by Marian Tee
In the back of her mind, Maria had always thought that when all hope was lost, she could either lie and seduce her way back into Luca’s life or use Eula as leverage.
But now—-
“I have no one to turn to, Luca.”
“You’ll survive. People like you always do.”
“I’m Eula’s mother,” she cried out. “That must still mean something—-” The billionaire abruptly leaned forward, and her voice broke off.
“It does,” he snapped. “And what it means is that I am letting you walk away unscathed one last time. It is more than you deserve for hurting my daughter, but it is also for her sake that I am letting you leave with the smallest dignity intact.”
Luca knocked on the window, and the door was immediately opened by one of his bodyguards. Before stepping out, he cast one last look at his ex-wife. “Eula and I are never to see you again, Maria.” His voice was deadly soft. “Do you understand?”
When Luca walked back inside the school, Vivian was already seated inside one of the classrooms and deep in conversation with his daughter’s homeroom adviser.
After giving the other woman a polite nod of greeting, he bent down to kiss the top of his wife’s head before taking his sleeping daughter from Vivian. The tender act had the other mothers in the classroom mentally swooning, but when they turned to look at the billionaire’s wife, the women were unanimously undecided. Should they hate her for being married to Luca Valencia or should they cheer her for being an incredible stepmother to Eula?
As the billionaire slid into the vacant seat next to his wife, the homeroom adviser cleared her throat, mumbling, “Excuse me for a moment,” she said with a polite cough. “I must attend to...something.” She hurried away, knowing that she needed to find something to do for at least half an hour. It was clear the billionaire desired privacy with his wife, and since Luca Valencia was one of their school’s top benefactors...
Luca’s gaze met his wife’s over the top of Eula’s head. “Hello.”
“H-hello,” she stammered, and her crazy heart started to race like it was their first date.
His gaze strayed to her hair. “Lovely hairstyle.”
She choked back a laugh. “T-thanks.”
“Do I even want to know why you have three shades of hair?”
“It’s...complicated.”
He smirked. “Should I take a guess?” Before she could answer, he continued smoothly, “Rush appointment. New salon a block away from our house. French stylist. Miscommunication.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“I know everything, remember?” A pause. “Because I love you.”
Oh. She swallowed, mumbling almost inaudibly, “I l-love you, too.”
“I know.”
Vivian asked uncertainly, “Maria?”
“Gone for good.”
“Oh.”
“You seem disappointed,” he noted mildly.
“Well, I kinda needed her,” she mumbled.
This should be interesting, Luca thought. “And why is that?” When she didn’t answer right away, he murmured, “Cara?”
“Because,” she admitted awkwardly, “I wanted you to know I was willing to fight her f-for...you.”
And this time, it was the billionaire’s turn not to say a word.
Vivian fidgeted in her seat.
The last words he had spoken to her at home drifted in her mind—-
If you are so bent on giving us away then I shall make it easy for you.
Her head lowered as she said fiercely, “I’m never going to give you away, Luca.”
Ah. A sweet, piercing pain struck the billionaire at his wife’s words.
“I was such a fool,” Vivian confessed painfully, “wasting my time trying to win everyone’s approval that I failed to realize how much you and Eula were hurting.” She choked back a sob. “I’m sorry, Luca. I’m so sorry I f-failed you and—-”
Through her tear-blurred gaze, she saw her husband offer her a hand.
She took it, and he hauled her close in the next second.
She half-tumbled out of her seat just as her husband leaned towards him.
Their mouths met, and as she gasped against his lips, so did the other adults, along with a chorus of ews from children, right before their respective parents hastily covered their eyes.
“Luca—-mm!” Her eyes squeezed shut involuntarily as the billionaire kissed her harder.
When he pulled away, he looked into her soft, clouded green eyes and said quietly, “I love you.”
She shook her head mutely.
A smile curved on his beautiful lips, and he asked mockingly, “You don’t want me to love you?”
“Y-you m-misunderstand.” Tears clogged her voice. “I don’t w-want you to forgive me so easily. You’re not supposed to. You’ve been telling Eula stories all this time, so you should know it, s-shouldn’t you? I did something bad. I hurt you. When all you did was love me—-”
And her voice broke as she remembered all the times he had tried to reach out to her, all the times her powerful billionaire husband strove to make it clear to her how much she meant to him—-
“You’re supposed to punish me. To leave me—-”
“You are the one who do not understand, cara. We are past that chapter of the story. We are already living in the ever after, and it means we don’t waste a precious second holding on to the pain.”
He leaned close, murmuring, “Instead, we let it go and just...” He seemed to be waiting for something, and she hesitantly leaned closer, her heart beating hard because she didn’t know what at all to expect.
What should they just do?
The billionaire whispered into her ear, “We just...”
Vivian held her breath.
“Fuck.”
Epilogue
Kay Norton sashayed into the airport like she owned it, and in the past few weeks it had appeared that way. Her faithful posse followed her from behind, all of them trying to look like they were channeling Taylor Swift and her squad with their long, tanned bodies displayed in cropped tops and tight skirts.
Having caught sight of their arrival, reporters in the area flocked towards them and began shouting questions that Kay and her girls were more than happy to answer. Throughout it, they posed obligingly with other passengers wanting to have photos with them.
Being a celebrity is amazing, Kay marveled silently while pouting and throwing kisses in the air. It felt so incredible, having the world’s attention on her, and all she had to do was badmouth Vivian Valencia.
“How’s Donald doing behind bars?”
It hurt her conscience, but being in the limelight meant practically everything to Kay, and so she blinked several times as if trying to keep her tears back, and her voice was just a little hoarse as she answered, “He’s doing his best to cope, and I’m just so proud of him. Even though we both know he’s done nothing wrong, and everything’s been blown out of proportion, he’s just been a rock all this time.”
“And what about Mrs. Vivian Valencia? Have you spoken to her yet?”
Kay shook her head. “Whenever I’m interviewed, I always say that I’m open to hearing her side. Like you guys, I want to know why she set my boyfriend up to be her fall guy. He’s been nothing but nice to her, you know? If not for Donald and me, she wouldn’t have had any friends.” She released a sigh, making sure her surgically enlarged breasts rose prominently. “My friends had her number from the start, you know? They told us to stay away from Vivian. That even though she’s married to a billionaire, she’s still so crass and evil—-” Kay feigned a shudder. “I didn’t listen to them, and now I just really regret it.” She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. “And now my poor Donald’s behind bars.”
“So you still believe your boyfriend is innocent of all wrongdoing?”
“Of course.” Kay lifted her chin. “The truth is very simple. Vivian tried playing with fire, but when she got caught and stood to lose billions in the divorce courts
, she decided to act like Donald was about to rape her when she’s had the hots for him from the very start.”
“Why do you believe Vivian came on to your boyfriend? She’s married to Luca Valencia—-”
“Money isn’t everything,” Kay countered breezily. “Her husband’s really old, you know?”
“He’s thirty-one,” another reporter pointed out.
“And your point is?” Kay’s eyes bored through him. “That’s so old, and Vivian must have compared her husband to Donald, and I don’t know...I guess she got tired being with a man who’s so old. She sees Donald and me make out all the time. But you know most times I see them on TV or online, her husband only kisses her on the cheek or something. Maybe his tongue is too tired to French kiss?”
Everyone laughed, and encouraged by the sound, Kay continued brazenly, “Let’s be all honest here. They’re just one f—-”
The crowd gasped in a mixture of shock and amusement.
“—-away from the nursing home, you know what you mean?”
The interview lasted for over thirty minutes, but Kay and her friends would have gladly spent the entire day talking if not for hearing the boarding announcement on their flight.
“Do you think we’ll show up on TMZ?” one of Kay’s friends asked eagerly as they headed down the hallway connecting the terminal to their plane.
“Abso-effing-lutely,” Kay affirmed. “We’re today’s It girls, you know? People can’t just stop talking about us, and that’s why we have these for free.” She waved their air tickets and hotel vouchers for emphasis. She and her friends had received their travel packets this morning, which included an invitation to a Caribbean resort.
Aboard the airplane, Kay and her friends were further surprised to meet other students in their school. Every face was familiar, too familiar, and amidst the excited screams and roars coming from the jocks—-
It was almost like the entire cast at the party that night had been reassembled, Kay thought with a frisson of unease.
But that wasn’t a bad thing, was it?
“Welcome on board, passengers,” the captain greeted them over the PA system. “Thank you for flying with us. Our cabin crew is at your beck and call, and we’d like you to know that we’ve prepared food and free-flowing beverages on board for your enjoyment. We will be taking off shortly.”
More cheers erupted as the captain sounded off.
“Yeah, baby! This is the life! We’re being paid to party!”
“We’re going to be the next Jersey Shore!”
A champagne bottle was popped, and everyone burst into wild applause.
By the time the plane finally took off, Kay and everyone else were more than a little sloshed, and when the headrest monitors in front of them suddenly showed an extraordinarily handsome man on the screen.
Yummy, Kay thought distractedly. The guy looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. Although she made it seem like she was well connected and moved in the highest social circles in her interviews, the truth was that the only famous people she knew were from Hollywood’s who’s who list.
Names like Astor and Vanderbilt didn’t even mean anything to Kay—-
“Good afternoon. I’m Nic de Konigh, and this is a pre-recorded message.”
—-and European families with billion-dollar fortunes meant even less than nothing to her.
Kay frowned on the monitor. “Are we supposed to know who he is?”
Jenny, the girl seated beside her, gaped at Kay. “You of all people should know him, Kay.”
“Huh?”
“He’s close friends with Luca Valencia. He’s a billionaire, too.”
“O-oh.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “Jeez, Kay. You seriously don’t know him?”
Kay couldn’t answer. Her stomach had started having cramps, and all she could think was that this wasn’t a good thing. She couldn’t exactly say why, but she knew things would only go downhill from here.
And it did.
“I hope you are enjoying your flight so far,” the Dutch billionaire on the screen continued, “and if you’d like to know whose generosity you owe this to then it’s none other than my good friend Luca Valencia.”
Silence abruptly fell, and Kay had a sudden urge to throw up. When she looked at the people around her, she knew their tense expressions mirrored her own.
“Speaking of Luca, my friend and I have been relatively entertained watching all of you go around town acting like you’re, err, popular. We found it amusing to let all of you act like fools, but...that ends now.”
The billionaire disappeared from the screen, and Kay fell back in her seat in utter shock when she saw her father appear on the monitor, red-faced and furious.
Her father started blustering, but she had a hard time paying attention. Gasps had echoed throughout the plane, and when Kay looked at everyone else’s monitors, everyone seemed to be receiving a personal message from their own parents.
She forced herself to look back at her monitor and tried pressing the Rewind button on the screen. Her father reappeared from the screen, and this time Kay really listened...and was white-faced by the end of her father’s speech.
Her allowance was being completely cut off?
Her car, her cellphone, her credit cards were being confiscated?
She was being asked to leave the university and transfer to some obscure place like Wisconsin? Was that even in the United States?
The greatest surprise for everyone was the final message delivered by their parents.
This flight they had boarded wasn’t heading to the Caribbean like they thought. Instead, they were being flown to Wisconsin and from there they would have to find a way to get to their host’s farm, where they were expected to work for their board and lodging.
“Since you’re nineteen, you have the legal right to refuse what I’m asking you to do,” Kay’s father said grimly. “But if I were you, I’ll take it. I received a letter from Luca Valencia’s lawyer, and if you don’t take up my offer they’ll go after you for slander and everything else they can pin on you. They won’t rest until you’re behind bars with that idiot you’re going out with, so if I were you, just suck it up, and try not to mess up next time.”
Everyone had started crying around her, and Kay knew she would have started bawling as well if she could just get over her shock.
Her life was ruined.
Ruined!
And it was all because of that bitch!
The Dutch billionaire came back on the screen. “If it still isn’t obvious by now, each and every one of you who has a seat on this flight has spoken to the press one way or another about your rather uninformed views of my friend’s marriage, and some of you have even resorted to outright slander and spreading malicious lies about Donald Crane’s sexual attack on Vivian.”
Kay whitened.
“I am, of course, talking about you, Ms. Norton.” As the billionaire spoke, a cabin attendant provided her with a set of documents, and Kay forced her hands to unclench so she could receive the papers.
“For everyone’s reference, Ms. Norton is receiving a copy of Donald Crane’s sworn affidavit. He has promised never to see Kay Norton in this lifetime in exchange of one million dollars.”
Kay started tearing the documents without even looking at it. “Lies,” she said shakily. “These are all lies!” Because if there was anything that Kay loved more than she loved herself and her newfound popularity, then it would be Donald Crane.
And now this stranger was telling her boyfriend had sold her out?
“This is the kind of man you have lied to defend and protect, Ms. Norton. I’d like you to know that Vivian always thought you deserved someone better than Mr. Crane, which is why the way things have turned out now is a great pity. If you had stood by her, if you hadn’t believed in Donald Crane’s lies, and a break up would have resulted, Vivian would have made a wonderful shoulder to cry on. She would have been a supportive friend to you. She would have fl
own you to any part of the world to help you get over your heartbreak. She would have gotten you invites to all those parties you’re obsessively enamored with. Most of all, she would have been genuinely loyal to you, for life, and her friendship would be without price. Unlike Donald Crane, Vivian’s friendship would never be on sale.”
Kay started to cry.
Nic stood up, and the camera panned up and zoomed out to allow them a full-length glimpse of the billionaire, who was sleekly handsome in his black suit and appeared to have been shooting the video from his executive office, which boasted of spectacular views of Amsterdam. “Thank you for your time, and in the event that you still have any lingering doubts about how happy my friends are in their marriage – a live feed to the couple’s private jet will follow shortly.” Nic smirked. “Enjoy.”
LUCA KNEW THE EXACT moment when the CCTV camera on the private lounge of his jet started recording and transmitting. Mounted on top of the back door leading to the bedroom, it would show Luca seated on one of the luxurious recliners, but with only the back of his head visible.
Vivian, however, would have her face completely exposed as she was facing the camera. She sat atop her husband, straddling him, fully clothed but with her skirt inched up because she had just impaled herself on Luca’s erection. The delicious fullness of his penetration made her throw her head back with a long helpless moan, and when he clutched her hips so he could have her bouncing on his length over and over, she moaned anew, her eyes rolling back.
“Say something dirty,” he urged her wickedly as his fingers lazily trailed down between their fingers.
“I c-can’t—-ooooooh.” Vivian cried out at the agonizing pleasure of his fingers finding the tiny nub of flesh above her folds.
“Do it,” he urged thickly, “if you want to keep on doing this...” And he began to rub her tiny, aroused nub exactly the way she wanted it even as the deep thrusts of his manhood continued.
“Lucaaaaaa——”
His fingers stilled.
“No!” She shook her head in protest, but when his movements remained arrested, she choked out, “Do me. I want you to do me again and again—-ah!”
