Chapter 45

Clara's POV

I'm starting to like Derek in a way that makes my heart beat faster whenever I think about it. It almost makes me feel a bit unsettled. I've never felt like this for anyone. I didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

I rushed home as soon as possible. I avoided Derek and anything that might delay me getting home on time.

I was still on thin ice with my mother. The last thing I needed was for her to become more suspicious.

I ate my dinner quietly, barely listening to my mom's story about her clients or my sister's when she was ranting about her classmates.

I drifted off to sleep after that, desperately trying to forget all my problems with Derek or the recent photos of Vincent and me. My life was falling deeper into a hole. Sooner or later, I'd run out of luck, and everything would explode in my face.

I hope Derek never sees those photos, but what were the chances when my face was in almost every tabloid in the city? It's a miracle my sister hadn't called me out on it.

But one thing was clear: I couldn't keep going like this. Something had to change.

I needed to tell Derek the truth. Sooner or later, he'd expect me to start showing, and I wasn't even pregnant.

Telling him the truth was easier than it sounded, considering I was constantly weak in the knee whenever I saw him. How could I look him in the eye and tell him that almost everything he thought of me was a lie? That our interactions were heavily influenced by every lie I had told him.

Maybe I needed to focus on the mission first: get rid of Madison.

Once I was sure he was safe, I'd tell him everything, and he'd be rid of all the lying and manipulative women in his life. There wasn't a guarantee that he wouldn't hate me forever, but it was a risk I was willing to take.

The next morning, things at the hotel were more relaxed, with business as usual.

New clients were swarming in and out of the hotel. Just as Derek had predicted, his engagement to Madison had worked. No one mentioned anything about the robbery, and it was simply passed off as a lie.

This morning, the attention was directed at me, not the positive kind.

By now, most people had seen my face in the tabloid. I got the occasional looks from some of the hotel staff, most of their faces filled with curiosity.

I got a strange look from Sandra this morning. She didn't make any comments. She just smiled. If not for her recent remarks, I would have believed it was genuine.

For her, it confirmed that I wasn't sleeping with the boss.

That makes things worse for me. I can never be associated with Derek again, and I'd never be able to show my face around here.

I felt my phone vibrate against my hip in my trouser pocket.

"We need to talk now!!" the text read. It was from Derek.

I guess he had seen the tabloids, too. I sighed as I placed the phone back in my pocket.

Despite my urge to see him, I couldn't do that right now. I already had too much attention on me right now. I couldn't be seen hurrying to his penthouse minutes after arriving. This would draw too much attention, not to mention I had no idea what to say to him.

Instead, I chose to ignore his message and returned to my job.

I started with one of the few tasks that Marcus had instructed me on yesterday. I felt several vibrations in my pocket, but I ignored them.

Technically, we weren't allowed to use phones while at work, company policy. So, if anything, I obeyed his order, but when have I ever listened?

As I finished sorting through some folders, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"The boss asked to see you," Marcus said. He kept his eyes on the list he was running through.

I should have known this moment would come. "Now," Marcus demanded as I remained frozen on the spot.

I listened to his orders, making my way to Derek's penthouse.

Luke opened the door. He pointed out that Derek was in his office. He looked at me pitifully as I continued walking.

His door to his office had been left open. I observed him working behind his desk before deciding to walk in.

His head shot up as he saw me walking in.

He motioned for me to close the door, which I did.

He left his seat, keeping his gaze on me the entire time.

"You wanted to see me," I said, breaking the silence.

He hesitated and then placed in front of me.

He finally stopped, pointing a finger. "I thought you must have been dead. That someone had run you over with a bus or that someone had shipped you off to Dubai. Why were you ignoring my messages?" Derek asked, crossing his arms.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "Don't say you were late for work because I know you clocked in before eight this morning." He added.

He lifted a tabloid from his desk, turning the cover toward me. "What is this?" He finally asked.

Another front cover that I was on.

My lips formed an Oh as I tried to act dumb about the whole thing. "Old friend," I answered.Derek crossed his arms while waiting for an explanation, but I wasn't giving him one. I had none.

He placed the tabloid back on his desk. "Do you know how many media companies have been calling me to ask about my cousin's recent girlfriend?" He asked. I could tell he was trying hard to control his temper.

"They are just making a big deal out of it. It was just a simple lunch," I replied.

"Dressed like that?" He retorted.

He had a point.

"It was an upscale restaurant. The least I could do was dress for the occasion," I answered.

He was back to trying to control his anger. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he managed to restrain his words. "What do you two even talk about?" he asked instead, struggling to appear calm.

"People," I answered nervously.

"We can talk about people too." He said.

"But mostly our siblings." I cut him off. That was true.

He sighed. "I just don't want you to be around someone like him. You shouldn't even bother to entertain him." He answered.

Why was he acting so paranoid about his cousin? From what I had gathered, they were close, so why this attitude? Was he jealous?

"You know, he's going to be difficult to avoid. We just met again after a very long time. Besides, he is your cousin. I'm bound to bump into him one way or another." I answered.

"Then just ignore him, walk away as if you had never met him." He answered casually.

"But he is your cousin. He's your family," I replied.

"So?" Derek chuckled. "I have two other cousins. He is not exactly irreplaceable." He answered.

It was dark.

"Are there any other old friends I must worry about?" He asked.

I shook my head no.

At least none that I was aware of. I'd point to Layla that she doesn't involve me in any other plan I wasn't fully aware of.

"In that case," Derek began. He placed his hands on my shoulders. "We should probably get back to work. I have several tabloids to call to ensure this story disappears," he informed.

I couldn't protest against that, and I didn't want any unnecessary attention. The sooner this would go away, the better.

He smiled as he returned to his desk and typed something on his computer.

Since I was here, I might as well try and see if I could get information out of him.

What was the latest update on his relationship with Madison? How long was this going to last? In case she had seen Derek and me, had he noticed any changes in her mood lately?

"So, how are things with Madison?" I asked. I wanted to start the topic on a light note.

"Don't worry about her, and she'll be out of here before you know it." He answered, his eyes still glued to his screen.

Wait. What did he mean by that? By the looks of things, I don't think Madison had any plans to go anywhere. Let alone waste an opportunity while she had one.

Was he taking her on some secret trip I didn't know about? I wouldn't be surprised if she had managed to do that.

"Is she going somewhere?" I asked.

"What's with the questions?" He asked, meeting my gaze.

He was getting suspicious. I needed to back out a little bit.

"I'm just curious," I answered.

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you,sweetheart," He winked back. He returned his eyes to his screen.

'Says someone willing to forget he had a cousin just because we had lunch together.' I wanted to fire back.

The door flew open, and Luke walked in, holding an iPad. "All the cameras are set up and ready, sir," Luke said.

Derek shot him a look. Luke's eyes suddenly widened in realisation as if he had said something I wasn't supposed to hear.