008Lavender.âWanna join us?" He asked, offering his hand.I smiled, nodding, unable to resist his charm. I took his hand and he walked me to his friends.âHey," I smiled at them.They smiled back, looking at Charlie who stood beside me, pulling out a chair for me to sit.I turned to him. âYou don't have to. It's your seat, have it then. This is the last one anyway, I'll stand." I said.He shook his head, gesturing for me to sit. "No. You sit.".Oh, how I could die for those braces which glimmered on his perfect teeth.I averted his eyes, gazing down at his long fingers which were still holding on the chair, his knuckles white.âI just came anyway, have the seat." I responded in a silent whisper, tucking my hair behind my ear."If you insist, can we share?" He said those same words he said to me in highschool. I remembered that day. That day, I sat on his lap in the bus until we arrived at our destination.I felt my heart flutter. I stole a glance at his face and the smirk on his lip
009Lavender.The person pulled me up swiftly, making my ankle hit the booth.I screamed but his hand cupped my lips. âBe silent." He whispered. Immediately, I recognized his voice, it was Charlie.Another gunshot floated in the air as we made our way outside.Charlie slammed the door open as we made our way out of the bar, shoving me forward. âGet in the back seat!" He commanded, his voice heavy with tension.My legs shook as I navigated my way to the car sheepishly, pulling the door open with my shaky hands.I slammed the door. The sound of glass shattering was heard as I flinched, the window of the car breaking with the pieces falling on my body.I screamed, shielding my face from the clattering glass.A slam of the car door was heard, then the car engine roared alive. My chest heaved up and down as I managed to move to the other end of the backseat.âAre you okay?" Charlie shouted, his neck snapping back once in a while to look at me.âYes." I whispered.âYou'll be safe. Come to t
010Lavender.I groaned, rolling to the other side of the bed with a smile on my face, my eyes still closed as my hand landed on the sheets.The smile on my face melted away and I immediately sprang up, looking at the bed to search for Charlie but he wasn't there.Did he leave me home alone after what happened between us last night?I blushed, sighing as I clutched the sheets on my chest. I pulled myself into the bathroom sheepishly with my face as red as a cooked lobster.I looked at myself in the mirror, letting go of the duvet that was wrapped around me.I smiled again, looking at my naked body in the mirror. It seemed as though I just got a new body. I felt different.I felt just the way I felt that night six years ago after my first and last sex.It felt as if I was disvirgined. Again. I felt renewed.I didn't know if I should be embarrassed or feel great about it.I gazed down at the duvet pooling around my legs. His scent still lingered in the sheets.I raised my gaze again, lo
011 Lavender. âYou should know Lorenzo D'amor, the Italian billionaire tycoon.â He began. I sniffled, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. "Answer me. It shouldn't take you five business days to just answer my question,â he spat. I nodded. "Yes." I whispered. âHe is secretly a mafia Don, plotting against my mafia empire.â I gasped, cupping my mouth. I just couldn't believe what I just heard. Charlie was a Mafia? Does that mean I've been falling head over heels with a criminal for years now, since highschool?! My breath caught in my throat. âI need you to penetrate into his life and discover the scheme which is in a particular flash drive which he always hides. Get the flash drive and bring it back to me. You have five months to carry out the task,â He added. I swallowed, âCharlie, who are you?â. âI'm Charlie Brown, Michelle's fiance, a mafia Lord.â He said with a little bit of humor, so little that it was barely noticeable. âButâŚ.I loved you first.â Tears welled up i
012Lavender.âYou're not who you say you are, are you?" His once nice voice became intoxicated with just the right amount of venom to make me quiver.I cleared my throat, adjusting my posture as I maintained my act. âSorry?"."You're not who you say you are, are you?â He spoke again.I laughed, looking him in the eye as he looked at me back.âI am who I say I am. I am Lavender Washmin." I responded, nodding confidently."You're way more than that. You know. We both know who you are. You know what I'm talking about,â.I let out a sigh, shaking my head. "Actually, Mr. D'amor, I don't know what you are talking about.".âAre you not married?" He asked, nodding his head with the same amount of confidence which I used in looking at him. He matched my energy level perfectly.âOh, actually. It's complicated, but I would say I am married, Mr. D'amor, but with all due respect, I don't think that has anything to do with our topic here. You said I am not who I say I am.â."I appreciate your resp
013Lavender.I groaned, tossing and turning on the soft surface as I flipped over to snuggle the sheets.But instead, my hand came in contact with something else that felt smooth.My eyes fluttered open, only to see something I didn't expect; a man lying on my bed with me in my room.To be specific, the man was my boss.My eyes widened as I gasped, springing up. As I took in the features or the environment, I realized that I wasn't in my room. I was elsewhere. Somewhere I didn't recognize.I felt a slight pang in my head, my hand flying to feel the spot that hurt. That was when everything from last night rushed into my head.From the meeting to the passionate moment.I remembered everything vividly.I gasped again, raising the duvet that was covering my body, only to realize I was naked. My neck snapped to the floor, glancing at my clothes scattered all over the room.I looked beside me. There laid my boss, Mr. D'amor, sleeping as if he didn't have one single care in the world.I swa
014Lavender.âMiss, why would you approach me to seduce my boss, I'm pretty sure you're aware that he's my boss, right?â I frowned.âCalm down, darling. Isn't the offer enticing enough? How about two billion?â she teased, pushing further than her actual boundaries.Thinking about it actually made it enticing and I needn't lie, I wanted to take it so badly, but Lorenzo's words from earlier today which pinned me as a golddigger was really upsetting and I vowed to prove him wrong.âHonestly, it is enticing, but ma'am, you need to have some respect. What makes you think I would break my bossâs trust and seduce him for just a billion? If you want him to be seduced and ruined so badly, why don't you do it yourself then and save your money?â I asked."As you can see, I am too old for that and I can't lower my standards to seduce him becauseâŚâ.I cut her off, âIt's fine, I understand. You believe I have a low standard. It's fine, but I think you said you had little time left so I should let
015Lorenzo.I sat in the backyard, in front of the swimming pool. The afternoon air was blowing in peace and soothing my skin.Just as I found peace and quiet in the afternoon, my phone rang aloud piercing the silence. I fetched it from my pocket and fixed my gaze on the screen.It was Mom calling and I had no other choice than to answer her call, even though I already knew what she was going to say. That same old topic.âHello, darling," she said, her voice soft as usual. I was used to it. It was only to manipulate me, but I had never for once fallen for it for years now since she had been doing it.âYes?" I responded as I got up from the chair, turning to enter back into the mansion.âHow is your day going?" She asked.âMhmâŚ. It's fine. Thank you. Yours?" I responded.âNot so good. I really feel like coming over to your place to spend a nice afternoon with my son and have lunch with him. Lunch is ready, isn't it?â She asked.I let out a sigh, striding into the mansion slowly with m
048Lavender.It's been hours since we've brought Lorenzo to the hospital and it was now 3am. I sat in the waiting room, my eyes heavy and pleading to rest but my heart desired otherwise. I forced myself to stay awake, pacing back and forth for some minutes then settling down then pacing again.I was restless while Lorenzo's best friend sat there with his head facing down.âJust rest.â He advised, observing my restlessness.I gulped, letting out a sigh as I turned to look at him with hopeless eyes.He stretched his hand, inviting me to come sit.âRelax. He'll be fine.âI groaned, dragging myself back to sit beside him. âI hope so.âWe sat there for about thirty minutes, and somehow, the silence ate me up slowly.Seeing him sit calmly beside me was baffling. âDo you not care about him?â I mouthed, placing my elbow on my knee with my jaw in my palm.âOf course, I do. He's my favorite person.ââI know, but you don't seem worried. You're way too calm.ââThis ain't the first time anyway. I
046Lavender.My nails sank deep into my palm, my grip tightening on the fork as I sat right beside Lorenzo, puncturing the salad repeatedly.Since Dorothy left, betraying me, Lorenzo and I had still not said anything to each other and my fate was uncertain.Does this mean Iâm now free from Charlieâs assignment, or does it mean Iâve failedâand should be afraid?My heart kept pounding in my chest the whole time, not only because of my uncertain fate but somehow, jealousy had been spreading in me like wildfire since earlier today, threatening to erupt.I swallowed for the nth time, trying to hold myself from throwing questions at Lorenzo. But again, I shouldnât be worried about that. I should worry about myself and what Charlie might possibly do to me.âWhatâs wrong?" Lorenzo whispered, his voice low.I didnât respond. I kept staring into space silently until I felt my phone vibrate on the table.I grabbed it, my face plastered to the screen.âWhere is the original flash drive, this shi
045Dorothy.âWhat a fool. It took less than 5 hours to manipulate her.â I scoffed, relaxing in the car as it sped through the road.The look on her face at the last second was amazing. She looked nothing far from a lost kitten.In no time, I arrived at the hotel where Charlie said he was for the meantime that afternoon.I climbed out of the car, striding into the building.âI'm here to see Charlie Brown. He's at room 001" I said to the ladies behind the counter, skipping the pleasantries.I had no time for fucking greetings. I just needed to see Charlie now! Right away!âAre you Dorothy?â One of them asked.I scoffed, looking away."Here you go," she slid a key to my side of the counter. I flashed her a smile, âHave a great day ahead of you,"She hummed. I turned to leave, taking the elevator until I got to the second floor.I walked out of the elevator and the room that was right ahead of me had the tag 001 on it.I sighed, walking to the door. I inserted the key and twisted it, pu
044â _â _â _â _â _â FLASHBACK ENDSâ _â _â _â _â _â Lavender.She placed a hand on my shoulder, smirking.âAnyway, I'm not here to fight you or report you,â she giggled. She then leaned in, and whispered, ânot because I can't,"I gulped. âTha-"âShush," she whispered, taking her hand off my shoulder and placing her index on her lips. âDon't thank me yet. I won't tell him about it, on one condition,âShe turned away, cat walking slowly to the bed. Spinning around, she lowered her body as she arched her back to sit on the soft bed.âWe both have the same goal. You find the flash drive with me and we take it to Charlie. It's a fair deal actually. Lorenzo loves me, so I'll distract him most of the time to buy you time to search for the flash drive. Once you find it, you get out of this mess as we'll take it to Charlie together.âI took in a sharp breath, my chest inflating. I parted my lips to speak but before a word could escape my throat, she cut me off.âDeal? Or not. Don't waste my time," she ad
043Dorothy.â _â _â _â _â FLASHBACK CONTINUESâ _â _â _â _â âSit," he commanded, stretching his hand out towards a chair that was placed in a corner of the room.I scoffed, raising my torso and striding towards the chair. I pulled it to where he sat, positioning the chair to face his side. He shifted his chair also, turning it to face me.My eyes darted to the men who remained there.âLeave," I gestured.They remained immobile, waiting for Charlie's command.I rolled my eyes. âTell them to leave us to have our conversation,"He gestured for them to leave and they immediately turned, leaving the room.After the door slammed, I waited patiently, allowing their footsteps to fade away before I turned to Charlie, grabbing the arms of my chair and pulling it closer to him.âDon't come any closer," he commanded, his voice etched with dominance.I cleared my throat, resting back on the chair. âSo, about the perfect scheme,ââI'm listening,â"We both agreed to meet because of that but you seem to be mo
042Dorothy(the lady who caught Lavender searching for the drive).She didn't understand the fact that this was a game and I caught her red-handed so I could decide to eliminate her or not.I also had my own assignment. In fact, we had the same assignmentâ to get the damned flash drive and whoever gets it first would be the favored person. However, this wasn't a game of speed, it's a game of logic and skills. Who would find it first isn't the fastest, the person who finds it first has better searching skills as nobody knew where Lorenzo kept the flash drive. It would take critical thinking and spying to watch him closely and point out the location of the drive.The way she looked at me was quite satisfying. The feeling that I was winning couldn't just rub off me. Yes, I was winning. Nothing, I repeat, nothing would make her beat me unless she catches me red-handed.And even if she does, it depends on her approach. The way I approached her made me be a step ahead of her. Only if she w
041Lavender.âI can't believe the baby isn't mine. Are you kidding me?!â He raised his voice, slamming the door behind us.My brows furrowed and I immediately turned to look at him. âWhat are you talking about? I thought we talked about this back there and I thought it ended there. What's all the fuss about this time, huh? We talked about this, Lorenzo. What the fuck are you talking about!â I yelled.He snapped at me, stepping closer. "Yes, we talked about this there. We couldn't finish such a private discussion there. It makes no sense to me to talk about things like that away from home.â"I understand,â I sighed, shaking my head. I placed my hands on my hips, "We already know the baby isn't yours, right? We both know. Then what do you want me to do after you discovered it? I'm sorry I didn't come out clean in the first place, but the deed has been done and you should understand that and just let this slide. Can we change the Father?â"You just know I'm not caring for a woman who's
040Lavender.He stepped in slowly, his eyes darting away from me to the Don's son.Then, he stepped in slowly, looking directly at the Don's son and pretending not to see me even though he clearly saw me. I could see the hurt in his eyes. He heard what I said.âLorenzo," I whispered, moving closer to him and stopping him from reaching the Don's son.His brows furrowed and he finally looked at me.I placed my hands on his shoulders, trying to stop him.âI can explain," I uttered, pleading for a chance to just be heard. I was only hoping he would listen.âExplain what?" He roared, his voice busting out all of a sudden.I jolted, swallowing hard on my saliva. âWhat you heard. I'm sorry. It's not what you think. Let me explain.â"Oh, you mean what I heard that the baby isn't mine, right?â He asked sarcastically.I nodded.He scoffed. âYeah, alright. But I never asked for an explanation. Would you just let me pass and speak with him or would you love to be stuck with him forever?ââI'm so
039Lavender.My eyes fluttered open and I looked around, finding myself in a brightly lit room.I was laid on a cold surface and as soon as I spotted a huge chandelier above, I need not be told that I was on the floor.I squealed in fear, sitting upright as I shifted myself, pressing my back against a sofa.The living room was luxurious and looked accommodating enough, but I didn't know where I was which made everything even worse.I swallowed, looking in front of me, directly at the turned off TV. My neck snapped to the left to look at the door, but it was shut and it seemed as though the place was only luxurious yet abandoned.Just then, I heard a strange, cold voice from behind me. I jolted, a small scream escaping my throat. I then got up immediately, my body spinning to face the direction I heard the voice come from. There was a guy. I recognized him immediately, he was the one who pulled my leg during the kidnap.I stumbled back, looking at him with fear dripping in my eyes.T