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She soon realized why.
The show was underway and she was scribbling away as different designers were accredited for their lovely, intricate designs and choice of fabric when she heard the name.
“And last but not least Ladies and Gentlemen is the breakout designer of the year who has been stunning us with her terrific, eccentric designs. Give it up for Vera Chang!”
It was only then Rachel realized she hadn’t read the entire brochure for the show. But right there on the bottom of the printed page was Vera Chang, the special designer of the night.
As the group of models showcasing her outfits strut out, the crowd clapped. Rachel clapped because regardless of her relationship with Nate Madden she still thought Vera deserved the justice she got. And her designs were amazing. But when the models finished streaming out Vera herself came out holding on to none other than Nathaniel Madden himself.
The crowd went wild with claps and cheers. Rachel sank into her seat suddenly deflated.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the most unlikely pairing of the night, Nate Madden and Vera Chang,” a reporter close to Rachel was saying to her camera crew. Feeling dejected and deflated Rachel sank deeper into her seat as tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t look away from the stage where Vera and Nate were now walking towards the front. Vera was beaming and Nate – well Nate was always stoic faced so she didn’t know what to make of him. And gone was the Armani suit instead he was wearing a mix of Chinese and Scottish kilt that showed his strong, sexy legs and a Vera original shirt and jacket with gold cufflinks.
“Vera looks a lot more vital now with Madden by her side, is this power couple planning to rescind their divorce?”
“Only Madden would make a skirt look so hot!”
“That’s a kilt, not a skirt but I get what you mean. Look at those legs!”
Rachel wanted to cry. Her throat hurt from the unshed tears. Vera dug her nails into Nate’s arm possessively and looked into his eyes with the most charming smile. Rachel had to agree albeit grudgingly that they did look good together. What had gone wrong in their marriage besides the domestic allegations? Looking at Vera now those allegations were beginning to look murky but there had been pictures. Rachel never saw all the pictures but according to the court, they were damning enough to make Vera win the case.
The cheers and hoots around them were almost deafening and at that moment Nate looked over and made eye contact with her.
If she could just know what he was thinking. But then again she had an inkling of what he was thinking, he wanted to humiliate her. That was the plan. It was all getting clearer now. It was as if some invisible false was pulling the strings of her destiny to ruin her. Her life just had to fall apart at the same moment Nate and Vera were planning to get back together and he was getting his revenge by making her watch their reunion. Were there cameras now watching her? Were Dana and Jacob now witnessing her second downfall?
Blinded with rage she stood from the chair almost knocking it back. No one paid her any attention and thankfully James was no longer hovering around her. Her tears burned her throat as she ran down the stairs to the main floor of the plaza. Her heels got caught in the cracks of the interlocked floor and she yanked them off. In front of her, the sea breeze blew her hair into her face, behind her the cheering and adulation continued. The streets were crowded with viewers and media people and fashion enthusiasts and no one paid any attention to her. Not even when she raised her hand to wave down a taxi.
Headlights from a small taxi by her left and she raised her hand but as soon as she did so someone shoved her roughly into the road just as the taxi was coming for her.
Rachel screamed trying to grab on anyone for support when a rough hand caught her and drew her away from the road. Rachel lost her balance and fell backward into strong arms. She trembled from the near-death experience.
“Hey watch where you’re going,” echoed around her. She started to apologize and push away from her savior when she looked up into angry gray eyes. She jerked her hands away filled with rage.
“Get the fuck away from me!”
Her outrage attracted the attention of the fashion enthusiasts on the street who immediately recognized her and Nate and were raising their phones for pictures. My world feels like a pack of cards right now, she thought to herself. When does this end?!
She couldn’t get far away when Nate grabbed her back to himself. Taking her hand he pulled her – nearly dragging her toward the front of the plaza. Rachel shielded her face cleverly from the camera flashes. Thankfully every major camera crew was absorbed in the fashion event upstairs.
“Let me go you lying, deceitful son of a bitch!” she bit out through her teeth. But his fingers only dug into her flesh even harder, hurting her so bad she was sure her skin cracked.
“Get my limo,” Nate ordered the valet who was already hurrying to do so.
“I said let go of me! Haven’t you humiliated me enough?! Isn’t this what you wanted?” she yelled.
Pulling roughly so that she almost tripped over her broken-heeled sandals he lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered in a raspy voice, “Shut up.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do Nathaniel Madden! Go back to your life and let me accept my rotten fate you disgusting fucker!”
The limo came with Tom driving it. As soon as the back door was open Nate shoved her roughly inside and went in behind her. Rachel scrambled for the other side and was about to open the door. Nate grabbed her wrist and tugged her away from it.
“Lock the doors, Tom, to the hotel.”
The locks clicked.
“Don’t fight me!” Nate ordered her but she kept reaching for his throat like a wild cat. Rachel wanted to claw his eyes out and make her escape when suddenly a strong pulse began inside her.
The vibrator.
She had forgotten all about it in her anger. Her back arched off the seat. She squeezed her legs together wishing the pulse would stop. She reached beneath her gown to pull it out but when her hand bumped her clit she gasped, closing her eyes as the pleasure racked her body.
“Arghh,” she screamed. “Turn it off!”
Nate held her against him while her body shook. She buried her face into his jacket, biting the hard material to hold back her orgasm but it was so relentless that before she knew it her wetness was running down her thighs. The vibrator continued to hum inside her. Tears leaked from her eyes as she jerked in time to the pulses.
Suddenly it stopped. Whimpering and shaking she pushed away from him and tried to crawl away. Nate’s strong arm was a band around her waist holding her still.
“Leave me alone,” she cried. “What do you want from me? Haven’t you done enough?” When he wouldn’t let her go she cried, “Please, go back to your wife.”
“What are you talking about?”
Rachel dissolved in his arms crying. Her sobs choked her so much that she began to hiccup. “Let me be, please.”
His hand came to her face to caress her soft skin. Her tears fell on his hand. “What are you talking about, Rachel?”
She pushed away from him again. “Your wife Vera, she’s the reason you came and you brought me here to humiliate me. You’ve done enough, Nate. You’ve had your laugh now let me be! I can’t take any more of this, I can’t suffer any humiliation anymore. I lost everything, everything, please don’t take my pride away.”
His hands came around her again, she didn’t have the strength to crawl away instead she dissolved in the seat crying softly. When he lifted her off the seat to sit on his lap she didn’t protest. She was weak, all she wanted was to cry until her eyes were void of water. Maybe then God would have mercy on her and ease her suffering.
“You still don’t trust me,” he said in her ear.
“I can’t,” she wept. The limo tore through the streets that were lit up like a carnival.
In the dark limo, Nathaniel held Rachel in his arms, his hand stealing under her gown to touch her silky flesh. “You have to learn. You have to trust. You can’t survive the game if you don’t.”
She hiccupped and looked up at him in the dark. “You haven’t given me a reason to.”
Nate stared at her for a long moment – her eyes were red and puffy - his fingers sweeping up her leg to her thigh. With a soft sigh, he bent his head and took her lips with his.
