༺RAYNE༻ “Liam!” My voice comes in a grating squeal. I'm horrified. My cheeks flare hot from the embarrassment of having been caught fingering myself. “I liked it better when you moaned my name,” Liam tells me and brings my thong to me. “You dropped this. You really should be careful how you throw your stuff around here. You have a bodyguard just outside your bedroom.” He smirks and dangles my panty at my face. I reach for it, my face still crumpled from humiliation. But Liam quickly withdraws his hand and clutches my panties again. I don't even have the words for him right now. I can't believe this is happening. I had been so engrossed with playing with myself and trying to climax, so far gone in my own little fantasy, that I hadn't even considered the possibility that Liam might still be within earshot. I didn't hear him walk in or even hear the sound of the door opening. I didn't realize he was watching me like a hawk, no doubt enjoying the show. I had my legs spread so wide,
༺RAYNE༻ The flight to Albany where we'll be meeting Vesper Vandal is nothing short of my expectations. We travel in one of Liam's private jets. The view of the city below is breathtaking. I've always loved flying but there's something about flying in a private jet that makes it all the more exhilarating. It's my first time boarding a private jet and travelling in style like this. When Liam mentioned we'd be using it, I pictured everything about it to be fancy. And I wasn't wrong. The jet is like a luxury lounge. I'm totally blown away when I see the mini-fridge on it, jam-packed with all these delicious snacks that I never even imagined could be on a plane. And to top it off, there's this awesome selection of fancy wines to choose from, making the whole experience feel super fancy. There's even a cool entertainment system with so many movies and music. It's like having our own private cinema in the sky. But of course, Liam has to ruin everything with his killjoy attitude. He doesn
༺RAYNE༻ How on earth is this even possible? Henry's mother is Marcela Vandal? I watch as she takes her husband's hand and draws closer to him, her eyes never departing from me. Her face is a mix of shock, surprise and something else.... Something that's definitely not good. “Rayne,” she says again, drawing out my name, this time with no hint of surprise. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here. You're Mr Everhart's wife? Interesting.” First of all, there's nothing pleasant about the way she just said what she said. I'm uncertain if Liam or her husband sensed it but I did. There's a prickly chill in her tone harsher than the December wind outside. She’s clearly displeased and it's not difficult to guess why. It must sting to have her son's ex-fiancée in her own home, now married to a billionaire. Secondly, my marriage status isn't even as shocking as hers. I knew Marcela was married to some wealthy businessman but I never thought she was the Marcela Vandal I came all the way he
༺RAYNE༻ The dinner's going well, much to my surprise. I don't know what I was expecting but it's definitely not this. Marcela hadn't made any snide comment about me, hasn't baited me to say anything, hasn't even hinted at that thinly veiled dislike of me. She’s as sweet as a Georgia peach. It's almost like she's a completely different person. I honestly don't know what to make of it. She's acting like a charming, friendly, lovely host. She even willingly serves me dessert herself, not hesitating to spoon some crème brûlée into my bowl with a smile on her face. “Rayne, would you like a little more of it? Or perhaps some of the Valrhona chocolate mousse? And of course, there’s the crepes Suzette if you’d prefer something more exotic.” What in the world has gotten into her? I'm speechless for most. Her change of attitude is just startling. I don't talk much. I just smile at Marcela and I keep my responses short and simple. However, Liam, just like always, does most of the talking i
༺RAYNE༻ “Pardon?” One of my brows is arched at Marcela. “Yes, Rayne. You are ancient history in my son's life. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out you left Henry. That was what I've always wanted. Thank you for finally realizing that you two don't belong together and for leaving him.“ I chuckle bitterly. “Well, all of the credit goes to your son. You should be thanking him.” “Yes, yes, I heard.” She nods. “Thank goodness I didn't attend your wedding. What a scandal that was. But you deserved it nonetheless. Serves you right for driving a wedge between me and Henry.” Oh, I was right. This woman's still a bitch. “It's no secret that I never liked you, Rayne. It was never personal though. I just couldn't stand the thought of my son being with a gold digger. And I was right about you. You were only with Henry because of his money. In such a short amount of time, you snagged the next rich man you could find. You hit the jackpot.” She sips her champagne and continues. “
༺RAYNE༻ “You're lying!” I scream, shaking my head. “Liam would never come up with something like that! He'd never agree to something as despicable as this!” I say all of that repeatedly and even in my head. But it's more like I'm trying to convince myself than I'm actually telling Vesper. The more I repeat, the more I begin to find truth in Vesper's words. Liam is a man who'd do anything to win. It's like he has a phobia for losing, especially a cutting-edge business deal like the Hudson valley project. The extent he's willing to go to, the lengths he’s willing to go, the depths he’ll dive. Is he really capable of this? Of selling me like a commodity? His own wife? Our marriage might be a sham but no one other than the two of us knows that. So how can he offer his wife to this old fool? How can he pimp me out to this creep like I'm some prostitute? “It's true,” Vesper replies and proceeds to unbutton his shirt after taking off his tie. “I don't think you know your husband as much
༺RAYNE༻ “There you go,” Kim chirps, “all done! Your sugar levels are looking much better today.” She smiles warmly as she puts the medical supplies back in her bag. “How are you feeling, sweetie? You seem a bit shaken.” “Is it that obvious?” I sigh and stare into space. I'm still thinking about everything that went down last night. How close I was to getting raped by that pig. How I barely managed to escape. It all feels surreal. What if I wasn't so lucky? That disgusting man would have really had his way with me. I cringe at the thought. “Rayne, darling, are you okay?” Kim says, putting a hand on my back. She caresses it and then runs a hand on my hair. I force a sweet smile and nod. “I'm fine, Kim. I think. I just...,“ I heave. “I just can't stop thinking about what happened last night.” “What happened, dear?” She takes a seat beside me on the long armchair. “Did something happen at the gala?” Right. I didn't tell her about it. I start spilling everything to her, not missi
༺RAYNE༻ “A surprise?” I peer at Liam, my curiosity piqued. What kind of surprise could he have prepared for me? Jonathan opens the door and Liam steps out of the car. With the door still being held open for me, I come out slowly. And that's when I see it. We're parked in front of the diner we drove past when we first came to Albany. Dine and Dance. “What's going on?” I glance at Liam. “Why have you brought me here?” “You wanted to come here, didn't you?” he says in a way that seems the words are heavy on his tongue. I blink at him. Since when did he care so much about what I want to do? This is so unlike him. “It wouldn't hurt to relax and unwind for a few hours before we go to the airport,” Liam says flatly. “Maybe this place will help take your mind off things.” He gestures towards the diner, like he’s trying to convince himself that it’s a good idea as much as he’s trying to convince me. I bet he's just trying to make me feel good. He's trying to make up for what happened