"Something is wrong somewhere. That lady is weird, first with her smile, like she has gained some sort of achievement, and her eyes that held more than a thousand words I can't interpret. No matter what, I'll prove to her that to dine with Lucifer himself, she would need a long spoon," he said, wiping his lips again in anger.
"Where is Steve? I hope he knows she has something up her sleeve, and I'm pretty sure it's nothing close to love," he muttered, biting his lower lip in anger.
They always called him Lucifer because of how mischievous he was and how attractive he looked, making any woman around him drool. He was widely known for having a rule with any woman he shared a night with that there would be no kissing.
All the women had reported the same thing: none of them dared to kiss him, and he never dared to kiss them. He always told himself that the woman who claimed his lips would be the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And now, suddenly, a stranger from nowhere had claimed it.
"What if she's the one?" he thought, the image of her playing in his head.
"No, she can't be. There's something she's after, and with how bold she went, I'm sure it's something harmful," he muttered, running his hands through his chestnut-brown, messy hair.
A smirk curved his lips like he had won the lottery as he picked up his phone and opened his chat with Steve.
"I knew it," he muttered, holding his phone tightly, almost crushing it. "That impostor. She wasn't the one we hired, so I'm right, she's after something. I swear, I'll skin her alive if she tries anything funny."
A knock on his window distracted him and fueled his anger. There she was, the woman who stole his first kiss. She looked nothing like the woman he had always imagined.
"Get in the car," he said coldly, without even bothering to roll down the window.
Selena gulped hard, turned around to the other side of the car, and got into the backseat. She couldn't bear to sit with him in the front because she had heard from many that he could sense fear. And once he sensed it, whoever it was would go through hell.
"Why are you in the back? Come to the front. Aren't you my wife?" he said, turning back to her. Selena noticed his face darken as he mentioned 'wife' and as their eyes met.
"I don't care, Vance. The game has begun, and I don't intend on losing," she thought inwardly before taking the front seat.
"How did you become my wife?" he asked. His voice wasn't cold this time, but stern.
"My husband left me, and instead of being a laughingstock to my friends, who probably anticipated it because none of them picked up my calls, I chose to marry you," Selena said, refusing to let his aura and baritone voice control her.
He knew she was lying like it was written all over her face, but he wasn't ready to tell her just yet. He wanted to know the game she was playing.
"Who is your husband?" he asked, starting the engine.
"His name is Arnold," she said, boring her eyes into his, trying to read his reactions.
Vance smirked at her answer, which surprised her.
"Did it not work? Or does he not remember? This wasn't what I expected. How can he smirk? After all these years, does the name not ring a bell? No matter what, I'm not quitting," she thought. Vance turned to her with a gaze that indirectly told her he could read her mind.
His gaze rested on her, from her eyes to her nose, and then from her nose to her lips. Images of their lips touching came to his mind, but they didn't make him as angry as before.
"She is beautiful," he thought, although she looked nothing like the woman he wanted to spend his life with.
"His name is what?" he asked, pretending he didn't hear her.
"It must ring a bell, Lucifer? Your brother and my father, whom you murdered in cold blood," she thought, but instead said, "I said his name is Arnold."
Selena's eyes sharpened as the memory of her father's death surged through her mind again. She had undergone surgery just to get close to him, and she wouldn't rest until she had taken down Lucifer once and for all.
"And what's his full name?" Vance asked, trying to hide his anger. The past he thought he had buried resurfaced like an open wound, from the last person he expected.
"Mustard," she said. The car came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road.
She turned to him, hiding the smile on her face, pretending to be shocked. He had the expression she wanted, a cold, hateful look.
The name 'Mustard' sounded very familiar to Vance. All the memories of Selena's father calling him 'Mustard' flooded his mind. He balled his fists, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
He shot her a murderous glare, which she returned immediately, confirming his suspicions about her. She was a foe, no doubt about it. But since she wanted this game, he planned on playing it too.
He leaned closer to her, his hand leaving the steering wheel as he cupped her jaw. She felt heat spread through her body, damp where she was supposed to be dry.
"Who was she fooling?" she thought. No matter how much she hated him, he was still the uncle she had always fantasized about when pleasuring herself.
"No, I have to withstand this torment," she thought, holding back her gaze until he finally pulled away, allowing her to breathe again.
"Arnold Mustard is an interesting name. It reminds me of many people who have ceased to exist. If I find any branch of them still alive, I'll make sure they follow suit," he said.
Selena gulped her fear. At least she had succeeded in bringing back his memories.
"It's a pity you don't miss them," she said, unfazed by his expression.
"I don't, and I've already told my secretary to find out everything about you. If I find out you've lied about anything, I'll take you down the same path they took. But before then, you'll be spending the night with me," he said sternly.
Selena wanted to refuse because of what was in the room she lodged in, but after a second thought, she closed her mouth.
"Where are you from?" he asked before restarting the engine. "I went through the details of the woman who was sent to me before agreeing to the job, but since you've replaced her, I want to know everything about you, starting from the day you were born." His voice was cold, as was his gaze.
Selena opened her mouth to speak, but the shrill sound of her phone interrupted her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the caller's name. It was from the hotel she had lodged in, near the marriage hall, so she wouldn't be late.
"Damn, they must have found his missing hired wife there. How did she manage to break free?"
"Pick up your phone," Vance's baritone voice interrupted her thoughts.