Chapter 11

I started looking around, and all the things my eyes could see were expensive. Even the paintings on the wall seemingly cost like a million bucks. I grabbed some of them and didn't even mind if they would slip on my hand and get broken and shattered into pieces on the floor. I think it would be fine for Konstantin. He could buy a new one, it doesn't seem like it would hurt his bank account. I don't think so.

I walked next to a mirror built on the wall. As I looked up, it went all the way to the ceiling. I scooped out my phone and started taking pictures of myself then I noticed a jar of chocolates in the corner of my eyes. I put my phone down and walked in its direction and fished out a couple until I knew it wouldn't be enough for me. I grabbed a few chocolates and put them in my purse.

When I shifted my eyes to the right side I found something interesting on the other side of the glass door. As to my curiosity, I checked out what was going on in there. I was amazed when there was an infinity pool there. I looked back and checked if someone was looking for me, but no one was around so I slid the glass door and stepped out of the house.

I immediately felt a chill in my body when I got out of the house. I wrapped my arms around trying to feel some warmth by rubbing both hands on me. Even on the outside, everything looked so expensive. There were tables and chairs on the side, and on the far side, there was a bar counter, but it was close at this moment. I went over and found some unopened bottles.

Lucky me, no one was around. I went behind the bar counter and grabbed myself a bottle of alcohol. There were glasses under the counter so I just grabbed one. I opened up the bottle and poured the drink on mine. 

I picked up the glass and took a sip of it. When the alcohol runs through my throat, it makes me feel alive. I found myself enticed to sit on the edge of the pool, so I did what I thought would be great. I don't think they would be looking for me. Konstantin and Franklin were busy talking about what to do with me.

I dipped my feet into my pool and swayed my feet down there, just trying to feel the chilling water. As I emptied my drink and thought I would want more, I was about to stand up when I slipped and just like that, I fell on the pool, screaming for help.

The panic started coming in through me. I know how to swim, but this time, it felt like I was so helpless. At any moment, I could be drowning. I had no idea how deep the pool was, so I tried calming myself down as if I would let myself drown, but it didn't. I found my composure and finally got back on the surface calm and safe.

As I was chasing my breath, I noticed someone was standing near the pool, and when I looked up above to see who it was, it wasn't the person I was expecting to see. 

"Who are you?" he asked so dominantly that I was left speechless to answer him.

I was flapping my feet under the water while my chest was pounding so fast as I did a staring contest with the old man in front of me. It took me a while to register in my head who was the person in front of me now. It was Konstantin's father and he looked freaking mad at what he was seeing.

Later on, I saw someone rushing to come out of the backyard. It was Konstantin who came to see us and there he stood shocked as he saw me in the pool. Franklin came over and he was surprised how I ended up in the pool when he just left me back in the living room earlier.

"Who is this woman?" Konstantin's father turned to him to ask that question. "If this is an intruder, call the police and get her arrested. I don't want anyone in our house just doing something stupid like that."

I don't know what was going on in Konstantin's mind, but I hoped he wouldn't throw me under the bus. 

"I know her," Konstantin said. "She's my girlfriend. . . I apologize for what happened. Come on, Atissa. . . Let's get you out of the pool and get yourself dry."

He went to the side of the pool where he crouched and extended his arms to grab mine. I did what he asked me to do so I swam in his direction and grabbed his hand so he could guide me along the way. When I got to hold his hand, he never let me go until I got over the pool.

A maid came in carrying a dry towel to us. He took it from her and wrapped it around me. I was shivering and I couldn't even look them in the eyes. I knew at this point that I would be the number one person he hated in the world right now.

"I remember her," his father pointed out. "She was also the girl who you were with back in Paradise Beach, am I right?"

Konstantin nodded to confirm. "Yes. . . She was that girl. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to introduce to you yet as I was just trying to find the perfect time to do so. . ."

His father remained silent. "Get her dry and change her clothes. Go on."

"Okay. . . We'll be back. . ."

I felt his hands on my shoulders, we walked back inside the house, and there we got into his bedroom where I knew he would be scolding me for hours. I couldn't even look him in the eyes, even though what happened was a mistake, and I didn't mean for it to happen in the first place.

He let out a sharp breath, shaking his head while her hands were placed on his waist. I just stood up, hugging myself with a towel, shivering from the cold. He kept letting out sharp breaths and it was getting annoying to me so I raised my head and searched for his eyes it was already meeting mine; full of anger.

"Say what you want to say. Punch me. Pull my hair. Slap my face on both sides. Do what you want and I'll take it. I know you're mad and I didn't mean it to happen."

He smirked, holding his jaw while shaking his head. "Why would you think I would hurt you? I wouldn't punch you or do anything to you. But I just have to say, what the fuck are you doing there? Are you stupid?"

"Okay, just like what I said, I didn't mean to do it! I was bored waiting for Franklin, and obviously, I came here to see and talk to you. . . And you were avoiding me! For a few days, you haven't responded to all my calls and messages. Like you're not that busy at all? After fucking me, you're just gonna dump me?"

"I thought my job was over when that happened." He smirked.

My eyes squinted. "What the fuck, Konstantin? I'm not some kind of game you will play when you want to and dumped when you're done with it. You're the one who's making himself dumb, do you know that?"

"And I'm not the person you shouldn't be stealing with," he said, pointing out his fingers at me. "You messed with the wrong person. What I'm going to advise you, is just get on with your life. Move on and forget that it all happened. I've moved and you should, too."

That statement he said triggered me making my hand fly to his face and slapped him hard. His head shifted to the side and clenched his jaw as he felt the pang of it. It wasn't even strong, but his face reddened immediately. When he touched the side of his face and looked back at me, his eyes were full of fire, seemingly so mad at me.

Later on, someone came knocking on the door. He only put his eyes on me when he had to check and open the door to whoever it was. When he got to the door and saw Franklin behind the door, they talked to each other, but I wasn't able to hear what they were talking about. The next thing I knew, a maid came over with new sets of clothes in her hand. Konstantin got it from her and handed them over to me.

"Dry yourself up and wear these clothes. . ." he said. "There's a shirt, pants, underwear, and bra there. . . I don't know if it would fit on you, but whatever, take them all. Hurry up. My father's looking for us. . . There's the bathroom, change quickly."

As he pointed the door at the corner, I found myself scurrying there with the fresh clothes on my hands. When I got inside the bathroom, I just took my clothes off and put on the new ones. I was still a little pissed off, but the clothes uplifted my mood as it somehow perfectly fit on me. 

I checked myself first before I stepped out of the bathroom. With all the things I had in mind, I put them aside for now. I walked out of the bathroom and there I saw Konstantin sitting in front of his study desk waiting for me. His head shifted on me and he didn't waste any time, he stood up on his feet and told me to come with him out of his bedroom.

I walked next to him. He was so tall and I just stood next to him just an inch above his shoulder. I could feel that he was so tense and he wouldn't let go of what I did to him and the freaking scene at the pool earlier.

Before we went downstairs, he stopped me by grabbing me by my arm. I turned to see his face and he wasn't showing any emotion to me. I get it, he was trying to intimidate me and make me feel like I should be afraid of him. I'm not scared of him. I wouldn't ever be scared of him.

"I don't want you to do anything stupid," he said. It was like an order, not a request. I know you heard what I said earlier just to save your ass in front of my father. Act like you were my girlfriend and you'll be fine. Even though that sounds absurd, well, for me it was, but you should be lucky you got to call me your boyfriend even though it was a fake one."

My jaw dropped as I couldn't believe what he just told me.

"Got it, Miss Aramouni?" he said, smiling at me.

He took my hand and held it like we were together. As we went downstairs, he put a smile on his face while I was still confused. I tried to keep my composure because as soon as we got on the ground floor, we met Franklin and there he said where his father was waiting.

I noticed that Konstantin took a deep breath, but didn't let go of my hand. He put a smile on his face while I tried making sense of it. Why would he introduce me to his father as his girlfriend? There was something fishy going on and I need to find out what that was. If he wanted me to play this role he ordered me to do, I would do it. It felt like I got something he needed right now.

Something I could use as an advantage.

"Let's go, Miss Aramouni. . . It's showtime."

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