The King's Invaluable Possession [Bachelor in Love #4]

Chapter 9

Linda

“That’s a lie, right?”

I couldn’t believe it.

One of James’ staff, or maybe James himself made me lose my job. He would never do that, right? He respected my dream. I was sure he knew I was involved in that drama, right? Or he didn’t? Or he sent that message because he knew I’ve lost it and he was laughing at me?

Okay, calm down. James would not do that. It must be his staff. They did that sneakily behind James’ back. Alex lied to me. James would never do anything to prevent me pursue my dream. “I know you’re surprised, but—”

“No! James wouldn’t do that! There must be a mistake. I’m sure of it. Even though they did it, James wasn’t involved,” I countered before Alex could say anything. I refused to believe it. Alex was playing me. This was what people from the business world would do. What they usually did. Destroy their rivals by paying someone within.

“I understand, Linda. I won’t push you to believe me. I don’t have the proof now, just the information from my people. But I want you to understand something,” he paused and leaned closer. Feeling his warm breath on my ear as he whispered, “Be careful with your own family, little muffin. Even your own blood could stab you from inside out.” I immediately took a step back. Refusing to face the truth which I had no idea now whether that was the truth or a lie. I couldn’t even look Alex in the eye. Some part of me refused to believe but some part that I didn’t want to admit…was doubting James.

Let us know when the show is. We’ll be there no matter what.

This was messed up. The angel and the devil inside of me were both speaking to me and I didn’t know which one I should listen to. My angel was telling me James would never do that and Alex was lying. The devil side of mine was just as f****d up. Her voice kept echoing in my head, so loud I thought she was spewing them right in my face. Your cousin is trying to replicate what his father had done to him before. He wants to make you suffer. He wants to make you feel what he felt before.

Fucking hell! Shut the f**k up!

“You should rest now, Linda. I’m sure you’re tired and you can’t think.” Alex’s voice broke me from my mind. Both my angel and devil were gone. He walked out of my room. Once he closed the door and I was alone, my strength left me and I slumped to the floor.

A lot had happened for the past three days.

The information about James shocked me the most because Alex said he was behind everything. However, I couldn’t trust him now. Not when I didn’t have any proof. I still believed in James. I would talk to him too. I inhaled and exhaled a few times, trying to relax myself. Clear my mind. Alex was right on this one, I should rest.

Once I calmed down, I convinced my legs to stand up and went to the window, staring at the buildings outside.

Starting tomorrow, it would be a new beginning for me.

I came here to achieve my dream. My half-ass dream. Come on, Linda, knock it off.

I couldn’t regret it now. This was my decision. I was the one who decided to throw away my real dream and chase this one.

No one knew what I really liked. What my true passion was. Not even my parents or even James. Not even Cathy. Or even Oliver. No one. I locked it deep inside my heart without allowing anyone to see it.

I walked back to the bed and pulled out my phone. Unlocked, I searched the safari, and I clicked the website from my shortcut list. This website was my only escape from reality. Because there was a time when I regretted my decision to become an actress. I didn’t want to be a hypocrite because I sometimes regretted it. So here, I could be the real me and tell everyone what I loved the most. The one thing I thought could be a reality until one guy destroyed that and I chose a different thing.

La Musique, my only escape where I could sing out my true identity.

***

Alexander

Right after I walked out of Linda’s room, I immediately went to the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of red wine and poured the liquid into the glass. I smirked and shook my head until the desired liquid filled the glass. I put the bottle on the counter until I couldn’t hold back and chuckled like a moron.

I was holding myself to not laughing at her pitiful state as well as how I was able to keep calm and said those things. “I won’t push you to believe me? Seriously, Browning?” I sipped the wine. Of course, Linda refused to believe that her cousin was the source of her pain but I could see as daylight she was doubting him too. She thought he wanted her to feel the same as he did before when that bastard Patrick paid all universities to kick his son’s ass out. This was too easy because the thing was…

Everything was true.

Yes, it was my idea and I bought that theater. I told Kirby to change Linda with Rosie. But I couldn’t expose that. I just needed an aid so the blame could be put on James’ company. How easy was that when my aid could sabotage everything and make James the mastermind.

I looked down at my glass of wine, moving it around as the red water swirled. I swallowed it in one gulp. I still had a lot in my mind of what I had to do with that little muffin. And I was going to enjoy every single thing I was about to do with her. f**k, I was so f*****g excited I couldn’t wait to expose to her that I was actually trying to destroy her dream. “Poor little muffin.” Yeah, poor her. All because James was the one who started all this s**t on me. Together with my father…and Linda’s.

An eye for an eye, right?

Thinking of her father, I didn’t realize her father was Jake Greene. When she told me her name back at Blue Indigo, I initially thought she was just James’ relative. So, when I found out that Jake was her father, I knew what to do immediately.

Both of the Greene was the source of my f****d up side.

Just because they were my father’s important partners, they could easily follow him and fool me who was…innocent. Well, not so much innocent now. They ruined me and the damage had been done. There was no turning back.

This piece of s**t is not for you! You’re a Browning. Always remember that.

My father’s words that day changed me. He said because I was a Browning. Hey, I wasn’t the one who chose to be born as a Browning. Well, beggars couldn’t be a chooser. And I refused to be a f*****g beggar. Only a weakling would beg. And I was not a f*****g weakling. I did exactly what he told me to do. The best part was I became worse than him. Ask James. He had tasted what I could do before by releasing the nightmare from his past. By releasing Helen from the mental hospital to haunt him. I almost succeeded in hurting his precious little Eve. And now…

I could easily destroy both James and Jake by using their little Linda. Two birds with one stone. Not bad, right? I guessed God was siding with me now. I didn’t believe in him. Maybe he wanted me to put my faith in him so he sent me Linda so I could take my revenge easily. Well, too bad. I wouldn’t worship him anyway.

I wonder what her reaction would be when I told her what her cousin and father had done to me. Linda might be strong but she was not the type of person who wouldn’t accept betrayal. She was strong yet vulnerable. So fragile I could see it clearly. She had no idea she could live peacefully because of her father’s dirty work. I clenched my knuckle just by remembering it. I imagined the glass was Linda and I wanted to destroy her.

Inhaling, I should remain patient now.

Now was not the time to reveal my cards.

The time would come…soon.

I blinked when I heard someone open the door. I looked at the doorway and Linda appeared. Her expression was blank. Her green eyes were swollen I assumed she didn’t cry. Good, because if she broke because of the little secret, I just shared with her, she was no fun and I would toss her away. Sent her piece of trash of an ass back to the Netherlands. Only I could see the concern in her eyes. Damn, this woman was too easy to read. She was an actress, right? Aimed to. Hide the emotion a bit. “Are you all right now?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She walked closer to the counter. “You said you’re going to explain everything regarding my job here,” she added. Wow, straight to business, huh? She didn’t waste time at all. She wanted this as bad, I gave her that. “That’s the reason why I’m here, right? I don’t want to waste any more time, so you better get on with it.”

I smiled. “Well then, sit down, muffin. Drink?”

“Sure.” I grabbed another glass and poured the wine and handed it to her. I sat next to her. I could sense she was affected by my presence. Women. She drank her wine first before she set her eyes back on me. Such a fierce gaze but somehow, there was something hidden there. What was it? I could easily read someone’s expression and I just did it to her. This time, I couldn’t see it. Her emerald orbs were bright and dark at the same time. “Well?” she demanded, capturing me off guard. Jeez, this woman had no idea how to be patient? Honestly… I liked that.

“Okay, you remember I have a project here, right? My project is a movie that will air next year around summer. The director and the rest of the producers, I’m one of them, we’re holding an audition to find the perfect main cast. We’ve found suitable people for the roles, including the main male lead. We’re just missing one more.”

“Which is?”

“The female lead.” To be honest, I could send one of my best actresses or hire someone else who had big names in Hollywood to take the role. I was sure with money and a little convincing should do the trick. But the director, Jones was a pain in my f*****g ass and he insisted he wanted a perfect girl for the role. A pretty face wasn’t enough. Can do the acting wasn’t enough. Profitable wasn’t enough. The list was endless. Well, he was one of the directors who wouldn’t be bribed and he did the work straight from his heart. I would entertain on him just on this one so I bet my reputation on Linda and she better f*****g get the job or I would toss her on the street.

“What’s her role?” she asked.

I glanced at her. “She’s chasing her dream. She wants to be a singer because she loves it. It’s her passion. She loves to sing but, in the middle, she met a guy. She loves him. The guy loves her. They want to be together but it’ll cost her her dream. She’s disoriented and lost.” As I was explaining, I saw something again in her eyes. That hidden part, like she was affected by the plot. Why? So, I continued, “And she—”

“She chose to abandon her dream to be with the guy,” she added. She blinked her emerald eyes at me. This time, she pulled away the curtain and all I could see was sadness. What was she so sad about? She didn’t let me see her through again when she looked away.

“Y-Yeah, that’s right. Do you think you can do it?” She better be.

It took her three seconds until she turned back to me. “Yeah, I think I can.”

“Don’t think, muffin. Yes, you can. The audition will take place next week, on Wednesday. Until then, you should memorize the words from the manuscript. I’ll give it to you tomorrow. If you like, I can be your partner for your training.”

She scoffed at my offer. The f**k? “Do you think you can catch up with me and not screw me up?” Oh, that feisty mouth of hers. I liked it every time she was so f*****g feisty.

“Never judge the book by its cover, muffin. You’ll be surprised later.”

“I doubt it.”

This was what I’d been waiting for. The day where I would find a suitable match for me. I never had a thing for a weak and submissive woman. Yes, they were the easiest to break. But they were too easy they bored me in a blink. I wanted a strong-willed woman to be submissive to me. Such as Linda.

I moved closer to her; rather close our faces were merely inches away. She didn’t back away although I could see she wanted to. Feeling her breath on me, so warm and delicious. Her floral cologne entered my nostrils. f**k, she smelled so f*****g good. Exotic and seductive. Jesus Christ! Her eyes, her scent, her lips, all of them made me want to devour her. I wonder how did she taste when I kissed her. Sweet? Look, she didn’t even move from me. Very different back in her room like she was waiting for me.

And my heart was pounding. What the f**k was that? Stop pounding for this woman. She didn’t do anything, only staring back at me. Yet, my heart was beating like I was affected by her presence.

No.

I didn’t want to involve myself with that disgusting stuff anymore. That pure feeling was not meant to be mine. My heart was dead and it would never be revived. The last time I felt it, it cost me her. I didn’t want to be a part of it again. “Get the role for me, Linda Greene. And your future as a world-famous actress will be yours. I will make sure of it.”

There was no such thing as love in this world.