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.

Chapter Six 

Landon Lancaster 

~•~

Having an employee kiss me on the first day I resumed as CEO was far from what I expected to happen. 

The taste of her lips lingered longer than it should have. After she left, I couldn’t stop thinking about why she would do something like that. 

Did she only kiss me because she wanted to get into my good graces? Was she trying to seduce me or what? 

My mind raced with different thoughts. I contemplated calling her back to demand answers, but I just decided to wait until after office hours. 

It was my first day and I wanted to be focused. I had a lot of files to read through because my father had handed over the company to me with the expectation that I would hit the ground running.

I couldn’t disappoint him. 

We already had one disappointment in our family and that was enough. 

After about an hour, I stepped out of my office. My eyes scanned through the bullpen, and I held back a chuckle as I watched everyone pretending to be busy with their computers. 

I hadn’t even done anything but I could tell that most of them were scared of me. I stared at Abby — the lady who had kissed me — for a long second, but her eyes were glued to her computer. 

I was certain that she wasn’t working, she just wanted to avoid eye contact with me by all means necessary. 

As I stood there, one of the employees kept ramming my ears with chatter. I wasn’t even listening, I kept on thinking about Abby, still curious to know why she had kissed me. 

I knew I said I would wait until after office hours to ask for answers, but I couldn’t wait anymore. 

I abruptly left the conversation and headed to her desk. “Abby,” I said calmly but she flinched as she looked up and saw me. 

Her fingers froze on the keyboard, and her eyes shot to mine. “Y-yes, sir?” She stammered, trying to steady her voice. 

“Meet me at my office right now,” I ordered and walked away without wasting another second. 

I didn’t turn around to check if she was following me, I just hoped she was. I hated repeating myself and I didn’t want other employees to think it was okay to disobey orders from their new boss. 

A few moments after I settled down at my desk, she came into the office. She closed the door and walked inside slowly. 

“Have a seat,” I gestured for her to sit down in the empty seat across from me. 

She hesitated for a while before she sat down. For someone so confident in the morning, she suddenly acted small, as if the boldness had drained out of her the moment she entered my office. 

Her eyes darted around everywhere else but me. 

I leaned back on my chair, studying her face. 

The truth was that I had initially noticed her when I was addressing everyone. She was an attractive lady and I was certain that every man would want her. 

But I had a rule when it came to work, I didn’t like mixing pleasure with business. So I just shoved whatever thought I had about her aside. 

I cleared my throat. “We didn’t finish our conversation earlier,” I said, crossing my legs. “Why did you kiss me?” 

She swallowed hard. “I already told you that it was a mistake,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. 

I let out a humorless chuckle. “A mistake?” 

She nodded. “Yes, I shouldn’t have done it.” 

I knew she was lying to me. 

I was starting to have a theory about what was happening, but I wasn’t sure. 

“Do you love your job?” 

Her eyes widened. “Yes, I love my job.” 

I stroked my beard. “If you love your job, you’ll start talking. And if you lie to me, you might as well pack your stuff and leave.” 

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, she seemed to shrink even further in her seat. 

“Fine, I mistook you for someone else.” 

Of course, just like I’d expected. 

She must’ve probably hooked up with my brother and thought I was the same person when she saw me in the morning. 

Why did he have to look like me? 

“And who did you think I was?” I asked, my tone calm but sharp, letting the silence stretch so that she felt the weight of the question.

She finally met my gaze. “I thought you were someone from the bar.” 

“Oh, I see,” I nodded slowly. “So how do you know that I’m not the same person?” I asked, curious to know how she’d already figured everything out. 

It didn’t even make sense for her to mistake me for my brother because I clearly introduced myself as Landon. 

Or maybe she didn’t know his name. 

“You pushed me away and he texted me while you were standing outside,” she replied quietly. 

“So the kiss was actually meant for him?” 

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her hands. “Yes, I’m sorry,” she apologized. 

Why was she blushing because of my brother? It made my skin crawl but I forced myself to stay calm. 

“Did it feel good when you kissed me?” 

My question caught her off guard. 

She blinked. 

“I-I… didn’t… I don’t know,” she stuttered, struggling to come up with a response. Then she let out a deep breath before she continued. “You pushed me away. I didn’t feel anything.” 

Her answer was quick and defensive. 

I could tell she wasn’t comfortable. 

The room was silent for a beat. 

“Do you want to kiss me again?” 

I didn’t even know why I was asking her that question. Maybe it was because I found out that she had something to do with Liam and I wanted her for myself. 

I just wanted to take her away from him. 

But I needed to know if she wanted me or if she still wanted him.