Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 31

Stefan was a unique dude. He was super particular about the ladies, and even his grandparents couldn't force him to marry a girl he didn’t fancy. He was only going to tie the knot with a woman he truly loved.

"Easy there, Holt. This is my business."

Even though Stefan was still grinning, Holt got the hint and changed the subject as soon as those words left Stefan's mouth.

"I gotta split."

Stefan gathered several bags with evening dresses, bid Holt farewell, and then took off.

Holt watched as Stefan hopped on his bike and pedaled away.

Stefan made a beeline for Serendipity Cafe. It was a busy afternoon at Serendipity. Lucinda, her business partner, and their staff were busting their asses.

When Lucinda saw Stefan walk in, she greeted him with a smile, "Stefan, I'm slammed right now. Grab a seat and let me know what you want. I'll have someone whip it up for you."

After taking in the scene, Stefan walked up to the counter and set the bags down. He said to Lucinda who came over, "Lucinda, I've hired some evening dresses. About that thing you promised..."

"I'll keep my promise, Stefan. Where did you get these dresses?"

Lucinda pulled out a dress, mesmerized by its beauty, and hastily put it back in the bag, worried she might dirty it. "When I get a chance, I'll head back to my apartment and try them on."

"A friend of mine runs a clothing store, and he's got evening dresses. I got a few from him. When you get a chance, try them on. If they fit, change into one and wait for me at your door at seven. I'll pick you up for the business cocktail party."

"Sure thing." Lucinda agreed quickly. They needed to help each other out.

Stefan locked eyes with her. His look softened and she couldn't read him. "Lucinda, I gotta head back to work."

"Okay."

Lucinda packed the dresses away and prepared a box of pastries for Stefan. "Stefan, I've tried these pastries and they're scrumptious. They're the best we've got. Take them back to your office and give them a try. Let your coworkers try them too. If they like them, they can come here for a bite."

If Lucinda knew her boyfriend was the CEO of Ascend Global, she wouldn't have said or done that.

"Thanks."

Stefan wasn't much of a sweets guy. But since they were from his girlfriend, he would give them a go. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

"We don't need to be so formal," Stefan said, laughing. He pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat off Lucinda's forehead.

It was scorching hot and she was already sweating, having just been a few minutes away from of the AC.

Looking at the handsome man in front of her and feeling his gentle touch, Lucinda's heart started racing. By the time she came back to her senses, Stefan had pocketed his hand, taken the box of

pastries, bid her goodbye, and left.

Lucinda stood at the entrance of the shop, watching Stefan until he disappeared from sight. Just as she was about to turn around and go back inside, she saw George.

George had been standing next to her without her noticing. She didn't know how much he had seen.

"Lucy, were you two putting on a show the other day? He can't have much money just zipping around on a bike. I bet you're still single and still seeing people, right? You've been on a dozen dates and none of them worked out. Can't forget about me, can you?"

George looked at Lucinda's beautiful face with a mix of vanity and greed. Once upon a time, he truly loved this girl. Being her boyfriend was a stroke of luck. But he couldn't stand her traditional views and ended up choosing another girl over her.

When he found out that Lucinda was still single, George, in his vanity, thought it was because she couldn't forget him. After all, he was the only boyfriend Lucinda had ever had in her 24 years.

With an unamed terrifying person pulling strings behind the scenes, no one dared to pursue Lucinda, no matter how excellent or beautiful she was. The only reason he was able to be Lucinda's boyfriend was because she confessed her feelings to him.

"Cecilia, hand me the broom." Lucinda called out loudly.

Cecilia looked through the glass door, immediately dropped what she was doing, grabbed a broom, and handed it to Lucinda. After glancing at George, Cecilia yelled out to her friend, "Give him hell!"

That made George seethe. "Lucy, don't do anything rash. I came here to help you."

George backed away, raising his hands to block any incoming broom attack.

"I don't need your help, George. Get lost. If you don't leave, I'm calling your wife to come pick you up and keep you on a shorter leash, so you stop pestering me."

George quickly pulled a bank card out of his pocket and handed it to Lucinda, "Lucy, I'm serious about helping you. There's 50 grand on this card. Use it to pay off your debt and buy a car with what's left."

"The PIN is my birthday. You still remember my birthday, right? You used to celebrate it with me."

George didn't set the PIN to Lucinda's birthday, but his own, hoping she would remember it. He believed that in Lucinda's heart, he was irreplaceable, second to none.

Lucinda didn't want to waste her breath on him anymore. She swung the broom, hitting his hand and sending the card flying. The strike also hurt George's hand. He quickly pulled back his hand and jumped off the step. "Lucy, Lucy, listen up, you don't have to pay back this fifty grand, nor do you have to do anything for me. I just purely wanna help you out, after all, we loved each other for a few years."

His standard of living had gone through the roof, despite some difficulties in the past six months, his financial situation was way better than before.

His wife trusted him big time, loved him to bits, and she was now a month pregnant.

He'd been busting his ass to get the boss to give him a promotion and a raise. Nowadays, he'd got a luxury car to ride, maids in his house, and all he needed to do was take good care of his wife, and everything was peachy. The allowance he got from his wife even exceeded his salary.

For the current George, coughing up fifty grand to pay off Lucinda's debt was as easy as pie.

"Buzz off!"

Lucinda chased after him, hitting him. As he ran towards his fancy car, she picked up the dropped bank card, chased after him, threw the bank card in front of George, and fumed, "Take your bank card and get lost!"