I quickly sprang into action, holding Andres' hand midair and pulled Samantha away from harm's way. I could feel the anger and frustration boiling up inside of me, but I managed to keep a calm facade on the outside."Not. One. More. Move," I growled, my eyes locked on him.Andres tried to struggle against my grip, but I held firm. "Let go of me, Lucas. You don't know what you're doing.""Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing," I replied, my voice dripping with disdain."I'm stopping you from making a huge mistake, because I swear with everything I have if your finger touches her… then by God, I'll damn the consequences and kill you,"We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the tension in the room almost palpable. Finally, Andres relented, lowering his hand and stepping back."You're not worth it, Lucas," he spat. "None of this is worth it."He sneered at me, pulling his arm out of my grasp. "You always were the weak one, Lucas. You don't have what it takes to lead this com
"Holy cow!" Valerie's scream and jump took me aback. I didn't expect such a reaction from her. It was my first time seeing her, but I recognized her from the pictures Samantha had shown me. She was a beautiful young lady with long black hair, a slim body and an infectious smile.Valerie started talking so fast I could barely keep up with her. "Oh my goodness, Lucas! I can't believe it's you. Samantha told me so much about you, but she never mentioned your last name. I didn't realize it was Hernandez. Wow, what a small world!"I smiled at her and replied, "Yes, it is. It's nice to finally meet you…,""Valerie, the name's Valerie," she replied and stretched her hands for a handshake.I reached out and took her hands in mine, "Nice to meet you Valerie," I said."The pleasure is mine,"She continued, "I can't believe Samantha didn't tell me the truth. She said you were just a normal dude she went out on a date with, never knew it was Lucas Hernandez!"I looked at Samantha, who was standin
I was sitting in the living room, scrolling through my emails when Valerie walked in. She was wearing an apron and I could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen."Hey, what are you making?" I asked, looking up at her."Chicken alfredo," she replied with a smile. "I know it's your favorite."I grinned, feeling my mouth water at the thought of the creamy pasta dish. "Thanks, Val. You're the best."Valerie chuckled and walked over to the couch, sitting down next to me. "So, have you heard from Lucas yet?" she asked, her tone casual.I tensed up at the mention of his name, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement. "No, not yet," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.Valerie raised an eyebrow, her eyes scanning my face. "It's been over a week since you signed the contract marriage with him. Don't you think he should have called by now?"I shrugged, trying to hide the disappointment in my expression. "I don't know. Maybe he's just busy."Valerie shook her head, her expression d
I hesitated for a moment when I saw Lucas's name on my phone screen. Part of me wanted to let it ring, to let the call go to voicemail and avoid whatever conversation was to come. But another part of me, the part that had been missing him since the last time we spoke, urged me to answer.Finally, I gave in and answered the call, trying to sound casual even though my heart was racing. "Hello, Lucas.". I watched with hidden amusement as Valerie quickly dropped the plate on the sink and rushed to the living room. She stood beside me curiousity sputtered on her face, she mimed "I'm sorry," and I rolled my eyes at her… Valerie was a handful."Samantha, how are you?" His voice came through the phone, smooth and unbothered… heck he was supposed to call me, I'm not his wife I know but he would present me to the public and most importantly his father, courtesy demand he called at least!"You're going overboard with this Samantha," I thought to myself."I'm good, thanks. How about you?"s"I'm d
"Damn," Samantha groaned as I took a sharp turn and swerved to the other side of the road, I couldn't afford to ruin her first meeting with Father. I drove at high speed and in no time, I pulled up in front of the high fashion store. I noticed the amazed look on Samantha's face but time was running out and he hated to wait.I knew she was wondering what was happening and why we were there because her face was etched in surprise. I got out of the car and opened the door for her."Come on, we're going shopping," I said with a smile.As soon as we got into the reception, the manager came to welcome us."Good evening, Mr. Hernandez. It's a pleasure to have you in our store today. How may we be of assistance?" the manager said, bowing slightly."Good evening, John. I need a dress for my date tonight," I replied, gesturing towards Samantha.The manager nodded as he beckoned to a man who looked like he was in his mid forties, "He's one of the senior staff, and he'll help you with whatever yo
Samantha and I looked at each other and let out a fake cough.He chuckled,"You youngies don't need to shy away from things like this, what's the point of waiting?" He asked, as he took a sip of his wine.Samantha let out a fake cough, and I quickly followed suit. "Oh, sorry about that Dad, we've just been dealing with allergies lately," I said, trying to divert attention away from Samantha's discomfort.Father said with a wave of hand. "No need to apologize, my boy. I just love the idea of you two giving me some beautiful grandchildren. Imagine how good-looking they would be!"Samantha looked at me with a knowing expression, and I couldn't help but smirk at her. She was clearly uneasy with the topic, but I could tell she was trying her best to hide it from my father."Yeah, Dad, that would be something, wouldn't it?" I said, playing along with the fantasy. "I mean, just think of how great it would be to see little versions of us running around."Samantha let out a small laugh, but I c
I watched helplessly as Lucas drove off, leaving me alone on a lonely highway. I couldn't believe it. I was so angry and stranded at the same time. How could he just drop me off like that? I tried to order a taxi back to my house, but the app kept showing "no cars available."I sighed, "Just great," I was beginning to get frustrated, and I could feel the heat rising from within me. I took a deep breath, in a bid to calm myself down."What is wrong with this stupid app? Why isn't it working, today of all days" I muttered to myself as I tried to order a taxi for the umpteenth time. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a taxi arrived. As I got in, I was relieved to be leaving the lonely highway behind."Who does he think he is? Treating me like some object that he can just dump wherever he likes," I soliloquized to myself. I couldn't believe that I agreed to this contract marriage. I did it for the money, but Lucas was making it so dif
I took a deep breath as I stormed out of the lounge. I couldn't explain how I felt. After I saw Lucas and Audrey having a great time together, anger seemed to get a better part of me. Just as I was about to step out of the club, Andres followed me."Are you okay, Samantha?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.I turned to face him, forcing a smile on my face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed some fresh air," I lied.Andres looked at me skeptically. "Are you sure? You looked a bit...jealous back there."I clenched my fist at his words, not wanting to give him any indication of how I truly felt. "Jealous, of what exactly?... Pfft" I said, trying to sound convincing. "It's just the tension in there, you know?"Andres nodded, seeming to believe my excuse. "Yeah, I get it. It can be overwhelming sometimes," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "But don't worry, let's just have fun tonight."I sighed,"I agree with you totally Andres, but I've kinda lost my groove for tonight, I really thi