“Fuck, Raymond cursed out loud as he grabbed the flower vase on the side table and smashed it on the floor. The vase shattered all over the place. Lina heard the noise, but she didn’t stop walking until her silhouette disappeared from the hallway.
Raymond watched as Lina walked away, his blue ocean eyes were filled with a mix of anger and desperation. He felt a pang in his chest, a feeling couldn’t explain. He wouldn’t let this lie low.
Raymond picked up his phone from the hospital bed he left earlier, his eyes scanning the screen. His phone buzzed as he picked it up. The display screen shows numerous missed calls from his grandfather, Lucas, his assistant, and Jayden. He couldn’t help the headache coming at the thought of Grandpa Walton scolding him to death.
From his grandfather’s acceptance of his granddaughter-in-law he had not met before, he knew no matter what he said, Grandpa wouldn’t believe him on this matter.
Raymond dialed Lucas’ number as he walked out of the hospital room. His powerful long stride devoured the distance of the hallway in no time. As he reached the hospital reception hall, he could feel many eyes fixed on him. There were even loud whispers, but he wasn’t bothered by them. All he wanted now was to clear the sh*t trending online and also give Lina the right explanation for this.
“Good day Sir,” Lucas said, his voice trembling slightly. “I called you earlier to inform you about something important, but you weren’t picking up,” Lucas spoke up first, fearing he would face the wrath of the demon king.
“Are you calling me because of the trending news?” Raymond’s anger boiled over, but he took a deep breath, trying to control the beast wanting to burst out of him. “What were you doing earlier that you didn’t see the trending news? Are you tired of your job?” He asked, his voice firm, but controlled.
How can he be blamed for all this? His boss had never had any scandals before. How would he know something like this would happen? Secondly, he has been busy every day standing in for his boss, who had been taking care of his wife at the hospital. He had not slept for almost three days.
“I’m sorry sir. I promise this won’t repeat itself. I’ve already told someone to take down the trending news.” Lucas’ apology poured out in a rush, hoping he wouldn’t get fired. “I was so busy with the meetings you assigned me that I didn’t have time to check my phone.”
Lucas had been with Raymond since he became the president of the world-glow enterprise. He knew how his boss almost lost his position due to the heavy heartbreak he felt at that point in his life. He should have seen this coming.
Raymond’s gaze narrowed as he stepped into his car. He wasn’t sure if he believed Lucas’ flimsy excuses, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that. A thought came into Raymond’s mind, and suddenly he changed his mind. “Don’t worry, let the news continue trending. Since the person behind wanted to play games, I wouldn’t mind playing her to death.
The higher she climbs, the more she falls. Let the news about my relationship with that bitch continue to top the chat.” Raymond’s demeanor was filled with calculation as his lips curled into a cold smile.
As a top hacker, he can provide videos of all that happened at the hospital between him and Ashley that day, but he doesn’t want to do that yet. Since she loves attention so much, why not make her more exposed to the point of losing her face?
He would use this scandal to make Lina fall in love with him and also trust him enough that when something like this happens again, she would be the first to say, “I trust my husband, he wouldn’t dare to do this. He loves me so much that he wouldn’t dare to cheat me.”
At the thought of Lina standing up for him, a pang of longing filled him. He wanted to be with her, hold her, and make her understand he would never hurt her for anything in this world. But for now, he had to play this game with Ashley, his stupid ex-girlfriend, and also use the scandal to his advantage, just as the typical ruthless calculating businessman he was.
****
In the countryside.
As Ashley stood on the rustic film set, bathing in the warm glow of the evening sunshine, she enjoyed the attention and admiration she had been getting from her co-stars since her scandal with Raymond broke out.
The actresses nearby gazed at her with a mixture of envy and admiration, as their eyes sparkled in awe at the thought of the scandal that had brought Ashley to the spotlight: her alleged relationship with the most prominent and elusive eligible bachelor in the country, CEO Raymond.
“Goddess Ashley, I still can’t believe the mighty CEO Raymond is your boyfriend,” one of them cooed. “I’m so jealous.”
Ashley’s lips couldn’t help curling into a radiant smile, her white teeth sparkling in the sunlight. She knew that the actress’s compliments were motivated by a desire to curry favor with her, hoping to leverage her connection to the wealthy and influential Raymond.
Many actresses also chime in, congratulating her left and right. As actresses, their dreams were always to land themselves with a wealthy man who could take care of them, and also increase their influence and fame. And with Ashley’s influence and connections, if they could get into her good side, they might also be lucky to have powerful men at their side.
Despite Ashley’s awareness of their ulterior motives, Ashley couldn’t help feeling a thrill of pleasure at their admiration. She had always craved attention and validation, and now, with the scandal surrounding her and Raymond, she was finally getting the recognition she felt she deserved.
Ashley’s cheeks flushed into a delicate pink as she smiled shyly, her eyes cast downward in a demure gesture. “Oh, stop it, girls,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s not a big deal. Raymond just cares about me too much. We have been in a relationship since high school, making it almost seven years now. We are just keeping it low because of my career. I don’t want too much attention on myself. Who knew someone would secretly take our pictures and post them online?” Ashley’s voice was gentle and calm.
But despite Ashley’s coy demeanor, a hint of pride seeped through her words, a slight upward tilt of her lips and the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her demure gesture. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment, for having snagged the most elusive and desirable bachelor in the country.
Gasps and whispers erupted from the circle of actresses, their eyes wide with surprise and curiosity. One of them, a petite blonde, took a step forward, her voice barely above a whisper. “Seven years? You mean you’ve been dating CEO Raymond for seven years?”
Another actress, a tall brunette, nodded enthusiastically. “That explains why he’s been so secretive about his personal life. I had no idea he was taken.”
A chorus of oohs and ahhs filled the air, with the actresses exchanging excited glances and murmurs. Ashley’s revelation had left them all stunned and impressed.
“Oh! Raymond, you can’t escape me in this life. We belong together. I would never leave you to that bitch you called your wife.” Ashley maliciously thought as she enjoyed everyone’s shocked expression at her lie.
“It’s a huge deal, Goddess Ashley!” one of the actresses exclaimed, her voice dripping with envy. “CEO Raymond is like a god, untouchable and unattainable. And yet, you’ve managed to capture his heart.”
Ashley’s smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with pleasure. “I guess I just got lucky,” she said, her voice laced with false modesty.
“Humph, even a frog wants to be amid swans. What an attention-seeking b*tch.” A bone-piercing voice filled with displeasure towards Ashley echoed through the night, making everyone turn their head at whoever dared to talk to Ashley that way, with her influence in the entertainment industry.
But as they turned their heads seeing the tall figure in front of them, they all lowered their heads and sighed. He was the only one who could go against Ashley without thinking of the consequences.