Chapter 1 Getting You a Wife

*RENEE*

*You're such a prude. We've been together for more than a year, yet you won't let me touch you. You don't have the right to blame me for having an affair with your sister!*

Those words reverberated in my head over and over again.

I had been with Andrew King for almost a year. Our union had started off as a blind date arranged by my parents.

My parents badly wanted to be connected to the King family, the wealthiest and most powerful family in Chicago.

I had found Andrew likable, but I really didn't feel that deep, spontaneous love for him. Still, my parents had warned me that I *must* be with him and *must* get married to him. We had been engaged and were to be married soon-just for me to walk in on him having sex with my sister.

Granted, I had never done more with Andrew other than kissing, but I felt he understood that I wanted to wait until marriage. I genuinely believed that maybe, then, I would fall deeply for him.

Even if I didn't love him, his betrayal still hurt a great deal-and he had the nerve to tell me to overlook what I saw.

He fucking had the nerve to tell me to think of his affair as nothing.

I might not be a perfect woman, but I knew my worth. I had great self-esteem and would never settle for less.

I had bluntly told Andrew that it was over between us. I didn't want to have anything to do with him ever again.

But the pain of the breakup was still very fresh in my heart. Especially because I felt that Andrew was going to save me from the Hudsons.

I leaned against the window, devastated. I was in a cab when I caught sight of a club.

I sat up and quickly told the driver to pull over. I just wanted to distract myself-do anything to get over this pain.

I hurried up to the entrance, but I was stopped by two bouncers.

"The club's having a mask party tonight. Everyone has to wear masks," they informed me.

Sighing, I bought a mask from the side, put it on, and walked into the club.

I immediately went to the counter where I sat and ordered some alcoholic drinks.

I downed bottle after bottle, wanting to drink my sorrows away.

Vaguely, I noticed a man sitting beside me.

He was also wearing a mask and was elegantly sipping his glass of wine.

My alcohol-filled senses took notice of how gorgeous he looked in his suit. I instantly had a feeling that he must have a very handsome face.

As I continued to gush over him, I suddenly longed to be in a man's arms.

In all my twenty-two years of life, this was the most I had ever craved intimacy.

Without thinking twice-not that I would have been able to think twice in my alcohol-filled brain-I got off my chair and staggered closer to him.

"Hello there," I purred. "Wanna spend the night with me?"

The man only stared at me for a second, and to my surprise, he nodded.

*****************

A few minutes later found us walking into a hotel room.

As the man turned on the light, I closed the distance between us, stood on my toes, and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me back-passionately.

As he took nibble after nibble of my lips, I gasped.

"Should... should we take our masks off?" I stuttered.

I had never done this before. I didn't know if I'd prefer to leave my mask on or off.

The man moved back a bit and took my mask off.

I could see his eyes dilate behind his own mask.

I expected him to take off his mask too, but he suddenly asked,

"What are you doing here?"

I frowned, confused.

Hadn't we already established why we were both here?

"Are you always spreading your legs for every guy at the bar?" the man lashed out at me again.

I felt sure this man must be insane; what right did he have to judge me?

I glanced at his abs, admitting a sheer desire between my thighs as I remembered the hardness against me just seconds ago. I wanted him. It was a feeling Andrew had never sparked in me-but that wasn't a reason for him to insult me!

I didn't understand what I had gotten myself into!

"What about you?! Don't you stick your dick out for every woman at the bar? You think you're a man, so you think you're noble?!" My desire vanished completely; how had I encountered such a chauvinistic man?!

I thought I'd better leave.

"I'll book you a ride. Leave as soon as it gets here!" the man announced as he opened his ride-hailing app.

I didn't refuse; I immediately left the room. He owed me the fare for insulting me! I was so angry I forgot to demand an apology!

***********

*MARCELO*

I stood by the window as I watched Renee Hudson get into the cab I had booked.

Thank goodness I had removed her mask.

I had almost had sex with my cousin's fiancée. I had been furious earlier and had thought that she might have planned to seduce me.

But I knew that couldn't be the case. She didn't know that it was me. And I was glad I didn't take off my mask. Else, she would have discovered my secret.

I hoped to never see her again. At that moment, my phone rang, and the butler's voice came through the receiver.

"Master, your mother is planning on getting you a wife."

I shut my eyes briefly. Didn't that woman ever get tired of trying to get me married?

"Pay no mind to her," I snapped and hung up.