WE ARE LIVE!

CHARLOTTE’S POINT OF VIEW.

It’s as if someone doused me in cold water. My eyes are wide, my panties are drenched, my hair’s probably a mess, along with my heart. I pushed myself away from him, as his body burned me, and it probably does…, but with something so deliciously addictive, it hits me with surprise because no one has ever riled me up so much.

Just then, the red curtains are pulled back to reveal a smiling Richards, who pauses at the sight of us, probably sensing how odd we are. Adonis still has his stare on me, even though I am all but pleading with him using my eyes to stop it. But he does not stop.

“Um…I came here to inform you that the team has decided to push the event to the next two hours. A few things are still being set up at the moment.” Adonis nods, his narrowed, heated stare still on me. Just then, Richards looks at both of us again, scratching the back of his head. “Is everything okay?”

This time, I speak. “Of course it is…why wouldn’t it be?”

Richards does not look convinced. His eyes flick from my swollen lips, my lopsided shirt, the messy hair my once perfectly curled hair is now, and the way Adonis’ chest was still heaving with heavy, ragged breaths. The tension in the booth is so thick, so sharp, it feels like one flick of a match, and the place will be engulfed in flames.

He scratches the back of his head again, clearly not convinced. “Alright then….i’ll…..I guess I’ll leave you two to it, then.”

I nodded, giving him as much of an unfazed smile as possible. The moment he walks out, Adonis wheels himself to me, once again surprising me with the fact that he’s paralyzed. Lucas never spoke about his brother. Well, I didn’t ask either, but it was still a shock.

“I…I have to go.” I couldn’t look at him anymore. I dashed out of the booth, running and not stopping until I was sure I’d run far enough from him.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER.

“Charlotte!” The frantic voice of Maria finds me while I’m seated on one of the lone benches in the private park the company booked for the event. Her wide eyes stare at me once they find me, her chest heaving with heavy breaths.

“What is it?’ I gasped, my eyes snapping open, wondering how the hell I fell asleep.

“There you are!” she grabs me without another word. “You need to come with me, right now.” With that, she drags me over to the part of the park labeled ‘FOR IMPORTANT OFFICIALS ONLY.’

“Wait…this is the booth for the executives. Why are you taking me in there?’ I gasped, terror gripping me. “Am…I fired?” I gasped again, afraid my stupid act of kissing the boss would get me fired from here. shit....CHARLOTTE!!

“Fired…no….although, it might be much worse.” She grimaced, pulling me in without another word. I am met with the surprised, but smiling faces of everyone in there: Adonis’ grandmother, the board from yesterday, Mr. Richards, and Adonis.

Once I’m in, his gaze finds me, the same amount of anger and annoyance from yesterday back in there. What the heck happened?

His grandmother walks to me with a very bright smile that could light up a town, her wrinkled hands finding mine. “Oh, dear child…you are a godsend!” she all but giggles. “I am so happy my son hired you.”

I blinked, my mind still hazy from both the kiss and my drowsy escape to the secluded bench spot. “I…don’t understand…what happened? Has the event happened already?”

“No, it hasn’t....and it doesn’t even have to anymore.” Maria giggles beside me.

“I….dont…”

“I understand, child.” She turns to Maria. “Please, show her.” Maria pulls me to a television, and I nearly fall in my steps. My face, along with Adonis’s, is plastered all over it on the news, but that isn’t what makes me stop; it’s the headlines and the playing video…

On the screen is the video of Adonis and me from earlier; our kiss is all over the news, the way it happened, the way he held onto me, the angry clash of our lips, and the words.

‘IS THE THORNEWOOD BILLIONAIRE HEIR FINALLY OUT OF THE CLOSET? OR WAS HE NEVER IN IT? WHO IS THE BEAUTY HE SEEMS TO HAVE HIS TONGUE DOWN HER THROAT? WE ARE ALL EAGER TO FIND OUT, AND ARE WAITING FOR THE COMPANY TO SHED LIGHT ON THIS MATTER.’