Chapter Three

Leonel

I'd made my share of mistakes, fucked women of all shapes from all over the world, and had a few decent relationships with women in my financial bracket, but those were nothing compared to the hot mess I had with my ex, Nadia Mohammad.

She was the worst mistake my raging dick caused me.

Nadia and I met two years ago at Harvard Business School, where her smartness and humor captivated me. We began a romantic relationship, but I eventually uncovered a string of lies.

One. Her dad, Nasir Mohammad, planned to exploit my family's real estate empire for his gain. 

Two. Nadia was in a secret lesbian relationship.

I wasn't the most well-behaved person in the world, but one thing I couldn't stand was cheating. 

"My dad will kill me," she cried that night when I barged in on her girlfriend finger-fucking her. "Please, Leo, don't do this to me. I promise never to see her again."

She claimed she was hiding her sexuality for religious and cultural reasons while using me as a cover to keep her family from finding out.

I was unmoved by her tears and fake apology. "I'm done with you. It's your choice whether or not to come out, but I'm not a puppet you can string. It's over.”

She'd cried for weeks, pleading, calling, and texting nonstop. Then she started playing mind games with me, constantly gaslighting me and driving me crazy.

Now that my "fake girlfriend" was here, I had to stand my ground.

"Leave, Nadia," I said, pointing at the door. My dog barked behind me, snarling at Nadia and sticking its sharp teeth out. 

She moved closer, enticing me with her perfume. I couldn't stop the old flames of lust from rekindling in my mind because, let us face it, Nadia's beauty was like a siren, loud and capable of seducing anyone.

But she was a lesbian, not even bisexual. She wasn't interested in me, and she had been pretending the whole time. Thinking about the times we had sex made me feel dirty, as if I had been having her without her consent. Her moans were fake and my ego was bruised.

Her dark brown hair hung loose, brushing her waist, and her hazel eyes held mine.

"Come on, Leo," she chuckled seductively, tracing my chest with her manicured finger. “Stop rejecting me. We can work things out."

I drew away and created a space between us. "Go back to your daddy, dearest, and tell him to sulk in the corner for losing the government contract to me."

“I don't care about your feud with my dad,” she said with a husky tone. "Let's get married, and I'll let you get away with anything you want."

I let out a nasty laugh and headed to my wine bar. “You're delusional."

Grabbing a bottle of whisky to distract myself, I unscrewed the top and poured it into the glass halfway. The heat from the liquor warmed my body, relieving the anger in my chest and warming every nerve ending.

Nadia glided over to me, took the glass and sipped from it. She made sure that her red lipstick smeared the rim. When fingers brushed against mine, I drew away. 

"So you're going to reject me after everything we've had?"

“Yes. Now, leave my house.”

She didn't move. Instead, she fixed me with hungry eyes. "Come on, baby. I know you want me. Fuck me like old times."

She leaned close enough that her hot breath brushed against my cheek, and her scent tickled my nose. I enjoyed sex, but I wasn't stupid.

An idea came to mind. My contract girlfriend would provide the perfect distraction.

"I have a girlfriend," I blurted out. "She is carrying my baby and is the absolute love of my life, so take your cock-sucking services elsewhere."

Nadia froze for about a minute. Then a mocking smile appeared on the corners of her lips, reminding me of the witches in the horror films I used to watch with my siblings. 

"We have the same circle of friends. Why hasn't anyone announced your relationship upgrade?"

"There's a term known as privacy. Leave me alone and move the fuck on."

Her gaze became murderous, and she stepped forward, fists clenched tightly by her side.

“Prove it. Who is she? And why isn't she here with you?”

"I'm not going to reveal her identity to you. And she lives with me. She's upstairs right now, as we speak. Now, please excuse me, I need to give my girl a good fuck." 

“I dare you, Leonel Hamilton!” Nadia yelled, a vein popping on her forehead. "Honey, you can never cast me aside. Everyone knows about our relationship."

She burst into fake tears, breaking the silence in the house, and stomped upstairs without warning, already making it halfway up the stairs before I could react. 

Shouldn't heels be speed bumps? How did she run up the stairs as fast as a cheetah?

I followed in pursuit, hoping Calvin had taken Miracle to her room. Luck was against me because Calvin’s body shielded Miracle from Nadia’s brutal assault.

"Show yourself, slut!" Nadia yelled. “I dare you!”

She pounded Calvin's chest, her nails drawing blood from the poor guy's face. Calvin cursed but didn't move. 

Nadia dodged my grasp, and if this hadn't been a serious situation, I would have been impressed by her speed. 

“Take this bitch downstairs before she pokes my eye with her claws,” Calvin yelled at me. Within seconds, he had a bruised nose and swelling around his left eye.

This was getting dangerous. I grabbed her arms and threw her over my shoulder. She screamed, kicked, and thrashed until I tossed her into her white Lamborghini parked downstairs.

"Never show your face here." I won't be so lenient next time."

She jumped out for more trouble, but my Rottweiler, Buddy, rushed out, and because he was a very aggressive breed who knew when his owner needed backup, he growled furiously and bared his teeth, ready to attack her. 

Nadia drove away screaming, and I burst out laughing, stroking Buddy's fur for a job well done. 

"Good boy. You deserve a treat."

Upstairs, Calvin gave me the stink eye and tossed me the middle finger. His Irish accent became more prominent as he nagged. 

"I swear you're giving me a raise because that bitch's nails are all over my face. What the hell, Leo?”

I couldn't stop the laughter from bursting out of my throat. His frown deepened, and I had to stuff my face with a pillow. 

"I'm sorry, dude; I didn't mean to make fun of you.

"Then deal with that psycho. How on earth did she find out about Miracle?"

I shrugged, looking around for Miracle. "It slipped out of my mouth, but the result was worth it, don't you think?"

“Miracle kept asking if Nadia was your girlfriend and why she had to act as a fake one.”

Then Calvin drew closer to whisper. "Dude, did you notice Miracle's curves? God help you not to shag her before the contract expires."

I glared at him, ignoring the truth. "She is not my type," I replied, mimicking Miracle's jingly tone. "I don't do broke and naive girls."

Calvin laughed. "Of course she's not your type intellectually. But she's sexy as sin.”

I grew serious. “The only reason I'm agreeing to this contract is to win my brother. If my dad's will didn't include that ridiculous clause about the first person to fall in love becoming the company's president, I wouldn't need a fake girlfriend. And speaking of which, can we trust her to keep our secret?"

“She won't say a word. She needs the money to upgrade her life."

I headed to my room. The next morning, I awoke to a dull throbbing on the side of my head. I had thirty minutes to prepare for work. Cursing loudly, I dashed to the restroom, shaved, and took a quick shower. 

As the founder's son, I was free to arrive late at work, but I had an important board meeting today and couldn't afford to be late, lest my brother gloat about my inefficiency.

I barely noticed my housekeeper, Maria, as I poured myself a large cup of black coffee, needing the caffeine to clear my mind. 

Miracle walked into the kitchen wearing glowing pajama shorts that made her look like a disco ball, and I nearly choked on my coffee. 

At the very least, I'd get some comic relief.

She froze in her tracks, embarrassed, and turned to leave when I stopped her.

Blinking in confusion, she rubbed her palm against her shirt. Calvin was right. The girl was fucking stunning—a hundred times better without the ridiculous makeup she was wearing yesterday.

Perhaps if I had seen her bare-faced yesterday, I wouldn't have spoken so harshly to her. Her makeup artist should be arrested.

I sipped my coffee while watching her through my hooded lids. She sat on one of the stools opposite me and remained quiet until I spoke.

"Here," I said, pulling out one of my credit cards. "Get yourself some nice dresses and fix your hair. It looks like a bird's nest."

Her hand moved to her dark, curly hair as she stared at the platinum card for a moment, with no intention of taking it.

I shoved it into her hand and immediately felt strange sensations. I backed away, wondering why I was reacting to a stranger. 

I grabbed my car keys and briefcase and walked away from her as quickly as lightning.