A billionaire’s kiss

I ran under the scorching sun, pushing past people crowding the sidewalk. My feet hurt and my lungs screamed. With each step I took an agonizing pain shot up from my ankle to my knee but it was mild compared to the ache in my heart.

Suddenly my heel snapped and I stumbled down to the ground. My palms scraped on the cement and blood pricked in them. A sob escaped my lips. Heads turned in my direction but I didn’t care. I cared no more because in their eyes I would be a cheater. In his eyes I would be a cheater.

Tears streamed down my eyes and my body shook. I squeezed my eyelids shut hoping everything was just a nightmare but I still felt it, the pain. It was real. Everything was real.

I couldn’t register the look on his face. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to see anger or betrayal in it. I wasn’t strong enough to see it.

I wailed and wailed, clenching my heart, wishing it would all go away.

But it didn’t. This was the reality.

I was a traitor to those blue eyes I loved very much.

…

It was near midnight and I was sitting on the deck of an old store by the river facing the Brooklyn bridge. I watched the cars, their array of red and yellow from afar, grasping the beauty of the night to my eyes.

I hugged my knees closer as the wind blew across my face, dragging the cold night air with it.

I had turned my phone off because I knew Lexi and Brian would try to find me. Will Ian too? I shook off the thought.

It’s been hours since I ran away and I had enough time to gather myself and think about everything that happened today.

I knew I had to explain the truth to Ian but I was too scared of his reaction. It was why I ran away earlier. I needed time to prepare myself to face him to face his reaction. What if he doesn’t believe me? What if he also thinks I cheated on him? It would break me, it would shatter me. I tried to muster up the courage to go to him but I was still too scared. I didn’t want to face the reality if he didn’t believe me. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t.

I wiped the tear that trickled down my face. I was still clinging onto the hope that he would believe me. Part of me thinks he would but the other part questioned it. What if he doesn’t? My lips trembled at the thought. How could everything change in just a few hours?

I knew my face would probably be in every article right now, the new gossip. I knew I must be receiving a lot of hate but that didn’t matter. I just wanted Ian.

I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. I pictured his face his sweet smile, his loving eyes. I didn’t want to see it changed.

Suddenly I heard footsteps on the deck.

“Hailey”

My body tensed and I glanced up. “Hailey are you here?” The footsteps rounded the corner of the store.

No no no I can’t face him now. I’m not ready.

“Hailey”

I tried getting up but my legs gave out. No no no.

“Hailey-” He came into view and halted seeing me. His eyes widened. I wanted to run away but I couldn’t manage to because there were, there were tears in his eyes.

“Oh my god Hailey” Ian quickly rushed to me and knelt down, engulfing me in a warm hug. “You’re alright. You’re alright” He murmured into my hair, tightening his hold around me, reassuring himself that I was here with him. “You’re alright” He repeated, pressing a kiss to my head. “I’ve been searching you for half a day Hailey. And when I couldn’t find you-” His hands trembled. “I thought something might’ve h-happened to you” His voice cracked and he buried his face in my neck. “Do you know how worried I was sweetheart? It nearly killed me. If something had happened to you” He shook his head and whispered lowly. “I don’t think I wanna live”

My heart clenched and I slowly pulled back. Seeing his glossy eyes my own lips trembled. “Ian” I began sobbing. “I didn’t cheat on you. I didn’t”

“I know sweetheart. I know”

“How?”

“What do you mean how? Do I need anyone else to tell me that you didn’t cheat on me?” He cupped my face in his hands. “I know you Hailey. I know you wouldn’t do that”

More tears pooled down my eyes. “You believe me?”

“Of course I do-” He cut himself off and looked at me more intently. “Hailey” He said lowly “Did you run away because you thought I wouldn’t believe you?” I kept silent and his eyes faltered.

“Hailey, is that how you think of me?”

Shame crept through me and I lowered my head. “Sorry” My lips trembled. “I’m sorry Ian. I’m sorry”

Ian gathered me in his arms, pulling me to him and I cried into his chest. “It’s alright Hailey. You were shocked. It’s normal to think that”

I shook my head. “No don’t forgive me for this”

“Shh” He pressed a kiss to my head. “It’s alright. I understand”

That made me cry more and he held me while I wetted his shirt, gently patting my back. After I calmed down Ian slowly pulled back and wiped the tears from my face. Then he went to hold my hand but I hissed in pain.

“What’s wrong?” He turned my hands over and spotted the dried blood in my palms. “Hailey what is this-” His gaze fell on my scratched feet. “Where are your heels?”

“They broke so I left them”

He raised a brow. “You ran barefoot?”

I nodded reluctantly.

“What about these?” He said holding my hands up.

“Umm I f-fell”

Ian stared at me for a moment. I could see that he was upset. He heaved a sigh and scooped me up in his arms.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Let’s go home”

…

Ian carried me to the living room and gently laid me down on the couch. “I’ll go get the first aid box”

I nodded and he went away.

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. I was so glad that Ian trusted me. It meant everything to me. But I knew the others would’t be so supportive. I wasn’t even sure my own colleagues would believe me.

I took out my phone and turned it on to read the articles about me but Ian suddenly grabbed my phone.

I glanced up at him puzzled.

“Don’t. There’s so much umm…” He swallowed. “hate”

My eyes softened. “I have to see them someday Ian”

Ian took a seat on the couch and placed my legs on his lap. “I know but-” He shook his head. “not today”

He gently applied some ointment on my soles and I watched him in silence. His face was hard, his shoulders tensed. His jaw clenched from time to time as he tried hard to stay focused.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Ian sighed and closed his eyes. “Isaac” His fists clenched at the name. “H-he forced you. He touched you” His throat bobbed and I could see him trying hard to control his emotions.

“Ian”

He turned to me and I opened my arms. “Come here”

He hesitated but then climbed on top of me and slowly lowered himself to me. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him as he buried his face in my neck. “I’m going to kill him” He mumbled. “I’m going to destroy his fucking company”

I pressed a kiss to his head and ran my fingers through his hair, calming him down.

“For what he did to you-” His shoulders vibrated in fury. “I will destroy him”

I tightened my hold around him and we stayed like that for a moment in silence, our chests pressed against each other, our wild hearts misbehaving.

“Ian”

“Hmm”

“Thank you”

“For what?”

“For trusting me”

“You don’t have to thank me for that Hailey”

“I know. But…I just want to thank you”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Ian was silent for a moment then he slightly lifted himself off of me. I looked at him and he gave a peck to my lips. “Even if the world says otherwise Hailey, I wouldn’t believe you cheated on me”

A smiled tugged in my lips. I opened my mouth to reply but then remembered something else someone else. Alice.

“Ian, isn’t this the same case with Alice?”

Ian’s face contorted into something unreadable and he quickly pulled himself off of me.

I sat upright. “Ian, don’t you think Nathan was set up too? Just like me?”

Ian refused to meet my gaze.

“Isaac said, I debated whether I should do this or not. It looks like someone told him to do it. And how can SBS get those photos right away? It was like they were there- waiting”

I inched closer to Ian and grabbed his hand. “Ian tell me, why do you strongly believe Nathan cheated? Why don’t you think it’s the same case like me?”

Ian closed his eyes and bent down his head.

“Ian tell me” I gave a gentle squeeze to his hand. “Please, if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable”

I waited and Ian finally replied. “I didn’t believe it at first” He said quietly. “Even after the CCTV footage I didn’t believe it because I thought he wouldn’t do that to Alice. I knew he wouldn’t do that to her. But-” He hesitated. “One day Alice got into an accident and he didn’t come. I was the one who was there for her. He didn’t even call to check on her. And I knew that day” He looked up at me. “That Nathan doesn’t even care for her”

“Even after Alice was discharged he didn’t come. She kept giving herself excuses that he was just busy but I knew better. A week after she came home Nathan went back to Lauren. Many photos of them meeting at a restaurant were captured and Nathan didn’t even care that Alice would see them. He fucking didn’t care for her Hailey” Ian’s eyes welled up with tears and he shook his head. “Thereafter Nathan distanced himself by staying at his studio and two weeks later he killed himself. And for once I thought-” He swallowed. “It’s good that he died rather than to hurt others”

My chest tightened at the pain in his voice. I leaned my head on his shoulder, holding on to him tightly. Ian rested his cheek on my head and sighed. “That’s why this isn’t the same case”

I didn’t argue with him. I let him think what he wanted. Audrey and I didn’t have proof to confirm our theory. It was just a theory. But the truth can’t stay hidden forever. It would come out sooner or later.

“Want a milkshake?” Ian asked.

I looked up at him with a small smile and nodded.

Ian pressed a kiss to my cheek and stood up. “Wait here” Then he went to the kitchen.

My phone rang and I took it from where Ian had left it on the couch.

It was Audrey calling.

I answered it. “Hello Audrey”

“Hailey, are you okay? I saw the article”

“Yeah I’m okay”

“Is everything good with your fiance? Sorry if I’m calling at a bad time” She said guilty.

I smiled. “Everything’s good with him”

“Oh then it’s alright. It doesn’t matter what the world says if he believes you. That’s all that matters. Stay strong”

My lips tugged up. “Thank you Audrey. Why did you call me?”

“I’ve been trying to reach you to tell this since I came back from the police station but your phone was off. Anyways” She cleared her throat. “I found something important”

That peaked my interest. “What is it?”

“A missing evidence that the police didn’t reveal to the media”

My brows furrowed. “What evidence?”

“Nathan Kingston’s phone. It was never found. It must have crucial evidence on what happened to him for someone to steal it. If we find it Hailey we will have proof” Audrey rambled but I tuned out as my mind drifted off elsewhere.

A phone. An old ATC phone model.

Where did I see it?

A black old ATC phone model. I saw it-My eyes widened. At chairman’s house! It was in their master bedroom.

That must be it. It was Nathan’s phone.

“Audrey, I know where to get it”