Chapter 35: Chapter 35
ESMERALDA suddenly lifted her head. That was her name. Amadeus called her name. She was confused. What was happening? Was there another Esmeralda Solomon in that place aside from her? How could he give her name to his woman?
She stared at the stage dumbfounded, and Amadeus was smiling at her as he extended his hand. “Esmeralda, my angel, come up here on stage. I want to show everyone the woman who saved me.”
And all eyes were on her. She opened her mouth to deny, but when she turned to Aiden, she saw sadness and confusion in his eyes. “What is the meaning of this? Do you know each other? Are you two having an affair?” he asked weakly and stood up abruptly.
“Aiden, I can explain,” she implored and held his arm. But she only saw nothing in his eyes but anger.
“Esmeralda,” Amadeus called and walked toward her. He held her free hand. “I know you said that you don’t believe that I love you. I hope you’re convinced now. And everyone already knew how I feel.”
Esmeralda was light-headed. She did not know what to do. She wanted to push Amadeus away, but before she could do that, he pulled the back of her head and claimed her lips.
She felt like she was hit by the impact of a meteorite. Her whole being was shaken. Amadeus was kissing her in front of everyone after declaring his love for her. It was a lie. She should be disgusted by his kisses and his touch. But she felt her knees weakened, and her lips automatically parted to accept him. Her hand let go of Aiden on its own accord and held Amadeus's shoulder to support herself. There was something with her body that only obeyed Amadeus.
Her heart was like parched earth showered abundantly. She could not understand her reaction. He was her enemy. He wanted to ruin her and her life. But one kiss from him and the emptiness in her heart was filled. She did not care what was right or wrong anymore.
When she opened her eyes, everyone was clapping. That was when Esmeralda came back to her senses. She let Amadeus kiss her in front of so many people. In front of Aiden. She felt light-headed.
When she turned, Aiden was not in his seat anymore. He was walking away with long strides. "Aiden…" she called.
But Amadeus had already grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him. “If you don’t want to embarrass my brother further, you won’t go after him. Stay with me,” he whispered in a low but firm voice.
"We need to talk right now, or I'll leave you hanging like a fool here," she threatened. She had nothing to lose anymore because he already ruined everything. And she would never pretend she was all right in front of these people for Amadeus's satisfaction. She was about to explode any moment from now.
He planted a kiss on her forehead. “She’s a bit shy. She is not expecting this. She wanted me all for herself to show how much she appreciates me. If you’ll excuse us,” Amadeus told the guests who wanted to congratulate them. And they laughed as they were about to do something malicious.
Esmeralda could no longer smile and pretend she was happy. She pressed her lips as he led her to the elevator. She was clenching her fist while he was smiling at the people riding with them as he held her by the elbow. She folded her arms so he could not touch her. She needed to gather all her sanity to face Amadeus. She should not let herself be fooled again. Because of the simple mistake that her life was ruined.
Esmeralda did not hold herself back anymore. The moment Amadeus closed the door, her hand flew into his face for a loud slap. He was stunned and caught his hurt cheek. “Esmeralda!” he called and tried to hold her hand. “You’re hurt. Don’t do that again.”
She pulled her hand away. "Don't you dare touch me. Don't pretend that you are worried about me. You want to see me hurt, don't you?"
He gestured his hand. “Not like this. I don’t want you to hurt yourself…”
"The pain in my hand was nothing compared to the pain I feel inside. You have no soul. You are the worst liar ever. You will not stop until you make sure you've broken Aiden and me apart, until you ruin me."
“I’m not destroying you, Esmeralda. You did it yourself," he said in a mocking tone and walked to the minibar to pour wine.
Esmeralda fell silent, and her lips quivered. He was right. It was her fault she was deceived. What was her defense? Nothing. Because she chose it. She chose to be happy with him, even just for a moment. She shut her eyes tight to stop her tears from falling. And now, she had to pay the price of that temporary happiness forever.
Amadeus pinched her chin. "But you were not ruined, were you? You have become the envy of many. Everyone wants to be you. They wanted to be in your position. You are my angel, and no matter what they do, they won't reach that status."
Esmeralda opened her eyes and shot his mocking eyes with a glare. “Don’t call me that. Everything you told me was a lie. They have nothing to envy about me.” He ruined all the beautiful memories she had with Richard. “You must be happy to think that you have torn me down.”
He shook his head and put his hand down. "No. I am furious and baffled, actually. You still want to marry Aiden," he said resentfully. "After everything that happened between us…"
She smiled sarcastically. “After being fooled by another man, I still wanted to marry him?” she continued. “Do you really think I would choose you over Aiden? You know what I’m after you when something between us, right?”