THE BILLIONAIRE'S DESIRE

CHAPTER 18

Following supper, the males adjourned to the billiards room, while the ladies opted for the music room's karaoke session. Daniella casually exited the music room on her way to check on AJ. Although Patty was in the room to keep an eye on AJ, she felt compelled to personally check on her. She was dressed in a lethal black ninja suit with a crimson belt. While she was previously in the dining hall, she spotted the man who kept sneaking glances at her. Put an end to your thoughts about that man, she chided herself. She attempted to ignore him, but how could she when the man continued to give her an up and down glance, making her feel uneasy in her position. She was mildly tempted to flirt with her partner ninja for the night, despite the fact that his eyes were also...blue.

Daniella was on the verge of entering her bedroom when she encountered him in the corridor. What did he intend to do in the main house? Unless...

"Pardon me. "Are you Mr. Ortega?" she inquired.

"Yes?"

His voice seemed similar to Marcus's, but the guy had been gone for more than two years, and who knows whether she was dreaming things, and she should also notice that the man responded when she addressed him as Mr. Ortega. "Did you like your stay in the guest room?" She desired to hear from him on his satisfaction with his accommodations or his desire to transfer. She instructed Paloma not to alter anything in the room, but when she returned, it had already been altered. Additionally, Paloma allocated an exclusive attendant to that guestroom, leading Lilian to believe Paloma was having an affair with Mr. Ortega.

"Certainly, thank you. So, how are you doing?" Marcus grinned upon learning that the ninja was indeed Daniella. He deduced that it would be enjoyable.

What was the matter with her? Why did she succumb to that man's hypnosis? "Of course," she said, though she wasn't sure she'd make it until midnight. Her body had become accustomed to remaining late.

Daniella took a step towards Lilian's room after checking on AJ. The mom was unable to attend the meal due to her daughter's uncontrollable weeping. "Lilian," she said as she knocked on the door. When Lilian allowed her in, she complimented the geisha, "You're lovely."

Daniella was convinced that the geisha outfit would be a better fit for her than Lilian's. "What if we replace our costumes later for photographing?" She made an offer.

"Does it indicate my costume is superior to yours?" Lilian was adamant about not exchanging costumes with Daniella. "Come on, let's get going." She stated as the photographing would begin in a moment.

When they arrived at the Zen garden, they found themselves gathered around a made-up stage with a backdrop of Japanese art. The photographing has begun sooner than anticipated.

Paloma stood in front of the young guy with the camera in hand, doing her best to ensure the photographer captured her finest appearance for the night. Paloma was followed by sumo wrestlers who appeared to be in a battle, and then by a couple dressed as samurai warriors. The same is true for the other visitors.

When the photographer called her name to be the next in line, she felt frightened and uneasy, since she was unaccustomed to having her photographs taken in public. She had to remind herself that Paloma's guest would be unable to identify her due to her ninja mask. She had already stepped onto the stage when the photographer summoned a spectator to join her. Daniella's eyes widened as Mr. Ortega joined her, but she decided to give the picture session her all because it was a one- time event.

"Now, for your last photograph, you must pose as if you're a couple preparing to kiss." The photographer gave the instructions.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss!" the mob chanted incessantly, and she felt compelled to join in. She reminded herself that she was doing this for pleasure.

"All right, in one...two..." the photographer instructed the ninja pair to wait for his signal before their lips touched.

Daniella became worried as Mr. Ortega removed her mask and then the mask he was wearing, and her eyes widened when she recognized the guy. It was none other than her ex-husband, Marcus Madrigal, but it was too late to deny him with the audience roaring them on.

"Three!"

They heard the camera snap, but her brain was not operating properly as their lips connected, and the man continued to move forward long after the shot was taken. She required pinching the man's side in order for him to quit humiliating her. Marcus replaced their mask after the kiss before they descended off the platform... holding hands and vanishing into one of the garden's dark corners.

"How did you get here?" Daniella inquired as to when they would be unheard. "Did you crash my mother's birthday party?"

"I was invited by Paloma, Dani." He replied, but the woman found it difficult. He then tightened his teeth as he recalled one of the reasons he came here: "Who was the other man?"

She was perplexed since she hadn't seen anyone since the celebration started. "What are you referring to?" Daniella enquired.

"You are Mugsy's father, lady!" Marcus raged at Daniella for feigning ignorance when he inquired about the identity of the man with whom she had slept apart from him.

Daniella smiled at his request, claiming that he had no authority to inquire. "I don't believe it is your business to find out," she said, "and you should have declined the invitation even if you received it." Daniella mentally jotted down a note to speak with Lilian later. Her stepsister was in charge of guest supervision, and she was unaware that her ex-husband had been invited.

Paloma's decision to invite Marcus was perplexing, and she despised it. She believed she had made it quite obvious that the lady should refrain from interfering with her love life! "Did you come here using Mr. Ortega's identity?" Daniella questioned him as she recalled meeting him earlier in the corridor.

Marcus chuckled at Daniella's irrationality. "I informed you that I was invited...and Ortega was present."

Mr. Ortega remained an enigma to her, and she desired to learn more about his relationship with Paloma. Was he a boyfriend or a casual acquaintance? Lilian, too, was suspicious! "Speak the truth to me, Marcus. What was your friend's connection with my stepmother?"

Marcus narrowed his brows as he realized why Daniella wanted to know and that he should warn Ortega about Paloma's daughter's erroneous character evaluation. "Paloma was a client of his," he said.

"Client? What then is his business?" She persisted in her inquiries.

"Dani, it was a detective agency." He responded, but he refrained from going into detail at the moment. Daniella did not need to know everything, but she was a wise lady, and before he could voice another untruth, Daniella gazed at him as if she already knew. "What?" Suddenly, he felt uneasy with her look.

"Are you sure you're not working for Ortega?" Daniella inquired, but she was certain that their relationship extended beyond that of colleagues, and she discovered that they were also friends.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Marcus gave a nod. "It was a part-time gig, Dani. I work full-time at Hacienda Velasquez as a farmhand." He was rarely verbose about what he did for a living and so on.

What is a farmhand? Daniella could only envision him looking wonderful with a cowboy hat. "I'm sure your side job provides you with enough money to travel," she remarked without blinking her eyes. Even in the dark, she would detect any attempt by Marcus to fabricate or embellish his account.

His mouth remained clamped shut. Any erroneous word would increase her suspicions about his identity.

"What? Are you sure you're not going to tell me I was your job in Hong Kong?" When the man declined to respond to her statement, she dared to inquire.

Daniella was becoming increasingly frightening as the minute went, and he was on the spot. If he were aware of the implications of his previous game, he would never attempt it. He believed he had the upper hand, but it turns out he was mistaken! "Paloma was afraid you might do anything unusual," he informed her.

"Like procuring a man to conceive me?"

"Perhaps," he shrugged.

"Ortega must have forgotten to advise you not to combine business and pleasure," she replied, attempting to contain her emotions. She was enraged and dissatisfied. She had believed that they were thrown together by fate, but she was only a job for Marcus, and the darn man wanted to flirt with her!

"He did, but you want my presence." Marcus reminded Daniella of the few times the woman had attempted to gain his attention.

"And I forced myself into you," she concluded the statement Marcus was unable to continue without upsetting her. He nodded, and she gave a sour chuckle. To be honest, she hoped he would return to her, but following his recent revelation, she realized she had wasted a lot of time waiting. "However, you are not permitted to stay here, and I hope I do not see you again in the morning." She stated as she shifted her gaze away from him.

"I'm leaving when the celebration is finished!" Marcus chose not to shrink in the face of the cruel woman. One incorrect move and he would resemble Samuel!

"All right, then, when they identify you, claim to be a ghost!" Everything would be OK if he could remain invisible to the servants, her stepsister, and Paloma.

"I understand why you're not pleased to see me, but Paloma will be disappointed if I bring Ortega." Marcus utilized information gleaned from workers to determine that Ortega was a VIP for Paloma's birthday.

"That is extortion!" When the man spoke Ortega's name, she screamed.

"Perhaps, but allow me to make one point, Dani." He stated as he drew closer to her, "You look stunning today," he murmured as he blew hot air into her ears.