6

ARLO’S POV

“Did you call the paparazzi?” She asked frantically.

Her question took me off guard and made me feel a certain kind of way.

“Of course not,” I said.

The banging continued, and it made me really upset.

She was scared to her bones, but then she didn’t realize that I was feeling bad about how the situation seemed to be turning out.

She didn’t realize that I also had a reputation to keep.

Granted, she was a virgin, which could be her most prized possession, but I had my whole world to lose if this becomes a freaking scandal at the end of the day. There was a reason I always stayed out of scandals; stories and incidents that would taint my reputation and ruin what I have built, and this was it.

Nothing could ruin a man faster than sexual assault allegations, especially on a woman who was a virgin.

Other men with power and influence would easily get away from it from only a little loss and ego bruises, but not me. I would be reminded of who I was, and that alone, would want to make the world stone me to death.

Staying out of the media had also been one of the ways I simply kept my reputation in check.

I only showed up absolutely where I needed to be and sometimes, I allowed people to seek me, which always worked for me.

“I don’t believe you!” She cried some more.

She was becoming too hysterical for my comfort, but I was still confused as to how to calm her down so that we could have a reasonable conversation.

The paparazzi were all outside the door, hungrily waiting for a wreckage story they could put out there to discredit me, and if they heard her sounding this way, it might worsen the case.

“I am not lying,” I said, trying so hard to make her believe me.

Still, I wasn’t upset with her…just amused at everything and worried about the situation.

“Okay, hold on,” I said and walked to where the intercom sat. I grabbed it and dialed the reception. “How could you let the paparazzi come into the hotel to harass your guests? What sort of poor service is this?” I scolded her.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see her watching me and paying rapt attention.

“We are so sorry, sir,” she apologized. “It went beyond our control before we could get a hold of them,” she explained.

“Then fix it!” I barked at her.

“Our management team is working on it already sir. In a few seconds, they will be out of your hair, but what we cannot guarantee or make happen is stopping there from lurking outside the premises. You know these reporters and their thirst for stories,” she explained.

I knew all that.

“Just get them out of the front of my door this very minute,” I ordered and ended the call.

Then we both waited for the result of my call as though we planned it.

This would be the first and last time I would ever use a cheap hotel such as this. For heaven’s sake, it was Hawk who recommended this hotel and booked the room. If it was the other intercontinental hotels, none of this would have been happening.

Fortunately, in less than thirty seconds, the voices died down completely; an evidence that they had been asked to leave.

“I am sorry about that,” I found myself apologizing to her carefully. “But they are going to be out there when you leave here,” I had to prepare her mind.

She seemed less hysterical now, but then again, she seemed pained, scared and worried.

What was she scared and worried about?

Then when she remembered that she was naked, she began to wear her tainted dress. She whimpered as she slowly and carefully wore her dress.

Again, I didn’t know what to do.

She seemed very fragile and hurt, and I just stood there, watching her.

Then she picked up her phone and dialed a number, and as soon as the person picked up, she placed it on speaker, which gave me access to the conversation.

“Maverick…” she called out gently and worriedly.

Aha, the name on her lips last night.

That would probably be her lover or something, but he certainly wasn’t blood-related. 

This, again, was confusing.

If she had a lover and was a virgin, how did she find herself in my room? I could barely wait to confront Hawk about all this, because this was his fault, but I just couldn’t leave her stranded here, especially when I knew that the paparazzi were out there, waiting to devour the both of us.

I could handle myself anyway since she wasn’t throwing allegations around, but she seemed too gentle to be able to handle something like that.

“You whore!” The man on the other end of the call barked at her angrily, causing her to burst into tears.

My blood boiled in anger.

Why would he speak to her in that manner?

“Maverick, no, please, let me explain,” she said amidst tears.

“I don’t want to hear shit from you, Aurora! You disgust me! How could you cheaply give yourself away to another man? Did you think I wouldn’t know? You claimed to be a virgin and asked me to wait until our wedding night, which I was patiently doing, only for you to whore yourself to another man!” He added spitefully.

Okay, now I could tell that he was her fiancée.

But did he have to speak to her so rudely and disrespectfully, especially as his words were hurting her deeply and causing her to cry bitterly.

“I am so sorry, Mave, I didn’t know how it happened…please, let me explain,” she begged poorly.

I felt horrible about myself hearing her talk about a night that was blissful to the both of us.

“I don’t want to hear anything from you, Aurora. You are a shameless slut and I am glad this happened,” he cursed harshly through the phone.

Up until now, I didn’t know her name.

Aurora sounded like a beautiful name to me, befitting of her gentle and sweet nature, who didn’t deserve to be treated this way.

“How can you say these words to me?” She asked him, unbelievably hurt.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t stick around waiting to be awarded your golden center. Yes, I have been compensating myself with Astrid,” he revealed without remorse.

She almost broke down completely.

More tears spilled.

She could not believe her ears.

The call ended abruptly, leaving her in tears, broken, and completely humiliated. 

I wanted to say something to her to make her feel less worse, but again, she beat me to it.

Abruptly, she turned, looked at me dead in the eyes and said, “Be my fiancée, Arlo.”