9

After the ceremony, when Adrian had gone to attend a meeting, Kim had hurried to seclude James from the rest of the party, not wanting to raise any suspicions.

She knew Fred was not happy with her on this and she especially didn't want to get on his bad side. It was bad enough she had paid someone to be her father today, it would be worse if they found out she was in a relationship, or at least used to be in one.

"What are you doing here?" Kim whispered once they were out of hearing and sight.

"What am I doing here?" James had bloodshot red eyes. "Kim, you are fucking getting married while we are in a relationship, and you're asking me what I'm doing here? The fuck?"

"I know things look weird but I can explain." She sighed. "You know I love you, and I would do anything for you but babe, this is about me, my career and love isn't enough, I need more than that."

"Wow." He sniffed, "and you didn't think it made any sense to end our relationship first?"

"I-" she started to say but was interrupted by Fred's appearance. 

"Good timing." James scoffed, "there's something you need to know about your daughter in law, a few things in fact." James told the confused looking man and more than ever, Kim wished the ground would open up and consume her, right that instant.

James was going to burst her fetal bubbles and there was nothing she could do about it.

****

**

Lily reflexively moved close enough to hug him. She was still trembling in fear from the man's actions and so Roman held her tightly against him. He was leaving, holding her hand tight when the huge man stood to retaliate. He threw a punch at Roman's back.

Roman didn't expect it and it sent shock right through his spine but he didn't let go of Lily. Instead, he held her hand tighter.

Lily screeched and without too much effort, Roman struck a fist into the stranger's nose and while the man was distracted by the bleeding, he pulled Lily out of there.

Neither of them said a word until they got into his car.

"Thank you." She broke the silence in a whisper.

"You see this is what I was trying to avoid." He had anger laced in his voice, yet he was speaking a little too calm for his own good.

Lily knew he was right this time. She was still anxious from her encounter and so she texted Gaby about the event and told her she would be going home.

"I didn't know you were following me." She said a few minutes into driving.

"You think I'd let you go by yourself?" He responded.

The car that drove her there was trailing behind them slowly.

"Thanks for helping me." She sighed, unable to figure out how she had mixed the address up in the first place.

*

When they got back, Lily thought it felt nice to feel this type of privacy even though there were so many people in the house.

"I'd like to take a shower." She said when they were in his bedroom. He had cleaned up the romantic setup and that kind of got her feeling a bit upset. 

"Okay?" He was undoing his buttons and it was difficult for her eyes not to drift to his hard toned chest. She tried to distract herself with his jet black hair but her eyes studied his pointed nose, pink lips and chiseled jaw instead.

"Um-" she turned around, "is there a robe?"

"The staff customised a closet for you, look in there." He nodded at the walk in closet. He was in nothing but his boxers. How was he not uncomfortable?

She hurried to the closet, grabbed a robe and vanished into the bathroom.

Her worries dissolved at the sight of the bathtub. It looked extremely comfortable. She filled it by clicking on the button that said warm water on it.

"Nice." She complimented the calming sound that came with the gushing water. She took her clothes off and hung them on the bathroom sink along with her robe.

It was bigger than the bathroom in her other bedroom. It had a shower space, a door that led to the toilet. The room was completely white and brightly illuminated with fluorescent bulbs.

She stared at her reflection  in the full length mirror and admired her body for a second before her smile faded at the realisation that she was no longer single.

She gasped when she heard the door click and reflexively hopped into the bathtub to hide her nakedness, not minding that she wet her hair.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she saw that Roman had walked in, completely naked.