Elena's POV
Layla suddenly coughed shaking her head. "No I don't...but I've heard that name a couple of times." I wanted to think about what she said... but it could true, so I dismissed it. Leaning closer towards her I asked. "So..." It took a second before she understood and she shook her head. Standing up she said. "Give me a second." Then she turned around and began walking up the stairs. "Aish...she didn't even offer me a drink." I thought out loud after I looked at the table beside me to see nothing there. Standing up I walked towards the kitchen...or where I thought was the kitchen. "Yes! It's the kitchen." I exclaimed in excitement. I took a cup and opened the fridge picking a bottle of water before returning back to the sitting room to find Layla already sitting there with a laptop in her hand. "Really? You couldn't even offer me a drink." "Yeah because you are not a stranger in this house." She said, calming clicking away on her laptop. Not a stranger??? "This is literally my first time in your house." I answered dumbly returning back to my previous seat. She looked up from her laptop and at me. "When I first came into the house, I didn't ask anyone to get me a cup of water...cause it's my house. I found the kitchen all on my own." "My house, is your house so...I was certain you were going to find whatever your looking for." She said with a shrug. Without even waiting for my reply, she looked back down to her laptop and kept typing. "Aish..." I frowned glaring at her. "You..." "Ah, I found it." Layla exclaimed interrupting me. Her voice sounded so excited and her face pleased...but then it fell. Hee sudden change of expression made my heart skip a beat, I moved closer towards her. "What? What is it?" "Reynolds... don't you think that surname sounds familiar? Maybe a bit too familiar?" Her words weren't surprising since I had the same thought when I first heard the surname Reynolds...but it was the way she said it. Come to think of it, the Reynolds surname really was too familiar to me. And just hearing the name gave me shivers. Where have I heard it before? "Come and look at this." Layla said breaking the two minutes silence as she gestured for me to look into her laptop. My eyes went up to her, and then at the laptop. I hesitated but adhered nevertheless. There was a picture of a man on the laptop, he was pretty old... give or take around sixty years, or probably older since rich people had a way of concealing their real age with money. But that wasn't what striked me about him, what really struck me was that he was familiar. That face of his... where have I seen that face before. "His name is Leonard Reynolds, the master and head of the Reynolds family and the entire Reynolds Corp...well, at least he was." Layla paused to look at me, pressing her lips tightly before she continued. "Three years ago he had an accident and didn't recover fully from it the consequences... Dementia, but this was concealed from the publicly and the family announced that it was just age based dementia." Clicking on the laptop the picture changed to someone even more familiar. "This is his grandson, Noah Reynolds...though not the only one he has but master Reynolds left him in charge of everything, from the corporation down to the family." What? My eyes almost popped out from it socket. My Mr. Mysterious...Noah Reynolds; damn that name fit him so much, was the head of everything? I really have a good eye. I nodded at myself as Layla kept on reading out things about Noah and the Reynolds. "This is him." I nodded at Layla, pushing myself on the chair so as to relax properly. "Noah Reynolds." I giggled. "Doesn't even his name should sexy" Layla didn't find what I said funny one bit. "I don't have a good feeling about this, especially the part about hhis grandfather, Leonard Reynolds. Three years ago? His dementia? The accident? Everything just seem..." Considering how she put it, it was indeed weird. Three years ago. Three years ago I was out as usual, in a high end club... exclusively for rich and powerful men, looking for the next unfortunate extremely wealthy person to con when I came across an older looking man. He seemed to be in deep thought as he stared at a document. It looked important, really important...but that wasn't my job. With a smile, I hung around him offering to help him ease his stress and to my surprise he accepted. We had a crazy night together, laughing like we had known each other for ages we didn't even have sex before he fell asleep; not like I would let the old man touch me anyways. I was a con artist not a prostitute. When I saw that he was asleep I went back to tbe document...it was of a property that cost over 50 million dollars! Everything was there, all the papers. I didn't want to touch it, I knew I shouldn't but I did. I consoled myself repeating the words over and over again that I did the right thing, the only good thing. I was a con artist how could I see such a good opportunity and let it pass by? Before I could rejoice and celebrate my new house, people started looking for me, not just regular people... Dangerous people. If it was only the police fine, I could handle that; though I had never been arrested before, I knew that the day would come one-day right? But no...this men didn't want to take me to jail, they wanted to end me. Completely silence me. After more than two attacks I evaded my a hair length, I decided to travel abroad. Before the man would think it wise to declare my face wanted. And I was right, as soon as I left, that was exactly what he did. I didn't hear much about the old man anymore...last thing I heard before I left from a friend who worked at the club was that the man collapsed...apparently he had a stroke. Who wouldn't if that huge amount of money was just taken away from you? But now... Now considering what Layla just said about this grandfather... Three years ago... It couldn't all be just a coincidence, could it? Layla sighed loudly gaining my attention. "I know you're thinking the same thing I'm thinking. Maybe you should step down from this one. Never see that Noah Reynolds again." "The Reynolds family practically rules this city...if not the entire country. They are really wealthy, but not only wealthy, they are also powerful...Elena you do not want to he caught by them, ever." She advised. Of course I didn't want to be caught by them, I didn't want to be caught by anyone. "I can't drop it Lay." I should my head, breathing put slowly. "He already thinks I'm his fiancee." "Fuck this Lena..." She suddenly shouted glaring at me. "It's an arranged marriage! Which means he has met probably met the parents of this so-called girl and would keep meeting them. What if the girl tells her parents that she and Noah haven't spoken at all? Do you know how easy it is for them to catch you?" Silence. I didn't know what to say to that. I had nothing to say to that. Layla was right, what I was doing was probably dumb. I would be caught at anytime. But then again...this was my first com in three years...I couldn't just let it pass like that. "I know you care about me Layla, but I can handle myself. If the going gets tough then I'll leave, if he as much as suspect anything, I'll leave...but not now." Layla looked like she still had lots of things to say to me. I could tell from her expression that she wanted to yell sense into my head, but she knew that I had made up my mind and once my mind was made up, that was it. She sighed deeply for like the tenth time today shutting her eyes before opening it again, her gaze much more calmer. "Elena, do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Layla, my best friend asked sounding concerned. All for the right reasons though. I smirked, crossing my legs. "He is rich, he is handsome, he is powerful..." A sly smile graced my lips "Noah Reynolds, is my target" And I would make sure the target didn't backfire.Elena's POV "If you were to ask me, there are many ways, many reasons I think this wouldn't work. But..." Layla stopped to shrug. "How bad can the consequences be? Worse come to worse, you'll ditch the guy and leave the country again this for a few years for him to calm down." I smiled, nodding my head. "Or better, I could make him fall in love with me, and he would just forgive me."Layla raised one of her brows at me and I giggled. "Okay, making him fall in love with me is too big of a deal...but trust me when I say this, after I leave it would be hard for Noah Reynolds to forget me."This was going to be one of my biggest jobs yet, and I was going to pull it off like I always did. Nothing was going to stop me. Layla and I chatted for a few more hours, catching up with each other on things we missed in each other's lives and before I knew it, it was past 9.I needed to go back to the hotel I was lodged at. "Why common? You can just stay here, this house is big enough for both
Elena's POV My mouth hung opened as I stepped into the main room, passing through the door which was opened so widely. "And I thought Layla's house was huge." Being a con artist had its perks. I could see different beautiful mansions, houses that cost millions of dollars and maybe, if I played my cards well enough, stay for the night. But never had I seen a house as big as this one. Like hell! This house was huge!!! Actually, I saw the house when I was like 20 miles away from the place, but my eyes didn't linger. I had no idea it was the place I was heading to. But then again, what was I expecting? From everything Layla told me about this Reynolds family, this was practically nothing. I had just finished dressing when Noah called me. He said he was having someone pick me up to his house and asked for my address. And yes, as expected I panicked.I couldn't just tell him the address of an hotel, that was degrading!His real fiancee would definitely not be staying at a hotel. F
Elena's POV My eyes scanned the room, searching not for something but someone; my next target. I was at Diamond's Bar, the most exclusive spot in the country where men of all calibers and races came to unwind. Among the sea of opulence, I was looking for more than just anyone. The place was filled with wealthy patrons, walking ATMs as I saw them. But tonight, I had my sights set on a specific individual. Turning slightly, I examined the crowd. To the far left on the stage was Adam Richmond, a fifty-five-year-old billionaire with two married daughters, indulging in an unseemly dance with a stripper. “Shameless,” I muttered under my breath. Richmond’s behavior was disgraceful, his actions more befitting a man half his age. “Not this one,” I decided. He’d be too easy, and I wasn’t looking for an easy mark. I needed someone more... elusive. My gaze shifted to another man, dressed in a dark blue suit, seated alone and observing the room with the same intensity I had. The bright lig
Elena's POV I blinked slowly, my jaw dropping in disbelief. I had expected Mr. Mysterious to be handsome, but nothing prepared me for this. The man before me was nothing short of godlike. He was tall...easily over six feet, with muscles that strained against his tight black designer shirt. His hair was a striking shade of black, brushed back with a few stray strands falling onto his forehead. His deep black eyes radiated a cold, intimidating presence. He looked like Superman come to life, but just a lot more handsome. My heart fluttered just at the sight of him. “I said, let her go,” he repeated, his voice icy and commanding. ‘Get yourself together, Elena. He’s just a man,’ I told myself, though he was undeniably stunning. I shook off my daze, pulling my hands free from the bearded man’s grasp. “He said let me go, you idiot.” The bearded man looked utterly shocked. Then, to my astonishment, he dropped to his knees and bowed, banging his head on the floor with a resounding thud
Noah's POV A Few Hours Ago He was gone again. How could he leave without any of my men noticing? He was a 70-year-old man, for crying out loud! “Find him, goddammit!” I cursed, grinding my teeth. Where could he have gone this time? The two men beside me nodded and left the bar to search for my grandfather once more. That demented old man had been a thorn in my side for months. Now he’d taken to vanishing, leaving me frantic and worried. “Boss, Old Master Reynolds can take care of himself. He’ll be fine,” Joshua, my personal bodyguard, said calmly. I snorted, shaking my head. A few years ago, I might have believed him. But not now. Not with my grandfather’s dementia worsening. He did foolish things and said nonsensical things. He might be the death of me one day. And it was all because of that one person that left a permanent scare in his life few years ago. “I swear I’ll find the bastard who did this to him and make them pay,” I vowed menacingly, a fierce glint in my eye
Noah's POV Joshua and one of the men I’d hired to find my grandfather approached me, and I quickly withdrew my hands from the bold lady, untangling them. ‘Please don’t let them see that,’ I prayed inwardly. I had a reputation to uphold, after all. I felt a twinge of pride stinging me. “Boss, we’ve found him,” Joshua said, his face a mix of delight and confusion as his eyes darted towards the bold lady. “Found who?” she asked daringly. I frowned, throwing her a sharp glare. How could a woman be so bold? It was no wonder she was able to get into trouble with Bevel Fisher so quickly. Whatever. This was my fault, anyway. If I’d kept to myself and not interfered, none of this would have happened. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch Bevel drag her away. Why was that? I pulled out a handkerchief from my inner pocket and wiped my hands. It would have been impossible for Joshua and the other guy not to notice her touch, so I had to do something to clear their suspici
Elena's POV Mr. Mysterious eyes trailed around my body, going from top to bottom. He didn't really seem please... But I couldn't blame him. He thought he was going on a blind date with some rich heiress and then he got me. I wasn't saying that I lacked self-esteem and all those shit... But well, just look at him. Raising my head slowly, I looked up at Mr. Reynolds. He had his deep black eyes fixed on me, his gaze unmoving as if he was looking deep into my soul or something. Too bad for him, if he wanted to look deep into my soul, he was going to see nothing... Nothing but a black, dark empty space, a space just like those eyes of his. Pressing my lips together, I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I don't look like the rich heiress you expected do I?" I asked with a small smile. What I've known from all my years being a con... Being human in general was that, before someone would get a chance to hurt you with your insecurities, you deal with the insecurity first. I nodded again after I wa
Elena's POV Layla sat on the other chair opposite me, staring at my face as if I was an alien of some sort. She had been doing it for a while now and it was getting creepy. "Okay now Lay, stop it." I said putting my leg down from the sofa and sitting up. "I'm here, like I am here...in a real freaking body." "Yeah, that's the surprising part." Layla said with a small nod as if she didn't hear the first part and I chuckled. Her reaction was too much...she was clearly overreacting. Yeah, to be sincere, her surprise wasn't that surprising. I wasn't supposed to be back here, not now and not here. I pressed my lips together rolling my eyes. "Lay..." "I'm sorry okay." She raised her hands up, surrending. "It's just shocking. I haven't seen you in years...like three freaking years, but here you are... sitting in my new apartment." She said pointing at me and I rolled my eyes again. Yeah, speaking of that. "This place is amazing." Getting up from the sofa, I strolled around the sitti
Elena's POV My mouth hung opened as I stepped into the main room, passing through the door which was opened so widely. "And I thought Layla's house was huge." Being a con artist had its perks. I could see different beautiful mansions, houses that cost millions of dollars and maybe, if I played my cards well enough, stay for the night. But never had I seen a house as big as this one. Like hell! This house was huge!!! Actually, I saw the house when I was like 20 miles away from the place, but my eyes didn't linger. I had no idea it was the place I was heading to. But then again, what was I expecting? From everything Layla told me about this Reynolds family, this was practically nothing. I had just finished dressing when Noah called me. He said he was having someone pick me up to his house and asked for my address. And yes, as expected I panicked.I couldn't just tell him the address of an hotel, that was degrading!His real fiancee would definitely not be staying at a hotel. F
Elena's POV "If you were to ask me, there are many ways, many reasons I think this wouldn't work. But..." Layla stopped to shrug. "How bad can the consequences be? Worse come to worse, you'll ditch the guy and leave the country again this for a few years for him to calm down." I smiled, nodding my head. "Or better, I could make him fall in love with me, and he would just forgive me."Layla raised one of her brows at me and I giggled. "Okay, making him fall in love with me is too big of a deal...but trust me when I say this, after I leave it would be hard for Noah Reynolds to forget me."This was going to be one of my biggest jobs yet, and I was going to pull it off like I always did. Nothing was going to stop me. Layla and I chatted for a few more hours, catching up with each other on things we missed in each other's lives and before I knew it, it was past 9.I needed to go back to the hotel I was lodged at. "Why common? You can just stay here, this house is big enough for both
Elena's POV Layla suddenly coughed shaking her head. "No I don't...but I've heard that name a couple of times." I wanted to think about what she said... but it could true, so I dismissed it. Leaning closer towards her I asked. "So..." It took a second before she understood and she shook her head. Standing up she said. "Give me a second." Then she turned around and began walking up the stairs. "Aish...she didn't even offer me a drink." I thought out loud after I looked at the table beside me to see nothing there. Standing up I walked towards the kitchen...or where I thought was the kitchen. "Yes! It's the kitchen." I exclaimed in excitement. I took a cup and opened the fridge picking a bottle of water before returning back to the sitting room to find Layla already sitting there with a laptop in her hand. "Really? You couldn't even offer me a drink." "Yeah because you are not a stranger in this house." She said, calming clicking away on her laptop. Not a stranger???"This is
Elena's POV Layla sat on the other chair opposite me, staring at my face as if I was an alien of some sort. She had been doing it for a while now and it was getting creepy. "Okay now Lay, stop it." I said putting my leg down from the sofa and sitting up. "I'm here, like I am here...in a real freaking body." "Yeah, that's the surprising part." Layla said with a small nod as if she didn't hear the first part and I chuckled. Her reaction was too much...she was clearly overreacting. Yeah, to be sincere, her surprise wasn't that surprising. I wasn't supposed to be back here, not now and not here. I pressed my lips together rolling my eyes. "Lay..." "I'm sorry okay." She raised her hands up, surrending. "It's just shocking. I haven't seen you in years...like three freaking years, but here you are... sitting in my new apartment." She said pointing at me and I rolled my eyes again. Yeah, speaking of that. "This place is amazing." Getting up from the sofa, I strolled around the sitti
Elena's POV Mr. Mysterious eyes trailed around my body, going from top to bottom. He didn't really seem please... But I couldn't blame him. He thought he was going on a blind date with some rich heiress and then he got me. I wasn't saying that I lacked self-esteem and all those shit... But well, just look at him. Raising my head slowly, I looked up at Mr. Reynolds. He had his deep black eyes fixed on me, his gaze unmoving as if he was looking deep into my soul or something. Too bad for him, if he wanted to look deep into my soul, he was going to see nothing... Nothing but a black, dark empty space, a space just like those eyes of his. Pressing my lips together, I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I don't look like the rich heiress you expected do I?" I asked with a small smile. What I've known from all my years being a con... Being human in general was that, before someone would get a chance to hurt you with your insecurities, you deal with the insecurity first. I nodded again after I wa
Noah's POV Joshua and one of the men I’d hired to find my grandfather approached me, and I quickly withdrew my hands from the bold lady, untangling them. ‘Please don’t let them see that,’ I prayed inwardly. I had a reputation to uphold, after all. I felt a twinge of pride stinging me. “Boss, we’ve found him,” Joshua said, his face a mix of delight and confusion as his eyes darted towards the bold lady. “Found who?” she asked daringly. I frowned, throwing her a sharp glare. How could a woman be so bold? It was no wonder she was able to get into trouble with Bevel Fisher so quickly. Whatever. This was my fault, anyway. If I’d kept to myself and not interfered, none of this would have happened. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch Bevel drag her away. Why was that? I pulled out a handkerchief from my inner pocket and wiped my hands. It would have been impossible for Joshua and the other guy not to notice her touch, so I had to do something to clear their suspici
Noah's POV A Few Hours Ago He was gone again. How could he leave without any of my men noticing? He was a 70-year-old man, for crying out loud! “Find him, goddammit!” I cursed, grinding my teeth. Where could he have gone this time? The two men beside me nodded and left the bar to search for my grandfather once more. That demented old man had been a thorn in my side for months. Now he’d taken to vanishing, leaving me frantic and worried. “Boss, Old Master Reynolds can take care of himself. He’ll be fine,” Joshua, my personal bodyguard, said calmly. I snorted, shaking my head. A few years ago, I might have believed him. But not now. Not with my grandfather’s dementia worsening. He did foolish things and said nonsensical things. He might be the death of me one day. And it was all because of that one person that left a permanent scare in his life few years ago. “I swear I’ll find the bastard who did this to him and make them pay,” I vowed menacingly, a fierce glint in my eye
Elena's POV I blinked slowly, my jaw dropping in disbelief. I had expected Mr. Mysterious to be handsome, but nothing prepared me for this. The man before me was nothing short of godlike. He was tall...easily over six feet, with muscles that strained against his tight black designer shirt. His hair was a striking shade of black, brushed back with a few stray strands falling onto his forehead. His deep black eyes radiated a cold, intimidating presence. He looked like Superman come to life, but just a lot more handsome. My heart fluttered just at the sight of him. “I said, let her go,” he repeated, his voice icy and commanding. ‘Get yourself together, Elena. He’s just a man,’ I told myself, though he was undeniably stunning. I shook off my daze, pulling my hands free from the bearded man’s grasp. “He said let me go, you idiot.” The bearded man looked utterly shocked. Then, to my astonishment, he dropped to his knees and bowed, banging his head on the floor with a resounding thud
Elena's POV My eyes scanned the room, searching not for something but someone; my next target. I was at Diamond's Bar, the most exclusive spot in the country where men of all calibers and races came to unwind. Among the sea of opulence, I was looking for more than just anyone. The place was filled with wealthy patrons, walking ATMs as I saw them. But tonight, I had my sights set on a specific individual. Turning slightly, I examined the crowd. To the far left on the stage was Adam Richmond, a fifty-five-year-old billionaire with two married daughters, indulging in an unseemly dance with a stripper. “Shameless,” I muttered under my breath. Richmond’s behavior was disgraceful, his actions more befitting a man half his age. “Not this one,” I decided. He’d be too easy, and I wasn’t looking for an easy mark. I needed someone more... elusive. My gaze shifted to another man, dressed in a dark blue suit, seated alone and observing the room with the same intensity I had. The bright lig