"It's impossible," Starley finally replied. All this time, Raul had been so cold to her. They had even been strangers at one point. There was no way Raul had only been thinking about Starley for the past three years.
Raul looked at Starley, who seemed incredulous at his words. He said, "Don't underestimate your charm, cupcake."
Starley's heart raced, but she didn't know how she felt then. She wasn't sure if she could trust Raul's words. He had always been very good at delivering sweet little lies.
A man like Raul could get any woman he wanted. Many women chased after Raul. Starley often saw the news about Raul frequently changing dating partners over the past three years.
Starley didn't want to hurt her own heart like she had in the past. It would be safer if she didn't have to trust Raul's words.
"Don't get too captivated by me, Mr. Blackwell; remember, I'm your employee now?" Starley replied, appearing relaxed and confident.
When Starley addressed him formally, Raul's eyes sparkled with interest, and then he smirked. "I almost forgot about that, Miss Bellamy."
Starley would ensure that an incident like last night would not happen again. She just needed to remind herself not to drink too much wine until she got drunk.
Then Starley's gaze fell to Raul's bare chest. Wow, that body... did this man not own a shirt?
"Before we continue our conversation, could you put on a shirt first?" Starley asked directly. She couldn't focus if Raul were showing off his eight-pack abs.
Raul chuckled softly. "I don't mind if you want to stare at it," Raul replied.
Starley glared at Raul. "What do I need to stare at it for? Put on a shirt."
"Not going to," Raul replied casually, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
Raul's response took a back Starley. Wow, Raul was teasing her. Today, Raul's attitude was naughty, unlike his usual self.
"Didn't you see everything last night? Why can't I be topless?" Raul asked, still wanting to tease Starley, amused by her flustered reaction.
"Don't continue your sentence," Starley threatened, glaring at him.
This woman is genuinely adorable, Raul thought.
"I want to take a shower first," Raul exclaimed. Starley looked relieved to hear that. But suddenly, Raul quickly leaned in to kiss Starley's cheek, surprising her. In an instant, Raul dashed off to the bathroom.
"Raul!" Raul just chuckled and then entered the bathroom.
Once Raul was inside the bathroom, Starley remembered her phone. She hadn't checked it since the morning. She recalled her mother asking her to call once she woke up.
Starley searched for her phone and found it on the nightstand beside the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and immediately called her mother. On the fifth ring, her mother finally answered the call.
"Starley, you finally woke up," her mother exclaimed.
"Mom, so what's the update?" Starley asked.
Victoria sighed. "It seems I will be detained today as well, Starley. They want to question me."
Yesterday, her father was detained, and now her mother was going to be detained. Only Nathan and Starley were left to resolve this issue. There was a silence for a few seconds before Victoria spoke again. "Is Raul treating you well there?"
Starley immediately recalled what happened last night. Her face felt very hot.
"He is treating me well, Mom," Starley replied, trying not to remember the details from last night.
"He does seem like a good man; I quite like him," her mother replied honestly.
Starley began to feel confused about the direction of the conversation. Finally, she said, "Oh, I have found an ally, Mom."
"That was quick; I was just about to ask Selene's husband for help," Victoria replied, sounding surprised.
"So, who is it?" Victoria asked.
"Raul, I have also signed a contract," Starley answered. After that, Victoria sounded relieved.
Starley squinted her eyes when she heard her mother's sigh of relief. "Why do you sound relieved?"
"Of course, I'm relieved; my daughter is in good hands. I don't have to worry if your ally is Raul," Victoria replied. If only her mother knew what was happening between her and Raul. Starley quickly shook her head, but it was better that her mother never found out about it.
"By the way, have you thought about who is behind all this?" Starley asked, trying to focus on the issue at hand.
Victoria paused momentarily, then said, "Your father has many enemies." She sighed.
"Don't worry, Mom. I will find the culprit behind all this," Starley exclaimed.
"Of course, I believe in you, Starley. Use your smart brain and prove to the men that you are very reliable," Victoria replied firmly. Starley smiled slightly at her mother's encouragement.
"Well then, I need to have breakfast before I get detained," her mother said. Starley felt sad hearing that her mother would be detained, too.
Starley was increasingly impressed with her mother, who seemed so strong in facing all of this. Perhaps other mothers would be crying when their husbands were detained. But her mother remained strong and calm for her children.
"Alright, see you later, Mom," Starley said.
"Okay, darling," Victoria replied. Then, they ended the call.
Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Starley got up from the bed and opened the door. There, she immediately locked eyes with Carlos, who was holding many paper bags.
"Miss Bellamy, here are the macaroons you ordered; I bought the best macaroons in Chicago," Carlos exclaimed as he handed over a box filled with colorful macaroons.
Starley accepted the macaroons. After that, Carlos also handed a small paper bag to Starley.
"What is this?" Starley asked. Carlos cleared his throat.
"Mr. Blackwell asked me to buy this for you, Miss," Carlos replied. Then, without waiting for Starley's response, Carlos continued.
"The clothes you ordered will arrive later this afternoon, and here are your belongings taken from Mrs. Selene Blackwell's mansion." Carlos handed over a small suitcase containing Starley's clothes and laptop.
Wow, it turned out Raul's assistant was not human. Carlos was like a robot.
"Thank you, Carlos," Starley said.
Carlos bowed slightly and said, "Excuse me then, Miss." After that, Carlos left to carry out his other tasks.
Starley brought in all the items that Carlos had given her, but what made her curious was the mysterious small paper bag. Finally, Starley opened the small paper bag first.
It turned out that inside the paper bag was a medication. Starley tried to see what kind of medication it was. It was labeled as emergency contraception. This is a pregnancy prevention pill. Starley blinked for a moment. Why did Raul ask Carlos to buy this for her?
Then, a memory from last night came back. Starley's face began to flush. Oh my God, Raul didn't use protection the previous night! In the end, Carlos knew what Starley and Raul had done in the office. Starley felt incredibly embarrassed.
How could Raul ask his assistant to buy this?
Just then, Raul came out of the bathroom, only wearing a towel wrapped around his lower body. Starley quickly turned to Raul and glared at him.
"Did you ask Carlos to buy emergency contraception?" Starley asked. Raul raised an eyebrow, confused by Starley's sharp gaze.
"Yes?" Raul replied, questioning.
"Why did you ask Carlos to buy it?" Starley asked in disbelief.
Raul looked at Starley, still confused. "So you want to get pregnant?"
That question made Starley cough.
"W-what?"
"Oh my God. I could have bought it myself. If you asked Carlos, he would know about last night."
After Starley said that, Raul finally realized what she meant.
"Carlos will keep quiet if he wants to keep his job," Raul said casually. Starley sighed and realized Raul was only wearing a towel around his waist.
"Put on your clothes, then we can continue our conversation," Starley exclaimed.
Raul smirked but said nothing; this time, he went straight to the walk-in closet to get dressed.
Starley stared at the emergency contraception pill in her hand. She had completely forgotten that she could get pregnant because of what happened last night. Starley was so caught up in many thoughts that she forgot about something small yet essential, like taking this medication.
Emergency contraception is a pill taken to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. This wasn't the first time Starley had taken it; three years ago, after she lost her virginity, she took it right away as well.
Starley never expected to be retaking this medication now. She grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the room and took the pill according to the instructions.
Not long after, Raul came out wearing an elegant suit. He looked handsome as usual. Judging by his tidy appearance, he was attending an event today.
"You look very sharp," exclaimed Starley.
"There's an important client meeting today," Raul replied. Starley nodded in understanding.
"You should get ready too, wear whatever you have in your suitcase. You'll be joining me as my secretary," Raul ordered.
"Also, think about your new identity name," Raul added.
"Am I starting today?" Starley asked.
"Yes, you signed last night," Raul said.
"It seems you can go without me; I want to find a plan to solve my family issues," Starley replied.
"The meeting won't take long; after that, we can discuss it in my office," Raul exclaimed.
Starley thought for a moment, but she ultimately agreed. She took her small suitcase to the walk-in closet and changed her clothes there.
Starley wore a black blouse with a relatively tight knee-length formal skirt and cream-colored heels. She tied her hair into a ponytail and put on her anti-radiation glasses. Then, she applied red lipstick.
Starley looked at her reflection in the mirror. Wow, she now looked like a goody two-shoes girl, a calm woman who doesn't like to cause trouble and always follows the rules. Yep, that doesn't sound like Starley.
But Starley would disguise herself as a secretary, so this appearance was the most suitable. Starley stepped out of the walk-in closet and saw Raul talking on the phone. But when he heard Starley's heels, Raul immediately finished his call. This made Starley curious: Who was Raul talking to?
Raul turned to face Starley. Then Raul just stood there, staring at Starley's appearance intensely.
"Do I look like a good woman who doesn't like to cause trouble?" Starley asked.
Raul didn't answer. In his eyes, Starley's current appearance was very sexy. The skirt highlighted Starley's beautiful curves. The glasses did make Starley look calmer, but they emphasized Starley's intelligent eyes. And those red lips drove Raul crazy because he could only stare at them. Raul wanted to kiss those lips right now. But Raul held himself back with all his might; he had a meeting and needed to stay focused.
"You look great," Raul replied, appearing calm. His handsome face looked stiff, not showing the mischievous side he had earlier.
"Let's go; we need to leave now," Raul added. Without waiting for Starley, Raul walked out of the room first. Starley looked at Raul in confusion, wondering what was happening with him. But Starley followed Raul from behind.
.
.
.
Now, they were in the car heading to the B.I.A. office. Colby, Raul's driver, drove the vehicle while Starley and Raul sat in the back passenger seat. There was a partition between the front and back seats, so the driver couldn't hear conversations from the back seat.
"Have you taken the medicine that Carlos bought earlier?" Raul suddenly asked.
Starley cleared her throat and replied, "Yes."
Raul nodded. After that, it fell silent again. Raul's question made everything awkward. Then Starley remembered something she wanted to say.
"Oh, I want to have a separate room from you," Starley said.
Starley paused momentarily, wondering why her words sounded like those of an angry wife to her husband. Raul turned and asked, "Why do you want a separate room? My room is the best in the mansion." Raul looked offended.
"From the beginning, we shouldn't be sharing a room. I can't keep hijacking your room. I need my space if I stay in your house for three months. I'm a woman; I need privacy," Starley explained.
Raul looked displeased. Then he said, "I don't mind sleeping on the sofa every night."
"Oh my God, don't, Raul. Why would you want to sleep on the sofa? Your back will hurt. Your mansion has plenty of rooms; why sleep on the sofa when you can give me a room?"
Raul furrowed his brow. He didn't know why he wanted Starley to stay in his room. Since Raul didn't have a strong reason, he finally sighed and said, "Alright, I'll tell the maid to prepare your room."
Starley sighed in relief.
"Are you asking for this because of what happened last night?" Raul asked. Starley immediately coughed upon hearing that and glared at Raul. "Can we stop talking about what happened last night?" Starley replied.
Raul looked at Starley for a moment. "Do you want me to not talk about it anymore?"
"Yes, no need to discuss it again. Last night was an accident."
"I want to stop discussing it with one condition," Raul said.
"What is it?" Starley asked suspiciously.
"Give me a kiss on the lips," Raul teased. Raul's eyes sparkled mischievously again. Starley looked at Raul with disbelief. She was indeed taken aback.
"Raul, we're not alone! Colby is here!"
"He can't hear. Just a kiss, I'll close my eyes so I won't see," Raul exclaimed.
Before Starley could respond, Raul had already closed his eyes and awaited her. At first, Starley wanted to let Raul look foolish with his eyes closed. But thinking it over, if it was just a kiss on the lips and Raul would act professionally in exchange, it didn't seem like a bad trade.
Finally, Starley leaned in closer to Raul's face. Then, she briefly and gently kissed Raul's lips.
But suddenly, Raul's strong hands wrapped around Starley's waist, pulling her closer.
Raul opened his eyes and said, "Gotcha." This time, Raul's eyes were dark.
Their closeness made Starley's heart race unexpectedly. The distance between their faces was so minimal. Then, without saying anything more, Raul held the back of Starley's head, tilted it, and kissed her lips.
At that moment, Starley couldn't push Raul away anymore. Because when their lips met, there was a powerful spark. Followed by a feeling like butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Unconsciously, Starley closed her eyes and enjoyed Raul's soft kiss. This time, Starley lost again. And this was just the first day of the ninety days she had to spend with Raul.
…