The voices in his head just wouldn't stay quiet. George sighed heavily as he paced around the open space in his large bedroom, just a few steps away from the gigantic mirror that rested on the wall. Every few minutes, he would sneak a peek at the mirror, staring at himself. He was clearly losing it, his mind wouldn't stop creating negative scenarios of when he and Rachel would meet.
Tomorrow….
He couldn't believe they were to meet tomorrow. What had he been thinking to pick her in the first place? No woman in her right mind would want to be married to a man that looked like him.
He was even more confused, why did she agree to the proposal? Why would Rachel agree to marry into a family she was told to stay away from? It didn't make any sense. She didn't even know him — it had been over five years. Why would she easily agree to marry a stranger? Was that normal?
George was frustrated. He thought 'walking around' would help his mind stay focused, but the confusing thoughts flying around in his mind only increased.
He walked closer until he stood in front of the mirror, shirtless. His brown eyes skimmed the exposed flesh from his torso all the way up to his chest and back to his face. He was badly scarred, at least that's what he thought. How would Rachel react when she saw him? Would she spit on him in disgust and cancel their marriage on the spot? No, maybe not that. She would probably scream in shock and run out of the villa.
So many thoughts and questions…
If any of that happened, then he was really going to be a laughingstock in the whole of Imperial Hub Limited. He wasn't sure if he could stand it.
He remembered how he would daydream about kissing her back then, before his accident. He would imagine what her lips tasted like, and when he would get a chance to steal a kiss from her.
But that was then….
Things were different now. He wasn't sure if she would want him to put his lips on hers this time. Tasting her warm lips with his tongue and kissing her till he had to come up for air, pressing her soft body flush against his till he could feel the curves of her breasts, getting lost in the enticing heat between her l—
Ugh! come back to your senses. George shook his head, trying to drag his focus back to what was important, ignoring the red hot heat that coursed through his veins. What was wrong with him? He closed his eyes for a few seconds, thinking and then it clicked.
Her father….
She was probably marrying him so she could get access to more information that would help her get justice for her father. She obviously knew he was innocent just like he did. That had to be the reason, the only logical reason…for a woman like Rachel, who had no interest in his wealth.
George stood in a daze for a moment, lost in thought. He really wanted to help her investigate her father's case, but that would also be a problem. He had been warned to stay away from her family, but he had gone ahead to propose to her — which was already causing so much chaos. If his parents discover he is digging into Arthur Reeves' case again, this villa would literally go up in flames.
Yet, even as he knew his parents would not take this information well, he made up his mind to help Rachel get justice for her father. He should have done this years ago, but he had been so scared of what his parents would say. That was not the case now.
The sound of a knock on his bedroom door brought him back to reality and his personal assistant and friend, Tony Williams strolled in. He paused for a second, looking at George before he burst into laughter.
"What's funny?" George mumbled, not in the mood for his teasing.
"The lover-boy-who-is-terrified look is all over your face" Tony replied in between laughter "You look like you could faint any time soon."
George sighed "Is it that obvious?"
"Yup, you really need to calm down" Tony settled on a chair close to the door and focused his eyes on George again. "She'll be here by 10:00am tomorrow. You have to be prepared for whatever happens, overthinking won't change anything"
"I know…I know." George muttered, before moving over to sit on his bed. "Tony, I need your help with something. It's a secret between us, no-one must know about this"
Tony sensed the change of his tone and leaned forward at the edge of his chair "Sure, Is something wrong? What is it?"
"I want to reinvestigate the case related to Arthur Reeves, I need you to help me with that."
"WHAT?!!... No way. You're looking for trouble, your father is going to cut me into two"
"Please, I have to," George insisted. "I know my parents won't like this, that's why I said it should be a secret for now"
Tony remained silent, he wasn't enjoying where this conversation was heading to.
"See, we've both had our suspicion for years that Arthur Reeves was innocent…" George continued, determined to convince Tony. "...and I thought hard about why Rachel would agree to marry me, there was only one logical reason"
Tony shifted uncomfortably on his chair before asking "What's the reason?"
"It's because she wants easier access to the company to investigate all that happened five years ago…"
Tony's eyes widened in understanding of what George was saying.
"...I mean, think about it" George continued "She has probably heard of my fire accident as it was all over the news back then. She doesn't know me in any way, back then we didn't really talk to each other. What would make her decide to marry a scarred man who is a total stranger to her?"
"I get what you're trying to say" Tony nodded in agreement and wrapped his hands around his chest. "So…?"
"So…I want to make things easier for her. I will investigate the case for her in secret and help her. If anything goes wrong, I'll take the responsibility" George smiled with a dreamy look on his face "Who knows, that might be the start of her falling in love with me"
Tony rolled his eyes so hard they could fall, "Ugh, I get it. Her dearest superhero in a shining armor"
George chuckled before getting serious "So, are you in?"
"Sure, I am"
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
Rachel dragged the last bag of her belongings to the gate where a driver stood beside a sleek, black expensive Lexus Jeep. She had bade farewell to her mother, who was crying in her room — still afraid of her marrying into that family. Her friend, Sophia stood by her side with a sad smile on her face, trying to hold back her tears. Rachel couldn't lie to herself, she was afraid — afraid of what to come. She didn't know what to expect.
"This is not the type of marriage I wanted for you" Sophia whispered with a teary voice "A marriage of revenge…Don't you think you deserve better?"
"Yes, I guess I deserve better" Rachel arranged the final bag of her belongings in the car "but sometimes, things have to be done differently"
The driver came forward and signaled it was time for them to go. Rachel opened her arms wide for a hug as her eyes welled with tears "So, are you going to hug me or not?"
Sophia stepped forward and they hugged tight.
"I can come over there to see you right? Will that be a problem?" Sophia asked
"Of course not, you can come anytime." Rachel buckled her seatbelt as the driver turned the car on. "That shouldn't be a problem. Please take care of my mum, will you?"
"I will. It's alright"
An hour later, Rachel stepped out of the car and stood in front of the most beautiful villa she had ever seen. It had been years since she had seen this place, she had forgotten how magnificent it was. Maids moved around, carrying her belongings to a destination she believed to be where she would be staying, and she followed along.
The armed bodyguards seemed to know who she was as they didn't try to stop her from entering. As she stepped inside the building, she gasped in awe of the exquisite interior decoration. From the marble staircase to the sapphire stone tiles, everything was so magnificent, even the silk curtains that covered the sculptured windows were beautiful.
How long had she been away from this? Her father's villa used to be similar to this. It had been like a piece of heaven to her back then, but she didn't know what it looked like now. Everything had been taken away from him for a crime he didn't commit.
A petite maid walked up to her and whispered "Miss Rachel, we've been expecting you. Mr George Scott is waiting for you." She turned her hands to the marble staircase "This way, please"
Rachel turned towards the staircase. Her husband-to-be was at the end of this staircase — at the top floor. She didn't know what to feel. She made her way up the stairs and it took her to a wide open space. Rachel looked around and saw a man standing in front of a window — with his back to her. She had to say, he had a good physique, with broad sexy shoulders that every girl would dream of.
He still stood by the window with his back to her, Rachel assumed he didn't know she had arrived, so she moved a few steps closer and introduced herself. "Hello, Mr George Scott. I'm Rachel Reeves."
It's...it's nice to meet you" He replied and slowly turned around.
When Rachel's eyes met the face of the man she was to marry….
She gasped in horror.
She had heard about his accident five years ago. It had been all over the news, her mother had told her about it too. Rachel could remember that it happened the same day her father got arrested. The day her world came crashing down was the day his life flipped upside down. But even though she knew he would have some scars due to his accident, Rachel didn't expect it would be this bad.She stood there with her mouth open from shock, studying him, taking in his appearance. The scars covered his once beautiful face all the way down to his neck. It looked like it extended all the way down his muscular body that was hidden behind his black fitted suit. Rachel gulped. She couldn't help but wonder, How did he go through all of that….in a place like this?She had witnessed her fair share of ridicule from other elite people within the company, when her father was arrested for drug trafficking. She had suddenly become an outcast, no longer up to their taste and level. She remembered being calle
The days moved by quickly, faster than she wanted it to. Rachel observed as she stood in front of a huge mirror that graced the wall of her personal bedroom. This was going to be the last moment she spent in this room, she was to move over to another room this night.His room…Ah, he must be anticipating it — What a weirdo he was. Rachel laughed out loud in the empty room, as she got ready for her wedding ceremony that was to start in two hours time. George had hired a professional hairstylist and makeup artist to transform her face and hair, and honestly, she couldn't recognise herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Not in the bad way actually…She never knew she could look so ethereal, so elegant, so beautiful…It had been a long time since she had rested so well, eaten so well and actually felt like a princess. The hardship she had faced these last five years had thrown her off balance and she had forgotten how to take care of herself. In the last two weeks, George d
The wedding came to an end after an hour and everyone moved along. Patricia walked up to George and Rachel who sat at a table talking to each other. As she approached the table, Rachel quickly stood up and greeted her. Rachel didn't need anyone to tell her who the woman was, the resemblance between the woman and George was strong."Mom…" George muttered before he turned to face Rachel "...this is my mom, Mrs Patricia Anne Scott"Rachel greeted her again. She was so nervous, plus the fact that George had mentioned his mother wasn't in support of her being here or getting married to her son, only made her feel more uncomfortable — especially with the way his mother narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her from head to toe."It's nice to see you, Rachel," Patricia answered warmly. If there was one thing she didn't want, that'd be making George angry by treating his 'new wife' poorly. She could tell her son was in love with this lady, and she wouldn't want to be one to take his happiness away.
The first streak of the morning sunrise filled the bedroom and everywhere brightened up. Rachel stirred to consciousness as her eyes fluttered open. Her mind still felt foggy from sleep and something about her surroundings looked a bit strange. Where was she?After a few minutes, Rachel's mind started clearing up and she realized where she was and what happened yesterday. She had gotten married and now, she was lying down in his room, on his bed. His room was different from where she had stayed the last two weeks…She tried turning around and in that moment, realized there was something resting on her waist and her back was leaning on something hard. What could that be? Moving her eyes to gaze downward, Rachel saw that George had wrapped his hand around her waist and cuddled close to her — her back touching his rock hard chest. Her eyes widened in realization and her mind was suddenly alert, the fogginess completely gone. Did he forget so fast that she said she didn't want to cuddle w
Twenty years old James Scott settled on a chair in his bedroom flipping through a magazine about 'Traveling around the world'. He felt so content just sitting there, immersing himself in what he really had an interest in. His twenty-first birthday was in four months' time and he knew his mother would come nagging once again. James sighed, he was tired from all the ways his mother stressed him.He must have seen a vision because his mother barged right into his room with a frown on her face. Judith halted her steps and peered at him, her eyes narrowing when they landed on the book he was holding. James could already see the imaginary steam seeping out of her ears as he stood up to greet her."You're reading these irrelevant travel books again?" She hissed, wrinkling her nose in disapproval "Is this what you should be focusing on? You're supposed to be studying business books and resources. Not this nonsense""Why should I read business books?""How many times must I repeat myself befor
George turned around to face Rachel after successfully convincing his mother that they would get to 'work' about those grandchildren she wanted. She smiled happily, in approval of their agreement before leaving to attend an event. George could see that his mother had warmed up to Rachel and was beginning to like her, he was thrilled to notice that.He studied Rachel's face and noticed she was smiling "A penny for your thoughts? What's the happy event?"Rachel snapped out of her daydream, the smile on her face disappearing as she turned around, preparing to leave. "Uh, it's nothing at all""Are you trying to avoid me again?" George grabbed her hand before she could walk away and pulled her closer. He slid his hands around her waist, pushing her body to meet his, his face hovering just a few inches from hers."What are you doing?" Rachel tried to move out of his grip, but he only held her tighter.George stared at her, his eyes focusing on her full rounded lips, tempting him to lean in
George dragged himself up to his feet and strolled out of the hall used for holding meetings in the company. He had mentioned that he wanted the manufacturing team to release their newest body wash quickly, but instead of focusing on his words, more than half of the board members decided to bring up the topic of how unfit he was to be the CEO of the company based on how he looked. "You are embarrassing and downplaying the brand of this company by choosing to show up to conferences and events looking like that" one board member had remarked, making a reference to how everyone was staring at him at the last event he went to. George shook his head, in an attempt to clear his mind from these unwelcome thoughts. He could see that his stepmother was working hard to kick him out of his position, by bribing the board members to frustrate him. She obviously wanted James to become the CEO, which his mother — Patricia, would never allow. To make things worse for Judith, the company's profit ha
WINTER, 2003Patricia reached for the wrapping paper by her side for the Christmas gifts she had bought for her nine years old son, George and her husband, Morris. Lifting her head to observe the huge Christmas tree she had decorated standing near the wall, she noticed through an open window — the snow was pouring down heavier than yesterday, Patricia hoped that George wasn't playing outside. He liked the winter season.The door knob to her bedroom opened and Nanny Juliet, her personal nanny, walked in dragging George by his hand. "Mrs Patricia, here he is" The nanny said as she pulled a 'stubborn' George closer to his mother."George, come over here…" Patricia voiced out firmly, making George stand still. "...I said, come over here, quickly" she moved the wrapped gifts aside and pulled him when he stood a few steps away from her. "Are you going to scold me again?" George whispered, frowning at his mother."Of course not, I know you want to play outside…" Patricia rubbed his head gen