《Lies of the CEO鈥檚 Wife》


 1

    OLIVIA


    ¡°Zip it up for me, please . . .¡± I turned my back to Lara and held my hair up so she could zip this sexy ck costume I chose to wear for what I could consider the highest-paid performance I would ever do in my entire life.


    I heard her sigh and the look of worry was visible on her face. But seconds passed, she then zipped my corset from the back. I wore a seductive spaghetti strap ck corset. It had see-through silk, which made my ck thong underwear visible. I paired it with the same-colored stockings and a stiletto.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Liv? You can still back out . . . you know, I can substitute for you, I¡¯ll tell Mike.¡± I looked her in the eye and saw how uneasy she was with this situation. She really cared for me. ¡°A man doesn¡¯t know the difference once they see a woman¡¯s naked body, especially in dim lights,¡± she said.


    I chuckled and shrugged it off.


    Lara knows me well. She knew my traumatic past, my pathetic life. She knew that it would forever haunt me in my dreams if I go along with this. There¡¯s a little voice in my head saying that I should be worried about having sleepless nights as my mind will forever show me scenes of a man who tried to rape and assault me when I was fifteen.


    Looking back, his actions were like an angel from heaven in front of the other orphans, every parent who visited us, including me. It was all a tant untruth. Yet, what was happening inside the orphanage was him grooming small little girls; him looking at us like his sex toys. That ce for me was hell, and I¡¯m happy that I was no longer with them.


    While here, I would say that this was my safe ce; I can perform, do my job, and get paid. Though tonight would be different- I will strip in front of an old guy, and I must admit that it will trigger my traumatic incident from the past, but it looks like I have pleasures in seeing and battling my own nightmare.


    I ran my fingers through my long wavy hair and leaned in front of the mirror. I put red lipstick on my pale lips, and in an instant, it became livelier. My face was colored with branded makeup that lightened up my physical appearance. It made me fiercer and beautiful, the kind of face I wanted every man to see, imprinting into their minds that Liv, the most requested ¡°stripper,¡± is a goddess-like woman that would fulfil all their fantasies. Knowing that fact made me feel special about my work.


    ¡°How can I refuse that three hundred thousand dors, Lara? Even if I worked tirelessly for a year, I would never earn such a big amount of money. I only need to dance dirty and undress on stage while ying sexy, and I¡¯ll be damn free afterward. This is me winning a jackpot,¡± I told her with excitement on my lips.


    Mike, the owner of this club, approached me with an offer. I epted the request of a filthy rich VIP customer to perform on stage. To strip in front of him but not to the extent that he will bed me. I know Mike¡¯s reputation in his nightclubs, so I believe that I¡¯ll be safe with this client. I haven¡¯t paid my rent yet, and I also need to pay my phone bills, water, electricity, and creditors that keep calling me because of unpaid loans. This will definitely help me to pay them.


    In all my life, I have lived paycheck to paycheck, and at first, I was in denial that I didn¡¯t need a lot of money. Butter on, I became a ve of it. As much as I wanted to escape the rat race, I didn¡¯t have any education. But once I get the payment, I n to leave this ce, probably, change my name to Lily, have a butterfly tattoo on my arm, get a nose piercing, get a huge apartment, go to school, get my degree and hopefully work in a multi-billionpany.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know If those things will make me happy. Looking at my life, if only a family cared to adopt me or my biological parents dared to raise me, I know for sure that my life would have been a bit different, maybe meaningful, perhaps I could create my own beautiful dream, and I can perhaps understand my purpose.


    ¡°What if that VIP was nning to do something bad to you?¡± She breathed heavily and crossed her arms against her chest.


    I giggled and shook my head. ¡°That old hag signed a contract indicating that he¡¯s not allowed to bed me, so I am safe, and if all went downhill, we do have securities here. You know Mike doesn¡¯t want to ruin his bar¡¯s reputation, right?¡±


    ¡°What if this triggers your¨C?¡±


    I smirked, then showed that I regrly took my medications.


    ¡°It has been long forgotten, queen. My pride also won¡¯t make me rich, you know. Besides, I¡¯ve been doing this job for a year now.¡±


    I then tapped her shoulder to assure her that I was okay with this, grabbed the ck-colored masquerade mask, and put it on my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s showtime!¡± I said and then went out of the dressing room.


    ***


    While standing in the middle of the stage while inside the cold and dark VIP room, all I could feel was numbness from my feet also; deep within me was jumping for excitement once it was all finished. I remembered the first night I started working in this bar. I was horrified at first by how women strip in front of the customers as if it was the easiest thing to do.


    But eventually, when I learned to build a facade and be a go-getter, my principles and dignity were thrown away, and I finally understood why my co-workers were dragging themselves in a shithole like this- it¡¯s because they had no other options. But despite this, this is the only ce where I felt safer than before. I know that there¡¯s no hope in this ce for some, but if you y your cards right, then you¡¯ll secure the bag.


    My VIP customer finally entered the room. Even if the light was dim red, I could see the grin forming on his lips as he sat in the golden chair in front of the stage.


    ¡°My Liv, darling . . . you look so hot tonight,¡± he praised me and sat like a king while paying attention to me. ¡°You gotta entertain me. You¡¯re mine for the rest of the night.¡±


    I leaned forward enough for him to see my cleavage to spice him up a bit. After all, that¡¯s my job tonight. I¡¯ll ensure that this will be worth it for his money.


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t fail my most charismatic customer,¡± I sexily said and chuckled.


    I saw him licking his lips while watching me intently. I snapped my fingers in the air, and the music started to y afterwards. A popr French song sted from the speakers that made me start swaying my hips seductively.


    I danced sensually and touched my body slowly to entice the old hag in front of me. By the looks of his face, he enjoyed looking at my body as I slowly touched my breast all the way up to my neck, then caressed my hair, giving him an alluring look that would blow him up.


    I gradually went to him and touched his shoulders while swaying from the music. My hands were gently stroking his neck. I caught him looking at my breast, he bit his lips and licked. I chuckled and purposely shoved his face to my bust for him to feel it. I felt that he was already hard. It was time for me to tease him more. After that, I went to the stage¡¯s pole center and danced with it.


    The best thing is that Lara taught me how to perform with a pole, which makes me stand out to other girls right here. I was able to master how to move naturally while my legs were snaked with it as if it was part of my body. From afar, I saw how he gulped down and drank another shot of whiskey.


    Minutes passed, and his most awaited part began. Some memories were shing right back in front of me, but I had to shake my head as I needed to focus.


    I started untying the red cape I wore. I saw how his mouth formed a letter ¡°o¡± when my hands reached the thin strap of my corset and slid it down my arm as I continued to dance sensually. I removed the other one and walked towards him.


    I swayed and continued to perform while my right hand reached the zipper of my corset from the back. I didn¡¯t hesitate and undo it until the corset loosened and slid down the floor. Now I am only wearing my ckcy bra and thong underwear.


    His hand moved and travelled on my waistline. It sent waves of horror and disgust in me, but I continued to ignore it. In just a little bit of time, I¡¯ll be closer to my biggest paycheck, so I need to endure it.


    However, my hands started shaking, my eyes got blurry, and my heart started beating faster. I felt a sense of danger in my whole system.


    For my final act, I sat on hisp and saw his face get blurry, but I kept going.


    I leaned down and was about to kiss his cheek as part of my service, but tears fell from my eyes as I saw the headmaster¡¯s face from the orphanage smiling at me.


    ¡°Liv, you have grown up beautifully . . .¡±


    My body felt heavy, his faceing closer to mine, and I was about to scream my heart out, but I came back to my senses when someone banged the door.

 2

    OLIVIA


    A tall man appeared all of a sudden. My jaw dropped when he marched towards me and tightly held my arm. His oceanic eyes screamed of danger and cruelty as he looked at me intently. Though it looked like I was saved from a brief episode of intense anxiety and fits of terror, I got confused about how he darted his eyes on me. Perhaps he had mistaken me for someone else? But as I looked at him longer, I couldn¡¯t help but look at his physique that was built like a Greek God.


    Who is he?


    ¡°Reese, what the fuck? You ruined our wedding,¡± he retorted, which confused me.


    ¡°W-Wait. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking-¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, and I¡¯ll take you home! You better stop this bullshit,¡± he announced and removed his coat and covered my body with it. ¡°Let¡¯s talk once we¡¯re at home. You have some exining to do.¡± I saw his jaw clenched while he whispered it to my ear.


    ¡°Liv, what¡¯s going on here?¡± my VIP customer butted in, but before he could stand up, this Greek-God-like man in front of me punched him in a sh.


    ¡°Hey! stop it. ¡± I yelled and was about to attend to the old hag, but I was dragged out of the room by this man whom I don¡¯t know who he was.


    ¡°G-Get off me! H-How dare you ruin my n!¡± I groaned as I kept withdrawing from his grip, but hell, his hands are so big and hard that I can¡¯t remove them by swinging away.


    ¡°So this is your n all along?¡± He turned to me, and I could see the rage in his eyes. I was choking back my tears as this stupid guy destroyed my n. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what had gotten in your mind for the past months, Reese. But I won¡¯t tolerate this behavior of yours as your fiance.¡±


    Who the hell is Reese?


    ¡°W-What a minute! W-Why do you keep calling me Reese? My name is Olivia, not Reese! And the VIP you just punched? He¡¯s supposed to pay me three hundred thousand dors and now it¡¯s gone, thanks to you-Hey!¡±


    The next thing I knew, he carried me like a sack of rice on his shoulder. I screamed and punched his back multiple times, but he didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°This is seriously a kidnapping! I¡¯m going to report you to the police! Put me down! Lara, help!¡± I screamed.


    I saw the securities made way for us in the exit, and we reached the parking lot and I was stunned when I saw the luxurious car. He had just opened the door. He then put me down, and his ragged breathing was so evident that I could only swallow hard, afraid that he would do something terrible to me.


    ¡°Get in!¡± He dangerously yelled, which made my knees jelly.


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m Olivia, not Reese! And by the way, I need to go back to the bar. I don¡¯t know you, and you¡¯re being mistaken!¡± I tried not to stutter, but my heart kept beating faster. I feel like anytime I¡¯d copse.


    ¡°Did you hit your head on a wall? Let me remind you in case you forgot, you¡¯re my fiancee, and we¡¯re still going to marry! So stop this crap and get in!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± My eyes widened as if that was the craziest thing I heard.


    This man is truly insane. I brought up my phone and contacted Lara, but my vision got blurry, and I felt dizzy as I tried to do so. The next thing I know, someone grabbed me and felt a warm embrace.


    ***


    I looked at the cold-blooded face of this man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. His piercing eyes were fixated on the road, but the unknown rage was visible on his face. His jaw kept clenching, though I couldn¡¯t help but scan his beautiful face for some reason.


    Despite his grumpy aura, I had to admit that he looked ravishing. I hadn¡¯t seen such a perfect face in my entire life. His lips looked so soft, pointed nose, thick eyebrows, and those ocean eyes that would definitely make all women drawn. His blonde hair has an impable cut, too, just like the men in Hollywood movies. But with all of these looks, he is still dumb and stupid. I can¡¯t believe that my biggest paycheck vanished in thin air because of this idiot.


    In addition, what he did was still kidnapping! I massaged the bridge of my nose and nced at the window beside me. This guy . . . I bet he¡¯s gone crazy. He insisted that I am Reese Jones even though I had already exined that my name is Olivia Miller.


    Wait, is this a new scheme that I saw on TVst week? Fuck, I¡¯m in big trouble.


    ¡°Where the hell are you taking me, Sir? I¡¯m warning you, if ever you want to involve me in your monkey business! My father is a police officer! He wille after you and put you into jail. Do you understand?¡± I said with a bit of annoyance. I would be going crazy with all these scenarios whirling through my head. My phone is also useless as my phone provider cut my service. Everything adds up in my aggravation.


    He didn¡¯t answer, but I know he didn¡¯t like the tone of my voice based on how he gripped the steering wheel tightly. He then suddenly touched my neck using the back of his hand.


    Does he think that I¡¯m sick? I¡¯m speechless.


    ¡°For the nth time, I¡¯m going to tell you this . . . I am not Reese Jones, alright? My name is Olivia Miller, and clearly, you are mistaken and kidnapping me for no reason!¡± I gritted my teeth and shifted my position so I could talk to him seriously. ¡°And what you did back there in the bar ruined my reputation as the best entertainer in town. Do you know how much you owe me? That¡¯s three hundred fucking thousand dors!¡±


    He still didn¡¯t speak as if he didn¡¯t hear all my whines. I can see that he slowly shakes his head. I could have sworn this guy made my veins want to explode out of anger numerous times in just an hour.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sir, please take me back. I don¡¯t know you. I¡¯m not Reese . . . okay, I lied. I don¡¯t have a Dad. My father is not a police officer. I don¡¯t have a family. My only hope is my work. Please, I¡¯m begging you. Take me back to that ce.¡± I was breathing heavily, and my chest went up and down as my tears burst out. My anger, fear, and worries merged as if I thought a second I would die of catching my breath.


    ¡°Your only hope, are you seriously ill?¡± His voice was menacing. ¡°Is that the reason why you escaped without any word two months ago? To work in that filthy ce?¡±


    My forehead creased as I looked at him. My fist clenched, and I could feel the raging emotions from my chest. This is probably my fate. Who am I kidding? This is what I only deserve . . . an orphan who does not deserve to escape this shithole, does not deserve to aplish her dreams and doesn¡¯t deserve to be loved. From this moment, waves of agony washed out my hopes and aspirations. I gave up.


    I returned to my senses as he drove faster and then turned right and immediately


    stopped the car.


    ¡°What the hell! Do you want us to die?!¡± I yelled as I held my chest nervously.


    He turned to me and eyed me angrily. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to get married two months ago, Reese! You told me you love me, but you left me like a joke, and I don¡¯t know why you did that! I was losing my mind trying to find you in every ce in the world only to find you working as a sex worker in that cheap bar?! Why did you even do that?¡±


    I rolled my eyes and shook my head.


    ¡°Your mom is so worried about you! We thought someone kidnapped you, or you ran away with another guy, but it was even more surprising seeing you strip naked in front of that old man! Jesus, Reese! What on earth were you thinking? ¡± He then scratched the back of his neck and said, ¡°I knew it. You know what? I fucking knew it. I should not let you hang out with Paris. That motherfucker gave you drugs.¡±


    His worried face then turned to me and then he released a big sigh as his eyes went back on the road.


    ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t have a mom, okay? Even if I wanted to, I¡¯m an orphan. I don¡¯t have a family. Second, I worked there as an entertainer, not a sex worker. It¡¯s part of my job. Lastly, whoever that Paris is, we are not pals, and she did not give me any shit, and as far as I¡¯m concerned, it looks like you¡¯re the doper here, not me. ¡± I then put both my hands over my face out of frustration.


    ¡°That bitch, she ruins everything. I¡¯ll call her to stop inviting you on her trips to L. A. Don¡¯t worry, Reese, everything will be alright. But I need to tell this to your mom as she is worried sick.¡±


    Looks can be deceiving indeed. At first nce, I would not expect that this gorgeous guy could be stupid as fuck. Out of frustration, I ran my fingers through my hair.


    This guy is seriously stressing me out.


    ¡°We will go to your ce . . .¡± He looked away and started the engine of the car. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home, and we will tell this to your mom.¡±


    For some reason, instead of countering his arguments, I can¡¯t help butugh in this situation. Like, even how many times I tried to convince him, he was dead serious telling me that I¡¯m Reese and he will be supposed to be married to her. Whoever Reese is, she is supposed to be thankful that she has a handsome but pesky fiancee.


    I burst out inughter. His face looked confused. Just by looking at him, he no longer knew how to react. Probably, he¡¯s thinking that I need to go to rehab. Guessing the look from this idiot, he probably is.


    ¡°Give me $300, 000, and I¡¯ll y your little game,¡± I said in defeat and crossed my arms against my chest.


    He shook his head, ¡°Even the riches of Solomon, I ¡®ll give it to you,¡± he said and started the engine and maneuvered his car.


    I scoffed and heaved a huge breath. The waves of my agony shifted to waves of hope and uncertainty. My heart pounded faster, and I can¡¯t help to remove the wide grin from my face.

 3

    OLIVIA


    I could feel the cold breeze kissing every bit of my skin as we got out of his car. My eyesnded on the huge manor in front of us. It was like a Georgian manor, too old-fashioned but speaks of elegance and nobleness.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked curiously to the handsome-yet-grumpy man standing next to me.


    ¡°At your home,¡± he said coldly. He held my hand and dragged me without any hesitation.


    ¡°Seriously, you need to go easy on me while I¡¯m still in control!¡± I hissed as we walked through the stairs.


    ¡°Your mother is waiting for us,¡± he said when we reached the front of the double doors.


    I just shrugged and rolled my eyes. Those were good words to hear only if I had a mother. I bet Reese¡¯ mother will think he¡¯s gone insane once she sees her supposed son-inw bringing another woman into their house.


    He knocked on the door and minutes passed, it was opened by a housemaid. He was still holding my hand tightly when we entered inside.


    My eyes roamed around and all I could see were luxurious furniture and interiors that made the whole living room livelier,forting and warm. The house was undeniably spacious and truly stunning. Across the living room is a grand staircase which leads to the second floor. I gazed up there and saw a woman who seemed to be in her mid 40¡¯s and was standing in the first rung of the stairs. Her hand was caressing her chest as her eyes started to get teary.


    She must be Reese¡¯ mom . . . she then ran downstairs and it somehow made me nervous thinking that she might fall. I thought she would try to hit this insane man beside me but I was stunned when she ran towards me and embraced me tight.


    I blinked several times, and swallowed hard when I heard her cry on my shoulder while hugging me as if she didn¡¯t want to lose me . . again.


    ¡°Oh, God! Sweetheart, where have you been all this time . . . I was so worried to death,¡± she said in between her sobs. She then faced me and the next thing I knew was she¡¯s caressing both of my cheeks that somehow sent warmth to my spine. ¡°I am so happy you¡¯re safe and back, Reese. Mommy missed you so much . . .¡± She hugged me again.


    I didn¡¯t know how to react. God knows how I wanted to burst her bubble and tell her that I am not her daughter . . . that I am not Reese Jones, but something inside me slightly pity her. I don¡¯t know why.


    I still don¡¯t understand why both of them are calling me Reese. Who really is she?


    I didn¡¯t manage to utter a single word in front of Reese¡¯ mom. I am still confused and definitely convinced that this wasn¡¯t a prank anymore. After the emotional breakdown Reese¡¯ mom had upon seeing me, she was sent to her room with a house nurse who¡¯s in-charge with her because apparently, she¡¯s suffering from depression.


    When the grumpy guy confirmed that she¡¯s already having a good rest, he then walked me to Reese¡¯ bedroom.


    As soon as I entered the room, my eyes widened in disbelief. I nced at the portraits hanging on the wall and saw a familiar face of a woman . . . my face . . .


    I shook my head, trying to get a grasp of everything but I couldn¡¯t seem to understand what was happening.


    Like what the hell is going on?


    Reese Jones and I have the same face? How could it be possible?


    I stiffened when I felt him embracing me from the back. I was about to protest but his arms were snaking my waist tightly. He buried his face on my neck, and when I felt his mint breath on my skin. A sudden wave of electrifying sting sent shivers up to my spine.


    ¡°I forgive you for everything you¡¯ve done . . . whatever you¡¯ve been doing, I will forget about it. Just promise me you won¡¯t leave me anymore,¡± he whispered, almost pleading.


    My forehead creased. I know I was whining to him a while ago but after seeing all Reese¡¯ pictures, it was as if my strength faded away because unanswered questions started to haunt me.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking run away from me, Reese.¡± His hands traveled on my shoulders and he made me turn around so I could face him.


    My brows furrowed. The rage on his face has gone. The only things I see in his eyes are sadness and desperation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get married tomorrow. You can¡¯t escape from me. I won¡¯t allow you to leave me ever again,¡± he uttered with finality.


    To my surprise, he leaned forward and gave me a rough kiss.


    ***


    The next day . . .


    I was pacing back and forth, biting my nails as I tried to think of a good escape n. After what happened between me and that grumpy manst night, after how he stole kisses from me and swore that he won¡¯t let me go, it became clearer to me that I was in a big mess.


    My eyes darted on the telephone on the table beside Reese¡¯ bed. I immediately walked towards it and dialed Lara¡¯s cell number. If there was one only thing I am good at, that¡¯s memorizing phone numbers of the people I care about. I heard three rings on the line and then she answered the phone call.


    ¡°Lara!¡± I called her name as I sat on the side of the bed.


    ¡°Olive? Geez!¡± She eximed. ¡°What happened to youst night? Mike checked the CCTV footage and told me someone has kidnapped you. I took a closer look at that man¡¯s face and figured out it was no other than Chase Maxwell!¡±


    My forehead immediately creased. ¡°Chase who?¡±


    ¡°Chase Maxwell, Olive! He¡¯s one of the most famous billionaire bachelors in the country! How did you know him? Care to tell everything because I¡¯m freaking out here!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m freaking out too, Lara. He ruined my performancest night because he thought I¡¯m his missing fiancee.¡± I lowered down my voice, afraid that someone might hear me from the outside.


    ¡°W-What? Fiancee? Howe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m here in the house of that woman. Listen, you won¡¯t believe what I found out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears, Liv!¡±


    ¡°His fiancee, Reese Jones? We have the same face! I mean . . . we¡¯re too identical and that¡¯s the reason why that man, Chase, has dragged me into this ce! He thinks I¡¯m the woman he¡¯s been looking for, Lara!¡± I told her as if I am bing more hysterical right now.


    I heard her gasp. ¡°What the- are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I really want to think this is just a nightmare but hell, this is real. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. I haven¡¯t been able to sleep in Reese¡¯ room. Her pictures are giving me creeps.¡± I then turned to the wall and gazed on Reese¡¯ portrait, and instantly I felt the goosebumps all over my body. ¡°But, I have another problem.¡±


    ¡°Another one? What is it?¡± Her voice sounded so concerned.


    ¡°That Chase? He said we¡¯re going to get married today!¡± I said and palmed my face. ¡°He¡¯s so convinced that I am Reese, that I left him for unknown reason and now he¡¯s not going to allow me to escape anymore and will force me to a shotgun marriage. This is insane!¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness, am I hearing it all right? That famous bachelor wants to marry you? You¡¯ll be an instant billionaire¡¯s wife if that¡¯s the case then!¡± she said in glee.


    ¡°Let me remind you that I¡¯m not Reese Jones, for the love of God, Lara!¡± I rolled my eyes. How could she get so giddy with the thought of me marrying that grumpy billionaire?


    She sighed. ¡°But isn¡¯t it an opportunity you should consider, Liv? It only takes one vow and you will get your chance to escape from the rat race. Come to think of it, you will no longer need to work as a stripper. You¡¯ll have a wealthy life, and the most good-looking husband. You¡¯ll never have to worry about money, you will get anything you want-¡±


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m not Reese-¡±


    ¡°But this might be the chance you¡¯ve been waiting for, Olive. If that girl, Reese, really wanted to marry Chase Maxwell, she should¡¯ve been there to begin with. However, she¡¯s missing in action, and the only woman who gets the chance right now is no other than you.¡±


    I inhaled heavily as my chest started tightening . . . somehow, at the back of my mind, I knew Lara was right. I felt like my mind and conscience were battling against each other. My mind strongly agreed to Lara but my conscience was telling me otherwise.


    ¡°You know how impossible it is to reach a dream when you don¡¯t have the means to depend on. Liv, you only live once. Chance like this can only stumble in front of your feet once.¡±


    The memory of my younger self stealing bread in a bakery store when I was wandering on the streets shed in my mind. It was followed by my teenager self who stood in front of the bar, and how my life changed afterwards . . . my life has changed, yes. But I had to admit that I am still at my lowest.


    Silence engulfed me for a moment. If only I could see a sign that would make me decide what to do . . . something that would encourage me to go on with Lara¡¯s suggestion.


    If only someone would knock on the door and tell me it¡¯s okay for me to do it . . . I was holding the telephone to my ear so tightly, and my eyes couldn¡¯t help but be teary.


    ¡°Fuck . . .¡± I gasped and ended the call without saying a word to my friend.


    I heard two knocks on the door that made me hold back to crying. I cleared my throat and stood up. The door opened and the familiar God-like Chase Maxwell entered. Compared tost night, he looked more calm today. He was wearing a ck suit that fit his body perfectly.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said huskily.


    I swallowed hard and just nodded at him. My eyes gazed down at the white huge box he was holding and then nced at him curiously.


    ¡°We have to keep going, Reese. We will marry today,¡± he said genuinely and handed me the box.


    I didn¡¯t know why but I found his voice soothing . . . as if it was the sign I just asked earlier, and like he was pushing me to do it, to grab this one in a million chance.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re still going to marry me,¡± I said with my voice on the verge of cracking.


    ¡°Yes, I will still marry you. Whatever it is that happenedst night, it doesn¡¯t change what I feel for you, Reese.¡±


    Our eyes were still locked with each other. I could see the sincerity in him. I hate to admit it but it felt like Reese had missed this gem in front of me.


    I inhaled and walked towards him, then tiptoed to give him a peck on his lips.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get married then . . .¡±

 4

    OLIVIA


    When I was in the orphanage, I never imagined that there would be a family willing to adopt me. Every Christmas, I recall some people who visited and gave us gifts. I was super excited especially in November, the month when we normally prepare some presentations that we would perform at the Christmas party.


    Then one time, someone gave me a gift. It was a Christmas card that was given by a lovely couple, and I kept it in a shoe box. Whenever I feel sad, I would see myself bringing it out from the box and read it. Even though it had only a generic happy Holiday message with my name written in front of it, it didn¡¯t fail to give a smile on my face. It was the only Christmas present I got when I was a kid that somehow made me feel special. The truth was, I imagined that it came from my real family.


    Now in a turn of events, I was sitting with my ¡®parents¡¯, with my ¡®fiance¡¯ sitting next to me and of course his family on the other side of the table.


    And guess what? We were discussing the ns for our marriage- Chase and mine.


    We were all here in the dining area of Chase Maxwell¡¯s house. I never imagined that I would find myself in this situation, at least not until today. Reese Jones, for God¡¯s sake, why do we have the same face? Well, let me y your role for a while then once I get what I want, they will no longer see me anymore.


    I can¡¯t wait to get my three hundred thousand dors from Chase. That money is enough for me to change my face entirely so that this idiot would no longer run after me.


    ¡°Reese, I am d that you¡¯re able to join us today. How are you?¡±


    I came back to my senses when Chase¡¯s father spoke. At this moment, I wasn¡¯t sure what they thought of Reese. Due to the fact that I was unfamiliar with her, I¡¯ve decided to provide just in responses to his family, just to be on the safe side. The less I say, the less likely it is that I will make a mistake, and if I can perfect the art of pretense, I will be able to avoid any suspicion on their part.


    Earlier when we arrived, his father, whose name is Ernest, looked at me as if he saw a dead person, which I thought was strange. He even dropped his newspaper and then proceeded to hug me. My mind couldn¡¯t help but wonder how close he was to Reese.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks!¡± I faked my smile just like how I pretend to be someone that I¡¯m really not.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, sweetheart. All of us were worried about you,¡± Chase¡¯s father replied, still gazing at me with an odd look.


    ¡°She kinda has amnesia and forgot our wedding,¡± Chase said to my family.


    Everyone at the dining table burst outughing. They looked at me and kept shaking their heads. Then they proceed to bombard me with a lot of questions. I was trying to be as polite as possible with them but they started to get on my nerves.


    To avoid their questions, I always end up looking at Chase, giving him a look, signaling him that I can no longer amodate and answer all their queries, especially those interrogation of his parents.


    His mother had a lot to say about this swimmingpetition, like I didn¡¯t have even the slightest idea what she meant by that. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you Reese. You¡¯re the pride of the Jones¡¯s family!¡±


    What did she say? I don¡¯t even know how to swim!


    Then, I recall those medals from Reese¡¯s room and some portraits of her wearing a one piece swimsuit holding a trophy. So the missing bride-to-be is a swimmer?


    ¡°Perhaps, you¡¯re getting overwhelmed because of your wedding, then herees this uing swimmingpetition you must attend and you¡¯re still trying to recover.¡± Mrs. Maxwell nced at her son. ¡°Chase, I guess you should postpone the wedding for this year so that Reese will have more time to prepare.¡±


    Chase¡¯s mom then reached for my hand that was resting on the table. Chase, who was seated next to me, caught my attention. I saw that he had a gloomy expression on his face. His oceanic eyes were filled with disappointment as he listened to what his mother had to say.


    ¡°Chase, I guess your mother is right. We can¡¯t force this wedding since Reese is still recovering. We don¡¯t even know what happened to her. We need a specialist to check on her.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure whether I would be happy or not that I am hearing all these damn excuses from his family. One thing is for sure, both of his parents don¡¯t want me to marry their son. If the marriage would not push through, I wonder if I would still be able to get my money back . . .


    But of course, I am already here in this madness and I already made a decision to y along with it, so in order for me to ensure that I would be getting money, I have to marry this billionaire, by hook or crook.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle Ernest and Aunt udia, but me and Chase would like to be married as soon as possible,¡± I uttered.


    His parents were both staring at me with a nk expression on their faces before they threw meaningful looks at each other. I¡¯m not sure whether they¡¯re enraged or just confused.


    Chase, on the other hand, smiled at me. ¡°Mom, dad, you heard Reese. We want this wedding to happen as soon as possible. In fact, I wanted our wedding to be done today but you intervened with our initial n. If it weren¡¯t for yourints, Reese would have been my wife by now.¡± He then nced at me and winked.


    I rolled my eyes, but I stopped midway as her sister seemed to notice it.


    ¡°I wish you never came back,¡± she said with her lips pouting in annoyance.


    I narrowed my eyes as I threw a dagger at her. I want to give thisdy a smack on the face but since she will be my sister-inw, then I¡¯ll let it slide.


    ¡°Hey Chandria, quit it.¡± Chase told her warily.


    Reese¡¯s parents then started to persuade them with the wedding n but for some reason, Chase¡¯s parents would always bring up my condition.


    I guess the real problem here was how I would convince these people that I¡¯m fine. Even if I¡¯m in their position, I would also be terrified that someone who has gone missing for two months, ruined her supposed wedding with their son, would show up and have no details whatsoever about what really happened.


    It is reasonable for them to think about it first. I got that I needed to be checked by a specialist, probably they are referring to a therapist or some sort. Observing how our conversations went, I already knew that it would not be easy for me to wear Reese¡¯ shoes at all.


    However, even though the shoes don¡¯t fit right now on my feet, I would still work my ass off to be the modern Cindere of this fairytale.


    We exchanged our goodbyes as soon as our lunch was finished. I walked in their hallway, then went downstairs and saw Maxwell¡¯s family portrait. My eyes wandered on their walls which appeared to be magical. They had these dream-like paintings, sculptures that I only saw from the magazines and when I reached the end of the stairs, there¡¯s this old typewriter that caught my attention. I squinted my eyes as it felt like I had seen it before.


    ¡°Do you still remember that thing?¡± A familiar voice of Chase was heard behind me. He then tapped my shoulders and stood up right beside me.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You gave that to me as a gift,¡± he said.


    Oh, alright. I bit my tongue and acted as if my head started to feel a throbbing pain. I guess this is the best thing to do, to disguise that I¡¯m suffering from amnesia so they would stop throwing questions at me.


    I know Chase wanted me to share what exactly had happened to me but since I¡¯m a different person, I don¡¯t have any exnation for it. I just need to stick with this act until they get tired of asking me a lot of things.


    However, I know I couldn¡¯t pretend to have amnesia forever. If this continues, Chase¡¯ parents will not likely agree for us to get married.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t remember that¡¯s fine,¡± he said.


    His face saddened as he tried to tell me some good stories about him and Reese, hoping that any of it would somehow ring a bell to me.


    As I listened carefully to him, I started to think that having a rtionship with someone is truly difficult. When I was working in the bar, my goal was to earn a lot of money and that¡¯s it.


    When I was still at the orphanage, every time I saw other kids being adopted, I felt so jealous. Every night, I prayed that hopefully one day, a family woulde and adopt me. Now, I realized that family can beplicated too.


    ¡°Reese, please don¡¯t give up,¡± he pleaded.


    He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me for a embrace. Surprisingly, it¡¯s aforting, warm, tender . . . long embrace, which made my mind calm a bit.


    My hands wanted to move on their own and to embrace him too, but my mind reminded me not to do it. I don¡¯t want to be too attached to him. My emotions should not have any control of me. If I ended up liking this person, then I¡¯d be in huge trouble, especially when the real Reese Jones finally showed up.


    But I had to admit that this guy is truly appealing. The way he embraces me gives me an indication that he doesn¡¯t want to let me go. I know I was mad as hell at himst night but at the back of my mind, there¡¯s a little demonic voice telling me to enjoy this moment with him.


    Perhaps because I don¡¯t have any lover? I never had a boyfriend before. Even if I wanted to enter a rtionship and entertain some men who showed good motives to me, I didn¡¯t have the courage to grab the chance and ended up getting away.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    That¡¯s how my trauma ruined my life.


    I came back to my senses when he kissed my lips. It was so passionate and enticing that even though my mind was telling me to push him, I did the opposite. I kissed him back, parting my lips and felt his tongue inside my mouth which made me moan softly.


    Then I realized we were still in his house and his parents might have caught us kissing!


    ¡°Ch-Chase, not here . . .¡± I muttered and slightly pushed him away.


    And I was correct . . . someone has caught us in the act.


    I saw his sister, standing up a few steps away from our direction, watching us intently.


    ¡°Can you guys get a room?¡± she scoffed and rolled her eyes at me.


    A sudden wave of embarrassment filled my entire system. She then walked past us and even bumped my shoulder intentionally. As I turned around, she only gave me an annoyed face.


    My eyebrows furrowed with how that brat Chandria acted in front of me. I licked my lower lip and grinned bitterly. What a childish devil . . .

 5

    OLIVIA


    Chase offered to send me home after that suffocating gathering we had in his house. I was sittingfortably on the shotgun seat, gaze wandering on the streets we passed by. I made several sighs. I didn¡¯t know why but I felt so tired on the first day of my pretense.


    This thing was harder than I thought, not to add that Chase¡¯s family acted so strange in front of me which gave me an idea that they didn¡¯t like Reese Jones for Chase at all. They thought I was going crazy, that was for sure. Because if not, they wouldn¡¯t try to push the idea of me going to a psychiatrist and would reason out a lot just to move the wedding that was supposed to happen this week. Even his sister. That Chandria obviously didn¡¯t like meing back, or should I say Reese.


    I nced at him. His eyes were fixated on the road as he maneuvered the car. My eyes couldn¡¯t help but memorize his face. He was truly good looking, a god-like man who was made perfectly by someone above. I didn¡¯t really get why Reese left this guy . . . Chase Maxwell was truly a jackpot and she only left him without a single word. I would say it was hical and an absurd decision. Was it really how rich women act?


    ¡°Staring is rude, Reese.¡± His mouth twitched for a quick smile.


    I chuckled awkwardly and cleared my throat after. Was I so fascinated in his face that I didn¡¯t realize I was staring at him for too long? That was embarrassing!


    ¡°Now that I think about it, we¡¯ve been together for how many years but it was the first time I felt that kind of kiss from you,¡± he said and then looked at me for a second then turned his eyes back on the road. ¡°I can¡¯t describe it but it felt so different and I really like it.¡±


    His statement made me feel ufortable. Why did he have to open up such a topic? It was just a damn kiss!


    ¡°And maybe you only missed me, that¡¯s why you thought it¡¯s different. Nothing has changed, Chase. Don¡¯t be confused,¡± I replied, hands sweating with the thought that I might have kissed him differentlypared to how Reese gives him kisses.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He chuckled, His one hand reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. ¡°I miss you so much, Reese . . . and I can¡¯t wait for us to get married,¡± he uttered and smiled genuinely.


    I felt bad that I had to deceive this guy who only hoped to love and be loved by that girl, Reese Jones. If only I had another choice . . .


    Money is the root of all evil, as people say. I could confirm it was true because here I was, stuck in a life that¡¯s full of deception in order to get some money out of Chase¡¯s pocket and to survive this cruel world.


    I pity him but I pity myself more than anyone. That¡¯s why I had to do this, no matter what or who would be the casualty of my own actions. Even if it was Chase. I inhaled heavily and nced back at the window.


    I guess it would be easier if I would treat this mess as a part of my job, that this guy was my customer and I had to y the role of Reese Jones, the soon-to-be wife of this billionaire. And in order for my acting to be believable, I should contact Lara to help me do some research about Reese.


    I needed some information about her, how she dresses . . . what are her likes and dislikes, even how she normally moves and speaks . . . I need to copy her overall demeanor!


    I also needed to know every bit of her body, even if it was just a mole or scars. What if she had a tattoo? It would be awkward if I slept with Chase and then he would figure out that some random tattoo was missing from his girl¡¯s body. In short, I really had to copy her up to the point that someone wouldn¡¯t be able to tell who is who.


    I recalled one certain topic Mrs. Maxwell had opened up during our lunch. She did mention a swimmingpetition that Reese had to attend. Now, how do I escape from that? Never in my entire life had I learned how to swim. If someone pushed me to the swimming pool, I¡¯d be dead in an instant.


    I felt a throbbing pain in my head as I realized that Reese and I werepletely different. She excelled in sports, something that was totally opposite of me. I hated sports, to be honest. The only thing I knew was how to work for money.


    But I guess I should try new things this time. Learning how to swim should be the first one on the list. Little by little, I would be able to replicate that woman. I took my phone from my bag and started taking notes . . .


    I waspletely consumed by my ns on how I would be able to copy Reese. My thoughts were only ripped out when Chase spoke beside me.


    ¡°We¡¯re already here, babe,¡± he said. The car entered the main gate and stopped in front of the Jones¡¯ manor.


    ¡°Thank you for bringing me home,¡± I said and smiled at him. Calling this home was still foreign to me but hopefully, I¡¯d get used to this kind of set up.


    I got out of the car and so did he. ¡°Let me walk you inside.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I stared at him and rolled my eyes after a few seconds. ¡°Are you always this clingy?¡±


    Heughed and shook his head. He walked towards me and snaked his arm around my waist.


    ¡°Like I said earlier, I missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± I hissed, then chuckled.


    When we reached the front door, he opened it for me. I couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on my lips as he acted like a gentleman, very sweet and thoughtful. But even though he had this kindness in him, I shouldn¡¯t get too attached to him. After all, I was just pretending to be his girl.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m not a baby anymore. I can walk on my own,¡± I said as I noticed how he held my hand and shoulder gently as we entered inside the manor.


    He only smiled and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°Now, what was that for?¡± I raised a brow.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re acting so cute and I like it, Reese.¡± He chuckled.


    My eyes then squinted. ¡°No need to impress me with your moves, young boy.¡± I smirked.


    He pouted his lips and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from teasing him more. We then walked our way to the living room. We sat on the couch. Mr. Smith, the butler, appeared out of nowhere to wee us.


    ¡°Hello there, Ms. Reese, Sir Chase. Would you like anything, perhaps some drinks?¡± he offered as he nced at the both of us.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re fine.¡± Chase smiled and nodded.


    When the butler left, he then moved closer to me.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re alone, I guess we can continue where we left off . . .¡± he whispered in my ear.


    To my surprise, his warm and seductive voice tickled my ear. I tilted my head away from him and was about to hit him in the arm when Mrs. Jones, who went home earlier than me, walked downstairs that made Chase move a little bit far from me.


    Sneaky!


    ¡°Ooh, Chase! You¡¯re here! Thanks for sending my daughter home. I am sorry we had to leave earlier. Reese¡¯ father needed to finish some work in thepany,¡± Mrs. Jones eximed.


    Chase cleared his throat and stood up. ¡°Not a problem, Mrs. Jones. I¡¯m d you left your daughter with me.¡± He nced back at me. ¡°You know that I missed her a lot and I¡¯m trying to make up for the time we lost.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you, Chase.¡± Mrs. Jones held her chest as if she was truly impressed with this guy. It was so dramatic that I could only shake my head. ¡°How about you stay and join us for dinner? I bet Reese would also love that! Am I right, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, sure, Mom!¡± I said and called Mrs. Jones for the very first time.


    It felt so strange and my heart couldn¡¯t help but pound loudly. I wasn¡¯t even sure if this was because I was nervous whenever Reese¡¯ mom was around or I was just engulfed by an unfamiliar excitement to treat someone as my mother. Nevertheless, I needed to sound confident and real.


    Chase caressed the back of his neck. ¡°I am afraid I have to decline for now, Mrs. Jones. I will have to attend apany meeting and sign a few reports.¡± He then looked back at me. ¡°I hope that¡¯s alright, Reese.¡±


    ¡°Do your thing, Chase. It¡¯s okay. We have all the time in the world,¡± I replied and faked a sweet smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re really a hardworking man, Chase. Your parents should be very proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Jones. I¡¯m only doing this for Reese. I want to give her the best life she deserves . . .¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a promise!¡± Mrs. Jones hugged Chase tightly and released him after a few seconds. ¡°I was already eager for you and Reese to get married. But I have to respect and understand your parents¡¯ opinion of it. Perhaps I just really want my daughter to settle down and live with a man who truly loves her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Jones. I¡¯ll do everything so we can get married as soon as possible,¡± Chase assured her.


    I didn¡¯t know why but I feel that Reese¡¯ parents were too eager for this marriage to happen too. But I wasn¡¯t in the right position to doubt their motives at all. After all, they weren¡¯t my biological parents . . . I only had to mind my own motives here.


    When Chase left, Mrs. Jones went back to the living room. Her eyes were teary as if she was already on the verge of breaking down. She sat next to me and held my hands that rested on myp.


    She inhaled heavily. ¡°I am sorry, Reese, if you feel that the Maxwells¡¯ are doubting to continue the wedding at this point . . . I wished I could do something more useful for them to be convinced that you¡¯re just doing alright, that you don¡¯t need to be checked by some psychiatrists.¡±


    I patted her back as her tears started to fall.


    It was funny because in real life, I was indeed taking medications but of course for different reasons. Mrs. Jones wiped her tears away and caressed my hands gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mom. I¡¯ll get better soon and ensure to gain their approval and trust,¡± I assured her.


    She nodded her head and smiled at me. I didn¡¯t know how tofort someone, but my mind told me to hug her . . . and so I did. She cried more and embraced me tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be better, I promise, Mom. Hush now, please . . .¡± I said and closed my eyes as memories started to sh back in my mind.


    It was the young version of me from the orphanage, saying those exact words as one of the teachers scolding me when I forgot my lines during our presentation. I was crying and telling them that I would be better after being scolded and taught that apology wasn¡¯t enough, that I should be better.


    So every time I was humiliated, or whenever I failed and treated as worthless by my peers, I would stand up and promise myself that I¡¯d fight back and do everything to get better.


    For some reason, tears started pooling in my eyes as I felt that this kind of embrace was the only thing I¡¯ve been waiting for ever since I was a child.


    ¡°Reese, I¡¯m d that you came to my life . . .¡± Mrs. Jones mumbled which stung my chest.


    I was pped back into reality and remembered that I was only living someone else¡¯s life, not mine.

 6

    OLIVIA


    Mrs. Jones escorted me in my room after that emotional moment we had in the living room. She said that I must rx a bit and dip in the bathtub before we eat dinner. She also mentioned that she would cook all my favorite food. I couldn¡¯t deny that she was kind and a wonderful mother. I realized that Reese was so blessed to have a mother like her who would support and love her so unconditionally.


    Every day of my life, I¡¯ve yearned for that kind of love, and I never imagined that I¡¯d get the opportunity to experience it myself, even though I knew it wasn¡¯t actually meant for me, but rather for someone else.


    That¡¯s why I had to make sure that I would be able to act more convincingly from now on. My goal was to avoid making Mrs. Jones suspicious of me as I knew that it would break her heart if she found out that I¡¯m a different soul. While her daughter was nowhere to be found, I wanted to make sure that I would be able to portray Reese Jones¡¯s identity perfectly and to fill in some gaps she had left here.


    When Mrs. Jones left me in my room, I peeped outside and locked the door. Now that I was free from their sights, it¡¯s time for me to take action.


    I grabbed my phone and dialed Lara¡¯s phone number.


    ¡°Hey, red baby doll . . .¡± I said a few seconds after she answered a call.


    We decided toe up with a code whenever we talk on the phone and this ¡®red baby doll¡¯ was something I chose. I would say the code whenever I call her so that Lara would be aware that it was me who¡¯s calling her.


    ¡°Olivia, how are you?¡±


    I could hear the st of the music in the background. It was difficult for me to hear her voice as she seemed to be in the bar right now.


    ¡°Hey, can you go to the dressing room for a second? I can barely hear you!¡± I said and crossed my arms on my chest as I waited for the background noise from the other line to stop.


    Minute passed and then the silence filled the other line.


    ¡°Alright, can you hear me now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s better!¡± I sighed with relief. ¡°Hey, Lara. I badly need your help.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mrs. Maxwell, the wife of the billionaire. How can I be of help?¡± she said as she tried to tease me.


    I rolled my eyes and smirked. ¡°Reese Jones is someone I¡¯d like to learn more about and I need your help to investigate and obtain more information regarding that woman. I require a lot of great deal of information about her that can help me impersonate her, Lara. I badly need your help and I need this task to be done as soon as possible.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ooh, sounds fun! Of course, I will help you! Looks like you¡¯re determined to ace your n now!¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m already here. Might as well give my best for me to hit a jackpot,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you grabbed the chance, Liv.¡± Then I heard her long sigh. ¡°I hope something like that will happen to me too. The loan sharks came to my house yesterday and they really stressed me out. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore,¡± she added.


    ¡°How much do you need, Lara?¡± I asked her worriedly.


    We¡¯ve been friends for a long time. I knew that she¡¯d been borrowing money from loan sharks and despite how horrible these people are. Lara had no other choice but toe back with them whenever she needed money because she had no one to run to and I had no money to offer as well.


    But now . . . I think I could do something to help her.


    ¡°O-Olivia,¡± she stuttered as her voice suddenly cracked. ¡°N-No, you don¡¯t have-¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, Lara. How much do you need? I want to help, alright?¡±


    I heard her sob but then a few seconds passed and she screamed in glee. What a nice actress!


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, Liv! You¡¯re such an angel!¡± she eximed dramatically.


    I shook my head. ¡°Stop it. You know I am not close to bing one. We¡¯re such daredevils!¡±


    We both chuckled. I had to admit that it felt good to talk to my best friend. My day had been so suffocating and Lara was the only person with whom I could talk to with all my guard down and without feeling judged.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s your life now that you became a wife of a billionaire?¡± she asked, her voice was giddy.


    ¡°Well, let me tell you the bad news. Chase¡¯s parents stopped us from getting married today.¡±


    ¡°What the heck? Is that for real?¡± she sounded shocked.


    ¡°Yeah, I was kind of pissed about it but I don¡¯t want to worry about that right now. I still have to work on my disguise so they won¡¯t be suspicious of me.¡± I sighed. ¡°But Chase told me he will do everything so we can get married soon though,¡± I told her as Iyed down on the bed.


    ¡°Hmm, inws issues . . .¡± sheughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, babe. I got your back. I¡¯ll investigate that woman, Reese Jones, and will send all the information to your email. Just go along with your disguise. No one¡¯s going to be suspicious of you since you¡¯re too identical with Reese.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lara. You know I can¡¯t do this without you. I promise to make a shit ton of money and your help won¡¯t be put into waste as I will include you with my sess!¡± I said happily.


    ¡°Sounds great, Liv! I¡¯m thinking about my dream vacation with my boyfriend in Hawaii. I think you can treat us to an all-expense paid trip!¡±


    ¡°What? You should travel with me first. No boyfriends allowed!¡± I hissed. ¡°Anyway, how much money do you need?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, about fifty thousand dors, Liv . . .¡± she replied.


    What? She needed that much money?!


    ¡°I promise to pay you, Liv. My kid also needed the money for his tuition fees. His father no longer gives his child support and I am already tired of chasing that poor ass guy. I really can¡¯t depend on him so I must face this hardship alone for my child.¡±


    I sighed in disbelief. ¡°Alright then. I got your back, Lara. You have nothing to worry about,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already the soon-to-be wife or should I say the fiance of the super famous Chase Maxwell, I presume you can ask him for money, right? Or perhaps that woman, Reese Jones, has some bank ounts or credit cards that you can use!¡± she suggested.


    I rolled my eyes. Now, I wanted to question myself about who¡¯s the real devil between me or Lara.


    Two birds of the same feather really flock together . . .


    ¡°Are you hearing yourself, Lara? Damn it! You really are the devil!¡± I snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, I know! I¡¯m a great devil for money. Anyway, I need to do some work here at the bar. I¡¯ll call youter!¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the money! Let me know once you have it so we can meet at our secret ce. Bye, Liv!¡±


    I threw my phone on the bed after that call. Now, I just need to create a n on how I can get some money to help Lara . . . I recalled the night I first met Chase. He told me that he could give me even the riches of Solomon when I asked him to pay me three hundred thousand dors. Would it appear embarrassing for me if I asked him about that money?


    I found myself contemting whether to do it or not as I stared at the ceiling but I guess I had no other choice since I already promised Lara that I¡¯d help her. That¡¯s what best friends are for. She didn¡¯t leave me at my lowest so I will do my best to be someone she could depend on this time.


    I went downstairs and asked for a family driver to drive me at Chase¡¯s office as I didn¡¯t know where he actually works. It was a good thing that our butler assisted me and called one of the drivers to help me.


    After almost an hour, we arrived at a very huge building. My mouth was opened as I looked up to thepany where Chase is working. His family is damn rich!


    The driver opened the car door for me and I went out to look around. I saw a group of men in ck suits and ties marching toward me. My heart raced as I didn¡¯t know any of them. I clutched my chest when they stopped in front of me.


    ¡°Wee back, Ms. Jones. We heard from your butler that you¡¯reing over to meet Mr. Maxwell,¡± their leader told me, which made my jaw drop on the floor.


    Was itmon for the rich people to be weed this way whenever they visit someone else¡¯s office? I almost had a heart attack!


    I was about to thank them but a bunch of photographers suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I heard their cameras clicking and shing that almost blinded my eyes.


    Why are they doing this, anyway? Is Reese a celebrity too? My goodness!


    ¡°Ms. Reese, can you please give us your statement? Why didn¡¯t you show up at your wedding?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Reese, is it true that your parents only want you to marry Mr. Chase Maxwell because your family business is already on the verge of bankruptcy?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Reese, do you still n to join this year¡¯s national swimmingpetition?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Reese, is it true that you¡¯re only an adopted child?¡±


    I saw TV reporters, media men and possibly paparazzi blocking my way and asking me a lot of questions. I waspletely shocked as this was the first time I encountered such a mishap . . . I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to cover my face using my arm.


    Then I recalled a moment when an unknown guy from the bar told me that I looked like one of known athletes that was engaged to a famous billionaire. In fact, I¡¯d always hear it whenever I had customers whose ages were in their mid 20¡¯s. I just chose to ignore it as I found it nonsense . . . now it all made sense to me. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Mike knew this all along knowing he was a well-known bachelor who owned one of the big night clubs in town.


    I only came back to my senses when the bodyguards started to push these media men away and covered me so I could walk forward. I had a hard time walking as the crowd was all over the entrance of the building.


    After all the push and pulls, I was finally able to enter the building. I was about to walk with my head up but I stumbled into something that caused me to fall on the floor.


    My lips formed a thin line as I heard some giggles from the employees. What is so funny? They are supposed to help me stand up!


    I clenched my hand and tried to stand up but the moment I looked up, I felt as if my heart was hammered when I saw Chase¡¯s father staring at me.


    Judging the way he looked at me, I saw the intense disgust through his eyes.

 7

    OLIVIA


    The intense disgust visible through Chase¡¯s father¡¯s eyes went away in an instance, it was as if it wasn¡¯t meant to be seen at all . . . and it only made me feel more confused and intrigued about Ernest Maxwell.


    My instinct kept telling me that there was something I needed to find out about him, but the devil side of me only cared about money and Chase . . .


    I stood up to my feet as I didn¡¯t want to appear as a stupid future daughter-inw who looked like a dead meat on the floor. I gave him a fake smile as that was all I could do after I stumbled in front of him.


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Ernest. I am here to talk to your son about something,¡± I said confidently as if nothing ever happened prior to seeing him.


    Ernest Maxwell only gave me a warm smile and nodded. His phone rang and he didn¡¯t hesitate to answer it. He looked very busy so I didn¡¯t bother him anymore when he walked away with his secretary. I looked around and figured out everyone was too busy in thispany.


    I was then greeted by the receptionist and asked me if I needed help or something.


    One of the bodyguards spoke behind me, ¡°Can you please ask someone to walk her to Mr. Chase Maxwell¡¯s office? She¡¯s Ms. Reese Jones, his fiancee.¡±


    Everyone seemed to have heard that as they started looking at me as if they had seen a ghost . . . Now, what the hell was going on?


    I only gave them a confused look as my gaze wandered around.


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Reese Jones! I am very sorry!¡± said the receptionist.


    I didn¡¯t understand why but it looked like all of the employees here were starting to panic when they found out that Reese Jones was inside theirpany. I mean . . . why are they panicking? I looked at the bodyguards behind me and gave them a questioning look but they didn¡¯t bother to answer.


    ¡°U-Uh, M-Ms. Jones . . .¡± A guy then showed up in front of me.


    He looked pretty tense. I checked on the name tag on the left side of his uniform and read his name, ¡°Ivan Paul . . . Hi there, Ivan!¡± I greeted him, which made him more nervous as I saw how his lips quivered.


    ¡°L-Let me escort you to Mr. Maxwell¡¯s o-office,¡± he said as stuttered.


    I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him. What the heck is wrong with this guy?


    ¡°Alright, thank you!¡±


    His face lightened up a bit with a great shock visible in it. My brows furrowed but then I still managed to smile at him as a courtesy.


    ¡°This way, Ms. Jones . . .¡± he said as he led us the way to Chase¡¯s office.


    Me and the bodyguards behind me followed Ivan as he walked towards what looked like a special elevator. We went inside and I noticed that he opened a ck small box below the regr elevator buttons. He tapped a key card on it and then another button appeared on the inside. He pushed it and it turned gold.


    ¡°It will take us to Mr. Maxwell¡¯s office directly,¡± Ivan said.


    ¡°Wow!¡± I eximed.


    Rich people, indeed, love to get customized things for their benefits . . .


    I looked at the picturesque view while the elevator was going up. Chase¡¯s special elevator was made of transparent ss, so I could see the city further as it went all the up. The scene was definitely breathtaking and it gave me a thrilling emotion.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to be rich too . . .


    In an instance, we finally arrived at the floor where he works. I was greeted by a huge and elegant receiving area when the elevator door opened. It was like a five-star hotel lobby area with modem luxurious furniture that I only saw on Television and magazines.


    ¡°Damn it . . . Is this really his office?¡±


    Ivan seemed shocked when he heard me cursing.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I awkwardlyughed. ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect his office to be this extravagant . . .¡±


    Then I saw the confusion in his eyes. I realized that I forgot that I was portraying Reese Jones. I palmed my face and scolded myself that I should keep myposure! Reese might have visited here a couple of times so I should act normally! Damn, Olivia . . .


    Twodies approached us.


    ¡°Good day, Ms. Reese Jones! It¡¯s been a long time,¡± thedy with brte hair greeted me with a smile.


    I smiled at her and checked the left side of her chest. She didn¡¯t have a name tag but I assumed that she already knew who Reese was. They were both smiling at me and all I could do was to smile back at them as I didn¡¯t know how to initiate a conversation at this point.


    But it felt as if they were waiting for me to say something so I just voiced out what was in my mind. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time. Thank you everyone for your hard work! Currently, I am not really well. I am suffering from amnesia but I am trying to recover my lost memories . . . so I hope you could bear with me if I can¡¯t recognize all of you,¡± I said and faked a smile.


    They looked at me with visible shock on their faces. My jaw was starting to feel a bit hurt due to the endless faking smile I give them. I then lowered my head and rolled my eyes then fixed the invisible strand of my hair as a form of elegance.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re very sorry to hear what happened, Ms. Jones. We hope for your fast recovery but we are d that you¡¯re already back!¡± the brte woman said.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I simply said. My temper was already cut short. I didn¡¯te here to have a chit chat with them so I looked around, trying to find the only person I wanted to see right now. ¡°Where¡¯s Chase?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s currently in a meeting with an important client. Didn¡¯t he tell you, Ms. Jones?¡± The otherdy who has this red curly hair asked.


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Do you think I care?¡±


    I saw how the two of them frowned. It made me realize that my statement was very rude. ¡°Oh, what I mean is . . . do you think my visit is untimely? I just really miss him, knowing that we hadn¡¯t seen each other for two months. I want to make up for the time we lost,¡± I said in a very dramatic voice and lowered my head and faked a sob.


    I took my hanky from my sling bag and slowly wiped my invisible tears to appear more convincing in front of Chase¡¯s employees. From this moment, I really think that I had the talent for acting and if I¡¯d be given a chance to be an actress, it would give me a lot of ques hanging on my wall. My acting was superb and I should have an oscar for this.


    ¡°We understand what you¡¯ve been through, Ms. Jones. No worries, Mr. Maxwell should be out in the conference room in less than fifteen minutes. Their meeting will end soon . . .¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± I said happily and smiled like nothing happened. ¡°By the way, what are your names?¡±


    The brte girl smiled. ¡°My name is Debby and she¡¯s Martha. We¡¯re Mr. Maxwell¡¯s secretaries here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool!¡± I said and was about to do a hand shake with them but then a double door swung open.


    I figured out that it was the conference room that Debby had mentioned earlier as I saw Chase Maxwell going out of it. He was sweating and was obviously uneasy. There were other men who also went out of the room and judging by their looks, it seemed to me that they were in their 40¡¯s.


    I figured out that Chase¡¯s meeting didn¡¯t go well. As I observed his bodynguage, his confidence wasn¡¯t evident at all. Compared to his looks earlier when we had lunch at his residence, his overall physiques screamed of stress and frustration. His tie was loose and uneven as if he tried to pull it a couple of times, the cor of his polo was untidy and his long sleeve shirt inside his suit was really a mess.


    I bit my lower lip, still watching his every move. What the hell happened to this guy?Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I appreciate your time, Mr. Takashi. I look forward to seeing and talking to you again,¡± he said to the person he called Mr. Takashi.


    Chase walked with them until they entered the elevator and left. He then sighed and massaged the side of his forehead. I crossed my arms on my chest then cleared my throat. It was only then that he noticed me.


    With eyes widening out of confusion, he walked towards me.


    ¡°Reese, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re here,¡± he said and then kissed my cheek.


    ¡°Uhm, yeah, I needed to say something important that¡¯s why I came here to visit . . .¡± I said.


    ¡°What is it? Let¡¯s talk in my office.¡± He snaked his arm around my waist.


    He instructed the bodyguards to wait for me outside. I smiled inwardly as we entered his office. He locked the door and let out a long sigh. We walked near his desk and then he leaned on it.


    Even if his eyes were staring at the floor, I could see the evident dismay painted on his face. My hand moved on its own and caressed his cheek. I slightly tilted my head to meet his gaze.


    ¡°Hey, is everything alright?¡± I asked.


    I saw how his Adam¡¯s apple moved as he licked his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Reese. Perhaps, I am afraid to lose that client. I didn¡¯t prepare enough and it¡¯s obvious that my business proposal did not impress him.¡±


    I felt how discouraged he was because his meeting with his client didn¡¯t go well. I guess this is not the right time for me to ask for money.


    I moved closer to him up to the point that our bodies were almost glued to each other. Still caressing his cheek, my other hand traveled from his shoulders all the way to the back of his neck. I gently moved my fingertips, tracing small circles at his nape, then I fixed the cor of the long sleeves he was wearing.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve done your best, Chase. Don¡¯t stress yourself too much . . . I know your capabilities. You can always turn things around, right?¡± I said to make him a bit motivated then looked at his beautiful eyes.


    Our gazes were locked to each other. I bit then licked my lower lip.


    ¡°Yes, I guess you¡¯re right . . .¡± he said, then chuckled a bit.


    It was as if a light bulb suddenly showed up on top of my head . . . then I felt that my billionaire ¡®customer¡¯ needed to rx and have some fun.


    It¡¯s showtime Olivia . . . Give this man a little bit of pleasure.


    I leaned forward enough for my lips to meet his ear. ¡°How about I ease your worry for a bit since you work so hard for us? I¡¯ll give you a reward . . ¡±


    Then I looked into his eyes and saw the mix of confusion and excitement through it. I smiled yfully and held both of his shoulders, then pushed him a bit which made him sit down on this swivel chair.


    I took my phone out, opened my music app and yed slow sexy jazz music.


    Without breaking our eye contact, I started swaying my hips while biting my lower lip. I saw how Chase exhaled as I began to unbutton my blouse.


    I walked in front of him so he could have a better look at me.


    ¡°Reese, what are you doing?¡± he asked, then swallowed very hard.


    He looked at me in the eyes while his hands were quivering on his swivel chair¡¯s arm rests. I leaned down and held both of his broad shoulders while swaying my hips slowly as I tried to follow the rhythm of my favorite sexy jazz music.


    I removed my blouse and it slid down the ceramic floor. I caught him looking at my breast, with his breathings bing more heavy. I smirked.


    My hand traveled at the back of his head and gently pulled his hair so he could look at me in the eyes.


    ¡°Oops, eyes on me, baby . . .¡± I uttered softly. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I will give you pleasure,¡± I added.

 8

    OLIVIA


    I could feel that he was already turned on as slowly sat on hisp. In fact, I could really feel that his body was already hot.


    He mumbled a curse and tried to kiss me but I avoided his lips, teasing him with a yful smile.


    ¡°No kissing yet,¡± I whispered while he looked at my lips.


    I then started to move my hips. I swayed and grinded on hisps which made his mouth form a little ¡®o¡¯.


    ¡°Fuck, Reese . . . You¡¯ll be the death of me. Grind your hips more,¡± he said.


    As I grinded against him, I could feel the unfamiliar sensation building up within me. Biting my lips, the devil in me wanted to tease him more. I stopped and stood up, which shocked him.


    I winked at him and then I turned around. My hands went to the upper hem of my skirt and removed it slowly. I couldn¡¯t even suppress the smile of satisfaction on my lips when I heard how he gasped and swallowed so hard.


    Now, I was only left with my undies . . . I bent over for him to see my behind.


    My eyes nced back at him and saw that he was sweating more than earlier.


    I stood up and danced to the rhythm of the music. I turned around and made a few steps backward towards him, turned to him and met his gaze before I sat on hisp. I then bent over once again, moved my hips slowly until I felt his stomach pressed on my rear. His hands traveled all the way to my waist and in an instant, he made me sit on hisp as if I was riding a bicycle.


    My crotch reached a hard spot in between his legs. I slowly grinded while our bodies pressed to each other. I wrapped my arms around his neck. This was supposed not to be part of my performance but I couldn¡¯t help but be carried away.


    I began moaning softly as I felt the intensity of this sensation that seemed to have overpowered me.


    ¡°Oh, Fuck!¡± He groaned. I felt his hands snaking through my waist.


    My body began to quiver as he kissed my neck and as his warm breath lingered through my ears. He then nced at my eyes and then his lips slowly reached mine.


    Chase Maxwell could kiss me all day. His lips were soft like cotton candy, sweet like honey caused by a tea he drank earlier.


    Our bodies collided with each other. His touch made my body burn as if there was a wildfire. I moaned once again, trying to catch my breath from his rough kisses. I pulled his hair to deepen our kiss. He bit my lower lip and used it as a chance to part my lips and slipped his tongue inside. His tongue as well as his mouth were both warm, and were sending butterflies from my stomach all the down to my sex.


    He then forcibly stopped and looked at me in the eyes. I softly groaned and tried to kiss him again but he held and caressed my face.


    ¡°Reese, is this really you?¡± he asked with his ragged breathing.


    His question made me a bit nervous. I breathed sharply and swallowed the lump in my throat.


    I gasped when he carried me. His hands held both of my legs and wrapped them around his waist. My heart started to race faster when he put me on top of his office table.


    He then put me on top of his office table and made me sit on the edge of it. I got more nervous when he removed his belt without even looking away . . . then removed his pants.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    My eyes widened as I saw how hard he was. I gulped . . .


    Uh-oh . . .


    He held my chin and made me look at him.


    ¡°Eyes here, baby . . .¡± he whispered warily.


    He then kissed me torridly. I knew I was nervous but my body seemed to have a mind of its own. Before I even realized it, I already embraced him as he started iming my lips. I moaned and gasped when he started kissing my neck, licked my earlobes a bit, and my body started quivering when he slowly kissed my shoulders.


    I felt my bra fall down to myp. I didn¡¯t even notice that he removed it already! His hand was quick enough to undress me. He picked it up and threw it on the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Reese . . .¡± he murmured as he leaned down to kiss the peak of my breast.


    ¡°C-Chase- Urgh . . .¡±


    His tongue swirled around, sucking, biting and licking my peak like a lollipop. My voice became so foreign as I moaned several times until his lips slowly drifted down on my stomach.


    I felt him brushing his knee in between my legs intentionally which added up to the intense emotion I¡¯d been trying to control. I growled when it hit my slit.


    My hand traveled to his head and caressed his hair. As my fingers ran deep to his scalp, a musky, earthy, and fresh leaves fragrance dominated my nostrils.


    He began kissing my upper thighs. I was gently holding his neck while he was doing it. His hands started removing my red underwear.


    I swallowed and looked at the main door, hoping that no one would dare to knock and interrupt us.


    I nced back at him, and watched how he removed his boxer shorts.


    I froze, and gulped down as I stared on his shaft.


    ¡°Feel it,¡± he said and then he began brushing it to my thighs.


    Every move it made, my breath was like being taken away. As it nearly reached my slit, he immediately stopped, looked at me and smirked.


    My lips formed a thin line. This guy was making me crazy.


    ¡°Are you going to put it inside me or what?¡± I asked, which made him grin more. My eyes widened as I realized how blunt I was. Humiliation struck me that I had to cover my mouth. ¡°Oops . . .¡±


    He chuckled, leaned down and removed my hand on my mouth.


    ¡°Sinfully taste good . . .¡± he murmured and imed my lips once again.


    I was trying to hold back as I realized how bold my behavior was but he made me feel that he really owned every part of me.


    What happened to your top notch performance, Olivia? I initiated this game of teasing and pleasuring him but it appeared that the tables have turned. He was the one pleasuring me the most!


    I was out of breath when he stopped kissing me. I had to admit that I was a bit pissed off as I watched him smirking at me . . .


    This billionaire was getting on my nerves!


    ***


    I didn¡¯t know that making out inside the office of a certain billionaire would bring a lot of tingling excitement within my entire system. I knew to myself that I should be the one controlling the whole situation but Chase, who appeared to be a pro when ites with making out, overpowered me.


    My mind was too haywire. I couldn¡¯t even remember why I went here. All I cared about was his kisses, warm touch and the desire to do something beyond making out. My mind was clouded with this temptation I could no longer resist, as the man who was pleasuring me seemed to have bewitched me.


    Heid me down on his office table, not minding all those folders that instantly fell on the floor. Another wave of excitement engulfed my senses as I felt his tongue licking the space between my breasts. It went down to my stomach . . . to my navel and down there.


    I gasped when I felt his warm breath brushing against my skin. My back arched when he began nting soft kisses on my sex.


    My eyes were shut, mouth was half opened and my breathings were too heavy. I bit my lower lip when his tongue tasted my slit.


    ¡°Ch-Chase . . .¡± I moaned his name and arched my back once again when his finger slowly massaged me down there, following the same movement his tongue was doing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it nice and slow,¡± he murmured and continued what he was doing.


    I lost count on how many times I moaned his name. I even tried to cover my mouth, afraid that his employees outside would hear my sultry whimpers. I was about to reach my climax but then a fuckin¡¯ loud call from his cellphone interrupted us.


    We both stared at each other. He seemed contemting whether he would answer that call or continue where we left off but I thought it might be an important call so I nodded my head at him, indicating that he could answer it.


    He grabbed his phone that was resting on the other side of his office table, put it in between his ears and shoulders as he started putting his clothes on. That made me want to stomp my feet on the ground.


    For heaven¡¯s sake, I allowed him to answer the call but that didn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re done making out!


    I didn¡¯t know why but I started to feel a bit irritated. I got up to my feet and grabbed my clothes and wore them too while he was busy talking to someone on the phone.


    ¡°Dad, you know that Reese doesn¡¯t remember anything. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ready to speak in front of these reporters just to release a statement about what happened!¡±


    I looked at Chase upon hearing him mentioning Reese¡¯ name. He was pacing back and forth, massaging his head while talking to Ernest Maxwell, his father. Out of curiosity, I decided to walk towards him. I stood just a few steps from him so I could listen to what they were talking about.


    ¡°Damn it, Chase! It is already affecting our stock price. Our shareholders are already concerned about this issue and you will do what I say. Talk to Reese and force her to release a statement! Otherwise, ourpany will be doomed all because of these nonsense rumors about the both of you!¡±


    I swallowed hard. His father was so furious that even though I was a few steps away from Chase, I could still hear Uncle Ernest¡¯s loud scream from the other line. I bit my lower lip as I looked at Chase.


    I didn¡¯t know that Reese¡¯eback would cause him a lot of headache.


    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve let us get married then, Dad! That¡¯s the only resolution that will end your nightmares!¡± Chase was almost shouting too.


    Without further hesitation, I walked closer to him, snaking one arm on his waist while my other hand caressed his arm. His ragged breathing was so evident. He let out a huge sigh, controlling his emotion as he looked at me.


    ¡°This will be fixed by a simple statement she can release to the crowd, Chase. Just do what I say and I need it done as soon as possible!¡±


    After that call, Chase wasn¡¯t in the mood all over again. We sat on the couch and all I could do was tofort him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Reese,¡± he said in a weak tone and gazed at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to hear any of that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± I caressed his cheek and gave him a genuine smile. ¡°I should be the one apologizing to you. If only I could remember everything . . .¡±


    ¡°Hush, baby, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± He held my hand and squeezed it. ¡°And whatever you¡¯ve done in the past, it will all remain in the past. I don¡¯t care about it anymore for as long as you¡¯re here with me. Got that?¡±


    I nodded and leaned my head on his shoulders. ¡°But, I can release a statement if you want. If that was the only thing I can do to help and for your father to have a peace of mind.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it first, Reese. I don¡¯t want to get you in trouble.¡±


    ¡°You love me that much?¡± I asked and looked up at him.


    His eyes met mine. ¡°I love you more than you can imagine, baby . . .¡±


    I smiled sweetly as I heard him say it. Reese fuckin¡¯ Jones was so lucky to have this guy.


    ¡°Hmm, you mentioned that you came here before you have an important thing to tell me. What is it, Reese?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± I blinked twice and smiled widely at him.


    I recalled the reason why I came here. I needed money so I could help Lara . . . but damn it! I didn¡¯t know how to even open it up to him!


    ¡°Actually, I was just bored at home so I wanted to visit you here,¡± I reasoned out.


    He shifted his position, paying attention to every nonsense thing I had to say.


    ¡°I actually met Debby and Martha. I thought they were your clients because they are wearing fancy clothes. I kinda like their outfit.¡± I chuckled awkwardly. ¡°How I wish I had the money to buy such fancy clothes for myself.¡±


    I pouted my lips, acted as if I was sad about the idea of not having fancy clothes like his secretaries . . . I hoped he¡¯d buy it and give me money . . . I hid one hand and crossed my fingers. I even let out a huge sigh and lowered my head to make my acting more convincing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel sad about it, Reese.¡± He held my chin and made me look at me. ¡°I¡¯d give anything you want. I¡¯m sorry I forgot that you lost your memories. Now that you mentioned it, I realized you didn¡¯t have something to use for your expenses.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± I shyly said. ¡°You know what? T-That¡¯s okay. I-I think I just need to try harder and find my credit cards at home or ask mom-¡±


    ¡°No, I can help, Reese. I know your mom has a lot on her te so let me take care of what you need, alright?¡±


    I smiled and nodded at him. He then stood up and went to his office table. He opened a drawer underneath. My eyes widened when he took his checkbook and wrote something on it.


    I hid my smirk, wanted to jump and scream out loud inside because Chase would be giving me some money!


    ¡°I remember about that three hundred thousand dors I owed you,¡± he said as he signed the check. ¡°Here it is.¡±


    I stood up and walked towards him, hands were sped together at my back as I hid my excitement for money.


    ¡°Yeah, right before you came I was struggling for money. I wanted to use my supposed payment to pay a lot of people. I didn¡¯t know what happened exactly but those two months were like a rat race for me . . .¡±


    He stood up and went to me. I didn¡¯t flinch when he kissed me on my lips. It was a soft and quick kiss . . . He was definitely a good kisser!


    ¡°But now that you¡¯re back and while I am with you, I won¡¯t let it happen again, Reese . . .¡± he uttered like a promise.


    ¡°Thank you, Chase,¡± I said and hugged him. ¡°I really appreciate you helping me.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll be my wife soon. My riches are yours too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need those . . .¡± You¡¯re such a liar, Olivia. ¡°Just stay by my side and I¡¯ll be good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay by your side as always, Reese.¡± I felt him kissing the side of my head. ¡°Anyway, you can also take my card. In case you need to buy something, just use it in the meantime. I¡¯ll ask my secretary to work on your credit cards as soon as possible, alright?¡±


    I smiled widely as I hugged him. My goodness! This was the life I¡¯ve been dreaming for!


    ¡°Alright, baby . . .¡± I gazed up at him and kissed him on his lips.


    ***


    The next day . . .


    I went to the bank right after having my lunch to encash the check Chase had given me yesterday. I couldn¡¯t suppress my smile as I watched how the bank teller counted the cash in front of me. Dang! Never in my entire life was I able to hold such a huge amount of money. This was the very first time and the thought that I¡¯d be able to buy anything I wanted made me feel so ecstatic.


    I didn¡¯t waste much time anymore as I was excited to see Lara and give her the money she needed. As soon as I left the bank, I immediately advised my driver to send me to Lara¡¯s apartment.


    While we were on our way, I was busy typing some text messages for Chase. As his soon-to-be wife, it was part of my job to be sweet with him. Of course, that includes sending him some sweet messages!


    But what should I tell him? I raised an eyebrow as I looked at my phone.


    Hmm . . . I type whateveres across my mind.


    To: Chase Maxwell


    I¡¯m on my way to my friend¡¯s home, baby.


    I hope you¡¯ll have a great day ahead, Chase! I missed you! :*


    I smirked. I bet Chase¡¯s mood would lighten up as soon as he reads my text messages. I just hope nothing bad or awful happens to him today. He had enough of shits yesterday and I felt that he needed to take a break from all those headaches for the time being.


    I wonder if Reese was taking good care of him when she was still here . . . well regardless if she was or not, I was the one taking her role now. I would do everything so that Chase would be happy and won¡¯t be suspicious of me.


    If Chase was happy, then I could get more money from him. Simple as that!

 9

    OLIVIA


    Lara screamed and hugged me as soon as I handed her the bag full of cash. I even added some extra thousand of dors in it so that she could have something to use. Looking back when I was still new with my work at the bar, Lara was the only person who helped me adjust and even gave me tips and tricks on how I could survive the filthy job I was hired to do.


    From simple advice, Lara helped me up to the extent that she let me live with her in her apartment because I had nowhere to go. Even though she had a son to feed, she neverined about helping me survive day-by-day. Even if life was truly difficult for her, she never made me feel that I was a burden, rather helped me to be the best version of myself. I would be forever grateful for our friendship, and so, no amount of money would stop me from giving back to her.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, Liv. You¡¯re my life savior!¡± she said as she hugged me tightly.


    I chuckled and patted her shoulder. ¡°Come on, I have no time for this drama, Lara!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I thought I¡¯d end up being chased by the loan sharks again because I won¡¯t be able to pay them in time. You know how it goes, right? The chase and threats are terrifying,¡± she said as she released me to wipe some tears from the side of her eyes.


    ¡°Well, you no longer need to borrow money from them anymore. If you need anything, just let me know because I already have this . . .¡± I took the ck credit card out of my sling bag and showed it to her.


    Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth because of shock. I wiggled my eyebrows and kissed the credit card I was holding.


    ¡°What the heck? There¡¯s no doubt that Chase Maxwell is ultra wealthy!¡± she eximed.


    ¡°I agree. With just a few sweet talks, he gave me a check and a credit card to use for my expenses. So, you no longer have to go after the loan sharks whenever you need money. Just name your price, I¡¯m just one call away, Lara.¡±


    She sped her hands together. ¡°Well deserved, Liv!¡±


    We both screamed in glee. I didn¡¯t know that it would bring such happiness if you shared your wealth with your friend. Gone are the days when me and Lara had to perform non-stop on stage just to earn a few cash. This time, abundancy woulde upon us!


    I helped Mikael, Lara¡¯s son, answer his homework that afternoon. He was already six years old and was already in grade school. Lara raised her alone with a small amount of cash support she gets from Mikael¡¯s father which goes to the nanny who takes care of her son while she¡¯s away. Lara and Carl, Mikael¡¯s father, didn¡¯t end up together as apparently, that man was married to a wealthy businesswoman. His wife didn¡¯t like Lara and Mikael so I figured out she¡¯d do everything for the cash support to stop, which happened already. I promised myself that I would help them at all costs. Mikael would grow as a fine man who doesn¡¯t need a cowardly father. He¡¯s like a son to me too as he always calls me Mommy Liv.


    ¡°Hey, Liv. There¡¯s a newly opened high end bar around the area. Would you like to go and checkter?¡± Lara asked when I went out of Mikael¡¯s room.


    The moment she said the word ¡®bar¡¯, I instantly felt the dryness of my mouth. I nodded in excitement as I joined her in the kitchen to prepare food for dinner.


    ¡°Since we got some tons of money from my soon-to-be husband, I guess some hardcore drinks!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Yeah, right! We¡¯re going to get wasted tonight!¡± Sheughed. ¡°Oh, you should call Reese¡¯ mom and Chase. You know, you¡¯re living a new life now. It might be good if they know your whereabouts and who you are with.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said and picked up my phone on the countertop table.


    I checked my inbox and saw that there was one unread text message from Chase. I opened it and read his reply from my previous message.


    From: Chase Maxwell


    Who¡¯s that friend you¡¯re referring to?


    I pouted my lips. I realized that he doesn¡¯t know a thing about Lara. I sent him a new text message, telling him that I am with Lara- a trusted friend of mine, and that we will go to a bar. I also sent Reese¡¯ mom a text. After that, I tossed my phone to the couch.


    Just right after Mikael fell asleep, Lara and I prepared to go to the bar. She let me borrow a fitted red silky spaghetti strap dress and a pair of stiletto while she wore a ck tube above-the-knee dress. She curled my hair and then I put some makeup on my face. After preparing, Lara gave a few instructions to Mikael¡¯s nanny and then my driver sent us to the bar.


    The loud music and neon lights weed us as we entered the bar. Compared to the bar where I used to work, this ce was a bit wholesome. People were dancing on the dancefloor, there was a DJ and some performers who danced on stage. The bar was spacious and was screaming of elegance. It has a second floor which was designed like a balcony and it seemed that all their VIPs were there.


    Lara dragged me to the bar counter. She ordered some hard drinks as we sat on the high-steeled chairs.


    ¡°Whoo-hoo!¡± she screamed, banging her head along with the loud music.


    I chuckled. ¡°This bar seems nice. It¡¯s the first time I went to another bar and hadn¡¯t seen strippers!¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°If anything goes wrong with Mike¡¯s bar, I¡¯ll apply here! I¡¯ll be their most beautiful stripper!¡±


    Weughed together and talked about a lot of things. I came to realize that it was the first time we hung out without any worries. Looking back, we only drink liquors whenever we¡¯re stressed out about earning money and other life issues.


    Insisting that this willst a long time as Lara stated to me, I was still reminded of the fact that nothing would everst indefinitely. For the time being, we savored the moment as we both approached the end of the night.


    There was only one thing on my mind the whole time: to let go of the past and ept the new version of myself. Being Reese¡¯s substitute was my only hope to have a new life, and so I would do everything I could to make it work.


    ¡°Lara, pay attention to something I have to say. You can now call me Reese Jones instead of Olivia,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but yell it at her as the music became so loud.


    Lara, on the other hand, seemed to not pay attention to me. Her eyes were almost shut due to tipsiness, and with a shot of Bacardi on her side, I thought she already built her own world.


    I snapped my fingers in front of her to get her attention. I knew that for a long time, Lara hadn¡¯t been able to seize the chance to go into the bar, drink and get wasted as she had been to busy working as a stripper to make a living for her son, reasoned why she had taken advantage of this opportunity, especially since I¡¯d be the one to pay everything and she¡¯d no longer need to worry about money.


    She just stared at me and smiled. She, truly, was drunk already. I couldn¡¯t stop but thought about the new life waiting for me as Reese Jones. I¡¯d be able to forget my tragic past, those torturing memories when I was kid, and would be able to enjoy this wealth with Lara and her son, Mikael.


    ¡°You have to promise me one thing, Lara.¡± I held her shoulders and directly pinned my eyes on her. ¡°Promise me that you will work with me and that you will stick by my side no matter what happens. No matter what the oue is, we¡¯ll stick with each other, alright?¡± I let out a yell.


    She gave a nod, kissed my cheek, and then sipped on her shot ss again. I cracked a grin at her amusing expression.


    I drank a few more shots of Bacardi when I noticed that my phone kept ringing from my sling bag. I took it out to see who was the person calling me.


    My eyes instantly widened when I checked on my phone screen. Chase had eight missed calls and five text messages to read through! I was in a state of panic, and as soon as I opened one of the messages, someone grabbed my arm.


    ¡°So, I think I have already found my type of woman, after all. How about a drink?¡± An old guy in his mid 40¡¯s appeared out of nowhere. He licked his lower lips and looked at me like a disgusting pervert.


    I pulled my arm away and scowled at him. ¡°Ohh, and guess what? You¡¯re not my cup of tea. And no need to buy me a drink because if I wanted to, I could buy this entire ce,¡± I said.


    That guy had already sickened me so I stood up, paid for our drinks, and escorted Lara out of the bar. I couldn¡¯t risk triggering my anxiety on that bar, especially since I haven¡¯t taken my meds yet.


    I rushed out with Lara and my jaw dropped as soon as I noticed Chase¡¯s car in front of the bar. He went out of it and I saw his pair of eyes ring at me. His jaw clenched and I could sense how mad he was by closing the door of his car.


    My mind started to think of some possible reasons why I was not able to pick up the phone.


    ¡°Hey, Lara. Wake up!¡± I tried to wake up my drunk bestfriend then I realized that she might say something stupid that could only reveal my identity.


    I wanted to pull my hair out of frustration. This kind of situation could really trigger my anxiety so much that my stomach started to hurt.


    ¡°H-Hi, Chase! I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to answer your call-¡±


    ¡°I was damn worried because you didn¡¯t pick up your damn phone! I thought you left me again!¡± Chase almost yelled out of frustration. He marched toward us, face grim, indicating that I¡¯d be facing real trouble.


    My eyes widened. What did he say? My chest pounded so fast. I started feeling something like whirling different motions from my tummy. Was this what they called butterflies in the stomach?


    ¡°Aw, he¡¯s so sweet, Olivia!¡± Lara whispered while I was holding her right arm resting around my shoulders.


    ¡°Hey! He might hear you!¡± I uttered and hushed her.


    When Chase was already in front of us, the irritation on his face had be clearer to my sight. He looked at Lara, who was already wasted. He then called someone from his phone and I was shocked when another car parked in front of us and some men wearing ck suits and ties came out from it.


    ¡°Where does she live?¡± Chase asked.


    I contemted where I¡¯d give him Lara¡¯s address or not. What if some people in Lara¡¯s neighborhood gossip about her being driven home by unknown men? I didn¡¯t want them to have an impression that Lara¡¯s going out with different men as it would only bring trouble not just to her but to Mikael.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not going to send her home,¡± I said and took out my phone, then sent a text message to Mikael¡¯s nanny, telling her that Lara would be home by tomorrow. ¡°Please take her to my house, Chase. She can¡¯t go home right now. She just had a fight with her husband. She will be staying with me for this night,¡± I said, purely telling lies once again. I nervously waited for his reply.


    His brows were furrowed, lips were pressed together which formed a grim line, but then he sighed and nodded in the end. He motioned his men to take Lara to the other car. His men were about to take my friend but just right I was about to hand her to them, Lara started giggling and whispered something to me.


    ¡°Liv, he¡¯s a damn hottie! You hit a big one!¡± She then chuckled.


    I palmed my face and let Chase¡¯ men take her. She was escorted to enter the other car and then they drove to my new home.


    Now that Lara was gone, I¡¯d have to face Chase¡¯s irritation. I felt damn nervous right now. In my peripheral vision, I noticed that he was ring at me like how he did back in Mike¡¯s bar when I first met him. It was funny that it seemed that the exact same scene just happened. Him, marching toward me and yelling out his frustration about losing me. I cleared my throat and turned to him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me.


    How can you be mad and look handsome at the same time?¡± I uttered and his eyes smoldered more. I then covered my mouth as it was supposed to be just a mere thought that shouldn¡¯t be voiced out at all. I guess the effect of the alcohol really kicked in big time.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit drunk,¡± he said but I protested and pointed my fingers at him.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not!¡± I hissed as I walked closer to him.


    I stumbled on my feet and he caught me. My heart started to pound faster again as I looked into his eyes. Waves of emotion swayed in my mind. My legs were shaking, as if I was a baby trying to walk for the first time.


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer mad since you said that I¡¯m handsome.¡± He winked then carried me to escort into his car.


    Why did he get so alluring all of the sudden? Where does ite from? I could smell his perfume which lingered in my nostrils. He opened the door for the shotgun seat and carefully settled me there. He then began putting the seat belt on me. After that, he looked at my face, gaze traveled from my eyes, to my nose, then to my lips.


    He leaned forward, and was about to kiss me on my lips but I immediately stopped him.


    ¡°Chase, I¡¯m about to puke!¡± I eximed.


    He was fast enough to remove the seat belt on me and helped me get out of the car. I vomited on the ground, his hands were rubbing my back. After a couple of minutes, I found him wiping my mouth using his hanky. He then removed his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders.


    We went back inside the car. I was a bit more rxed during the drive as the window next to me was opened, making me breathe the fresh night air. However, after a couple of minutes, I felt my stomach rumble and that was my cue to poop.


    ¡°Oh my God, Chase! We need to stop. I need to go to the toilet!¡± I panicked as I held my tummy.


    Chase looked my way. ¡°What? Seriously, Reese? Can you hold it until we arrive at your house?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head and groaned. Damn this stomach!


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m about to poop in my pants!¡± I shouted at him.


    He then started to panic. Bullet of sweats started forming on my forehead, and my breathing became ragged.


    ¡°Fuck, where should we go?¡± he asked.


    Suddenly, I remember there¡¯s a motel around the area. I began telling him the location and he drove fast so we could arrive there sooner.


    ¡°Reese, this ce is like an old building, like the ones in some horror movies. Are you sure this is a motel?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes! Of course, now let¡¯s go and check in please! My tummy will be the death of me,¡± I begged, still holding my stomach and slightly bent my body due to the pain I felt.


    He sighed and escorted me inside. An olddy appeared out of nowhere which startled both of us. Chase then asked if there was any avable room. It was a good thing that there was still one avable. He paid for the room and the olddy handed him the door key.


    The overall ce was really old. It was like an old building in the 90¡¯s. As we arrived in our room, I went straight to the toilet and did what I had to do. It took me a couple of minutes to get out of it.


    I sighed with relief and caressed my stomach which had been calmed now. I looked around and saw Chase at the corner of the room.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing there?¡± I looked at him withplete confusion.


    He looked scared. His finger pointed to something on the floor. I followed where he was pointing and saw a cockroach.


    ¡°Chase Maxwell, my billionaire fiance, is scared of a cockroach!?¡± I sighed.


    I removed my stiletto and killed the cockroach right away. I had to admit that this ce was a bit old and needed some maintenance. The entire room was in and not a good sight to see every morning, though the pillows, bedsheets were fine and clean.


    Since I got used to this kind of ce, I didn¡¯t really care much about its appearance but Chase, who had a golden spoon in his mouth since he was a kid, really looked disgusted in this room.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the car,¡± he said.


    I massaged the side of my head out of annoyance. He really looked like panicking at this moment.


    ¡°Hey, we paid for this room!¡± I eximed as I stopped him from leaving.


    Even if he was rich enough to book this room just for me to be able to use the toilet, I found it sucks that we won¡¯t be able to sleep in it. He paid five hundred bucks for it. I¡¯d consider it as wasting money. Besides, I felt so sleepy and could no longer walk outside and join him for another hour of driving on the long road. My body was tired and I craved afy bed.


    ¡°Come on, Reese. Let¡¯s go!¡± hemanded.


    I started whining like a child and went to bed.


    Now, I got his full attention. Even though I was a bit sleepy, the yful side of me just had a n in mind. I thought that it was time for a payback.


    I began undressing my dress and acted like I was feeling a sudden heat. Now, I was left with my ckce bra and my thong underwear. I saw how his eyes pinned on my body, scanning through my legs and traveled up to my chest.


    ¡°Reese,e on. It¡¯s not time to¨C¡±


    I let out a soft moan and bit my lower lip as I stared at him. He wasn¡¯t able to continue the words he was about to say. I noticed his breathings became ragged, and how he swallowed hard.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not Reese for tonight. Think of me like a dirty slut you booked in this dirty hotel,¡± I uttered seductively then I smiled.


    I opened my legs slowly to tease him a little bit. And the next thing he did was remove his shirt and jumped on the bed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to fuck my slut this evening then,¡± he said warily.


    The next thing I knew, heat engulfed throughout my body as he began kissing me torridly.

 10

    OLIVIA


    I recalled when I was still working at the bar, I lost count on how many rich men¨C may it be politicians, business owners and models- had tried their luck to take me out and book me in a hotel just to get into my pants. They told me a lot of flowery words and empty promises so they could tame me, but my smart mind always ruled me out of holding on to such offers.


    I was raised in an orphanage whose head master loved to groom orphaned children for his own satisfaction. I was nearly raped by him when I was young and that, out of any, scarred my heart and brought a trauma to my well being. Even though I have grown into a brave woman who decided to work in a bar for money to thrive, whenever a man tried to touch me, my body would instantly flinch, and I would feel shivers creeping me out. Despite the fact that I had lived with my medications, the traumatic past I had still haunted me whenever it felt like wanting me to copse in front of a perverted man.


    But it was not the same case with Chase. For some unknown reason, my smart mind didn¡¯t say anything even though Chase was devouring me like his favorite sweet candy right here in the motel room. In fact, it wanted the other way around- to go along with this madness I had initiated myself, and see where it would lead me.


    Heat radiated through my body and soul. Chase¡¯s warm touches were burning my skin, as if I was in a wildfire. It was triggering something inside of me that wanted toe out. I kissed him back with the same intensity as my hand started to caress his soft hair while he pinned his body on me. I could not help but let out a moan when he bit my lower lip. My eyes were shut closed, surrendering to this familiar sensation he made me feel.


    ¡°You definitely knew how to turn me on,¡± he murmured in between our kisses.


    He looked at me, eyes painting such lust and love that supposed to be seen by Reese Jones, but she was stupid enough to run away and had missed such an opportunity.


    ¡°Oh, are you?¡± I licked my lower lip and leered at him.


    His lips curled up for a boyish grin, then looked at my breasts and massaged one of them, while his lips went to the other and nted soft kisses on it. My body red with how his hand squeezed my breast in a way that I would be pleased with perfectly. I had to mutter a curse, thinking how myce bra became such a killjoy at this point.


    Then I heard him chuckle. It was as if he knew what I had been thinking about, his hand traveled at my back, and he unsped the hook of my bra without a sweat. My cheeks flushed instantly when he tossed my bra on the ground. I was well aware that I had gone naked in front of him yesterday in his office, but I could never escape the shame whenever he looked at me with such admiration as if I was the most beautiful woman in the world.


    He imed the peak of breast, while his other hand yed with the other. My mouth formed an ¡®o¡¯, then bit my lower lip when I felt the roughness with how he sucked my peak like a child. He continued doing it for a couple of minutes and then his lips went up to kiss me again.


    Chase¡¯s kiss was definitely passionate and it drove me crazy. I felt that my whole body was aching for more. I let out a moan when I felt his tongue parting my lips, swirling through the inside of my mouth which ignited the sensation engulfing my entire system. I clung my arms on his neck, one hand traveled all the way to his robust back, and caressed his every enhanced muscle flexing whenever he grinded on top of me. His body was something to drool for, I had to say. It was as if he had spent a lot of time working out in the gym to reach this kind of perfect masculinity. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, as my hand traveled down to his ass and squeezed one of its cheeks.


    He chuckled. He rose and started removing his clothes without breaking our eye contact. I smirked as if it seemed like I was watching a strip show but then my cheeks flushed when I looked between his thighs. He was totally turned on, huge and my gut just screamed that I would be in big trouble . . . at the same time, my inner self felt so excited, nervous and curious as this would be the first time I would be having sexual intercourse with someone who was very appealing, and undeniably irresistible.


    He climbed on top of me, one hand traveled down my sex and gently caressed it that made me suck in a breath. He continued with the same motion, while his lips started to nt soft kisses on my neck in a rough manner. Minutes passed and I felt that something was building up inside of me. It was powerful, desirable and as Chase continued to y with my sex down there, the more I wanted to reach something. My moan became louder, hips grinding in the same rhythm to wee every assault his fingers made. My back arched as I reached an intense climax, mouth half opened and my body convulsed beneath him.


    ¡°We are not done yet, baby . . .¡± he murmured, kissed me on the lips and then parted my legs apart.


    Biting my lips as he removed his underwear, I already knew where this was going . . . and hell, I would not even try to back out.


    ¡°You are mine tonight,¡± I said as I rose to im his lips. He wrapped his arms around my waist and in one swift move, he made me sit on hisp.


    ¡°I am always yours, Reese . . .¡± he whispered to my ear, before he tried to make an attempt to enter me.


    ***


    The blinding sunlight reflecting from the window has awakened me. I slowly opened my eyes, scratched one of them and yawned. My body felt so heavy and exhausted, soreness could be felt in between my thighs, which was proof that whatever it was that happenedst night, it was far from a dream but a reality.


    A morning smile escaped my lips, hand traveled to the arm snaked around my waist, and felt Chase¡¯s calm breathing on my neck. I looked over my shoulders and saw his angelic sleeping face. Even though he was asleep, he still had this God-like features that would make every woman drool over him.


    I noticed his long jet ck eyeshes. I had to say that it was longer than mine. Nose was pointed and seemed to be perfectly sculptured, defined cheeks and jaw, and protruded soft lips that had kissed every bit of mest night. I could feel my cheeks flushing simply by staring at his sinful lips, waves of vivid memory as to how he took me numerous times in this filthy room made my stomach giddy.


    I used to picture sexual intercouse as rough, painful and traumatic, provided that I grew up in an environment where grown up men loved to go after innocent children who were weak enough to protect themselves. I had pictured it as disgusting and inhumane . . . but I guess I was all wrong this time . . . that it could not be painful and traumatic so long as there were mutual consents, trust and connection between the two parties.


    Perhaps I was stupid to even think that every man could act like a devil whenever their libido kicked in. But no, Chase made me realize that I was wrong to even judge all men that way becausest night, he made me feel like I deserved to be touched and worshiped in a manner that my body would not feel any fear . . . and I must admit that I really liked that feeling.


    His brow furrowed when my fingertips started tracing circles onto his cheek down his chin. Slowly, he opened his eyes and I was greeted by his gorgeous oceanic eyes.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he uttered huskily, kissed my forehead and hugged me tightly underneath the duvet; our naked bodies brushed against each other. ¡°You are up too early . . . aren t you tired?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied and shut my eyes, smelling his manly scented perfume that lingered to his neck and shoulder.


    ¡°Get more sleep then. We stayed up veryte,¡± he said as he began caressing my bare back. ¡°We will go home before the afternoon.¡±


    Surely, he was right. I didn¡¯t know where I got the strength to have sex with him for almost three hours. I thought I would have been fine with one to two rounds but dang, the more our bodies touched, the more I would crave for more. I was all too aware that a human body would not be able to handle such consecutive sexual intercouse, but I felt proud that I would able to stil manage to cuddle with him after having five of it.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I am so sorry if I was rough on youst night . . .¡± he uttered.


    My cheeks flushed. I hid my face on his chest, trying to cool myself down as I recalled everything we didst night. Well, I had to admit that he was, indeed, rough. He surely felt the awkwardness, but then shoved it by chuckling and hugging me even more.


    I became more rxed by then. I did not know why but I started to like this feeling. This time with him kind of brought me a peace of mind, even though I knew to myself that everything was not supposed to be enjoyed by me, as I was not the real Reese Jones. But to hell with the truth, right? Reese was not even here to pick up a fight with me for stealing her life.


    ¡°I love you, Reese . . .¡± he whispered. That made my heart panic inside.


    I sucked in a breath when he leaned down and gave me soft kisses on my lips. It was warm, passionate and alluring that it triggered something within me, the same sensation I felt fromst night. I kissed him back and only stopped after what seemed to be a minute. I met his gaze, and I instantly saw the lust in his eyes. I swallowed so hard, rose up and positioned myself on top of him.


    We kissed . . . and kissed, and as the heat started to build up through my body, a demanding and loud knock on the door interrupted us.


    ¡°Hey! Open the door right now. We are police officers and we need to talk to you!¡± said the man from the outside and continued knocking on the door as if he had something urgent to say.


    But, wait . . . police officers?


    Chase and I both looked at the door, then nced at each other with confusion. My forehead creased as I didn¡¯t understand why there would be a police officering here and would want to talk to us . . .


    ¡°They said they are police officers, Chase. What did we do?¡± I asked him, fear started to engulf my entire body.


    ¡°Do not worry. I will talk to them,¡± he assured me even though he looked very confused as well.


    We both got off the bed and started getting dressed. I could have sworn that my heart was thumping so loud that I felt my rib cage would be broken in an instance. Chase had already worn his pants when he walked directly to the door. He looked over at me, biting my nails as I watched him.


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± he mouthed and gave me a smile before he opened up the door.


    Two big police officers were outside of the room, and their faces looked very unfriendly. I gulped, walked toward Chase, and hid behind him as I listened to their conversation.


    ¡°Sir, do you own the ck car with a te number NSP 09678?¡± one of the police officer¡¯s questioned Chase.


    ¡°Yes, I do, Sir. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°We got a tip that the car was loaded with illegal substances. Maybe you can spare a little time and help us inspect the car?¡±


    My eyes widened, bewildered, with what I had heard. Illegal substances? Were they for real?


    Was Chase some sort of a drug lord? Drug dealer? Or could it be a Mafia boss?


    ¡°Chase . . .¡± I called him,pletely terrified. My body started to feel the chills as I looked at the police officers, and the statement they had given us made me want to just disappear in the air.


    There was no way Chase would load illegal substances into his car . . . he looked like a righteous billionaire after all!


    ¡°I assure you that you were mistaken, Sir.¡± Chase¡¯s voice was very confident in contrast to what I felt right now. ¡°And yes, I can help you inspect my car if needed just to prove that there is no single illegal substance sitting there.¡± Then he looked over at me and held my hand. ¡°Can you stay here for a moment?¡±


    I immediately shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to be alone in this ce knowing that he would have to face a mess outside. ¡°N-No, I wille with you, Chase.¡±


    ¡°Reese, this won¡¯t take long. You can stay here and I assure you I will be fine,¡± he rest assured.


    Still shaking my head, I held his hand tightly. ¡°No, I want toe with you.¡± I then nced at the police officers who were just watching us. ¡°Whoever that person who gave you a tip, he or she was lying, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we can just see it for ourselves, Miss,¡± the other police officer said.


    I gave them a re, lips formed a thin line as I couldn¡¯t take the suspicious looks they threw at us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Chase uttered.


    We went out of the room and made our way to the parking lot. Fear started to creep me out when I noticed that there were many people waiting outside. It was as if they were watching a most awaited crime investigation. Even though I did not understand what was going on, I managed to give these people a death re as they made me feel like we were criminals.


    We headed to the car. Chase was so calm, and cooperative despite the fact that his car seemed like a mess, as if someone had tried to break in and was unable to do so¨C the side mirrors were damaged, the entire windows were cracked and its body was filled with smash aftermath. I did not know how he managed to keep his cool while I struggled to do so because my intuition kept telling me that we were going to face serious trouble.


    ¡°My car was not like this when we checked inst night,¡± Chase stated to the police but based on how they eyed them, they seemed pretty much unconvinced.


    ¡°We want to check thepartment if that will be okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I am telling you the truth. This is a private car I mainly used for work.¡± Chase walked his way to thepartment and unlocked it open.


    I embarrassed myself. My pulse was pounding wildly as the police officers inspected thepartment. A few secondster, they took out a huge ck bag from it. My forehead creased, gaze was pinned on the bag they took. I zed at Chase and he looked very shocked and confused. A pang of anxiety went through me.


    ¡°Chase,¡± I called him but he could not pay attention to me anymore.


    His eyes were fixated on the bag which the officers had opened. I gasped when I saw illegal substances from the inside.


    ¡°What the hell. It was not mine!¡± Chase almost yelled as he shook his head.


    I walked toward him and immediately held his arm. ¡°Chase, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°I believe you have toe with us for the questioning.¡±


    ¡°You are under arrest for illegal substance dealing, Sir.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, no!¡± I tried to stop them as they wanted to handcuff Chase but one of them was strong enough that he easily shoved me away. ¡°Chase!¡±


    ¡°You will be arrested as well.¡±


    I struggled breathing when the other police handcuffed me and before I even realized it, we were assisted to hop inside the police mobile and we went to the jail.

 11

    OLIVIA


    I couldn¡¯t stop praying in my mind while we were in the passenger¡¯s seat of this police mobile as it drove its way to the cops station, with one police officer sitting on my left side and Chase on the other side. I could feel the panic eating me up wholly, pulses could not stop from pounding aggressively. No matter how much I tried to think of a better n in order to escape this unwanted mishap, my smart mind could not seem to make one.


    I had to admit that I was being suspicious of Chase right at this point. What if he really owned that bag of illegal substances and would trade in the ck market? Was it part of his business to make himself so damn rich? If it was, then all those things I have thought about him- being the kind, responsible and reliable billionaire- were all wrong. If he was doing illegal dealings to earn a huge amount of money, then that made him a walking red g, someone that I should have not associated with from the very start.


    Now, what would happen with my n? It would be all ruined! Thinking that I would have to say goodbye from a rich life I ever dreamed of made me want to cry.


    Why the hell did I end up with this mess? I thought I could escape from the rat race life. I thought I could finally help Lara and Mikael but dang, I was all wrong!


    I pulled my hair and huffed out of frustration. I could not keep my emotions at bay seeing these handcuffs on my wrists. I did not do my best to ovee a lot of suffering just to end up being imprisoned because Chase decided to be a bad guy here, and worse was that the police officers thought I was his aplice!


    ¡°Reese, I assure you, we will get this sorted out,¡± Chase said to me. His words were trulyforting and convincing but I couldn¡¯t help but doubt him now that we were already tangled with this trouble. ¡°That bag loaded with drugs is not mine. I never do drugs, may it be for personal use or for business. God knows that I do not patronize such illegal acts.¡±


    ¡°But why is it in your fucking car to begin with, Chase?¡± I did not want to sound like I was suspicious of him but my voice came off that way.


    I instantly regretted telling those words when I saw the evident dismay in his oceanic eyes. I gasped, wanting to take those words back but I knew it was toote. He looked hurt and invalidated.


    I palmed my face using my handcuffed hands, then ran my fingers through my hair. I shifted my position so I could look at him better.


    ¡°Chase, I am so sorry . . .¡± I said, almost tearing up as the panic continued to hammer my chest. ¡°I am just terrified right now. I hope you understand . . .¡±


    ¡°I do understand.¡± He swallowed hard and looked down at his hands. ¡°But at the very least, I did expect you to believe me when I say that I did not own those things. We can undergo a drug test if you want to, and I can assure you that I am clean. Someone just framed me up,¡± he said and looked at the police officer sitting next to me.


    ¡°If that is the case, then what should we do now, Chase?¡± I asked him worriedly.


    He took a deep breath and licked his lower lip. ¡°Once we get there, I will call mywyer. I promise this thing will end within the day.¡±


    I only nodded and decided to give him a benefit of the doubt. Looking at him, he seemed to be telling the truth and even though I only knew him for a short period of time, my gut kept telling me that I should trust him no matter what. I sighed, still afraid of what was bound to happen to us. I guess I had to put my faith in Chase. After all, I was pretending to be Reese Jones, the woman he loved the most and I bet he would not want me to live inside the jail.


    ¡°I am sorry if I doubted you,¡± I uttered and rested my head on his shoulders.


    ¡°There is no reason for you to doubt me at all, Reese. I abide by thew. I won¡¯t do something that will tarnish my family name, even your name.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I know,¡± I uttered and held his hands that were handcuffed too.


    After almost thirty minutes, we arrived at the cops station. We were fully guarded as we went out of the police mobile. I was shocked when I saw some reporters surrounding the whole area, waiting for our arrival. Security guards as well as other policemen blocked them from getting any closer to us.


    Camera shes could be heard anywhere that made me feel so terrified. I never dreamed of seeing my face in the headlines as some sort of a criminal so I lowered my head and covered my face with my own hands. I sighed with relief when we were able to enter the station.


    Chase requested to use his phone so he could call awyer. It was a good thing that the police officer who brought us here was kind enough to let him make a call. As for me, I was forced to enter an empty jail. They said it would only be for a brief moment as Chase would have to undergo some questioning privately.


    I looked around the four corners of this jail I was in and I could not stop my tears from falling. I recalled how I managed to escape from the orphanage and lived in the streets for months, begging people for some cash and food. There were numerous times that the devil in me wanted to steal¨C to be a pickpocket¨C in order to support myself but I was too afraid to be caught by the police and be put in jail.


    Now, I was here . . . standing behind the metal bars, seeing eyes throwing disgust looks on me as if I really did something wrong. I cried in silence, embraced myself and sat on the cold floor.


    It took almost an hour before Chase showed up. His face was red, anger visible in his eyes, and with a ragged breath he entered the jail. The cops who guided him locked the gate, threw a dagger look on Chase and shook his head before he left.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as I stood up and went over him.


    ¡°There is no CCTV footage of us checking in the motelst night. I exined myself to them but they seemed not interested to even believe me,¡± he replied, a bit annoyed and held the metal bars firmly.


    ¡°We cannot stay here, Chase. I did not do anything to end up here,¡± I uttered as I shook my head. I palmed my face, my mind was too haywired to even think of a solution right now. ¡°Is there someone who hates you? Perhaps that person did all these things just to frame you up!¡±


    ¡°If there was anyone, I would know immediately, Reese . . .¡± he said through his gritted teeth. ¡°We should have not gone to that motel in the first ce. Damn it . . .¡±


    I gasped. I was not sure why it felt like something just pierced my heart.


    ¡°Are you telling me that it was my fault?¡± I asked him, raising my voice because of a sudden anger building up inside my chest. ¡°First off, I did not expect that would happen to us, alright? If only I knew this would happen to us, I would have chosen to poop inside your car instead of going to a motel!¡±


    He looked at me, shocked was written on his face but then his eyes softened. He walked closer to me and held my hand, but I pulled it away from him.


    ¡°Hey, look. That is not what I meant-¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do! You are lowkey ming me for this, Chase!¡± I talked back even though my eyes were already teary. ¡°If not for me, you would not have experienced this shameful situation. But heaven knows I did not want this to happen!¡±


    ¡°Hush now, baby . . . I am so sorry,¡± he whispered as he tried to lock me in his arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to sound like I was ming you. I was just frustrated, alright? I am sorry, really. Mywyer is on his way. He will help us get out of here. I promised you that. You have nothing to worry about. I will never let you stay here for too long.¡±


    I bit my lower lip and surrendered to his embrace. It was as if that was the only thing that couldfort me right now. I closed my eyes and prayed that this mess would be resolved as soon as possible as I would not want another trauma to haunt me every night.


    It did not take a while before Chase¡¯swyer and father came to rescue us. After dealing with the nonsense charge about illegal drugs, the cops have finally let us out. I thought it would turn out good however Chase was weed by Uncle Ernest¡¯s punch the moment he stepped out of the jail. I screamed out of fear and immediately stepped in between of them, afraid that Chase would be beaten up severely by his own father.


    ¡°How dare you tarnish our names with such an illegal activity!¡± Uncle Ernest was fuming mad as he pointed his finger to his son.


    Chase, on the other hand, licked the blood on the side of his wounded lips.


    ¡°Dad, you sure know that I would not do illegal things like that. I believe I am still in my right mind to avoid tarnishing your family name!¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk back to me that way!¡± Uncle Ernest was about to grab his cor but I stopped him with all my might.


    ¡°Uncle, please. I am begging you. Chase is telling the truth! He cannot do such things!¡± I said, as I defended Chase.


    Uncle Ernest was breathing heavily, jaw clenched as he gazed down on me. I could see the disappointment and anger in his eyes. I was not sure if it was meant for Chase or for me but the only thing I wanted right now was for Chase to be aided and go home to rx.


    ¡°We will talk at home, Chase.¡± Uncle Ernest gave me a warning look before he headed outside of the police station. Thewyer followed him, and Chase and I were left alone in front of the jail.


    ¡°Chase, are you alright?¡± I asked and immediately inspected his face. He had a wound on his lips, and there were bruises on the side of it. For some reason, my chest tightened as I looked at him. He had gone through enough. Uncle Ernest should have been kinder to his son. Chase did not ever want this mess to ur in the first ce.


    ¡°No worries, it is just a small cut,¡± he assured me. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Reese. I will take you home.¡±


    ¡°What if Uncle Ernest does something to you?¡± I asked worriedly.


    ¡°I can take care of myself. I will exin myself and I am confident that he will believe meter on. Do not get so worked up on this. Let¡¯s go so you can take a rest, alright?¡±


    I was still reluctant that his father would ever listen to him. He did not even hesitate to throw a punch to Chase when he should have asked what really happened first. My gut was telling me that he won¡¯t go easy on his son once they get home. That was why I could not stop myself from worrying about Chase.


    ***


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Reese! What happened, sweetheart? I have seen the news on the television!¡± Mrs. Jones weed me with a hug. I hugged her back as I thought I would not ever see her again.


    But, wait . . . did she just mention that she had seen me on the news? Did it mean that the mess we had gotten ourselves to were already reported that fast in the media? I frowned. Here I was thinking how popr the couple¨C Chase and Reese- were before I entered their life. A part of me was hoping that the media would have blurred our faces as it was shameful if they didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Mom, Chase was framed up. Whatever you witnessed on the news, those were not true.¡±


    She released me, nodded and caressed my face. ¡°Of course. I was too aware of Chase¡¯s personality. I am well convinced that he is not someone who would put himself in serious trouble. I am d that you are safe, Reese.¡± Her face softened as she hugged me again.


    ¡°Thank you for trusting Chase, Mom . . .¡± I said as I sighed with relief. At least, I knew that Mrs. Jones trusts Chase so muchpared to his father.


    I was still worrying about what would happen once Chase went home. What if his father beat him to death? I shook my head and tried to keep my cool, hoping that this time Uncle Ernest would have an open mind and listen to his son once and for all.


    I came back to my senses when Lara appeared out of nowhere. She hugged me too, and told me how nervous she was when she heard the news. I tried to lighten up the mood, as I did not want them to further worry about me. I was also d that Mrs. Jones seemed to have like Lara even if they only knew each other for a short period of time.


    ¡°What the fuck! You and Reese are really too identical!¡± Laramented when we went to my room. Her eyes roamed around the portraits of Reese hanging on the wall and those that were disyed on the cabs. She embraced herself as if what she witnessed gave her such creeps.


    ¡°That is exactly how I felt when I first entered this room,¡± I responded and headed to the bed. I threw myself on it and let out a huge sigh.


    Goodness, I could not believe that I was already home!


    I felt Laraying down beside me. ¡°Care to tell what really happened? Why the hell did you end up in that creepy motel?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to poop so badly. I could not hold it any longer so I asked Chase to check in!¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± I nced at her and saw that she raised one brow while staring at me.


    My cheeks flushed as I recalled how many times we had a sexual intercousest night. I looked away and cleared my throat.


    ¡°Hmm . . .¡± Lara clicked her tongue. ¡°I think I know what happened next, based on how your face turned red.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we . . .¡± I rose and leaned my back on the headboard. ¡°It just happened. We did it.¡± There was no way I would tell her that I seduced Chase!


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± she screamed out of giddiness. ¡°You had sex with him!¡±


    ¡°Tone down your voice, Lara! Mrs. Jones might hear you!¡± I said through my gritted teeth.


    She stomped her feet as if she was being tickled everywhere. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her.


    ¡°So how was it?¡± She wiggled her eyebrows, trying to fish some details from me.


    ¡°Alright, so you really want me to tell how great Chase is on bed knowing that we just got ourselves out of the fucking jail. Are you seriously irritating me, Lara?¡± I said and crossed my arms on my chest, acting that I was pissed off but truthfully, I was only trying to avoid her questions because there was no way I could tell her every detail of what happened between me and Chasest night. It was like a deepest secret I would keep no matter what happens.


    She rolled her eyes and huffed. ¡°You¡¯re such a killjoy!¡±


    ¡°No you are just being nosy!¡± I snorted. ¡°Anyway, I hope Chase will be able to defend himself from his father¡¯s wrath . . .¡±


    ¡°Looks like someone is concerned about her fiance!¡±


    Now, it was my turn to roll my eyes. ¡°Of course, I should be concerned, Lara. That man is the only key for us to get rich.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have a point.¡± Lara got off the bed and went to the side table where there was a portrait of Reese. She took and looked at it closely. ¡°Damn, girl. She is really like your twin sister. You do not need to act so hard to pretend to be her. That face alone will help you survive.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, Lara. I must copy everything about her so that Chase¡¯s parents will let me marry him.¡±


    ¡°I will start researching a great deal of information about her then,¡± she said and then she jumped on the bed and hugged me. ¡°I got your back. You have nothing to worry about, Liv-¡±


    ¡°Reese. Call me Reese, you dimwit.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Yeah, Reese. Whatever you say. So as I was saying, you have nothing to worry about. All you have to do is to make Chase head over heels on you. Do everything you have to do so you no longer need to face a lot of hardships in life. Do not ever be swayed or regret everything.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Lara. I would never regret this thing. I will do everything to make this pretense worthy of our time. We will be rich and both of us will no longer need to go back to Mike¡¯s bar.¡±


    ¡°We are really daredevils, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± I said and smirked. ¡°And I am convinced that I am the worst.¡±

 12

    OLIVIA


    It had been two days since the mishap we had with some cops from the motel we had checked in from, and since then I had not seen Chase personally. He could not find a way to visit me at home because as he said, there were a lot of things on his te right now. Though he kept sending me text messages, informing me about his whereabouts, what made him busy all throughout the day and some things he had been doing in theirpany, I could not help but feel that there was something wrong after the incident that happened.


    I did not know whether I was only being paranoid or whatnot, but I kind of got so reluctant about our situation. My mind wondered what Reese would do if ever she was in this position? Would she go after Chase and be clingy enough to get his attention or would she y like nothing had been bothering her and let Chase think that she could go on a day without him sitting right next to her?


    I was trying to channel Reese¡¯s spirit to possess me so I would know how to take an action more appropriately while keeping my own ¨C Olivia¡¯s ¨C emotion at bay.


    ¡°Are you alright, Reese?¡± Lara asked me, brows furrowed as she ced the freshly brewed coffee on the countertop in front of me. I had to admit though, her calling me Reese was kind of ufortable and foreign but I really had to get used to that name and she better get used to it too so we could avoid any suspicion from anyone who knew the missing ¨C in ¨C action Reese Jones. ¡°You seem a little down and I have been noticing that since yesterday. What is up with you, my dear evil friend?¡±


    I rested my elbows on the countertop, both hands cupping my face and a little bit uneasy about everything. I never expected that this pretense would actually made me feel so fucking problematic, in any way. Lara was not right when she mentioned that this whole thing was easy knowing I was too identical with Reese, because if it did, why did my emotions run high over such petty things?


    ¡°I have not seen Chase for two days in a row, Lara. He hasn¡¯t visited me at home. Not even phone calls. He only fed me text messages and nothing more. Do you think it is a good idea to visit him in the office and pretend to be concerned soon to be wife?¡± I asked.


    Lara sat down on the chair across mine and gave me a mischievous stare. ¡°Is that the reason why you visited me so early? You kind of miss the billionaire hottie?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her. Lara never really had something good to say.


    ¡°Do not get high hopes over this thing, Lara. You know that Chase is our precious gem right now,¡± I said as I gave her a stern look. ¡°I am a little bit worried. Maybe something really happened after the jail thing?¡±


    ¡°Did he ever tell you how his conversation went with his father?¡±


    I shook my head. That thing bothered me the most. I kept asking him through text messages about how his conversation with Uncle Ernest went but he only gave me neutral responses about it, telling me not to worry about it and he got it settled. However, I had no slightest idea as to how it got settled.


    ¡°He only told me that he got it fixed, no further exnation . . .¡± I huffed out of frustration, grabbed my coffee and sipped on it. I could really tell that its bitterness was somehow radiating my exact emotion right now.


    ¡°You know that is what a man usually does.¡±


    My forehead creased. ¡°Care to borate, my dear evil friend?¡± I asked, mimicking her voice when she called me with the same term of endearment a while ago.


    ¡°What I meant is, men tend to provide minimal responses over some things that they don¡¯t want their women to get so worked up about. Perhaps Chase is only trying to get you away from stress or something. After all, we have this saying, the less you know, the better . . .¡±


    ¡°And why is he not visiting me? Is it part of that saying you just mentioned? Because I could not see any connection at all.¡±


    Lara chuckled and crossed her arms on her chest. ¡°Really, Olivia Miller. Are you stressing yourself because Chase did not tell you how his conversation with his father went? Or are you more concerned about why he has not visited you? Enlighten me a bit.¡±


    I let out a huge sigh and rested my back on the chair. ¡°Perhaps I am just worried that our n would go down hill right before we get to suck some money out of their pockets.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if you are that worried then you might want to step up your game a little bit.¡±


    ¡°How, Lara?¡± I took another sip on my coffee, paying attention to this devil in front of me.


    She smirked. ¡°Seduce the guy and make him want to marry you so bad up to the point that he couldn¡¯t care less about his own family.¡± Lara shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Did you enjoy having sex with him?¡±


    I coughed as her question seemed to have choked me. I could have sworn I wanted to strangle her hair for being so straightforward! And why would she even ask if I enjoyed doing it with Chase?


    ¡°Based on your reaction, I bet he is really that good in bed!¡± she eximed.


    Oh, good Lord! It was a good thing that Mikael left for school so early. I would not want him to hear such a vulgar thing from his mother!


    ¡°Lara! Stop it! You are not funny!¡±


    ¡°What I wanted to say is, you can use that opportunity to rush the wedding. Act as if you really want to be his wife as soon as possible. Seduce him, make him crave for sex. No man would ever refuse it,¡± she advised and then leaned forward. ¡°Or if you want to use your ace card . . .¡± she paused.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Make him jealous . . .¡± She giggled. ¡°A rich man would make an impulse decision whenever someone tries to steal his woman.¡±


    I giggled upon realizing that Lara waspletely right. I looked at her yfully. She then gave me a grin. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You alwayse up with such a brilliant idea, Lara . . .¡± I said meaningfully as I finished my coffee.


    We will see if you could still be at ease, Chase . . .


    I may have to act soon and better find a man who I could use to carry out my n.


    ***


    It was around afternoon when Lara and I had decided to go to a high end mall to buy some luxurious dresses for my n. In order to be so convincing about making Chase jealous, of course I had to make sure that I would have the best wardrobe ever, so that he would think that I was dressing up for the man I would be using as my aplice.


    ¡°It is my first time entering a high ss mall, Reese . . .¡± Lara could not stop herself from jumping up and down and clinging into my arm. She was so giddy, as if a child who had been in a mall for the very first time.


    ¡°It is my first time too. I am so d Chase had given me his ck credit card. We can buy anything we want!¡± I said, grinning from ear to ear.


    Lara and I did a high five. After that, we did not wait much time and checked out some luxurious clothing boutiques. My mouth was half opened, in awe, as soon as my gazended on the expensive dresses, shoes and bags from what seemed to be the most expensive clothing line here at the mall.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, Reese! How could they sell bags that costs a fucking hundred thousand dors?¡± Lara was shocked when she checked the little sling bag and its price. ¡°This whole ce is no doubt to be for wealthy people! I bet my paycheck could only afford the hangers they are using!¡±


    We both chuckled.


    ¡°A few dresses will not make Chase mad. You can get some for yourself too. My treat!¡± I said and showed her the ck credit card.


    She wiggled her eyebrows and sped her hands together. ¡°I love you so much, Reese Jones!¡±


    Then, Lara disappeared in front of me and rushed toward the other corner of the boutique where she saw some dresses that fit her liking. I could not stop smiling as I watched her grab something that she liked. I shook my head and proceeded to check out some dresses on the other side of the boutique and asked for assistance from one of the staff.


    After paying for the clothes we grabbed, we went to the other boutique and chose some stilettos. Lara was freaking out when I grabbed the red pointed stilettos she had been eyeing for a moment. She shamelessly jumped in joy and hugged me in front of all the staff inside the boutique.


    ¡°Calm down, Lara. We do not want these people to think that we are first- timers here,¡± I patted her head.


    She giggled and nodded her head when she released me. ¡°Should I learn how to act like a damn rich woman, too?¡±


    Iughed and elbowed her, then we proceeded to pay for the shoes we wanted to buy. After the tiresome shopping of new things for our wardrobe upgrade, I invited Lara to go for a coffee date. We went to a cozy coffee shop inside the mall and ordered some frappes and slices of cakes.


    Lara was with me in front of the counter, waiting for the staff topute the amount we had to pay, still thanking me for tugging her into this and buying new stuff for her. Well, if I would be able to get a huge amount of money from this pretense, I would definitely spoil her every day.


    When the staff told me that I had to pay two hundred bucks, I took the ck credit card from my wallet. I was about to give it to the staff when a familiardy went to me, and snatched the card from my hand.


    I was stunned for a moment when I realized that it was none other than Chandria, Chase¡¯s younger sister, who appeared out of nowhere. She was grinning from ear to ear while looking at the ck credit card her brother gave for me to use.


    ¡°Chandria,¡± I called her name.


    I instantly felt the shivers down my spine. It was as if someone had caught me off guard . . . what was she doing here, anyway?


    ¡°Wow! So you are enjoying someone else¡¯s credit card and using it as if it is totally yours? Your audacity impresses me, Reese,¡± she said, and I could really feel the sarcasm dripping off her tone.


    ¡°Can you give it back, please?¡±


    I tried to get the card from her hand but she fastly moved it away from me.


    ¡°Reese, who is she?¡± Lara whispered as she hid at my back.


    ¡°Chase¡¯s evil sister,¡± I said in my hushed tone of voice.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Chandriaughed and I could have sworn that I had never felt so shameful until this day. Out of all ces, why did our paths have to cross in a crowded ce like this? I could feel the tension building up and the gazes from the crowd only made it worse.


    ¡°You are not even his wife yet. Aren ¡®t you shameful to use my brother¡¯s hard earned money too early?¡± Chandria looked at me from head to toe. ¡°I still cannot believe he wants to marry someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we are not here to start a fight with you-¡±


    ¡°Lara, stop it,¡± I told Lara and red at Chandria. ¡°Are you done talking? Would you mind giving the card back now? You are making a fuss out of nothing. I wonder how your brother would react once he finds out that you initiated an argument here in the coffee shop.¡±


    ¡°Then go tell him, to hell I care!¡± She crossed her arms on her chest and raised one brow. ¡°You should have note back, Reese. I can¡¯t believe my brother is head over heels to a cheater like you!¡±


    I was shocked upon hearing herst statement but I managed to keep my rage and confusion at bay. What the hell did she just call me?


    Cheater?


    It seemed to me that this girl, Chandria, knew something about Reese Jones that Chase himself did not know and I wondered what it was . . .


    ¡°That is quite an usation from my soon to be sister- in-w,¡± Imented through my gritted teeth.


    She smirked. ¡°I bet you do not remember it right now, or probably you are just putting on an act but let me tell you this . . .¡± She walked closer to me until she reached the side of my ears. ¡°Right after learning that you put my brother into serious trouble rted to illegal substances, my parents are trying to convince him not to marry you. You will never get our approval, Reese Jones. You will only tarnish our names because that is the only thing you are good at.¡±


    The words she said hit me to the core that I suddenly felt anxiety getting through me. I was so shocked that it felt like my feet were glued to the floor.


    Chandria stepped back and tossed the ck credit card to me. It hit my cheek and thennded on the floor, which made mee back to reality.


    She grinned. ¡°Well, you can use it all you want but I assure you that your gold digger career will end very soon. Be thankful that I am letting you enjoy my brother¡¯s money for thest time . . .¡±


    She gave me a death re before she walked her way out of the coffee shop. I sucked in a breath and swallowed so hard.


    What the hell had just happened?

 13

    OLIVIA


    ¡°Reese, are you alright?¡± I could sense the worry in Lara¡¯s tone of voice. She patted me on my shoulder, trying to soothe me as soon as we hopped into the cab.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Right after that unwanted scene that Chandria Maxwell created in the coffee shop, I suddenly felt ashamed as the crowd gazed at me, as if I was such a loser to begin with. It was as if I was being judged by everyone and I could not do something to even protect myself. I could not take the way they looked at me so I stormed out of the shop with a little amount of courage that I managed to gather within me.


    Chandria Maxwell . . . that b*tch humiliated me in the public. I would never let it go, let alone forgive her from what she had done a while ago!


    And she even called me a cheater and gold digger! I was trying to control my emotions so hard but they were so high that I ended up screaming my heart out while inside the cab. Lara then apologized to the driver for my behavior.


    All I could do was mutter numerous curses about what happened. That Chandria Maxwell. . . I swore I would sew her mouth closed in the event I got the chance to do so!


    ¡°I will never let it slide, Lara. No one dared to humiliate me, except her. The nerve of that woman!¡± I said angrily with my fisted hands.


    ¡°I was too annoyed when she called you a cheater. I mean, it feels like she knows something about Reese Jones . . . and it seems that she is just holding back, saving her ace card for the best. She definitely gave me creeps! What are you going to do now?¡±


    I massaged the temple of my nose and huffed out of frustration, teeth still gritting as I tried to calm myself down. I needed to think straight . . .


    I recalled everything Chandria said a while ago. Aside from her rude behavior, what made me feel so angry was the fact that their parents were trying to brainwash Chase about not pursuing the wedding anymore just because of the recent incident that happened.


    It became clearer to me that Chase¡¯s parents really dislike me. Did they really think that I would only tarnish their names? And was this the reason why Chase could not tell me about his conversation with his father? He lied to me when he told me he got it fixed, but the truth was, his family did not want him to marry me at all . . . and perhaps persuading him to break up with me!


    ¡°I need to do something for our n to seed, Lara . . .¡± I said firmly. ¡°I won ¡®t let them dictate Chase. I won ¡®t let them ruin my n.¡±


    I heard Lara sigh. ¡°I think it is bing moreplicated than I thought. Imagine if you married Chase, you would have to deal with his evil sister¡¯s wrath for you? And I heard she mentioned about their parents persuading Chase to not proceed with the wedding anymore.¡±


    ¡°You know I will do everything for money, right?¡± I nced her way and gave her a stern look. ¡°And for the love of money, I will never allow Chandria or their parents to ruin any of my ns. If I had to do something absurd to draw Chase¡¯s desire to marry me, I will not hesitate to do so. Mark my words, Lara.¡±


    ***


    I acted like nothing ever happened from the coffee shop when I got home. I was weed by Mrs. Jones who was all smiles at me. Even though my face was grim, I managed to return her smile as I thought that her emotion must be protected no matter what.


    ¡°How was your day with your friend?¡± she asked me curiously as we walked to the living room.


    ¡°I had so much fun, Mom . . .¡± I responded and faked a happy tone of voice.


    Her gaze directed to the couple of paper bags in my hand. ¡°You bought a lot of things, sweetheart. Where did you get the money to buy all that stuff?¡±


    I was stunned for a moment, and did not know how I would respond to her question. I cleared my throat a bit. I tried to gather the right words to say, but as soon as I opened my mouth, she spoke once again.


    ¡°Was it from Chase? I am sorry, Reese, if I did not give you any allowance to use. Ourpany is on the verge of bankruptcy and we have a few loans to pay from the bank . . .¡±


    My heart softened as I watched the expression on Mrs. Jones¡¯ face. It radiated shame and pity . . . I was taken aback. All this time I thought they were having a wealthy life but it looked like I was wrong.


    ¡°Mom, I understand and you don¡¯t have to give me money . . .¡±


    She was on the verge of tearing up and I felt the need tofort her. I hugged her and patted her back, making her feel that everything was fine with me.


    ¡°If only the Maxwells would find the will in their hearts to help us . . . I do not want you to suffer, sweetheart. Don¡¯t worry, your dad and I will do everything so that the wedding will be possible. You will never experience such a poor life. I promise, Reese.¡±


    Those words which came from a motherforted me so much. Mrs. Jones undeniably loves Reese that she would do everything for her to have afortable life¨C whereas she would never worry about money and debts.


    I wondered why I was never given a mother like Mrs. Jones? If only I had the mother I could run to every time I got into trouble, a mother that would lend her shoulders whenever I experienced heartbreaks and would always tell me that everything would be alright despite the numerous hardships in life, then I bet I would have grown into someone kinderpared to what I was right now . . .


    ¡°Mom, you have nothing to worry about. Chase and I will get married. Just give me some time and I will prove to his parents that I am the only woman who deserves to be their son ¡®s wife,¡± I said like a promise engraved to the stones.


    I caressed her hair and closed my eyes, making a promise to myself that I would do everything so I could marry Chase, not just for me and Lara but for Reese¡¯s mother . . . to save theirpany and free her from all her worries.


    ***


    For the first time after the recent incident that happened in the motel, Chase called my phone right before I went to bed to take a rest. Iy down on the bed, let out a huge sigh and answered his call.


    ¡°This is new. You finally called,¡± Imented. I did not want to sound off but my voice came off that way.


    Perhaps, at some point, I kind of felt bad that Chase lied to me when he mentioned that he took care of his dad but the truth was, it had gotten moreplicated since his parents might have thought that I would only bring nothing but problems to their family. What was worse was that I felt that it was the reason why he hadn¡¯t visited me for two days. Even if he did not say it verbally, his actions spoke more than his mouth.


    ¡°I miss you, baby . . .¡± he uttered in his soft tone of voice. ¡°I am sorry if I was not able to call you these past few days. I had hectic schedules at work but I kept thinking about you all the time. I hope you are not mad at me.¡±


    Oh, you better brace yourself, Chase. I am mad at you for lying to me . . . I wished I could tell him that.


    ¡°No, I am not mad at all . . .¡± But I had to keep my emotions in control because I did not want to ruin my n. ¡°I understand and as your girlfriend, I should get used to it. I know that your role in yourpany demands a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured that I would make more time with you when we get married,¡± he said and his voice was so soothing that I would want to believe it.


    ¡°Chase . . .¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I identally met Chandria at the coffee shop earlier. She told me things that you never tell me.¡± Now, it was time for n A. I cleared my throat and shifted my position and faced the side table where I could stare at Reese ¡®s portrait. ¡°She said that your parents did not like me, and they wanted you to not marry me.¡±


    ¡°Reese, I am so-¡±


    I faked a sob. ¡°It actually hurts because I never expected to hear it from your sister. And what hurts the most is I feel that it was the reason why you¡¯ve been avoiding me for thest two days. I hope you won¡¯t judge my feelings but that is exactly what I feel right now.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Chandria . . .¡± I heard him mutter a curse. ¡°Reese, I am so sorry about Chandria¡¯s action. I assure you that I am not trying to avoid you. You know what, I will go there so we can talk personally.¡±


    ¡°You do not have to, Chase,¡± I said and faked another sob. I huffed and swallowed hard enough for him to hear it from the other line. ¡°I don¡¯t really want you to suffer because of me. I appreciate everything you have done¨C still loving me despite the fact that I left you in the past, and still want to marry me even if I lose most of my memories . . . You care a lot for me and even though my mind is haywired because I have amnesia, I know deep within me that I truly love you . . .¡± I sucked in my breath. ¡°I love you, Chase . . . but I do not want to be a burden anymore. I do not want to see you going through conflict with your family because of-¡±


    ¡°Hold on, baby. What is this all about? Are you trying to break up with me?¡± His voice sounded as if he was in deep terror and panic.


    ¡°Y-Yeah . . .¡± Another fake sob. ¡°I understand why your family dislikes me, Chase. I have nothing to offer. Ourpany is on the verge of bankruptcy and we have some debts to pay. I will just end up tarnishing your name. It is best if we end this right now.¡±


    ¡°Really, Reese? You¡¯re breaking up with me over a phone call? No way!¡±


    ¡°And I need to help ourpany too. I-I¡¯m thinking of convincing some of our shareholders to help us, and even if it takes marrying one of their sons, I would not hesitate to do so . . .¡±


    You were doing great, Olivia . . .


    I heard him groan out of frustration. ¡°No, baby. I will never let you do that. I should be the only one you will marry, not anyone else¡¯s son! We will proceed with the wedding no matter what. Even if my parents arepletely against it, we will push it through . . . this week. I promise you that. Just please, do not leave me again . . .¡±


    I bit my lower lip, trying to suppress my smile. Was it too evil for me to be happy while hearing Chase pleading with me not to leave him?


    ¡°I will think about it, Chase . . .¡± I said and then ended the call.


    I sucked in a breath. I guess I was really evil to put him in a position where he did have any option but to marry me. After all, he was madly in love with Reese Jones, so in love with her that he would defy his parents just to keep her in his life.


    I really hoped this n would work . . .

 14

    OLIVIA


    As expected, Chase rushed to our home that night so he could talk to me regarding the conversation we had on the phone call. I could not suppress my smile as my n seemed to have worked . . .


    I tied thece of the silk robe I was wearing on my waist, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I wanted Chase to have an impression that I was stressed for the past two days and even more frustrated about what urred between me and Chandria. Thanks to the makeup on Reese¡¯s vanity table, I was able to make myself look very pale up to the point that someone would think that I was truly problematic in life.


    Mrs. Jones was waiting outside of my room when I opened the door.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I called her attention.


    She looked me in the eyes, held my hands and gave me a concerned smile.


    ¡°Sweetheart, are you alright?¡± she asked, worry was visible in her tone of voice. ¡°It is almost midnight and Chase is not the type of man who will visit my daughter around this time for a casual couple talk. My gut feeling is telling me that you two have a problem. Is there something wrong?¡±


    I gave her a small smile and squeezed her hands. ¡°Mom, you have nothing to worry about. This is just a little misunderstanding, I guess . . . but I am alright. Please, do not stress yourself over this matter. Your daughter can handle everything.¡±


    She nodded and caressed my cheek, a smile of satisfaction escaped her lips. Whenever I looked at her, my heart could not help but yearn for a mother. I still do not understand why Reese had to leave her parents this way. Was she really desperate to get away from Chase Maxwell that she no longer cared about her own mother?


    ¡°Alright then, he is waiting for you in the living room. I hope you two can talk things out and fix that misunderstanding right away, whatever that is. I will take a rest for now.¡±


    ¡°Good night, mom,¡± I said and kissed her on the cheek.


    ¡°You too, sweetheart.¡± She gave me one more nce and then proceeded to their bedroom, which was a few steps away from my room.


    I sighed a relief when I heard Mrs. Jones enter their bedroom and shut the door.


    Now, I had to face Chase and y hard to get. In order for my n to seed, I had to make him feel that I was struggling with our situation. He needed to see that I was torn between continuing our rtionship even though his parents were clearly against us, and helping my parents to save ourpany by selling myself off and marrying any businessman avable.


    ¡°Bring it on, Olivia Miller . . .¡± I smirked and thenposed myself before heading downstairs.


    Chase was sitting down on the couch, legs were spread apart, elbows rested on each knee and head facing the floor. He looked very charismatic in his dark blue long sleeves, denim jeans partnered with an expensive pair of shoes, and when his gazended on mine, I felt like he just swept my heart away.


    My breath caught. I forgot all the things I have to do for a brief moment. Seeing Chase¡¯s good looking face after two days made me feel that I, somehow, missed him. But then, I had to gather all my thoughts and remind myself that I should be able to take control of this situation, and not the other way around.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that there is no need for you toe here?¡± I started as I walked toward the living room.


    To my surprise, he immediately stood up and closed the distance between us. Before I could even protest, Chase already leaned down to im my lips. My eyes widened from what he did, but when I felt the unknown desperation and frustration with the way he kissed me, regret struck my chest right away.


    ¡°Chase . . .¡± I gently pushed him away from me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Our eyes met. I thought I could shove my conscience away but the moment I saw the evident pain in his oceanic eyes, it made me feel as if I wanted to back out from my n . . . he looked at me as if he was betrayed . . . and unwanted.


    ¡°I cannot understand why you are pushing me away that easily, Reese. Why is it difficult for you to trust me on this?¡± he asked, every word was so heavy that it really made me ufortable.


    However, I would still do this n no matter what. I reminded myself that I was no angel, that I was a daredevil and regret was never part of my being.


    ¡°Chase, I do not have any choice. I have to do something to help my parents-¡±


    ¡°I am here to provide all the help that you need, Reese! I can save yourpany. I am trying to be enough for you. Why can¡¯t you see that?¡± He was, indeed, struggling based on the tone of his voice.


    Olivia, you can ¡®t be swayed . . .


    ¡°Your family doesn¡¯t like me at all, Chase. Chandria already told me everything! And you lied to me . . . you told me you got everything settled but it wasn¡¯t true. Your father wants me out of your life!¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I walked past him and went to the balcony to inhale the midnight air. He followed me and I was shocked when he embraced me from my back.


    ¡°Reese, do not do this, please . . . I am begging you,¡± he said in hushed tones.


    My heart pounded wildly inside my chest. I was wrong when I thought that I could easily face him and act ording to my n but dang, I did not know that it was difficult . . . It was, indeed, difficult to hurt someone, especially Chase, and y with his feelings just because I was too crazy for money.


    ¡°I told you I will think about it. My parents and ourpany need me too. Know that I am not making this decision because I want to. I just feel like I have no other option . . .¡±


    He buried his face on my neck. A bolt of electrifying emotion went through me. With Chase embracing me while he begged for me not to leave him, I suddenly struggled organizing my thoughts. I closed my eyes, cursing myself from my mind as I knew this was not the right time to be so weak.


    ¡°Please, Reese . . . let¡¯s not fight anymore-¡±


    ¡°We are not fighting, Chase. We are trying to make a mutual decision,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°It is not even mutual, baby. I do not want to break up with you,¡± he uttered softly, embracing me more tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s tie up the loose ends, shall we? Please, marry me, Reese . . . marry me and I promise that I will make things alright for you.¡± His breathing was ragged as he said those words. ¡°I love you so much that it will be a death for me once you leave me. Reese, please . . .¡±


    I wanted to smile as the situation seemed to have favored me once again but I did not understand why I felt so different.


    Weren¡¯t you happy now, Olivia? This billionaire wanted to marry you . . .


    ¡°W- What about your parents?¡± I asked weakly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about them. The only person that matters to me is you.¡± He released me and held both of my shoulders to turn me around so I could face him.


    Our gaze locked once again. My heart could not stop from pounding aggressively that it felt like its loud beating was the only thing I could hear.


    Looking into his oceanic eyes, I could see the love and agony that he felt for Reese Jones at this very moment. The devil in me was telling me that I was doing great, but my conscience was reminding me that hurting people would not bring any good in my life.


    But still, I had to finish what I started.


    ¡°Please, Reese . . . will you marry me?¡±


    He took something out of his pocket, a small ck box . . . oh no.


    I was astounded when he knelt on the floor, eyes still staring up at me as he opened the small box. Shocked to see a diamond ring inside of it, all I could do was cover my mouth and gasped for thin air.


    ¡°Chase . . .¡±


    He licked his lower lip, eyes went teary as he looked at me. ¡°I am sorry for all my failures, Reese. I know that I am stillcking in some areas but I want to promise you that I will try to be enough, to be the best person you can be proud of and be the man that will make things easier for you. I want to be the man who you can share everything with, Reese . . . and with that, I will try my shot right now and will ask you to take me. Be my wife, please . . .¡±


    Tears pooled in my eyes as I gazed down at his soulful eyes. For a brief moment, I envied Reese Jones for having this man in her life. At the same time, I wanted to yell at her, to hit her head for leaving this man and letting this chance slide for her to have a happy life. I guess I wanted to know why it was difficult for her to give Chase the chance he deserved knowing that he was trying his best to be a better man for her.


    I fucking envied her for having this life, aplete family and a man who loves her dearly . . .


    ¡°Stand up, Chase,¡± I told him and breathed heavily.


    He didn¡¯t move and so I crouched in front of him, held both of his shoulders and nodded. ¡°I will marry you . . . I want to marry you, Chase . . .¡±


    His face lightened up, a smile escaped his lips as he put the ring on my finger. I was all too aware that this was just an act yet I felt like I was on cloud nine. My heart seemed so happy as I checked my finger with a ring on it. Never in my private dreams have I dreamt to be engaged . . .


    ¡°I love you, Reese. Thank you . . .¡± he uttered and hugged me.


    ¡°I love you too, Chase . . .¡± I replied, I was not sure why those words made my heart skip a beat.


    I hugged him back and caressed his hair. Despite the fact that my emotions betrayed me for making me feel that I was truly a bad person for manipting Chase, something inside of me told me that I could seize this moment.


    Still, n A worked . . .


    ***


    The next day, Chase and I did not waste more time and told my parents- I mean Reese¡¯ parents¨C about our intent to get married. Mrs. Jones was truly happy upon learning that we nned to get married this weekend, while Mr. Jones was still reluctant with our decision knowing that Chase¡¯s parents did not approve it. However, Chase was able to exin why we had to decide this way and made Reese¡¯ parents feel that our decision would not harm me in any way.


    He also offered to help ourpany once we are married, and I could sense how it brought relief to Reese¡¯ parents. I felt happy, at some point, because I was able to contribute something to help their business.


    We already scheduled a meeting with our wedding coordinator and everything will be rushed so that the wedding would happen on our expected date.


    ¡°Are you sure that you are not going to tell your family about our wedding?¡± I asked Chase when we walked our way to the parking lot. He still had to go to work but he would pick me upter so we could meet the coordinator.


    ¡°I will only tell them once we are married. I do not want them to do something that will ruin our wedding,¡± he responded and gave me a reassuring smile.


    ¡°But they are still your family. They have the right to know.¡±


    We stopped in front of his car. Chase reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.


    ¡°This is our wedding, Reese. I just want it done perfectly, without us worrying about anything and the only way it could happen is by not telling them that we will get married.¡±


    ¡°I understand . . .¡± I sighed and nodded my head.


    He smiled. ¡°I can no longer wait to be your husband.¡±


    ¡°Well, we only have four days left before we can tie the knot,¡± I said mischievously.


    I wrapped my arms around his neck, tiptoed and was about to kiss him on his lips when my phone rang from my pocket.


    I rolled my eyes for that sudden disturbance while Chase just chuckled upon seeing my reaction. I took my phone out of my pocket and saw an unknown caller ID from the phone screen. Thinking that it was an important call, I still answered it.


    ¡°Hello . . .¡± I answered.


    ¡°You can stop acting now, Reese,¡± said the familiar voice of a man.


    My brows furrowed. ¡°Uncle Ernest?¡±


    I looked at Chase. He frowned and became so attentive.


    ¡°I do not know what you are up to but make some time for a press conferenceter. The negative news about you still doesn¡¯t stop and it¡¯s ruining not just my son¡¯s name but ourpany too. I will text you the details,¡± he said and before I could respond to him, he already ended the call.


    I was a bit shocked with the way he talked to me. I looked at my phone, still trying to understand what he meant when he mentioned that I can stop acting now . . .


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Chase asked in his serious tone of voice.


    ¡°Uncle Ernest seemed to have set up a press conference for me.¡±


    ¡°What? He didn¡¯t tell me about it!¡± Chase huffed out of frustration and massaged the temple of his nose. ¡°I will talk to him. I will not force you to do something you are notfortable with.¡±


    ¡°I will do it, Chase.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    ¡°I will do it for you, Chase. I want to clear your name, too.¡± I held his hand. ¡°Trust me on this, alright?¡±


    He gave me a stern look but nodded his head in the end. I smiled but deep inside, I was too worried that his father might have found out something about me . . . I would never let him ruin my n.

 15

    OLIVIA


    If there was one new thing I started to hate the most, I guess it would be this very moment, standing in front of the media in a four cornered conference hall, mind was haywired as I took a look at these reporters who were very eager to hear a statement from me who did not even know what to tell them.


    Looking back, I tend to admire celebrities who had so much to tell during interviews, actresses and actors intoning their speeches in a grand event hall and influencers who were making a stand in front of the media. I recalled myself wanting to be an actress before. I thought it was fun and exciting as all you had to do was unt your beauty and talent in acting on the national television, but right now, I would say that I would never dream of bing one ever again.


    The whole ce was cold, camera sh could be heard and seen in every corner of this room, blinding my eyes as those were directed at me. The bunch of reporters, that I would say around forty in number, were sitting in their seats across the stage where we were seated, with theirptops and recorders turned on, and waiting for me to start intoning my statement.


    I guess what really made me terrified was the thought that I would only cause a problem, instead of trying to fix everything. My eyes nced at Chase Maxwell, who was seated beside me. His eyes were directed in our front, lips pressed together and had formed a thin line, and stillpletely dazzling despite his serious aura. He already taught me about what to tell these people and what should remain untold. I cheered myself inwardly, reminding myself that once we were done with this, we would meet our wedding coordinator and my n would still push through.


    You can do this, Olivia . . . You weren¡¯t born to be a weakling, I told myself.


    A few minutes passed and I felt Chase holding my hand under the table. I could feel the warmth of his hand and at some point, it made me feel at ease. We did not waste much time. The press conference had started and the reporters started to question me and Chase. At first, I was able to answer some questions as they were just easy, however as the time passed by, the questions being thrown at me were getting too personal and were difficult to answer.


    ¡°Ms. Jones, is it true that there is a third party involved which is why you backed out from your supposed wedding with Mr. Maxwell?¡±


    I looked at Chase. I saw how his jaw clenched but then, when he gazed at me, he gave me a reassuring smile.


    ¡°We assure you that there is no third party involved. Reese went through difficult times which caused the wedding to be canceled. Once she¡¯s fully recovered, we n to push it through,¡± Chase answered for me.


    ¡°Ms. Jones, there are spections that the only reason why you want to marry Mr. Maxwell is because you want to use their power to save yourpany from its bankruptcy. What can you say about this?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t true . . .¡± I answered, which I knew was a lie. ¡°There¡¯s no other reason why I want to marry Chase aside from the fact that I love him so much. Ourpany has nothing to do with our rtionship, right Chase?¡±


    Chase nodded at me then he faced the crowd. ¡°Reese is right. Our rtionship was not built out of business and despite the situation theirpany is facing right now, I will still not hesitate to marry her in the future.¡±


    ¡°And to those people who want to ruin our rtionship, I advise you to give up that stupid move because Chase and I will never break up!¡± I said. I did not mean to say it out loud but it came off that way due to the anxiety which engulfed me.


    I heard Chase chuckling softly. I gave him a wide- eyed look. It seemed that the reporters caught me making a face at him as the next thing I knew was everyoneughed as if I uttered a great joke in front of them.


    Chase intoned a few more speeches regarding the rumors spreading about me and rified that none of it were true. After that, he formally bid goodbye to the reporters. He held my hand and gestured to me to stand up. I nced at the reporters onest time, who seemed still had a lot of questions to ask. Camera shes became loud and severely blinding. Chase snake his arm around my waist and I felt his lips on my ear.


    ¡°You did well, baby,¡± he whispered and kissed my cheek.


    I could feel my face burning as I did not expect him to kiss me in front of everyone. I bet those reporters were able to capture it as they started cheering for us. I only smiled at them and then we proceeded to exit the ce.


    I huffed with relief, one hand clutching my chest. It felt as if I just went through a circle of fire and I was at ease now that it ended.


    ¡°Do you think those rumors spreading about me will end now?¡± I asked Chase curiously.


    ¡°I suppose, Reese. But regardless of the oue of this press conference, this will be thest time you will make a statement. I know it has been quite a pressure on you and I apologize if my father forced you to do this stuff,¡± Chase remarked.


    ¡°I wanted to help you. Chase. I am just d we are done with it . . .¡± I gave him a reassuring smile.


    His bodyguards were walking with us, making sure that no one would be able toe near us, especially reporters. We headed to the parking lot and hopped into Chase¡¯s ck luxurious car.


    He put my seat belt on and gave me one sweet gaze. ¡°Now, for the exciting part . . . we will meet our wedding coordinator.¡±


    I smiled widely and hugged him. I could not contain my happiness now that everything was happening ording to my n.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get married to you,¡± I uttered, excitement evident on my tone.


    ¡°Should I get married today then?¡±


    We both chuckled.


    ¡°Hmm, are you that excited to be my husband?¡± I raised one brow after releasing him.


    ¡°You have no idea, Reese . . .¡± He winked at me which made me grin even more.


    ***


    The meeting with our wedding coordinator went well. I was beyond excited as we were able to choose a ce where the wedding would take ce, and Chase already hired someone who would rush my wedding gown. The wedding coordinator, whose name was Eli, pretty much covered everything and there was nothing else for me to do rather than preparing my cringe wedding vow, which I would end up searching the inte for.


    Chase sent me home and I kissed him before letting him go. I could not stop grinning and humming a melody as I walked upstairs. It was as if Heaven blessed and favored me a lot despite the fact that I was a daredevil. My imagination shed a scene where I saw myselfying down on a bed filled with money, giving me the glimpse of life I had been dreaming for.


    My phone rang just when I entered my room. When I saw that it was Lara who just called, I immediately answered her call.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I started, voice still high due to my happiness. ¡°Guess what? We met with the wedding coordinator and everything is settled! I¡¯ll be getting married this weekend! I am so excited, Lara!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. I am happy for you, my dear evil friend,¡± Lara remarked but her tone sounded different.


    ¡°Hmm, you do not seem happy to me. What¡¯s up, Lara?¡± I asked curiously.


    I heard her inhaling sharply on the other line, as if she was frustrated or stressed over something, which added up to my curiosity.


    ¡°Well, I started doing some research about your favorite person, Reese Jones . . . and I found something disturbing just now.¡±


    My forehead creased after hearing what she said. I sat on the edge of my bed and paid attention to her. ¡°What do you mean disturbing, Lara?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I hired someone who used the deep web for advanced research about Reese Jones¡¯ past. Guess what? We found some copies of contents from inactive sites, and based on the contents I had gathered, it seemed that Reese had been getting death threats a few months before her supposed wedding with Chase. Another thing that caught my attention is, there is this specific blog from an unknown writer who posted things about Reese. It felt like this writer knew Reese personally. The posts were about the death threats, disturbing phone calls Reese had received from unknown callers and a lot of terrifying things. Everything is actually on the deep web . . .¡±


    My eyes widened and a gasp escaped my lips. ¡°What the hell, Lara. Do you think those you found out are true?¡±


    I heard her exhaling from the other line. ¡°I am not really sure. But my gut feeling is telling me that it had something to do with why Reese went missing.¡±


    ¡°And if it was true, who would send her death threats? That¡¯s creepy!¡± I said, feeling the goosebumps all over my skin.


    ¡°That is exactly what I felt. That¡¯s something we have to figure out ourselves.¡± She huffed out of frustration. ¡°I cannot believe I would stumble upon such hidden information though. I kind of have a feeling that Reese¡¯s situation is a lot more difficult than what we thought, Olivia. You have to be extra careful out there because if these things about death threats were true, then you might be in serious trouble. Someone out there, unscathed, was trying to go after her.¡±


    A pang of anxiety went through me. I knew to myself that I could face everything but hearing Lara¡¯s words about death threats and someone who was after Reese made my knees go jelly. I hoped that everything she found out from that deep web thing wasn¡¯t true . . . My mind started to imagine things which made me scared a little more.


    I really had to find out what happened to you, Reese Jones . . .


    ***


    Two days had passed very quickly. For a moment, I tried to focus on the wedding which would be held by tomorrow. Chase, Lara and Reese¡¯ parents werepletely excited about this most awaited event and I felt over the moon as my efforts were slowly paying off.


    Chase and I went to the boutique of the fashion designer he hired to rush my wedding gown. I was stunned the moment I firstid my eyes on the gown that I would be wearing for tomorrow.


    The white wedding dress had a plunging neckline,ce bodice and sleeves, and a full flowy skirt. Its style looked regal but bncing both tradition and modernity touches. I looked at it with awe visible in my face.


    I never dreamed of getting married in my entire life, but seeing this wedding dress made me want to tear up even though I was all too aware that I was only doing this for money.


    ¡°Would you like to fit it?¡± Lou, the fashion designer, asked me.


    ¡°Of course!¡± I eximed.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I nced at Chase who was sittingfortably in the visitor¡¯s lobby, eyes pinned on me with all smiles on his face.


    ¡°Will you give me a sneak peak?¡± he asked in his hopeful tone of voice.


    I stuck my tongue out to tease him but I knew to myself that this was not the right time to y hard to get. For Pete¡¯s sake, he would marry me tomorrow so being a little submissive to him would not hurt! I winked at him and then proceeded to the fitting room to wear my wedding gown.


    I wondered how much it cost? I bet it was too expensive based on its design. However, Chase was too rich to even mind the price!


    I excitedly wore the wedding gown and stepped onto the tform where there was a huge mirror for me to check myself. My mouth was left half open as soon as Iid my eyes on my own reflection from the mirror. A wide smile then escaped my lips, and I could not help but feel so emotional now that I was close to my goal.


    Reese Jones, wherever you are right now . . . please do note back just yet. Allow me to enjoy your life for a bit . . . Let me live this life that I had never experienced before . . .


    I gasped as I tried to keep my emotions under control. My goodness, it was not even a wedding which was set out of mutual love but I was already over the moon . . . how else if I would get married to the man I love?


    I pictured Chase in my mind, and in an instance, my heart raced fast. I had to admit that he was a perfect package to be someone¡¯s husband . . . I still could not believe that Reese decided to leave him. What else was there to ask for, right? He already had everything!


    I spun around, gave myself another nce and smiled in front of the mirror. I was so excited for Chase to see me wearing this gown that I opened the red curtains so that he would see me.


    However, instead of Chase, I saw Chandria standing up across the tform where I stood, arms crossed against her chest and giving me a grim expression.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± she yelled through her gritted teeth.


    The next thing happened, she ran towards me and pulled my hair tightly. I felt her nails digging deeper into my scalp while her other hand was trying to rip my wedding gown apart.


    ¡°What the hell, Chandria!¡± I tried to stop her but she was so strong that even though I pulled her hair too, she did not even flinch and still continued attacking me.


    ¡°How dare you, Reese! You don¡¯t deserve my brother, in any way! I won¡¯t allow you to marry him!¡± She was able to rip the upper part of my gown. My hand immediately held thece from its upper part or else it would strip me naked. ¡°Chandria, fuck off!¡±


    ¡°I hate you! You should have note back in my brother¡¯s life! How dare you try to brainwash my brother to secretly marry you! Our parents won¡¯t ept you no matter how you try! I assure you that!¡± she screamed and pped me on the face.


    It was such a huge blow that I ended up falling to the ground.


    ¡°Chandria!¡± I heard Chase¡¯ angry voice as he entered the boutique with Lou.


    He immediately grabbed his sister and stopped her from attacking me. My breathings were ragged as I felt the pain on my cheek. I checked my arm and found some scratches from Chandria¡¯s nails. Lou came to me and helped me stand up.


    ¡°You have no right to marry my brother! You¡¯re a cheater, a gold digger b*tch!¡± she screamed while pointing her fingers to me.


    My jaw clenched. I was not able to control myself, rushed towards her and pped her. It was as hard as what she did to me that her head tilted and for a brief moment, she did not make any move, shock was evident on her face . . . same went with Chase and Lou.


    I inhaled sharply and red at her. ¡°Cut the childish act, Chandria. I will no longer tolerate your damn behavior. Just because I didn¡¯t try to fight back the first time youid your fingers on me does not mean I will allow you to keep doing it to me,¡± I said and pped her face once again. I could feel the pain on my palm. ¡°If you want to y brat on me then let me tell you that you are barking at the wrong tree. You better f*ck off now while I can still control myself, my dear future sister-inw . . .¡±

 16

    OLIVIA


    ¡°You have to keep it a secret . . .¡± Chase¡¯s voice was firm and authoritative as he spoke with his evil younger sister, giving Chandria a stern and wary look.


    After the incident that happened between me and Chandria a while ago, Chase stepped in between us, forcing us not to fight anymore. Chase soothed me for a brief moment and asked Lou to help me with my ruined wedding gown¨C many thanks to Chandria Maxwell, who exerted a lot of effort to rip it apart as if that would actually cancel our wedding.


    Lou then treated my wounds,forted me, and promised that he would fix the wedding gown before the wedding tomorrow. After that, I had no other choice but to sit down beside Chase while Chandria was seated across from us.


    ¡°Chase, you are well aware that our parents arepletely against this wedding! Why the hell would you want to defy them just to be with that worthless woman?!¡± Chandria rebutted, disgust dripping every word she said.


    I could feel the anger starting to build up inside my chest because of thest two words she uttered. How dare she call me a worthless woman?!


    ¡°Mind your words, Chandria. You are referring to my fiancee, and I won¡¯t tolerate you talking ill about her,¡± Chase responded, a controlled anger was evident in his tone of voice.


    Chandria nced my way. Her grimace expression was evident and I bet she was already cursing and killing me in her mind. I rolled my eyes at her. If not for Chase, I probably would not stop pulling and strangling her hair until she went bald. She was getting into my nerves and a brat like her should not be tolerated, in any way.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still have that will in you to take her back after all she had done to hurt you, Chase. I bet she is only trying to manipte and use you for her own benefit, perhaps to save their sinkingpany but I am sure she doesn¡¯t love you and you have to realize that!¡±


    ¡°You have no right to judge me, Chandria,¡± I said through my gritted teeth.


    ¡°Go on and defend yourself but my impression of you will never change!¡±


    ¡°Chandria!¡± Chase¡¯ voice was like thunder. ¡°Can you please stop ruining our rtionship? I am tired of you trying to interfere with all my decisions. For once, can you please spare me a peaceful life?¡±


    I grinned inwardly when I noticed how shocked Chandria was as she looked at her brother. She pressed her lips together to form a thin line, chin and lips quivering and eyes almost teary. I could feel the satisfaction inside of me, seeing her look like a loser who was just scolded by her own brother.


    That¡¯s what she gets from being so nosy. She should have minded her own business instead of sticking her nose to something she wasn¡¯t even part of.


    She gasped, stood up and gave me a deadly re.


    ¡°I swear you are going to pay for this, Reese . . .¡± she said, on the verge of tearing up but I didn¡¯t care much and only shook my head.


    ¡°Keep it a secret, Chandria. Or else I will forget that I have a sister like you. It¡¯s your call,¡± Chase warned her.


    Chandria didn¡¯t say anything, but I saw how her tears fell before she stormed out of the boutique.


    I heard Chase huffing out of frustration. I felt bad that he had to put up with his sister¡¯s behavior. Chandria seemed to be the kind of sister who would cause a lot of trouble. That was my first impression of her and I could confirm I was right the moment sheid her fingers on me. I hoped not to see her anymore because I couldn¡¯t stand her wicked behavior, but I guess it was one wishful thinking because no matter how bad she could get towards me, she was still Chase¡¯s sister and there would be times that I had to see her¨C fuck family thing . . .


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to go through such difficult situations because of me, Chase,¡± I uttered and faked a sad voice.


    Our eyes met and I instantly felt bad when I saw the glimpse of pain in his eyes. I let out a sigh and patted his back. ¡°Thank you for protecting me from your sister. That alone was enough for me to put my trust in you.¡±


    ¡°I will never let anyone hurt you, Reese. Not even my own family. I promise,¡± he said and kissed my forehead. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    He began checking my arms which had cuts. It was a good thing that Lou had a first aid kit here. He cleansed my wounds, put an ointment on it and covered it with band aids.


    ¡°They don¡¯t hurt anymore. It¡¯s fine, Chase,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this will be thest time Chandria will be able toe near you. Once we are married, we¡¯ll move into our own house.¡±


    I eyed him with curiosity. ¡°Our own house?¡±


    He then caressed my hair and gave me a genuine smile. ¡°I can¡¯t let you stay with Chandria and my parents in one home so we¡¯ll have our own.¡±


    ¡°Sounds interesting,¡± I responded and hugged him tightly. ¡°For as long as you are with me, I¡¯m fine to live anywhere.¡± Again, it was a lie because I would never live under the same roof with Chandria, not even with his parents!


    ***


    And the most awaited day arrived . . . the day I would marry the famous billionaire, Chase Maxwell.


    Wearing my repaired wedding gown, a veil on my head and a bouquet of flowers on my hands, I walked on the aisle as a romantic piano piece was being yed.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My heart was pounding aggressively in every step I made. We decided to go for a civil wedding, wherein Reese¡¯ parents and Lara were the only ones invited as sole witnesses to this event. But despite the simplicity, I felt as if I was floating in the air, and an unknown happiness went through me.


    A few steps away from me, there I saw Chase, wearing his white tux and smile that could sway every woman who would see him. I could see the tension rising in his every gesture but overall, he seemed happy, excited and satisfied all at the same time. I smiled at him, and he did the same with his eyes almost getting teary.


    Mrs. Jones was crying beside me, while Mr. Jones was silent the whole time. They were with me as I walked on the aisle and when I finally stood up in front of Chase, I then kissed them both on their cheeks.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Chase greeted me, voice was husky and a bit shaking.


    I chuckled. ¡°Hi . . .¡±


    He reached for my hand, stood next to each other as we turned to the judge who would facilitate our civil wedding.


    A spike of fear and excitement engulfed my entire system. As I listened to the judge intoning his speeches for this ceremony, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine myself living the rich life I had dreamed of. That, out of any, was the most important thing to me. People could call me names, and gods could judge me all they wanted, but the devil in me won¡¯t flinch even for a bit.


    I realized that my poor life developed me into someone who had lost her conscience a long time ago and would do everything to survive, even if it takes deceiving people.


    No one could ever judge my actions as first off, they didn¡¯t know where I wasing from.


    ¡°Chase Maxwell, do you take Reese Jones, to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her,fort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?¡± the judge asked Chase.


    My heart was pounding aggressively as I stared at Chase¡¯ oceanic eyes that were pinned on me.


    ¡°I do . . .¡± he answered, which made me feel an unnamed emotion within me.


    I was asked the same question. For a moment, I had second thoughts as my conscience had awakened and was trying to ruin my n. But then, when I heard Lara¡¯s whispers, telling me toe back to my senses, I then recalled our goal which was the main reason why I decided to go through this.


    ¡°I do,¡± I answered softly. Chase smiled at me and held my hand and somehow I felt at ease.


    After exchanging I do¡¯s, the judge let us read our personal vows . . . I was teary-eyed when Chase read his, while mine was obviously something I got from the inte but despite it, he seemed very happy and satisfied.


    ¡°Chase, you may now kiss the bride . . .¡±


    When the judge announced it being thest part of the wedding, Chase stepped closer to me, held the hem of my veil and slowly removed it. We were both smiling at each other, eyes both could not look away as he leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss on my lips. I heard Mrs. Jones and Lara both cheering for us two who appeared to be very happy at the moment.


    ¡°Mine . . .¡± I heard Chase murmur under his breath after kissing me.


    I smiled widely and clung my arms around his neck. ¡°All yours, Chase . . .¡±


    We took a couple of formal photos and all the time Chase had been so sweet and romantic to me. On the other hand, Lara found a way to tease me when my husband was busy with our marriage certificate.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mrs. Maxwell . . .¡± she said meaningfully and wiggled her eyebrows.


    I gave him a wide-eyed look and rolled it at her after. She chuckled and clung into my arm. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know anything, I would really think that you¡¯re madly in love with Chase. Your acting is superb,¡± she said in a hushed voice.


    ¡°I am in love with his money,¡± I rified. ¡°So my acting has to be real.¡±


    ¡°Guard your heart, my dear evil friend. You¡¯ll never know what will happen in the future,¡± she remarked yfully and kissed my cheek.


    I shook my head. Lara really loved to specte. I looked over at Chase. Even though the wedding was over, her whole physique was still fresh, alluring and super dazzling. As my gaze pinned longer on him, I could feel the heaviness inside my chest.


    I huffed out of frustration. Lara¡¯s words kept repeating in my mind. It wasn¡¯t possible to like this man as he had everything, and his behavior was likable but I didn¡¯t want to do something that would only ruin my n.


    After signing our marriage certificates, we bid our goodbye to the judge who helped us with the ceremony. Everyone of us were all smiles and radiating joy and hope, not until the double door opened and we saw Chase¡¯s parents who were wearing their grimace expression.


    Mrs. Jones, including Lara and I screamed and panicked when Uncle Ernest rushed towards Chase and punched him straight in his face. Anxiety went through me. Clutching my chest as I felt a pang inside of it, all I could do was watch how Chase¡¯ father started beating him. It was as if my feet were glued on the floor, chills running through my veins, knees went jelly and my vision slowly turned into pitch ck.


    Bodyguards as well as the securities entered and tried to stop Chase and his father from their fight.


    ¡°Ch-Chase . . .¡± I tried so hard to call his name but it seemed that my voice would not cooperate.


    I couldn¡¯t even breathe. I gasped numerous times, and I felt my lungs running out of air. I tripped, and the next thing I knew was I felt my whole body on the floor, slowly shutting my eyes to enter the darkness . . .

 17

    OLIVIA


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t be the person you want me to be . . .¡± I said those hurtful words to a man, resulting in him turning his back on me and slowly walking away.


    Then I was left alone. In the middle of the darkness, I was standing in my ce watching the familiar shape of a man fading away into the thin air.


    I gasped as I opened my eyes from what seemed to be the longest sleep I made. Mouth half opened, I looked at the bright light shining through the ceiling.


    ¡°Did you have a dream, Olivia?¡± I muttered under my breath and swallowed hard. It did not feel like a dream. It was more like a nightmare¨C a nightmare wherein Chase had finally discovered my identity and my response to the situation was those hurtful words I recalled before I woke up. Beads of sweat dripped from my forehead. I got rid of that nightmare in my head, tried to move my body but all I felt was as if I was put on top of a big ice brick.


    The room was neat, walls were painted white as well as the ceiling and it smelled like medicine. It was so cold that I really wanted to eat some noodles or some hot rice porridge to recover from such coldness.


    I rose from the bed. The door opened and I saw Mrs. Jones, Chase and the doctor entered the room and rushed towards me with the evident concerns on their faces.


    ¡°Why am I here in the hospital?¡± I asked upon realizing that I was in the hospital based on the medical equipment resting on the side of my bed. ¡°Do I have some serious illness? Am I going to die?¡±


    ¡°Reese!¡± Mrs. Jones¡¯ voice seemed terrified with my statement.


    ¡°M-Mom . . . why am I here? What happened?¡± I then nced at Chase. ¡°Chase, how are you? Uncle Ernest-¡±


    Before I could finish the things I wanted to say, Chase pulled me for an embrace. I stiffened at that moment, my mind was clouded with unanswered questions as to why I woke up lying in a freaking hospital bed. Despite the confusion, I managed to hug him back. Mrs. Jones only watched us, who seemed very pleased to see me awakened and alive.


    ¡°I am d that you finally woke up. You made me worry,¡± Chase uttered, sighing with relief. He then released me and caressed my hair. Our gaze locked and I could see the mild bruises at the corner of his lips. My hand instantly touched it as the memory of how his father beat him to death shed in my mind vividly.


    ¡°Uncle Ernest found out, Chase. He hurt you . . .¡±


    ¡°You do not need to think about it right now, baby. I am alright,¡± he assured me.


    ¡°I am sorry you had to go through such a situation because of me. I cannot remember what happened next after seeing you getting beaten up by your father. I would like to know what happened . . .¡± I inquired in a low tone of voice, as I was still unable to talk clearly at this point.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You copsed, Reese. You were unconscious for almost half a day. All of us were worried about you. I am so relieved that you finally woke up,¡± Chase exined.


    ording to the doctor, I had suffered from an episode of panic attack after seeing Chase get hurt. He then took my vital signs, which revealed that my heart rate has returned to normal. My breathing appeared to be normal too, which was a good thing as I recalled running out of oxygen before I passed out after the incident that happened between Chase and his father.


    The doctor wrote a prescription for certain medicines I had to take for seven days¨C vitamins and a medication for normal blood cirction as I had low blood pressure. Overall, my doctor informed me that I was already in good condition and that I should be allowed to go home with my family¨C I did not know why that word gave me chills all over.


    They paid the hospital bills, and after a while, Chase told me that we would stay in our new house. I was really taken aback that he had already bought a home for us that fast. When we were already out of the hospital, we stopped in a nearby restaurant for a quickte dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Jones before heading back home.


    ¡°Thank you for entrusting your daughter to me,¡± Chase said. I nced at him who was seated next to me. His eyes were radiating joy and sincerity. I could see that he was too emotional at the moment, based on the expression on his face. Even though this day did not end so well due to the fact that his parents made amotion at our wedding, he was still thankful that we were able to get married, atst.


    ¡°We are the ones who are supposed to thank you, Chase. I understand that this is difficult for you, especially in light of the situation at your wedding,¡± Mrs. Jones responded, her voice quivering as she continued, ¡°Just please take good care of our daughter, Chase. I am so delighted that you two finally got married, and you are officially part of our family. I could not ask for more, honestly.¡±


    Chase rose from his seat, smiled, and embraced her, as well as Mr. Jones, who was sitting next to Mrs. Jone.


    ¡°Please ept this as our wedding gift,¡± Mr. Jones remarked as he handed some keys to Chase, who thanked him. ¡°These are keys for a family-owned yacht and several luxury automobiles we had.¡± Mr. Jones chuckled a bit. ¡°I know it is nothing inparison to what you have but for a minor fraction, it is for us to say thank you for marrying Reese,¡± he added.


    Chase gave me a sideways nce before returning his attention to the keys that were handed to him by Mr. Jones.


    ¡°I am sorry but I am afraid I won¡¯t be able to ept these gifts for free . . . I know the situation of yourpany and I n to do a lot of things so that everything will be back on track. That includes buying these assets for you to liquidate them,¡± Chase exined in detail.


    Mr. and Mrs. Jones looked at each other, shocked after hearing those words from my husband. After a few seconds, they smiled.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Chase!¡± they said in chorus, their voices heightened with a tone of delight.


    ¡°No need to thank me. I will do everything that I can to help you since you are already my family as well,¡± he exined.


    Mr. and Mrs. Jone could not contain their happiness so they embraced Chase. After a couple of seconds, Mrs. Jones went to me and kissed me on my forehead. ¡°Reese, be a great wife to your husband!¡± she whispered to me.


    ¡°Reese, make us proud. From now on, you will be called Mrs. Maxwell!¡± Mr. Jones added.


    We had a moment in the restaurant and after that, we parted ways. Mr. and Mrs. Jones hopped into their car while Chase and I drove the way to our new home.


    ¡°So where is our new home located?¡± I asked curiously during the drive.


    ¡°Let me surprise you,¡± he responded and gave me a wink. I shook my head but still smiled at him.


    To be honest, I was not a huge fan of surprises especially if it ended up giving me a total shock rather than a moment of happiness. But seeing Chase who seemed to work hard to surprise his wife, who was I not to go along with his game?


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t seen Lara in the hospital before. Was she alright?¡± I asked as I remembered my best friend.


    ¡°She left earlier while you were unconscious. Don¡¯t worry, I had someone drive her to her apartment.¡±


    I took a deep breath and I was d that my best friend was fine. I did remember that she needed to check up on her son. I had already bothered her too much . . .


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lara, I repay you for all of your sacrifices,¡± I mumbled to myself.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± he questioned when he nced at me.


    I just gave him a sweet smile.


    ¡°Nothing Daddy!¡± I said in a seductive voice that made him grin widely.


    ¡°I see that you are getting excited, why? Is it because we are already married? Or is it because your dirty sl*t called you daddy?¡± I asked and chuckled.


    He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, still with a wide grin stered on his lips.


    It was a good thing that his mind had been switched into something. Now, to give an emphasis to my act, I gave him a peck on his cheek that made him blushed a bit.


    ¡°You are so cute, Chase. I cannot wait for us to get home,¡± I said in a soft tone.


    I then put my hands on hisp and gently rubbed his thighs. I saw him licking his lips. I then stopped for him to want some more. It was only a teaser for Chase Maxwell. After that, I gave him a wink and I saw how he was trying to keep his cool which made me chuckle a bit. To my surprise, he drove so fast, and the excitement was evident in his eyes.

 18

    OLIVIA


    I was on the verge of dropping my jaw as I took in the breathtaking mansion in front of me. It was a massive, two-story mansion that exudes luxury. It was constructed with modern masonry in a rustic design, and almost all of the windows were made of expensive ss. From where I was standing, I could see the interior designs from the inside, which I thought were extremely expensive.


    As I scanned the area, I noticed that the mansion stood in the middle of a vast field of bermuda grass, with a pine tree on its right side and ake on its left side. The entire area was extremely calming and pleasant. The breeze was very soothing and invigorating. This location was, without a doubt, ideal for someone looking to unwind!


    I felt warm arms embrace me from behind. Chase buried his face in my neck. I tilted my head and held his arms that were around my wrapped waist. I could not help but be amazed at the things this good-looking billionaire could do. I bet he could even get the stars from the night sky just to please his beloved Reese Jones! A woman who is extremely fortunate


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± he whispered to my ear. His cool mint breath sent shivers down my spine, yet it was veryforting.


    ¡°No, I love it!¡± I eximed. ¡°Is this really ours?¡± I asked him and checked over my shoulder to meet his oceanic pair of eyes.


    ¡°We own it, baby,¡± he answered with a smile and kissed me on my cheek, which made me smile a bit. ¡°This will be our new home, the same ce where we will start making our own family. You and me, and our future children. I feel so excited just by thinking about it. This is the most satisfying phase of my life.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    A pang of anxiety slowly went through me. Chase seemed to be hoping for a lot of things to happen in the future. I was not even sure if I would be able to stay with him for that long. After all, this was just a pure act for the sake of me having a life I dreamed of and of course, a huge amount of money. I should not feel so guilty about this; however, hearing Chase¡¯ hopes and dreams did make me feel so bad. I hoped Reese would note back, yet . . . wherever she was hiding, I hoped she just stayed that way. I could pretend to be a great wife for Chase during the process. Reese did not need to go back just yet to ruin my n.


    ¡°How about your family, Chase?¡± I asked worriedly and turned around so I could face him better.


    He was still hugging me when he sighed. I saw a glimpse of dismay in his eyes, perhaps because of how his parents acted after our wedding. In fact, I would feel the same, if I did have real parents and would object to my marriage. I mean, why would parents ever hurt their children that way?


    ¡°They can no longer interfere with our rtionship, Reese. Not even Chandria, I promise you that . . . You no longer have to worry about them. I will make sure they won¡¯t be able toe near you.¡±


    ¡°But your rtionship with them will be ruined, Chase.¡±


    ¡°They are the ones who ruined it first. This is my life and I decide who I want to share it with. It is not something they can interfere with. No matter what they do, I will still protect you and our rtionship. Got that?¡± he said and caressed my cheek as he looked at me intently.


    I could have sworn that I felt the sincerity and determination from Chase¡¯s deep tone of voice. It spoke of promise that for a moment, I felt very secure, a woman who was truly loved by a man who would do everything and anything for her and by that, my heart could not stop from pounding aggressively.


    Even though my mind was yelling at me, telling me to look away and get rid of this madness inside my chest, it seemed to me that my entire body had its life on its own. I could not even break our goddamn eye contact.


    I nodded at him, lips curled for a smile as I looked at his bewitching eyes . . .


    You better stop drooling over this guy, Olivia!


    ¡°I love you so much, my wife . . .¡± he said those words, which made my heart skip its beat.


    He then leaned down on me and kissed me on the lips. My eyes instantly shut and kissed him back. We kissed for only a minute and then he hugged me right after. I was all too aware that he was bing so emotional and yes, clingy, but despite that, I did not feel ufortable whenever he was around. I guess I was getting used to Chase¡¯ presence.


    We went inside the mansion and I was astounded as my eyes wandered at every corner of the ce. It was really beautiful from the outside but was even more stunning from the inside. I could not believe I would get the chance to live in such a luxurious house. This was just a hopeless dream before!


    I screamed when I felt my body float in the air. I just realized that Chase carried me all of a sudden, typically a married couple thing during the first night after the wedding!


    ¡°Chase!¡± I warned him as he was wearing a devilish grin.


    ¡°I bet it is time for our honeymoon . . . shall we, wife?¡± He tilted his head as he asked me that question.


    I felt a familiar tension building up within my body, most especially at its most private part. My cheeks heated in shame upon the realization that I was also anticipating that part of this whole thing!


    But I did not want to be such a hypocrite? Who was I to even refuse this hottie carrying me?


    I raised my brow and smirked at him. ¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡±


    ¡°Damn yes . . .¡± he said huskily.


    He did not waste any time and walked me to the bedroom which was located on the second floor. My mouth was half opened when we entered the room. It was too cozy with its rustic design, and had a wide space. The master¡¯s bedroom was ced on the center part, while across it were the couches . . . then there was a firece next to it, a chandelier in the ceiling, arge television and ss windows . . .


    ¡°This is wonderful, Chase . . .¡± Those words were the only thing I could utter when he put me down. I walked around, truly amazed at how cool our bedroom was.


    ¡°Anything for my wonderful wife,¡± he replied as he walked towards me.


    He pulled me close to him and without any second thoughts, he leaned down to im my lips. We started with one passionate kiss, which gradually elevated to a rough kissing. Our bodies were pinned to each other, hands traveling around each other¡¯s backs while devouring each other¡¯s mouth as if we could not get enough of it.


    I tiptoed and wrapped my other hand around his nape to deepen the kiss. I willingly opened my mouth when I felt his tongue trying to part my lips. The way his tongue tasted every corner of my mouth felt so hot that I could feel the tension rising all over my body.


    I could really tell that my heart was thumping so loud inside my chest. It was as if my rib cage was about to get broken because of it. Whenever Chase¡¯s warm palms touched my back, caressing my hips and my behind, it felt like an electrifying bolt was running through my veins and I could do nothing aside to surrender as my body wanted it so badly.


    ¡°Chase . . .¡± I called him softly in between our kisses.


    He stopped kissing me for a moment, letting me catch my breath . . . our eyes were locked to each other, and his eyes were radiating a familiar desire, lust and affection, the same emotions I had seen back in the motel when I seduced him.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, Reese . . .¡± he whispered softly. ¡°I am afraid I will never get enough of you tonight.¡±


    ¡°I am all yours now, Chase,¡± I said under my breath. ¡°You can do anything to me. I will be submissive, if you like.¡±


    ¡°You better be, wife . . .¡± He smiled. ¡°Now, put your hands up.¡±


    I did what I was told. I felt a ticklish feeling down there when he held the hem of the fitted white dress I was wearing. He pulled it upwards to undress me and I was left with my underwear. I swallowed hard when his hand caressed my left breast, without even breaking our eye contact. He then squeezed it tightly that made me let out a soft moan.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he uttered a curse and then pulled me closer to him.


    I felt his hard shaft poking my belly. Heat started to engulf my entire body, my mind was haywired with sultry thoughts and all I wanted was to be bedded by him.


    ¡°Make love to me, Chase . . . I want you, now . . .¡± I said, and could not even recognize my own voice.


    ¡°You do not need to ask, wife. I will make love to you until I am sated,¡± he responded and imed my lips once again.


    All I could feel was my body burning with desire. I pinned my body to him and let out moans when he started sucking my lower lip. I arched my back, shut my eyes and surrendered to the intense sensation.


    We walked to the bed and the next thing I knew was he was already on top of me, pounding on me like a rabid animal mating to his prey. I lost count on how many times my eyes rolled back because of the mixed in and pleasure while weing each thrust he made in my inside. I just found myself wanting more of him and screaming his name for the countless climaxes I had . . .


    Chase Maxwell was indeed great at everything . . . even in bed, there was no way I would deny that. He was a freaking sex master that made me reach pleasures in all level.

 19

    OLIVIA


    It has been two weeks since I married Chase Maxwell, and I would say that it was the best decision I ever made because I have had the opportunity to live a luxurious lifestyle that I never imagined would be possible for me. I had to admit that it was a little surreal. It was no longer necessary for me to perform endlessly on stage, seduce old hags in exchange for tips, or endure the daily battles that constantly reminded me of my traumatic past. I was finally able to say goodbye to the pitiful life I had previously led.


    Now, all I had to do was seduce one man, and that man happened to be none other than my husband, Chase Maxwell. It was such an easy job that paid very well. I would wake up in the morning and provide him with morning kisses, making him feel loved all the damn time, even though it was just an act, so he would not act suspicious of me, taking good care of him and, most importantly, performing my duties as a good wife who understood him better than anyone else in this world. I could easily get what I wanted from him¨C money ¨Cas long as I was good and treated him right.


    ¡°So, how is it to be the wife of the super famous Chase Maxwell?¡± Lara asked curiously with a mischievous smile stered on her face.


    Today was Friday, and I decided to pay Lara a visit in her apartment so that we could discuss her ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Reese Jones, the princess who went missing. So far, I would say that the past two weeks have provided me with a wealth of information about her. Lara had worked extremely hard to gather some important information about my favorite person, and this information proved to be extremely useful when I pretended to be her.


    I rolled my eyes at Lara, joined her on the couch and huffed out loud. We were the only ones in her apartment at the moment. Her son went to school and his nanny took a one week leave.


    ¡°Well, amazing, I guess?¡± I replied, which came off more like a question. ¡°Aside from the fact that he always gives me money, Chase is such a romantic guy that I am having a lot of fun pretending to be in love with him whenever he is around. You know, like a real wife who is deeply in love with her husband.¡±


    Lara grinned widely, throwing me a malicious look like what she usually did whenever we met and had serious conversations.


    ¡°Putting on an act, I see . . .¡± Her voice sounded like she was not convinced.


    ¡°Like what I have been telling you all the time!¡± I snorted but she only shook her head while grinning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you are so into such an idea that there is something real going on between the two of us. I do not like nor love him, okay?¡± I rified.


    ¡°Are you not even attracted to him? He is such a hottie so if you would be honest, I will definitely understand. I, too, find Chase hot and desirable!¡±


    My eyes widened with what she said. ¡°What did you say? Did you just low-key admit that you are lusting after my husband?¡±


    She leaned forward and raised one brow. ¡°Why? Are you even bothered? You said you do not like him!¡±


    ¡°Fine! Then lust after him all you want. At the end of the day, the crown is still on me as I am his wife.¡±


    Laraughed out loud, and all I could do was scoff at her. She really loved teasing me when it came to my rtionship with Chase. I could not understand why she was so invested in questioning my feelings towards that man. Even though I already told her that Chase was not my type- well, alright, maybe he was my type, but just a little bit- she kept being so nosy, assuming things that were not true and would never happen.


    ¡°Anyway, my dear evil friend . . .¡± She stoppedughing and cleared her throat. ¡°If you are engaged in frequent sexual intercourse with your husband, you have to be extra careful. I will tell you that thest thing you want to happen is to get impregnated by your husband, knowing that you are only pretending to be the love of his life. Is he even using condoms? Or are you taking contraceptives?¡±


    I was stunned for a moment. I recalled those instances where Chase and I had sexual intercourse multiple timesst week. We did it twice this week too, and damn it! I could have sworn that Chase was all bare when we did it. Worst of all, I did not even take any contraceptives!


    Dang!


    I caught my breath. In one instance, I felt a surge of worry go through my nerves. I was not the kind of woman who was very mindful about my safest days . . . I bit my lower lip and muttered a curse.


    Lara gave me a wide-eyed look. I frowned, which made her palm her face out of frustration.


    ¡°Seriously, Olivia?!¡± she yelled at me, totally bewildered.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I did not need to say it at all. I knew that the expression of my face answered her questions already.


    ¡°Do not be mad at me, alright? I will be more careful the next time-¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your freaking mind? You just had unprotected sex with your husband! What would you do if you got pregnant?! May I remind you that this is just an act, Olivia!¡± she said, cutting me off.


    She was right. I was a total idiot for engaging in such an activity. Now, I would have to pray to gods and even deities just to help me prevent the very worst case scenario. Getting pregnant was not part of my n!


    ¡°I-I will take contraceptives starting today. I promise!¡± I responded, raising my right hand as if I was reciting a goddamn oath.


    ¡°You better pray so hard, Olivia. I cannot believe you forgot about your safety. Is he really that great in bed?!¡± she said sarcastically.


    My cheeks flushed. ¡°Lara, stop it, will you! I am sorry, alright? I will use contraceptives from now on. Stop talking about pregnancy. That word alone is sending me chills all over!¡±


    ¡°You have to be really nervous!¡± She rolled her eyes while shaking her head. ¡°I swear you would not want to end up being a single mother.¡±


    ¡°I know, thanks for reminding me . . .¡± I pouted my lips.


    Lara may be harsh, but all the words she said were true, and even though she talked very harshly to me, I was all too aware that she was concerned about me. Since I was only pretending to be Reese Jones, getting pregnant was one of the things I should have prevented from happening, as I knew that once Chase found out that I was a different person, I would only end up raising the baby alone. I already knew where it would lead me.


    Who would ept a child whose mother was a con artist anyway? I sighed at that thought.


    Around afternoon, when Lara started discussing her ongoing investigation regarding Reese Jones. I was all ears while watching her, trying to digest every detail she had found out with the help of a geek he hired to assist her.


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡± She handed me a printed copy of the blog post she found weeks ago. Lara mentioned that the said blog site was already turned down, and they were just lucky to find copies of its content somewhere on the deep web.


    I looked at the paper and read the whole content. The writer did not literally mention Reese¡¯s name, but based on how she described the subject of the content- a swimmer athlete who was rumored to wed a top-notch billionaire- she was really referring to Reese Jones. ording to the content, Reese had been getting death threats, and a lot of times she saw her being extra conscious about her surroundings as if she thought that someone was following her. The writer also indicated such events where Reese made a fuss in front of the crowd, crying for no reason and silently seeking help through eye contact.


    I swallowed so hard. I could feel the anxiety building up inside my chest after reading the content. It was, indeed, disturbing. I could not help but feel concerned about Reese.


    ¡°It was posted a week before Reese had gone missing,¡± Lara added, crossing her arms on her chest, looking directly at me as she stood up across the couch where I was seated.


    ¡°Do you really think that the writer knew Reese personally?¡± I asked.


    She clicked her tongue. ¡°My gut feeling said so. Given that she wrote a lot of things about Reese, I did feel that she knew her or probably was close to her. A friend, maybe? But I am not really sure, Liv.¡±


    ¡°Will there be a chance for us to locate the writer? I think she could give us more details about what really happened to Reese.¡±


    ¡°I tried though, but even the deep web was not able to save some information about the writer. All we know is her pen name, Jeen Se Rose.¡±


    ¡°Jeen Se Rose . . . would you be able to hire someone who can help us find a lead about this writer?¡± I asked her curiously.


    Lara¡¯s brows furrowed. After a while, she shook her head, as if she was telling me that what I wanted was too impossible.


    ¡°It will cost a lot of time and money, Olivia,¡± she replied hesitantly.


    I let out a sigh and stood up. ¡°Lara, I do not care how much it costs. We just need to find this writer, as she may be able to give us the answers we need. I will wire the money to your bank ount. Please, try to find someone, a private investigator perhaps, to help you with this. Can you please help me?¡±


    ¡°The amount of money to get someone to work their ass off to find this person is huge as a mountain. Are you sure, Liv?¡±


    I smirked at her. ¡°Money is not a big deal anymore. I am Mrs. Maxwell now, remember?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, alright then!¡± She grinned widely. ¡°Why are you so invested in finding this writer anyway? Do you really want to find Reese? It will only cause more trouble if she gets back, just so you know.¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to locate her to beg for her toe back. I just want to know what really happened to her . . . if she was still alive or¨C¡± I paused as I could not say those words. ¡°You know, the worst-case scenario given that she had experienced receiving such death threats.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. What she experienced was truly terrifying,¡± Lara remarked and embraced herself as she seemed to have goose bumps while thinking about Reese.


    ¡°You are the only person I can depend on with this matter, Lara. Do everything you can and do not forget the one and only golden rule . . .¡± I said.


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah, do not get caught. I already knew that. You have nothing to worry about, Liv. I am very cautious about this. Anyway, I will work on this as soon as possible so I can send you a new report.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lara. You are the best.¡±


    I huffed a breath. Honestly, I was not really sure why I was doing all these¨C trying to get information rted to Reese and investigate what really happened to her. I could not tell whether I was threatened that anytime she would show up and take everything back from me or I grew fond of her as the time passed by when I was pretending to be her. All the more, I would not be at ease until I found the real reason behind her disappearance.


    Dead or alive, I must find her . . .

 20

    OLIVIA


    After meeting Lara in her apartment, I went to the Jones¡¯ residence to visit Reese¡¯s mother. It had only been two weeks, yet I could not deny that I missed Mrs. Jones so much. I was well aware that I should not be attached to them, but no matter how I tried to control my emotions and reminded myself that they weren¡¯t my real family, my heart as well as my mind yearned for parents like them.


    Perhaps because I grew up in an orphanage and did not get a chance to meet my biological parents, nor was I adopted by some great family who would treat me like their own child, which was why I craved a parent¡¯s love and affection. But regardless of how I felt towards them, it was part of my obligation to stay connected with them since I was ying the role of their missing daughter.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, sweetheart! I missed you so much!¡±


    Mrs. Jones embraced me tightly as soon as she saw me standing in the living room, waiting for her.


    ¡°I missed you too, Mom. How are you? Where¡¯s Dad?¡± I asked with a smile stered on my face.


    I could see the joy radiating to Mrs. Jones¡¯ eyes when she released me. Caressing my face, she smiled sweetly at me and said, ¡°I am a little bit sad that you are not living here with us anymore but I am happy whenever I think about how happy you are with your married life. Anyway, your dad is in the office. I want to thank your husband for helping him save ourpany.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Chase is a kind man. He promised me that he will help us and there is no reason for him not to fulfill it. I am d that he is already helping Dad.¡±


    ¡°I just wish that Ernest will spare the both of you a peaceful life. I am still worried that he might do something worse to his son, or to you, once he finds out that Chase is behind the progress of ourpany.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Mom. Chase and I will handle his father.¡±


    We then walked to the garden. Mrs. Jones kept asking a lot of questions about how I felt now that I was living with the man of my dreams. I bet she was too excited to hear some stories from her daughter. I wondered if Reese always told her a lot of things or got some girl¡¯s talk with her mother. I thought it was cool to be able to share things with your mother, who was deeply invested in hearing all your stories and thoughts about life, and so, even though I was not sure whether Reese was a person who shared things with her mother, I still followed my heart and shared my thoughts with Mrs. Jones. She looked very happy, and her smile didn¡¯t fade away as she listened to me.


    ¡°Let this be a reminder for you, sweetheart. Whatever happens, may it be an argument or if ever you find yourselves in a veryplicated situation, you should always follow what your heart tells you, as it knows what will make you happy. At the end of the day, we all crave for happiness, and that is the most important thing in the world. Even money could not buy that,¡± she exined.


    I smiled at Mrs. Jones. Her words of advice were simple, yet they hit me to the core in a hard way. Even money could not buy happiness . . . I believe we have different perspectives in life, and I had to admit that I thought the opposite, but something inside of me felt a little amount of pain, which was too unfamiliar.


    I used to hate that saying, as money was everything for someone like me who grew up in a very poor environment, but the way Mrs. Jones said those words, it felt as if there was a deeper meaning behind that simple phrase, that there was something more relevant that could give someone happiness apart from the money itself. I brushed that thought away from my head. Money was still my everything . . .


    ¡°Sweetheart? Are you alright?¡±


    I came back to my senses and blinked several times before I nced over at Mrs. Jones. Her eyes looked at me curiously. It was as if she was puzzled yet a bit intrigued about what was whirling through my head.


    ¡°N-Nothing. Mom. Thank you so much for the word of wisdom,¡± I said sweetly which made her chuckle. ¡°I assure you that I will be a great wife to Chase. I will follow all your advice and will live a happy life with him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, Reese, and I can¡¯t wait to have a grandchild. I am not getting younger anymore so if it isn¡¯t too much to ask, better hurry and get pregnant!¡± she eximed andughed.


    ¡°Mom, we just got married two days ago. You can¡¯t expect a child that quick!¡± I hissed but then Iughed with her.


    ¡°I am just kidding, hun. But you know what? I will be the happiest mom in the whole world once you tell me that you¡¯re carrying a baby in your womb. I am so excited . . .¡±


    I nodded with a smile. ¡°No worries, mom. When I find out that I am pregnant, you will be the first person to know!¡±


    ¡°I can go by the second. Chase should know it first once it happens!¡±


    We shared moreughter and continued our conversation like real mother and daughter do.


    ***


    It was almost five o¡¯clock in the afternoon when I decided to visit Chase in his office instead of going home. I would like us to have dinner at a fancy restaurant as ever since we got married, we hadn¡¯t had a chance to eat outside. I bet my husband would feel so giddy once he saw me visiting him.


    As soon as I entered thepany building, I was greeted by the employees. Days after we got married, the news started circting all over the country like a dangerous wildfire. I thought it was necessary to hide it at first, but since his parents were already aware about our civil wedding, Chase did not bother to stop the news from being aired in the media anymore. He said that it was just a waste of time as we did not need to hide it from anyone. He was even taking advantage of that opportunity as he did not want any men toe near me. He was that possessive of me.


    As expected, a staff member assisted me and let me use the special elevator that would send me to the floor where Chase¡¯ office was. While waiting for the elevator to stop on the right floor, I leaned my back on the wall, took mypact mirror and red lipstick from my back and applied it on my lips.


    When we reached the right floor, the staff member led the way and I was weed by Debby, Chase¡¯s secretary.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mrs. Maxwell,¡± she greeted me with all smiles.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    My heart skipped a beat upon hearing what she just called me.


    Mrs. Maxwell . . . That name sounded like a damn rich wife!


    ¡°Good afternoon, Debby. It is nice seeing you again. How are you?¡± I asked politely, since I was in a good mood after she called me Mrs. Maxwell.


    ¡°I am doing great, Mrs. Maxwell. Your expression is radiating with so much joy. I am happy that Mr. Maxwell and you are already married,¡± she responded sincerely.


    ¡°Thank you so much! Now that my husband was mentioned, may I know if he is in his office? I want to visit him.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Debby looked at the double doors of Chase¡¯s office, which made me do the same before I nced back at her, waiting for her answer.


    ¡°He is actually in the middle of something right now, Mrs. Maxwell . . .¡± Debby informed me and all of a sudden she could not stare at me in the eyes.


    My brows furrowed. Looking at Debby, it seemed like there was something going on in Chase¡¯s office that I should not know.


    ¡°In the middle of something, you meant a meeting?¡± I questioned her.


    ¡°Y- Yeah . . . It is a meeting, Mrs. Maxwell. If you want, I can assist you in the executive waiting room and I will let Mr. Maxwell know that you are here as soon as his meeting is done,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± I smiled at her then got rid of that second thought that Chase¡¯s secretary was hiding something from me.


    She led the way and I was about to follow her when I heard a woman¡¯s sl*tty scream which came from Chase¡¯s office. I stopped for a moment and nced at the double doors, forehead creasing as to why there was a woman screaming inside my husband¡¯s office.


    I turned to Debby and I noticed that her mouth was half opened, body seemed to be a little uneasy and was avoiding my gaze. I raised my brow, pressed my lips together to form a thin line. Without any hesitation, I stormed into Chase¡¯s office. I heard Debby calling my name but I did not stop for a bit.


    I pushed the double doors open. My eyes widened, followed by the feeling of being stabbed in the chest when I witnessed a woman who was too close to Chase, holding him around his nape and almost trying to kiss him.


    I was frozen at my ce. In an instance, I felt the rage building up inside of me, especially when the woman gazed over at me and smirked.

 21

    OLIVIA


    It was at this exact moment that I felt the pulse of anger coursing through my veins. I waspletely breathless with rage, seeing Chase and the woman who was very near him, almost as if they were about to kiss each other.


    That woman even had the guts to smirk at me. I could not deny that her entire physique screamed elegance and exuded grace. She was so fierce in her v-neck ck fitted dress, whichplemented her curvy body shape, long straight blonde hair, amber-colored almond eyes, pointed nose, high cheekbones, and plump lips. She appeared to be taller than me as well. Nevertheless, I should not care about her physical appearance! So, what if she looked so damn beautiful? If she were to decide to throw herself at a married man, her beauty would be renderedpletely insignificant.


    ¡°Reese!¡± Chase called my name, shocked was visible in his tone of voice.


    I could not figure out why I was feeling so enraged at the moment. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest. For some reason, I had a strong desire to sprint towards the woman he was with and pull her hair because she was getting on my nerves. I wanted to teach her a lesson: never seduce a married man! However, even though I wanted to do such things, it appeared that my feet were frozen at my ce. I could not make a single move as I was too flustered, furious, and confused all at the same time.


    In the end, I sucked in a breath and gathered all my courage to turn away from them. Biting my lower lip so firmly, I walked away and went to the elevator. Following what I had witnessed, I could hear Chase calling my name repeatedly, but I didn¡¯t want to stop or talk to him.


    My chest felt heavy, and the sides of my eyes felt hot to the point where I had to blink several times to suppress whatever was forming on them. I entered the elevator and repeatedly pressed the close button to ensure that it would close immediately. Chase chased after me, sprinting towards the elevator I was in, but he arrived toote, as the doors to the elevator had already closed before he could get in.


    I palmed my face, ran my fingers through my hair, and let out a huge sigh. What was I so enraged about right now? I shook my head and groaned loudly to release my frustration.


    Who was that woman, anyway? And why did she seem to be so close to my husband? What were they nning to do if I didn¡¯te into the office? Those unanswered questions whirled around my head and, to be honest, were causing me a lot of headaches. All I wanted was to have dinner with Chase and to be a great wife for him, but I ended up feeling ill, enraged and confused because of what I had witnessed up there.


    Damn you, Chase . . . were you cheating on your wife? That thought made me want to punch his face and kick him in his groin area. After all I ever did to satisfy and make him happy, would he still try to cheat on me? What a bastard!


    I gritted my teeth, my jaw clenching as I impatiently waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor, and when it finally did, I stormed out of it and did not mind the employees who were greeting me. My only goal at this point was to go home and probably n out how I would throw Chase in theke behind our mansion, as there was no way he would be able toe near me after what happened.


    ¡°Reese! Let¡¯s talk!¡± I heard his familiar voice behind me.


    The next thing I knew, Chase had my arm in his grip, preventing me from walking out of the building. I took a deep breath and turned around to face him. I noticed his gaze on me. In between breaths, his chest moved up and down as he looked at me with a hopeful expression on his face. My brows furrowed, giving him a lethal re.


    ¡°What the hell were you doing up there, Chase Maxwell?¡± I asked suspiciously, anger could be felt in my firm and deep tone of voice.


    ¡°It is not what you think it is, Reese. Natalia was just trying to be yful but I did not entertain her, I swear nothing happened between us!¡± he exined and cleared his throat, eyes begging for me to believe him.


    ¡°So she was trying to be yful around my husband?¡± I asked sarcastically. ¡°Who the hell is that Natalia, anyway?¡±


    Chase massaged the temple of his nose. My lips formed a thin line. Seeing him behave in this manner only irritated me to no end.


    ¡°Who is that Natalia, Chase?¡± I asked him once again, my tone of voice was more demanding than what it seemed a while ago.


    ¡°I know you cannot remember her right now because you still have amnesia, but I will exin it to you when we get home. Please, do not be mad at me. I swear, I am not cheating on you,¡± he uttered, his hand traveled from my arm down to my palm and gently squeezed it. ¡°You know how much I love you, right? I am deeply smitten on you, my wife.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head, dismissing the warm feeling I had when he told me he loved me. It was not even meant for me, but for the real Reese Jones. I could not figure out why my body seemed to react differently whenever he said sweet and reassuring words like that.


    ¡°Fine, I believe you,¡± I said and sighed in defeat. I had no choice but to believe him anyway because if I didn¡¯t, it might only ruin our marriage. ¡°But you have to tell me everything, Chase, alright? I want to know who the hell that Natalia is and what I witnessed in your office!¡±


    ¡°Of course, baby. I will tell you everything so that you will be at ease. Please, do not be jealous of her. She is nothingpared to you. Always keep that in your mind,¡± he reassured me.


    Jealous? My cheeks blushed in shame. He thought I was jealous all this time?


    I have no reason to be jealous. No way, not even in a million years! What I felt was rage because my n would be sabotaged if a third party got in the way! I was not jealous at all!


    It is impossible for me to experience such a petty emotion! That was not my cup of tea at all.


    ***


    When we were on our way home, Chase attempted to converse with me, but I remained deafeningly silent the entire time. I kept my arms crossed across my chest and my gaze fixed on the side streets that we were passing through.


    Right after that dramatic situation in his office, we decided to go home already. For a brief moment, I was able to calm my chest from the rage I felt earlier, however, I could not deny that my mind was still clouded with questions that I wanted to be answered when we got home.


    ¡°I assure you that you have nothing to be worried about, Reese . . .¡± Chase uttered, still trying to soothe me.


    I was all too aware that he was worried that I was mad at him, and yes, a part of me was really mad because I saw him with another woman. Although I knew I should keep my emotions at bay as I needed to be rational in such situations, my emotions were still going the other way.


    I guess I was scared at that moment, too scared that the wealthy life I was enjoying would be taken away by that woman who appeared to be good at nothing except for seducing men she wanted to get. Even more, I wanted to find out who that b*tch was so I could prepare for how I would act in front of her; not that I was hoping to meet her again because Heaven knew I wanted her out of my sight forever, but just in case, I needed to be ready.


    When we finally got home, I went straight to our bedroom and sat in front of my vanity table. Chase followed me, and I was still silent while I removed my jewelry. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. In one instance, I felt a sting of irritation as my physique waspletely different from that woman. I was like an average girl, and she was very superior in all aspects.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± I could not help but cuss at that annoying thought which crossed my head.


    ¡°Reese,¡± Chase called me as he sat on the side of our bed, body facing my back.


    Our gaze met on the mirror but I was the first to break it as I started removing my makeup.


    ¡°You can talk now. I will listen,¡± I said in my cold tone of voice.


    I heard him sigh. Silence engulfed the whole bedroom. I waited impatiently for him to speak. I was removing the lipstick on my lips when he finally talked.


    ¡°Natalia Smith, she was your ex-best friend,¡± he said.


    My forehead creased. So aside from the woman he mentioned before when we first met, Reese Jones had another best friend? Oh, wait, ex-best friend?


    ¡°Ex-best friend, why is that?¡± I asked curiously.


    He was able to draw my attention. I looked at his reflection in the mirror, waiting for him to answer my question.


    ¡°She used to be your best friend back in college and we used to be in an arranged marriage situation. She had feelings for me but I love you so much that I advised our families that I would not marry her. Natalia had gone mad at you. You fought so many times before until she fled to London. It all happened two years ago . . .¡±


    What? So Reese, Chase, and Natalia Smith used to be in a love triangle set up. I recalled how that woman smirked at me when we first met. She really did act like she knew me. I thought she was just some random hookup girl, but apparently, Chase and her had a business thing before!


    Not to add that used to be a best friend for Reese.


    ¡°And why did shee back?¡± I asked, this time I turned around so I could face him.


    He sighed and shook his head. ¡°I am not sure why, Reese. And to be honest, I do not give a f*ck. What I was trying to say to you is, you are the only woman in my life now. You do not have to be jealous of anyone because I have my eyes, attention and heart only for you.¡±


    My breath hitched when he said those words. For some reason, I could have sworn I felt a bolt of electricity running through my veins, causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter wildly.


    ¡°What if she tried to seduce you, Chase?¡± I asked and pouted my lips.


    He reached for my hand resting on myp. He then started caressing my palm, tracing small circles on it which caused me to smile a bit.


    ¡°She can seduce me all she wants but I swear I will never entertain her. She did not get my attention before, and still, she will never stand a chance because I have you as my wife. There is nothing I could ask for, Reese. You are all I have and you are more than enough,¡± he replied and gave me a sincere smile. ¡°That is why you do not have to fret, and we do not need to fight about her. No one can ruin our marriage. I assure you that . . .¡±


    ¡°And if she tries to ruin it, I will pull her hair until she gets bald,¡± I added, which made him chuckle.


    ¡°So, are you still mad at me?¡± he asked and did a puppy-eyed look at me.


    I rolled my eyes, finally stood up and sat on hisp. I then wrapped my hands around his neck.


    ¡°Not anymore, husband . . .¡± My voice became soft, almost seductive.


    The side of his lips curled up into a smile. His hand reached my cheek and gently touched it. He then slightly raised his head to kiss my lips. It was light, but enough for me to feel the familiar warmth and sensation coursing through my body.


    ¡°Are you sure, wife?¡± he asked, eyes focusing on my lips, which made me smile.


    This time, I leaned my head down slightly to kiss him on his lips. I brought my body even closer to him as I felt the gradual awakening of his manhood. The kiss that was supposed to be soft and teasing turned rough and intense. I could feel the tension building in my body, and I believed Chase was experiencing the same thing.


    I shifted my position, my legs snaking around his waist, and allowed his manhood to slowly poke my sex. I let out a soft moan when he began kissing me from the top of my jaw down to the bottom of my neck. My mouth opened and formed an O, my eyes shut as I savored each kiss and touch he was giving me.


    ¡°I do not want you to be mad like that to me ever again, and do not be so cold to me . . .¡± he whispered while he sucked the skin off my neck. ¡°It was damn frustrating. I fucking hate it . . .¡±


    The way he cussed was so damn sexy!


    ¡°Alright,¡± I whispered, eyes rolling back while getting so crazy with the feeling whenever his manhood brushed against the sinful fabric I was wearing down there. It was huge and hard, and it was so shameful that I instantly craved having sexual intercourse with him the moment I pinned my body to him.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he whispered to my ear, then bit my earlobe that made me whimper a bit.


    I grinded my hips slowly while on top of him, feeling more of his manhood and started moaning softly.


    ¡°For you, yes . . .¡± I bit my lower lip when he rubbed my sex using his fingers.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You are so wet again, wife.¡± He chuckled and my goodness! That, too, was so sexy!


    ¡°Just make love to me, Chase,¡± I said, a bit impatient and pushed him toy down on bed.


    My libido was so high that I could not think straight anymore and let it overpower me. I took off my dress and piled on top of him, giving him more rough kisses as I started to grind my hips faster.


    ¡°Take me now. I want you inside of me, husband . . .¡± I begged.


    ¡°As you wish, baby . . .¡± He then unzipped his pants and entered me, which made me moan so loud.

 22

    OLIVIA


    Days had passed quickly since the minor conflict Chase and I had regarding the sudden appearance of Natalia Smith in our lives. I would say that my life was still peaceful as expected even after knowing that a woman from Reese¡¯s past suddenly showed up. Chase also assured me that he would not fall for or even entertain any other woman out there as he was already content with his gorgeous and great wife, which was none other than me.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    It was Saturday. Chase went to work early in the morning as he was scheduled to meet Mr. Jones at theirpany to help him with a lot of things. The fact that my husband was too devoted andmitted to helping Reese¡¯s parents made me feel at ease. They were great people, and they deserved all the help they could get from Chase. Despite their fear that Uncle Ernest might do something to theirpany, Chase was still adamant about helping and bowed to protect them no matter what happened. He was the best son-inw, I had to admit.


    And here I was, taking care of Mikael at our mansion because Lara had to go somewhere, which she did not tell me where it was, as part of her ¡°hunt¡± to find the writer of the blog posts rted to Reese Jones. Her son would stay here for two days, and since I had nothing else to do, I happily took him in. I was so d that Mikael was here with me, as I swore that staying in the mansion without having Chase around was not really appealing.


    ¡°So how is it going, buddy?¡± I asked Mikael in a curious tone, crouching next to him as I took a peak to his sketch pad.


    We set up a pic table in front of theke behind the mansion. The weather was so fine and with the fresh breeze in this area, I thought Mikael would enjoy doing some drawing activities out here. He was too serious as he drew theke in front of us. Sitting on the wooden little chair with his sketch pad ced on a canvas board, his gaze going back and forth between theke and the pad, I could not help but admire Mikael. Despite his young age at six, I would say that this little kid truly acquired talent from Lara, who also loved to draw in the past.


    ¡°Almost done here, Momma Liv,¡± he replied with his softly spoken voice.


    ¡°Mikael,¡± I called him, almost like a whisper. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you should call me Momma Reese from now on? Did you forget about it?¡±


    He checked over his little shoulder to meet my gaze. ¡°But Momma Liv, Mommy told me that your name is Liv and not Reese.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I checked the whole area to make sure that no one was around, then nced back at him. ¡°Liv is my true name but I want to be called Reese from now on as that is my new name. And you, since you are a good boy, you have to call me by my new name. Do you get it?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Momma Reese,¡± he responded, sounding a bit confused but he was so cute that I could not stop myself from slightly pinching his cheek. ¡°Ouch, Momma!¡±


    ¡°You are so cute, buddy!¡± I said, giggling at him. I then ruffled his blonde short hair and gave him a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Finish your artwork. I will just go back inside to get more fruits for you. Do not go anywhere, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Momma, and I want more tangerines, please . . .¡± He then sped his little hands together.


    ¡°Sure, more tangerines for my little buddy!¡± I said, which made him chuckle.


    I stood up and sighed in relief. Mikael went back to his drawing, and for a brief moment, I just remained in my ce and watched him as I crossed my arms over my chest.


    I wondered what Lara felt when she first saw her firstborn. Was she at her happiest? Did she tear up embracing him for the very first time? Did she feel a lot of emotions? These were the questions whirling around my head. Even before, I was already curious about what most mothers normally feel whenever they give birth to their babies. Did they promise them the world, by any chance? Simply by thinking about it, I could not contain my emotions. While I was happy to see kids with their parents, getting the love and care they deserved, there was a little part of me asking why I did not get a chance to experience such a thing.


    I let out a huge sigh, not allowing a single drop of sadness to get through my veins as this was supposed to be a happy day with Mikael. I shook my head and went inside the mansion to prepare another te of fruit for him.


    I hummed as I headed to the kitchen. I had been living here for weeks already, yet every time I went to this part of the mansion, my body still reacted the same way¨C too excited to check the fully loaded fridge and other hanging cabs. Perhaps it is because I lived in a normal apartment with Lara. Since we lived paycheck to paycheck, we were deprived of eating expensive food and snacks. But, that was not the case anymore. Chase stocked up a lot of food and snacks, and we even had a mini bar here with a cer filled with expensive wines and liquors.


    I didn¡¯t waste any more time and washed the new set of tangerines for Mikael. I even made him a bowl of sd, a smoothie, and then a coffee and chocte sandwich for myself. After preparing our snack, I went back to theke, still humming my favorite song.


    However, my happiness slowly faded away. I stopped walking. My mouth was half open when I saw a familiar woman who was conversing with Mikael. For a brief moment, I felt a strike of panic inside my chest. My hands began to quiver as I watched her every move, but I managed to keep a firm grip on the food tray because thest thing I wanted was for these foods to fall on the bermuda grass and make her feel that her presence made me tense.


    Her eyes saw me, which made me freeze in my ce. But then, the irritation started to get through my veins when she smiled wickedly at me and even waved her hand, gesturing me toe closer.


    What the hell was Chandria Maxwell doing here at our home?!


    ***


    I¡¯d lost count of how many times I¡¯d sighed here in my spot, standing near the sliding doors that led to the living room, watching Chandria walk around near the swimming pool.


    A couple of minutes earlier, I decided to drag Chandria here as I did not want Mikael to see us having an argument or pulling each other¡¯s hair because, apparently, we hated each other. I wanted to throw her out of the mansion so badly. She was not wee here. However, I was well aware that it would only cause a bigger fuss, and that was thest thing I wanted to happen.


    Why was she here anyway? I was living fine with her brother,pletely forgot her existence and her parents¡¯ until she invited herself in despite being unweed.


    ¡°So how does it feel to be my brother¡¯s wife?¡± she asked while walking towards one of the sun loungers and sat on it, her tone was truly irritating as it sounded so offensive to me.


    But even so, I won¡¯t give her the satisfaction of seeing me lose my temper because of her mere presence.


    ¡°Oh, I am so d you asked. I am so delighted now that Chase and I are already married . . . happily,¡± I said, then I gave her a fake sweet smile.


    Her insulting eyes wandered around the ce.


    ¡°Happily. It is such a nice feeling, isn¡¯t it?¡± She then nced over at me. ¡°To be able to get married with the man whose pockets and banks are fucking loaded with money that can secure your life until you get old. Of course, you have the right to feel happy. You even secured the life of the future generation of your filthy bloodline. Thanks to my brother,¡± she added, every word dripping off sarcasm.


    I swore anger went through my veins because of her statement. Well, I was not saying that those weren¡¯t true but this devilish girl really went too far just to ruin my day.


    ¡°Well, you can say anything you want, as if you, attacking me verbally would ever change everything.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and made it appear that I was not, in any way, affected by her rude behavior. ¡°And speaking of filth, can you tell me the reason why you are here? As far as I remember, Chase nor I did not invite you toe over.¡±


    Sheughed sarcastically. However, my eyes could see the irritation on her face based on how it reddened the moment I said she was filthy. I rolled my eyes and kept up with the pretense that I was not bothered.


    ¡°To pay my respect to the newly wed, I guess, even though my sister-inw, who happened to be a trash, is someone who cannot earn my respect,¡± she said and smiled at me. ¡°To see how well you are enjoying my brother¡¯s money. And to be honest, I was shocked to see you are with a kid who calls you mommy. Sounds interesting . . .¡± She nodded and then stood up to close the distance between us while her arms crossed against her chest. ¡°Who is that filthy kid, anyway? Is he your secret son whom you want Chase to father?¡±


    ¡°Mind yournguage, Chandria!¡± I almost yelled at her as I already lost my patience the moment she spoke ill about Mikael. ¡°Why are you including the kid in this mess? He is just an innocent little kid for Heaven¡¯s sake!¡±


    Sheughed and shook her head, obviously not buying what I just said.


    ¡°That did not answer who that filthy kid is in your life, Reese.¡± She walked even more closer to me, which made me grit my teeth. ¡°Is he your son? Why can¡¯t you answer me, you filthy bitch?¡±


    That was it. I could still take all those hurtful words she wanted to throw at me, but her calling Mikael in that manner was way out of line.


    Rage overpowered me up to the point that I could no longer control it, and with that, I found myself pping her so hard in her face. It was so damn hard that she got out of bnce and almost fell onto the cemented ground.


    ¡°Are you deaf? I told you not to include an innocent child in this conversation,¡± I said through my clenching teeth. ¡°And with your behavior, I want to tell you that you look filthier than me.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± She screamed on the top of her lungs and rushed towards me.


    Soon after her hands started to pull my hair, I felt an instant pain in my scalp. I tried to remove them from my head, but she was so strong, gripping my hair as if her life depended on it. I ended up pulling her hair too, and at the same time, scratching her arms using my nails while cursing her.


    ¡°You have no right to call me filth, you stupid cheater!¡± she yelled. ¡°You do not deserve my brother! You can¡¯t be part of our family! Let go of me, bitch!¡±


    ¡°Damn you! I swear you are going to face hell this time!¡± I said and pulled her hair until some of it literally clung to my fingers.


    The fact that Chandria was slowly losing her hair as I kept pulling it made her scream louder this time. She tried to scratch my face, but I was easily able to dodge her hands. However, when she tried to pull my entire body, I got out of bnce, and the next thing I knew, we fell into the cold water.


    I thought she was going to stop attacking me as we were both trying to catch our breath, but when I swam away from her, I felt her hands pulling my hair once again.


    ¡°What the hell, Chandria!¡± I screamed at her when she tried to drown me under the water. ¡°Fuck! Let . . . Let me go! Chandria!¡±


    I kicked her leg under the water, which made her let go of me, and I used it as an opportunity to get away from her. I immediately rose from the swimming pool and coughed so hard on the ground.


    ¡°Are you . . . are you trying to kill me?!¡± I screamed out of anger.


    ¡°I swear I am going to tell this to our parents!¡± she said, trying to scare me when she rose from the water. She rushed towards me and pped me on the face. ¡°I hate you!¡± she then screamed.


    Her scream was followed by a child¡¯s cry. A pang of anxiety went through me when I saw Mikael hiding behind the sliding doors, watching us as he cried.


    ¡°Ha! Now herees your filthy kid!¡±


    ¡°He is my best friend¡¯s son, for Pete¡¯s sake, Chandria!¡± When I was able topose myself, I then gave her a deadly re.


    Mikael ran towards me and hugged me on my knee. ¡°Momma, I am scared!¡±


    ¡°See what you have done?!¡± I yelled at Chandria then pointed to the sliding doors. ¡°Leave before I call the police!¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°What the hell did you say? Who are you to report me to the police? I swear my father will know about this!¡±


    ¡°Then tell your father, I don¡¯t fucking care! Chase will know what happened here too. Now, get out of my house! You are not wee here!¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Her whole body quivered out of anger. She screamed like a lunatic asking for too much attention.


    ¡°I said get out of here! I don¡¯t want to see you here ever again, Chandria!¡± I gave her one wary look before I held Mikael¡¯s hand and dragged him inside.


    ***


    When Chase got home that night, I told him everything that happened in detail. He was so mad that he wanted to go to his family¡¯s house and teach Chandria a lesson, but I calmed him down as I was too tired to think about what had urred.


    Right after our dinner, we both soothed Mikael, who appeared to have experienced trauma because of Chandria¡¯s sudden visit here. He slept in the master¡¯s bedroom with us, soundly asleep between me and Chase.


    I watched how Chase tucked him in with afortable duvet, and I could not help but smile as he was like a father taking care of his child.


    ¡°I did not want Mikael to have such a traumatic experience while he is staying here with us. Rest assured that I will still talk to Chandria and make her know her ce,¡± he said in a serious tone.


    Hey down beside Mikael and slightly tapped his shoulder repeatedly.


    ¡°I do not want another trouble with her, Chase,¡± I said as I looked at him.


    ¡°She should have note here in the first ce. She asked for it.¡±


    All I could do was sigh. I was all too aware that Chase would never let it slide. I just hoped Chandria would learn her lesson soon. She was really getting on my nerves!


    ¡°Mikael is such a cute little kid,¡± Chase¡¯s voice was filled with admiration when he said those words.


    His gaze was fixated on Mikael. As I watched him intently, I could not understand why my heart was pounding so aggressively inside my chest. What I was seeing was like a clear vision of a father watching his own son sleeping.


    ¡°Now, I wonder how it feels to be a father,¡± he uttered softly, gazing back at me.


    ¡°I think it is fun and there is no doubt that you will be a great father, Chase . . .¡± I did not know where it came from, but those sincere words came off my mouth naturally.


    I blushed instantly when I realized what I said. A smile escaped his lips after.


    Still looking at me, it seemed that he was already giving me an idea that he already wanted us to have a child. I gave him a small smile, but at the back of my head, I was all too aware that I would not be able to fulfill it. Getting pregnant was not part of my n and never would be.


    The baby would just end up suffering once Chase found out that I was a different person and the real Reese Jones was nowhere to be found. I bet he would even loathe me if he found out the truth. And with that, I thought it was much easier to escape and leave him all by myself, not with a baby who would be a constant reminder that I once deceived a billionaire who only hoped to be loved by the woman he treasured the most.


    ¡°For a record, I know you would be a great mother, too, Reese . . .¡± he said after minutes of silence and me spacing out. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you bearing our child inside your womb, giving birth and carrying the baby in your arms.¡± He smiled while imagining such impossible things and it made my chest feel a lot heavier. ¡°You and our future child will be my priceless possession, and I promise to love both of you until myst breath.¡±

 23

    OLIVIA


    It was Sunday and since Mikael was still here at home with us, Chase decided for us to go on a family day.


    Yes, family day . . . Chase seemed to be so fond of Mikael that he treated him like his own son even though they just met a day ago. I could feel that he really was looking forward to bing a father and with Lara¡¯s son around, he could definitely practice to be one while waiting . . . though I knew to myself that it was like giving him false hopes as I could never be pregnant with his baby, as in never in this lifetime.


    In fact, days ago when Lara and I had a serious conversation regarding the safe sexual intercourse, I already bought contraceptive pills and had taken them religiously every single day to make sure that I would be safe. Provided that Chase seemed to be so into making love to his wife, which was none other than me, Lara was right that I should be extra cautious about getting pregnant. I was just d that I did not get pregnant prior to taking any protection. Well, fate was still on my side, I guess.


    It was already nine in the morning and I was putting on some makeup on my face in front of the vanity mirror when I heard the door of our bedroom pushed open. When I looked over it in the mirror, I saw Chase taking a peek at me.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, his tone was evidently excited and he was all smiles.


    ¡°Almost,¡± I replied and then quickened my pace. I did apply a pink lipstick on my lips and then vi, I was all set.


    I stood up and checked on my reflection in the mirror. I wore a simple white v-neck sleeveless top and a brown-colored trouser partnered with cream high heels. My hair was curled and I let it hang over my back instead of tying it so that it wouldplement my overall outfit. I huffed as I was satisfied with my look.


    Chase walked towards me and embraced me from behind. A smile automatically escaped my lips. I tilted my head as he tried to bury his face on my neck and then I felt him nting soft kisses on there.


    ¡°Hmm, I thought we were going to go to church. What¡¯s with those kisses?¡± I asked as his kisses seemed very inviting, as if he wanted us to stay here in our room and do our thing.


    ¡°Yes we are, but I want to kiss you. You dressed so beautifully that it is tempting the beast in me. . .¡± he murmured and embraced me tightly.


    I chuckled and held his arms which were snaked around my waist. As I looked at our reflection in the mirror, I could not stop myself from checking him out. He was so stunning in his dark blue v-neck sweater¨C sleeves were rolled all the way up to his arms, denim jeans and a simple pair of shoes. His undercut hair was perfectly at ce, and his small stubbles from his jaw going down to his neck made his entire appearance more captivating. This man would no doubt catch every woman¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Enough with those sultry ideas, my dear husband. Mikael is already waiting for us downstairs. And just to remind you . . .¡± I turned around so I could look at him, wrapping my arms around his nape. ¡°You were the one who suggested that we should go to church and then treat him to an amusement park.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I did not say that those ns would be postponed. I am justplimenting my gorgeous wife here,¡± he uttered softly, his hands reached for the strands of my hair and tucked them behind my ear.


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Romantic guy. Thank you for thepliment,¡± I replied with a sweet tone. ¡°Your sultry ideas could wait until tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°You bet, wife . . .¡± Then he gave me a peck on my lips.


    We both chuckled. Since Mikael was here with us, we could not get a chance to make time to do some things. Given that Chase and I had done it mostly every day, I bet he was craving it already . . . Well, I had to say I did too.


    ***


    The church was exactly a thirty minute drive from our home. Compared to the churches near Lara¡¯s apartment¨C well . . . not that I was such a religious girl but yeah, I used to go to church frequently whenever I felt like my emotional being was in trouble- the one we went to was huge, rustic and very eye-catching. No wonder a lot of people were visiting it.


    Mikael was so excited when we entered the church. Compared to his mom who was allergic to Gods and bibles, he seemed to be very religious as he already knew how to pray properly.


    ¡°You pray sincerely, alright? Do not talk too loud and just to the priest. Later on, we will go to the amusement park and have some fun,¡± Chase whispered to Mikael, as if he was talking to his own child.


    ¡°I got it, Uncle! I will be a good boy!¡± Mikael whispered back.


    They both chuckled and then after that, Mikael sped both of his hands together and closed his eyes to pray. My eyes nced over at Chase, whose face was all smiles. He noticed me looking at him, which made him wink at me before he closed his eyes and prayed.


    I smiled. I looked to the front, my eyesnded on the huge cross in the center part of the tform.


    As I gazed at it, I could not help but swallow the lump in my throat. Heavy emotions started to build up inside my chest and for a brief moment, I thought about the evil things I had done in the past couple of weeks out of my selfishness.


    I won¡¯t deny that I was already a sinner prior to meeting Chase, but I became a lot more devilish now that I went along and deceived him, making him believe that I was the woman he loved the most, in order to live a wealthy life and suck some money out of his pocket.


    I looked down as I felt a pang of anxiety getting through my veins. I could not even mutter a single prayer as I was all too aware that I did not have any right to do it. I let myself sin and did the worst things . . .


    While Chase and Mikael were both busy praying, I stood up in silence and rushed towards the restroom. I found myself weeping inside, clutching my chest as I let out all of the emotions that I had been keeping inside. The good side of me was crying so hard for doing the worst things which she knew she would regret the most, yet the devilish and most powerful side of me was shaking her head as she watched me inwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry . . . I am truly sorry, Chase . . .¡± I murmured in between my sobs. ¡°If only I had other choices . . . if only life was not so cruel to me, I would have not done this . . . I am so sorry . . .¡±


    Minutes passed and my tears were no longer falling. My cheeks went dry but I still felt the heaviness in my chest. I huffed out and washed my face. I fixed myself up and ensured that there were no traces of my despair on my entire physique.


    That was it. I just had to let it all out for me to continue living Reese¡¯ life all over again. I promised myself that it would be thest time I would allow that good side of me to interfere with my emotions. I had to keep going no matter what and I should not feel any regrets about it.


    I went back to my seat like nothing ever happened back in the restroom. Chase¡¯s eyes immediately looked at me.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± he asked in his hushed tone of voice.


    ¡°Restroom.¡± I smiled sweetly and winked at him, then looked to the front to listen to the priest, letting the devilish side of me overpower my being.


    ***


    ¡°Look! It is a Ferris Wheel!¡± Mikael¡¯s little fingers pointed to the big Ferris Wheel. He was truly excited based on the expression of his face.


    ¡°Yes, little buddy. Do you want to ride the Ferris Wheel?¡± Chase asked him, then carried Mikael in his arms.


    ¡°Yes, I want to! Can we, Momma?¡± Mikael looked over at me, asking for my approval.


    ¡°Please, Momma?¡± Chase mimicked Mikael¡¯s little voice, which made me roll my eyes, but I had to admit that it was cute though. I haven¡¯t seen this side of him and it was truly refreshing.


    ¡°I thought we were going to grab a quick lunch first?¡± I both gave them a stern look while I crossed my arms on my chest.


    They both pouted their lips and I swore I could die at their cuteness. They really looked like father and son, and I felt like I wanted to interrogate Lara when she got back whether she somehow had a one night stand with Chase seven years ago. Damn it! What was I even thinking?


    ¡°Mikael.¡± I narrowed my eyes as I looked at our little buddy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I am, Momma,¡± he answered and started biting his index finger.


    Then I looked over at Chase. ¡°How about you, Mr. Chase Maxwell?¡±


    ¡°I also feel hungry, Momma,¡± he replied, still mimicking Mikael.


    I shook my head as I chuckled. ¡°Alright, we will have a quick lunch first and then we will try all the rides afterwards, sounds like a n?¡±


    ¡°Yehey!¡± They said in chorus, which made meugh already.


    ¡°You two are so cute!¡± I rushed toward them and pinched their cheeks at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡±


    Chase held my hand and I felt his fingers intertwined with mine. ¡°You surely would be an ideal mother, wife.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think so?¡± I smiled sweetly at him.


    He then kissed the back of my palm. ¡°Of course, Mrs. Reese Maxwell.¡±

 24

    OLIVIA


    We ate our lunch in an Italian restaurant that was situated within the vicinity of the amusement park. After that, we started trying out some friendly rides. Mikael was very excited and Chase had been there for him, holding his hands for each ride we rode on. I took a lot of pictures of them as I could not help but admire them while they were enjoying thepany of each other. They truly got along, that was for sure.


    It took eight rides before we decided to try the Ferris Wheel. This time, I held Mikael¡¯s left hand while Chase was holding his other hand. We lifted Mikael up and then swung him in the air. All of us three giggled and kept doing the same thing until we reached the entrance for the Ferris Wheel.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you having fun, little buddy?¡± Chase asked Mikael curiously as we fell in line. He carried him once again just to make sure he won¡¯t be suffocated due to arge crowd.


    ¡°Very much so, Uncle Chase!¡± Mikael eximed happily then began talking about the rides we rode on earlier.


    I smiled as I listened to their conversation. Chase also listened very well to Mikael. He looked so interested in everything he said. I recalled the very first time Chase and I met, I was so sure that his eyes were screaming of danger by that time. Who would have thought that he likes kids?


    It did not take so much time before we could ride on one of the cable cars of the Ferris Wheel. I had to admit that it was my first time riding on this as to be honest, I had never been in Amusement park before. The cable car was quite moving which caused me to be out of bnce, but Chase was able to catch me in my waist.


    ¡°Careful, baby,¡± he said and helped me stand up.


    ¡°Thank you, Chase,¡± I almost stuttered, then I awkwardly smiled at him.


    I sat on the right side, while Chase rested across the seat in front of me. Meanwhile, Mikael stood up next to the window, waiting for the cable car to move up so he could check out the picturesque view from the outside.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Chase asked concernedly at me.


    Our eyes met and even though I saw the tiredness in his eyes, I could say that he was enjoying this day.


    ¡°Just a little,¡± I replied, which made him chuckle a bit.


    As the cable car started to move up slowly, Chase leaned forward and reached for my hand.


    ¡°This is the first time we went to an Amusement park together,¡± he remarked, which piqued my attention. What he said surprised me a little because as far as I know, most of the couples do go to amusement parks for a date.


    ¡°Is it? You did not ask me for an amusement park date before?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°I am sorry, I cannot remember anything.¡±


    His fingers traced the spaces between my knuckles. ¡°I did ask you in the past, Reese. But you were busy practicing to be the most outstanding swimmer athlete back in college.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was kind of disappointed that Reese turned him down all because she needed to focus on building her career.


    I mean . . . it was her boyfriend asking her to go on a date. Why could not she spare a little time for him?


    He chuckled. ¡°I know you do not remember everything that happened in the past, but yeah, you were so goal-driven up to the point that we rarely went out for a date. There was this one time that I thought that you just did not love me, that¡¯s why you did not make any time for me.¡±


    ¡°Chase, do not say that,¡± I told him.


    I could not seem to understand why my heart felt a pang of sadness when he said those words. I wasn¡¯t sure whether Reese was really doing it on purpose because she did not love him or she was just truly busy bing a top notch swimmer athlete but there was a part of me that slowly hated her for making Chase feel that way. He cared a lot for her, in fact had been loving her for years and he didn¡¯t deserve that kind of treatment at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. I am all good,¡± he uttered softly and guided my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. ¡°It was a phase I needed to ovee to get you to stay with me forever. See the result? You are my wife now.¡±


    ¡°Still.¡± I then held this hand. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think that I don¡¯t love you because it¡¯s not true.¡± I sighed as I looked him in the eyes. ¡°And I am sorry, if there were times in the past that I made you feel unloved. I promise you that I¡¯ll change, and I won¡¯t make you feel that kind of negative feeling anymore.¡±


    ¡°Damn . . .¡± He smiled as if he was really swayed by my words. ¡°I should be the one promising you a lot of things, Mrs. Reese Maxwell.¡±


    ¡°Oh, should I take it back then?¡± I remarked yfully.


    ¡°Silly, you already said it, and I felt your sincerity.¡± He pulled me, and I stood up and let him make me sit on hisp. ¡°I love you, Reese.¡±


    ¡°And I love you too,¡± I said and then embraced him.


    We had a moment. I couldn¡¯t understand why my heart was pounding so loudly inside my chest. I was all too aware that Chase might be feeling it too but for some reason, I didn¡¯t want to do anything to conceal such reactions of my heart, and all I wanted to do was embrace him as if that could erase all of the pain Chase had felt before from Reese shorings with their rtionship in the past.


    We only stopped the intimacy when Mikael jumped to his feet. He was still looking at the overlooking view from the outside. It was only then when we realized that we already reached the highest part of the Ferris Wheel. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I could see the beauty of the city from here. Even Chase couldn¡¯t stop praising the city view while still hugging me sidewards.


    I felt the familiar warmth inside of me, and it wasforting enough for me to loosen up a bit, telling myself that a day without pure deception would be fine. I just had to let out my real personality . . . the real Olivia Miller.


    ***


    After riding the Ferris Wheel, we watched some animal shows and then went for dinner in another restaurant within the Amusement Park. Mikael still had some energy while Chase obviously looked so tired. I could imagine him crawling into the bed after getting home.


    My phone rang and I saw Lara¡¯s caller ID on the screen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take this call,¡± I excused myself, stood up and went outside before I answered Lara¡¯s call.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she started. ¡°Just checking how Mikael is doing now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s doing good, Lara. We are here in the amusement park,¡± I replied, my eyes roamed around.


    ¡°Thanks for taking care of him, Olivia. You are the coolest,¡± she said in her sweet tone. I simply rolled my eyes. She knew that I¡¯d do everything for her son and she had nothing to worry about when Mikael was with me.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s the investigation going?¡± I asked curiously, then my eyes roamed once again. I didn¡¯t know if I was just being paranoid or what but shivers went down my spine, thinking that someone was stalking me.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I heard her sigh from the other line. ¡°I cannot seem to trace the writer¡¯s location from here. The ce we went to is an abandoned apartment, with no single information about the owner. I was hoping that I could see her here but nah, she fled days ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Just days ago?¡± My brows furrowed. Why did it feel like that person knew that someone woulde and try to interrogate her?


    ¡°Yes, I talked to thendlord,¡± Lara replied. ¡°Even thendlord doesn¡¯t know her real name. She went by her pseudonym to get the apartment and broke some protocols by giving thendlord some money, so she won¡¯t be asked for any personal information. Sounds creepy, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she would do that¡­¡± I uttered. ¡°I mean, do you think she knew that someone woulde and find her?¡±


    I bit my lower lip. Everything seemed a bit strange and somehow it made me feel so anxious at the moment. I wondered why this whole Reese¡¯ case was bing more of a misery now. I only wanted to know where she was hiding¡­


    Lara let out a huge sigh again. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too. All the more, we are still going to find her, even if she tries to hide.¡±


    ¡°We need to find her, Lara. With that writer¡¯s help, we will be able to locate Reese¡­¡± I said firmly and embraced myself. I nced at my left side.


    There I saw a mysterious figure of a man, hiding his face with a ck mask and a bo. Right after he saw me taking a glimpse of him, he disappeared immediately.


    My eyes widened. ¡°Lara, I¡¯ll call you back.¡±


    I quickly ended the call and tried to rush toward the alley he went on.

 25

    OLIVIA


    I COULD feel the anxiety slowly creeping up my spine and into my veins when I went to the alley where I saw the man who appeared to be stalking me. I was not that hundred percent sure whether my gut instinct was correct or if I was only being paranoid at this moment but one thing was for sure, my heart raced as if I were in serious danger.


    As I approached that specific alley, my eyes were greeted by a throng of people falling in line at the entrance to arge horror house and roller coaster. I looked around each corner, trying to find that mysterious man I saw a minute ago, but because of the crowds blocking every pathway, it was difficult to see where the mysterious man had disappeared to. I craned my neck, hoping to spot him again, but to no avail.


    I clutched my chest so hard while feeling the loud beating of my heart. I stopped for a moment, letting my eyes wander.


    Was it a false feeling? Was I only being paranoid?


    ¡°I hope I am only being paranoid¡­¡± I mumbled to myself. The idea that someone might have been stalking sent shivers down my spine.


    Chase had no idea that I had been fooling him all this time. I was certain that he would not hire someone to stalk me because if he felt suspicious of me, I would feel it right away. Could it be Chandria then? His younger sister despised me and had every reason to pull stunts like this given what had happened between us the day before.


    ¡°I hope not¡­¡± I said, shoving the idea that Chandria did try to hire someone to stalk me. ¡°Maybe I am only mistaken. What are you even thinking, Olivia?¡±


    I shook my head and decided to go back to the restaurant. Chase and Mikael were both done with their food when I went back to our table. They were having a conversation when Chase¡¯s attention went to me.


    ¡°Who did you talk to on the phone?¡±


    I smiled at him, my gazended on Mikael. ¡°It was Mikael¡¯s mom.¡±


    ¡°My mom?¡± Mikael¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement when he heard his mom¡¯s name. ¡°Is she going home, Momma Reese?¡±


    I nodded at him happily. ¡°Of course, little buddy. Your mom misses you so much. She will pick you up tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Mikael threw a punch in the air, seemingly happy that he would see his mother after two days of not having her around.


    ¡°Can¡¯t he stay longer with us?¡± Chase asked all of a sudden, which made me stunned for a few seconds.


    ¡°Chase, he has to go to school,¡± I replied, giving him a sympathetic look. ¡°And you have to go to work.¡±


    He nodded as a response, then ruffled Mikael¡¯s hair. ¡°I am going to miss you then, buddy!¡±


    Mikael chuckled. ¡°I will ask mom to let me visit you next weekend, Uncle. Then we can y video games and Xbox!¡±


    ¡°You better practice then because I will defeat you in every game!¡±


    Then they fist bumped. A wide smile escaped my lips as I watched the both of them. Chase looked even hotter when he got along with kids.


    We drove home after that dinner. Mikael was so exhausted that he immediately fell asleep a few minutes after getting settled in the passenger¡¯s seat. In fact, I was so tired as well. It felt like I was babysitting both Mikael and Chase the whole time in the amusement park, but to sum it up, I would say that I really enjoyed hanging out with these two. I let out a soft giggle, recalling how my husband became like a kid in an instant today.


    ¡°You seem happy. Penny for your thoughts?¡± Chase asked curiously while driving.


    I nced in his direction. His oceanic eyes were pinned on the road, his brows slightly furrowed out of curiosity, and his lower lip was moist after he licked it. He looked so damn hot whenever he drove a car. He definitely looked like the highest-paid model in the world, and the idea that he was my husband was like a bragging right.


    ¡°I cannot stop thinking about how we had fun today. Thank you for bringing us to the amusement park, Chase.¡± I turned to the passenger seat and looked at Mikael who was asleep. ¡°Our little buddy here totally enjoyed the day.¡±


    The side of his lips curled up for a smile. ¡°I wanted to make sure that Mikael¡¯s stay with us will be worthwhile. I also wanted us to unwind a bit. I¡¯ve been wanting to go on a date with you. It¡¯s been a while after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, and I hope you had fun going on a date with me and Mikael.¡±


    ¡°I did, my love. I¡¯m a bit sad that Mikael will leave us tomorrow. I n to teach him how to y video games. Maybe some other time?¡± He jerked his head a bit and gave me a sideway nce.


    ¡°You can hang out with him some other time, Chase. He¡¯ll have a summer break soon so I will ask Lara to borrow him for a while if you want,¡± I said and winked at him.


    ¡°Thanks, Reese¡­¡± He smiled widely, obviously liking the idea of hanging out with Mikael on a summer break. He reached for my left hand and guided it to his lips. He kissed my knuckles softly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for us to have our own baby. Regardless of the gender, I will spend a lot of time ying with our child, teaching it a lot of things. I want to be a father who our child could be proud of.¡±


    Here we were back at this conversation again. He was hoping for a child, which I could never give him, a child that was not even part of the n to begin with. I swallowed hard as I felt a lump building up inside my throat. For some reason, I felt bad about the fact that I could not give him a child. I did not know why, but it surely hit a soft spot inside of me that wanted to spoil and give him everything he wanted, and I knew that it wasn¡¯t right to have that kind of feeling toward him.


    ¡°You will definitely be a good father, Chase. You seem good at handling kids, seeing how you handled Mikael all day.¡± I chuckled even though I didn¡¯t like this conversation anymore, I needed to act as if I was interested. ¡°Pretty interesting¡­¡±


    He chuckled too. ¡°We should n out having a baby soon, Reese.¡±


    His words made me more anxious. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I think we¡¯re in the right time to have one. But of course, I will wait until you be ready for that next phase of our life. No pressure, baby.¡±


    I managed to give him a warm smile even though it felt like I was being torn inside.


    I could never give you a child, Chase. I could never bear something that would only be a constant reminder of how I deceived a billionaire to suck money out of his pocket. I could never mother a child who would always remind me of my sins.


    I could never do all that¡­


    ***


    When we arrived home, Chase immediately took care of Mikael. The kid was so exhausted that he didn¡¯t wake up even after Chase carried him out of the car. As we walked to the porch of the mansion, I noticed that there was a white box, something like a gift, beside the main double doors. Chase didn¡¯t notice it though, as he was busy with Mikael. My forehead creased as I looked at it, then my gaze followed my husband. Was he expecting someone to deliver him a present today?Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I let out a sigh, took the box and looked at the card attached to it.


    It was for Reese Jones, whose role was yed by me.


    Wait, what? My brows furrowed as I checked the card. I was not expecting anyone to send me a gift, nor any deliveries at all. The card did not indicate the sender¡¯s information, so I checked every side of the box to see if I could see anything helpful, but there was none.


    ¡°Who would send Reese a gift?¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    In the end, I shrugged and did not waste my time questioning myself. Perhaps this came from one of Reese¡¯s friends, if she had any, or probably from a fan since she was somehow a known swimmer and athlete. I carried the box all the way to the living room and left it on the center table.


    I ran upstairs and went to our bedroom. There I saw Chase tucking Mikael to bed. I smiled inwardly as I walked toward him, then hugged him from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job today,¡± I told him. My head rested on his back, and the manly scent of a perfume lingered on my nose. I sniffed him more. ¡°You smell so good that I could hug and smell you this way forever.¡±


    He chuckled and I felt him checking over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d prefer you saying that while grinding on myp, hugging and smelling me all at the same time.¡±


    His words made me so excited that I could feel my own musk. ¡°Are you trying to give me an idea?¡±


    ¡°Sort of, but you can always improvise¡­¡± He turned around to face me, then leaned down to kiss me on my neck.


    My eyes shut instantly, and I could not help but bite my lips whenever he sucked the skin of my neck. The thrill went through me. With Chase¡¯s lips tasting me down to my vicle, my body went aze. I tilted my head, giving him more ess while I pinned my body closer to his, looking for the warmth I¡¯ve been dying to feel for the past two nights. It appeared that Chase had felt it too- the strong lust and desire -given how turned on he became when I let out a soft moan.


    ¡°Damn it. Not here,¡± he murmured softly. He stopped kissing my neck and gazed over at Mikael, who was still asleep soundly on our bed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the guest room,¡± he added and I nodded.


    The very moment I closed our bedroom door so we could go to the guest room, Chase kissed me so roughly that it made me suck my breath. In a swift move, he carried me, snaking both of my legs around his waist and caressing my bottom. With his every touch, my body seemingly burned in fire. I kissed him back torridly, my hands traveling from his back to his hair.


    ¡°Fuck, I miss you¡­¡± I murmured in between our kisses.


    He walked somewhere until I felt the wall brushing against my back. He kissed my neck once again, licking it as if it was his favorite spot. I grinded my hips downwards to feel the hardness of his member, and I let out a loud moan the moment it brushed against my wet private part.


    He chuckled and thrusted once which made me gasp. ¡°Slow down, wife. I miss you too, and I want to take it slow.¡±


    ¡°No, I want you right-¡±


    He kissed me on my lips, cutting my words off, which drove me insane. I still tried to grind despite our position¨Cme leaning my back on the wall while my legs were wrapped around his waist, and him pinning me carefully so that I would not fall.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting more impatient¡­¡± he uttered. I felt his fingers traveling all their way down to my wet spot. I gasped when he started rubbing me slowly down there, thenter on bit my lower lip as I felt the sensation within my inner soul.


    ¡°Damn it, this is so good¡­¡± I whispered, continuing to grind while his fingers kept pleasuring me down there. ¡°Fuck, take me now, Chase¡­ please¡­¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!