CHAPTER 1 THE INTENSE REUNION

Samantha inhaled sharply in the crisp, clean air of London streets. She stepped down the plane with a slight sway of her hips, earning subtle glances from the men around.

"Wow, London air surely is different." She sighed delightfully.

"That's the first thing you notice after being away for a decade?" As Samantha turned around, she came face to face with Camila, her best friend, who was the owner of the voice she had recognized.

"Oh my God, I have missed you so damn much!" Samantha squealed and ran to hug Camila, almost knocking her to the ground.

"Of course, you missed me. Who wouldn't?" Camila retorted smugly, with a smirk on her face.

Withdrawing from the hug, shaking her head affectionately at Camila's hyper-inflated ego." There are some things that time really can't change." She mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your philosophies to yourself. Come on, let's go. We have a driver waiting for us. Jake sent it." Camila informed her, grabbing the luggage.

"Jake?" Samantha whispered, confusion etched all over her face.

"Yeah, my brother Jake. Surely you haven't forgotten about him, have you?" Camila taunted her, playfully digging her elbow into her side.

Samantha thought to herself, "How could I forget? The animosity between Jake and me was still fresh in her mind."

Jake and she didn't seem to get along, especially after his parents' death. They were always at each other's throats. It didn't help that Jake was ten years older than her and also a billionaire.

He was always trying to control her life, treating her like she was his younger sister. Samantha resented him deeply because of his overbearing and egotistical personality.

Camila tried to make them get along, but it didn't always end well. Now, Samantha was wondering why Jake would bother to send her a car to bring her home.

This was the same Jake who left her under the pouring rain after he saw her car break on a secluded road. Jake was quite heartless, and his decision to send a car to pick her up left Samantha wary of his unusual actions.

"I should thank you for allowing me to stay at your house. I honestly don't have any problem staying at a hotel until my apartment is fixed." Samantha said to Camila as the car drove into the house.

"Don't be ridiculous, Samantha. You thought I'd let you stay at a hotel? Come on, Samantha, we're family at this point. We'd do anything for you," Camila said, her voice warm and reassuring.

I couldn't help but notice the use of "we." Was Jake also into this? Did he give his consent? What was happening? Could things have changed over a decade?

Hundreds of thoughts ran through Samantha's mind, like a rabbit chasing a carrot that leads to a trap.

"Come on, let me lead you inside," Camila stated as they stepped out of the car and entered the house.

"My brother won't be home till next week. Something about a charity event: so, we have the house all to ourselves", Camila grinned mischievously at Samantha.

Camila led her through the extravagantly designed and unnecessarily wide hallway.

"Cam, are you sure Jake would be cool with this? You know very well how we both can get."

Samantha couldn't help but ask as she hesitatingly followed after a very cheerful Camila.

Camila rolled her eyes at her dramatically. She could never understand those two- not for her life—especially her brother.

"Jake would be happy to have you here." She replied truthfully. Samantha only rolled her eyes at her as they made their way up the stairs.

"I'm serious," Camila said, pushing open a rather large door. "Jake doesn't think of you the way you think he does."

She glanced at Samantha, who was too preoccupied trying to figure out their location to listen to her. 'Sometimes, I wonder if he's fixated on you,' she said, feeling a shiver run down her spine. They continued through a dimly lit passageway as she led the way.

"He is obsessed with me, alright." Samantha was sure of it. He always seemed to go out of his way to engage with her, even when it meant disagreeing with my opinions.

"That I must agree with. But Jake could be sweet and caring, and I know he doesn't show it, but he sometimes cares a little too much." She turned to the left, and Samantha hastened to follow, fearful of losing her in the eerie passageway.

As she trailed behind Camila, Samantha's imagination ran wild with terrifying scenarios. What if Camila didn't realize she was no longer behind her until it was too late? She'd be lost and trapped, forced to survive by any means possible - a chilling thought that had her envisioning extreme measures, like resorting to cannibalism. Her mind had been fueled by the intense shows she'd been binge-watching lately.

"Samantha?" Camila called out to her, sounding relatively uninterested. "What are you thinking about?" Her tone was laced with annoyance.

"Nothing much," she replied, trying but failing to sound nonchalant. She wondered how Jake pulled it off. He sometimes acted cool-headed and collected, even on that tragic night when he lost his parents. Samantha sighed sadly.

She still remembered how Camila couldn't stop crying and how Jake just sat looking lost and lifeless.

His eyes were open, yet she could bet he could see nothing. He was breathing, but she could hear nothing. She couldn't even see his chest rise and fall. Tears were on his cheeks, and his eyes were lowered from crying.

He sat on the hospital floor, clinging desperately to his mother's bloodied scarf. Before she could console him, he got up, dusted his trousers, threw his mother's scarf in the trash can, and walked out of the hospital.

Samantha wanted nothing more than to follow him out there– wherever he wanted to go, but she didn't…couldn't. Camila needed her, but maybe Jake needed her a lot more because, after that day, he became a shadow of who he used to be. He buried himself in work and clicked everyone else out. He never teased her ever again and never smiled or laughed or played.

It hurt to see the ghost he had now become, but there was nothing she could do, and she was too scared to admit to herself that she worried a great deal about him even to attempt to do anything.

After his parent's death, Camila had healed, and Jake hadn't. She couldn't understand him then. They could never agree on anything, stay in the same space, and not jump into one of their childish and unreasonable batters.

"I actually hoped he would have forgotten all about me by now. I guess I hoped in vain."

"Watch your head over there." Camila cautioned just in time to save Samantha from hitting her head on some sort of lighter.

"Where are we, Cammie, and where are we going?" Samantha asked with an edge to her tune. She was beginning to get creeped out by the poorly lit passageway and couldn't help thinking that Jake had somehow managed to plan her death. That would explain his kind gesture earlier on.

CHAPTER 2 MEETING JAKE AGAIN

Samantha looked around, more scared than she realized. When Camila saw this, she only chuckled. "Don't be a scared little teenage girl, Amy." "We are gonna go to my brother's secret cave." She announced proudly.

"Okay, that's it, I'm going back. I didn’t want to come here anyway if not for my father’s insistence on my return." Samantha turned around and found the exit, realizing she was practically lost. They had come from one pathway, but now, she was faced with two, and she couldn't decide which one of them was the right direction.

She felt Camila hold onto her shoulders. "Where do you intend to go next, Sweet?" Samantha could very well hear the amusement in her voice. "Don't worry. Jake isn't going to be home-- not till next week, and besides, have a little faith in me.”

“I am your best friend, remember? I know you don’t like my brother, and I would not deliberately put you both in the same room. He is not around, and he will not be around for the next seven days. We already had a deal, and if Jake isn’t anything, I can guarantee that he will keep his end of every bargain." She kept on rambling on, trying to convince her friend. She tried to sound as reassuring as possible.

"Fine, fine then. I trust you, but no funny business." Samantha had no choice but to agree.

“Finally, now we can have some peace and some fun," Camila said cheerily, taking Samantha's hand and leading her into another passageway. She pushed open another door, and Samantha thought about how tired she was of watching Camila open and close doors. This was already feeling like an endless labyrinth of doors to her.

"We are here!" Camila joyfully announced. Samantha watched her smile brightly, and it made her smile, too. It felt nice to see that her best friend had barely changed.

Camila was usually guarded around people, but she could be just herself around her. Well, she and that annoying brother of hers. The thought of him left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Look, Amy! " Samantha looked around her and was transfixed. It was grand and impressive.

"Where are we?" Samantha asked as if in a trance.

Camila giggled girlishly at the amazed look on her face. "As I mentioned, this baby is my brother's cave." She was proud of her brother's taste. She had waited so long to show Samantha this place and couldn't be happier at that moment.

"This is amazing!!" Samantha was still hall smitten as she stared wide-eyed at the beauty before her. It was all she had dreamed of.

It was a Cinema that also had what looked like a spa pool, and there was this beautiful relaxation center that Samantha couldn't take her eyes off.

Everywhere boasted extravagant design yet somehow maintained a cozy and homely atmosphere.

Samantha inhaled the fresh air from the enormous windows, which were opened to admit one of nature's many blessings.

"This is truly beautiful." She pointed out for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"I know!" Camila took her hand and led her to a seat by the spa pool. She immediately dipped her legs into it and let out a pleasurable sigh.

"This feels so damn good." She relaxed her head on the headrest that had been provided.

“What do you say when we watch a movie?" Camila asked, her voice trailing off as she was starting to sound sleepy.

"No, Cam. Let's just sleep." Samantha shut her eyes, ready to have a much-needed rest.

"Yeah, let's do that." Camila sounded just as sleepy as Samantha’s, maybe even more so.

"What is going on here?"

Samantha was jolted awake by a furious, masculine voice. She could recognize that voice anywhere and any day.

It was Jake...

Camila jolted awake and stared in horror at her brother's furious face. Meanwhile, Samantha remained unfazed, didn't even spare him a glance, and settled in more comfortably, closing her eyes once again.

“Oh, Hello, brother!" Camila's voice dripped with sarcasm, her forced cheerfulness a thin veil for her simmering resentment. "What happened to our agreement?" she asked, her teeth clenched in anger.

They had agreed that he would stay away for one week so Samantha could at least get comfortable.

"What happened is that you're in my space." He said.

"We had a goddamn agreement, Jake," Camila said, angrily stamping her foot on the floor like a child.

"Yes, we did, and that agreement was that I would stay out of her way." He replied.

"So, what are you doing here?" Camila was already turning red at this rate. At the same time, Samantha pretended to be unbothered and unaffected by their argument, but her heart was racing, and she couldn't tell why.

She was not scared, but she wanted more than anything to see Jake, who managed to sound older and more manly.

"This is my goddamn house, Camila!" He exploded, his frustration boiling over as he ran his hand through his hair in a futile attempt to calm himself. He prided himself on being able to argue with women without losing his cool, but his younger sister was beginning to push him to the edge.

I'll retreat to my cave for a week, just as planned!" He glared at Samantha, his eyes blazing with indignation." Not flee to some luxurious hotel for a spoiled little brat who wouldn't even bother to defend her best friend, let alone show some basic human decency!

"Don't bring her into this, Jake," Camila warned, ready to jump to her defense, but Samantha stopped her by standing on her feet. She was prepared for this fight. She had planned her entry and exit retorts when they started arguing.

“I have already been dragged into this, Cam," Samantha began, but her words faltered as she turned to face Jake.

His piercing blue eyes, like an unfathomable ocean, drew her in, threatening to drown her in their secrets and untold stories. His lips, inviting and alluring, seemed to whisper sweet nothings, while his chiseled jawline and determined brow exuded strength and pride.

Transfixed, Samantha's thoughts scattered, leaving her speechless and helpless against the tide of his captivating presence.

Jake's mind reeled, and he questioned his own sanity. The woman before him was Samantha, yet not the Samantha he knew. Her beauty had transformed, transcending into an ethereal realm, as if she'd stepped out of a fairy tale's pages.

His anger and frustration evaporated, replaced by wonder and awe. But the spell was short-lived, shattered by Samantha's biting words: "All these years and you refuse to grow up."

Her tone was sharp and disapproving, like a stern rebuke, leaving Jake feeling stung and defensive, the previous enchantment forgotten in the face of her scorn.

“You have refused to grow up, and you have remained the little boy I once knew; nothing has changed about you. Now, you are just a small boy in a bigger body.” Her words stung like that of an old wicked witch. She wanted to sound confident and didn’t care if they made him feel bad or not. She just did not want to feel small beside Jake, the boy who bullied her all her years growing up.

CHAPTER 3 THE SHOCKING REVELATION

Samantha had yet to receive the response she had anticipated. Instead of the prepared list of potential replies, Jake burst into a very unsettling and irritating laugh that somehow infected Camila, who struggled to stifle her laughter.

What is so funny, Samantha couldn't tell. It irked her to no end to be caught up in such awkwardness and not even know what was so amusing to them. Was it her mannerism? Or maybe her words? What the heck was so funny?

Samantha turned red with anger as he glared at both siblings, who looked more alike than they ever had at that moment.

Samantha's hand balled into a fist as she tried but failed to control her anger.

"I'm sorry. Oh, God.........I'm so sorry." Was all Camila could say between feats of laughter. She had tears coming from the sides of her eyes as she took another look at her best friend and couldn't help herself.

At first, she had only chuckled because Jake's laughter was contagious, and it had been so long since she last heard him laugh sincerely, but once she had taken a look at her friend, she had to admit it was a pretty funny scene.

"You're despicable." Samantha didn't know what else to say and wasn't sure who she was angrier at. She felt overwhelmed with anger and embarrassment and wanted nothing more than to be out of their sight.

She made to leave but was stopped by Jake, who took hold of her hand. A strange electric shiver passed through her veins, and although her first instinct was to shrug off his hand, she couldn't bring herself to do so anymore.

"Where are you going?" Jake thought she was being overly dramatic. She had no right to be upset as she wasn't the one whose space was invaded.

“Anywhere but here!" Samantha exclaimed, her rage momentarily subsiding as she wrenched her hand free from Jake's grasp.

His face, once alight with joy and amusement, darkened with anger, a familiar scowl that made Samantha's heart race.

"You can't go—" Camila began, but a withering glare from Jake silenced her. His eyes blazed with a fury that seemed to simmer just below the surface as if he might erupt into flames at any moment.

"Do whatever you please," Jake finally said before storming out of the room and leaving the two of them to ponder what had just happened.

How had he gone from laughter to so much anger? Samantha quickly concluded that Jake must have bipolar disorder. He had always been that way. He derived joy from getting her pissed and found his amusement in her embarrassment.

Samantha was upset not just with Jake but also with Camela. Samantha turned her angry gaze at her best friend from the retreating form of her sworn enemy.

"I'm sorry." Camila's apology did nothing to ease her anger, even though she looked like she was just about to burst into tears.

"Lead the way, Cam," Samantha said curtly.

Camila knew better than to try to persuade her to stay back. She had grown up with Samantha and knew very well that she would never stay back, not even in her dreams. She honestly wished Jake had just stuck to the plan and stayed away.

She felt somewhat guilty for not making it clear to him what she wanted him to do. When she had told him to 'stay away,' he had interpreted it as staying out of sight, but that wasn't what she meant.

Maybe she was wrong for blowing up in anger, but then again, “What was even wrong with those two? '' She muttered.

Samantha followed after Camila rather silently. She wanted to justify all her actions so severely and believed they were justifiable, except for one.

She should have jumped to Camila's defense, immediately tried to maintain his privacy, and evacuated the room.

It was Camila's fault for taking her there in the first place, but what happened afterward was not her fault.

She had heard of his dislike for hotels but hadn't thought anything of it. There was news that he spent a lot of money buying houses wherever he did business, and she thought it ridiculous. He still did, but… maybe she had been too harsh on him.

Samantha quickly caught herself, irritated by her thoughtfulness. She had always been too willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, prioritizing their feelings over her own. It was a habit she had hoped to break during her ten-year journey, one that had taken her far away from her past. Yet, here she was, still struggling to put her own needs first. The realization left her feeling frustrated and defeated.

Because of this personality trait, she was always easy prey for Jake. She would not feel guilty for what happened today. She was determined not to.

"We're here," Camila announced, tired. She lowered her eyes to the tiles as she pushed open the front door.

She knew very well how emotional Camila was. Suddenly feeling like a terrible person, she hugged her tightly.

"I'm really sorry about how things turned out," Camila confessed, trying her hardest to hold back her tears.

"I know," Samantha admitted.

"Where'd you go?" Camila asked.

"My dad's?" It sounded more like a question.

"Oh". Came Camila's short reply. " Have you told him you are?"

"No." She sighed heavily. She wasn't her father's greatest fan, but she didn't hate him. She did dislike him, though. All he ever cared about was that stupid job of his

"Okay," said Camila.

"Yeah." The two women burst out laughing, and they couldn't even tell what was so hilarious, but it helped them clear the awkward air around them.

"Call me?" Camila couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes.

"I will," Samantha promised as she hopped into one of the waiting cars.

She felt a tiny pang in her chest for Camila. She hardly spoke to anyone other than her and her brother. Her parents had been close friends with her dad, but shortly after they entered high school, they both died in a car crash.

She wished she could claim that Jake had changed after that, but he was often rude to her, just as her childhood self remembered.

On the other hand, Camila had locked everyone else out, and even now, she still couldn't tell exactly what happened that day.

Staring up at her father's colossal gate, Samantha was starting to second-guess her decision to return here. She should have gone to the hotel. She was already here, so she might as well go in.

Her father's most trusted guard, whom she had always remembered as stoic and sufferable, finally smiled at her.

Samantha never thought he could carry an outfit, and it made her truly happy that she had somehow earned his rare smile. She got into the house, overcome with so many memories, and there were also a lot of new faces among the house staff.

In an attempt to make it to her father’s study, she ran into a familiar face, freezing as emotions overwhelmed her.

CHAPTER 4 A CONTRACTUAL MARRIAGE

After her mother's death, she was raised by her Nanny. Especially since her father had buried himself in his work, ignoring her whole existence.

"You're all grown and pretty." The older lady pointed, her warm palms holding Samantha's face in place as she examined her closely." But you have lost so much weight." That made Samantha laugh. Could you leave it to her, Nana, to point it out? " Have you been well?"

Samantha smiled brightly at her. " I assure you; I have."

"Oh dear. How did you get so beautiful?" Her Nana asked sincerely, earning a laugh from a blushing Samantha. Her Nanny was never one to bluff. It was her bluntness that also made her all the more admirable.

"Look at you, Nana." She held onto her Nanny's face just like she was doing hers and pretended to study her face intensely. "Hmm, old age does look good on you." It was true. The woman looked beautiful in her gray hair, contrasting sharply with her brown skin and gray eyes. Samantha couldn't-- not for the life of her understand why she refused to remarry after her husband's passing.

"Oh please...." whatever retort she had was interrupted by her father.

"Samantha?" Samantha looked up at the stairs her father stood on and was stunned and silent. He looked way older than she had predicted he would, and he clung tightly to a cane she assumed he used to balance what looked like a bad leg. Samantha swallowed. What had happened to her father?

"What are you doing here?" He asked, not sounding the least bit happy to see her. It made her instantly sad. She hadn't expected a welcome party, but she sure had hoped he'd be as excited to see her as she was to see him.

"I'm back." Was all she could think of to say.

Her father sighed a heavy and overly labored sigh. Was that how much he disliked her? Samantha found it irritating how he had never done anything but disliked her existence all her darn life.

"To my study." He said abruptly before turning sharply and walking-- limping into his study.

"Why didn't you inform me of your arrival? Who else knows you're back?" He asked while he paced the length of his study.

He couldn't even bother to ask how she had been. Who was she kidding? His study looked disorganized and stuffy. When was the last time he let anyone in here?

"Samantha?" Her father's angry voice brought her back into the present.

"Huh, what were your questions again?"

Her father's eyes blazed with anger, his glare piercing through her. "Who else knows you're here?" he growled, his tone low and menacing.

Samantha thought to herself, "What's gotten into him?”

"Just you, Camila, and..." "Jake!" Samantha nodded slowly, unsure of what to say.

"Jake!!" Her father's eyes widened as he looked at her in sheer horror.

This was the most reaction she had ever gotten from her father all her life.

What the heck was wrong with him?

"Care to tell me what's going on?" She was very much irritated at his pacing and desire to keep her in unnecessary suspense.

"You just got yourself a husband. That's what!"

"What? What??!!!!" Her blood suddenly ran cold. Her father never bluffed, but had he somehow gone mad during her stay abroad? But apart from his constant pacing, he looked positively the same to her.

"What are you talking about, Dad?" She always took pride in her ability to control her emotions, but not at that exact moment-- she couldn't.

Her father slumped in his seat, a defeated sigh escaping his lips.

Samantha stood rigid in fear. She had never seen her father so distraught in all her life. "I sold you out to Jake Devon. He owns you now."

***************

Jake sat on the kitchen counter, watching his younger sister make them a meal. He chewed on an apple, paying her little mind.

"What I'm saying is, you shouldn't have spoken to her like that, Jake," Camila said. She could tell he wasn't listening. All he wanted to hear her say was that dinner was ready, then he'd listen.

"Hmm," he replied, his tone indifferent and unconcerned.

"Hmm? Just hmm?? "She placed both hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with anger.

"What"? Jake asked, with a mouth full of apples.

"Are you serious right now?"

She looked at him like he had grown an extra eye. "That girl has gone home, and you know just how much she hates that place and that..... that man." Camila had never been good at cursing at people. He, on the other hand......

'Hmm,' Jake thought.

What did this mean? Had she discovered the truth already? He hoped so. The sooner she found out, the better. Though later would still work, he preferred earlier. The less time she spent in the dark, the better.

"Jake! For the love of Christ, are you even listening? " Camila was losing her shit.

Jeez, woman," he muttered, wincing at the loudness. He had always been sensitive to noise, and his sharp hearing made it worse.

Yelling, especially around him, was like nails on a chalkboard.

"Don't you dare--" Whatever retort she was going to give was cut short by slamming his front door.

Jake was thankful for the interruption, but that peace was short-lived as the door revealed a furious Samantha.

Sooner, it seemed. Great.

Jake could almost not control his joy, but that had always been his strong feat. He had such firm control over his emotions.

"What is this, Jake?" Samantha all but said calmly as she threw the sheet of paper at him.

Jake leaned leisurely on the kitchen counter as he took another bite of his apple, staring straight into her eyes.

"What's going on?" Camila asked in confusion. Worried lines formed on her brows. She picked up the paper and gasped in shock. "A marriage contract?"

Samantha's flaming gaze held Jake's icy ones in a tight grip.

The fun was just getting started.

"Explain yourself! " She demanded, earning a low chuckle from Jake.

"What else is there to explain?" His voice was low, calm, but authoritative. So also was the air around him.

"It's our marriage contract".

"There's no way in hell I'm marrying a psychopath like you! " She spat angrily.

"You'd rather have it in heaven then?" Jake said.

"There's no place for your kind in heaven." Came her retort.

"And you'd know. Wouldn't you?" he said, tauntingly.

"Get rid of this contract, Jake. It's not happening," she instructed, and Jake's smile turned to a cold, icy frown.

"That's not ever going to happen." He pulled out a chair and sat down, making himself comfortable for the drama that was only about to start.

"Yes, it damn well is," he replied, his tone firm and assertive.

He had never heard her swear before, even when he pushed her to the limit. She must be furious. Jake couldn't explain why he felt a twisted sense of satisfaction at seeing her so riled up.

"Then walk right out of the contract if you must."

CHAPTER 5 WEDDING CHARADE

"Then that's what I'd do!"

She declared. And he watched in amusement as Camila locked gazes with her. She shook her head in disapproval as she showed Samantha the contract clause.

What Samantha didn't know was that her disagreement with the marriage could mean an ugly experience for her and her family.

"If you're willing to lose everything you own, including that of your father and your mother's hard work, be my guest. I will in no way stop you."

He said, leaning back on his comfy chair, a smirk plastered on his arrogant face.

Samantha's hand began to shake in rage. Pain? Disappointment? All at once? He couldn't tell.

"Why? Why me?" She was breaking, and instead of feeling the satisfaction he had hoped for, Jake felt a weird sense of sadness, which he pushed under the carpet in his mind.

"Consider it salvation." He got up from his chair elegantly. He walked to the fridge and took out a drink. " We all know your father would have sold you out sooner than later." He took a sip, reminiscing its excellent taste.

"And besides, I saved you and your father's company. I should be receiving thanks, not screams".

"I never asked for your stupid salvation!"

"You're right. You never did, but your father did, on your behalf."

"Please think this through," she said frantically. You don't want to be tied to a person who hates and despises you." She tried to reason with him.

"I'm a business icon, Samantha. Of course, I think through all of my decisions".

"Why would you want to be married to me when you can have any other girl of your choice." She couldn't understand why he wanted her. What would he gain from all of these?

"You'd understand it all soon enough. Soon enough, love." He said before walking out and leaving the two of them to ponder what had just happened.

Jake locked himself up in his room, wondering if he had made the right decision or if it was a grave mistake. Samantha crumbled on the floor and burst into tears for what she presumed was her ruined future.

Camila wasn't sure what to do or say, so she just held Samantha in her arms, trying to console her without words.

********

Two days later, the wedding was to be held. The bride had her head up high in fake confidence.

The bridegroom smiled widely at his troubled sister, and the bride's maid's eyes shone with worry for her brother and best friend.

Samantha locked up and immediately accepted her fate. She seemed surprisingly calm and collected, and she didn't look devastated and ruined, as Camila had expected.

It would be a court wedding and a very private one at that. They wanted the public to get the hang of it.

"Are you alright?" Camila was understandably worried.

"Yes," Samantha replied truthfully.

"You sure?" She asked again.

"Yes". She repeated, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

She was going to make his life a living hell. She would make him beg her for a divorce. She would make him pay.

They went through the wedding rituals rather quickly. They signed the necessary documents, and Samantha couldn't wait to finish this phase.

His father had been in attendance, and he looked anything but healthy. A tiny part of her felt bad for him, but a more significant chunk of her felt happy about it.

She hated how often she caught herself staring at Jake. He had cleaned up very nicely, looking like a movie star in his expensive tuxedo and new haircut.

She now thought him drop-dead gorgeous, a far cry from her initial impression of him as merely handsome. What was wrong with her? How could she be admiring a man who was hell-bent on marrying her against her will?

And to make matters worse, Jake was openly and shamelessly staring at her, his gaze piercing and unapologetic. She told herself to snap out of it, to remember the situation she was in and the fact that he was essentially holding her captive.

When she was just about to sign the necessary papers, she noticed a cameraman in a corner of the room.

Frowning up at Jake, she asked. "Why do we have a cameraman in the building, Jake? Whatever happened to the wedding was hidden from the public?"

"I changed my mind." He said, smiling lovingly at her for the camera.

"The world should know I'm taken, isn't it?" He pinched her cheek playfully, and Samantha wanted to bite off his finger.

"Now smile for the camera, love. We don't want the whole world to know this wedding is a sham now, do we?"

"I, for one, do.." she retorted, making Jake's smile flutter before throwing his head back in laughter.

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear, his warm breath caressing her skin, sending shivers down her spine. "And risk losing everything? I don't think so," he whispered, his voice low and husky.

To anyone watching, it would seem like a tender moment between two lovers, but the tension between them was palpable. They had signed the papers and gone through the motions, and just when Samantha thought it was finally over, Jake caught her arm, his grip firm, and stopped her from leaving.

"Not so fast, little wife." He held onto her waist and plastered her body on his. She wanted to lie to herself that she tried to struggle, but she knew she didn't.

On the contrary, she wanted to lean into his warm embrace, which made her feel oddly comfortable and safe.

Jake marveled at how very perfect she felt in his arms. For some stupid reason, he wanted to bury his head in her hair and smell it. He still would, but when she was a little more comfortable with him.

"What…" Samantha was starting to ask, but Jake placed a finger on her lips to quiet her, and the small gesture made her feel things she could not explain and didn't even want to examine.

"Shush... We have to share a kiss to make it all the more believable." Jake was smiling boyishly at her, and it was doing things to her that she hadn't thought possible.

She intended to say a resounding "no," but her body betrayed her, nodding in agreement as if in a trance. Jake struggled to rein in his racing heart, perplexed by the inexplicable effect this girl had on him. What was it about her that consistently left him breathless and bewitched?

He had secretly longed for her lips on his since the first time she visited Camila. Despite their ten-year age gap, she felt utterly right in his embrace. Seizing the moment before she could reconsider, Jake drew her into a scorching kiss, all too brief, as she swiftly pulled away.

Her eyes appeared dazed, mirroring his bewilderment. Meanwhile, his body was responding enthusiastically, his arousal growing unmistakable.

"Get a grip, man," he whispered to himself, struggling to regain control.

Samantha shook her head vigorously to convince herself that she actually kissed the man she couldn't think twice about leaving. Then she turned around to see that Jake was wearing a wolfish grin.

Did I miss something? She thought as she struggled not to reveal her surprise at the quick change in his facial expression when he mumbled just enough for her to hear.

“That…was for the camera.”

Samantha drew closer to him, struggling to hold herself as she hushed into his ear. “This. Never. Happened.”

Drawing back, she spun on her heels and walked away, leaving Jake struggling to hide his surprise.