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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
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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
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"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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Cole called Kiera afterwards and she agreed to meet up with him in two days, muttering something about antenatal care."Good. In the meantime, I will try to find out as much as I can about her," I offered when he dropped the call and turned to me."Alright then." He glanced at me and maybe it was a trick of light, but I saw his eyes shine with appreciation.Cole and I spent the remaining part of the day in our suite, with me teaching him how to fake concern for the pregnancy. At one point, he raised his hands in exasperation and stood up from the bed."Why exactly do I have to do this, Elizabeth?""It is simple. She needs to feel like you have accepted her story, and she will be more receptive. Then you begin to subtly hit her," I explained with a small smile and added, "not physically though."Cole looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Did you mean that as a joke?"I looked away from him and scratched the back of my neck. "No, never mind.""Let's continue," he said and sat back again
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I quickly reapplied a little touch of makeup to my eyes and lips while I waited in the elevator before it pinged open, and I stepped out.Cole's driver stood waiting for me at the entrance of the hotel l, and when he saw me approaching, he quickly rushed forward to open the back seat door of the Mercedes.I smiled, feeling quite important as he stepped into the car and began to drive. I had taken advantage of Cole's good mood and asked to take the car to hang out with the girls. He had just nodded and called his driver, half of his attention on the TV as he watched the commentary aspects of the football match. Another thing I failed to understand the importance of, especially when the person listening had watched the match live.Crystal and Beth had called me that morning to make plans for shopping, since their husbands were in no mood to go out. Even as I left the house, they were on a three way video call, watching TV and making comments along with the professionals.Cole's driver l
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When I entered our hotel room with the key card, Cole was still in the living room watching football. His driver dropped my bags on the couch and handed him the car keys before he bid us good day and left.A bottle of wine was placed in front of him while he crossed his legs and spread out on the coach, his eyes glued to the screen in the same spot as I had left him.His eyes flitted to me and the bags for a second. "How was shopping with the girls?""Oh." I collapsed tiredly on the opposite couch and sighed. "It was really fun, but it made me tired.""You look like you enjoyed yourself," he commented and turned fully to face me."Actually I did. We tested so many outfits and took so many pictures. It actually felt like a slumber party and we laughed so hard, my jaws are still hurting," I reminisced, and squinted my eyes at him. "You look like you have not showered today.""Because I haven't," he confirmed and turned his eyes to the large screen again."Eew. How do you feel comfortabl
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For the third time since I arrived at the Maldives for my honeymoon, I woke up to a breakfast tray. I sat up in bed immediately and carried it to my lap, my stomach grumbling in anticipation as a note at the side attracted my attention.Courtesy of the hotel. Cole.I smiled and dug into the food with relish, especially savouring the taste of the shrimps inside the baserati rice. I paused eating mid way into my third spoon, a horrible thought entering my mind.What if it was not from Cole, or it was poisoned? The food lost taste and I was about to push it away, when Cole entered the room."I see the scent woke you up. Liza, what if it was not from me? He questioned in his usual way of greeting.I frowned and dropped the tray back on the bed, turning away from it but Cole just laughed and picked up his jacket from a chair. "Even if it was poisoned, you've already eaten quite a lot. So wouldn't it be better to enjoy the meal, at least?" He asked, and swiftly walked out of the room again.
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