Amelia's POV
Julian Lake was already at the eatery when I arrived. I stared at the screen of my phone, just to make sure that I hadn't lost track of time, and looked back at where he was sitting stiffly at a table. Then I shrugged and walked over to him. Before I could open my mouth to speak, he said "You're late." In a scolding tone, as if I was a child. I blinked at him in surprise and confusion. "I'm not late," I replied. "You're just too early." "You arranged for us to meet by one, and this is three minutes after that," he said. "Exactly," I replied, taking the chair across from him. "At least you haven't ordered yet." "Why should I?" he retorted. "I'm just here to take my jacket back." "Yes, you are," I said, placing a bag on the table. Inside it was the jacket, dry-cleaned and ironed and folded. It looked immaculate, and I was pretty proud of myself even though I hadn't done any of that work. When he reached for it, I pulled it out of his reach. Julian Lake flicked me a look that would have had many instantly on their knees. I gulped, but forged on. "I was thinking we could have lunch first," I said. "Of course you were," he replied with a sneer. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked. "When you said you were only going to return the jacket, I should have known that even that was a lie," he replied. "You just said it to make sure I would show up, didn't you? I should have known better than to believe a single word out of your mouth." Why did I get the feeling that he wasn't just talking about the jacket? "Hey…" I said cautiously, "it's just lunch at an eatery we're both sitting in already. I don't see the harm." "Good," he said as he grabbed the bag and stood up, "you can eat alone, then." I watched him start to walk to the exit, knowing that I would never get a chance like this again. I panicked, and there was one thing that always happened when I panicked. "I'll send your location to your fan girls," I blurted out. He froze, then turned around with a murderous expression. "What?" he said. Every cell in my body wanted to apologize to him and let him walk away. But I had come this far already. I might as well see it through. So I forced myself to maintain a calm expression as I turned to look him in the eye. "If you walk out of this place, Julian Lake," I said, "I will send your location to your fan girls. You'll run into about twelve of them before you can get home today." He stared at me, shocked that I had actually said that. I guessed that he wasn't used to being threatened. "Well?" I added. "What will it be?" He came back to his seat, but shot me a glare as he did. I smiled triumphantly. "What do you want?" he demanded. "I want us to talk about something over lunch," I replied. "Fine," he agreed reluctantly. We ordered, and I watched him while we waited for the food. He did not look at me even once, choosing instead to keep his eyes on his phone. "Care to explain what the attitude is for? You were nice enough at the bar," I said. "That was before I realized you were just like the rest of them," he snapped. I blinked in confusion. "Just like the rest of who?" I asked. "Don't try to play dumb," he retorted. "Our meeting at the bar wasn't accidental, was it?" "Of course it was!" I exclaimed. "Is that so? Then why did you hold onto the jacket until you needed to use it as an excuse to meet me?" he demanded. "Huh?" "I know about your tricks, Isabella Domitia," he said. "To think I didn't realize it was you until I saw you at that party." "So you did recognize me at the party!" I exclaimed. "That is not the point!" he retorted. "You're right," I replied. "The point is that you're accusing me falsely, which isn't nice. I didn't know it was you at the bar, and I just got your jacket back from the drycleaners this morning. Satisfied? Good. Now, I have a deal to offer." He raised his eyebrow at me, and it reminded me of our time at the bar. I wondered if that had been the real him. That sarcastic guy with so many expressions, and not this person who was either always bored or angry. "You'll go on three dates with me," I said, "and I won't tell your fan girls your location everyday for the rest of our lives. Deal?" He stared at me like I had lost my mind. "That's blackmail," he said flatly. "Call it what you want," I replied. "Are you in?" "One would expect you to know by now," he said, "but I'm not searching for a partner—" "Oh, please," I said, waving his words aside. "Who said anything about a partner? People go on multiple dates all the time without being partners. You must be one of those kids in middle school who think they've gotten engaged just because they took some girl to a dance." "What?" he blurted out. Good to see that I wasn't the only confused one here. "Look, are you taking me on three dates or not?" I said, just to make things easier for both of us. "Why should I?" he said. "Three reasons," I replied. "First, so that I won't become an informant for your fangirls. Second, so that it'll look like you have a partner, and other women will bother you less. Third, so that my exes will bother me less." "The last one doesn't count," he said. "Sure does. You saw what happened to me at the party, didn't you?" "That's not my problem." "No, but it's mine," I replied, leaning forward. "So. Deal?" I expected Julian Lake to be frowning. Instead, he had an intrigued smile on his face. "Deal," he said.Amelia's POV"By the way," he said later, while we were leaving the eatery, "if all you want to do is stop your ex boyfriends from bothering you, why didn't you make a deal with some other man?""Why did I come to you?" I replied. "Well, you're the only man whose jacket is in my possession, so I said why not. And you helped me out at the bar too, so I know you're somehow a gentleman.""Somehow," he repeated, huffing a laugh."Yup, somehow," I replied, grinning. "But it's mostly because you're the only one I could think of who is actually powerful enough to be a threat to my ex-boyfriends."My answers weren't lies. They just weren't truths either, and I shoved down the guilt that reminder brought with it.'You are the only man in the city, aside from Mr Domitia and Jeremy, who aren't total strangers to me,' I thought. 'And you are the only one that can save me from losing this new life I just got. I'm sorry I can't tell you the truth. But I am very grateful, Julian."……I decided that
Amelia's POVWhat was the punishment for murder, again? Because I was seriously considering murdering Jackie. The spoilt bitch had the nerve to treat me like a freaking housemaid. She had claimed that I would be acting as everyone's assistant, yet she was the only one here who was making me serve her.I was currently holding all the clothes she had picked out while she tried on yet another one. She took an unnecessarily long time putting it on, then she took even longer admiring herself in the mirror, only to turn around with a complaint."This outfit isn't right," she said. "I'm going to need a little something to spice it up…"She hummed as she turned in a circle, tapping her bottom lip. Then she brightened up and pointed to a pair of shoes on the topmost part of a shelf."Get me those shoes," she said.I looked up at the shoes, which were out of my reach by the way, then down at the armful of clothes I was holding, then at Jackie's annoying face."How?" I asked flatly.She shrugge
Amelia's POVToday felt like a redo of my meeting with Julian at the eatery that day, so I wanted to make sure it went right. What a bad idea.Now I found myself sitting awkwardly at a table, ten minutes too early and without the man in sight. Even worse, I couldn't decide whether the waitresses were gossiping about me sitting alone despite being obviously dressed up for a date, or if it was just my imagination.I ordered a smoothie and sipped it slowly, trying to calm my fraying nerves. I was this close to doing jumping jacks just to ward off the awkwardness when I saw him walking in.Finally!I composed myself and tried not to look like I had been eating myself up. As he drew closer, it became a struggle not to drool, because damn.It wasn't like I hadn't seen him looking gorgeous before on other occasions. Hell, this man could wear a sack and still look smouldering hot. But seeing him now, I could tell that he had put in some effort.It shouldn't have filled me with warmth, but it
Julian's POVIsabella Domitia was nothing like I had expected. The rumors and the gossip made her sound like a wanton woman, throwing herself at every man within range only to break their hearts instantly and move on to the next. They made her sound shallow and without ambition, like she was good at nothing else but toying with men. If only they knew how wrong they were.I watched as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. She was smiling, but it was not like the smiles women always directed my way. She wasn't looking at me like I was a chunk of meat she wanted to sink her teeth into."Well," she said, her tone light and teasing, "why don't you order, Mister?""What, for you too?" I asked."Why not?" she replied, grinning. "Let's see what you've got."When the food arrived, she peered at it like she had never seen food before."Is there a problem?" I asked.She looked up at me and smiled."I'm just surprised, that's all," she said."About what?""Well, for one," she drew her
Amelia's POVThe next day, the internet was full of pictures of Julian and I during our date. Pictures of us laughing and talking with each other. Who took these pictures, and when? It was most likely the other people who had been in the restaurant with us, or even the staff, that took the pictures and released them online.It was not that I minded. Actually, I liked it.I had been counting on people finding out about our date, because it would make them assume that we were together.I knew a lot of celebrities who had gotten together thanks to a few nudges from the public.I was lying in bed that fine morning, scrolling through the comments with a big smile on my face. There were a few people saying mean things about how I was destined for disappointment and how dare the man-eater have the nerve to go for their precious Julian Lake. I rolled my eyes and ignored them, choosing to focus instead on the ones that were joyfully rooting for our romance and wishing us a happy ending. They w
Jessica's POVJulian and Isabella Domitia. My Julian and Isabella Domitia."The news blew up on the internet this morning," Miriam said.I couldn't take my eyes off the picture.Julian, my Julian, on a date with another woman? That was every type of wrong.I thought he hated women. When the news of him not believing in love anymore was trending on the internet sometime ago, I had been very proud of myself.Of course he could not bring himself to be with any other woman after losing me.Yet here he was, doing just that."Maybe they're not on a date," I said. "The internet has a way of making a big deal out of everything. Maybe they're just getting dinner. People can just have dinner.""Maybe," Miriam echoed behind me.But I knew she didn't believe it. I didn't believe it either. No matter how one looked at it, those two had definitely been on a date.'I thought he swore off dating for the rest of his life,' I thought, clenching the iPad tightly enough to crack it. 'What is so special a
Amelia's POVI miss the days when I could have whatever I wanted without having to sweat for it, I thought miserably."Enjoy your meal, Sir," I said with a bright smile.I didn't bother waiting for a response before I turned and began to walk back to the kitchen. Just two more tables left, and would finally be able to take a much deserved break."Hey," the man called from behind me. "Waitress!"I wanted nothing more than to scream and throw something at him, but that would mean instant joblessness. So I pasted a big smile on my face and went back to answer him."Is there a problem, Sir?" I asked."Of course there is," he replied, looking at me like I was either stupid or playing a prank."What could that be?" I said, my cheeks hurting from all the fake smiling."I ordered grilled turkey, not grilled chicken," he replied.I blinked, startled. I looked at the meal, then at him. Then at the table I served just before his own, only to see the couple there glaring daggers at me.Damn it, I
Amelia's POVI ended up wearing one of Nancy's dresses to the club. I could feel her watching me as I danced wildly on the crowded dancefloor, patches of other people's skin rubbing against mine as we grooved to the beat. She was very worried when I showed up at her front door in tears after running the whole way there, and even more when I told her what Adam did. But I told her I was fine.And I really was fine. I was going to have the night of my life, and get laid by a hot guy before tomorrow morning.A hook-up with a man far hotter than Adam was what I needed to cure myself of this broken heart.As if summoned by my thoughts, large hands settled on my hips from behind, and a muscular man pulled me flush against his body. Feeling reckless, I danced against him, grinding my backside into his bulge. I felt his lips on the side of my throat and bent my neck to the other side to give him better access."Hey, pretty," he whispered against my skin, causing heat to flare inside me."I wou
Jessica's POVJulian and Isabella Domitia. My Julian and Isabella Domitia."The news blew up on the internet this morning," Miriam said.I couldn't take my eyes off the picture.Julian, my Julian, on a date with another woman? That was every type of wrong.I thought he hated women. When the news of him not believing in love anymore was trending on the internet sometime ago, I had been very proud of myself.Of course he could not bring himself to be with any other woman after losing me.Yet here he was, doing just that."Maybe they're not on a date," I said. "The internet has a way of making a big deal out of everything. Maybe they're just getting dinner. People can just have dinner.""Maybe," Miriam echoed behind me.But I knew she didn't believe it. I didn't believe it either. No matter how one looked at it, those two had definitely been on a date.'I thought he swore off dating for the rest of his life,' I thought, clenching the iPad tightly enough to crack it. 'What is so special a
Amelia's POVThe next day, the internet was full of pictures of Julian and I during our date. Pictures of us laughing and talking with each other. Who took these pictures, and when? It was most likely the other people who had been in the restaurant with us, or even the staff, that took the pictures and released them online.It was not that I minded. Actually, I liked it.I had been counting on people finding out about our date, because it would make them assume that we were together.I knew a lot of celebrities who had gotten together thanks to a few nudges from the public.I was lying in bed that fine morning, scrolling through the comments with a big smile on my face. There were a few people saying mean things about how I was destined for disappointment and how dare the man-eater have the nerve to go for their precious Julian Lake. I rolled my eyes and ignored them, choosing to focus instead on the ones that were joyfully rooting for our romance and wishing us a happy ending. They w
Julian's POVIsabella Domitia was nothing like I had expected. The rumors and the gossip made her sound like a wanton woman, throwing herself at every man within range only to break their hearts instantly and move on to the next. They made her sound shallow and without ambition, like she was good at nothing else but toying with men. If only they knew how wrong they were.I watched as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. She was smiling, but it was not like the smiles women always directed my way. She wasn't looking at me like I was a chunk of meat she wanted to sink her teeth into."Well," she said, her tone light and teasing, "why don't you order, Mister?""What, for you too?" I asked."Why not?" she replied, grinning. "Let's see what you've got."When the food arrived, she peered at it like she had never seen food before."Is there a problem?" I asked.She looked up at me and smiled."I'm just surprised, that's all," she said."About what?""Well, for one," she drew her
Amelia's POVToday felt like a redo of my meeting with Julian at the eatery that day, so I wanted to make sure it went right. What a bad idea.Now I found myself sitting awkwardly at a table, ten minutes too early and without the man in sight. Even worse, I couldn't decide whether the waitresses were gossiping about me sitting alone despite being obviously dressed up for a date, or if it was just my imagination.I ordered a smoothie and sipped it slowly, trying to calm my fraying nerves. I was this close to doing jumping jacks just to ward off the awkwardness when I saw him walking in.Finally!I composed myself and tried not to look like I had been eating myself up. As he drew closer, it became a struggle not to drool, because damn.It wasn't like I hadn't seen him looking gorgeous before on other occasions. Hell, this man could wear a sack and still look smouldering hot. But seeing him now, I could tell that he had put in some effort.It shouldn't have filled me with warmth, but it
Amelia's POVWhat was the punishment for murder, again? Because I was seriously considering murdering Jackie. The spoilt bitch had the nerve to treat me like a freaking housemaid. She had claimed that I would be acting as everyone's assistant, yet she was the only one here who was making me serve her.I was currently holding all the clothes she had picked out while she tried on yet another one. She took an unnecessarily long time putting it on, then she took even longer admiring herself in the mirror, only to turn around with a complaint."This outfit isn't right," she said. "I'm going to need a little something to spice it up…"She hummed as she turned in a circle, tapping her bottom lip. Then she brightened up and pointed to a pair of shoes on the topmost part of a shelf."Get me those shoes," she said.I looked up at the shoes, which were out of my reach by the way, then down at the armful of clothes I was holding, then at Jackie's annoying face."How?" I asked flatly.She shrugge
Amelia's POV"By the way," he said later, while we were leaving the eatery, "if all you want to do is stop your ex boyfriends from bothering you, why didn't you make a deal with some other man?""Why did I come to you?" I replied. "Well, you're the only man whose jacket is in my possession, so I said why not. And you helped me out at the bar too, so I know you're somehow a gentleman.""Somehow," he repeated, huffing a laugh."Yup, somehow," I replied, grinning. "But it's mostly because you're the only one I could think of who is actually powerful enough to be a threat to my ex-boyfriends."My answers weren't lies. They just weren't truths either, and I shoved down the guilt that reminder brought with it.'You are the only man in the city, aside from Mr Domitia and Jeremy, who aren't total strangers to me,' I thought. 'And you are the only one that can save me from losing this new life I just got. I'm sorry I can't tell you the truth. But I am very grateful, Julian."……I decided that
Amelia's POVJulian Lake was already at the eatery when I arrived. I stared at the screen of my phone, just to make sure that I hadn't lost track of time, and looked back at where he was sitting stiffly at a table.Then I shrugged and walked over to him. Before I could open my mouth to speak, he said "You're late."In a scolding tone, as if I was a child.I blinked at him in surprise and confusion."I'm not late," I replied. "You're just too early.""You arranged for us to meet by one, and this is three minutes after that," he said."Exactly," I replied, taking the chair across from him. "At least you haven't ordered yet.""Why should I?" he retorted. "I'm just here to take my jacket back.""Yes, you are," I said, placing a bag on the table. Inside it was the jacket, dry-cleaned and ironed and folded. It looked immaculate, and I was pretty proud of myself even though I hadn't done any of that work. When he reached for it, I pulled it out of his reach. Julian Lake flicked me a look th
Amelia's POV"Well," Jeremy said. "That was interesting.""Of course you think so," I replied with a groan, burying my face in my hands. "You're not the one who's about to get disowned.""Yeah, that sucks," he said, sounding quite unbothered about it. "But don't worry, they're not going to disown you."I perked up at that."Really?" I said, looking up hopefully. "She was just bluffing, right? She didn't mean it, right?""Oh, she totally did, actually," he replied without an ounce of sympathy.My mouth popped open."What the—""I was just saying that you'll find a way to make it happen," he added."Make what happen?" I asked."Make Julian Lake fall for you," he replied calmly. "Aren't you Isabella Domitia?"Again, I got that strange feeling. Like he was testing me. Like he could see through my pretence somehow.'But that's impossible,' I reminded myself. 'There is no way he knows.'Still, remaining in such an enclosed space, with his probing eyes on me, was making me uneasy. I opened t
Amelia's POVGetting champagne poured on me was a terrible experience. The liquid soaked my hair, messing up my coiffure, and dripped down my face onto my dress. I was forced to stand there in shock, blinking champagne away from my lashes and feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment."Now you know how it feels to be mistreated," the man said smugly.How was a grown man behaving like a kindergartner? Who still poured wine on people these days, anyway?All because I refused to talk to him?My fists clenched at my sides and I glared at him, wanting nothing more than to put my fist through his stupid face.People were starting to notice what happened. I could hear whispers as the other guests turned in our direction.I didn't need to look to know that they were recording, and being Isabella Domitia meant that I couldn't get into a fight that could end up on the internet.However, the last thing I expected was for Jeremy to walk quickly over to me, taking off his suit jacket. He wrappe