“May?” I whipped my head to look at the man, and without warning, he threw himself at me, grabbing me in a tight embrace. “May, I have been looking for you everywhere.” He said, and he began to sob on my clothes.“What the..” I was trying to make sense of the situation. I looked up at Alex to help me, but he stood transfixed just as I was.He was quick to regain him, and he asked, “Do you know him?” It was hard to miss the accusatory tone in his voice, and my face tightened in a frown.Of course I don’t know the man; this was the first time I was stepping into Paris, and I have been with him throughout the day. There was no way I was going to make a friend so fast.But I took a deep breath and replied in a calm voice. “No.”He nodded his head and moved closer to us, trying to pry me away from his grip. But the man locked me in a death grip. I must give it to him; he is strong even with our combined effort. It took some seconds before he released us.“Geez, what the fuck was that about

"Unlock" was boldly displayed on the screen, and I heaved a sigh of relief. If I had known it had been that easy, I would have inputted it the first time.But I had no time to ponder that thought because the safe opened to reveal a hidden compartment. It was bigger than I had expected and could easily fit a big box.But that was none of my business; I just wanted to know what he was hiding that he didn’t want me to see. I hope he wasn’t a murderer and was hiding a body here. I don’t think I would be able to keep that to myself.I lifted out the first box I could find, dusting off the layer of dust that had gathered on it. “Aaah choo.” I sneezed as some of the particles entered my nose.“Alright. Alex, let us see what skeleton you are hiding. I hope it doesn’t make me start running away from you.” I said to myself and braced myself.I found myself unintentionally holding my breath as I opened the lid. Fortunately for me, Alex hadn’t bothered to put a lock on it. He must have believed t

Paris was fun, although not as fun as I had expected it to be, as I had already experienced what it was like with Alex; now that I was here on my own, the experience was watered down.But that didn’t mean I didn’t find it interesting.With my new-found wealth, I was able to lodge in the most expensive hotel and eat only the best food. The room service man was practically tired of me ringing them up.But I didn’t care.It was my money, and I was going to enjoy it.The times I wasn’t lavishing money like I had just stumbled on an oil well, I was laying in bed thinking of how long it would take for Alex to realize I was gone.Or how long he would take to know that I had cashed his money away or even found out the truth.I giggled at the thought. I could imagine his nose flaring in anger and frown lines marring his handsome face as he threatened to rain fire and brimstone on me.I don’t mind him raining his brimstone on me.Gosh! He was so handsome when he was angry, and I would give anyt

But I had lied.I was more than nervous—in fact, I was quavering in my shoes, my palms were sweating, and tiny beads of sweat clung to my forehead like a teardrop—but I wasn’t going to let anyone know.I patted the sweat drops with my handkerchief and tried to relax.“It will be fine.” Jeremy tried to reassure me, his hands reaching to cover mine.I looked up at him for a moment, and I nodded. If I wasn’t so hooked up with Alex, he would have made the best companion and partner.“Yea.” I replied, believing it.But when the limousine parked in front of the building where the awards were taking place, my throat suddenly became dry, and I was grabbing the bottle of water and chucking it down my throat.“Easy, you don’t want to be running around for bathroom breaks.” Jeremy cautioned me, and I gave him a tight-lipped smile.My door opened before I could process it, and Jeremy was by my side, helping me out of the car. I had to give myself kudos; throughout the walk on the red carpet, I di

“This is Jeremy, my partner.” I announced a bit cheerfully, loving how Alex's face seemed to lose all color as he heard that.Jeremy turned his head slightly, looking at me pointedly, but I ignored it, my focus on the man in front of me.“Jeremy.” Alex said, even though I knew he was cursing him in his mind. He extended his hands for a handshake, and Jeremy took it, shaking him firmly.If Alex noticed anything about our matching outfit or joint hands, he didn’t say anything.“Glad we could get all the introductions over. I would have loved to stay and chat, but I’m sorry I will have to break up this little party. My brother is already waiting for me, and I don’t think he will appreciate it if I take extra minutes.” Madison announced, easing some of the tension.“It is fine. We will talk later.” Alex replied, although I couldn’t miss the eagerness in his voice, as if he was happy she was going.“Alright. Bye Ruby, it was a pleasure meeting you; you made the award night a little more be