*RENEE*The following day,I was busy coming up with different ideas for the next set of dresses that Iâd be making.As darkness enveloped the city,I got dress to meet up with Sarah.I had no idea that Sarah had chosen Venus bar.I only got to know when I met her at the location.I sighed staring at the casual outfit I was wearing.I could only hope that I do not look out of place.This bar was a renowned,exclusive club in the city which was frequented by the high societal folks.Membership at Venus Bar was a symbol of status and wealth.I made my way to a private room upstairs which Sarah had booked.***********MARCELO*âStop!âI ordered Luke as soon as I caught sight of something.âIs something wrong,sir?âHe asked as he stopped pushing my wheelchair.My eyes followed the woman who was clad in a simple shirt and jeans,a baseball cap concealed most of her face but I couldnât fail to recognize her.My wife!What was she doing here?What could a woman be doing a such a bar?Was she secretl
*RENEE*Even if I was surprised at Marceloâs presence at the bar,I tried to play it cool.I didnât do anything wrong this time,did I?âMarcelo,this is Sarah,my best friend.Sarah,Marcelo, my husband.âI introduced.Being a private figure in social circles,Marcelo was clearly no stranger to Sarah,plus I had told her a lot about him.But I didnât want him to know that I was the co-owner of this bar.Sarah and I exchanged knowing looks then she turned to face Marcelo.âMr King,Iâve heard so much about you.I hope itâs still okay to spend time with my best friend.You certainly canât be stingy with her.âSarah teased.I donât think Marcelo would believe that Sarah and I were simply hanging out in Venus Bar because this bar was known to be frequented by wealthy men who hooked up with different women.I stared at Marcelo who was still giving me a cold look.âCome here.âHe ordered me.I glanced at Sarah.âYouâĶyou should head back first.âI suggested,aware of Marceloâs unpredictable temperament and
*MARCELO*I stared up at Renee who was looking quite displeased at me.Yeah,thatâs what you get for lying to me!It was actually laughable that she had said she came here with her best friend.Am I supposed to believe that?âMr King,Can I leave now?âShe leaned down a bit and asked me.Despite myself,I was momentarily captivated by her scent.She smelled sweet and milky and her warm breath tickle my ear,triggering a shiver through my entire body.I swallowed recalling how hot he feels to kiss her.âSo now that Marcelo is here,can we get on to what we have planned for tonight!âSomeone announced,breaking me out of my trance.I looked away from Renee and took a sip of my whiskey,then I said,casually to Renee.âWhat would you like Miss Hudson to join you in?âI asked,careful not to address her as Mrs King yet.âI said I was leaving.âRenee reminded me.âSit down!âI ordered her loudly and she couldnât dare refuse.She reluctantly sat adjacent to me.âMarcelo,Iâm your wife,you canât keep treat
*RENEE*I stared back at Marcelo who was looking angrier by the moment.I had a feeling that he wasnât going to let me see another manâs crotch.The room fell into a hushed stillness,with everyone too apprehensive to even breathe.Was I perhaps witnessing my final moments of peace?Have I pushed my luck too far?Well,I couldnât stop now.It felt fun to push him.Afterall, he started this.âMr King?What do you say?âI eyed him.âShould I continue the game?Iâll follow your decision.âI made sure my voice was laced with a flirtatious softness.I watched as Marceloâs expression darkened and he finally caved.He moved forward on his wheelchair,picked up a piece of clothing and threw it to Damian.âGet dress!This stupid gameâs over.âMarcelo ordered.Damian quickly started to get dressed.Turns out that he had been scared of going completely nude.I smiled,cheerfully,stood and moved to a quieter spot in the room.This was the moment I had been waiting for.Truth is,I didnât find anything appealing
*MARCELO*Her words as well as the look of disdain in her eyes when she talked about Andrew somehow made me feel a sense of gratification.When we arrived at my house,Renee got down from the car and I watched as she walked into the house.Luke got down from the car and opened the door for me.âWhy was she at Venus Bar?Do you really think that she was only hanging out with her friend?ââWell,her friend,Miss Sarah is a well known socialite,she goes clubbing and other social activities a lot so it is possible that she may have invited Mrs King to hang out with her tonight.âI stared at Luke,skeptically.âI still do not think that it was that simple.âI mean if Renee truly was a demure lady,how could she have such exceptional dice skills.âLook into how often Renee goes to Venus Bar.âI instructed.âAnd have that place investigated.ââAlright, sir.âLuke replied.I felt there was something off about that woman.Renee,who always seemed so docile was perhaps not as simple as she appeared.*****
*RENEE*I watched as Catherine rubbed the necklace on her neck as she boasted.âYou know how special I am to my family.My mother got this made for me from a renowned designer.âI scoffed.Indeed.âWow.No wonder I was captivated by your necklace.âOne of the people around us remarked.âCatherine,youâre so lucky to have such a caring mother.âCeline and other elites chimed in,showering her with compliments.The buzz drew the attention of others in the fashion circle,curious about a piece designed by the prominent designer.I observed quietly as the group admired and discussed the necklace.I was certained that someone was about to recognize it.And I was right.All of a sudden,a voice cut through the chatter.âWait!Isnât that the necklace Renee made for Sarah?I remember seeing it being showcased on Reneeâs page.âCatherine immediately denied.âOf course not.Donât you dare spread any silly rumors.This was custom-made for me.âThe woman who had spoken burst into laughter along with her frien
Catherineâs expression soured,a look of distress crossing her face as she turned to Rocco and Grace.âMom,dadâĶâShe whispered, her voice laced with dismay.The praises being lavished on Renee felt like a slap on Catherineâs face.She only wanted people to slander Renee.For the Hudsons,the idea of an adopted daughter outshining their biological was simply forbidden!An abomination.Rocco,keen to defend his daughter,adjusted his tone.âCatherine is a prodigy.My daughter makes me proud with her so many talents.As for Renee,well, her musical abilities have waned over time,nowhere near Catherineâs level.âGrace joined in,a tinge of regret in her tone.âYeah,Renee only liked to do irrelevant things growing up no matter how hard we tried to give her the best of all education.âTheir words stirred a wave of sympathy among the audience.Meanwhile,in a secluded spot upstairs,Jason who was holding a glass of champagne had a smirk on his lips.He nudged the man who had just joined him.âMarcelo,d
âGet her the banjo from the hall.âMarcelo announced.Jason was shocked to hear that.âBut that belonged to your father.No one is allowed to touch it.ââRenee needs it,give it to her.âJason was stunned.The banjo that belonged to Marceloâs dad was off-limits but now he was allowing Renee okay it?Jason knew that Renee and Marceloâs marriage was arranged by his mother against his wishes.He also knew his friend better than anyone.Marcelo had never let anyone,even a woman come close to him.But why was he softening towards Renee?Could he be falling for her?This was staring to get interesting.The waiter promptly returned,banjo in hand and presented it to Renee.âThatâs the one from the hall!âAn onlooker immediately recognized the sacred banjo.Just a short while ago,Catherine had taunted Renee,asserting that the banjo in the hall was an antique meant for display only.Now, as Renee took hold of it,Catherineâs smugness seemed to fade,replaced by a sense of being publicly mocked.Cather
Marcelo woke up the following morning with Renee in his arms.He sighed in content as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.She was still asleep.His cellphone rang and he quickly reached for it not wanting to wake Renee up.It was Luke.âWe have a problem,sir.Paul has passed away.âLuke informed him.Marcelo grimaced and slowly got out of the bed,careful not to wake Renee.As soon as he walked out of the bedroom,he said.âTalk to me.ââThe hidden cameras caught Gary bringing him coffee,he drank it and it led to his death.He also said some incriminating words that meant he poisoned the coffee if we were to use it in court.But thereâs more.He sent his men out there to look for a perfect chance to kidnap Renee.âAnd that made Marceloâs fingers clenched around his cellphone.This was the last straw!For so many years,he had thought his fatherâs death was just an accident but after the accident that claimed his brotherâs life as well.He became certain that someone wanted to eliminate his who
I know.I could feel every bit of it.âI love you.âHe said again and leaned over to kiss me.His kiss was deep, slow and sensual.He moved one of his hand down and guided the tip of his shaft inside me.And I came immediately,my own body taking me by surprise.A wave of sensual electricity jolted me from my core.My body shuddered from my toes to the top of my head and the contractions in the core of my body filled me with incredible pleasure.After it was all over,I opened my eyes,I saw Marcelo looking down at me with a grin.âYou came already?âHe teased.âThat was just the tip.âI blushed a deep red.I havenât come this fast before since I started having sex with him but tonight I was incredibly turned on more than ever,by his words, by the way he kissed me,by the way he touched me so just the slightest bit of his cock was enough to send me over the edge.I pouted.âIâĶI love you so much,thatâs why.âHe stared at me for a while as if processing what he had just heard.I placed my hand o
As soon as Marcelo walked into the house that day,Renee ran up to him and hugged him.He smiled as he stroke her hair.âDid you watch the press conference?âShe nodded.âIâm sorry that I didnât inform you about announcing our marriage to the public firstâĶIâĶâShe lifted up her head to stare at his face.âIâm not upset.Iâm glad that everyone knows Iâm your wife.âMarcelo beamed at her.âAnd I am glad that everyone knows that this incredible woman is mine.âShe smiled,broadly.âI was thinking,maybe we could have a wedding ceremony.âHe suggested.She bit her lower lip.âIâd like to walk down the aisle to you.âHe leaned down and kissed her deeply.âIâm curious about something.âShe suddenly let out.âAbout what?âHe asked.âWere you disappointed or happy when Wyatt confirmed I wasnât pregnant?ââDisappointed.âHe replied,honestly.âReally?ââYeah. I always thought I didnât want marriage or children but Renee,I want everything with you.I want to experience everything only with you.âRenee giggl
That night,Gary couldnât sleep.He paced to and fro thinking about the fact that Marcelo just keeps surprising them recently.Firstly,from thinking he was a disabled loser to finding out he owned the most powerful company in the country.And now,he wasnât disabled!That nephew of his deceived him!Back then,that accident was meant to kill both Sebastian and Marcelo.But Marcelo had survived.Gary had wanted to make another attempt on his life but finding out that he was disabled made him feel that there was no need.Now,looking back,he felt enraged.Marcelo had deceived him!Marcelo had made him think that he was a disabled loser while he secretly made moves.Gary felt like tearing down the whole house.He needed to go see his father.They needed to talk about how to eliminate Marcelo once and for all!They couldnât let Marcelo get more powerful than this.As Gary went up to Paulâs study, he was about to knock when he heard Paulâs voice.âI am not getting any younger.And it pains me to r
My love?Those words reeled through her head and she slowly pulled away from him and stared into his eyes.It wasnât the first time he was calling her that but it made her heart ache as she wondered if he knew what that meant.âDo you even know what that means?âShe asked,her voice hoarse from crying so much.Marcelo was confused.âWhat are you talking about?ââYou shouldnât call me your love.People donât just randomly call people that.âShe turned away from him as tears threatened again.âRenee,Iâm not randomly calling you that.I called you that becauseâĶââWhy did you help her?âHe blinked,surprised by her question again.âHelp who?ââStop playing dumb already.âShe yelled as she stood up to her feet.âDo you know how hard she tried to ruin me?!She was aiming at ruining my career and I did my best,getting the jewelries andâĶand running around making sure everything went smoothly,do you have any idea how tired I was when I played the piano.Even if I was looking composed,doing so much that
âNo, it wasn't me!"Catherine blurted out in a knee-jerk reaction. But as she realized the undeniable truth in the surveillance footage, she quickly shifted her story. "I just lost my balance. It was an accident. I didn't mean to hit the table!"Renee was unaware of Catherineâs presence near the champagne tower since she was out of her line of sight. Now, she was convinced that Catherine had intended the incident.Marcelo, however, was uninterested in Catherineâs excuses.âI'm giving you a chance to apologize," he said sternly. He pointed to another champagne tower and instructed Catherine, "Go stand there and pull the table yourself."His demand wasn't unreasonable. He wanted Catherine to understand the potential harm she had nearly caused Renee.âNo, I can't!"Catherine refused, shaking her head in terror and shielding her face.She feared the glass could cut her, potentially scarring her face. She then tried to shift the blame to Renee. "You weren't even hurt. You can't do this to me
"A marriage alliance..." Vivian muttered, her voice trailing off.The news had caught her completely off guard.Catherineâs satisfied grin grew wider as she saw the shock etched on Vivianâs face.âMiss Lambert, do you still see yourself as the other woman? Are you ready to be outplayed by someone so cunning?"âWhy are you telling me this?" Vivian quickly regained her composure. "You're with Andrew. We both understand his connection to Marcelo. If I marry into the King family, the Lamberts will support Marcelo. That can't be good for you."It didn't make sense for Catherine to be helping her.Catherine just shrugged. "I can't stand watching that Renee enjoy a good life. Isn't that reason enough?"************The birthday ceremony then began. Paul had two sons and a daughter. Today, his daughter was notably absent. She was the family's outcast, having married young and moved abroad with her husband. She had almost cut all ties with the Kings.Renee vaguely recalled that she had been cl
Renee watched Vivian with a knowing smile.Vivian, unable to utter the words, bit her silver teeth and continued to gaze at Marcelo, silently begging for his help.Considering her relationship with his brother, Marcelo reassured, "It's okay not to call her that."If his brother were still alive and married to Vivian, they would have referred to Vivian as "sister-in-law."Reneeâs smile stiffened slightly, but it didn't matter to her. She didn't need Vivianâs acknowledgment as "sister-in-law," and the thought of it even disgusted her.She didnât want Marcelo and Vivian to be seen as siblings.She wanted Vivian to have nothing to do with her husband.Was that too much to ask?Meanwhile,Jessica showed a keen interest in the piece Renee had composed and started discussing it with her.Finding the conversation uninteresting, Marcelo decided to step out to the balcony for a smoke. Seizing the opportunity, Vivian followed him.âMarcelo, are you angry with me for siding with your father today?"
Feeling a pit in her stomach,Renee was about to relinquish her hold when Marcelo spoke.âNo, thank you." He refused Vivian directly.Marcelo waved in the direction of Damian, who was standing nearby. "Damian will keep you company.âVivian and Damian were already acquainted.âHuh? Oh, sure. I'll take it from here,"Damian replied.He was startled at first, and then bewildered by the sudden task that was thrown in his face. But he didn't want Marcelo to leave Renee alone and go with another woman, so he agreed without a second thought.The smile froze on Vivianâs face, and her eyes darkened. She swallowed and quickly composed herself. "Well," she said, forcing another smile at Damian. "I'm afraid I will have to trouble you in the meantime."Damian paid no mind to her strained expression and carried on as he would with an old friend.âIt's no trouble at all. We were just about to play dice, do you care to join us?Renee is quite good at it. Why don't you give it a try?"Damian offered.Wyat