ă€ŠBecause Your Love Heals Meă€‹


 Chapter 1 - Going Back

    Nine of the clocks, on a sunny Friday...

    After a long month of working non-stop, photoshoots here, commercial shoots there for this haute couture brand or that sports brand, plus attending fashion shows, Alex finally had some time to herself. She was exhausted but content as she knew that she had done an excellent job.

    It was a rare thing for her to have some free time to relax and enjoy herself since she had become a model. So, she took it upon herself to make the most of her time. First, she fixed her big and greasy breakfast, then she sat down comfortably on her big couch and got ready to watch her new favourite TV drama. The second the drama was started, her phone rang. Frustrated by this sudden disturbance, she reluctantly picked up her phone and looked at it as if it were a major annoyance.

    Though she really wanted to interrupt the call, she quickly answered it. It was her best friend Fidelia, who was also her agent, calling. As soon as the call was connected, an excited voice came crying out, "Alex, you finally did it! We just got three big contracts from the biggest entertainment companies in Florelia!!!, I cannot believe they want you!!!! I am so happy and excited I''m about to cry, our arduous work has finally paid off girl!!!!" Fidelia exclaimed as she tried to catch her phone that was threatening to fall.

    On the other side of the phone, Alex was stunned. As if she thought she was hearing things, she looked one more time at the screen of her phone to confirm that the call was real. She could not believe it, she needed another confirmation.

    "Are you telling the truth? Did I really get offers from companies in Florelia? Fifi, do you know what this means? I can finally go back!!!" replied Alex happily.

    This was something she had been planning for about four years. And the feeling of finally getting closer to her goal was just satisfying!

    "Yes, girl, I am so happy for you! You can finally go back and start your revenge! For me, it''s been also a while since I went back too, so I''m really excited!"

    Alex nodded just slightly as if Fifi could see her. "So, what companies and what job am I being approached for there?" Alex asked Fifi excitedly, as all her job offers, and contracts were managed by her friend. And not to be biased, but Fidelia Rodrigez was the best agent she could dream of having.

    "Oh yeah, the more attractive contracts are from Royalstar and Priceless, for commercials, modelling and eventually a role in a movie," Fidelia hurriedly answered her best friend without going into too much detail.

    Alex was really surprised because she had not appeared in any movies before. She had done some commercials videos that needed some acting but nothing serious. She had always thought that her skill was average, so she was a little worried.

    If she had to go back to that country, she wanted to make it as successful as possible, she needed a good contract to settle there. An actress? She did not know if she could be a good one, so she asked a little worried, "Fifi a movie? Why would they want me for a movie? I have no experience in acting...", Fifi, who knew her best, had already expected her to react like this.

    So she quickly reassured her, "Do not worry little one, it''s a role that suits you well. I would not have considered it otherwise. And they said we will see the details when we get there. Just trust me. It''s worth it. With those good words, I am going to go shopping. Do not think too much of me, love you," she said, ending the conversation before her friend could ask her any more questions.

    Alex was about to ask when they should leave, but the conversation had already been cut off, "she always does what she wants," Alex sighed and looked at her phone. A second later she got a text message.

    From Fifi: leaving in two days!!!

    From baby girl: this soon??????? Ok, shopping tomorrow?

    From Fifi: you know me so well!

    Alex realised that she only had two days to prepare for what might be the biggest trip of her life. She was all excited and a little worried at the same time. She had left this country because of an unexpected event that had destroyed her family. When she returned there, she would have to face many things and her past. She did not know if she was ready for that. But she had worked hard just to get the chance to return there and make a name for herself in the fashion industry, so she couldn''t throw away that chance.

    Alex Michel, born Alex Porter, was a young woman born to an English father and a mother born in Florelia. She was also born in Florelia like her mother and lived there for the first twelve years of her life. When she was twelve, she moved to New Bell with her mother for several reasons, including the separation of her parents when her father decided to marry another woman.

    Now she is a 25-year-old woman. She had worked hard to become a successful young woman as a supermodel and businesswoman. Her opportunity turned when she was sixteen years old. As a teenager, she was spotted on the street by a photographer who took several pictures of her and posted them on social media with her permission. After she was contacted by several brands and started her modelling career since then.

    Alex is a gorgeous and charming woman. She has a light and soft skin and long silk-like soft hair. She has a perfect body shape, a thin waist, sexy hips, and a generous breast just right. Her silhouette was just wonderful, and she was quite tall, reaching 5''11" or 1.80m. She has her mother''s ocean blue eyes paired with long eyelashes and luscious reddish lips, her future was unique and had a look that would leave you speechless with just a glance.

    You guessed it now, Alex is a sexy, charming girl that can make you flare up, but when you add the innocent side reflected in her blue eyes, she can also make you feel at peace. Looking at her, you feel like a breath of fresh air brought by a glass of icy water on a sweltering summer day.

    Having graduated with a degree in Design and Business Management at the age of 22, Alex was not only a beautiful woman but an intelligent one as well. She had worked hard since her mother''s death to achieve what she had now. She had promised her mother that she would at least have her master''s degree and be a strong woman who depended on her, and she had done everything she could to achieve what she had promised.

    It was not until she graduated that she became a full-fledged model and now works for many brands, she was a freelancer not attached to any model agency, so she could manage herself as she wanted. It was a kind of accomplishment for her. She could now stand proudly in front of her mother.

    She had never returned to her born country since she left at the age of twelve, and her father had cut off all contact with her since she was fifteen. Not that he''d been in her life much before that.

    Now she finally had the chance she''d been waiting for since her mother died to return. It was time for her to leave and get even with her family who had completely abandoned her and destroyed her mother''s life.

    As she thought about the past, she gathered all her courage and began to prepare for her long journey.

    So, her day off was soon filled with an intense day of packing.

 Chapter 2 - Florelia Here We Go

    Sunday, New Bell City Airport...

    After the formalities, the two exhausted girlfriends waited for boarding in a private lounge at the airport.

    Fidelia had been glued to her phone since they arrived at the airport. Alex could not help but wonder what her friend could be doing on the phone when she looked so serious. Alex knew that part of Fidelia job required her to be on social media constantly to take care of Alex''s image. Good thing she had not really had many scandals since she started her modelling career, thus Fidelia was mostly dealing with publicity on social media.

    In fact, Fidelia was busy creating a PR job for Alex on her WhatLife account. Alex was not very good at managing her image on social media, that''s always been Fidelia''s job. In fact, she has a degree in community management, plus in design like Alex. More importantly, she knew what was best for Alex since they had grown up together. And her work had always paid off. If she could go back now, that was also to her credit.

    "Fifi, what are you busy with on your phone? " Alex could not help but be curious, her friend was too engrossed, not even looking up for a second.

    "I am updating your news on your Florelia''s local account and social media for your fan base, some fans will be there when you arrive at the Florelia airport to greet you!" Fidelia replied without even taking the time to look at her friend.

    Alex was stunned, she stopped drinking her water and looked at Fifi "Do I have a fan base in Florelia? I did not know that ... That''s ... Great!!!" She was overjoyed smiling brightly at her friend.

    This time Fidelia took the time to look at her beautiful friend, at moments like this she thought Alex was lucky to have her. ''How did she not know that? Fifi thought.

    "''Yeah, since last year you have been one of the most talked-about models in Florelia, even though your work is based in New Bell. You did not get those contracts for nothing, my girl!" Fifi said, shaking her head.

    Alex was quite surprised, she had not expected to be so popular in Florelia, she then wondered what was waiting for her there. Since she had already fans there she really had to do a good job. It had been so long since she had been there that she started to wonder how her new life will be there.

    By accepting these contracts she was afraid she would have to build a reputation in Florelia again so her career could be as high as it had been in New Bell. The news that she already had fans there pleased her greatly. She was even more proud to have Fifi as her agent and manager.

    She took off her headphones and started listening to music. Alex was a music fan and the interesting thing about her was the fact that she always listened to songs that matched how she was feeling at the moment. From her headphones you could hear "I can reach the sky, I feel that I am alive", that was from "I am alive", a song by C¨¦line Dion.

    The two girls were engrossed in their own things when a handsome gentleman came and sat in front of them. Alex could not help but admire the handsome specimen in front of them behind her black sunglasses. He was dressed casually in a blue tracksuit, a white t-shirt as well as a pair of blue trainers, beautiful black hair swaying in his forehead with a communicative smile. From the way he sat, the elegance in his movements and the brand of his clothes, one could guess that he was someone important or a wealthy person.

    Alex noticed that the man''s charming gaze had not left Fifi''s side since he sat there. Knowing her friends'' type of man, she discreetly patted her on the back, "Hey, look, I think this handsome gentleman is interested in you, he is looking at you since he sat there" Alex whispered excitedly in her friend''s ear.

    Just as Fifi heard the word handsome, she automatically raised her head and fell directly on the handsome stranger''s gaze. As if mesmerized, she smiled at the handsome stranger, after giving her friend a nod and a big smile, she got up and sat right next to the guy.

    "Hello, my name is Fidelia, nice to meet you," Fifi said, extending her right hand in front of the guy, her eyes shining and smiling at the man in front of her seductively.

    "Hi, I am Christ, enchanted," the man replied with a smile that was as beautiful as it was disturbing as he took Fidelia''s hand in his.

    Fidelia could not help but blush at the sight of his smile. They looked into each other''s eyes for 5 seconds and released their hands respectively. The warmth of their touch still lingering on their hands.

    "I thought in New Bell we kissed as a greeting." Christ began the conversation.

    "Yeah, that can work too." Fidelia replied as a matter of course, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek as she thought, "What a flirt! I love that."

    Christ could not help but admire the beauty that stood before him, in his eyes, she simply represented his definition of beauty, she was white as a piece of porcelain, eyes, jet black and sparkling, 1m70 tall with pink lips that were just begging to be devoured. "You are very beautiful," he said straightforwardly, looking into her eyes.

    Fidelia blushed even more and replied, "You are not bad yourself. Let us not be so formal? I do not like being too formal, it tends to create distance between people," she replied, putting a strand of her hair behind her ear;

    "Of course! I would hate to distance myself from such a beautiful woman." Christ loved this bold side of the beautiful woman he had just met.

    Fifi could not help but think ''what a charmer'', they continued their conversation with a small drink.

    On the other hand Alex, the viewer of the scene surrounded by pink bubbles could not help but think ''I wish I had her courage.

    Fifi was a brave girl who does not run away from anything and knows what she wants in life. She had always been the brave and impulsive one while Alex was the reserved and logical one, luckily she was more relaxed and free in front of the cameras. Another characteristic trait of Fifi was that she falls in love quite easily and forgets her exes with the same speed she fell in love with him.

    "That''s the 5th one," Alex could not help but think with a smile on her face.

    Thirty minutes later, they boarded the plane. They sat next to each other at Fifi was still busy talking to Christ, so Alex decided to take a long nap since she was really tired, letting her friend flirt at a stretch.

    Ten hours later, the flight attendant was heard speaking, "Dear passengers, we are approaching Florelia airport, landing is expected in an hour. Thank you very much."

    Alex woke up from that beautiful voice, next to her Fifi was already awake and still busy on the phone.

    "So did you get what you wanted?" asked Alex to Fifi, it was her time for gossip.

    Fidelia innocently pulled out a business card with a big smile "You mean this, of course, I got what I wanted! I have a feeling Florelia is going to be very interesting."

    "Now I get it, you are here to flirt, right?" asked Alex to her friend with a smirk.

    "You know me best baby girl, the good looking guys need to watch out because I am coming!" she told her friend with a crazy smile, glancing at Christ''s sleeping face.

 Chapter 3 - The Meeting

    4 Pm Florelia Airport

    Outside the airport, Alex was surprised at how many fans were waiting for her and chanting her name, some even carrying signs saying "Alex the most beautiful woman" Since she was from Florelia, many young women there admired her, so she naturally had quite a lot of fans there.

    She was escorted by bodyguards and a team sent by Royalstars one of the companies which had contacted her. While leaving the airport, she paused for a moment, took off her glasses, smiled and agreed to take a few photos with her fans outside the airport. It was the first time she saw so many people waiting for her, so she decided to take a few photos with them as a thank you.

    After that, she got into a car that the company had prepared for her and drove straight to the hotel, which had also been prepared by Royalstars. The two friends were exhausted from the 10 hours and 43 minutes long flight, all they wanted now was to rest.

    When they arrived at the Hotel, they were amazed by its beauty and elegance. It was simply gorgeous and very modern decorated in a very minimalistic way, just what it needed to look luxurious.

    "We are very far from our beloved New Bell," Fidelia sighed, looking around.

    "I am amazed! Look at this modernism, it''s a far cry from the old charm that New Bell exudes." Alex looked around curiously. She had to admit that the architecture of this hotel was grand.

    They were housed in what looked more like an apartment, with rooms for each of them. Fidelia could not help but think with an amused look, "They really went out of their way to please you, baby girl."

    "I have a feeling Royalstars overestimated my worth," Alex said, watching Fidelia smiling from ear to ear with her eyes and mouth.

    "In life, there is no room for coincidence baby girl, I am a very good agent who only wants the best for her artist," she said really proudly and with a serious face.

    Hearing that, Alex looked at her friend in amazement and the two friends started laughing together.

    After they rested, they started to prepare for their appointment with Royalstars the next day. It was scheduled for 10 am. They had to prepare all the paperwork that was Fidelia work, while Alex was busy preparing the clothes they would wear to maintain their image as a successful model and a good manager.

    They decided not to go out that night so they would be in good shape the next day.

    The next day, 10 of the clock, on the tenth floor of the Royalstars, a floor which was quite luxurious, with all the rooms looking like curved diamonds, all transparent and shiny. It was the floor that was expressly made to receive the artists.

    A group of three people was waiting in one of the conference room. It was a room full of transparency like the other one; so the people outside could see what was going on there, as could those insides.

    Alex came dressed simply in a black short skirt, a white shirt, black thigh-high boots and a mini bag. Over that, she wore a long red coat. Her long hair was tied in a high messy ponytail. She was simply made up with a gloss on her luscious lips and mascara on her long lashes.

    Fidelia, for her part, was dressed in a red tailored suit and a low ponytail to affirm her role as an agent, a computer in her hands. She was simply made up, and had a simple touch of eyeliner on her eyes, complemented by red lipstick. As they came, all the people they have come across in the company could not help but stop and look at her.

    As the two young women approached the conference room, the people inside could not help but keep their eyes on them. It was simply impossible not to notice them.

    There were two men and one woman in the conference room. The woman could not help but think as she saw the two young women approach, "I made the right choice! This young woman is made to play Alysha character, I hope she will accept the role."

    A knock snapped the woman out of her thoughts. Fidelia and Alex entered the room, greeted the three people in front of them, and then took their seats after being told to.

    "Thank you for accepting our invitation and coming so quickly, Miss Michell," the woman present said, "I am Leila Jensen, the vice president of Royalstars." When Alex saw her, a song popped into her head, "Who run the world girls! " By Beyonce.

    "Pleased to meet you, I am Alex Michell and this is Miss Fidelia Rodrigez, my manager, who you have probably already spoken to," Alex replied.

    Leila Jensen, 32 years old, was currently the vice president of Royalstars. Suffice to say, she was a very beautiful woman when you looked at her. In fact, even though she has very short hair, she exudes such femininity that she cannot go unnoticed. Alex couldn''t help admiring the woman, Leila was.

    "Yes, we have had a few conversations with her about your contracts. A really good agent." Replied Leila nodding to Fidelia.

    Fidelia, who had not spoken up before, said, "Thank you again for your consideration of my artist, it''s a rare thing for a vice president to personally take care of signing a contract."

    "I am a big fan of Miss Michell, to be honest, you can say I have my eye on her and I am the one who nominated her for the second female role in our next film," Leila said with a big smile. "Plus, I''m also an Ocean Eye" Leila added while smiling sweetly

    Ocean Eyes was the name of Alex''s fandom.

    "Can we start reviewing contracts?" one of the gentlemen in the room says, trying to hide his shyness behind a small smile.

    "Oh, I have not introduced you, this is Mr. Owen, the director and producer of the film department, and Mr. Harris, who is in charge of the fashion and modelling division of our company," Leila summarises.

    "Nice to meet you," the two friends replied simultaneously.

    Then Mr. Harris spoke, "As for me, the contract with Miss Michell is quite simple, I want her to represent our company in Florelia and internationally for fashion shows, commercials and all jobs related to fashion and modelling. So we would like to sign an exclusive five years contract with her to represent our company."

    Leila concluded by adding, "As I told Miss Rodrigez on the phone, if Miss Michell agrees to sign this contract, she will continue to be your manager, she will just be under contract with the company as well."

    Alex already knew the details of this contract, Fidelia and she had already discussed it and she agreed with the terms of the contract, which was exceptionally good for both of them, so she did not hesitate. The contract offered good terms for the two young women, including an apartment for them both, a car, and many other benefits...

    A few minutes later, the first contract was signed, and Harris returned to his office satisfied, leaving the others to continue with their discussion.

    After he left, Leila resumed the conversation and said, "Now that the first contract is signed, we can move on to the second.

    "I am very curious about this one, I have not heard many details about it, so I could not prepare my artist for it. Why so much secrecy?" Asked Fidelia very curious.

    "This is a secret project, so we did not want it leaked. The project will be publicly announced tomorrow, and after that, we can proceed with casting and other formalities. The shooting is scheduled to start in 2 months," Leila replied calmly.

    "So I will explain to you what your role will be so that you have a clearer idea of what to expect if you accept this role and sign this contract," Owen spoke for the first time.

    Just as he began to hand out the scripts, a man of exquisite beauty and amazing charisma, in three words a ''strikingly handsome guy'', entered the room.. It was Ethan, one of the most popular, if not the most famous, actors in Florelia.

 Chapter 4 - The Encounter

    Ethan is a man of immense beauty, his eyes are jet black and sparkle like a starry night, his small but luscious lips gave him a sexy side, his auburn hair spread disorganized on his head with small strands on his forehead that gave him a cute look, supported by the two dimples that appeared every time he smiled. From the top of his 1m90 (6''3"), his muscular body and cat-like gait gave him an aristocratic air.

    When she saw him enter the room, Alex could not help but widen her beautiful blue eyes. She had her favorite actor in front of her, the one who was the ideal man for her, the one and only Ethan. She had seen all his movies and interviews. He was an introverted guy who did not really like the limelight and focused on his work. And that was what his fans loved about him, herself included.

    "Hello, sorry I am late, but I think I am just in time for the part about me." Ethan said as he took a seat right next to Alex and relaxed.

    She tried to keep her composure by singing in her head, "wo xihuan ni de yanjing ni de ji¨¦mao ni de leng''ao, wo xihuan ni de jiuwo ni de zuijiao ni de weixiao..." a song by Wang Jun Qi. She was so excited, her eyes sparkled, she wanted to shout his name like a real fan, but she could not embarrass herself on the first day of the meeting, so she tried her best to keep a neutral and calm look, looking at everyone except him.

    After sitting down, he pulled out a script from the pile on the table and began to read it.

    "Miss Alex, the role you are to play is our second female lead, Alysha. She''s a foreign spy who poses as a model, for her cover, so we thought of you. You will have some scenes in this movie with Ethan, who will be the main character; hence his presence today. You can look at the script to get a better idea of the character." Leila knew that the two girls were very curious about the contents of the script, and she could also see a little hint of fear in Alex''s eyes, so she asked them to read it right away.

    Alex and Fidelia started reading the script a little excitedly. The first thing that caught their eye was the number of fight scenes. Fidelia was concerned about this since it was Alex''s first time as an actor.

    "I see there are a lot of fight scenes, Alex is mainly a model, her body needs to be protected from injury, I hope these scenes have proper safety measures or maybe a replacement? Did she have to play them all?" Fidelia could not help but ask.

    "Of course," Yang Mei, replied, "after all, she''s the face of our company now, so everything is done to ensure her health. But we do not usually hire stand-ins for the scene unless it''s a very special stunt. But you do not have to worry, all these scenes can be played by Alex without any problem"

    Meanwhile, Alex was pleased with her fighting and acrobatic skills, so far she was happy with the script, so she kept reading until her eyes fell on two words, "sex scene". Her face darkened as she read that; immediately she frowned and said as calmly and neutrally as she could, "I see there''s a sex scene I have to play?". ... If it is the case, I do not think this role is for me ..." everyone in the room, hearing her in surprise, looked at her in bewilderment.

    "Why?" Ethan, who had been silent since he entered the room, suddenly said in a calm and soft voice. He could not help thinking that it was rare for a woman to refuse to sleep with him, even if it was just for a movie scene. He was one of the most coveted men in town, he was handsome, rich and famous. Any woman could die just to play that role, and here she was turning him down without batting an eye.

    When he saw her right next to him, he could not stop looking at her, her beauty was simply unparalleled, her presence in the film was a must. Thus he couldn''t let her reject the role.

    "I am sorry, but I do not think I can do this scene." Alex stated firmly.

    "Can we skip the formal speech?" asked Ethan out of the blue.

    Hearing that, Alex was surprised by his open request at the first moment, but at the same time she jumped in her mind, "Ethan is talking to me," was heard. She nodded to indicate her agreement.

    "Sorry to be a little blunt here, but you have posed naked before, if I remember correctly, so it will not be the first time people will see part of your body... I do not think that''s a problem for you, so what''s wrong with this scene? ", He asked, always with an amused expression.

    Alex was mesmerized by Ethan talking to her, always looking her in the eye. Just as she was about to speak, he continued quietly, "Are you still ... you know ... Never done it before ..." he said, amused, raising one of his eyebrows. She was beginning to think he was reading her mind.

    Alex was caught off guard and could not help but blush. The other three people in the room watched them like spectators in a movie theatre.

    After she regained her composure, she replied with a smile, "That information is private, Mr. Ethan! But you are right, and I do not expect to lose it in the presence of a film crew."

    "Oh, so losing it with a stranger is not your problem, but the film crew? In that case, we will just film the scene with you and me, what do you say?" Ethan replied, looking at her with a smirk and some anticipation in his eyes for Alex''s answer.

    Alex thought deep inside ''This guy is too cunning, dammit!''. She then concluded with a pretty smile, "I''d have to want to lose it first for that to happen, and that''s not the case, even if it is with you." She said, looking him straight in the eye. She was certainly his fan, but not so much that she wanted to sell herself out.

    "Interesting," he said before asking Leila. "Can we drop this scene? Miss Michell seems to really dislike the idea of being with me," Ethan looked at Leila sympathetically.

    Leila looked at him with a smirk before replying with a serious tone, "I am afraid that''s not possible, that''s a key scene in the movie. Um, you can always use a double," she added looking at Alex, knowing full well that Ethan did not like to play with extras in his movies. She was just amused that it was the first time a woman had rejected him so openly.

    "A stand-in? Seriously? Me and a double in a love scene? Just to keep her up for the role? You seem to forget that it''s also the first time for me to shoot such a scene; so why would you not use a double for the lead role?" he said with a sneer.

    Leila answered yes to every question he asked until she heard the last one. She answered hurriedly, trying to persuade him, "I was just kidding, we will not let our leading man do this kind of scene with a double. Besides, I know you do everything yourself," she knew his personality very well, he was not as cute as he wanted the public to believe. If he decided not to act in this movie, he would. And she did not want to lose her leading man.

    Ethan was known for shooting all his scenes himself, even the most dangerous action scenes, he did not like using a replacement actor. He was praised for that and all the actors in the field, even the old one, respected him for it.

    At that moment, Fidelia asked for a moment in private with Alex. Leila, who really wanted Alex in the movie, instructed her to go to another room right next door, hoping that this little manager will manage to change her mind. The two young women excused themselves and walked out.

    "Baby girl, this is a great opportunity for you to start your career here! This is what you have always wanted! So, what''s really the problem here?" Asked Fidelia, a little worried.

    Alex could only sigh, "I know, and the script of this movie suits me really well, but this bed scene, I just can not..."

    Fidelia was really curious now. Since the beginning of her modelling career, Alex had never turned down a job so openly and directly. She knew something was wrong, "What''s really the problem here? If you do not want to lose it on TV I can help you find a handsome boy to help you," she said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood, then added, "Actually, you have a chance to give it to your Mr. Perfect, that sounds good to me," she chuckled with a mocking smile. "But seriously, you know you are not actually going to have sex, right? You are just going to touch and kiss," she said with a sweet smile.

    "Why does it sound to me like you are asking me to sell myself to boost my career," Alex replied with a wry smile. "I know that if I become an actress, I will not be able to avoid this kind of scene, and I know we will not really do it, but ..."

    Fidelia interrupted her... She had always wanted to ask her friend something and she thought that now was the moment.. "Actually, I have always wanted to ask why you have such a hard time when a man is around? You seem to always have problems with male models touching you at photoshoots. And you always refuse video clips or commercials that ask you to have intimacy with a male model? Why? "

 Chapter 5 - May Be He Is Your Cure

    Alex understood that she could not hide the reason for all this from her best friend any longer and told her calmly, "There''s another reason besides my parents'' divorce that I came to New Bell..." she confessed before adding

    "My half-brother almost raped me back then. At the time my mother found me quite early, he had not had time to go very far, but the feeling of his hands on me remained, and ever since then I have had trouble being with men, I mean I can not stand it when they touch me "Alex shivered as she talked about that part of her past, her hands clenched into fists because she got angry just thinking about it!

    Fidelia was surprised and hurt for her friend, she could not imagine that the reason could be so sad, she could not help but say with a deep frown "The bastard, he deserves to have his little dick cut off baby girl, I am even more with you, I would do anything to help you get your revenge!!!! Count on me!"

    Then, as if she had just remembered something important, she looked her in the eye a little confused, "You cannot stand it when a man touches you?" "What was that about earlier then? "

    Alex did not know what her friend was talking about, she looked at her with a questioning look.

    Fidelia looked at her with a look that said, "Really, girl? "Your Mr. Perfect had his hand on your shoulder the whole time he was talking to you! And I did not get the feeling that you were not enjoying it! If that''s the case, then he''s an exception for you. Maybe he''s your cure," she finished, smiling all excited. She was sad for her friend. She had always wondered why Alex had not given all the men who had approached her in the past a chance, now she knew why. She could do anything to make her friend happy, and if Ethan could help her, she would do anything.

    "What are you talking about? I did not feel him touch me," Alex replied in surprise;

    "That''s the thing, it means you do not feel repulsed by his touch. At the same time, who could be with such a handsome man, this movie might be the solution to your problem. I suggest you try to get to know him first, maybe he''s the one you need, what do you think?" She said with a serious face to her friend.

    "Why not?" Alex answered not very convincingly. She was not entirely comfortable with Fidelia''s idea, but if it was true that she did not find touching Ethan repulsive, she was willing to give it a try. Then the two women returned to the conference room.

    Alex took her seat, giving a furtive glance to the man sitting next to her. When she sat down, he was still looking at her with his little smile.

    "After the discussion, we decided to accept the role," Fidelia said without mincing words;

    Ethan arched an eyebrow and asked sceptically, "You did not agree two minutes ago, why this change?"

    Fidelia answered in Alex''s place, "We weighed the pros and cons and finally decided to accept. This role is made for her, besides, it can only be beneficial for her to play even more with you in a movie like this."

    Leila was the happiest. She clapped her hand without hiding her joy, "Thank you for considering this role. Here is the contract, if there''s nothing to change, you can sign it." She immediately handed Alex the contract not wanting her to change his decision again.

    After signing the contract, Alex asked Leila very seriously, "Why did you choose me for this role? I see very well how this role suits me, but I am sure you can find an actress or model like me here in Florelia who can play this role as well as I can. All you need is to be good at martial arts and be able to play a traditional instrument."

    Leila replied with a wide smile, "To explain, the choice was made directly by our CEO."

    Alex and Fidelia were surprised and replied together, "The CEO of ROYALSTAR? THE mysterious man?"

    "I see you have been asking around about the company. Seriously, there is not much behind it, the director here submitted several acting videos for the choice of this role, and among them was the video of the advertisement for the games "Kill Nicky" that you shot. After the elimination process, your video was chosen." Leila explained happily.

    "I was just wondering why there was no audition for this role, but eventually an audition took place," said Fidelia;

    "Yeah, it just was not open to the public because of scene 27 (the bed scene). Because it has to be shot with the lead actor being Ethan, and also because it''s his first love scene going that far, we wanted to avoid the rush of applications at auditions." Answered the director.

    Ethan, who had been silent until then, asked, "I would like to know why I was invited to this meeting, Leila? Surely not to see you sign a new contract?"

    "Yes, now that the contract is signed, we can start working. To prepare the audience and the fans for the release of the movie, the company wants you to pretend to be together for a while," she said leisurely, but you could feel a little pressure in her voice, as if she was giving an order.

    Alex was shocked, she widened her eyes and looked at Fidelia. She tried hard to keep a neutral face as she asked, "Is it necessary to pretend to be a couple? on the contrary, it could be a problem for the fans, right? after all, I am not even the leading character" Deep inside her, there were two Alexes on a war footing: on one side, one who shouted, "This is your chance, you can have a relationship with your Mr. Perfect" and on the other side, a scared Alex, who shouted, "This is a dangerous game!".

    "The goal is not really what the fans will think, but rather the publicity that will be generated for you, and the film bad or good, we just want people to talk about it. We need to strengthen your presence here in Florence, and this is a good way to do it."

    " I do not have a problem on my side," Ethan announced, looking lovingly at Alex.

    Leila, who knew him well, could read in his eyes, "I have a feeling I am going to have fun." Looking at him like that, she could not help but think that he was really good at fooling people.

    "It''s just a game, you do not have to worry your head about it," Ethan told Alex when he saw her panicked look, "Oh, you might already be with someone? If so, that would indeed be a problem," he added, placing his hand on Alex''s chair as if to assert his ownership, you could read a certain coldness in those eyes that only Leila could guess.

    "I am not in a relationship," Alex replied immediately, stuttering a little as she noticed the hand on the back of her chair.

    "Well, then we should not have a problem," he said firmly, smiling slightly.

    After all points of the contract were discussed, the meeting could finally end.

    In the blink of an eye, two hours had already passed and Alex was a little exhausted from all the emotions she had.

    As she left the room, Leila suggested that they take those present out to dinner. Before Alex and Fidelia could respond, Ethan replied, taking Alex by the hand, "Sorry it will be without us, we have our first date to catch up on, bye."

    She was surprised by the man''s gesture towards her, it was so natural that it even stunned everyone present. Alex was especially amazed that even though her hand was in Ethan''s, she did not feel the sense of revulsion that always accompanied it. Besides, it was Ethan, her idol, and her heart could not help but beat as fast as it could.

    Once in the elevator, Ethan realised he was still holding Alex''s hand and let it go, feeling apologetic. He had never felt this sensation before, her hand was so soft he wished he could have kept it in his forever. He was surprised by his own actions, nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He had made a habit of playing the actor Ethan: a benevolent actor who got along well with everyone and was always smiling, but he avoided contact with people, especially women, as best he could. To avoid trouble.

    "Put this on." Ethan handed her a cap and a mask to hide her face.

    "Why would I? I thought the goal was to show us together," Alex was perplexed by his demand.

    "Keeping the secret is more effective for now, let the fans speculate and see," Ethan said as he opened the door to his car.

 Chapter 6 - First Date

    In a private room in a small, very discreet restaurant, Ethan and Alex took seats opposite each other. Alex was a little uncomfortable being excited and worry at the same time.

    While they were waiting for the waiter, Ethan started to open the conversation seeing how quiet Alex was. "What would my "girlfriend" like to eat?"

    Alex blushed when she heard him call her a girlfriend and replied with a big smile, "A hotpot, I have been wanting one since I arrived yesterday." Ethan smiled seeing her being now a little more lively.

    The waiter came over and was surprised to see the beauty standing in front of him. Ethan being a regular of the restaurant, the waiter was not very surprised by his presence, but this beauty in front of him was simply mesmerising, his eyes were glued to her even forgetting that he has a job to do. Ethan noticed the look on the waiter''s face and frowned slightly, he thought at that moment, "she''s attracted a lot of bees here, it''s going to get very irritating as time goes by, I should quickly find a way to keep those vultures away at once". Realising his thoughts, he shook his head as if to drive them out of his mind, thinking while sighing deeply, "But what am I thinking."

    Alex, a discreet spectator of the scene, saw him lost in his thoughts, and couldn''t help to think "He''s so cute frowning like that".

    While waiting to be served, Ethan asked with a serious face, but always with a small smile, "I am curious, I''d like to know what changed your mind so quickly, you seemed really against the idea of doing this scene." He knew that there was something more about Alex being adamant not to play that scene and he was genuinely curious.

    Alex, surprised by the sudden question, replied in turn with a little smile, "This is a great opportunity for me, with this role, I will be able to launch my career here ... I need some public recognition here in Florelia so..."

    Ethan subtly nodded, "Why? If it''s not too much to ask?" After asking that, he regretted as soon as the sentence left his lips, and began to wonder since when he was so concerned about people''s lives.

    Alex felt that she could be honest with him for some unknown reasons, thus she replied with a very cold expression, "I have a revenge to take!"

    Ethan was a little surprised by her answer. He crossed his arms and replied without elaborating further, "I see, then it would be something you would be willing to do to take revenge." The moment those words came out of him, he one more time began to wonder why he was upset about it, it was not like it had anything to do with him.

    Alex sensed that something was wrong seeing how cold his eyes have become. Not knowing why she felt an urge to explain herself., "It''s not like it was really about losing my virginity or selling myself to get something. This is a role that I have the chance to play through my hard work. Since I have had this opportunity to become a model, I have never stopped fighting, I have worked very hard just to have the opportunity to come here and work here, what Royalstar is offering me is just huge and I would not miss this opportunity."

    Ethan listened carefully before saying with a raised eyebrow, "I understand, but why was your reaction when you read this scene so exaggerated?" If Ethan''s sister was present, she would probably be the happiest in the world to see her brother so curious about a person. She always nagged about him being a hypocrite because he could be so warm with his fans, but only she knew how cold he was. His assistant, on the other hand, would have wondered if he was not possessed by anyone else.

    But if Ethan was so curious, there was a good reason. He felt guilty that he had to shoot this kind of scene with a woman who obviously had no experience in this field, judging by her reaction. Although he wasn''t the player type, he at least had had relationships. Being touched by someone you doesn''t know for the first time could be disturbing.

    Alex thought "why is he so curious" but at the same time for some reason, she felt comfortable with him as if they had known each other forever. She said to him with a neutral look and nodded her shoulders as if to soften the hatred she felt, "Something happened to me when I was twelve. ... Since then I have had trouble with male contact, on photo shoots that require some intimacy with a man, I am forced to calm myself down by taking medication ... ".

    As he listened to Alex story, his smiling face gradually turned into a cold expression. One could feel the temperature of the room dropping. He was boiling inside just guessing what could have happened to her.

    He did all he could to calm himself down before saying in a calm voice, "In life, only fortunate and unfortunate events are able to affect our habits, behaviours, and ways of thinking. In your case, it must be an unfortunate event that had a great influence on you." Alex could not help but feel that something had changed, for he was no longer the same, his voice was less warm, Ethan''s always smiling face now showed a rather intimidating and cold expression. It only lasted a few seconds, but Alex had time to observe it.

    Alex did not say anything after that, he wanted to know more, but he did not want to make the person in front of him feel uncomfortable, he then picked up his phone and asked his assistant to do full research on Alex Michell and this as soon as possible. A moment later, the dishes were served.

    Alex, who had expected a reaction as well as more questions from him, was a little disappointed by his silence. Being surprised by her own emotions, she thought, "Why would I want him to react, it''s not like he cares about me".

    While Alex was enjoying her spicy hotpot like she likes, Ethan, who was watching her from the other side, thought, ''She can really eat !!!'' Watching how Alex was gulping pieces of meat one after another.

    This aspect of Alex was always surprising to people, she was a model, but she always ate as much as she could. She could afford it because she never gained weight, she worked out every night just to be able to eat how she wanted.

    Suddenly Ethan asked her "how much you cannot stand the touch of men".

    Alex replied with a questioning expression, "Touching men drives me sick, I want to throw up, I feel dirty, I feel uncomfortable, at worst my body itches, I lose my breath and then collapse." "The doctors say it''s psychological ..." she stated matter of factly as she enjoyed her meal.

    Hearing that, Etan smiled, "Then I guess it does not apply to me."

    Alex stopped eating and looked at him questioningly. Ethan then pointed his eyes at his hand resting on hers and then said, "Either you do not feel my hand at all, which is very unlikely, or you did not feel it because you were not affected by my touch like you should have, interesting."

    Alex was surprised looking with her eyes wild open at his hand placed on hers. The fact that this guy in front of her did not really seem to make her feel sick at all, was making her feel all types of ways. She really couldn''t believe it.

    She grabbed his hand just to make sure, and as he had said, she was really fine. Her heart was beating fast, but it was not because of a disgusting feeling she should have, it was because she was hand in hand with his favourite actor! it''s been like a dream come true.. She was fine touching this man, she couldn''t believe it.

 Chapter 7 - Who Is Ethan Date?

    After the appointment with Ethan, Alex returned to the hotel. She was surprised to see Fidelia there since it was already 7 p.m. and she thought her friend would be out enjoying herself out as usual.

    "Hey, you are home, I was waiting for you, so tell me, how was the date? Tell me quick!!!" Fifi was all excited and urged Alex to come over and sit next to her.

    "Well, I ate a hotpot, it was really good; we definitely need to go to that restaurant again, the food there is really good," Alex replied with a big smile and took a seat next to her friend.

    Fidelia was starting to get impatient as she waited all afternoon for her best friend to return to the hotel after her meal with Leila. It was the first time her beautiful friend was going on a date, even if it was fake, it was the first time Alex was alone with a man, she could not help but be curious and excited, she wanted to know all about what happened between them!.

    "You know I am not talking about food!!! Will you quickly tell me what happened? I have a feeling you had a great time".

    "Nothing happened, we just made some small talk. He''s a pretty good person; he seems gentle and caring to me. I told him about my illness, and we talked about our hobbies to understand each other better; you know, if we have to play the couple in front of people, we have to get to know each other better."

    "You told him about your illness?" Fidelia could not believe Alex. She had waited her whole life to talk to her about her illness, and here she was telling her story to a complete stranger. She just shook her head, feeling a little wronged.

    "Did you also tell him why you were sick?" She asked again crossing her arms.

    " No, he did not ask for it, so I did not have to tell him, but I was ready to tell him! It was weird, but I feel comfortable with him." Alex was actually surprised herself at how open she was with Ethan. Things she would not talk about with people she did not know well, she was willing to tell him without questioning herself. She felt weird thinking about it.

    Fidelia was a little surprised, Alex was someone who did not like to share her feelings with others, she always kept her calm in all circumstances and did not like to bother others with her problems. Because of this side of her, some of her friends always thought that she was haughty and cold.

    "It''s not like you, baby girl, but I am glad there''s someone you can just share your thoughts with, it''s not healthy to always keep everything to yourself. And I am even happier that this is a man". Fifi confessed with a soft smile.

    Alex smiled back at her friend while messing with her long black hair "If you are talking about something that''s not like me, it''s also not like you to be at home at night, today will you not chase after fate like you always do?"

    Fidelia burst out laughing, "I already have my destiny in my hand baby girl, ahah now I am waiting for her to call me... And believe me, I will get that call soon!"

    After this little discussion, Alex decided to go and take a shower. Meanwhile, being a good agent, Fidelia decided to cheque out Alex''s social networks. As soon as she logged on to Whatlife, she was surprised to see an article on Ethan titled "Ethan in a secret date", then another one "who''s the mysterious woman Ethan is dating?". The internet was in an uproar, fans of Ethan all left comments asking who the woman was that Ethan was holding hands with, others were researching like Sherlock trying to guess who the woman in the photos might be.

    Fidelia was a little shocked by the number of fans liking and commenting on the post. She knew Ethan was popular, but she didn''t really know at what point!

    "Baby girl, you are driving Whatlife crazy, there are pictures of you and Ethan all over the internet, good thing you are wearing that mask!" she cried out. "I think it''s not really a good time to introduce yourself," she added checking what the fans were saying about Alex.

    Alex, when she got out of the shower, looked at the photos and the articles; she was surprised by the number of comments left by fans and thought that Ethan was really a big star in Florelia. She started to think if it was such a big idea to play his fake girlfriend.

    Then she settled down in front of the TV, ready to watch an episode of her favourite show. Fidelia next to her, who was still in charge of managing her social accounts, told her, "I cancelled the appointments with Priceless, since we signed various contracts with Royalstars already, it is no longer reasonable to continue to have contact with them. The person in charge really wanted an appointment with you because their CEO really wanted to see you, which of course I refused, they were very persistent"

    For her part, Alex was already engrossed in her show and calmly replied, "Okay, in any case, as you said, we are now part of Royalstars, so there''s no need to see the Priceless representatives, I was not interested anyway, their contracts weren''t really clear!"

    At that moment, Alex''s phone vibrated, she had just received a message from Ethan wishing her a good night. Looking at the message, she unconsciously smiled, which Fidelia did not miss, and then replied, tapping "Good night, fake boyfriend."

    When she received a reply to his message, Ethan was happy. He was reluctant to get any closer to Alex, but he could not help it, he wanted to talk to her, so he sent her a little message to see if she would reply. When he got a reply, he couldn''t hide his joy, letting out a sweet smile showing his beautiful dimples. He fell asleep with happiness.

    At the same time, Leila was in her office following the development of the scandal regarding Ethan relationship. The mixed reactions from the fans were what she had hoped for. For his part, Ethan did not really care what might happen on the Internet, leaving all the management of his image to the company as always.

    Before she went home, Leila called Ethan and told him to hide Alex''s face a bit more in joint appearances until the casting was over. Filming for the movie was scheduled to begin in two months. She hoped that during those months, Alex popularity could increase quickly with the help of Ethan.

    On the Internet, fans of Ethan all scanned the woman in the photos, looking for clues that could tell them the identity of this person. Her face was completely covered by glasses, a mask and a hat, fans had nothing to make out of her face. She was also wearing thigh-high boots, her legs were also covered.. All they had were clues like her stature or the ring Alex was wearing.

 Chapter 8 - Remembering The Past

    The next day, Alex had nothing planned, she had some free days before officially starting her work. Since she had finally come to Florelia, she decided to visit her grandparents and mother before going shopping with Fidelia.

    Their apartments gifted by Royalstars was finally ready, so they planned to do some shopping to decorate their new home a bit so it can feel like home. The two friends decided to live together since they were already used to living together.

    After a 2-hour drive, Alex arrived at her grandparents'' last house with Fidelia. It was a family mausoleum where her grandfather, grandmother and mother rested. In fact, after her mother died in New Bell, her grandfather had insisted that she should rest beside her mother, so he had personally brought his daughter''s ashes back to Florelia at that time and then buried them with his wife. When he died, he too was buried next to his two most loved ones. Unfortunately, Alex couldn''t saw her grandfather before his death. He was already back at Florelia secretly while she was working outside the country.

    Alex and Fidelia laid down the flowers they had brought and stood there both lost in their own thoughts.

    After a few minutes of silence, Alex spoke. She turned to her mother first, "Hello mom, it''s been a long time, I see grandfather took good care of you before he came to live with you here, I hope you are happy where you are. I am finally back in Florelia, your little girl has grown up and followed in your footsteps. I became a model like you and recently I even got a chance to be in a movie, that''s great right? I hope you are proud of me. Do not worry about me, you know I am a strong independent girl, right? I love you."

    Then she put her hand on her grandfather''s grave, "Hey grandfather, your dear little girl came to see you as promised, I am sorry it took so long, I am sorry I could not say goodbye one last time to you. I hope you are happy with grandmother and mom beside you. I am back in Florelia and plan to keep the promise I made to you. I will get back everything Alan Porter took from our family; I promise you one more time, I''ll do all I can to make that happen!!!" she finished, shedding a tear. For her part, Fidelia could not help but shed a few tears too while hearing her friend so sad. She greeted Alex''s mother and promised to take care of Alex as always.

    Alex stayed with her family for a moment, sitting in front of them and drinking the wine she had bought. After some time, the two young women went back silently.

    On the way back, there was silence in the car. Then Alex spoke abruptly "My grandfather Charles Michell was a great stylist back then, he had a fashion house here with several shops, he met my grandmother on one of her trips to France, she was very beautiful, well that''s how grandfather thought about her. I actually look a lot like her" she smiled as she remembered the image of his grandmother in her mind.

    Then she continued, "She was born here in New Bell actually and came to live here when she was a teenager. She met my grandfather here and they married very quickly. Two years later my mother was born. When she was 20, my mother was a model for my father''s company, that''s where she met my father and married him not long after.

    My mother was far from imagining that their marriage was just a ruse and a prank to get my grandfather''s fashion house. Seven years after I was born, my grandmother died. My grandfather could not cope with the loss and withdrew into himself. It was then that he decided to hand over the running of his business to his son-in-law, whom he trusted completely. Four years later, my mother found out about my father''s mistress.

    My mother decided to file for divorce, but unfortunately, she did not get custody of me as she was left with nothing. So for a year, I lived with my father, my stepmother and his two children. My mother could only see me on weekends, that year was the most terrifying in my life, I was abused every day, if not for my mother coming every weekend maybe I''ll have died already. Then came that fateful day when my half-brother got his hands on me.

    Luckily for me, it was the day my mother came to pick me up. After finding me crying that day, my clothes torn, my mother decided to file for sole custody of me. She confronted my father, who refused what happened, saying she had no proof. My father then took advantage of this to take over my grandfather''s business: My mother could only get my custody if she agreed to hand over my grandfather''s business, which she was running in his name.

    After discussions with my grandfather, my mother eventually gave her inheritance to my father in exchange for my custody, then my grandfather decided it was better for us to live in this country, that''s how we ended up in New Bell."

    She told her little story to Fidelia, who in turn could not help but feel sorry for her friend who had a turbulent and sad childhood unlike her who had spent the happiest childhood with loving parents.

    Then Alex said to her with a smile, "My grandfather was a great person, he always took care of me, after he lost his business, he continued to work in New Bell to help me and my mother; before he died, I promised him to get his business back, and I plan to do that even if it has to cost me all the sacrifices in the world."

    Fidelia took her friend''s hand and answered her with great determination, "You can count on me, I will help you."

    To relax the somewhat gloomy atmosphere in the car, Alex decided to listen to one of the songs that always made her happy even when she is at her lowest state.

    Then, in the car, we heard two beautiful voices of young women singing loudly with a wide smile and a cheerful look to Kua le song bai from Angela Zhang ft Will PAN. All their gloomy thoughts were gradually wiped and replaced by cheerful ones.

    Across town, in a large, luxurious old-style office of the kind often seen in old 1920s movies, on the top floor of the Royal Corp tower, Eli Jensen, a man in his sixties, was talking with his son, a young man of thirty quite seriously.

    "Son, in less than 6 months, this office will be yours, I could enjoy my retirement by travelling around the world with your mother," Eli said with a big smile, already imagining the joy this well-deserved rest will bring him.

    Eliott Jensen looked at his father with his eyes brow nearly touching each other as he was frowning " You remind me of that every day! Thank you for reminding me that my beautiful life free from any responsibilities will soon be over;"

    "Your mother is waiting eagerly; I hope you have not forgotten that all this is only valid if you get married. I hope you are looking because I am not going to cancel my trip around the world because you can''t find yourself a wife!!" Eli said with a big smile.

    Eliott innocently replied to his father with a shrug of his shoulders saying with a mysterious smile, "Maybe you should start cancelling your trip already. Cause as you can see I''m still single!! I''m already sorry for you dad"

 Chapter 9 - Sisters Encounter

    As planned, the two young women decided to go shopping at Royal mall, one of the largest and most luxurious malls in the city and even the country. Since their arrival, the two girls had not had a chance to visit the city centre. Florelia was a really little country that could pass as a city in other countries. As its name, it was the country know for the amount of variety of flowers that could be found there. It was most visited by tourist who was flowers lovers. All the good attractions and entertainment of the country could be found in the city centre.

    Arriving at the mall like two good tourists, they were amazed at the beauty and splendour of the mall. It was known for being one of the largest in the world, with more than 1000 stores and restaurants. The entrance to the mall consisted of a garden of bright flowers, a large fountain that enchanted one as if in a fairy tale.

    "It is much bigger than the last time I was here, this garden is just beautiful like always Florelia doesn''t disappoint when it comes to garden!" Fidelia was mesmerised.

    "This garden is one of the most beautiful places I have visited, look at all these colours" Alex was even more in a daze. She wasn''t able to be back in a long time so she didn''t witness much of the development of the country for ten years.

    The mall was divided into areas representing the products sold: furniture, bedding, and decoration area, an electrical household zone, a fashion zone, a computer zone... The two young girls went to the furniture decoration area first. After all, their company-owned apartment was very empty and needed to be beautified. The two friends browsed the shops and bought everything they were missing, Alex also bought a sewing machine and everything she needed for her creations. Sewing was one of Alex''s hobbies since she was a kid. She had inherited this passion for design from her grandfather and ended up doing a master degree in mode and fashion. They trusted the stores to deliver their things to their home and decided to continue their visit to the mall with lunch at one of the mall''s restaurants.

    They chose a traditional Florelia restaurant where they enjoyed a good spicy beef soup in a private room. As Alex devoured her bowl of soup with a big smile on her lips. Fidelia could guess that her friend was surely singing in her head a good sound that''s fit the joy she was having with her lunch now.

    Fidelia sensed that Alex felt more at ease after she returned to visit her grandparents and her mother. She knew how much her friend had missed them. She could not help but feel sad for her, her friend was now all alone in this world! She knew she would always be there for her, but she felt Alex needed more. She needed someone who could help her out of this loneliness.

    With full bellies, they decided to go shopping before finally heading home.

    "What about we go and see how "CANDIDE" is doing? I need to upgrade my wardrobe too" Fidelia was all excited to discover all those clothes stores!

    "I also want too! But we did not make an appointment, you know the store sells by invitation only," Alex was thinking if it was a good idea to go in that store.

    "Are you serious? I do not think it will be a problem if you do not have an invitation, baby girl."

    "But that''s the rule of the store, we should respect it. Even the owner of the store need to oblige to that rule, well, even if I think that the manager can''t refuse the owner to shop in his own store" Alex smiled.

    "Yeah, yeah, yeah, breaking the rules once in a while is not a bad thing. But I really need clothes and you know I only wear CANDIDE. Let''s go please..." Fidelia begged her friend looking at her with big cute eyes.

    As she walked towards the store, Fidelia, who was looking at her phone as she walked by, shoved a young woman who was walking in the opposite direction.

    Immediately, Fidelia and Alex sincerely excused themselves and went back their way.

    The pushed young woman continued to stare at Fidelia and Alex for a while before saying to her friend, who paid no attention to the scene: "Aria, I think this is Alex, you know the model who was chosen to be the face of ELIA Cosmetic over you, I wonder what she is doing here, was she not in New Bell?"

    Aria, hearing this, immediately reacts by casting a cold and threatening look at the two young women who were leisurely strolling around the mall.

    "Are you sure it''s her? I did not have time to see her, I was on WhatLife, there''s an article about Ethan and some woman! I am pissed off, what does this girl think she''s? Look at how Ethan is holding her hand !!!! I should be the one taking his hand" Aria exclaimed stomping her feet on the ground.

    "I am sure it''s her, she took off her glasses to apologise and I saw her eyes. They were the same beautiful blue eyes, I will never forget her eyes, besides, you lost because of this particularity. " Clara stated oblivious of the killing aura her friend had while hearing that.

    Aria just stared at her furiously "Alex Michell? Beautiful my ass! She''s dressed like a sack, I wonder how she got this contract... I am obviously much better than her..."

    She wore a small black dress adorned with a gold Gucci belt at the waist, a pair of Chanel boots and a small Jaquemus bag. Her dyed blonde hair, pink-tinted lips, and much too long false eyelashes giving her a strange doll look.

    "Who knows who she had to sleep with to get this job. Don''t worry, I know that you look beautiful" Clara answered her friend with all seriousness.

    "It''s perfect, now she''s in my territory, then we will give her a little lesson in greeting. Do you know where they are going? I need to let her know who''s in charge here."

    "I do not know, but I saw her friend looking at the CANDIDE app on her phone when she pushed me."

    "Well, let us just follow them, if they are on their way to CANDIDE they are on their way to perfect humiliation, you know how this place works," Aria concludes and winks at her friend with a sinister smile.

    In fact, Alex was wearing plain black pants, a black t-shirt, and a black oversize blazer that day because she was visiting her family at the cemetery, she was not in the mood for fancy clothes, plus she knew she was going shopping too. Why bother with impractical clothes? This way people could not tell that she was a famous model or that her clothes were from the best brands in the world, yet all the people were staring at her for her beauty and prestige since she forgot to cover her face back after apologizing to Clara.

    Just as Fidelia and Alex were about to reach the store, the two girls passed in front of them and pushed Alex on the way.

    "Oh, sorry... I did not see you," Aria said with a fake smile.

    "Oh, it''s alright, no problem" Alex answered not minding more about what had just happened.

    Aria looked at Alex questioningly "Oh, are you going there?" and pointed at the shop in front of them.

    "Yes.... You too, apparently, what a coincidence!" Fidelia said with a neutral expression, she knew too well that the girls in front of them were up to no good.

 Chapter 10 - A Little Humiliation

    Alex stood right next to her friend and did not say a word. At the first sight of Aria, she recognised her. It was her little sister, her stepsister to be more accurate. She had not changed much, always with her princess attitude, thinking that everything turned around her and only her. She remembered the year they lived together, at first she was happy, she thought, having a little sister was a great thing, thus she had already dreamt of many things to do with her, but she soon regretted that thought when this new sister of hers started bullying her and competing with her for everything.

    Seeing that Alex did not respond, Aria continued with her plan looking disdainfully at Alex, ''''Oh, then you can go back, this store does not take just anyone in, you need an invitation like this.'''' She held a pink card in her hand that read CANDIDE. After saying that, she and her friend walked confidently into the store."

    Behind them, Fidelia suddenly realised something and said, "Ah, now I know why I thought she reminded me of someone, she''s the one who lost the ELIA endorsement to you, originally she was supposed to be the face of the brand, but change their mind when they saw you!"

    Alex just smiled, nodded, "Oh... That''s why she''s so resentful, I thought she''d recognise me!" She looked at Fidelia with a mocking smile "she''s my father''s daughter."

    "Really? You guys do not really look alike ah ah, she looks so fake... Look at all that makeup! Did not someone tell her that she looks like a white mask before she goes out? I am confused... How come a model is not aware of that ?" Fidelia was laughing now that the two women were gone. She wanted to laugh as soon as he saw Aria face looking so fucking ridiculous with all that make-up on.

    Alex replied with a nod and laughs as hard as her friend "Not everyone knows that ''less is more'' ah ah... besides, I took my beauty from my mother and she took from hers, just saying..."

    And then they burst out laughing even harder.

    When they arrived in front of the store, Aria took out her invitation with a wide smile and handed it to the security guard, who recognised her and let her in.

    Immediately after, Alex and Fidelia arrived in front of the security guard who stopped them.

    "Your invitation please ?"

    "We do not have an invitation; but can we still take a look?" Fidelia asked all smiles, she was already happy just being outside her favourite store.

    "I am sorry, ladies, we are receiving by invitation only."

    Aria, who was watching the scene with delight, could not help but comment.

    "Ah ah... It seems that after all, you are just a two ball model you can not even go into a store like this, you should quickly leave to avoid shame, I advise you to head to the stores on the other side where people like you should go."

    The manager of the store who was just passing by stopped at the sight of the crowd that had formed in front of the store and walked towards Aria, who he recognised by her always loud voice.

    "Miss. Aria Porter, how can I help you?" The manager asked in an attempt to make her shut her loud voice.

    "Ah, Julien hello, I do not really have a problem, I just asked these two women not to obstruct the entrance of the store and go somewhere else.

    "The curious manager looked at the entrance of the store, his gaze landed directly on Alex, whom he immediately recognised. Surprised and startled, he rushed towards her while trying to remain calm: Madam, sorry for the inconvenience, I guess the guard did not have time to study the management of the house. He glared at him angrily and continued, Please enter ... ."

    Alex just smiled and followed the manager in as he was already on a mission to show her around personally.

    Aria, who was watching the scene, did not understand what was going on and interfered "Julien, they do not have an invitation, so they should not be able to enter. I do not want to share my shopping moment with such people." She exclaimed and looked at Alex disdainfully.

    For his part, the manager was horrified as he listened to Aria. He knew that she was a capricious customer who thought she had the world at her feet, but since the customer was king, he always tried to fulfil her wishes. But today was not the day to indulge in that kind of capriciousness.

    "Miss. Porter, this is the owner of CANDIDE, I can not chase her out of her own shop. I suggest you go to the fitting room, the clothes you selected on the website are waiting for you there. We have assigned you the most luxurious box as requested." He said with a very polite smile:

    CANDIDE was the brand Alex''s grandfather had founded in New Bell, after losing his couture house to her father. Back then, it was only a small brand, but it could help pay Alex''s bills or school. After her grandfather died, she inherited the brand and developed it into a brand with small stores around the world, thus little by little with hard work and her connection to the modelling world, the brand had become an exclusive one. It was an exclusive brand that accommodated exclusive fashion with limited inventory to make her customers feel unique. So many celebrities started to pay attention to the brand and its name became famous.

    For her part, the only word in Aria mind was "owner". She could not believe that this girl she hated and wanted to teach a lesson to, was the owner of one of her favourite stores. According to her memory, the owner and creator of this brand was a certain Michell, an old man.

    She then replied with a protest, "Who are you trying to fool, I have been wearing this brand long enough to know that its owner is Mr Michell!"

    Alex, who was no longer paying attention to Aria, was on her way to the shelves when she heard her grandfather''s name. She replied calmly, stroking the ring she always wore on her finger; it was a reflex, she had developed every time she thought of her mother or her grandparents. In fact, this ring had been created by her grandfather, "Mr Michell is my grandfather, this business is mine, do you have a problem with that?" Her gaze was cold and threatening at that moment. "You should update your information," she added with a smirk.

    After that Alex smoothen her expression with a smile "Well, since you are a good customer, I will forgive your impertinence, besides, I am in a good mood, the dresses reserved today are offered to you, what do you say?"

    Aria, no longer knowing what to say and ashamed, replied deeply frowning "I do not need charity, I have enough money to buy all the dresses in this shop if I wanted to!!!"

    Clara, who was standing right next to Aria and heard Alex''s suggestion, jumped up with joy and said "hey, you should accept!! You said your card was not blocked by your father no? how about we took her offer? I think that she is a good person, this Alex!!!"

    Aria looked at her friend angrily and shouted, "Shut up!", then walked to the exit of the store pulling Clara by the arm.

    Fidelia, for her part, could not help but burst out laughing.

    Aria''s voice could be heard outside the store yelling at her friend, " Are you an idiot or what? How could you embarrass me like that?"

    Clara understood her friend''s annoyance and replied, ''''Eeerh, but I told the truth, why are you accusing me? I was thinking about you! You could have the dress for free, why did you refuse? "

    Aria was exasperated "Seriously? We were trying to humiliate her, remember? "

    Clara, who remembered her main mission, replied with a dumbfounded expression, "Ah yes, that''s right ... But wait, aren''t we the ones being humiliated by her now?"

    Rolling her eyes, Aria was now fed up with her friend, "And whose fault is that?"

    Aria could not take her friend''s stupidity anymore and furiously wondered why she was still friends with her.

 Chapter 11 - Night Out: Mysterious Neighbour

    Back home, the two young women worked on decorating their apartment all the afternoon. Lost in the boxes, Fidelia received an unexpected phone call:

    "hello"

    "Hey pretty, how are you doing since we last met at the airport?"

    Acknowledging the person at the end of the phone, Fidelia put on a seductive smile that Alex did not fail to see. She could immediately understand what was going on, her friend was surely talking with someone she set her eyes on. She always had that smile when she wanted a man!

    "Oh, it''s you! I am fine, I have been busy moving to my new place all day, what about you?" Fidelia was happy, she was herself wondering when that call will come and here, he was calling her.

    "Pretty busy too, but today I decided to call the most beautiful woman in my contact list and ask her if she has time for me tonight!" Christ wanted to meet Fidelia so bad since he saw her at the airport. That day when they landed, he didn''t even have time to talk to her again, she had disappeared as soon as she was out of the plane. Luckily, they have exchanged their business cards.

    " Oh really, how considerate you are, so what can you do for that most beautiful woman? She kind of wants to explore Lin City at night."

    "Well, she''s knocking on the right door, I know all the good places where she can have fun. You want me to pick her up at 8:00?"

    "Ok, let us see how you have fun here. My apartment is in the sud-est residential area, I live in building 8,"

    When Christ heard her address, he thought it was funny because his boss just lived in the apartment same building!

    Alex, for her part, watched her friend looking for the clothes she needed to wear for her date all excited, with a big smile on her face and had long forgotten what she was doing before the call. Fidelia noticed her friend''s curious look, "What? It''s my destiny calling, remember? I should not keep her waiting, should I?"

    "Oh, then the seduction mode is activated again. Do you want me to help you with your clothes... sexy concept?" Alex was always the most enthusiast when Fidelia had a date.

    "Yes, please." Fidelia knew that Alex will want to do that, it had become her job since a long time, and Fidelia was always happy.

    Alex always enjoyed dressing her friend, she was her favourite model and her muse when it came to designing clothes. For her part, Fidelia trusted her choices, she had never disappointed her until now because every time she had a beautiful style.

    Thus, they set about preparing, leaving behind the decorating work they had started.

    At 8:15 pm when Christ called to let know that he had arrived, Fidelia was all set and ready. She was wearing a knee length red dress with a pair of black stilettos, her makeup was bright, the central part was her lips which were coloured in bright red. When Christ saw her, his first thought was that she probably was not really dressed up for a club, she looked too classy. As she walked towards him to get into the car, Christ saw the back of her dress. He could not help but gasp at the sight that met his eyes. It was a backless dress, her back was completely exposed and it was simply mesmerising to Christ who swallowed his saliva at the sight.

    A gesture that did not escape Fidelia eyes and made her giggle slightly. As Christ watched her get into his car, he somehow knew she needed more than a simple evening out and thought he should give her something she would not forget.

    Abandoned by her friend, Alex felt hadn''t the strength to finish the decoration of their house, but since she didn''t have anything to do, she continued. She wondered alone in their big apartment dispirited, it was an exhausting day for her despite how she looked. She felt lonely after being at the cemetery and her encounter with her sister did not help either.

    At the end, she decided to stop redecorating, it was not fun without Fidelia anyway. She went to the balcony of her room to get some fresh air and clear her head, the view at her terrace was magnificent. The lights of the buildings shimmered like stars could be seen, showing how beautiful and lovely the city was.

    Since she was in a residential neighbourhood away from the tracks, there was a peaceful silence. That night, the sky also offered a beautiful moon. Alex looked at the view from her terrace while listening to music with headphones. There were sounds of "the love you left behind", a song by Michael Schulte. She looked sad and melancholic at the thought of her family and her father who had left her.

    On the terrace next door, in the dark, a man stood watching her silently. Seeing this her so sad with tear-filled eyes, he could not help himself but be a little companionate "I do not have a handkerchief for you, but I am a good listener, do you want to talk about it?"

    Hearing a voice near her, Alex jumped up all frightened and looked from right to left, looking for the person who was speaking. He had a deep but very soothing voice and spoke in a very calm and composed manner.

    "Who is this?"

    "You are probably my new neighbour. No one has used this balcony before." The man said instead of answering Alex question.

    "Oh, I am sorry if I disturbed you..."

    "Why are you? you are in your own balcony in silence enjoying the view? I should be the one to be sorry for disturbing you! I often come here when I need to clear my head, I am usually alone, it''s good to have the company of such a beautiful woman. I imagine you are here to change your thoughts too?"

    Alex just heard the man without saying a word. She couldn''t see his face at all, and she wasn''t confortable with that.

    "What if we help each other, I''ll tell you what''s bothering me, and you''ll do the same? We can find a solution to each other''s problems... How about that?" the man continued.

    Alex frowned "What makes you think I have something on my mind? Maybe I am just here to enjoy the view."

    "I do not think this kind of view is beautiful enough to make a person cry."

    Elliot was known as cold and very aloof person; one look was enough for him to terrify the people around him. He was very domineering and did not have the habit of talking to people or even taking the time to get to know a person personally if it wasn''t profitable to him.

    Only his family could see his caring or funny side. For example, when it came to his sister, he became very passive and let her do what she wanted, like a good little brother. But in front of other, it was hard to see him even smile.

    And there he was in front of a stranger, negotiating a small talk. So, he surprised himself when he made this proposal to her, thinking "um interesting, so I can actually be interested in other peoples?" He looked at her in the dark waiting eagerly for her to talk to him.. He was curious about how that unexpected encounter would turn out.

 Chapter 12 - Night Out 2: A Little Conversation

    Alex was sceptical about her neighbour and began to regret why she had not just finished decorating the house instead of coming out while the mystery man was talking to her.

    Before she could protest, Elliot continued, "I am not a strange person who enjoys spying on people or listening at doors, I assure you."

    Alex chuckled, thinking, ''As if a pervert could admit to being one, how does that make me feel better?''

    "If that''s the case then why don''t you come out of hiding, I feel like I am talking to a wall and it''s creepy," Alex could not ignore the fact that she was attracted to the man''s voice, she was curious as to what he might look like, pervert or not.

    "I am not hiding; you are the one who does not care enough to see me. Besides, you''d be incredibly surprised if you saw me ..." Eliott could see Alex''s every reaction from where he stood, and it amused him to see every slight change on her face.

    "Why?" Alex was even more curious now.

    "I am very charming; you could fall in love with me at first sight."

    Alex''s eyebrows twitched before a mocking smile spread across her lips.

    Seeing that, Eliott smiled. He wondered if she knew how expressive her face was.

    "You see I am good at comforting people, you are not so sad anymore, are you?" asked Eliott smiling, his voice calm and unagitated.

    At the same time, he thought, ''What kind of bullshit am I talking now? Since when I care about people''s state of mind?''

    Alex stopped smiling and looked in the direction of the voice, always searching for the person behind that gorgeous and attractive voice. Eliott''s patio had glazing that allowed him to see out, but prevented others from seeing in. This glazing was so fine that Alex could not see it in the night, and she frowned as her brain struggled to understand why she could not see anyone when the voice was so close to her.

    "I think I''d better go back inside." she declared as an attempt to get the man to show himself.

    "Wait!!! Even if you do not want to talk to me, at least listen to me, maybe you can give me some advice." Eliott said abruptly, not wanting her to leave for any reason only he knew.

    On the other hand, he did not think he should let her sleep in this state, she looked so sad earlier. He wanted to make sure she was okay.

    Alex was a little disappointed that her little ruse did not work, so she hesitated for a moment, but stayed anyway.

    "My problem is probably not as sad as yours," Eliott began before continuing, "I have to get married within six months."

    "So, she does not want that?" Alex was taken aback, she was far from thinking his problem was about his love life, plus she wasn''t really the best person to give advice here.

    "Well, actually, there should be a ''she'' first ..." Eliott chuckled.

    "If there is no future wife until now, it is indeed a big problem," Alex nodded.

    "Do not be sarcastic..."

    "I am not being sarcastic, I could not marry someone I just met, a marriage needs a foundation and I think it needs time to be built." Alex said defending herself.

    Eliott listened to her and smiled, he thought she looked at marriage as something sacred and he liked that.

    "Um, I feel the same way you do, but I do not have a choice, if I do not find someone, my mother will definitely find someone for me, and I definitely do not want that..."

    "In that case, you should make the effort to find her yourself then, I think that would be more romantic..."

    "I think so too, but it''s not easy to find the woman I want to spend my whole life with... you know, if it was that simple, I would have already found her."

    Alex was touched when she heard that sentence, she thought he was a good man to respect marriage like that, not like other scum who only see it as a means to profit. While thinking she couldn''t help to think of her father and groaned out, "It does not have to, that''s what divorce is for."

    Eliott frowned as he listened to her, "There''s only one place in my life for one wedding and one wife." Eliott declared fervently.

    "I am sure your future wife would be happy to hear that! Then why don''t you start looking? You said you were exceptionally good looking, so finding her will not be a problem... Or have you a weird personality? like being a pervert" Alex added with a smirk.

    Eliott just chuckled "Well maybe you are right, people indeed told me that I have a weird personality, but not like what you think. The problem is that I can''t find anyone to match my beauty," Eliott chuckled at the nonsense he was spouting.

    Alex rolled her eyes, it was the first time she had seen such a narcissistic man and being in the modelling industry she had seen many, "You are such a narcissist!... Well, I guess if you are that good looking, you need a woman who can handle it..." She finally deflated.

    "Exactly... If I find someone as beautiful as you, I will not hesitate. Somehow I think you can handle it."

    Alex was a little shocked by what she heard and blushed a little. When she was about to retort something, Eliott added, "Well, it was great talking to you, it helps me a lot, I know what to do next. I won''t take more of your time. Have a good evening, beautiful," he said, ending their conversation.

    Alex thought about how what she had said was so helpful and was about to ask, but the man had already left as the night was silence again.

    Somewhere in the city after having dinner, Christ then Fidelia drive to a club. It was a high-end club with private rooms, an open space for dancing, and a circular bar. It was beautifully decorated with red all over the wall.

    They entered a luxury room where there were already two women and three men. Christ introduced Fidelia and gave her a seat, before sitting beside her. The people in the room were Christ''s friends. one of the women stared awkwardly at Fidelia as if she wanted to eat her alive. Fidelia saw the hatred in her eyes and understood that the man next to her pouring her a drink was the reason.

    She was enjoying her night until then and did not want to stop because of someone else''s unrequited love. At her side, Christ was chatting with his friends. One of them asked her some questions to know more about her. She was a straightforward person, so she answered without any hesitation.

    Then one of them asked her about her relationship with Christ. In response, she looked at the girl who was glaring at her, and then Christ. She put her hand on his and answered with a wink. The atmosphere in the room became increasingly eerie. Everyone started making fun of Christ.

    "Do not imagine weird things, guys..." Christ whine as his friend''s teasing were getting increasingly awkward.

    At some point, Fidelia went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she was on her way back to her room, the two girls who were in the room were waiting for her outside. The moment she saw them, she thought, ''Here comes trouble!!!''. Before she got back to the room, one of them stopped her.

    "Christ is mine"

    "Yeah, sure... how about you tell him that?" Fidelia answered crossing her hands.

    "I am telling you to stay away from him, go flirt with someone else!!!"

    Fidelia grinned "and what if I want to flirt only with him?"

    The two girls stepped closer to her and told her in an intimidating voice, "You''ll regret this!" then they returned to the room. Fidelia only smile shaking her head at the ridicule of those women.

    When Fidelia entered the room, one of the girls was sitting at her place talking to Christ.

    When the girl saw her coming, she glared at her and said with her eyes, "Go sit somewhere else."

    Fidelia smiled in response and sat down directly on Christ''s lap.

 Chapter 13 - Fidelias Seduction

    Everyone in the room was surprised by Fidelia''s gesture, the three other men were overexcited by the scene, it was the first time for them to see a woman acting so brazen with Christopher. Christopher was a ladies'' man, but the girls did not dare make the first move on him. It was always him who took the lead. It was like an unspoken rule when dating Christopher: as soon as you started getting dependent or trying to show some ownership, he threw you away like garbage. But this girl was something else entirely!!! They all looked curiously at the scene, wondering what Christopher was going to do. The two other girls were getting redder and redder with anger, but Fidelia could not care less.

    Christopher was most surprised by her gesture. He had a feeling she was something else since their little conversation at the airport, but that was a little too direct even for him. Her bareback was right in front of him, something in his head told him to touch it, and his hand was literally screaming for that little contact. It was only with effort that he was able to push that thought back.

    "What are you doing?" Christopher whispered in her ear.

    Fidelia turned to him and slowly leaned in, causing the man to gasp, "My place has been taken, so lend me your body for a second."

    "I can lend you more, how about that?" Christopher smirked, a devilish smile forming on his lips, he was sure the woman before him would not settle for dinner and a trip to a nightclub. To confirm his thought, he gave her a light kiss.

    Fidelia was a little surprised by his behavior, but decided to play along and returned the kiss. Christopher enjoyed her reaction and returned the kiss, deepening it. They were so engrossed in the moment that they had already forgotten where they were.

    One of the men was getting hot and could not help but whine, "Um, um, man, you know we are still here."

    "You want to continue this somewhere else?" Christopher broke their kiss; he was convinced she was really ready to continue what they had started.

    Fidelia just smiled at him without saying anything, took him by the hand and led him to the door. They said their goodbyes and hurried towards the exit of the nightclub without wasting a second.

    Twenty minutes later, they were in Christoph''s apartment.

    Across town, Alex lay on her bed, lost in thought. After the little discussion with her strange neighbour she was feeling pretty good, her mood was not as gloomy as before. She even began to wonder what the man behind that beautiful voice looked like. Not that she had any other reason, she was just too curious. His deep voice was so masculine and reassuring at the same time, and the way he so confidently presented himself as handsome made her genuinely curious about his appearance.

    She was snapped out of her thoughts when the ringing of the phone sounded.

    - Ethan: Hi girlfriend, how are you?

    Alex smiled at the sight of that text message. She did not know why, but hearing someone call her his girlfriend made her smile.

    Alex: Good, and you?... boyfriend...

    - Ethan: I''m okay... Did you have a good day? mine was not that great...

    Alex: It was ok for me, I did some shopping... what happened to you?

    -Ethan: I was thinking about you, so it was a rough day...

    -Alex: You were thinking about me? Um, why?

    Alex was a little surprised, they had been faking this relationship, had not they? She did not quite know how to react.

    -Ethan: If I do not think about my girlfriend, that would be a bit off, wouldn''t it?

    Alex: Well, it''s just fake, you do not have to...

    - Ethan: What if it was not fake?

    Alex''s eyes widened in amazement at the news. She was at a complete loss; she had no experience whatsoever in flirting. Not knowing what to reply, she wrote, "Stop joking," but before touching the send button, she thought about it and decided to delete the text and send "..." instead. She had decided to give this fake relationship a try and thought she should be a little more receptive.

    Ethan lay on his bed, smiling at his phone like a high school boy in love. He knew his texting was creating a mirror image in Alex''s mind. Ever since their last date, he felt the need to see her or talk to her. It was something that had not happened to him since he was seventeen. Thinking that maybe he was falling for her, he decided to court her, but slowly, knowing that her sad past was having an effect on her.

    - Ethan: I have not stopped thinking about you since our date, it''s been a long time since I have talked to an interesting woman like you, and you are such a beautiful woman, it''s hard to forget you.

    Alex smiled after receiving his reply, she was very happy to talk to him.

    Alex: Me too, I have been thinking about you ever since.

    Ethan could hardly believe it, but was still glad to read it.

    - Ethan: Really?

    - Alex: How can I forget the only guy who can touch me without making me uncomfortable.

    -Ethan: That''s right, you can not... Maybe we are a match made in heaven... see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful night! Beautiful...

    Thank you. You too.

    Alex looked at her phone and thought that it was pretty funny that two men in the same night wished her a "wonderful night" and called her beautiful. Then she put her phone on the nightstand and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

    In an apartment not too far away, Fidelia and Christopher finished the kiss they had started in the nightclub. The kiss was neither fast nor slow, it was a kiss at a pace that blew Fidelia''s mind. As she enjoyed the kiss, she reached for Christopher''s suit, removed it, and began to unbutton his shirt. Christopher had been waiting for this, it was as if she had given him permission to go further, but somehow he was not so sure anymore. He reached for her arms, stopping her, and broke off the kiss. He walked over to his couch and sat down, Fidelia came over with a confused look on her face and sat down next to him.

    "Are you sure about this? I am not someone who likes relationships. I do not want to be tied down to anyone." Confessed Christopher.

    Hearing this, Fidelia smirked and started kissing him again. Their kiss deepened and she began to unbutton his shirt. When he returned it, Christopher began to touch her and caressed her all over, slowly taking his time to explore her curves. Without breaking their kiss, he took her into his room and tossed her onto the bed.

    Lying on the bed, Fidelia smiled seductively and prompted him with her finger.

    He thought she was sexy as hell, lying there in her red dress.

    "Alright, tonight you get me your way," Christopher removed his shirt before laying on top of her.

    He started kissing her, taking off her dress, and kissing her all over her body, stopping at her breast. Her pink nipples called out to him and he slowly began to suck on them, eliciting a soft moan from Fidelia. She thought his kisses were too good, she felt so good.

    She rubbed and caressed his back and whispered in his ear, "I liked my kisses down low."

    When Christopher heard that, he smiled. A second later she was completely naked, he slowly descended, lightly spreading her thighs, and began to lick her from underneath as she wanted.

    Fidelia felt so good, her moans filled the room. She curled into his hair and arched her back, those kisses sent shivers down her spine and she liked every one of them.

    Christopher hardened as well, rolling up and giving her a deep kiss. Fidelia pushed him onto the bed and lay on top of him, undressing him completely.

    She scooted down as Christopher had led her on, taking his manhood into her mouth and sucking rhythmically. Christopher could not take it anymore, he felt f*****g good. He wanted her to stop, but she kept going until he could not take it anymore and came.

    She smiled at him and continued her treatment. When he got hard again, Christopher sat down and took her by the waist, and laid her on the bed.

    He slowly spread her legs and penetrated her, taking his time to enjoy every little sensation her wet p***y was giving him.

    All the while, two bodies slapped and moaning voices could be heard in the bedroom until they both climaxed. After they had gone their third way, they fell asleep breathlessly.

    In the morning, Fidelia woke up first.. She got dressed and left the house without making a sound, with a big smile on her face.

 Chapter 14 - The New Movie

    The next morning, Alex woke up at 7 a.m. full of energy after a good night''s sleep. The sun had already risen, letting in its warmth on this beautiful day. After a little exercise session, as she did every morning, she showered and was about to make her breakfast when she heard the door open.

    Fidelia, trying to enter quietly, was greeted by a smiling Alex waiting just outside the door with her arms crossed. Seeing her friend standing there with a grin, Fidelia smiled at Alex and greeted her with a "Hello Baby Girl, why are you standing in front of the door... You scared me...".

    "I was waiting for my wild cat to come home..." Alex smiled suspiciously.

    Fidelia just laughed and went straight to the kitchen, she was ravenously hungry and her only job now was to fill her belly.

    "Well?" Alex followed Fifi, not giving her time to calm down. She was curious to see what her friend was up to tonight.

    "What?" Fidelia was busy looking in the fridge for something to eat. She knew her friend was curious as hell.

    "Was your Versace dress on the floor all night?" Alex smirked when she saw how rumpled her dress was.

    "How do you know me so well?" Fidelia did not even pretend to be shy or anything...

    "It''s so obvious, I mean, look at your face... You look so happy... So, do I have a new brother-in-law?" Alex was always happy when Fifi dated, since she did not have a date herself, she liked to see her best friend living her best life while she was in a relationship.

    Fidelia did not know how to answer her friend as she remembered what Christopher had said to her and after thinking about it, she thought about the situation for a bit before saying, "No, not right now. I just have fun tonight, you know? Just to relieve my stress before I start my new job."

    Alex knew her friend best and could see that she was interested in this guy, and since she had already gone all the way with him, it was even more certain that she wanted to be with the man. And even though Fifi had just said that there was nothing there, Alex knew that it would not take long for Fidelia to win the man over.

    "Why do I feel like I am going to spend more nights alone like yesterday ... Poor me ..." Alex sighed and went back to preparing her breakfast.

    "I think you can have a night like mine for as long as you want, you know, with your special man." Fidelia smirked, thinking of the man she let slept with the night before. ''He was so cute'' she thought.

    "What are you talking about ... We are just pretending. Remember?" Alex blushed a little as he thought about what Fidelia was implying.

    "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but you seem to appreciate his company. Anyway, what did you do last night?"

    "Yeah, seems like it." Alex smiled; it was no lie to say that she actually liked Ethan''s company. "For what I did last night, I did not do much ... oh, I met our neighbor. A mysterious man, and before you ask me if he''s handsome: I do not know, I could not see his face." Alex added

    "What?" Fidelia was a little surprised but then thought that it was not that strange, but that she had been talking to a stranger was weirder. "And how did you talk to him?" she asked, sitting down to wolf down her breakfast, still in her red dress.

    "I was on my bedroom balcony, and he was on his balcony, but strangely enough I could not see him. We talked casually; he had such a beautiful voice."

    "Is not he a pervert? That''s creepy..." Fidelia was a little suspicious of the man, but thinking of where they lived, she quickly dismissed her thoughts.

    "I had that thought too, but I do not think he is... And somehow I feel comfortable talking to him." Alex had the same thoughts as her friend. They lived in one of the most expensive areas in the country, only celebrities or rich people lived there, and security was tight. Besides, she had just moved in, not many people knew her, so the thought of the man being a stalker or something like that was out of the question. Still, it was strange to talk to someone like that.

    "You have been feeling comfortable talking to some men lately... It''s a sign!" Exclaimed Fidelia.

    Alex knew what was coming now, so she interrupted her friend''s thoughts, "What sign? Are you telling me now that he''s my cure too?"

    "Maybe, who knows? No one said it was going to be just one man. Maybe you''ll be dealing with two men... ooh a love triangle, that would be so entertaining ah ah..." Fidelia was already starting to fantasize about a possible love affair with Alex as the main lady.

    "You are crazy Fifi..."

    Lying alone in his bed, Christopher smiled and thought, "She just runs off... Just like that...without a word..., that''s a new one...".

    Being a ladies'' man and one of the most eligible bachelors in the country, he would do anything to have a woman in his bed once he had his eye on her. And when that happened, the girl would eventually cling to him, and he did not like that at all! He could not allow either of them to spend the whole night with him. But now this one was just gone without even leaving a note. Instead of being happy, he was rather downhearted.

    At 1 p.m that same day, RoyalStar''s PR team released a statement about the upcoming film on its online homepage and on television, "Hello, this is ROYALSTAR; we are pleased to announce today that we will be releasing a new film in two months. We will start casting in a week, however, we already have a few artists in mind for the lead roles. We can also tell you already that the leading man role will be played by our own Ethan. We hope that this film will be well received. We can assure you that this film will give you many surprises." The post was short but has already attracted a lot of people!

    RoyalStars movies have always been the most awaited movies in the country and the most-watched movies from the first day of their release and remained at the top of the show for several weeks. On the internet, people were already commenting on the post and writing that they can not wait to see the new movie. Ethan''s fans were also rejoicing. They could not wait to see the new movie with their favorite actor.

    On the other hand, the actors were all surprised by this news. Some agents were already trying to find out who will lead the casting, some were going to try to use the back door, others were just waiting for the details of the movie to start preparing for their auditions.

    Three hours later, two more posts were posted by RoyalStars describing the story of the movie, "Our new movie will be a police crime story with a fight between a criminal organization and the police. We cannot tell you more. This movie will have many amazing fights, you will enjoy it, we assure you."

    The other message was about the audition, "The audition will be easy; the actors will have to play only one scene of the film. So we request you to be prepared for any eventuality".

    In a mansion somewhere in the city, Aria was lying in her bed and scrolling on social media when she saw the message. She immediately called her agent and asked her to find a way to let her be in this movie. She could not pass up the opportunity to be in a movie with her self-proclaimed future husband, Ethan.

    She made sure to also call her brother, who now ran their family modeling company, to ask him to pull some strings to make sure she got the part she wanted.

    "Brother, have you seen the new feature from RoyalStars? They want to make a new movie, I want a role in that movie, I want to be Ethan''s lover in that movie! You have to help me no matter what!" She exclaimed excitedly!

 Chapter 15 - The Porter Sibling

    Clyde Porter was in his large office on the sixth floor of Priceless building, sitting in a chair behind his desk with a pretty girl on his knee, openly flirting with him. He was a little annoyed by the call from his sister that made him end his pleasure with the beautiful girl in his embrace.

    "Yeah, I just saw the news... I didn''t know about this project." He replied quickly, wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible so he could get back to what he was doing.

    "How come I didn''t know about this new movie? I definitely want to be in it. I heard that Ethan would have a romantic scene in it. I want that part... Brother, help me... Didn''t you say you''d someone working there?" Aria pleaded with her brother, for her this role could only be played by her! She couldn''t give the place to another woman!

    "Yes... And I wonder why that idiot didn''t tell me about this movie... Let me call him, don''t worry, you''ll get the part." Clyde frowned, thinking about it, he really should have found out about this new movie before!

    He was furious that he''d missed out this new project. If he''d information about this movie beforehand, he would have time to think about how to get his artists into that movie. RoyalStars''s movies were always popular so having an actress from your company playing in those movies was always an advandage.

    After he finished talking to his sister, he called the mole he''d placed in RoyalStars. Not wanting to miss out on these kinds of opportunities, he''d gone as far as to send someone there. He wanted to know what was going on in their first competitor.

    "Why didn''t you tell me there was going to be a new movie? I have send you there to get some more information!!! you''re just as useful as a flowerpot!!!! Or did you forget because you get paid well there? My sister needs a part in this movie, I need information on the cast and the people doing the casting!" Clyde exclaimed in a drawl, frustrated, ''how can he give such a fool such a task...'' he thought.

    The employee who worked for him at RoyalStars was named James, he was sent there as a spy because he owed Clyde some money and at that time, he couldn''t repay him. So, when he offered him this job, he didn''t hesitate. But to tell the truth, he felt comfortable in this company, the people were good and fair, he didn''t have any stress except doing his job well. He was hired on his own merits, and Clyde just made him do all kinds of weird things.

    "I didn''t know anything about this movie, to be honest, it was a surprise even to the people who work here. As for the cast, all I''ve heard is that all the first three roles have already been cast. the second female lead is already set, but I don''t know who she is." said James.

    Clyde didn''t like what he just heard, missing out on these kinds of opportunities wasn''t good for him, the company wasn''t doing well, he needed more projects to get the business going again, and besides, his sister wanted to be in this damn movie! He didn''t know what she liked about Ethan, but if his sister could''ve him, maybe he could work for them! So, he was determined to help his sister.

    "See if we can change the director''s mind, or the people in charge of casting, I need at least one of our artists in the lead roles! And get me that script as soon as possible!"

    James didn''t know what to do, he was just a lowly employee, how was he supposed to get a script for a movie, he wasn''t even in the film department! And what if he got fired over it? He couldn''t dare do that! Internal news he could pass on, but this... he was too scared.

    "That''s going to be difficult; I heard that the one who''d the final say in casting is Miss Leila, and the director of the film is known to be very strict with his actors; if he''s already settled on one actor, it''s hard to change his mind! ..."

    When Clyde heard this, he was incredibly pleased with the news, if he couldn''t use money with the film director then he could definitely have control of any women he wanted, he was sure of his charm, growing up he''d always been able to get any woman he wanted, it wasn''t a challenging task for him.

    Clyde Porter, thirty years old, is the first child of Alan Porter and Shella Walz, he was born in a rich family with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is arrogant and think he own the world. Now he is the manager of PRICELESS. He isn''t very tall, about 1.70 m, he has some charm, but you can''t say he is very handsome.

    Yet he thought he was the most handsome man in the world and that he could''ve all the women he wanted.

    As he was thinking about how to use Leila, his sister called him back.

    Aria was dying to know if she''d get the part, so she couldn''t just wait, "Brother, did you find a way to get me in the movie? I want a lead role!!!" She screamed.

    "Don''t worry, you''ll get it! I''ve a backdoor..." He laughed, already thinking everything was settled.

    "I knew I could count on you bro!!! So, I''m waiting for some good news!!!" Aria was happy to hear her brother''s words and was already waiting for the good news.

    Across town, Alex was home alone watching some drama when she received a text from Ethan asking if she wanted to have dinner with him. She was happy after reading the text. In fact, she liked his company and wanted to get to know him better. So, she accepted his invitation without hesitation.

    At 8pm, Ethan was waiting for her outside her building loft. When she arrived, he was once again overwhelmed by her beauty. At this point he thought she''d always be the most beautiful woman in his eyes in this life, not that there weren''t more beautiful women out there, but she''d a charm and presence that was impossible to miss.

    She wore a black skirt, a red one-shoulder top, and a pair of red stilettos. Her face was lightly made up, her red lips were the key to her charm that night, and with her hair blowing in the wind, she looked so attractive and stunning that Ethan was lost for a moment.

    "Hi," Alex''s sweet voice rang out in the air, startling Ethan out of his reverie!

    "Hi, girlfriend! You look stunning tonight," Ethan quickly regained his composure and a smile graced his face.

    "Really? Thanks!" She blushed a little at the compliment. "So, where are we going tonight? Shouldn''t I wear a mask and a hat like the other night?"

    Ethan saw her blushing face, even only for a second, and couldn''t help but smile.

    "We''re just going to dinner... I don''t want to hide your pretty face, and the place we''re going is well guarded, plus it''s dark now, they won''t be able to get a clear picture of your face. And if they get a picture of us, that''s good too, so don''t worry." replied Ethan, opening his car for Alex.

    "But the purpose of our meeting isn''t to get caught by the paparazzi?" Alex was a little confused, "wasn''t this date a show for the paparazzi?"

    "I''m not boring enough to date a woman just for the sake of the paparazzi." Ethan smirked; it amused him how Alex could be so innocent.

    Alex''s mouth dropped open, she''d gotten used to this reaction because every time she talked to Ethan, she felt like the man always had something unexpected to say, "We''re dating? Wasn''t that just an act?"

    "Do I look like I''ve enough time for fake dates?" said Ethan as they drove, he could see the lost expression on Alex''s face, "you can ask all the questions you want when we get to the restaurant," he added with a sweet smile.

    Alex was a little taken aback. She thought he really was a straightforward man.. She was liking that a lot.

 Chapter 16 - I Dont Date Trash

    In the car, there was a comfortable silence, with neither person speaking. A little confused, Alex tried to make sense of what Ethan had said. The whole drive she thought about how their little game was becoming a reality. She couldn''t help but remember another thing bothering her. The voice Ethan had used earlier in their conversation seemed to be different to her. Maybe she was just imagining it, but it reminded her of her mysterious neighbor''s voice: a deep, sexy voice.

    The first day she''d talked to Ethan, he''d had a cheerful voice, the voice he always had at TV, but today she felt like it had changed. She looked at the man driving silently and cast her thoughts away. Maybe that was his real voice, he was an actor after all, so maybe he was himself now, she thought.

    Before they reached the restaurant Ethan broke the silence, he had been watching Alex the whole way, she had all sorts of expressions and even blushed. He was deeply amused because he was sure that she herself did not know what kind of expression she had. "Why are you so quiet? Did I frighten you that much? Or is it that you do not really want to be my girlfriend... for real, I mean..."

    After not receiving an answer for a while, Ethan tenderly took her hand. At that touch Alex flinched and looked at him confused, she wasn''t used to being touch like that. "I am not scared, but shouldn''t you be dating someone you love?" She knew she could not play up her sickness with him, since he was the only one who did not make her sick. But even if he was the only man she could really date, she did not want a relationship without love. And she didn''t know if she had feelings for him.

    Ethan just smiled mysteriously at her. Sure, he should date someone he loved, but at his age, he did not have time for casual dating without a life plan.

    Soon they reached their destination. This time it was not a small restaurant in a small street far away from everything, but on the contrary, it was a luxurious place, a five-star restaurant. Before they got outside the restaurant, they had to pass through a security checkpoint. The entrance of the restaurant was pretty with lots of lights shining like stars in the sky. On a big sign, they could read the name of the restaurant in golden letters, "Royal 5 stars".

    Ethan drove up to the entrance of the restaurant, soon a valet came to take his car keys after Ethan helped Alex out of the car, taking her hand of course. Alex was caught off guard one more time, she could not refuse his hand in front of people, so she let him lead her into the restaurant, their hands intertwined. But to be true, she started to like the feeling of his large hand clasping her delicate little one.

    That evening, Leila was sitting in her office, working late to finish her damn brother''s job, when she received an unwanted call. Seeing the name on her phone''s display, she frowned and let the phone ring for some time before answering the call.

    "Hello," she took the call in a cold voice, you could tell right away that she did not really want to talk to the person on the other end of the phone.

    "Hello Leila, this is Clyde Porter, CEO of Priceless," Clyde presented himself proudly with a lot of arrogance in his voice. Now, this was nothing new, the man had always spoken like this and looked at the world from above.

    "Yes, I know, but I was wondering why the CEO of Priceless was calling me so late. And you may please call me Miss Jensen." Leila was already annoyed, she did not like the man at all!

    Clyde was surprised by the coldness of the woman he was talking to. Usually, they always smiled at him and tried to please him. So he had begun to think that all the women in the country were at his feet. He had forgotten who Leila was and what her status was. Or to be exact he didn''t take the time to really know who she was.

    "It''s like this, I want to discuss something with you," Clyde tried to woo Leila, lowering his voice to make it softer.

    "Well, I wonder what it is. What does Mr. Porter need from me to call me at this hour, I am listening."

    "It''s nothing big, I just saw you had a new movie coming out and wanted to see if I could help you with the cast ..."

    "What makes the CEO of Priceless think I need his help casting my movie?" ''What nerve, Leila thought.''

    "I have good artists here at Priceless" Clyde was sure he could win the deal, and instead of coming up with really valuable reasons to pique Leila''s interest, he just leisurely stated things, that everyone already knew.

    Leila''s lips twitched for a while, and she considered just cutting the conversation short. But she was a businesswoman, she decided to listen to him until the end, maybe he would suggest some valuable artists to her.

    "We have some good artists here too, but I am willing to listen to what you have to tell me, so for what role does Mr. Porter want to help me cast?" She asked bluntly.

    Clyde thought she would definitely take him up on his offer, and replied confidently, "I was thinking of one of the lead roles, you know, the second leading lady."

    "Oh really?" The grin on Leila''s face could not be uglier.

    "I heard it''s a role for a model, we have a famous model here at Priceless, none other than my little sister Aria, I think you have met her? She''s very popular these days! She fits that role very well and her popularity can help promote the movie."

    Leila was just done with the guy, his little sister was known to be a little diva and bring trouble everywhere she went.

    "Mr. Porter, I think you overestimate your little sister''s talent! Anyway, I do not know who gave you the description of our characters, but he did not do a very good job. He forgot to tell you that modeling is only a small part of the whole. She also needs to know martial arts and be able to play a musical instrument. Your sister does not have enough skills, and Mr. Porter knows that. Besides, we already have someone for that role, so I am sorry your little sister can not be in our new movie."

    Clyde''s face darkened, he was angry that his sister was named, someone with no talent, he was furious, ''who did this f*****g woman think she was, just acting for the CEO of RoyalStars. Did she think she was an heiress or what? ''I''ll show her who I am,'' Clyde thought, frowning deeply.

    "Miss Jensen, don''t be too hard on my sister, she can do all these things, I guarantee you. How about we talk over dinner? I''ll take you to one of the best restaurants in town. What do you say?"

    ''Does this scum think I do not know what he''s done to women here and there, or what?" thought Leila before turning away the man. "''Sorry Mr. Porter, I do not date scum!'' Have a good evening." She cut of the call as soon as she had finish talking.

    Leila was very pleased after she ended the conversation, imagining the look on that idiot''s face at that moment. Clyde Porter was known in their circles for abusing women, taking them to his "best restaurant" in town, and the woman will end up in his bed afterwards without remembering a thing. How could he possibly think Leila was stupid enough to follow him there, and most importantly, why did he think so highly of himself that he believed he could charm her? These questions ran through Leila''s mind as she packed her bag to go home.

    Just as she was about to close her office, she received another call, this time from her mother, which she took without waiting a second.

    -Leila: Hi, my queen

    - Lydia Jensen: Do not flatter me so late! Where is your brother? He does not answer my calls! Tell him to come home tomorrow! And you too. Oh, and that''s an order!

    -Leila: Mom, you know we are very busy, your son is very busy with Royal Corp. But do not worry, I will definitely bring him home.

    She interrupted the conversation sighing, thinking of what the almighty of her house might want from them this time! She could already imagine that it would once again be a conversation about their love life.

 Chapter 17 - Who Said I Donâ€™t Love You?

    At the restaurant, Alex was amazed, her heart pounding as excitement and anticipation grew in her mind. Ethan had prepared a lovely surprise for her. They were on the last level of the restaurant, on a terrace full of flowers and plants. Many lights hung, illuminating the whole place like twinkling stars. The view was breathtaking and Alex''s eyes could not help but sparkle at the sight. There was only one table in the middle of the room. The floor was decorated with candles that lit the place romantically. There was a large bouquet of flowers waiting for Alex at the table.

    She was overjoyed and could not hide it as her lips formed into a bright smile. It was the first time she had ever experienced such a surprise. It made sense because it was the first time she had ever gone on a date with a man, and she was genuinely touched by Ethan''s gesture. Ethan by her side looked at her with loving eyes, he was happy to see such a wide smile on Alex''s face, and he was even happier because it was a smile directed at him. His heart warmed when he saw her like that, and he unconsciously smiled as well. If the people who knew him well could see him with that loving expression on his face and that genuine smile, they would all think that he had surely lost his mind.

    Without waiting any further, Ethan helped Alex take a seat at the beautiful table and handed her the flowers he had prepared.

    "Wow, thank you for the surprise, it''s beautiful!!!" Alex accepted the flowers with a smile. She had received flowers before, but this was the first time she felt so happy when she received them.

    "My girlfriend deserves the nicest things" Ethan had a big smile on his face at this point, showing his deep dimples.

    "I never said I was okay with being your girlfriend, like I said, that kind of relationship is with a person you love." Alex cheeks heated; she really did not know how to react to Ethan''s insinuations.

    "Who said I did not love you?" asked Ethan with a raised eyebrow, "and you didn''t say you don''t love me."

    "Oh please, we have only known each other for a few days! How can you love me?" Alex could not believe this, even though she desperately wanted to know what it was like to be in a relationship, she was more interested in finding out what it felt like to be with someone you loved.

    "You do not believe in love at first sight?" asked Ethan as he served her a glass of champagne.

    "Please, you do not believe it either."

    "Maybe not, but all I know is that I like you a lot, and this is the first time I have ever been so attracted to a woman, and I do not plan on letting you go. So you should get used to it because I plan on making you mine," Alex said firmly and seriously, looking Alex straight in her ocean blue eyes. His gaze was so piercing that Alex could not help but look away.

    "What if I do not plan on being in a relationship?"

    Ethan just gave her a small smile without saying a word. Alex did not know what was happening to her that day, but everything Ethan said or did touch her. It was probably because it was the first time she could be with a man like that. She blushed so much she was sure she looked like a tomato.

    She had never been this close to a man before because she could not stand the physical contact, she did not find it necessary to accept dates when she could not stand being near men. But it was different with Ethan. The fact that he did not affect her the way other men did was very helpful; she felt free with him, she felt like she could finally breathe. She could be who she was and be close to him without thinking about the fear of physical contact.

    In the short time she arrived in China, two men stirred feelings in her that she had never felt before. One was Ethan, who was the cutest man with his little dimples that popped up when he smiled at her, and her mysterious neighbour, who made her curious even though she had never seen him before, but who had left a deep impression on her with his voice alone, making her think of him all day. His voice was so seductive. She felt quite confused because her feelings were new to her, but strangely enough, she felt the same kind of arousal for both men. She does not know if it was love or like Fifi said, "Maybe Ethan was her destiny." But what was what she felt for her neighbour the?

    Not far away, in another restaurant, Christopher, who was always in the company of his friends, kept looking at his cell phone. One of his friends was watching him closely, and after noticing his unusual behaviour, he reported it to the other friends. They in turn began to watch him.

    One of them could not take it anymore and asked, "What is our dear Christopher thinking when he looks so intently at his phone? Are you waiting for a call? It can''t be your boss; you usually leave your phone far enough away not to hear it when you come out of the office, so I assume it''s a woman. Who''s betting?" Everyone else was making fun of him, because it was the first time their friend was so anxious for a call that they got curious about who the woman was.

    In fact, Christopher still had not recovered from what had happened with Fidelia. He did not understand how she could be so impassive. He had expected her to call him to ask him to take responsibility for that night, or just to see him again, but he had not heard from her all day. It was the first time something like this had ever happened to him. To be honest, he should be happy that a girl he had sex with did not bother him afterwards, but instead he felt extremely uncomfortable in this situation.

    Suddenly he stood up without answering his friend''s questions, took his car keys and drove away. he was not in the mood to have fun that night.

    In a big house in one of the city''s affluent neighbourhoods, Clyde strode angrily through the door. His parents in the living room looked at him worriedly. What in the world could have happened to him to make him so angry?

    "Big brother, big brother, so you got my part," Aria could not care less about her brother''s mood, she just wanted to know if he had managed to get her the part.

    "That bitch is going to pay for her insolence, how dare she talk to me like that!!!" Angrily, Clyde slammed his keys down on the table, deeply annoyed.

    Alan Porter, his father, lazily drank a glass of wine without bothering to look at his son, "Who are you talking about? I asked you to stop playing with women for a bit and concentrate on the business of the company!!!"

    "That''s exactly what I did! That bitch, Leila, busted me on the phone just because I asked for a part in RoyalStar''s new movie. She''s just the deputy manager but thinks she owns the company. what a joke!!!" he scoffed.

    Shella, his mother who heard her son''s whining was even angrier, "How dare she upset my child? Who does she think she is?" she cried, taking her son''s face in her hand to calm him down.

    At that moment Alan felt like his head was going to burst because of the stupidity of the people he lived with, "You are doing this on purpose or you are really stupid, how can a person who takes care of a company have so little information about potential clients... they are even our competition! Tell me what Leila''s name is?"

    Clyde just looked at his father with a blank face, not even remembering what her name was. Everyone in the business circle just called her Leila.

    "Her name is Leila Jensen! She''s Eli Jensen''s daughter! RoyalStar is hers; you better not have upset her!"

 Chapter 18 - He Is Mine

    Apart from his stupidity, there was a reason why Clyde did not know Leila well. The Jensen family was a very discreet family; Eli Jensen wanted his children to have an ordinary childhood, so he kept them away from the press, social evenings, and other events that could bring them to the spotlight. Even at school, people didn''t know they came from a rich family. Many people didn''t know what they looked like when they were growing up, especially Leila, who was less known in the business world compared to her brother who as the one who should take over the family business was a little more exposed. Another reason was that she preferred to work while hiding her identity, just to have a quiet life, but people gradually started to know who she was. Her name was the best clue.

    "She''s the daughter of Mr. Jensen? Does she own RoyalStar? I didn''t know that! But that does not mean she can be so disrespectful to me! Sooner or later, she''ll pay for it!" Clyde was really pissed! In his life, no woman was allowed to treat him like that.

    "Make her pay what? With what? Your stupid brain? Our business is going down the drain!!! Thanks for not making it harder for me!!! Besides, your sister is about to marry Eliott, so be careful what you do! This wedding is our only chance to save Priceless!" Alan looked at his son with disdain, he was fed up with his son''s stupidity! He really didn''t know how he had produced such stupid children.

    Aria was horrified to hear what her father had just said. She had no intention of marrying Eliott, she had not even really met him yet. Who knew what he looked like? The guy was like a ghost. He was never present at socials events, and in magazines, you could only find his profile. Besides, she was in love with Ethan!

    "Dad, I do not want to marry Eliott, I love Ethan! Why are you making me marry someone I don''t even know, Dad?" She yelled, getting very upset.

    "What kind of nonsense are you saying? Eliott is the future heir to ROYAL Corps, of course, you are going to marry him. This is our only chance to get our company back on its feet. After you marry him, we will find a way for the Jensen''s wealth to go to you!?" Shella gave her an angry look and pinched her daughter so she could shut up. She''ll make sure that an unfilial child of hers got into that family no matter what!

    Clyde did not know how to answer his father, He was already pissed! And his father was just adding salt on his wound. Seeing that all attention was now focused on his sister, he went to his room, leaving the others behind.

    "Mom, where did this marriage thing come from? I have never heard of it before! " Aria was frustrated, she was already in love with Ethan! She had made it her goal to have the man and now she was being told to marry another man!

    "Actually, it''s a thing that both of our families decided on years ago!!! And Mrs. Jensen called your father a few days ago to ask him if he still remembers the process of his daughter getting married to her son. So, I think that they intended to respect that promise. It''s all settled, you are going to marry him!" Shella declared overjoyed. She had been waiting for such a chance since her daughter was born. She had been worried about her image because her business was not doing well, but now she was already looking forward to her daughter soon being a Jensen.

    "Mom, I don''t really want to marry him! I am in love with Ethan and I''ll only love him!" Aria yelled out, there was no way she was going to watch her parents marry her off to another man.

    " You better get that stupid actor out of your head because you are going to marry Elliot as soon as possible." Shella snorted before sitting with her legs crossed and sipping her wine.

    Aria did not respond to her mother. She knew there was nothing she could do about it, her father''s words were sacred scripture in their home, and her mother, who had helped her sometimes, would not help her this time. Angry and with tears in her eyes, she went to her room and jumped on her bed cursing her parents!

    To change her mind, she went to social media to look for news about Ethan. And as soon as she opened the first page, she came across a new scandalous article about Ethan titled "Ethan on a love date". The article showed a picture of him with a woman entering the Royal 5 Stars. Unfortunately, the woman''s face was not visible, nor was Ethan''s, but his car was familiar to everyone. So, it was not hard to tell it was him.

    The comments poured in like a flood. Ethan fans were dying to find out who this mystery woman was. This time, they had more clues about the mystery woman, like her beautiful legs, which were exposed by her short skirt this time. Also, Alex was wearing the ring on her finger that she always wears. When fans saw it, they were sure it was the same woman as last time. Some fans speculated that she was definitely a model given the length and beauty of her legs.

    Aria fans who always paired her with Ethan speculated that it was her! But Ethan''s fans disagreed with that claim. For them, she could not be, their favourite actor had never been interested in her, plus she was too small to be the girl in the picture. They all know Aria''s legs and that leg was definitely not hers! The two sets of fans argued back and forth in the comments on the article.

    One comment suggested that it was the international model Alex Michell who was recently back in Florelia. Then an ocean eye commented with an attached photo of Alex from the airport showing her wearing the same ring. Fans were in a frenzy over the possibility of this new couple. Oceans Eyes were even more excited. Ethan''s fans commented on Alex''s photo, and everyone was taken by her stunning beauty and praised her beautiful figure and charm. The majority of the fans were in favor of this new couple and others were already calling them "the beauty couple of the country".

    Aria was all over the place. She too recognized the ring! She had seen it on Alex''s finger, the day they met at CANDIDE. Thinking about it made her even angrier! ''That bitch is definitely going to pay for what she did to me that day!!!'' She thought, and since she dared to stumble with "her Ethan", there was no question that this bitch was going to take him away from her too. It was her Ethan!!!, she got even angrier thinking about the fact that it was already the second date they had! And the fact that Alex was standing there with Ethan looking so damn happy was an unbearable situation for her! Ethan was hers and no one else. She had to find a way to end these scandals quickly and make him her husband before her father forced her into that stupid marriage.

    "Pam, find me the ring that bitch in the scandal with Ethan is wearing! I will leave it with you until tomorrow" Aria called her manager.

    "Okay, I''m on it, I will find it for you! But why do you need the ring... People will say that you are copying her!!!" Pam reminded her artist who seems to always find a way to do stupid things.

    "Just do what I told you!!!" Aria shouted back already infuriated by the article.

 Chapter 19 - A Little Kiss

    At the restaurant, Alex had an excellent evening with Ethan. They talked all evening about everything and nothing, their hobbies, what they like to do, how they spend their free time, what they like about their jobs, and so on. Oddly enough, for some reason Alex felt that Ethan wasn''t telling her a lot of things, she thought he was hiding something, she felt that when Ethan talked about himself, he was rather awkward. Some questions he''d just answer her with a sweet smile or a nod without saying anything. Only she couldn''t go any further with those questions because she wasn''t very honest with him herself. She found that it was really hard to open up to someone.

    After the nice dinner, Ethan took Alex home. When they arrived at their destination, before she got out of the car, he tenderly took her hand and gave her a little kiss on it, wishing her a beautiful night. At this point Alex was mesmerised by Ethan''s gesture, that little kiss made her all giddy and overwhelmed. Sure, it was new feelings she was discovering. Strangely, she wanted to feel more, and she didn''t know how, she found herself taking Ethan''s face in her delicate hands to press a small, tender kiss to his lips.

    Ethan was genuinely surprised by that small, tender kiss. He wanted to return it, he wanted to give her a sweet kiss, he was burning inside to taste her beautiful reddish lips, but he knew it wasn''t the right time! He knew he had to take it slow with her, so he decided to do nothing. He didn''t want to surprise or scare her, but damn, God only knew how much he wanted to bite into those beautiful fleshy lips at that moment.

    He just took her hands in his, looked into her ocean blue eyes and smiled at her not saying a word. Alex was all red and couldn''t believe what she''d just done! She smiled sheepishly and got out of the car as fast as she could, wishing him a good night.

    Ethan stayed in his car for a while longer, thinking of the pleasure he would have while devouring those pretty lips when he finally made her his. He convinced himself to wait a little longer! He could see that Alex wasn''t completely against them dating, he could see in her eyes that she wanted to try too, and that little kiss right now was all the motivation he needed to keep going!

    Arriving home, Alex rushed into her friend''s room with red cheeks. Seeing her so excited, Fidelia already guessed that something interesting had happened to her best friend; she couldn''t wait to find out what it was!

    Fidelia made Alex sit on her bed before activating her gossip mode. "Baby girl, you look very happy!!!, so what happened? Tell me quickly!!!

    "Nothing special, I just put my lips on a man''s lips! A few days ago, I couldn''t even touch a man without having a panic attack, and now there''s this beautiful man who just confessed to me that he likes me, and who I guess I like in return. Someone I can touch and who can hug me in return. I''m just so overwhelmed, it''s like a good dream!"

    Fidelia was so happy for her friend, her smile couldn''t have been wider! She was so curious to know what Alex''s thoughts were about her first kiss... that she couldn''t help but ask, "So tell me how you felt, I want to know everything! It''s your first time! I thought you wouldn''t be able to have a relationship like that, I''m so happy for you!!!"

    "I don''t even know how to describe it! But it felt good, and I want to feel more! It''s like I''m discovering something new, can you imagine the feelings I can finally feel... it''s so magical for me!!!" Alex snuggled up to her friend smiling; she couldn''t wipe the smile off her face.

    "And do you feel that just because Ethan can touch you without making you feel sick or because it''s Ethan? I mean because you feel something else for him?" Fidelia asked looking Alex in the eye, she hoped it was because she felt something for the man even if she was the one who had pushed her to try, she knew how much a relationship without love could hurt.

    "Honestly, for both! I''m not sure how I feel about him, I don''t know if it''s love or just a little excited because he''s the only one who can touch me. So, I want to discover more, I want to know more about these feelings to know if it''s love or not!" She said with determination in her eyes. "What about you? Did you call him back?" Alex tried to draw attention to her friend, knowing that Fifi would want to talk more about her feelings if she hadn''t another topic to talk about.

    "Baby girl, I''m definitely not going to call him first, don''t worry, he''ll get back to me later tonight! Just you wait, I''m sure he''ll call me back." She was so confident that Alex became a little envious of her. She wished she''d that much courage. But after a second, she thought that maybe she had that courage too, just that she didn''t get involved with men to know about it.

    "I see Miss Rodriguez is confident..."

    Fidelia just blinked innocently at her friend. "Baby girl, if I put my Versace dress on the floor, this guy can''t forget me. I mean, look at me!" They burst out laughing together after that arrogant statement.

    After showering and dressing comfortably in her red silk pyjamas, Alex was ready to go to bed, but strangely, without thinking, she walked out onto her balcony, hoping to see her neighbour again. She couldn''t help but think of his voice. For some reason, Ethan''s voice today was quite similar to her mysterious neighbour, so she couldn''t help but think of him.

    That night, the balcony next door was pretty quiet. She tried to see if anyone was there, but everything was black, there was no light on, so she figured he wasn''t there. She sighed and was about to return to her room when that raspy and suave voice called out to her:

    "Are you looking for me?" asked Eliott, looking at her through the impenetrable glass.

    "I see I''ve been exposed, I just wanted to know how the research was going?" Alex had a big smile on her face without even realising it. She was glad to hear his voice that night as well.

    Eliott was fascinated by her beautiful smile, it was so communicative that he smiled too. "Oh really? Where did you get this curiosity?"

    "Um, I just wanted to know, after all, I do help out a bit, right? I figured it wouldn''t be a big deal for me to ask.

    "Well, you''re not wrong, you have every right to ask... Let''s just say I''m on a very good track. How about you? Today you look pretty happy, a good day?"

    "Yeah, pretty good actually, I''d a nice evening," Alex smile widened even more as she thought about her good time with Ethan.

    "Looks like you had a date, right? So, were you sad about a guy last night?" asked Eliott a little sadly.

    "No, of course not, it was over something much more personal." She gave a bitter smile. "Um, can I ask you something?"

    "Yeah, why not, but I need to ask you a question too, alright?" Eliott was quite curious as to what she was going to ask him even thought he could much or less guess Alex''s question. His new neighbour was really making him curious.

    "Um, deal! My question is simple. Can I see your face?" asked Alex, she was too curious, the fact that his voice sounded almost exactly like Ethan''s worried her a little. She was starting to think that maybe the actor was trying to play a prank on her or something like that.

    "Well, you can if you tell me why you were sad last time?" Eliott smirked, somehow he had guessed she would ask that.

 Chapter 20 - Man To Man Conversation

    Just before he could answer her, Eliott''s doorbell began to ring incessantly. He frowned; he couldn''t imagine anyone having worse timing than that!

    Alex felt a little sad too, as she was about to see the face of the beautiful voice that had been invading her thoughts since last night. "What good timing... It looks like you have a visitor, you should go and open the door..." She said dejectedly, looking at the empty space of the neighbouring balcony.

    "I swear I didn''t plan this," Eliott laughed. "I know you can''t wait to see me, but it looks like we''ll have to postpone this meeting, but don''t worry, I already promise. So, the next time we meet, you''ll be able to see me ... Good night, beautiful," he added.

    "I wish you a good night too. Bye," Alex waved goodbye to him before walking back to her room with a big smile. Even though she was a little disappointed that she wouldn''t get to see the face that was behind that mesmerising voice that night, at least she had a promise. She couldn''t help but wonder if he was really as good looking as he claimed.

    Eliott, for his part, was a little annoyed. He had been having a good time and had managed to arouse the curiosity of his beautiful neighbour, but he was suddenly interrupted. He wondered who could be so bold and stupid as to come at this hour and disturb him, which even his parents wouldn''t dare to do.

    After careful consideration, he came to only one answer, for there was only one person capable of disturbing him at this hour: his best friend Christopher. Without the least enthusiasm, he went to the door, and if he could have he would rather have let the man out. Without checking who was at the door, he opened it. As soon as the door opened, Christ rushed in without even greeting his host, and went straight to the bar, where he served himself a glass of wine before making himself comfortable on the couch.

    "What''s your problem with bothering people this late?" asked Eliott, eyeing his friend as if he were an unwanted insect.

    "Can''t you be a little nicer to the people who come to see you? I''m here to rest!" Christ didn''t even bother to look at his friend, knowing he''d surely make a long face now.

    Hearing that, Eliott rolled his eyes, "Should I remind you that you live right across the street?"

    Christ owned several residences, one of them being located directly in front of Eliott''s house for proximity and business purpose. As his assistant and lawyer, Christ always had to be on call and close to his crazy boss.

    "What''s going on, anyway? You look so agitated!" asked Eliott, who knew his friend too well to believe he was just there for a glass of wine.

    "Nothing much really, I''m just a bit bored." Christ tried to change the subject, but it was too late. But he immediately regretting his sentence, he knew that after hearing that sentence Eliott would try to give him more work!

    As if he had read his friend''s mind Eliott grinned, "Really? You know when I''m bored I work, so you wouldn''t mind a little more work, right?"

    Christ could only sigh, "That''s not what I mean..."

    Eliott knew his friend best, they''d known each other since they were kids, it was clear to him that he was pretty down that night. And he knew that had to be pretty important, Christopher was one of those people who always smiled and only saw the bright side of life.

    "So, what''s bothering you so much that you would give up a night of debauchery and come all the way out here?"

    "You know that girl I met at the New Bell airport? I invited her over last night to have some fun, we had a great night, so good we ended up in bed..."

    "Yes, yes, Fidelia! So? What''s the problem? Doesn''t she want to let you go?" Eliott couldn''t understand what the problem was, because it was always the way Christ spent his dates.

    "It''s quite the opposite, this morning when I woke up she wasn''t there without leaving so much as a word!" Christ gave his friend a downcast look.

    "Well, you''ve got something to be happy about... For once no one is claiming you to take responsibility," Eliott chuckled, it was something new that a woman could make his friend look so dejected. He was enjoying the moment with a little too much glee.

    "That''s not funny!!! That means I didn''t make enough of an impression! Me Christopher!!! This is really embarrassing you know..." he blurted out.

    "Maybe our dear Christopher has lost his touch with women!!!" Eliott was laughing out loud now!

    "F**k you!!! At least people don''t say I''m gay because I don''t date!!!"

    Eliott laughed even louder "That doesn''t bother me in the least! ... Seriously, why don''t you just call her if you''re so curious about her!"

    "Who said I was curious about her?"

    "Ok ok, why don''t you call her to find out what happened that morning!!! Maybe she was in a hurry to go to work..."

    "If I call her first, I''ll lose face! That''s out of the question!"

    "Man, in love sometimes you''ve to be able to let go, sometimes you have to accept losing face! Otherwise, you will lose her! " Elliot shook his head at his friend''s childish behaviour.

    Christ was a little taken aback by Eliott. Who said he was in love? What kind of nonsense was his friend talking about? "In love? Who''s talking about love, I''m not in love with her, don''t scare me with a statement like that!" He shouted, "And look who''s talking about love, do you even know what it''s like to be in love? " He added. The truth is, they were both at a loss when it came to this topic.

    "Yeah, you don''t like her! You haven''t told me she is the most beautiful and interesting girl you have ever met, you haven''t stopped talking about her since you met her, you haven''t rushed to give her a date, you haven''t taken her to your house, you haven''t slept with her in your bed, and you''re not here moping around just because she left without a word and didn''t call you back." Elliot spoke all these facts slowly, so Christ was horrified at his words.

    "It''s true that I did all those things, but that doesn''t mean anything, she''s just another girl I met!!!" Christ couldn''t admit that he was actually in love. It couldn''t be, it couldn''t happen to him, what about all the women he hadn''t met then?

    "If I remember correctly, that''s the first woman you take home, the others were only entitled to a hotel room! I say that, I don''t say anything. Besides, she''s the first girl you''ve told me about, so I just assumed it was serious this time and you felt something different for her. But if you think I''m wrong, so be it." Eliott sipped his wine in silence and looked into his friend''s struggling face.

    "Maybe you''re right, it''s also the first time I''ve been this restless after spending just one night with a girl, and that was the best night I''ve had with her in years!" He admitted.

    "All I can tell you is that you''ve got it bad! So man up and call her!" Eliott took Christ''s cell phone, which he had thrown away, and handed it to him.

    "I still can''t! I told her last night that I didn''t want to be in a serious relationship before we did what we had to do!"

    "Just call her and tell her how you feel!" Eliott sighed.

 Chapter 21 - The Start Of Something New

    On the other side of the wall, Alex, who at first wanted to sleep found herself on her bed with Fidelia watching an action movie. It was the favorite genre of Alex hence her fanaticism for Ethan! Fidelia was more into ancient costume movies, and this one had the two preferences combined so the two girls were engrossed in the movie when Fidelia''s phone ring!!

    Seeing the name on the screen, Fidelia smiled and showed her phone to Alex, who gave her a wild smile. "Look like finally, I will have a new brother in law" Alex exclaimed urging Fidelia to take the call! Fidelia smiled and walked to her room before answering the phone.

    "Hello Mr. Zhang "

    Christ was a little lost, it was his first time being at a loss of words while talking to a girl. Plus the fact that she was calling him Mr. Zhang was too disturbing for him. "Hello, how are you doing? You left me this morning without a word so I thought I should call you to have some news... " He decided to go straight to the main point anyway.

    "Mr. Zhang if I remember correctly, you told me that you didn''t want a relationship and it is exactly what I did; so you are calling me for? " Fidelia was pleased by the situation as she had an upper hand on the man.

    Christ one more time couldn''t think what to say "look, I know what I say, and I want to correct that if you give me a little chance. Just give me 2 minutes, please?"

    "I''m listening..." Fidelia was all smiles, pleased at the pleading tone in Christ''s voice.

    Christ sighed; he couldn''t believe he was actually nervous to talk to a girl. "After today I feel it in my soul, that I found somebody who can make me change my ways like hanging with my friends or make me let go of a lustful night. I''ve been there, done it, f**ked around, but since I met you all I want is you. I can''t even think of another girl since that day at the airport, I couldn''t take any other woman. I am not used to sleeping alone, but since I met you, I found myself going home every night. It''s clear that I''m hooked, so I thought I should try maybe dating for realˇ­ Thus, I want to ask you if you want to try me as a boyfriend? " He declared all he had at heart and how he felt in one go not wanted to dwell on unnecessary words.

    Fidelia heard all of Christ''s words with attention and it melted her heart. She was already liking the guy that why she slept with him, but to hear what he had said made her even more attached to him and her heart started to beat crazily. It was clear she couldn''t say no to him. "Well, I had to admit that I have a really good time with you, and I think that I can try you as my boyfriend, but you need to follow my lead, ok?"

    "Yes, madam... "Christ had a wide smile on his face! He had thought that he would have to do more for Fidelia to take him seriously, but to his surprise, she had already said yes.

    At the same time in her bedroom, Alex was feeling quite happy and engrossed in her movie when her phone ring too. It was a text from Ethan, she smiled as soon as she saw his name displayed on her screen.

    "How you doing, young lady? That feeling that you giving really drives me crazy you don''t have a play about the joke, I was at a loss for words first time that we spoke"

    Alex recognized the lyrics immediately; they were from a song by Nelly Furtado. As they were in the restaurant she told him about her passion for connecting songs to the events of her life. She didn''t think Ethan could do it either. She was glad she could play this game with someone other than Fidelia.

    "You lookin'' for a girl that''ll treat you right? You lookin'' for her in the daytime with the light?" Alex continued the lyrics of the song happily.

    Ethan was amused that she was really playing along with him. He wondered if she also understood why he had chosen that song, and decided to continue their little game.

    -Ethan: "You might be the type if I play my cards right, I''ll find out by the end of the night"

    Alex somehow guessed what Ethan was trying to tell her with this song, so she kept playing along.

    -Alex: "You expect me to just let you hit it? But will you still respect me if you get it?"

    -Ethan: "All I can do is try, gimme one chance. What''s the problem? I don''t see no ring on your hand, I''ll be the first to admit it; I''m curious about you, you seem so innocent"

    Alex instinctively looked at her left hand, "You wanna get in my world, get lost in it?"

    Before Ethan could send an answer, he received another text from Alex : "Boy, I''m tired of runnin'', let''s walk for a minute"

    At this, Ethan grinned, knowing that her last reply was a sign that she might be willing to enter into a relationship with him.

    -Ethan: "Promiscuous girl, wherever you are; I''m all alone, and it''s you that I want"

    Alex knew that the part of the song after that was an answer to what Ethan asked her. She knew that if she responded to that, her love relationship with Ethan wouldn''t be a simple joke anymore. She took a certain time to answer before decided to send her answer.

    -Alex: "Promiscuous boy, you already know, that I''m all yours, what you are waiting for?"

    Reading that Ethan was now sure that she had finally decided to accept him, he was smiling like he never did before, a deep smile that showed his pretty dimple.

    -Ethan: "Promiscuous girl, you''re teasin'' me; you know what I want, and I got what you need"

    - Alex with a shy smile: "Promiscuous boy, let''s get to the point. Cause we''re on a roll, you ready?"

    Alex knew that the part of the song after that sentence was an answer to Ethan''s question. She knew that if she answered it, her love affair with Ethan would no longer be a simple joke. She took some time to answer before deciding to send her response.

    -Alex: "Promiscuous boy, you already know, that I''m all yours, what you are waiting for?"

    Reading that Ethan was now certain she had finally decided to accept him, he smiled as never before, a deep smile that showed off his pretty dimples.

    -Ethan: "Promiscuous girl, you''re teasin'' me; you know what I want, and I got what you need"

    - Alex with a shy smile: "Promiscuous boy, let''s get to the point. Cause we''re on a roll, you ready?"

    Ethan finally stopped with the song game and called Alex with happiness filling all his heart. He wanted to be sure it really was a "yes." "I''ve never been so ready "beautiful"! I know you understand what I mean by this song. So can I interpret your answer as an affirmation of my offer to be your real boyfriend?"

    Alex lay on her bed feeling all giddy, her cheeks a deep red as she answered. "I think the song is clear enough. It''s okay to try, it''s the first time I''ve had this kind of feeling and I want to feel more of it. "

    "So I''m an experiment ... Kind of excited." Ethan chuckled.

    "Don''t think of it that way. But seriously, this is the first time I''ve been this close to a man, so please take good care of me.. I''ve already been abandoned once, I won''t put up with it a second time!" Alex was talking seriously this time, she wanted him to already know what to expect from her and what she couldn''t take.

 Chapter 22 - Not Single Anymore

    Ethan knew what had happened to Alex when she was a child. His assistant had given him most of the information about her from the time she was born until now. He''d wanted to know everything about her since the first time he had spoken to her.

    "Ever since I first saw you at a fashion show in New Bell months ago, my heart has only responded to you. I know these are just typical words, but I hope they reach you anyway. You were so beautiful, your eyes were so mesmerizing, you were so dazzling in that runaway, but at the same time, you seemed so cold and unapproachable that you piqued my curiosity. I don''t know why, but at the time I just wanted to be the one to put a beautiful smile on your lips and relieve you of all your problems. I don''t believe in love at first sight, but I know that what I felt then was something different, I''ve never had a feeling like that for a woman. The first time you gave me a smile was a fateful moment for me, it was like I have accomplished something huge. And now I''m all about you in my thoughts. I want to have all my meals with you, I want to share all my life with you and give you all my love. I promise I won''t leave you because I just can''t."

    Alex was simply moved by Ethan''s words; she had no idea he had known her for so long. For some reason, she believed in his sincerity and knew she could trust him. "I thank you for those words, boyfriend!! It means a lot to me."

    Ethan''s smile deepened even more "Thank you, girlfriend, I promise you won''t regret it. Have a beautiful evening! I''ll call you tomorrow."

    "Good night. "

    When she hung up the phone, her emotions were all over the place, her cheeks were red and her ears were hot. Fidelia looked at her at the door and smiled at the image of her friend falling in love. When Alex saw her, she smiled even more.

    "What?"

    "Nothing! So do I have a new brother-in-law now?"

    "And do I have a new brother-in-law, too?"

    Knowing the answers to these questions, the two girls smiled at each other. Fidelia said good night to her friend before going to her room, tired of all the emotions of the night.

    Alex in her room couldn''t sleep, her emotions were keeping her up as she was too excited. But one thing annoyed her and kept her from sleeping, it was Ethan''s voice on the phone. It was even more familiar than her neighbor''s voice. ''Was she getting paranoid?'' She pushed that thought away and fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

    The next morning the girls were awakened at 7 of the clock by the ringing of the doorbell. Fidelia opened annoyed, ready to pounce on the unfortunate who had dared to disturb her. She was surprised to see a trolley containing a whole breakfast set, consisting of omelet, toast, sausages, milk, coffee, fruits, juice, etc... A note was enclosed. Curious to who was the good person who was so thoughtful to send them breakfast, she opened the note and saw that it was meant for Alex.

    Behind her was Alex, who had also just woken up, was curious, she looked at her friend with a questioning look, "What''s this?"

    "We just got free breakfast!! It looks really good" Fidelia was not as annoyed as before when she saw the delicious food in front of her. The smell of fried bacon and eggs coming from the lid of the dish was already making her mouth water.

    "Christopher?" Alex was just as excited as her friend as she looked at the plate of food.

    "No! Our mysterious neighbour, it''s for you, here, a note he wrote."

    Alex, surprised, took the small note and read the message. It was a very simple note, "Hello beautiful, I could not give you an answer to your question yesterday, but I hope I will soon, so do not think too much about me today. Have a nice day. " She smiled sweetly after reading the message. Fidelia, looking at her, smiled as well and brought breakfast to their living room.

    "So Baby girl, do you want to explain this to me? "

    "Wow, this is so good, you should eat too!" Alex tried to distract her friend with the delicious breakfast she started to eat.

    "Yeah, I''ll eat if you tell me what it''s about! So speak! " Fidelia was not so easily distracted when it came to gossips! Plus now it was about Alex''s love life!

    "There''s nothing, I am just curious about him, that''s why I asked to see him last night, that''s all."

    Fidelia was a little skeptical, "So you talk to him again last night?" She asked one of her eyebrows up her hands crossed.

    "Yes" He was there on his balcony, so I just talk a little bit...

    "Then why did he send you that cute message, it looks like he''s flirting with you! I thought you were dating Ethan since last night?"

    "You are worrying too much about it Fifi, and yes, I am dating Ethan and there will be no love triangle so do not get your hopes up." Alex ate her egg with appetite, for it was delicious, and wondered if her neighbour had cooked it himself.

    "Okay, just do not get caught in a net." Fidelia was a little worried, after all this was Alex''s first time in a relationship and she could see her friend was interested in both men. "We have to get to work. Today is officially our first day, well my first day, and I have a scandal to oversee, you know, you and your fake... Oh, I almost forgot, your boyfriend, your names are the third most searched word in the entire country since last night because of a picture of you two at your date with Ethan!" Fidelia was a little happy, this was a part of her job she really loved.

    "Really? Is that good news?" Asked Alex a little worried.

    "Yes!! It''s good news because now you are known all over the country! Your name is spreading all over the country in no time, and that''s good publicity!"

    "Oh. Good!!!"

    "But Aria fans are saying it''s her in the pictures, so fans are arguing, I have to watch all this and make sure everything goes well."

    Two hours later, the two girls were at the ROYALSTAR doing their jobs.. Alex repeated her movie scenes to better understand them when the filming will start.

 Chapter 23 - Alex Is Back

    At PRICELESS Aria spoke to her agent and asked her if she had found the ring the woman in the picture was wearing. Knowing her artist mindset, Aria''s agent did not dare tell her that she could not find it anywhere. She had been looking for it all night, but it seemed that it was not for sale anywhere.

    "I looked in all the New Bell jewellery stores and asked, but I did not find anything; so I thought since she is the owner of the CANDIDE brand, maybe this ring is an exclusive product made just for her, that''s why I could not find it?" Pam reported what she had found, covering her ears with her hands, knowing that Aria loved to talk out loud.

    "Couldn''t you find another way to get it? Couldn''t you make one that looks like this ring! I need it before the ROYALSTAR movie audition!!!" Indeed, young Miss Porter was getting angry.

    Pam was used to her artist''s stupidity, but sometimes it was too much of a good thing. ''Is she that stupid? If that ring is a brand exclusive, she''s going to be in trouble if she imitates it. But let her be on her own if that''s what she wants,'' Pam thought before assuring Aria that she would get the ring before the audition.

    "Hopefully you''ll have it by then!" Aria scoffed, eyeing Pam from head to toe before drinking her cold Americano.

    Not far away, in an office on the top floor of PRICELESS, Clyde was on the phone with his spy in RoyalStar.

    "I have some news, I think it''s a new model who''s going to play the female supporting role your sister wanted. Her name is Alex and she''s from New Bell, but I heard she''s originally from here. She will soon be the face of RoyalStar. That''s all I know."

    "Are you sure her name is Alex?" Clyde was getting a bad feeling about it. He didn''t know why, but he started to panic a little "Alex Porter? " He asked

    "No, I think her name is Michell, Mr. Clyde, do you know her?" James was confused at Clyde''s violent reaction.

    Clyde was lost in his thoughts and hung up the call. He thought, "That can''t be here, how can she become a world-famous supermodel, she should be struggling in New Bell since dad did not send her any money..." with that thought in his mind he went on the internet and searched for "Alex Porter" but did not find much... He was a little relieved. Then he searched for Alex Michell and found all the information about Alex''s career as well as several pictures, her official Whatlife page and some blogs etc... When he saw her eyes and her gaze, he knew without a doubt that it was her!

    He remembered, he saw her once at a fashion show, she reminded him of someone back then, but he could not figure out who. Now when Clyde looked at those pictures, he could see that she looked a lot like her mother, his father''s first wife.

    After seeing many of her pictures, he smiled like a madman. She was the woman he had wanted most in his life, ever since he had first met her when he was seventeen. And now she was back, and this time he would not pass up the opportunity to taste her soft skin.

    With a strange grin on his face, he called his little sister and asked her to come to his office. Two minutes later, Aria was lazily sitting on her brother''s office couch.

    "So, brother, why did you call me?"

    "Aria, did you know Alex was back in the country?"

    "Bro, what are you talking about, you know that stupid girl can not come back, does she have any money to come back here? Dad does not even send her money anymore, who knows, maybe she''s a prostitute by now!" She sighed.

    "I do not know how she did it, but she''s here, she''s the new face of RoiyalStar! You know that model named Alex... her real name is Alex Michell!

    "So what? Her name is not "Porter"... "

    Clyde shook his head at his sister''s stupidity. "Her mother and father divorced, and her mother''s name was Michell, remember?"

    Aria was horrified when she realised what her brother was implying. "You have got to be kidding me, how could she get like that, how could she get so famous!!!! I thought I was done with her forever!" She yelled out.

    "I thought so too, and she''s the one who got the female lead in RoyalStar''s new movie, I think she has more power than it seems."

    "That Alex has been ruining my life for some time now, who knew it was her! No wonder I can''t stand her... Wait, so she''s the one who''s with Ethan? Bro, we need to take her down and send her back to where she came from! She even owns a clothing brand, how is that possible!???" Aria was getting angrier!!!

    "Maybe she climbs on his bed to play that role! Who knows... Anyway, we have to tell father and investigate her, we need to know why she is back here!"

    In the evening, in a beautiful old mansion outside the city, four people were sitting in a small tea room having a drink after a family dinner. The father and mother were drinking tea while the son was drinking lemon juice, and the daughter water. It was the Jensen family.

    After her mother''s call last night, Leila had told her brother to come home tonight as her mother had requested. When their mother requested their presence at home, they didn''t have any other option than to come and do as the queen wanted.

    "Mom, here is your son like I promised, aren''t I a good daughter?" Leila tried to keep all the attention on her brother, to avoid her mother whining.

    "Don''t try to coax me, you are both ungrateful children. I must ask you to come home so you can see me! ... How happy I am!" Lydia exclaimed, looking sadly at her husband.

    Eliott and Leila looked at each other, thinking that their mother was a real drama queen. They ate at the family home at least once a week, and now she was talking like they had not seen each other in a month. Eliott could not help but shake his head.

    Lydia saw it and gave him a cold look. Seeing that, he gave her a big smile and stopped what he was doing.

    "Why are you smiling?" asked Lydia to her son a little annoyed.

    "Mom, what are you talking about, I am not smiling," Eliott put on his poker face:

    "You think I don''t know what''s going on in your head behind that poker face of yours? You are saying that I am a drama queen, am I right?" Asked Lydia with a raised eyebrow.

    "I didn''t know you could read minds, Mom!" exclaimed Eliott, still pretending nothing had happened.

 Chapter 24 - You Saved Her That Day

    Lydia was at a loss for words every time she spoke to her son. So she immediately changed the subject of their conversation.

    "Have you found anyone who would want a poker face like you for a husband?" Lydia eyed her son from head to toe as she drank her tea.

    "No, but that will ..."

    "Don''t worry, I''ve already found someone for you." Lydia interrupted her son''s words with a grin.

    "Mum, you don''t have to try hard for me, I''ll find someone!" Eliott replied with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m telling you, you already have a fianc¨¦e. So you don''t need to look for one."

    "Mom, is this your new way of challenging me? Because it''s not funny!" Said Eliott with a cold smile, setting his drink on the table.

    "I''m not lying to you, it''s an old commitment between our family and your future wife''s. Her father called us a week ago to talk about it, I thought they forgot so we didn''t talk to you about it, but since they bring it up and it''s a promise we made, you have to keep it, besides she''s my best friend''s daughter..." Lydia gave her son a sweet smile.

    "Mme Jensen I think you have confused me with someone else because you know your son wouldn''t say yes to that, right? It''s you who made a promise, not me! " Eliott crossed his leg and looked his mother straight in the eye.

    Lydia, knowing her son best, wasn''t fazed, but when she saw him getting angrier, she beckoned her husband to help her. When he saw her, Eli Jensen pretended not to understand what she wanted him to do and continued to drink his tea in silence.

    Lydia couldn''t believe her husband''s lack of support. Annoyed, she pinched his side angrily.

    "Ouch... !!! What''re you doing? Aren''t you talking to your son? Why are you pinching me? " Eli looked at his wife and gave her an innocent look.

    "I asked you to help me! Convince your son!" She whispered.

    Eliott began to laugh in his mind. His parents'' interactions were always fun to watch and he loved to tease them every time he was with them, especially his mother.

    He knew how important the commitment of two families like theirs was. It wasn''t just because of their wealth, it was because of their names and how important one family''s sincerity was to the other. He knew his mother had given him time to find someone himself, and if he had indeed found someone, she would not have forced him to make that commitment, but he didn''t. So he knew he couldn''t escape this arranged marriage, even if he wanted to.

    Truth be told, he was just teasing his mother, but he didn''t understand why she hadn''t told him about it before. Thank God he knew that the wife-to-be was the woman he loved because it could have been a disaster.

    Before his mother started blaming all the family''s problems on his father''s head, Eliott burst out laughing!

    "Mom, I already know about the promise; Leila told me about it years ago. But mother, why didn''t you tell me? It''s no big deal, why are you making such a secret of it?"

    Truth be told, Lydia knew her son was a responsible man, she knew he would never let his family lose face, so she wasn''t worried about this arranged marriage thing. The problem was that there was a history behind this commitment, and she didn''t want her son to remember it. But he was a man now, so she thought it was okay now.

    Still a little worried, Lydia decided to tell him what had happened then, "You''ve known the girl you have been engaged to since you were seventeen. Her name is Alex Michell once Alex Porter and her mother Alix was my best friend. Remember that accident you had when you were seventeen? It was Alix who saved you that time. You still don''t know what happened, do you?" She asked her son a little worried. After all, that event was taboo in her house. Eliott had really suffered a big shock then.

    "Yes, actually I don''t remember what happened that day, I''ve no memory at all. Well, speaking of which, why don''t you tell me what happened? It''s not like I was really in any danger then, so why are you so worried? It was thirteen years ago!!"

    Lydia looked at her husband and then her daughter and sighed.

    "That day you saved Alex from a **** attempt. But during the fight, you were hit in the head with an iron bar. By that time you weren''t well, you had a fever. Therefore, the blow to your head was more serious, plus you had a deep wound and were bleeding profusely. Fortunately, you were found very quickly by Alix, who took you both to the hospital. At the time, we were on a business trip, and Alix took care of you before we came back. She was also the one who gave you her blood to save you.

    To thank her, we made her this promise. At first, she wouldn''t take it, because if you got hurt, it was because you tried to save her daughter. But I really liked Alex at the time, and to make me happy, she finally accepted it. Besides, it was good for Alex''s future, considering what happened to her husband back then."

    Hearing all this, Eliott''s mood was sinking by the second! The atmosphere around him abruptly turned cold and gloomy when his mother finished the story, his face was as cold as frost. Alex had told him that she had been confronted with something as a child that was the reason for her fear of men. But he hadn''t imagined it was anything like that.

    "Sis, why didn''t you tell me? Who was that bastard anyway? " Eliott asked his sister, his voice deep and his gaze cold.

    Before his sister could give him an answer, his father, who had been silent ever since, spoke.

    "It doesn''t matter anymore, you said it yourself, it was thirteen years ago..."

    "Wait, don''t tell me you didn''t punish that asshole?" He looked at his father, frowning.

    "Things weren''t that simple back then! We let the matter go because Alix''s husband, who was at the time Alan Porter, mentioned as one of the conditions for the divorce that Alix she should forget about the incident back then! It was more important to secure Alix''s divorce, so we agreed." Eli sighed and looked at his wife, who was sadly remembering her best friend''s story.

    ''What father can act like that when his own daughter ...'' Eliott thought aloud before he thought of something and added, "Don''t tell me it was Clyde?"

    He looked at his sister, who answered him with a nod.

    At this point Eliott''s head was full of murderous thoughts, towards Clyde Porter, he was already thinking of how he''d make him pay for what he''d done to Alex, even if it had been thirteen years ago! Even more annoying to him was the fact that Alan just let it slide, after all, Alex was his daughter too. No normal parent would want to abuse their child like that, what do you think would have happened if he hadn''t passed by the road back then? He clenched his fists at that thought and frowned deeply.

    "It''s alright, I understand. But why is Mr. Porter calling you to talk about the promise, Mom? It''s not like he cares about his daughter! " Asked Eliott with a poker face.

    "Priceless is having some financial problems, it won''t be long before they go bankrupt," Leila said, comfortably drinking her water.

    Eliott realized what his sister was implying and smiled darkly, "Mom, you can call them for a meeting, I want to know how stupid they are for even trying to fool us.. I mean, if he really thinks he can get his stupid daughter to replace Alex, it proves how desperate and crazy he''s now."

 Chapter 25 - My Name Is Eliott Tan Jensen

    At home, Eliott was still angry, his mind buzzing with the thought that Alex was having a hard time because of her own family, and that made him mad. Before he went home, his mother reminded him to take it easy, knowing that her son would definitely do something for his future wife.

    By the time he got home, it was already 11pm. He took a quick shower and tried to sleep. But he just couldn''t, that''s how much he wanted to see her! He went out on his balcony to get some fresh air, and to his great surprise, there she was, her loose black hair fluttering in rhythm with the breeze, and dancing with her headphones on.

    Eliott lit up his balcony for the first time, feeling better and more comfortable just looking at her. He looked at her with a sweet smile and felt his mood improve.

    When Alex felt someone looking at her, she turned her head and looked to the next balcony. She was stunned by the view, for there she saw the most attractive man she had ever met. He had silky ebony-black hair cut short with a few highlights on his forehead, an angular chin, well-drawn sexy lips; he had a penetrating and mysterious look.

    He seemed tall, the white t-shirt he wore showed off his masculine body perfectly. Alex swallowed, eyes still wide. Even as he stood on the balcony, Alex could feel his strong presence like that of a king, even though he was only wearing loose clothing. She stared at him without flinching, pausing her music to focus on the artwork in front of her.

    As a model, she had met many good-looking men, but the one in front of her just felt different, even Ethan was not that good-looking, she thought. When a voice interrupted her reverie.

    "Um, um, do you like what you see?" asked Eliott in a teasing tone, a smirk on his lips.

    Alex was embarrassed, she was so engrossed in appreciating the beauty in front of her that she even forgot to say hello. "So that''s what you look like... You look..."

    Eliott stood to his side, amused by her reaction, "Didn''t I tell you that you''d fall in love with me when you saw me?"

    Alex pushed out her thought without knowing, "Yes, I am falling in love!

    After saying those words, she immediately regretted it, she was so embarrassed that she rushed to her room feeling hot. But somehow she didn''t feel sorry for Ethan or thought that she was flirting with another guy because she had that hunch that both men were just one person.

    When Eliott saw this, he was even more amused by her antics. ''She''s such a funny girl,'' he thought.

    The next morning, Alex received a text from Ethan asking if she had had a good night and what she wanted to eat for breakfast. She was happy to receive his text and replied without thinking, "I''d like eggs, toast, avocado salad, bread, and fruit juice, thanks.

    Twenty minutes later, her doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she was still in her sports outfit. She was surprised to see her neighbor at the door with a small food tray.

    When she looked at him more closely, he was even more dazzling than last night. Now she could see his pretty golden eyes, which gave him a mysterious and cold look. He wore a matching Prince of Galle suit, with a black handkerchief discreetly visible from his breast pocket. As she looked him over from head to toe, she could see the pair of well-polished black leather shoes.

    Eliott was amused by Alex looking at him and eyed him like a piece of meat. To tease her, he said, taking her hand, "If you want, I can let you touch me tonight...".

    Hearing this, she began to laugh nervously and blush. Eliott was indeed very handsome and funny, just like Ethan.

    When she felt Eliott''s hand on hers, she was a little surprised because she reacted the same way she did with Ethan, and the important thing was that it was the same feeling. Then she looked at him more closely, comparing him to Ethan. Ever since their last date, she had suspected that they were one and the same. They had a lot in common, like their voice. Not Ethan''s cheerful voice like usual, but the same deep and husky voice.

    Also, they both had the habit of calling her "beautiful"! They were also the same height and stature. She was sure deep down that they were the same person, but she wanted to confirm her doubt.

    "Has anyone ever told you that you look like that actor Ethan?" asked Alex, looking at Eliott with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yeah, it''s actually happened quite a bit, my mother was the first one to tell me that! You see she''s his big fan..." He smiled softly and looked Alex in the eye.

    "Really...? I can understand that, I am a fan of his too..." Alex''s smile widened.

    "Oh... So, who''s the most handsome of us two? My mom always says he''s cuter..." Eliott asked this question a little amused to see what Alex would answer. He knew she had already guessed who he was by now.

    "I can understand her, he is indeed cuter, but you are more handsome..." she replied quickly, smiling.

    "I am honored that a beautiful woman like you finds me attractive..."

    "So, Mr. Handsome, what brings you here this morning?"

    "I am here to deliver your breakfast, everything you want is here."

    "I did not ask you for anything, how can you know what I want...? ", Alex teased the man again, she wanted him to admit that he was Ethan. But before she could add anything Eliott spoke, "Have a nice day beautiful, oh... And my name is Eliott, Eliott Tan Jensen".

    Alex was speechless as she looked at the food truck in front of her and Eliott''s back disappeared into the elevator. Looking to see what it was, she was not surprised to see that the food tray contained all the things she had told Ethan she wanted to eat.

    Things were clearer now. She''d had doubts when Ethan''s voice had not been the same on their last date, and now that she saw Eliott clearly, she could tell that the two men were either twins or the same person in disguise. She decided on the latter because their voices were the same and most importantly because he could touch her without making her feel sick, just like Ethan.

    They had the same build when Eliott smiled, he had the same dimple as Ethan and their lips were definitely the same. In many ways, they looked alike. The differences between the two men were their hair color and length, the color of their eyes, and Ethan was much darker than Eliott, who was white as a piece of porcelain, plus he had a beauty mark in the corner of his eye.

    The biggest difference was that the feeling they conveyed was just the opposite. Ethan had a friendly and joyful look and Eliott had a mysterious and cold look.

    Thinking about it, she remembered hearing and seeing that name somewhere.

    Fidelia, who had just woken up, brought her out of her thoughts when she asked her if she was the one making breakfast.

    "I did not, it''s from our neighbor... ", Alex answered with a smile.

    Fidelia choked on her drink and looked at Alex suspiciously "What, again? I am telling you, he''s courting you!"

    "Well, you know how much I love food. By the way, I saw him today and his name is Eliott..."

    "Wait a minute! Eliott? He lives in the most expensive apartment in this luxury Jensen estate, doesn''t he, our boss? You know Leila''s little brother, the CEO of RoyalStar Eliott Jensen!" Fidelia yelled out.

    "Ah yes, I was trying to remember where I heard his name, all the pictures of him I saw were taken from the side, so I could not tell it was him when I saw him... "

    Fidelia was excited by this news, Eliott was so mysterious that not many people knew what he really looked like. "So the important thing here is, what does he look like?" asked Fidelia with curious eyes.

    "He''s handsome, he looks like Ethan, only with more charisma," Alex said with a laugh.

    "So are you falling for him too? Are you really playing in a love triangle?" Fidelia asked skeptically.

    "Do not worry, that will not happen," Alex assured her friend with a gentle smile.

 Chapter 26 - Who Am I Dating?

    At the same time, there was a rather cold, panicky atmosphere in the porter''s house. Shella was shocked at what her children were telling her. She''d gone to so much trouble to get this woman and her daughter out of her life, and now that she was dead, her daughter was back! She was still sceptical and couldn''t believe it, "Are you sure it''s her?"

    "I''m sure it''s her! She looks just like her mother!" Confirmed Clyde.

    "Alan, why is she back? Did she call you?" Shella looked at her husband with concern.

    "I''ve cut off all contact with her, why would she call me? Can you ask reasonable questions?" Alan Porter was also surprised by the new guy but couldn''t help but be a little solemn because Alex still hadn''t called him, after all he was still her father.

    "Dad, you''ve to send her back! I wouldn''t share my inheritance with her. I''m sure that''s what she''s for!" Aria snapped at her father.

    "What inheritance? She doesn''t deserve anything from this house! We even took the name Porter back from her!" Shella scoffed, looking annoyed. Never would she allow her to get a dime of her fortune!

    "But Papa took her grandfather''s factory and stores, what if she wants that back? Then we won''t have anything! " Clyde was still a little worried and couldn''t help but remind his father.

    Hearing this, Alan clenched his fist, remembering what he''d to do to steal the Michell family''s badge.

    "Don''t talk nonsense, you don''t want that. It''s all rightfully ours." Alan wasn''t worried, he knew he was rightfully the owner of the brand and the factory. "Clyde find her contact as soon as possible." he ordered his son, then looked at his wife and daughter, "and you should prepare her for marriage to Eliott as soon as possible."

    He heard that Aria was still unhappy because she was in love with Ethan and that ugly duck was with him. Before this stupid wedding happened, she''d to break them up, she thought. If she couldn''t have him, no one would, and she''d do anything to make that happen.

    Later that day, Ethan asked Alex out on a date. When she arrived at the location of her date, she was amazed at the view. It was a beautiful garden with many lights shining like stars, there weren''t many people, you could see a few couples sitting on benches, some of them were kissing, who could blame them, this garden was so romantic with this beautiful lake in the middle with the moon reflecting its beauty.

    She found an unoccupied bench and sat down there. A few minutes later, a man came and sat next to her.

    "Hey, beauty..." it was Eliott, looking very handsome. He''d changed his suit for a blue shirt and white trousers and looked neat and relaxed at the same time.

    Alex looked to the side and saw Eliott looking at her with those beautiful golden eyes, she smiled kindly at him and motioned for him to sit down, "I thought I was meeting Ethan?"

    "I thought you said I was better looking... So I''m here instead! Besides, I think I''m more entertaining than him."

    "Really...? Ok, then I''ll give you a chance... But I''m going to miss my sweet Ethan," Alex sighed and smiled at Eliott, who answered her with an even deeper smile. "Tell me, how come ROYALSTAR CEO became the most famous wuxia actor? I''m interested in that..." asked Alex very curious about this turn of events.

    "Before that, I''ve something to give back to you."

    "What''s it?"

    Eliott looked deep into her eyes, took her face in his hands, slowly approached her and gave her a deep, burning kiss. Alex was shocked by this sudden kiss, which she hadn''t expected at all, their tongues dancing and slowly melding together. After Eliott ended the kiss, Alex was still in a daze. To bring her back to her senses, Eliott tapped her forehead with his finger. She was so embarrassed and blushing so hard that she couldn''t look him in the eye. Eliott was enjoying teasing her more and more.

    After the appointment, Alex and Eliott went back home. They parted at Alex''s door, where Eliott gave her a little goodbye kiss on the forehead before going to his own apartment.

    When Fidelia saw Alex, she guessed she was with Ethan when she saw her red face. She was really happy for her best friend. She wanted her to find someone because she''d been all alone since her grandfather died. Yes, she was there for her, but she knew that the relationship she could have with her wouldn''t be the same as having a lover!

    After a brief conversation, Fidelia informed Alex that she was going to Christopher''s house and that she didn''t have to wait for her. Alex knew that meant she wouldn''t be coming back at all. She went to her room and took a cool shower, then left her apartment and rang the doorbell of the apartment next to her.

    Eliott was just getting out of the shower, wearing only a bathrobe. When he saw her at his intercom, he smiled slyly before opening the door. When she entered, she was greeted by the sight of Eliott''s wet chest adorned with slowly dripping beads of water, making him look sexy.

    Seeing this, she gulped and blushed heavily, but instead of looking at anything else, her eyes were still glued to his chest.

    Eliott looked at her and grinned, "You know my morning offer still stands, do you want to touch?",

    Alex was now redder than a tomato, "stop teasing me will you?",

    Eliott laughed at her red face before going to his room to get dressed while Alex waited for him in his living room.

    After getting dressed, he returned with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of fruit and sat down silently next to Alex.

    They didn''t say anything for a while until Alex looked at him and asked, "Who am I going out with?"

    "Who do you want to date?" Replied Eliott as he looked Alex back into her beautiful ocean blue eyes.

    "The true one..." replied Alex lowering her gaze a little, Eliott''s eyes were a little intimidating she thought.

    "So I guess I am." He smiled at her, showing off his cute dimples. Alex couldn''t help but think that his features softened when he smiled, making him look even better and gentler.

    "Why are you pretending to be an actor?" She was genuinely curious about that. It wasn''t like he lacked money or anything, he was a Jensen, basically the heir to the family that ruled the country. Being an actor was certainly not for money or fame. ''Is he just doing it as a hobby?" she thought.

    "You could say it''s kind of like an internship. Since I was young, my father had me do a lot of little jobs, and I enjoyed that. So I decided to continue after I graduated, mainly to prepare for my future position as CEO. For example, I was once a waiter, one of our restaurant managers, I worked in our mall as a salesperson or delivery person, etc..., and my last job is as an actor and at the same time I''m the CEO of RoyalStar. I did this to know how our employees feel at work and to see what we can improve to make them more comfortable. It also helped me to know more about the different areas of ROYAL CORP. This will help me in my work in the future." Eliott replied, pleased that she was interested in his life.

    Alex was amazed that he was such a hardworking and passionate man, if she wasn''t sure what was her feeling for him until now, at that moment she felt like she was falling for him.

 Chapter 27 - The Audition Day

    On the day of the audition, many actors and models gathered in one room. The wait was intense for everyone, as they all knew Ethan was one of the judges. Being one of the most popular actors in recent years, people were very nervous to perform in front of him, some were excited to finally meet him.

    When Aria arrived with her assistant, she caught the attention of the people in the room, she was wearing such a flashy red bodycon dress and red high heels, her hair was black and long. When the people in the room saw her, they were quite critical of her, it was an audition, not a fashion show, why was she wearing such clothes?. RoyalStar statement said they could do a fight scene, how could she do that with that outfit, people thought.

    Then one person spoke rather disappointed, "maybe she is sure to be cast, people say she is Ethan''s girlfriend", another person added, "yes, since a few days there are rumours that Ethan is dating her, maybe it is true". When Aria heard that, she was happy and more confident thinking, ''see Alex, I am the one that people acknowledge as Ethan''s girlfriend!''

    She was overjoyed when she heard that people had paired her with Ethan. Actually, Aria did not really want to be in this movie because she could not get the role she wanted and deserved, she did not want to play a small part in a movie where Alex played an important role.

    But the people who were doing the audition were: Ethan, Leila, the movie director and the scenarist. Before the audition started, Leila explained how the audition would go. She explained that Ethan was the one who would be giving them the cue. The participants in the room were all excited, especially the actresses and the models. Aria already knew and that''s why she was dressed so outrageously, it was her chance to look good in front of him and she did not want to miss it.

    The audition went on slowly... One by one, the contestants were called to another room to show their act.

    All the models gathered around in another room because they had to do a catwalk and a little scene.

    Aria was well known in the modelling industry, so the other girls were intimidated by her, which pleased her greatly.

    When she did her catwalk, she was confident with a hint of arrogance. Ethan''s eyes were fixed on her as she saw her smiling at him. The other models in the room were excited and started thinking that maybe the rumours were true, that it was the girl in the picture; not knowing that Ethan was looking at her so deeply because he thought she was not fit for the role at all, even not fit to be a model, her catwalk did not have a hint of elegance! She swayed her hips too much, it was not natural at all. He thought, "So that''s the woman who people were comparing Alex to... She looked like nothing..."

    Not realizing that his stare at her was drawing unwanted attention.

    As the contestants waited for the results of the audition, they began to discuss amongst themselves. One of the models was frustrated and still thinking about the audition, "What''s the point of auditioning if they are casting the girlfriend or whenever..." After hearing that, the other contestants started discussing among themselves, curious about what happened with the model audition.

    The model explained what happened when Aria did her audition and said that Ethan looked at her with loving eyes. Aria was also in the room, sitting like a queen in front of everyone. When she heard that, she was overjoyed, it was exactly what she wanted. After this, people would definitely say that she was Ethan''s girlfriend.

    Without waiting for the results, she headed straight to the parking lot, she stood near the elevator and waited. She made sure her face was revealed and then put on a mask as she watched the elevator come down, she knew that at events like this paparazzi were everywhere.

    When the door of the elevator opened, Ethan was the one who stepped out of the elevator. Aria knew it was him because it was the part of the parking lot reserved for RoyalStar executive and today at Royal Theatre it was only four people from RoyalStars executive who were present. She knew the other three were busy in the theatre, so the one in the elevator was definitely Ethan.

    Just as Ethan came out of the elevator, Aria ran to him and simulated a fall that brought her right up against Ethan''s chest. Looking at them from a certain angle, you would think they were hugging.

    Since Ethan was not stupid and because he was often in this kind of scheme, he knew what was happening, he smiled and gentlemanly helped her stand up before walking to his car and dusting off his clothes as if something dirty was stuck to them.

    In his car, Ethan called his sister and informed her of the situation.

    "Do what you have to do with that stupid girl, I never want her next to me again! What woman would wear perfume that strong anyway?"

    "She''s going to be your sister-in-law, you know, you should like her," Leila teased her brother, you could see a mocking, beaming smile on her face

    "Do not make me laugh!" Ethan groaned

    "And how are you going to handle this? The articles will be all over social media soon. Fans are already warring, claiming it''s Alex and the other part, it''s Aria."

    Ethan was aware of the war between the two fandoms, of course. He thought about it for a bit before smiling, "Actually, you should just let it go, I want Alex to take care of it herself... I want to know what kind of idea Fidelia and she have to solve this kind of problem."

    "Alright, I''ll do that. Since Fidelia is now an employee of RoyalStar, it will be her first test as a manager here in Florelia."

    Just a few hours later, people on the internet went crazy because an article put an end to the mystery surrounding Ethan''s supposed girlfriend was circulating. The title of the article was "The True Identity of Ethan''s Girlfriend," it was posted from a private account. The article contained no text, just pictures of Aria alone without a mask showing her face and sexy clothes, then some pictures of her with Ethan in the parking lot, this time wearing a mask and looking like they were hugging.

    Her fans were all excited about the news, you could read some posts in the comment section praising Aria "I know it was our Aria, they look so good together" or "our beauty queen gets her man of choice"... There were also many nasty comments about Alex, Aria fans were bashing and insulting her for trying to get attention by pretending to be with Ethan.

    On the other hand, Alex fans were sure it was Alex in the other picture, so they started defending themselves by comparing the two girls in the picture and so on.

    First of all, their height was not the same, plus they found some pictures of Aria taken on the same day the rumour started (the day Alex had her first date with Ethan). The girl in the picture had black hair and the one in the picture Aria posted on her Whatlife account that day had blonde hair. Or the fact that the girl in the other picture did not have Aria''s style at all. But Aria fans did not pay attention to that, to them, it was her! They even said that she might have worn a wig to disguise herself.

    Soon, a war of comments began until one fan made a comment about the ring on Aria''s finger being the same as the ring on the woman in the picture. Aria fans then laughed at Alex fans, who used this fact to confirm that it was Alex since she always wears that ring.

    After that, Aria''s fans started calling her fake and opportunist, some comments even claimed that she copied Aria''s ring. Since then, Alex and her fans have been called even more names. The fact that she was new in town did not help, people said that she just wanted to gain some popularity from this scandal.

    Ethan fans still were not sure it was Aria. But the ring on Aria''s finger was the same as the girl in the picture. Plus, Alex was new in town, some did not even know what company she worked for.. The comments went on like that into the night.

 Chapter 28 - Aria Little Scheme

    In her office, Fidelia, who was managing Alex''s official Whatlife account, could not believe how Aria was trying to use Ethan to bring Alex down, the girl has been just too shameless. Looking at the comments, she noticed that one account, in particular, was really responding to Alex''s bashing, it was also the same account that brought the ring topic into the discussions, and more importantly, it was the account that had posted the pictures.

    She kind of knew exactly what was happening there, she knew it was an account that was intentionally created just to bash Alex. So she called the company''s cyber department and asked them to trace the IP address of that account immediately.

    Soon she got some information about the owner of that account, and as she had thought it was Aria, the information she got showed that the IP address was also linked to her private social media account.

    Fidelia just smirked, thinking that it was surely Aria''s way of getting back at Alex to what had happened last time at the shop CANDIDE.

    By the time she got home that night, Alex already knew about the scandal because Eliott had called her earlier to let her know that her beloved sister was trying to make her life miserable.

    "Have you seen the post? Your little sister is really spoiled" Fidelia drank water languidly

    "Yeah, she went out of her way to make it look real" Alex''s eyes were glued to the TV watching one of Ethan''s movies.

    "Faking a hug is one of the easiest things to do, but the picture has to be taken at the right angle."

    "I wonder how people could not see that Ethan''s hands were always in his trouser pocket." Alex smiled sweetly, knowing her boyfriend had not touched the trash.

    Fidelia shook her head "it does not matter, the important thing for the fans was to know who the girl was in the picture, even if they were just standing next to each other it will have the same effect. I guess it''s her who posted the picture too, that''s too pathetic."

    "I think the scheme is the Porter family''s way of doing things. " Alex was disappointed with the Porter family one more time.

    "You are asking me to let you handle this. So, how do you want to end this? She''s getting on my nerves already."

    "To tell you the truth, it''s not that big of a problem, I know you can take care of it, but she''s touching a sensitive spot, so I should let her know that I am not someone to be toyed with. Don''t you think?" Alex''s eyes flickered as she spoke, you could see her eyes instantly turn ice blue, it was clear she was pissed.

    " Is it because of your ring? "

    " She dares to reproduce it! That ring was the last thing my grandfather made for me. I can''t tolerate anyone from that Porter family using it or claiming it as theirs. They have already taken everything he had!" She smiled icily! That was her conclusion.

    "So, what''s the plan? " Fidelia knew it was going to get messy for Aria, and she was anxious to see it.

    "Just you wait, you''ll see!" Alex gave her a sweet smile before looking back at her movie.

    Sometime later, she received a text from Eliott asking her to go out to her balcony, and like every time, she was delighted. When she opened the door to get there, he was already standing on the balcony, in comfortable clothes, always looking too good for his own good.

    "Hello, boyfriend!" Alex greeted him with a wide smile, her blue eyes sparkling, she had instantly forgotten the anger she felt at the thought of Aria.

    "Hello, girlfriend!" Eliott was also happy to see Alex, it had been so long since he had felt this good, and it was only because of her smile.

    "I saw you hugging another girl! Are you cheating on me already?" Alex teased

    "Are you controlling me already, that''s cool, you must really love me. " Eliott replied back, which made her blush.

    "Do not try to avoid the subject! " Alex tried to control her blushing cheeks desperately.

    "I am not, a crazy woman tried to hug me but I did not even touch her, you know, I am just in love with a certain amazing ocean-eyed woman," Eliott teased, pleased to see Alex''s cheeks turn even redder.

    "You should be! " Alex looked away to hide her embarrassment, Eliott''s flirting with her would get the best of her, she thought.

    "She dared to touch your man! Do you know how you are going to deal with her?"

    Alex stroked out a sinister smile, "Do not worry, I have my way! "

    Seeing that sinister smile, Eliott was even more curious to see what his future wife would do to this crazy girl.

    That same night, Aria took advantage of her fans'' comments and posted a little message on her Whatlife account to play the victim even more.

    "Some people are willing to go very far to be famous, some go so far to wear the same accessories to look like other people; What a shame! ". This post earned her a lot of sympathy from viewers. Her fans attacked Alex and her fans, even more, calling her an imposter and all sorts of disgusting words.

    In his office, Clyde watched the company''s stock rise thanks to his little sister''s scandal, after all, she was supposed to be dating Ethan; who, even though he had only been an actor for two years, was already the highest-paid actor of the moment. Besides, he had a good reputation.

    So this little scandal was a bit of a boost for the company, which had not been doing well in recent days.

    He had no idea what backlash this little stunt, set up by his little sister, might cause though, but he didn''t care. To his knowledge, ROYALSTAR generally paid no attention to the scandal surrounding Ethan''s love life. When this kind of scandal happened, they preferred to let the problem solve itself by relying on time, since they were always false rumors. Thus, after a few days, these rumors disappeared just as they had appeared. So there was no reason why it should not go the same way this time.

    If others could use Ethan to increase their fame, why not them. Therefore, he happily returned home to announce to his father the increase in their company''s stock price.

    For his part, Alan Porter did not even want to know how his son had managed to increase their company''s stock price, even if it was only by a little. All that mattered to him was his company.

    At the same time, Fidelia, who was on Alex''s Whatlife account to reassure fans, saw Aria''s new post. She could not believe she dared to not only feel sorry for herself, but also make it seem like Alex was the one copying the ring she was wearing. Her insolence angered her even more. She really wanted to teach her a lesson.

    She stormed into Alex''s room without even knocking. When she entered, she saw Alex on her balcony and rushed towards her, calling out

    "I can''t tolerate this little shit''s nastiness any longer, look what she just posted!!!! You really need to tell me what you are up to! Or I''ll take care of it myself!"

 Chapter 29 - Dont You Think She Is Going To Be In Trouble?

    Fidelia was someone who liked to take care of her problems immediately. If someone or something annoyed her, she preferred to solve the problems without delay, sometimes even without assessing the consequences. This part of her temper was sometimes the worst, as it had gotten her into many fights at school.

    Alex on the other hand was a vindictive woman, when someone annoyed her she liked to plan step by step how she would get even, and Fidelia was aware of this, as much as she found it frustrating she knew that when Alex planned something it was for the best satisfaction. She knew that if Alex decided to take care of her problem, the other part would taste a very bad medicine. But still, she was annoyed.

    Because she was so upset, Fidelia, who had her back to the balcony next door, did not notice Eliott looking at her in amusement until Alex pointed it out.

    "Uhm Uhm, Fifi calm down, I think we should go inside and talk..."

    Fidelia was so frustrated that she did not understand the message behind Alex''s words and signs, "Tell me what the plan is!"

    "I think if you do not come in now, you''ll regret it a lot," Alex could not help a fuming smile. This situation was just too funny as she looked at Eliott, who managed to stifle a laugh.

    Fidelia still didn''t understand what was going on and started to get even more frustrated. "But what are you talking about? Stop beating around the bush and tell me the plan! I am dying of frustration here! And why are you laughing?"

    Alex, still laughing at her, nodded and motioned for her to look behind her. When Fidelia turned around, she was surprised to see Eliott standing there, hands clasped, looking at her with an expressionless face. Fidelia, scared and intimidated by Eliott''s cold stare, even forgot that she was only dressed in a rabbit-shaped jumpsuit with a tail and ears at this point. All that was left in her mind was that she was now looking at the mysterious Eliott Jensen.

    "C...E...O, hel... Lo, I did not know you were there, ahah. I''ll let you get on with your talk, ahahah..." She had to laugh nervously as she thought about the fact that she might have interrupted her boss''s love discussion...

    She hurried into Alex''s room and beckoned her to follow her.

    Alex, seeing this, laughed, more than that, it was the first time she had seen her friend so disturbed by someone. Ever since they knew each other she had never seen Fidelia lose her temper in front of anyone, Fidelia was always the one who made people uncomfortable. That was why Alex enjoyed seeing her like this.

    Eliott was entertained by Fidelia, she seemed very different from her image at work. He was not surprised by her reaction, people always had a hard time expressing themselves in front of him; especially his employees. That''s why his mother called him her "sweet iceberg" sometimes. But he was kind of impressed by Fidelia. Because even though she laughed nervously, she could still express herself, just like Alex, who he remembered was just lost in her thoughts, but did not seem intimidating at all. He wondered what could make people so afraid of him. But it was not that it bothered him, on the contrary, it made things easier for him sometimes.

    Now that he thought about it, he looked at Alex and thought, ''I wonder why I don''t intimidate her, she looks too comfortable talking to me.'' Then he smiled at her, "You should go, it looks urgent! I can not wait to see my girlfriend punish her enemies. Good night beautiful, " Eliott concluded with a flying kiss before heading to his room.

    Alex smiled at him and then joined Fidelia, who was waiting for her with her hands clasped and a pout as if she had been wronged. She kept looking at Alex with a questioning look.

    "What? " Alex could not help but smile at her friend''s antics, with those bunny pyjamas she was really cute.

    "Why didn''t you told me that you were meeting our CEO earlier? Look at how I fucking look!! My image is destroyed!!!!

    Alex busted out laughing "don''t worry even like this your still pretty!!"

    Fidelia rolled her eyes at her friend mocking her. "So you have dates on your balcony every night?"

    "I have had a few... " Alex smiled as she thought back to all their little dates.

    "You could have warned me, for fuck''s sake, I was scared for my life when I saw him standing there. How do you even get to talk to him? His look causes cold sweats" Fidelia finally relaxed as she sat on Alex''s bed.

    "Really? I think he has the charisma of someone who is intimidating, but not that much. It gives him such a charismatic aura, He is so interesting!"

    " Yes, yes, yes, I can see that, you were all smiles when you talked to him! ..." Fidelia rolled her eyes one more time and looked at Alex, who was smiling like a fool as she realised something, "Wait a minute ... Is it me or did he just call you girlfriend?"

    "You have good ears! " Alex walked over to her bed without saying anything else.

    Fidelia was a little confused, but could she blame her friend when the two hottest guys in the country were after her? "So, whose girlfriend are you? Eliott''s or Ethan''s? Do not tell me you are dating both?"

    "It was you who told me that maybe two guys were meant for me, right?" Alex laughed and saw Fidelia''s face change as she becomes more surprised. "Just kidding, I''ll explain what''s going on later! You did not come to me for Aria, what did that idiot do again?" Alex changed the subject, not wanting to talk about Eliott and Ethan anymore. She was afraid she''d spill the beans.

    Fidelia just looked at Alex and then handed her her phone. "I am sure we will talk about it later! Right now I just want to make this silly little girl cry!" "See for yourself. "

    Alex just smiled as she read Aria''s post: "Perfect, she''s locking herself in her own trap."

    "What do you mean?"

    "CANDIDE is a trademark, with a patent. The logo is my private property, no one has the right to make a copy of it. By imitating my ring, she is not only imitating an exclusive model of CANDIDE, but also its logo. That can already be called counterfeiting. And now she''s making it her own by even publicly making a ownership statement. Don''t you think she will be in big trouble soon?"

    "I love it when you decide to take matters into your own hands." Fidelia smiled wickedly at her best friend.

    The next day, things did not really calm down on the internet. The repartee between the two models'' fans was even more heated. Aria rejoiced at the sight of Alex''s image deteriorating as the hours passed.

    In the afternoon, she decided to invite her friends over to her house to celebrate the event. They enjoyed having a few cocktails and laughed while gossiping about Alex as her angry father ended up screaming in their backyard:

    "I told you to stay low and don''t make trouble!!! What problem have you created this time?" Alan was furious, glaring at them grimly, making Aria''s friends uneasy.

    At the sight of their friend''s father''s anger, Aria''s friends hurried to leave.

    "What are you accusing me of this time? I have not done anything. On the contrary, I helped the company. Didn''t our stock go up because of me?" Feeling wronged by her father''s anger, Aria sat down, pouting and embarrassed as she looked after her friends who rushed out.

    Alan became even angrier when he heard his daughter, he regretted the fact that he had not asked Clyde sooner how they had managed to increase the stock value of the company. "Helping the company? Then can you explain to me why you are being sued for forgery and slander? Because of you I have to pay 200,000 euros to the owner of CANDIDE and 100,000 euros to RoyalStar? So I ask you again what kind of stupidity you have committed! ?????"

 Chapter 30 - [Bonus ]She Own CANDIDE

    Aria was lost, she did not understand what was going on. RoyalStar was suing her over a little scandal like this? She''d done all the math before executing her plan; she knew Ethan did not care about the stars using his name and fame to cause a stir. So why now? Why her? She was lost and did not know how to answer her father.

    She couldn''t tell him that she had hatched a plan so that pictures of her and Ethan were taken and she had posted them on the internet. She knew that her father rarely used social media. Therefore, it was possible that he did not know about the scandal surrounding her pictures with Ethan.

    "I don''t know what''s going on, Dad? I don''t see why RoyalStar would sue me for defamation. Maybe it''s a mistake. " She tried to feign ignorance.

    "Do you really think I am stupid? Alan was getting more and more annoyed with his stupid daughter. "Okay, let us say you don''t know why RoyalStar is suing you. What about this problem!? Tell me why are you being sued by this brand for counterfeiting? Do you realize the problems this could cause for our brand if it became known! I have had it with the stupidity of you and your brother! You are just a bunch of idiots! I wonder how I can have such stupid kids like you! Solve this problem yourselves! Don''t rely on my money to help you! And do not use my name either!"

    Sheila, watching from behind, was not happy. She didn''t like the words her husband had used at all. After all, it was her daughter!

    "What do you mean?" Sheila stormed towards her husband, her face full of anger.

    "I mean that they are just as stupid as you are! Since it was you who raised them that way, thank you for fixing that problem with your daughter. I asked you to take good care of her! But even at that, you are not capable of doing it right! If it was not for your parents'' fortune at the time, you know I would never have taken you as my wife! Alan said, looking at his wife with a contemptuous look.

    Sheila, shocked by her husband''s words, did not know what to say. She could only look at him as he entered their house without giving them a glance, eyes full of anger. Exasperated, she turned to her daughter, who watched the scene in tears!

    "Mommy, I am sorry, I just wanted to teach that Alex, that devil, a lesson! That''s why I did this and now she''s suing me!" Aria cried out.

    When Sheila heard Alex''s name, she was even more upset and her anger flared up even more. To her, Alex and her mother were the cause of all her unhappiness! People may not have known it, but she knew very well that her husband had fallen in love with that woman back then! While their relationship was just a scheme cooked up by her and her husband to get their hands on the Michell''s business and manufactory, she knew deep down that Alan had fallen in love with her. The way he looked at her, the way he smiled at her, was becoming harder and harder for Sheila to bear, and to make the situation worse, he had gotten her pregnant and wanted that child!

    If she had not threatened him with her inheritance, he would not have cut ties with Alex after the woman died. When she thought about it, her anger was even greater.

    "What does CANDIDE and all this have to do with this piece of filth?"

    "You are not going to believe this, Mom, she owns that brand! I just copied and wore one of her rings and now she''s demanding I pay for it, I do not have that kind of money mum! How are we supposed to solve this?" Aria held her mother desperately.

    Aria, surprised by this new information, was even more frightened. She thought she was done with this family forever, now this girl was coming back into her life and to make matters worse, she was not in the miserable state she had hoped to be in after her husband stopped sending her money. She was a rich woman now!

    A way had to be found at all costs to discredit her and get her to return to where she came from. She could not allow her to enter her life again! Alex was a threat to her family that she had to eliminate.

    "There is no way we are going to pay this girl that much money! Why would we? For what reason? I am not going to let that happen. She will not get any of our money. I have an idea. Ask her to meet you at a restaurant to discuss all this!"

    Aria carried herself out and immediately called the number Alex had purposely included in the document for any discussion. Aria and her mother knew it was her number since she had stated in the document to contact her personally.

    "Hello, I didn''t know you could go this far for a simple ring. I know you have always been jealous of me and want revenge because my father chose me and not you! But don''t you think that by suing me, you have only made yourself a bigger loser?" Aria talked arrogantly without even letting Alex said one word.

    "Who is jealous of whom in this matter? The one desperately trying to impersonate me is you, the one copying and reproducing what I am wearing is you too, and you will always be the one who is Miss Porter! If you call me to tell me your nonsense, you know I am a very busy person, do not waste my time!" Alex said nonchalantly.

    "You!" exclaimed Aria, getting angry. As she was about to give Alex her opinion, the conversation was cut off.

    Aria was in an indescribable rage. But she had no choice but to call back. If her father would not help her pay the money, she could end up in jail. That was something she couldn''t let happen, so all she could do was follow her mother''s idea.

    Alex, who was in Fidelia''s office, drinking tea and talking to her about her next project, received a second call. She answered as calmly as ever.

    "I wish I could talk ... " This time Aria tried to calm down, even though it was the hardest thing for her to do at that moment.

    "Okay, I am willing to give you a little of my time. So, how do you want to pay my money?"

    "I''ll see you at the restaurant TWIST at 6pm..." said Aria before ending the call and tapping her poor phone rudely to lessen her anger. She felt humiliated by Alex talking to her like she was a piece of shit! She had to make her pay for this.

    Fidelia was shocked at Aria''s rudeness, it was clear she had called to ask for help, but how dare she cut off the conversation as if she still held the cards; she was glad she did not have such a brat for a little sister. If she was Alex, she was sure she was already going to put her in jail.

    For her part, Alex thought with a sinister smile, "Since your father adores you so much, it will not be hard for him to pay, or else... I''ll be really happy to let you sleep in jail for a few days.''''

    Fidelia just shook her head and looked at Alex as she was lost in her thoughts, a wicked smile plastered on her face.

    "''I say... Does it really make you that happy to play with her?"

    "Well, she asked it herself, so why shouldn''t I play with her a little? I remember she loves to rip my clothes and put salt in my hard-cooked food when I was living with them.. Now it''s my turn to play a little."

 Chapter 31 - As Mother As Daughter!

    On that day the weather was great, the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. No matter on which foot one started the day, as soon as he felt how fresh and sunny the day was, his mood immediately brightened.

    Leila was in a very good mood in her office, hearing the head of Pr''s department talking to her about Alex''s scandal. He was a little worried when he saw the turn of events, she was the one who was supposed to represent the company in the modelling industry, so it was imperative that she had a good image, and now she had not even started working and was already involved in a scandal.

    Leila had to reassure him more than once, telling him that this was a good opportunity to see how the two young women handle scandals and to see if Alex was really fit to have a modelling career in Florelia. Besides, the order to do nothing came from the CEO himself, she made it clear to Pr''s head that she couldn''t do anything about it either, even if he was his younger brother. Besides, she was not worried, she knew that at worst her brother would take care of the problem himself if it didn''t get better, after all, she was his future wife.

    The afternoon before the appointment, Alex and Fidelia were quietly getting ready. It was out of the question for Alex to show up in front of that crazy woman, poorly dressed. She had to understand that Alex was not just anyone! To tell the truth, she was a little annoyed because she had to spend part of this beautiful afternoon talking to Aria! With the nice weather, she would have rather been on a date or sightseeing all the beautiful places in Florelia with Fifi.

    Fidelia was dressed in a red suit, red pumps and a red bag. Being dressed all in red made her seem wilder and more severe. She was made up as usual: a hint of eyeliner and a scarlet mouth. She was absolutely stunning.

    Alex, who had dressed relatively plainly so far, was wearing a blue suit consisting of a mini skirt and a long blazer made of tweed of course a CANDIDE limited edition suit, you could admire her beautiful long legs adorned with a nice perplex stiletto. In her hand she had her ring as well as other exclusive jewelry from CANDIDE, on which the logo of the brand was perfectly visible. Her simple makeup consisted of brown smokey eyes and soft pink lips. Her beauty was simply stunning as always.

    On the way to the restaurant, Fidelia couldn''t help but think that things couldn''t be that simple. So she decided to inform Leila of their course of action in case something went wrong. Even if they had everything planned, something unexpected could happen quickly, and she did not want her artist to be exposed in an even bigger scandal.

    "What kind of bad joke do you think she''ll pull this time? I am feeling pretty anxious about this meeting."

    " I don''t know... We will see!" Alex was quite calm and even hummed a song on the way to the meeting.

    When the two girls arrived, their entrance into the restaurant did not go unnoticed, all the people turned towards their walk, of course Fidelia, dressed all in red, could not go unnoticed. A waiter under Aria''s instructions rushed to them to take them to their table.

    When they saw Aria, they were surprised to see that she had not chosen a private room, but a well exposed corner, not only for the customers of the restaurant but also for the people outside, as she sat in front of a large glass as a wall.

    The two young women took their seats. Once seated, Aria could not help but comment on Fidelia''s presence

    "I see you always walk around with a dog stuck you," Aria commented with a look of disdain.

    Fidelia laughed at this nonsensical comment "I do not know how PRICELESS manages its artists, but at RoyalStar, it''s the artist''s agent''s job to do it. Be glad already that we were able to clear our agendas for this meeting, which we would not need at all if it were up to me."

    Suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice turned to Fidelia, "this is a family matter, we do not need a third person." The voice came from a lady in her fifties, dressed as if she were only twenty: a dress a little too short, a hat a little too big, too much makeup, and too much botox making her looked like a wax doll. At first glance, one could see the resemblance to Aria. It was Sheila, her mother. She took a seat next to her daughter and indicated something to her with a nod. Alex, watching her, had noticed the gesture. Instinctively, she suspected something was afoot. She scanned the restaurant and the outside area overlooking the large glass window and spotted several suspicious people inside and outside. Looking at them, she just sighed.

    As soon as Sheila took her seat, she addressed Alex in the most condescending manner, "I see you are still so badly behaved! You don''t know how to greet your elders!"

    Alex was as calm as ever. She had no intention of giving in to this woman''s provocation, which reminded her of bad memories from her childhood. In fact, the year she had spent with this woman when her parents had divorced was the worst of her life. Constantly insulted, underfed and humiliated by this woman and her children.

    Fidelia, observing the woman''s pride, turned to Aria after greeting Sheila with only a nod, who, by the way, did not even bother to reply.

    "So someone took her mother to solve her problems? What a baby! And you were the one who criticized Alex for bringing her agent to a professional matter?!"

    "You...."

    Aria didn''t get to finish her sentence as Sheila reassured her daughter with a light touch on her shoulders before she spoke up coldly, "I''ll be clear and direct, withdraw that complaint! Aria will not pay what you ask. I always knew you were a little demon! You are not even ashamed of yourself! How can you sue your sister over just one ring! Are you trying to make fools of your own family? She''s your sister, after all, she has the right to wear what''s yours!"

    Alex, who had not said a word yet, calmly put down the cup of tea she was taking and looked at the two women with a mocking smile.

    "How come I don''t remember my mother having a second child? Wow, you really have to be shameless to talk about such nonsense. Family? Sister? As far as I am concerned, I don''t have a little sister and I am not part of the Porter family. Perhaps I need to remind you that my name is Alex Michell!?"

    "You... You really are your mother''s daughter! What an ingratitude! For everything your father has done for you, this is how you thank him? Dragging his name through the mud just for a ring? To think he wasted his time and money raising an ungrateful bitch like you!"

    At the mention of her mother, Alex''s face hardened, she clenched her fists and looked down at her ring, then smiled brightly, but no matter at what angle you watch that smile, it will creep you out as it was filled with coldness "You are right, I am an ungrateful little bitch, as you say... Basically, we were ready to drop the defamation suit, but I think I''ll stick to my stance.. If you keep negotiating on this basis, you''ll end up paying even more, madam Porter I advise you to watch your mouth! " Alex looked at her ring with an unconcerned expression. " Well, you guys have money anyway, right? So what''s so bad about paying for your own mistake?"

 Chapter 32 - I Donâ€™t Mind Getting Your Money

    Sheila was surprised by Alex''s cold-bloodedness. She was sure that Alex would be upset by the mention of her mother. She then wanted to take the opportunity to piss her off even more so the world could see how wild and ignorant she was and not get to her daughter''s ankle. She planned it all out. A photographer was filming them, just waiting for the moment Alex would make a mishap to broadcast it online immediately. But things didn''t seem to go well, so she started to get even angrier.

    "Do not push it! Who do you think you are... If it was not for us, you would have never been of this world! Your mother would have definitely become a slut who sleeps with everyone to become a bit more famous! You should be grateful to us. For the little, you have now!"

    Aria added with a mocking smile "everything you have now you owe it to my father! then this ring is mine too"

    For goodness sake, are these two really that stupid? Alex thought as she laughed out loud with tears in her eyes "First of all, aren''t you the one living well thanks to my grandfather''s money? Secondly, I think you are describing yourself, not my mother? If I remember correctly, Alan Porter has always doubted his paternity as far as your daughter here is concerned. I wonder who the bitch is here! And lastly, what I have now I got from my grandfather and my hard work, not from Mr. Porter! You should watch what you say, people might misunderstand and think you are actually worth something!"

    Sheila and Aria went into a state of rage when they heard these comments, and especially because of the second one, it was a taboo subject for the mother and daughter pair.

    Aria, who could not stand it, exclaimed, drawing the attention of the bystanders, "I will not let you talk to me like that! You have always been jealous of me because my father always adored me, and you were abandoned, which is why you always tried to destroy me, right? But too bad, because no matter what you do, my father will always love me!"

    Fidelia, who heard all this nonsense was shocked and could not take it anymore, "Jealous? Destroy you? eh oh, I am pointing out that it''s you who''s orchestrating a whole intrigue to destroy Alex''s image on social media! I wonder who is trying to destroy who here! Are you maybe delusional or something?"

    "I didn''t do anything, it''s not my fault Ethan chose me over her, it''s not me who posted those pictures online! If you want to sue someone, you need to go after that person, not me!" Arias refuted Fidelia''s accusation with such force that anyone who heard her would have suspected her and not the other way.

    "Maybe you think we are stupid? Maybe you think you are living in a romance movie? Like who the fuck does not know how these pictures got here? We have all the evidence that this is indeed an account created by you! Be smarter next time! At least change your IP address." Fidelia rolled her eyes. "And Ethan? His eyes won''t land on you even if you were the last being on earth!" Fidelia added with a smirk.

    Sheila, on the other hand, refused to give up. She could not believe Alex would not lose his temper at the mention of her mother. She knew her mother was everything to her. Ever since she was young, she did not like it when she talked dirty about her mother. She remembered that she had even tried to fight her once just because she was ranting about her mother. And she had already made a plan, she could not let it not work.

    "Do not compare me to your mother! It wasn''t me who seduced someone else''s husband!" Sheila tried one more time to piss Alex off.

    "If that''s how you comfort yourself, that''s your problem, go ahead and deal with it. But deep down, we both know very well that the one your husband always loved was my mother. Besides, my mother was the first to marry Alan Porter, so legally you are the one stealing someone else''s husband!" Alex laughed even harder and looked at Sheila''s face, which was getting uglier by the second.

    Sheila lost all her resources when she heard that sentence. Like a volcano, she went into a great rage, which she expressed by throwing her drink at Alex.

    For her part, Alex did not respond, ''Aaah, can people be more creative these days? Since when did it become a trend to throw water on someone?'' she thought, merely taking a tissue to slowly wipe her clothes, a small smile on her face.

    "I was kind enough to come here to give you a chance to solve this problem, but I see that I am wasting my time. So I will end it here, for I have no more time for your nonsense. If you want me to withdraw the lawsuit, it''s very simple. Aria needs to publicly apologise to me and admit that she forged my ring out of jealousy. You have until tonight! Otherwise, we will see each other again in court."

    Then she looked at Aria with a wicked smile, "You said that your father loves you the most, right? So I guess it will not be hard for you to ask for help. And I don''t mind getting money from you either. That''s just a small part of what you own me, don''t you think!" concluded Alex in a cold tone.

    After making that condition, she put on her glasses, stood up and walked away. Fidelia stood up, looked at her watch and said, "You have three hours, tick-tack," and then walked away.

    The people in the restaurant who had recognised Aria were stunned at her mother''s lack of tact. Some had even filmed the scene; a few small videos showing the scene were already on the internet. People started complaining about Aria''s mother''s behaviour towards Alex Michell.

    Alex''s fans complained and said that Aria and her mother were bullies, at the same time they praised Alex for her calmness towards this rude behaviour.

    Aria was also surprised by her mother''s impatient gesture, a gesture that had just ruined the whole plan they had set up! ''We are doomed'' was the only thought in her head.

    "''Mom, why did you react like that? What are we supposed to do now? She will not withdraw the lawsuit! There''s no way I am going to apologise in public!!!"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll convince your father to pay up! Our family will not go down on our knees to her!" Sheila slowly regained her composure, realising the mess she had made and how she had just fallen into her own trap.

    Alex was in a bad state when she left the restaurant, her expensive clothes completely soaked. But even in that pitiful state, people still praised how pretty and stylish she was as she left the restaurant. It was not long before she climbed into her van and changed, through a set of new, similar clothes.

    "Fifi you can start playing!" she instructed.

    "Yes! It was about time!" Fidelia was getting all excited, she had been waiting to do something since day one of this sloppy scandal.

    Two minutes later, a series of pictures were posted on Alex''s WhatLife account. They were different pictures: the first was a full picture of Alex entering the restaurant.

    The second showed her sitting in front of Aria''s mother. In this picture, you could clearly see Alex''s jewellery set, consisting of earrings, a necklace and the famous ring everyone was talking about! The pictures were well taken and showed perfectly the model of the jewellery set, without effort, you could see that they had the same design and logo; which meant that the ring was part of the jewellery set and not just a mere ring.

    The last one was a picture of Aria''s mother dropping her drink on Alex.

    Instantly, all social media went crazy.

 Chapter 33 - Settle It Yourself

    There was no caption for that post, just those three pictures. A minute later the post went viral, people were discussing what had happened furiously on all social media!

    The fact that Alex was wearing the other jewels that completed her ring made Ethan''s fans doubt that she was the one who copied Aria''s ring, but rather the opposite. Also, the video at the restaurant that the customer had posted shows in some way that Alex was being bullied by Aria''s mother, even if they could not really hear what the conversation was about. They came to this conclusion when they saw Alex remain calm throughout the conversation, even when Aria''s mother threw water on her.

    On their side, all of Alex''s fans called out Aria''s fans to apologise for their cursing and name-calling!

    Before Aria''s fans responded, another post from Alex shocked the entire social media, not to mention the entire country. It was about the certificate of authenticity of her jewellery set, stating that the brand CANDIDE had made this single set exclusively for her.

    The caption of the post read, "Why would I copy other people''s rings when I have my own?".

    This was the ultimate proof that Aria was the one who had made an exact copy of Alex''s ring to pretend she was the one in the pictures with Ethan.

    The comments on those posts were all about how shamelessly Aria tried to steal someone else''s picture just to look like she was with Ethan! That was too pathetic! People laughed at her and called her "the queen of copycats". Aria''s fans were very disappointed, as some of them already left the fandom and were ashamed for cursing Alex and blindly believing in Aria.

    When Alex returned home, she was happy and content. It felt good to see the two Porter ladies lose their cool so easily. Truth be told, the moment Sheila talked about her mother, she knew what was going on. Sheila gossiping about her mother was nothing new, so she did not take it to heart.

    Besides, she was not twelve anymore, she had heard those kinds of words from Sheila too many times when she was young. Too bad for her, because Alex knew what kind of woman her mother was and did not let Sheila''s words get to her.

    Besides, she always knew that the woman her father loved was her mother. If he had not been so greedy, she could have loved him a little.

    Meanwhile, Fidelia was busy managing Alex''s WhatLife account, which was flooded with fans asking questions about what had really happened. The response of their little show was really good, the Ocean Eyes were reassured, knowing that their artist had not done what Aria''s fans accused her of, but rather the opposite.

    They were sure it was Alex in the pictures, and now that she made Aria pay for her actions, they were very pleased and proud!

    On the way back to her car, Aria, who was on her WhatLife, was suddenly attacked by a lot of nasty comments calling her an impostor, asking her to apologise to Alex, or comments criticising her company PRICELESS for not managing well their artist.

    Her mother''s behaviour was also the focus of numerous comments. People complained about her and stated that she thought she had everything right because she was rich. They could not stand her arrogance and condemned Aria for bringing her to a professional meeting.

    The situation was already very bad for her. Her scandal was getting more attention than the scandal she had staged to humiliate Alex. She was hopeless and didn''t know what to do anymore, but for her to apologise to this other daughter of her father was out of the question.

    She was already tired of people calling her many names. She''d always been the centre of attention, but not like this. Besides, she used to have a lot of fans, but now their numbers were dwindling by the second.

    Her mother assured her that everything would be okay because her father would fix it.

    At the same time, Leila called Fidelia to see how things were going before looking at what was hot on WhatLife. It was all about Alex being praised for how she had handled the problem and for not being rude to Aria''s mother after the way she had been treated.

    Knowing now that the girl, Ethan was dating was Alex, his fans praised him and said that he had found a beautiful woman with brains for him. Leila was very pleased with the way they had handled the problem. Now she was anxious to see if Alex would really sue Aria and how the Porter family would react.

    Still, on their way back home, Aria, who was on the verge of tears, received the call from her brother.

    "Are you stupid or something? What have you and mother done? Our stock prices are plummeting and now the company is a mess!" Shouted Clyde angrily as he watched their company slowly become nothing in the blink of an eye.

    "Brother, it''s not my fault! It''s mom..." Aria began to sob, looking dejectedly at her mother.

    "I am telling you that you need to fix this problem! I don''t care if you have to beg for it!"

    After Clyde interrupted the conversation, Sheila was distraught. PRICELESS was what meant the most to her husband. He had sacrificed a lot to make the company such a great one. If he was not sick, he would still be running the family business, but now her children were about to bring it down.

    When they reached their house, they were quite frightened because they knew the behaviour of Alan and knew that he could become violent when he was angry.

    When they entered the house, Alan was waiting for them on the couch in the living room. The atmosphere in the room was cold and quiet, so quiet it gave you goosebumps. With one look, you could see the anger on his face.

    Before they could even say a word, he looked at them silently with his arm crossed.

    "So now even the mother gets a kick out of making a fool of me in front of the whole world?" said Alan quietly, his voice cold.

    "Father, it''s not mother''s fault, it''s that devil Alex''s fault! She was so disrespectful and so rude!" Aria, who was scared, stammered and tried to find a way to direct her father''s anger elsewhere.

    "She was just ignorant like her mother..." added Sheila.

    Alan was getting even angrier! The person standing in front of him made him sick. He already knew that Alex was the owner of CANDIDE. What he did not know was that RoyalStar had poached her.

    When he asked Clyde to contact her and told her to sign with them, he wanted to get her to come back and try to merge CANDIDE with what he had stolen from her grandfather back then, but RoyalStar threw a wrench in his plans. So he wanted to use the promise of marriage between the two families and marry Aria to Eliott, even if he knew the promise was meant for Alex.

    And now the one he was going to present to them was making trouble day by day. He wondered why his children were so stupid and irresponsible.

    "So you think it''s reasonable for a grown woman like you to behave like this in a public place? What were you thinking? That she would be as stupid as you and fall for your ridiculous schemes? " Alan exclaimed, looking contemptuously at his wife.

    Sheila also lost her temper, why was he praising this bastard girl? "What are you saying? At least I tried to get something done. It''s your illegitimate daughter who''s causing trouble for us, so take care of it yourself!"

    "Who told you to mess with her! Do you think she''s as stupid as your daughter? She''s the smartest of my kids! Your girl is so stupid that I really wonder if she''s mine!" Alan grinned, looking at his daughter with such hatred.

    Aria felt hurt hearing her own father saying those words, she could not take it anymore and started crying, "Dad, how can you say that! I am your daughter! She is the bastard! "

    Alan just laughed, "You are the bastard! I was married to her mother when I had her! Who knows what your mother was doing then and with whom? You started this thing, sort it out yourself by tonight!"

 Chapter 34 - [Bonus ]My Jealousy Mislead Me

    Aria felt really bad at this point, it was as if a hundred knives had pierced her skin and cut her slowly. She had always believed that her father would be on her side no matter what.

    She remembered when she was a kid and lived with him after his divorce from Alex''s mother. No matter how she bullied Alex, he was always on her side, and Alex was the one who got punished. But now he was praising her so openly in front of them. And telling her that he was not even sure she was his daughter was just too much for her.

    She had never experienced all the things and feelings she had felt that day. Her mother embarrassing her in front of the entire nation, her brother blaming her for something he himself was a part of, and her father making her feel like a bastard daughter was just too much for her. It was basically the worst day of her life.

    She was beginning to regret what she had done! She thought it was the perfect plan to bring Alex down, and now she was the one being criticised and cursed on social media. She cursed her fans who quickly abandoned her even though they were the ones enjoying the drama until this morning.

    Until now, she felt she had done nothing wrong, that Alex deserved everything she had done! She felt that life was treating her unfairly harshly. And her father did not show the slightest intention of helping her either. She began to cry, ruining everything around her as she screamed that she did not want to apologise in public.

    Alan was completely emotionless at that moment, thinking only of all the money he had lost and was still losing because of his daughter. He looked at her with a disdainful look and said, "I don''t care what you have to do to settle the matter, even if you have to kneel in front of her, it''s not my problem!". Don''t drag PRICELESS into your stupid act of jealousy, and make sure you don''t talk about that ring!!!!"

    Aria felt like her world was falling apart, did she really only have this one option? She never thought that one day she would be the one to publicly apologise to someone! She had had many people apologise to her before, sometimes just for fun, but she could not believe that one day she would be forced to it herself. "I''ll do as you say, dad." She said hesitantly, looking at her father with a deceptive look.

    "You will certainly do as I say! Call your brother to set up a little press conference for you. And do not screw things up again! This is the last chance I am giving you!" Alan began in an icy voice, not even looking at her.

    Meanwhile, Alex and Fidelia happily arrived home, looking forward to Aria''s decision. While she waited, she received a text from Eliott

    Eliott: Hi beautiful, well done, I just saw your little piece...

    -Alex smiled sweetly: Thank you.

    -Eliott: Is that all you have for her? I mean, you should just crush her completely!

    -Alex shook her head with a smile: If she does not ask for forgiveness tonight, I will...

    -Eliott thought she was being too nice: Okay, I''ll leave you to sort it out for yourself.

    -Alex: But I need your help with a thought!

    -Eliott smiled: What can I do for you?

    -Alex: Do you have a little time tonight?

    -Eliott: For you, I will have all the time you need!

    -Alex smiled: Can you pick me up at 9:00 pm? I want to take Ethan out for a little dinner.

    -Eliott a little sad: How can I say no when my girlfriend invites me! See you tonight! Lots of kisses.

    After they finished their conversation, Eliott was a little sad. He wanted her to be interested in him, instead, she wanted to see the character he was playing. But could he really blame her? After all, he was the one who played the part of Ethan to her, the good and always smiling rich actor. He sighed, thinking again of how she always smiled when they were together, well, when she was with Ethan.

    After some time lost in his happy memories of Alex, he remembered her asking him to help her with something, and concluded that she had asked him to play Ethan to help her. A rare smile formed on his face, as he was glad to be someone she could ask for help.

    Christopher, watching his friend''s mood change because of a few texts, was shocked without knowing it. Was it really his friend who was smiling like an idiot! What had happened to the iceberg? He was really curious about the person who made this cold friend of his smile like that.

    Feeling Christopher''s gaze on him, Eliott gave him a "What?" look.

    Christopher shrugged with a smile, "Nothing, our iceberg seems to be melting."

    Eliott gave him a cold smile before saying, "Cancel my dinner tonight!"

    "What, you can''t do that, this is an important meeting! This business is really good for us!" Christopher waved it off.

    "He''s the one trying to make a deal with me, he can wait..."

    "I worked so hard for this..." Christopher nudged his friend, looking like a child who had been wronged.

    "If you want to buy this little company so badly, you can close the deal yourself! I have a date with my future wife!" Eliott shrugged his shoulders.

    At 7 p.m., on her father''s instructions, Aria asked her brother to prepare an emergency press conference. By the time everything was prepared, it was already 8 p.m., but despite the late hour, many reporters were at PRICELESS waiting for Aria''s explanation and announcements.

    When she finally showed up, they were all excited. Many of them had been waiting for this arrogant princess to fall, so they were very happy to see her so discouraged. She had a bare face, looked pale as if she was sick, wore a black long dress, sunglasses, and had her hair tied into a bun as if she was attending a funeral. She looked very different from usual, and even the reporters were shocked when they saw her like this.

    After taking her seat, she grabbed the microphone, "Hello everyone, I am PRICELESS model Aria. The discussion about model Alex and I''s fans has caught the world''s attention lately. For taking some of the public attention and causing inconvenience to everyone, I would like to deeply regret and apologise to everyone who has been affected by this, especially Miss Alex Michell.

    I am very grateful for the support and love my fans have shown for me. At the same time, I sincerely apologise for my behaviour over the past few days. I let them down by lying to them and inciting them to tarnish Alex''s image. I am even more sorry for Alex, who was dragged into this controversy by my jealousy and arrogance. I faked those pictures because I was angry and wanted to make her pay for taking away one of my endorsement and because I was jealous of her being with Ethan, whom I admire greatly.

    So I also apologise to Ethan Fans for misleading them. I am not proud of what I did. I was blinded by my anger and jealousy and hurt people around me. I also apologise for my mother''s behaviour. She was only trying to protect me and in the process hurt Miss Alex Michell, for which I apologise to her.

    I hope everyone can give me another chance, especially Alex because this is the last time something like this will happen."

    After saying all that, she bowed and waited for the reporters to ask her questions. The questions were tough, asking if she was not ashamed? If she knew Alex personally, and more importantly, why she had not talked about the ring? Was she really the owner of the ring?

    She could not really answer all those questions honestly, so she just put her head down until her company''s PR came in and ended the conference by saying she was not feeling well.

    But the reporters were not satisfied with just that speech from her, she had just given lame excuses and not talked about the real problem! They left the conference saying that they hope she will prove her sincerity by leaving the industry.

 Chapter 35 - We Ended Her Contract

    Curiosity cannot be forced, it must be aroused. This is a simple principle the entertainment industry had use everytime to make the buzz. The scandal that Aria had caused was the same. It aroused the curiosity of many people about Alex. People were curious about who she really was? what was her background?... Her name was the first word searched on the internet, thus that night she became one of the most popular interest in Florelia.

    That was the effect Fidelia was aiming for with her posting. Alex was very well known in New Bell and some other countries, but her notoriety in Florelia was still not as good as in other country. This little scandal was the best way to remind people of her name and pique their curiosity.

    The fact that people became curious about her was a good thing. The number of her fans on her official WhatLife account increased every second since she posted those pictures, proving that she was not a copycat.

    There were also more comments on her pictures, people were amazed by her beauty and well-shaped body. While the number of Alex''s fans increased considerably, the number of Aria''s fans decreased by the second.

    Even worse, a few minutes after the press conference, PRICELESS posted a message from their chairman Alan Porter saying, "Hello, this is Alan Porter, the chairman of PRICELESS, I would like to personally apologize to you tonight for what happened in the past few days. What our artist Aria has done is unforgivable. We sincerely apologize to Miss Alex and Mr. Ethan for the inconvenience we have caused them. We also officially announce that we have terminated our contract with Aria Porter. She acted on her own accord and did not even think about the impact her behavior would have on the company. Our company values artists with good behavior, so after discussing with her, we decided to terminate her contract."

    People were very surprised by this decision and praised PRICELESS for not being lenient with this kind of artist. Even though Aria was the owner''s daughter, they did not make an exception for her, so people were quite happy with the company, which improved the company''s image considerably.

    Aria was devastated when her brother informed her of her father''s decision to kick her out of the company, which was tantamount to kicking her out of the family. She had already lost all of her advertising contracts. Now if she was kicked out of the company as well, what would happen to her in the future? The final blow was when she came home and tried to call her friends, but they were all suddenly unreachable. That was literally the worst day of her entire life.

    Sheila felt sick, she could not understand how her husband could just kick her daughter out like that. He really was a selfish man who only cared about his money. Even her son did not help her, he only thought about the benefit for the company like his father. Besides, Alex''s fame was growing in Florelia and she could not believe that it was due to her own mistake! That night she thought of only one thing: how to deal with Alex and even thought of killing her in different ways.

    At 9pm, as arranged, Eliott, disguised as Ethan, was waiting for Alex outside her house. When she came down, Eliott was mesmerized by her sparkling ocean blue eyes as he was every time he saw her, they were simply beautiful. Ethan notice that she was wearing the same clothes as when she met Aria.

    "Hey, beautiful."

    "Hey handsome"

    "Where would you like me to take us?"

    "Um, that restaurant we went to before is just fine."

    "Alright! So what do you have in mind? Am I being used as bait?" Asked Eliott, looking at Alex suspiciously.

    "Do you mind?" Alex was a little worried, because she had forgotten to ask him if he was okay with her plan.

    "Not really, I am quite happy that my girlfriend is using me!" He smiled, looking quite happy.

    "Thanks."

    When they reached the restaurant it was quiet as ever, the view was mesmerizing as it had been the first time she had come. After Alex got out of the car, she walked up to Eliott, confidently holding his hand and giving him one of her best smiles. Eliott, who had not been paying attention, was stunned by her sudden smile, and he took his hand and intertwined their fingers slowly.

    "Where do you want me to look for the picture?" Eliott leaned forward a little and spoke in Alex''s ear.

    Alex could not help but smile thinking he was really smart and definitely a CEO of an entertainment company "Um, they are on both sides."

    "How about a kiss? That would be more effective, don''t you think?" Eliott looked at Alex, who began to blush with a teasing smile.

    "I don''t want it to be overdone..." She tried to suppress her embarrassment, "let''s go, I am hungry."

    Eliott was deliciously amused by the fact that Alex always got embarrassed when it came to getting a little more intimate. It always put him in a good mood to see her like this.

    No sooner had the couple entered the restaurant than there were pictures of them on WhatLife. When fans and even non-fans saw them, they were even happier. That night, Alex''s fans got too much good news, Ethan''s fans on their part were really happy that he was dating such a beautiful and reserved woman, they were really relieved that the rumors about Aria were false, because for them, Aria did not come close to their actor handsomeness and charisma.

    The fact that she was wearing the same outfit eliminated the fans doubts, it was definitely Alex in the pictures, Aria was really a shameless slut trying to take her place so dramatically.

    Alex and Fidelia''s goal had been achieved overnight, they had killed two birds with one stone: first, give Aria back what she deserved and give Alex a positive image.

    At the restaurant, Alex and Eliott were happily eating dinner and talking.

    "So did you accomplish what you wanted?" Eliott was a little curious about what Alex was up to. He had figured out that it was certainly to confirm the fact that it was her in thier photos, but still he wanted her confirmation.

    "Yeah, you could say that..."

    "If I were you, I''d bring down PRICELESS too... Kill two birds with one stone... If I am not mistaken, they own you more? " said Eliott, curious as to why she was not more cruel with Aria...

    "How do you know they own me?" Alex was a little surprised by Eliott''s comment.

    "You are my girlfriend! So I should know these things!"

    "Have you been checking out my whole life?" Alex was a little agitated. She did not like the idea of Eliott knowing her family''s history, she felt like she was exposing herself to Eliott and that was an uncomfortable feeling.

    Eliott was a little taken aback when he saw that Alex had stopped eating and seemed a little upset. "Um, not really, just about what happened with you. I could not help it after our first meeting when you told me about your illness."

    "And what else did you find out about me?"

    "Not much, just what happened to your parents... It''s up to you to tell me about the other thing.

    Alex had a conflicted feeling, her family''s history was a shame, a scar in her heart she really didn''t like to expose. Still, it was a part of her, so the people she cared about had to know about it at one point, but she didn''t know why she felt even more uncomfortable when it came to Eliott.

    "Since you already know about my family, there''s really not much more to say.... And I will certainly make them pay don''t worry about it!"

 Chapter 36 - What Do You Think About Mariage?

    Leila calmly observed the situation from her office. After the pictures of Alex and Eliott had been posted online and the public had definitely changed their view and opinion of Alex, she couldn''t help but congratulate the two girls for handling the scandal so perfectly. She watched Alex''s popularity grow minute by minute. Aria was definitely no longer welcome in the world of entertainment, and Alex had managed to turn the tables on her with simple gestures.

    Seeing how quickly and deftly Alex had ended the scandal, Leila could not help but think, ''This is why you should not mess with the quiet ones. They are the most horrible.'' At first, she was worried about Alex''s future as the wife of the CEO of ROYAL CORP. She thought it might be hard for her, and that she might be too soft to stand up to the vultures that would soon circle around her brother as he became more and more of a public figure. But the way she was handling things was very reassuring. Leila felt more at ease knowing that she was not an easy target.

    Back at home, Alex could not help but think about her conversation with Eliott. She was aware that he had certainly done research on her background, so she was not particularly bothered by that fact. What did make her uncomfortable was the fact that he might know why she had this immense fear of men''s touch that made her sick. She was not ready to reveal to anyone what had happened to her. That was why, even with her best friend Fidelia, she had hesitated as long as she could before telling her.

    She was in a relationship with Eliott now and felt strongly that she could trust him completely, but she did not know if the relationship would last or not. Besides, it was her first relationship and she did not want to ruin everything because of her past. She was scared, even if she thought it was a stupid thought, she couldn''t help but fear that he would not like her if he knew.

    She was desperate to know what exactly Eliott knew about her. She couldn''t be at ease not knowing what he exactly knew about her. So she went out onto her terrace, where she happened to come face to face with Eliott, who was also standing on his terrace.

    "I knew you would come..." Eliott smiled sweetly and looked up at the stars.

    Alex determined to ask him what exactly he knew, could not say anything and settled for a smile...

    "I am listening to you! I know you had questions for me..."

    "What exactly do you know about me?"

    "Not much, some elements of your past and how you have spent your life so far in New Bell, why?" Eliott looked at her with a small smile, a hand on his cheek.

    "You don''t know anything about the reason for my androphobia?" Alex was careful with this question, she was so nervous she had her hands pressed tightly into her robes.

    Eliott could feel how nervous she was, and he already guessed what the reason was, "As I told you before, I am waiting for you to tell me that information yourself..."

    Although he already knew what had happened to her, Eliott really hoped that Alex would tell him herself. It would show that she trusted him at some point, because it was certainly one of the most important things that had happened in her life, and one of the most difficult things she had to share with him.

    "I see, thank you for giving me this opportunity." Alex was visibly relieved as a small smile appeared on her face.

    Eliott could see in her eyes that she was not ready to tell him what had happened. It didn''t sadden him, after all, she was his future wife, they had their whole lives ahead of them so she had all the time in the world to open up to him. Eliott remembered the promise of marriage and thought that maybe it would be better if he talked to her about it in person, given their current relationship.

    He didn''t know how Alex would take it or if she would even accept it, after all, she had nothing to do with the Porter family anymore; since her mother was no longer alive, she was under no obligation to keep the promise. He began to think a lot about the feasibility of their marriage. To him, she was the one made for him; he could think of no other than her as his wife. Her smile was already everything to him and thinking of marrying someone else was something he wouldn''t even want to imagine.

    To be sure, and to know how to address the proposal to her, Eliott thought he should quickly learn her position on the subject, so as not to present her with a fait accompli.

    "What do you think of marriage?"

    Alex was surprised by the question. She could not make the connexion between what they had been talking about the second before and his question.

    "Not much, to me, it''s kind of hypocritical. People swear to each other that they will love each other all their lives, for better or worse, but after that, they just betrayed or used each other. They sacrificed the people they swore to love until death and stabbed themselves in the back. I don''t believe in marriage vows; I didn''t have a good example, as you know... I believe that people can love each other and live their lives without being bound by marriage," she answered, still looking at the stars quietly.

    Eliott was not particularly surprised by Alex''s answer. With her past and what she had been through because of her parents'' marriage, it was not surprising that she didn''t have a good opinion of marriage.

    "Do you remember our first conversation on this terrace?"

    "Yes, of course, we were talking about how you need to find a woman to spend the rest of your life with..." Alex paused halfway through when she realised where the conversation was going.

    "I think I found the one I needed and wanted..." Eliott looked deeply at her, his golden eyes shining and sparkling in the dim nightlight.

    Alex was a little caught off guard, but she didn''t let that stop her from fixing her blue eyes on Eliott, "I..."

    Before she could even begin her sentence, the doorbell at Eliott''s door began to ring furiously. They were both surprised by the noise. They looked into each other''s eyes for a while before Eliott told her that they should have this conversation later.

    Alex was a little relieved because she did not know how to answer him. When she told him that she wanted to be with "Eliott" and not Ethan, she had completely forgotten about that conversation. He was looking for a wife and she was afraid of marriage!

    Eliott, furious at being interrupted, went to the door and opened it without seeing who it was. Leila entered without any diplomacy, kicked off her shoes whenever she wanted and went straight to the kitchen. She opened the fridge, took the food stored there and put it in the microwave.

    Eliott put her shoes in the shoe cabinet behind it and joined his sister in the kitchen.

    "What are you doing here so late at night?"

    "I was hungry and I know you always have something to eat, besides, it''s not like you have a girlfriend or wherever I can catch you in bed with!!!" she grinned at her brother.

    "Well, you do not have a life...." Eliott returned the grin, watching with satisfaction as Leila''s smile disappeared from her face and was replaced by a pout.

 Chapter 37 - Hello, Im Alex Michell

    Both siblings have behaved in this way since their early childhood. Coming from a wealthy family, their childhood was not always as rosy and fun as one might think. At school, Leila was often bullied by her friends, especially the girls because they were jealous of her because all the boys were into her, and the fact that she was Eliott''s sister did not help much either. At first, they even picked on her for being involved with Eliott without knowing he was her brother. But luckily for her, her handsome, mysterious, and cold little brother, who always had her back, kept away the people who made a joke out of making her life impossible.

    Eliott was very smart from a young age, so he had to skip a few classes. In no time, they were in the same class. That''s why a lot of people misunderstood their relationship at first, they were many speculation, but rhe most popular one were that they were either a couple or that was her big brother, which helped a lot in the second case, plus he was a good fighter so people were really scared of him.

    They were always close to each other. Leila always enjoyed teasing his brother, because when they were little he hardly ever smiled or showed any expression at all, so it was Leila''s daily task to tease him until he showed a reaction. On the other hand, Eliott always let her have her way whenever she wanted, because he always felt that his sister had a pretty rough childhood because of him for various stupid reasons. Since then, they have always had each other''s backs, no matter what, and his first job as a brother was always to protect her.

    Now she was one of the most powerful and beautiful women in the country, but she was still attached to her little brother. She told herself that she had to take care of him and keep his life alive until he found that woman who will melt his heart, even though she knew he did not really need that.

    Eliott was used to her sister acting like that and to be honest he was grateful to her as she always give him good energy.

    "So how are things with Alex?" asked Leila, sipping a glass of wine.

    "Slowly, I mean, I am not really doing anything, I am trying to let things come naturally between us, ..."

    "Have you told her about your the marriage promise? I mean, did she know?"

    "I was just about to tell her when you came! So no, I did not tell her..."

    "I am sorry, bro... But you should do it as soon as possible, because your future father-in-law called dad and asked him when the two families should meet to discuss your wedding."

    "Mr. Porter should really be worried these days..."

    "Well, Priceless is in deep shit.

    "You really ought to watch how you talk! I am afraid you''ll never find a man like that!"

    Leila did not care at all about Eliott''s comment, being single was not a problem for her, but rather a blessing!

    "Like I care what some guy thinks about me! But seriously, you should talk to her about it before someone else does. Meanwhile, I wonder if they are really playing us for fools by bringing Aria along. I mean, since they know Alex is back, they should just bring her and not embarrass themselves."

    "But you know what? I am even sure they''ll be stupid enough to bring that stupid woman, it will be a day of regret for them, I am eagerly waiting for it," the cynical smirk on Eliott''s face was so bright and scary that Leila immediately stopped drinking her wine and looked at her brother suspiciously?

    "What the hell are you up to?"

    "Nothing at all, I don''t even have to do anything this time! They''ll have to deal with mother... that should be enough, don''t you think?"

    "Oh, I totally forgot about Madame Jensen!!!... Well good luck to them then..."

    In the building just outside Eliott''s, Fidelia was sipping a glass of wine with Christopher, talking about this and that.

    That evening, Fidelia learned that Christopher was Eliott''s best friend and assistant, and as they talked about their work, she realised that he was actually her boss.

    After learning this news, Fidelia was all excited. She was dying to know more about Eliott, she needed to know what kind of man he was to protect her best friend who was in her first relationship.

    So she asked Christ a lot of questions about the mysterious Eliott, but she could not find out anything interesting about him. Christ was not cooperative at all, and his attention was clearly not on the conversation, but on the beautiful and delicious woman standing in front of him.

    After some distraction, Fidelia''s curiosity was gone and replaced with lust and arousal. Soon clothes could be seen lying all over the bedroom and moans could be heard filling the room. After pleasuring herself with him, she went back to her flat smiling. Her love session with Christopher was always amazing, she really had never met anyone so sexually connected with her! she was slowly becoming more and more attached to him.

    The next day, RoyalStar took advantage of Alex''s new notoriety in the country to announce their new contract with them. Social media was on fire with Alex being featured in an ad all over social media.

    It was the announcement that she had signed a contract with Royalstar and that she was now the new face of the company. Fans were very happy for her and better understood her sudden interactions with Ethan. Some of them were starting to think that maybe her recent interactions were not really dating, but that Ethan was taking her in as a friend and showing her around the city a bit or how things worked in the country, because even if she was from Florelia herself and grew up in New Bell, so she was not really used to Florelia.

    So some fans started speculating about the truth of their relationship, but the majority still hoped it was true because they really loved the "beauty couple".

    After the release of the statement introducing Alex, RoyalStar announced a press conference with Alex for the next day.

    Alex did not have time for herself that day, she was trained for the press conference, the company''s PR team prepared a series of questions for her that the press could ask . With her consent, they also created a page describing herself and a bit of her story. All of RoyalStar''s artists have this page on the company''s website. It was an important way of communication between the fans and their artists and it was important that her fans knew a little bit about her story so they could relate to her.

    On that day, Alex''s page already had one million fans.

    The next day, the press conference took place as expected. Alex was wearing a blue green dress that made her eyes stand out even more, nude stilettos, and the jewellery that everyone had been talking about for the past few days. Her long black hair was gracefully wavy, she was lightly made up and had a scarlet lipstick on her mouth, effortlessly giving her a glamorous look. Those in attendance were stunned by her beauty, she was simply stunning.

    She took her seat and introduced herself to the reporters present, "Hello, I am Alex Michell, I am glad to be here with you tonight. As you know, I officially became the new face of RoyalStar yesterday. I am very happy that they think so highly of me and are giving me this opportunity. It''s an honour for me and I will do my best not to disappoint them. Thank you."

    Fidelia then indicated to the reporters that they could ask their questions.

 Chapter 38 - Welcome Party

    That same evening, Leila organized a reception for her new film and to welcome Alex to the RoyalStar family. In addition to the cast of the film, many artists were invited to this small reception. The party was held in one of the luxury hotels owned by ROYAL CORP. It was a magnificent place, refinedly decorated in gold and white; the room was accessed by two staircases that converge on the top floor. As it was a cocktail party, there were a bar and a bartender making cocktails, golden tables full of white plate appetizers to everyone content.

    To enter that reception room, you had to first appear at the top and descend the stairs. That way, the people who were already in the room could see the others coming down the stairs as if a prince or princess were entering the ballroom.

    Of course, when Leila entered the room, all eyes were on her. Like her brother, she too was strikingly beautiful. Her short black hair was freshly made up, giving her a glamorous look. She wore a red evening cocktail dress that accentuated her beautiful curves, along with a small handbag. As she came down the stairs, everyone cheered.

    As soon as she entered the room, she was offered a cup of champagne and immediately started chatting with her guests as many people surrounded her asking this and that. There were a lot of people there tonight, most of them were actors and singers, but there were also businessmen looking for an investment or project to get in Leila''s good graces or Eliott''s if he decided to come, but that was another story as he rarely showed up at these types of events.

    Leila knew the reason why some of them approached her. She was used to these types of conversations by now with people begging her to let RoyalStar invest in their business or actresses who wanted her to set them up with her brother or Ethan.

    Sometime later, Fidelia and Christopher arrived. When they showed up at the top of the stairs, people dropped everything and looked at the two that were coming.

    Fidelia was wearing a beautiful black evening gown with a bareback that made her look super sexy. She was beautifully made up and had doe eyes, her beautiful lips were adorned with red lipstick and she wore gorgeous jewelry. Christopher on the other hand was wearing a very elegant black suit, a white shirt with a bow tie that gave him a distinguished look. He was really handsome that night.

    People were quite surprised when they saw that Christopher had actually brought someone to a party. All the women at that party were surprised to see him with a woman by his side because that had never happened before. One of the motivations of the actresses at the parties organized by Royalstar was to grab Christopher. He was considered one of the most attractive bachelors in town, plus he came from a wealthy family and was Eliott''s closest friend, so a relationship with him was also another way to get closer to Eliott. Only he was never fooled by the games of those pathetic actresses. Or if he felt the need, he was the one taking advantage of them.

    So Fidelia had become the topic of conversation among the guests, which she did not dislike because she enjoyed watching these women''s faces turned ugly with jealousy.

    After coming down the stairs, they went straight to Leila, who was also a little taken aback when she saw the two people coming towards them.

    "Hey, take a look at this! Our Mr. Casanova has a date tonight! And it''s with our beautiful Fidelia! Am I seeing this right? Or am I already drunk?..."

    "Sis, please do not make fun of me, it''s no big deal!!!"

    "You bet it is! If your mother sees this, she''ll sleep like never tonight! So, Fidelia, I''d like to know how you managed to get him to give up his single life and debauchery?

    "Uh... I did not do much... Maybe I am just a little smarter and know some effective little tricks."

    "Oh, I see..." Leila blinked, smiling broadly, "You''ll have to show me your tricks! Well, entertaining the guest Christ! it''s your job, after all, I''ll take a break and discuss with Fidelia for a bit."

    Christopher''s expression darkened within a second, he did not really want to entertain himself, but did he even have a choice? That was most of his job anyway. "Alright, have fun you two.

    He then took Fidelia''s hand and gave her a small kiss before leaving.

    Leila sat down on a small sofa with Fidelia and immediately started discussing with her. She was very curious and wanted to know how Fidelia had managed to deal with the playboy.

    "So, how long has it been? I mean, you are dating Christ?"

    "Actually not that long, we met at the airport the day we arrived and met a few days later and one thing led to another... I snagged him," she said with a triumphant smile on her face, to which Leila also smiled and nodded at her appreciatively.

    "Okay, I get it, at least he''s serious about you, because he never brings anyone to this kind of event, he''s like a little brother to me, so I hope you treat him well. I am sure you are already doing very well if he''s that into you."

    "Don''t worry, as long as he treats me well, I''ll treat him well too. Um... Leila, I have a question, I want to know if our CEO will be here tonight?"

    "I don''t think he will attend such events until he gets the post of CEO of ROYAL CORP. But why? Don''t tell me you are also like those noisy girls ... "

    "Oh no, don''t get me wrong, actually I have already met him, ahah... um how should I say he''s kinda pursuing Alex now, I guess that''s not news to you, but she''s also kinda entangled with Ethan, so I don''t want them to meet, you know..." Fidelia laughed nervously as she spoke, but honestly, who would not? She was talking about Leila''s brother on one side and the most valuable actor in the company... But as a friend, she had to do this for Alex! She just could not imagine what could happen if they saw each other.

    "Oh, that... hum, don''t worry about it, it''s not a problem at all..."

    "Really? I mean, you know she''s really dating Ethan and your brother..."

    Leila interrupted her with an amused laugh "Don''t worry, um, how should I tell you, well, you''ll find out soon anyway, just don''t let it bother you!"

    "Tell me what? You are awakening my gossiping alter ego! I sense there''s a lot of gossiping going on here!"

    "Okay! I guess you''ll find out soon enough that they are actually the same man, so she''s only dating one man, Eliott... I suppose..."

    When Fidelia heard that, her eyes widened, threatening to hit the floor with every word she heard. She could not believe it, Eliott was actually Ethan? So when people are curious as hell to get to know the mysterious Eliott Jensen, he''s actually openly walking around with another face? Is that really true? She couldn''t help to ask herself.

    Just as she was about to ask for more explanation, the door opened and two figures appeared at the top of the stairs.

 Chapter 39 - [Bonus ]Welcome Party 2

    Alex and Ethan looked radiant and dazzling, like a king and his queen. The atmosphere around them as they stood up there was just perfect and domineering, they radiated such confidence and beauty that everyone at this party could not help but look at them with amazement.

    They were the two everyone had been waiting for, especially Alex because of all the attention she had received over the past few days. Everyone at this cocktail party wanted to see what she really looked like, what was so special about her that Royalstar liked so much. All the artists knew how difficult it was to get a contract in this company, but out of nowhere, she had become the face of every brand Royal Corp own. This was shocking news that made many curious.

    Descending from the stairs, the guests in the hall stopped to admire this beautiful and harmonious picture that was in front of them. The couple were more appealing than ever. Eliott wore a plaid suit with different shades of green, a white shirt that highlighted his perfect chest, his beautiful legs were adorned by a pair of black derbies, he had a more casual and chic style as he was Ethan that night.

    Alex wore a long green flowing bustier dress that was reminiscent of the colour of her eyes. The dress was relatively plain and was pulled up by a long underwire that gave a glimpse of her beautiful long legs. Her neck was adorned by a round necklace that was complemented by longs dangling earrings. Her makeup was glamorous with rather pale colours and pink lips. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, she was simply stunning.

    Looking at the two of them, it was immediately noticeable that their clothes matched, making them look like the perfect little couple.

    In fact, three hours before the party started, as the girls were happily getting ready, they were surprised to receive both of them dresses. They thought it was probably sent by the company to advertise them. It was not until she saw Eliott waiting for her outside the car that she understood the real reason the dress was sent to her. As Eliott stood in front of her at that moment, illuminated by the twinkling light of the night, she could not help but sing softly in her head as she always did.

    In the car Alex could not stop looking at Eliott, he was certainly a rare work of art and she was not even aware herself how seductively she was looking at him. Seeing Alex''s eyes on him, Eliott could not help but tease her.

    "Well, am I that fascinating?"

    "You are just too good to be true, can not take my eyes off you. you''d be like Heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much, At long last love has arrived, And I thank God I am alive, You are just too good to be true, Can not take my eyes off you" (a song by Abba). Alex sang, smiling shyly. She noticed that she was not ashamed or afraid to show herself in Eliott''s company, even when she showed her weirdest side.

    "You are just too good to be true, Can not take my eyes off you, You''d be like Heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much, At long last love has arrived, And I thank God I am alive, You are just too good to be true, Can not take my eyes off you" (the same song). Eliott found Alex''s way of giving compliments funny and refreshing. He was willing to play along with her without hesitation because he thought she was so cute and sweet when she sang like that.

    Back at the party:

    Obviously, due to poor human nature and judgmental minds, most of the women in the room were dying of jealousy. They could not understand how a stranger like Alex could fall into Ethan''s favour? They could not help but stare at her with a cold stare that could have frozen them.

    "I take it all the murderous looks I am getting are because I am your date tonight?" Alex was actually amused. If she was hated by people like that, it meant these women were just jealous and feared her. It meant that she had some sort of power over them, so instead of being afraid, she felt nothing.

    "No, I think it''s because they realise they can''t compete with your beauty, it has nothing to do with me..." Eliott took her arm possessively, showing all the men who were looking at Alex drooling that they should not covet what was his.

    The pair went to greet Leila first since she was the hostess of the party. Alex felt very happy as she looked at Leila. She was wearing an exclusive dress of her brand and it suited her so well that she couldn''t help but widen her smile. She did not know if it was just a coincidence or if Leila had done it on purpose, but she felt very pleased!

    "Leila, you are gorgeous!!! And this dress looks perfect on you!"

    "You are beautiful too, let me guess," she took some time to look at Ethan, "this beautiful dress was offered to you, right?"

    "Isn''t she beautiful?" Ethan raised an eyebrow with a smile as he eyed Alex from head to toe, unashamed of how much he appreciated the sight.

    "Yes, and her dress is perfectly coordinated with your suit, couldn''t you be a little more discreet?" Leila rolled her eyes, her brother was becoming more and more shameless!

    "Why would I?" Eliott looked so innocent when he said that, Leila could not even think of an answer while Alex just stood there smiling.

    Everyone started laughing as they were engaged in happy conversation. Fidelia, now knowing that Ethan was none other than Eliott, his Big Boss, did not know how to act towards him and was getting a little nervous. She remembered her interruption last time on the terrace and felt even more reluctant.

    Ethan had already noticed her discomfort, but just before he could reassure her, he was called by Christopher, so he left the three women between them and walked towards the crowd surrounding Christopher.

    Actually, his character Ethan had been created for that purpose as well: to come into contact with these influential people, he could then learn about them, their behaviour, their work ethic, or their vulnerability.

    The other men in the room were waiting for these three beautiful women to be alone so they could approach them. Some just did not dare approach them, after all, they were intimidating and influential women.

    Still, two of these men approached them. Alex saw them approach and immediately stepped back a little behind Leila. The least that was going to happen to her at her own party was that she would faint because a strange man had touched her.

    "Hello Vice CEO Jensen, you are beautiful tonight! Who are the two beautiful ladies accompanying you tonight? Seem like new faces to me" Kevin Allen, CEO of Allen Tech came up to them looking like a peacock with his head held high.

    "Oh, thank you, CEO Allen, let me introduce you to Alex Michell she is our new international model and brand representative and here is her agent Fidelia Rodriguez a talent we found in NewBell.

    Kevin extended his hand to Fidelia "Pleased to meet you, I am Kevin Allen, CEO of Allen TECH. And this is Mr Wu, the owner of WU hotels.

    "Enchanted, enchanted." Fidelia inwardly cursed at the dirty touch Kevin made on her hand.

    Alex sensed it was her turn and greeted them with a gesture of her head, "Enchanted gentlemen, I am Alex Michell."

    Leila, knowing the intentions of the two gentlemen in front of her, resumed the conversation by getting them to talk business with her and slowly moved away from the girls.. The two gentlemen who had to follow her were a little annoyed at her ending their approach, especially Kevin who was intrigued by Alex and was already lustfully imagining having her under him.

 Chapter 40 - Welcome Party 3

    When she was alone, Fidelia looked intently at Alex with a mocking smile. "Well, Baby girl, how does it feel to be the principal actress in the life of the most influential and attractive single man in town, who also happens to hold the award of Actor of the Year?"

    "Did you find out? Did Leila tell you?"

    "Yes, since you did not ..."

    "You know perfectly well that I would have told you, but then I decided to rely on your intelligence to figure it out."

    "Yeah, right ... And I am the dumbest woman in this room."

    Alex just rolled his eyes at Fidelia''s comment "How does it feel to be in the life of the most eligible bachelor in town?"

    "Oh please, I wonder what else people see in him that they give him that damn title..."

    "Maybe because all the women revolve around him. You should look behind you."

    Fidelia looked in the direction Alex indicated, and all she could see was a line of women happily discussing Christopher "What an idiot! I am coming, is it okay if I leave you alone?"

    "Of course, I am fine. Go get your man!" Alex teased her friend, amused that Fidelia was already acting like she owned the man.

    After Fidelia made her way over to Christopher, Alex decided to take care of her stomach. The buffet was simply stunning with various little delicious things that were crying out to be tasted. You could see stars in her eyes as she saw all these little dishes calling out to her. And since she had her hands full, she was able to avoid the many contacts and greetings from the men who were present at the party and who had been eyeing her since she arrived.

    On the other hand, Christ was surrounded by several young women who were trying to make advances on him one after another. Being of an open nature, they took the liberty of seducing him quite openly, even allowing themselves to touch him at will, one of them even having her arm intertwined with Christ''s as if he were with her. Christ, out of habit, did not push her away until he saw Fidelia approaching him with a mocking smile.

    "Well, look at that, Mr. Zhang is in good company, but etiquette says that the escort takes care of his date, so I wonder who''s taking care of me since my date looks very busy."

    The girls around Christopher looked at her dismissively, they were all actresses or singers and would not be bothered by a mere manager. Annoyed at her presence, one of them, the one holding onto Christ''s arm, allowed herself to answer her.

    "Christopher does not belong to anyone, who do you think you are? That you want him to take care of you."

    "Gosh, I think you should answer the lady''s question and tell her who I think I am." Fidelia had that devilish smile on her lips where Christ already sensed there was going to be trouble if he doesn''t act swiftly.

    All the girls present near him turned to him and waited joyfully for his answer. They knew that Christ would not allow a woman to claim him so openly, so they were already expecting Christ to happily reject Fidelia.

    "Darling, what are you talking about? Of course, I have to take care of you, ahah, okay ladies, this is my girlfriend Fidelia, I am sorry I have to leave you now, I have to take care of her before she gets mad at me. Bye..." Christ was so proud as he spoke that the women were confused. Some of them still did not want to believe what they had heard, but the way he looked at Fidelia literally screamed that they were indeed a couple.

    He hastily released his hand from that of the girl clinging to him and offered his arm to Fidelia, who refused to take it. She just gave him a look and walked away, Christ followed her without wasting another second, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist as he continued to apologize.

    The girls on the other hand could not believe their eyes, Christopher had just told them that he had a girlfriend, it was incredible news. He was known for refusing to get into a relationship, and now he was so openly announcing to them that he had a girlfriend. The most annoying part was that it was a girl they didn''t even know and who had nothing to offer!

    Alex, for her part, continued to feast, oblivious to the world around her, when a group of women approached her like hunters to a prey. Among these women, she recognized the friend of Aria Clara, whom she had met last time at CANDIDE.

    Looking at how unfriendly their stares were, she immediately understood that they were not approaching her with good feelings and that she had to be prepared for any eventuality. She kept eating until they were very close to her.

    Kylie Allen, the little sister of Kevin Allen, was the one who began to speak, standing right next to Alex. "I don''t understand how a person can eat like that during a party like this. It''s not elegant at all, and to think that she has the gall to stick to Ethan''s arm is disturbing..." They started talking as if Alex was not next to them.

    Clara, who had already been confronted by Alex, did not think it wise to try her patience, "I don''t think you should upset her. After all, look what happened to Aria. Every time she tries to attack her, she had been left humiliated..."

    "What are you afraid of? I am not Aria, do not compare me to her. That girl can''t do anything to me! I am the heir to the Allen family, my family is one of the richest families in the city. What can she do against me...?" Kylie felt irritated when she heard Clara. Comparing her to that stupid Aria was like an insult to her.

    "Well, Aria''s family is rich too... I just wanted to warn you... Do what you want, but I''ll stay out of it."

    Noticing that Alex was not responding to her provocations, Kylie moved even closer to Alex, who in turn was trying to spot Ethan or Fidelia to join them, as she was starting to get bored. Just as she had Ethan in her sights, who seemed to be very busy talking to other people, Kylie grabbed a glass of wine from the table and walked up to Alex with the fakest smile anyone could see.

    "Hello, I am Kylie Allen. Nice to finally meet the new face of Royal Star! I am one of the shareholders of the new movie you''ll be in."

    "I am very pleased, I''m Alex Michell..." Alex was not impressed in the slightest, so she replied with an impassive expression.

    "Nice dress by the way... Where did you get that?" Kylie was not bothered by Alex''s apathy and continued talking to her...

    Alex started to get annoyed and thought deep down ''if you don''t have anything interesting to tell me, then let me eat in peace!'', but being educated, she answered Kylie curiosity anyway. "Thank you... I can''t tell you where it was bought because I don''t know myself. It was a gift..."

    "Did it come from Ethan? It seems to match his outfit perfectly"

    ''What the hell do you care? '' Alex just wanted to eat in peace, but thinking of Elliott she smiled "No, actually it was a gift from someone else..."

    At that sentence, she finally wanted to leave. But Kylie anticipated her gesture and kept talking.

    "Are you really in a relationship with Ethan like the media is reporting?"

    "You should know that the media likes to report what suits them. Ethan is a good friend..."

    "Oh, that''s great, I am interested in him and it would be a shame if we were already enemies when we just met. I saw that you enjoyed Florelia''s pastries. You should try this cake, it''s divine and goes perfectly with this glass of wine."

    As she said this, she pointed to the last cake on the tray and handed her the glass of wine she had all along their conversation with. Alex thanked her, grabbing the pastry and eating it as she slowly tasted it while taking Kylie''s glass of wine. After Alex took the glass of wine, Kylie finally left with a smile on her face.

    Taking precautions, Alex wait until Kylie was out of her sight and put the wine a the table, and just before joining her friend.

 Chapter 41 - Where Is Alex?

    When Alex arrived near the two lovebirds, Christopher took the opportunity to chat with her a bit, after all, she was his girlfriend''s best friend. And seeing the way his dear friend was looking at her, he could immediately deduce from the twinkle in Eliott''s eyes that she was the one who would soon become the centre of his life, in other words, the mistress of Royal Corp.

    "So Alex! We have not seen each other very much since the last time we were at the airport. I must say you look beautiful tonight."

    "Thank you, you have very good taste, both you and Eliott. I must say I like those dresses, especially Fidelia''s," Alex teased Christ. She found him quite entertaining and friendly with his perfect white smile.

    "You are welcome!!! We did our best to find those dresses for you!" He smiled, proud of his accomplishment. "Do you like this kind of festivities?"

    "I am not a fan of it, but I have been to many parties like this, due to my work, I am sometimes forced to attend such events."

    "I also attend because my work forces me to be here and socialise with all these people...."

    "But of course, it''s really because of your work and not because it allows you to flirt with girls... " Fidelia smirked as she drank her wine.

    Christopher did not even know how to respond to that, but to his discharge, he never flirts with them, it''s the women who flirt with him! But of course, he would not risk saying that in front of Fidelia.

    All three of them laughed at that remark. They talked for a while longer when Alex was overcome with a bit of nausea. She decided to go out on the balcony to get some air, since she was being crushed by all the people at the party. Fidelia wanted to accompany her, but Alex didn''t want to spoil her friend''s fun with her boyfriend, so she asked Fidelia to stay and assured her that she was fine.

    The balcony offered a magnificent view of the city. Alex was admiring the lights dancing in front of her like garlands decorating a Christmas tree when suddenly she didn''t feel well. Her vision suddenly blurred and she could not stand properly, her heart began to beat fast and her instincts immediately told her to return to the room. Unfortunately, before she even took a step towards the door, she was grabbed by two men. She tried to fight back, but she lost consciousness very quickly as she could not stand the touch of these men.

    Not far away, in a room of the hotel, you heard two devious voices.

    "Brother, it is done, she will be here in a minute. Don''t forget to take pictures when you are done. Once those pictures are released, Royalstar will not want a whore like her in their company and her life will be over. I want her to regret coming here as soon as possible. That''s the price she pays for strutting around with my Ethan!"

    "You are too dark, Kylie... But that''s fine with me because if she loses everything, I''ll make her my sex slave! I am getting hard just thinking about her, pressing herself under me. I can''t wait anymore, where is she? Growled Kevin with a perverted smile.

    "That disgusting brother! I don''t care how you are going to take her!" She scoffed at her lustful brother''s words! "Be patient, they''ll be here in a minute. They have to use the stairs to get around the security cameras. And there are eight floors between this room and the party. I will go upstairs before people notice my absence. I am counting on you, brother!"

    A few minutes after Alex left for the terrace, Ethan joined Christ and Fidelia, he had finally gotten rid of all the people who were talking with him nonstop asking him to work with them. Since he had not seen Alex with them, he curiously asked Fidelia where she was. She told him that she had gone out on the patio to get some air. So Ethan didn''t waste a second and went out on the terrace to ask his date, who he had left alone until now, to do a little dance.

    To his surprise, the terrace was empty, there was no sign of Alex. Immediately, a strange feeling came over him. His concern increased when he found the necklace she was wearing broken in a corner of the terrace.

    Realising that something was wrong, he discreetly called Christ on the terrace, who joined him without wasting a second.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "She''s not here and I find her necklace there?" Ethan features had already gone cold, making him look even more like his real self.

    "For fuck''s sake! I saw her go out on the patio. Sorry, bro, I didn''t pay much attention to her because I did not think anyone would dare do something like that here! Do not worry! We will find her quickly." Christ was worried and felt a little guilty. He knew that anything could happen at such a party, but still, he thought that no one would dare to do dirty business here. After all, it was one of the Royal Hotel and they were known to have the best security management. And when he saw the scowl on Ethan''s face, he feared Eliott would rip the mask off his face in front of everyone.

    "Don''t be sorry, it''s my fault too, I was busy talking to those vultures, I did not even know she was missing! First of all, there''s only one other way in here, and that''s by taking the stairs. Look at the security cameras and tell me what you find! I''ll go back in, you take the stairs so people won''t get suspicious!"

    Christopher rushed to the hotel''s security while Eliott found his sister in the reception hall, joined by Fidelia at this point, who sensed something was wrong since Alex was not back with Ethan.

    "I can''t find Alex; can you tell me who is missing from the guests?" Eliott asked Leila, who knew most of the people in the room. He was still calm, not showing how nervous he actually was.

    "Wait, what? Missing? Who has the balls to do something like that in our hotel and in front of me?" Leila was really angry and it did not take long for her to search the room and find the missing.

    "A dead man!" growled Eliott as his phone rang.

    "She''s been taken by two guys, she seems to be unconscious... I am checking every floor to find out where they took her! But the security officer just told me that the camera was being replaced on certain floors, so they might have booked a room on one of those floors!" Christ told Ethan the problematic floor and began looking at the security cameras on each floor while asking the security manager to monitor where the elevator coming from the party had stopped.

    Leila looked around cautiously, trying to remember who was invited and who she actually saw coming, "There are a lot of people who are not here! Some people have already left too! Wait... I cannot find Kevin Allen! He was here earlier!"

    "He was looking at Alex with vicious and lustful eyes when he greeted us earlier. I hope nothing happened to her." Fidelia was already worried sick, her eyes almost filled with tears.

    "Find out where that damn bastard is!" Eliott shouted as he walked back to the terrace, he could not hold back his anger any more! Good thing they were alone on the terrace because he was already ripping off his Ethan''s mask.

    "Damn... That fucker took the stairs too, but his sister seems to have gone to the tenth floor! The security cameras on that floor are being replaced right now!"

    "I''ll join you there!.. That bastard will regret it for the rest of his life if he even touches one of her hairs!"

    "Be discreet and do not let the media know about this. Find her quickly, please. Fidelia will stay on the terrace to confuse people before they come looking for you." Leila knew her brother was already pissed, but was trying his best to remain as calm as possible.

    "I know, take care of things here!" He instructed her sister before disappearing down the stairs.

 Chapter 42 - You Even Dare To Touch My Wife?

    In a certain room on the tenth floor, Kevin was busy undressing Alex, who lay unconscious on the bed. But when his hands landed on her skin, he did not expect the blow that landed between his legs, for Alex reacted violently to his touch. In fact, out of reflex, Alex gave him a kick that landed unexpectedly on his abdomen. The pain was felt all over the room and Kevin could not suppress his scream.

    He was pissed off and just wanted to teach her another lesson she would remember all her life! But before he could even lay a hand on her delicate face, the door to the room suddenly flew open and Eliott appeared in the doorway. A sinister smile on his face was matched by a frosty look.

    Glancing at the door, Kevin recognised the clothes Ethan had been wearing at the party, but when he saw the face, he instantly paled, for he was surprised to see Eliott standing and leaning against the doorframe. His whole demeanour was cold, his golden eyes sending cold fire at Kevin, who shivered under his piercing gaze.

    Kevin was truly confused and scared at the same time! If there was anyone who could ruin him or his family in the city, it was definitely Eliott Jensen and now he was caught doing such a thing with an artist from RoyalStar. Faced with Eliott''s icy stare, he could not say even one word.

    Eliott, for his part, had not taken his eyes off Alex for a minute since he''d gotten there. It was a relief that she had nothing. As he came, he took off his makeup and disguise, because he wanted that bastard to know that Alex was his wife and that the person who dared touch her should be his enemy.

    To prevent anything from happening, Christopher was already there watching the scene. After seeing that Alex had nothing, he entered the room silently and sat on the bed to see if she was really alright. He touched her hair gently with a loving face and then quickly took her in his hand.

    Kevin, watching this scene, was speechless; in his mind, he could not see clearly what was happening. "What''s happening right now? Who exactly is this Alex? Why is Eliott himself here looking for her?"

    Before leaving the room, Eliott looked back with burning eyes at Kevin, who was still lost in his thoughts, "Mr. Allen, I am sure you realise the gravity of what you just did by now. I didn''t know you were so brave, now you even dare to touch my wife. Well, I hope you''ll prepare yourself for the coming consequences before you do." After that, Eliott wasted no more time in the room and exit with Alex in his arms.

    Kevin could not believe what he had just heard. She was his wife? He had never heard of Eliott being married, what in the world had just happened? Realising the gravity of the situation, he just fell to his knees, powerless and scared. He immediately got in touch with his sister, she always had a good plan, besides this whole mess had been her idea in the first place, she was the main culprit so she should pull him out of this situation, if not it was the end of his life, no, their lives.

    "What mess did you get me into Kylie? You said she was a nobody, no one would care about her! And now we are insulting Eliott by messing with her!!! Do you want me dead? Or should I say our death?" He shouted angrily into the phone.

    "What are you talking about? She just got here a few weeks ago and she''s just a model who got a chance to be the face of RoyalStar! And what about Eliott?" Kylie felt wrong as she stealthily left the ballroom.

    "A simple model?? She''s Eliott''s wife, damn it!!!!!!!" Kevin grew even angrier at his sister''s lack of understanding, she should have all the information about Alex before making him do such things!

    "Ah, what the hell are you talking about? Who told you that?" Kylie started to laugh in surprise as she thought of how ridiculous what her brother was saying.

    "It''s Eliott himself! He only came here together! We are dead!"

    "What, how is that? What shall we do, brother? Let us go home first! I am leaving now, so let us meet at home, I think the only person who can help us now is father!!!" Kylie began to tremble just thinking about what Eliott could do to her. All her confidence from earlier was gone, making way for fear and worry.

    As Kevin tried to leave the room, he was stopped at the door by Christopher, who was accompanied by two other men.

    "Mr. Allen, are you already living with us? You should stay with me for a little while. It will not take long, don''t worry..." Christopher had a sinister smile on his face, a rare smile that only his enemy knew.

    "My God, we have known each other for so long, we are good friends... can''t you just let me go?" Kevin stammered, frightened.

    "I am here to represent Eliott, besides, I don''t have a shitty friend who would take advantage of a girl like you. Are you even a man?"

    In the city''s business circles, Christopher was known for being the best secretary of any CEO in town. He was even a renowned lawyer who could take care of all his boss''s legal and, let us face it, sometimes illegal problems.

    The people who knew Eliott''s cold character initially thought that they could use Christopher with his playboy behaviour or his outspoken nature to get favours. But they soon find out that he was not far off from his boss when it came to working. Two cold-hearted monsters, no wonder they were best friends!

    "Don''t be like this, please, help me this one time, I will reward you if you want...." Kevin pleaded with all his might

    "Reward me? Don''t make me laugh, what can you give me that Elliott can''t? Let me remind you, you just tried to rape my sister in law and my girlfriend''s best friend. Do you think I am going to help you despite all the money your family has?

    "Do you think I am afraid of you...? You are just..."

    "Cut the bullshit man, my girl is waiting for me..." Christopher stopped him from talking more nonsense. He picked up a document one of the guys next to him was holding and began to tell, "Your company has some contracts with us. The breach of the contract fee will be paid, you don''t have to worry about that, but you have to remember that you will also have to pay us a fine, but don''t worry, the price will not be too high, just a little of your time in prison will do. Eliott wants me to tell you that he is going to sue you for a rape attempt and make sure that what you did is public knowledge. Long storey short: He''s going to make your life a living hell."

    "You have no proof..." Kevin mustered what little courage he had left to weakly utter that sentence.

    "You said we were friends, but you seem to forget that I am the best lawyer in this town. Are you sure we have no evidence? I have video of your sister putting something on a cake and giving it to Alex, I have video of you and your sister entering this room with two men holding Alex unconscious in their arms, oh and maybe you don''t know, even when cameras are exchanged we always have a backup! And so you know that all the rooms in this hotel are equipped with security cameras. As soon as someone enters a room they are automatically turned off to protect their privacy, but we can turn them on, so I have a video of you trying to undress Alex..." Christopher scoffed "I say, are you stupid enough to think you could have done that without getting caught in Royal Hotel?"

    Christopher looked at Kevin a little as if studying him, "Well, you do look stupid. Now that you know where you stand, I am going to let you find your father like you always do and ask for help.." Christopher grinned as he left the room.

 Chapter 43 - Sorry, I Couldnt Protect You

    Eliott, for his part, did not return to the party. After taking Alex, he headed straight home while asking his doctor to join him there. He was a little worried about Alex because she was still unconscious and looking so lifeless he was afraid she was in a more serious state. To be sure, he wanted his doctor to cheque her out as soon as possible. He could guess what kind of drug she had been given, and he was thankful that it didn''t start affecting her. To get rid of the drug and find out if she had any side effects, he wanted her to see a doctor as soon as possible.

    He hurried to arrive home as soon as possible. While he waited for the doctor, he laid Alex on his bed and began to wipe the sweat from her forehead, as it seemed she had a fever.

    After Christ took care of Kevin, he returned to the party to inform Leila and Fidelia of the situation. As soon as the two women saw him return, they rushed to his side, for they did not see Eliott or Alex with him; in fact, they were concerned about what might have happened to her.

    "My God, what happened? Where''s Alex?" Leila was the first to ask, concerned.

    "Yeah, where, is she? Didn''t you find her?" Fidelia could not take the situation anymore, she needed to see her friend.

    "Calm down ladies, we found her, Eliott took her straight home because she was drugged so we couldn''t bring her back here," Christ explained briefly

    "So this bastard had the balls to go this far! What did Eliott say? I hope he cuts his filthy dick off..."

    "Sis, the way you talk, is so sophisticated..." Christ made a small, disgusting face trying to mock Leila as he tried to ease the atmosphere, "You know how he deals with things like that, don''t you? Do not worry, that stupid good for nothing will pay for that!" he added with a smile.

    "So, how is she? I should take care of her, where did Eliott take her?" Fidelia couldn''t calm down, she was too anxious. She felt like it was her fault for not going out on that damn terrace with Alex, if only she had not left her alone this would not have happened.

    "Don''t worry, she''ll be fine with him..." Christ gently touched her chick to help her calm down.

    "Besides, I don''t think he''ll let you go home with her; I am sure he thinks it''s his fault and he blames himself. So believe me he''ll stay by her side until she gets better, don''t worry. Also, I need you to stay with me for a bit since Alex is not here. I don''t want people to start another rumor..." added Leila, giving Fidelia a reassuring smile.

    On Eliott''s side, the doctor was already consulting Alex. He must admit, he was surprised when Eliott called him. He thought Leila was sick, but when he saw the beautiful woman lying on Eliott''s bed, he couldn''t help but smile at his friend''s worried face, "The little boy is all grown up now," he thought.

    Doctor Phil''s family had always been the Jensens'' family doctor. His father was the Jensens'' family doctor, but nowadays when Eliott needed to see a doctor, he called Phil, who was also a childhood friend, just like Christ. Phil had known Eliott for a while now, you could say they were friends. It was the first time he had seen him so concerned about a woman other than his sister or his mother. So he was really curious about who she actually was.

    " I checked her out, don''t worry, she''s just in a deep sleep, she''ll wake up tomorrow, the fever is just because her body was fighting the drug. She will have more fever now that I gave her this IV too, so there''s really nothing to worry about. She''ll be fine in no time.

    "Thank you, Phil, thank you so much..." Eliott heaved a sigh of relief and looked lovingly at Alex.

    "No need to thank me, friend, that''s my job. When she wakes up, you are going to have to give her those meds, because she''s still going to feel a little groggy and disoriented. I have already put some in this drip, once it''s done the drug should be subdued. It''s a good thing she''s asleep or maybe not? Because, without that, you would have had a hard time as she would want to satisfy her sexual need!"

    Eliott just glared at Phil as an answered "...  I will escort you outside..."

    "Tell me who she is first, it''s the first time I have seen a woman in your house! " Phil couldn''t be bothered by Eliott''s cold gaze, he needed to relieve his curiosity.

    "My fianc¨¦e!!!" replied Eliott so full of love that Phil''s eyes threatened to fall out at what he heard and the expression on his friend''s face.

    "What did you say just now? How come you have a fianc¨¦e when you don''t even talk to women; how did you manage to get this pretty girl when I am still single!" Phil couldn''t believe that Eliott had actually gotten himself a fianc¨¦e?

    "Please don''t compare me to you, I cannot love someone for so many years and still not do anything to get her! When are you going to ask my sister out? You''ve been avoiding her like poison since your return!"

    "Hm, hm... I am going..." Phil was at an end with this topic, so he quickly excused himself before Eliott could say more.

    After the doctor left, Eliott returned to Alex''s side and cooled her fever tenderly with a wet towel, as if afraid of hurting her if he was too strong.

    It was already 10 am when Alex woke up the next day. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to adjust her vision to the bright light of the sun. As she scanned the room, she was surprised to find that she was not in her room and began to sweat as she could not remember anything that had happened to her.

    She blinked a few times to get a clearer picture of where she was. She was startled even more when she saw a sleeping man sitting in a chair with his head on the bed just next to her. She tried to get up, but could not move properly because she was too tired.

    When he felt movement next to him, Eliott woke up immediately. He had not slept all night because he was too anxious to even close his eyes. He had stayed awake all night, only to doze for a few hours in the morning while he waited for Alex to wake up.

    Seeing her awake, Eliott felt like he could breathe again. He was so happy that he unconsciously gave her a deep kiss on her sweet lips. He was so relieved that he did not even realize what he was doing as he slid his tongue into her hot mouth when she let out a surprise little moan!

    Alex was in a daze, she was a little confused and could not react at all.

    Remembering that she was sick, he broke the kiss and gave her a little peck on the forehead.

    "How are you feeling? Do you feel sick anywhere?"

    "What happened to me? Why am I here? I don''t really remember what happened to me last night. I felt a little sick at one point and then nothing." Her head was buzzing and she was trying to figure out what was going on.

    Alex did not like the sadness in Elliott''s eyes; it was not his fault anyway. She was the one who had not protected herself effectively. She was grateful enough that she had not woken up in some hotel room. "I am fine, just a little tired.. And you don''t have to blame yourself, I was not on guard either, it was that Kylie, right? She was the only one who gave me anything to eat. I thought she had put something in the wine she gave me, but instead, it was that damn cake!"

 Chapter 44 - The Allen Lose Everything

    Alex felt stupid for being involved in this girl''s game. She was used to being the target of such schemes when she started in the modelling industry. She thought that now she would be able to tell good people from bad or know when someone is trying to hurt her, but it''s too hard to know people''s hearts to predict their actions. She thought that she should be more on her guard in the future.

    Elliott was in a quandary at this point. It was his job to protect her, but he had failed because he had to do Ethan''s job and talk to those present at the reception. Therefore, he had failed to take good care of her and give those bastards the opportunity to mess with her. He thought about making her his priority from now on and always putting her first in everything he does so that situations like this would not happen again. For he knew that she would face more hardships once they were married.

    "Yes, she was..." Eliott did not want to talk to Alex about the incident, for he knew her past and feared she would close herself off again if she knew where he had found her. But he also couldn''t let her find out from someone else, so he decided to just answer her questions.

    "Why did she do that? We didn''t even know each other!" Alex''s face hardened, this girl had the guts to do something like that to her. She remembered something and smiled "oooh well she told me she was in love with Ethan so she must have been trying to humiliate me in front of him?"

    " I guess that was the plan too, I found you in a room with Kevin..." Eliott informed her hesitantly.

    When Alex heard that she had been found in a hotel room, she was startled and sat backwards to get some distance from Eliott. Her heart started beating fast, she felt disgusted and wanted to get out of bed and take a shower, you could see tears in her eyes, she was shaking, her head was buzzing as she imagined what could have happened, "Is... Did... something happened to me?" she asked in a trembling voice, she couldn''t believe it, her head was all mixed up ''why did this happen to only me?" she thought.

    Eliott could read the fear and sorrow in her eyes, he guessed what might have been in her head, he looked at her with a reassuring smile "Don''t worry darling, nothing happened to you, he didn''t even touch a millimetre of your hair." He hopped onto the bed and slowly took her in his arms, she did not resist which reassured Eliott, at least she didn''t close herself off from him. "Don''t be scared... I am here for you, okay?" He patted her back tenderly to help her calm down.

    Feeling the warmth of Eliott''s reassuring embrace, Alex felt safe and gradually began to relax. The warmth she received and the soothing voice that was whispering to her that everything was okay brought back a specific memory. It was a memory she would never forget in her entire life. It was a feeling that gave her the strength to fight on that fateful day,

    "It''s the same feeling I had back then when that bastard tried to rape her, the same reassuring feeling" Alex held Eliott tighter and unconsciously let out a smile. In his arms, she felt like nothing could happen to her. They stayed like that for a bit, not saying a word.

    "And how did you make those bastards pay?" Alex broke the silence between them. She could not take this not doing anything, she was certainly going to get back at them.

    "Quite simply, I made them understand that no one can touch my wife without paying the ultimate price... So don''t worry, they will get what they deserve."

    Alex had a surprised look on her face, her mouth slightly open and her eyebrows raised after hearing Eliott. She had not paid attention to anything Eliott said after hearing the word ''wife''.

    "Did you just say, my wife?"

    Eliott was surprised by her question as well. He was not aware himself that he had called her that, for it was natural to him, as he had already made her his wife in his mind, heart and soul. "Yes, I suppose I did!" he smiled, watching Alex''s eyes open even more. "Speaking of which, I wanted to tell you something...."

    Just as he was about to speak, the doorbell started ringing and he looked at the door a little annoyed, "How come someone always interrupts me just when I am about to talk! Damn!"

    "It should be my sister and Fidelia, I''ll open the door".

    "Can you help me and take me to the living room please?" Alex still didn''t have the strength to go on her own, she felt helpless, but she didn''t want people to come and see her all fragile like this.

    Eliott swallowed and pulled away the blanket covering her and she noticed she was not wearing her dress but pyjamas, certainly his pyjamas. She looked at herself and then looked at him with questioning wide eyes.

    Seeing the questions in her eyes, he simply replied as if nothing had happened, "I changed you, your dress was wet, so I had to. Since I am on my own, I had no choice but to do it myself," Alex did not respond, all you could see was her cheeks getting redder and redder. She buried herself in his chest as he carried her into the living room.

    Eliott smiled at the thought of getting his hands on the cutest creature he had ever seen. He thought she would be angry with him, but was more pleased with her reaction.

    Alex was not angry, or she could not get angry to be exact, because he took care of her all night, all she felt now was embarrassment as she remembered she was not wearing a bra that night.

    After laying her on the sofa, Eliott opened the door and it was indeed Leila and Fidelia as he had thought.

    At the same time, the morning at the Allens'' house was not very pleasant. Mr. Allen, Kevin and Kylie''s father, was on the verge of a breakdown. His secretary had just called him to tell him that all contracts with ROYAL CORP had been cancelled and they had even withdrawn their investment in the upcoming movie.

    He could not remember how he had upset the Jensen family to deserve such treatment. Then he remembered that both his children had been at the ROYALSTAR party last night. He connected the dots directly and realised that the trouble had to be with one of his children.

    "What the hell were you doing last night? Why did my contract with ROYAL CORP suddenly get cancelled?"

    "It wasn''t me, it was Kevin''s fault!" Without batting an eye, Kylie put all the blame on her brother.

    "What? Don''t fuck with me, didn''t you drug her?" Kevin was furious because if he was in this position it was because of his little sister. It had been her plan from the beginning and he had only agreed to play a part. He had not even dared to think about getting Alex until she had told him her plan.

    "At least it''s not me who got caught trying to rape her!" Kylie dropped the bombshell as if nothing had happened. She was not going to take the blame for the mess she had made. After all, she was not the one who got caught.

    Mr. Allen got a headache when he heard what his two children said, "Quiet!!!" he exclaimed in disgust. "Are you telling me that one of you is doing drugs and the other is a rapist?" His heart began to race as he slumped down on the sofa. He looked at the two angrily, "You even did your deed in front of our first customer, are you trying to kill me?

    "Dad, you are a friend of Mr.. Jensen''s, I am sure if you talk to him everything will be fine, I mean Eliott is not even the chairman of their company for now!" Kylie still didn''t seem to grasp the gravity of the situation she had put them in.

 Chapter 45 - She Is My Daughter In Law

    The Allen patriarch was tired of hearing his children talk as if what they were doing was not a real problem because at that moment he felt that he had not raised them well. In all his life, he could not imagine his kids doing something like that. He had heard of other children who had gone astray because of their wealth, but finally that morning he realised that he really had been wrong, his children were the same.

    He felt ashamed as he picked up his cell phone to call his friend, but it was his business that was affected. He had to do something to defuse the situation with Eli Jensen, maybe in the name of their friendship he could persuade his son to stop the cancellation of their contracts. Reluctantly, he picked up his cell phone and began calling Eli.

    At the Jensen mansion, Eli Jensen was still in bed, enjoying his lazy morning as he quietly read the newspaper. His life was really peaceful and quiet these days since he did not have to go to work anymore, and he really enjoyed these moments. When his cell phone rang, he frowned a little, because in all the years he had worked as the chairman of the company, a call in the morning was always a sign that something had happened.

    " Hello Eli, how are you, it''s been a long time..."

    "Hello Karl, well not that long, we played golf last week, so what happened that you call me so early in the morning..." Eli smirked, people who need favours can be really stupid sometimes, he thought.

    "Nothing really serious, I just do not understand Eliott cancelling our contracts without telling me first, so I was wondering what the problem was..."

    "Karl, you do know that my son is my reflection plus his mother and you know how we are, if he did that, that means you or your family have insulted our family, right?" Eli smiled slyly as he thought of his son.

    " I know he''s a reasonable child, so there should be a reason, but it should not be that serious to break our contracts like that."

    "So you are saying that my son should not have done what he did? Does that mean you are okay with what your kids did?" Eli raged on the phone, how could he have the guts to say it was not a serious matter?

    " No, no, I am absolutely not okay with it, but it''s just a mistake they made, it''s my fault for not raising them well, but can you forgive them this one time?" begged Karl on the phone, he really had no other choice, he was ashamed, but there was no other option for him.

    "Are you kidding me? Do you even know what they did?"

    "I know, I know, but it''s just a girl! I am sure we can find a way to work this out with the girl''s family..."

    "I am the girl''s family, she''s my daughter-in-law!" Eli could not allow him to continue his lousy speech and slowly cut him off, but even over the phone his voice sounded cold, "Now, do you think Eliott is going to let your children go without doing anything?"

    Karl''s hand shook, his phone threatening to drop as he heard what his friend was saying, his head buzzing badly, his voice shaking as he asked, "By daughter-in-law, you mean....?"

    "I mean my only son''s wife! So if you know the position your children have put you in, do not call me to talk business anymore. Because of our friendship, I will not stop seeing you, but you must know that your children must pay for what they have done. Even if it was not my daughter-in-law, they need to be punished for this kind of immoral behaviour."

    After interrupting the conversation, Karl looked at his children with disgust and slapped his son across the face, something he had never done before. He was on the verge of breaking down; his nerves went all numb thinking about how easily he had just lost his entire work. "How can I bring such stupid children into the world, where did it go wrong that my children have to develop such behaviours?" He could not believe that the company he had worked so hard to build was about to go bankrupt because of his children. ROYAL CORP. was his first customer, seventy percent of his sales came from his contract with R. C., how was his business going to survive without them now?

    About this slap in the face Kevin was not happy, but he knew that the slap was nothing compared to what he had done to his family. Kylie on the other hand was still unaware of the magnitude of the problem she had caused, after all it was her idea to begin with. Thinking her family was rich enough and the girl was a nothing in front of her, she did not give the problem a second thought until she heard her father say, "We are going to go bankrupt because of what you did!".

    "Dad, it cannot be that bad, it was just a joke with a little model, Eliott''s father would not terminate your friendship over it, would he?" said Kylie indifferently.

    "Is she stupid or just too spoiled to see what''s going on? "A little model? Didn''t I tell you last night that she was Eliott''s wife?" At this point, Kevin thought that his sister really was a lost cause.

    " So you knew who she was and you still dare to do something like that?" Karl became furious and looked angrily at his children.

    "Dad, I didn''t know! It was Kylie because she did not like the girl, she asked me to help her, and because the girl was really beautiful, I agreed, thinking that everything was under control, I just wanted to help Kylie but now Christopher has said I am going to prison for it! Dad, I don''t want to go there, what can I do?" Tears ran down his cheeks as he thought of his impending misery.

    "Don''t come to ask me, when you decide to rape someone else child or wife did you think about what consequences your act was going to have?  You two will find your own solutions to your problems. If you have to go to jail, you will! That''s not my problem!"

    Things were a little more lively at Eliott''s house. When Leila and Fidelia walked in, they were relieved to see Alex looking well. Fidelia did not sleep well that night, even though she knew Eliott was taking good care of her, but she could not feel relieved until she saw her.

    "Baby girl, how are you?"

    "I am fine, do not worry. I am just a little hungry, I thought you were going to bring me breakfast! How can you visit a sick person without bringing anything?" Alex pouted at her friend, not caring about the other people looking at her smiling at her cuteness.

    Hearing that, Fidelia was even more sure that her friend was fine because the more she thought about food, the more she was happy.

 Chapter 46 - Do Not Ask Me To Forgive You, Ask Alex!!!!

    Before going to see Alex, Fidelia had actually considered buying breakfast for her, knowing that her best friend liked to eat, but Leila had told her not to because there was a cook in Eliott''s house. She was really looking forward to a good breakfast, but when she looked around the house, she noticed that it was pretty empty, because there was no one in the big house except Eliott and Alex.

    Eliott''s apartment was on the same level as hers, but it certainly looked different, it was much larger. It had two floors, on the first floor there was the living room, kitchen, and a bathroom and toilet and on the second floor, there were three bedrooms with their own bathrooms. Even though his house was that big, Eliott was someone who was very independent since he was a kid. He didn''t like anyone doing anything for him at home, so there were no maids, just someone who came two days a week to clean up.

    Looking at the empty house, Fidelia was perplexed and wondered where the cook was. Truth be told, she was getting hungry too, and could not wait to get a good breakfast like the one they had that morning.

    "Baby girl, this time it''s not my fault, you''ll have to ask Leila, I wanted to come with some food, but she forbade me because there''s someone here who cooks..."

    Eliott, sitting quietly next to Alex on the couch, frowned and looked at his sister with a raised eyebrow, thinking, ''Since when am I the chef?''

    "Really? But it seems like there''s no one else in this house but us..." Alex didn''t hear or see anyone else in the house, so she looked at Eliott and waited for his answer.

    "As you said, there is only us, the cook is the one sitting next to you..." Leila smiled, looking forward to her good breakfast.

    Alex and Fidelia looked at Eliott in amazement, immediately thinking of the delicious breakfast they had that morning. ''So the food he sent me that day was really made by him? Such a great cook'' was the only thought in Alex''s mind.

    For his part, Eliott, after hearing his sister, didn''t say a word. Out of nowhere, he got up and went straight to his kitchen, and started to sort out the ingredients he needed to make a simple breakfast. Of course, he loved cooking, but his sister had made him his personal chef and now he kind of felt like he had gotten a foodie wife and was already anticipating his cute little misery.

    Alex, watching him from her seat, could not help thinking that the sight of him in his white T-shirt and chopping vegetables was really sexy.

    The one who felt a little uncomfortable in this situation was Fidelia, who thought that it was not her place to ask her Big Boss to cook for her. "Leila is it really okay to ask him to cook. I can do it, you know..."

    "Don''t worry, he is used to it. I come here every time I need something to eat, and I bet he is even happier to cook for his girlfriend, so you don''t have to worry" Leila sensed Fidelia was uncomfortable, and smiled at her, because she really didn''t know why people were so afraid of her little brother.

    Eliott smiled as he heard the two of them talking. He could understand Fidelia''s discomfort, after all he was still her boss. As his sister had said, he was indeed happy to cook for his future wife, but deep down he knew his sister was just a glutton who used Alex as an excuse to have breakfast at his house. Being the good brother, he was, he could not help but think of the time she would settle down. If she finds a husband, what will the poor fellow eat?'' He chuckled a little while imagining her in a kitchen.

    Across town, in the Allen family home, the atmosphere was very gloomy. Kevin was afraid of what was to come. He could not believe he was actually going to jail. He regretted that night so much, he knew he had screwed everything up, but if he didn''t have to go to jail, at least he could help his father save the company a little.

    He knew the Jensen family would not spread the real reason for the feud between them because Alex''s image would suffer, even if she was the victim. "I still have a small chance to avoid prison, I will have to beg for mercy!!!" Thinking about it, he looked really dejected. Kevin was a proud man and he could not stand Eliott since they were kids, he had always been jealous of him, he always had everything he wanted and people looked at him like he was a prince or something and he didn''t like that.

    And now he had to beg him to spare him. He was already thinking about just giving up, but when he saw his father sitting on the couch, absent-mindedly calling people for help, he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number, and waited, shivering, for the call to connect.

    Eliott''s phone suddenly began to ring. Seeing that it was his personal phone he frowned, not many people knew this number and if it was not his family calling, then it was usually people around him asking for a favor.

    He washed his hands and took his phone out of his pocket. Looking at the number, he frowned. This was the last person he wanted to hear or see since last night. He considered for a second whether or not to take the call. When Leila, who knew her brother best, saw him like this, she recognized his irritated look and knew something bad was about to happen, ''Who is this bastard? Hopefully, he will not stop him with the cooking...'' was her only thought.

    "Hello," Eliott said in a tone that pierced through the phone like a dagger, and the three women in the house felt his posture change and the temperature around him drop.

    Kevin''s hand shook as he heard Eliott''s cold voice. Immediately he regretted his idea of calling Eliott, but it was too late because the call was already connected, "Hello Eliott, I know it is very presumptuous of me to call you, but I have no choice. I know that what I did really upset you, but can you give me a little chance? You can do whatever you want, but don''t just send me and my sister to jail, please?" Stuttered Kevin, almost crying into the phone.

    Eliott took the call because his father had sent him a message telling him to give him some face since Karl was his friend and ask him not to be too hard on the Allen Patriarch. He knew his father was also very angry about what those two bastards had done, and he also knew Karl was a good man who didn''t deserve to lose everything overnight because of his adult children''s misbehaviour.

    "Oh, so you want me to be forgiving? Why would I do that? When you looked at my wife with your dirty eyes and planned to rape her, did you think of being merciful?"

    Kevin gulped, Eliott cold voice was already killing his nerves, he was so afraid that he just wanted to cut that call, but he couldn''t do that, he had to ask, at least for his father "Even if you don''t do this for me, at least think of my father, please..." Kevin sighed, reluctantly accepting his fate, but at least he wanted to help his father.

    "You have a lot of nerve using your father to escape your punishment. Lucky you, I am in a good mood, I''ll show your father some mercy, I''ll not pull my investment for your next movie.. But you and your sister will still have to pay your share, and of course, you''ll have to ask Alex for forgiveness, not me!" Then the conversation was cut off. Eliott was still furious that Kevin had the gut to call him!!

 Chapter 47 - I Dont Want Them To Go To Jail For Now!

    Eliott was still angry after that call, his beautiful scrambled eggs were a mess, he had to make them again. Sighing, he threw them in the bin, cursing Kevin as he did so.

    The phone call had reminded him of what had happened last night, and just thinking about it made his blood boil. He did not want the women in the room to see him like this, especially Alex, so after the call, he just continued cooking without turning to them.

    Leila, Alex and Fidelia sitting quietly on the couch, could feel the change in atmosphere. Already during that call, a cold aura surrounded him, and even if they only saw his back, they could feel the change in his mood and demeanour. He spoke calmly, but even Fidelia had felt the coldness in his voice, making her shiver unconsciously. They could all guess that it was not a pleasant call.

    When they realised who was on the phone with Eliott, their reactions were fierce as well. Leila could not help but curse Kevin as a "lousy piece of shit," Fidelia frowned deeply, and Alex clenched her fist as tightly as she could. At that moment, you could see the atmosphere around them grow as cold as the one around Eliott. They seethed at the thought that he certainly had a lot of nerve calling Eliott just a few hours after he''d been caught.

    Leila could feel Alex''s anger, she felt bad, she didn''t deserve to be treated like this and all she wanted was to make the bastard pay!

    "What did he want?" asked Alex out of the blue and Eliott froze a little.

    He didn''t want her to think that he would let him go despite what he had done, just because he was the son of his father''s friend. He thought about it, ''Since I want to press charges, it''s fine if I give my father a little credit, but the decision is ultimately hers. She has the right to do what she wants because she is the victim, and we have nothing to say about her decision.'' And immediately you could see a small smile on his face.

    "He wants me to forgive him. I had cancelled all their contracts with our company, so that should make their life difficult from now on, and I had also asked Christ to press charges toward the two siblings...." Eliott was still busy cooking, looking pleased with what was coming out as he talked to Alex.

    "But I don''t want them to go to gaol, at least not right now. It will be more fun to make them pay for their actions while they are free, the pain will be stronger..." Alex said quietly with a wicked smile. Leila was a little taken aback by her coldness. She smiled, thinking that she really was made for her brother.

    Eliott smiled a little when he heard that she would like to play with them a little. "Anyway, I was going to give father some face for asking me to spare his friend. I want to take back, maybe two of their contracts with us? But if you don''t want me to, I won''t, you have the power in this."

    "Fine by me, their father is not the one who needs to be punished anyway..." Alex smiled gently, reassuring her boyfriend.

    To be honest, after the call she felt that Kevin''s demand putted Eliott in an awkward position because he didn''t turn to her or looked at her, but now she knew it was because of Eliott''s father''s friendship with Kevin''s father. Either way, she really wanted to get back at them, and in her own way. She would certainly press charges against them, bastards like them deserved to be locked up somewhere, but she wanted them to suffer while they were all free. Sometimes people were scarier than in prison.

    Eliott was a little intrigued by what she was trying to do to them, he was liking her more and more, she was really entertaining. To tell the truth, he also thought that three or four years in prison was not enough for what they had done, but he was afraid that Alex would think he had not taken care of them the way he should have, because the proper way to solve problems like this was to go to the police and press charges.

    So he did what anyone would have done because he didn''t know how Alex would react. Now he was really curious and interested in how she thought. Before he had a chance to ask her, Leila, who was also stunned by Alex''s decision, could not help but ask:

    "Alex, I didn''t know you were like this, I like you more and more, I love how you take care of things! So what are you going to do with them? I am curious as hell! And I deadly want to help you crushed them"

    " I''ll just have them publicly apologize, they are well known here in public. I need to let the world know what they are really like, it''s that simple. I will make sure no one gives them the respect they think they deserve. The little piece of shit that drugged me needs to be left with nothing so she knows how life really works, After they will lose all dignity, I''ll put them to jail" she smiled happily. She could not wait to see that.

    "And how would you do that?" Eliott was also very curious and could not help but want to see how she would manage it.

    "I am going to use my boyfriend to do it... " Alex''s smile grew even wider, making her look even prettier with her pretty bare face.

    Eliott liked her answer so much that a wide smile could be seen on her face. That smile was simply captivating. It was the first time Alex saw such a wide smile on his face. Even Leila was stunned by that smile, ''It''s been a long time since I saw that smile on his face. ''

    To tell the truth, it was hard to see a genuine smile on Eliott''s face. Even though he often smiled when he played Ethan, she knew it was all an act. And when he was with his family, his smile was not really expressive and sometimes he even used that fake Ethan smile to tease her. It was really rare to see that carefree and loving smile on his face, and now his sister was just grateful to Alex for making that happen.

    "Really, and if he does not want to help?" Eliott looked at her with a raised brow and a small grin.

    Alex was always fascinated when she saw the cute dimples on his face that made him look so cute, "I am sure he does..." she smiled lovingly her blue eyes twinkling.

    "Can you please stop flirting in front of us? And little brother, your girlfriend needs to eat, can you hurry up a bit?" Leila was glad to see his brother''s light-hearted side, but now she was really angry.

    Eliott reminded himself that Alex really needed to eat something since she had to take her prescription.

    " It''s ready, you can come to eat. Oh, sis, can you please hand me the bag of medicine Phil left? It''s in the medicine cabinet."

    When Leila heard that, she froze a little before taking the bag of medicine. They were all sitting around the table with a nice English breakfast in front of them. Not having much time because Alex had to take her medicine, Eliott decided to make an English breakfast that was easier than Florelia''s classic breakfast.

    " Oh, how is he?" asked Leila as she eagerly began to dig in, not looking at Eliott in the eyes.

    "Why are you asking me that? If you want to know, call him yourself." Eliott had a wicked grin on his face. He couldn''t understand why she was acting this way when he knew full well that she loved him.

    The other two people at the table could sense that something was going on between Leila and that doctor.. When Alex saw her reaction, she thought it was pretty funny to see Leila with that sheepish face, while she could swear like it was her native language.

 Chapter 48 - Fidelias Teasing

    The adage that "every determined action has its inevitable consequences and that once we engage in it, it is no longer we who hold our lives in our hands, but it holds us in its hands" was definitely true and Kevin had to face the consequences of his wrongdoing.

    Indeed, things were hectic at the Allen mansion as both son and father tried to prevent the demise of their business. The only person who did not seem to care about what was going on around her was Kylie. She still lived in her world, thinking that her family was high and mighty and would not fall so easily. She didn''t know how the business world worked and that a business could meet its demise overnight if it was not run well.

    At some point, Karl received a phone call from Eli. This call gave him some breathing room as Eli had informed him that they were keeping two contracts with them and would continue to invest in their film. He made sure to tell him that he was doing this in the name of their long friendship, but that his kids would still get the punishment they deserved for trying to harm her daughter in law. Karl was somewhat comforted because at least he could hope that his company would be saved.

    On the other hand, at Eliott''s house, the atmosphere was peaceful, the house was filled with laughter and good humour as they ate peacefully and talked about this and that, even Fidelia, who had been nervous in front of Eliott at first, was now very relaxed.

    At some point Eliott received a call from Christ, excusing himself because he had work to do. He soon disappeared into his study, leaving the three girls to chat with each other.

    Since they were alone, the conversation switched to more entertaining topics such as men and other topics that were more for women. Fidelia, who could not make many words in Eliott''s presence and found him a bit difficult because of his cold aura, was now carrying on the conversation verbosely.

    She didn''t understand how Alex could be so casual with him. Maybe it was because they were a couple, or maybe it was because they were two weirdo. As she thought about Alex and Eliott, something occurred to her and she looked at Alex sharply.

    "Baby Girl Since I am here, I wanted to ask you something, why are you wearing that? I mean, I thought you were unconscious last night...or did something happen last night? Did your little honey pot finally open up?" She smiled sheepishly as she thought of it.

    "What, seriously? Did my little brother finally break his monastic vows? That''s awesome!" Leila joined in the teasing, making Alex blush a little. They really did have a good imagination, she thought shaking her head.

    "What are you two talking about? I had a fever, that''s why my dress was soaking wet! Besides, I was not feeling well, remember? What could have happened? Plus my dress was too tight, so he put this on me!"

    "So he changed you! He saw something" Interesting, interesting!!!Fidelia could not help but feel happy about the development of her friend''s relationship.

    "Well, that''s nothing new, is it? Everyone has seen what he had seen, have you forgotten I am a model? I pose in a bikini and even have a picture on the cover of a magazine where I am naked!"

    "Mmhh mmh that''s not the same! Like you said, you were in a bikini so your secret parts were covered and on the cover of the magazine you could not see anything, everything was covered! But he did see your little bare breasts and as long as he wanted." Fidelia grinned and looked at Alex''s breasts, following by Leila.

    It was only at that moment that Alex remembered that she had not put on a bra last night because her dress was a bralette and it was nicer not to wear anything underneath. Her eyes widened as she realised why Eliott had excused himself and was a little nervous as he lifted the lid when she asked him to brought her in the living room! Because he had seen her bare chest! Immediately her cheeks flushed and she began to laugh nervously! "I forgot I didn''t have anything on under my dress! Thank God I had panties!" She joked, making Leila and Fidelia laugh.

    "But I have to say, my brother is really a lucky guy, he could see that without any effort!" Leila was pleased with the pace at which Alex and Eliott''s relationship was growing. Maybe she would have a sister-in-law soon, she was excited for that day.

    After her stomach was filled with delicious food, Alex finally felt like she could live now! Food really was the best way to comfort people, she was full of energy and in good mood. It was a beautiful sunny day with a bright blue sky and the sun shining along with the fresh breeze from the trees. As Alex looked out the large windows of the house at this beautiful scenery, she suddenly wanted to go out and make the most of this beautiful day. She still didn''t have the time to visit many places in this beautiful city.

    "Leila, do you have time today? I want to go for a little stroll! The weather is so nice today!"

    "Good idea! It''s been a long time since I have taken time for myself and today I have time, so let us go, I''ll show you some really great places!"

    "Fifi, do you want to come with us or do you have a little date?" A teasing smile formed on Alex''s mouth as she had the opportunity to tease her friend.

    "I''d rather go out at night... It''s more fun..."

    Understanding the meaning of that sentence, the three women giggled.

    "Lucky you, Fidelia!!!" Leila sighed, thinking of the last time she had tasted a man!

    "But I don''t know if Eliott will let you go out today, he''s a protector and after what happened to you last night I don''t know if he''s okay with that." Leila remembered how her little brother used to get on her nerves when she was sick, and she could not imagine how he would act towards his girlfriend.

    Alex was not surprised because she had a feeling Eliott was the tsundere type, "I''ll try to convince him."

    With that, she immediately went upstairs and was soon standing outside Eliott''s study. She knocked twice before slowly opening the door. Eliott was on the phone when he saw her enter. He gestured for her to sit on the couch. Alex did as she was told and sat down without taking her eyes off him.

    He seemed a little angry, you could see a cold expression on his face and was talking sharply to someone. As Alex listened to him, she was a little taken aback. It was the first time she saw him at work and it was really surprising how different his whole behaviour was from when he was with her.

    After he finished his phone call, he smiled with his cute dimples showing up and took a seat next to Alex, who was still lost in her thoughts smiling unconsciously just seeing that beautiful two holes on his cheeks.

    "What can I do for this beautiful woman?"

    "I just wanted to tell you that I am going out with Fidelia and Leila, I want to enjoy the nice weather and see the city," Alex informed giving him his best smile.

    "You have been sick all night, it would be irresponsible to go out today, don''t you think?" Eliott made a serious face, he was not pleased to hear that she wanted to go out! How could she be so careless with her body?

    "I know you are worried about me, but I am really fine, I am not that sensitive, you know..."

    "This has nothing to do with whether you are sensitive or not, it''s about your well-being, I mean, you were really out of sorts yesterday!" He watched her start to pout like a baby.. He really didn''t want her to go out, but when he saw that sweet face, how could he say no! "But if you think you are okay now, I will not stop you."

 Chapter 49 - A Little Kiss As A Bribe

    Alex was a little scared, Elliot didn''t really seem happy, his face was a little cold and his eyes a little sinister as she looked at him. She was a little disappointed in that decision now, after all he had been taking care of her all night and here she was not taking good care of herself.

    But on the contrary, that was not really the case. Even though he did not like the idea of her going out after being sick all night, he was not really against her going out and brightening her mood, he wanted her to stop thinking about what had happened to her the night before.

    "I am really fine, don''t worry," she tried to smile as wildly as she could to make him worry less. She looked up into his handsome face and somehow felt drawn to him. As if she was on autopilot, she placed her hands on his cheeks and gave him a small kiss.

    When she want to break the kiss, Eliott pulled her even closer and hugged her tightly. She gasped in surprise, giving Eliott the opportunity to slide his hot tongue into her mouth and deepen their kiss. It was a sweet and tender kiss, not too fast and not too slow, her lips were like the sweetest dessert he had ever tasted. He had been dreaming of this kiss since last night when he had undressed her as she lay on his bed and her delicious lips were slightly parted, and now he wanted to ravage her delicious lips, but he remembered that she was sick and stopped the kiss with a little kiss on her forehead.

    "Is this your way of bribing me? I love it!" Eliott chuckled feeling happy! "Go out and have fun, sweetie, but take good care of yourself."

    Alex was a little embarrassed, she had kissed Ethan, but somehow it felt different when she had kissed Eliott, even if it was the same man. A small smile formed on her pretty face as she stood up "go back to your work, I will not bother you any longer".

    Eliott smiled at her red cheeks and returned to his desk as he was asked. As she walked to the door Alex remembered something and before she walked out she turned to him: "By the way, did you see my chest last night?"

    "I don''t think any real man could turn his head when watching your attractive chest." Eliott looked into her eyes with an innocent smile shrugging his shoulders.

    Alex regretted why she had even asked that obvious question and left as quickly as she could.

    Fidelia and Leila were amused to see her walk out of the study as quickly as she could. They immediately understood that something embarrassing had happened to her in that room, they looked at her suspiciously and started teasing her.

    "Baby Girl why are you blushing so much... did something happen to you in the study room?"

    "No... nothing happened, what are you talking about? Anyway, I have permission. Let us go, I need to shower and change." Alex blushed even more as she walked to the door.

    "Don''t run away! You will not get away like that. Looking at your swollen lips, I bet you enjoyed a little kiss there, my Baby girl, you are a grown woman now..." Fidelia was pleased that she had just realized that she had a new way to tease her best friend.

    "Did you actually bribe my brother with a kiss? And it worked? I am amazed!" added Leila with a smile! She had tried to bribe her brother many times before, but it had never worked! But it was different with the wife! Indeed women charms could kill!

    While they were busy teasing Alex, they didn''t notice Eliott watching them from the first floor. He smiled at the sight before him. It was great to see the two most important women in his life, besides his mother, so happy.

    "Are you going or not? Before I change my mind."

    Hearing his voice they were a little startled and embarrassed and it didn''t even take them a minute to rush out. Alex''s apartment was not far away and two minutes later they were already in her apartment.

    A short time later the girls were already walking down the beautiful street of Florelia. Besides Leila, the other two girls didn''t notice at least ten bodyguards following them slowly and unobtrusively. Leila could not help but smile at her brother''s care. As an heiress, she didn''t have it easy, with dangers lurking everywhere. She was used to having two or three bodyguards following her around throughout the day, so of course, she knew how to spot them when they were near her.

    After shopping, Leila wanted to visit CANDIDE so they went straight to the store. She was amazed, it was not a small store at all and the dresses were simply stunning. When her assistant bought her the dress she wore to the party, she was already amazed by the design. She could see how talented Alex was because all her pieces were so original, stylish yet trendy. She bought as many dresses as she could. By the time the girls left the store, it was already time for dinner, so Leila took them to a small restaurant she had known for a decade where she had a private room.

    While they were enjoying their meal, Fidelia announced to Alex that she had to attend an emission to promote the movie before the premiere of the shooting.

    Alex agree without even thinking, in any case even if she didn''t want to do it, she had a contract, she had to do the work that her contract required. Besides, it was certainly something Leila had planned for her, so she knew it was an important step.

    " So what am I going to do on the show?"

    "I have already seen what the program for the show will be. It''s nothing special, there will be a game, a few questions, they will probably ask you to show off your talent and so on."

    "I see, who else will be there? Or how many people will be participating?"

    "There will be some other artists from different companies, I don''t know exactly who, but before the show, I''ll have the information, don''t worry. Actually, they asked us if all the main actors in the movie could participate. In our company, you and Sarah, the lead actress, have already agreed. Now I still have to convince Eliott, well I mean Ethan, but I think for some reason it will not be that hard to convince him," Leila explained smiling as she was happy to have Alex in her life now! She could get her brother to do anything she wanted as long as Alex was around.

    "Why did you have to convince him and why will it be simple now?"

    "Before he became Ethan, my brother made it clear. He didn''t want to be on any show, especially ones where you had to do stupid things. But now it''s different. I think once I tell him you''ll be participating, he''ll say yes..."

    " But I don''t want to force him to do things he does not want to do..."

    "It''s not that I want him to, but this time it''s important for the movie! It''s his last one and I wanted to make it big. So I''ll be counting on you."

    After they ate dinner, they didn''t really have enough energy to do other things, so they promptly returned home. It was then that Alex and Fidelia learned that Leila also lived in the same neighbourhood, just in a different building.

    The area they lived in was like a small town surrounded by a large wall.  There were many buildings, restaurants, and shops. Many celebrities lived there, but only the big ones, because the price of an apartment there was the highest in the country, and if it was not for her company, she herself could not even dream of living there. Alex thought it was funny that they all wanted to live in the same area.

    "Leila, I am a little curious, how come you all want to live here?"

    "Well, I didn''t want to live with my parents and here is fine, plus I don''t have to pay rent since we own all of this and more importantly, I can eat at Eliott''s for free.

    "It''s all yours?" exclaimed Fidelia and Alex at the same time. They were so surprised that their eyes went wide. They knew the Jensen family was rich, but not to this extent.

    "I got half of it and Eliott got the other half," Leila was amused at the two girls. Their reaction was really funny since they were new in town there were a lot of things they did not know. But for their defence, it was not public knowledge that these buildings were theirs.. They were used by Royal Corp but they had been built with their own money.

 Chapter 50 - We Are Engaged

    Finally arriving home, Alex felt a little tired and it was written all over her face. She had dark circles under her beautiful eyes, dry lips, her body was heavy and all she wanted was to lie down and close her eyes to meet her fantasies in her dream.

    In the morning she thought everything was fine, after eating Eliott''s breakfast she felt really good. But now she was regretting a little her decision to walk around all day.

    When she entered her room, she went straight to her terrace as if by habit, and as she had hoped, Eliott was standing there like a Michelangelo sculpture, looking peacefully at the moon.

    Eliott had been standing there for a few minutes now, waiting for her to return. He was a little worried about her health, he knew she would be tired when she got back so he wanted to make sure she was okay, but when he put his gaze on her he could see how tired she was.

    "Are you regretting going out now?" He could see that Alex had big bags under her eyes, she looked so cute.

    "A little..." Alex could not help but look down at the ground, feeling a bit like a kid who was told not to do something by his parents but did not listen. "But it was fun, I spent a good time with your sister, she''s so funny."

    "Yeah, she can be pretty interesting sometimes! You look really tired honey, maybe you should go to sleep!" Eliott didn''t want to add to her tiredness.

    Alex was a little surprised that Eliott could tell she was tired after just one look. Apparently, he was more alert than she was. She was glad he actually cared about her.

    Eliott, for his part, enjoyed her shyness. She was a bit of an enigma to him. Sometimes she seemed like a strong woman and sometimes when they were just together she could get really shy, it was a little weird.

    He reminded himself that he still had not had a chance to tell her that they were engaged and that she was his future wife. He thought if he didn''t tell her now he would miss another chance, but she seemed really tired so he hesitated a bit, but seeing that she was still standing there he finally decided to close the subject.

    "Do you remember what we talked about when we first met?"

    "We talk about that particular scene in the movie?"

    "I am talking about the first time you talk to Eliott, not Ethan. Is it so hard to make a distinction between us?" he chuckled at her confused face.

    "No, no, it''s just that I am sure that even though you are playing Ethan, you always show the real you when you talk to me."

    "You are right, since the second day we met, I have always been myself with you. But I was talking about the marriage thing."

    Alex''s heart jumped a little, she was a little afraid of what he was going to tell her. "Yes, you talked about finding a wife, or your parents will have to find one of their own."

    "They did indeed! They had a promise with the girl''s parents and since they have already given their word, I''ll have to honour that promise and marry the woman." He informed Alex, looking at her with a smile.

    Alex''s heart started beating wildly, her head unable to process what Eliott had just said and what he meant by it. All of her emotions were on her face and Eliott could easily guess what she was thinking.

    It seems she has already forgotten that he called her his wife this morning. Her face darkened by the second, but Eliott decided not to say much and wait to see how she really felt about him.

    "So what do you expect me to say when you tell me this? If you already knew you were getting married, why did you continue to act this way towards me? Do you want me to remind you that you kissed me just a few hours ago? What is this all about? After all, you are no different than those damn cheating bastards!!!

    She was really angry and seemed deeply hurt, feeling a pain she had never felt before. Tears threatened to flow, but she clenched her fist as tightly as she could, there was no way she wanted him to see her tears!

    Eliott realised he had gone a little too far. He didn''t think she would buy it and thought he was joking, and now he had almost made her cry. It was breaking his heart to see that sad look on her stubborn face. He just jumped onto Alex''s patio and tried to give her a hug. But Alex backed away a step before he could reach her.

    "I am sorry honey, I didn''t make myself clear and honestly I didn''t think you would react so strongly. Don''t close things so quickly and please give me a chance to finish what I was going to say.

    "I don''t want to hear any more from you, please go back".

    "I even call you my wife this morning, can''t you tie it all together? I am talking about you, Alex." A soft smile appeared on Eliott''s face as he saw Alex''s eyes growing larger by the second.

    " Me!!! How can I be the girl in your story? Did our family know each other?" Alex was a little confused. How could she be connected to this wealthy family?

    "Well, it seems our mothers were best friends," Eliott smiled even wider, while Alex was even more confused. Her mother had never told her she had a best friend.

    Understanding the little qui pro quo, she remembered her reaction from earlier and felt very embarrassed. Truth be told, she didn''t even know why she had reacted that way. She only knew that the thought of not being able to see him again, or the thought of him smiling with another woman, made her heart hurt.

    " I am sorry for what I said earlier, I..." she sighed, " I don''t even know why myself"

    "Don''t worry about it, I am the one making you say all those things." He took her small body in his strong and warm arms and hugged her tightly. "Actually, it made me realise how deep your feelings for me already are."

    "Well..." She couldn''t agree nor disagree so she just decide not to comment on that sentence.

    They stood like that for a while. The comfort and solace Eliott''s arms gave Alex did her so much good that her tiredness from earlier had disappeared. She just wanted to stay like that and never leave his arms again.

    "Are you okay with this? I know you have a problem with the institution of marriage, so I decided to talk to you about it before, for example, Mr. Porter comes and tries to force you into a marriage. If you don''t agree with that, just tell me and I''ll take care of it." Eliott was the one who broke the peaceful silence between them. He wanted to know what she thought about all this.

    "If you are, I think it will be okay." said Alex quietly and automatically. It was her heart that spoke and not her head. She regretted it as soon as the sentence left her mouth, but it was already too late.

    Seeing how she reacted when they talked, Eliott already had the feeling that she reacted so violently because she was afraid of losing him. Somehow he felt that she would be fine, but knowing that she was still struggling with the trauma of her past, he thought that maybe he was moving too fast, so he didn''t want to pressure her about it.

    "I understand... I am really glad to hear that, sweetie, and don''t worry, we will take things slow, I promise."

    It was only after a moment that Alex noticed they were on her balcony and turned her face to see the distance between them.

    Her mouth dropped and her eyes shot out as she realised the distance he had jumped from! He could have actually fallen. Seeing her looking dazedly at the other balcony, Eliott chuckled, "Don''t worry, the distance is not very big, so I won''t fall!", Alex was not really convinced and looked at the balcony again, "Just do not do that again!". She forbade

    Eliott was pleased that she was starting to show her feelings for him. "Um," he replied, trying to reassure her as he thought, "If she''s worried about that, it will be a big shock when she sees me on set."

    That night, the two could not really sleep.. Alex was having a hard time coping with the fact that she had just accepted being Eliott''s wife and would soon be married to someone, and Eliott, for his part, was happy because he would soon be able to be with the person he has loved all his life.

 Chapter 51 - One Bus For Everyone

    The next morning, Eliott woke up to a text message from his mother reminding him that the date was set for the meeting with the Porter family and that he had to be there to enjoy the show; also, another one of his sisters answered Ethan''s phone telling him that he had to appear on a television show. When he saw the last message, he immediately called her sister.

    "I am not going," he yelled into the phone, what was that about? He had made it clear before that he was not going to be on any show, he did not have enough patience for that.

    "Really? Alright, I thought since Alex is one of the guests on this show you''d be interested, but if that''s not the case... okay. Besides, I just found out that bastard Kylie is a guest too..."

    "Okay, okay, I''ll go, but sis, remember that I am going to get back at you for that little threat." Eliott sighed.

    The day after the phone call with his sister, Eliott was officially a guest on the show, much to his dismay. When the show''s producers got the news, they were delighted. They were able to gloat about the ratings, as they were sure that Ethan''s participation on their show would bring them an audience like they never had before! It was the first time Ethan had been on a show since the debut of his acting career.

    Previously, many TV channels or producers had contacted him, but he was always unavailable or not interested.

    So they were very curious about the reason for his presence in their show. When they looked at the list of guests again, one of the producers could not help but say, "Could it really be that the new face of RoyalStar is really his girlfriend?". She will also be on the show.

    Soon after, it was the day before the show. Alex sat in her office with Fidelia, contemplating what she would or would not do or say on the show. She didn''t really know how to behave, she never had participeted in this kind of show before but she was happy that playing the game required by the show was not a problem for her. What bothered her was the part where she had to show off a talent she had.

    She was thinking of playing the guqin. So she put on a lot of effort to pick out the song to play, prepared her instrument and checked if everything was in order to play it well.

    Not knowing why Fidelia was uncomfortable with it, she asked her to think of a plan B just to be on the safe side, everything could happened in those kind of environnement, plus knowing that Kylie would be there too, she wanted to be safe; so they decided to show off their traditional dance skills.

    Alex thought a little more about the dance, her thoughts slowly drifting also toward what Eliott would do as she was really curioous.

    They had not had a chance to see each other since that day on their balcony. Before he returned, he had asked her to think again about his marriage proposal and gave him a definite answer when she would be ready. And since that day they could not see each other, so she could have time to really think about it and make her decision wisely.

    Soon enough the day of the show arrived and Eliott was not in a good mood that morning. Just the thought of wasting the whole day filming this show gave him a headache, thus he had a really dissatisfy look on her face.

    After playing Ethan for two years now, one thing was for sure: show business was not for him at all. Being their following people order while filming could sometime become really annoying. Playing one scene many time because the scene should be filmed with many angles was even more tiring.

    He really didn''t like being the center of attention, but being the star he was, he had the obligation to participate at many event the company had planned for him. The others things were all those actress lurking at him or strying to seduce him every time was really the worst for him. He really didn''t like seeing his name associated with those women! Luckily it wasn''t his real name.

    When he decided to try his hand at acting, he did not think it would be such a big deal, that his name would be the most search everyday in his country or that he would be that talented. He just wanted to see how this industry worked so he would have a good understanding of things when he took over the company. And he could affirmed that his two years of acting carreer had thought him a lot about this industry.

    That morning he was still thinking about how he could return the ball to his sister, How he would get his sweet revenge! immediatly he thought of phil.

    When he arrived at Royal Star, his agent, who was Leila by the way because of his special situation, gave him a briefing on the show and what was planned. She also told him that all the artists from Royal Star who were invited to the show should travel on the same bus as it was a bit far, and one more time it wasn''t to Eliott liking! He was sulking when getting on the bus making Leila teasing him even more.

    An hour later, everyone was on the bus. Good thing it was a really large bus, so even if they were four artists and their respective agents, they were really confortable. Behind them, was another car for the make-up artists and stylists.

    The first to get on the bus were Ethan and Leila, the second two were two young artists, one a singer and the other a new actress. As they boarded the bus, they were a little surprised to actually see Ethan sitting there. They had heard the new that Ethan was also a participant, but many of them couldn''t beleive it, who could blame them? It had never happened.

    Being such a rare opportunity for new commoners like them to be so close to him, they immediately blushed at the sight of him. He was indeed really handsome.

    That day he was wearing casual black trousers and a white T-shirt, a black hat on his head and few very simple accessories on his hands, neck and fingers.

    When they got into the car, the two girls did not know where to sit. There was a seat near Ethan, but they did not dare sit there. Besides Leila was also besides him. They sat living one seat between and and them on one side and one between Leila and them. Following behind were their respective agents. The two chose the seat near their artists, in response to their artists. Before they sat down, they greeted Leila and Ethan with a bow.

    Eliott, watching them discreetly, thought they should rethink the way they chose their artists, because he did not like the ones present today at all. First, they did not know how to respect a senior, they didn''t greeted them, nor present themselves. And second, one of the two was so openly flirtatious it made him feel noseous.

    As soon as she sat down, she took a position where you could see part of her body, to be more accurate, her chest.

    She was wearing a short bodycon red dress with high heels and was heavily made up. Seeing this, he sighed, wondering what those clothes were, and what kind of heavy make up was up on her face. It was even more tink that the one he was wearing for his disguise. More importantly why the agents had her come dressed like that? It was a game show, what was the point of coming and showing their breasts? And those shoes?

    Soon he could see the agents whispering to the singers in question, whose name was Moly.

    "Why are you wearing such a sexy dress? I told you to change your clothes before getting into the car! That kind of clothing is not appropriate for the show! I mean what the point? You are going to be on track suit when playing! Beside this is not a sexy clips but a show every one would watch! What did you think wearing that really?" She started to had enough of this artist she need to manage. She had really not a good personality and never listen to what she told her! She had had enough and now she decided to let her burn her wings herself.

    "Who cares about the show, I am wearing this for Ethan, I can''t pass up the opportunity to show him how beautiful I am." She was really confident of her sexy shape and beauty, she had a mission that day: seduce Ethan!

 Chapter 52 - One Bus For Everyone 2

    Just when she finished her phrase two mesmerising girls were getting on the car.

    The first one was Fidelia, she was wearing a blue jean with a pink asymmetric shirt with sneakers she smiled at everyone, she great everyone with a bow and without really thinking she took the place beside Leila who was reading a book.

    Behind her was naturally Alex. She was wearing a wide-legs black jean, with a white off-shoulder asymmetrical shirt and black sneaker. Her make up was light as always a cherry color on her lips and light smoky eyes. Her long black hair was tight on a high messy bun.

    It was a sunny day and the weather was really great. Alex had eaten a good breakfast and was full of energy, ready for whatever the day had in shop for her, so she started the day with a small smile on her face. And when she saw Ethan sitting there on that bus, her smile got even wider.

    Truth be told, she was also so happy because she knew she would see Ethan that day. Ever since she had woken up, she felt great at the thought of spending the day with him.

    As soon as she was on the bus she greeted everyone with a bow and then present herself to the four people on the bus she didn''t know, the two agents responding by greeting her with a smile and the proceed to present themselves and their artists as well.  The new actress also bow as a salutation being a little threatened by Alex beauty.

    After greeting everyone, Alex looked to see where Fidelia was sitting as she could see how everyone was sitting next to their manager, but she was already sitting in the seat next to Leila. The only seat that was close to Fidelia''s was the one next to Ethan, so of course Alex sat there.

    As she sat there, all eyes were on her, except for Fidelia and Leila, who were minding their own business and not even looking at Alex. You could see the surprised and shocked looks on the faces of the four other people on the bus.

    The two little artists who were also part of the show were giving her death stares, but Alex did not care at all.

    She had her big smile on and Ethan could not help but gloat as well. As she sat down, he, who had been on the phone the whole time, turned his head to look at her and then leaned down a little to whisper something in her ear.

    "Hi beautiful, you look so happy today, I wonder where you got such a pretty smile?"

    Alex''s smile widened even more and she couldn''t hide the happiness on her face.

    "Mhm, nothing special, I had a really great breakfast and I am happy to participate in the show, I have always wanted to do something like this..."

    "Why do I think there''s another reason?" he teased her even more.

    Lost in their sweet conversation, they did not notice the curious looks from the other people on the bus. Moly was the most surprised and annoyed by their interaction. She had heard about the rumours that they were together but could not believe it, after all Ethan was good to all the female artists but he did not allow them to be that close to him; so she was really angry that she was not the one who could do that.

    Leila, who had been reading a book since the beginning, happened to raise her head and was directly greeted by Moly''s scowl. Seeing that, she just shook her head and turned to Alex who was lost in her own sweet world.

    "So Alex, what kind of talent are you going to show us? I hope it will be something that relates to Alysha, your character in the movie. If you have something like that, that would be cool."

    "Don''t worry Leila, you''ll be happy!!!"

    Leila didn''t ask further, she had complete faith in Alex and couldn''t wait to see what she would show them. She knew that people who were modest and didn''t like to brag always had something to hide. In contrast, people who always bragged about what they had somehow ended up with too little, maybe because they talked too much and people expected a lot from them. Besides, she had done enough research on Alex to know that she had many talents.

    On the other side of the bus, the two artists were shocked at the fact that Alex had called Leila "Leila". In fact, Leila did not allow anyone to call her that, it was only for the top artists or the artists who were recognised like Ethan or the people who had worked a long time in the company. The others had to call her Miss Jensen or CEO... So it was a normal reaction to be shocked when she heard that.

    Moly was the most shocked, she thought, "Who does she think she is, calling Miss Jensen that, she''s just a newbie, I have been with the company a lot longer than her, and now she acts like she has everything, I don''t even understand why she''s the face of the company!"

    On the contrary, Moly''s agent already guessed what Alex''s place was in the company just by that simple fact. If she could call Leila that, it meant she was recognised by her, so she understood that this girl was no one to mess with and that she certainly had talent.

    After getting convinced with Alex, Leila looked at the artists in front of her.

    "So what about you guys? What do you want to show us today?" As soon as the word left Leila''s lips, Moly immediately replied with a wide smile.

    "Miss Yang, I am going to sing, I have prepared a beautiful song for you!"

    "Sing? Are you going to sing a traditional song?"

    "No, I am going to sing one of my favourite G.E.M. songs."

    Leila was not pleased at all, it was a talent show, so why would a singer''s talent be to sing? "People already know you are a singer, so what''s the point of singing a song like that? I don''t understand... Miss Xuan, your artist does not seem to be well prepared, how do you manage her?"

    Moly Manager Miss Xuan cursed inwardly. She had told her that singing was not a good idea. It was a variety show, so people wanted to discover another thing she could do, but she did not want to hear it.

    She felt a little ashamed and turned to Leila, "Leila, you know artists don''t like to listen to us manager these days, when we give them advice, they just think we like to nag, so...".

    Leila already understood what was going on. Miss Xuan was one of the best managers in the company, specialising in managing singers. People didn''t know it, but if a singer wanted to stay with the company for a long time, it was up to her. She had already turned more than one new singer into a rising star.

    When the company signed a contract with a singer, they were supposed to go through a trial period before the contract really started, and it was her job to handle that trial part.

    "Miss?" Leila looked at Moly,

    "My name is Moly," she smiled softly.

    "I am sorry, you didn''t introduce yourself so I could not get your name. Don''t you have anything else to show? Because I don''t think your singing will be enough. If you have nothing, I am afraid you will not be able to participate."

    When Moly heard that, she stopped smiling. She could not understand what was happening to her because participating in this show was a good opportunity for her, so she could not risk being eliminated just like that. The problem was that she could not think of anything else to do. She was sure that singing would be enough.

    When the other artist saw what was happening, she was now a little scared. She knew Leila was a sharp woman and she didn''t like people who didn''t work hard. When it was her turn, she took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at Leila.

    Hello, my name is Meili, I am a new actress in the company. Since my debut, I have only played female characters in dramas, so I decided to play a martial art.

    "Oh, interesting, what kind of martial art? I am always amazed when women can fight! It''s so exciting"

    "I learned Taichi when I was growing up." Meili became a little shy at Leila''s comment.

    "Then I hope to see a good show."

    So they continued on the bus, Ethan and Alex chatting and the managers getting to know each other. The mood was great, except for Moly who was deep in thought about what to do.

    She could not think of anything else she was good at, and she did not even have time to think of anything.. She didn''t dare sing a traditional Florelian song that required great vocal technique.

 Chapter 53 - TV Show

    Soon they arrived on the set. The platform was full of people: the production team, the presenters and the other participants. Alex was a little excited, she was curious what kind of game they would play and how funny it would be.

    After arriving, each artist got rooms to prepare before the filming started.

    Alex did not pay much attention to the other contestants and went with Fidelia to her lodge to get ready right away. In the lodge next to hers was Eliott, still scolding his sister. He could not believe he was going to spend the whole day there! Luckily Alex was there to lighten his mood.

    Thinking about it again, he had only come because she had said that this little nothing Kylie was also on the show, but now he thought he was really just fooled. After all, what could this girl possibly do to Alex if Leila was here? He really was fooled and thinking about it he smiled a little "she''s already my weakness now".

    "Sis, honestly, why am I here? You are wasting one of my working days, I have a lot to do you know!

    "I know, but you also chose to be a part-time actor. Besides, it''s really for Alex, I want the film to do well!. So we have to do as much promotion as we can. And look at the way the men are drooling in front of her, I don''t want you to be mad at me about it afterwards!"

    Eliott looked to his window, as indicated by Leila, and saw a group of men standing like vultures outside Alex''s room. Eliott looked very annoyed and frowned at this filthy behaviour! He left his own cabin and went straight to Alex''s without so much as a glance at the people outside her door.

    The other performers on the show were all jealous of her, especially Kylie, who was even angrier with her. Her first attempt to take her down had failed, now she had another chance to take her down again, and this time she was even more determined and would make sure she don''t fail.

    Moly didn''t miss her anger when she saw her and decided to approach her.

    "Kylie, how are you?"

    "Oh, Moly, it''s you, I am good? I didn''t know you were on this show too.

    "Yeah, it was unexpected for me to hear that I am on the show too! But why are you so angry when you look at the slut room?"

    Kylie looked up at Molly with a smile. She was pleased, it seemed like she had just gained an ally in her fight. Looking like she was not the only one who wanted Alex to just disappear back to where she came from! "That bitch is mine, my father cut off all my money because of her! I need to get back at her. Would you help me with that?"

    Molly''s face brightened, she didn''t think she''d find someone so fast to help her to get back at Alex! Besides, it was Kylie Allen, she had all the power and money, it was indeed smart to follow her! "Yeah, sure, I''ll be happy to help! I can''t stand her!"

    An hour later, it was already the start of the show. Everyone took their seats where the staff member had asked them to sit, and then the show started without any delay.

    The seats were arranged like in an auditorium, the chairs in the back were higher than the ones in the front. To Leila''s surprise, all the RoyalStar members were seated together like instructed, only Alex was seated elsewhere. She was surrounded by all the other men who had been invited to this show, and the one sitting in her assigned seat was Kylie! She had not expected that, as she had arranged the seats along with the director. She immediately looked to Ethan, who was already frowning.

    Leila go straight to the director to inquire about the situation and see what was going on. He told her that it was to avoid speculation that she was really with Ethan. Leila sensed the bullshit coming out of the old man''s mouth in front of her. She just grinned at him and asked him to take all her artists to the same place as the other companies immediately.

    The producer didn''t dare say no. What if she decided to cut all her artists from the show? Her company had enough money to pay the fee, but he couldn''t risk the show being cancelled because that would cost him even more. So soon Alex was sitting right in front of Ethan.

    After all the arrangements were made, the audience could enter and the show officially began.

    The hosts asked all the contestants to introduce themselves and ask some questions. They asked all the awkward questions they could and some questions about the contestant''s recent scandal. They were especially interested in Ethan, who does not like to participate in shows like this. It was a good opportunity for them to ask him questions and the other person in their collimator was Alex, the new face of the Royal Empire.

    "Ethan, it is truly an honour to have you here today. It''s so rare that we wanted to ask you a lot of questions and I am sure your fans here are eager to hear your answers too!" One of the moderators made the first move and asked Ethan.

    "Well, I guess there''s a beginning to everything. What do you want to know, I''ll do my best to answer your questions, but please don''t embarrass me!" He had his typical friendly smile on and turned to his fans, who could not help but scream when they heard his voice!

    "Oh, this is perfect! Since I got permission, I will not hold back: so Ethan, since your debut, there have been a lot of dating rumours between you and a lot of female artists, the latest one being with Alex here. After all, they always say there are no sparks without fire, so I wanted to know if there''s really nothing going on with all these artists, including Alex."

    Ethan''s eyes unconsciously moved to Alex in front of him and he smiled.

    "So, the part of my life that is most fascinating is my love life?" Ethan joked to the host "I''d like to know where those rumours come from too! I am always amazed when I look at these photoshopped pictures or these unfounded date rumours in places I have not even set my feet! I thought it was funny! And sometimes those pictures are just about me having a good time with my dear friends like Alex!"

    "So these women are your friends? Even Alex here is just a friend of yours..."

    "I didn''t say that these women are my friends! Among them, I can count two or three friends." He looked at the host and smiled, "As for Alex, she is indeed a special friend of mine."

    "Oh, why is she so special to you? I think everyone here is curious to know!" Hearing this, Alex and Ethan''s fans clapped their hands appreciatively.

    "Well, she''s representing our company everywhere from now on! So as a senior, I have to take good care of her, don''t you think?"

    "It''s so generous of you to take care of your junior, but why are you holding hands with her, in this particular picture. Is it really only about taking care of a junior?" The host was not going to let Ethan off that easily, he was determined to find out the truth.

    "In our upcoming movie, mhm, I don''t know if I have the right to give you that spoiler... I am afraid my manager will kill me afterwards, but... anyway I''ll tell: Alex and me will be very intimate... Since we don''t really know each other yet and filming is about to start, we decided to practise so that we have chemistry on screen, we work hard for you you see. And here you are just trying to push us into a love affair," he smiled innocently at the end of his sentence, looking at the frown on Leila''s face with delight.

    The fans were pleased that he was being so open, and the ocean eyes were also pleased that he was protecting Alex and basing their relationship, however sweet it might be.

    "So Alex, is your senior takes good care of you?" The host turned his attention to Alex, realising he wouldn''t get what he wanted from Ethan. He thought that maybe he would get more answers from the unexperimented Alex.

    "Well, he''s been really good to me. He helped me adjust to my new life here and show me a lot of fun, beautiful and interesting places. I appreciate his care and friendship. I am new here and don''t have many friends yet, so I am grateful to my senior for giving me some of his precious time.." She smiled at the host before turning her head to meet Ethan''s gaze, "Senior, I realise I don''t say this often, but I thank you for caring."

 Chapter 54 - Stop With Your Boring Questions

    The presenters kept asking the participants questions about their dating lives to get some juicy information, and since this topic went over well with the audience, they continued with it for a bit if not for the entire questions session.

    When they asked the female participants about their ideal type of man, their answers were very different. Some of them talked about American actors like Chris Hemsworth the famous thunder god and others talked about Chinese handsome actors like Yang Yang. Kylie answered unexpectedly, when it was her turn to answer, she said "Ethan" without thinking. Everybody turned to her, it was a little awkward, to be honest, because Ethan fans started to show their displeasure by shooting a little.

    And as a mirror of his fans, Ethan''s face immediately darkened when he heard that. He frowned deeply, which made the hosts, who were happy to hear this answer because it was a spicy piece of information, a little unsettled.

    The most anticipated answers were certainly Alex''s. Everyone thought she would answer Ethan for sure, to at least give him some face since he had said she was his good friend. So everyone thought she would say Ethan or some famous model, but to everyone''s surprise, she replied, "My ideal guy would be Eliott Jensen." After that sentence left her lips, a lightning bolt appeared on Ethan''s face. He could not have asked for a more fitting response. Even Leila smiled and thought, "What luck, Lil Brother."

    For their part, the hosts were both surprised and curious. Elliott was a mysterious man that people didn''t really know, and not many were familiar with his appearance either. Even in the company, not many people had really seen him. There were only the days when he appeared in newspapers or business magazines from time to time.

    So they were curious how Alex, who was new in town, could think he was her ideal man. This was a new mystery they were eager to solve.

    "Wow, I am a little surprised by this answer. Alex, Eliott is known as the most mysterious person in our city, no one really knows him, even his features are unclear. "

    "Well, maybe I like mysterious guys, it adds a little spice ... Beside who said I don''t know him? I am the face of every brand of his company, so of course, I have met the guy, and I can affirm you that he is definitely my type! " she replied with a straight face, not at all bothered by the looks she was getting.

    "Well, that''s interesting guys, did you hear that? She likes the mystery guy type. Now you know what to do," the emcees shot eagerly, earning a few ovations, then continued, "But isn''t it a little scary to be into someone you know nothing about?"

    " Mmh, that''s not really the problem, besides you can''t know a person completely in life, for example, there are people who are married to cheaters, I am sure before they knew they were cheating on them, they could assure you that they knew their spouse the best, so I can just put my heart to know someone I don''t know if I''m interested, don''t you think?" replied Alex with a small smile.

    The hosts and some of the audience were dumbfounded for a moment and then some fans began to eagerly cheer for her. After all, who really knows the person standing next to them? If you don''t make the effort and take heart to get to know someone, they will remain a stranger, even if they are the closest to you.

    When it was the male participants'' turn to talk about their ideal type, most of them answered that a beauty like Alex was their type now. All the female participants looked at her with mischievous eyes and became even more jealous.

    The hosts were kind of embarrassed and they commiserated with the other female contestants, "Don''t say that or our other beauties here will get jealous." Ethan''s face turned icy cold at the thought of the looks these men were giving Alex. People who didn''t know the man behind the mask could not sense it, but Leila, who knew his brother best knew that he was annoyed by these questions because she could see Eliott was getting impatient and angry.

    When the host asked him the question about his ideal type, he replied nonchalantly

    "Are you going to ask us these boring questions all day now? I thought you wanted to know something about us? Is my love life more interesting than myself?"

    The hosts were a little taken aback by his response, not expecting Ethan to answer so blatantly with his always good nature. They wanted to reply, but before they had the chance, Ethan continued, "If you are so interested in my interest in women, I will tell you my type, it''s very simple. The woman I will fall in love with should be like my mother".

    This answer was a dead end because there was not much information about Ethan, his family background was a secret and no one knew what his mother looked like, so everyone present was a bit disappointed, only his fans were satisfied with his answer because for them, of course, no woman could be compared to the mother of their favorite actor.

    After that, the presenters didn''t want to bother him with those ridiculous questions, but one of them, who was really curious, still mustered up the courage and asked: "What do you think of Alex''s answer?"

    Ethan looked at Alex, who was sitting firmly in front of him and smiled, "She definitely has good eyes. After all, Eliott is a good-looking and capable man, don''t you think?"

    The hosts were a little disappointed with the outcome of these questions and decided to move on to other topics. All their efforts to get more gossip about the new hot couple on social media were in vain.

    They then changed the topic and ended the first part of the show by asking all the contestants about their hidden talents. Most of the answers were singing, playing a musical instrument, or martial arts... The hosts were excited to see what talent everyone would show in the show and promised the audience that it would be a good show.

    One contestant after another answered, and three of them surprised the audience.

    The first was Ethan, who lazily replied, "I have shown most of my talents in my movies, I think the one I have not done yet is singing, so I am going to try that." People were excited and cheered because it was a great opportunity to see the best actor of the year sing live.

    The second response came from Alex and Kylie, who announced that they would be performing Guqin. The presenters were excited because when two artists show the same talent, there should be some kind of competition between them and the audience. "Then we will have a little competition here," and as expected, the audience was excited.

    Alex frowned a little, thinking that it could not be a coincidence that she also played the same instrument as hers. But what did she actually get out of coming here and challenging her so openly? Alex could not believe how brazen she was to even put herself in front of her after what she had done at the party! She was indeed going to have to be punished soon!

    Actually, the instrument Kylie wanted to play was not the guqin but the guitar. She changed her idea when Moly gave her the information of what Alex was up to, because when they arrived, she had seen her manager with a guqin. She knew she had mastered the guqin and was going to use it to humiliate Alex in front of everyone. She was sure Alex''s level could not be that high, because in the area where she had grown up, the instrument didn''t even exist in traditional music. So in New Bell, not that many people play this instrument.

    The performers had a small break before the talent session, giving them time to change and make the preparations they needed to perform well.

    After fifteen minutes the first performance began, the order of the runs had already been set by the director. The first to perform was an actor who sang a beautiful traditional Florelian song. It was so fantastic that the audience was mesmerized by this first piece. The second passage was also amazing, it was a singer who performed his impersonation style. All the performances went smoothly, one after the other.

    Soon, it was Meili''s turn. Her Tai Chi demonstration was very well received, people were surprised by her skills, even Leila smiled and nodded discreetly to her manager.

    Eventually, it was Moly''s turn. Since she had nothing else to do but sing, and since she still didn''t dare to sing a traditional song, she sang the pop song she had prepared. And as expected, people were not too thrilled with her performance because they wanted to see something new from her.. Even the presenters didn''t know how to comment on her performance because no one clapped for her.

 Chapter 55 - Showing Her Talent/ Kylie Downfall

    With the fiasco of the Molly representation, people''s energy was down. All the excitement of the other shows they had seen had worn off, leaving only a sense of deception, even her own fans feeling a little cheated. To rekindle the audience''s excitement, the hosts announced the next performances, taking special care to mention the competition between Alex and Kylie, and of course, they didn''t forget to mention the final performance that everyone was eagerly waiting for: Ethan as a singer!

    Before the two women were allowed to perform, one of the hosts asked who wanted to perform first. Without even a moment''s thought, Kylie, who we could see from a big screen in her waiting room, announced that she wanted to perform first, with a sinister smile on her face.

    When she took the stage five minutes later, people were a little taken aback. She was wearing a long black silk dress and her long black hair was swinging in glamorous curls making her looking beautiful and sexy, but her outfit didn''t really match the instrument she was going to play because her dress was somehow too tight for her to sit comfortably, making people wonder what had gotten to her to choose a dress like that.

    She made an effort to sit as elegantly as possible and began to play her instruments. At first, the audience was captivated by the tune, which was a beautiful, sad melody. It was a familiar tune from Florelia, so people were happy and nostalgic when they heard the music. But at some point, the note played became more and more discordant and the sound became restless.

    At first, it was not noticeable, but soon the audience was hearing the wrong notes. At this point, Kylie began to feel that the audience was not so easily tricked, so she ended her performance by saying that it had been a long time since she had played, but she still hoped they liked the first part of the tune and bowed to apologise.

    Even if she had botched her performance, she was sure Alex could not beat her. After all, she had learned to play as a child, and even if she had not practised much last year, she had been one of the best in her school at the time. That was why she had chosen a difficult song earlier, not knowing that she would forget part of it halfway through.

    After her, it was Alex''s turn. When the emcee called her to the stage, she did not come. A minute passed, two, five minutes, and still no one was on stage. Fearing that something might have happened, one of the emcees went backstage to see if everything was alright, while the other asked the audience to be more patient. While Kylie fans began to speculate that Alex was afraid her performance would not be as good as Kylie''s, the other fans disagreed and stated that Kylie''s performance was not even that good for someone to fear her.

    When the emcee saw Alex backstage, he immediately sensed that something had happened. Alex smiled apologetically at him and showed him her instrument. The emcee was stunned, one of the strings had broken. Having been in this business for so long, he knew full well it was human doing, someone had sabotage her instrument.

    He then looked at Alex and instinctively glanced at Leila who was standing next to her with her arms crossed, her face expressionless and devoid of emotion, she just looked creepy. As he looked at her a thought crossed his mind, "Who''s the scum messing with RoyalStar? I don''t want to have problems with them because of someone else!" Helplessly, he told Alex that he would do anything to find the person behind this accident.

    But the problem was that he still didn''t know if he should cancel Alex''s appearance or not, because unfortunately, they didn''t have Guqin at the studio. He thought about asking Kylie, but something told him that she would not be willing to help him. Just as he was about to ask her what she wanted to do, Fidelia came out of breath and handed her a new guqin. The host was relieved, returning to his seat and introducing Alex once more.

    As she took the stage, her fans clapped as loud as they could. She gave them a small smile and took a seat on a small cushion on the floor. She wore a simple Florelian traditional dress, a long flared cotton dress with a long red fringe ring dangling from her waist and her long black hair falling loosely back. She was sitting on the cushion that lay on the floor, and on the screen behind her was a beautiful scene showing a beautiful sakura tree.

    She began to play her song. Many people couldn''t recognise the song at first, but the "Ocean Eyes", her fans instinctively recognised the song, it was one of the songs of the fan club. It was a song very close to Alex''s heart, as it was one of the songs her mother loved to sing when she was alive, so naturally, it became one of her favourites. It was a happy, traditional Florelian song that is usually sung on feast days, and soon the entire audience recognised the song with happy smiles on their faces.

    A minute later, a husky baritone voice could be heard performing the song with the perfect notes of Alex''s guqin. Everyone looked to where the beautiful and mesmerising voice came from, and everyone was in a trance and surprised to see Ethan slowly appearing in another scene right in front of Alex. He was sitting on an artificial tree, wearing a beautiful red Florelian traditional male robe.

    As he began to sing, everyone in the public recognised the song and everyone felt even happier. This song was one that represented happiness, love, and life in their country. He sang a little, and his voice matched Alex''s musical note perfectly. The picture they showed was so beautiful that some fans had tears in their eyes. What they showed on stage was simply a masterpiece.

    The fans of the two stars were overwhelmed by the performance and many speculations started circulating saying that it was undoubtedly proof of their relationship as this song could be sung for a confession of love. They speculated that Ethan was surely singing for Alex and confessing his love. Many posts on Weibo have already talked about the stunning performance of the two and claimed that this might be a confirmation of their relationship.

    Actually, Alex was the most surprised. She even made a fake sound when she saw him singing in front of her, luckily it''s seemed that no one had noticed. He had not told her he was going to sing while she played, this was all a surprise to her as well. When they had that little time to prepare, he did ask her what song she would be performing, but she was far from imagining that he would be singing along while she played the song.

    Like everyone else, she was mesmerised by his voice and when she heard it, she could not help but let out a pretty smile. Truth be told, their clothes and the atmosphere on stage did not match the song they were singing, she was more made for sad songs, but it was that difference that made the performance unique and people liked it, in fact that why she wanted to dress as simply as possible, to let people only focused on the song.

    But they were not done yet, when at some point the melody of the song sounded from the speakers. Alex left the guqin aside and started to dance the traditional Florelia dance that was made for this song. And she was simply stunning, swinging her hips like a belly dancer. The audience was just too excited and couldn''t help but stand up and applaud her. Who would have believed that someone who did not grow up in the country could play and dance the traditional song so perfectly? Ethan was at his turn the one to be surprised as his eyes looked lovingly at Alex perfect moves from the start till the end of her performance.

    After their performances, everyone was very happy to discover Ethan voice and Alex''s skills. It had nothing to do with the way Kylie had played, Alex was much better, even on another level.

    Even the other artists present were taken by this performance, they harmonised so well that they started to think that only men like Ethan could keep up with a girl like Alex. The only ones who were angry and scolding in their seats were Kylie and Moly. They couldn''t understand how she could play so well after cutting one of the guqin''s strings. One could see anger and frustration on their faces.. Since they couldn''t humiliate her on stage, they decided to try it when they would play games.

 Chapter 56 - Doom At Kylies Door

    After their performance, there was another break for the performers to change into their sports outfits because they had games to play.

    While people were changing, Leila was talking to the director and the presenters about what had happened before Alex performed. She was furious and tried her best not to lash out at the person who had messed with her artist.

    She handed them a flash drive that had a video of the perpetrator on it. They were all surprised when she handed them the USB drive because there was not supposed to be a camera installed in the artist''s dressing room. So they couldn''t explain where she got the video from, but it was good for them, because at least they didn''t have to search for the person, and they didn''t have to face the trouble of Royalstart.

    In fact, it was Alex''s idea. When she heard that Kylie was going to play the same instrument as her, she had a feeling that something was going to go wrong because well bad people don''t change overnight. So after changing her clothes, she put her phone in a hiding place and started the video while placing her instrument in the middle of the room. She was waiting for the right time to get back at the crazy girl, but if she wanted to end her life early, Alex would gladly play with her.

    At that moment, she shared her plan with Fidelia, telling her that if someone really came and destroyed her instrument, she could still go through with her plan B, which was to dance, but at least she would have something to make Kylie''s career in the gutter.

    "I haven''t had a good feeling about this show since I knew that shrimp was in it too, so I bring everything in duplicate, I have another guqin in our car," Fidelia announced to Alex after telling her that she was going to sacrifice her beloved guqin. Alex couldn''t be happier to have Fifi as her manager, "What can I do without you, you are the best". Then they happily set up the trap and walked out.

    Leila made sure to let the producer and hosts know that she wanted the network to show the video on their official WhatLife account in a post explaining what was going on, she wanted the country to know what the great Kylie Allen really was behind her good girl mask. And that was perfectly fine as the director was an old man who had long seen all the dirty tricks in show business and didn''t really appreciate his show being taken so lightly. After all, it could mean bad publicity for him.

    After talking to the two of them, Leila went to see her artist, who had been in a bad mood since the show started. In fact, Ethan was really in a bad mood now after learning about the incident with Alex''s guqin. He couldn''t believe Kylie was still being so rude. She didn''t seem to have figured out her place yet, maybe her brain wasn''t working. It seemed like the crisis her family was going through made her not know where her place was.

    He wanted to make her understand once and for all that she had messed with the wrong people, but he couldn''t. It was Alex''s problem, so she should take care of it herself.

    Leila was pleased with his performance and praised him in every way she could think of to persuade him, but it all didn''t work. She felt that if he was still this angry while playing these games, he would destroy everyone.

    Soon after, it was time to resume the show. They were moved to a small stadium that was divided into four parts, each part for one game. There was a relay race, a song blind test, a piggyback race, and a quiz. The contestants were to be divided into a duo consisting of a girl and a guy.

    In the other episodes of this television show, it was always the women who had to choose their partners. So Kylie was eagerly waiting for the moment when she could choose Ethan, she was all excited because she had already tipped off the host and told him that she wanted to go first. But to her surprise and the surprise of all the contestants, things didn''t go the way they always do, because this time the guys had the right to choose. The audience was also surprised by this change, but it did not seem that strange to them, as they were looking forward to everyone choice.

    The first one to vote was not Ethan, but another contestant who wanted to choose Alex. But as he walked in her direction he felt someone giving him a cold stare, he felt the pressure around him, his gut was screaming at him to choose someone else and he didn''t want to challenge evil and put his choice on Meili. It continued like that until it was Ethan''s turn and he chose Alex for sure. Kylie couldn''t help but curse her fate for being so bad that day.

    The games went smoothly and Alex and Ethan''s team ended up winning three of the games, making them the first team. The winning prize was a small trophy and a box of high-quality meat and chocolate. Alex was clearly delighted with the prize and couldn''t help herself, gobbling up all the chocolate on the way back.

    The only person who was not happy on the bus that night was Molly. For some reason she felt like something was going to happen to her, her heart was beating fast, she couldn''t see Leila''s cold eyes, let alone Ethan''s.

    It wasn''t long before their phones started buzzing. All the managers looked at each other, they knew it was the sound of trouble knocking on the door. As they opened their accounts, RoyalStar was making headlines with two articles.

    One was about Alex, who had done well on her first television show despite the minor mishap with her instrument. The other was about the bad behaviour of two stars on the television show, one of whom was from RoyalStar.

    The article didn''t say much, but a video showing two people cutting a guqin string and cursing Alex with a sinister smile on their faces was attached to the article. Internet users were shocked, not so much at the dirty act, but at how rude the two women in the video were, as they portrayed the image of a pure and calm young lady in front of their fans. Comments expressing the shock of the fans rained in torrents.

    Most of the comments called for RoyalStar to fire Molly as her behaviour didn''t fit the agency''s reputation and to take legal action against Kylie.

    Molly immediately went pale, her eyes widening as she saw herself in the video, gasping and looking at the people on the bus before immediately looking back down at the ground.

    "I think someone will be leaving us soon". Her manager just looked at her coldly.

    For her part, Kylie faced an even more serious problem. Her father was really pissed this time. As soon as she set foot in her house, she was met with all her belongings waiting for her in the living room. Only two words left her father''s mouth, "Out!!!".

    Seeing his daughter becoming more and more ridiculous and spoiled, Karl decided to make her feel what it was like to have nothing. He was barely able to keep his business from going under because of her, he had even pleaded for the Jensen family to lessen her sentence, and now she was bringing more trouble into their home as if she had no brain to realise what she was doing.

    Kylie was stunned, she couldn''t believe her father would kick her out over this little issue, she couldn''t believe it and confronted her father.

    "Dad, you are kicking me out over a fucking joke? Are you kidding me? I am your only daughter!!!"

    "I don''t need an ungrateful, petulant and evil child like you! Didn''t you learn from what happened to us a few days ago? Do you even have a brain? You make your own money, so get out of my house and live your filthy life in a foreign land!!!"

    Karl called her butler and asked him to get all her belongings out of the house before turning around and going to his room. He was not happy, but he had to make her understand that she was not in her right mind.

    So that night Kylie became homeless and penniless, spending her money carelessly knowing that her father would always take care of her, she didn''t have enough to make an end with her living style. She didn''t know what to do. Humiliated, she couldn''t call any of her friends and she knew they wouldn''t help her because that''s what she would do in their place.

    She ended up in a bar and soon found herself in a bed with an older man she didn''t even know because he had promised to give her money.

 Chapter 57 - The Jensen And Porter Meeting

    That night Alex could not hide her happy smile! A victory, however, it came about, was always a good dish to enjoy. She could not believe it was so easy to get back at Kylie, not that she was done with her, the girl still had to pay for drugging her and all. Alex was already so happy she''d sleep with a big grin on her face if she knew the damn girl had even been kicked out by her father.

    When they finally arrived home, they were exhausted from all the effort they had put in that long day. Fidelia went straight to her room, took a shower and lay down as if the world had stopped. She had a lot to do the next morning because there were a lot of posts about Alex, she had to make sure they were positive to gain more fans, so she needed a big break.

    Alex did the same, after a long and warm shower she was about to go to bed when she frowned as if remembering something, she put on a long vest over her silk pyjamas and went out.

    A minute later, she was standing outside Eliott''s door, ringing his doorbell.

    Eliott, who was fixing himself a snack before he went to bed, was surprised when she rang his doorbell! He could not believe that someone actually had the balls to come that late at night and disturb his peace!

    Thinking of the only person who could possibly be responsible for this, he opened the door without even glancing at his intercom, for to him it was Christ. But to his great surprise, it was Alex standing there with a small smile on her lips.

    His eyes lit up immediately, he was tired, but at that moment all he had in mind was the woman standing at his door dressed only in a silk robe. He signalled her to sit down and a minute later he handed her a glass of wine, placed some fruit on the table and sat comfortably next to her.

    They looked deeply into each other''s eyes for about a minute without saying anything until Alex broke the silence.

    "Well... I accept your proposal"

    When Eliott heard that, his heart skipped a beat. The moment he saw her at the door, he knew she was there to tell him her answer, and actually, he had already expected her to say yes because he could see in her eyes that she was also very attracted to him. Besides, she was not a stupid woman after all and knew that it was her right to take the deal, but he had thought that she would take more time to think about it.

    However, when he saw the confidence in her eyes, he could not help but be a little eager by it, even though he knew she thought it was just a deal and not an actual act that would bind two people together because of their love for each other. He looked at her and gave her just a small smile.

    Alex was a little taken aback by his reaction but said nothing. She continued to watch him, searching for emotion as he slowly leaned over to her, making her ocean blue eyes boil with his golden eyes. She drowned in his eyes, forgetting how close they were until their lips were only an inch apart.

    His hot breath, mixed with the scent of wine, hit her as his delicate lips finally pressed down on her sweet ones. He began to kiss her gently, sucking and nibbling slowly on her plump lips, taking his time to taste her sweetness. Alex returned the kiss eagerly, moaning at the pleasure his nibbling was giving her. Soon their tongues were meeting in a delightful battle until Eliott broke the spell between them by placing a small kiss on her forehead.

    "Welcome to our new Mrs Jensen!".

    A shy smile spread across Alex''s cheeks. She never imagined she would take another person''s name in her life, as marriage had always been taboo for her. Eliott was pleased with her reaction because it meant that at least she was not completely closed off to the idea of having to take responsibility as his wife. But to be sure of that, and to tease her some more, Eliott asked.

    " Are you sure about that? I mean, you know there are things you are supposed to do as a wife, right? I am sure my mother will be pushing for us to have a child, and as soon as possible, for instance... "

    Alex could not help but shake at the thought, and the glass in her hand dropped abruptly to the floor, revealing a large stain on Eliott''s white carpet. Eliott looked at her with a little disappointment in his eyes, which he hid for a moment, for he could not quite understand what her reaction meant. Soon there was a faint smile on his lips

    "Do not be so nervous, I will not force you to do anything, I''ll wait until you are ready for my love and of course my body!"

    Alex felt a little indecisive. She thought that maybe she had reacted a little too strongly since she was ready to marry him. She should be prepared for the next things that were bound to happen between a married couple.

    The only problem was that she could not help it. All her reactions when it came to sexuality were as if disconnected from her mind and her body acted on its own.

    To her, marriage was a sham and she did not believe in it. She thought that probably all men like her father break their marriage vows and make their wives suffer like she was in hell.

    Actually, she only accepted the deal because it was a good opportunity to start her fight with the Porter family. But something in her heart told her she could not let the man in front of her be with another woman, at least not in this case.

    Eliott looked at her silently, seeing all her feelings in her eyes. He could not help thinking that it would be very difficult for him to sleep next to this incredible woman without touching her! Would he really have the strength to do that? He sighed, thinking that he should work hard to make her forget all her bad memories and heal her trauma as soon as possible!

    After being lost in deep thought in her own world, Alex took Eliotth''s hand and said to him without looking at him, but with a focused gaze: "I will work hard and I will not let you down".

    Eliott did not know how to respond to that. He felt the need to laugh at her cuteness, but not wanting to discourage her, he gave her a smile and hugged her tightly.

    Two days later, the day had come for the Porter family to bring their daughter to Jensen Monoir to talk about the promise.

    Everyone was nervous at the Porters'' house, it was like a game of two or nothing. Alan knew that it was a big risk to propose Aria because Lydia was his ex-wife''s best friend and obviously knew Alex very well.

    But the promise of both families was to marry off their children, and they never said which child it was. Even though he tried to comfort himself as best he could, deep down he knew that it was Alex who was considered the daughter-in-law because of the relationship between the two mothers. so he went with a lot of apprehensions.

    Aria was overjoyed. She finally had a way to reclaim her glory and destroy Alex. At first, when her parents talked about it she was not happy about this marriage thing, but now she was really quite into it, after all she was about to become the wife of Eliott, one of the richest men in the country, this was more than a relationship with an actor. As his wife, she could star in anything Royal Star produced.

    At first, she was not interested because she had nothing to lose and did not know what he looked like, but now that her father had shown her some pictures, she was totally in love with him. He was good looking and much more than Ethan, so she soon forgot about her obsession. She waited eagerly for them to meet. She was sure he would fall in love with her at first sight.

    That day she looked beautiful, her hair was back to its natural black colour, it was tied into a bun, her makeup was light and her cheeks and lips were rosy. She was wearing a beautiful white dress with a short blazer and black stilettos.. In short, she looked like a classic woman with nothing at all to do with her usual offensive style. Her mother wore a skirt suit with lots of jewellery that made her look cheaper than she thought she had!

 Chapter 58 - Lydia On Acting Mode

    At first, Alan Porter wanted to go there alone with Aria, but his wife would not let him and joined him. She wanted to make friends with Madame Jensen. Even though she was considered to be at the top of society, there were still social circles she couldn''t enter. Now that her daughter was becoming a Jensen, she was sure she could finally be part of Florelia''s high society.

    At 6 p.m., a black Mercedes parked outside the Jensen family mansion. A butler stood outside the door waiting. Aria and her mother were amazed at the house that stood before them, it was simply amazing. The style of the house looked like a modern castle. It was a big white house surrounded by a garden and a small lake, a harmonious combination of nature and this beautiful house.

    Her eyes sparkled like those of children on the playground. Kylie already imagined herself living in this pretty house and enjoying her life as she deserved.

    The family butler greeted them and took them to a small waiting room, asking them to wait and serving them tea before walking out.

    A few minutes passed and the Jensen still wasn''t there to greet them. The wait was starting to get a little long and Sheila was getting more impatient by the minute. She began to whine and boast that they had no respect for their future in-law.

    Alan, deep in thought and a little apprehensive about this meeting, frowned when he heard his wife. He gave her a threatening look and told her to behave herself and not bring shame to the family. He already knew that what he was doing was a gamble. He didn''t want her to come and add more problems to his plate.

    A minute later, Eli showed up and greeted them languidly. He apologised for the wait as he was on the phone and her wife was busy in the kitchen.

    In the beautiful living room of the Jensen house, the three guests took their seats, soon Lydia came out with a smile, she greeted Alan Porter and his wife before greeting Aria. She had a rather unreadable expression on her face as she faced Aria, eyeing her from head to toe. Alan could feel the pressure in Lydia''s gaze, which was soon replaced by a smile.

    "This is?",

    "Ah, this is my daughter Aria." Alan was genuinely nervous as a drop of sweat stood on his forehead.

    Lydia smiled and greeted them with gentle eyes. When Eli saw this, he could not help thinking that his wife was really a good actress. How could she hide her disgust with such a fake smile, he was so impressed he wondered how many times she had tricked him like that. Seeing the tenderness in Lydia''s eyes, Alan thought that maybe things were not so difficult after all and relaxed a little.

    They started talking about trivial things, of course, like what was going on in town these days, how business was going, and so on... Lydia seemed really interested in Aria and asked her a lot of questions about herself.

    Sheila was glad to see that things were going smoothly, so the man and woman from the Porter side were slowly letting their guard down.

    A moment after Leila had arrived and greeted everyone, she looked at Aria a little surprised, leaving a smirk on her lips. Aria had not expected her to be there, she thought it would just be the parents! Now she was panicking, after all, Leila knew all the embarrassing things she had done to Alex with Ethan.

    When Lydia introduced her daughter to the Porter family, Leila had her diplomatic smile on.

    "Hello. Mom, I know who they are. We had a little business with Aria some time ago."

    When Aria heard that, she tensed up and looked at the ground. When Lydia heard her daughter''s reply, she looked forward curiously at the Porter

    "Oh, really so great, what kind of business do you have? It''s been a long time since I stuck my nose in your company"

    Leila looked at Aria and her mother "Well not much, but I heard she gave up her career?" She addressed her answer directly to Aria with a face that clearly screamed "I know what you did."

    " Really? But why?" Lydia could act really well, at this point even Leila wanted her to join Royal Stars.

    Aria had cold sweat on her forehead. She was so embarrassed to know that Leila knew all her scandals, she just could not get a word out.

    "We wanted her to focus on her marriage, so she quit." Sheila quickly answered.

    "Leila, you see she can sacrifice her career to be a good wife, you should learn from her... " Lydia showed a big smile and nodded to Aria as she spoke.

    "Well... I am also amazed. The art of lying is really something here."

    A short while later, Eliott arrived, and as expected, his appearance had made a great impression as everyone looked at him. When Aria saw him, her eyes immediately lit up, a sparkle could be seen in her eyes, she could not help but gasp, her mouth was open, he was truly stunning. Even her mother was gasping looking at his future son in law.

    He was wearing a navy blue suit with a white shirt, on his feet were black leather shoes that shone like there was not a speck of dust on it. His face was well structured and his black hair well combed. To her, two words could describe him, "a devilishly handsome man." As she looked at him, she could not help but blush and giggle.

    When he arrived, he greeted his parents and then went to Alan and apologised for being late. Alan Porter replied that it was fine, he knew how busy he was, and then introduced his family: his wife and daughter. Eliott did not greet them with his hand, but merely bowed to them and sat down leisurely beside his sister.

    When Sheila saw this, she frowned a little. She had purposely left the seat next to Aria empty for him, but he chose to sit in the small seat next to Leila.

    Before he had said a word, the butler came and announced that dinner was ready. Lydia smiled and motioned for everyone to follow her. As they took their seats at the table, the same thing happened. Aria thought Eliott would sit next to her, but instead, he took the seat across from his father.

    Truth be told, that had always been his seat since he was a kid, so he didn''t do it on purpose, it was just a habit he had, but even then he would not punish himself and sat next to her.

    After dinner, they sat in silence before the real conversation began; starting with Lydia.

    "Now that everyone is here, we should talk about the reason for your visit today, right?"

    "Ah yes, now that the children are grown, we should talk about what we decided to do back then..." Alan smiled, having only one thing on his mind: it was finally time.

    "Yeah, I think it''s about time that brat got married, and I am glad it''s one of your girls, Alan," Eli explained, sipping his wine as if he were a stranger commenting on the situation.

    Eliott, who was eating without caring what the elder had said so far, looked at his mother with a small smile, as if telling her that the show was starting, and then looked at Aria with his professional, fake smile:

    "So mom, is she the woman you found for me? Really?"

    When Aria and her mother saw his smile, they were delighted, thinking he already liked her and gave him their best smile.

    "Well, Mr. Porter has two daughters, Aria is the last one and the other is called..."

    Before she could finish her sentence, Sheila abruptly interrupted her, "The other one is not worthy of Eliott, besides she''s already involved with that actor Ethan or whatever..."

    "Really? Leila, is that true? I mean Ethan is like my son too, if he was dating someone he would have told me..."

    "That''s definitely not true, I can assure you he''s not seeing anyone. Eliott knows him best, he can confirm it."

    "He''s still single, but he was involved in some dating rumours with two sisters, now that I think about it, I think one of them was you, right?" Eliott had his poker face back on and looked at Aria. Then he looked at Sheila and frowned. "Indeed I knew I saw those two faces somewhere, you are the mother with the dirty tongue."

    "What? Eliott, what are you talking about?" Now it was Lydia''s turn to frown.

    "Well, that''s what the internet users call her because she was involved in a scandal.. Madam Porter claimed that Alex was dating Ethan, but Aria was the one who started the rumour that she was dating him by using some tricks to take pictures as if they were a couple, which gave me a headache by the way! I think that''s why she got kicked out of PRICELESS right?. "

 Chapter 59 - A Stupid Plan/ Porter In The Gutter

    Alan Porter knew that his wife would eventually screw things up. But when he thought about it, he thought it foolish indeed to believe that they knew nothing of the scandal surrounding Aria and his wife, since one of their artists was involved. And even if they had, they would certainly have made inquiries, after all, Aria was supposedly their son''s wife, and since Alex had declared at a press conference that she was his daughter, they already knew about her.

    Lydia was still pretending she did not know about the scandal. She had a reputation for not being interested in family business matters, so people often thought she was just a housewife who was good for nothing but partying and shopping.

    "Madam Porter, what have you done to deserve such a nickname? It should be something shameful. I do not want my son to have a mother-in-law who has a bad reputation! And what about this scandal with your daughter?"

    "It''s not what it seems, Mrs. Jensen, you know how people tend to exaggerate things!"

    "So my daughter is lying to me?" Lydia''s whole demeanour changed instantly, her eyes turning cold as she looked at Sheila, her warm smile nowhere to be seen.

    "So Mr Porter''s other daughter is Alex? No wonder I feel like I have seen those beautiful eyes somewhere, she was the one I saved back in the day years ago, wasn''t she? " Eliott asked nonchalantly, paying no attention to the surprised look on Sheila and her daughter''s face.

    When Lydia realised playtime was over, she looked at Alan Porter and said mockingly, "Well, I think I have entertained you enough now! Alan, what are you trying to do now? You know that the one I have always thought of as my daughter is Alix''s daughter, so what kind of cockamamie game are you trying to play here?"

    "Lydia ah, I know that, but back when we made this agreement, we did not specify that it had to be Alex..." Since he was already there Alan decided to stay shameless until the end.

    "Really? If I remember correctly, that promise was made because Eliott saved Alex when your son tried to RAPE her. As a thank you and to make up for hurting my son, Alix suggested I take her daughter as my son''s future wife; if he was willing to marry her, of course. So where did you get the idea that someone else could take her place?"

    Lydia was getting angrier and angrier. She didn''t like people who played dirty games and thought her stupid, and then it was her best friend''s daughter who had died in pain and misery because of the man in front of her. She could not stand that he was trying to take advantage of her friend''s promise to fulfil his selfish desire so openly.

    Eli sensed his wife''s anger and gently took her hand to calm her.

    "Alan, you have not changed at all. You are still trying to use other people to get what you want, aren''t you? I don''t think it was necessary to play that card because Alex is your daughter too, you should have brought her right along. Why would you pass for a fool when you know full well we aren''t stupid? Besides, Alex is one of our artists, so of course, we have all her information and know exactly who she is!"

    "Maybe he still had a little conscience. Since he abandoned her, he couldn''t bring himself to ask her for help. What''s in it for him if it''s the daughter he disowned? " Lydia added, visibly annoyed with this man!

    Eliott, who was listening to his parents, felt his anger growing, for he wouldn''t listen to this drivel any longer.

    "Well, since I have the power of decision in this matter, I will not consider the fact that you foolishly tried to trick us. If it was not for the relationship between my mother and Aunt Alix, I would not have continued this deal with you! I am still willing to keep my mother''s promise. If you can bring Alex, I am more than willing to marry her, if she''s willing, of course.

    Sheila was furious, she couldn''t believe that this girl and her mother had taken what was hers and her children''s, one more time. "If you can not take Aria, then let us just break the promise!" She shouted tauntingly at the Jensen couple! She would not give that bastard the chance to get what she wanted!

    Hearing his wife, Alan frowned, thinking that he must have the stupidest wife in the world. If he was here, it was more about the cooperation that this marriage could bring about between the two families. It was a great opportunity for Priceless, who was on the verge of collapse! To win back fame and customers, he needed the Jensen; so he couldn''t let this opportunity slip away so easily. But before he could say anything, Eliott cut the grass across his feet.

    "Really? Well, that''s fine with me. I''ll just have to pursue after her and make her my wife myself. That''s no big deal. Mom, I told you I liked someone. The truth is, that woman is Alex. Now that things are clearer, I can pursue her freely, right? She''s the most beautiful and interesting woman I have met in my life, after you of course." Eliott joked, to which her mother chuckled, "I fell in love with her at first sight. Maybe it''s what people call fate, you know..." He added.

    "Oh really?... What good news!!! I knew you would love her. That''s such good news, son! Since you like her, you must work hard to marry her! No other woman will be good as her to be my daughter-in-law, understand? Well, Alan, what do you say? Actually, we don''t even need you now, because she''s not even your daughter anymore, is she?" Lydia couldn''t hide her delight. She knew Eliott was not lying, and the twinkle in his eyes told her he was indeed in love.

    "I am going to bring Alex no matter what! Just give me a little time." Allan let the deal go, the Avenir of his company depended on it!

    "I''ll give you a week. If you can''t bring her, we will take matters into our own hands. I believe my son can make her his wife if he works hard. But if that is the case, then don''t think of working with us." Concluded Lydia.

    Truth be told, ever since Lydia knew that Alex was now in the country and working in her company, she had wanted to seek her out, she had been desperate to see her, to talk to her, to hug her. She had failed to help her best friend, so she didn''t want to break her last promise to her.

    But Eliott stopped her when they talked about the engagement promise. He had told her that they should make sure Alan Porter asked for her help because it was a way to give Alex some power and help her get her revenge. He explained to her that she wanted revenge on his father for the pain he had caused her and her mother.

    After that, Alan Porter didn''t want to stay. He was so embarrassed that he just wanted to leave the place. Thinking about it again, he couldn''t understand how he could be so stupid to bring Aria here. If he was not worried about his company, he wouldn''t have made this mistake.

    Across town, Alex and Fidelia were watching TV when Alex suddenly started talking about love and marriage. Fidelia, who was engrossed in her movie, could not help but sit down and looked at her with a questioning look. Alex had never talked to her about marriage! She knew how much her friend didn''t believe in it.

    "I think I am going to get married soon, very soon, in fact." Alex was still looking at the TV and lazily eating her popcorn!

    Fidelia was a little confused and had to laugh out loud as if she had heard the best joke of the year. "Baby girl, what are you talking about? Since when is marriage a plan in your life?"

    "Since Eliott, I guess. He asked me to marry him..."

    Fidelia''s eyes widened in surprise, okay, she''d urged her to follow her heart and the feeling Eliott triggered in her, but this? She had not expected this at all! "Wait, wait, wait, what are you talking about? Did he really ask you that? You are kidding, right?"

    "Why are you so surprised? Do you think I can''t be a good wife or something?"

    "That''s not the issue here miss, we are talking about a lifetime commitment with a man you just met! Besides, you are not wife material at all, you don''t even know how to cook eggs, but you eat like your life depends on it!" Fidelia looked her friend straight in the eye, looking for a sign that told her she was joking.

 Chapter 60 - You Should Let Go Of Your Fears

    Fidelia was still shocked by what Alex said. She couldn''t believe that the girl to whom marriage was the most ridiculous thing in the world, that was only created to hurt people''s feelings, actually told her that she wanted to get married! Alex didn''t believe that a man could love a woman for his whole life. That''s why Fidelia could not believe Alex was talking about committing her life to one man for the rest of her life.

    "So did you say yes?" Fidelia finally asked the question, she was just too curious about Alex''s answer and her motives.

    "Yes, I gave him my answer not too long ago..." Alex nodded with a shy smile on his lips.

    Fidelia smiled, she was somewhat glad that Alex opened her heart like that. She had always been worried about her friend, always telling her that she would surely end her life alone, but now that she was considering marriage, she could rest easy. However, as she looked at Alex, she remembered one important point. "Wait a minute, are you sure about this? I mean, you know that as a wife you will be intimate with your husband. Are you ready for that?"

    "You know I am not ready at all! But since he''s the only one who can touch me without making me sick, I figured if I had to be with someone, it should be him, and I am glad it''s Eliott..."

    "Baby girl, I think you are taking this too lightly. I know he''s not pushing you into anything right now, and I sense he''s a true gentleman, but he''s a man and he had needs. And I cannot imagine him being fine every night with a gorgeous woman like you by his side! Even though I could see him being someone who will not force or cheat on you, if you cannot open up, he will be unhappy and so will you. But I am still happy for you, you are getting married!!!" Fidelia burst into tears of joy.

    "To tell you the truth, I only accepted his proposal because I thought it would help me avenge my mother and grandfather. And to be honest, I was thinking of divorcing him after about two years." Alex averted her eyes as she spoke. She knew what she was saying was not good at all, she knew she was just using Eliott to achieve her goal, so she could not look her friend in the eye.

    "Alex, I think it''s really wrong to do this. Did you talk to him about the divorce before you said yes? Because I don''t think it''s in his plan to divorce you after two years, or at all. I think if that''s what you think and want, you should talk to him about it before you go further in this relationship. But Alex, I think if that''s what you decide to do, you should not think about divorce, that would be really wrong. I mean Eliott is a good catch and he''s good to you and for you, plus at least you can touch each other, maybe he''s the only one for you!"

    "The thing is, I don''t want him to hold back when he''s with me. I don''t want him to be unhappy when he''s living with me, so I cannot help but think about leaving him at some point."

    "Why would you want to leave him when all you need to do is let go and open your heart a little more. He''s a great guy, don''t lose him just like that without fighting! Until when will you let the past come between your happiness? Besides, what difference will it make between you and the people who you don''t like, those ones you think marriage is a joke?" Fidelia sighed, she felt sorry for her friend, she could actually understand her way of thinking, but she just found it too sad that Alex was still so attached to her past.

    Across town, chaos reigned in the Porter family home. Sheila was furious over the outcome of Aria and Eliott''s engagement and she could not take it for that woman and her daughter to stand in her way once again. After Alix''s death and after getting her husband to reject Alex, she thought things were over, that she would never hear those names again, but now they were back and upsetting everything in her life. Aria cried and begged her father to let her marry Eliott. She couldn''t stand the idea of Alex winning again, why would she give up because of her again!!!

    Alan could not take it anymore, his family was just a bunch of idiots in his eyes and he could not care about them anymore!

    "Why are you whining now? If everything is messed up, it''s because of your stupidity! Now I have to beg a daughter I disowned to help me! So don''t mess with me anymore! I don''t want to hear or see you! Leave now!" Shouted Alan angrily. He already had a headache thinking about the humiliation of asking Alex for help.

    Aria and her mother, scared out of their wits, quickly disappeared, taking their frustration with them.

    Alex was lost in her thoughts. She was thinking about the conversation with Fidelia when she heard her phone. It was a message from Eliott telling her that the Porter family had just left his family house and that she would surely receive a call from Alan in the next few days. After reading this message, her mind was even more on Eliott and she decided to call him.

    "Hello, are you back?"

    Eliott instantly curled his lips up as he took the call, "Hi sweetie, I am on my way back. And why is that? Miss me already?"

    "I just wanted to talk to you, can you call me when you get back?" Alex was already down after talking to Fidelia, so she was not as playful as usual.

    Eliott sensed something was wrong and frowned, thinking about what could have made him smiling future wife unhappy. "Alright, I''ll be at my apartment in twenty minutes. I''ll meet you there." Eliott gave her his pin code before ending the call.

    Hearing their conversation, Fidelia was a little taken aback and thought, "She''s not really going to tell him about the divorce, is she?". It made her uncomfortable and she knew her best friend. She needed some reassurance that it was not what she thought.

    "Are you going to tell him you are already thinking about divorce when you have only just given him your consent? Are you really sure you need to go that far? I mean, you just need to enjoy the happiness he brings to your life. Honestly, I am happy to see you smiling these days, and it''s all because of him. Don''t screw this up because of your fears, Alex." Fidelia was more worried about her friend than she was at this moment. She didn''t want her to lose the man of her life.

    "I just don''t want him to suffer because of me. I am just offering him a way out. If we can deal with me being like this, that''s best, but honestly, if I am still like this while marrying him, it''s best for us to break up. He deserves to be happy" Alex''s eyes were sad as she thought about leaving Eliott, but she honestly didn''t know what else to do.

    "No, the best thing you can do is go into healing mode. If you trust men a little more, you might get better. You just have to tell yourself that not all men are like your father, Alex, he''s not your father, and you know it! If you have given your consent to this marriage thing, that means you have faith in him, so why don''t you give in to yourself and let go of all those fears that are holding you captive?"

    "That''s what I want to, Fifi, but it''s not so easy to do! And if I hurt him because I am like this, I''ll be even sadder for myself and hate Alan even more. Now I wish I was like every other woman so I can be happy because a handsome, seductive, charismatic, intelligent, and lovable man is asking me to marry him! But I just can''t feel comfortable, I can''t just think about my happiness, I have to think about his too... He''s a great guy who deserves to be happy and appreciated." At this point, Alex had tears in his eyes.

    Fidelia felt sorry for her friend. She couldn''t pretend to be in her place because she couldn''t understand her pain, but as a friend, she still thought it best to give her a piece of her mind. "I think you will hurt him even more if you tell him about your plans for divorce now... But still, the decision is yours.

    Fidelia hugged her friend to comfort her as best she could.. She was truly happy for Alex because she loved someone now, and she hoped Eliott could help her and heal her wounds.

 Chapter 61 - Do You Love Me?

    Twenty minutes later Eliott was at his apartment as promised. He was a little tired from his long day, luckily Alex was not waiting for him at his apartment, so he decided to take a little shower. As someone who has a keen sense of crisis, he could sense from the way Alex spoke to him on the phone that something was wrong, so he prepared himself for what was to come.

    After showering, he prepared some appetizers and a little wine and called Alex over. When Alex arrived, the door was already open for her. She entered and looked around the living room for the owner of the house.

    Eliott was on the phone and when he saw her, he motioned for her to sit down. Two minutes later he was sitting next to her, looking deep into her eyes as if trying to read her mind. As she felt his intense gaze on her, she had the impression that he could guess her thoughts, making her more and more nervous. Eliott looked at her clenched hands, he could sense her nervousness since she had set foot in the house. Sensing that she was certainly too nervous to talk, he decided to talk first.

    " You wanted to discuss something with me, the way you are nervous it seems to be something important, do not think too much and say what''s on your mind darling! I can take anything it is."

    Alex already felt guilty about what she was about to say. But she thought that telling him what was on her mind now would be more sincere. She swallowed without looking him in the eye and slowly fidgeted with her fingers, "I think we should reconsider the marriage between us."

    When she finished her sentence, she didn''t hear anything for a while, so she looked at Eliott to see his expression, but there was nothing on his face, no emotion at all. Alex became even more nervous because she didn''t know what he was thinking. A short while later he signaled her to continue.

    "Mmm... I was just thinking that as I am now, I will surely cause problems in our relationship eventually and I do not want to be the one to hurt your feelings. That''s why I wanted to put some conditions on our engagement, if that''s okay with you?" Alex was afraid of Eliott by now, because he just looked at her silently. At some point she got a little scared because she thought he might be really angry.

    But a few seconds later, Eliott finally spoke calmly and asked only one question, "And what are those terms?"

    Alex felt really bad at this point. Eliott had been so sweet and understanding to her, and now here she was, putting conditions on one of the nicest things a couple could have: their engagement to each other. But she didn''t feel that way about engagements, and Eliott knew it. She had to gather her courage to say what would come next.

    "It''s not a lot of things, I just wanted us to finish a year of trial. If you are still okay with me after a year, we can move on, and if not, we will get a divorce... "

    When Eliot heard that, he frowned. He sensed that she wanted to talk about their engagement, but he did not think she would put those kind of conditions on their relationship. He could have accepted it if it had been something like "before you touch me, you have to ask me", knowing her illness, but this was a little unexpected and made him a little angry and sad because it was proof that she didn''t trust him at all.

    "So my future wife is asking me to agree to a one year trial marriage and already thinking about divorce? I am sorry, but I am not marrying anyone to try things out. When you put it that way, I am a little disappointed, Alex. I didn''t know you felt so insecure and that you obviously don''t want to trust me in this even a little bit. But like I told you, when I marry someone, it''s for the rest of my life, there''s no room for divorce. So maybe you should think again. You are under no obligation to marry me, you know? I know that one of the reasons you accepted this is because it might help you with your revenge. You should know that I will help you even if you are not married to me, so there is still time to back out, because no one is forcing you into this." Eliott had a bitter smile on his handsome face and emptied his wine glass after speaking his mind.

    Alex didn''t think he would react so firmly only giving her two choices. She felt the air grow colder, and she could read disappointment and sadness on Elliott''s face. She really didn''t know what to do now. She just wanted him to find a way out and not be tied down to a woman like her.

    "I just don''t want to be the one to hurt you or hurt your feelings, Eliott. I don''t want you to be unhappy in the future because of me... I just..."

    "Because you think what you are saying now isn''t hurting me? You are making me look like an unreliable man here. Like my feelings for you are superficial and will fade away in a year! That''s really..."

    "I..." Alex remembered what Fidelia had told her just an hour ago, and indeed he was really hurt.

    She wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Her head was spinning and she did not know how to explain to him what she really meant and how she felt. She reached out, wanting to take Eliott''s hand, but hesitated a little. When he saw that Elliott''s lips curl a little before quickly disappeared.

    "I am just going to ask you a question, and all you have to do is answer yes or no, and we will have the answer to our problem right here. Are you okay with that?" asked Eliott, looking at Alex a little more gently than before.

    Alex could only nod, she had told him what was on her mind, now it was her time to listen to him too.

    "I know my feelings for you, and they are clear. Maybe you don''t think they are real because we have only just met, but I know what my heart has been feeling, and I can say with certainty that it''s love. When we looked at each other you could not help it either, I know you feel those so called butterflies, it''s obvious there is a bond and a lot of chemistry between us! I am the only one who can hold you or take your hand and the only one you can touch without fear, and I know you can also feel the electricity between us when you touch me.

    You are the girl I have wanted for so long, but now you are telling me you want to give up what we have just built together. Back when I saw you on the runway, I didn''t know that one day I would have such indescribable feelings for a woman in my life. Since that day I know that you are the one for me, and now you tell me that I have to say goodbye to you?

    He sighed slowly, looked at her with tender eyes and gently took her hand in his.

    "I know that what is in my heart will not change, and I know that you are aware of that too, just as I know what you feel for me, and I can assure you that it is love, darling. So let us not kid ourselves, don''t tell me I don''t know, because for this question I want to know the truth: Do you love me...? or do you feel something special for me?"

    Alex was caught off guard by this confession, she could not really respond and her head was all over the place, she felt overwhelmed, all her thoughts were blurred by her pounding heart. All she could feel at that moment was Eliott''s warm hand in hers, feeling so comfortable and reliable, she knew deep inside that those hands would never let her down.

    She didn''t know how or why, but before her mind could react, her body had and she placed her lips on Elliott''s and gave him a light kiss. When she came to her senses, she was flushed with embarrassment.

    Elliott''s lips curved upward, revealing a sweet smile that was embellished by his dimples. As she was about to avert her gaze, he narrowed the distance between them, their lips were now only an inch apart, he gently took Alex''s head in his hands and made her look at him, their beautiful eyes dipping into each other''s.

    "I can take it as my answer, but I want an answer in words, I want you to tell me how you feel."

    Alex was mesmerized by his deep voice and, golden eyes. She wanted to avert her gaze, but couldn''t as he held her head and didn''t break the eye contact between them. "Well, yes I... "

    She didn''t have time to finish her sentence when Eliott stopped her with his lips and engaged her in a deep and sweet kiss. She didn''t know why, but this kiss felt different from the others they had shared, it was passionate and hot, she could feel Eliott''s tongue invading her mouth like he was claiming his territory, the sweet taste of his lips mixed with the taste of the wine intoxicated her and she just didn''t want it to stop. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around Eliott''s neck and her hands sought her pleasure in Eliott''s soft hair.. Eliott growled softly at her touch and pressed her further against him, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

 Chapter 62 - Meeting In Laws

    Eliott lost control as he succumbed to those delicious, plump lips, her seductive scent, and soft skin. It had been a long time since a woman had been pressed against him like that, and his little friend down there throbbed, letting him know how much he wanted to be used.

    Their bodies clung to each other, Eliott could feel her soft breasts against his torso and Alex could feel the heat between them.

    Unexpectedly, she thought his shirt was preventing her from feeling his hard torso. She wanted to touch him, feel him, so her hand slid down and slowly penetrated Eliott''s shirt. When Eliott felt her hands on his skin, he was a little taken aback, but did not break the kiss, on the contrary, he deepened the kiss and nuzzled her neck, his hands wandering around her curves, giving her all the freedom to explore his body as she pleased.

    Alex trembled a little at his touch, she loved this feeling so much, she wanted to know how it would feel if he touched her in a more intimate place like her breast, what feelings would it give him, would she enjoy it as we can see on TV?

    Eliott took his time tasting her, slowly giving her a few light kisses on her neck, she liked that. Her body could not help but shivered at Eliott''s expert touches and kisses as she began to let out little moans.

    The sound of those moans was like a new, beautiful melody to Eliott''s ears. He looked deep into her eyes and put a sexy smile on his lips before moving in on her juicy lips again.

    Eliott was busy with his kisses and Alex was enjoying everyone he gave her. He still only paused at her neck and did not try to go down further, not knowing how she would react, though he was pretty sure her mind didn''t even register the hint of what they were getting at as she only focused on what her body was feeling.

    The temperature between them began to rise even more and Eliott began to really lose control. Just as he was about to reach her soft chest, he heard his door open.

    Only four people knew the pin code to his door: his sister, his parents, and now Alex. Oddly enough, his sister never used it, she loved to annoy him by ringing his doorbell incessantly. So when he heard his door open, he knew immediately that it was both of his parents, because he knew that his father was always glued to his mother when she was out.

    Truth be told, he didn''t want to stop what he was busy with. It was their fault for coming without calling him first, so it was not his fault if they saw him making out with his wife right? But then he thought about Alex, after all, it was her first time meeting his parents. If he continued, she would be too embarrassed to face them afterward.

    So he slowly ended their kiss, "My parents are at the door baby," he whispered in her ear. When Alex heard that, she snapped her eyes open in surprise and without waiting for a second, she raced to the bathroom at the speed of light.

    When Lydia reached the living room, she just saw a figure rushing quickly towards the bathroom. She smiled and looked at his son sitting on the couch with his shirt wide open and messy hair. She walked up to him with a sickening smile

    "Son, am I disturbing you?"

    "What do you think?" Eliott raised one of his eyebrows and looked impatiently at his mother.

    "Oh, I didn''t know you were going to have a guest, you have never had a guest before, so... Don''t blame me..."

    Eliott scoffed, knowing his mother had come in on purpose! "Mrs Jensen, it''s only been an hour since I left your house, what do you have that''s so urgent that you have come here so late at night?"

    "I told you this was not a good idea, see? He''s angry..." whispered Eli in her wife''s ear.

    "Besides, I didn''t come here for you, I came for my daughter-in-law". Lydia enjoyed seeing her son''s angry face. She had not seen him be so open with his feelings in a long time.

    "Oh please, mom! At this hour of the night? Well, I don''t even know why I am so surprised, I should not let the guard down with you..." Eliott rolled his eyes and chuckled lightly.

    "When Jensen men are in love, they get stupid, don''t you know that? Look at your father," Lydia laughed happily...

    Eliott looked at his poor father pityingly and slowly walked towards the bathroom, already anticipating Alex''s funny reaction. He knocked lightly on the door and chuckled, "Hey beautiful, how long are you staying there? Come on out, don''t worry, they will not eat you".

    Alex was deeply embarrassed. She was not at all prepared to meet his parents. As she looked at herself, she remembered that she was wearing her pyjamas a freaking pyjama with a hilarious panda head on it! Her face was bare and her hair was a mess because they had engaged in a little sensual activity. She definitely could not face them like this, could she? What would they think of her?

    Hearing nothing, Eliott saw that the door wasn''t even locked, and with a smile, he opened it and briskly entered.

    Alex''s eyes widened when she saw him enter, "Why do you come in?"

    Eliott of course was amused by her stressed face and looked at her with a smug smile as she pouted "I can''t face them like this, look at me, I am a mess!!!"

    Eliott chuckled and took her by the hand, "Don''t worry about it, they already love you anyway because they are the ones who chose you. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead and pulled her out.

    When his mother saw her, she smiled and promptly stood up. She walked up to Alex without hesitation, looked at her lovingly, and took her in her arms.

    "I am so glad to see you again, my dear, you are such a beautiful woman now, just like your mother. Come here and sit next to me."

    Alex was touched, it had been a long time since someone had looked at her so tenderly. She felt the warmth and love of Lydia in her eyes and that little hug. Without hesitation, she let go of Eliott''s hand and followed Lydia to the sofa and sat down next to her. Alex bowed to greet Eli with a small smile.

    Eliott''s hand that she had been holding instantly went empty. He looked at his hand and then at his mother, who led Alex to the sofa with a fond smile.

    Lydia was so glad to finally see Alex, she had wanted to see her since the day she had landed in town. As she looked at her, she automatically remembered her best friend. They looked so much alike. She could not help but touch her cheek tenderly, her eyes moist as she thought of her deceased best friend.

    "How are you, my dear? I don''t know if you remember me, you were just a little girl when we last saw each other.

    "I am well, auntie, thank you. I actually remember you; you are the pretty lady my mother used to meet for shopping and tea at weekends."

    "That''s right, our date was always on Saturdays."

    Eli, who was sitting in front of them, stood up and walked into the kitchen with his son standing behind them to give them some space to talk.

    "You can''t imagine how happy I am that you agreed to marry Eliott, because that means you are officially going to be my daughter! I have waited a long time to take care of you, and now your mother doesn''t have to worry about you anymore!! " She took Alex''s hand tenderly and her eyes grew moist.

    "Thank you, Auntie, mum really missed you when we were abroad, you know..." Alex''s eyes were also wet at this point.

    "I miss her too. Let us not talk about sad things, okay? Tell me how my incompetent son managed to get you to marry him? I am dying to know the details!" She smiled happily at Alex.

    Hearing her question, Alex glanced at Eliott and then smiled fondly. Lydia, who was watching them, smiled as well and saw the love in her eyes.

    "Eliott, even though he is my son, is lacking in many things! I was really worried because I thought he would never find a woman who wants him, so I have you to thank for wanting him."

    When Eliott heard that he looked at his mother and felt wrong, "Why is he an incompetent person now? He was the best son when he got her that piece of the isle she was dreaming to have just a week ago" He thought before looking at his mother with his fiery poker face, "Mom, how can you say that about your own son?"

    Lydia didn''t even bother to look at him as she continued their conversation. "He''s cold, does not like to smile, is always grim, not a bit sweet, and always talks hurtful and harsh words to peole.. When I think about it like this, I am starting to regret letting you marry someone like him" She laughed and that made Alex laugh too.

 Chapter 63 - Do You Miss Me?

    Alex, looking at Eliott as his mother spoke, could not help feeling that he was not at all as her mother described him, at least not with her. On the contrary, with her, he smiled a lot, spoke tenderly to her, he was really kind to her. It was true that she had felt his coldness when he was on the telephone for example, but with her, he was really patient.

    " Auntie, he is not like that with me, in fact, he smiles a lot."

    "Really? Are you sure? Don''t be misled by his fake smile or impersonation as Ethan! Actually, I prefer Ethan, he''s so cute..."

    "Well, Ethan is definitely cuter... for sure"

    Eliott could not help but roll his eyes at the comparison of the two women and then smiled, his mother always made fun of him. And now his wife, yes, he said his wife, because he would marry her no matter what, was making fun of him too. He was glad to see Alex relax more now.

    They talked some more before Eli reminded his wife that it was time for them to head back. As they walked, Lydia took Alex by the hand and said that she would send her home before she left. Seeing the angry look on Eliott''s face, she could not help but tease him even more, "Son, you can go to sleep now, we will take care of Alex."

    Eliott couldn''t help but let out a frustrated groan seeing Alex going like that, he had some project for the night and his mother just end his fun.

    While Alex was at Eliott''s house, Fidelia was a little nervous so she called Christ to talk to him. The first time he did not answer, she thought maybe he was working or showering, and she did not mind. Ten minutes later she called again and still nothing. So she decided to watch another movie while she waited for Alex to return, fearing that she might get a little depressed if things did not go well. Looking for a new movie, her phone rang. It was Christ, she picked up the phone smiling and answered it immediately.

    "Hello, handsome."

    "Hi babe, how are you? It''s been a while since we have seen each other... "

    "Did you miss me?"

    "Of course! Don''t you miss me too?"

    "Who misses you? I only called you because I was bored.

    "Oh really! So what can I do to help or entertain you?"

    Just as Fidelia was about to answer, the doorbell of Christ''s house rang. He frowned a little, not knowing who would be coming to his house at this hour. Still, he asked Fidelia on the phone to wait while he went to see who it was.

    Seeing the screen on his intercom, he frowned even more, "What is she doing here? How does she even know my house? "

    Fidelia, still on the phone, was also curious as to who might have the damn nerve to disturb her man at this hour. "Who is it?",

    Christ hesitated a little, he didn''t want Fidelia to misunderstand anything, but he thought it best to answer, "Oh, a daughter of one of our board members, I don''t know what she''s doing here, I don''t even remember talking to her! You know I don''t tell anyone my address, especially not a girl",

    "Yeah, yeah, you don''t want all the women in town to come to you and ask you to take responsibility," Fidelia giggled.

    Christ was glad she was taking it so lightly, he scratched his head a little embarrassed "Don''t say it like that"

    He finally replied, not wanting his neighbours to complain about the ringing of the doorbell.

    "Who is it?"

    "It''s me, Jenny Wang. Christ, open the door, I have something to tell you... "

    "What the hell?" Christ curses inwardly "Oh, if you have something to tell me, come to my office tomorrow, I am busy now."

    With those words, he interrupted the intercom and was about to call Fidelia back since she had disconnected the call, but his doorbell was still ringing and the sound was just annoying. He frowned and ended the noise by taking the intercom off again, a little annoyed now.

    "Are you out of your mind? You come to other people''s houses at night and ring doorbells like a madman, what do you want?"

    "I have something to give you, please open the door..." Jenny giggled wickedly.

    Christ rolled his eyes, he knew these tricks all too well, he opened the door a little and the girl in front of him suddenly opened her coat. She had only her underwear on and nothing else. Christ was not surprised at all and the sight was not even great. He looked her over from head to toe, grinned, and asked her impatiently, "What did you want to give me? If that''s your gift, I am not fucking interested."

    Jenny was embarrassed by the lack of response from Christ, who was looking at her without a hint of envy as if he were looking at a dry fish. She was about to push her way into Christ''s house, since he didn''t look interested, and tried to hug him when a voice stopped her.

    Fidelia, wanting to join the fun and see who the crazy bitch at her boyfriend''s door was, appeared the moment Jenny lunged at Christ, she frowned and looked at him, then grinned.

    Christ saw his girlfriend coming and looked at her with pleading eyes for help.

    "Hey, babe, what the hell are you doing?" Fidelia asked her arms crossed.

    "I didn''t do anything, I swear, I just opened the door to see who it was and that''s what I saw... "

    Fidelia looked at the girl and smiled sweetly, but you could feel the air around her getting colder, "Well miss, may I know what you are doing half naked outside my door?"

    Jenny was puzzled and embarrassed, so she hastily closed her coat and looked doubtfully at Fidelia. "This is Christ''s house, who are you?"

    "If this is his house and my house, what does that mean? Oh, by the way, I am not his sister." Fidelia rolled her eyes.

    Jenny didn''t want to believe Christ had someone living with him. Her father had asked her to seduce him so he could help them gain more power in the Royal Corp. They had done some research and he was definitely a Casanova, someone who didn''t like to commit to women, so they were sure he didn''t have a girlfriend.

    Fidelia at her side was getting impatient and could not stand the girl a second longer. She grabbed Christ by her side and kissed him deeply. Christ was glad he had not had a sweet kiss from his sweetheart in days and he was missing her tasty lips, so he deepened the kiss and took Fidelia in his arms passionately.

    A moment later Fidelia broke the kiss and looked at the girl a little amused, "Why are you still here? Would you like to join us perhaps? " She entered the house in Christ''s arms and closed the door behind her without glancing back.

    When Alex was sent home by Eliott''s parents, she was very happy. She found Eliott''s mother to be a good and kind person. It had been years since she had felt that warm feeling that only a mother can give you. She was overwhelmed and felt really happy when Eliott''s mother took her hands, she remembered her own mother who loved to hold her hand and she could not help but smile all her way home.

    Smiling, she looked around for Fidelia, who was not home. She suspected she was surely playing at Christ''s house and didn''t bother calling her so as not to disturb her good time.

    As she thought of Fidelia and Christ and what they must be doing, she blushed, remembering her smooch with Eliott a moment ago. She began to imagine what might have happened if Eliott''s parents had not come. Could she really open up and enjoy this erotic moment or would her mind stop her before she went too far? She was really curious about her body''s reaction, about all the beautiful feelings she felt when he touched her. Thinking about it, she thought, ''How could any sane person resist that sexy body and pretty face anyway?

    The ringing tones on her phone brought her out of her thoughts. When she looked at the phone, it was a message from Eliott.

    "Do not think too much about what just happened, babe. Today your body spoke for you and showed how you really feel about me. Hold on to what you felt and just remember that you can feel so much more when you are with me."

    Alex followed the message with a smile, thinking that maybe she should give herself a chance to be happy. Eliott was a really good guy who was really good to her and respected her. She was sorry that she had made him unhappy just an hour before. She felt ashamed for being so selfish.

    "I am sorry for what I said earlier.. I promise I will do my best to make you happy too."

 Chapter 64 - Alan Porters Phone Call

    That night Alex did not sleep well. She tossed and turned in her bed and kept thinking about what had happened between Eliott and her that night. She felt overwhelmed, her emotions were all over the place as she could not forget the intense feelings Eliott had given her while kissing and touching her, it was like she had just discovered a treasure or something priceless and was now desperate to conquer it and possess it. Her night was short and her thoughts filled with Eliott''s strong, lean, sexy body against hers. She didn''t touch him much, but she could feel his six-pack when she touched him and she just enjoyed the pleasure she felt when their bodies touched.

    Eliott felt the same way, he was frustrated all night and could not sleep well. He was so angry at his mother''s sudden appearance and interference! This was the first time he had been this close to Alex since he had met her. They had kissed before, but that night was something else entirely, as he could feel her letting herself go a little. It was the first time he had been so close to her that their bodies burned and demanded more. Her beautiful perfume was still on him like a spring flower breeze, the feel of her soft body was still lingering in his hands, he could still feel her delicate touches on his body, her hands playing around on his chest, he just could not settle down. That night he showered several times so he could get some sleep.

    The next morning they both felt low and had no energy.

    As soon as he woke up Eliott picked up his phone and called his mother, he had to get even or he would not have a good day either. His mother did not like being woken up early in the morning, it was one of the things she hated the most since she had stopped working. So Eliott called her with a wicked smile at least ten times until he was sure she was awake! And as expected she was pissed.

    The next morning, seeing Alex''s downcast mood, Fidelia thought that things had not gone well last night. She started to feel a little anxious, not knowing how much she might be hurt by this relationship with Eliott, since it was her first. She thought about it and was about to cheer her up with a big hug when Alex beat her to it, pulling her into her arms and sighing.

    "Fifi!!! I want to feel more!" Alex blurted out of the blue, Fidelia not understanding the situation at all, "what is she talking about, what did she want to feel?"

    "Eeerh baby girl, can you speak in the human language? I do not understand what you are saying, feel what?"

    "That man is a big devil Fifi, I was so determined to get that divorce state or break off the engagement you know, but in the end, I was in his arms kissing him like I never have before! It was just crazy. The feeling of his touch on my skin was just too good to be true!!! Now I am obsessed and want to feel more..." Alex sighed even more.

    Fidelia''s mind immediately stopped working, her mouth was open and she was trying to understand what Alex was saying. She looked at her friend again from head to toe and her eyes widened even more in surprise, "Oh my god baby girl, you have hickeys all over your neck!!! what did you do last night? What happened? How did he start, how far did you go!!!? Tell me everything!!"

    "Didn''t I tell you I ended up kissing him? That''s what happened..." Alex was amused by Fidelia''s reaction. She was such a drama queen sometimes, she never failed to entertain her.

    "Do not try to fool me miss, it''s not all about kissing! By the number of hickeys on your neck, I am sure it was about touching too!!!"

    "We really were just kissing... Well, we touched, or should I say I touched him a little here and there, but that was about it, we could not go any further because his parents came over... I tell you, it was so embarrassing that I would have loved to dig a hole and bury myself in it... "

    "No!!! You are kidding!!! Are you telling me that you met your in-laws? While you were making out with your man? And in your pyjamas?" Fidelia burst out laughing like a crazy girl! "I can''t believe this!!! Will you tell me quickly what happened?"

    Alex pouted as her friend made fun of her, it was not funny at all, "nothing happened, we talked a bit, his mom is so cute, it was really good to talk to her, it felt great and warm!!!"

    "I bet Eliott is in a bad mood today," Fidelia grinned, thinking of the poor man who could not finish his nice meal in peace.

    "Well, he certainly did not like it when he saw his parents come in uninvited ... But he did not seem angry at all." Alex shrugged slightly

    "Think about it, if you felt frustrated and want to feel more. How would he react to that? I bet he''d be ten times more frustrated than you are now!"

    While they were talking about Alex''s activities last night, her phone rang. She frowned, thinking about who would be calling her so early in the morning, but no one came to mind. Glancing at her phone''s screen, her hand froze for a few seconds, then she squeezed the phone tightly in her hand and frowned.

    You could see the hatred on her face as she pressed her lips together and her heart began to beat fast. It was her so-called father''s name that was displayed on the screen of her phone.

    The first time she did not answer and just looked at her phone with a blank expression. Fidelia, watching her reaction from the side, picked up the phone to see who was calling. She frowned when she saw who it was before absent-mindedly wondering why he was calling her.

    Then the phone rang another time. Alex let it ring for some time before taking a deep breath and answering it.

    "Hello, may I ask who''s calling?"

    " It''s me, your father.

    " Father? I think you have the wrong number, I do not have a father, my father died a long time ago."

    "My name is Alan Porter..." Alan gritted his teeth as he heard Alex.

    "Oh, Mr. Porter? CEO of Priceless, right? What an honor, I wonder what I can do for you?"

    "I want to meet you; I have something to discuss with you!" It did not take Alan four ways to tell her what he wanted her to do.

    "Meet me? I do not know what you want to discuss with me. I have already told your company that I am not interested in working with you. Besides, I belong to Royal Star now, it would not be right for me to talk to their competitor. So I am afraid I will not be able to meet with you. Perhaps you can tell me what this is about now?"

    "Alex, I am still your biological father, if I want to meet you, you''ll have to come..." Alan yelled into the phone.

    "Biological father? So what? I do not have time Mr. Porter, I am a busy woman, I have to get ready for work, so..."

    "Wait..." Alan was embarrassed and angry at the same time, but he could not back down, "I want to talk to you about your mother''s stock in the company..."

    "Oh really? I thought she did not have any shares. Didn''t you snatch them from her before the divorce? So, what about it? Are you feeling remorseful now?" Asked Alex with a cold smile on his lips.

    Alan frowned at Alex''s impertinence; he had not expected her to be so bold "I''ll tell you when we meet! Meet me at the Royal Restaurant tonight at 8 pm!"

    After that sentence, the phone call was cut off. Alex looked at her phone with a grin, the game was up, Eliott''s plan was indeed working. She looked at her phone with determination, "Don''t worry, I will definitely get all my mother''s assets back".

    Fidelia looked at her and smiled, she tenderly took her friend''s hand "It''s time you show them that life is not as easy as they think. I am on your side. Just tell me what to do and I will help you with all you need, you know that right?

    Alex looked tenderly at her friend and smiled at her. She did not know if she could be where she was now if she did not have her best friend with her. She had always been there all these years when she needed her.

    "I know I can always count on you Fifi, thank you".

 Chapter 65 - Priceless Had Big Issues

    That morning, Alex had mixed feelings. She was happy to finally be able to take up the long-awaited fight against her father, but she was also afraid, because this man who had helped bring her into this world was an egotist, ruthless, and without much morality. He knew how to manipulate people. Her poor mother had paid the price for being too good to him, and that was proof of this man''s wickedness. She had to be careful when she spoke to him, she had to be strong with this man.

    That day she had an important shoot for a jewellery brand and her official shoot as the face of Royal. She had to take pictures because now that she was the new face of the company, any company banners, flags or posters that represented Royal brands would be replaced with her pictures.

    Before she left for the shoot, she called Eliott to let him know about the call she had received earlier. She felt rather giddy about it, as it was as if she were calling her husband to complain or whine about something.

    Eliott was having a bad morning, he was still frustrated about last night, he was exceptionally cold that day, Christ could not tell what the problem was so he wanted to avoid him but unfortunately they had a meeting. He was sitting in front of Eliott, who really looked like he was about to kill something, when his phone rang. He saw Eliott''s whole demeanour automatically change, because now he was smiling!

    "Hello Mrs."

    "Um, um, hello..." Alex blushed, she always felt weak when Eliott called her by a pet name, her mind just stopped working and she started giggling.

    "How are you this morning?"

    "A little tired, I did not sleep well and you?"

    "Oh? And why is that?" Eliott chuckled, "I bet you were thinking about me ... I was just like you all night".

    "Well... um, I do not want to comment on that," Alex blushed even more, "Alan Porter just called me, he said he wanted to meet me at the Royal Restaurant tonight..."

    "He did not wait long! He must really need me, or should I say my name, something must be going on PRICELESS. I have not been paying much attention to them lately, but now I think we should do a little investigating. So, what did he say?"

    "He said he wanted to talk about my mother''s shares of PRICELESS, so I agreed to meet him." Alex sighed, already thinking about the nonsense she would have to listen to from her father.

    Eliott raised an eyebrow as he listened to Alex, sure that there must be something going on. "Well, you do not have to worry about it. Just go and ask for what you want, because you have the upper hand here, as I am sure he''ll ask you to come and marry me! I am going to find out about the state of the company today."

    " Okay, thank you hubby," Alex said the last word so out of the blue she was stunned herself, but she was relieved that she had said it so quietly that she was sure Eliott had not heard.

    "What did you say?" Eliott choked on his saliva as he hurt the word, it was soft but he had definitely heard it! His heart was beating fast and he was so happy he could not help but smile.

    "I... I said thank you? ", Alex said sheepishly, hoping that he really had not heard anything.

    Eliott chuckled, he sighed and thought about how Alex must be all red now, he liked seeing her all embarrassed, he felt uneasy because he could not watch it right now. "Oh, okay, it''s my duty as your husband to look out for you and protect you, so you do not have to thank me, babe. Have a good day, I have to go! I''ll call you at noon."

    "Have a nice day too, lots of kisses," Alex said with a big smile as she ended the call.

    When Eliott realised Christ was gone after the phone call, he sighed and called him!

    "Hey bro, what''s up?" Christ was sure his foul mood was now vanquished by happiness when he saw him smile at his call.

    "It''s work time, Assistant Zhang."

    "Yes, yes boss, what can I do for you?" Christ grinned

    "I do not sense any sincerity when you call me ''boss''! Anyway, do you have any internal information about the financial situation of PRICELESS?"

    "Of course, I am efficient, you know that! There are rumours circulating about them, why? Are we going to buy them?"

    "Are you only interested in your job if you have to buy a company? Be aware man, it can become an addiction! I do not want to buy it, I want to give it to my wife."

    "Well, well, how come I do not know you are married? But seriously, things are not going well for Priceless right now. Clyde Porter lost a lot of money on a shady investment, so they have lost a lot of contracts. Alan Porter is now turning to all his personal contacts for more contracts and offers. He had to put his personal money into PRICELESS to make up the shortfall. I have heard that he has another fashion company under his name and that PRICELESS is still operating only because of the money he makes there. The artists who have contracts with them are complaining because they are not being bet and so on, it''s quite a mess! Right now they need a solid partnership with a good company to restore their name and get more clients. I am telling you, it''s a good time to buy them! Come on, this is a shady company that needs to be broken up!"

    Eliott chuckled, Christ really loves to bash other people, companies that have thankfully always been bad and make sure the employees of those companies get another job, otherwise he would start to think he was some kind of sociopath "Well that''s good news. Thanks, I''ll let you know when you can play your favourite game soon! But why am I alone in a meeting room right now? You should hurry up and get your ass over here! If you are late, I''ll dock your pay!"

    "Do not do that, boss! I have someone to take care of right now..." Christ chuckled as he picked up his files, looking forward to his new assignment!

    Alex for her part was more relaxed after the phone call with Eliott, she was able to focus on her work in peace and so the shoot went smoothly that morning. The photographer and the director of the shoot were so happy with the result that they kept praising her for her beauty and even more for her professionalism.

    At first, they were afraid to work with her because they thought she was another diva. But to their surprise, she was professional and had no complaints. By 2pm the shoot, which always took a whole day with other models, was over. Alex was exhausted. Since she had nothing else to do that day, she decided to go home and get some rest before her long-awaited meeting with her so-called father.

    When she arrived home, she was hungry after working for five hours straight. The two girls were too lazy to cook, so they ordered some food. While they were eating, Alex''s phone rang, it was Eliott. She put down the chicken wing she was holding, wiped it off and took the call.

    "Hi," her voice was a little muffled as she was still enjoying her chicken.

    "Hi, what are you eating?"

    "How did you know?"

    "I know all about you, miss. Did you have a good morning? I heard you had a photo shoot this morning."

    "Yeah, it was cool and fun. How about you?"

    "I have a lot to do, I have not even eaten yet. It would be so nice if someone could bring me some food..." Eliott tries to whine in a cute voice.

    "Poor you, how about I bring you something? Then we can give your sister a bit of a headache tomorrow with the headline," Alex offered to tease him.

    "I do not want to upset her... I''ll help myself to something to go! By the way, Priceless was having financial problems. Thanks to the income your grandfather made from his clothing brand and factory, the company is able to continue. It''s a good thing he did not merge the two businesses. So be smart when you ask what you want from him, okay?"

    Alex was slightly surprised, she could not remember talking to him about her grandfather''s business, she had not even told him about her own brand. "You already knew about my grandfather''s company? Well, that''s a logical thought given our relationship with our mother."

    Eliott just chuckled at her remark. If she only knew how much he knew about her, she''d surely freak out, he thought.

    "Okay, thanks for that message, I''ll put it to good use," Alex concluded.

    "You are welcome, sweetie. Call me when you are done with him! Kisses!"

    "Okay, kisses"

    Fidelia, who was eating in front of her friend, heard everything she said. She looked at her with a questioning look as if asking her what happened.. Alex knew what that look meant, so she told Fidelia what Eliott had told her. The two girls looked at each other before Fidelia exclaimed, "God is always on the side of good people, you know!"

 Chapter 66 - Father And Daughter Meeting

    An hour before the rendezvous Alex was getting ready, she took her time getting dressed and prepare herself, she could not let her father get the better of her so she decided to look like a strong and cold businesswoman, she wanted to start her war from her image as it could also be a good weapon. She wore a nice red suit consisting of wide-leg trousers and an oversized blazer with a white bodysuit under the blazer. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail, her makeup was light as always, but this time her lips were bright red, she was just on fire and looked strong, ready to destroy everything.

    The whole look gave her a professional yet sexy look. She was pleased with her look and looked to Fidelia, who also reached out to her with a thumbs up. To finish her look, she put on her favourite jewellery and picked up a small bag, one last look in the mirror and she was ready to go.

    Fidelia wanted to go with her as well. She was not sure if she should let her go alone, knowing how manipulative her father was, but she knew it was a meeting that only Alex could attend, so she decided to just accompany her to the restaurant where she would just eat well while she waited for her to finish their conversation.

    So fifteen minutes before the hour of their appointment, they took Fidelia''s private car to drive to the restaurant together. Alex did not want to be on time, so they did not leave home until fifteen minutes before 8 pm. She knew it would take at least thirty minutes to reach the restaurant from her flat, so she would be at least fifteen minutes late.

    She decided to be late on purpose, she wanted to have a little bit of an upper hand, put some kind of pressure on Alan, make him a little nervous, she wanted to let him know that she was not afraid of him and that she was now able to make him wait for her because now it was not her who needed him, but on the contrary, she wanted to show him that he was the one who desperately needed her help even whiling to wait for her.

    At the restaurant, Alan was already waiting in a private room and he was getting impatient. He was furious that she was being so disrespectful to him Alan Porter! Her being late for their meeting was a sign that she had no respect for him, he had never been treated like this before and it did not make him happy at all.

    Clyde Porter was there too, he was all excited to see the woman he had always wanted, she was the woman he dreamed of every night, he had wanted to possess her since he saw him for the first time when he was a teenager, he was excited just thinking about meeting her one more time, he wanted to have her already thinking about her moaning under him. It did not matter to him that she was his half sister, he wanted her and that was all that mattered, and now that she was back, he was all excited and already thinking of the time he would finally have her.

    Unfortunately for him, he would not have the chance to meet her, because to avoid meeting irrelevant people, Alex sent Alan a message just before reaching the restaurant stating: "This meeting will be just between the two of us, I do not want to meet any irrelevant people, not even a member of your dirty family like your dirty son!!!".

    When Alan read that, he flipped his phone shut and told his son to go home. Clyde Porter was stunned, he had not expected this. His mother wanted him to be there so he could report what the situation was, plus he was too eager to meet Alex to just go back like that, but his father was really serious and reminded him that if they were in this situation now, it was his fault. Clyde was not stupid enough to upset his father even more, so he reluctantly returned home.

    When Alex arrived at the restaurant, after telling the receptionist that she had a reservation, she was sent to a private room. When the waiter opened the door for her, she was greeted directly by Alan''s face. He wore a grey suit, his white and black mixed hair was well combed, and he had glasses on his face. As she looked at him, she could not help but think that he was quite old by now and not as handsome as he used to be, time had not been kind to him and she was happy about it. She nodded at him before gracefully sitting down in front of him.

    When Alan saw her, he could not help but think that she was just like her mother, a truly beautiful woman. Her blue eyes were just like her mother''s and sparkled and shone in the light of the room. He got a little nostalgic thinking about the past and thinking about his first wife. As she sat down, he still watched her and to his surprise, even her demeanour was just like her mother''s, the way she sat, the elegance in her movements, was the same. It was as if he was standing in front of his late wife. He smiled at the thought that maybe things would go smoothly if she was as gullible as her mother, he had managed to take everything from her back then, so maybe it would be as a mother as a daughter.

    She was sipping her tea peacefully when Alan Porter began to speak.

    "I am delighted to see you again. It''s been years since we last saw each other Alex."

    "Yes, the last time was the day you decided to break off any relationship between us." Alex did not even look at him but continued to drink her tea.

    Alan frowned, not expecting that answer so soon. It was clear that Alex was not there for the father-daughter relationship, her attitude was the proof of that. "Um, um, that was a long time ago, and you cannot really break off the relationship between father and daughter, since my blood still runs in your veins!"

    Hearing that, Alex scoffed and thought, "Does this old man really think he can endear himself to me with this father-daughter card... what a joke!!".

    "Really? As far as I remember, it''s been a while since I left without a father!" Replied Alex coldly.

    "A father remains a father until he dies, since you can not remove my blood in your body, I am still your father!" replied Alan shamelessly.

    "Still, my father? Seriously?" Alex scoffed, "Did you feed me when I did not have anything to eat? ... Or did you pay my school fees...Oh, or did you ever love me? As far as I remember, that was not your business and there has never been a father love for me!" Alex smiled sweetly "But did you call me here to discuss whether or not I had a father?"

    Alan was a little embarrassed by her words, it was true, ever since he divorced her mother, he cared less and less about her and with her mother''s death, it was as if the connection between them had been extinguished. He thought his two children were enough for him and would help him get rich. Who would have thought that years later these children would be responsible for bankrupting his business and that he would be standing here asking for help from the daughter he had thrown away?

    But even though he was here to ask for her help, Alan did not think he could let her have the upper hand, which was why he tried to impose himself as a father so she would have to obey him. But he understood that she was not as gullible as he thought.

    "As I said on the phone, I am calling you to discuss your mother''s shares in PRICELESS. As you know, your mother owns 15% of the shares in my company and I thought it was time to return them to you. Since you have become someone who is good at managing those shares, and I also heard that you also have your own business, I thought it might be good for you as a father to have those shares with you. So here for you."

    He pulled a white envelope out of his bag and placed it on the table in front of Alex. Alex was a little sceptical at first, but took it anyway and looked closely at the document in the envelope. Then she nodded with a small smile, put it back into the envelope and put it back on the table, looking at Alan with a small smile.

    "Why do I think this is too easy and does not suit your way of doing?"

 Chapter 67 - I Want You To Marry Someone

    Alan looked at the pleased expression on Alex''s face and smiled contentedly. He believed his bait was good enough to lure her whenever he wanted, after all, having shares in a company like Priceless was quite useful.

    Truth be told, he had no business in this deal at all. The shares she had in hand were worth nothing now that the company was not doing well, on the contrary, if those shares were in her hands now, she would have to pay part of the company''s debts if something went wrong with the company, and even if he made sure that his company returned to its prestige, he would not have lost much, because having a Jensen heir''s wife as a daughter on the board of directors would give him more power, so what little money he had meant nothing.

    Before Alex could say anything Alan added and picked up the envelope again "This proposal is a good thing for you as you can see. PRICELESS is not a small company, as you already know, so this will bring you a lot. But in order for you to get it, you have to do something first. If you accept my condition, that''s all for you."

    Alex raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "One minute you were claiming to be my father, and now you can not even give up a few shares in your company willingly? As far as I know, the other two children of yours got shares in the company for free. So why can''t I? Besides, they are mine, since they originally belonged to my mother.

    "Aria and Clyde worked for me and helped develop the company, but you, you even refused to work with us and chose our competitor. So you must understand why I don''t want to give you this for free, right?" Alan grinned with a confident look on his face.

    "Now that it''s clear you are meeting me as a businessman, tell me what you want from me to get these shares? I am just a simple model, I would not know what to give you in return. I can not even work for you anymore since I signed an exclusive contract with Royal Star, and I will not trade my small business for these shares!"

    Alex enjoyed playing this show. The arrogant look on her father''s face, thinking he was the one with the upper hand, was just hilarious. She knew exactly what he wanted from her, and that knowledge was now her best weapon against Alan Porter, so when she looked at Alan''s behaviour, the situation seemed ridiculous to her. If she played along well here, she could gain a lot from this situation, she thought.

    "''''You don''t have to worry, it''s nothing complicated, on the contrary, it will even help you live a good life for the rest of your life.'''' He smiled and tried to convince her.

    Alex faked a doubtful expression, and she had to admit that she was a good actress after all. "It''s not something illegal right? What could be so good and you can''t do it yourself? Or why are you giving me this opportunity and not your lovely girl Aria?"

    "I am your father too, and since I have not given you anything in the past, I wanted to give you this opportunity. Aria has lacked for nothing in her life, I wanted to at least give you something worthy of you as a father." Alan was also a good liar, faking a hurt expression to elicit sympathy from Alex.

    When Alex heard that, she could not help but curse him deep in her heart. The man standing in front of her was simply a fake and a good actor. It was clear that they were only able to make this engagement to Eliott thanks to her mother''s friendship with Eliott''s mother. But now he spoke as if it were something he gave her." "What a joke," she thought.

    "So, what is it, anyway? Since it''s so good, I''d like to help now if I can, of course."

    " Actually, it''s nothing special, you just need to get married." Alan straightened up in his chair and waited for Alex''s reply.

    Alex pretended to be surprised and opened her eyes and mouth wide. "Marry someone? Are you kidding me? Now that I am in the prime of my career? If I get married, do you know how bad that''s going to be for me?"

    At that moment, two people in the room next to them looked at each other when they heard this. The man had a grim expression on his face, like someone about to hear some very bad news, while the woman in front of him looked at him and slowly shook her head with narrowed eyes.

    "Do not tell me you have not thought this through, little brother? You are someone who always plans everything and knows all the benefits and risks in advance. So you must know that if she marries you, she will certainly lose some of her popularity, but things could turn out differently and her popularity could rise too! We do not know. But for sure she will not get offers for a romance play or sexy promotion, for example, because people would be afraid of your reaction to it..."

    "I know that! I just did not know it was something that worried her to this point. She did not bring it up when we talked about it, so I assume she was okay with it... I told her that she was not obligated to marry me if she was not okay with all of this..."

    "So you are upset because she did not talk to you about her concerns? Mr. Jensen Give her some time, okay, it''s only been a little while since you met, she will not open up so easily, right? Maybe she just did not want to hurt you and chose her career over you?"

    Eliott just put on a poker face and said nothing more. He was worried about Alex. Knowing Alan was a big snake, he''d instructed the restaurant to give him a room connected to this one so he could listen in on their conversation. The room the four of them were in was actually a large room that could be split in half, so the soundproofing in the room was intentionally not good. Eliott and Leila knew this, so they spoke in low voices, but Alex and Alan''s conversation was clearly audible.

    On the other hand, when Alan heard Alex venting about her career, he scoffed. "Do you even know who we are talking about here? If you marry him, you will not have to work a day in your life!"

    "My work is very important to me and I do not need a man to take care of me anyway. Do you want me to sacrifice the life I have built with hard work for marriage? I do not think 15% of the stock of priceless deserves that much sacrifice. I am not interested." Alex remained firm in her answer, looking her father straight in the eye.

    When Alan heard that, he was slightly taken aback, because he did not think she would reject the offer so bluntly, like it was nothing. "You have not even heard who the other party is. Listen to me before you answer me so bluntly. You might regret it all your life if you say no!"

    "Who he is does not matter to me if I have to sacrifice my life for it! But tell me who this big shot is anyway, so I can definitely refuse your offer!"

    Alan scoffed once more, thinking that she was only pretending "It''s Eliott! I am sure you have heard of him because he''s the CEO of Royal Corp. and your dream man if I am referring to what you said on the show? He is the heir to his family, and in the future, Royal Corp will be his, so it will be yours too. Do you see the implications and benefits of marrying him now?"

    Alex looked at her father, as surprised as she could be. "Eliott? The most mysterious and richest man in this town? Are you kidding me? How is it that a man like him can marry a girl like me? It''s a hoax, isn''t it?"

    Alan just sipped his tea, pleased that he had finally caught Alex''s interest. You do not have to worry about anything. It''s all arranged already! Both our families have a promise of engagement."

    "Really? How did you come to have this engagement with the Jensen family in the first place? And more importantly: I don''t understand why Aria is not the one engaged to him? This is the royal family we are talking about! I know you are not generous enough to let me marry into that family, and your wife would not accept it either. You don''t have much to gain from me being the one to marry, because I am just the illegitimate child here.. So there''s undoubtedly something else behind all this. Why are you coming to me about this? Am I perhaps the one the Jensen family wants?"

 Chapter 68 - Give Me Back What Rightfully Mine!

    Alan was at a loss for words when he heard Alex''s questions. Of course, he could not tell her that it was her mother who had made the engagement promise with the Jensens and that she was already the chosen one. He thought if she found out she might become unreasonable and that would do him no good. So he decided to hide that truth, not knowing that Alex already knew it.

    "What are you talking about?" He laughed nervously as he tried to hide his discomfort. "Both of our families got engaged when you were not even born yet, so how can they say they only want you? I just think that you are the best option. Since you are already working in their company, you can also bring them more profit. So the two families felt that you are the best option."

    Alan knew that at the end of the day she would learn the truth about how she had become Eliott''s fianc¨¦e, but now his first goal was to get her to take the deal without losing too much in the process and to get her to use this engagement to help his company achieve new glory. Lying to her was the best thing he could do, and he was not ashamed of it!

    "Oh really?" She crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair and looked Alan straight in the eye, "Well, you can tell them I am not interested. You do have another child, don''t you? Since this is an engagement with you, all your children should be fine. I am losing too much on this deal, so...

    Alan interrupted her a little angrily, as Alex''s brazenness was really starting to piss him off. "How can you think you are losing? On the contrary, once you marry him, you''ll be the richest woman in town, so what loss are you talking about?"

    He cursed her in his mind, "You fucking idiot, do you think I would have given you this chance if I did not need the Jensen family''s help? The Jensen family fortune could be mine if Aria could marry him."

    "The money is not mine, it''s the Jensen family''s. I earned my money through my work and I am really happy with that! When I marry, I will own basically nothing, if he asks me to stop my career. If Eliott divorces me one day like you did my mother, I''ll end up with nothing, I mean, maybe I can pick up some money, but let us not kid ourselves, he can make me penniless in a second if he wants to! And your 15% will not give me as much money as I can make myself, so..." Alex spoke casually, looking bored like their conversation was not worth talking about.

    Alan interrupted her another time, frowning deeply. He was confused and did not know what to do. He could not let her reject his offer just like that, he needed her, so he had no choice but to do everything he could to get her to agree to the deal. "And what if I gave you more?" Alan finally asked, cursing inwardly as he was not happy about losing much here.

    In the other room, Eliott heard the comparison Alex was making between her father and himself and felt instantly discouraged. The temperature in the room immediately turned sombre. It was a fact that deep down Alex still thought men were all the same, cheaters like her father. He knew that was a scar buried deep in her heart that she was working on, but hearing her say that comparing him like that, was still something that hurt him deeply. Hearing that made him feel like someone who could not give his wife a feeling of security, and for a proud man like Eliott, it was like being hit by someone without even returning a blow. And that was just pathetic and hurtful.

    Leila felt her little brother change and patted him on the back encouragingly. She could understand her brother, but knowing Alex''s story, she could also relate to how she felt.

    On the other hand, Alex was pleased with the direction things had taken. Now she had the upper hand, he was finally asking her what she wanted in return, and she was not going to make it easy for him, she was going to take the opportunity to demand everything she wanted from him!

    "Well, that depends on you! What can you give me? " Alex returned the look and looked at Alan seriously.

    "I can add ten per cent of my own stock and give you in total  twenty-five per cent of Priceless, what do you think?" Alan gritted his teeth, his annoyance written all over his face.

    "Actually, I don''t want to be involved in your company at all. That''s like stepping on a bomb on purpose, I mean there''s all family members of yours there and no one like me! I want to have my own clothing company, just like my grandfather, you know..."

    Not understanding what she was getting at, Alan was starting to lose patience with Alex. He felt that it was an easy deal to close. Who knew she was not like her mother at all, but someone much more annoying and cunning? He had been fooled by her innocent smile when she was a little witch.

    "Stop playing around and tell me what you want already!" Alan''s voice was getting louder and he could not hold back his frustration.

    "It''s quite simple. If you give me back what was originally mine, I''ll be a good girl and marry Eliott without delay!"

    Alan did not understand what Alex was alluding to at first. He had already suggested that he give her mother back her shares in the company, but she did not want to, so what was she talking about now? As he thought about it, he remembered her grandfather''s company and the brand he had taken from her mother back then. He frowned, understanding now what she was getting at, and scoffed at the arrogance of his so-called daughter sitting in front of him with that damn proud smile.

    " So you want the old Michell inheritance? Sorry to break it to you, but the company and the brand are legally mine now, and I have no intention of giving it back to you or anyone else!"

    He cursed her in his mind for her arrogance! He had sacrificed so much to finally have the chance to steal this company, he could not just give it up like that! "If you think I am going to let you have what is now my only source of money, then you can dream about it."

    Alex just shrugged and looked at him with her ocean blue eyes, "Well, if that''s what you think, then we have nothing more to talk about. Besides, you have another daughter to marry Eliott Jensen, so you do not really need me, do you? If you are not ready to give me the company back, that''s perfectly fine, just go see your daughter Aria." She smiled warmly at him while giggling in her head at her father''s now ugly face.

    "I think we have talked about everything you wanted to tell me, and since you will not accept my terms, we can end our conversation now. If you do not mind, I will take my leave."

    Alan had not expected things to turn out this way and did not know what to do at that moment. All he knew was that he needed their help. He could not lose the business with the Jensen family and she was the only one who could help him work with them. But the old Michell company was a huge source of money for him, he could not just give that to her. But again PRICELESS was more important, and if he could work with the Jensen family, he''d get a lot more done. Maybe it was not such a bad deal in the end if he played his cards right!"

    " Wait!!! I''ll give your grandfather''s business back to you. But in the condition, it was in when I took it over. All the money I put into it should be mine, so I''ll take it back, how''s that?

    "I am amazed that you can utter those shameless words without batting an eyelid. Why do you think sales work in this company? It''s because of my grandfather''s brand, not because of your lousy creations and the low material you use. Anyway, I don''t mind if you return it in the condition it was in when you stole it. But don''t try to lie to me, I have all my grandfather''s records. So I know exactly what this company is worth. I''ll be waiting for your call. As soon as you write the contract giving me back all rights to my grandfather company, you can contact me! And today I am going to take back my mother''s shares, which fortunately you are happily giving back to me!"

    After saying that, she nodded to him, picked up her bag and the envelope on the table, and left the room without looking back.

 Chapter 69 - We Need To Talk

    When Alan saw her leave the room with her head held high, he had the urge to smash everything in the room, because he was really angry. He was blindsided by Alex, he was still dazed and his head was buzzing just thinking about what he had lost and he could not believe how she could blindside him like that, just like a little kid? She was not like her mother, not a woman who could be fooled or manipulated.

    Anyway, this deal was for the best. He tried to convince himself that even if he had to give back the old Michell company and brand, he could still empty that company''s bank account before giving it back to Alex. That way he would not lose too much on this deal. The factory was still operating, but it was not as good as it used to be, and he only kept it because the old man''s brand was still bringing in money.

    Besides, PRICELESS was his priority. It was the company his father had built for him, it was his legacy, and he had worked hard all his life to build a good corporate image and make it one of the biggest companies in the country. He had worked hard all his life to make his company one of the best, and for him, nothing could bring it down, even if he had to sacrifice a child to do it. Protecting it was his number one duty, and Alex was the only person who could help him now, and there was no way he was going to let that chance slip away.

    Even though Priceless was still a huge company on the surface, it was just an empty shell now, and it was all thanks to his stupid son. His shareholders were making a fuss and wanted him sacked as chairman of the company. Alan was even more outraged because those shareholders were members of his family! His uncles and their children all tried to bring him down, while he was the one who had to feed them all those years.

    But once they knew his daughter was marrying into the Jensen family, the tide would turn and his dominance and power would return! Alex had made it easier for him by revealing their relationship at their last press conference. Now people knew they were father and daughter, and once they learned she was going to be married to Eliott Jensen, he would gain even more prestige and his power in his business would increase even more. People who had started to look down at him would regret it!

    After leaving the room, Alex went straight to where Fidelia was waiting for her. To her surprise, she was talking to Leila and eating happily. Alex joined them, sitting down a little tired from all the excitement she had felt dealing with her father. But seeing the two women together in front of her made her even more curious, so her tiredness disappeared, replaced by curiosity and she looked at them with a questioning look.

    "I saw Leila in passing and invited her to sit with me while I waited for you! I have been feeling lonely and having Leila with me has made the waiting time shorter. "So, how was the conversation? What did the old man want from you? "

    "I had a meeting here and saw Fifi on her way out, looking like a lost child. Eliott told me about your meeting with your father, so I was waiting for you to have something to chat about." Leila added.

    "You guys are real gossips, but to sum up our conversation, he asked me to marry Eliott and in return, I asked him to give me back my grandfather''s company and I accepted my mother''s shares he offered me," Alex smirked as she looked into their satisfied face.

    Fidelia doubted the wily old man could grant such a request. In the many years she had been with Alex, she had learned how cruel Alex''s father was, so she could not believe he had really given her what she had asked for.

    "If you tell me that he agreed to this so readily, I will say that your father has lost his mind!"

    "Well, he agreed on one condition: He will give me the company only in the condition in which he took it from my mother at that time. In other words, he''s giving me a company with no funds, maybe even no employees... I do not know how his perverted mind works, but I do not care, the main thing is that I have it back!"

    "That son of a bitch, he''s so cunning! He knows exactly how to rob people!"

    "How big is your grandfather''s company? I heard it was his cash those days and that it was the only reason Priceless survived the bankruptcy.

    Alex thought a bit, she really did not know how to describe the value of the company, "Not that big, there are three manufactories and a number of shops. To tell the truth, it''s the brand that makes money, because I have seen some clothes that really were not worth anything. Come to think of it, since Alan took over the company, the products made by the brand are really bad. But a lot of people are still loyal to the brand, so the products are still selling well, but not as well as they used to! My grandfather''s products were top-notch!"

    "I used to not pay much attention to the Porter family because they have always disgusted me. And my mother does not like to talk about her past with that family, so I do not know much about your grandfather''s brand!" Leila explained cluelessly, without asking Eliott to enlighten her about Alex''s situation, she didn''t know much about her inheritance.

    "You probably know the brand, it''s been around for a long time. The brand we are talking about is called KANI, it used to be infamous but unfortunately, Alan got it into this lame state!" explained Alex.

    "I can not believe it! One of the twenty best selling brands in our country? I did not know it was run by Alan and that it was originally owned by your grandfather! I mean, I did not know that the legendary Mr. Michell was your grandfather!" Leila was shocked that her mother had never told her that the brand came from Alex''s grandfather. She remembered that her mother only wore that brand back then.

    "Well, now it''s mine again and I am going to make it one of the top five most purchased brands like it used to. I want my grandfather to be proud of me!"

    The three girls stayed there to drink a few cocktails and talk before heading home.

    When Alex arrived home, she took a quick shower and then went to Eliott''s house. She really wanted to see him and tell him all about their meeting and the outcome of her conversation with Alan. She rang his doorbell, but he did not answer, she waited a few minutes but nothing. She remembered the passcode he had given her and saying that it was her house now and she could go in as she liked!

    She opened the door and unceremoniously entered the house. She sat down on the couch and began patiently watching TV while she waited for him. Oddly enough, she really felt like she was home as she sat there on the big cosy couch and covered herself with his blanket that had his good smell on it.

    As Leila was about to head for the door, she saw a tall, slender man leaning against the wall next to the door. When she saw him, she immediately stopped and turned around, but before she could take a step back, a firm and slightly calloused hand stopped her from her run, and a sweet yet deep voice was heard: "We must talk now, Leila! Until when are we going to play this game?" Leila looked at him with a deep frown, trying desperately to break free.

    He was a man she did not want to face now. She had avoided him since his return to the country and that was how he felt today. She knew if he was here, it meant she could not avoid the long-awaited conversation. But she really did not want to talk about it now. She tried to break free even more, but the man in front of her did not even care about her struggle as his grip tightened.

    He lifted her up and carried her on his shoulders like a big sack while she did her best to break free. Outside the door, the man did not even take a minute before taping six numbers and opening the door like it was his home.

    Entering the house, he slowly sat her down on the couch, taking a glass of water from the table and handing it to her before sitting down right next to her, giving her no time to escape.

 Chapter 70 - I Know You Still Love Me

    Leila was very nervous, her heart was beating fast and you could see a drop of sweat on her forehead. She had always been nervous in front of this man, losing her composure like a teenager in front of her crush. She had loved him for a long time and in her eyes, he was the only one for her, she had never loved another man as she loved him.

    He was a handsome, gentle and caring man and his beautiful mind and career were the very best things to her, but fate did not allow for the relationship she wanted with him to develop, she loved him deeply but had no time to express it. They met when she was at university, but it did not last long, just a month because after that he was sent overseas for his studies, he did not tell her to wait for him and soon they cut off communication between them which broke her heart into pieces.

    When he returned to his country, Leila did not contact him again and he did the same. When she saw him, she would always run away or hide because she did not want to see him. She did not want to confront him, she did not have the courage to listen to what he would say to her, but now it seemed she could not avoid him anymore.

    "Doctor Phil, what are you doing in my house this late at night? I did not ask you here and honestly, I don''t want to see you!..."

    Phil could only sigh at the stubborn face of the beautiful woman before him, "How long are you going to play this cat and mouse game with me? You know we need to have a serious talk. You have been avoiding me for quite a long time now!"

    "I have nothing to say to you, our relationship has been over for years, we have become strangers! What do you want to talk about?" Leila replied, looking at everything but Phil''s light brown eyes.

    There was no way she was going to face him, this man had hurt her deeply and she did not want to be hurt again, she knew that just looking at him would make her give in, so she does all she could to avoid his gaze!...

    But that was not Phil''s plan as he turned her head towards him, "Why are you avoiding me like this? I know I did you wrong when I did not ask you to wait for me, but I had my reasons. You should at least give me some time to tell my part..."

    "Yeah, right, you had your reasons, like playing with your girlfriend..." She scoffed, looking as disgusted as ever.

    "What are you talking about? What girlfriend?" Leila looked at him even more mockingly but was a little surprised when she looked into those genuine, surprised eyes.

    "Do not play dumb, you know exactly who I am talking about. Weren''t you with that girl? That damn redheaded girl who used to stick to you like a tube of glue back in the day? You made fun of me for a month. Did you enjoy sleeping with me and then throwing me away like an old shirt? All your friends came and treated me like I was a bitch taking pleasure to break a couple, if you had a girlfriend, why did you come to me?"

    Phil slapped his head, now understanding what had gone wrong. He knew something must have happened, except that he had not asked her to wait, and now he could get a clearer picture. "I did not go to France with anyone, I was there alone and the other one was in Europe too, but in another country. I have only one girl in my life and that is you, you should know that! I do not know what they told you, but you could have at least come to me and asked for an explanation or whatever, darling. But you chose to trust them and cut off contact with me without warning.

    "I thought you... it was your best friend who told me you were with that girl and that you were overseas together, so I trust him... besides, it was you who did not contact me. I waited for a month, but I did not even get a call..." Leila looked genuinely confused now.

    "Always so short tempered!!! So you had decided to change your number completely without giving me a chance to contact you afterwards. I was really busy my first month there, you know, getting used to a new environment, a new semester, a new language, it was not easy! Also, I thought it would be good for you to have some space since I was away when your exams were coming up. I wanted you to focus on that and not on me!

    When I finally settle myself there, I called you, but you had already changed your number. I called your brother and he told me that you were fooling around with another man and he did not really know what you were up to himself. I did not want to bother you, I did not feel I had the right to, and so I decided not to contact you again..."

    Leila cursed Elliott deep in her head ''the little shit! He will sure get my revenge'', she was a little embarrassed, she did not know he knew what she was up to after he left! "I did not know... I mean, he was just a friend... we did not..."

    Phil smirked and seemed amused at her reaction, "Why do you feel guilty, you just told me we were just strangers, why are you trying so hard to explain..."

    Leila was angry at herself, by her response she had lost this battle, but she could not back down now, that would be too embarrassing "I am not trying to explain, I am just telling the truth! Besides, we do not have a relationship now because I misunderstood the situation, I sincerely apologise!" She looked at him and made a small bow "There, now everything is clear, you can go..."

    Phil just shrugged, gave her a sexy smile and decreased the distance between them "Who said we do not have a relationship? As far as I can remember, we have never broken up, darling..."

    " Yeah, but you did not tell me to wait for you either, so it''s the same thing. So thank you for coming, you can go." Leila was starting to get really pissed off, but at the same time, a little embarrassed for mistaking him all those years.

    She stood up and was about to go to her room when a large, strong hand grabbed her by the waist and brought her back to the couch where she now sat on Phil''s lap. She was surprised by his gesture and wanted to break free, but once again he was too strong for her and she could not budge.

    "What the fuck are you doing? Let go of me!" Leila shot, trying to break free by any means necessary!

    "I am not done yet, so stop struggling and listen to me!" he said in a commanding voice, getting her to calm down a bit.

    "I have nothing else to say to you. Let me..." she whispered before being unexpectedly interrupted as her lips were closed by two beautiful lips. Her eyes snapped open as she was surprised by his gesture, how dare he! She wanted to back away, she desperately wanted to escape from this ambiguous situation she did not want to find herself in the same situation as years ago, but it was already too late, he was already tenderly invading her mouth with his deft tongue and sweet plump lips. Her body, which had once felt its most intense pleasure with the man, immediately recognised his taste and without even knowing it, she was already passionately returning his kiss, causing him to deepen the kiss and go from a slow kiss to a burning and passionate kiss until they were out of breath.

    When they finally ended the kiss, Phil looked at Leila with eyes full of tenderness and hugged her tightly, a hug he desperately craved, the hug he had longed for so long! For years he had wanted to hold her like this, to smell her lovely scent, to feel her warm body melt in his arms, but she always avoided him when he had the chance to see her. He thought she did not love him anymore, that she had already turned the page of their unfinished story until he received a call from Eliott telling him that she had been single since he left and that he was tired of seeing his sister live like this without trying to find her happiness!

    Today he came to make sure she still felt something for him, and now he had his answer.

    He looked into her golden eyes, tears running down her cheek, he gently wiped them away and gave her a light, tender kiss before pressing their foreheads together, "Do not push me away, darling, I know you still love me and I will never stop loving you!!"

 Chapter 71 - Its Delicious

    Meanwhile, Alex was still waiting patiently for Eliott, but the man was really taking his time getting home. She thought maybe he was busy or he would have called her back since her last call. Being bored, she had a delightful idea and decided to make him something to eat while she waited. She wanted to do something for him to ease the stress of the day. She gleefully inspected his fridge to see what she could cook and began to get busy in earnest in the kitchen.

    While Leila was passionate about her long lost love, Alex was trying to cook a good meal for her future husband. She had decided to make every effort to cook a good dinner for him because it was her first time cooking for the man and she wanted it to be as good as possible.

    She was not the best cook, but she was able to cook a few simple dishes since she had to learn to cook after her mother died, so despite what Fifi said, she could cook and it was delicious. For traditional Florelian cooking, she knew two or three dishes, but she was really bad at it so she decided to cook a simple dish that she was sure she would not mess up. When Fidelia said she couldn''t cook, she was referring to her ability to cook Florelian food, because she was really bad at it and it was Fidelia favourite.

    After she was done cooking, she set the table with a white tablecloth, to this she placed candles that she had found in his kitchen to create a romantic mood with the decorations. It was a simple white table, lit by the dancing candle flames. When she was satisfied with her place setting, she sat down and waited for him with a satisfied smile.

    A short time later, Eliott was finally home. When he opened the door, the usual darkness of his living room greeted him. He set about removing his shoes as usual, and when he smelled a savoury odour coming from the kitchen, he frowned, thinking that it was strange because when his mother was here to give him food, she was usually waiting for him, but now the light was off.

    As he followed the delicious smell, he found himself in front of a beautiful white table filled with various appetising dishes and wine, and the most beautiful thing about the table was the woman sitting right in front of him, waiting for him with a charming smile and sparkling eyes. It was a perfect picture of what he had always dreamed of: a beautiful woman waiting for him in a cosy house to enjoy a good dinner. Only one thing was missing from his picture: ''a beautiful little girl'', yes, because Eliott had always dreamed of a little girl. He thought girls were cuter than boys.

    When he was on his way back home, he was not in a good mood at first. Because of what Alex had said to her father earlier, he had been frustrated all evening and focused on his work so he would not have to think about it. He stayed late at work to avoid calling her, he knew it was a little childish, but his feelings were still a little hurt.

    But seeing her sitting in front of him now, with all the dishes she had made for him, he was really happy and satisfied even forgetting why he was upset.

    He looked at her with a deep smile that showed his beautiful dimples. "Oh, is this your first day as Mrs. Jensen? Cooking for your handsome husband?"

    Alex blushed. She did not know why, but every time Eliott called her his wife, she felt her heartbeat fast. It was weird, but she liked it when he called her that.

    "Yes! is my futur husband pleased with the dishes? Try it out... Since it''s the first time I am cooking for you, don''t be too hard on me."

    Eliott could not wait to try the dishes. After washing his hands and taking off his blazer, he sat right next to Alex, picked up his fork and tried one of the dishes. As the piece of meat he took touched the tip of his tongue, a wave of wonderful flavours invaded his mouth. He was surprised by the good taste of what he was eating, and it could be seen on his face as well. He had not expected much at first, but what was in his mouth was really good, he had not expected that at all. He poured more food on his plate and started eating eagerly, trying all the dishes on the table.

    When Alex saw this, she was pleased. She was anxious because she did not know if he would like her cooking, after all, it was the first time she cooked for a man beside her grandfather, so she was eager to see his reaction and wanted to know if he would like it or not, but at the same time, she was nervous.

    "It''s really delicious, I have never had a dish this good, apart from what my mother cooks for me when she''s not arguing with her husband..." Eliott teased. When he saw the dishes he was a little apprehensive at first, already thinking of what he would say if it was not good, but he was glad he did not have to because what he was eating was really good.

    "Really? You are not just saying that to please me, are you?" Alex was a little sceptical after eating what he could cook.

    "When I took the first bite, I told myself to pretend it was really good, even if it was not!! but I am surprised; it''s delicious! Where did you learn to cook like this?"

    "Well, when my mother left us, I was home alone with grandpa. At first, it was him cooking for us, but he was getting older, so I had to learn how to cook and make delicious meals for him." Alex said with a bitter smile, "I had learned how to cook 3 or 4 traditional Florelian dishes with my mother, but I guess I was too young so I did not really know how to cook them. So I can only cook this kind of food! Glad you like it!!! To tell you the truth, it''s been a long time since I cooked for someone since I am alone after grandpa died... you know"

    "Now you have me..." Eliott took her hand in his to comfort her.

    Hearing that a warm feeling flooded through her body, that sentence alone was enough to make her happy, it was really good to have someone in your life. She looked into his eyes and nodded as she smiled at him. At that moment she thought that she was lucky to meet someone like Eliott in her life.

    While the other two girls headed home, Fidelia tried to make her night a little more fun, because she didn''t feel like going home, she wanted to experience a beautiful night. Since she was new in town, she decided to wander around a bit and find a nice place to have fun. If there was one thing Fidelia was really good at, it was being extroverted. She was able to make friends wherever she was, so even if she was out on her own, she knew she could have fun with other people if she wanted to.

    After wandering aimlessly for some time, she ended up at a nightclub downtown. She sat down at a table and waved to a waiter. She observed her surroundings, it was an upscale nightclub with a cosy atmosphere, music was playing softly and cool in the background as it was too early to play dance songs, the atmosphere was pleasant.

    While she was waiting for her drink, a group of two women approached her and asked if they could sit with her if she was alone.

    "Hello, sorry to bother you, but this is our first time in this club and we wanted to know if you could recommend us some drinks and tell us if it''s fun here...?

    Fidelia thought they were cute and cool at the same time, they looked really great, one of them was even wearing a dress from CANDIDE. She had a good feeling about them and decided to spend the night with them.

    "It''s the first time for me too, how about we explore the place together?" Fidelia smiled at the girls and asked them to take a seat.

    The two girls looked at each other and then sat down at Fidelia''s table without wasting a second.

    " Hi, I am Fidelia."

    " Hi, I am Kristal and she''s Amelia.

    The girls started discussing to find out more about each other. Fidelia found out that one of them was a designer who owned her own small brands while the other worked at Priceless. It was interesting to listen to the two of them as one spoke eagerly about her creations while the other spoke grimly about her company that was on the verge of collapse.

    At some point in the night, a group of people entered the club and were sent straight to the VIP area. It was a group of three men and about five women who followed them.

    At first, Fidelia did not mind them, but then a face caught her eye, it was that damn Christopher Zhang! Seeing that, she frowned and then grinned, the man had told her he was busy! From her face, you could already tell that he was in deep shit.

 Chapter 72 - Lose Priceless To Someone Else

    Back at his house, Alan was still seething with anger. He still could not digest the fact that Alex had just robbed him out of one of his companies! When he arrived, his wife and daughter were waiting to hear what Alex had decided. They did not want to admit it, but she really was their saviour now.

    As soon as he entered the living room, he grabbed a cup of water and sat down furiously on the couch, not caring about his family members. Sheila, who was anxiously waiting for her husband to know the result of his discussion with Alex, could not wait anymore and came to him, asking him unhappily:

    "How was it with your lousy daughter?" You could sense her unhappiness just by the way she asked the question!

    "Do not get me started, I am not in the mood to deal with your stupidity and whining today!!!! I have to give up our only money stream to get her to accept to marry Eliott. And all of this is your fault and your children''s fault! You always screw things up! Did you come into my life to be my worst nightmare?" Alan was genuinely upset and in no mood to deal with his wife''s petty jealousy.

    Sheila was shocked and surprised by her husband''s harsh and cold words, but what surprised her the most was the fact that he had actually accepted to give the old Michell company back to his illegitimate child! it was a lot of money, and he just gave it to that stupid woman''s daughter like it was nothing! She could not take it, she had to sacrifice her relationship, back then so he could deceive Alix and rob the company! She could not just take it, all her suffering back then was for nothing.

    "What? do not tell me you''ll accept giving it back? We can not give it to her... You know all our money is from that company now!!! I sacrificed too much for us to get it! How can you..." She was furious and screamed her head off until she was unable to finish her sentence.

    "You think I was willing to give it to her? This is the only way for her to help us!" Alan groaned, he was so annoyed with his wife''s victory that he would not even look at her.

    "Who knows ..."

    Alan could not bear to hear what other stupid things she would say and interrupted her halfway! "Do not start with your silliness! I am not in the mood for your whine today! If we are in this situation, it''s because of you and your children!!! We need the Jensen family to help us save PRICELESS! And Alex is the only one who can help me! Everyone knew she is my daughter and just announcing her marriage to Eliott will be a huge help to the company!"

    While arguing with his wife, Clyde stormed into their living room, gasping, "Dad, bad news, someone is buying our shares from the other shareholders, more than half of them have already sold their shares! I have been trying to find out who the buyer is, but I have not found anything! What are we going to do!!!? "

    Alan was a bit stunned by this news. He had spoken to the other shareholders to mend fences, convincing them that he would soon solve the problem that PRICELESS had. While it was true that it was Clyde Porter''s investment that had gotten the company into trouble, there were now so many shareholders who were not sympathetic to him and were starting to make a fuss, funnily enough, they were all his family members that he had brought into the company thanks to his father! Besides, he had already bribed them so he did not expect them to sell their shares so quickly because that just meant they no longer had confidence in him!

    That worried him a little, because even though he was the main shareholder, he, along with Aria, Clyde and his own shares plus Alex''s mother''s shares, had 50% of the shares of PRICELESS. If one person managed to buy the shares of all the other shareholders, that person would own 50% of the company. He could not let that happen, because that would mean losing his company to someone else! He frowned at the thought of that possibility, he could not let that happen, he had to close the deal with Alex as soon as possible!

    On the other hand, Clyde and his mother were still asking him what they should do! His head was already spinning and he looked at him with a disgusted look.

    "Now you come and ask me what we should do? Isn''t it you who are the cause of all this mess? Aren''t you too brazen to come crying in my face? Why are you coming to look for me now while you are the one who lost all my damn money"?

    Alan could not stand the sight of them and angrily asked them to get out of his sight. To this day, he never regretted having Clyde. He could not help feeling that his whole family was useless. His own children were destroying his business and the other members of his family were selling their shares without even having the decency to inform him. At this point, he began to think that bad luck was nipping at his heels, that this year really was not for him.

    Back at the club, Fidelia was enjoying herself with her two new friends, while occasionally glancing at Christopher''s table, who had not seen her until now, enjoying himself with his friends. One of the girls noticed that Fidelia was watching this table very closely. She became curious and also looked at the table and asked her if she knew the people at that table.

    "Fidelia, why do you look at that table so often? Do you know anyone there?" Amelia looked at Fidelia, who looked at that table even more with her sharp eyes.

    "Yeah, that little piece of shit all those girls are throwing themselves at!" Fidelia smiled devilishly

    Amelia and Kristal looked at each other after looking at the guy Fidelia was talking about, and then smiled as they looked at Fidelia...

    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Fidelia looked at the two women perplexed!

    "No, no, nothing, just that he''s a pretty good looking guy, you can say that a lot of women in this city love him... How did you meet him?" Kristal asked very curiously. Fidelia looked like a bright and down to earth woman, not like all the superficial women she had seen all over Christopher Zhang. So she could not guess in what way she was related to him.

    "He''s my boyfriend..." Fidelia grinned and took a sip of her drink.

    At Eliott place, after they ate dinner, Alex and Eliott chatted lazily on the couch, Alex nestled in Eliott''s warm and strong arms. It was a peaceful moment they shared. Alex shared what had happened with Alan, unaware that he had already listened to all of their conversations. Eliott listened quietly, looking amused at her face, making all sorts of expressions as she talked about her father.

    She was very happy about her success and was already thinking about how to restore her grandfather''s manufactory and brand. She told Eliott her ideas and rested her head on his chest unceremoniously. He was very happy as he listened to her. He wished that this peaceful atmosphere would last forever, he already wanted to live with her. The fact that she was so comfortable lying on top of him and talking to him like this made him forget all the frustration he had felt when he had overheard her talking to her father.

    But something was still bothering him and being someone who did not like to beat around the bush and wanted to get his worries out of the way as quickly as possible, he decided to talk to her.

    "Honey, can I ask you a question?"

    Alex had slowly gotten used to Eliott''s habit by now. To tell the truth, when she had read the articles about him in the business magazines, she guessed that he was not someone you could approach easily, and when she saw him talking to other people, you could see that he was an aloof and cold man. Only with his family could you see that he was genuinely warm and always smiling, even though his poker face was still there sometimes, you could see his caring in his eyes.

    It was the same with Alex. When he was with her he was always teasing her or smiling, he was always in a good mood and she liked that because it meant she was special in his heart.. So when he asked her the question with his usual poker face, she was a little surprised and panicked because she did not know what he wanted to talk about.

 Chapter 73 - An Important Question

    Many things happened that night for all. It was as if every man in the lives of our three women had decided to come to them with their own problems.

    The girls in the club were shocked by what Fidelia told them because Christopher Zhang was known for not liking commitments and being a real Casanova. They could not believe that such a down-to-earth and cool girl like her would be with him. Although they did not know her, she really seemed like an interested and intelligent woman, not like the women around Christ.

    "Are you sure he''s your boyfriend? I mean, all the girls in this town know he''s someone who only enjoys women and that''s all. He''s one of the most desirable men here, but... He will not get involved in a serious relationship..." Amelia felt a little sad because she did not want Fidelia to get hurt, even if she had not known her for long, because she really liked her.

    "Well... I''ll just have to heal him... Easy enough, right? I like challenges," Fidelia replied, smiling.

    "You are so cool...! So what are you going to do?" Krystal was all excited, waiting for a good show to be put on for her.

    "Me? Not much..." Fidelia smirked, also thinking about what she would do. Then she picked up her phone and sent Christopher a message, "Hey, can you tell that woman who''s touching you to stop before I come to stop her?".

    The two women at the table looked at Fidelia and then at Christopher, waiting for his reaction.

    After getting the message Christopher was a little taken aback and then smiled fondly, he loved it when Fidelia was so authoritative. He began to look around the club curiously, searching for her. He wanted to find her soon because he knew she had not sent that tidbit just to bluff, he knew she was really coming to kick his ass.

    The people around him were curious too, because he was acting so strange. One of his friends could not help but ask him what he was looking for, it was too unsettling, but Christopher did not bother to answer and just gave him a small smile. After searching the place thoroughly, he finally found Fidelia sitting comfortably with a few other girls. He then stood up and walked hurriedly towards Fidelia, not caring about his friends who asked him where he was going and all the women who tried to hold him back.

    When Krystal and Amelia saw Christopher actually walking towards their table, they were amazed and looked at Fidelia with so much respect that she could actually get him to come to her just like that?

    "That''s it! After today, I will always follow you! You tamed the supreme Casanova of our city? I am too impressed, you really earned my respect. " Krystal declared seriously, looking at Fidelia with admiring eyes.

    Fidelia laughed at her new friend, thinking that the two of them were so cute, and she really liked Krystal''s honest personality.

    Soon after, Christopher came over to their table. "Hello, beautiful!" he said, grabbing Fidelia by the waist and giving her a light kiss on her sweet lips, but she pushed him away and looked him over from head to toe before smiling.

    "Are you done playing? I thought you were so busy today that you would not have time to play with me?"

    Christopher sighed and looked into his girlfriend''s slightly annoyed eyes. He could not help but curse Eliott because if he was out tonight, it was to snoop for information for their future acquisition. Getting drunk with people was the best way to get information. He did not know why, but women always told him a lot of information and now he was being ignored by his girlfriend because of it.

    "Babe, you know I would never dare lie to you! I am really working, I am trying to get information for work, and these women have the information I need, so..." He scratched his head and looked a little sheepishly at the other two women at their table. "But it''s really for work, babe, I swear..."

    "So you use your body to get information, what a wonderful method!" added Fidelia, sipping her drink.

    "No, it''s not what you think babe, but this time it''s urgent work" He moved even closer to her and whispered in her ear "It''s about Priceless, we need to hunt it down soon so Alex can be free".

    Hearing that, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow in surprise and smiled a little.

    "Okay, for this time I forgive you!"

    The Porter family was still coming to terms with the fact that they could not rely on KANI brand money from now on. It was a good cash flow for the family; more accurately, it was now the Porter family''s only cash flow after the demise of their business.

    Clyde was the most affected by this loss. He could not believe that Alex had just taken one of their businesses away from them and that it was all his fault. He could not let go, so he suggested to his father that he take all the money in KANI''s accounts and give Alex an empty shell. Since she wanted it back so badly, he told his father that she should pay the workers herself with her own money!

    In fact, the Porter patriarch had already thought of it. That very night he had asked his lawyers and his accountant to let the company go bankrupt. The lawyers had told him that this was not a wise idea, since he might go after the smuggling even if he assigned his right to someone else. But Alan would not hear of it and had asked the lawyer to make sure Alex got a business with no cash flow at all. She was already going to marry Eliott, she''ll have no problem having money and paying those workers or whatever! He thought angrily. He did not like the situation he was in. Losing everything he owned because of his family''s incompetence was becoming a real burden on his old head.

    On the other hand, Alex was back at her apartment after dinner with Eliott. She was sitting on the couch, absent-minded. She was deep in thought, thinking about what Eliott had told her earlier. She knew it was something serious when he asked her if he could ask her a question, but she was not really prepared to deal with what he had told her and frowned at the memory.

    *Flashback

    Eliott looked Alex straight in the eye, "How do you really feel about this marriage? I want to know how you really feel..."

    Alex was taken aback by the question and could not really answer at first... She just did not know what to say to him. Apart from the fact that she did not want to get married. Not because of him, because she had really fallen in love with him, well she thought it was love, but because she just did not have faith in the institution of marriage. But how was she supposed to tell him that without hurting his feelings, she thought, and she had no answer? Eliott had been sweet and good to her since the day they met. Even when he was playing Ethan.

    Before she could say anything, Eliott added, "I know you don''t want to get married, so I am asking... To change my question: How do you see yourself in this matter, since you have agreed to marry me? How do you see yourself as my wife?"

    Alex could not ignore the emotion in Eliott''s deep eyes. She could see the sadness in those beautiful golden eyes and it made her uncomfortable. What was she supposed to say in response? She was not even sure of herself anymore. She had not imagined being a wife one day in this life. Not only because she did not believe in marriage, but also because of her illness. And now it all came to her at once. She really did not know how to deal with it.

    Now she had met a perfect man who wanted to make her his wife. Who was willing to help her, love her and make her happy, but her fears were just stronger? Besides, she did not even know if her feelings for Eliott were love.

    She was in no position to give him an answer. She had remained silent and could not even look him in the eye.

    She remembered how sad Eliott had been when he had added, "Okay, beautiful, I don''t want to pressure you. I just want you to be happy, that''s why I am asking. I don''t want you to be trapped in something with me that you don''t want. As I told you before, there is no room in my life for divorce. Even if that''s not what you want, I will help you achieve your goal. So feel free to think about it again.. I''ll wait for you to come back with an answer.

 Chapter 74 - The Sweet Answer

    Over the next few days, Alex was still struggling with the question Eliott had asked her. She thought about his question every night, wondering how she could imagine marrying him? When he asked to marry her, she had only one thought in mind, her career. She had worked very hard to get to the level she was at now, and marriage would not be conducive to the growth of her modelling career.

    But her need for revenge and her envy were too strong to pass up the opportunity. She knew that if she was with him, she would have the support she needed to trample her father, but now Eliott told her that he would still help her get revenge on her father even if she did not marry, so she would not have to sacrifice the life she had built. But why did her heart pound so hard when she thought about turning down Elliot''s marriage proposal? She was really confused and struggling to understand her own feelings.

    Eliott, on the other hand, was somehow not himself. He was even colder at work and when he played Ethan, he lacked his usual cheerfulness, even making his fans worry about him. His family was a little worried too, but no one dared to come up to him and ask what was wrong. Leila guessed that it was about Alex, because she had also observed Alex daydreaming for the past few days. She comforted her mother and explained the situation to her so she would not worry anymore.

    After a while, Alex could not take it anymore. She had really thought about Eliott''s question and found her answer. Now all she wanted was to be in her husband''s arms, it had been a long time since she had seen him and felt his warmth.

    When Eliott went home one night, he was stunned to arrive at his house and see Alex lying on his bed! He had only dreamed of this moment, but never did he think he would see it so soon. She was asleep and her face was as peaceful as ever. It had been several days since they had seen each other. He wanted to give her the time she needed to think about her situation without him interfering. His heart began to beat uneasily when he saw her lying under his covers. Was that not her answer for him? He did not dare think much. These days, without her were hard enough to bear, he did not want to let his hopes get too high.

    After his shower, he stood in front of his bed for a long time before deciding to hop on the bed and take the other vacant place. At first he wanted to sleep in another room, but since it was Alex herself, who came to his bed, he thought it was okay to sleep in his own bed.

    When Alex woke up, there was still no one next to her. She had come to Eliott the night before, hoping to give him an answer as soon as possible, because she missed him too much to wait any longer. She wanted to be with him, she was desperate to see him. She waited a long time for him, but he was not coming home.

    So, she decided to sleep in his room and surprise him instead of going back home, but she was so sound asleep that she could not even tell if he had come back or not. She sighed at her unsuccessful attempt and unceremoniously went into his bathroom, rinsed her mouth out, and went downstairs a little lifeless. But when she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes lit up at the sight of Eliott setting the table with her breakfast.

    As soon as her eyes landed on him, she ran to him and hugged him tightly. It was so unexpected that Eliott did not know how to react for a second before he warmly embraced her.

    "Hey... Why so much enthusiasm? " Eliott laughed at how tightly she hugged him.

    "I missed you!!! You did not even text me," Alex pouted, breaking away from Eliott''s embrace to look the man in the eye.

    "Well, I missed you too, Wi..." Eliott did not finish his sentence. Calling her ''wife'' had already become a habit without him noticing, but he was not going to use it until she gave him her answer.

    "Let us eat, shall we?" He pulled Alex to her seat and they ate their breakfast in silence.

    "So, um, I took the time to figure out how I imagined being your wife. At first I was really scared and apprehensive. You know with my career, being married is not exactly comfortable. Plus, I thought that as your wife, I would have to stay home to be a good wife. But I took some time to think about it, and I found out that my thoughts were wrong. I mean, even though I do not know you too well, I know you are not someone who would forbid me from doing what I want, and I was starting to miss you so much that I was afraid I was going to lose you..." She confessed that her cheeks had gone all hot and red.

    Eliot''s heart melted at her little confession and he could not help but smile and show off his beautiful dimples.

    "So, what are the conclusions of your reasoning?"

    "Well, if you are asking me how I see myself as your wife, I''ll tell you that I see myself as the luckiest woman in this country! In fact, I cannot imagine what I could lose with you... I am the one who should be asking you that question, because I am the one who has a lot of drawbacks. " Alex said, looking him straight in the eye.

    "Well, that''s actually a good question, how can I imagine marrying a beautiful woman that almost every man in the country wants?" Eliott asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at Alex with a cheeky smile.

    "I am talking about the fact that I cannot do my duty as your wife, you know..."

    "Who says you can''t? I am quite sure you can," Eliott smiled and took Alex, who was sitting next to him, into his arms and kissed her deeply. Alex automatically returned the kiss and tenderly reached for Eliott''s hair, savouring her husband''s lips that she had missed so much.

    They kissed slowly and tenderly, showing their love for each other. Alex was really frisky that day and opened Eliott''s shirt to feel him even more. Eliott allowed her to enjoy his body while he was held up by her panda pajamas, because he could not help his own unhappiness. He was dying under her warm touches, but he could not bring himself to stop her, so he endured his little girlfriend growing more and more impatient before reluctantly stopping Alex.

    "I can see that my wife wants to go about her wifely duties, but we should take it slow, should we not?" Eliott teased Alex as usual, causing her to blush profusely. She could not believe it was her who had done all this, she looked down at Eliott''s open shirt and gulped at the sight of his golden muscular chest.

    "Um, um, I got carried away..." she said before running to the bathroom.

    When she returned, Eliott was in his study talking on the phone. She joined him and quietly walked into the study. Eliott did not mind but called her over and had her sit on his knees while he finished the call.

    "It seems that your father could not be honest once in his life. Christ just told me that he used some tricks to take over everything from Kani. The company is just an empty shell now. What do you want me to do?"

    "Um, nothing, what''s more important to me is getting the brand back and all the infrastructure that comes with it. I am asking him to return the company to me in the same condition he took it from his grandfather... If he does not fulfil this request, I will ask you to help me!"

    "All right, I am at your disposal.

    In his office, Alan received the news from his lawyers that the operation had been carried out. He was so pleased that his plan had worked so well that he could not help celebrating with a glass of whiskey. At least he had not lost the money. He was sure Alex was bluffing, because it was unlikely she had the balance from back then. He''d made sure to take every piece of evidence and every document from back then, so he took it upon himself to take the money without fear.

    After confirming his unusual operation, he asked his lawyer to prepare all the necessary documents to hand over the business to Alex.. He wanted to close the deal with her as soon as possible. The next step would be to show the world that she was indeed his daughter before he took her to the Jensens!

 Chapter 75 - Alan Porter In Action

    Alan did not take much time before contacting Alex. Once he had all the necessary documents to transfer KANI''s ownership to Alex, he wanted to close the deal as quickly as possible so he could get her to the Jensens. He had already exceeded the short time Lydia had given him to bring Alex to her, so he had to hurry.

    That afternoon, as Alex familiarised herself with Eliott, taking a closer look around his house or in his office to see what he was working on or what he loves, such as the book he read or the game he like to play, she tried to get more information about the man she was going to marry, by inspecting his house. Eliott watched her looking around contentedly, it was a great and cute picture he was seeing. He was really glad to see her so curious as she walked around him asking him questions about this and that, really curious.

    She was having a good time when she got the call from Alan. Instinctively, she looked at Eliott and showed him the caller before taking the call. It was a short conversation in which Alan basically told her that the documents were ready and asked her to meet him at KANI''s main office the next day.

    When Alex ended the call, she smiled and looked at Eliott, who was also smiling.

    "What game do you think the old fox will play tomorrow?" asked Alex, sitting back down on Eliott''s lap.

    "Well, first he''ll give you an empty shell, probably on the grounds that the value of the company now already exceeds what it was worth then, so he has the right to give it back to you empty. And maybe he''ll bring some reporters along to witness his good deed of giving his daughter a company and a brand" Eliott replied, giving her a little kiss on the forehead.

    "So I should be prepared to face some reporters then?"

    "No, I do not think he''ll let you talk to them because you have shown him that you are not that easy to take advantage of, I think it will just be a matter of taking a few pictures of you and him... And then spread the word on the internet. Do not worry too much, I have got everything under control, you just have to enjoy yourself with this little show..."

    "Thanks!!!" Alex smiled at her handsome future husband and gave him a light kiss.

    They spent the day together, both working on their stuff. Alex was already planning how she could merge KANI and CANDIDE as one brand without losing too many customers since KANI image was not too good in the fashion industry now, while Eliott was busy with his work as usual.

    The next day, Alex felt great. It was not actually a good day since it had been raining non-stop from morning till the afternoon, but she did not know why she just felt good. When she got home the day before, she had explained to Fidelia what was going on about her meeting with her father. Fidelia was pretty excited too, because they had been waiting for this day for a long time. Fidelia knew how important it was for Alex to get back her grandfather''s company, so she was excited as well to finally see her friend goal being reached.

    Alex goes to her appointment with a lawyer from Royalstar, Fidelia wasn''t with her since it wasn''t about her modelling career. She wanted someone who could closely review the documents she would sign to get KANI back.

    When she arrived looking beautiful as always in her blue business suit and long hair tied in a bun, she was greeted at the door of the company by Alan himself with a wide smile. She frowned, knowing that the old man could not be pleased to see her, so she understood that there must indeed be people taking pictures of them."

    She did not mind and played the game her father had set. Once they were in the CEO''s office, things got even more sombre. Alan''s blooming face was now cold and unfriendly. He picked up a bundle of documents and handed them to Alex unceremoniously.

    "Here, all the documents for the transfer of ownership, you just need to sign where you are asked to," Alex said.

    "Thank you, I assume you do not mind my lawyer taking a look, do you?" asked Alex, looking Alan straight in the eye.

    Alan''s lawyer, who was also present, felt a little uncomfortable as he knew what they had done with the company''s money. He knew whoever he was working for was not a good guy, but this was too unethical and couldn''t help to be a little off while looking at Alex''s lawyer.

    Alex''s lawyer took the document and started looking at it one by one. Alan began to tense up as he was about to reach the balance sheet of the company. And as Alex and even Adam, the lawyer sent by Eliott, had expected, the company had no funds to finance its assets, i.e. nothing to pay the employees or finance the production of clothing, since there were no funds to buy raw materials.

    Adam immediately understood what was going on and pointed it out to Alex.

    "Well, Mr. Alan? What kind of a joke is this? You are giving me an empty shell. I thought we made it clear that you were to give me the company at the value it had when you stole it from my grandfather?"

    "You little piece of ..." Alan started to get upset when she brought up the fact that he had stolen the company, but Alex did not give him time to talk at all.

    "Mr. Alan, please watch what you say, I am not the one playing dirty here. We have a deal, but to my regret, you are still a cheater. But thank God I am not like you. I am going to let this slide anyway and fulfil my part of the contract, I just want to take back my grandfather''s company."

    Alan was red with anger, how could she humiliate him in front of so many people? He wanted to show her her place, but he reminded himself that he needed her, so he held back!

    After Adam reviewed everything, Alex signed the documents and Alan handed her everything related to the brand and the company. She was so pleased to have finally reclaimed KANI that she could not help but smile.

    When the deal was done, they left the company. Adam had her hands full of files while Alex and Alan climbed into their respective cars, smiling.

    Arriving home, Alex found Leila and Fidelia waiting for her. As soon as she saw them, she ran to them and hugged them tightly. She was overjoyed, this day was one of the happiest she had experienced since her grandfather died. She had made it her life''s goal when she promised her grandfather that she would do anything to get KANI back, and today she had finally paid her respects to her grandfather.

    They celebrated at home before Leila suggested they go out and enjoy the night. Alex had been excited all day so she did not object to Leila''s plan and soon the three women were sitting in an upscale private lounge sipping cocktails.

    The lounge was full of beautiful women and handsome men. As soon as you set foot inside, you could already guess what kind of customers came here, because all you could see where people in luxurious brands showing off their wealth to each other. But the three women sitting alone in their booth were the most stunning in the lounge, and they soon attracted the attention of the men around them.

    By this time they were a little drunk, with only Leila holding back. She had more experience with drinking than Fidelia and Alex, as a vice CEO she had attended many meetings where drinking was part of the courtesy.

    In her good mood, she started making videos of Alex and Leila doing stupid things before sending them to Eliott.

    Eliott was working late with Christ when he received the first video. When he saw the notification, he was not bothered by it at first, but on the second one, he looked to see what it was about fearing it was something serious.

    When he opened the first video, his phone threatened to fall off when he saw Alex twisting her sexy body dancing. In the video, you could see the men around her drooling like she was a fresh piece of meat. He immediately got up and grabbed his things.

    "My God, we have to go Christ!" He exclaimed already thinking about how he should make his sister pay for that!

    "Wait, what? I thought we had to finish this tonight!"

    "Make up your mind" Eliott shows him the second video of Fidelia dancing sensuously and smiling as if inviting the men to come on to her!

    "Damn...." Christ stood up, grabbed his things too, and they both hurried to the lounge where they arrived in less than ten minutes.

 Chapter 76 - Girls Night Out

    The lounge, Alex was in was a place often frequented by more business-oriented people, including entrepreneurs, wealthy people looking to make contacts, or people looking for an investment. The kind of people who did not necessarily have an eye for the entertainment industry. And since Alex was new in town, a lot of the people in the bar did not necessarily know who she was. The person they could tell at first glance was Leila, who was known as the Vice CEO of RoyalStar and heiress to the Jensen family.

    If people were drawn to her table, it was because of their unparalleled beauty rather than their status or the public representation Alex could be. That was also why Leila had chosen this bar because she knew she would not have to worry about Alex''s status. Plus, it was an all in place you could during, eat and dance.

    As the girls began to dance and enjoy themselves, many people, especially the men, began to show a genuine interest in their table, who could blame them... When it was a table full of beautiful and attractive single women. You could see several of them walking to them, but each of them always came back with a sad or disappointed look.

    In fact, the three girls at that table did not give these rich and distinguished men of the city a chance.

    The most modest and well-bred understood that the girls were not interested and left without making any waves, especially since Leila''s presence was another reason to leave without making a fuss, because no one wanted to offend her.

    But as it is in life, there are always some people who think nothing can be denied them. Some of them, let themselves become assistants and even made inappropriate gestures towards the girls, especially towards Alex, who had become an object of desire for some of them.

    One of them was obviously so drunk and obviously could not control himself that he tried to touch and hug Alex.

    She saw the gesture coming and tried to dodge it, but she was not fast enough. But just as the man''s hand was about to touch Alex, a firm and strong hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him, without even looking at him, he pushed the man aside. Alex, who was already really tipsy, lost her balance and fell onto the chair behind her, where she sat down and looked at the man in front of her with a wide smile.

    Elliot looked at her and sighed, he was angry after getting the message from his sister, he knew that this kind of place was dangerous for Alex because of her illness, if someone even accidentally touched her it could have been dangerous for her. He could not blame his sister because he knew Alex had given her permission if they were there.

    He wanted to reprimand her, but when he saw her there with her wide smile and flushed cheeks, he could not help but immediately forgive her and give her a tender smile as she look too cute to handle.

    Alex was surprised to see him in front of her. She really could not control herself very well and could already feel her head buzzing, so her attention was not at its maximum. But when Elliott came up to her to see if everything was alright after her fall, she recognized him and immediately put her hands around his neck and smiled even more!

    "Hubby, you are here!!!" blurted out Alex sweetly, giggling at the effects of the alcohol.

    "Hm" Eliott could not hide his delight, she just called him ''hubby'' and that was so damn nice to hear, he smiled at her before giving her a small slap on the forehead "but what are you doing here?"

    "I came to celebrate," Alex beamed even more which made Eliott smile even more and show off both of his big dimples.

    "I am glad you are having fun, but this is the last time!" said Eliot firmly, earning a pout from Alex in return.

    Their table soon attracted a lot of attention, not only because of the three women, but now because of the three handsome men there.

    When Eliott entered the lounge, all eyes were on him as he looked simply stunning and sexy. Since he had left the office in a hurry, he did not take the time to remove his glasses. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his sexy forearms, and over the shirt, he wore a vest that accentuated his muscular body.

    His firm, long legs were elegant as he took one step at a time towards Alex''s table. The more famous Christopher behind him in these circles drew even more attention, and the women began to look where he would sit so they could go to him. It was not long before Phil entered the lounge too, attracting as much attention as the others with his charming features.

    Each man was responsible for his own women and promptly carried them out, not caring about the curious or envious looks of the others.

    Eliott took Alex in his arms and left the bar, not caring about the other two women who were also dealing with the disapproval of their own men. They were also quickly dragged out of the bar lounge while Christ and Fidelia bickered and Leila tried to calm Phil''s anger.

    Soon the three couples were home and coincidentally all three were taken to their respective boyfriends and fiancee homes where they engaged in various activities. While Fidelia and Christ engaged in passionate sexual intercourse as soon as they set foot in Christ''s house, Leila was forced by her strange men to drink all sorts of strange beverages on the grounds that it would help her expel the alcohol in her body, but she could bet it was some sort of punishment, the man was damn cunning.

    And as for Alex and Eliott, once they were home Alex was a bundle of energy, jumping, dancing and laughing all around the house. Eliott had tried several times to calm her down, but could not get anything done, and finally left her alone. But that was not the smartest idea he''d had in his life, because at one point, as he sat on the sofa watching Alex''s shenanigans, she came over to him and sat right into his lap. She looked deep into his eyes before taking his face in her hands and giving him a fierce kiss.

    Eliott was taken aback by the gesture, but of course, he responded happily, letting her take control of the kiss as she slid her hot tongue into his mouth and deepened the kiss. Their tongues danced passionately together before she broke the kiss and exclaimed with eyes filled with lust, "I want you now!"

    Eliott looked at her confused, not quite sure how to proceed. He knew the girl was not in her right mind and that it was the alcohol talking. He felt happy because he now knew how bad she wanted him, and he got really turned on when Alex rubbed her body against his and made him swallow. She was wearing a short dress, so when she sat on his lap, Eliott was directly in contact with her private parts, with only her underwear and his pants for separation.

    Eliott did not know whether to laugh or cry, because he did not know what to do. He thought that maybe this night was a test for him and his self-control. He was still contemplating how to handle Alex when she leaned in and sensually announced, "I am sober, and have been for a while, by the way!"

    The next day, the shocking news was circulating on the internet. As Eliott had expected, pictures of Alex and Alan circulated on the Internet with the caption, "Alan Porter, the CEO of Priceless, has just handed over the KANI brand and all of its associated infrastructure to his daughter Alex Michell, the new face of RoyalStar."

    It was all over the internet and the news was even broadcast on TV. Netizens started leaving lots of comments under these posts on the internet and of course, people''s opinions were very different in this matter.

    The insiders who knew that Priceless was in bad shape financially could not help but doubt Alan Porter''s intentions and left comments like:

    Business-observer: "Actually, I do not know what old Alan is trying to accomplish here. Priceless is not doing well. Is he trying to rob his own daughter or something like that? Who knows what price he gave her this company for! I bet Alex did not get it for nothing!"

    Just-a-passerby: "That''s what I am wondering, actually. It all seems very suspicious to me. We know by now that the relationship between Alex and the Porter family does not seem to be very good. I just hope she''s not willing to sell her body for it!"

    Love-my-life: "Well, I do not know, maybe Alex had asked it as compensation for what his wife and child did to her? Things really do not seem that simple!!!"

    The comments went on like that, and most of them turned to the fact that the whole thing was a little suspicious given the fact that Priceless was not doing well financially.

 Chapter 77 - A Beautiful Night (R18)

    A deep breath rushed into Eliott''s ears, sexual and provocative so that he gave himself to her at once. All the reasons he had in his head for rejecting the idea of having her that night were gone in that instant.

    He pressed his lips to hers one more time, kissing her passionately and sensually. A faint smell of alcohol emanated from their breaths as their tongues pleasured each other. Mixed with the burgeoning hormones spreading throughout the living room, the atmosphere was ambiguous, sensual and excited.

    The fire in their bodies was growing hotter, making them want more, and what was left of their minds was at stake. Eliott looked at her and murmured, "I am a person who cannot resist temptation. You know I go to great lengths to resist you and restrain myself every time I am with you. If you provoke me like this, then I will ..."

    Alex did not give him time to finish his sentence as she pressed her lips to his one more time. This time the kiss was needy and full of lust, he could feel how much she wanted him, testing her sweet tongue furiously. He took it as her confirmation of what was to come next and promptly took her to his room. They did not break the kiss as Eliott stood up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he briskly took her to his room.

    When he reached his bed, he gently set Alex down on it. Eliott smiled and began to slowly kiss Alex''s neck. His fingers tangled in her hair and found his ears to slowly stroke them. Alex moaned softly as Eliott''s mouth touched her skin. Every touch of Eliott on her body was just incredible to Alex, she wanted those touches forever. Eliott wandered down Alex''s neck, leaving a series of kisses that left many marks on her neck and body as if marking his territory and getting rid of Alex''s unwanted dress at the same time.

    She had an amazing body and Eliott could not help but take a second to admire the amazing work of God he saw before him.

    After working Alex''s neck, he returned to her lips and sucked on them tenderly. Before his tongue left her lips to meet Alex''s soft and pink nipples, she responded instantly, shivering and giving a sexy moan and he loved that reaction. Eliott sucked on them even harder as if they were something sweet, causing Alex to arch her back as waves of pleasure overtook her as one of Eliott''s hands slowly travelled down her waist.

    The hot contact of Eliott''s fingers on her waist and tight made Alex feel as if electricity was flowing between them. She moaned deeply in response, Eliott was so aroused by all the noises Alex was making that his manhood was getting harder by the second.

    Alex sensed her lover''s discomfort and eagerly began to undress him. This was something she had wanted to do since the day she had first seen him, and now to have one of her fantasies come true was just amazing! Soon their clothes were on the floor. Eliott took a little time to admire Alex''s naked body one more time, eyeing her hungrily. "Damn, you look so awfully sexy, babe! I have never seen anything so beautiful!" Eliott complimented her, making Alex blush heavily.

    Eliott continued on his way, stopping at Alex''s sweet and juicy private part, which were already as wet as it could be! Eliott smiled and began to slowly lick and tease her thighs. She shuddered under his hot tongue touching her so sensually.

    When he finally finished his teasing and moved onto his main course, the licking of Alex''s little pink honeypot, Alex''s back arched at the wonderful feeling and pleasure she now felt, she had never felt so good. And every place he had touched left her with a wonderful, lingering feeling of desire that left her wanting more. Alex grabbed Eliott by the hair as he devoured her with relish, taking his time to savor her sweet taste as the pleasure he was giving her increased by the second. The pleasure was so intense that not long after, she arched her back even more and curled her toes as she had her first orgasm!

    Alex''s whole body focused on that hot and intense feeling, the intensity was unbearable and she moaned deeply. Her head was full of sparks and she felt lost in another universe. The feeling of Eliott''s touches and kisses on her skin was like a drug and she was already addicted. She kissed Eliott like crazy and bit his lips every now and then.

    Alex''s hands roamed over Eliott''s naked body until she reached his manhood, which was straight and strong. She did not know where she got the courage as she began to slowly stroke him, making Eliott groan. She liked the power she had over her man and began to arouse him even more. Eliott growled at the hot sensation he felt when her delicate hand touched him like this, biting his lips and trying to stifle a moan.

    They looked into each other''s eyes before Eliott kissed her furiously as Alex quickened the pace other stokes before letting his white juice escape slowly into Alex''s hand when she fill her mouth with a deep moan.

    As much as he wanted to continue their sensual battle, Eliott did not want to go to the next level now! He wanted it to be special. Besides, he could see she was tired. She had had a busy night and was exhausted from the strong feelings she had just discovered. They just kissed until she slowly gave up and fell asleep peacefully in his arms.

    The next morning Alex felt like she had never felt before. She had had a wonderful moment last night and she would definitely do it again. Eliott was simply stunning and adorable, and she was now excited to see what crazy feelings he would give her from now on.

    When she woke up, Eliott was already busy with breakfast, as usual. She heard the soft sound of a knife cutting something, and could smell the wonderful aroma of crispy bacon and eggs coming from downstairs. She was hungry, but she did not know why, she was quite tired and did not want to get out of bed, maybe it was because of her late-night activities last night. Just as she decided to finally get out of those soft and delicate sheets, Eliott came in with her breakfast. Was this man real? What could be better than that? Having a good breakfast in bed after spending a fantastic and exciting night. She smiled at the man standing before her. He was her first course, showing off his amazing body with his bare chest!

    "Are you hungry?" Eliott looked at her smiling lost in her lustfully thoughts as he approached her with his delicious plate.

    Alex just nodded eagerly, not taking her eyes off him.

    Eliott chuckled as he saw her antics and wink, amused at the way she was looking at him, "So? Food or me for breakfast?"

    At that moment Alex realized she was lost in thought as she looked at his sexy body and to be honest, she wanted to taste him like she had the night before, but she was too hungry and accepted the plate with a sheepish smile.

    They began to eat in a peaceful and happy atmosphere. Afterwards, Eliott got ready because he had to go to work. Alex did not have much to do these days except read the script of the movie and prepare for her scene. She had a few tutoring sessions with the acting professor, but she did not have to go to RoyalStar that day.

    Just as she was about to leave Eliott''s cozy bed and return to her own house, her phone started buzzing. She searched for it in all the bedrooms, not knowing where it was. Last night she had been so engrossed in her sensual affair that she had not had time to attend to her phone.

    She did not find the damn phone until Eliott handed it to her as soon as he came out of the closet. Looking at the caller, she frowned. It was Alan, and there was no way she was going to take that call, she did not want her day, which had started out so beautifully, to become even bleaker after talking to him. But she had no other choice, and at the same time she wanted to wrap up their mutual business, if you could call it that, as soon as possible.

    "Hello?"

    "What took you so long to answer? You have got an elder waiting on you!" Alan groaned into the phone in frustration.

    "Well, it''s ten in the morning and I was asleep! What''s the matter with you calling me so early?"

    Alan was even more irritated by her answer, it was already that time and she told him it was too early? What kind of behaviour was that? He wanted to reprimand her, but remembered why he had called and got to the point, "We have to go to the Jensen tonight! So be there at 6pm, and I''ll meet you there before we go in together!"

    "Okay"

    The phone call was then cut off and Alex looked at Eliott with a teasing smile, "Looks like we will be officially engaged tonight!"

    Eliott was not surprised at all, he knew the old fox was rushing things and he was ready to give him a big surprise! He had already tried to talk about himself on the internet that morning as father of the year and Eliott was pleased with how things were going, people were doubting the old fox and that was all he wanted before he made his next move.

 Chapter 78 - A Good Show Is To Come!!

    When Alan approached a small media outlet to tell the country, he was giving his daughter a business, he did not expect all the reactions he got on the Internet. His plan did not work out the way he expected. On the contrary, it had an opposite effect, so he began to regret his action.

    In fact, that evening the main topic on the internet was the post about Alan Porter being good to his daughter! People could not shake the feeling that there was something fishy going on. In the business world, they all knew what Alan Porter was like, everyone knew he was a big snake. So if he was so generous, it could be for nothing.

    People theorized a lot about what the reason could be because they were pretty sure Alex did not have the Porter family in her heart too. People even remembered the interview she had given after her scandal with Aria.

    Economic_Observer: If you watch this video of the new queen of RoyalStar and look at what she responded to when she talked about Alan Porter, I am sure something is fishy here. Why Alan would give Alex a business and why Alex would gladly accept it, even though she made it clear in the interview that their relationship was not the best.

    In the video, you can hear the reporters asking Alex questions:

    -Reporter: What is your actual relationship with Aria? Is she really your sister?

    -Alex: We have the same father...

    After their suspicions were confirmed, they wanted to find out a little more about the Porter family, hoping to write something good about them...

    -Reporter: I''d like to know why you did not work in your family business then?

    -Alex with a little smile: Well, I received an offer from PRICELESS, but the offer from RoyalStar was more interesting to me, so I went for it without thinking twice. As you know, I have been living in New Bell with my mother since I was a kid, so I do not feel like I owed anything to them to sacrifice a really good offer that was made to me! In fact, I have no relationship with them at all. How do I explain this, my name is Michell, not Porter, I hope you got your answer.

    You could see the shock on the reporter''s face as he understood exactly what Alex was implying. You did not have to be smart to realize that Alex did not have good feelings for her father.

    The little video clip was shared thousands of times, which made the speculation about Alan Dotation even crazier, as both sides were called suspicious.

    Alan wanted to gain people''s sympathy, he wanted to restore his image in front of people so that when he told the world about his daughter marrying Eliott Jensen, people would not suspect him or see the plan behind it. He wanted to get Jensen''s help and money with his head held high. But it did not seem like people were buying his philanthropic behavior and were already starting to spread rumors. Even if some of them were true, he could not let them continue like this. So first, he had to speed up the meeting with Jensen, and second, after the engagement is settled, he would do something about the problem.

    When Alex was back at her house, Fidelia also came home after her night with Christ. She knew that Alex did not have to work today and that she would just spend the day at home, so she let her play around the night before.

    When they entered the house together, they sat lazily on the couch looking like two sacks of potatoes without saying anything before Alex broke their peaceful silence.

    "Looks like I am officially getting engaged tonight".

    "Wait, what?" Fidelia sat up straight, feeling a little confused. She knew what was going on with Alex, but she had not expected it to be so soon. She had not prepared anything for her communication with the public and Alex''s fans, they did not even talk about her career after marriage or what she would do next once she tied the knot. It was too sudden for her, she had expected this to arrive after the movie at the latest.

    "Well, you know the deal with my father... He called me this morning and said we had to go to them... I guess it''s kind of like the two in-laws meeting before the wedding. So as of tonight, I will officially be his fianc¨¦e," Alex explained calmly.

    Fidelia looked at her and exhaled in relief, "Oh my god! I was beginning to think you were going to go out in public tonight! You gave me a scare!"

    Alex just chuckled before thinking a little about what Fidelia had just said because she had never really thought about it. When would the moment come when she would go public with all of this? Besides, there was now a rumour that she was Ethan''s girlfriend, what would people think? Besides, she did not even know what Eliott was going to do. And then there were Eliot''s parents, wouldn''t they want to have a big ceremony for their child''s engagement? She did not have an answer for that yet.

    "To tell you the truth, I have no ideas on how to proceed with this engagement. But Eliott had told me that I could continue to do as I pleased, so..." Alex explained to Fidelia what Eliott had told her so she would worry less.

    "Oh, that''s good, because I was not thinking about how you were going to plan your career when you got married! Anyway, so today is finally the day it all kicks off? Are you going to let him know he''s been played tonight or not?"

    "I do not know, depending on what Eliott''s parents would do or say, I''ll just play along! But if he finds out now, I could not care less, I already got what I wanted the most, so I do not care!!!"

    "Great, I wish I could be there to enjoy the show... Halas," Fidelia complained and laid on Alex lazily only to sit up the next moment. "OMG Alex what is all this???? OMG you did it! There''s no way you did anything this time, with all the hickeys you have all over your body, I can even see some on your thigh!!!! Quick, quick, give me some gossips please!!!"

    "Well, we just had a great time," Alex said mysteriously before heading to her room to avoid Fidelia''s questions.

    "You can run all you want Babygirl, but I will not let you," Fidelia smiled contentedly, genuinely glad that her friend was now getting a taste of her sex life.

    At the Jensen mansion, Lydia was all excited because from this night on, Alex would finally become a part of her family. Not that she was really waiting for Alan''s approval, but she knew it was important to her to give Alex the opportunity to fight her father and avenge her mother and grandfather, so she went along with the plan to go through Alan and the promise between their two families.

    Her excitement was so great that she instructed her butler to clean the house completely and asked her cook to cook all the dishes she remembered Alex liking as a child, hoping her tastes had not changed. Eli could only look at his wife. He too was happy because his son had finally found love and his wife finally felt less helpless and sad about her best friend''s sad story.

    As Eli thought about how dinner would go, he was a little worried that his wife would tell Alan about Alex and Eliott''s relationship. Eliott had not given them any instructions on the matter. He did not want to put Alex in an awkward situation. He needed to know what the plan was because he knew that his son certainly had a plan to bring Alan down.

    "Hello, son... What do you want me to do with Alan today? Your mother is so excited I am afraid she''ll show him that we are already in contact with her and maybe brag about your relationship..." Eli talked to Eliott about his worries. It was better to know his plan in advance so they could play along.

    "Well, actually, she can do whatever she wants, Dad... Alex already got what she wanted most from that man, and the rest is up to me. Whatever he knows or does not know would not change that or" Eliott pauses for a minute, thinking about something "Dad actually tells Mum to brag all she wants! I want to know how he''s going to react... What will he do when he finds out that his daughter has been playing with him as he did with her mother..."

    Eli understood what his son was getting at, and ended the conversation before telling his wife what was planned for that night, and Lydia could not be happier to hear it! As she smiled, Eli knew they were going to have a good show that night!

 Chapter 79 - Meeting In Laws

    Time passed relatively quickly that day, Alex didn''t notice when it was finally time to leave for the Jensen''s house. She was excited, finally, she would officially meet Elliott''s parents as his future wife. Of course, she was not too thrilled with the idea of being with her father, but that did not diminish the excitement she felt growing inside her. It was as if everything suddenly became much more real.

    Ever since the day Eliott had proposed to her, Alex had felt like she was living in a dream, experiencing life in a different way and feeling things she had not even dared to dream about. But all of that had a somewhat fleeting flavour to it because it was all for her, but starting tonight, everything would change. She knew that from this night on, there would be no turning back, that her life would change completely. From a young woman alone in the world, she would find herself with a fianc¨¦ and a new family starting tomorrow.

    With great excitement, Alex made her way to the Jensen mansion as agreed with Alan. She had chosen a rather simple outfit for the occasion, introducing a black dress that was not too long and not too short, with transparent high heels. Under the black dress, she wore a sheer turtleneck to hide the hickeys Eliott had left last night. As always, she accompanied her outfit with the jewellery her grandfather had left her. Her hair was styled simply, just loose in the back, with simple makeup as always.

    When she arrived in front of Alan, he did not seem pleased with her outfit. In his eyes, it was as if she was not taking the event seriously and was doing everything she could to avoid being appreciated. There was no question in his mind that it was going to go wrong. So before he entered, he asked her not to embarrass him once he was in front of the Jensens. Alex did not reply and just followed him into his car. The mansion is indeed so big that it was easier to get there by car, as the distance between the gate and the main house is quite long.

    When they finally drove through the Jensen family gate, Alex was amazed at the beautiful scenery that opened up before her. Eliott''s house was just too breathtaking, the garden, the lake, it was like she stepped into another dimension because it was just breathtaking. The ride was quiet as the two did not have much to say to each other, but when they arrived in front of the house, Alan reminded Alex once again to behave and let him do the talking!

    Lydia and Eli were waiting for them at the door. Alan could not compare their behaviour to the way they had reacted when he had gone there with Aria, and could not help but frown at the difference in treatment.

    When Alex finally stood in front of Lydia, she could not help but come forward and hug her eagerly!

    "You are finally here, my dear! I have been waiting for you for so long! Come on, let us go inside," she did not even give Alan a glance and entered the house with Alex while her husband accompanied Alan.

    Lydia sat down with Alex and took her hand in hers as she spoke to her. To explain her wife''s behaviour, Eli could only ask Alan to understand, she had waited too long to see Alex, which was why she was all excited when she saw her. They sat down as well, they were back in a living room and Alan noticed it was a different room than the one he was in with Aria, another difference.

    Lydia was eagerly chatting with Alex, asking her how she was doing and many questions about her daily life and how she was settling into Florelia. Alex answered her questions politely with a smile and was genuinely happy to be with Lydia. But for Alan, who did not know that the two women had already met, it was a good thing, because he thought that Alex would not let him lose face, and so a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

    "Eliott has been very busy the last few days and since you just called us yesterday, he could not really adjust his schedule so he will be a little late..." Eli explained to Alan and Alex so Alex did not get upset about Eliott being late.

    "It''s okay, it''s okay, young people have to work hard and it''s my fault for not telling you beforehand that I was coming." Alan was a little embarrassed after Eli pointed out that he had not taken the time to let them know about his visit in advance, but he was also a little angry at Eliott for not giving him face one more time.

    Like the mirror of that first day, Leila arrived not long after, greeting everyone and sitting down joining them. Alan began to sweat a little, not liking Leila''s presence, thinking of what the press had written about Alex and the actor Ethann, and fearing that she would expose them if the rumours were true. But to his surprise, she was very happy to see Alex.

    "Well, Alex you look better than I expected, I thought you''ll look bad after last night but look at you glowing!!!! But I have to say that I was even more surprised when my mother said that you would be joining us tonight!" Leila looked at Alex with some amazement at her flawless skin, despite the fatigue of the previous night!

    "Well, I was not expecting to be here tonight either, I was surprised myself" Alex gave Leila an apologetic look before looking at Alan with little eyes.

    "You can come whenever you want Alex, you are more than welcome" Lydia said, smiling before looking at her daughter "what happened last night?"

    "Oh, I brought her somewhere to drink..." Leila paused as Lydia looked accusingly at her. She cleared her throat. "Mom, I only brought her to have a good time in town, so don''t look at me like that, I already my punishment from Eliott."

    "You knew each other?" At this point, Alan was beginning to think that Alex and Leila''s relationship was not easy, but he could not put his finger on it.

    "Alex is the face of my RoyalStar, so of course I cared a lot about her."

    Alan still was not satisfied with her answer and had a feeling that something was not right, but as he was about to ask further, Eliott made his grand entrance.

    He was wearing his work clothes, Alex had seen him earlier in the morning so nothing, in particular, had changed, but now he had a large bouquet of flowers in his hand. Alex looked at him and her heart leapt at the sweet gesture. He greeted everyone and handed Alex the flower.

    Alex was a little embarrassed as she stood in front of her soon to be in law. She quickly thanked him for taking the flower before Eliott sat down right next to her with a small smile.

    "Aya... The son has a wife, he''s already forgotten about the mother..." Lydia could not help but tease her son, as Alex blushed heavily.

    "Well, you are the one who asked me to marry, so don''t complain if I do without my wife. But of course, being a good son, I have something for you too!" He pulled a box of cookies out of his bag, which he also had with him, and handed them to his mother, "Your favourite!"

    Lydia was pleased with that and smiled, she really loved those cookies, she could eat them every day. As he bowed, Eliott noticed Alex look getting a little sad looking at the cookies, a look Lydia noticed as well.

    "Alex, do you perhaps love these cookies as well?" Lydia could not help but ask. It would be great if she could share her passion for these cookies with someone because no one in her family liked them.

    "No, no... It''s... It just reminds me of my mom. She always liked these cookies too."

    When Alex spoke of her mother, Alan tensed involuntarily. He had forgotten to tell Alex not to mention his ex-wife when he was with the Jensens.

    But before he could say anything, Lydia was already taking Alex''s hands tenderly in hers and talking to her.

    "Oh dear, you are right, that''s one of the things your mother and I have in common, we really like to eat those biscuits for tea every time we get together. Funnily enough, we sealed our promise to marry both our children with these biscuits," Lydia laughed, remembering the night they had actually eaten them at the hospital.

    Alex was listening intently to Lydia when she suddenly looked at Alan with a mischievous flash in her eyes, "Did you just say you made that promise with my mother?"

    "Well, yes, that''s why you are here, isn''t it?" Lydia already knew the inside story, so she made a point of playing Alex''s game.

    Eliott just looked at the two women helplessly, thinking that they must have found each other!

 Chapter 80 - The Truth

    Alex was listening intently to Lydia when she suddenly looked at Alan with a mischievous flash in her eyes, "Did you just say you made that promise with my mother?"

    "Yes, that''s why you are here, isn''t it?" Lydia already knew the inside story, so she set about playing along with Alex''s game.

    Eliott just looked at the two women helplessly, thinking that they must have found each other!

    "Well, I thought you had made this engagement promise with my father for either of his daughters, I did not know it was done with my mother," Alex gave a feigned worried impression and looked at Lydia.

    Lydia just looked at Alan without saying a word, she wanted to see how he would react. It was one thing to lie to your daughter behind four walls, but another to do it in front of them.

    Alan actually found himself in an awkward situation as everyone present in the living room looked at him with questioning eyes.

    "You misunderstood me. I said it was a promise between our two families, you did not ask me who exactly it was made with," Alan said with an embarrassed smile. "Let us not talk about the past, I brought you the one you like anyway, did not I?" He looked at Eliott with a faint smile.

    Eliott just nodded and took a drink of water. He was pleased to see the worried look on Alan''s face as if he was reliving his worst nightmare.

    "But actually, I am a little curious as to how my mother came to make that promise, and also why you agreed to it... I mean, I could have turned to be a bad girl after all, even if mother was your best friend..." Alex wanted to hear the story behind all of this now in front of her father. She did not want him to come to her one day and say that he was the one she owed her happy life with Eliott!

    "Why talk about something sad on a happy day? Let us not talk about it today..." Alan hastily tried to change the subject.

    "Yes, yes Alex, today is a happy day, let us talk about what you are actually here for now that Eliott is here..." Lydia was also hesitant to talk about this particular event. She did not know if Eliott had told Alex everything, she did not know if she could remember it all. She also did not want this happy day to become a sad day for Alex.

    "Mother, I am curious too," Eliott said when he saw Alex''s determined look, indicating to her mother that it was okay to talk about it because he knew why his mother was reluctant, but he also knew that it was a good opportunity for Alex to talk about it now, in front of Alan.

    "Well, if you really want to know, I''ll tell you. Actually, it started out as just a little joke. When Eliott was still in a coma after taking a blow to the head trying to save you, Alix was very worried that Eliott''s head might have a sequel, and to make up for it, and to thank him for saving you, she told me that she would make you his wife if that was what he wanted in the future, so you could take care of him for the rest of your life!

    We were just joking, but after thinking about it some more, I thought it was a good idea! I always liked you a lot, you were so sweet and dynamic I thought you would be a good match for Eliott, who was a very quiet and boring kid, so we made it official after talking to your grandfather about it..." Lydia quietly explained how she came to make this promise with Alex''s mother.

    "Wait a minute... What accident are you talking about?" Alex was a little confused. The only incident she had when she was here was when her half-brother tried to rape her, she did not remember an encounter with Eliott at all, so why are they talking about him being in the hospital?

    When she asked that question everyone in the room next to Eliott tensed, Alan started to sweat profusely, that incident had always made him uncomfortable as a father, even if he had no feelings for Alex it was still a disgusting thing for a half brother to attack his own sister. He had made sure that no one but the people involved knew about this incident. He looked at Alex with angry eyes as she asked one embarrassing question after another.

    Eli and Lydia were also a little confused about her question. They did not know what to answer since they did not even know what exactly she knew about the accident at the time.

    "The day Clyde attacked you, I was the one who stopped him, and while I was protecting you, I got hit in the head... I also didn''t remember much about that incident, mother reminded me about it only when she told me about the fact that I have someone they had engaged me to. And you know the end of the story," Eliott answered Alex curiosity calmly. He thought it was the best moment to finally talk about it. Alex remembered the incident with Clyde because he knew she had told Ethan about her fear of male touching, but it seemed like she had forgotten what happened after that.

    "So it was you? You were the boy who helped me..." Alex looked at Eliott with tears in her eyes. Things were becoming clearer in her mind, she could not understand why she was okay with Eliott touches, now it was more logical. She also remembered how her mother had always told her that there was this guy that she should be thankful for in her whole life. It all made sense now.

    But when she thought about it, she got a little angry. She understood that the story behind this betrothal was not a happy one, it was a time of worry, pain and anxiety for two parents who cared about their children, and here Alan was actually trying to take advantage of it...

    She had asked her mother what her father had done about the matter, but she always avoided talking about it. She remembered the nonsense Alan had told her the day he asked her to marry him, and she could not help but get even angrier. It was the right time to ask him what she had always wanted to know. Even though she knew the answer, seeing how well Clyde was living, she could already guess that nothing had happened to him, but she was desperate to hear an answer from him, and she knew he would not dare lie to her in front of the Jensen family.

    "So my half-brother tried to rape me while my best friend mother''s child saved me and my mother was the only one who was with me in the hospital and gave me that promise of engagement, so why am I here with you? What did you actually do for me back then?" Alex looked her father in the eye, everyone else in the room was silent, feeling somehow out of place being here. Eliott was the only one who was not embarrassed, on the contrary, he felt like it was about him too, after all he was involved in the incident and it was about his future wife!

    Alan''s head was spinning, he was lost in thought. He had not expected to answer these questions about the past when he came here today. He could not help but blame Alex for all of this, it was as if she was doing it on purpose, with Eliott''s persistence at that. He now found himself in a strange situation in front of his future-in-law. Since they already knew the story and Lydia had already accepted Alex as her daughter-in-law, he decided to answer Alex''s curiosity with no shame.

    "Well, when I got the news, you were already in the hospital, I was already separated from your mother, I punished Clyde severely... he was granted of three months."

    Alex smirked when she heard that. She had not expected much, but it still hurt to hear it, after all, nothing happened to that bastard. What she did not understand was why the Jensen family did not punish Clyde for what he had done to Eliott. She looked at Eliott, who seemed to understand what she was about to ask.

    "My parents did not do anything because your father used this incident to his advantage and asked my parents not to make a fuss about it so he could finally divorce your mother. My mother could not help but give in to get her friend out of the sad situation she was in and to protect you, he was willing to give you up only to that condition.

    Alex just looked at her father blankly, she could not believe he was such a devil.. Her mother had never spoken to her about such things, and she could not imagine that the inside story was so depressing. She could not help but feel sad for her late mother, the suffering she had experienced with this man who was supposed to be her father was just too much!

 Chapter 81 - Alan True Colors Exposed

    Alex had never felt so bad for her mother as she did that day! The man sitting in front of her was just a selfish snake. All the years her mother had been with him were nothing to him, he really had never felt anything for her and she could not help but shed a few tears for her mother.

    She could not understand how a father could take advantage of his own daughter like that. Using his own daughter to steal his own wife''s fortune was just wrong, no matter how you felt about it! Alex was disgusted as she looked calmly at Alan. Her blue, piercing eyes looked directly into Alan''s eyes, they were cold and devoid of emotion. If she had once had a shred of feeling left for her father, now there was none left, Alan was just a stranger interfering in her life.

    "So back then you used me and the Jensen''s love for my mother to rob her of money so you could build your empire while protecting your disgusting son?! And today, you still have the guts to shamelessly come to me and try to use me one more time? Let me tell you, Mr Porter, that I, Alex Mitchell, have had nothing to do with you for a long time! You cut any emotional father-daughter connection we might have had when I was a child, and you cut any remaining connections we had when you came to me and showed me that you had given up any parental rights you might have to me and wanted me to stop contacting you in the future! Hence my question, why are you here while I am talking to my fianc¨¦''s parents about my wedding?"

    Allan''s face paled when he heard Alex mention the fact that he had given up on his parents way back when. No one was supposed to know about this, only he and his wife knew about it, not even the other members of the Porter family knew about this fact. The Jensen was not supposed to know about this! He was so excited that he himself had forgotten about this, he had actually forgotten that he no longer had any parental ties to Alex before the law, he had bragged to her that he was her father so she should obey him, but he had actually forgotten that he was in fact nothing for her!

    But now it was already too late to think about it, Alex had already spelt bean! So there was no way he could disprove it even if he tried, Lydia seemed to like Alex already and he was sure now, that Alex and Eliott had known each other before. He frowned, feeling that his daughter had indeed played him for a fool and that his coming here was all planned! Now he was getting angry because he had just given her back her grandfather''s holdings and shares in his own business! He clenched his fist, knowing how much money he had just lost! Now all he could do was rely on the Jensen to still help him, but looking at them now, he already knew it was over.

    "I did not know you could go that far, Alan! However, since you have already waived your right, rest assured that I am going to take good care of Alex because as of today, she''s my daughter and believes me, I am going to make sure she''s happy and forgets that she had a shitty father like you!" Lydia looked at Alan in disgust; she knew that money can make someone do crazy things, but this was just too much for her, it was beyond her imagination!

    She still hoped that after Alex and her mother left, he still had some awareness to at least send some money for his own daughter, because he had taken everything from them! She had tried to help her friend, but she had always said that she did not need her help, so she had always thought that Alan was still in his right mind a bit and was looking after her. Now she felt that even after so long in this world, she had still seen the craziest things!

    "Alan, as a father, all I can say is that I am really disappointed in you, how can you treat your own blood so cruelly? Anyway, since you are no longer the father of this beautiful young girl, you must know that the help you expected from us for your company, if you benefit anyone again, you will not get it. I see no reason to help a stranger!" Eli, who usually did not talk much, was very angry when he heard what Alan had done. He could not take it anymore and just wanted to see him leave his house!

    "I see you have accomplished your goal, haven''t you? You rob me and make a pile of money out of me! Do you think you''ll live well after this? Let me tell you this since you made my life a living hell, it will be my pleasure to destroy yours as well!" At this point Alan could not hold back his anger, he was acting like a child, he could not believe he could be so reckless with his property! All of this showed how desperate he was to save Priceless and fall into Alex trap. His eyes were all red as he looked viciously at Alex. Now he was only thinking of one thing: making her pay for his loss!

    Alex at her side clutched Eliott''s hand as she heard him, but the warmth she felt through Eliott''s hand made all her fear disappear, she knew she was not alone from now on. "I did not steal anything from you! I only took back what was originally mine! So do not delude yourself into thinking that you didn''t do anything wrong! Everything you are going through now is exactly what you deserve!

    After Alex finished speaking, Alan stood up abruptly, he could not contain his anger anymore and stormed out of the Jensen mansion without even greeting them. He knew they would be of no use to him, so he did not think it necessary to be polite to them. He had to quickly find a way for Alex to lose face in front of everyone. Even if she was protected by the Jensens, he still had things on her that could destroy her image and career. He was a little relieved that he had usurped all of the company''s assets he had given her and bought back some of his family''s shares!

    After Alan left, all the tears, Alex had suppressed thinking about her mother''s depressing and sad life came flooding back and she could not help but bury herself against Eliott''s chest and cry out all her pain. Her pain was so great that she did not even consider that she was in front of her fianc¨¦''s family as she cried like a big baby.

    Eliott''s heart hurt when he saw how sad and offended Alex was about her father. He was furious. Alan and his family had done so much to Alex and her mother that they did not deserve to live the way they did. Seeing how hurt Alex was, Eliott took matters into his own hands. It was now his job to make life miserable for the Porter!

    Lydia signalled Eliott to take her away so he could comfort her in peace. Eliott took her and brought her to his room to comfort her. He did not know what to say or do. It was the first time he had ever been in a situation like this, he had no one he loved like Alex, he had no one whose pain could hurt him like this either, and he was frustrated because he did not know what to say to make her feel better.

    But really, Eliott did not need to say anything, because his warmth, his embrace, and his tenderness were the best remedy for her brooding pain. Alex stayed in his arms for a long time, taking the time to calm down and get her emotions back in check. She hugged Eliott as tight as she could, he was the most important man in her life now and she was very pleased that he was such a caring man, at least she knew he was nothing like her father.

    It was funny because while other people had their father protecting them from everything, including men because they did not want their precious daughter to meet a bad guy, Alan had done just the opposite. He did not protect her when she was in danger but used her to his own advantage before trying to sell her to save his company.

    At that moment, as she lay in the arms of this perfect man trying to ease her pain by holding her as tightly as he could, she decided that from now on she would do whatever it took to live her best life and make Eliott the happiest man in the world and to show Eliott that she could be happy in her life even without his love.

 Chapter 82 - Memories

    After some time, Alex calmed down and was now a little ashamed as she realise how much she had cried in front of everybody. She came out of Eliott embrace looking at him with a shy smile. Eliott shirt was all dirty with her makeup and she couldn''t help to hide her face, knowing that all her face was a mess.

    "Uhm, the bathroom please?" Alex asked, hiding her face.

    "The door on your left" Eliott thought that she was really cute at that moment, he had already seen her face bare or even in a bad state, he smiled, thinking of the night she was drunk and had done all kinds of stupid things in front of him.

    Alex run into the bathroom and washed her face. Now she was standing barefaced in front of the mirror and for the first time, she had seriously thanked her mother for giving her beautiful skin. Even without makeup, she was still presentable.

    When she came, she stood in front of the door and take the time to look curiously at the room.

    "This is my bedroom," Eliott said, looking at Alex, "the room I have here since my first year." He added before getting up and walking toward his wardrobe and changing his shirt.

    Hearing that it was Eliott bedroom, Alex was a little excited and started to look around with more interest in the eyes. She was happy because in that room were all Eliott memories and, she felt like just being there made her closer to him.

    Since Eliott and she had been neighbours, and his home was basically her second home, it had not occurred to her that Eliott room in his apart was just a part of Eliott adulthood life, the true Eliott, his secret, his feelings were more in the room she was now. She did not know why, but he was quite happy and excited to be there. It was Eliott''s little sanctuary, a place with all his boyhood memories.

    The first thing that caught her eyes was a large glass shelf filled with all of Eliott''s trophies, awards, medals, diplomas, and certificates, arranged by year, from his first year in elementary school to his college years. Alex could see what game or competition, Eliott had participated in each year since he was a kid. Looking at all these appreciations, she could easily guess what Eliott''s favourite sport was, his favourite subject in school, which period of his youth he was happiest, or which year he disliked.

    Also, another shelf just beside was filled with pictures of Eliott and his family when he was growing up. All thirty years of his life were represented there. Alex could somewhat accurately place all the major events that had taken place in Eliott''s life, it was as if she had been there. She was happy to see all these pictures that showed every side of Eliott''s character: sweet, kind, angry, naughty, serious, etc.

    One picture of Eliott caught her attention, it was Eliott when he appeared in his teen years and was in the hospital. His head was all wrapped up in a bandage, he was lying there and seemed to be in a lot of pain. Alex could not help but reach out, take the picture off the shelf and look at it intently. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice how tears from her eyes landed on the picture. She didn''t know why but that picture was making her heart hurt...

    Eliott, who just had changed his shirt, found Alex looking at a picture in a daze. She even had a few tears on his cheeks. Eliott looked at her, frowning and approached her silently. He looked at the picture that could put Alex in this state and sighed.

    "This is after Clyde blow that metal bar on my head," Eliott said, taking a seat on his bed.

    "Seems like you were in a lot of pain?" Alex was snapped out of his reverie when she heard Eliott''s voice.

    "I do not know ... I don''t remember ... Not important." He said, but Alex was still glued to the picture. "Come here!" Eliott called her softly. Alex walked over and sat down next to Eliott, still holding the picture. Eliott took it from her and put it on his nightstand. He didn''t know why, but he felt the urge to take Alex in his arms, and he did without thinking, petting Alex to calm her down one more time.

    "I didn''t know you loved me so much that you would go so far as to cry just looking at a picture of me!" Eliott teased the woman in his arms with a sly smile.

    Hearing this, Alex broke the hug and looked at Eliott sheepishly, "I wasn''t myself! I don''t know why I was crying myself, looking at this."

    "Well, doesn''t that mean your love is even deeper?" Eliott teased again, laughing.

    "Your childhood seems very vivid looking at these pictures," Alex said, lying on the bed not minding her man teasing, she loved his smile anyway.

    Eliott followed suit and lay down right next to her. "Yeah, I guess you could say that, I have nothing to complain about. I actually have a happy childhood, my parents went out of their way to make me happy, if I can put it that way. I got everything I wanted and since I have a good brain and was good at sports, I was basically first in everything. This made my parents even happier to spoil me! My late teenage years were a bit gloomier, but even so, it was not too bad either"

    "Yeah, I could see that looking at the pictures"

    "What about you? What was your childhood like? As sassy and smart as you are today, I bet you were not a quiet kid" Eliott asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Actually,  I was a really good kid back then, I was quiet and sweet. Growing up with both my parents, everything was good, my mom was really good to me, I was like the most important person in her life. My dad... " Alex paused after saying those two words, she remembered that the man was not really a father in her life, she cleared her voice and continued "Alan Porter my genitor was good to me too when he still was with my mother... Well, he did not have much choice since he had to fake his love to take over my grandfather''s company. It was the happiest moment of my childhood"

    "Did it get really complicated for you later?" Eliott could imagine the difficulties Alex had faced as a teenage girl without her mother, he couldn''t imagine how his life would have been without one of his parents...

    "When I was twelve, after the accident, I woke up at New Bell, at first I stay at home with my mother not really wanting to go out and meet people. I was scared of seeing men, even just walking beside them was hard for me. Mum took me to see a counsellor and after some time I got better. But I start to fear men touches. In my daily life, it was quite okay, but at school, it got me in quite a lot of weird situations, people didn''t like me much because I started to be a loner just so I won''t be in contact with boys. My face was another of my problems, the girls in my class were a little jealous because I was a little prettier and they all thought that I was just an arrogant girl! They had made my life quite hard to live at school" Alex said, looking somewhat distressed at the picture of Eliott in the hospital. Eliott also glanced unconsciously at the picture.

    Eliott thought, ''is it why I am the only one who could touch her? Could it be because I save her that day? '' But he did not dwell on it and decided not to think about it, figuring it did not matter anyway since they were already together.

    Eliott could not help but take Alex''s hand, sensing that it was a difficult memory for her to think about what had happened. He squeezed her hand tightly to give her a sense of comfort. Alex looked into those beautiful golden eyes and felt a sense of security and could feel Eliott''s warmth. She looked up at the ceiling and decided to continue with his storey.

    "Fortunately for me, there was this girl who always got in a fight out of putting those girls in their place! Every day she finds a way to look for a fight when someone would talk ill about me... One day I asked her why she was like that, why doing all that for me when we weren''t even friends? She just told me that I once help her!" Alex chuckled, thinking about that time.

    "Was it Fidelia?" Eliott looked at Alex, who wasn''t that sad anymore.

    He had had the best childhood, he could ask for and when he heard Alex''s storey he could not help but feel sad. He took his baby in his arms and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. Alex rested her head on Eliott''s strong chest, feeling his warmth.

    "After that day, I change my way of being, I couldn''t let my friend get on a fight just for me. I promise myself that I will not be weak and I will face my illness and my new life bravely. I even managed to make more friends at school with Fifi help. My days at Uni were peaceful, ignoring the fact that people were trying to put me in their bed daily," Alex concluded with a sweet smile.

    Eliott smiled when he heard that and remembered that he was actually the first for Alex. They didn''t go all the way last time, but knowing he was her first was just satisfying.

    Eliott tightened his hug as he played with Alex''s soft hair.

    "We should go back, don''t you think? I don''t want mother to misunderstand me!!"

 Chapter 83 - Alans Anger

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    Alan was pretty pissed when he came out of the Jensen estate, so pissed that he actually lost his mind in the process! Gradually, the combination of the humiliation he felt and his shameful defeat pierced his heart. If he did not make Alex pay for all this, he might go insane. The other source of his anger was the way the Jensen family treated him! Sure, they were a powerful family, but he could not let them make fun of him like that.

    He realised that Alex and Eliott already knew each other, and she had certainly made up her mind about him before he had even contacted her. He realised he could not let her go that easily, they had cheated him and taken his 15% stock, plus his only income at the moment, if he did not let them pay him he fear he would die from anger.

    The anger that was boiling in his heart was discharging uncontrollably. He did not take much time to think things through before moving to action. Well, when anger is paired with at least two bottles of wine, nothing good can come of it.

    As soon as he got back to his office, Alan posted something on his official page.

    " People should not be fooled by Alex Michell! The woman who claims to be my daughter is just a fraud. Yes, she is my daughter, but she is also a devil. You were all wondering why I gave her my company. Let me tell you that some of you were right! She actually threatened me, so I had no choice but to give her what she wanted! She threatened me to harm her sibling if I don''t give her what she wanted! Do not let her smile fool you. She is just as evil as her mother, who was my late wife! If you do not believe me, you can listen to this. It''s an excerpt from our conversation the day I was forced to give her my company. Besides, don''t you find it strange that she got into Royalstart so easily and has already started filming production? I, her father, will tell you that it''s because she''s not only sleeping with this actor Ethan, but also with Eliott Jensen!!!! I am telling you all this because as a father, I am too ashamed of her behaviour, so I am taking the responsibility to tell you all this, and let people who support her know her bad behaviour!"

    He wanted to use the hype his pictures and Alex had made the day he gave her back her grandfather''s deed company to make a statement that would put Alex and Eliott in a bad position. Even though he knew he would not do much to Eliott''s reputation, he at least knew he could deal a big blow to Alex''s reputation if he told the public that she had only come to rob him. Alan was proud of his statement after he released it, coupling it with a part of the recording he had done the first time he had talked with Alex when she asked him for Kani if he wanted her help, he felt good. He looked at his screen with an evil smile, waiting for people to come and make Alex''s life hell.

    Fidelia was the first to catch on to what was going on. She was working on a PR to reassure Alex''s fans that everything was fine, because there were a lot of questions about the fact that Alan had given Alex this company out of the blue. She panicked at first when she saw the explanation and all the attention she was getting from people. She was a bit confused at that moment, first because of all the bullshit Alan was telling, and second because she did not know what to do at that moment.

    Alex didn''t want people to know about her grandfather''s company for now, and Fidelia didn''t want to mess up Alex''s first day with her father-in-law because of her crazy father. In the end, she decided to do nothing and observe the situation. It was also a good way to see what value and image Alex had in the eyes of the people of Florelia.

    @prettygirl23: "Omg, I cannot believe this, I knew she was a shameful bitch!!!! She was so arrogant talking about Aria like she was a decent person, but now she''s just a shameless bitch!"

    @badgirl001: "Yeah, a dirty slut who sleeps around! She should just go back to where she came from!!!"

    @fucktheworld: "Disgusting!!!"

    @Emilia25: "I mean, it''s pretty obvious she slept around, but I could not have known she would go so far as to threaten her own father!!!"

    @Ariafan01: "Now Alan Porter would know that his only child daughter is Aria!!!! You people did not believe us when we told you she was not good news, this Alex!!!"

    @useyourbrain "For crying out loud, you people should know how to think before talking shit!!!! This whole post by Alan Porter is just too suspicious!!! First of all, he said he was threatened? Well, if that''s the case, then that means there is something wrong with him to begin with! Before you blame Alex, I would like to know how she threatened him... This recording is also not convincing, why did he send only a part of it? Let us listen to all the conversation, why did you cut it like that? Besides listening to it, I don''t really see the wrong in it! And finally, if she was really sleeping around, why would she make her relationship with Ethan public? Do you really think Eliott Jensen is the kind of man who sleeps with his own artist girlfriend? That''s just too ridiculous!!!"

    @Gracia004 "Yes, I agree with you @useyourbrain, this is not convincing, and why would a father do this to his own daughter while claiming to love her? It all sounds very suspicious and I am not even a fan of Alex!"

    @LilyYoung: "Alex Michell is a sweet girl who has a good work ethic and would never do something so immoral! I have been following her since she debuted as a model and never once has she had a problem with men!!!! I am a model and have worked with her! She is a good person, I do not know what happened here, but it must be a mistake!"

    @lovelygirl: Has nothing to do with any of this, but this Aria fan @Ariafan01, I think you should just shut up, your Aria is not a good thing either! Besides, at least Alex is so damn pretty!

    @MyloveEthan: That''s complete nonsense! If Ethan has made his relationship with Alex public, then that means she is someone of good character and morals! He will not risk presenting us with someone dirty! You guys should use your brains! I do not know what happened between Alex and Mr Porter, but it all sounds very suspicious!

    @Eve002: Am I the only one waiting for Eliott to say something?

    @MyloveEthan: Don''t dream too much Ethan and Eliott won''t take part in this nonsense.

    The war of comments continues for the rest of the day, splitting people into two camps. Alex was relatively new in town, but she had grown on people with her calm and straightforward personality. She was discreet and professional. All the people who had worked with her gradually commented on Alan''s post and declared that it was bullshit.

    With Alan, it was just old businessmen commenting on how dirty the entertainment world was and that models were just whores. In addition, there were Aria fans and fans of other people that Alex had put in their place since she started working at Royalstar talking shit about Alex.

    Meanwhile, Alex was happily chatting with Leila and Lydia about Eliott''s childhood, oblivious to what was going on. Everything that afternoon was going well for Alex, she had settled her score with her father and successfully made a clean break with him, while she had also learned what had really happened with the separation of her mother and father and of course about the connection between her and Eliott. She had learned a lot of interesting things about Eliott and his family and enjoyed talking with them.

    She realised that she had not felt so free and happy in a long time. Her mind was unusually relaxed as if all her worries and sadness had disappeared. Lydia''s smile and soothing voice made her feel good. She liked the atmosphere in Eliott''s house, she liked the love, happiness and freedom she felt when talking to them, and moreover, she liked Eliott''s closeness and the love she saw in his eyes every time his gaze fell on her.

    Lydia was also very happy with the outcome of the meeting. She was eager to take Alan to the place where he should be, the lowest one. She felt very refreshed and her heart felt good. She could not help her friend then, but now she could at least keep one of her promises to her best friend. Her son would marry her daughter.

    "Alex, my dear, now that you are free from your father and got your grandfather''s company back, when do you think we should have your wedding?" asked Lydia excitedly, because she had been waiting for this day for a long time! She was waiting for her son to finally marry a woman who would help him and love him for who he was, not for his wealth! And she could not wish for a better daughter-in-law than Alex, one of her dreams was about to come true.

    "Lydia... I mean, Mom, we still have not talked about it, but he thought it would be better to announce our engagement after his last movie as Ethan and after he announced his dual identity to the public.." Alex was a little embarrassed, she could see how eager Lydia was, but she also wanted to take some time to settle down before she became someone''s wife.

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 Chapter 84 - Alex VS Alan

    It only takes a moment to appreciate the beauty of life, but it also takes that same moment to see the worst thing people can do to you, just to destroy that little moment of happiness.

    When Alex got home that night, she knew immediately that something was wrong because Fifi was still sitting in her work suit, focused on her laptop. She sighed and walked up to her to hug her from behind sweetly.

    "So, what''s going on this time? I had a good time today with the Jensen, but apparently, the party''s over, right?"

    "You are back, baby girl? As a matter of fact, there''s a little something, but how about we talk about it tomorrow? Tell me about your first meeting with your in-law! Don''t let your father ruin your day, okay?" Fidelia was really more curious about what had happened at the Jensen''s than about the ridiculous scandal that was going on.

    "Is it that old man again?" Alex sat on the couch in frustration, as if the mere mention of Alan''s name had sapped her of all energy. She looked annoyed and was really tired at the moment. She thought she was done with him, that he had learned his lesson and realised she wanted nothing more to do with him, but it seemed the man just would not listen. "Are you really sure it can wait tomorrow? I really don''t want to have anything to do with this man again today, but ..." She really didn''t want him to destroy her joyful memories of the day.

    "Yeah, don''t worry about it, maybe tomorrow there will be a surprise and all this crap will be off the table. Besides, you are a RoyalStar artist now, there''s a team to take care of it, and you have me, right? Don''t worry, tomorrow will be a good day!!!"

    Alex and Fifi did not talk about what had happened that night. Instead, Alex took great pleasure in telling Fifi about her wonderful day at the Jensen''s and how happy she felt with Eliott. Fidelia was a good listener for her friend and was very happy to hear and witness all the beautiful changes that were happening in Alex''s life. She knew best that Alex deserved this happiness, and she would do everything she could to help her friend have the life she deserved.

    Before going to bed, Fidelia took another look at how Alan''s post was affecting Alex. Certainly, the number of her fans had decreased, but not as much as such a scandal should induce. She was also surprised to see that most people were just waiting for Alex to speak up without calling her names. That was pretty good news because it meant that Alan''s post had not affected Alex much. To mend fences and start her plan PR, Fidelia left a small post before she went to bed.

    "If lies take the elevator, truth takes the stairs. But even if it takes more time, truth always arrives at its destination. Let us wait together for the truth!"

    The next morning, Alex took extra time to get out of her room. She did not feel like getting up, she did not want to know what nonsense her father was saying about her in front of the whole nation. She felt exhausted, at this point all she wanted was to make a clean break with the Porter family so she could enjoy her life. T

    he last thing holding them together was her grandfather''s company, and she had managed to get it back. She thought it was over now, but the reality of life had something else planned for her. Thinking of the bad day ahead, she reluctantly freshened up and went to join Fifi, who was already up and working.

    "So, how''s it going?"

    "You are awake? Here, I make us breakfast!"

    Alex relaxed a little when she saw that Fidelia was not so worried, maybe things were not as bad as she thought.

    "So, what had the old crazy man said about me?"

    "Well, just read it yourself..." Fidelia showed Alex Alan''s post.

    After reading the nonsense Alan had said, Alex could not hold back her anger, this time he had just gone too far. "I gave him a chance to back down and let me live my life, but he just does not want me to do it my way! Now I have no choice Fifi, I am going to show him that he should not mess with me!

    This time it''s not just about me, he''s using Eliott''s name and reputation for his ridiculous revenge and talking dirty about my mother who should be resting in peace right now! I cannot let him do that! He must atone for this and this time I will make sure he gets his lesson! If he thought he was the one doing the dirty tricks, I need to show him that I am indeed her daughter!" Alex smiled wickedly and pulled out a recording device from her bag. She had also thought of recording all her conversations with Alan, just in case the old man was up to any dirty tricks.

    "Calm down, Alex, I already have a plan to get back at him! Christ already sent me what you recorded that day, all your conversations, he must have gotten it from Elliott. I still have not released it because I know you did not want people to know that KANI was your grandfather company and that Alan had stolen it. If you agree, I will publish it. But there is another problem with the recording.

    If I publish it, people will know about the purpose of the deal and things could backfire. Since you are with Ethan, there will be chaos when people hear that you agreed to marry Eliott to get KANI back. That''s why I have not released it yet! Do you think it''s okay for Eliott to reveal his dual identity? That way things would be clear." Fidelia was conflicted, she couldn''t use the recording as she wanted since there were many consequences that could come after!

    "Well, that is indeed a problem! Eliott had his own plan to reveal his dual identity. I don''t want him to change it because of me, besides, there''s no proof that I actually got engaged to Eliott or even met him! I don''t think Alan had the guts to record our conversation with the Jensen. So don''t worry, I have an idea to avoid further rumours! You can post whatever you want!" She smiled at her friend.

    Fidelia looked at her and understood that her friend must have already thought about an alternative and was determined to get revenge on Alan! Well, that was understandable, Alex needed a good closure with her father, so the best thing to do was to deal with him herself.

    In the next minute, Fidelia posted something on the official Alex RoyalStar page, before the RoyalStar PR team released an official statement addressing the issue as well.

    "As promised, today I will tell you what is really going on. Alex and Mr. Porter don''t have a good relationship as you know. Alex hasn''t had contact with her father since she was a teenager, and she wanted it to stay that way until Mr. Porter asked her to meet him some time ago. Alex knew it was not an innocent meeting, and her suspicions proved true when Mr. Porter asked her to help him with something. Alex was only willing to help him if he gave her back her grandfather''s company, which he had stolen from Alex''s mother when he divorced her. Alex didn''t like the way Alan wanted to use her and she loses her temper. That was what everyone on the recording had heard on the audio file Mr Porter had posted.

    When Mr Porter asked her to sacrifice her career just to help him, Alex thought about asking for something that was important to her in exchange! So we don''t understand why Mr Porter is accusing Alex of blackmailing him when he was the one who started it!

    You can hear about it in the audio file attached to this post! We hope you will refrain from helping Mr Porter spread false rumours and search for the truth before slandering people! Alex will do a live in no time to tell answer your question!"

    The statement was long, but Fidelia wanted people to understand where the problem really lies. She wanted to draw the attention of Internet users to Alan, and her posting did not take long to gain all the country''s attention.

    RoyalStar''s explanation was lighter and more covert. That was intentional because they wanted Fidelia''s post to get more attention so people could focus on finding out what was really going on between Alex and Alan. "As promised, RoyalStar will be looking into the matter that has been going on since last night about the allegations that Mr Porter made about our model Alex Michell.

    As you all know, Miss Alex and her father do not have a good relationship.. We are not in a position to discuss the private life of our artist, but we can assure you that everything Mr Porter has said is completely false and RoyalStar has decided to sue him for spreading false rumours using Alex Michell and Ethan''s name."

 Chapter 85 - Alex VS Alan 2

    That same morning Eliott sat lazily in his office working as if nothing had happened the night before. Alan''s lousy attempt to turn the public against him and Alex did not bother him in the least, because after all, Alan was only helping him destroy PRICELESS even sooner than he had planned. Since Alan wanted a war, he was happy to be his opponent! He knew his lousy post would not be able to really degrade Alex''s reputation, plus he knew they had evidence to refute the craziness he was spreading, and of course, he was still there for his wife if things got out of hand.

    As he thought about Alex a smile could be seen on his face and a second later his mood became even happier when his phone rang and the beaming smile of his pretty future wife lit up on his screen.

    "Hey, honey, what''s up? Missing your husband?"

    "Mr Jensen, aren''t you going ahead of yourself? As far as I know, I am still single, I don''t even have a ring!" Alex smiled, it was always a pleasure talking to Eliott.

    "Oh, so my wife only wants a diamond ring and not the handsome and sexy man that I am!... That really breaks my heart," Eliott smiled sheepishly. This kind of conversation with Alex puts him in a good mood, he was even more sure he wanted her for life.

    "Mr Jensen, diamonds are women''s best friend, but since I am a smart woman, I prefer to choose the handsome man who can buy me lots of diamonds!"

    "I knew the woman I chose was the smartest!!!"

    "And I know that my husband is the best!!!"

    "Omg, you don''t know how good that sounds to my ears wifey!!!"

    Alex laughed at Eliott''s response, she didn''t know why, but her heart fluttered every time he called her wifey! She felt like she belonged somewhere and that was a nice feeling!

    "Honey, I need a help!"

    "Oh; so my wife is only calling me because she want something from me! Now that making me sad!"

    "Well if I don''t run to my husband for help, where else could I?"

    "I''m really satisfied with this answer wifey!! So what can I do for you??"

    "I will need Ethan today, do you think you can make time for me?"

    "I will always have time for you! Just tell me what I need to do!"

    "Thank you, love!"

    Not long after the call, Christ came to him with a big smile on his face that showed how in a good mood he was.

    "How are you? You made it to the hot search last night! Satisfied?" Christopher was happy to tease his friend, it wasn''t every day he could have something to tease him! Indeed, it was not the first day he''d been on the hot search, but never before had he been trending because he was sharing a woman with his other self! The thought of it was just too funny.

    "You are having a good time ugh? Is that so funny?" Eliott asked, smiling, his mood was really good, he had just talked to his sweetheart and nothing could spoil his good mood at that moment.

    "Yes, it is!!! Also, I thought it was really funny how a wolf-like Alan could make such a big mistake! It''s basically like he ruined his own life with his hands!"

    "Well, he was pretty frustrated when he left my house yesterday! My mom and Alex had shaken him up with all the revelations of the day! I think he was pretty desperate because he knew my family was not going to help him. And when you are desperate and angry, you tend to make mistakes, and this one is a big one!!! Even a big wolf like him, who has made many people suffer and has always come out of his plans without guns, can make mistakes when he is too angry and desperate to think clearly. He has just opened his own grave! And I''ll be glad to bury him slowly in it." Eliott looked angry as he said this. He was sitting elegantly in his chair, playing with a Rubik''s cube in his hand.

    "Did you do what I asked you to do?"

    "Yes, of course, I am taking care of the son right now and it will not take long to get it done, don''t worry! By the way, do you want me to make a statement about the post? I mean, you are accused of sleeping with a woman who''s cheating with you!!! You don''t see a joke like that every day!!" Christ laughed, thinking about the ridiculousness of this accusation. It was just refreshing to see Eliott''s name in a sex scandal for once. Ethan had had a few, but with Eliott, people were too afraid to try something like that.

    "I can see you are excited about it...that''s funny, isn''t it?" Eliott smiled

    "Yes, really entertaining!" Christ teased back.

    "Fuck off and bring me what I ask for in no time!"

    Christopher left Eliott''s office with a big grin on his face, already thinking about how he would deal with Clyde Porter. It had been a long time since he had wanted to make him suffer to save the world from this arrogant and good-for-nothing man!

    The effect of the RoyalStar posts was really great because the people who were slandering and calling Alex out were getting fewer by the minute. Either because they were afraid of being sued by RoyalStar, or because they felt that Alex did not really have anything to do with the nonsense Alan had told them. The comments gradually changed and instead of asking Alex to come out and explain her behaviour, people started asking Alan to provide evidence for his claim or even to come out and tell the story behind KANI. People began to wonder if Alan had really stolen it from Alex''s grandfather, and if so, how and why?

    Within a very short time, another issue took all the public''s curiosity, while the hype about Alan''s accusations against Alex slowly died down and people even asked Alex to forgive them for their behaviour.

    At this point, Alex didn''t really say anything in public because the entire PR was being handled by Fidelia and RoyalStar. She thought she had more to say, but to her surprise, people believed her pretty quickly and changed their target in no time.

    Alan quickly realised his mistake when he came to his senses, but it was already too late to back down! People were already talking about the subject and even asking him to explain the KANI''s matter. He could not believe he had made such a stupid mistake.

    All his life he had always been prudent when it came to dealing with his problems; never before had he gotten himself into such disgrace, and knowing that he was the only one to blame made him even angrier! Things were getting out of hand, and he did not have many options for dealing with the situation! Frustration spread through him, and his heart boiled with rage.

    Nothing good had come of it for him that day. Since Royalstar''s statement, he had been attacked by the public, and PRICELESS''s stock price was at its lowest. It was an economic disaster already showing the level of survival of Priceless, which was near to zero because, with that decrease of their stock price, even the bank wouldn''t want to give Alan a loan.

    So it was a wise decision for those involved to sell their shares so they could at least gain something before losing everything. But Alan could not let them do that to his dearest company, take away what was his greatest work. So he tried to buy these actions, but each time, he was too late or didn''t have much money. He could only console himself with the fact that he still had at least a 45 % stake in the company if he took back the actions of Clyde, Aria and his wife and he was sure no one could have more than that even if he buy the other shares!

    Alex on her side was relieved that people had stopped paying attention to her, but she also felt that it was not enough. She knew Alan was not going to let her win, so she took matters into her own hands and anticipated his next move by making a live video. She knew that since she had been open about her arrangement, Alan would use this opportunity to claim that she had accepted his arrangement to marry someone else, even though she was already with another man. She could not let him twist things again. She should be the one to talk about it so that people would be more likely to believe her.

    The problem was that she did not really know how to explain the situation without saying that both men were Eliott. Eliott would not reveal his dual identity until after his last movie and when he would officially become CEO of Royal Corp, so she could not tell. She thought about it and came to the conclusion that the only good option she had was to tell her story from beginning to end.

    At the same time, to prevent things from getting even more out of hand and to distract people from the KANI scandal, Alan decided to drag Alex into the mud even more by revealing what exactly it was all about.. A woman who was already in a relationship, but agreed to marry someone else was something the public would not let pass! He eagerly opened his official page to write, but to his surprise, he saw that someone had pinned a live video to his feed. When opening it his face pale minutes after minutes before his face burst of anger making him lose his cool and broke everything in his office!

 Chapter 86 - Alex VS Alan 3

    "Hello everyone, it''s actually in a sad tone that I''m doing this life, but I thought you might want to hear a lot from me, so here I am! I am thankful to my fans and all the people that are watching this live, even if it won''t be a happy and cheerful one!

    I assume you are all aware of what had been going on about me and Mr Porter since last night and I''m here to tell you the part of my story! I''m not really that cool about telling you the story of my life because I wanted it to stay private, but I choose to do it to avoid any baseless scandal like that in the future!" Alex sighed, her face looking a little tired, all the people watching the live could see that what she was about to say was something painful, they already started to empathize with her when they had no clue about what she was about to say.

    "This is the story of a little girl born from a beautiful woman who was a model and a businessman. That woman was really in love with her husband thus she was happy to give him a child. The family of three live a good life, but that happiness was just an illusion. You see that woman who had sacrificed her career for her husband and helped him in his business wasn''t aware that her husband was actually a snake slowly taming his prey. Soon enough the man started to show his true colour when he finally achieved what he wanted. His company was now blooming so he didn''t need the woman help anymore, thus he started to show his true nature. In no time, the poor woman got to know that her husband had a son before her and another child while he was married to her and that he was still cheating on her with that woman!

    The husband and mistress made her life so miserable day by day that the woman didn''t have any more choice than to divorce the man. But being cruel, the man also took her her most important thing, her daughter. She could only see her daughter every weekend, even if all she wanted at that time was to escape that man''s grip.

    What was even worse was that the innocent child started to get abused in her father''s house. She had it though, but supported all the cruel things her half-sibling could do to her because she knew that every weekend she could see her mother.

    One day, things get worse for that little girl as she faces a serious incident leading her to be sent to the hospital. Luckily for her, someone was there to save her from the abuse she was getting that day. But same as the girl, the hero was also hurt and ended up at the hospital.

    The woman couldn''t take it anymore and asked the man to give her back her daughter since he obviously didn''t want to take care of her. But the man got even more shameless playing with the woman desperation to take her daughter away, asking her to give him her father''s company if she really wanted her daughter back!

    The woman didn''t have any option left than to give away her father''s company saving her little girl''s life!

    If you haven''t understood, the little girl in this story is me, the cruel man here is Mr Porter and the company he stole from my mother using me is KANI! What do you think about this sad story? This unfortunately the story of my life! Now you get how Mr porter stole KANI and why I desperately wanted to take it back! My mother and grandfather being dead, it was the only thing I could at least do for them."

    People were flabbergasted by Alex''s story, they couldn''t imagine that she had had this sort of life, she looked so bright and cool, no one could guess that she had such a sad story! Discovering the other face of Alan was also disturbing for those watching the video. He was known by the public as PRICELESS chairman, but he also had the image of a good and strict father. So knowing how despicable he could be was really shocking for people. So shocking that his name started to trend as the bad father of the year when Alex was still doing her live.

    "Luckily, my life wasn''t that dark. My mother and my grandfather were always there for me and after that incident, we travelled to start a new life. I didn''t know who was the man who save me back then, I only got to know him some days ago and with that, I also got to know that I was engaged with that person as he was my mother best friend son! That engagement was only up if both of us was still single of course. And you would never guess who was that boy! He was no one else than Eliott Jensen!" Isn''t it like some romantic movie story plot? Alex smiled, relaxing the mood.

    "Anyways, Mr Porter came to me with an offer! He asked me to marry Eliott so his family could help him with his business money problems in exchange for my mother shares of PRICELESS. But what he didn''t know was that I already knew about the engagement thing. I told him that I would accept the deal if he give me back KANI, and of course, Eliott and Ethan had been already aware of my plan. What I was aiming for was KANI and I only told Alan that I accept the deal because I knew that Eliott had already other plans for his marriage! This is why I don''t understand why Mr Porter is telling the world that I''m with two guys at the same time!" Alex took a deep breath as she had finished what she had planned to say and smiled at the camera clearly feeling relieved looking at the comments that were cheering her!

    She was concentrating on reading the comment and trying to answer the fan''s questions when she was bombarded by a lot of comments ''Ethan'', she didn''t know what was happening until she saw Ethan taking a seat beside her and smiling sweetly at her! As always he was beautiful and fans were excited to see him there!!

    It was a rare event for him to appear on live like that and this time it was even someone else live video. In a minute only, the number of people watching the live increased greatly! But sadly he didn''t stay long, he was only there to say ''hi'' before going back, but the impact of his appearance was really big and that was what Alex wanted.

    The fact that Ethan appeared in that video was proof that he supported her and that''s what Alex had said should be the truth.

    An even more shocking thing happened that day making people believe in Alex!

    "Mr Porter, I''m quite flabbergasted to read your mess, I''ll be a married man soon and these kinds of words can make my wife really angry!" This tweet of Eliott had made the internet frenzy! It was just crazy to not only read a tweet of Eliott Jensen but to know that he was fiancee was just too unexpected for everyone.

    In the end, everybody was talking about Alan and what he had done to his family! His name was all over the internet and even people in the business world were now aware of what he had done before. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that his reputation had taken a bad turn and people already started to distance themselves from him.

    Alan was the most taken aback when watching the video. This time he couldn''t use any ruse to turn the situation over, he couldn''t even use the fact that she was okay to get engaged to Eliott when she was with Ethan! She had outsmarted him, letting him with no way out at all.

    Looking at his screen his anger rose up feeling like his head was about to explode because of the pressure in his veins. And things got even worse when Clyde barged in yelling that there were reporters in front of the company calling for him! Feeling trapped and not knowing what to say, Alan fainted letting the duty to talk to the press to Clyde, who also started to be a little afraid of what he had done to Alex and Eliott back then got leaked to the press.

    You could say that that day was really PRICELESS''s downfall, everything was falling apart bit by bit after Alan post. Some of their artists started to spill some secrets to the public like how Clyde had asked some female artists to sleep with them if they wanted to be cast in a project, or how some of them aren''t being paid for quite some time now. Hours by hours the revelation was so shocking that the investors in the projects where there were involved started to rush the people responsible for those projects to break any contract with PRICELESS lending to some of them being stopped unexpectedly giving PRICELESS even more indemnity to pay!

    While Alan was at the hospital, the Porter family was even more in trouble not knowing what to do when everybody was asking them to pay what they own them being artists, investors or stockholders and the worst thing were the reporters camping in front of their house to get a statement about what was going on.

    Clyde felt like dying to see all the world he thought would be his one day scramble like that in one day.. But when he thought he was trapped with no solution, his phone rang and the name shown on his phone was the most unexpected and fearful for him at the moment.

 Chapter 87 - Alex VS Alan 4

    There was only one word that could describe the state PRICELESS was now in, and that was ''hell''. Everything was going down the drain, there was nothing left in the company account, and the workers were afraid of losing their jobs in the blink of an eye. It was not easy to get a well-paying job these days, and losing it without having a plan for the future was something everyone was afraid of. In addition, the management was not saying anything, so everyone was nervous.

    Clyde was tearing his hair out trying to find solutions. He had to pay all the compensation that PRICELESS had to pay to the artists or for all the contracts they had broken because of the bad image the company now had. Unexpectedly, he found enough money to pay the first investors and artists so they could avoid lawsuits, and now they had to find a solution to keep the company and avoid bankruptcy! Not knowing what to do, he ran to his father, who was still in the hospital also thinking about what he could do to preserve PRICELESS.

    "I see you were able to pay off some of the company debt? That''s good, I know I can count on you. Next, we need to call a shareholders meeting and see who can put money into the company so we can try to save it."

    Hearing his father talk about shareholders, Clyde gulped and remembered how he actually got all that money. It was a blessing that Alan had not asked him where the money came from! He did not know how his father would react when he learned the truth!

    Meanwhile, Alex was enjoying the sweet taste of her victory. She did not want to go that far, but Alan gave her no choice. She had to protect herself and the people she cared about, so she didn''t feel bad at the end of the day when she saw PRICELESS go down. The only thing she regretted was that innocent people would lose their jobs because of this whole mess. Thinking about it, she felt a little depressed and Eliott didn''t miss seeing it when she lay in his arms that night after her live video.

    "Baby...? What''s wrong? Is something bothering you?"

    "Nothing... It''s just that PRICELESS is going to fall and..." Alex sighed and stared at the ceiling, not knowing what to do.

    "And...?" Eliott loosens his embrace and kisses Alex lightly on the forehead,

    "I was just thinking about the people who worked there, they had nothing to do with any of this and yet they are going to lose their jobs... It makes me a little uncomfortable, I feel like it''s all my fault."

    "It''s not... Don''t think about it too much, you were just protecting yourself, there''s nothing wrong with that!" Eliott comforted her and smoothed her hair before lightly grabbing her chin and giving her a deep kiss!

    After catching her breath and calming her dazed mind that was still trying to regain its sanity after Eliott''s kiss, Alex looked into his golden eyes that sparkled mischievously and smiled, "You have already thought about it and have a plan?"

    Eliott just smiled broadly, "Indeed, only a wife knows her husband best. Yes, I have thought about it, and..."

    "I don''t really want to know honey, if you have a solution to the problem, then deal with it, I don''t want anything more to do with all this." Alex was reassured now, her guilt was gone and she didn''t want to talk about the Porter family and PRICELESS anymore. She had faith in Eliott and knew that she could rest assured.

    "Okay, just watch the show then..."

    A few days later, at his father''s request, Clyde organised an urgent meeting with all the shareholders of PRICELESS. That day, Alan had already prepared his speech on how to convince people to invest their money to save PRICELESS. He knew it would be difficult for the company was really in bad shape and even own them a lot of money, he needed a good plan to convince them.

    But what he saw in the meeting room that day was something he had not expected at all. When he entered the large office, someone was actually sitting in the chairman''s chair, that is, in his seat. Only this person''s back could be seen, as he was sitting with his back to the door, looking out through the office''s large window.

    Alan frowned and was annoyed at the rudeness, no one had ever dared to sit there before, it was his seat and to see someone in that seat was like he had lost all his power and PRICELESS was no longer his! Just the thought of it makes him angry!!!

    "Who are you? How dare you sit there!" Shouted Alan and took a big step towards the man. He didn''t need to take another step because the man sitting in his chair quickly turned and looked at him with a mocking smile.

    "It''s only me, Mr. Porter, no need to make such a fuss!" Eliott looked at Alan innocently.

    "What are you doing here? Do you think this is a place where you can come and go as you please?"

    "I am more in my place than you are, Mr. Alan! I must say, you have a good view from here! No wonder this is the chairman''s place!"

    "And this is my place! So get out of here now, we have important things to discuss here!"

    "I am afraid I can''t! Because I am here to represent my wife. She didn''t want to see your face, so like a good husband, I have come to enjoy the mess you are making here!"

    Alan couldn''t suppress his anger and glared at Eliott, who was smiling innocently, as if he was really just here to watch a funny show! Unable to vent his anger, all he could do was scream and curse Clyde, who sat there quietly and didn''t say a word!

    "Where the hell is everyone!!!? You incompetent, can''t you even prepare a class reunion well?"

    "Wow, Mr. Porter, your language, please! Besides, you shouldn''t be beating up on your poor son who didn''t do anything! No one else is going to come! Guess why? Besides, I am a shareholder in this sinking ship too!"

    "Wait, what? Impossible... You... You"

    "Yes, I bought all the shares that your other shareholders had!" Eliott claimed calmly.

    "Why? Is this a joke to you? Are you happy now? This is all your fault if my company is in this state!!!"

    "I bought it to give to my wife so she could play with it...! But Mr. Porter, it''s a bad habit to blame someone else for your own wrongdoing! Everything that is happening now is your fault! You know you should not mess with karma because: to reflect your dirty way of speaking, karma is a fucking bitch!!!"

    When Alan heard that, his head was spinning. He could not possibly imagine that Eliott was the one who was quietly buying his shares in the company, and he regretted that he had not investigated further, because now it was already too late to think about it! The only thing that reassured him was that even though he had bought those shares, he was still the majority shareholder, so technically PRICELESS still belonged to him and he still had the right to decide! And since Eliott was now a shareholder too, he would let him share in the debt and make him pay!"

    "Now that you are a shareholder, you should find a way to save the company, shouldn''t you?"

    "Well, I have a way... I think I would just close it down and declare bankruptcy... What do you think?" Eliott laughed brightly when he saw Alan''s contorted face.

    "What, what right do you have to think you can do that?" screamed Alan, unable to contain his rage! There was no way he was going to let his company fall like that!

    "By what right? Well, since I am the major shareholder here, I think I have more right to decide what happens to something that will not make me any money in the future! I am the one who stands to lose more here if this company does not file for bankruptcy!"

    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? There''s no way you can have more stock than me! Besides, if you add up all our shares, the Porter family has at least 60% here!"

    "Well, your addition is not quite right, because your two children here have no shares at all! So you should add zero to your and wife''s shares!"

    "What? how come? What the fuck are you talking about?" Alan looked angrily at Clyde and Aria, he couldn''t believe they had betrayed him like that! How could they go and sell their shares to the enemy just like that?

    "I must say it was easy to get those shares, your daughter''s greed was easy to exploit! At least she knows how to protect her own interests, she sells them without complaining much.

    As for Clyde, I must say that it was a little heartwarming that he only accepted my offer because he needed money to pay off some of your debt! You should be proud of him, Mr. Porter!" Said Eliott, looking seriously at Alan. It was a real pleasure to see the desperation in his eyes. His only regret was that Alex was not there to see this show.

    Maybe she was tired of this family and did not want to bother with them anymore. He could not blame her, because he didn''t know how he would react if he was the one who had such a father was him!

 Chapter 88 - Eliott Vs Alan

    The tension in the meeting room was so great that everyone present except Alan and Eliott felt as if they were suffocating. Clyde felt quite guilty, because by selling his shares to Eliott, he helped him become the major shareholder in his father''s company!

    Only Aria sat there with other things on her mind. Instead of thinking about her father and her family''s business, she was only concerned with Eliott. She undressed him in her mind and fantasised about the two of them being together, regretting all the fuss she had made before, while Eliott had never once paid her any attention from the beginning.

    Eliott didn''t care about the other people in the room, they were insignificant to him anyway but focused on Alan.

    "To tell you the truth, I don''t really care about your company, so I''ll cut you some slack!" Eliott looked at Alan with a slight smile as he crossed his leg and looked the old man straight in the eye. "I know how important this company is to you, so I have decided to be gentle. I can give you back all the shares I bought without you having to give me back a dime! What do you say?" Eliott looked into Alan''s surprised, doubting face. He could guess what was going on in Alan''s mind as he tried to figure out what he was up to, and it really made him happy to play with the old man in a way that felt really satisfying!

    "I cannot believe you would give me these shares back for nothing! I am not a kid!" Alan looked at Eliott with uncertainty. His offer was tempting, of course, but he knew how shifty the Jensen could be! Besides, there was no reason for him to help him after what he had done! So he couldn''t really figure out what Eliott wanted!

    "I didn''t say I''d give it to you for free, I said without you giving me a dime! If you are interested, all you have to do is give me back Alex''s mother''s house! If I am not mistaken, the house where you and your family live comfortably is not yours at all, Mr. Porter! Miss Michel is no longer with us, this house should belong to Alex! Secondly, I want you all out of my wife''s life! There is no Alex for you for now! Third, I want you to publicly apologise to me, Ethan and Alex for all the crap you have said about us and of course answer all questions about the KANI thing truthfully! Simple!"

    "Are you crazy? If I tell people that I really robbed KANI years ago, what integrity will I have left? How am I going to be able to recover PRICELESS?" Alan was speechless, he could give the house back or apologise, but no way would he admit and explain about KANI!

    That would be like shooting himself in the foot, and there was no way he was going to be that stupid! But then again, he could not let Eliott destroy his company just like that! Even if it was the end of PRICELESS, he would rather it end in his hands than watch Eliott destroy it piece by piece!

    "Integrity? Don''t make me laugh! What becomes of you and your business has nothing to do with me! I am offering you a simple deal! It''s up to you whether you say yes or no! It''s simple!" Eliott smiled softly but his eyes piercing, looking like a viper devouring its prey.

    Alan was indeed in a deep dilemma. Eliott presented him with a choice, but neither of the two options suggested to him was to his liking. If he were thinking logically, the best thing to do would be to close the business and file for bankruptcy, as Eliott had suggested, but for Alan, losing his business that way was simply out of the question! He had worked too hard for it to just let it go! At that moment, he could not help but be even more upset with Alex and regret his late actions. If he had not been so greedy and contacted Alex, none of this would have happened! Now she was the one who made the best of his predicament and got back all the things he had stolen from her mother and grandfather back then.

    Eliott was enjoying the moment, it was a pleasure to play this manipulation game with a man like Alan Porter. It was really amusing for him to watch him get stuck in a dilemma when his problems could have been solved efficiently. Filing for bankruptcy was the only good option left PRICELESS. This would help the company get rid of all its debts after it sold its assets to pay its debts. Debts that are not paid in full to creditors would have been forgiven, which means that all collection efforts from all creditors should stop immediately.

    If Alan had done what Eliott suggested, he could have quietly gotten rid of all the debt he now had. But Eliott knew that the old man was a greedy man.

    He knew for a fact that Alan was an overly self-centred man, which is the first identifying sign of greedy people.

    Believing himself to be the centre of his world, he had little regard for the needs and feelings of others. In addition, he lacked empathy. Caring about the feelings of others was never part of his repertoire. Therefore, he had no qualms about inflicting pain on others. That''s why he had no problems about using Alex''s mother to further his career or using Alex to get the money he wanted from the Jensen family.

    His inability to empathise with others, his lack of genuine interest in the ideas and feelings of others, and his unwillingness to take personal responsibility for his behaviour and actions made it difficult for people to be with him, which is why he had a hard time accepting Eliott''s deal to admit to the public that he had stolen KANI.

    His strong desire for more and more possessions, like wealth and power, had put him in the situation he was in. Starting with taking over Alex''s grandfather''s company and Alex''s mother''s house, Alan''s only desire was to get richer and richer, but when he actually had enough money, he was still not satisfied.

    And exactly the same thing happened in the office where the meeting took place. Alan was still not satisfied with Eliott''s first suggestion to save himself by declaring bankruptcy, because: Instead of thinking that everyone could benefit from this solution, he wanted the biggest part, because he really believes that he deserves more, even if it is at the expense of others.

    Alan had always been a greedy man, concerned only with satisfying his immediate needs and leaving others to deal with the consequences. So it was that he wrote this post that got him into this situation, and Eliott knew that very well, because he already knew that in the state Alan had left the Jensen house that day, the old greedy man would do something crazy just to satisfy his anger and humiliate Alex.

    As the head of a company, Alan''s greed could also be seen in the way PRICELESS was run, as he was more interested in collecting bonus money than making investments for future innovations or sharing the benefits created with employees. For this reason, besides the directors, the ordinary employees of PRICELESS had a very poor opinion of their company.

    In addition, Alan didn''t have many friends or all the people close to him were greedy as well, even his children were like that. In fact, Alan knew no limits in the pursuit of his material needs. To achieve his goals, he constantly compromised moral and ethical values, looking for loopholes or clever ways to get around the rules and regulations that were put in place to curb this kind of behaviour. That''s why he couldn''t get any help when facing a situation like that because people in the economic circle didn''t want to have anything to do with him...

    But this time, his greed had gotten the better of him and was now his weakness, which Eliott gleefully exploited to manipulate him! Truth be told, he only had to buy those stocks to push Alan to his limits. He had lost some money, but to him, it was all worth it because he wanted to make his wife happy.

    Eliott''s plan was working. No matter what Alan decided now, he would lose the thing he cared about most: his company.

    Eliott had also made provisions for the employees of PRICELESS. Since it was a company that specialised in managing artists, Eliott had offered most of the employees other jobs at RoyalStar''s subsidiary, which specialised in managing trainees in acting, music... As for the artists, most of them had already left PRICELESS. Only the top management remained without an offer because Eliott felt that their way of working was not ethical just like their boss.

    That day Eliott left the meeting room without Alan''s answer, but deep down he knew what the old man would choose.. He knew Alan would rather watch his company be destroyed in his own hands than in Eliott''s.