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Bound By A Contract 20
"Sorry to intrude, but I was sitting opposite you and by chance, I saw what you were researching about. I'm a Pharmacy student at La Prèsa college, Italy," he explained, and when I just nodded my head, he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Do you mind some help?"Instantly, I nodded my head and he pulled out his chair, placing it beside me as he sat down."Thank goodness I was not doing something illegal," I joked to lighten the mood, and he smiled in response. The scent of incensed candles wafted into my nostrils, and I subtly looked him over.He seemed to be around my age with brown hair, just a shade lighter than Cole's, and a pointed chin which jutted out when he smiled. One of his hands were hidden in his trouser pockets, and he leaned forward exposing a rosary on his neck as he pushed the glasses seated on his nose upward and turned to me."I'm Dave, by the way. You sure I'm not disturbing you or something?" He asked, but I shrugged a shoulder."Not at all. I was beginni
Bound By A Contract 21
"Where have you been, Elizabeth?" Cole asked immediately I opened the door. He only ever used my full name when I was in trouble, and when I heard it, I would shake all the way to his office, but this time I rolled my eyes and closed the door.Now, I was not just a secretary."I went out," I responded simply, and glanced at him sitting on the sofa directly opposite the door. He was still dressed in yesterday's clothes, and his hair looked wildly tangled. He looked like a mess."Where to? Your phone was off throughout and I could not reach you nor track down–""Is my phone being tracked?" I interrupted, incredulity dripping from my words. Cole looked at me and shrugged, like I should not have been surprised."You're my personal secretary, so I need to know where you are. At all times," he said."I am no longer working for you and–""But I'm still paying you," Cole retorted, raising his voice by an octave."Until when are you going to lord that fact over me?" I asked and sighed loudly.
Bound By A Contract 22
Cole stopped the car at a high complex building few minutes away from the hotel."What is this place?" I asked, playing with my fingers as I stared at the building.The place was brightly lit, yellow lights casting soft shadows on the people moving past the sidewalks. Two hefty men wearing dark shades stood at the door of the place, with a book in each of their hands."You'll see," he mysteriously answered and walked out of the car, turning around to open my door with his hand outstretched towards me. Like clockwork, I held his hand and stepped out, our fingers instantly lacing through each other's.My face suddenly felt hot and sweaty, and I quickly counted to ten in my head as I tried to calm down. Luckily, Cole was more focused on getting to where the men stood, so he did not see my face.We climbed the few steps forward and stopped in front of the men, and Cole turned to one. "Cole Winston."The bulky guy glanced at the notepad in his hand and nodded, handing Cole a ticket as both
Bound By A Contract 23
"Did you have me followed? You know what, never mind," I said angrily, glaring at the cinema screen."I met him at the e-section of the library, where I was having problems with my search results and he guided me through it," I explained shortly, avoiding Cole's eyes as I tried without success to follow the movie."Just like that?" Cole asked, an angry tone evident in his voice as he balled his hands into fists and began to rub them."Yes. Just like that. All he did was help me," I retorted, my mind already scanning through my bags for the piece of paper Dave had written his number on.I subtly avoided Cole's eyes as I glanced down at the photo. It was taken from the angle of the window where I had sat that day, and I cursed myself inwardly for picking that spot. It made our position look incriminating, but it still was not enough reason for Cole to spring it up on me like this.He grabbed his phone, stuffed it into his pockets and leaned back, crossing his arms in the table as he sig
Bound By A Contract 24
I had arranged to go sight-seeing with Crystal and Beth the next day while the men bonded over a game of soccer.The next morning, I woke up very early to arrange my outfits on the bed, taking a couple of pictures when I finished. My Instagram had been inactive for some days, and Cole's PR had already contacted me about it."You have to post pictures everyday, Liza. They will complain about it, but eventually they'll be the same people rooting for your marriage," the woman advised as she kept us up to date with our publicity in San Francisco.I sighed and drew the curtains open, the blueness of the water immediately reflecting in the room. Social media was slowly becoming an unhealthy companion.I heard a groan behind me."Are you meeting them so early?" Cole asked and stretched his limbs, carrying one of the pillows we used as partitions to his chest. Only one thought crossed my mind as I looked at him: he had an ugly morning face.His hair was dishevelled and stuck out wildly in eve
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I forced my eyes open, the horrid smell of smoke rushing into my nostrils as a tear rolled down my cheeks. "No," I whispered repeatedly, shivering in fear as I looked around the room. I raised my fingers to my face and began to count them, taking deep breaths as I forced myself to calm down.I was in the Maldives in a warm, nice room with a soft bed and surrounded by blue water and clear skies. "Nothing is burning," I called out to myself twice, trying to think of other things even as the smell of burning flesh thickened.I opened my phone and nearly dialled Cole, but I stoppped myself at the last second. He was in a video meeting at the lobby downstairs, and he would most likely ignore my call. I checked the time on the wall clock: Ten am. Kath would still be at work, and I was not close enough to Crystal or Beth to share this problem with either of them.Seeing no other option, I grabbed a journal from my bag, ready to write down a stream of thoughts, when my hand touched something
Bound By A Contract 26
When Cole came back, the girl ran forward to hug him. More like, she padded over to him with an ear splitting grin on her face."Oh, Cole, sweetheart. I've been trying to reach you. There was–"He pushed her away, a frown on his face as he turned to me. "Who is she?""You can ask her. She is in front of you," I calmly responded and leaned back as I watched them in disgust. He squinted his eyes at the girl, staring at her for a moment until his eyes widened in realization."I met you in Spain, right? Maria?" He inquired and the girl shook her head and grabbed his arm."Kiera. I'm also–""What are you doing here then? Did I not pay you off?" Cole interrupted her again harshly, not minding her belly bump as he pushed past her and sat down on a couch.The girl pouted her lips and walked forward to meet him again, trying to hold him but he removed his arm and fixed her with a stern glare."I'm pregnant," she said simply and I almost burst into laughter when Cole continued to look at her wi
Bound By A Contract 27
"So did you resolve it?" I asked Cole immediately I entered the room, but there was no response. He just stared blankly at the wall, and it was only when I cleared my throat the second time that he turned to me."What did you say?""What did she want?" I inquired and he shook his head."She is trying to threaten me," he explained shortly and I furrowed my brows."Of course. She wants to talk, right?"He nodded and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling like an answer was waiting there. I was tempted to throw blame at him, but we did not need that right now."So what do we do?" I sat next to him and asked.He looked at me again. "We?""Of course. This affects me too." I felt partly guilty for her arrival, because I was pretty sure she had followed me on Instagram and saw the pictures and videos, especially the one of the hotel.His expression became soft as he sighed and moved closer to me. "I don't believe the child is mine, but she has an incriminating video of our night
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