Chapter 4

Simon's curiosity had him searching for every bit of information about Amanda Tornes, her family, her husband, and everything about her. So far, he hasn't been able to conclude if she is indeed his ex-wife or someone else.

Amanda started her company online three years ago while in the University with no employee but herself. Now, she has several employees and two branches in Paris and England.

The new branch in Las Vegas would be the third.

The guy beside Amanda turns to her with a proud face.

Simon nods at her with a smile, impressed by her acting skills. Whenever she is around him, he is convinced she is Ellodie.

The clumsy side of her is still present. The way she avoids eye contact with him and the way she looks mad one second and good another makes it all the more plausible.

Aside from that, this Tornes guy or whatever his name is, is obviously not into acting. He probably has no idea about her decision to pretend to be someone else to Simon because of what they had in the past.

Simon wouldn't fail at recognizing the woman he married out of convenience. She might look different, more sophisticated and classy, but her cat-eye is still the same. It makes her look sexier, especially when she bats her eyelids at him in an attempt to avoid her gaze.

How can he forget the body of the woman he spent a night with just a few weeks before their divorce?

That one night refused to leave his head even with her absence. Jessica’s betrayal was an eye-opener. It made him realize his loss. He had gold but was in search of diamonds. He lost the gold and didn't get the diamond either.

Her absence made his heart grow fonder. It made him value her, their times together, and the little moments of happiness they shared before Jessica arrived.

Simon wanted to do everything to get Ellodie back, plead for forgiveness, and start over to no avail. She disappeared into thin air and off the radar.

And now she was back. Not as his wife but as his business partner.

Simon's jaw grinds at the sight of the two of them smiling at something he doesn't catch. When her husband touches her arm, Simon decides it is time to leave.

“I will see you in a jiffy then,” he mutters and heads towards the entrance without waiting for a reply.

There is no denying he feels a bit of jealousy, and it makes him scold himself for the emotion. If she is married, he should let go of whatever had happened between them in the past.

But he knows he can't. The fact that she is back, very close to him, makes him want to do everything he can to get her back.

It's sad that she is married, and chasing a married woman is unethical unless they are not in love.

At the thought of that, Simon halts.

Are they in love?

Obviously, they are. This man is a young, smoking hot guy. Her husband looks like guys who take modeling as a career or do advert promotions.

If Simon's earliest assumptions about her being married to an old rich man were true, perhaps the idea of not being in love would have been possible.

But now, he doesn't even know… If she doesn't love him, he would do everything to win her heart, and the Ellodie he knows has a flexible heart.

A sigh leaves his mouth. Without looking back to see if they are following him, since it is almost time for the meeting, he continues walking towards the elevator to take him up to his office.

It's a meeting between Simon, Amanda, and Lea. Having Amanda's husband would be unprofessional, so Simon guesses she would have to spend a little time with him, hug him goodbye, and kiss his cheeks before heading up.

He grits his teeth in frustration.

He hasn't been himself since he laid his eyes on her yesterday. His head has been spinning with unanswered questions about who she is now and what has changed about her.

Ellodie can pretend all she wants; he is 100% sure she is the one. He no longer needs to give doubts about her identity a chance.

Perhaps, it is time for them to stop pretending not to know each other. She can continue as long as she wants, but he will ensure she confesses.

Simon is done pretending not to know who she is.

“Good morning, Sir,” Lea greets politely, stopping to walk behind him.

“Morning,” Simon responds without stopping. He knows he needs to let go of Ellodie's thoughts to concentrate on work today, but he won't be able to do that without spilling what exactly is on his mind.

When he is done, then they can proceed to business. He can't have her right next to him and pretend.

“The contract has been prepared, and you have another meeting at 10:30,” Lea informs him. She always makes sure to inform him about every meeting thirty minutes ahead. She called earlier to remind him about the meeting with Amanda Tornes, even though he knew and was already looking forward to it.

Simon had her cancel all her early appointments today just so he could get himself mentally ready to meet his ex-wife again.

They get to the door, and Lea opens it for him. When he enters, he checks the time, and it is exactly 10 am.

Before he can sit, the door opens again, and Amanda walks in alone. She flashes a beautiful smile at Lea, and Lea does the same, waving at her, making him wonder what is going on between the two of them.

Amanda is wearing a beautiful leather skirt with a black shiny jacket. Her hair is in a bun, and her makeup is out of this world. She looks stunning.

Simon doesn't realize he is gawking until she clears her throat and Lea shuts the door. Jerking back to life, he looks down to hide his embarrassment.

Amanda sits down quietly, and Lea moves close to him with the contracts. He stretches his hand to take them, and she raises her eyebrows in confusion.

“Let me have them and excuse us for a minute,” Simon instructs calmly, making sure not to sound too authoritative.

Not just to please Amanda but also to show her how much he has changed in the four years since she left.

He is no longer that cold man she hates for throwing her out with a divorce when she least expected it. Her moving away changed him—his mindset, his habits, his world.

Coupled with Jessica's betrayal, he was a broken man that needed mending. He tried everything he could to stop himself from becoming depressed, but nothing worked.

His work suffered, and his mom kept blaming him for letting Ellodie go. She was sick for two months, and he was miserable thinking she would die. He wouldn't have forgiven himself if she had died.

It makes him wonder how she would feel now if she knew about Ellodie's return to the States. She would be glad.

Lea spares Amanda a glance before nodding and dropping the contracts.

Amanda bites her lower lip with her head down.

As soon as Lea is out of the room, Simon picks up the contract, takes out both copies, and drops his copy on the table before passing her copy to her.

Amanda takes it without looking him straight in the eyes. She was so confident yesterday about keeping up the pretence. Why is she finding it hard today?

Before the contract signing, there are some rudimentary discussions that require Lea's presence as his secretary.

So Simon decides it is time to spill. He asks her the first question he has in mind before Lea comes back for the contract signing.

“Isn't it time for us to quit the pretence, Ellodie?” he asks quickly, glad the word is out already, as he stares hard at her, waiting for an answer.

Slowly, she raises her head and gazes up at him. Their eyes meet, and he sees a flash of hurt and anger, but they disappear as quickly as they came.

“Sorry?”

“You heard me, Ellodie! Stop pretending you don't know me!”