MISHA WAS ALREADY opening the door of the car when she noticed that Soren was holding an umbrella—she looked up and yes, it was raining, but Soren’s smile was so alluring and so bright that she noticed it first before the rain. But then, why would she notice the rain first? She was sure God made that lovely rain that afternoon for everyone but Soren’s smile, he made it beautiful just for her. The clouds were dark but Soren and his smile were little suns giving her light. She wanted to grin at that thought. It was only just then that she noticed the black pickup truck parked at the opposite side of the road. She briefly wondered why he didn’t park right in front of their house. Did he want his arrival to be surreptitious to his family? So, that inquisition affected him after all. Soren approached the car as Misha was alighting from the car and quickly positioned the umbrella above her, protecting her from the rain, not minding if he’d be the one getting wet.“Hi, Soren,” M
“I WILL DATE SOREN?” Misha asked Maggie.“Yes, so Soren won’t be able to stop us while inside the coffee shop,” Maggie replied. “Yana and I will go there unannounced.”“But will the crew cooperate?” Yana asked.“Of course, we will charm them,” Maggie chuckled. “Besides, they already know us. They saw how Soren was so attentive to us. But we won’t tell them that it’s the purse we’re investigating. We’ll think of another reason why we want to look at the footage.”“What reason?” Misha asked.“I’ll think about it. I’m sure I can come up, or Yana, or you with a reason before we go to the coffee shop.”“When will we do it?” Yana asked.“Tomorrow morning,” Maggie answered. “Before they could erase the incriminating footage.”“If Soren is guilty of stealing the purse, then, he‘d erase it immediately. Maybe he had erased it after we left the coffee shop.”“Maybe, but we’ll see,” Maggie said. “We’ll be there at ten o’ clock. He probably hadn’t realized at that time that he had to clean out the
“WHAT DID YOU see?” Misha asked Yana, not really sure whether she was prepared to hear the answer.She heard Yana sigh, and it made Misha’s heart thud against her chest. That sigh sounded like someone was caught doing something crooked. Would this be the end of whatever she and Soren had? Soren stealing her purse would prove a lot of things. He was really a kleptomaniac. Yes, she returned her purse but it was probably just an afterthought. Maybe, he thought that returning it to her would impress her, especially with the rain and his umbrella. Imagine, a handsome billionaire like him taking time and effort to return her purse when he could just call her up and tell her about so she could pick it up at the coffee shop.It would also prove that he was indeed a liar. He lied about picking up the purse from the floor. It would also prove, okay, not really prove, but it would serve as a circumstantial evidence that he was a sex addict because he would lie and invent a story just so he could
MISHA WANTED TO slap her forehead as Soren made a U-turn to make the journey to his house. What was she thinking, really? The goal was to A-V-O-I-D him. The resolution of the mystery of the purse didn’t completely change it. She really should make a statement shirt that said “Avoid Soren” and start wearing it so she would not forget it, especially at times when she was with her and he was being very charming and alluring. But it really wasn’t too late as she still could change her mind and ask him to just take her home and she knew that he wouldn’t make a fuss out it. But it would offend him, she also knew that. It would be just like telling him that he couldn’t be trusted and she was afraid that he would do something unpleasant to her while she was in his home. But she had all the rights to be wary. It was his home and he could get all the privacy he wanted for him and her there. And there were a lot of things he could do to make her submissive to all the sinful things he wanted to d
“WHAT I MEANT to say was ‘virtuous,’” she said, trying to save face when she really said the right word. She would always jokingly brag about it—her virginity— to her female friends but never to her male friends, especially to Soren, who, if he really was a naughty boy, might get the wrong impression. He might think she was teasing him or challenging him to pop her cherry. I’m, a virgin, so I would be a valuable addition to your collection, so come and get me, might be his interpretation of what she just told him, suddenly revealing to him that she was a virgin.“But are you a virgin?” Soren, smiling, asked him.She cleared her throat. “Yes.”“Admirable” he said, beaming, like he was proud of her. “Considering that in your profession, temptations abound.”“Yes, there are many temptations in my profession but I really rather that we don’t talk about my virginity.”“Of course,” he agreed, still smiling. “Questions about someone’s virginity’s never part of a slam book.” “Well, I got a f
THE MOMENT SOREN’S lips touched hers, she made what was probably the quickest and the most daring decision she had made in her whole life—she kissed him back. And what was more outrageous was she put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him closer to her, making the kiss between them deeper.Her mind was screaming in protest but her heart was hearing none of it.Soren’s kiss was passionate, eager, enthusiastic, hungry but not… perverted or debauched. No tongue action, no groping, his hands were behaved, both gently touching her hips. She was no virgin when it came to kisses and she knew that a passionate kiss involved some tongue actions and groping. The many kissing scenes she had seen in many movies would also attest to it. Or was it too early to conclude? Maybe Soren and his tongue and hands were just warming up. But a minute had passed and the kiss was still gentle. It was a pity because she thought she was ready to return whatever intensity his kiss would reach. Yes, she w
MISHA DIDN’T RESIST with the first kiss so there was no reason to resist now. She could hear some protestation from a little corner in her mind but her heart quickly shushed it down—there was no doubt now that she had fallen for Soren. And who could blame her? Soren had been nothing but a knight-in-shining-armour in her eyes. There were nasty rumors about him but she wasn’t seeing or even sensing those rumors every time they were together. No hints at all that they were true. All she could see were his kindness and his sincerity and his concerns for her. No indications of him as a drug addict, a liar, a kleptomaniac and a sex addict. How could someone so neat, so decent and polite be a drug and sex addict? And he hadn’t lied to her, not even the whitest of lies, or stole from her. Her purse was him for the taking and it should have evoked all the kleptomaniac tendencies in him but he immediately returned it to her, even though it was raining, even though he knew that he wasn’t welco
MISHA WANTED TO laugh as Soren’s face darkened a bit with confusion.She playfully pressed his nose with her finger. “Don’t tell me you believe it?” Misha told him.“Why not?” He held her finger and kissed its tip.“Jesus, Soren, haven’t you looked in a mirror?”Soren wanted to grimace as confusion flashed again in his eyes.“You are the spitting image of your father,” she said. “That’s why I immediately had an idea on who you might be when we first met.”“Oh, okay,” he said, his face still a bit bothered, and she didn’t know why. He still had doubts that what she said—that he might be adopted—could be true? Unbelievable, he looked a younger version of his father. But then, what was wrong with being adopted these days? Nothing, as long as your parents loved you. Oof, his father obviously wasn’t that enamored with Soren, probably the reason why he was so eager to latch on to what she uttered. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the evidence that he was his father’s son was too strong. Any j
SOREN SHOOK HIS HEAD as the elevator door opened. What was he thinking making love with Misha? They went here in this hotel so they could avoid the flood. They wouldn’t even need a bed as they could spend the next hours sitting on a couch waiting for the rain to stop.Or maybe, he could ask Misha to reveal to him her secret—if her secret was huge, it surely would take hours for him to process it and the rain and the flood would have long been gone by the time.“Do we really need to get a room?” Misha asked him while they were walking at the hallway. “We can just stay at the coffee shop.”“We can’t stay there for three to four hours,” he said. “The owner might think we’re up to something,” he joked.“Then, we transfer to another restaurant.”“I didn’t think of that,” he said. “But too late for now, we already have a room.” He stopped in front of a room. “Okay, here it is,” he said and opened it with the key card. He stepped inside with Misha walking behind her.It was just a single ro
“YOU HAVE A secret,” Soren said, his tongue pushing, forcing those words out of his mouth.“I do,” Misha said bashfully, her face threatening to redden.And what secret could that be? If Soren would take into consideration the conversation he just had with Ellis, he should already have an idea what that secret might be, and he vacillated on whether he would allow Misha to reveal it to him, or that they should just proceed with his proposal. If that was Misha’s secret, he really didn’t need to know about it or confirm it—he’d still marry her and bury that secret in the past. A dozen dark secrets from her would not hinder him from marrying her, but if divulging it to him would make her breathe easier, he was ready to listen to her.“What is it?” he asked and held his breath.“It’s embarrassing,” she said.He swallowed an imaginary lump in his throat.“You look nervous,” she noticed and chuckled.He chuckled, too. “It’s because don’t know what secret you’re going to tell me,” he said and
“WHAT?” SOREN ASKED, although he clearly heard what Ellis said. He was thinking that he just used the wrong word.Rape?That word would never crop out in a conversation about Misha.“Somebody asked me if I know that Misha was allegedly raped in the past.”“Are you serious?”“So you didn’t know?”“I didn’t,” he said.“But is it true?” Ellis asked, he paused and then he added, “You don’t have to answer it.”“No, I will answer it,” Soren said, he wasn’t sure if he’d be amused or annoyed or would be angry. “It’s not true.” If something like that had happened to Misha, he was sure she would tell him about it. “Who told you about it?”“It doesn’t really matter, he only read it on social media, so it’s just a rumor, which is possibly not true,” Ellis said. “I can give you the link if you want.”“Please do,” he said.“I’ll send it to you later. Is Misha aware of it? That some people are spreading nasty rumors against her?’“I don’t think so,” Soren said. “She’s with me right now. If she’s awa
SOREN LOOKED STRAIGHT into Kayla’s eyes and she didn’t blink, and there was no denying that he could sense sincerity in her words—and it was blowing his mind. He had always thought that the word sincerity was never in her vocabulary. “You want to go Misha’s house and talk to her parents and convince them that all these rumors against me were all baseless?” he asked her just to make things really clear.“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.He smiled wryly. “I don’t think that’s possible,” he said.“What’s not possible?”“Them letting you inside their house.”“Even when my intentions are good?”“Even when your intentions will save the world from all evil things,” he said matter-of-factly. “Her father might choke you… I mean, well, he might not, I mean, he won’t, because that would send him to jail, but I’m just trying to illustrate how angry he is with you and I’m sure he’d do something that will show the magnitude of his anger towards you, not just in a physical way. And her mother
“Kayla and Brix?” Misha repeated what Soren said. “The Kayla and Brix?”“Yes, the infamous duo,” he answered. “They’re already at the living room as we speak.”“What do they want?” she asked, her voice sounding alarmed.“I haven’t spoken to them but neither looked combative.”They’re treacherous,” she said. “They would look calm in front of you, say nice things, so they will drop your guard down and then they will put out their knives and attack you.”“Wow,” he muttered. “That’s… that’s imaginative.”“I mean, why would Brix go there if they mean no harm? Brix is her attack dog. If Kayla wants just some conversation, she would go alone. If she wants someone punched, he’d bring Brix along.”‘I don’t know,” he said. “I will talk to them.”“Maybe you should call the police first.”“He chuckled. “They haven’t done any crime, Misha.”“But I suspect that they will.”“If they mean to harm me, why would Kayla go with Brix?” he said. “Brix can do the job alone, there’s no need to incriminate he
“Hello.”Misha wanted to smile the moment she heard Soren’s voice from the other line. It was just one word, and still it was enough to convey massive amount of loneliness and frustration. His past “hellos” to her calls used to happily jump into her ear and dance inside it; now it just sounded sad, like it wanted to just curl up inside her ear and sob .“Hi, are you still driving?” she asked him.“No, I’m home.”“And Cindy?”“I dropped her off at a mall.”“How was she?”“Disappointed,” he said. “But she really wanted to help, so she’s planning to talk to Vera, maybe, Vera talking to your parents would do some good. At least, everything she’d say about working for Kayla wouldn’t be hearsay, and she might have really incriminating evidence.”“Yes,” she agreed, “that would be good.”“So,” he breathed hard, “what’s the verdict?’ Are you calling me to say we should call it quits for real this time? Would this be our last conversation?”And Misha thought she would never be this happy hearin
Misha’s father took the phone from his wife’s hands and looked at the screen.Misha watched her father’s expression become grimmer by the second. And after a minute, he returned the phone to Ruth and glared at Soren, who looked helpless at the moment, like a defendant in a court waiting if the judge would set him free or give him a life sentence. Worse, Soren didn’t know what his crime was. Misha grabbed the phone from Ruth and looked at the screen: YouTube was splashed on it and there was a video which thumbnail was of a man who resembled Soren. No, it was indeed Soren. She clicked Play and watched it. “Get out of my house!” her father ordered Soren, his voice firm.Soren stood up and looked at Misha. “What is it?” he asked her.Cindy stood beside Soren.Misha stood up, grabbed Soren’s hand and pulled him. “It’s a video of you making a punching bag out of another man,” she told him softly while she was leading him to the door, still holding his hand while her other hand held Ruth’s
SOREN HAD ANTICIPATED that Cindy might change her mind and that he shouldn’t leave her even for a one second, it was just that he couldn’t, for the life of him, reject or delay Misha’s phone call. If somebody else was calling, he wouldn’t even touch his phone and just let it ring or reject it outright.He was reaching for his phone in his pocket, thinking of trying to see if he had someone in his contacts that might have Cindy’s phone number, while re-entering his shop. He got his phone out and was about to put it on his ear when he saw someone approaching a table—Cindy. She sat back at the table, noticed him and smiled at him.He walked briskly towards her. “I thought you left,” he said as he sat in front of her.“I just went to the rest room,” she said.“Yeah, of course,” he said, smiling and feeling relieved, like a mountain had been dislodged off his chest. He exhaled lightly and said, as casual as he could, “I want you to come with me.”And there was an immediate apprehension on
“WHY WOULD KAYLA want my photos?” Soren asked Cindy.“Not just any photos,” she answered. “Kayla wants sensitive ones, like a girl kissing you.”“Like when you kissed me?” he asked, his voice sombre.And she blushed immensely. “Yes,” she said. “Kayla wants some photos that will show you that you’re not nice.”“So you’re also working for Kayla?”“No,” she quickly denied, fidgeting. “It was Vera who dared me to kiss you. I didn’t know then that she was working for Kayla, I swear. She knew you’re one of my crushes… she said she’d treat me… take to a bar if I’d do it… I’m so sorry about that.” She reached for her pocket. ‘I have pictures when we were in the bar that day on my phone, me and Vera… I can show it to you…”Soren’s phone rang while she still was reaching for her phone.He reluctantly picked his phone from his pocket. But his eyes widened as he saw who was calling him—it was Misha.He immediately stood up, signalling at Cindy with his hand for her to stay at her seat—tio which s