“Can I go home now?” Cesilia asked, wiping off her makeup. After a three-hour photoshoot, she now wanted permission to return home and see Alexander. A few hours ago, Alexander had told her that he wouldn’t be reachable for a few hours because Frans had given him sleeping pills.
“You can, but around ten o’clock tonight,” Maxime replied nonchalantly, not even looking at Cesilia as he was busy with his phone in hand. He seemed serious about something on his phone.
“Tomorrow, I don’t have any schedules, it seems. Can I just stay home? Alexander is sick, and I promise I won’t do anything with my husband,” Cesilia made one last effort for permission.
“No one can guarantee that, so I won’t give you more time than I have set. You come home at ten o’clock tonight, and at seven in the morning, you should be at my apartment. I’ll send you the address to your phone. I’ll wait for you there.”
“Maxime, please,” Cesilia approached him. “Don’t be like this, Alexander might get suspicious if there’s no break at all. Do you want everything to be exposed?”
“No, because it’s not time yet,” one corner of Maxime’s lips lifted. “Finish quickly. After that, we’ll have dinner together.” He left Cesilia before she could approve or decline his dinner invitation.
“When will I be free from that damn man!” she cursed in her heart, returning to the dressing table to clean off the makeup that still adorned her beautiful face.
Meanwhile, Maxime went straight to the parking lot to meet someone. There was something important he needed to instruct for the smoothness of his plan for the next two years. It didn’t take long before Maxime saw Cesilia arrive.
The woman’s steps hurriedly entered the car, slightly slamming the car door, venting her frustration at Maxime for not giving her any break, even though there were no photoshoots at all tomorrow.
“After dinner, I’ll take you home,” Maxime said without being asked, explaining Cesilia’s schedule.
“There’s plenty of time before going home. It’s only six in the evening now, and dinner will only take an hour. What will we do for the remaining four hours?” Cesilia raised four fingers.
Feeling curious, she thought four hours was too long just for dinner.
“Do you think our dinner is just dinner? No, dear. It’s more than that, and I’m sure you know where the direction and purpose of our conversation are going. Since this morning, I haven’t received any of my allowances from you, so it’s better to use those four hours to dine and play in bed with me.”
Cesilia closed her eyes tightly, clenching her fists. She wanted to strangle Maxime right now. If killing someone wasn’t a sin, let alone landing in jail, she would have done it since Maxime added those insane clauses to the agreement.
***
After arriving at the restaurant, Cesilia felt relieved that Maxime had chosen a crowded place. There were many people, so she was sure that nothing strange would happen there. She also remembered to wear her mask before getting out of the car, so no one would recognize her.
To avoid any weird reports reaching Alexander’s ears. It wasn’t as if this was the first time Cesilia had cheated in her marriage. Usually, she would do photoshoots, work according to the procedure, and do everything properly. No cheating, let alone playing with fire as she was doing with Maxime now.
If it weren’t for Maxime’s cheating, Cesilia would have remained faithful, as her life was all about chasing popularity, not seeking a new partner, let alone material things, since Alexander had provided more than enough for her.
However, Alexander couldn’t give her a name that was well-known in neRobert or outside neRobert. That’s what she had been looking for all this time, so she was willing to delay having a child for six years into her marriage with Alexander.
“Wait here; I’ll go to the restroom,” Maxime kissed Cesilia’s head before leaving her at a table in the corner of the restaurant.
The call of nature was enough to separate Cesilia from Maxime and gave a chance for a man to approach her.
“Are you Cesilia, Alexander’s wife, my boss’s wife?” A man sat down next to Cesilia. Without permission, he took a sip of the drink that Cesilia had ordered.
“Robert?!” Cesilia was startled, regretting that she had removed her mask. She was truly nervous, afraid that Robert might have seen what she did with Maxime a few seconds ago.
“That’s your boss?” Instead of answering Cesilia’s surprise, Geei, Robert, instead asked back, confirming whether Maxime was indeed Cesilia’s cousin, as she had claimed earlier.
“Uh, that’s… um… my cousin. He just returned from outside neRobert. Yes, my cousin. Alexander is sick, so he couldn’t accompany me to the photoshoot. It’s only natural that cousins can be that close,” Cesilia giggled nervously, trying to cover her nervousness.
She was afraid of being found out that she was with another man.
“Oh, I see. Alexander is sick.” Robert shook his head, still unsure whether to believe Cesilia’s words or not. However, Maxime’s return made him believe Cesilia’s explanation.
Later, he would confirm with Alexander whether Cesilia did indeed have a male cousin that close to her.
“Okay then, I’m leaving now; I have a client to meet in place of Alexander. Also, I want to leave a message for Alexander. I’ve been trying to contact him, but his number isn’t active at all.”
“Yes, he’s resting completely. Frans gave him sleeping pills to help him recover quickly. When we get home, I’ll pass on your message to him. How about dinner too?” Cesilia tried to make a joke to ease the tension among the three of them.
Maxime, who saw Cesilia and Gero getting close, didn’t like Gero’s presence either. In his mind, there was another man in Cesilia’s heart, not just Alexander. Automatically, when it came to competition, it wasn’t just Alexander, but also the man who was sitting next to Cesilia now.
“Okay, before I go, don’t you want to introduce me to your cousin?” Robert looked at Cesilia intently, trying to confirm that Maxime was indeed Cesilia’s cousin as she had claimed earlier.
“Ah, of course. Maxime, this is Robert, Alexander’s secretary at the office and also his trusted friend,” Cesilia introduced Maxime to Robert, a bit nervous but trying to keep her composure.
The introduction was mutual.
“Maxime,” Maxime said, extending his hand to Robert to shake hands and introduce himself.
Robert returned the smile as he accepted the handshake. “Robert,” he replied. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take Cesilia home later. I also want to meet Mama; it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other,” Robert said genuinely, truly intending to take Cesilia and Maxime home.
If the two of them were cousins, then Meri should be familiar with Maxime as well.
“No need, after this, I have other business. Cesilia also still has a
Cesilia banged the table. “Even if I die, I will never divorce Alexander and choose you. Even if someday God decrees that I will have a child with a damn man like you!”
Maxime retorted, not liking how Cesilia mentioned their relationship going beyond just business partners, as it is now. Moreover, Maxime brought up Alexander and Casandra’s marriage, which only fueled Cesilia’s anger.
Rather than getting angry, Maxime instead smirked, nodded his head, and grabbed Cesilia’s hand, dragging her away. “It seems like you need to learn a lesson, and this restaurant is not the right place to teach you.”
Not wanting to draw attention to their commotion, Cesilia complied. She knew where Maxime would take her and what he would do to her once they were alone. As expected, Maxime brought Cesilia to a luxurious five-star hotel and checked in for a full 24 hours.
“But you said four hours,” Cesilia protested once Maxime finished the registration at the reception.
“That’s not your concern, four hours or five hours, even a hundred hours doesn’t matter because you belong to me. For these two years, no one can defy it, not even Alexander, as our agreement is legally binding.”
“It’s up to you; I suspected this because you’re a despicable and cunning man,” Cesilia walked ahead, leaving Maxime behind as she searched for room 104 as per his booking.
Once inside the room, Maxime’s true colors were revealed. He became forceful, aggressive, and manipulative, making Cesilia feel trapped and helpless. She was unable to escape his clutches, as he had the upper hand with their agreement and the legal power it held.
The hours passed by slowly, and Cesilia felt like she was living in a nightmare. She regretted the day she ever got involved with Maxime and entered into this arrangement. She felt disgusted and violated, but she couldn’t find a way out of this tangled web.
Eventually, the 24 hours were up, and Maxime finally let Cesilia go. Exhausted, hurt, and broken, she returned home, praying that Alexander wouldn’t notice anything amiss.
In the days that followed, Cesilia felt like a prisoner in her own life. Maxime would continue to exert his control and dominance over her, making her feel like she had no choice but to comply with his demands.
But deep down, Cesilia knew that she couldn’t continue like this forever. She couldn’t let Maxime ruin her life and her marriage with Alexander. She had to find a way to break free from his clutches, even if it meant facing the consequences.
It was time for Cesilia to gather her strength, seek help from others, and confront Maxime and the toxic agreement that bound them together. She needed to find a way to protect herself, her marriage, and her future from the manipulative man who sought to control her every move.