“Read the newspaper.” Adrien said, and Alexia stared at it blankly, a little lost for words. “You called me out at 1AM, after I worked all night, and have to prepare for an important test tomorrow to read you a newspaper?” She asked softly, “Really?” She looked into his eyes, waiting to see the joke, even though she knew fairly well that he wasn’t joking. Adrien was yet to be a man. He was a boy trapped in a man’s body, and his whimsical demands were never-ending. “Look. I had a really bad day today. Just do whatever I say!” He snapped, like she was his maid, and not his girlfriend. “Adrien, I’m exhausted, and I have a test very early tomorrow morning, can we do this some other time?” She asked, brushing brown strands of hair from her face. “Then I’ll break up with you.” “What?” She asked. Not again. ‘Breaking up’ seemed to be Adrien’s favorite word. Alexia exhaled slowly, trying to calm the rising heat in her belly. It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, yet it was so damn painful and annoying. Each time he pulled that card, she’d always bowed, and always did what he wanted, but today… Not today when she’d had the most horrible day ever. Two years. Two years of bending over backward for Adrien, trying to convince herself that he would change, that their love would make him something other than the spoilt brat his rich parents had molded him into. Memories played in her head, as she took in more deep breaths. Nights that he’d bled tears from her, only to pull her close, and apologize. That was his favorite thing to do. Make her cry, and then wipe her tears because he was in a bad mood. So many times, she’d chosen his happiness over hers, everytime, she let him have his way. Yet, two years and they were still on one spot. He was demanding ridiculously and pointlessly, that she read a newspaper at 1AM. For what reason? Alexia tried to calm down. “Adrien, stop. Just stop. I told you I was tired. I just got back from work. When you texted me, I clearly told you that. If you knew you wanted me to read a newspaper, then why didn’t you just leave me be?” “I’m tired too. I don’t want to read the damn thing!” “Then why make me read it!?” “Because I feel like!” He shouted back. “What?” She looked up at him, her hazel eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t be serious. He had to be joking. His day went bad, and she was the one he’d vent it on. He went to find some silly request to make her mad, so he’d spew hurtful words, and make her cry. Like her crying gave him healing, then he’d hug her… That was psychopathic. As usual, she was trying to calm down, but her pride spoke, ‘Drop it.’ The newspaper shook in her hands, but her emotions swirled sharply. She slammed it into his chest. “I’m tired, I’m sick of this! Till when do we have to do this? Till when does it have to feel like I’m a slave in my own relationship, uh?” Adrian shrugged, like it meant nothing, his handsome features taking her back to nights he’d smiled at her and made her heart flutter with cliché lines. Well, not anymore. “You know you’re going to regret this, don’t you? Don’t get me annoyed, and just be the usual dummy you are, and read this.” He said, motioning for her to pick the paper that slid to the floor, “After everything I’ve done for you—your bills, your family, your school, loving you—you can’t even do this one thing for me. For the thousandth time, he was using those lines, yet he would be the one to force her into accepting help from him later. She wiped her tears, and sniffed, looking up at the sky. He was crazy. Having to make her cry, and give her a hard time was the stupid drug he’d prescribed to himself for bad days. She was sick of it. To bring out the words was so hard. This was a man she’d tried to love despite his thousand faults. She’d hoped he would change, despite everyone hating him. Turning around, Alexia began to walk away. “Alexia.” Adrien growled. “I’m done. Get out of my life, Adrien. Let’s end this façade you call a relationship.” She said, trying not to make her voice wobble. “You don’t mean it. You know you’ll come back, right? This time, it will have to be on your knees. You will need my money, you will need my love, you will need me…” He continued to rant, and Alexia increased her pace, as her whole face squeezed up with tears Even as he said the words, she wanted to turn around, and beg him to make things easier for them, she wanted him to hug her and apologize again, but her feet didn’t stop walking away. It was pathetic— wanting to turn around. Alexia walked onto the streets towards the bar at the other end of the road where she and her friends usually had celebratory drinks. However, it was the first time she was going there because she wanted to drown in the comfort of drinks. Her tears cascaded down her face, as she walked in. “Wel…” the bartender began, but stopped as he saw her face. Alexia took a bottle of beer, and took out her card. “I’m taking this.” She sniffed. The bartender was boiling with questions, but didn’t ask any, and simply watched her walking out spiritlessly. On the sidewalk, Alexia sat, letting the cool breeze play with her hair, as she opened the bottle of beer, and placed it to her lips directly. She would wait. Adrien would come to find her. She would wait for him to show up. And like that, an hour passed, as she waited on the streets, drunk and staring at her phone, waiting for him to text her. It was the first time she was behaving this way, so surely, he ought to bend this once for her, right? Even if it took him two hours, his pride would eventually melt, right? “Shit! Call me!” She screamed drunkenly at her phone, as her fair, and slender fingers hit the phone continuously. “Damn you, Adrien. Call me, please!” She cried, and began to hit a signboard next to her. “Hey lady.” She heard, and a man whistled. She turned to see five men walking towards her. Alexia stepped back, and stumbled, nearly falling. “Come on, let’s take you home. Drunk on the streets at 2AM, bad men could find you.” One of them said, as he came close enough to place a hand on Alexia’s frozen shoulder. She couldn’t even think of running. Her head would spin, and she would hit the floor. Her hand swatted at his hand, but it was firm. Quickly, her heart beat accelerated. Adrien would be here anytime soon. Perhaps he was watching her from a distance, Alexia thought to herself, as her hands trembled, “Bad men are everywhere.” The man whispered. Alexia stumbled backwards. The man moved closer, raised her chin, and grabbed her shirt, dragging him closer to him. Alexia screamed, only for his hand to be twisted off her painfully. “Ah!” He yelled into the night as he turned around instinctively to lessen the pain. His hand was twisted further by strong hands, and Alexia turned to look at her savior. It wasn’t Adrien, but someone else… Moonlit gray eyes, Sharp jawline, finely crafted brows, smooth fair skin, and a tumble of dark hair sweeping over the side of his face. Alexia whispered, just before she passed out, “Angel,”
Opening her eyes, Alexia found herself in the arms of the beautiful man she’d tagged an angel. He looked down at her, and rolled his eyes, “You’re awake now?” He asked in a deep tone that was as soothing as a melody. He dropped her gently, and her eyes filled up with tears again. “Why didn’t you come quickly?” She asked, putting her hands on his face. “Uh?” “I waited for you for so long,” She said, and rose on her feet to kiss him. The young man’s eyes widened. He was always the one to initiate a kiss. It was never a woman who initiated the kiss. He tried to ease himself from her, but she wrapped her arms around him, and pressed lips more firmly to his. Her lips were so soft, and he was so tempted to open up. “Why won’t you kiss me?” She asked, withdrawing from him as her tears rolled down her cheeks. At that moment, Alexia looked like a crying masterpiece. Her dark eyes glittered with the tears that kept refilling, and she looked so sorrowful that no one would want to watch her cry. Not even the stranger before her. A sudden desire filled him, and he pulled her closer to him, letting their lips meet, and the spark in the air carried them through the night. Clothes flew to the ground, hair spilled on the bed, tongues intertwined, and hands roamed as the flames of the night engulfed the both of them. ~ {NEXT MORNING} A smile cracked her face, as Alexia slowly rose to consciousness. She’d made love with Adrian, and it had been the best thing ever. Making love after a fight was always the best for a reason. She turned, and placed a hand around him, and opened her eyes slowly. Unfamiliar gray eyes met hers, and it took Alexia a second for her scream to bounce off the walls. Luca placed a hand over his ear, his look hastily turning into irritation. Alexia screamed again, placing her hands over her mouth. Her scream came again and again, until Luca had to rise, and stop her from screaming with his palm. Then the night came back to Alexia, burning fully into her mind. Why did she think she was sleeping with Adrien? Why?? She pushed his hand off hastily, finding his face familiar, but not in the mood to think it over. “Pervert!” She screeched. Luca cocked his head, with a smile, “What?” “You did this on purpose! How can you take a drunk woman from the road, and sleep with her?” “I take no blame for what happened last night. You pushed yourself on me.” “What! Why did you bring me here in the first place?” “Maybd if you’d given me an address when I asked constantly, this wouldn’t happen.” He said, and Alexia scoffed. He wasn’t even feeling remorseful. “Then why did you take me?” “I guess you would have preferred waking up in a dump after seeing five bulky men.” Alexia took a pillow, and slammed it on his face, before getting off the bed, picking up her clothes shamefully, and storming out of the room. Luca watched her leave, then smiled, It was time to get started. They’d finally met, and that was the start. ~ Hours later, Alexia lay in her bed. Her last test of the semester had gone awfully bad, as all she could think of was getting Adrien’s call. It didn’t help that she’d arrived late because she wasted her time searching for the door to get out of Luca’s mansion. So many things to think about. She broke up with her boyfriend, probably failed her test, and now, accidentally cheated on him. Hopefully, she’d never have to see that man again. Everything was just wrong. “Lex,” Her friends walked in— Thea, and Elsie. “Care to explain this?” Thea asked, as they sat on Alexia’s bed. She sat up, and took the phone Thea was handing to her. Alexia froze. Adrien had posted something new on his Instagram account, and it was a Blondie whose waist he was holding as they stood on the rooftop of his father’s company, and he’d captioned it with, _Found a new heartbeat_ “Is anyone seeing what I’m seeing?” Alexia asked, dropping the phone to log in to her Instagram account and check. “What happened? Is he cheating on you?” Elsie asked, and Alexia stared at the photo on her own phone, confirming it. It was posted that very morning. As she watched it, her fingers slowly clenched around the phone. She wasn’t about to believe she waited all night for him to come, call or text, but he was busy finding himself a new girl. “Hey, you okay?” Thea asked, and Alexia slammed the phone on the bed, before brushing her hair out of her face angrily. “Two years of bearing with that shit he calls an attitude! Two years of standing up for him!” She bellowed, pointing to the phone. Her voice broke, as she continued, “But he lets me go because I couldn’t read him a newspaper!” She shrieked, and Elsie closed her eyes with a sigh. She thought she’d heard it all, but it seemed Adrien never failed to find just one more stupid thing to prove how idiotic, foolish, and unlikeable he was. “Speak to us. Calm down. Tell us everything that happened,” Thea said softly, taking Alexia’s hand. “He’s kidding me! He has a new girlfriend?” She asked, and bit her lip hard. “Maybe she’s not his girlfriend.” Elsie said, but Alexia cut in. “Look at how he’s staring at her! This is the first time I’m seeing him hold another girl’s waist since we started dating. He’s obviously doing this to get back at me. He’s being childish again.” “Then explain to us.” Thea pleaded. It took a while for Alexia to calm down, and get herself together, but eventually, she narrated everything to them. Anger and sadness wedged themselves in her voice as she spoke, and her friends listened to it all, down to the part about the one night-stand. The girls stayed in the room in silence for a long time, eventually laying down on the bed. Thea and Elsie, Alexia’s highschool friends were trying to digest everything, while Alexia was thinking of how exactly to make Adrien pay for treating her like trash that didn’t matter. “Wanna go to Paris instead?” Thea suddenly asked. “Uh?” Alexia turned to her, still shaking her foot as she tried to think of the meanest words to throw at Adrien when she finally saw him. “There’s this cruise stuff we’re invited to. We can invite you too. Influencers, young celebrities and all will be there on a trip to Paris, and it starts tomorrow. It’s a chance to connect with influential figures, form connections, and possibly make known your passion for makeup.” Elsie said softly, and Thea suddenly sat up. “You can try this out, Lex! I never really liked that asshole anyway. You can use this opportunity to show him you don’t care. ‘A Trip to Paris’ is perfect!” Thea said, and Alexia bit her lip slowly. ‘A Trip To Paris’ It sounded so tempting. A burning way for Adrien to come back to her, apologizing. If only she knew… A lot was waiting in store for her on the cruise ship.
Broken, angry, sad, and helpless, Alexia packed up her stuff, and joined her friends in the car. “Cheer up! I never really liked him anyway.” Thea said, starting the engine. “Good riddance, Lexie. That kind of guy is a no-no. He has money, so what? I believe you’ll meet with some real rich ladies who will love your makeup, and subscribe to your channel on makeup tips. You’ll be in money soon, so let’s forget about a tactless dummy called Adrian, and move on. I promise you it’ll be worth it.” Elsie said in the backseat, and Alexia snuggled in, hugging her. “How dare he leave me?” She asked in a little voice, “Does he think anyone will love him more than I do?” “Of course not. In no time, he’ll be begging to come back.” Thea said, and Lexie bit her lip. “I hope it happens.” She sighed, and closed her eyes. The friends drove for hours before they arrived at the port where a massive cruise ship was awaiting them. “My God!” Thea squealed, and pulled Lexie into an excited run. Alexia smiled reluctantly, “I heard some famous young CEOs will be here too. Who knows? You could secure a job by chance.” Thea giggled. After submitting their invitation, they were given rooms on the cruise. It was unbelievable as each person had a room to themselves. Everything on the cruise ship glittered with wealth. For hours, people kept boarding the ship, and when it was evening, a voice suddenly came out loud, resounding everywhere in the ship. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to get dressed up for the celebratory night as we kick off on a trip to Paris, and back!” “There’s a party?” Alexia asked herself, as she got up from the bed. The noise in the ship became even louder as different people passed by her room, conversing among themselves. She pulled out a quick outfit, regretting that she was caught unprepared. She should have known parties were inevitable if young people were to be gathered on a cruise ship. However, she managed to look stunning in a wine dress without arms. It was short and plain, but her beauty made it radiate. It was one of the things Adrian could never get enough of— the way her dark eyes lit up whenever she laughed, showcasing a pretty set of teeth, and slightly pointed canines. Her cheeks were always filled with roses whenever he stared at her, and her skin was naturally smooth to the touch, and fair to the eyes. Not to talk of the curves that were placed there to kill whoever touched them with desire. An hour later, after Alexia had touched her face lightly with makeup, she walked out of the room, and joined a group of ladies in flashy dresses, heading no doubt to where the party was taking place. They came out onto the sun deck, and where music was blasting, and people were everywhere, taking photos, and making videos, laughing over champagne, talking and laughing, women eyeing men, men eyeing women, people already seeking connections… Where were Thea and Elsie? Did they expect her to walk up to someone, and start talking to them? Just as she looked around, her eyes fell on a familiar green pair of eyes, staring at her. Her breath seized. That was Adrien, with his fling right in front of him as she clicked pictures. His hands came round her waist from behind, and his head lay on her shoulder, as he watched Alexia intensely. Her heart squeezed out fresh blood, as she dragged her eyes off him with utmost strength. It was confirmed now. That jerk hadn’t wasted a night to get another girl. Did he even love her? She suggested a breakup, and his first move wasn’t to go after her, but to go after a new girl? A waiter with a tray of drinks passed by, and Alexia deftly took a glass off the tray. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” A familiar voice came from behind, and she turned sharply as it seemed like the breath was knocked out of her. The pervert she spent the night with! Her eyes went wide. Luca looked over her outfit, and gave a slow, easy smile, then he cocked his head, “We meet again, although you don’t look so pleased,” A blush crept to her fair cheeks, and she looked around. Then she noticed the unnaturally off number of ladies concentrating on them.. “Whatever happened last night, we’re going to forget it.” She said, and walked away, fighting not to stumble from her weak knees. Adrien, and the guy she’d slept so thoughtlessly with were on one ship with her! A headache threatened to seize her, and she downed the glass in one go, then began to look for more. She needed something stronger, or she’d just go crazy! She hadn’t just thrown herself into a long journey in a cruise ship with her ex, and his new lover. It was so weird to call him her ex! “Ladies and Gentlemen!” The host began. “We would like to formally welcome you all on board for a very exciting adventure. Here we share talents, share gifts, and share…” Alexia looked around, her focus completely shattered, as she couldn’t imagine what dilemma she’d thrown herself in. Looking over at Luca on the other side of the ship, flirting recklessly with women who hovered around him like flies to honey, she felt dislike get even rooted more in her belly. She’d slept in the bed of such a man. Her gaze returned to Adrien, who was also getting his fair share of attention. “As our first guest, I would like to introduce to you, one of the sponsors of this night!” Everyone began to clap, before the name was even announced, “Luca West!” Alexia’s jaw dropped, as no other than the man she’d slept with stepped out in front to lots of applause from everyone present. “…the CEO of Crown Enterprises!” Alexia’s eyes were apples ready to fall. Her hands flew to her mouth. Crown Enterprises? As young as he was; he was a billionaire! Worse was, she’d gotten tangled with such a man! If what transpired between them was discovered, she’d be in the news as fast as lightning. If it was also discovered she was involved with Adrien, another famous heir to a stinkingly rich company… Alexia sighed, and bit her lip, taking another glass. However, that wasn’t the worst part of the night. After introducing all the important people, who made Alexia feel small, the night continued, and it all of a sudden got to a point where a familiar singing voice silenced the whole place. Alexia swallowed as a song she knew so well lit the whole place. She looked up, and saw Adrien singing a song he had made and dedicated to her, but this time, he wasn’t looking at her; he was looking at his new woman. “Damn you.” Alexia whispered, as her chest rose and fell heavily. Memories of when he’d composed it right in front of her filled her head. His smile, the look in his eyes, his words, the way he’d looked at her with so much love. Alexia’s shaking fingers instantly grabbed a bottle, and poured its contents into a glass. She downed it all, wishing she could go up there, and scream at him to stop. The song bored into her ears, and she felt she would go crazy. Fine! To hell with everything. Alexia felt her head spin, but still endeavored to take another full glass. Just imagine. Everyone was taking themselves in twos, waltzing to a song that was for her. There was no one she could hit, or hold accountable for all her problems, but just then, her eyes alighted on Luca’s moonlit eyes. He was looking at her. Getting to her feet clumsily, she sailed past the dancing people, making her way to him. She wasn’t going to care. He was her target. A subject for her frustrations.
She walked to him, weaving in and out of the throng of dancing couples, as the song played. “Why are you staring at me?” She bellowed, and Luca chuckled, raising a brow. “Because everyone loves to stare at beautiful things?” “What? So the crazy thing you did two nights ago wasn’t enough? You want to cause problems for me?” She asked, but he suddenly came closer… way too close, looking down at her with those eyes of his that seemed like a romantic message themselves. For a second, Alexia was stuck in it, but when she regained her composure, and tried to move away, his arm came powerfully around her waist, and she was crushed to his warm chest, her little hand laying on it, as she continued to look into his eyes. “You’re drunk, am I right?” Alexia’s cheeks flushed, and she opened her mouth to speak again, but he was already twirling her, pulling her into the dance naturally. “Hey, let me go.” She was saying, as they suddenly went spinning, and waltzing in and out of the sea of dancing people. Then, he smiled, and Alexia became a dummy, staring at his handsomely sculpted face. If he was a natural phenomenon, she’d call him the rainbow. There was just something about his easy and reckless beauty that made her want to stare. Eventually, she let her spinning head take over, and let Luca twirl her through the night, savoring the feel of his arms, enjoying the brief hugs they shared while dancing to her song. If he hugged her at that moment, she would burst in tears, and wouldn’t stop till the morning came. Thanks to Adrien, she was so used to being hugged after crying. She felt she couldn’t do without it anymore. Then, she placed her head on Luca’s chest, and told herself she was drunk. She would let another man hug her while her man dedicated her song to someone else. Yes, she would get lost in her pain, and if it got too much, she would hit the pervert who was making her dance like she’d danced all her life. As tears slipped down Alexia’s eyes silently, Luca noticed, and looked at her. Then, without another word, he lifted her off her feet, startling everyone. The attention was all on them, as the crowd parted for them to go through. Alexia simply let her eyes close, surrendering to the spin in her tired head. ~ “Hm,” Alexia groaned, as she turned to the side of the soft bed. Slowly, her eyes flitted open, and she saw the bright sky from the floor length glass window. It bounced right off her eye, and she snapped them shut again. Her hands went to her head, digging into her hair, as she tried to recall the events of the past night. Oh yeah. That jerk had given the song he made for her cheaply to a girl, who was definitely with him for his money— a girl who had only her body to offer. She sat up, and felt her head pounding with a hangover. “You this nasty twenty-two-year-old fool. Why do you keep drinking when you can’t hold your liquor?” She asked, with a groan, and slipped out of bed, “You don’t even have an idea how and when you got to your room.” She sighed, and took up her phone, ready to message Thea and Elsie. “Where have they been since last night? They brought me here, and suddenly disappeared.” She snapped, and was about to click on the messages they sent when she noticed the storm of notifications on her notification tray. Sliding it down, she saw viral posts, and her eyes widened, as she read the first caption. -UNKNOWN LADY MANAGES TO SNAG LUCA WEST ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF VACATION– The image there was of the both of them dancing, with her head on his chest. Her fingers flew to her lips. -FIRST LADY TO HOP ON LUCA WEST TO RIDE ON HIS COATTAILS TO SUCCESS- In this image, he was carrying her into the yacht! She looked around, and checked her clothes. Did he sleep with her again? No. So why the heck did he do that? She clicked on the Instagram posts, and checked the comments. Just as she expected, they were nasty. _Ah, it’s one more desperate lady eager to get rich_ _She didn’t even wait. She simply cut to the chase._ _A lady’s gotta spread her legs wide, and throw away her dignity for a man like Luca West, who has probably stripped all the girls of San Francisco naked, lol._ _She disgusts me_ Alexia let out a shrill scream, and scrambled out of bed, still with her hair in a mess. Pushing her feet into her slippers, she ran out of the room, and almost jammed into a maid on the way. “Hey,” she said, breathlessly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you…” “Luca West. Where’s his room?” “Ah, I…” “Hurry!” “I only know where the master bedrooms must be. I’m not too sure of his personal rooms…” “Take me to all the master bedrooms here.” She shrieked desperately, and the maid nodded, a little terrified as she led Alexia to where the master rooms were. Alexia couldn’t stand the thought of being the fling of such a man. If he had stripped all the ladies in San Francisco, then… “Shit. Can’t you walk any faster?” She asked, and the maid hastened her steps. ~ Luca pulled on his bathrobe as he stepped out of the bathroom, moving to the mirror in the room. Fair, slender fingers ruffled his midnight hair, as they fell over his face in wet strands. Standing in front of the mirror was another person, not the man everyone knew. The easy smile that usually charmed both male and female in seconds was gone, replaced by a slight frown. He raised his neck slightly to reveal a thin scar close to his nape where it was always covered by hair, and his expression was like stone itself. The phone rang, and he picked it. “What exactly are you planning?” A man’s voice floated from it, “Is this your way of doing things? Do you think this would be successful?” “You should calm down,” Luca spoke in a chilly voice that only a few people knew he had. “My ways are different from yours, and I will get my job done. Never in my life have I seen a target as easy as Alexia Falls,” His fingers played with a picture of Alexia on his desk, smiling with childlike innocence as Adrien pecked her cheek, “Soon… she’ll be in the palm of my hands.”
The maid finally got to Luca’s door and she pointed at it. “This is his room, miss.” She informed Alexia. “Thanks.” Alexia appreciated her, although, in a sharp tone. She just couldn’t think of anything apart from venting out her frustration on Luca. Alexia knocked on the door and pulled down the door knob to also gain more attention especially if he was in his room, but to her surprise, it was open. “Much better.” She said under her breath and barged into his room. Her eyes fell on the open space on his robe which was a part of his abs and they looked so hot that it felt for a moment like something was stuck in her throat. “Any reason you barged into my room?” Luca questioned her in a calm tone and sat on a chair beside his bed, then crossed his leg. The smile he had on his face stirred up anger within Alyssa and she stomped her feet towards him until there was just a little distance between them. “Haven’t you seen the news? All everyone has been saying about me?” “Oh! That? Yes, I did. And what about it?” Luca asked in a calm demeanor, looking at her interestingly. Alyssa scoffed and ran her fingers through her hair, then brought her hands back to her cheeks. “What do you mean by that! My reputation as a good lady is being ruined on the internet because of you, and all you can do is to act oblivious to it?” Alyssa raised her voice, feeling so much anger boil inside of her. But Luca only had a smile on with no sign that he was going to say a word. “Gosh! Why exactly are you this annoying! Look, Mr. Luca, I want my life back, so I want you to debunk the rumors flying around right now!” She voiced out in a firm and warning tone. But Luca sighed deeply and rose to his feet, then walked up to her, closing the gap between them as his right hand slowly wrapped around her waist. “Like I said before, I have no intention of debunking the rumors, miss Alyssa.” He said in a deep charming tone. His voice suddenly seemed like it was laced with intoxication as it seemed for a moment that it was only two of them in the world. The look in his eyes was breathtaking and he was like the desire of every woman. But then, his stubbornness seemed to get in the way of his charm. “Gosh. If this man won’t agree to debunking the rumors, what exactly can I do to restore my good image?” Alyssa thought to herself, now feeling like she had really gotten herself into a mess. But just then, an idea came to her mind. Her eyes sparkled with hope as she looked back at him. Then she withdrew herself from his hold and took a few steps back. “If you won’t debunk this rumor, how about we turn things around?” Alyssa suggested, hoping that he wouldn’t disagree with this too. “And what do you mean by that?” Luca inquired with folded arms. “How about you tell the news that I am the woman you love, and that I’m not a slut. In fact, I’m proposing a deal to you.” “A deal? What deal?” Luca asked, beginning to feel the crescendo of this moment. “Let’s get into a relationship; a fake one though, but it’s going to look real to others, especially Adrien, my ex. I want him to feel the pain of losing me, and regret he ever did. I want him to come back, kneeeling before me and begging to have me back. Can you do that?” Alyssa said, but was expecting to hear a no. She wasn’t so certain because a billionaire like him having to get entangled with her business had a low chance of happening. “Alright, I’ll take that deal.” He responded and her eyes widened in surprise. “Really!” Alyssa exclaimed in disbelief. “Yes, really. A fake dating is the least of things I can do.” he replied calmly with that same mysterious, charming smile. But Alyssa was too happy to care about that. The fact that a man as handsome and influential as this had agreed to her proposal was what filled her head. It was like a fantasy turn reality. “Okay, since you have agreed, I want you to consider me to be the one who has the upper hand in the relationship. That is, you have to act like you’re head over heels with me. That’s going to change the media’s perspective of me, and also make Adrien burn with jealousy.” “Consider it done, pretty.” At those words, her cheeks flushed and she felt them going red. Alyssa’s eyelids fluttered and then she cleared her throat to get her mind off the brief intense moment she just had. “That’s perfect. So, what do you want in return?” She asked him hoping it wouldn’t have to be something ridiculous. “Well, regarding that, I’ll give my own clause of the contract at the end of this trip. But when that time comes, you must do whatever I want. Deal or not?” Alyssa felt the atmosphere go intense as she thought about the possibilities of what he could ask for. Usually, unspoken words or expectations could be terrifying and disturbing, but thinking about the bright side which was having Adrien begging her so badly, made her feel it was worth anything. “Well, what could possibly go wrong?” She thought to herself and then reached out her hand for a handshake. “It’s a deal.” She said confidently. “No, no. A handshake doesn’t prove the deal, Alyssa. Definitely, a contract should.” Luca said, then went ahead to his drawer, pulled it out and brought out a file. “You had it prepared?” Alyssa asked, surprised to see him bringing out a contract paper. “Not really. Let’s just say I’m always prepared for anything, anywhere.” Luca uttered and handed the contract paper to her. Alyssa sighed as she stared at the paper. Things were getting real now and she had series of emotions flowing in her head. A lot of what-ifs and possible complications. “The ball is in your court now, Alyssa.” Luca said with a smirk. Alyssa immediately shook her head and let out a deep breath. “You know what? Fuck it! Let’s do this!”
Alexia signed the contract and so did Luca. She smirked as she thought of the success of this contract and couldn’t wait for Adrien to realize his loss. While usually, she would forgive him the minute he asked for forgiveness, this time, she wanted him to feel the real need for her to forgive him and come back to him. “So, now that it is done, what’s the first thing to do?” Alexia asked, out of excitement, but she made sure she wasn’t really showing it. “I just uploaded the necessary, online.” Luca told her, and Alexia immediately brought out her phone to check the internet. She finally found his post. It was a picture of her which she wasn’t really certain how he got it, but the caption was what amused her. “I never knew what love was, until I met you.” That caption alone was enough to make people think in the direction which Alexia wanted them to think. So, she checked some reposts of it by some reporters and random individuals and the comments under it were a lot. “Wow! Are you trying to say Mr. West is in love with her? That they are dating?” One of the commenters replied. “Oh, my goodness. So, she is the one who finally caught Mr. West’s heart. That’s incredible.” Another commented. Alexia scrolled and scrolled, smiling at the comments under different posts. It was quite better than the previous one and it made her feel better. Even though she didn’t really like the limelight, it was nice to be in a good one. Then she raised her head to look at Luca whom she noticed had seemed to be staring at her for a long while. She cleared her throat, and broke their brief eye contact because of how weird it was to see him staring at her. “They are all good.” She uttered, and pursed her lips lightly. “Just what I thought. There’ll be a party as usual, tonight. I want you to meet me here first, as soon as the sun goes down.” Luca said, then returned to sit on his bed. But Alexia stood there, still trying to figure out why he wanted them to meet here first. “Except you want to spend the whole day with me under the sheets.” Luca added with a smile. “Gosh! You’re so… ugh!” Alexia voiced out and marched out of his room. How he always managed to be so charming without stress was beyond her. On getting back to her room, she bounced her butt on the bed and smacked her lips. “Now that you have someone’s help in getting Adrien to crawl back on his knees, Alexia, ensure you enjoy the best of it.” She said to herself and allowed herself to lay her back flat on the bed. But just then, the door to her room flung open and Alexia sat up immediately to find out who had just disrespectfully done that, but it was her friends; Thea and Elsie. “What exactly did we just see online?” Elsie questioned, looking really surprised. “Guys, calm down.” Alexia said as she moved close to the headboard and leaned her back on it. “We need an explanation, Lex. How is it that the internet is telling us something different from what we know?” Thea said, showing Alexia her phone’s screen. “I understand you guys are confused. But I think I just got myself a new boyfriend. Apparently, Luca likes me and instead of allowing people think that I’m a slut, he decided to come clean.” Alexia lied to them. She had read in the last requirement of the contract that no one had to know about it except her and Luca. While she would have told them anyway, she didn’t want to risk Luca finding out and terminating the contract right away. It would end up being a shame and a loss for her. “Why didn’t you tell us before this?” “I wasn’t aware, guys. I went to his room to quarrel with him over what was rampant on the internet, and that’s when he confessed to me, and I accepted to be his girlfriend. That’s a win for me. He is almost every woman’s desire.” “Whoa! Our friend just laid her hands on the jackpot!” Thea raised her voice in joy. Alexia chuckled and blushed, and then made a dismissive wave of her hand to them. “Come on, guys. Don’t be silly.” “We really need to celebrate this tonight at the upper deck tonight.” Elsie suggested, looking so excited. “Yeah, we will. But first, I need to get to Luca’s room at sun-down. He wants me to come over first before I make an appearance, I guess.” “Why are you so dumb, Alexia? He obviously proudly wants to make an appearance with you; to show the whole world that you are his.” Elsie laughed out loud, feeling so happy for her friend. Alyssa also chuckled and connected the heel of her palm on her forehead and dropped her hand almost immediately. “I guess I was too slow to know that.” She said with a smile. The trio continued to talk about different things that made Alexia blush and dream, and that seemed to be one of her best moments ever since Adrien left her. ~ At sun down, Alexia made her way to Luca’s room, and when she got there, she noticed the door wasn’t locked, so she opened it gently and stepped into the room. It was dark; really dark that she couldn’t make out an object. “Luca?” She called out to him softly as her eyes searched around in the darkness. Then she tried to use her hand to search around on the wall for the light switch, and when she found them, they weren’t working. “Why aren’t these working?” She said to herself, and suddenly, she heard a tapping sound. One she didn’t want to find out what it was. She immediately turned around to walk back to the door, but then, she heard the door click. Someone had just locked her in.
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