*MALIYAH*
"No, no, no! I can't..." It's not in the contract! It's not what I expected!
I kept struggling to get him away from me, but he wouldn't let me go. I just climbed off the bed and he held my ankles and wouldn't let go no matter how much I kicked him.
He grabbed my hand and pressed me against his body. His erection prodded my buttocks.
“Can you feel it? Feel how nice I can make you feel.”He growled. I don't want to feel this, I just agreed to be his temporary fake wife, I'm not a whore!
“Let me go!”I thundered,struggling with him.
“I can already feel how sweet you will be.”With that,he pushed me to the floor,slamming my head against it.
“Argh.”I groaned,holding my head.
That hurt so bad.
“Please…please…”I tried to sit up.
“No need to beg for it,baby.”He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.
He pushed me back down onto the floor and lifted my hands above my head,holding them firmly in place.
As he began to kiss my neck,I gathered all the strength left in me and kneed him in the groin. Finally, he let go of me.
"Ah..." He rolled off me,grabbing the spot I had hit. I used all my strength, he couldn't relieve it for a while.
I got off the floor,stumbling slightly.
“No…wait…” He shouted. But I couldn't possibly wait! I darted out of the bedroom.
But as I ran down the hallway I realized that I had nowhere to run. I looked right to left wondering where to go,wondering whom to call for help.
I can only run aimlessly, I want to leave this hell, away from that demon...
***
*BENNETT*
The Bar
Sure enough, after making it clear that I was married, things went a lot smoother with Mr Da Silva. So I asked my friend Logan to come to the bar to celebrate.
We sat by the barstand,downing a reasonable amount of alcohol.
“So you mean to tell me you employed someone to be your wife,temporarily?”Logan asked after I finished explaining the latest development to him.
I nodded.
“Man,I really don't know whether to say you're smart or crazy!" He teased me with a laugh.
"Both, I guess, but I really need this deal!" Logan, being my friend, knew my ambitions well. He looked at me seriously, then picked up the wine on the table and raised it to me, as if to show his respect for my persistence.
After we both took a sip of wine, he asked as if something suddenly occurred to him, "So, that girl is going to live with you for a year?"
He narrowed his eyes with a lecherous look. I know what he's thinking, but I'm not him, who can fuck all women.
"I am not you." I only had to say that for him to understand what I meant, and the body that had been near me leaned back as if my words were uninteresting.
"I know, you are loyal to the big singer!" The big singer he was talking about was Charlotte, my true love.
"You,,," I was about to advise him to be loyal to love as well when my phone rang.
DING RING-
I glanced at it,it was my grandma.
Dropping my glass,I answered the phone. I just got through and before I could speak, there was a worried voice from my grandmother “Ben,she’s missing!”
I frowned.”Who?”
“Your temporary wife.” Grandma explained to me.
My fist clenched over the phone.”What do you mean she’s missing?!” Did she try to run away with my money without fulfilling her end of the bargain?
“When the…when the maid went up to bring her lunch,she wasn’t in the room.”
“I’ll be home soon.”With that I hung up and stood up from the chair.
“What’s going on?”Logan asked, confused.
“I’ll give you a call later.”I settled the bill and headed out of the bar.
If that lady had really tried to abscond with my money… If she sabotages my work with Mr Da Silva...
She'll be dead!
***
When I got home,I saw Mason and my grandma pacing to and fro. They saw me and immediately rushed up to me to describe everything that happened at noon.
"We searched all around this area and there was no sign of her!" Grandma told me anxiously.
The more this time, the more calm I had to be. "What about in the house? She might still be here!"
"Searched! Every place we could get in, we searched!" Mason told me.
Wait a minute! Places that they could get in? That means they didn't look for private spaces that I had locked up, etc.
Yes, I have a lot of private spaces in this house, like my art room, where no one dares to go in without my permission, including Grandma.
"I got it, I'll go look for it, you guys rest." With that said I turn around and walk towards my art room, she better be there!
***
Opening the door,It was dark. It was quiet and did not look like it was hiding someone.
Snap--
I turned on the light to see her curled up on the floor.
Was she crazy?
Why would she come into this dark room and stay here for hours? Had Grandma perhaps hire a psycho?
Before I could get her up, it was as if she felt the light and an uncomfortable sound came out of her mouth.
"Uh-huh..." She raised her hand to cover her eyes. But I didn't have time to wait for her to wake up, so I told her to "Get Up."
My voice seemed to scare her, and her light-fearing eyes suddenly widened and she kept moving to the corner.
The only voice in the quiet art room was her fear-filled voice, "No...please...go away...don't come close to me."
She was afraid of me? I hadn't even spoken to her before, what was she afraid of?
This was definitely not going to work, I couldn't talk to her if she couldn't calm down. Then I moved closer to her, my hand on her trembling shoulder, and I whispered soothingly “Calm down.I’m not going to hurt you.I’m not going to hurt you.”I assured and then she moved her hair away from her face as if to stare at me properly.
Our eyes met.It was that moment.
It felt as if I was enchanted for a moment.
Those ocean eyes were the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.
*BENNETT*There were still tears that had not dried in her eyes, that set her off even more innocent and pitiful. Just like a simple little dove, one cannot help but want to protect and comfort her.Was this what unattractive meant to my grandma?I couldn't resist touching her face, but she quickly avoided my hand, still trembling continuously.“Please…please don’t take me to him.I don’t want that…I…won’t tell anyone he tried to do that to me.Please,just don’t take me to him.”She cried.Him? Who was she talking about? What did that man do to her?"Who..." I was just about to ask for clarification when I noticed her messy clothes, and she wasn't even wearing shoes. And with the hostile look in her eyes, I was almost sure of it. Someone was trying to bully her!I clenched my fists and kept filtering through my mind for possible people. I don't know why I'm so angry, maybe it's a man's nature, even if it's a fake wife, she can't be treated casually!"You get up first, I will investigate,
*MALIYAH*He completely ignored my surprise, dressed and headed out the door, and ordered the maid.“Esme, get her breakfast now.”With that,Bennett walked out of the bedroom.I stared at Esme,the middle-aged woman.“Good morning.”I greeted with a smile but she didn’t smile back.Instead,the look on her face hardened.“What will you like to eat,ma’am?”She asked,with a straight face.“You don’t have to call me ma’am.Maliyah’s fine.And I’m not a picky eater.You can serve me anything.”“Okay.”Bennett walked into the bedroom again,now clad in a suit.Oh boy.This man is hot.Too hot for my eyes.He handed me a picture.”Is that him?”I stared at it and dread filled me to recall the previous day.I slowly nodded.“That’s my cousin.I apologize again for yesterday.” He has apologized countless times, but it really has nothing to do with him."You'll be staying in this room from now on." He gave me this guest room to stay in, perhaps as a gift of apology.I nodded and smiled at him,gratefully.
Caleb walked into his son’s office to meet him looking gloomy.He eyed Mason,tentatively.Caleb Graham was one of the board members in Imperial Group,he was Bennett’s uncle and Mason’s father.It had never sat well with him when his elder brother took control over Imperial Group and when Bennett’s father died,he saw it as an opportunity to take back the group but then his mother,Madam Valentina kicked against it and instead made Bennett the CEO.“You still haven’t given me any feedback.”He began staring at Mason.Mason glanced at him and announced.”Well,the feedback is that I got kicked out of his house.I can’t believe he had my things sent to the company.”“What did you do?”Caleb scowled.Mason sighed.”I...I only tried to…”“That’s not even important.I warned you to follow his rules and do everything he wants.Then again,you spent months in his place,you must’ve discovered something.Any weakness of his?”Mason shook his head.”He has none.”Caleb scoffed.”What do you mean he has none?Ev
*MALIYAH*Kiss?Kiss him?That felt overly intimate to me.Bennett stuffed his hands into his pocket.“Do we really have to?”“Yes sir,this has to be seen as a happy and romantic union,right?”Running a hand through his hair,he turned to face me.I stared back at him wondering what to say or do.“Acting.We’re just acting.Consider this as part of the act.”He said,coolly.I’m not sure if he’s trying to convince me or himself.The camera men started moving around again,taking different shots from different angles.As he moved his head closer to mine,I felt a wave of heat hitting upon my cheeks.This was my first kiss.I can’t believe I’m getting kissed for the first time like this.And I’m supposed to consider my first kiss an act?!He wrapped his arms around me again.Boy,he is really good at this.He was staring at me so intensely that one might think we had some passion between us.His lips were almost touching mine now,his gaze seemed to fall on my lips as he looked down.My lips tre
*MALIYAH*My phone had been ringing nonstop in the morning.It was my mom and aunt both alarmed by what they had seen on the news.I had promised to go over to the hospital tomorrow and explain everything to them.Now I just have to work up the courage to tell Bennett that I need to leave the house.A knock sounded on my door.I got out of bed and opened up to see him,standing there in casual wears that still managed to make him look like the coolest man I’ve ever seen.“Living room.Now!”And then,he turned and started walking away.I quickly hurried after him.He got seated on a couch and crossed his leg while I awkwardly sat on a sofa.“Like I told you before,I need a wife to close a business deal.Next week,you’ll officially meet him for the first time.”I blinked.”Who?”“An Italian,a very powerful and wealthy Italian that I need to partner with.He’s going to have doubts about this union.He might think I married you to secure the deal with him and I have to make him think otherwise.I
*BENNETT*The evening ended on a good note.Pedro and his wife were pleased.He even informed me he would be coming to my company tomorrow to go over some paperworks.I am overjoyed.Things are going just the one I wanted.The way I wanted until a head leaned against my shoulder.I glanced down at a sleeping Maliyah.She might be so young yet she had charmed Aurora,immediately.She’s a pretty good actress herself and I’m impressed.Her hair was covering her face so I gently brushed it aside to see her face.What was it about her?What was it about her that was so unsettling?Realizing I was having thoughts I shouldn’t be having,I gently pushed her head away from me and made her lay her head on the window instead.She’s 19.There’s quite an age gap between us.Plus,she’s not my type.The only person I can picture myself spending my life with is someone from a high society,someone experienced in every area of life.I already have someone who’s suitable for me.Why the heck do I need to re
*BENNETT*I walked passed Maliyah’s door and stopped,wondering what she was up to.I had just gotten back from work and I have no idea why I’m curious to know how she spent her day.Perhaps,I could ask her to eat with me at the dining table tonight.It’s interesting watching her talk and talk.Deciding to freshen up first,I headed off to my bedroom.Walking into my dressing room,I took off my jacket and my watch.As I placed the watch on the compartment,I notice the case close to it was empty.Frowning,I moved closer to it and notice that it was really empty.I am not a careless person at all.I always keep my stuff organized.Perhaps,I had kept it somewhere else.Wondering when I had become forgetful,I searched around the dressing room but there was no sign of it.I walked into my bedroom and started opening the drawers,even checking under the bed.If I were to misplace anything,it shouldn’t be that.I have always been careful with it.I barely wear it because I didn’t want it to ever
“She’s the daughter of a nobody?”Caleb asked,surprised.He was on the phone with one of his private investigators.“You mean to tell me her family isn’t well-known?”He asked again.“They aren’t.”He scoffed.This is bullshit.The Bennett he knows will not settle down with a nobody.He recalled one of the family dinners they had at Madam Valentina’s house some years back.Bennett had been questioned about his choice of a life partner and he simply said he wanted someone from the high society like he was,someone from a wealthy family whose social status will equally strengthen his.So why will he go against his perfectly planned-out life?“There’s more,sir.”“More?”“His wife was a maid at Madam Valentina’s house.”Caleb smirked finally getting the picture.He knew that marriage wasn’t real at all.Now he just had to get concrete evidence on what his mother and Bennett had going on.Seems he would have to pay his mother a visit.*********************MALIYAH*After being in this room for