Semua Bab A SILENT BRIDE FOR THE BILLIONAIRE: Bab 81 - Bab 90

The moment the music began playing, I lost myself to the rhythm. However, it was then that I felt Adrian staring at me. His eyes remained on my hips and waist; his gaze would move with the way my body moved as I swayed to the beat. Instantly, a shiver ran down my spine, knowing he watched me with such burning in his eyes that seemed to pierce right through me.The music was louder, peaking, when Adrian just vanished into the sea of people and started dancing behind me, his body exactly in time with mine. Reaching around my waist, his hands circled me, almost like an embracing warmth. A surge of thrill rose as he drew me nearer to him; our bodies swaying with the beat perfectly.We were just getting into the mood with the music, until Zen cut through the noise; his hands in a cutting action across his chest stopped the music, as if demanding order."Alright, alright," he started, an irritating smile just tipping at his mouth, "the time is finally ripe to unwrap those presents which you

My mind reeled as I stared at my phone, the message screaming a mixture of emotions. My stepdad, strict and unbending-a man who always demanded and never asked-was on his knees, beseeching me to beg Adrian, a prospective client, to grant him a very lucrative steel contract. Something was not adding up. My stepdad never begged, and the fact that he was doing so made my skin crawl.As I sat down to give it a thought, a growing sense of unease developed in me. Was my stepfather just trying to scam Adrian out of his money, or was there something shady about the deal that I hadn't known? The truth behind my stepdad's desperation needed to come out, and I was going to dig it out.I brought my hands to my head, my fingers massaging my temples as I tried to gather my thoughts. I needed a plan, some strategy as to how to bring the truth to light. I would have to question my stepdad, prod him for information, and see if I could catch him in a lie. But what should I ask him? And how would I know

My hand cradled the phone, but all I could feel was an upward surge of my anger coursing through my veins. I had been speaking with my stepdad, whose condescending tone of voice and hurtful comments had gotten under my skin-literally.Immediately, I hung up the call because he would only be getting satisfaction if he got my goat. Taking a deep breath, I tried to shake the feeling and instead focused on the warmth and comfort a kitchen was supposed to provide.When Mam Helen came into the kitchen, her jolly voice was heard shouting, "Let's cook and sing!" Her smile was infectious; she hummed a wild, unmelodious fire that compelled me to smile back at her, for this beautiful woman had seen me through thick and thin.Helen has always been my rock, my confidante, and my best maid. She knew me better than anyone else, knowing my quirks and preferences with uncanny intuition. I often would say to myself that she was my sister from another mom because our bond was strong.As we began to cook

Seated in this still, quiet space and surrounded by the calm sounds of nature, I felt a wave of comfort wash over me. Helen, with her soft, gentle, and caring countenance, regarded me with her empathetic eyes, her voice a soft whisper, as if to calm the very fibers of my soul."So sorry, mam, do you want to tell about the problem?" she asked gently, in the voice that brought one shade cooler on a scorching summer day.In the first instance, I wasn't quite ready to unburden my heart to a complete stranger, but there was something in Helen's voice which at the same time soothing and judgment-proof.It was as if she had created a safe space, a sanctuary where I could let my guard down and be vulnerable. And so, with a sense of trepidation, I began to open up to her."I did not want to share the problem with anyone," I said in a barely audible voice, "but." I stopped, breathed in deeply, and the words burst out of me like water from a burst dam."Someone is threatening me," I said, and th

I put a smile on my face, and with a stiffer movement of the lips, I put on an artificial gesture, hoping this would reassure Adrian that I was alright."I'm good, baby," I said, strained between efforts as my teeth were wide open in a toothy grin. But then again, Adrian's eyes did those almost piercing, see-through kind of eyes that saw right into the mask. He was having none of this and looked at me skeptically."You're not happy, baby," he pronounced with finality, soft, and reached for me. "You're pretending to be me."With these words, my face heated from surprise and embarrassment. How did he know? I thought, trying to look on the floor for the answer it must hold. Slumped shoulders caved in and signaled my defeated stature.These were a bundle of emotions that took me to sea-like depths, but his words would serve as some sort of lifeguard that threatened to expose me at an ungainly posture.But Adrian wasn't buying it; he knew me all too well-knew all of my tricks of the trad