LOGINChapter Thirteen The next morning arrived faster than I had anticipated.Before I could even prepare myself mentally, the day of the grand opening was already here.The entire place was buzzing with activity.Workers were coming and going, putting the final touches on the decorations. The designs I had chosen were coming to life beautifully, even exceeding my own expectations.Jimmy stood beside me, going over the final checklist.“Everything is ready, ma’am,” he said. “The guests will start arriving in less than an hour.”I nodded, my eyes scanning the space.It was perfect.Exactly as I had imagined it.“Good work, Jimmy. Make sure everything goes smoothly,” I said, forcing a slight smile.“Yes, ma’am.”When he walked away, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.My mind drifted to everything that had happened between Lucas and me.I pushed those thoughts aside, not wanting him to ruin the joy of seeing myself shine on this special day.The media team arrived as planned and
Chapter Twelve The next day, I woke up to a huge sum of money deposited into my account.I was sitting there, staring at it, when he walked in.“I can’t wait to see how you handle this project,” he said before storming out.I wanted to call after him and tell him I’d never managed such a huge sum of money before,But I knew how he would react. This was his way of punishing me for standing up to him yesterday.His grandfather’s words echoed in my head: “You have to develop a thick skin.”I swallowed hard.Too much was at stake for me to allow myself to fail.Where was I going to find that kind of money to pay him back?I picked up my phone and sent a message to the media outlets that had interviewed me the day before, informing them of the inauguration of my company.They didn’t hesitate and sent me a message saying how honored they would be to attend the event.The next challenge was convincing Lucas to attend the inauguration.I really hoped he would find a little time to come.I wa
Chapter ElevenWhen I met him, everything about his face showed that he was not at all happy with me.I greeted him, unable to meet his gaze.He broke the silence that filled the entire room.“What were you thinking when you accepted an interview without my permission?”I blinked as I realized that the news had already reached him.I hadn’t really thought about it. I simply wanted to make sure everything was in place before launching my business.“Well… they were the ones who called me for an interview, and you weren’t home… I decided to accept their invitation.”He shook his head.“Do you ever think? Do you know the kind of damage you could have caused if you had said something you weren’t supposed to say?”I cleared my throat, feeling a little proud of myself.“I didn’t say anything inappropriate… I was really very careful.”He didn’t seem convinced.“The problem with you is that you don’t listen.”I was beginning to get tired of this argument, and besides, it was only a simple inte
Chapter TenAs soon as Lucas left, I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through my social media. I let out a cry of surprise when I saw the messages.Most of them were congratulating me on managing to land a billionaire.Lucas Bernard, the most sought-after bachelor in the city.Some were even asking for an interview with me. I decided to seize this opportunity since I was going to launch my business soon, in order to attract clients.I replied by text to accept the interview.I continued scrolling when I saw David and Ophelia having a great time in Dubai.She was with a baby. I zoomed in to see the resemblance to David.Tears welled up in my eyes. That could have been us if only he hadn't chosen her over me.While I was here, stuck with a man who wanted nothing to do with me. A fucking marriage of convenience!He was having a great time with my best friend.I wondered how Ophelia could have betrayed me like that.I put down the phone and went into the bathroom. If I wasted time l
Chapter NineThere was no way I was going to let him touch me; he was someone I barely knew.Without thinking too much, I took a seat on the other side of the bed.I didn't blame him at all. It was David, my ex, who had led me to agree to marry a man I had barely met at the courthouse.If he had shown up that day, I wouldn't have found myself in Lucas's mansion.I was still lost in my thoughts, thinking about everything that had happened recently, when sleep finally took over.My biological clock never failed me, and at exactly five in the morning, my eyes opened wide, ready to face the day.Lucas was already awake and had gone to the bathroom to take a shower.I had taken annual leave from work because of my wedding, so I didn't have to return right away, but now I couldn't afford to stay here doing nothing.I sat on the bed, waiting for Lucas to come out of the bathroom.He came out and entered the dressing room to change.I couldn't help myself; my eyes wandered over his well-built
Chapter Eight I focused my attention on something else, trying with all my might not to think about Lucas, even though his image invaded my mind.His attitude didn’t seem like something I could tolerate in the long run.Suggesting that we be friends was a decision I knew was necessary if I wanted to survive there.Avoiding the problem wouldn’t have solved anything. At least, it allowed me to keep my mind at ease.I went to my wardrobe in search of the perfect dress to wear. I chose one that I had bought during one of my shopping trips and tried it on.I was still admiring myself in front of the mirror when he entered.He didn’t say a word. He simply stared at me, which made me even more nervous.I slightly turned my gaze toward him, waiting for his opinion on the dress I was wearing.He made no comment.“Let’s go,” he simply said.I shrugged, irritated by his tone and attitude after everything we had said earlier.He didn’t seem interested at all.Undoubtedly… I was completely delusi







