4. The Heart That Begins to Be Disturbed

Elea was pensive. Ever since that first night with Greg, she's feelings had been plagued by something strange. Suddenly missing the man, also suddenly feeling shy. And she had only ever felt this way when she first met him.

"Am I in love?" muttered Elea. Her fingers moved slowly to trace the kissmarks that were still clearly visible on her neck. "But why so soon? All those years I loved Luis and was let down so cruelly. How soon can I move on?"

Widow. Elea still hid this status from Greg. She was bound by an agreement with Luis that they would keep the divorce a secret until Elea became pregnant and gave birth to a successor to the Clement family. He only knew that Elea had made him a contract girlfriend to fulfill her desires. It sounded cruel. But it was for the best. However, things did not go smoothly. Elea's heart began to be moved by the charm of the handsome and gentle Greg.

Drtt drttt

Elea gasped in shock when she heard the vibration of the cell phone lying on the table. She lazily picked up the flat object and looked to see who was calling.

"Tsk, what does this asshole want?" Elea said softly. As soon as she saw Luis' name, her mood immediately crumbled. Even so, she answered the call. "Don't call me if it's not urgent. Remember our current status. Exes!"

["Do you think I'm that free to call you?"]

"Then?"

["Mom and Dad want to meet. I'll pick you up tonight. Be ready."]

There was a long sigh after Elea found out what he was calling about. That's right. What could she expect from her ex-husband. He was definitely calling because he needed his role. What else could she expect.

["Don't try to run away from our agreement, Elea. If you get to .... "]

"No need to threaten. I know what to do," Elea interrupted him. She then sighed softly while biting her finger. "Do you want to meet Mom and Dad at home or outside? I need to prepare myself so that our charade looks normal."

["Mom wants to take us to a restaurant for dinner."]

"Okay. And your mistress? Make sure she doesn't make a mess, Luis. Don't blame me for being rude to her if she dares to show up in front of Mom and Dad."

["How many times must I remind you that her name is Yasmine, not mistress. Don't provoke me, Elea. Even if our relationship goes wrong, Yasmine is a thousand times better than you!"]

"Oh, so you've realized that your romance was not meant to be? That's wonderful, Mr. Clement. Divorce allows your brain to function properly again. I salute you."

After a few words to Luis, Elea quickly switched off the call. The sting returned to her heart. Luis had defended the woman who had become the third person in their household. She wondered when she would get the same treatment, but with a different person.

"Never mind, there's no point in thinking about them. I'd rather call my girlfriend. I want to hear some sweet talk from his lips."

It took a while for Elea to hear Greg's voice. She unbuttoned two buttons of her shirt as Greg turned the call into a video call. She meant to tease.

["Is this an invitation?" Greg asked with a faint smile.]

"You're the one who's easily tempted," Elea replied, pretending to argue. She chuckled, marveling at the good looks of the man on the screen. He was truly unrivaled. After taking out the trash like Luis, she found a partner who looked like a descendant of a Greek god. Elea was truly blessed by God. "Greg, aren't you tired of being handsome? It'll be a hassle if you get discovered by a woman other than me."

Elea's silly words were greeted with a crisp laugh by Greg. This made Elea even more stunned. For no apparent reason her whole body suddenly heated up. Her mind instantly envisioned their hot romance last night.

["Why are you looking at me like that? You could have misunderstood me, El."]

"That's my goal. To misunderstand you so that I can get satisfaction."

["Too blunt. Is your heart okay? Besides warming up the bed, I'm also good at being a listener. Don't be shy. Tell me what you're feeling. I'm always there for you."]

Very sensitive. Elea smiled. She then touched the phone screen right on Greg's lips. If he had been close, he would have kissed him.

"My in-laws want to meet, but I'm not in a good mood. I have a feeling that my husband's mistress will be there too," Elea said, starting to share her worries. Her gaze did not leave Greg's face. For some reason she felt like she was gaining strength just by looking at this man's face. "Greg, what do you think I should do? If I could choose, I'd rather play around in bed with you than have to meet them. Not my in-laws, but her husband and his mistress. I feel so bad, don't you?"

Greg didn't immediately respond to Elea's words. He just stayed silent with a look that was hard to explain. Seeing this, Elea had no intention of insisting. For her, it was enough for Greg to be a faithful listener.

[El, there was a time when you were more concerned about other people's feelings than your own. But you've come this far and you're still being ignored, even betrayed. Why are you still thinking about that loser? It's time to pick up your own happiness. Show them that you are capable and can. Never give a chance to those who dare to step on your pride. You're perfect, El. You have everything. Including me."]

"Hmm, your words are too sweet, Greg. I'm afraid I'm going to get diabetes."

["My words are sincere. You're too wonderful for those who have no shame. Don't lower yourself, dear. Hit if you want to hit, cuss if you need to cuss. You are free to do anything to your husband and his mistress. If the problem persists, I'll sort it out later. Remember my words, Elea. I will not allow you to be sad. With me, you must always smile and be happy. Okay?"]

If these words had been spoken by Luis, who knows how happy Elea would be right now. Unfortunately, this sweet promise came from the mouth of a man who was only a contract boyfriend. Even so, Elea's heart still felt warm. The gaping wound in her heart seemed to have received medicine even though it had not completely healed.

"Wait for me at the villa. We still have to talk about your f*e. Last night was too tiring. You almost didn't even let me rest," Elea said as she looked away. Her face heated up slightly, ashamed of her own words.

["Blame it on you being too tempting."]

"So it's my fault?"

Elea immediately turned off the call when Greg started teasing her with vulgar sentences. She quickly cupped her face that was flushed with embarrassment before finally laughing crisply.

"A dangerous contract boyfriend, but ... I like him. The promise Greg made sounded so promising. Hmm."

Having had her fill of playing with her own feelings, Elea quickly went to prepare. She still had to buy some souvenirs before meeting her in-laws. It was kind of funny. She and Luis were already divorced, but still had to be nice for the sake of a charade. I wonder how disappointed Luis' parents would be if they found out that they were only doing one crazy deal. Conceiving another man's child to avoid being dropped from the family heir list. It's extreme, and it's true to life.

**