Her Secret Addiction

01.

Chapter One

NaTHaLie

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"Martini," I tell the bartender as I twirl the locks of my hair around my index finger subconsciously.

I roll my eyes at my bodyguards who are scowling at anyone who as much as glances in my direction. Gosh, this is so suffocating, I mean must they follow me everywhere I go? Even to the club? I understand my parents for wanting to protect me though, me being kidnapped by my father's enemies for revenge purposes or for ransom is as scary as it is. It's just that they get overprotective sometimes, my dad especially.

My mom has more than ten five-star hotels and suites in different places all over the country while my dad is a successful CEO, he has a construction company and food manufacturing company with their branches scattered in almost every state, so my parents are stinking rich, they are billionaires and I'm their only child, heiress to their fortune.

I drop some cash for the bartender as I take a look around the ocean of people in the dimly lit club while taking a sip of my drink. And where the hell is Betsy when we were supposed to meet here about twenty minutes ago?

Betsy is my best friend, we've been friends since we bumped into each other in our freshman year three years ago. We were both running late for class then but we couldn't get the building right, I helped with her building and she helped with mine. We stumbled into each other again the following week and gradually we became friends. She comes from an average family and but that's not an issue, I am not the kind of person that chooses her friends based on their social status. She is studying biochemistry while I'm studying art, it has always been my dream to become an artist. Most people think I'm taking over the family business once my parents retire but that's not it. I'm not interested in the family business, mom and dad knows this but they don't mind, they still support my dream and for that I'm grateful.

Betsy and I have identical honey-brown hair and height, looking at our backside sometimes you can mistake one of us for the other. She became my roommate last year after mom and dad finally allowed me to move out to my own place but with the condition that my bodyguards also live with me in the same apartment. She agreed to live with me only if I let her pay a monthly rent. Typically Betsy.

My phone to vibrates in my hand, I take a quick glance at the screen and a wide smile makes its way to my lips when I see that it's an incoming call from my boyfriend, Ethan. Even though my parents do not approve of our relationship, Ethan and I have been dating for about six months now. I thought he was rejected because he is not from a rich and influential family but it turns out that they were already planning to have me engaged to someone I don't even know about.

I made it clear to my parents-my father especially-that I'm breaking up with Ethan but they were quite persistent, so I had to lie that I'm no longer seeing him so that they can stop breathing down my neck about him.
"Hey, baby," I say with a wide smile.

"Babe." He breathes into the phone. "I miss you."

His admission brings a wider smile to my face. "I know and I miss you too but..."

"How about we meet at my place tonight? There is something I need to tell you." He asks, his voice almost sounding...nervous? Ethan is nervous? Now that's interesting.

"Well..."

"I will prepare something nice for dinner." He cuts in quickly.

I bite my lip, sighing in frustration as I glance at the guards behind me, they will surely inform my parents of my whereabouts. "Ethan..."

"I know what you're going to say but please. This is important." He pleads.

"You know what baby? Let's meet for a dinner date tomorrow. Then you can tell me everything you want to." My heart drops when I hear him sigh in disappointment. "I promise I'll be there."