POV: Victoria
I wasn’t expecting this, it’s definitely not a part of my plan. How did this happen, who called the press to a private property?
“Get out of this place, this is an invasion of privacy!
You have no right to be here, you are trespassing!” I screamed at them, pulling the duvet to cover my nude body and holding it firmly to my chest. Nobody told me about this part of the plan, I wasn’t expecting the press to barge into this house and even have access to the bedroom. It’s definitely against their regulations and I will not take this.
“Are you referring to me as a gigolo?” Raphael asked suddenly. We all turned to the sound of his voice, and there he was, standing by the bathroom door. He just had a bath, I could tell from the droplets of water on his body and the towel wrapped around his waist. I swallowed dryly as I caught sight of his hard bulge that made the towel curve upwards.
“Mr Hawkins!
Me Hawkins?
Are you the gigolo?
It’s not you, it can’t be you, that’s not why we are here, that’s not the information we got.
What are you doing here, Mr Hawkins?
Are you aware of the rumor that your fiancee is patronizing a certain gigolo she once worked with?
Are you trying to cover up for your fiancee, is that why you are here?” they bombarded him with questions, taking pictures of him and ignoring me once again. He walked towards them, a smirk playing on his face as he stood in front of the camera, facing them squarely with nothing but a towel around his waist,
“Let it be on record that the press barged into my family house, barged into my bedroom, and accused my fiance of being a cheat and also accused me of being a gigolo. Rest assured, you will be hearing from my lawyers pretty soon. Now get the hell out of my room and search for your gigolo elsewhere. I hope you realize the trouble you are in. I’ll make sure you pay for damages until your sponsors go bankrupt. I will teach you how to mind your damn businesses and stop invading the privacy of people you don’t have business with. I’ll teach you a huge lesson that you will not forget in a hurry.” He threatened them angrily, calling his guards to kick them out.
“Are you alright?” he asked me softly as he climbed on the bed and cuddled me in his arms, kissing me softly on my forehead and my cheeks. I could not pay attention to him because I was still hearing the voices of the journalists and their photographers as the guards chased them away. They refused to leave willingly as they claimed they were here on an invite. I turned to stare at Raphael and he had this mischievous grin on his face, enjoying the show.
“What’s happening here, Ralph?
Did you invite them here, did you want our relationship to be all over the papers tomorrow?
If you planned all this from the onset, why didn’t you inform me about it on time, why did you make me look like a fool?” I asked him, my eyes blazing in anger. He smiled crookedly, pulling me in and kissing me softly on my lips.
“You should be glad they didn’t meet the real gigolo in bed with you. So why don’t you put a smile on your beautiful face and enjoy the rest of the show. Don’t ruin it when it’s just getting to the good part,” he lets out mischievously, his face filled with smiles.
I have never seen him this excited before, he loves this tricky game he is playing with his family. He loves winning, it makes him feel good, so good I must confess. Since I met him, this is the first time I have seen him genuinely happy. His chin spreads wider and so does the edges around his eyes.
“You should smile often, Ralph. You look very handsome when you smile,” I told him truthfully, earning me a scowl as he pulled me in for another kiss on my forehead. I smiled brightly, wishing we weren’t bothered this morning. It seems my plan to get his attention is actually working g better than I anticipated.
I would love nothing more than to stay right here in his arms all morning. But the noise from the hallway is getting louder by the minute. Now, it’s not just the journalists and their photographers, I could also hear Gramp’s voice and Raphael’s mom as well. Cindy and Charlotte are there too, including the guys. It seems it’s only Nathan and I that were missing from the commotion.
“We have to,” I started to speak, but Ralph said the same words as well and we both laughed as we said the same thing.
“You first,” I affirmed with a soft warm smile.
“We need to go out there and see what is happening,” he let out sternly as he got up from the bed and handed me a robe to put on. I smiled as I realized that we were both thinking the same thing just now. He smiled as well, giving me a warm look that melted my heart and made me blush under the heat of his gaze.
But that lasted for a split second, he walked away the next minute, leaving me to put on my robe. I guess he does want to let his emotions show, he keeps trying so hard to hide his feelings from me. Or, am I overthinking it?
“You Bitch!
How did you do it, how dare you trick me?” Mrs Hawkins yelled at me the moment we stepped out of the room. She looked so angry that her face turned red with anger. Everyone turned to me and I looked back in surprise wondering what she was talking about. I did my best to feign a shocked look, looking at her as if she were a comedian performing a show.
“Mr Raphael, what do you have to say about this situation?
“What do you think about your mother patronizing a gigolo?
“Did your fiancee get a gigolo for your mother?” the journalists asked nonstop.
“I assure you that I and my fiancee have no idea what is going on here. Be that as it may, you should understand that this is a family matter and we wish to settle this within the family.” Raphael lets out curtly, turning towards the guards and ordering them to send the journalists away from the house.
“Go out there, Lebrun. Get their phones and cameras and delete every picture and video recorded here today. Not one of them must be printed tomorrow!” Ralph instructed the chief security in his grandfather’s house. He leaned forward and whispered something to the guy and Lebrun nodded and left to carry out his orders.
“How could you accuse me of such a terrible act, Mom. I spent the whole day with you yesterday, I thought we bonded as friends. How could I ever think of setting you up with a gigolo, why would I want to ruin our friendship?” I asked her sadly, walking up to her and holding her hands like a true friend.
She had nothing to say to me at this point, she couldn’t react negatively and risk infuriating Gramps. The girls hugged their guys and stayed in their arms, acting like victims. Nobody could explain how the intruder got into the building. Even the gigolo in question claimed he had entered the wrong building and the wrong room.
“It’s so wrong for you to accuse my fiancee, mom. I thought you two were getting along so well. Didn’t you tell me you were becoming best friends?” Raphael asked her, backing me up. She looked frustrated and ashamed at this point and I actually felt bad for her.
“I’ve always looked the other way each time you cause a scene or act rudely. But this?
This is the height of it, and I’m very disappointed in you, Laura. Today you disrespect me and disrespect your dead husband by bringing a male whore to my house. And until you tender a public apology to me and the entire family, you are no longer my daughter-in-law.” Gramps told Mrs Hawkins fiercely, his eyes filled with anger.
She gasped in shock, and so did everyone else. The girls claimed to be innocent, they claimed they only came to her room this morning and they let her take the fall for them. They were all looking at me as if I’d planned it all, I could see the vengeance in their eyes and I knew in my heart that this game had just begun. And it’s not ending anytime soon either.
Raphael followed his grandfather to calm the old man. I was left standing in the presence of my enemies and my heart beat so fast that I thought it would jump out of my chest. Luckily, my phone rang in my hand and I used it as an excuse to get out of their way, for now.
I smiled to myself once I got into the room and I thought I was winning this game until I discovered that the call was from Mom and not Claire. Mom’s phone has been off since she fell ill. It was Claire and I who kept calling each other to speak with her. I wonder why she is calling me with her number this early in the morning, is everything okay at home?