Chapter Three

Abby Hale

~•~

The next morning, I slid out of bed quietly and got dressed. Then I ordered a ride back to the bar where I'd left my car. 

Before driving off home, I pulled out my phone from my bag and was about to call my best friend to tell her about the crazy night I'd just had. 

But my fingers froze around the screen when I realized that I couldn't tell her anymore. For a brief moment, I'd forgotten that I caught her in bed with my boyfriend the previous night. 

I let out a deep exhale. 

My eyes burned with unshed tears as the memories came flooding back, but I blinked them back. Those two backstabbers didn't deserve my tears. 

Even after what happened the previous night, none of them bothered to contact me. No call. No text. No apology. Nothing. 

I tossed my phone on the passenger's seat and drove back home, so I could get ready to leave for the office. Even if I was heartbroken, I still needed to show up at work. 

The bills weren't going to pay themselves. 

When I got to the house, I prayed deep down that Michael had gone out or something. 

I wasn't ready for drama that morning. I knew myself, I would end up doing something crazy to him because I was still filled with rage. 

Fortunately enough, I didn't see any sign of him. I used the guest bathroom again because I was really irritated. 

I mean, who knew what they must've done in my bathroom after the nasty things they did at night. 

A few minutes later, I was done showering. I changed into a decent outfit, then I made my way to the kitchen. 

I grabbed an apple because I didn't even have any appetite to eat. Just as I opened the front door, I saw Michael standing outside. 

He was startled. "Hey... I wasn't expecting to see you here," he said with a nervous chuckle as he ran his hand through his hair. 

I responded with a bitter scoff. "You weren't expecting to see me at my house?" 

He shrugged. "No-not really, after what happened, I thought you'd be too upset. You didn't even come back home last night." 

He didn't even have an ounce of remorse on his face. It was as though what he did was deliberate. 

I forced down the lump that had formed in my throat. "You know what? I want you gone before the end of the day. I don't want to see any trace of you in my house when I come back from work." 

Yes, it was my house. 

His eyes widened. "You're really going to chase me away?" 

I couldn't hide the irritation on my face. "What were you expecting when you cheated on me with my best friend?" 

"That we would have an open relation-." 

I didn't let him finish his sentence, I just shook my head and walked to my car. But before I drove off, I yelled at him. "If you don't leave, I'll have to call the cops on you." 

With that, I zoomed away. 

How did I even get attracted to someone like him? I felt so stupid and humiliated. And the worst part was that my family always warned me about him, but I was too deep in love to listen to them. 

But there wasn't even anything to love about him. Maybe there was something at the beginning, but he switched faster than a light bulb short-circuiting when we moved in together six months ago. 

I let out a wistful sigh, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. I needed to focus on the road if I wanted to get to the office in one piece. 

After a short drive, I pulled up at the parking lot. I took multiple deep breaths to calm myself down before walking into the office. 

"You're late today," the receptionist said as I walked past her. "Today isn't a good day to be late." 

"Why?" I muttered under my breath as I made my way to the elevator. 

When I got to my desk, I noticed that everyone was talking in hushed whispers and most of them seemed really tense. 

I dropped my bag before turning to my friend who worked beside me. "What's going on?" I asked curiously, my eyes darting around the large room. 

"You haven't heard?" 

I blinked. "Heard about what?" 

"The new boss is coming today. They talked about it in the group chat," she replied. "Everyone is scared that he might make certain changes because from what I heard, he's really strict." 

Our old boss had to retire because he wanted to focus on something else. It even slipped my mind that a new one was going to take over soon.

I chuckled lightly. "You have nothing to worry about. We both have important roles here and there's no way we would lose our jobs or anything," I said, trying to reassure her. 

Our company dealt with marketing and advertising, and I played a really vital role there. 

The thought about losing my job had never crossed my mind, not even once. I just hoped that the new boss wasn't going to try anything funny. 

I booted my computer and focused on emails and other stuff I needed to take care of that morning. 

About an hour later, they announced to us that the new boss had arrived and wanted to see us in his office. 

Everyone rushed to his office because we all wanted to make a good first impression. But as soon as I stepped one foot and saw who the new boss was, I froze and a cold chill ran down my spine.

I forced myself to steady my breathing as I continued walking. 

"How could... Why would- is he? It can't be..." I couldn't even form a coherent sentence as I whispered to myself. "I fucked my boss last night? Wow, the universe is really playing tricks on me." 

One of my co-workers raised a brow. "Did you say something to me?" 

"No, no," I shook my head. 

Everywhere became silent as we all waited for him to address us. As I stared at him, my pussy automatically became wet. 

I couldn't stop thinking about everything we had done the previous night. God, he fucked me really good. Just like he'd said, it was actually the best night of my life. 

"Good morning," he finally cleared his throat and began, his eyes scanning all of us in the room. "As you all know, I'm Landon Lancaster and I'm going to be your new boss." 

Wow. Landon. 

Such a nice name. 

I didn't even bother to know his name last night because I wasn't planning on seeing him again. 

The meeting with him was brief. 

I felt a little bit offended because he acted like he had no idea who I was even though our eyes locked a few times. He just stared at me like I was a stranger. 

Maybe he just wanted to keep things professional and didn't want anybody to know about our one-night stand. 

After everyone left, I stayed back at the office. I closed the door behind them and everyone was too engulfed in their own conversations to notice me lingering. 

He raised a skeptical brow when he saw me walking towards his table. "What-." 

I cut him off with a kiss before he could say anything. "Hey," I murmured against his lips. "You didn't tell me you were going to-" 

The next thing I realized, he pushed me away with full force. "God! Are you insane?" 

My stomach dropped. 

Why was he acting like I'd crossed an invisible line? Suddenly, the office felt colder than I'd ever imagined.

Chapter Four

Abby Hale 

~•~

Shame clung to me like a second skin. I didn't even know what to say or do. I just stood there frozen, hoping that the ground would open and swallow me. 

Maybe he didn't see my face clearly because we met at night. That was just a lame excuse, but I needed to say whatever I could think of just to make myself feel better. 

Or he didn't want to do anything with me in the office. Some people didn't like mixing pleasure and business. 

I should've just walked out with the rest of my colleagues earlier. 

"What's your name?" He finally asked after a long beat of awkward silence. 

My lips parted but I couldn't form any words. I was upset that he asked me what my name was for a second, but then, I remembered that I hadn't told him the previous night. 

"I'm talking to you," he added, taking a step closer and lifting my chin so I would look at him. 

His touch made heat creep up my neck. I hated how my body reacted to him-like it remembered him even if he didn't seem to remember me. 

Or pretended not to remember me. 

I exhaled sharply. "Abby... Abby Hale." 

"Abby Hale..." he repeated slowly, my name sounding dangerous and intimate all at once on his tongue. 

I nodded. "Yeah." 

A part of me wanted to stand up for myself and confront him about the whole situation, but another part was too embarrassed to even speak up. 

Without thinking further, I turned around. But just as I was about to run out of the office, he held my arm and dragged me back. 

His grip was firm and I couldn't even break free if I tried. I let out a breath as I turned around slowly to look at him. 

"What?" I muttered under my breath, unable to meet his gaze. 

He let out a light chuckle as he let go of my arm. "Why did you kiss me? Were you trying to get fired or what?" 

"I-I... no, uhm..." I stuttered as I struggled to come up with words. 

"Was this how you behaved with my father when he was the boss? Did you have an affair with him?" He asked, leaning against the desk. 

I shook my head. "No..." 

Why would he even ask me that sort of question? 

He tilted his head. "So why did you try to kiss me?" 

Why was he playing games with me? 

"Nothing, it was a mistake," I lied. 

He was just teasing me and I didn't want to give him that satisfaction. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, I turned around and ran out of his office. 

I didn't go back to my desk, I went to the female bathroom. At least he wouldn't be able to find me there. 

What was wrong with me? Why did I embarrass myself? Why did I even have to make the first move today? I felt so humiliated. 

I shouldn't have even gone to the bar. 

Why did I sleep with a stranger? 

Why did he turn out to be my boss? 

My mind raced with different questions that nobody else had the answers to. 

As I stood in front of the mirror inside the bathroom, I stared at myself for a long second. I couldn't even recognize myself anymore. 

What was I turning into? 

Michael had ruined me and I was making choices that didn't even feel like mine. My chest tightened as I gripped the edge of the sink. 

"Get it together, Abby," I whispered to myself. "You just have to get through today, and quit right after..." 

The words sounded hollow even to my own ears. I couldn't afford to quit my job and that wasn't even an option. 

My heart skipped a beat when a thought crossed my mind. What if he ends up firing me? 

No, no. He couldn't do something like that. 

I shoved that nasty thought away from my mind. 

I didn't know how I would face him anymore. 

Hopefully, he'll be like his father who barely showed up at the company. My impression of him was actually true - a spoiled kid who lived off their father's wealth. But I had no idea he was a bigger asshole. 

I needed to talk to someone about what had happened or I was going to lose my mind. 

I couldn't even call the one person I would normally call. 

So I had no choice but to call my sister instead. 

Mia answered on the first ring. "Abby... hey, I was even about to call you. How are you?" 

"About to call me, why?" I asked curiously. 

"Michael called me earlier, he said you asked him to leave the house. He wanted me to talk to you." 

"Talk to me?" I asked with a scoff. "Did he say why I asked him to leave the house?" I added, my voice rising with anger. 

"No, he just said that both of you had a misunderstanding and you asked him to leave the house." 

I took multiple deep breaths to calm myself down. "Misunderstanding? He cheated on me with Cora and dared to tag it as a misu-." 

Mia didn't let me finish my sentence. "Cheated on you with who?" She asked with a hint of surprise in her voice. "Cora!" 

I nodded. "Yes. Cora." 

"Oh my goodness, I'm going down there right now with the cops to chase him out of the house if he refuses to leave." 

Mia was so upset and I wasn't even surprised. I loved my sister so much and would do anything for her, and she felt the same way towards me too. 

"Thank you, Mia," I swallowed hard. 

"And as for Cora, she shouldn't even come close to us anymore," she added, her voice filled with rage. 

"They're the least of my problems right now," I continued, my voice cracked. "I accidentally slept with my new boss yesterday." 

Mia gasped. "That's an unexpected plot twist," she whispered dramatically, her tone softer. "Please tell me you're joking." 

"I wish I were," I muttered, pressing my hand against my forehead. "I really wish I were." 

"What do you mean by accidentally sleeping with your boss?" She asked curiously. 

"I didn't know he was going to be my boss. The same man from the bar showed up as my boss this morning." 

"Wow." 

"I'll explain everything to you after work. I just wanted to get it off my chest," I replied softly. 

"Okay, I'll take care of Michael for you and I can't wait to hear about your juicy office affair." 

After the call ended, I stayed back for a few more minutes before going back to my work desk. 

I couldn't even focus on my work. My fingers trembled whenever I tried typing on my computer. 

Every sound in the office made me flinch like he'd just appear in front of me any second. 

Just when I was still lost in my thoughts, a shadow fell over my desk.

"Abby?" 

I jerked so hard I almost fell out of my chair. My coworker raised a brow. "Relax, why are you jumpy? You've been acting weird since morning." 

My heart raced as I forced out a small smile. "Just stressed. Nothing to worry about," I replied, trying to sound convincing. 

She stared at me like she could get the truth out of me if she looked a little bit harder. "Why did you stay back at his office when everyone left?" 

Her question caught me off guard. 

I didn't think anybody had noticed. 

I chuckled nervously. "Nothing... I just wanted to show him some ideas," I lied through my teeth. 

"Oh, okay." 

After she left, my boss came out of his office and my eyes were instantly glued to my computer as I pretended I was really busy. 

Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. 

[ You disappeared this morning, was the sex that terrible? Did you get home safely?] 

My eyes darted between the phone and my boss who was having a conversation with someone. He wasn't holding a phone and definitely didn't just text me. 

I drew in a shaky breath. 

If my boss wasn't the man from last night, then who the hell did I sleep with?

Chapter Five

Liam Lancaster 

~•~

My eyes were still closed. 

I stretched my arms to the other end of the bed, trying to find the lady I had spent the night with. 

But the sheets were empty. 

I opened my eyes immediately. 

Where did she go? 

I got out of bed and checked the bathroom but I couldn't find her. All her things were gone. 

Letting out a deep sigh, I sat down on the bed, running a hand through my hair. We had a really crazy night and I wasn't surprised that she left without telling me. 

Maybe she was embarrassed by sleeping with a stranger. But I wasn't embarrassed by sleeping with her, I had a good time. 

I didn't even get her name. 

A mischievous smirk plastered across my lips as I remembered everything that happened the previous night. 

The only thing I could think about at that moment was her. I needed to find her number or something. 

I picked up my stuff and drove back to the bar. It was a good thing I owned the bar and had access to the security footage. 

It didn't take long before I discovered who she was. 

Abby Hale. 

Such a lovely name. 

My chest warmed unexpectedly. 

I sent her name to my private investigator and asked him to find her number. 

While I waited for feedback, I drove back home. When I pulled up to the driveway, a relieved sigh escaped my lips when I saw that my brother's car wasn't parked there. 

At least, the house would be peaceful. 

When I got inside, I saw my parents in the living room. "Your brother resumed as the company's new CEO today, but you didn't even care to show up last night," my mother nagged as I walked to the stairs. 

I didn't say anything, I kept on walking. 

"Liam!" My father's thunderous voice echoed through the living room. "Your mother is speaking to you, don't you have the decency to stand back and listen to her?" 

I held back a scoff. Did they really expect me to stand and listen to them compare me to Landon for the millionth time? 

"Good morning to you two, I hope you have a great day," I said sarcastically before heading over to my room. 

A relieved sigh escaped my lips when I closed the door behind me. 

I didn't care if Landon became president, the king of the universe, or whatever title they wanted to give him. I was tired of living in his shadow and being compared to him. 

We were just twins, we didn't have to be the same people or have the same job. I dropped my keys on the nightstand and pulled off my shirt.

I was ready to take a shower and wash off the exhaustion from last night when my phone started ringing.

I reached out to it, half-expecting it to be my private investigator, but I let out a disappointed sigh when I saw it was from Jordan. 

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, my voice rough. 

It wasn't like I wasn't excited to hear from my best friend, I just didn't expect him to call me so early in the morning. 

And I'd rather have the PI calling me. 

"Dude, please tell me you're awake," he groaned through the phone. "I need you at the studio like right now." 

I frowned. "The studio? Why? Isn't it too early for a shoot?" 

A dramatic sigh left his lips. "The model is leaving town earlier than expected. And I need this shoot badly, so she agreed to come this morning." 

I rubbed my palm across my forehead. 

Photography. This was the job my parents hated. According to them, it wasn't a real career. It was just a hobby that would waste my time. Another perfect reason to compare me to my brother, the new CEO. 

I wasn't even interested in the family's business. I had other things bringing me money, I just focused on photography because it was something I started with my best friend and I couldn't leave him hanging. 

It wasn't a source of income for me, it was just like a distraction. But still, I needed to take it seriously because Jordan always acted like his life depended on it.

"Can't you just get another model?" 

Jordan scoffed. "Not everyone is a billionaire like you, or even has billionaire parents. I need this model to take our studio next level." 

I knew that if I didn't agree, he would give me a long lecture about the importance of photography. 

"Fine," I responded with a defeated sigh. "I'll see you soon." 

After the call ended, I showered, got dressed, and grabbed my car keys, then I made my way downstairs. 

"You just arrived and you're leaving again?" My mother asked, stunned. "Why can't you be like Landon?" 

A long breath escaped my lips as I looked at her. Wasn't she tired of saying the same thing over and over again? 

"I'm going to the studio, I'll see you later." 

It was a good thing my father had left the living room, or he would have found a way to keep me there for a while longer. 

I had no idea how I even put up with both of them. 

Everyone always wondered why two men who were badass in every other area of their lives still lived with their parents. 

But no one could ever understand how it felt growing up in the Lancaster house - a controlling father and a perfectionist mother. 

I had tried to move out a few times, but they all didn't end well. As long as my father still wanted me around, I had no other option but to stay. 

It was really complicated. 

I drove out of the house as fast as I could. 

All I wanted to think about was Abby Hale... and not my parents' obsession with turning me into Landon 2.0. 

Just as I arrived at the studio, my phone buzzed with a text. It was from my private investigator. 

He had sent me Abby's number. 

I texted her immediately. 

[ You disappeared this morning, was the sex that terrible? Did you get home safely?] 

I waited for a while for her to respond. 

And she did. 

But I wasn't prepared for what she replied with.