Ridge Wright
“How far is the contract coming along?” I asked. We were back in London a week ago. And no, I didn't wait for my brother. By the time he landed at New York airport, I was already in my private jet on the way to London.
It’s also been a week since I asked my agent to find out all the single detail about her. But all he could come up with was information from the last five years. Before that period, there is nothing about her except for some vague details.
She founded the company in 2018 along with some very strong investors in New York. She is close to only two people, Tabitha Brooke daughter of one of the strongest conglomerates family of American elite society. Her profession is an artist whose works are displayed in Gagosian Gallery, Uffizi Gallery as well in David Zwirner.
The other one is Lancaster Anderson, her assistant. Do not have any strong family background unlike Tabitha, instead, he was raised by a single mother whose family immigrated to America when she was 5 years old. I met him in her office that day and he was observing me like I’m some mystery to him.
His reaction dictates how they do have not the slightest idea of my involvement in Mara's life or I would say Marilyn's. Thinking about it makes me want to destroy things, how my mere existence was not important enough for her to ever mention me, how she moved on with her life when I’m still stuck in 2017, how each day my heart aches for her, how my brain went through all the worst scenarios about her.
But all this time she was here living her lavish life like nothing ever happened.
“It’s coming along, we just received an email from them confirming the amended terms. So, we can sign it officially.” Anna replied with a flat voice.
“Set the date then,” I said, eyes on a file that needs my opinion by today. At this, she nods after a few seconds of observing me and leaves my office. But after almost ten minutes when I hear a knock on my office door with my assistant poking her head in I asked, "Anything else?"
“I’m sorry Mr. Wright but Mr. Wright—I mean Mr.Elliot wants to see you. Even though I repeatedly told him that you are not taking any visitors, he still insisted.” The annoyance is so clear in her voice that I wanted to laugh suddenly.
“It’s okay, Anna. I'll take it from here,” I said keeping a blank face at my brother who was standing behind her grazing her in the same annoyance. “What do you want, Ely?” I asked after Anna closed the door.
“I’ve been trying to reach you since last week, but you have blocked me out in all the ways. You should be grateful that I have forgiven you for leaving New York when you knew I was flying there.” Ely said.
“I clearly stated you to not go. But your thick brain failed to understand my words. That's not my fault now, is it?” I said still not looking at him.
“Oh, cut it out, Ridge. Give me a break. Not everybody can handle your cold demeanor all the time.”
“Then get the fuck out.” I snapped at him slamming my file off.
“No, not until you tell me what happened in New York,” Ely said, whose facials have now softened.
“Nothing happened. I went there for work and came back when it was done.”
“And what about the woman you met there, whom you called Mara?”
“Her name is not Mara, it’s Marilyn,” I replied feeling the betrayal again in my gut.
“What do you mean—wait, she lied to you about her name?” Ely said with wide eyes and a shocked face.
“Not just her name,” I murmured.
“Holy shit, so this girl lied about her entire identity. And this whole time you were looking for someone who does not even exists.” He summed up. I didn’t say anything just nods to confirm his theory.
“Damn, I need to meet this girl who succeeds in deceiving my brother, whom the entire of Europe fears.” Ely blurted with a smirk. And then people call me rude for feeding the desire to end my brother.
As I glared at him, “Are you done?"
He raised his hands in surrender, “So, what exactly happened in New York? Did you ask her why she left six years ago? Or why she lied to you about her identity?”
I shook my head, “she didn't expect things to get that serious, she just wanted fun.” Ely wasn't smiling now but a furrow sits on his face now.
“But she said yes when you proposed to her. If she didn’t want anything serious she could have said no. Or did you threaten her to say yes?” He questions. Ely knew everything about her, everything that happened in Channel. No matter how much I say that I hate my brother but at the end of the day when I was falling apart he hold me together.
“You tell me, if I threatened her or not.”
“Okay okay, you didn’t. But it doesn't make sense. There must be another reason.” A reason I’m still trying to find but failing miserably. She is hiding something but I don't know what that is. “Did you check on her background?” Elly asked to which I gave a single nod, “And did you find something?”
“Her background is too empty to be true. There is barely anything before she started her company.” No matter how clean one can be there's still a limit. But Marilyn's background is nothing normal. Half of her life is missing. As if she didn't exist five years ago.
“Her parents?” Ely asked with a serious face. A face you'll only see on him when he is on the field.
“Alive. Data show they live in some states in Greece after her father's retirement.”
Ely nods to it, “I'll ask my team to look further into it. And I am coming with you to New York for your next meeting.” His words were hard like he don't want any argument about it but he also learned that tone from me. So it's foolish to use it on me.
“No you are not,” I said with a scowl. I have enough problems on my plate already, I don’t want to add another one.
Ely stands up, “Yes I am, and no need to bother informing me. My sources will inform me.”
“Ely— ” Before I could speak further, Ely interrupt “Ridge, I know you don’t normally take my advice but I’m still gonna give you.” He takes a pause, “Stay away from her, she is hiding stuff, and digging it further will only cause you more trouble. She has played enough with you. It’s finally time to end this. End whatever it was.”
“I know what I need to do Ely, I won't make the same mistake twice,” I affirmed.
Will I not? Isn't my heart screaming within me to go for her, to ask for answers to understand, to forgive her?
“I hope so.” With this Ely leave my office. But before he closes the door, "And can you please change your assistant? This one is getting under my skin."
"Not allowing you to enter my office whenever you want does not make her annoying. I finally found someone who is not moved by your idiocy. It will be very stupid of me to let her go. Now leave."
He closes the door but not before rolling his eyes at me. Dramatic.
After an hour or so I received the email with details for our next New York Trip as well the time for the meeting. It’s next Wednesday, that is four days later. And this time I am getting my answer before leaving the States.
.......................................
The new chapter is here. Took me really long enough to update but I just wanted to have some free time with no worries. But now I am back.
Do let me know how you like this chapter.
Any opinion on what is going to happen next? 🍓🍻☕
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The Runaway Cheat
RomanceI met a girl six years back. She was everything I thought I never wanted. But how incredibly wrong was I? But one day she left. Just like that. For a moment I felt like I had her, I felt like I had this future I never dared to imagine before. I felt...
