Chapter 1

~Grace~

The cold air inside the resto touched my skin that sent shivers down my spine. Keeping my tears hide on my eyelids, I stared for long at the man infront of me.

I blinked twice, can't take his green emerald eyes, anymore. “Mr. Baltemore, are you sure about this?” I doubted, not still believing all the informations he had provided. 

Mr. Baltemore glared me, his lips turned in a grim line. His green shades of eyes looks darker. I took off my gaze on him and focused in the pictures he presented. He has the dominating air that intimidates me. 

“If you're doubting my credibility then I might suggest, get another investigator, Ms. Simson,” he said seriously. 

I gasped in shocked. Did I just made him disappointed? I only said my predicaments and that's all. He's so arrogant to not accept any words coming from me, argh!

He leaned on his chair, his face screams irritation. “You easily trusted your guy even he cheated while I'm the investigator here but you can't trust me.” 

“O-of course, he was my fiance...” and you're not, I nearly utter that I stammered by my words. I looked away at him and continued my words, “I just can't accept that I'm into this situation with him that's why.” 

Mr. Baltemore look at me in disbelief. He shifted on his chair with a knowing smirked plastered on his deadly face. “Well, you're making yourself stressful, Ms. Simson. I don't know what's the need to investigate when it's really obvious. You can even ask your fiance 'bout that. I'm sure as hell, he would be glad to answer this all true.”

“Oh, I think he's now my ex fiance!” I immediately corrected him. Long patience started to test, my face heated even more. The mere fact that I'm still the girlfriend and fiance makes me vomit.

“You're still his girl. Unless there's a break up happened already. Then, yeah, maybe you were now both exes. Is there Ms. Simson?” he asked with mixed sarcasm on his tone.

I looked at him and can't help not to rolled my eyes. I shook my head to him as he's right, we never had any conversation after Bill, my fiance's arrival from Los Angeles. He seemed so busy this past months that even a single 'hello' never crossed his mind.

“And it seems that your engagement with him is not yet cancelled. Therefore you're still his fiance, Ms. Simson.” 

He's trying my patience that I can only glared him deadly. Damn! I felt powerless. He looks rug that I can't smash his darn irritating face. He may be right but I won't give him satisfaction for that. The more I talked to him, the more I go crazy.  

We're here in the restaurant for almost 2 hours now. That's how long I'm composing myself infront of him. It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon when he called, asking if I have time to talked about the case, I asked him to investigate. Due to my bitter dripping ego, I let him meet me at the restaurant near my job at 5:30 o'clock. And that's how I ended up sitting here, processing all. 

I drink my wine bottoms up as things popped out my head. What if all those words Mr. Baltemore said were true? Can I survive from not being a murderer someday? Hoped so, Bill is really fond of fooling and cheating on me. How dare him doing this for almost a year! He's so good to cheat, never imagine him being a shit! He should talked to me to end this shitty things rather keeping this as a secret. I would probably be thankful, if that's so. But he never think of it. He must be in love with his new girl for making me this look like stupid. 

Bitterness filled my insides as I think of it. Am I not enough for him to even look to someone new? I shivered with my thought.. I guess so, he won't ever look for another girl if I'm enough but I'm not.

I felt my nerves shaking that I got mentally and emotionally blocked out from all of the information that couldn't process one at a time. I can't believe it's real that it's happening to me now.

Bill Marco is my fiance for almost one and a half years now. I know it's been years but we compromised to each other that we'll getting married as soon as he'll be promoted as the CEO of their company. There's no problem with it, I love and understand him and will always supported his dreams but I just can't help not to doubt.

And now that he's near to get promoted, he just then backed out on our relationship and made a cheating stance. How coward he is. I love him so much but this is all he exchanged to me. Betrayal.

A tear fell down. I tried to wipe my cheeks but it only trigger my tears to flow continuously. I lowered my head. Can't compliment to Mr. Baltemore having a good choice for picking up a good place. We're in the corner that no one can see us talking, no one will saw me crying. 

Brows furrowed, someone offered a plain white handkerchief infront me, I gazed back to whom the owner and Mr. Baltemore was still there handling me his handkerchief. “Thank you, Mr. Baltemore,” I took it on his hand.

I think I've been spaced out so long, I didn't noticed he's still here. He's intently watching me and I'm not comfortable into it. Silence lorded, I startled when something goes on. A trouble at one kilometer to where we are, I watched the waitress in awe 

“How incompetent! My dress got ruined, you careless woman! Where's your manager? Call her right now!” the customer shouted.

I looked around. Everyone inside are quite watching but they're judging the customer from being to harsh. However, they've never judge the waitress from her incompetency at work.

I rubbed my forehead. I can imagine myself on the customer's shoes. If I were like her, scowling at Bill's new girl, will everyone judge me from making a show? How's the girl too? Won't they judge her from destroying someone's relationship? I love Bill so much that I couldn't think he can do this. I hate it when everyone's mindset like this. 

“Do you have something on mind Ms. Simson?” Mr. Baltemore broke the silence between us. He licked his lips, jaw clenched after he glance back the crowd. 

I look at him and the papers he provided infront of me. I cleared my throat and looked away. I picked one of the papers, where Bill's back shoulder were captured going out in one of the hotel near the pub with a girl he's holding on the waist. 

“Uh, well...” I cleared my throat. “Does this girl his with here and the one in the pictures I showed to you are just one?” My irritation subsided but what left inside is pain alone.

His brows furrowed. “As I look on it, both were different. This girl have the long and wavy hair.” He showed me the picture of Bill and the girl kissing torridly. 

I look away on the pictures. That's one of the pictures I have always received inside the brown envelope as I went through my job. It scared me just by seeing every pictures, I don't even know who's behind of it. I'm blessed it wasn't any death threats or any nasty things. Though, it made me furious for seeing scandalous pictures of my fiance with this slut woman above him. How grossed Bill!

What makes me upset more, I can't see the girl's face. It's just her sexy curves, her big booties and a butterfly tattoo on her back shoulder. Eventually, the fire added more when I tried to contact my fiance to make his name clear on my mind but he's not picking up my calls. Damn it! He always picked up my calls everytime but I guess, this past few weeks was different. He's been busy and not even try to reached me out. 

“The another girl may have a long hair same as the first one but they are cutted in a V shape. Their body built are even different, Ms. Simson. But I don't conclude that easily. There's a possibility that this girl change her outfit to look different. Don't worry Ms. Simson, I'll do thorough investigation about this,” he added. 

I nodded. Even this issue won't get investigated, he's true. It's so obvious. They are different. Damn, we're triplets!

“Is that all you want to know Ms. Simson?” he arched his brows on me.

I rolled my eyes on the air and heave a sighed. “I want you to look on that two girls background. Where they live? How did they meet Bill—” I still have many things in mind but I definitely stopped after I heard what he said.

“I noticed you are a stupid of a martyr woman,” he conclude as if he said it to himself.

“H-how dare you!” I opened my mouth to breathe. I think I can't stay so long infront of him without getting impatience to him.

Is this how mannered an investigator should be? I didn't know talking rude and being unprofessional is their forte. 

Or maybe they really are professionals but there's an exception always. And of course, this one infront of me is exceptional. He talks shits against me. Is that really how he should meet his client? I shut my eyes as I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

“I've been living my whole life but I still didn't know woman like this. Chasing their man and knowing their whereabouts. And you're even wasting your money just to checked his woman. I'm very amazed, Ms. Simson,” Mr. Baltemore said sarcastically. He faced me with his brooding eyes.

I glared him. I didn't know too that an investigator have the position to gave opinion on his client's decisions. Let's say it's just an opinion. But the mere thought that he's the one saying what should I do and don't, irritates me badly.

I raised my brow at him when I understand his sentiments. “Well, now you know Mr. Baltemore. I'm just being nice to them. You know... trying to get to know each other after checking their personal info. I bet we'll be good friends too.”

His vines on his neck noticed while drinking his wine. I smirked more. I felt like I just make him pissed.

I hired Mr. Baltemore because I wanted to clear things out. I want to know every single details. I can't do it alone. I don't have the strength to know it on my own. That's why I took Andy's advice to me to get investigator instead. 

And all I thought, an investigator she suggested is as professional as his surname. Mr. Baltemore must be an old man in mid 50s, wearing a thick brown spectacles and holding a stick on his hand. That's what Andy told me about him but infront of me is a different man. 

Mr. Baltemore here is rude and an unprofessional man. He has this aura that intimidates everyone. I felt it too when we first met but it subsided easily when he started to present all he'd gathered. Hatred and anger were only etched on my head that time. 

He had also this mischievous smirk on his lips that speaks alone, all the judgements. His emerald hawklike eyes looked deadly at first sight. His voice is like thunder, deep and harsh. I wonder why I always got pissed everytime he talked to me. It kind of irritating everytime I heard his voice. I even received goosebumps thinking about it too. 

“Be my guess then,” his deep raspy voice makes me jump a bit.