"This is your schedule for the next month, Sierra!"

She turned to the woman who threw an iPad in front of her. Her one free hand reached out for the device that contained her work schedule for the next month. Her green eyes widened as soon as she looked at how packed the schedule she would be working on for the next month was.

"What? Are you insane? You've got to be kidding me. You made a schedule like this, you really want to kill me, don't you, Rose?!"

The woman who was named Rosalie gave a harsh sigh and even clicked her tongue when she caught sight of the pissed off look on her face that Sierra was showing. Rosalie knew perfectly well that Sierra would surely lash out at the new schedule she had received today.

"You know, it was not me who made it but it was the boss himself. Yesterday he asked me for your Show schedule, girl. So like it or not I was forced to give your schedule to him, sorry girl."

Hearing something like that made Sierra suck in a deep breath of as much air as needed to fill her lungs and hold her emotions as calmly as she could. The arrogant man seemed to really want to kill her slowly by giving her a very tight variety show schedule like this. Even in that one month Sierra was only given a day off... no not a day off, more like a break that she only got for three days. Normally Sierra could get about a week to ten days of free time in a month.

But what the hell was this?

"Ace! That sneaky bastard! I really want to kill him!" She cursed the man who was her husband on her paper with clenched fists and growled.

While on the other side, Rosalie panicked as she looked at Sierra getting up from her seat, with the hair roll still hanging on her head. Sierra could not take it anymore at this moment, she wanted to cuss out her big boss who was none other than her own husband.

This early in the morning Ace had been ignoring her and now at the office, he was again getting on her nerves by giving her an absurd work schedule. Despite their marriage only being on paper, at least to greet each other in the morning is not a sin, right?

"Sierra, where are you going?"

Rosalie instantly rushed after Sierra who had entered the private elevator that led to the CEO's office. As for Rosalie, she was getting pissed off that she failed to catch up with that fierce and perfectionist woman like Sierra. She could only pray that Mr. Valentino would not punish her later. Since she was complaining about the schedule he had made for himself.

"May the Lord always protect you, Sierra, amen."

With that, she flipped her body away from the elevator area and went back to the room where she had given Sierra the super-packed schedule.

As for Sierra, the woman looked pretty pissed off at the moment. Even the people who greeted her as she passed by only responded with a tightly forced smile.

Her steps came to a halt as soon as she was in front of the entrance that read "CEO VALENTINO ENTERPRISES." She took a deep breath and stepped in, not even bothering about her current appearance which was far from being perfect.

Without knocking on the door first, Sierra barged straight into the room. When she walked in, the first sight she was greeted with was Lance adjusting Ace's tie. What a scene, isn't it? Had Lance been a woman, she would have yanked him and dragged him out of the room. Despite the fact that her marriage to Ace had no love in it, Sierra would never want her pride to be trampled on by a bitch who craved the caress of a man's manhood.

"What do you mean by giving me this insane schedule, Ace? Do you want to kill me in pieces so you can become a widower as soon as possible? Have you lost your pretty brain to give me such a crappy work schedule?!" She babbled without a break, letting out all her frustration at this arrogant man in front of her.

Ace remained silent, he even gave Lance a hint to get out of the room as he paid no heed to the furious rantings Sierra was throwing at him.

Sierra let out a heavy sigh when she saw her boss who also happens to be her husband staring at her nonchalantly without answering any of the blunt remarks she made earlier.

"Are you deaf Mr. Valentino? You didn't hear what I said earlier, why are you so quiet? It seems like you have become mute all of a sudden!"

Both of his gray eyes glinted in annoyance at Sierra. The tall and muscular man made his way closer to his wife. Ace even seemed to be observing her current appearance. The woman in front of him still looked messy, even her hair roll was still hanging on her head.

"Is this how a proud model of Valentino Enterprise looks? How truly disappointing. At least if you want to meet me, clean up your appearance first." Instead of answering her question, he commented on her appearance. What a cruel and arrogant man.

Her temper was already at its peak, her blood boiling, and she wanted to throw the iPad she was currently holding at his handsome face. But too bad, Sierra still cared too much about her career to go to jail just for mistreating her own boss.

"I am not here to ask you to comment on my current appearance. I'm here to ask you for an explanation from you, dear Mr. Valentino. Why are you giving me such a crappy schedule? Where on earth is your brain, huh?!"

Ace merely lifted one eyebrow at the harsh curse that slipped out of her mouth. The man slowly leaned his back casually against the back of his oversized chair.

"To keep you busy," he replied dryly.

"Huh?"

"I give you a tight schedule to keep you busy which means we are not seeing each other all the time. So you can stay out of my business and I stay out of yours."

Her mouth dropped open at the reason given by him. To stay out of each other's business he said. Did she have time to meddle in the man's business? Never, even when he came home drunk two days ago, she didn't care, in fact she brushed him off and didn't ask him why or where he came from. It was all because she was self-aware of who she was. Even Ace dared to only give her two days off after marrying that arrogant and cocky man.

"I wonder when did I ever bother to butt into your business, huh? Hell, even when you were hitting on that dickhead assistant guy of yours, I didn't ask much of you. Because what? Because I didn't care at all. Come on, Mr. Valentino, wake up, hey! Snap out of your brain!" She snapped her fingers in front of her own face, as if she was waking up Ace who was lost in another realm.

"Now I don't give a damn about it, the only thing that matters is getting my schedule back to the way it was. If not, I will not hesitate to do things that will make you and this company regret it," Sierra threatened him.

Then, stomping her feet in frustration, she walked out of the stuffy room that she could have blacked out in if she had stayed in it for too long.

"Damn it, you wild kitten!"

Ace furiously cursed at her. How could that woman order him around, when no one had dared to speak against his every decision until now? Yet it turned out that the woman he had only been married to for a few days dared to challenge him. She even told him to change what he had made for her.

His pair of gray eyes drifted towards the entrance where Lance, the man who had just walked into his room, was. The man who had been his personal assistant as well as his right-hand man for almost five years.

"Are you okay, boss? It looks like your wife came out of here with a bad mood. Did you two have a fight? It looks like you're not feeling well either."

Ace, who had been quiet, now began to lift the corners of his lips slightly. He straightened his body and motioned for Lance to come closer to him.

"Come here!"

Lance timidly walked over, shortened his distance with Ace, and plopped himself down on the side of Ace's seat who was staring at him with a gaze that seemed off and intense. Little did they know that their interaction was being watched by Sierra who had accidentally spotted it. She frowned, seeing Lance shyly stepping closer to her husband.

"What is really going on between them? Or is it possible that the two of them..." Not wanting to keep up with her own words, Sierra chose to open the door rudely. "What in the world are you both doing, huh?"

The two men who were seated together seemed to be completely taken aback when Sierra suddenly burst back into the room with an intimidating face and sent a glare at both of them, making the atmosphere of the room instantly tense.

"Si-Sierra... i-it's not what you see and think. We just-" Ace stuttered, trying to explain before his words were cut off sharply by Sierra.

"What, what exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Valentino? Why are you talking like a man who is cheating on his wife behind her back? Oh, are you really cheating on her? And your mistress is a man? What a waste!"

Sierra sneered sarcastically, shaking her head over and over again as if she could not get over what she was witnessing. She wondered if everything in her pretty brain right now was not true, just an illusion. There was no way, she thought, that her husband was having an affair with his own secretary... and that was with a man.

"Sierra, just listen, what you have in your mind is all wrong, m-me and Lance did not do anything at all-"

"You cheated on me with your secretary, Ace? And that was with a man? What the hell?!" Her tone was pitched high, radiating the anger she was holding back.

Not only shutting up, Ace's body stiffened at her accusation. Hell, he didn't even know what to say in his defense. Sierra was no fool, there was no way she would just believe any explanation after seeing all this.

"Why are you two not talking?!" she demanded again, this time more harshly. The glint in her green eyes became fiercer, making Lance look down, avoiding eye contact with Sierra.

Taking a step that was both graceful and threatening, Sierra walked over to them. Both men were rooted to the spot, like deer caught in the headlights of a car. "I should have known better from the start. Seeing the way you two were talking and staring at each other, it was like you had something to hide. But my pretty brains chose to believe and not to think badly. And now, I see with my own eyes how your relationship is clearly more than just that of a superior and subordinate."

"Sier-"

"Hush!" Sierra lifted one index finger, placing it right on his lips. Her green eyes glared at the two of them who were stealing glances at each other. "I've been thinking about this. Is this the reason why you forced me to marry you, Ace? You're just using me as a shield to cover up your sexual desires for males? And on top of that, you're making me the dumbest woman in the world. Wow, how brilliant, Mr. Valentino."

Sierra clapped her hands loudly, mockingly, as if rewarding the lie and appreciating his skill in fooling her. Even burst out laughing, more like laughing at herself for having the bad luck of being fooled by such an arrogant man. If only she knew that Ace was a gay man, she would have strongly rejected the marriage at all costs.

"Let's divorce!" she declared.

One sentence, two words slipped from her lips and Ace widened his eyes, shocked beyond belief. No way! That was not going to happen. If she and him got divorced, it would ruin his image in front of people and the rest of society. After all, they had only been married for a few days.

"We're not getting divorced, Sierra! You can ask me for anything, but you can't ask for a divorce!"

She furrowed her brows, sneering in disbelief after hearing his words and his rejection of divorce. Oh boy... This arrogant and rude jerk was really testing her patience. If they weren't going to divorce, then what was the point of this ridiculous marriage? She was cheated on when they were only married for a week, and what was more insane was that she was cheated on by her husband with a man.

"What the hell can I expect from a crazy marriage like this, huh? What can I expect from a man who hates the pleasure holes of heaven and prefers the ass of hell? What, you think you can have kids when your seed goes into the colon instead of the uterus huh!" Sierra spat.

He rubbed his face roughly, trying to calm down from the rage that was building up after hearing all of her accusations. He may not like women, but he also never got to the stage of having an intimate relationship to the extent that Sierra was talking about. He would rather be jerking off than having to stab a man in the back. However, there was something about Lance that made him feel at ease. It was soothing to the point that he could no longer look at women in the same way anymore.

"Didn't we agree not to interfere in each other's business, Sierra? Your life is your life and my life is my life. You got that, didn't you?" he snapped at her harshly, trying to keep the heated atmosphere in check.

Sierra stared at him in stunned disbelief. He seemed to be taking their current marriage issues for granted. Oh, come on, if only the mistress was a woman, she probably wouldn't feel this humiliated. But this mistress was a man, her husband's mistress was a man and it made Sierra Carlson's pride punch her in the gut.

"If you want me to stay out of your business," Sierra said, her voice filled with bitterness, "then divorce me! That way, you'll be free to do whatever you want, no? You can even have affairs with many men behind his back!"

Looking disgusted, Sierra pointed a finger at Lance who was standing idly beside Ace's desk. The tall, fair-skinned man did not make any sound or defense from his mouth, which made Sierra even more sure of what was going on.

"I told you, there will never be a divorce between us, Mrs. Valentino!" Ace retorted in a strong tone. "You can ask me for anything, but don't ever talk about divorce!"

The corners of her lips lifted slightly, sarcastically, at his words. Looking haughty, she got up from her seat, walking slowly towards Ace, passing by Lance who was still frozen in silence. She positioned herself and stopped right behind Ace's body, as she slowly moved one hand to gently touch his shoulder, caressing it down to his broad chest that was still wrapped in his blue shirt that matched the color of the suit he was currently wearing, cooing at him.

"If I ask you something, will you grant it, Ace?" Sierra asked in a tender, sultry tone.

Ace tried to get rid of her naughty hands that were slowly creeping down his body. She could see that Ace was not swayed at all by her flirting charms.

"What do you want?"

As he managed to get her hand out of the way before her naughty hand touched something on his crotch, Sierra flashed a bitter smile. Not that Sierra was a slut, she just wanted to see for herself if his dick would get turned on when her hand gently touched and squeezed it. But alas, her wish died as Ace had already pushed her hand away before it had a chance to do its job properly.

However, Sierra was not one to give up easily. She leaned her face closer to his ear, even daring to blow into his ear, and whispered in a coaxing tone, "Leave him or divorce me! That's an easy choice, isn't it?"

She innocently smiled at Ace who was looking at her with loathing and piercing eyes. As for Lance, he too ended up lifting his face after he had looked down silently for a long time with a shocked yet resentful face.

"You can't act like that to Ace, Ms. Carlson!" The voice of Lance broke, at last, sounding emotional. "This is his life, and you're just a stranger in his life, while I... I'm the one who's always been there for him, no matter what."

Raising one eyebrow, Sierra listened sarcastically to the words of Lance who had been silent and now spoke up, it was clear that he did not like what she wanted. Lance did not seem to want Ace to get rid of him and take his place with her.

"You shameless jerk!" Sierra snapped back in a furious tone. "You should be ashamed of sneaking in between other people's marriages and ashamed of that dick of yours. I ask you once again, Ace... leave him and I will keep being your wife or you can keep him and divorce me. That way you'll be free to be with him until death."

Taking a deep breath, he stated, "I can't, I can't divorce you or leave Lance. You know that don't you? No matter what, I will never be tempted by that body of yours."

The words he had thrown at her had truly trampled her pride as a woman and even shattered it in an instant. Ace had truly awakened her wild side. Sierra would prove that a hot babe like her could make this dumb guy hotter than that bastard jackass.

"We'll see about that, Mr. Valentino. I will make sure you beg for my body like crazy!"

The words Sierra threw out challengingly made Ace glare at her scornfully. The good-looking man with an athletic body broke into a sinister smile as his eyes fell on her, who was standing proudly in front of him.

 "Look, Sierra, I would never be tempted or beg to touch your body, let alone crave it. Even if you were stripped naked in front of me, I would never indulge in your body!" He said in an icy tone, emphasizing each word that slipped out of his lips.

 Those words utterly pierced her pride as a woman to the core. Despite how much every other man admired her slender and perfectly proportioned body, as a gorgeous model with a flawless body, here was this man who was now her husband blatantly mocking her. Her face flushed red, not from being ashamed, but from the rage roiling inside her chest. 

"Well, to hell with it," she mumbled nonchalantly. 

If Ace was looking down on her, then she would do something to show that she could bring him to her knees. That she could make Ace Valentino, her husband, into a straight guy who wanted a pussy instead of someone with a useless rod. 

Sucking in a deep breath, she pulled herself together. Her eyes shut for a short moment, feeling the pulse of blood that was about to explode from her body. Opening her eyes slightly, she made up her mind to use another ploy. 

"Fine, Mr. Valentino. If you think so, how about we make a deal? Well, you could say some kind of bet." Her voice sounded cooler, but her eyes glinted both calculating and daring.

He lifted a single eyebrow, taken aback by her offer. On the other hand, Lance, who had been watching from the corner of the room, got intrigued by the argument that was going on between Sierra and Ace.

"A deal, you say?" Ace asked, his voice laced with bewilderment.

"Yeah, something like that," Sierra replied as she smiled teasingly. "We can call it an agreement."

"What kind of agreement do you mean?" He asked again, this time in a more wary tone as he narrowed his eyes.

Sierra flashed him a flirtatious smile as she stepped her feet in a seductive motion, walking over to him, who was looking at her suspiciously. She stood tall in front of his bulky and sturdy body. Due to their height difference, Sierra even had to look up to meet his eyes. 

With a smooth, yet alluring gesture, one of her hands lifted up and wantonly crept up to his neck, slightly fiddling with the perfectly placed tie. Her touch was soft yet lustful, her delicate fingers rubbing his muscular shoulders in a tantalizing move as if trying to seduce him. 

"I'll stick with you for... at least a year," she started talking in a silky tone, her breath hitting his skin. "If I can't get you to fall head over heels for me in one year, then you'll be set free to hook up with any guy you want. But if I can get you to fall head over heels for me in one year, then leave Lance. Leave everything that has to do with your disgusting past and stay with me and our children in the future. How's that? Don't you agree with me?"

Ace simply glared at her blankly, not showing any emotion on his face. Making her lean even closer, rubbing her big, plump breasts dangerously close to his chest, as if trying to trigger a reaction from him.

But instead, Ace shifted his gaze over to Lance, who was standing in the corner of the room. The look on Lance's face was tense and disapproving, shaking his head anxiously at his male lover. Ace squeezed his eyes shut slightly, catching a deep breath to cool down. It was then, out of the blue, that he jerked Sierra's body away from him, making her jolt in shock and stumble a little.

"Fine! We'll seal this deal, or whatever you want to call it," he spat in a harsh and rather cold tone.

"However, I will make sure that everything in that dirty little brain of yours never happens, mark my words!"

"Ace-"

Before Lance could protest any further, Ace had already raised one hand to stop him. The gesture made Lance more irritated. He couldn't accept that ridiculous deal Ace had made. What if Sierra managed to seduce Ace? What if Ace was totally tempted by Sierra, the woman who was officially his wife, not like him, who was just the third person in this relationship? 

"You'd better shut up, Lance," he scolded sternly. "Go back to your desk right now!" 

Lance glared at Ace with cold and resentful eyes, then flicked a sidelong glance at Sierra, who was smiling triumphantly. Her smile grew even brighter at seeing his visible irritation. Oh, come on, she mused. She was a famous model, a queen in the modeling world, and she knew exactly how to charm a man. But, as Sierra was aware, she had to come up with a better strategy to win this bet. She has to make sure that Ace is captivated by her and even more than that, she has to make sure that he gets her pregnant - naturally, not with the help of drugs or any other shady tricks. 

"Okay, hubby," Sierra sang in a tone that was both sugary and sly, her eyes looking meaningfully at Ace.

"So, what do you think we're going to do now?" 

***** 

Sierra tossed her body into the swimming pool that was in the backyard of the luxurious mansion owned by Ace. Leaping gracefully, she dives into the water, creating a splash that makes the surface of the pool rumble. Wearing nothing but a super sexy bikini that only covered her breasts and pussy part, her curvy back and plump ass were vividly visible. If any man saw her at this moment, they would no doubt be so enchanted that they wouldn't be able to take their eyes off her, perhaps even getting a nosebleed from being too mesmerized by her perfect curves. 

Lifting her head from the water, she brushed her long wet hair back, giving a hot and alluring vibe to her appearance. The rays of sunlight that touched her wet skin made her glow, like a goddess who had just come out of the water. The guards who were standing on duty around the mansion couldn't help but steal glances at her, though they knew that it would be rude. Their eyes secretly followed her every move, filled with awe and pent-up desire. 

Leisurely, Sierra crawled up to the surface of the swimming pool. Not caring about the gawking stares mixed with adoration from the men who were secretly ogling her. As an international-class professional model, she was used to such stares. She often wears a wide variety of outfits, from bikinis that show off her curves to heavy, covered winter clothes. Her hot body has often been featured in fashion and business magazines, so she knows exactly how to use her assets to catch the eye.

"Even if you are a smoking hot model and are used to wearing such clothes, at least don't act like a slut when you are inside my house!" His deep, raspy baritone voice blasted in from behind, breaking the quiet scene. 

Sierra whipped her head around with a faint smile on her lips; instead of taking offense at his harsh words, she seemed to enjoy the sarcasm. Moreover, she even played with her feet that were dipped in the pool water in a flirtatious motion, making small ripples on the surface of the water.

"Oh, I see you're home early, Ace. I thought you'd be home late at night. I'm sorry for not welcoming you, my dear hubby," she cooed sweetly.

Sierra got up from her spot at the poolside, water dripping off her wet body, making her smooth skin shine under the sun. She walked slowly, taking each step with intentions set clearly to flirt, aiming his gaze coldly in her direction. His eyes remained frosty, but there was a flash of pent-up emotion in them, whether it was rage or desire, she could not be sure.

"Are you tired, hubby?" She asked him tenderly and coaxingly, moving closer to Ace until they were only inches apart. "I can give you a massage if you're tired... or maybe we can spend some time together in the bathtub as I massage your fatigued body," she went on in a cooing tone, her delicate hands rubbing over his hard chest under his shirt, trying to evoke a reaction. 

Both her hands roamed wherever she wanted, touching every inch of his body that she could reach. Smiling her sweetest, most charming smile, Sierra kept up the pace, playing with every detail that she knew could turn the guy on. She made up her mind not to let him have an ounce of peace. Whenever and wherever they are together, Sierra will take every single chance to seduce him. She will not let Lance, the man-whore, win this time. Never.

"Why aren't you answering? Are you tire-"

"Aaahhhh!" 

She gasped and staggered as her body was violently pushed by him. In the blink of an eye, she plunged back into the pool with the sound of roaring water breaking the quiet. Once she came to the surface, Sierra tried to catch her breath as best as she could. She was panting, her eyes bloodshot from shock and burning anger. 

"Fuck you, Ace!" she shouted furiously, shaking her long wet hair out of her face. 

Ace was just about to walk away when all of a sudden he halted in his tracks. Casting a glance at Sierra, who was now staring resentfully at him from inside the pool. Their eyes locked on each other, filled with the burning fire of an unspoken quarrel. 

"Stop acting like a slut!" he snarled in a voice filled with disgust and bitterness. "I told you, no matter how hard you try, it will never work!" 

After saying that, he turned his face away and strode away, his broad, muscular back moving away, fading into the house. Sierra glared at him with an annoyed look, gritting her teeth to hold back the boiling anger inside her chest. 

"Okay, Sierra," she muttered to herself, trying to soothe herself. "Relax and breathe in deeply, then blow out slowly. This one may have failed, but not for the next time. I will make sure that you will be crazy about me, Ace... and once you're crazy about me, I will abandon you, Mr. Arrogant. Break free from you. So you know how it feels. How could he say that I'm a slut!" she spat holding back the anger that was about to break out inside her. 

Catching her breath, she tried to calm down again. However, a loud shout from inside the house abruptly ruined her concentration. 

"Take your eyes off my wife's body!" His voice boomed from within, filled with a hint of authority and hidden jealousy. 

For her part, Sierra was still enjoying her leisure time, swinging her legs and arms in the pool, lazily moving. She simply shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, paying no heed to his shouting. Instead, she chose to enjoy her afternoon swim, letting the cool water soak into her body that was burning from the anger and failure she had just experienced.

"Just you wait a bit more, hubby," she whispered lowly, almost as if talking to herself. "Two can play this game. And I won't lose."