His Betrayal: Her Vengeful Vows

"Strip! Strip! Strip!"

The group of frivolous women proceeded to chant the indecorous word at the male dancers as they resembled libidinous teenagers who couldn't get their fill no matter how hard they tried.

Looking like a wilting rose beneath the multi-colored flashing lights as she displayed an excessive amount of deference, Clara Raymond sat there in the VIP lounge. She sipped on a margarita with a bored expression on her face.

Her sister collapsed beside her after her third round spent gyrating against the half-naked pole dancers that were hired to "entertain" them for the night.

"God, I'm exhausted!" Chelsea exclaimed. "Do you think I can take that one home with me tonight?" She pointed at a particular stripper who was role-playing as a police officer.

His gaze met hers right on time and sent a delicious wink her way.

Chelsea squealed like a teenage girl who got noticed by her crush. "Did you see that? He wants some of this!" She proclaimed whilst nudging her sister in the side.

Clara forced a smile at her.

"Good for you."

"Hey," Chelsea said as she took both of Clara's cheeks in her hands. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

The brunette raised an eyebrow at her silently saying something along the lines of "bullshit".

Her piercing golden brown eyes finally had Clara caving in.

"I'm just exhausted 'tis all."

"But it's your bachelorette party!" Chelsea hopped on the couch they were sitting on, struggling to find her equilibrium in high heels, and gestured to the spacious club. "We booked this place out just for you!"

Clara's eyes scanned the large area of the famous club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was just as classy as people said it was. She had gotten many invites before, even from its owner upon its grand opening, but she never had the time to attend. Her schedule barely allowed for her to have the leisure of nightclubs.

Okay, that was a lie.

Compared to how her schedule was two years ago versus now, she had all the time in the world.

It was a matter of preferences.

Crowded places with sweaty bodies and irresponsible intake of alcohol weren't her taste when it came to picking hobbies.

Plus she preferred not to worry about her fiancee, Jake.

She had noticed how he reacted negatively every time she wasn't within his field of vision for too long. To imagine spending an entire night out was simply nothing short of a disaster in her mind.

Though she had to admit that cold reaction he usually had whenever she ventured outside hadn't been the case recently...

Still, she had to take the necessary precautions to not start a fight with him. God only knew how long it took for them to make up after they started shooting bullets at each other. She'd always have to be the one to apologize first. It was out of consideration for the shy person Jake was.

Despite him being the co-owner of Starz Entertainment he was a bit of an introvert.

Most times, it was an endearing trait of his.

Clara was broken out of her reverie when her sister took her by the shoulders and shook her -- hard.

"Loosen up, will you?! A night like this is once in a lifetime. Well, unless you get a divorce and decide to re-marry in the future..."

Clara's chocolate brown eyes were as wide as saucers at that last remark.

"What did you just say?"

"Calm down, Little Miss Muffet. I'm not trying to curse you or anything. It's not like something that happens in less than," The semi-copper-haired woman checked the watch on her wrist. "Eleven hours can make you change your mind about walking down the aisle. For Jake maybe, but you, nah..."

The glare her sister sent her way had her backpedaling," Kidding! Gosh, Ems, can't you take a joke?"

The elder sister drew for a drink from the table before them and forced it into the hands of the bride-to-be.

Clara blanched at the nasty color of the liquid Chelsea poured into her glass.

"Drink up!"

"Uh..."

Rolling her eyes, Chelsea took the glass from Clara and forced it into her mouth.

She had no choice but to swallow its foul contents.

"Ugh." She gagged a few times. A shiver went up her spine at how nasty it tasted. "I'll just stick with the one I was having earlier."

Her sister tried to argue but she held up her hands. "No buts."

Chelsea knew that once her baby sister had set her mind on something there was nothing that anyone could do to stop her.

So with one last encouraging smile on her face, she let Clara be and tried to get that hottie from the earlier phone number.

The night grew darker and Clara watched from the secluded position as her friends and sister had the time of their lives.

Taking a sip of her drink, she glanced at the time on her phone screen. She wondered what Jake was up to.

A smile bloomed on her face at the way he pouted earlier on at the sight of her all dressed up.

His hands had encircled her waist and he pulled her to him possessively.

"Damn, Clara. I don't think I've ever seen you wear something this sexy. Are you trying to drive me insane?"

Clara had blushed a deep red. Her face grew even hotter at his hand that crept up the skin of her leg.

Batting his hand away, she ignored his groan.

"Come on, babe. Just a little touch. I promise I'll make you feel good."

Clara bit the inside of her cheeks in contemplation.

Oh, how it hurt to keep herself from him like this but she wanted to save herself until her wedding night.

She was a firm believer that a husband should be the one to deflower his wife.

However, she did not judge those who engaged in sexual activities before marriage.

It was their choice, just like this was hers.

There was no doubt that the wait would be worth it then.

Stepping on her tippy toes, Clara granted him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

Jake let his head fall on her shoulder. She laughed as he stomped his feet like a petulant child. "But I wanna do it now..." He whined unashamedly.

Caressing the side of his handsome face, she gave him a look that she hoped showed him all the love she had for him.

"Soon."

The switch to an EDM song jerked Clara back to the present. She let out a sigh at the growing cognizance that Jake hadn't even checked up on her.

Maybe he was afraid he'd come off as too territorial.

Yeah, that must have been it.

With that assumption in mind, Clara began to type a text to Jake's phone inquiring what he was up to.

He had already had his bachelor party yesterday which left him all alone in his house.

Clara began to frown at the idea of him working on projects again.

To: Jake ♡

Today, 10:18 p.m.

Hi babe.

10:21 p.m.

What are you up to?

10:25 p.m.

Please tell me you're not up late working again.

10:32 p.m.

The light from your laptop can damage your eyes if you stare at it for too long...

Anyway, I miss you.

Twenty minutes later after ceaselessly checking her phone, there still was no reply from him.

Clara figured the best way to get this night over with was to be in a state where time held no meaning.

In layman's terms, she was about to get wasted.

You see, she was a lightweight and got drunk easily.

An even greater factor of her alcohol intolerance was that it was to the point where she would even pass out.

After drinking a little too much at her bachelorette party, Clara's fiancee finally arrived after calling and hearing how wasted she was.

The slurring and non-stop hiccuping were all verbal signs.

He brought her home to her apartment.

Albeit, it was a heavy task as she was completely wiped out.

An auspicious text lit up his phone.

He looked at Clara warily from the driver's seat before he called the girl.

"No, don't come over. I'm staying at her place today. Don't start this- hello?"

Jake heaved a sigh at the temper of the girl on the other side of the line.

If she kept this up they were gonna get caught.

Although he entertained the idea for a minute, wondering what Clara's reaction would be like.

She'd probably cry like she always does when things don't go her way. Such a fucking baby.

Jake had successfully carried Clara up to her apartment after unlocking the door with the password he knew.

He threw her down on the bed placed his hands on his knees and panted.

Was she gaining weight? He thought in disgust.

If her sister hadn't phoned him after he finished talking to the incoherent mess she was in earlier, he wouldn't have picked her up at all.

The things he had to put up with to maintain his image of the perfect boyfriend.

Just as Jake was about to start taking off his shoes to call it a night, the door to the apartment clicked open.

His eyebrows flew up in surprise. Who could it be at this hour...

He looked down at Clara so fast he almost had a whiplash. Is this bitch cheating on me?

Jake shook his head. No, she didn't have the guts to do that. She loved me so much she would sell her whole family if I asked her to, he boasted proudly to himself.

Oh, how she was so innocent in every aspect. To the degree that it was almost pitiful.

Then who could it be

His feet were on fire as he raced to the front door.

Jake prayed that his presumption had been wrong but there Stella Peterson stood in all her glory.

"Are you fucking insane? I told you not to use her passcode unless I'm inviting you over and you need to prepare in advance." He attempted to shove the tall woman out the door.

"That's what I should be asking you!" She screamed at his question only.

Her nails dug into the palm of her hand at the thought of him spending the night with that stuck-up brat Clara.

It was the weekend!

Jake was supposed to be with her.

How could Clara be so selfish and plotting as to keep him all to herself?

Enraged she stormed to Clara's bedroom where she found her passed out in the queen-sized bed like she figured she'd be.

"Dumb bitch!" Stella swore at the sleeping form of Clara making her stir at the loud noise.

Jake panicked and covered her mouth.

Both of them stood still as they watched Clara roll onto her side and face them.

However, at the realization that her eyes were still closed, Jake blew out a breath of relief.

Stella just huffed.

"Come on, babe. Let's get out of here before you do something you'll regret."

Clara, somewhere between being awake and asleep, heard the endearment spoken by Jake's voice.

She smiled against the pillow a little because of it.

"Whatever," Stella flashed his hands off her but allowed him to bring her to the living room and away from Clara.

However, her next words had the woman more cognizant of her surroundings.

"Just so you know, if this happens again, I won't be held accountable for what I do. You're mine, Jake Mallion. And I don't like sharing what's mine." At the end of her speech, Stella slammed her lips against Jake's.

Finally coming to her senses, Clara forced open her eyes, holding back an excruciating headache.

Her vision cleared to a dark room.

However, the woman was sure she had heard Jake's voice so she went in search of him.

Her feet halted at the end of the hallway when she could make out the figures of a man and a woman kissing passionately in her living room.

What the-

Numb to the core, Clara looked at the two of them in shock as she realized it wasn't just any man but her man.

The anger inside her began to boil.

It heightened upon noticing that the woman was someone she knew too.

Stella freaking Peterson.

Her certified understudy in the acting industry.

It wasn't until recently she had made a name for herself and look at what she was doing with that newfound reputation.

Dragging it through the mud.

A part of her considered confronting them.

To storm over there and slap Stella across the face and deliver a double dosage to Jake as well.

However, she never operated like that.

She was the type of woman who was rarely impulsive.

Even in heart-wrenching scenarios like this.

It took a lot for her to lose her composure and she realized that because of what Jake had done, he didn't deserve to get satisfaction from witnessing that side of her.

"Stella, stop fucking with me." The man warned through clenched teeth after pulling her away from sucking his face off.

"What? Are you scared we'll wake your little ice princess?" Stella teased with a sense of aggravation, "You're gonna sign your marriage license tomorrow anyway so why don't you give yourself to me tonight, hmm?"

"Babe, you're gonna be the death of me. I swear to God."

Stella batted her eyelashes at him.

"Okay then, but let's go to your place." He easily surrendered.

Clara could hear the smile in his tone and it made her heart ache even more.

"Fine..." She agreed unwillingly. "But you have to go down on me first." The dark-haired vixen nudged the man's chest towards the door of Clara's apartment.

As soon as the man turned to leave, Stella was coy enough and screamed, "Go ahead and sign those papers tomorrow, you brat! But just know Jake's mine. Always has been and always will be. Oh, and did you know? I'm currently bearing his child. I'm pregnant!"

Clara felt her heart stop.

"Stella, are you insane?" She heard Jake hiss before grabbing the girl and pulling her towards the door. "What if she hears you?"

It wasn't until Clara heard the front door slam shut that she felt her world come crumbling down.

How...how could he do this to me? She thought feeling as if she was suffocating.

Two years ago, Clara was once America's youngest top actress. But, because of this man, she gave up everything, handing over her hard-earned position to Stella.

Clara shook her head in disbelief as she started pacing the length of her living room.

The vicious giggles of Stella still echoed inside her head.

This was, without a doubt, the second most devastating thing that had happened in her entire life.

The next day, as planned, Clara drove to the marriage license bureau with a dark cloud hanging over her head.

She sat in her Mercedes Maybach with her head against the steering wheel.

Taking a deep sigh, she decided to give Jake a call.

His female assistant answered. "Mr. Mallion just escorted Ms. Peterson to the hospital due to her complaints about not feeling well. He said to tell you if you called that he has to, um, cancel the plans you had together."

That's it, Clara thought livid.

She had called the bastard to have him confess and beg for forgiveness. To ask if this was what it had come to.

Everything couldn't have been more clear in her eyes.

"Would you like to leave a message-"

"No, thank you." Clara hung up the phone abruptly.

In a moment of seeing nothing but sheer anger, she threw the phone on the pavement out the car window, watching it smash into a million pieces.

A passerby hopped away terrified at the indirect assault.

"Ahh!"

Clara covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

The woman gripped her purse against her in fear, her eyes wavering, and began to powerwalk away with a look of judgment.

"Crazy rich people." She mumbled not so softly.

Clara sighed as she stared at the broken iPhone.

It pinged with a message and a sardonic smile came on her face.

What a surprise.

It wasn't dead.

She stepped out of her car and slipped on her sunglasses. They were to conceal her eyes which were swollen after the sleepless night she had.

Clara bent down to retrieve the damaged phone but at that moment, her eyes were drawn to a lean figure approaching.

He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. She guessed he must be used to that, the sudden pause in a person's natural expression when they looked his way followed by an overcompensation with a nonchalant gaze and a dismissive smile.

Her eyes sparkled at how the grey suit enhanced his fit body. It was brought off by a pair of freshly polished black leather shoes which looked brand new.

As his face came more into view, she noticed his bone structure was perfectly symmetrical.

It was manly.

His well-defined features inclusive of sexy lips were enough to bring any woman to her feet.

Clara recognized this man, he was the CEO of Royal Entertainment-Nicholas King.

When she was out and about in the social events, they had crossed paths once. They hadn't shared a word. They just stood in the same room for a few hours.

Is he also registering his marriage today?

A part of her was curious to see who the woman was to have tied down a powerful man like him.

"Mr. King, Miss Hamilton has not arrived as yet. It's been half an hour. Sir, I think she has schemes with her family to try and sabotage you." The gentleman who looked like his assistant reported behind him.

"Call her family and tell them this marriage is no longer in the works. If their daughter can't even be on time for the registration of it then what's the point?"

"Yes, sir." The assistant complied.

Then he gave him a rather grave look.

"Unfortunately, the chairman of this company keeps pushing to work with a family man. I'm afraid of the heights he will go to convince the board of your illegitimacy again because you're unmarried, despite all that you have achieved."

"You're telling me," Nicholas chuckled coldly.

He released a sigh as David's expression became more defeated.

"I'm sure there's a woman from a socialite family out there who's willing to marry me. Find anyone...anyone but her will do." He spoke plainly as if he was talking about ordering clothes online.

Though there was no chance in hell that suit of his wasn't tailor-made.

Isn't he- isn't he being a bit impulsive? Clara asked herself with her mouth wide open.

Of course, he was aware of his social standing.

Nicholas King was a man of great reputation.

He could get any woman he wanted without much effort. After all, he was one of the most sought-after bachelors in New York, not to mention the whole country.

Was he under so much pressure that love wasn't even going to be considered when dealing with marriage?

Her guess was right based on the unbothered expression on Nicholas' face as his assistant scanned through his phone.

He looked like he just wanted to get this over with.

Suddenly, a horrible idea came to Clara's mind.

It was driven by the bloodthirsty need for revenge and before she knew it, Clara was stopping Nicolas King as she seized his hand.

The man looked down at the small lady before him, wondering who could be disrespectful and clueless enough to block his path.

His eyes widened slightly at her beauty and grace when Clara took off her sunglasses. Her hair flowed behind her with a light caress of the wind and she looked up at him with daring eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

The assistant on his phone who had overheard this couldn't help but choke.

He scrambled clumsily for a hold of the device that almost fell from him due to shock.

Clara stood strong with confidence oozing from her figure.

She was not going to falter.

It had taken all her courage as well as pride to do this.

Nicholas who had been sporting a pair of raybands removed them, revealing a pair of dark almond-shaped eyes; the colour of coffee as he looked at the little lady before him. After a short moment, he turned to his assistant asking, "What is the meaning of this?"

The fellow, scared for both him and the lady, scurried over after quickly finishing up the conversation with the Hamiltons.

"Miss, I would advise you to step aside-wait. Aren't you Clara Raymond?"

An odd sensation filled Clara's chest.

Something she only felt years ago when she had been in the spotlight with a reputation that made her feel self-important.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

The assistant startled Clara when his stern guise transformed into that of an excited fanboy.

"Oh my god! Can I get your autograph? I've been a fan of you since you debuted in Monster in Me. I cried for an hour straight after you had died in that car accident. It felt positively unfair that you had to undergo so much and end up"

"David."

The strict voice of his superior had the rambling man coming to a halt.

The assistant cleared his throat with a blush dusting his cheeks.

"Um, I apologize for my sudden...burst of excitement. I'm just a huge fan you see."

Clara laughed softly.

"It's alright. I've had worse experiences."

The man rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "But Miss Raymond, why haven't I seen any current works from you? I heard rumors that you're retiring. Is that true?"

Clara swallowed harshly at the personal question.

"Uh..."

"David," Nicholas had interrupted with a deep voice. "Before your little chit-chat, I had asked you what the meaning of this was. Are you well acquainted with this young lady?"

David took a step back.

"Well, not necessarily, sir. This is Clara Raymond."

"Who?"

Clara felt a punch delivered to her ego.

After all the joy she had experienced a moment ago from David, it didn't take long for Nicholas to hammer her down to size with one single word.

David stared at his boss in disbelief.

"Only the best movie star to walk the planet!"

The heat from before reached Clara's cheeks.

"If that's the case how come I've never heard of her?"

Her lips pursed at the arrogance in his manner of speech.

It had a way to break a girl's spirit.

"I've retreated from the industry for a while. Only focusing on a few modeling jobs here and there." Hearing the woman speak up for herself pulled Nicholas' attention onto her.

He gave her an obvious scan from head to toe. "And why are you suggesting that I take your hand in marriage?"

"Because I heard you need a wife."

His eyes darkened. "Who sent you here?"

Clara held up her hands in mock surrender.

"I simply overheard you."

"So you were eavesdropping?"

"No! I was simply-" Clara sighed. "Okay, maybe I was eavesdropping but does that matter? I need a husband as much as you need a wife at the moment."

His dark eyebrows sloped downwards in a serious expression.

His sarcastic smile had drawn into a hard line across his face. "And who told you that you were a suitable candidate for that position, little girl?"

Clara's nostrils flared.

"First of all, I am not a little girl. I am a twenty-five-year-old woman, thank you very much. And secondly, you didn't seem to be picky about your bride a minute ago. A socialite? I'm right here. My family background might be satisfactory as well." She didn't mean to brag but the degrading treatment of this man was getting on her nerves. She was starting to second-guess her impulsive actions. Just as she was about to tell him to forget it, he spoke up.

"Run a background check on her. I want to know every single detail in the next twenty minutes before we do this," he ordered roughly to David who nodded in compliance.

"Any objections?" His intense eyes locked Clara in.

She faltered for a moment before a smile blossomed on her face.

"Right now, no. As for the future, I make no promises."

Nicholas licked his lips, trying to quell the interest that sparked inside of him at that.

"You're going to be a hard case, aren't you?"

She shrugged.

He ran a hand through his hair before looking up to the sky. "What the hell did I get myself into?"

It was Clara.

She had done the most unimaginable thing.

She was married!

Married to a man she didn't even know well at the time!

She seemed to have gone completely crazy after learning of Jake's adultery.

The woman was truly losing her mind, so perhaps she should make an appointment with her former therapist. She was going to Looneyville on a first-class flight. She got Lindsay Lohan out of this predicament, so forget about it!

As she dragged her feet behind the wide back of the man in front of her, she was perspiring profusely and felt as though the marriage certificate she was holding was burning her skin.

He was going to be her spouse from now on.

Unbelievable.

"We need to go over the details of this marriage because I'm honestly starting to get cold feet."

"Isn't that something you get before getting married?"

"I have a knack for not doing things in the right order."

She gave his sarcasm a nod. "Okay, let's do so. Where do you wanna talk?"

"There's a café nearby. We can go there."

She hesitated.

The man glanced over his shoulder and saw that she was not following him. "Is there a problem? Why aren't you coming?"

Clara questioned whether mentioning her fear of recognition would come across as arrogant.

Fortunately, David saved the day. "I think it would be better for Miss Raymond to not be seen in public with you as yet."

Only then did Nicholas realize.

"Okay then. Let's do it in the car."

Immediately, the man made his way to his white Cadillac Escalade. As they sat facing each other, Clara gave him a look. Her glance told him all he needed to know of her readiness for him to express whatever he wanted to say.

She gave the impression that she was eager to finish this and was running late for an appointment.

The idea that he was a bother to someone else truly irritated him.

She beat him to it, which just made things worse.

"I want to say thank you for marrying me. I don't know exactly how you'll benefit from this entire ordeal. I just overheard a few business concepts. But because of your sacrifice if you need anything, please let me know."

"You're telling me to ask you for favors?"

She gave a nod.

In awe of what was transpiring between them, his hands folded themselves.

"Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

Clara gave him a serious look. "Why should it?"

After that, none of them made a move, keeping a close eye on the other's response.

Nicholas laughed lightly, relieving the strain.

He remarked, "You're an interesting one."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or not."

"Let's say it's somewhere in the middle."

He stared at the gleaming watch on his wrist, his eyes sparkling. "Also, you don't have to worry about me asking for favors, no matter what form they may be."

His voice didn't reveal anything, so she wasn't sure if she should have been insulted.

"I think I'm the one who should be more concerned about who gets what out of this marriage."

That scuffed Clara's throat.

"What exactly are you implying?"

"Your goal." He squinted.

His unexpected roughness made her choke.

"What is it?"

When she said, "I don't have any,"

He gave an eye roll.

Her jaw tightened at how disgusting that was.

"At least not the one you're thinking of."

"So you do have one? You just said you didn't."

"Did you bring me in your car to interrogate me, Mr. King?"

His eyes were still amused as he shook his head. "Of course not, Miss Raymond. You can't blame me for being this way after marrying a stranger."

"The last time I recalled I never dragged you by your legs, kicking and screaming to do this with me."

It was "You're right," he admitted.

With a sedative from her reminder, his gaze fell on hers.

"So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop looking at me with a hint of suspicion."

"Am I?"

"You are."

He drew a long breath. "I didn't mean to. I apologize."

She dismissed it with a quick "It's alright," as he had admitted his error.

"You said you don't want any favors from me but I have one to ask of you."

Nicholas pleaded, "Say it." and then pulled at his suit's neck.

He questioned her once more, and I knew I shouldn't have believed her.

"I don't want you to interfere in my matters."

The understanding made his lips quiver. "You're telling me to mind my own business?" he asked.

Did she say that was a favor?

Clara started to defend herself, but after giving it some thought, she realized that was precisely what she was saying.

"If you want to take it that way, fine."

This woman was so daring that he nearly burst out laughing.

"Do you have any more requests, Your Majesty?"

She disregarded his irony.

"I expect a level of respect where exclusivity is involved. Not to the whole world but between us. We're married so I won't get involved with someone else during this time. I also expect you to do the same." She was sincere in her tone of voice.

Her brief but powerful requests caused Nicholas to give her a sly smile.

"Okay, I promise you those two things. Is that all?"

She gave a nod.

"Are you sure? I thought you'd ask for something else."

"What? Like your Cadillac?"

The woman gave him a sharp glance.

She wasn't usually like this, but he was making her feel agitated.

What more could he have hoped she would ask for?

With his cologne filling her senses, he glided across to her with such ability that her heart sprang in her throat.

"No need to have an attitude. I was just asking."

"I would have told you if there was something else."

"Are you sure there's nothing?"

She sighed in frustration. "Why are you-"

"Nothing about...skinship?" He traced a long finger across her smooth skin, raising goosebumps on the occasion.

"U-uh..." Clara swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling like sandpaper.

Clara had no intention of entertaining Nicholas King by sleeping with him as his "wife," regardless of how little she knew about him other than the fact that he currently ruled the kingdom of entertainment.

She didn't think it would get that far because it was all a lie.

Furthermore, the woman didn't believe she was even close to acknowledging that option.

The thought of Jake not being the one to experience that pleasure with her, as she had always dreamed, caused tears to spring up in the corners of her eyes.

Perhaps he had been too forward in his approach, Nicholas thought as he leaned back against the leather seats and saw the sweat that pooled at his audacious comments.

He gave a loud clearing of his throat.

"I will give you some time to take care of the current issues that you are facing, especially with your hopefully soon-to-be past relationship with your fiance. However, after four months, I have to publicly announce our marriage. It is not within my plans to give you more time than that. After all, that's the reason I got married in the first place."

Clara nodded heartily, "Thank you."

Later, when she recognized how strange her joy was, her smile vanished.

I get that the woman was insane, but a man purposefully marrying you isn't a reason for a dance party.

"Also...I think it would serve us more benefits to live together. It will be much more convenient during this period. You can have all your belongings be moved to my place. My assistant will be in touch with you whenever you indicate to me that you're ready. He will also assist with the entire move to where your new home will be."

This seemed a bit absurd to Clara.

If this was all supposed to be a hoax, why did she have to move in with him?

But she recalled that if you put yourself into a role, you can only perform it more effectively.

With a dutiful nod, she responded, "Okay, I'll let you know."

In any case, she had no personal liabilities that were preventing her from moving forward.

Speaking of which, Jake had been formally removed from her life, even if he was unaware of it at the time. Both as a person and as a fiancé.

If it wasn't strictly business-related, she didn't want to interact with him at all.

She needed to sort out a few things first, though.

Clara needed to know that Jake would be held accountable for his treatment of her.

"Good."

Clara then departed the company of Nicholas and his aide.

"Sir, where are we headed to now?" David said as he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine while glancing into the rearview mirror.

"Do you trust her?"

His helper blinked quickly.

"Excuse me, sir?"

In response to his query, Nicholas stated, "Because I don't."

All of this worried David a great deal.

"If I were to offer my two cents, I think it would be appropriate to clear any worries that you have by keeping track of her."

"You mean stalking her?"

The man's gaze expanded. "That's not what I meant-"

As Nicholas saw Clara reverse her car, he said, "I think that's a good idea. Let's follow her to see exactly where she's headed now."

How opportune of her to ask him to marry her at that very moment! There has to be a catch on her end someplace.

The most dishonest people were always those with innocent-looking faces like hers.

Naturally, being the head of a global entertainment company, he was familiar with Clara Raymond.

After earning her first Golden Globe, the once-famous actress abruptly disappeared from the public eye two years ago. She was blacklisted after making the error of upsetting the director of FG, the leading entertainment company. Following her announcement that she would be signing with her second agency, Starz Entertainment, all of these episodes occurred, and she gained notoriety after her relationship with the boss, Jake Mallion, was made public.

Clara, meanwhile, was attempting to come to grips with the way things were going to proceed going forward while driving on the strangely quieter street.

From now on, it seemed as though her whole existence would be undergoing renovations.

She sat there in shock as the picture of Nicholas King flashed through her head.

He was a beautiful man.

A very characteristic aspect about him shouted devil, with an angelic face.

Given his icy demeanor toward her, his reputation preceded him.

Clara mentally noted that she should avoid doing anything that would irritate him.

Despite not knowing her true motives, he was nevertheless gracious enough to marry her.

To be honest, Clara didn't even know what they were.

The continuous ringtone lighted up her cracked phone. It was impossible to resist the urge to tense up at the mention of that traitor, Jake.

Before responding, she took a deep breath to gather her thoughts.

"Hey."

"Where are you right now?" he questioned impatiently, ignoring Clara's one-word greeting that was so out of character for her.

"Leaving the Civil Affairs office."

"Good."

Alright? She pondered.

"I need you to attend a very important fashion showcase for Stella today. She's not feeling well. I'll have the makeup team prepare a costume for you so that no one will know."

He had no shame.

Not even a regretful tone in his voice, nor a "I'm sorry" after canceling their marriage registration. He was being callous and demanding, giving her orders as though she had to follow them.

Clara gripped the steering wheel more tightly.

The puzzled woman said, "I don't want to."

She was shocked by him!

When she finished speaking, Jake froze.

Stella was putting her warm hands around his waist in bed when he abruptly shushed her. With a pout, she leaped from the bed and headed to the restroom.

He looked at Clara and signed when she was out of sight.

Was his hearing playing tricks on him? Was his proposal recently rejected by Clara?

"You what?" he asked, blinking in surprise.

"I don't want to," Clara answered with a little hesitation, "I already told you that the last time would be the last time I go out in public pretending to be Stella. I have my pride too, you know, Jake."

"This isn't about pride, Clara," she heard him say. "You're just being selfish. Stella needs this right now. She has been hospitalized and all you're thinking about is your stupid pride? I am so disappointed in you."

Normally, she would have been on the edge of tears to hear Jake say such terrible things. Perhaps she would have even lost it.

But now, all they did was make her bones ache.

"Jake..." she said gently, clinging to what little rationality she still had.

"Listen, Clara. You don't have a choice in this anymore. You're gonna go as Stella tonight and that's final. Make sure to put in highlights, Stella has a few blonde strands in."

Then Clara heard the line die in her ears.

Her ears rang with the terrible sound.

As a result, she had nearly missed the red-to-green change in light.

The drivers of the cars behind her swore at her while they honked loudly.

Clara drove passed the light but stopped at the curb, still essentially dazed. Before the girl threw open the car door and the contents of her meager breakfast appeared on the pavement, she remained there for a while, letting Jake's words drift through her head.

She spilled her guts on the street, while Nicholas, half sympathetic, watched intently from his car.

"Sir, don't you think we should go and help-" David said, his cheeks flushed with worry.

"Shhh."

Clara's swollen face was magnified by Nicholas's dark eyes.