In the corner, the shopkeepers were gossiping quietly.
'It's the CEO of Claude Corporation, he is so handsome! I think he's on a date.'
'He really is. How come they accused him as a gay? He is a devoted type, I guess.'
'I totally agree with you. His girlfriend must be so lucky!'
Wearing the second outfit, Pheonix Lou standing in front of Desmond Claude. It wasn't bad, but sleeveless, it cause people to focus on her bandaged arm. Then, he asked her to try another one.
After several outfits, Desmond Claude finally found the best one for her, it was a split sleeves mini dress in broken white colour. She looked feminine and classy in it. The long sleeves hid her injured arm pretty well too.
'We'll take this and pack up all the outfits she had tried on earlier. Send it to this address.' Desmond Claude made the payment with his black card.
Pheonix Lou was speechless, the price of one outfit costed at least 5 digits number. How the rich people shop, was really something!
She pulled his sleeve, looked at his eyes expressively, as a sign of refusal. The man tucked her hair behind her ear, he bended a little, and whispered to her ear softly that only both of them could hear the words. 'Girlfriend of mine shouldn't wear shabby outfits from now on!'
This Jerk!
Regardless of what he actually said to Pheonix Lou, from other's point of view, the CEO of Claude Corporation was flirting romantically with his girlfriend. They saw the girl face blushing red and it was enough to confirmed what they thought. They were very envious of her to have a perfect man like him.
Desmond Claude gently hugged her waist when they walked out from the store. His gestures were as if he was protecting her from any harms.
Pheonix heart thumped crazily. Despite knowing it was just a pretense, to be treated so lovingly made her heart felt warm.
'How's your wound?' Desmond asked casually without looking at her.
Unconsciously, Pheonix Lou touched her wounded arm at the mention of it. 'It's fine, CEO Claude. Thanks for asking.'
His eyes starred at the girl coldly, 'Call me by name and quit being so stiff!'
'This Jerk should have been an actor! How could he acted so romantic, while constantly complained about me?' Pheonix cursed inwardly.
To be honest, she felt very nervous that she didn't know what to do in this situation. She averted her gaze when a flash of shadow caught her sight.
'There's someone following us...' Pheonix Lou informed the man beside her.
Instead of alerted, Desmond Claude replied lightly, 'Yes, a reporter. He has been following us since we got out from the store.'
Pheonix Lou was dumbfounded. That was why, he acted so loving and asked her to call by his name. Why he didn't say so earlier?
They headed to a western restaurant. He pulled a chair for her and they sat facing each other.
While waiting for the ordered food, she felt a little tense, despite the fact it wasn't her first time to have a meal with him.
Desmond Claude in his calm demeanor, took a detail look on the girl in front of him, a real beauty, indeed. At one glance, she did look so much alike to Margareth. Still, it was hard to make a precise comparison as Margareth was still a teenager back then and even in the picture he managed to confirm to Detective Morgan. He met her only once for a relatively short period of time.
Breaking the tense atmosphere, Desmond Claude started a conversation. 'Pheonix Lou, tell me something about your family.'
Pheonix Lou's family was complicated. Her mom was married to her dad without the blessings of her maternal grandparents, they even cut ties. When she was 4, her dad died in an accident. Her dad's brother and sister was so wicked that they hunted for her and her mother for years, forced them to hide themselves and change their identities, so that they wouldn't find them. When she graduated from the Junior High School, the wicked siblings of her dad found both her and her mom whereabouts. Fortunately, her mom's only brother appeared before them in the right time, as the new successor of her maternal family's business, helped them secretly since then. Her maternal grandparents was kept in the dark. Escaped from the wicked siblings, moved in another city with another identity, her life was in peace until her mom's health deteriorated. Her mom breathed her last breath before she entered the university, drived her to be independent. Avoid her paternal aunty and uncle constant hunting, she decided to disguise herself as a boy, got back to Z city, changed her surname to Lou. Lou was her maternal grandmother's surname. With the help of her powerful maternal uncle, she settled everything. She joined a martial art class in order to strengthen her muscle physically as well as for self defense. One year before she graduated from university, she begged her dearest uncle to stop helping her financially, she paid the tuitions by herself. Her uncle had promised her not to interfere as long as she could keep herself safe.
Considering she had been hiding herself for years, Pheonix Lou couldn't open up her identity so casually. Who knew the hunters were still aiming for her? 'We are just a humble family, nothing much to say. Because my family is not really into a daughter, neither they have any sons, I dress up as a man. We live separately now that I'm old enough to support for myself.'
It wasn't all lie, some parts of it were true. Pheonix lived humbly after the death of her dad, while her dad's wealth was snatched away by his greedy siblings. She didn't have any brothers either. The family she referred to, was actually her paternal aunty and uncle, who chased after her for unknown reason or probably to ruin everything her dad has.
Analyzing her explanation, Desmond Claude was not entirely convinced. She acted very natural, though.
What did he expect? He laughed bitterly at himself. The face shared some similarities, but Pheonix Lou wasn't Margareth! It's reasonable if she told him a different situation about her family. From the way, she said, her family was bounded to be complete. She wasn't raised by a single parent like Margareth.
Why should he care about her family background, anyway? Whatever her family background, it didn't matter, she wasn't related with Margareth at all.
A beautiful lady with chestnut coloured hair, in sophisticated clothing, stopped her steps near Desmond Claude. 'Mr. Claude! It's so lucky to meet you here.'
Desmond Claude and Pheonix Lou turned their face towards the lady.
She was the socialite, Claudia Gardner.
Pheonix Lou smiled politely at her.
'Miss Gardner.' Desmond Claude replied her greetings in business tone. His eyes were cold, no emotion shown in his attractive face.
Seeing a pretty young woman, sitting in front of Desmond Claude, Claudia Gardner's gaze turned hostile for a second before she let out a friendly smile. 'I like this restaurant too. I suppose we share the same taste, Mr. Claude. I have some reccommendations, we should have a meal together next time...'
'it's impossible, Miss Gardner. I have a girlfriend.'
'Girlfriend?' Claudia Gardner confirmed what she heard while keeping her forced smile. 'The rumor was true, then.'
Claudia Gardner introduced herself as an act of courtesy to Pheonix Lou.
'I'm Pheonix Lou. It's nice to meet you, Miss Gardner.'
A waiter came with some plates in his hands, Claudia Gardner took the chance to leave the couple. She was upset that Desmond Claude didn't spare her a look, she believed she was not least from Pheonix Lou, whose not prominent in the society.
Everyone knew well that Desmond Claude was a cold, unapproachable man. Still, so many women couldn't resist his charm as a handsome, powerful, and wealthy figure. Claudia Gardner was one of them who had bravery to approach him but she had never crossed the acquaintance zone just like the others, she wondered what trick Pheonix played to get the man.
Pheonix Lou sneezed all of sudden.
Claudia Gardner must have been cursing her, she thought. Being his girlfriend was the same as making enemies here and there.
A man blazer draped over her shoulders. Her eyes widened by his gentle gestures. Was he faking it or he was actually not a cold person?
Desmond Claude sat back on his seat. 'Pheonix Lou, you've just recovered from fever. Eat some more!'
Pheonix Lou couldn't believe her ears. To her, Desmond Claude was moody, he treated her gently at times and cold for the other times.
'CEO Claude...'
'You can call my name, you are my girlfriend.'
Pheonix Lou blushed. No one ever address her as his girlfriend, the word sounded pleasing to her ears, even though she was a fake one.
'Desmond, thank you!' Pheonix smiled brightly.
The moment Desmond Claude saw her bright smile, he felt something warm in his heart. When she did, she was as lovely as a sunflower in summer.
Again, Margareth was on his mind, she used to have the kind of bright smile. Brush off his memory about her was not easy.
The date went on until the sun had set. Desmond Claude send her home, he parked his car, walked her until they reached her unit and left after she got into it.
Pheonix Lou entered her bathroom, took a bath, changed to her pajamas. Sitting on the small dining table, she opened her laptop, sent her job application form.
As she was still using her laptop, she caught the news about today's date, it had flooded the media.
'The CEO of Claude Corporation was Openly Flirting with His Girlfriend'
'It's not a Rumor, The Handsome CEO is Dating!'
'Claudia Gardner got Rejected by Desmond Claude'
'Desmond Claude has a Girlfriend'
'CEO Claude's Girlfriend, Called Miss Lou'
Those reporters were very quick, clear photos of her and Desmond Claude were all posted, they began to get Pheonix Lou's surname in a short time too.
The gossips about sexual orientation of Desmond Claude disappeared instantly with no trace, he was praised for not being a womanizer, instead. His popularity got higher and higher, his image even more flawless than before. Women in the country attracted to him more than ever. He was like the perfect public figure with unscathed private life in people's view, perfect man in women's eyes, and definitely an amazing leader in his business, who raised great companies.
The bad news was Pheonix Lou was bound to be national's love rival. For some time, she was still safe since she disguised herself as man in her daily basis. What she got herself into?
Her ringtone jolted her.
A worried tone of a matured man was heard, 'Pheonix, I saw you in the news. You should break up with him, the Wrights may find your whereabouts.'
Pheonix didn't want to make his uncle worry. He had been helping her and her mother countless time, did it behind his parents back, it was hard for him.
'Uncle, don't worry! It won't be that easy, I disguised as a man, remember? Moreover, they may not recognize me now.'
'You need to be extra careful, though. By the way, you should break up with him, I sensed he's not serious. How on earth you two got together?'
Pheonix Lou couldn't tell a thing to his uncle, not to mention the fake girlfriend deal. 'It's a long story, uncle... hahaha... just don't worry, bye!'
She tapped on the dismiss button. 'Sorry, Uncle Marco...'
Once again her phone rang. The caller ID was Mr. Jerk. Why was he calling her for?
She answered the call.
'Have you seen the news?'
'I have... it's a good thing they are convinced.'
'You did your part well. I'll go to your place tomorrow.'
'What?? I...'
'They will be suspicious if we don't meet each other whenever possible.'
Pheonix Lou could only let him got his way. Did she make a wrong choice by being his temporary girlfriend?