Chapter 32: Chapter 32
ESMERALDA loosened her grip on Aiden’s arm.
“Richard?” she could not help uttering his name. Richard was here in Aiden’s brother’s party himself.
“We are here, and I am not late,” he said and shook Aiden’s hand. “We won’t miss it for the world.”
Richard glanced at her and smiled. He was giving her an impersonal smile for someone he had seen for the first time.
“Hello,” he said in a smooth tone.
As if there was an imaginary lump in her throat because tears welled up her eyes. Her heart was shouting for Richard. Was it fate that brought them to meet at the party? Just when she had accepted that he was not coming back, he suddenly showed up.
She wanted to introduce herself as Esmeralda. Maybe he just did not recognize her. Maybe he had forgotten about her. That’s why he did not try to contact her. She had a lot of questions. She wanted to know a lot of things. Though she did not know how to voice them all because her emotions were pouring.
“Meet Esmeralda Solomon, my future wife,” she heard Aiden introduced. She did not hear the rest of the things he said because she was busy staring at Richard. “Esmeralda, I would like you to meet my brother, Amadeus dela Merced.”
Amadeus dela Merced. Not Richard Infante.
Esmeralda could not believe as he stared at Aiden's brother. Was it a coincidence that Amadeus looked like Richard?
He and Richard are not one. Richard was in Surigao now, in his small resort. They only looked alike. They just sound the same. They are both arrogant, stubborn, careless about other people’s feelings and…
She swallowed when she remembered Richard’s stares with anger even though he did not know her that much. That she had done him wrong even though there was not.
It would only be possible if he was Amadeus dela Merced, and he knew that I'm the woman his brother was marrying.
Esmeralda felt like someone shot her, and the bullet went straight to her heart. She let Amadeus fooled her. He was a soldier who invaded her territory without her knowing it. She fell on his trap.
But she was still alive. She was awake while facing this nightmare. Richard, the man she gave her heart and body, and Amadeus, Aiden's brother who hated her to the core, were one.
Amadeus's lips twitched as if he knew how shattered she was inside. How he ruined their happy memories.
He looked like a gentleman when he held her hand. She could not take her eyes off him as he kissed the back of her hand. "At last, I got to meet you, Esmeralda," he said in a seductive voice. "I'm glad that Aiden brought you here. I thought I would never meet you before your wedding."
She hid the anger and pain she felt with a mask. If Amadeus thought that the war was over and he had won, he was wrong. It was not the time for her to cry and act like a loser. The real battle between them had just started.
She smiled and pulled her hand back. She could still feel his warm lips against her skin. She discreetly swept on the side of her gown the part where he left his mark. “Thank you for inviting me to your party, Mr. dela Merced,” she said in a formal tone. She felt satisfied when she saw him pressed his lips firmly as he followed her hand. It must be an insult to him to erase the mark of his kiss on her skin.
She was glad to have finally found her voice. She wanted to ask Aiden to go home. That she could not stand the party with his brother—the big liar. But she had no idea what was Amadeus' other plans.
Amadeus laughed softly. “Mr. dela Merced? I did not know that you're that formal toward your boyfriend's brother. Please call me 'Amadeus.'"
“Amadeus?” she uttered as her tongue toyed with his name. His name was foreign to her. She was used to calling him ‘Richard.’
She clenched her fist. He was not Richard. There was no Richard. Richard was a fictional persona Amadeus dela Merced created to trick her. He pretended to be someone else to seduce her and tear her down. He wanted to destroy her because she was a bad woman to him. And I gave him an ace to ruin my name to Aiden.
I need to tell Aiden about Amadeus before it’s too late. Esmeralda held on to Aiden’s hand tight. I hope Aiden would understand why I gave myself to someone else. And that was my biggest mistake.
They sat at the table beside the dance floor. Esmeralda subtly looked around her to avoid talking to Amadeus. “You look gorgeous, Esmeralda. I now understand why my brother wanted to marry you. Anyone would fall for your beauty,” he said meaningfully.
Her teeth clenched, but she forced a smile. He already knew her secret. How she was not really in love with Aiden, and she only needed to marry him for her brother's medical treatment.
“Thank you,” she replied and grabbed the wine glass.
“Where is the girl you said who changed you, Brother? I want to meet the lucky woman,” Aiden said in excitement and rubbed his palms together.
Esmeralda drank her water at once because she felt like her heart was exploding. There was another woman in his life—the woman he loved and whom he would take seriously. While she was the woman whose life he wanted to ruin.
“You’ll meet her later. Aiden, can I borrow Esmeralda? I would like to dance with my future sister-in-law,” Amadeus said.
Esmeralda caught Aiden’s arm. She glanced at him in fear. But Aiden failed to notice her silent pleading.
He was smiling as he held out her hand to Amadeus. “Sure, Brother. As long as you take good care of Esmeralda.”
“I will,” Amadeus promised.