Dangerous Desire The CEO’s Hidden Woman

There was a minute of silence over the phone– Francis and Scarlett said nothing to one another. Scarlett pouted and asked, “Wait a minute… are you laughing at me? You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m the same as you. I feel nervous,” he said in a low voice.

“What?” Scarlett asked curiously.

Francis was standing in front of the window of his study room with his hands in his pocket, looking out at the vast, blue sea outside.

He took a deep breath and smiled, “I said, I’m much more nervous than you are. I’m sure of it. You have no idea how nervous I’m feeling right now.”

Scarlett laughed gleefully. Hearing that Francis was feeling nervous, perhaps even more nervous than she was feeling, Scarlett felt all of her worries just melt away.

“Francis, I want to see you.” she smiled and said in a low voice. She found it cute that Francis was feeling nervous, and now she wanted to meet with him desperately.

“No, we can’t.” he refused stubbornly. “You know we’re not supposed to do that, don’t you, Scarlett?”

Scarlett was a little angry and said, “But I can’t fall asleep. If I don’t get to bed tonight, I’ll have dark circles on my face tomorrow, and I’ll look like a disaster at my own wedding! I can’t have that; I need these pictures to be absolutely perfect. You won’t come here and help me fall asleep?”

Francis laughed, but he was a stubborn person– just like Scarlett. He would stick to his principles, and it was almost impossible for his mind to be changed by anyone. After a few seconds, he quickly quipped, “Don’t be absurd, Scarlett! Just go to bed already, you silly girl.”

Scarlett threw herself on the bed with a sigh. They had slept in it the night before and so she could smell his sexy cologne. She said, “I can’t sleep. I miss your arms around me. I miss your embrace, Francis.”

Francis swallowed deeply. He was feeling a deep-seated lust rising to the surface. But he had to stick to the plan. “We can’t meet tonight. Be good and go to sleep.”

Scarlett curled up in bed and said, “Well, you can keep talking to me, and I might fall asleep gradually.”

“Okay!” he said, resigned to the situation.

After that, they both lay down and bundled up in their respective beds. Francis started talking slowly in a quiet voice, hoping to calm Scarlett down so she could fall asleep. Scarlett closed her eyes and tried to relax. Francis’s warm and gentle voice slowly came to her ear and then into her heart. A few minutes later, she fell asleep. Her night was restful.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

***

At six o’clock the following day, Scarlett jumped out of her bed. She was full of energy, unafraid to deal with a whole army of stylists and makeup artists there to help her get ready for her wedding.

“Come on, be quiet!” Bell said after she walked in with the wedding dress. “It’s still early, alright? Not everybody has as much energy as you do this morning, you hear me?”

Scarlett ignored her and said, “Bell, give me the wedding dress.”

“Okay, boss!” Bell said, saluting Scarlett sarcastically.

Everyone in the room laughed, and the pressure was gradually eased. Things seemed to be less tense now.

Scarlett’s wedding gown was custom-made by a famous designer; it was bespoke, so there was only one in the whole world. It was a strapless white wedding dress with a keyhole back, fishtail train, and fitted sweetheart neckline. The dress highlighted Scarlett’s features very well, revealing her taut, unblemished skin, and subtle curves. She looked sexy and charming.

Although the sight of Scarlett looking positively angelic in her dress intoxicated everyone, Scarlett felt only deep discomfort. She could barely recognize herself in the mirror. The more she observed her reflection, the stranger she felt, unable to reconcile the sight of herself with her image of herself in her mind.

“Come here, bride, it’s time to do your makeup! They’re waiting for you, Scarlett!” Eve shouted.

Scarlett lifted her skirt so it wouldn’t pick up any dirt from the floor and came out to the makeup room. Her beauty continued to amaze people around her; they couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“Wow, you look so beautiful!” Eve exclaimed. After that, she instantly said, “I don’t think I can pose in any photos with you today. I can’t bear to stand next to you when you’re glowing like this. I’m going to look like a complete ogre with you in the frame.”

Scarlett laughed at Eve’s comment. She sat down in the chair in front of the large mirror, and the makeup artist got to work executing the look of Scarlett’s choice. Several steps were involved in this elaborate process, from concealer to even her skin tone out to heavy layers of eyelashes to make her eyes pop.

Although it was still quite early in the morning, the chaos had already begun. Everyone was busy, running around to and fro, ensuring that every detail was just right for the wedding. Everything had been carefully planned out months ahead, but it was inevitable that some things would go wrong. Eve managed to put out every fire without getting too panicked. She was wearing a headset and using a walkie-talkie, communicating with decorators at the wedding venue. She was basically running the whole wedding– she was more concerned about this wedding than her own!

At eleven o’clock, the wedding ceremony was ready to begin.

It was a beach wedding, and the setup was supremely romantic. Each and every spot was covered in white, pink, and blue roses– lining the path, along the arch by the altar, and across the length of the large stage.

The compere for the event was seated on the stage. When it was time for the bride to come out, everyone turned around to look at the door Scarlett was going to be stepping out of at any moment.

Meanwhile, behind the door, Scarlett couldn’t keep from feeling nervous. She grabbed Skyler’s hand tightly and gritted her teeth. Her hands were trembling; she could barely grip Skyler’s fingers steadily.

Skyler lifted Scarlett’s veil and kissed her forehead affectionately. His kiss was soft like a feather. Skyler was feeling sentimental; seeing his sister get married, after all, was not something he got to witness each day. This was an emotional day for him because now everything was finally official.