Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chloe Montclair

"We need to talk." He said facing me.

"I don't want to talk to you." I replied in a stubborn tone. I don't know what his problem is... Very arrogant and annoying.

I'm seriously thinking about how the woman he's going to end up with copes with this behavior of his.

"Chloe, I'm not joking. We.. need ..to.. talk." He said through gritted teeth.

From his look, I know he wasn't joking and I do not want Ms. Steve to suspect any other thing than the one she has in her head already.

"Fine!" I finally succumbed. He walked out and just as I tried to follow him, I heard my friend's voice talking to Ms. Steve.

"What's going on between the two? Are they about to go and kill each other now?." I heard Tiana asked her in a worried tone.

"Silly girl." Ms. Steve chuckled. "I told him to come and have a peaceful talk with his woman. They can't continue this way if they want things to work out between them." I do not wait to hear the rest and walk away. Poor woman, she has no idea all these are nothing but lies.

Will she also hate me if she finds out I have been lying to her all along?- I thought.

Chloe, stop worrying about anything for now. She won't find out anyway- I reminded myself.

•

"What do you want?." I'm standing in front of him at the balcony of his house. The view here is always pleasant to watch.

"Stop using that tone on me, woman! I brought you here! This is my house and my rules! I can do whatsoever I wish to and no one dares question my authority." He said in a very scary tone.

Too bad, I'm too stubborn to listen to that. I don't care if he's going to kill me. I will not allow him to treat me like a piece of trash.

"Ken, what do you want from me? I do not have all day for this. Besides, when are we signing the contract and me getting out of this place? You only kept me here for a week now and I can't do anything. Our agreement was for you to pay me and I do my job." I told him.

I was expecting to hear him say something at least but for 30 seconds, I heard him say nothing. I look up at his face and saw him staring down at me. The look on his face, I can't pinpoint it.

"Wh... Why... Why are you looking at me like that? Di... Did I.. Did I say anything wrong?." I stuttered.

"You've got a lot of nerves huh?." He asked as he take a step closer to me. I took one back immediately. This look on his face isn't funny and so intimidating.

"W.. wh.. what do you think you're doing?." I stuttered again. The more he take a step forward, the more I took one backward and I mentally hissed the moment my back hit the wall.

"What kind of a girl are you?." He asked as he caressed my cheek. My breath got hitched instantly. I couldn't move to talk or do anything. I just close my eyes to feel his touch.

"Why do you keep testing my patience? Despite knowing the kind of a man that I am. You know, I can make you vanish forever and no one is going to ask about you or try to find you, right?." He whispered to my ear.

"Answer me while I talk to you." He whispered again. I opened my eyes slowly and look up straight into his eyes.

"What do you want from me? I've been doing all you've asked me to for the past days now." I said in a soft tone.

"Do you know right now, you're-" He was caressing my cheek right to my lip when all of a sudden, he backed off and take a few steps away from me with his back facing me.

Oh my God! What's wrong with me? Why is my heart beating so fast? And, why am I always affected by his touch?

"We're not going for the surgery anymore." He said.

"What?! But why?! You found someone else to act as your fake girlfriend?." I asked him.

"Can you just keep your voice down?." He face me as he glared at me angrily.

"But you just said-"

"I found someone who will prove that you're innocent and, you were not the one who killed your mom." He said.

"What?!! You found someone? How? When and, how is that even possible?." I bombard him with questions.

He explained to me he has been looking out for someone who will face the media and told them she hurt my mom instead. And that person was from the same prison that I left but, in another section.

"But why? I thought we both agreed to do things our way. We agreed already."

"I can't allow you to change who you're all in the name you want to help me instead, I'm clearing your name from a bad record. You should be happy and thank me instead. Why are you getting upset."

"What about the person you asked to lie? What will the world say? They will call her names for what she hasn't done."

"Did you kill your mom?."

"Of course, not!"

"And yet, the society painted you black. Look, you should be happy I'm trying to help you here. Besides, she will be free once all the scandals are down again. I'm paying her handsomely. You should be grateful to me for trying to help you and instead, I get this in return." He hissed and rolled his eyes at me.

"But, I don't want it. I want to go for facial surgery. I want to do this." I said stubbornly.

"In this game." He started as he take just a step closer to me. "I made the order and not you. What I say, you have to accept it without any complaint... Is that clear?."

"But I-"

"Is that clear Ms. Montclair?."

"Fine!"

"Good! My lawyer is going to prepare the contract within two days now. John will bring it over to you and then, you can sign it. After signing that contract, whatever is going on between us should be confidential. You must not tell anyone anything about us again."

"Well, I have no one to talk to anyways."

"You do. Your friend. She mustn't hear anything about our discussion anymore."

"She's my friend and she has the right to know about everything going on."

"Then, be ready to face the consequences. In the contract, it's written if you disclose any of our discussions with anyone, you're to compensate me with an amount of $4,000 million."

"What?! Are you crazy? $4,000 million? That's two times the money you promised to pay me! Where do you expect me to get money like that from?!!" I busted at him.

"Reason why you shouldn't cross the limit. Plus, watch out for the news tonight." He said and left my presence.

I swear this man is not human at all. No one is going to tell me he's nothing but a robot. He has no human feeling at all.

•

"Hey! Is everything okay between you two? What did you go out to talk about?."

"Nothing. Just the usual talk." I said not interested in further explaining myself to her. This crazy guy has made the situation worse for him. How is this possible for me not to talk to her about anything that involves us? She's my friend for goodness sake!

"Are you crazy, Chloe? Are you trying to hide things from me now?." She glared at me.

Oh please! Whatever! I don't care about his threat.

"Tiana, I'm scared. He told me, I do not have to go for the facial surgery anymore, he found someone ready to take up the blame and confess she was the one who hurt my mom and not me."

"What?!!! Really?!" Wait, is she happy or what?

"You're happy?." I can't help but ask her.

"Of course, I'm. Do you know how worried I was that you were going to change your appearance all in the name of revenge? Do you even have the idea of the pains you're going to go through all because of that? So, who's this person he paid to do all these jobs? Mr stranger likes you, huh?."

"Stop it! He's a jerk! He's only doing all these for his benefit."

"That's not true. Come on, girl. You should be happy. Finally! Your name will be cleared and you can be free just like before."

"But, what about the girl that's going to take the blame? Everyone might hate her."

"Everyone hates you because you're the daughter of the man who helped tons of people when he was alive. They were shocked to find out you killed your mother just because of some wealth which they had no idea you were frame. But in this case, it is different. No one knows her, they might be upset for a few days and, that will be all. That's the kind of society we live in. No matter what comes, once it's past a few days or a week or two, they tend to forget about it so, don't worry. That girl is going to be fine. I trust your boyfriend on this."

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Whatever! No matter how much you tried to deny it, he's still your boyfriend and you know that. And I'm also positive, he's going to be your husband soon... Do you want to bet?."

"I do not wish to bet with you because you're saying crazy things that will never come true. I will never marry that asshole man! He's a jerk and I don't like him."

"Really? Are you sure about that? If you're that positive then, let's make a bet. It's just a bet for now but, once you make it... And If you fail, you're going to pay for it."

"And you, what if you fail?."

"Then, I'm going to be your first kid godmother."

I shook my head at her. "You're crazy, Tiana. Come on, I'm hungry."

"I know. Let's go get your stomach filled." We both laugh and she drags me out of the room.

•

When Ken told me earlier this afternoon I should be watching out for the news this evening, I've been trying to make myself available. I want to witness things myself.

Then, Christiana walked in. "Chloe, it's channel 265!" She exclaimed as she rushed into my room.

I hurriedly picked up the TV control and changed the channel. Then, I saw the news. I've been acquitted of the crime against me. According to the reporter, a lady came over to the station and confessed to the incident that occurred almost 4 years back.

She has been monitoring my mom for a while and, she decides to trace her down and know every bit of her movement. She learn that she has a lot of jewelry and she tried to take them from her. She sneaked into our house with the- oh my goodness! This!

I stay there with my eyes widened open. This is the exact dress I put on the same day I went home to get the documents from Mom's room. Same dress, shoe. But, her face is invisible.

I finished watching the news and I can't be happier than this but, some part of me still not okay with how things are going.

"Oh my! Congratulations to you, Chloe. You're now a free bird." My friend exclaimed happily as she jumped on me.

"Hey girl, you should be happy about this. Why the long face?."

"Sebastian." I said.

"Yes, what about him?."

"He will know that I will be released since someone else's has now taken the blame.

"So, what if he knows? They should be scared of your arrival now not the other way round. Come on, you need to cheer up. Now, you can walk around the city without being scared of people seeing your face and cursing you for no reason." She said.