The Bitter Revelation

Ivy

I glanced at the text I had just received moments ago. It was a simple, sweet message that read: “Meet me at Amore Hotel. I have a surprise for you.” Just like the first time I read it, it made me blush hard. I turned off the ignition and got out of the car. The hotel stood grand and familiar, a place Max and I had visited many times before. I twirled around and shut my eyes, savoring the gentle caress of the chilly night breeze against my skin.

My thoughts ran wild, imagining what kind of surprise awaited me behind that door. Max was never one for grand gestures, so this was a first. Giddy and full of excitement, I walked towards the receptionist. “Hi…”

She looked up at me with a wide smile. “Hello, Miss Whitfield.”

Of course, she recognized me. This was Max’s and my getaway spot. He didn’t like his studio apartment, so we usually spent our time together here.

My smile widened. “A reservation was made?”

“Yes, Mr. Max Martin,” she confirmed, glancing at her computer. “Your usual suite…”

I wondered if it could be a surprise proposal. Giggling to myself like a schoolgirl, I felt a thrill. We had only been together for a little over a year, but I wanted nothing more than to be his wife. Max never made reservations—I always did. If he was planning something behind my back, it had to be huge. Grinning ear to ear, I accepted the key card she handed me.

I skipped towards the elevator, feeling like it would never reach the top floor fast enough. When I reached the suite, I half-ran to the door and unlocked it.

“Max, you didn’t have to go all out...” The words died on my lips as I took in the scene before me. Max, completely naked, was slowly gyrating his hips to the soft music playing in the background. I stood still, stunned, my mouth agape as tears welled in my eyes. I didn’t know what was more infuriating: the fact that he was on top of my best friend, Taylor, or that neither of them had noticed me yet and were still at it. Their loud moans and sweaty bodies made me nauseous. I had seen enough.

“How could you, Max!” I screamed, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces. “How could you?” My voice broke, filled with tears.

That finally got their attention.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Max cursed, jumping off of her and rushing to turn off the music. “What are you doing here, Ivy? You said you had that thing…”

I was hyperventilating at this point. “Art exhibit, you bastard!”

He didn’t even remember, despite how excited I had been about it for days.

I turned to look at Taylor, who stared back at me with a defiant look in her eyes, like I didn’t just walk in on her hooking up with my boyfriend. She didn’t bother to cover herself or move an inch. She just watched me, as though I was the one intruding. My gaze shifted between the two of them, and with each passing second, I realized I didn’t recognize them anymore. They were strangers to me.

“It’s not what you think, Ivy…”

I let out a bitter chuckle. “What do I think, Max? I can see you two. Do you think I’m that dumb?”

“Ivy—”

“You really think I’m dumb!” I broke into a sob, unable to take it anymore. I ran out of the room, tears streaming down my face, into the hotel’s secluded courtyard. There weren’t any guests around—it was just me, my thoughts, and the betrayal.

I sobbed hard, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Nothing added up. Max and I had been great together. Just two days ago, we had a beautiful date. Everything was perfect. And Taylor… she was my best friend. We had grown up together, modeled on the same stages as teens. I was torn apart by the betrayal, even more devastated that the one person I would have turned to for comfort was the one who had stabbed me in the back.

“Heartbroken?” A deep baritone voice teased behind me.

I wiped my eyes, not bothering to turn around. I already knew who it was. That voice had been ingrained in my memory. Asher Sterling. He was my nemesis—spoiled, arrogant, and the second son of Sterling Industries, one of the world’s top companies. Every time we crossed paths at high-society events, he never missed a chance to humiliate me.

Just like now.

“The show’s only just begun. You’re not going to stay till the end?” he taunted.

I started to walk away, but being the annoying jerk that he was, he followed me. “You’re just going to leave?”

“Leave me alone!” I snapped, shooting him a glare.

“You don’t want revenge?” he asked, sounding bewildered, as though I hadn’t just asked him to go away. His light grey eyes locked onto mine, intense and penetrating. “I might be able to help.”

“Help with what?” I asked, confused. I still couldn’t wrap my head around why he was even here, let alone what he was talking about.

He closed the distance between us, and suddenly I was acutely aware of the cologne that clung to him, the way his silk shirt hugged his toned chest, his veiny forearms revealed by rolled-up sleeves. His nearly perfect face leaned in closer, his piercing stare feeling as though it reached into my soul. I sucked in my breath.

“You know why Max did this, right?” he asked in a low voice. “He thinks he’s got you wrapped around his little finger. And I have to say, I agree. You’re out here crying your eyes out…” He reached out and flicked a tear from my cheek with his thumb.

I shuddered involuntarily at his touch.

“Where’s he? Nowhere to be found. He didn’t come after you because he knows you’ll go back to him.”

I shook my head slowly.

“He’s a nobody with nothing to lose. You, on the other hand, have a budding career, and you’re constantly under the media’s watchful eye. You don’t want bad press,” Asher explained. “And trust me, he will go to the press. When he realizes he can’t have you anymore, he’ll blackmail you. He’ll drag this out and ruin your image…”

I bit my lip, calming down as I listened. He was right. I could see exactly where this was heading.

“Marry me,” he suddenly blurted out.

“What?!” My eyes flew open in shock.

He wore the deepest smirk. “I need a wife to secure my place in the family business.” He tapped my shoulder. “And you need a fiancé to get you out of this mess.”

I stared at him like he was crazy—and maybe he was. Who in their right mind lurks around hotels waiting to propose to heartbroken women? How did he even know about Max? Was this all part of some elaborate plan? Why would I ever marry him? He was the city’s poster boy for playboys, lacking every quality needed in a good husband.

He leaned in, his voice low and sultry. “Terrified, princess?” A small smirk tugged at his lips.

Yet despite the whirlwind of thoughts running through my mind, I was considering it. I was looking at this hot mess of a man and actually considering it. Maybe we were both dumb. I couldn’t tell if it was the sting of betrayal or Asher’s mesmerizing voice, or even his face—perfect in the most annoying way—that made me feel like doing something wild and spontaneous for once.

Whatever it was, it had me staring into his intense grey eyes as I whispered, “Contract marriage.” I held my head high, a proud look in my eyes, even though my heart was racing.

His lips slowly curled into a smile—a boyish, almost beautiful smile. There was a glint in his eyes, a flash of excitement, as though he had won. “Of course…” He extended his hand to me. “Deal.”