!


    ¡°I need to cover you up before I lose the tiny thread of control I still possess and fuck your brains out,¡± he uttered.


    ¡°Why do you change your mind so quickly? Why did you take my clothes off and kissed me if you only wanted to cover me afterwards?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to cover you?¡± The arch of his eyebrow and the smirk stered on his face told me all about his intentions.


    ¡°Well not anymore. I¡¯m not in the mood for your kisses anymore,¡± I snapped, pulling the duvet tighter around myself.


    ¡°You sure? I can always change your mind.¡±


    The arrogant asshole.


    ¡°Shut up, Trent,¡± I retorted.


    With a chuckle, Trent shifted to lie beside me. He propped his head on his elbow, which had him looking down at me.


    ¡°So tell me, what do you want?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what do you want? Tell me and I will give it to you,¡± he rified.


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I want nothing from you.¡±


    ¡°There must be something that you desire. Cars? Jewelry? Clothes? Tell me and I will give it to you,¡± he uttered.


    ¡°Why are you asking me this? Are you my new personal genie?¡± I looked at him, searching for his motive.


    ¡°You can say that, I guess. But I want you toe to me if and when you want something. I don¡¯t care how expensive it is, I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry, because I don¡¯t want anything from you. I just wanted you to feel bad about hurting me and you¡¯ve already apologized for it. So there is nothing more that I want from you,¡± I replied.


    Liar! You want his dick, admit it.


    Shutting up my subconscious, I smiled at Trent. ¡°But I¡¯m not satisfied. I want you to tell me at least one thing that you want from me. Other than me being nice to you. Tell me what you want.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop until I ask for something, are you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I rolled my eyes. He might not be an ass anymore, but he was still annoying.


    ¡°Fine, then let me think,¡± I stated before closing my eyes. What did I want? I had everything I could possibly need. I had enough clothes for five walk-in closets, enough shoes and essories to open my own shop. So nothing materialistic.


    But then, just as I was about to give up and open my eyes, a face shed in my mind; and with it came a wave of fury that nearly drowned me in its fiery depths. Yes, I knew exactly what I wanted from Trent. And he was the only one who could fulfill that wish of mine.


    ¡°Alright. I know what I want from you,¡± I said, opening my eyes.


    ¡°Name it and it¡¯s yours,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to make promises you might not be able to keep,¡± I warned.


    ¡°There is no promise that I will make to you that I will not keep. Trust me, bumblebee,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well then, are you ready to hear my demand?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, tell me what is it that you desire?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I prepared to voice out my demand. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t reject it. ¡°I want you to fire Tamara.¡±


    Silence descended like a thick cloak after my words. I bit my lip as I looked at Trent, trying to figure out what he was thinking. And when silence continued to reign, my heart began to sink. He was not going to fire her, she was too valuable to him.


    ¡°You really hate that woman, don¡¯t you?¡± Trent finally said.


    ¡°Yes! She ruined my life, nearly ended my career, I will always hate her!¡± I cried.


    ¡°Calm down, don¡¯t torture yourself by getting angry over her, she is not worth it,¡± he stated.


    Did he just say what I thought he just said? Did he just say Tamara is not worth it? Oh my God, I think I fell a little more for Trent just now. How stupid I¡¯d been to avoid him and yell at him.


    ¡°You think she¡¯s not worth it?¡± I enquired, just to be sure that I wasn¡¯t hearing things that weren¡¯t true.


    ¡°No, shady, she is not. So don¡¯t worry about her,¡± he replied.


    ¡°How can I not worry about her when she is working in your studio? Everytime I see her I want to w her eyes out. I know you don¡¯t believe me when I say that she spiked my drink, but it¡¯s the truth and I will never forgive her for that.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I believe you, bumblebee,¡± Trent said.


    My jaw fell as my eyes widened. He just continued to surprise me. First he said that Tamara was not worth it and now he was saying that he believed me. Was he the same Trent Benson who wanted to kill me after that little party? Maybe he was an alien specie, but whatever he was, I was happy.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    Trent nodded. ¡°Yes, I believe you. I saw the CCTV footage of that day after you told me that Tamara spiked your drink, and you are right.¡±


    ¡°The hell?! You knew all along and yet you never told me! You made me want to kill myself, all the while you knew I was telling the truth all along. And worst of all, you have her transfer to your studio! God, I want to kill you right now!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Shady, rx,¡± Trent cooed, as if talking to a little child.


    ¡°Rx?! How the fuck do you expect me to rx when you drop a bomb on me like this?!¡± I swear if I wasn¡¯t naked right now, I would¡¯ve pummeled him to death.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯ll take time for me to change,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s-That¡¯s not-¡± Goddammit! Why did he have to y that card? Why couldn¡¯t he let me use him of being an asshole?


    He was an asshole then. He is changing now. Give him time.


    ¡°I told you I will be a better man for you, bumblebee. So I have to start by telling you the truth. I know you will not be happy over some of the things that I will tell you, but you need to cut me some ck. I want you to know me, so just¡­¡± He trailed off, looking unsure.


    I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, but it still makes me angry.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°I know it does, and you should be angry, but don¡¯t be too angry that you¡¯ll want to leave me. I¡­I might not be able to handle it,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°I will not leave you, Trent. But I should be allowed to get angry and even punch you once in a while, you can¡¯t take that away from me.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Alright, you can get angry as long as you don¡¯t leave me,¡± he agreed.


    I grinned at him. ¡°You got yourself a deal.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He kissed my forehead. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t have any more demands, I will go and shower. You are wee to join me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but I¡¯ll pass this time. And what about my demand, are you going to fulfill it?¡± I questioned, watching him get out of bed.


    ¡°You will know soon.¡± With a wink and a sexy smile, Trent sauntered in the bathroom, leaving me confused and fuming in his bed.


    Not knowing what else to do, I sat up and quickly donned on my clothes which Trent had carelessly thrown across the room. Once I was clothed, I decided to get some food from the kitchen since I didn¡¯t have breakfast.


    As soon as I entered the kitchen, the door bell rang; which had me wondering who in the world could it be, since the house was on the beach and there was hardly anyone present. But curiosity had me forgetting the thought of consuming something and instead had me walking towards the front door.


    I was about to turn the knob when a sudden thought struck me and I looked through the peep hole to see who it was. Strange, nobody was standing outside. Maybe some kids were ying pranks. But I still opened the door, only to look down and see a rolled up newspaper. Of course, it was the newspaper guy. Shaking my head at myself, I picked up the newspaper and closed the door.


    ¡°Who is it, shady?¡± Trent asked from above.


    ¡°Just the newspaper!¡± I hollered back.


    Quickly unrolling the paper, I begun reading only to stop at the headlines. No, no, this was not true. It was not possible. Trent wouldn¡¯t do this to me. He said he loved me. No, there had to be logical exnation for this. Trent would never do something like this.


    ¡°Bumblebee, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I was surprised to hear Trent behind me.


    ¡°Trent.¡± I tried my best to keep my voice low. I didn¡¯t want to lose my temper. ¡°When I said I want you to fire Tamara, I did not mean that you should get engaged to her.¡±


    Turning around to face him, I showed him the front page of the newspaper.

 36

    Part 36


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Trent said, snatching the newspaper from me, quickly scanning its content before fixing his gaze on the picture that made my blood boil-because Trent and Tamara were looking a bit too cosy for my liking-that was below the headlines that read: Billionaire Tycoon Engaged To Be Married.


    ¡°The newspaper tells me otherwise,¡± I replied, shrugging. Trent couldn¡¯t fathom the heat and ferocity of the anger bubbling inside me, threatening to spill, but I kept my emotions in check. If Trent said that he would change his ways for me, then I would try to change myself for him as well. Although, I really wanted to revert back to my old angry self and pull Trent¡¯s hair out.


    ¡°I¡­I can exin,¡± he stated after a minute.


    ¡°Oh yes, by all means, exin,¡± I responded. I wasn¡¯t going to jump to conclusions, I would give Trent a chance to exin himself. And the fact that my heart was telling me that something was terribly wrong, was another reason I was willing to listen to Trent.


    ¡°Can you sit down? I would feel better knowing that you are sitting.¡± He told me.


    ncing at the couch, I took a deep breath before flopping down on it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sitting. Now exin to me.¡±


    ¡°This is a lie. This.¡± Trent shook the paper angrily. ¡°Is a fucking lie! Tamara and I are not getting engaged and never will be.¡±


    ¡°But then where did the newspaper get this from? Are you saying that they are doing this for publicity?¡± I questioned, folding my arms across my chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Maybe. I am going to have a talk with them, and by that I mean shut this bloody newspaperpany down for good.¡± Trent fished his cellphone out, fully intending to follow through with his words.


    ¡°Why are ming the newspaperpany? If you want someone to me, I suggest you look somewhere else.¡± I told him, crossing one leg over the other.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Do you know something I don¡¯t?¡± Trent flung the newspaper to the side.


    ¡°I cannot believe you are a billionaire at this age.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I mean Tamara. She might¡¯ve been the one feeding this information to the press. People are not stupid, Trent. They would never make up something like this unless ites from a reliable source ording to them. And in this case, Tamara is the so-called reliable source who is responsible for all this.¡±


    ¡°This is insane, why would Tamara do something like this? She knows how much I detest liars; especially those who lie about my life or my family.¡± Trent raked his fingers through his hair, frustration evident.


    ¡°You might not believe me, Trent, but Tamara is a greedy bitch. She is power hungry and she will do whatever it takes to get to the top. She tried to ruin my career and when that didn¡¯t work, she decides to go after you. You really shouldn¡¯t have told people that we are getting married in three days. What were you thinking, Trent?¡± Now it was me who ran a frustrated hand through her hair.


    ¡°Still, she wouldn¡¯t stoop to this level. I know Tamara, I¡¯ve worked with her numerous times before she came here,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Are you deliberately doing this to piss me off or are you really that blind as to not see the living proof of what a conniving bitch Tamara is?!¡± I threw my hands in the air. It was a surprise how I was still sitting on the couch and not banging Trent¡¯s head against the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with her. I¡¯m sure she will have an exnation for all this,¡± Trent muttered.


    His words cracked my heart and nearly shattered the fragile trust I was beginning to have on him. After all she¡¯d done, after everything I¡¯d told him, he still thought there was a rational exnation for all this. The media was giving proof of how evil Tamara was, and he refused to see it. Why would he do that to me? Did he not care?


    ¡°Unbelievable.¡± I stood up, having enough of all this. ¡°This is unbelievable. You don¡¯t believe me. Even after everything she¡¯s done to me, you still think she is innocent. Perfect. This is what your love is, that you don¡¯t even believe me when I tell you that Tamara is a power hungry witch, let alone the world.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t question my love for you, bumblebee. I love you and only you, this is a lie,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°And why should I believe you? Why should I believe anything you say when you don¡¯t believe me?¡± I threw at him.


    ¡°My love for you is pure and it is the one truth you can be absolutely sure about,¡± he said. Just by the tone of his words, I could tell that he wanted me to believe him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Not when you believe someone who nearly ruined the life of the woman you im to love. You¡¯ve seen the CCTV footage, you know what she did; and still you think she is innocent. Unbelievable.¡± I huffed, forcing myself not to cry. I was so happy just a short while ago. Trent told me he loved me, and when I told him to fire Tamara, it looked as if he would fulfill my request. But I was wrong. With just one picture and a few printed words, my world came crashing down on me.


    ¡°No shady, you do not get to do this to me.¡± Trent stepped forward, cing his hands on my upper arms. I wrenched away from him and took a couple of steps back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Don¡¯t you dare touch me when you¡¯re already engaged to that witch!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Tamara and I are not engaged! I already told you that¡¯s a lie!¡± Trent raised his voice, clearly at the end of his patience and temper.


    ¡°Then what is this?!¡± I pointed at the scattered pages of the newspaper lying haphazardly on the floor. ¡°Where did thise from?!¡±


    ¡°I am telling you this is not true. I will talk with Tamara and she will exin everything,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No exnations needed anymore. I am done. You can go marry her for all I care.¡±


    ¡°No bumblebee, you do not get to say those words to me. You are going to be my bride, not anyone else and definitely not Tamara. Why can¡¯t you understand that? I know Tamara, I know she has a reason for doing all this.¡±


    ¡°You believe her and not me, that clearly exins who is going to be your bride; because I will never marry a man who won¡¯t believe me.¡± I bit my lip as my eyes filled up with acidic tears.


    You will not cry in front of him! Don¡¯t you dare shed a single tear!


    ¡°Amanda, no, don¡¯t you dare.¡± Trent¡¯s words had fear sinking like a rock in my stomach. Oh no, he was serious now. One wrong move from me and he would explode.


    He is fucking around with you. Fuck his feelings!This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    My subconscious was right, I should be thinking about myself right now and should protecting my heart from any more of Trent¡¯s hurtful lies. I needed to get out of here.


    ¡°Stop it, Trent. For once, just stop bossing me around to get your own way. I am going home, I¡¯ll see you at work tomorrow. And congrattions on your wedding. May you live a happy life with Tamara,¡± I replied, not knowing what else to say anymore.


    ¡°You cannot leave, shady. You promised to stay with me in this house. I won¡¯t let you back out of your promise,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°You were never the boss of my life, and you never will be. And as for my promise, I¡¯m sure after having my heart broken by you, I can break a silly, little promise,¡± I responded with a shrug, then cursed myself. Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have told him that he broke my heart. He already had so much power over me and I just provided him with more ammo.


    ¡°No. Breaking promises is not eptable. I won¡¯t let you go back on your word, bumblebee.¡± He shook his head at me, forbidding me to do what I needed.


    ¡°I no longer care what is eptable and what is uneptable for you. I am leaving this ce, and you will see me at work. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not quitting.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me, Amanda? What can I do to make you believe me?¡± He enquired. Looking in his dark, captivating eyes, I felt arrows of guilt piercing my heart. Trent looked desperate¡­and angry.


    ¡°You know exactly what you can do to make me believe you,¡± I stated. My heart wanted to shatter, but I had to keep myself together until I got out of here. Trent would never see my tears.


    ¡°I told you I will talk to her, what more do you want?¡± Trent looked like he wanted to break something, and if I didn¡¯t relent, he might actually destroy something.


    ¡°I want you to fire her.¡± There was no middle ground here. Trent either fired Tamara or I was done with him. No longer would I listen to my heart telling me to love him despite his ws. Trent had his limits, and so did I. He went ballistic when I identally told him I slept with Jose, so he should understand how I was feeling right now.


    ¡°Amanda, it¡¯s not that easy. Firing Tamara is not as easy as you might think,¡± Trent said.


    He didn¡¯t love me, that much was clear. And boy did it hurt. Why did he say those three words to me when he didn¡¯t even mean them? How could he be so cruel as to y with my heart like that? I thought he was human, that he understood how people felt.


    ¡°Fine, then you keep her along with all the other problems shees with. I will not create problems for you, I will step out of the way.¡± This was difficult. Those words caused me physical pain. But what else could I say, Tamara was clearly more important for Trent than I; once again the conniving bitch managed to ruin my life. God, I hated her.


    ¡°Stop this, shady, right the fuck now! When I said you are not leaving this house, then you are not bloody leaving! Go back to your bedroom right now, or else I¡¯ll drag you there.¡± Trent pointed towards the room which I woke up in.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving. When you decide to fire her, you can call me and I¡¯lle back,¡± I replied. I hoped I wasn¡¯t too far from home; but looking at the beach told me that I was very far from home. I would just have to call Jose now.


    ¡°This is not fair, bumblebee. You do not get to walk away from me just because things are not going ording to you.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t get to bend me to your will just because I¡¯m doing things which you cannot ept,¡± I argued.


    ¡°You walk out of that door and you will not like what I will do to you. You are mine and I will not let you leave me, not when you promised to stay,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°You try to keep me here against my will and I will call the cops on you,¡± I threatened.


    ¡°Sit down, Amanda, you don¡¯t want me to lose control,¡± Trent warned.


    ¡°How can you lose something you never really had in the first ce?¡± I queried.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, shady. Do not walk out of here. If you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    ¡°I know what¡¯s good for me, and it¡¯s not you.¡± I told him.


    Hailey. That¡¯s who I needed to talk to. Thinking of my best friend made me realize just how rare a happyily ever after was. For a minute I believed that I would get my happy ending with Trent. But now, I wouldn¡¯t be happy like my best friend was. There would be no one who would care enough to fight for me. No one. I had to fight for myself, my life, my career, because no one would do it for me. I had to be strong, for myself.


    ¡°Amanda, I love you. How can you leave me like this? I am telling you this news is not true. I only love you and only want to marry you. Tamara is nothing to me, never was and never will be. She is just my employee, an asset to mypany. You are the one I want, the one I need. No one else. So don¡¯t believe this shit, this is nothing. Believe me. Believe that I love you,¡± Trent pleaded.


    Please listen to him. He is telling the truth.


    Even after all this, my heart still wanted Trent. And it was because of this stupid heart that I had to walk away. I couldn¡¯t allow Trent to hurt me anymore, especially not because of Tamara. If it were any other woman, I wouldn¡¯t have objected; but it was a woman who spiked my drink in order to remove me from the modelling industry, and I wouldn¡¯t allow her to ruin my life a second time. No, this had to end. I had to walk away.


    ¡°I want to believe you, I really do. But you are not giving me anything. You are telling me to trust you, blindly, with a woman who is hell-bent on ruining my life. And I can¡¯t do that, Trent,¡± I said.


    ¡°Trust me, shady and I will not let you down. I know what I have to do, but I need you with me,¡± he responded.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, you either fire Tamara and remove her from your life or else I¡¯m leaving you.¡±


    ¡°You are asking me to choose, bumblebee?¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to do this, but you gave me no choice. I thought I will listen to what you have to say, that I won¡¯t jump to conclusions, but after what you¡¯ve just said, I have no reason to stay in your life when you are going to pick Tamara over me. So yes, Trent, I am asking you to choose. It¡¯s either her or me,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Amanda, I am begging you, don¡¯t leave me. Please don¡¯t leave me like everyone else. You promised to stay.¡±


    ¡°You told me you love me. I guess we both lied.¡± I gave him a sad smile and turned to leave the grand mansion on the beach.


    ¡°My love for you is not a lie. It never was,¡± Trent uttered, truth dripping from every syble.


    ¡°Good bye Trent,¡± I said and walked out of the mansion¡­


    Taking my broken heart with me.

 37

    Part 37


    Wiping my tears with a crumpled tissue I tried to take in a deep breath but my blocked nose forbade me. Breathing became a chore that I really didn¡¯t want to do because it became too difficult for me.


    How could he do this to me? Was this what love was? I knew Trent was different but this¡­this was too much. This was way too different if that¡¯s how he was nning to express his love and devotion to me.


    I didn¡¯t ask for the impossible. I just told him to fire the one woman who did everything she could to make my life a living hell. I didn¡¯t ask him to buy me a whole continent; I just told him to fire one woman, a woman who told the whole world that Trent and her were getting married.


    Thinking about Trent marrying some other woman caused my heart to constrict painfully. It wasn¡¯t just my eyes that were leaking tears, my heart was weeping blood as well. If only he would show me an ounce of love he so sweetly told me about, then I would move mountains just so I could marry him. But no, he told me he was not going fire Tamara. Was she that special? Was she that important that instead of giving exnations about her, he outrightly said that he was not going to get rid of her?


    I told you not to fall for him. Now deal with the consequences!


    Why did I have to fall for him? He didn¡¯t even do anything to make me fall for him. He just had to sh that sexy, arrogant smile and my heart turned to putty. He insulted me, pissed me off more times than I could count, and still my heart fell for him. I wished my heart would get some brains in the future because at this rate there would be nothing left of the organ that was keeping me alive right now.


    My phone buzzed, indicating a text message. The vibration caused more tears to fall from my eyes because I knew who was texting me right now. The man who was responsible for my tears: Trent Benson.


    He had been calling me since I left his beach house a few hours ago. When I refused to ept his calls, he started sending me text messages and voicemails, neither of which I checked because it hurt too much. My pain was too raw, and Trent¡¯s messages would only cause my heart to bleed more.


    ¡°Why did you do this to me, Trent,¡± I said no one, since I was alone in my apartment. It took me three hours to get back home, only to find my apartment empty with a note taped to the referigerator from Jose saying that he was out of city for a couple of weeks. I had no idea why he left me a note when there was no guarantee that I woulde back. I would have to ask him why he wrote that note when he would return; but for now, I was d that Jose was not here, I just wanted to be alone right now.


    Flinging the used tissue paper to the side, I grabbed another from the box that was nearly at its end. Clenching my eyes shut, I tried to block out all the memories my mind was cruelly conjuring, stabbing my heart with shards of Trent and hisplicated yet alluring personality. The man was a monster through and through. Even though I tried to resist him, he still made me fall, only to never catch me.


    The ringing of my phone threatened to make me scream out in pain. Why did he keep hurting me like this? Did he not understand that I did not want to see him anymore? How was I even going to face him again? I was so stupid, I told him I wasn¡¯t quitting. Fuck my life!


    Grabbing the pillow, I pulled it over my head to block out the incessant ringing of the phone. But even a stuffed pillow covering my ears, the music kept prating through, driving me to the edge of sanity. I needed to get out of here, Trent would kill me if he kept this up.


    To make matters worst, a loud knock interrupted my melodious torture. Flinging the pillow to the side, I red at the closed door. I did not expect Jose to be back so soon. I had no idea how old that note was, but I really did not want Jose here, I needed to be alone.


    My anger turned into surprise when the door opened and Hailey entered. I had no idea how long it had been since I¡¯d seen my best friend until she stood in front of me wearing a pretty blue dress and a look that told me she knew everything that was going on in my fucked up life.


    ¡°Hey, how are you?¡± Hailey asked,ing to sit on my bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I sniffled and wiped my tears with my fingers, only to fail miserably. My fine was clearly not very fine.


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, Mandi. But it¡¯s alright, I¡¯m here now, and I will make you stop crying,¡± Hailey stated, throwing me one of her famous smiles that always seeded in making me feel better. It was probably because of this smile that Theodore fell for her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make me stop crying. You can¡¯t stop the pain that is burning in every part of my body. You should go home to your husband and kids, leave me alone.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Hey, stop that! You are my best friend and I¡¯m not leaving you alone,¡± she replied, getting angry.


    ¡°Theodore is a possessive man, he will want you home, and your kids need you. Go, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I responded, ring at my phone which lit up with another message from Trent. Damn him for ruining my life!


    ¡°Mandi, I said I am not leaving you, not until you¡¯re smiling and dancing like you normally do,¡± Hailey stated. Her tone told me she meant business, and I would not get rid of her no matter what I did.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to talk about what happened because I don¡¯t want to,¡± I said, pulling out another tissue, crushing it while imagining Tamara. I really hated that bitch!


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you to talk about it because I already know everything,¡± Hailey said, taking me surprise.


    ¡°H-How?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Trent called a while ago, he told me you were upset and that the two of you had a falling out, so I came here,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Then he would¡¯ve also told you the reason for this ¡®falling out¡¯.¡± I air quoted the words.


    ¡°He is not firing Tamara, that¡¯s why, right?¡± Hailey gave me a knowing smile, and I cursed myself once again for falling for Theodore¡¯s sexy cousin.


    ¡°What I¡¯m asking for is not too much,¡± I defended myself.


    ¡°I know. But Trent has his reasons,¡± Hailey replied.


    ¡°Oh please, his only reason is that he loves her but was too much of a coward to tell me. He lied to me and told me he loves me. Who does that, Lee?¡± Fresh tears emerged anew as those three words echoed in my mind in Trent¡¯s deep voice.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t love Tamara, he loves you, he did not lie about that,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°Shut up, Lee! You¡¯re suppose to be my best friend and you are defending him! Unbelievable. Theodore has brainwashed you,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°I am telling you the truth, I am not defending Trent. He only loves you, and there are reasons why he can¡¯t fire Tamara right now,¡± Hailey argued.


    ¡°What reasons? Tell me what are these reasons, and they better be good Lee, like someone dying, good,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Trent will tell you himself when you are willing to listen to him,¡± she stated.


    ¡°I am not asking Trent, I am asking you. You tell me,¡± I responded.


    Guilt shed in Hailey¡¯s eyes before she spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t. I promised him I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    I thought Trent had broken my heartpletely, but Hailey just crushed it even further. She was my best friend, or at least I thought she was; but she wasn¡¯t going to tell me Trent¡¯s reasons because she promised him. She was siding with the enemy.


    ¡°Get out of here, Lee. I don¡¯t want to see you, leave me alone,¡± I said, looking away from her.


    ¡°Mandi, I said I¡¯m not-¡± I didn¡¯t let her finish.


    ¡°I said, get the fuck out of my room! Do you not understand?! Leave me alone! Go to Trent and Theodore since you are loyal to them and not me. Leave, I don¡¯t need you!¡± Thest part was a lie, but I needed Hailey to leave so I could cry in peace. This was getting too much for me to bear.


    ¡°I am not loyal to Trent. I am your best friend,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. If you are my best friend then you will tell me whatever Trent told you. Best friends don¡¯t keep secrets, Lee.¡± I told her.


    ¡°I am only keeping this secret because of you,¡± Hailey replied.


    Now this just made me furious. She was the one betraying our friendship and now she was ming me for keeping secrets. There was something about these Bensons, they took over your mind and changed it until it was unrecognizable, until the person himself was unrecognizable. Theodore had done this to Hailey, and now Trent was doing the same to her.


    ¡°And why is that? What did I do that made you keep this a secret from me?¡± I asked her, barely keeping my temper in check. I was having a strong urge to p her.


    ¡°This will give you two a reason to talk. Trent told me not to tell you because he needs an excuse to talk to you. He knows you are angry and will not listen to him, so this is the perfect excuse to make you listen to him,¡± Hailey exined.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I don¡¯t want to listen to him. I don¡¯t even want to look at him. Tell him to keep his secrets because I do not care about him or that bitch Tamara. He can go marry her for all I care. I am done,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Well I want you to talk to him,¡± Hailey responded.


    ¡°Get out of here. You have lost your mind. You are not my best friend, she has been kidnapped. I don¡¯t know who you are. So leave. I don¡¯t want to talk to either of you.¡± I gave her my deadliest re, but she shrugged it off.


    ¡°You will talk to him. He makes you happy, Mandi,¡± Hailey argued.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yes, I am crying tears of happiness right now. I am so fucking happy because of Trent,¡± I spat, making sure to make my words as venomous as possible.


    ¡°Stop that. We both know he makes you happy. And you make him happy as well, Mandi. That is why he is so upset right now. Give him a chance, talk to him.¡±


    No matter what anyone said, I was not going to speak with Trent. I gave him a chance to exin but he did not take it. And now, I was done. I was done giving him any more chances.


    ¡°No. And why are you so insistent? Don¡¯t have a husband to fuck?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Mandi. And as for Trent, listen to him. You love him and he loves you; don¡¯t let a petty bitch like Tamara destroy what you two have.¡± Hailey was getting irritated, I could see that, but I did not care. I was not going to speak with Trent.


    ¡°Tamara might be the catalyst for all this shit, but Trent is the real culprit. He chooses to keep secrets. You don¡¯t keep secrets from the one you im to love,¡± I stated.


    Hailey opened her mouth to argue, but the opening of my bedroom door beat her to it. My irritation turned to rage as I saw Trent entering my room. Why the hell couldn¡¯t he stay away from me?


    ¡°What the hell is he doing here?!¡± I had no idea who I was addressing.


    ¡°He is here to talk,¡± Hailey answered my question.


    ¡°Did she eat anything?¡± Trent asked my best friend. I really should call her my ex-best friend.


    ¡°Look at her, do you think she ate anything since she got back?¡± Hailey threw at him.


    Trent ran his eyes over me, making me feel all hot and bothered. I should be angry with the way he was looking at me so shamelessly, but my traitorous body loved it, causing my sex to heat up.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. Such a careless girl. She knows exactly how to worry me,¡± Trent said after two minutes.


    ¡°She is pretty good at that. I¡¯ll go and bring her something to eat. Do you want something?¡± Hailey asked Trent. What was wrong with these two? Why were they talking like I was not present in the room?


    ¡°Excuse me, I am right here!¡± I shouted so they would hear me.


    ¡°We know, Mandi. Why don¡¯t you rx, I¡¯ll go and bring something for you to eat,¡± Hailey replied.


    ¡°I am not hungry. And even if I was, I can eat by myself. Tell him to leave, Lee, I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± I told her, trying my best to ignore Trent, the elephant in the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, she does not care about herself. Please bring some food for her,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do just that.¡± Hailey stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. ¡°Keep an eye on her, don¡¯t let her run off,¡± she said to Trent before stepping out of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we both know I won¡¯t let her run away.¡± With a smile, Trent closed the door, trapping me inside with him.


    ¡°You know being mad at me is one thing, but don¡¯t take it out on your body,¡± he said to me. Even though I was not looking at him, I could feel his eyes on me. Those dark eyes that made me forget everything. Those damn, beautiful eyes.


    ¡°You do not get to dictate my life. Get the fuck out of my apartment, Trent, I don¡¯t want to see you,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Your body needs nutrition, so don¡¯t skip meals.¡± Did he not hear what I just said?


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I want. You worry about Tamara and her health, afterall, she will be the mother of your babies.¡± Those words left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    ¡°You never make anything easy, do you, bumblebee?¡± Trent crossed strong arms in front of his chest, causing his biceps to bulge. Fuck me, they looked delicious.


    ¡°Why are you here, Trent?¡± I asked, trying to ignore the sight of his drool worthy biceps.


    Trent leaned back against my dresser. ¡°We are going to talk.¡±

 38

    Part 38


    For a few seconds I just stared at the man who first captured my heart and then crushed it, trying to analyze his words. Talk? He wanted to talk? Did he not understand that I was done talking to him?


    ¡°No,¡± I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest, making sure to look him in the eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your permission,¡± Trent replied, a smirk curving one corner of his sensual mouth. Fuck him!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Get out of here, I don¡¯t want to see you, let alone talk to you,¡± I bit out.


    ¡°You are going to talk to me. Hailey is not going toe back. She is busy getting everything ready,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Getting everything ready for what?¡± My brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once we are done talking,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Well I guess I will never know what she¡¯s upto because I have no intention of talking to you.¡± I told him, looking the other way so as to avoid looking at his beautiful face; it hurt too much.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk then you¡¯ll listen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak to you, I don¡¯t want to listen to you. Leave me alone, Trent. Go to your precious Tamara, she is waiting for you,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know why I¡¯m not firing Tamara upon your request?¡± Those words had my heart pounding. Curiosity unsheathed its ws and dug them in the depths of my brain. I wanted, no, I needed to know why he was not firing Tamara; I needed it like I needed his kisses.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    But, I was a proud woman and my heart had been broken, so I had to ignore the piercing ache of curiosity for the sake of my shattered heart and my pride.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You can keep your secrets and your precious model to yourself. I¡¯m done asking you qestions, and I am done with you. So get out,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Pride doesn¡¯t suit you, shady, but jealousy, jealousy suits you beautifully,¡± Trentmented.


    I scoffed. ¡°Go to hell. Nobody cares what you think.¡± I was surprised to see Trent still standing against the dresser. I was expecting him to charge over here and exert his dominance and power over me like he¡¯d done in the past. But no, he was just standing there, maintaining distance. Did he somehow know that I didn¡¯t need him to be an asshole right now?


    ¡°You¡¯re jealous, anybody can see the green aura surrounding you,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Shut up! I am not jealous! I have nothing to be jealous of,¡± I lied. I was jealous of Tamara for having Trent¡¯s heart and attention. There was nothing Trent wouldn¡¯t do for her.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll listen to what I have to say, then you¡¯ll have no reason to be jealous,¡± he said, making me curse his existence in all sorts of ways.


    ¡°Stop saying that I¡¯m jealous because I¡¯m not. Now leave me alone before I throw you out myself.¡± I pointed at the closed door for emphasis. Where the fuck was Hailey when I needed her the most? Oh wait, she was my ex best friend now, she wouldn¡¯te to help me.


    ¡°You are jealous, I can smell it from here,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Go to hell! Why are you still here? Leave!¡± I shouted. I hated Hailey for letting him in, but then again, could she stop him froming here? The man was power and authority, I doubted anyone could¡¯ve stopped him.


    ¡°I am not leaving until you listen to me. I let you go once, I¡¯m not going to make the same mistake again,¡± he replied.


    ¡°The only mistake you ever made was to meet me. And now, both of us have to deal with the consequences, and I believe it is best if we do that away from each other,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Stop this, bumblebee, stop resisting me, I¡¯ve had enough.¡± Trent glowered at me but I was not going to back down.


    ¡°You stop persuing me, I¡¯ve had enough! What will Tamara think when I¡¯ll tell her that her fiance was at my apartment at night?¡±


    ¡°She will say nothing because there is nothing going on between me and her.¡± Trent shrugged, an action I found adorable.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I so believe you.¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, shady, because you are now going to listen to me,¡± Trentmanded, all yfulness gone from his face.


    ¡°Or what?¡± I bit out.


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll be screaming my name because if you don¡¯t shut the fuck up right now then I¡¯m going to fuck you; this burning jealousy and your fury turns me on,¡± Trent said, his voice soft, deep, like a shrouded feather upon my naked soul. His words awoke my sleeping desires, fuelling my passion. But what he¡¯d done was not something I could ignore for the promise of wild sex. No, he belonged to someone else now. I had to swallow the bitter truth.


    ¡°You have ten minutes to tell me whatever the hell it is that you need to and then I want you out of my apartment and out of my life,¡± I acquised.


    Trent took a deep breath. ¡°All right then. The reason I can¡¯t fire Tamara is¡­because of my mother.¡±


    My eyes shot to his dark ones, trying to see whether he was telling the truth or not. And when Trent didn¡¯t blink or avert his gaze, I knew he was telling the truth; his eyes told me so.


    ¡°What? Why? What does your step-mother have to do with this?¡± I questioned. If Trent was doing this for his mother, then this was going to getplicated. Then there was no way I could get rid of Tamara and stop her from poisoning my life.


    ¡°Not my step-mother, my birth mother. She is the reason why I can¡¯t fire Tamara,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°Why? How old is Tamara anyway? I mean your mother passed away when you were a kid, right?¡± I hope I was getting my facts straight. With whatever Trent had told me about his childhood, I distinctly remember his birth mother passing away when Trent was a kid.


    ¡°Tamara is older than me, you silly girl; she was around fifteen when my mother noticed her; I was fourteen months old at that time.¡± Amusement sparkled in Trent¡¯s gaze as my eyes widened. Tamara was older than Trent! Then why did she tell the media that she and Trent were engaged to be married?


    ¡°Tamara is older than you! But-but she looks so young; I mean not forty!¡± I cried out.


    ¡°Tamara is not forty, shady.¡± Trent shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how old she is. She is an old, ugly witch ording to me. But oh my God, she is so old!¡± I grinned, I knew one of her secrets now.


    ¡°Are you going to keep celebrating her age or are you going to listen to what I have to say?¡± Trent sounded annoyed.


    ¡°Yes, yes, continue please.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°Right, so my mother saw Tamara at one of the beauty pageants. My mother was one of the three judges, and when she saw Tamara, she instantly liked her. And when she interviewed her in private after the pageant was over, she discovered that Tamara belonged to an extremely poor family. And so my mother took Tamara under her wing and made her a model of our industry. She told my father that no matter what happened, he won¡¯t fire Tamara because she was the breadwinner of her family,¡± Trent informed me.


    Silence. That¡¯s the response Trent got from me after his little speech. I was surprised to say the least. Trent¡¯s mother made Tamara who she was today, and that was how she repaid her kindness, by lying to the media and trapping her son in a marriage with her.


    ¡°Why is Tamara still a model if she is so old?¡± I cursed my idiocy for asking such a stupid and irrelevant question.


    ¡°She is still a model only because of my mother¡¯s wish. She should retire now, and maybe she will, I have yet to talk to her about this. Maybe I¡¯ll give her another job, something to make sure her family doesn¡¯t starve, but she is not fit to be a model anymore. Her face looks too old now, and there is so much the make up artists can do,¡± he stated.


    ¡°She still looks young, the bitch.¡± I red at the wall.


    ¡°She is not young and she is not beautiful¡­anymore.¡± Trent smiled at me.


    ¡°So you can¡¯t fire her, then? Because of your mother¡¯s wish.¡± Trent was only honoring his mother¡¯s wish, but was it so wrong to feel angry about it? I mean, his mother helped her in the past, but it was over now. The Bensons shouldn¡¯t continue feeding Tamara like that. And she had been in the modelling industry long enough to earn a considerable amount of money; enough to feed the next two generations of her family.


    ¡°Like I said, I need to talk to her to know why she did what she did. There is nothing going on between Tamara and I, so I need to know why she told the media that we are getting married. And if she fails to provide me with a reasonable exnation then I will fire her; my mother wanted to help her but that doesn¡¯t mean we have to deal with her shit as well,¡± he stated.


    ¡°So what counts as a reasonable exnation for you?¡± I hoped his idea of a reasonable exnation was reasonable enough, otherwise I would bang my head against the wall.


    ¡°To be honest, bumblebee, I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Trent shrugged. ¡°But I will decide after hearing what she has to say and take the required action ording to that.¡±


    ¡°And what if her exnation seems reasonable to you? Then what? You will let her go off scot-free? You will allow her to continue ruining my life?¡± I needed to know what were the odds of Trent firing Tamara. If there was a chance, then I could hope.


    ¡°I have a solution for that, shady, don¡¯t you worry,¡± he responded.


    ¡°What solution, tell me,¡± Imanded.


    ¡°Uh uh uh, be patient, sleeping beauty.¡±


    I huffed in annoyance but allowed the subject to drop for the time being. ¡°Why would Tamara want to marry you when she is so much older than you? Why can¡¯t she marry someone her own age? Or does she have a thing for young men?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what I intend to find out. I¡¯ve had my assistant call Tamara and tell her to meet me in my office day after tomorrow. I will discuss everything with her,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Why day after tomorrow? Why not tomorrow?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°There are a couple of¡­things I need to do. Problems¡­that need to be taken care of. I¡¯ve put them off long enough and now I¡¯ve had it. So once I solve those problems, I¡¯ll meet Tamara and have a serious talk.¡± Trent told me. The way he said those words was strange; there was an unusual excitement in his voice, totally uncharacteristic of someone who imed to have to a lot of problems to deal with. I wonder what was it that made him so excited.


    ¡°What kind of problems? Are they rted to work? And would you be able to work them out in twenty four hours?¡± I queried. Maybe I could offer to help him. Now that I knew the reason behind Trent¡¯s refusal to fire that tramp, I wasn¡¯t mad at him anymore. Sure, it sucked that she was here because of his mother¡¯s wishes, but that didn¡¯t mean I had to act like a petty, spoiled bitch. I needed to be a woman and face my enemy head on. I had to be strong.


    ¡°Uh¡­not exactly work rted, but they are, sort of. I will tell you about them in just a little while,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Listen, Trent. I know I haven¡¯t been the most easiest person as of a few hours ago, but if there is anything I can do to help you, you can tell me,¡± I offered.


    ¡°Oh you will help me, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± He winked; the action causing my stomach to somersault. Just a few hours ago I made the decision to hate Trent forever, but clearly, my heart and mind didn¡¯t agree with me.


    ¡°Right. And um¡­¡± This was not easy to say, but I had to do it. I knew my ego rivaled the height of Mount Everest, but I had to ignore it. I owed it to Trent.


    ¡°Yes, shady?¡± Trent urged me to speak, to say whatever was taking me so long to say.


    ¡°Uh, well¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± I blurted out, my cheeks heating in embarrassment. It was never easy for me to apologize to anyone, but I had to apologize to Trent; for judging him too quickly, for not listening to him, for not being patient with him. Even though I said I was not going to be like other people and jump to conclusions, I did just that. So I had to apologize.


    ¡°And what exactly are you apologizing for, sleeping beauty?¡± Trent enquired.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to say it; it was too difficult.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡± He shed me a grin.


    I groaned. ¡°Why do you force me to say it?! Okay fine. I¡¯m sorry for judging you and running off on you when I promised you that I will stay with you. There, I said it.¡± Man, that was hard.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, bumblebee, in a few hours, I¡¯ll make sure you never go back on your promise ever again,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re starting to scare me. What are you upto? You¡¯ve been weirdly cryptic since you started talking to me; and where is Hailey? What the hell is taking her so long? I¡¯m hungry!¡± Iined.


    ¡°I told you, Hailey is getting everything ready. She wille once everything is in order,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°See, you¡¯re doing it again! Tell me what is going on, right now, Trent Benson,¡± I ordered.


    Just then, the door of my bedroom opened and entered a breathless Hailey. She looked like she¡¯d run a marathon, flushed. Just looking at my best friend confirmed my suspicions that she and Trent were upto something, but I did not know what.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡± Trent enquired. God, I had to give him points for being a gentleman. My best friend was gasping for breath and he was worried about his things.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all ready. We must hurry up, if you want to¡­you know,¡± Hailey replied.


    ¡°Right, of course. Why don¡¯t you go and wait in the car, I¡¯ll bring her down.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but hurry.¡± Hailey looked at me. ¡°And Mandi, don¡¯t create a scene right now, just do as he says.¡± With those words, Hailey turned and jogged out of the room, leaving me bewildered.


    ¡°What was she talking about?¡± I asked Trent.


    ¡°Go wash your face, shady, we need to go, now,¡± Trent ordered.


    ¡°Uh why? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions, just do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Not until you tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± I stated. Trent looked impatient.


    ¡°You were worried about Tamara and I getting married, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s one of the problems you are going to help me with,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Okay. But how?¡±


    Trent looked me straight in the eyes as he uttered his next words.


    ¡°We are getting married.¡±

 39

    Part 39


    Trent was a master at shocking me until I forgot my own existence. He knew thousands of ways to leave me shell shocked. I swear one day he was going to give me a heart attack, I just hoped it was after my sixties.


    ¡°What?¡± It was a miracle that my voice even came out.


    ¡°Like I said, we don¡¯t have time. The priest is waiting for us. So hurry up, bumblebee,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting married?! But why?!¡± I questioned, loud enough for it to prate his thick skull.


    ¡°Because it is the perfect solution¡­to everything,¡± he answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s insane! No it¡¯s not,¡± I argued.


    Trent shrugged. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to marry me and you want me to marry Tamara, then fine.¡±


    He was an asshole. One hundred percent.


    ¡°No!¡± Trent gave me a triumphant smirk after that word. ¡°I mean, Tamara is causing problems in our lives. Don¡¯t you have a better solution?¡± I questioned, not wanting to seem too desperate to marry him. If he realized my true feelings for him, he would use them against me.


    ¡°Do you have a better solution?¡± He threw at me.


    ¡°No.¡± If I didn¡¯t love Trent, I would¡¯ve definitely tried toe up with a better alternative; but as it was, my heart was a prey to his, and so I saw no other solution but to marry him and throw the news in that conniving bitch¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then get up and go wash up. We don¡¯t want to make the priest wait,¡± he stated.


    ¡°How long will he wait for?¡± I queried, getting up from the bed, slipping my feet in my slippers.


    ¡°He will wait for as long as we want him to, Theodore will make sure of that. But we must hurry, it¡¯s going to take us fifteen minutes to get there,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°Wait? Theodore knows?¡± Just how many people knew of this n?


    ¡°Shady, my whole family is there, waiting for us. Now hurry up, or else I¡¯ll drag you out of here with that hair and face,¡± he threatened.


    I threw my hands up in surrender. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m going. I¡¯ll be back in ten minutes.¡± I shuffled in the bathroom and mmed the door shut. Oh my God, I was about to get married to Trent Benson; the man who yed my heart like an instrument. I never thought this day woulde for me, that I would be marrying the man I loved. Even though he told me he loves me, I was still finding it hard to believe it, after everything he had done. But maybe now, he would show his love in a more¡­tolerable way.


    In the bathroom, I made quick work of washing my face and making sure I did not look like a crying mess. I was about to get married and I wanted to look pretty. Even though it was not a conventional wedding which took months and months for everything to get ready, I still wanted to look my best.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m out. Let me just put on my dress,¡± I said as soon as I got out of the bathroom.


    ¡°No, wear this.¡± Trent pointed at the stic bag sitting on my bed.


    ¡°When did thise in?¡± I asked, as it was not here when I went to the bathroom.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Just a minute ago. Your wedding dress is in it. Hurry up and put it on.¡±


    ¡°But, what about you? You are not wearing a suit.¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about a suit. I just want to make you mine,¡± he answered.


    ¡°But then why do I have to wear a dress?¡± I enquired as I unzipped the bag and removed the silk wedding gown withce covering the bosom and pearls scattered all over.


    ¡°Because my bride deserves to look like a princess on her wedding day,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I was at a loss for words. He called me his bride, and a princess. Those words made me want to p my cheeks in order to get rid of the heat pooling in them.


    Without saying anything else, I grabbed the dress and hurried into my small changing room to put it on. I wasn¡¯t surprised to see that the dress fit me perfectly. Hailey bought it, so it was bound to fit.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready. Let me just brush my hair and put on some shoes.¡± I told Trent as I headed for my vanity table. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?¡± I put some lotion on my face before picking up my lipstick.


    ¡°I do not care about such things. My only concern is to make you mine,¡± Trent answered, watching me fix my face and hair.


    ¡°I see. But what if something bad happens?¡± Grabbing my hairbrush, I quickly ran it through my hair, wincing everytime the bristles tangled in my hair, causing it to pull.


    ¡°Like what, Tamaraing in and crashing our wedding? I don¡¯t think so.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Right. Does she even know that we are getting married?¡± Right now, I refused to listen to anything that my mind wanted to say. I was about to marry the man I loved,mon sense couldeter.


    ¡°No. But she will know when I¡¯ll see her the day after tomorrow,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± Spotting a pair of white heels sticking out of my closet, I jogged over to them and got them out. Once I had my shoes on, I turned to see Trent already standing at the door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, bumblebee; it¡¯s time to make you mine.¡± Trent held out his hand. His fingers closed over mine as soon as I ced my hand in his. His words along with the intense way in which he was looking at me made it impossible for my cheeks to cool down. With a soft smile, Trent led me out of my apartment and into the waiting car.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said as soon as Trent slid inside the passenger seat besides me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Trent asked.


    ¡°Jose, I have to call him. I have to tell him we are getting married,¡± I answered.


    ¡°You are not talking to that man ever again,¡± Trent snapped before shutting the door. ¡°Drive,¡± he barked at the driver, who wasted no time in doing his bidding.


    ¡°Excuse me?! Jose is my friend, and I have to inform him,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Forget him. He is no longer your friend. And if I ever see you alone with him ever again, trust me, shady, I¡¯ll kill him on the spot,¡± he hissed, his eyes hard.


    ¡°Why do you hate him so much?! And why are you being an asshole again?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Keep your mouth shut until after the wedding and then I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he stated. I knew if I argued with him any further he was going to blow up. Trent was a strange groom; I mean, who threatened his wife-to-be just a few minutes before the wedding?


    And you still want to marry him?


    Well yes, yes I did. Because I knew that Trent was an amazing person. An asshole, but still an amazing person. No one was without faults, and Trent was trying to get better. He made a promise to me, and I was sure he was going to fulfill it.


    ¡°You look beautiful, did I tell you that?¡± Trent said all of a sudden, causing my eyebrows to furrow.


    ¡°Uh no, but thank you, I guess,¡± I replied. Trent calling me beautiful brought such foreign sensations in me. Maybe because I still couldn¡¯t get over the fact that he once told me that I wasn¡¯t perfect enough for him. I knew I had to get over it, but it would take time.


    ¡°You always look beautiful, but today, right now, you look like some heavenly creature who¡¯se to down to Earth, just for me,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Are you trying to make up for that time when you said I wasn¡¯t perfect enough?¡± I enquired, ignoring the butterflies fluttering in my tummy and flying up, up to my heart and mind, making my head spin with bliss.


    ¡°No.¡± He took my hand in his. ¡°I¡¯m just telling it like it is. And I will keep telling you just how beautiful you really are for the rest of our lives.¡± He told me, kissing the top of my hand.


    ¡°Stop it, Trent,¡± I muttered. I was not used to gettingpliments from him. And all of a sudden he was drowning me in them.


    ¡°I know, all those horrible things I¡¯ve said to you have scarred your heart. But, bumbebee, I will make it better. I will heal your heart, and fix all your problems. I just want you trust me; give me that and I will give you everything in return,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Trusting someone does note easy to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know, sleeping beauty; but you can trust me, your husband,¡± he responded.


    Maybe I could do it. Maybe I could trust Trent once again. His eyes were glimmering with sincerity and love, how could I not believe him? Yes, he hurt me, but he just told me he was going to make it better. Maybe, I could trust him. Maybe, Trent and I could actually have our happy ending.


    ¡°O-Okay,¡± I uttered, the lone word felt like a lock on my fate.


    ¡°Okay? You will give me your trust?¡± Trent questioned, looking in my eyes.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll trust you. But you know what will happen if you will break it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Trent gave my hand a soft squeeze before kissing my lips. ¡°Thank you.¡± As soon as he said those words, the car stopped. We had arrived at our destination.


    The wedding was being held at Trent¡¯s parents¡¯ backyard. And it felt like I was walking in a fairnd because of the hundreds of twinkling fairylights decorating the whole yard. It shouldn¡¯t have surprised me to see Trent¡¯s entire family there, along with Hailey, Ingrid and April. Harry had his arm around April, while their daughter yed with the twins. It was nice to know that Harry and April had gotten married; they deserved to be happy.


    Trent and I stopped right in front of the priest. With a nod from Trent the priest started speaking. Throughout his talk of love and heavenly bonds, I eyed my groom and couldn¡¯t help but smile. This man, this crazy,plicated man was now going to be my husband. He had women pining after him and he chose me. Me, the crazy, short tempered woman who alwaysshed out at him. He was my crazy knight in a not-so-shining armor; and I wouldn¡¯t change him for anything.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± My train of thoughts came to a screeching halt when I heard Trent say the words.


    ¡°And do you, Amanda, take Trent as yourwful wedded husband-¡± I cut him off.


    ¡°Can you not go on with the sickness and in health crap, please. Yes, I do,¡± I said to the priest.


    The priest gave me a peculiar look, while Trent chuckled along with the audience. ¡°Alright, I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride, because I have a feeling she is a bit too eager,¡± the priest stated, looking at Trent.


    With a grin, Trent grabbed my face and kiss me sweetly. I did not care about the hoots and hollers that were threatening to burst my eardrums, all I cared about were Trent¡¯s lips as they glided over mine.


    Making us one.


    ~*~*~*~*


    ¡°Finally, I can fix my second problem now,¡± Trent said, firmly closing the door of the bedroom and locking it.


    ¡°What other problem? Are we talking to Tamara already?¡± I enquired, removing my shoes.


    ¡°No, bumblebee; I am talking about owning your body.¡± That was my only warning before Trent grabbed me and quickly unzipped my dress. Without giving my brain a chance to catch up, he slipped the dress off my body, then removed my underwear with deft fingers, before pushing me on the bed.


    ¡°Trent-¡± I forgot to speak when I saw my husband removing his clothes. When he waspletely naked, he crawled over my body.


    ¡°Now, you belong to me. Forever. No more Jose, no more anyone else,¡± he stated before crushing his lips to mine.


    The sex right after the wedding is supposed to be slow and sweet-love making, that¡¯s what people called it. But Trent was an animal as he ravaged my mouth while his hands were all over my body, touching everywhere, short circuiting my brain, making me lose my mind.


    When his fingers entered me, I moaned as my inner walls clenched his digits. Erotic pleasure sparked in my soul, catching fire, as Trent pumped his fingers in and out of me, his lips finally leaving mine, travelling south until they reached my breasts.


    ¡°Tre-Trent, I ca-can¡¯t take it,¡± I moaned as I got closer and closer to orgasm.


    ¡°You can and you will.¡± Abruptly removing his fingers, Trent lined his thick, hot length at my entrance before pushing in. His movements were so fast and so sudden, and the way his mouth was sucking and nipping at my breats, made it difficult for my brain to figure out exactly what it was that he was doing.


    ¡°Trent, slow down¡­I-I ca-can¡¯t han-handle it.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Get used to it. I¡¯ve waited a long time, no more, shady, no more.¡± With a swift thrust, Trent slid inside me, causing my back to arch off the bed; he ced his hand on my chest, keeping me in ce as he begun pumping in and out of me.


    His fast pace only served to push me towards my orgasm even faster. My body and mind were not one as Trent pumped harder and faster inside me, pushing me over the edge. I screamed as I came hard, my body trembling as my orgasm caused stars to appear before my eyes.


    ¡°You are mine now, and don¡¯t you ever forget it.¡± With a loud grunt, Trent stilled on top of me, and a secondter, I felt his seed sshing inside me, bathing me, marking me.


    For a while, I was lost in a sea of sensations; my mind, trying to understand what just happened with me. I never thought Trent would be aggressive in bed, but he proved me wrong yet again. Had I made a mistake? Was marrying him a mistake? Because it felt like an entirely different person was fucking me.


    ¡°Wh-What was that?¡± I asked after I got my voice back.


    ¡°That was me telling you who owns you now. You dared to give yourself to Jose, that is something I was making you pay for, and will continue to do so in the future as well,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Why? That was my past,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Jose took what was meant to be mine, and you gave it to him. I don¡¯t care if it was your past. You fucked him and then you live with him in the same apartment, I will not ept that,¡± he stated.


    ¡°You are being irrational. That was one night, one. And I didn¡¯t even know you then. You can¡¯t hold it against me, Trent,¡± I seethed. If this was how he was going to be than I really had made a mistake in marrying him.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t, but I had to let you know who you belonged to now, and I had to make sure that you will forget every other man before me.¡± With a soft smile, Trent leaned down and kissed my cheek and then my lips before lying down besides me. Throwing a possessive arm over me, Trent pulled me close. ¡°I love you so much, my dear wife.¡±


    His words fucked with my mind. Exactly what was he trying to say? Did he really love me, or was this marriage a way to extract revenge?


    Oh God, I hope marrying him was not a mistake.

 40

    Part 40


    Sleep came with a lot of trouble, I was surprised it even came considering what Trent had done to me. I never knew sex could be so brutal and pleasureable at the same time. I always thought that rough sex came with pain and more pain, but Trent brought me pleasure like no other man had ever done.


    But he was angry. He was rough because he was furious, and I wasn¡¯t sure for how long would he punish me for a past he was never a part of and had no right to punish me for. I was starting to see just how different Trent was from the other men, but I was worried, just how far and deep this difference went?


    Trent groaned lowly from where he was sleeping right next to me. His arm on my waist tightened, and if it was possible, he pulled me even closer to him, until every inch of my naked body was touching his warm, solid one.


    ¡°Bumblebee, you woke up early, I thought you¡¯ll be sleeping until noon because of what I didst night,¡± he mumbled, kissing my clevicle.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not tired anymore,¡± I answered, trying to remove the thick, corded arm from my waist only to fail. Struggling against Trent was utterly useless.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s good to hear.¡± With a chuckle, Trent tugged the nket off me and pulled me down under him. He bit my neck harshly before plunging two of his thick fingers inside me. ¡°Then I can spend time making sure that you don¡¯t leave my bed today.¡±


    Trent pumped in and out in slow, torturous strokes until my sex was dripping. I was just about to reach my orgasm when he pulled out and reced his fingers with his thick shaft. Before I could gather my bearings, Trent thrusted inside me, filling mepletely, the head of his length touching my cervix.


    ¡°Trent,¡± I moaned his name as I tried to adjust to his thickness.


    My moans and whimpers only seemed to power him on, as his thrusts deepened and he touched corners that no one ever did. Trent was relentless as he pounded into me, his hand holding my wrists captive above my head.


    ¡°Feel that, shady,¡± Trent said as he thrusted hard enough for the headboard to hit the wall. ¡°Do you feel me inside you, owning you?¡± He pulled out before pushing back in, causing me to moan louder as pleasure hijacked my nerves.


    I could feel him, I could feel only him. It felt like Trent was not only fucking my body, he was fuckin my very soul. Every thrust, every hard pound was a sensual torture. I wanted him to stop because my mind was awashed with the overwhelming onught of pleasure but at the same time I wanted him to keep fucking me like there was no tomorrow. With the way he was pounding in me like an animal, I doubted he would ever be gentle with me.


    But gentle was not what I needed. Gentle would not have pushed me closer and closer to the ultimate high like this brutal fucking was doing to me. I moaned louder as Trent pushed me higher and higher until he allowed me to fall, and I came with a scream. I was lost to sparks as my orgasm washed over me, bathing my soul in a warm glow. I forgot to think, forgot everything except for the mind numbing pleasure that stroked every nerve ending. It was bliss. It was heaven. It was all Trent.


    ¡°I love the sight of youing undone beneath me, bumblebee,¡± Trent said before he stilled on top of me and a secondter I felt himing inside me.


    I had barelye down from my high when he started moving again, massaging my tender insides when his hard length. My breaths started toe out in short pants as erotic pleasure diffused in my bloodstreams once again.


    ¡°Trent, no more, please. I¡¯m too tired,¡± I mumbled, losing my ability to think and speak as he pumped into me with renewed energy.


    ¡°Yes, more, lots more. I¡¯ll make sure your legs are unable to support you. I will not let you leave this bed, my wife.¡± Thest two words pushed me under once again as I was forced to ride another orgasm that left me feeling weaker, my bones turning to jelly.


    ¡°Enough. Enough,¡± I breathed out, my eyelids getting heavy.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°One more. I¡¯m sure you can take one more,¡± he stated before he started pumping inside me for the third time. My sex was tender, sore, making my orgasm quicker. Once the third tidal wave washed over me, I was afraid I died and went to heaven, becasue the intensity of the pleasure was uncanny, heavenly.


    With a loud grunt, Trent came inside of me for a second time before rolling off me. He pulled me over until I was lying on his bare chest. I couldn¡¯t even fight him even if I wanted to; Trent had sessfully disconnected my mind from my body, leaving me helpless. At his mercy.


    ¡°You are my beautiful wife,¡± Trent said, as he begun stroking my hair, soothing me.


    ¡°Too tired.¡± The words were the only thing I could manage.


    ¡°Good, that means I¡¯ve aplished my mission. You won¡¯t be leaving my bed anytime soon, shady,¡± he replied, I could hear the arrogance in his tone, but I was too worn out to get angry over it.


    ¡°Why?¡± God, what had he done to me? I had lost my ability to speak. Damn you, Trent!


    ¡°You should get used to it, bumblebee; because I don¡¯t do gentle and soft. When I love someone, I love them with all my intensity. And you are the woman I love, I will fuck you hard enough until you¡¯re sore every night, and then I will fuck you until your legs turn to jelly every morning; and then I am going to fuck you some more, just for good measures. I will fuck you until all you think and know will be me. No one else. Just me.¡± His fingers begun trailing over my naked back in slow andzy motion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± I tried to snuggle deeper, he was sofortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited too long for you to not take you in any way I want. So get used to it, sleeping beauty,¡± Trent replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to do? Go talk to Tamara.¡± I told him, but at the same time wished for him to stay with me forever.


    ¡°My appointment with Tamara is tomorrow. I wanted to take a day off and love my wife,¡± he responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re angry with me. You hate me. So don¡¯t lie and say that you love me,¡± I grumbled, half asleep.


    ¡°Why would I lie about how I feel, shady? How can you even say that I hate you. And as for being angry with you, well now that I¡¯ve made you mine, I am no longer angry; but I would be if I see you with Jose ever again,¡± Trent stated, his voice taking on a hard edge.


    ¡°Jose is my friend, you can¡¯t keep us apart. If you have a problem, you can divorce me and we will go our separate ways, but don¡¯t tell me to leave my friends, I will not do that under any circumstances,¡± I replied, d to have my speech back.


    ¡°See, this is why I get angry. You provoke me. I¡¯ll only let you meet Jose as long as I¡¯m with you. If I find you alone with him, I¡¯ll kill him slowly and painfully and will make you watch it. So be careful about who you challenge, because I don¡¯t like threats and I make quick work of eliminating them.¡± He told me.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± I said, but I wasn¡¯t going to admit to my lie. Why couldn¡¯t Trent be normal? Maybe he needed a therapist. Okay, scratch that, he definitely needed to see a therapist.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t, but it¡¯s cute how you try to lie to me.¡± His chuckle caused his chest to vibrate, and the sound to reach all the way to my sore sex which suddenly wanted to be reunited with Trent¡¯s thick, shaft.


    ¡°Go away, let me sleep.¡± My words didn¡¯t make sense as half of my body was on top of Trent¡¯s.


    ¡°You can sleep. I¡¯ll hold you while you let your body rest,¡± he replied, kissing the top of my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re reallyfortable,¡± I mumbled.


    It was after some time that Trent spoke. ¡°Bumblebee?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I had just about fallen asleep, but his voice woke me up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t make you happy. I try to, but it doesn¡¯t work,¡± he said.


    ¡°Trent, where is thising from?¡± We had just gotten married the night before and he was already worried about not making me happy.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯m a horrible and selfish person who does not care about anyone; but I will try my best to be considerate of your feelings and wishes. I don¡¯t want you to think that you can¡¯t talk to me or tell me how you feel. Whatever you need, youe to me first, shady, no one else, but me. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°If I say yes will you let me sleep?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Yes, you can sleep all you want after you say yes to me,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Alright fine. Yes, yes, yes. Now let me sleep.¡± The sleep which was nagging at me finally took over, and I slept with my husband¡¯s arms around me.


    ~*~*~*~*


    I yawned as I woke up, but frowned when I didn¡¯t find Trent in bed. I was lying on top of him when I went to sleep, where did he go? How did he manage to push me off him without waking me up? And why did he not hold me while I slept like he promised to do so?


    However, I had more pressing worries than my errant hushand. My dder was threaning to explode if I did not run to the bathroom right this second. So without giving Trent another thought, I donned on my silk robe before dashing inside the bathroom.


    Once I was finished, I came out feeling rxed yet sore. Walking was difficult, but I managed as I left the room in search of Trent. But when I spotted a phone, I remembered Jose and decided to call him. He picked up after three rings.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He said.


    ¡°Hello, Jose? It¡¯s me, Amanda,¡± I said.


    ¡°Amanda?! What in the actual fuck? Where the hell have you been? Are you safe? Did that asshole hurt you? Tell me where you are and I wille to get you,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Jose, calm down. I¡¯m fine, everything is fine. Where are you? I got back to my apartment to find a note telling me you were out of city? Where are you and when will youe back?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°I told you about my step-brother, right? So I just had to deal with him,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Is everything alright? I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. I¡¯ll tell you everything when I see you, but for now, tell me where you are,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Uh¡­if I tell you something would you promise not to explode?¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh no, what did you do now?¡± I rolled my eyes, why did he talk like I got myself into trouble all the time, even if it was true as oftely?


    ¡°Nothing really, just that¡­Trent and I got married.¡± I waited for the explosion that didn¡¯t take too long to happen.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°I told you not to explode,¡± I said.


    ¡°How can I not explode when you drop a bomb on me like that? Do you even realize what you¡¯ve just said, what you¡¯ve just done?¡± Oh God, it would he difficult to calm him down.


    ¡°Jose, it was my decision. I chose to marry him,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Oh no, I am not having this conversation with you over the phone. I¡¯ming back in two days and then you¡¯ll tell me everything.¡± He hung up without waiting for my response. Asshole!


    Sighing, I put the phone down and resumed my search for Trent. I looked into every room but did not find him. Strange, he was here a few hours ago. Where did he go? And why didn¡¯t he leave a note for me?


    Every room I checked was either locked or empty. Every time I checked a room and did not find Trent, I grew more anxious. Where was he? Why would he leave me here all alone? Did he not realize that I would wake up soon? And then, a sudden horrifying thought struck me: did he go to visit Tamara? I banished the thought as quickly as it hade. No, Trent would not do this to me. He knew how much I hated Tamara; and we got married simply because Trent did not want to marry her. No, there was a reasonable exnation for this. There had to be.


    Returning back to the living room, I picked up the phone again and this time I called Trent. With every ring, anxiety constricted my heart tighter and tighter until I thought it would stop working. But thankfully, Trent picked up after fifty rings.


    ¡°Bumblebee, I see you¡¯re awake, did you sleep well?¡± Trent said as a way of greeting.


    ¡°Where are you? And don¡¯t you lie to me. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were leaving? You were supposed to be in bed when I woke up,¡± I scolded him.


    ¡°Calm down, shady, I am just out shopping. I¡¯m buying some gifts for you,¡± he replied. I could hear the smile in his tone.


    ¡°Gifts? Shopping? Trent, are you out of your mind? This is no time for shopping, get back here right now!¡± I shrieked.


    ¡°On the contrary, sleeping beauty, it is the perfect time for shopping. I¡¯ll be home soon. Are you hungry? Do you want me to bring home some dinner?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Yes, food. Bring that. And hurry up; if you don¡¯te back in an hour, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I threatened.


    ¡°You can kill me, bumblebee; it is better than you leaving me.¡± With that, Trent hung up, leaving me ck jawed and my heart in a puddle.


    Once my hormones were no longer ruling me and I had gotten my senses back, I red at the phone. How dare he hung up on me?


    Before I could think about it any further, the door bell rang. Throwing onest re at the phone, I put it down and went to answer the door. Without asking who it was, I opened the door.


    Shock paralyzed me momentarily as I saw who it was standing outside of Trent¡¯s penthouse.


    ¡°Hello Amanda,¡± Tamara said, a ridiculous smile on her evil face.


    Fuck my life, the bitch has arrived.

 41

    Part 41


    At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to m the door in Tamara¡¯s face. But I wanted some answers, and so, with the utmost reluctance, I allowed the door to open wide.


    You are going down, bitch.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you this question?¡± She arched a thin eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing at your boss¡¯ home?¡±


    The nerve of that bitch!


    I furrowed my eyebrows, pretending to think for a moment. This was my chance to p her with the truth. All I had to do was tell her that Trent and I were married, and then she might leave us alone. But first, I had to get my answers from her.


    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t invite you in, but seeing that you have something I need I¡¯ll allow you to enter. Come on in,¡± I said.


    Tamara smirked before stepping inside Trent¡¯s penthouse with her seven inch heels. ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission to enter Trent¡¯s home. Afterall, his home will be mine soon enough,¡± she stated while striding towards the living room.


    ncing at the ornate vase sitting on the small table, I thought about picking it up and throwing it at her face. How dare she call my home hers? Wait till I threw my marriage certificate in her face. The bitch thought she could take my man away from me, but she was not aware of the power of a married woman.


    ¡°Some women may be angry about you iming such rights over their men, but I find your delusions kinda¡­sad.¡± I followed her into the living room, and when she sat on the couch, it took everything in me not to grab her by her hair and drag her out of the penthouse. She was sitting on a couch, that¡¯s it, but it felt like she was sitting on my property; and I wanted this bitch nowhere near my property. Fuck my life, I was bing possessive of Trent and everything rted to him. God, I wish he woulde home soon, I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could tolerate this tramp.


    ¡°Their men? Trent is not your man, you are not even his type. He likes mature women, women with experience,¡± Tamara replied, her words making me want to rip her tongue from her mouth so that she would lose the ability to speak permanently. And she said Trent was not my man? He was my bloody husband.


    ¡°You talk like you¡¯ve known him your whole life instead of only a few weeks,¡± I said. If this was someone else, I would¡¯ve offered them some snacks or a beverage, but this hag deserved nothing but trash being shoved down her throat.


    ¡°I have. We grew up together. His mother was¡­quite fond of me. But she passed away, a great tragedy.¡± Tamara had the gall to look upset. If Trent didn¡¯t show up in the next ten minutes, then I was not going to be responsible for my actions.


    Having had enough of her toxic presence, I decided to cut to the chase. ¡°Why are you here, Tamara?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Did you not read the news, Amanda? This is my fiance¡¯s penthouse. I cane and go whenever I want,¡± she answered.


    ¡°And when did you two get engaged?¡± I queried, crossing my arms in front of my chest because I was tempted to grab the butcher¡¯s knife which was winking at me from the corner of the kitchen. I wonder how much blood she was going to lose if I identally stabbed her.


    ¡°A few days ago. Trent wanted to get engaged as soon as possible, and who was I to make him wait?¡± She chuckled.


    Did she even realize that her story was far from believable? Maybe she was not listening to herself? I was pretty sure she was delusional because she actually believed that a man like Trent Benson would marry an old hag like her. I didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh at her. Tamara was pathetic.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, I didn¡¯t read anything like that in the newspaper.¡± I shrugged, not wanting her to catch me in the lie.


    ¡°Oh, wait, I¡¯ll show you then.¡± Unzipping her bag, Tamara pulled out a folded newspaper and handed it to me. ¡°See, even the media knows of our engagement.¡± I knew what I would see before I unfolded the newspaper. And that there it was; the fake news of Trent¡¯s and Tamara¡¯s engagement. Tamara had her hand in Trent¡¯s, a diamond ring on her finger. They both were smiling at each other, as if in love. My fury would¡¯ve blown the penthouse down if I had not looked closer at the two people. Trent¡¯s smile was not¡­right. He didn¡¯t look like a man in love with his fiancee; in fact, his smile was all business, nothing like a man who just got engaged. And that was when the truth hit me with the force of a bulldozer: this was photoshopped.


    I couldn¡¯t help the giggle that bubbled out of me. I was the biggest idiot in this world. I could not believe I jumped to conclusions and used Trent of being a liar. If I had only paid attention to this photograph a few days ago, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through the heartache of losing Trent.


    Trent had been nothing but sweet to me since we got back from Japan. And I used him of lying to me about his feelings. He begged me to believe him but I did exactly what I said I wouldn¡¯t do. I broke my promise and left him. Instead of listening to him, I jumped to conclusions and caused immense pain to both of us. I had to apologize to Trent. Maybe I would make it up to him in some way, as soon as this bitch was out of our lives for good.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Tamara enquired, a frown on her face.


    Just as I was about to answer, the front door opened and Trent sauntered in carrying colorful gift bags in his hand. Without sparing Tamara a nce, Trent ced the bags on the table in front of Tamara before cupping my face and kissing me like his life depended on it. I found it strange that Trent was kissing me while Tamara was present, but I was not going to lie, I loved it. The way he ignored her and kissed me in front of her had my heart break dancing in victory. So much for Trent being her fiance; he was mine.


    ¡°How are you, bumblebee? Did you sleep well?¡± Trent asked after he finished kissing me hard enough to leave my lips tingling with pleasure.


    ¡°Ye-Yes, yes I did. Ta-Tamara is here.¡± I pointed at Tamara who looked like she had eaten something rotten and was now regretting it.


    ¡°Forget Tamara,¡± Trent said, his voice barely audible. ¡°I got you something; something which I should¡¯ve given you the moment we got married.¡± His voice was still soft, making it difficult for me to hear and understand him.


    Picking up the smallest of the five bags, Trent removed a small, square, velvet box which wasmonly used to store rings inside. Opening the box, Trent pulled out the most stunning ring that I had ever seen. The diamond sparkling like a rainbow as the light hit it, was huge, I was afraid I would not be able to lift my hand if I wore it.


    With a smile on his face, Trent gently took my hand and slipped the ring on my third finger. I was not surprised to see it was a perfect fit. But I was right, the ring was heavy, but it was beautiful nheless. If Trent didn¡¯t want me to remove it, then I¡¯d dy wear it on my finger forever.


    ¡°This is the most beautiful ring I could find. I had it custom made just for you. I hope you like it. And it does not have a tracker in it,¡± he said, kissing the top of my hand.


    ¡°Trent, it¡¯s lovely. I love it. Thank you so much.¡± I smiled at him, totally forgetting the dark presence of the evil witch sitting in our living room.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± he replied, giving my hand a soft squeeze.


    ¡°You know, I am really enjoying this, but I want this woman out of here. So, can you like, stop ignoring her and kick her out?¡± I spoke as softly as I could.


    Giving me a small nod, Trent turned to face Tamara who smiled and stood up. She closed the gap between her and Trent until they are standing mere inches from each other.


    ¡°Hello Trent, how are you? I came here a few minutes ago and was waiting for you. Where have you been?¡± Tamara questioned, running a possessive hand over my husband¡¯s arm. It took everything in me not to growl and break her arm for touching my man, but I forced myself to maintain my cool. If Trent could change for me, then I could change for him as well.


    ¡°Our appointment is not scheduled until tomorrow. May I ask the reason why you are in my penthouse, without my permission?¡± Trent threw at her.


    Tamara looked like she was at a loss for words but regained herself a few secondster. If my eyes hadn¡¯t been glued to her stupid face, I would¡¯ve missed the brief change in her expression.


    ¡°I am here because I wanted to see you, is that so wrong?¡± I swear to God if she contorted her face in a pout I would punch her.


    ¡°I am your boss, Tamara. You are not allowed toe here until I say so,¡± Trent stated, and I resisted the urge to kiss him for setting her straight.


    ¡°Then why is she here? Did you give her permission toe here?¡± Tamara asked, her eyes burning.


    ¡°Permission? She does not only have permission but she has the key to this penthouse. This is Amanda¡¯s home now,¡± he informed her as if he was talking about the weather.


    Tamara looked confused for a moment. ¡°What are you talking about? Why would you give her a key to your house when she is just an employee?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate the sun has set for the day, but I suggest you read tomorow¡¯s newspaper. There is something very important that you need to see,¡± Trent replied. This time, both Tamara and I threw him puzzled looks. What was going to be in tomorrow¡¯s newspaper?


    ¡°Why? What is so special in tomorrow¡¯s newspaper? You can tell me right now,¡± Tamara insisted. I really wanted Trent to tell her right now because curiosity was eating at me.


    Trent snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know by now that Amanda and I are married.¡±


    The change in her expression was instantaneous. From looking like a self confident bitch, Tamara now looked like somebody threw a bucket of ice, cold water on her stic face. Her heavily lined eyes widened slightly, her jaw dropped as she staggered back, as if somebody punched her.


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± The disbelief in her voice had me biting my lip in order to stop myself fromughing like a hyena.


    Serves you right, bitch!


    ¡°Yes. Just yesterday we tied the knot. I invited you, why didn¡¯t youe?¡± Trent frowned as if he was upset that she didn¡¯t show up.


    ¡°N-No one gave me the invitation card. Why did you marry her?¡± Tamara queried. It surprised me how she still managed to speak.


    ¡°What would you do with the person you love? Won¡¯t you marry him? So that¡¯s what I did, I married the woman I love,¡± Trent responded, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°Trent, how could you do this to me? We just got engaged and you go and marry some other woman!¡± She nearly screamed.


    ¡°Stop lying to us, Tamara. We were never engaged and never will be. Even if I didn¡¯t love Amanda, I would never marry you,¡± Trent replied, his voice taking on a hard edge that told me he was getting angry.


    ¡°Just because I am a few years older than you doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t marry each other. In fact, I can give you so much more than she ever can.¡± God, she was desperate. She did not love Trent, did she?


    ¡°She makes me happy. That¡¯s all I need,¡± Trent replied.


    Tamara then flicked her gaze to me, fixing me with her cold, hard eyes. ¡°So what did you do? How many times did you suck him off to get him to marry you?¡± She snarled at me.


    All right, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve had it with this greedy bitch. First she shows up at our penthouse, then had the nerve to tell my husband that I was not good enough for him and now she she was using me of being a whore. Without thinking, I raised my arm and pped Tamara right across her fake face.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± I stepped forward but Trent pulled me back. ¡°How dare you use me like this. Unlike you, Trent actually wanted to marry me. I don¡¯t go around lying to the media about getting engaged!¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Tamara, I think it is best if you leave. Your presence is not wee here, and you are causing my wife undue distress. Please see yourself out,¡± Trent said.


    I thought she would heed Trent¡¯s words like a sane woman, but clearly she was short of brains. Instead of leaving, she flung herself at me, tackling me to the ground me. If she wanted a cat fight, then she would get one.


    ¡°You pesky bug, I will not let you ruin my life,¡± Tamara shrieked, pulling my hair.


    Quickly rolling on top of her, I straddled her and pped her hard across her face once again. This bitch had been ruining my life since the day I met her, and I was not going to tolerate it any longer.


    ¡°I can deal with everything but I will never let you steal my husband. Trent is mine, bitch!¡± Raising my arm once again, I pped Tamara for the third time. The force of my ps left their mark on her face in the shape of pink handprints. I raised my arm for the fourth time, only to have Trent pull me up.


    Once I was standing, he grabbed Tamara¡¯s wrist and hauled her up as well. ¡°I told you to leave my home in a dignified manner but I guess you do not give a fuck about your self respect.¡± He dragged her all the way to the front door and opened the door wide. ¡°Get out of my house and I do not want to see your face ever again!¡± He shouted before mming the door shut.


    This was it. Tamara was finally out of our lives. At least I hoped she was. God, I wanted her gone.


    ¡°Is she gone forever?¡± I asked Trent as he came back to the living room.


    ¡°Not yet, but she will be.¡± With those words, Trent fished out his cellphone called someone.


    ¡°Hello, Oliver? I need you to take care of a problem¡­¡±

 42

    Part 42


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done,¡± Trent stated hanging up and slipping his phone back in the pocket of his pants. ¡°Tamara will no longer bother us. I¡¯ve spoken with the head of security to make sure that she is out of the country by tonight. I will tell my parents tomorrow about everything she did.¡±


    This was the best news I¡¯ve heard all day. I wanted to dance and celebrate that the bitch who had been after my career since day one was finally out of my life. But I knew Tamara was an asset to Trent¡¯spany, and her loss might not deem to be as beneficial for Trent as it was for me. So I should act like a concerned wife.


    ¡°Are you okay? I mean with Tamara leaving and all. I know she was important.¡± I feigned concern, moving closer to my husband and cing my hand on his arm.


    Trent captured the hand on his arm and pulled me close until I softly collided with his chest. Cupping my face, he looked in my eyes, although I wasn¡¯t sure what he was searching for. But there was an odd glint in those prating eyes, something close to wonder and amusement.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that, we both know your dancing with joy right now. So stop giving me looks filled with fake concern. I like my wife to be honest, in every aspect; it doesn¡¯t matter if I like the honesty or not. You have to be honest with me, no more of these fake emotions, is that clear?¡± He said, catching me in the act in an instant. Damn him and his shrewd personality!


    ¡°Alright fine.¡± I sighed, defeated. ¡°I am d the bitch is out, but I am still worried about you. I mean, her career as a model is over, right? And you practically went against your mother¡¯s wishes and fired her.¡±


    ¡°Her career as anything is over. Tamara won¡¯t be getting a job anywhere anytime soon, I¡¯ve made sure of that. And yes, I am upset that I had to go against my mother¡¯s wish¡­but¡­¡± Trent looked vulnerable all of a sudden, his dark eyes softening. ¡°I love you and your happiness means everything to me. My mother is not alive anymore and even if she were she would choose my happiness over Tamara. So I believe she would not mind me going against her wish.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    His words made me love him all the more. Sure, Trent had problems he had to work on, but this was a start. He chose myfort and happiness over his dead mother¡¯s wish; this was enough for me to know that he loved me. He was showing me how he felt about me.


    ¡°But what will Tamara do now? You said you¡¯ll give her another job, have you decided what job you will give her?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Did you not hear me when I said Tamara is out of our lives forever? And that she won¡¯t be getting a job anyhere anytime soon? I am not going to have her working for mypany. She caused you a lot of pain and I will ever forgive her for that. I do not give second chances to people who fuck with the ones I love. So no, I am not giving her another job and I am done supporting her,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Right, of course. But what if shees back begging for money? What will you do then? I know you act all cold and heartless towards people but deep down you care about them and will try to help them. So, what will you do if shees back?¡± I asked, ying with one of the two buttons on his shirt.


    ¡°I am telling you, shady, I will not help her. If shees back, I will tell Jordan to deal with her. You have nothing to worry about.¡± He leaned closer until his lips brushed the shell of my ear. ¡°The only thing you need to worry about is how hard I am going to fuck you everyday for the rest our lives.¡± He bit my earlobe causing me to gasp. Why did he have to be so hot? Why?!


    Before I could reply, Trent turned me around so that my back was to his front and quickly undid the silk sash that was keeping my robe together, causing it to fall open. He cupped my bare breast in hisrge hand and flicked my nipple with his thumb, the action causing pleasure to shoot straight down to my sex, causing my inner walls to clench and moisten.


    ¡°Bu-But-¡± I lost the ability to speak as Trent¡¯s free hand traveled down and two fingers slipped inside me, stroking my inner walls, intensifying the erotic sensations.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± The arrogance and amusement were unmistakable in his voice, and yet, his arrogance caused me to moan out loud, or maybe it was the fact that he curled his fingers inside me, pushing me further towards my orgasm.


    ¡°I-I do-don¡¯t remember.¡± I breathed out as Trent continued to flick my nipple and pump his fingers in an out of me.


    ¡°Good.¡± He kissed my neck. ¡°You have been naked all this time, and I have been dying to fuck you senseless. Don¡¯t you ever dare answer the door in this state ever again. Only I can see you naked. Is that clear?¡±


    Before I could answer, he turned me back around and sealed my lips with his own, kissing me with intensity that surprised me to my core. He tangled his fingers in my hair while his other hand, that was bringing me pleasure like no other, withdrew from my pulsing core and removed the robe from my body, leaving mepletely naked.


    Trent pushed me down on the couch and settled on top of me, straddling me. His lips did not leave mine, but his hands were everywhere, touching me, imprinting their mark on my soul.


    ¡°Trent,¡± I moaned his name, lost in the whirlpool of sensations that only he had the power to create within me. Never had I felt like this with anyone. Jose was a drunken mistake, but even he didn¡¯t make me feel like this.


    The sound of Trent removing his pants prated my ears, but I was too far gone to care. I needed Trent to fuck me, I needed to be as close to him as humanly possible. He removed his shirt, and once he waspletely naked did he position his thick shaft at my dripping entrance.


    Without saying anything Trent shoved his thick length inside me, causing my back to arch off the couch at the sudden pration. No matter how hard I tried to be ready for this, Trent¡¯s thrusts always took me by surprise.


    He was relentless as he pounded in me. He held me tight as he thrusted hard enough to push me body off the couch, preventing me from falling. Trent kissed and bit my skin, paying close attention to my breasts. He hardly left them for ten seconds before he was back to assaulting them with the intense pleasure only he knew how to inflict.


    ¡°You are so hot,¡± Trent said, thrusting deep enough to hit my cervix. ¡°When you fought Tamara for me, that was the hottest thing I had ever seen.¡± He continued to thrust inside me, making me lose focus as he pushed me closer and closer to the peak.


    And then, he pushed me off.


    Fireworks exploded in a myriad of colors as sparks lit up my soul. The intensity of my orgasm shook my soul, leaving my body to tremble under Trent¡¯s . He held me tight, letting me bathe in the carnal pleasure only he could bring me.


    ¡°I love you so much, sleeping beauty,¡± Trent said, kissing my lips as he stiffened and a secondter I felt himing inside me.


    I was breathing heavily by the time we were done and Trent slipped out of me, my eyes were on the verge of closing. Trent had worn me out. He had fucked me only a handful of times uptil now but every single time he left me exhausted. I wonder how he managed to rob me of my energy everytime.


    ¡°I can fuck you forever, did you know that?¡± Trent asked, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± I pleaded. I knew if he fucked me again right now, I would not be able to fight him, simply because I felt drained.


    Trent chuckled, kissing my lips. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m yours,¡± he ordered.


    My eyes which were half closed, widened in surprise. Did Trent just order me to tell him he belonged to me? That was strange. I thought he would force me to tell him that I belonged to him.


    ¡°What?¡± I had to make sure I heard him right.


    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m yours. Tell me I belong to you,¡± he repeated, pecking my nose.


    ¡°Why?¡± I enquired, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.


    ¡°Because I want you to say it. Say it now,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Uh¡­you are mine?¡± I had no idea what Trent was ying at.


    ¡°You say it like a question, as if you¡¯re not sure. I want you to be sure. Like you were when you attacked Tamara. Say it like that,¡± he responded. Trent looked like a little boy who was eager to have his wish fulfilled.


    ¡°You are mine, Trent, all mine. You belong to me and I will never let you go,¡± I said, my voice firm.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m yours. All yours.¡± He kissed me hard and deep, stealing my breath away. ¡°I belong to you, no one else. And I don¡¯t ever want you to let me go. I want you to hold on to me with all your might, just like I will, bumblebee,¡± he replied, kissing me yet again.


    ¡°Why did you want me to say this to you?¡± I asked. Normally, it was Trent who was being all dominating and telling me how he would never let me go, so this turn of events surprised me.


    ¡°Because you have to be sure about this. I want you to believe in the fact that I¡¯m yours, so that you are never insecure. I belong to you just like you¡¯re mine, and no woman can ever take me from you. Because you are the one for me. You¡¯re it for me, shady. No other woman can make me feel like you do. So I need you to believe in this because this is the greatest truth of our lives. We belong to each other. Forever,¡± he answered.


    Those words slipped inside and glued themselves to the walls of my heart. Trent just assured me that he would never leave me and that no woman could take him from me. Those words meant more to me than anything else he could ever give me. Trent had given himself to me, that was all I wanted.


    ¡°I-¡± I had to tell him I loved him, he had to know. He told me he loved me. I had to tell him I loved him as well.


    ¡°I want you to fight for me just like you did today. Don¡¯t ever stop fighting for me, bumblebee. And I know you love me, you wouldn¡¯t have fought for me if you didn¡¯t,¡± he stated.


    This was it. I had to tell him now. He deserved to know. He was doing so much to make me happy, I should do the same for him. I had to make Trent believe that I would never leave him; that I would be the one constant in his life, who would stick with him through thick and thin.


    ¡°I love you, Trent.¡± I blurted out. ¡°I have loved you for a really long time, even though you did everything to make me hate you. And I tried, I tried to hate you, but it didn¡¯t work,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it didn¡¯t work, bumblebee. I never want you to hate me.¡± He kissed the corner of my lips.


    ¡°I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will never leave you. I know a lot of people left you and it is hard for you to trust people, but you can trust me, Trent. You can trust me to never leave you.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I know I can trust you, shady. Because I won¡¯t let you go either. But it is good to know that you have no intention of leaving me.¡± Trent caressed my cheek with the back of his hand.


    ¡°Jose wille in a few days, or maybe tomorrow,¡± I said after a couple of minutes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take his name in this house. I hate him,¡± Trent snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I am going to meet him and I don¡¯t want you flipping out,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You are not going to see him ever again. Tell him you hate him and never want to see him again,¡± he responded, nuzzling my neck.


    ¡°He is my friend, Trent, I will not break my friendship with him. You have to learn to live with that,¡± I stated.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re mine, he should back off. Did you tell him we got married?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Yes, I told him. He exploded. Told me he was going to kill you or something like that.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    Trent let out a sardonicugh. ¡°Kill me. That pussy can¡¯t eveny a finger on me let alone kill me. I¡¯ll destroy him and I am going to enjoy doing it.¡±


    ¡°You are not going to hurt Jose. You already punched him once before.¡± I frowned at him.


    ¡°He had iting. How dare he try and take you from me. Does he not know that you are mine. Asshole! I¡¯ll kill him the next time I see him,¡± he retorted.


    ¡°You hurt him and I¡¯ll never forgive you. Jose is my friend and he was there for me when no one was. In fact, he was the one who brought me to your studio. If it weren¡¯t for him, we would never have met again.¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°You intrigued me since day one. I would¡¯ve eventually found out about you, Jose just made my job easier by bringing you to me,¡± Trent replied, caressing my waist. It was strange how I never saw his hands move and yet they ended up at different ces everytime.


    ¡°Yes, well you should be grateful to him, he made your job easy. Now you be good to him, okay?¡±


    ¡°If he tries to take you away from me I swear to God I will end him, I don¡¯t care if he is your friend and I don¡¯t care how important he is to you. If he tries anything, I will put a bullet straight through his head,¡± he growled.


    ¡°You are barbaric,¡± I used.


    ¡°For my woman, I am no less than an animal.¡±

 43

    Part 43


    Walking to the door with a smile on my face, I looked through the peephole to see who it was that rung the bell. Ever since Trent kicked Tamara out of our lives it looked as if I had a constant smile stered on my face. And Trent didn¡¯t do anything to curb that smile, in fact, he tried his best to make meugh and smile as much as possible.


    When I did not see anyone standing outside, I frowned and opened the door. I exhaled a deep breath when I saw today¡¯s newspaper lying on the floor. Picking it up, I ran my eyes over the front page headlines, the bold caption causing my heart to beat with unusual excitement.


    Tamara has been removed from the modelling industry for good. Only the newspaper said she chose to retire. I wonder why people gave respect to those who never deserved it in the first ce. But whatever it was, I was d she was finally out of my life. The newspaper also said that she had decided to leave the country and spend the rest of her life in her native Nethends. I didn¡¯t know Tamara was from Nethends. I thought she was from the States. She didn¡¯t sound any different either.


    With a shrug, I closed the door behind me and strode towards the living room, my mind still contemting the new fact about Tamara. Why did shee to the States, and for how long had she been here?


    The ringing of my cellphone jarred me back to the here and now. The smile on my face got even wider when I saw Jose¡¯s name on the screen. With a grin, I answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, how are you? Are you back yet?¡± I asked, throwing the greetings out of the window.


    ¡°I¡¯ve almost reached our apartment, and I want you to know that I¡¯ll be seeing you at lunch,¡± Jose answered.


    ¡°Perfect, why don¡¯t youe on over to Trent¡¯s penthouse for lunch? I have so much to tell you,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea because if I see that douchebag I am going to kill him. So it¡¯s better if we meet somewhere else,¡± Jose responded, barely containing his rage through his words.


    ¡°Trent is my husband now, so it¡¯s better if you two kiss and make up. Both of you are equally important to me, so just¡­set aside your differences and try to get along,¡± I pleaded.


    Jose was silent for a few seconds before I heard him sigh. ¡°Alright fine, I¡¯ll try. But if he does anything to piss me off, it¡¯ll be his head on a tter.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re okay with me being a widow,¡± I said, slightly appalled at his words.


    Heughed at this. ¡°I would never let you go through such agony, no matter how much I hate that husband of yours. You should know that about me,¡± he said.


    At this, my heart melted. Jose was the perfect friend. There was no one who was better than him. ¡°Yeah, I know. And I love you for that.¡±


    ¡°Where is he anyway? I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t snatched the phone from your hands for talking to me,¡± he said.


    ¡°He is in bed, sleeping. And he is not that bad!¡± I defended my husband.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, he is horrible-¡±


    ¡°Jose,¡± I wanrned before he could say anything else.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll swing by your ce in a couple of hours. Make sure you have plenty of food for me, I am starving,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°There is plenty of food for you, don¡¯t worry. Now hurry up, I miss you and want to see you.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Will do. See you in a couple of hours. Love you, bye.¡±


    ¡°Love you, too, bye. Take care,¡± I replied before hanging up. Now all that was left was for Trent and Jose to make up. Then everything in my life would be perfect.


    ¡°Who were you talking to.¡± I jumped as strong arms banded around me, taking me by surprise. But when Trent¡¯s mouth-watering scent invaded on my nostrils, my heart rxed.


    ¡°Trent, you startled me,¡± I said as a way of greeting, before rxing against his chest. Trent was well built. His muscles provided the perfectfort and support for me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the answer to my question, shady.¡± He sounded angry, which was weird since he just woke up.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m furious. But I might feel better if you answer my question. Who were you talking to?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°I was talking to Jose, he ising over for lunch,¡± I answered, not sure what this had to do with his anger.


    ¡°Why is heing? I will not be responsible for the bruises on his face,¡± he replied.


    I moved out of his embrace and turned to face him. ¡°You dare touch him and I will never forgive you. Jose is my best friend, and thefore is an important person in my life. You will not disrespect him under any circumstances. So get rid of this animosity you are harboring against him because I won¡¯t tolerate it any longer.¡±


    Trent blinked a couple of times, stunned out of his mind. ¡°Is he more important to you than I am?¡±


    ¡°No. You are my husband, Trent. No one can take your ce, no man or woman. But Jose is my best friend, he is important to me, too. You both are important to me, and I want you both in my life, so it¡¯ll make me happy if you would just get along with him,¡± I exined.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be happy if Jose and I get along?¡± Trent questioned.


    ¡°Yes, I want the two most important men in my life to get along with each other. I mean, other guys get along, what is wrong with you two?¡± I threw my hands in the air out of frustration.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Trent said, opening his arms wide, waiting for me to hug him.


    Not being able to resist such an open invitation, I stepped forward, causing Trent to cage me in his arms. The strength of his arms around me never failed to astound me. It often made me feel like I would never be able break out of his grasp. But at the same time, I felt safe, like no harm would evere to me as long as I was in his embrace.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Jose, but please try to get along; we are married now, you can at least try to act civil with each other.¡± I told him.


    ¡°For your happiness I am willing to move mountains, bumblebee, being civil with your friend is a piece of cake,¡± Trent responded.


    I chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s see when he gets here. I doubt it¡¯ll be a piece of cake, Trent.¡±


    ¡°Are you challenging me, sleeping beauty?¡± He squeezed me tight, causing my heart to swell with love for him.


    ¡°Yes, I am challenging you,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Challenge epted. What will you give me when I¡¯ll win?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Anything you want. Name it and it¡¯s yours,¡± I responded.


    ¡°A baby. I want a baby.¡± I froze upon his peculiar request, wondering if he already knew what I feared.


    ¡°Trent-I-uhh-well-¡± God what was wrong with me? Why couldn¡¯t I get the words out?


    ¡°What? You said whatever I want is mine.¡± The look on his face had my heart cracking. He looked so vulnerable, as if I had his heart in my palm and could break it any second.


    ¡°Yeah, about that. I think¡­¡± I trailed off, not sure how to tell him, because I hadn¡¯t epted it myself.


    ¡°What? What is it? Tell me. Is something wrong? Can you¡­can you not give me a¡­baby?¡± He asked, his voice sounded like it was on the verge of breaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I think¡­I¡¯m not sure, but¡­I think¡­it¡¯s already here,¡± I uttered.


    ¡°What? What do you mean, speak clearly. What is here?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°What you want. I think¡­the baby is here,¡± I stated, wringing my hands.


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not sure. I was supposed to get my periods three days ago¡­but I¡¯mte¡­so I think¡­that I might be pregnant. I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Then we should find out. Let¡¯s go to the doctor. She¡¯ll tell us if you¡¯re pregnant or not,¡± Trent said.


    ¡°No, Jose is going to be here in a couple of hours. I have to prepare lunch. We¡¯ll go tomorrow,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get you a pregnancy test, I¡¯ll go to the pharmacy right now.¡± He turned to leave but I stopped him.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go. We¡¯ll find out tomorrow. I¡¯m¡­scared,¡± I admitted, reluctantly.


    ¡°Scared of what, bumblebee? Scared of having my baby?¡± Trent enquired, the vulnerable expression back on his face. It was nice to see how expressive he was with me. He did not hide his emotions from me any more.


    ¡°No, I love you and you are the only man I want to have babies with. It¡¯s just¡­having a baby is huge, it¡¯s going to change everything,¡± I answered.


    Trent cupped my cheek. ¡°Shady, you have nothing to be afraid of. I will take care of you and our children. All you have to do is love me, and I will give you everything in return.¡±


    ¡°I do love you, Trent. I love you so much.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Good. Then you have nothing to worry about.¡± At the end of his statement, Trent leaned down and took my lips in a tender kiss, making me forget everything but him.


    ~*~*~*~*


    When I saw Jose standing at the threshold of the penthouse, I couldn¡¯t help but throw myself in his arms. It felt so good to see him again. I wished he was here when Trent and I got married.


    ¡°Jose, I missed you so much. How are you?¡± I hugged as tight as I could, rxing as soon as I took in his scent.


    ¡°I missed you too, Mandi, and I¡¯m fine now that I see you¡¯re all right. How are you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy. Come on in, I made your favorite food.¡± I pulled him inside before shutting the door.


    ¡°Where is that asshole husband of yours?¡± Jose enquired, ncing at me.


    ¡°Jose.¡± I red at him. It looked like I would have to give him the same lecture as I did to my husband.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Jose raised his hands up in surrender. I would not let anyone insult my husband.


    ¡°Right here.¡± I stiffened when I heard Trenting up behind me. His voice was powerful, enough to have a normal man trembling. But Jose was not a normal man. He was my friend, and a fairly protective one at that; which meant he did not even blink upon the arrival of my husband.


    ¡°Trent.¡±


    ¡°Jose.¡±


    Oh God, could this be any worse? The two were eyeing each other like they were ready to tear each other apart. The testosterone in the room was like a physical entity, threatening the peace that had prevailed a few minutes ago.


    My breath caught in my throat when Jose held out his hand for Trent to take. I thought Trent would refuse, because I knew he hated my friend. But when he sped Jose¡¯s outstretched hand, that had me exhaling audibly. They were trying; Trent and Jose were trying to get along. I didn¡¯t know why it surprised me, but seeing them shaking hands was something of a fantasy of mine. And it wasing true, right in front of my eyes.


    However, the war waging in their eyes was unmistakable. They may not be saying anything through their lips, but their eyes weremunicating. And I was unable to read the messages being ryed.


    After a few minutes of their silent stand off, I¡¯ve had enough and decided to take these crazy men to the dining room. If they continued this any longer, I was afraid the air around us mightbust. What was wrong with them anyway?


    ¡°Uh, lunch is ready. We should eat while it¡¯s still warm, otherwise it will get cold, and Jose we all know how much yoh despise cold food,¡± I said, breaking their silent war.


    ¡°Of course, I am hungry, as I didn¡¯t eat beforeing here. Lead the way, Mandi,¡± Jose replied, shing me a smile.


    Ignoring the obvious tension between the two men, I led them to the dining room. The dining room of the penthouse was just as beautiful as all the rooms, with modern furniture and windows that gave a beautiful view of the city. It was perfect.


    ¡°Mandi, Trent and I have something to tell you,¡± Jose stated, not even sitting down.


    Oh God, what did they have to tell me now. ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until after we¡¯re done eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid not. It¡¯s best if everything is out in the open before we sit down to eat. You know me, I can¡¯t eat if I there is something I have to tell you,¡± he said.


    I sighed, it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, I eyed the two men. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Jose nced at Trent. ¡°Are you going to tell her or should I?¡±


    Trent shrugged. ¡°Go ahead and tell her.¡±


    ¡°All right. Mandi, here¡¯s the thing. Trent and I¡­both know how much we love you. You are my best friend and I want to see you happy, even if I don¡¯t exactly approve of the man you¡¯re with. And Trent loves you a lot, enough to tolerate those people in your life whom he does not like. So we have decided to form a truce. We will put the past behind us and will start this off right. For you, we are willing to put aside our pride and be friends.¡± Jose told me.


    Oh my God, I could not believe my ears. They were going to be friends, for me. They loved me enough to put aside their differences and get along. I thought they would forever hate each other¡¯s guts, but no; they were willing to make a change¡­for me.


    ¡°Oh wow. Thank you so much.¡± I threw my arms around my two favorite men, trying to hug them both at the same time. ¡°Wait, when did youe to this agreement? I mever heard you two talk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a thing we guys do, don¡¯t you worry about it. Just be happy,¡± Jose replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I love you, Trent. And I love you, Jose,¡± I said.


    ¡°Shady, I love you, but I do not do group hugs.¡± Trent pried my arm away and took a step back.


    ¡°Yeah, me neither. Come on, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m hungry for food not for your hugs,¡± Jose grumbled, stepping out of my embrace and sitting down on a chair.


    I could not believe how simple perfection could be. I did not care about having the most expensive dresses or jewels; for me, perfection was seeing Trent and Jose get along, only because they wanted to see me happy. And I was happy.


    I was happy with my simple perfection.

 44 ? ? ? 茅PILOGUE

    Part 44


    Epilogue


    1 yearter


    ¡°What are you doing, Trent?¡± I asked my husband as he stood in front of the wall trying to put a picture up.


    ¡°This,¡± he replied before stepping aside, revealing his handiwork.


    I gasped when I saw my face in therge picture frame. This picture was taken on our wedding day. One side of my face was resting right over Trent¡¯s heart, while he had his arms wrapped around me in a way that looked as if he never wanted to let me go.


    ¡°This is one of my favorite pictures. Howe I didn¡¯t notice someone taking our pictures?¡± I asked out loud, even though the question was mostly directed at myself.


    ¡°You were too eager to be mine to notice anything else. Everything happened too quickly, we didn¡¯t even meet all the guests,¡± Trent replied, picking up the hammer and the box of nails and cing it in the toolbox.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed, recalling how quickly I wanted to get married to Trent because I did not want Tamara or any other woman to take him. Even though Trent knew how much I loved him, it felt nice to know that he loved me back just as much if not more.


    ¡°This is my favorite picture as well, so I decided to hang it on the wall for everyone to see,¡± Trent said, ncing at the sleeping baby on the sofa with a bunch of cushions surrounding her, preventing her from falling.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just called someone to hang the picture, why did you do it yourself?¡± I questioned, following his line of sight. Adelinda was still asleep, well she slept most of the times, but I couldn¡¯t help checking on her every fifteen minutes.


    ¡°No, I wanted to do it,¡± he replied, a soft smile gracing his lips; the smile that always appeared whenever he looked at our daughter. ¡°When is she going to wake up?¡±


    ¡°Soon. You¡¯ll know when she will start to cry, and tell me to feed her.¡± I rolled my eyes, but couldn¡¯t help my heart swelling with love for my daughter. She was the most beautiful thing that happened to me, and I could never rece her with anything. Even though she stayed awake at night and forced Trent and I to stay awake as well, there was nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for her.


    With a kiss on my lips, Trent went over to where Adelinday sleeping. Setting the cushions aside, he sat down on the sofa and picked her up. After caressing her pink, chubby cheek, Trent kissed her, soft and sweet. It was just a natural thing for a father to love his daughter, and yet, I couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed everytime I saw Trent with Adelinda. He loved her so much, it was shimmering in his eyes.


    ¡°She is a stubborn fighter,¡± Trentmented, affection dripping from every word.


    ¡°Yes, I know. She gave me a pretty hard time when it was time for her to be born,¡± I agreed. Adelinda put up quite a fight on the day that she was born. The doctors had no choice but to perform a C-section to get her out. And since that day, Trent called her his stubborn fighter.


    Trent¡¯s phone started ringing just as Adelinda woke up, crying. Quickly handing me the baby, Trent answered the call before walking into a corner to talk. I unbuttoned my blouse, and begun feeding Adelinda, stroking the small amount of dark hair on her head. I nced at my husband every now and then, watching the way he held himself while he conducted business.


    It was strange how quickly time passed. There was a time when I hated Trent with all my heart, and now I couldn¡¯t imagine living twenty four hours without him. Trent had burrowed deep in my heart, and I couldn¡¯t get him out, not that I wanted to. I thought I would never get my happy ending, but Trent proved me wrong, just like he proved me wrong about my feelings for him.


    With a smile, I nced at my daughter who was busy suckling, her tiny hand resting on my chest. Adelinda had the same dark eyes and hair that ran in the Benson family, but she inherited the rest of her features from me; at least that¡¯s what Trent observed.


    After a while, Trent hung up and came to stand right in front of me. At the same time, I pulled Adelinda away, and begun rubbing her back slowly.


    ¡°That was Jordan. He ising over right now. He has something to tell us,¡± Trent informed me.


    ¡°Sure. Is everything all right?¡± I asked. Judging by the grim expression on Trent¡¯s face, I didn¡¯t think Jordan wasing here to give us good news.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He will tell you when he gets here,¡± he answered.


    ¡°No, tell me right now. What happened? Is everybody okay? Are your parents okay?¡± I enquired, my heart beginning to get heavy with anxiety.


    ¡°Yes, yes, everybody¡¯s fine. My parents are fine. It¡¯s just that¡­Jordan did something¡­something he shouldn¡¯t have and now he has no choice but to suffer the consequences,¡± Trent responded.


    ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re starting to scare me. Just tell me, what did he do?¡± I hated everytime Trent tried to be cryptic with me, it¡¯s like he enjoyed scaring me.


    The door bell rang and Trent heaved an audible sigh. ¡°That¡¯s him. He came pretty quickly.¡± Trent went to answer the door, leaving me with our daughter. After a few seconds, Trent returned followed by his brother who looked like he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since two days.


    ¡°Jordan, hello,¡± I greeted him as I stood up.


    ¡°Hello Amanda.¡± Jordan forced a smile. ¡°How are you? And how is my niece?¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. Sit down. Would you like to eat or drink anything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not right now, thanks. Maybe after a while or so,¡± he replied before plopping down on the couch. Jordan looked exhausted, I wonder what happened. Trent sat down beside him.


    ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s wrong?¡± I decided not to beat around the bush. Something terrible was bothering Jordan and I wanted to help him.


    Jordan was silent for a few seconds before he exhaled deeply. ¡°I made a mistake¡­well not a mistake¡­or maybe it is, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    I nced at Trent before levelling my gaze with Jordan¡¯s. ¡°What is it? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I-Look don¡¯t hate me, okay? I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen¡­it just did.¡±


    ¡°Jordan, tell me what you did,¡± I said with as much as force as I could muster without sounding like a bitch.


    ¡°Trent, you tell her. I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°He got Madigan pregnant,¡± Trent stated.


    For a second I just stayed silent, not believing what Trent just said. And then it slowly started to sink in; the reality of what Jordan did. He got Madigan pregnant. The sweet, happy Madigan who did her best to make the camera love me. But then why was he so upset about it? And why did he say that he made a mistake?


    ¡°Madigan as in my photographer Madigan?¡± I asked just to be sure we were thinking of the same person.


    ¡°Yes, the same one,¡± Jordan replied, his face buried in his hands.


    ¡°And I take it you didn¡¯t want her to get pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. I mean¡­I don¡¯t even like her, she was just a one night stand¡­¡± Jordan trailed off.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve been more careful,¡± I chided, wondering how Madigan would be feeling right now.


    ¡°We were, I wore a condom. It must¡¯ve broken or something, and now she is pregnant with my baby.¡± He told us.


    ¡°And when did you get to know this?¡± I enquired, Adelinda still in my arms.


    ¡°Last night. Madigan came in my office and told me. I wasn¡¯t even able to sleepst night,¡± Jordan replied.


    ¡°She could be lying,¡± Trent suggested. ¡°I mean, Madigan doesn¡¯t look like the type to lie about such things, but it could be possible.¡±


    Jordan shook his head. ¡°No, she is not lying. I know the baby is mine, I know it in my heart.¡±


    ¡°What did you say to her when she told you?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I said, I never wanted any of this and stormed out of my office, leaving her all alone. I¡¯m such an asshole,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Oh God.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself. What would that poor girl be feeling right now. She would be so scared and alone. Fuck.


    ¡°You need to be with her, at least do it for your baby even if you don¡¯t love her,¡± I said.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not ready for a baby, and I don¡¯t want to be with a woman who I don¡¯t love. That won¡¯t be fair to her,¡± he argued.


    ¡°Well it happened and now you have to face the consequences. You have be there for Madigan, you can¡¯t leave her like this. She does not deserve that and neither does your baby,¡± Trent stated.


    ¡°I know. God, I know, but I don¡¯t know if I can face her after walking out on her like this,¡± Jordan said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Madigan is a great woman and she will forgive you. But don¡¯t leave her like this, Jordan. You know what dad says about being a man,¡± Trent replied.


    Jordan nodded. ¡°Yeah. I know. But I don¡¯t know, Trent¡­this is scary. I¡¯m not ready to be a father.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t think nature is giving you much of a choice now. You are going to be a father, whether you like it or not.¡± Trent gazed at Adelinda who was squriming in my hold.


    ¡°Can I hold her?¡± Jordan asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I went over to where he was sitting and handed Adelinda over to him. ¡°Try walking around with her, otherwise she is going to cry.¡±


    ¡°Great, it¡¯s only been three and half months since she¡¯s been born and she is already spoiled,¡± Jordanmented.


    ¡°me her father.¡± I pointed at Trent, who eyed his daughter with pride.


    ¡°She is my princess, of course I am going to spoil her,¡± he defended.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get something for you to eat.¡± With a smile I strode into the kitchen and begun preparing snacks for Jordan. But I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about Madigan. She was so young and now, just because of one mistake, her whole future might just go down the drain. Raising a baby was not an easy task; I mean, I was still learning, and most of the people kept learning throughout their lives, and she was so young.


    Trent popped his head in the kitchen with my cell phone in his hand. ¡°Madigan is calling you,¡± he said before handing the phone to me and walking away.


    I quickly epted the call. ¡°Hi Madigan, how are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hello, Amanda. I¡¯m fine, thank you. Uh, listen, I know this might not be appropriate with me being your photographer and all¡­but¡­I was wondering if you could meet me tomorrow, have lunch with me,¡± she said.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Her voice sounded normal, but I knew better. Madigan was trying to be strong. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love to have lunch with you. Just tell me when and where to pick you up and we¡¯ll go,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pick me up.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, just tell me when to pick you up,¡± I stated. Madigan did not have friends as far as I knew, so I was going to help her. I didn¡¯t know what Jordan was going to decide, but whatever it was, I would help Madigan.


    ¡°Uh alright, thank you. I¡¯ll text you my address and you can pick me up at one,¡± she responded.


    ¡°All right, see you then. Bye. Take care.¡± I hung up. Just as I put the phone on the counter, Trent returned.


    ¡°Jordan just left,¡± he informed me.


    ¡°What? Why so soon, I was just preparing snacks for him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he said he couldn¡¯t stay. Anyways, what did Madigan want to talk about?¡± Trent asked.


    ¡°She wants to have lunch with me tomorrow. I said I¡¯ll pick her up.¡± I told him.


    Trent quickly pulled me in his arms. ¡°Alright, ask her if she needs any kind of help. And give her some money as well, her financial status is not that great, and she needs money for her vitamins and all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah okay, where is Adelinda?¡± I searched around for my daughter, only to spot her lying on the sofa with cushions surrounding her.


    ¡°Jordan put her to sleep. And it¡¯s about time you give me your attention.¡± He kissed me slow and deep and as much as I wanted to sink into the kiss, I couldn¡¯t. Worry for Jordan and Madigan kept poking at my brain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trent, but I can¡¯t help but worry about Madigan and Jordan. What do you think he¡¯s going to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He is going to do what is right, because if he doesn¡¯t do what is right then dad is going to kill him¡­and so will I,¡± he answered, resting his hand on my head.


    ¡°Yes, but he doesn¡¯t love her,¡± I argued.


    ¡°The baby is important, not their feelings towards each other. And besides, Jordan must feel something for Madigan, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have had a one night stand with her,¡± Trent countered.


    ¡°You think so?¡± I hope whatever happened next would be good for the both of them.


    ¡°I know so. Jordan is going to choose the baby, even though he is scared shitless; he is going to own up to his mistakes or actions, whatever it is. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Trent said, thest words were more like an order.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I hugged him tight, relishing in the feel of his muscr arms around me.


    ¡°When are Harry and Apriling over for lunch?¡± Trent queried.


    ¡°Uh I don¡¯t know, maybe on Saturday. I¡¯ll call April to confirm. Why?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Nothing, just asking. It¡¯s nice to see other people as happy as I am with you. You really are the reason for my happiness, bumblebee. You and our precious daughter,¡± he stated


    My cheeks heated as my heart pumped happiness through every cell of my body. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. You know I never thought that out of all the people on the, it would be you who would own my heart.¡±


    ¡°I know, you made that pretty clear with all the times you told me you hated me.¡± He chuckled, the sound causing his chest to vibrate.


    ¡°Well you gave me plenty of reasons to hate you,¡± I justified.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself. I love pushing your buttons, riling you up. It told me how much I affected you, and I used that to my advantage,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, and you made me fall for you.¡± I pecked his lips.


    ¡°And now you have to face the consequences,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, you make me pay for falling in love with you¡­by fucking my brains out day and night.¡± To be honest, I loved whenever Trent fucked me, it was like he wanted to imprint himself on my soul.


    ¡°Shady, I will make you pay for that everyday for the rest of our lives.¡± And with those words, he sealed my lips in a passionate kiss, letting me know exactly how much he loved me.


    The End


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