Cesilia’s fingers trembled as she squeezed them together. She was afraid and nervous to talk to Alexander, to tell him that she couldn’t join him for dinner. Although deep down, Cesilia desperately wanted to have that dinner with her husband. Which wife wouldn’t want to dine with her own husband?
“I’m sorry, my love…”
“No time, right? Still busy with the photoshoot. It’s okay,” Alexander stroked Cesilia’s hair. “The important thing is that I’ve seen you’re doing well and actually working here. So, let me take you back to the hotel. How about that?” Alexander offered, hoping that this time Cesilia wouldn’t refuse his invitation.
No matter how busy she was, being escorted back to the hotel wouldn’t disrupt her schedule or work for Cesilia.
Cesilia wanted to nod, to agree to Alexander’s request. Just being escorted back to the hotel wouldn’t take much time, right?
But in reality, Maxime had sent his assistant to fetch Cesilia, ensuring there was no chance for her to be close to Alexander.
“Miss, I’m sorry, the car is waiting. We should return to the hotel as soon as possible.”
Cesilia nodded faintly, holding back the tears that threatened to burst forth from her eyes. She wasn’t given even a moment to be with Alexander. She yearned for his embrace, which was warm and comforting. Unfortunately, all of that had vanished along with her own foolishness and ambition in pursuing her career.
Without saying goodbye, Cesilia followed Maxime’s assistant, trailing behind as if she didn’t care about Alexander, who was standing so close to her. It broke Alexander’s heart to see Cesilia change so much.
His own wife didn’t even have a chance to bid farewell or give a parting hug and kiss. Trying to be patient and understanding of Cesilia’s situation, Alexander forced a smile and waved, despite the pain and heaviness in his chest from parting with his wife in such a painful manner.
This was just a temporary separation due to work demands. Cesilia couldn’t fathom what would happen if Alexander found out that she had completely surrendered herself to Maxime.
He would surely divorce her on the spot, and they would never meet again for the rest of their lives.
“Don’t cry like that. I’m here to make you happy, not hurt you like this.”
“You call this happiness?” Cesilia chuckled bitterly. “Do you know how shattered my heart is after learning about the traps you set in that agreement?”
“Of course, you’re happy. Don’t lie to yourself,” Maxime leaned in closer. “You’re currently at the pinnacle of your modeling career. And it’s because of me that you’ve reached that peak. That’s why, after this, it’ll be easy for you to become an internationally renowned model.”
“I think… I want to forget all of this,” Cesilia whispered, desperate and with a heavy chest, imagining a future filled with dazzling career success but losing a husband like Alexander.
“It’s up to you what you want to say. All I know is that this is how I make the woman I love happy. So, please don’t cause any trouble when you’re around me, because I could easily expose everything. It won’t just destroy your marriage, but your career as well. Imagine a famous model having a husband but having an affair with her own boss. Where will your reputation be then?”
“It’s up to you, if that’s what you’re going to do. Because it won’t just be me who gets destroyed here. It’ll be the same for you.”
“Are you sure?” Maxime took out his phone, showing a video of him and Cesilia engaging in intimate activities throughout their time together.
Cesilia’s body turned cold, as if drenched in icy water. It was as if all the cells in her body had been extinguished. Maxime had truly brought Cesilia to her lowest point in life.
“I’ll spread this video across all social media if you dare to defy me. If you resist, or worse, violate the contract we made.” Maxime stroked Cesilia’s long hair. “Listen, I’m a man of high position in this industry. Automatically, everyone will judge you poorly and say that you sold your body to get this contract. So, what will you do? Still want to defy me?” He swiped his phone screen.
” You are truly beautiful, no wonder Alexander had a hard time letting you go. If only I had made the contract for five years, I would have had more time to enjoy your body,” Maxime said, caressing Cesilia as they were there.
Cesilia tightly closed her eyes, wishing she could run away as far as possible to avoid seeing Maxime’s face, who was now laughing and celebrating his victory.
Cesilia felt like a foolish loser who willingly entered into the game with that man. What would her fate be after this? Would she really have to serve Maxime for these two years and ignore Alexander as that despicable man wanted?
***
Just because he couldn’t escort Cesilia back to the hotel didn’t mean Alexander would just passively let his wife go without supervision.
He hurriedly followed where the car took Cesilia. Alexander felt fortunate that despite arriving in separate cars, Cesilia’s hotel was the same as the one he and Cassandra were staying at.
Whether it was a stroke of luck or something else, Alexander was truly grateful that his mother had chosen the same hotel as Cesilia.
From a distance, Alexander followed Cesilia’s steps, shadowing his wife to ensure that she really stayed there. Would Cesilia be given proper accommodations during her stay in Bali? Alexander observed how the crew treated Cesilia with kindness.
After a while, Alexander saw several people entering Cesilia’s room. He was sure they were the crew and makeup artists working with his wife. Shortly after, Maxime followed Cesilia inside.
Alexander remembered clearly that Maxime was Cesilia’s colleague, both in photoshoots and work. He also knew that Maxime was the son of his new business associate. The world was small, but perhaps this had been arranged in such a way that he didn’t need to worry about his wife working without his direct supervision.
After ensuring that Cesilia was fine, Alexander returned to the elevator and went down to the floor where he and Cassandra were staying.
Unbeknownst to him, a few people who had entered earlier now left, leaving Cesilia alone with Maxime.
“What are you doing here when I’m supposed to be free to do whatever I want from tonight until morning?” Cesilia glared at Maxime, who now took off his jacket.
Maxime also smiled thinly, hiding a malicious intention.
“Don’t complain too much, remember, for these two years, you belong to me. Alexander is nothing more than your husband. No one can stop me from doing whatever I want to you. And rest assured, I will do whatever it takes to make you mine,” Maxime said, his tone filled with arrogance.
“No, after these two years, I can guarantee that you will never be able to touch me again.”
“That’s what you say, but if by any chance you fall in love with me…”
“I will never, ever fall in love with a despicable man like you,” Cesilia pointed her finger at Maxime’s face. “Don’t come any closer. I really don’t want to serve you in any way. I’m tired, and I beg you to understand.”
“I understand that you’re tired, my love. I can see it for myself. But unfortunately, my dear, this hero of yours doesn’t give you permission for that. You don’t need to bother trying to match or counter what I do. Just lie down and open your legs, I’ll do the work. It’s fair enough, satisfying ourselves while satisfying you, isn’t it? And certainly quite easy,” Maxime said with a smirk.
“You’re truly insane, I can’t believe I ever worked with a madman like you, Maxime!”
“Say whatever you want, call me insane or whatever, as long as I can enjoy your body. It’s even better if you can get pregnant, and we have a child.”
Maxime casually brought up the topic of having a child in front of Cesilia.
“But I will never get pregnant and will never want to until this contract is over. I’m willing to postpone pregnancy for the sake of my career. Meanwhile, Alexander is willing to compromise, so don’t expect anything more than the current status,” Cesilia held back her tears. “If you truly love me, you would obey what I want.”
“Unfortunately, your pregnancy is the way for me to possess you,” Maxime’s thoughts echoed. He moved closer to Cesilia, narrowing the distance between them.
“Don’t you dare, Maxime,” Cesilia said, now fearful.
“I’m not joking. I’m just giving you a warning. Hopefully, what we’re doing won’t result in a child. But if it does, you will have to marry me and forget about Alexander.”
“If that happens, I will kill myself. It’s better to die than to bear the child of a despicable man like you, remember that!!”
“Whatever, as long as I can possess you completely,” Maxime pushed Cesilia, causing her to fall onto the bed. As quickly as he could, he stripped Cesilia of her clothes, eager to indulge in the body of the woman he loved. Whether it was love or obsession, Maxime didn’t know. All he knew was that he wanted to dominate Cesilia completely, even though she already had a husband.
***
Alexander wasn’t ready to return to the room just yet. He wanted to see Cesilia again and hold her. Even if it was just for a moment, seeing Cesilia occupied and receiving a subtle rejection from her made Alexander realize that his wife didn’t want to be disturbed.
With a heavy heart, he temporarily set aside the overwhelming longing within him. He walked back to his room and was surprised to find Cassandra dancing and singing. It was as if she was on a grand stage, enjoying the beautiful view from the balcony. Cassandra intentionally opened the balcony doors wide, allowing the sea breeze to sweep over her.
She continued to sing and dance, holding a comb in her hand. Alexander smiled, finding it amusing to see Cassandra acting so silly. However, because her voice was soothing to his ears, Alexander decided to just enjoy it.
Standing at the doorway, folding his hands in front of his chest, he looked like a judge evaluating a finalist showcasing their talent.
“Um, Sir,” Cassandra immediately swallowed the lyrics she wanted to sing. She froze in place, hoping she could just stop breathing altogether.
She was embarrassed to be seen by Alexander in such a silly state. Instead of mocking Cassandra, Alexander simply walked past her without even glancing in her direction.
It was enough to comfort Alexander, who was heartbroken from Cesilia’s rejection to join him for dinner. Cassandra was confused why Alexander didn’t say anything when she had prepared herself emotionally to withstand his vulgar remarks while laughing at her.
Under normal circumstances, Cassandra would have been berated, let alone in a strange situation like before. Alexander would have prepared plenty of ammunition to break her spirit.
But all those negative thoughts were just Cassandra’s own fears, as Alexander completely ignored her as if he hadn’t seen anything.
“Did he eat something wrong outside? Why is he so gloomy like that? Isn’t mocking me the best way for him to stay motivated in life?” Cassandra thought inwardly, trying to assess Alexander’s attitude towards her at the moment.
***
“Do you want to have dinner in the room or on the ground floor?”
Cassandra rubbed her neck, wanting to answer that she would like to have dinner downstairs, but she didn’t have any clothes to go out of the room.
It felt awkward to have dinner alone in silence. Sure, she could sit on the balcony and enjoy the view. However, Cassandra also wanted to dine outside, savoring the beach atmosphere.
“If I may, I would prefer to have dinner outside, Sir. Sitting by the beach, you know, there’s someone selling grilled shrimp. Well, that’s if I can get out of here.”
“Who’s stopping you from getting out? I’ve never stopped you. Didn’t Mom give you money to come here?”
“No, Sir, she gave me a debit card. I also noticed that there’s no ATM nearby. Even if I have it, I can’t use it, hehehe.” Cassandra scratched her head even though it didn’t itch.
“Well, use this then.” Alexander handed a few hundred thousand bills to Cassandra. “Go ahead, go find your own dinner. You can eat wherever you want, as long as you remember the way back and this room.”
Cassandra nodded quickly, agreeing to Alexander’s command. With enthusiasm, she left the room to search for dinner.
Cassandra stood alone in front of the elevator, waiting for the doors to open, hoping that someone inside could give her directions on how to operate the magical doors.
Unfortunately, when Cassandra entered, another visitor followed closely behind. The person who entered was a man, so Cassandra had to wait and see where he was going.
Unfortunately, the visitor took her to the upper floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Cassandra stepped out. She accidentally saw Cesilia’s presence in the hotel.
Cassandra wanted to greet her and ask what to do to get to the ground floor.
Asking someone else might result in laughter, but if she asked her own employer, Cesilia would surely show her without judgment.
However, before Cassandra could approach, her steps halted as she saw Cesilia being embraced by a man. He was quite handsome but not as handsome as Alexander, of course. The man tightly held Cesilia by the waist, possessively, as if afraid that she would be taken by someone else.
Curiosity about the man consumed Cassandra, and she stealthily tried to find out what connection Cesilia had with him. It seemed impossible for Cesilia to play with fire behind Alexander’s back, but she remembered their argument.
In Cassandra’s mind, the thought crossed her that Cesilia might have betrayed Alexander because he always demanded a child from her.
And it was true. Cassandra’s eyes widened as she saw Maxime greedily devour Cesilia’s lips when they reached the hotel’s rooftop.
Cesilia didn’t resist what Maxime was doing. In fact, the dimly lit rooftop became a witness to Cassandra witnessing Cesilia willingly being touched by Maxime. In front of other hotel guests, Maxime enjoyed and squeezed the ample curves of Cesilia’s body. If Cassandra were to be honest, she would have approached and scolded Cesilia for her actions. However, considering how much Alexander loved Cesilia, she would end up being the suspect.
So Cassandra turned away, leaving and keeping all of this to herself. After all, Alexander never cared about her. So why should she care about Alexander’s heart, which was now being toyed with by his own wife?
“Let it be, yes, whether she’s having an affair or not, it’s not my concern. If the master is heartbroken and sheds tears of blood, he means nothing to me. I’m just a paid wife, and you must remember that, Cassandra.” Cassandra advised herself.