Ida's heart is pounding in her chest. The moment the huge looming mansion came into view, she couldn't believe her eyes. In the last two years of her failed relationship with Kevin, she visited this place twice. She recognized this place immediately. But never in her entire career did she imagine that Kevin Hamilton is related to her boss Leo Hamilton. They share the same last name, but she never thought that they were related. And she never in her worst nightmares imaged to be trapped between these two Hamilton men. One, who is her ex, and the other one, her boss and her one night stand.
As far as she knows, Kevin is an only child and his father is no more. She knows that his uncle is taking care of them. How would she know that his said 'Uncle ' is this young and let's not forget handsome.Even Kevin never mentioned it either. If Kevin is related to her boss, she does not understand why he is still searching for a job living with his mother, and depending on her money for his expenses.'After the betrayal from Kevin, this is the last place I wanted to step my foot in. I cannot face Kevin again. Not when he is announcing Clare as his fiancee ' she thought worrying her lower lip. She is so distracted, that she doesn't notice that Leo is observing her keenly.Leo's eyes zeroed in on her lips. The images of her lips and how he devoured her mouth popped into his mind. His eyes turned heated and he could feel the tightness in his pants. He averted his gaze immediately.'Damn it. Why is she affecting me this way? She was supposed to be Kevin's fiancee. But something must have happened between them. I only ever heard praises about this one from Hailey. But, I can see that something is not right here. Who was the other woman who pushed Ida inside my room? And who is this mysterious financee whom Kevin is going to announce today ' he thought.Their car stopped in the driveway of the Hamilton mansion, which is constructed in European style. He eyed his assistant who looked pale and froze in her seat."How long are you planning to sit here?" he asked calmly. Her head snapped in his direction and she looked flustered and embarrassed. Immediately she unfolded herself out of the car while he did the same.Reporters are milling around with their mikes and cameras. A makeshift stage is arranged on the right side of the mansion, where Kevin will announce who his future wife is."Uncle, we were waiting for you" Kevin, his nephew rushed to escort Leo. But the moment he caught sight of Ida standing behind Leo, he froze with shock.He became pale and worried. He is scared to imagine his uncle's reaction if he finds out about his affair with Claire and how he cheated on Ida.Leo didn't miss Kevin's reaction.'Why does Kevin look scared?' he wondered."Oh, it's Mr. Leo Hamilton. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Claire, Kevin's fiancee" Claire walked over to where they were standing and introduced herself proudly. But just like her so-called fiancee, she froze with shock when she saw Ida.'What is she doing here? Is this how she is planning to take revenge on me? Did she say anything to Leo? If that happens, then Leo Hamilton will kick me out of here in a split second. I have to do something before she could ruin my plans ' She became worried and decided to destroy Ida.Unlike Kevin, she didn't freeze. She plastered a fake smile on her face and gasped with shock."Oh my, Ida, I thought you might not be able to make it today," she said with fake happiness and rushed to hug her.When Claire hugged her, Ida wanted to push her away. But she couldn't afford to make a scene in front of her boss on the very day of work. She pried herself away from the clutches of Claire and took a step back and away from her."President Hamilton, this way please" She ignored Claire and Kevin and escorted Leo in the direction of the press conference. Leo followed after her, ignoring Kevin and his Fiancee. He recognized Claire from the video footage he saw that morning. She was the one who pushed Ida inside his room and locked it afterward. He understood what must have happened and suddenly why his nephew's fiancee changed.'This Claire is bad news. I cannot allow Kevin to marry her. She will ruin our family name. A woman who can leave her friend inside the room of a stranger cannot be trusted ' he decided to break this marriage."Ms Wilson" he stopped Ida. She stopped walking and turned to face her boss. This is the first time he addressed her directly. His intense gaze was upon her, and she tried hard not to squirm."Sir?" she looked at him trying to look calm and composed. The images from last night flashed inside her mind, making her face go red.Leo gave her a knowing look. He can understand what she is thinking. Because he is thinking the same. He ignored his need for her and concentrated on the matter at hand.
"I want to speak with my nephew and his new fiancee. Inform them to meet me in my office" With that said, he turned and disappeared inside the mansion.Speaking with Kevin and Claire was the last thing she wanted to do. But at the same time, she cannot ignore his direct command. So she reluctantly walked towards the duo, who were glaring daggers at her."President Hamilton wishes to speak with you both. He is waiting for you in his office" she spoke monotonously and rushed to follow after her boss.Clare wanted to kill Ida. But she cannot. There are so many reporters around, just a small mistake would cost her everything she has ever worked for.On the other hand, Kevin is scared.'Did my uncle find out about what happened?' he feared the wrath of Leo Hamilton. He walked inside the mansion with dread. Kevin cursed himself for having an affair with Claire. If he could have shown some restraint, then this wouldn't have happened, and he wouldn't have to face this today.On the other hand, As the heir of the Hamilton family, Leo had to take up that responsibility at a very young age. He is forced to be stern with his family members to keep them in line. Everyone in the family fears him. He always prided himself that he never made any mistakes, until now. His irresponsible and very tempting mistake is walking inside his office with her eyes downcast. She intentionally left the door open. "Looks like you are scared to be in the same room with me" he drawled casually. Her head snapped in his direction and her eyes became wide with fear and distress. She wanted to quit this job the moment she recognized who he was. But she worked hard to reach where she is now. She only ever heard good things about her new boss. He is said to be a workaholic and a good boss. She knows it's impossible to find a job like this again in this life time. More over she has her student loans to pay and almost half of her salary will go to that. Her bills and expenses are another thing. She is worried that he night misunderstand her as a gold digger. But she is not."I...i..i..i" she stuttered, unable to utter a single word.But he looked at her misery.
Leo watched her misery with amusement. "I. It's not like that, President Hamilton" she replied with difficulty.He raised an amused eyebrow."Is it? Then why did you leave the door open?" he inquired.Ida looked at the open door with a frown. She intentionally left it open. He is right. She is now scared of being in the same room with him. She doesn't remember everything that happened between them the previous night. But the soreness between his legs is telling it all. He left marks all over her body, that will take a few days to heal completely. Her cheeks turned pink at the remainder of what happened between them. She prayed that he wouldn't notice how much he was affecting her.He didn't miss the blush and he found it cute. She is cute, smart and interesting. He liked that combination very much. A rare but alluring combination. She is saved from replying to his question when Claire and Kevin walk inside the room. Her face turned bitter and she made it a point to ignore them. Le
Leo is fuming. He understood why Kevin agreed to marry Claire and why Ida was framed and pushed out of Kevin's life. He was cheating on Ida and he made it look like the other way around. Ida is innocent in this scenario, but they are making it look like she is the bad guy. He doesn't want Kevin to announce Claire as his fiancee. 'She is not fit to become his wife. A woman who is so cunning cannot become a good wife and daughter-in-law. She is a gold digger and trapped Kevin for his money. Like an Idiot, he fell for it ' he thought with anger. On the other hand, Ida is tense. The anger radiating from Leo is scaring her. She is worried that he is angry with her. 'He believed the lies Claire just made up. Will he fire me from my job? If he does, then where will I find a good job again so soon? I wasted all my savings on Claire for her stupid start-up business which was a waste of money. I have to tell him that Claire is lying and hope he will believe me ' she thought with panic."Pre
Leo wanted to meet his mom before leaving the mansion. When he walked out of his office, he saw his elderly mother almost running outside the mansion in a hurry."Mom?" he called her, but she was in a world of her own. She didn't seem to hear him. She rushed out. Quickly he followed after her to see why she was in a rush.He stopped in his tracks when his mother touched Ida's cheek tenderly. And what surprised him the most was the smile on Ida's face. Both the ladies are happy to see each other."Mom know who Ida is? Did Kevin Introduce her as his girlfriend?" he wondered.The thought of Ida and Kevin together left a bad taste in his mouth. He approached them casually. He is curious. "I am so glad you are doing well now" Ida was saying.Grace smiled fondly."And I should thank you for that. If not for you, I wouldn't have been breathing today" she told the fact.Leo frowned. He didn't understand why his mother was speaking like this. "Mom, you know my new assistant?" he asked casual
"You are a natural, Mr. Hamilton," one of the clients Mathew Roderick praised Leo. He is the CEO of one of the most prestigious companies in the world. They have been supplying raw materials to the Hamilton group for a few years now. Today they met to finalize the details of their new project. Mathew is in his late fifties. He lost his wife and son to an accident fifteen years ago. From then on, he was single and buried himself with work. He never looked at any other woman, until recently.They are playing golf in a popular golf club where the membership is offered only to a limited number of clients who are the richest in the city. Leo Hamilton was one of the very few men who was invited to join this club as a member. Most of the people had to apply for the membership. This meeting was lunch only. But Mathew requested Leo for a golf match, to which the latter agreed. Leo and Mathew swung their golf clubs, and Leo's ball reached near the hole, hence the praise.Ida offered a napki
Ida splashed some water on her face. She clutched the sink in a tight grip. She is hurting. Her pain is still new and raw. Twenty-four hours ago, she didn't know that her life was going to take a turn for the worse. All her dreams of a happy life with Kevin are shattered by his betrayal. She never thought that Clare was hiding so much jealousy and bitterness towards her. Two people whom she trusted dearly slapped her so hard, that she is now left picking up pieces of her life from scratch. She took a deep breath and willed her tears to not fall. She quickly composed herself and left the washroom. She doesn't want to keep her boss waiting. Hurriedly she walked towards their cabin, only to come to an abrupt stop when someone called her name."Ms. Wilson" Sean stopped Ida when she walked past him. "Hey," he greeted her with a small smile.Ida gave him a forced smile in return."I am sorry. It looks like i kept you all waiting. Let's go" She misunderstood his intentions. He shook his h
She froze with shock. Slowly she understood what he meant. It might be her emotional turmoil or the betrayal of the two close people in her life. His question broke the lid she was trying to keep on her emotions.Slowly she approached his desk and flattened her palms on the desk before leaning down towards him. To an onlooker, it looks like she is trying to flirt with him. But only he can see the storm brewing in her grey eyes. She is killing him with one look. And he is feeling like an assh*le for even asking her about Sean. For some reason, he trusts her. He knows she is not like that. But still, he allowed his conflicting feelings to get the better of him.Ida's heart is feeling battered and bruised. His words of comfort and his trust which he showed back in Hamilton mansion gave her heart some solace. It felt like a salve, a comfort blanket. But now, his question is feeling like a stab. Her eyes pooled with unshed tears. Her breathing became choppy and her lower lip wobbled."I kn
The next morning, Ida woke up feeling tired. She couldn't fall asleep the previous night. She couldn't forget the slap on her cheek or the slap on her life. She can never forget or forgive what Claire did. She might even forgive Kevin sometime in the future. Maybe five or ten years down the line. But Claire used to be her best friend and she was like Ida's family. Her betrayal hurts the most. Ida got up and freshened up on autopilot. She quickly got dressed and pulled her hair into a tight bun. She is not much into makeup. But one look at her left cheek made her wince. Her cheek is not as swollen as it was last night. But now, it's not as swollen, but still red and tender. One side of her mouth is also a bit red and swollen. When Claire slapped her yesterday, her lower lip was split, and started bleeding. Now that the bleeding has stopped, it's still an angry red and swollen. Everyone can see this. Today she is forced to apply makeup to hide the abuse from Claire. In the Hamilton bu
"Who did this?" he demanded.Ida is both amazed and shocked. She was not expecting anyone to see past her makeup. Everyone saw how she looked and a few of them even complimented her. But no one knows that she doesn't like attracting attention to herself. She'd rather remain as a wallflower than become popular. She wanted to just work and wanted to be left alone. But still, she is forced to apply makeup and doll herself up today. 'Beauty is deceiving. Put on an expensive dress and cake your face with makeup, and done. No one will bother to look past that mask ' These are the words Kevin once told her when she expressed her apprehension of accompanying him to a party. And his idea worked too. No one bothered to look past her forced smile and the mask she wore. But she knows differently. She knows that beauty is only skin deep. A person who can look past that mask named beauty can never be bad. He is perceptive. "Ida" Leo cupped her cheeks with his fingers and gently pulled her face