Fake Marrying The Billionaire

Chapter 9: Lily In Disguise

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but this look is giving an old librarian who got coveevee,” Elliot commented when he saw me at the presentation room where I had been practicing for the past half hour, all thanks to Charlie.

I swear all my dues and debts with her are paid after this.

I turned my head to face Elliot. “Coveevee?” What in the world is he talking about?

He chuckled lightly. “COVID-19.”

Oh, that makes so much more sense then.

Once he walked over to his seat, which was the one on the left side of Mr. Ares, he sat down, propped his elbows on the table and his palms under his chin then looked at me curiously. “So, why are you dressed like that? Also, why in the world are you doing the presentation for someone else’s company?”

I rolled my eyes while sighing. It looks like my best friend hasn’t told him where she worked. If only you knew it was all because of your crush, Elliot. If only.

Right after Charlotte threw me under the bus, I had to think of a plan, fast. And because it’s not like I could get plastic surgery right now out of nowhere, the closest best thing to hiding my face was a face mask and glasses that were so big, according to Elliot, it made me look like an old librarian.

I’d take looking like an i***t over my job, please.

“I– uh, I have colds! And I see, um, I see better with these!” I said, patting myself on the head for coming up with an excuse that seemed viable. “And I actually used to work for this company so I was asked to help assist.”

It took me quite some of my willpower not to blurt out that I was unwillingly dragged by his crush.

Elliot narrowed his eyes at me as if in thought, debating whether or not to believe my excuse. Fortunately, his phone buzzed and he was quickly distracted in a matter of seconds. I’m guessing from the giggly expression he just made that it was from Charlotte.

I breathed a sigh of relief before going back to the presentation.

-

A few minutes later, the room began to fill up with more people. The last persons that came in were Mr. Ares with Violet in tow behind him.

The entire room immediately silenced the second his suit came into view and Elliot hurriedly pulled Mr. Ares’ chair as he sashayed away to his seat.

There was no doubt that all eyes were on him as he looked remarkably dignified in his well-pressed suit and with just one greeting, he seemed to have captivated every single one of us, his words seemingly sounding different compared to that of a normal person.

I have no idea how Mr. Ares does it, but he just does everything better.

Lily, damn it! You don’t like him! He’s a prick! Stop thinking nice things about him!

“Good afternoon, Mr. Ares and the employees of Olympus. It is an honor to be amongst such an outstanding group of people and we truly appreciate you for taking the time to invest in our magazine. We hope you like our presentation.” Ms. Dennise, the editor-in-chief and Charlotte’s boss spoke up.

“Thank you for being here. You may proceed.” A man of few words, Mr. Ares barely completed three sentences but somehow, he had already made the tension in the room so much more… intense.

Ms. Dennise swiftly turned to me with a nod, signaling for me to start the slides. I quickly did as told all while cautiously keeping my body forward so Mr. Ares wouldn’t be able to catch a glimpse of me and possibly realize that I looked familiar.

All seemed to be going well and on the last slide of the presentation, I was already squealing for joy internally. My plan seemed to have worked perfectly.

Except, too bad I rejoiced too quickly because out of nowhere, Mr. Ares spoke up, his voice somewhat sounding like thunder in a storm.

“Ms. Lilith Sinclair.”

Oh my god. My entire body froze up as my full name came out of his lips out of nowhere and my mind was racing with thoughts.

Did he– did he notice?! Has he known this whole time and he was going to expose me now?! Oh f**k, you’re screwed, Lily. Not only will you be fired, but he’ll be embarrassing you in front of everyone. Now you’ll never be able to move past this humiliation.

I was already beginning to imagine my life as a hermit or moving to a secluded space in the forest where I fend for myself, chopping wood, and taking care of goats or something, when Mr. Ares spoke again.

“I believe you worked for them just recently. As a now employee of Olympus, do you think that investing in Homes and Gardens would be a good idea?”

Relief traveled all over my body when he asked his question. One that was nowhere near any of my panicked thoughts.

I cleared my throat, trying my best to act as normal as possible. I kept telling myself that I was wearing a pretty good disguise and there was no way he would recognize me.

I turned my head to face him, but not my whole head because I was still skeptical. Just enough to make it seem like I wasn’t obviously hiding.

“Yes, Mr. Ares, I did work for them for a while. I don’t ‘think’ investing in them is a good idea, but based on their data and sales for the past five years, I believe that investing in them will be successful on both ends of the company.”

There was silence in the room for a few seconds and that was enough for me to overthink if I had said something wrong. Did I come off too aggressively? I was merely sharing my factual observation which I could have sworn Mr. Ares would appreciate as he was a businessman himself.

Someone like him cared about facts, not opinions. Or at least, I thought so.

Shit, I’m screw–

“Very well said, Ms. Sinclair.” Mr. Ares exclaimed and my serotonin level probably shot up at that exact moment.

“We’ll have a contract drawn up by this week and sent to your office, Ms. Dennise. Thank you for your time.” My eyes and mouth opened wide from shock.

That was… easy?

Ms. Dennise was ecstatic. She thanked Mr. Ares obviously excitedly and as soon as he left the room, she turned to me with a wide smile and a thumbs up.

You’re freaking welcome, Charlotte.

“Congrats, yellow Lily!” Daisy gave me a quick wink and a pat as she passed me while exiting the room.

“That was really good, Mrs. Wellington. That’s my high school librarian’s name, by the way.” Elliot teased which earned him a glare from me.

“Kidding! Want to have lunch together?”

“Yes and you have a lot of explaining to do about how you met Charlotte! I got your messages,” I told Elliot and he just gave me a guilty grin.

“I’ll meet you at the cafeteria, though. Let me just freshen up.” Also known as taking my stupid disguise off.

Once Elliot was gone, I quickly pulled the mask away and almost threw the glasses from relief.

“Aaahhh, finally. I can breathe normally.” I exhaled, feeling much more relaxed now that I was no longer in hiding.

My heartbeat had also started to slow down more knowing that the storm had passed. At least for now.

But nonetheless, I felt less worried especially after that successful presentation. I couldn’t help but be happy, smiling to myself as I pulled both my actual phone and work phone.

Mr. Ares didn’t notice who I really was nor did he find my phone that I accidentally left in his office.

All was finally right in the world.

Except for my best friend that hasn’t replied to me even though I literally helped her secure a very expensive contract, if I might add.

“Charlotte Cohen, you traitor! You better reply or–”

Just as I was typing a message while standing inches away from the front of the exit, the door swung open and a familiar scent invaded my sense of smell.

Clean, expensive with a mix of what was cool and calm, like ice, but underneath it there was a subtle, rich tang of his skin. The smell was somewhat sweet and dark, just like…

Him.

When my mind was finally able to process who was the owner of that scent, I flinched, panic encapsulating me.

Oh. My. f**k.

Mr. Ares, the person that I have been hiding desperately from for days, was right in front of me.

He was tall so he was pretty much looming over me.

My heart had picked up its pace instantly as I felt my blood rise. Holy s**t. He was so close. So close.

His body was only inches from mine that if I take one step forward, I would quite literally be invading his personal space.

This was not going to end well, the thought repeated in my head, but it was fuzzy, slightly slippery as if it was going to disappear the longer I stayed in this position.

Other thoughts that were coming into mind were thoughts such as, kiss him! and feel his chest!

What the hell is wrong with me? This was not helping me with my dilemma at all.

I had no idea what to do, much less even have the capacity to move. What I did know was that I needed to get out in front of him before he recognized me.

Run, Lily! Run for your life!

“Mr. Ares, I– um, I should get going. Please excuse–”

Just before I was stepping to the side and inches away from my freedom, I felt a strong hand gripped my arm and his touch sent tingles all over my body.

“Lily,” he spoke and I almost melted to the floor with how he said my name.

No one has ever said it like that. Like it was pulling me in, so soft and so deep and– okay, shut up, Lily, stop falling for his charms!

“I really have to go, Mr. Ares, I–”

His grip got tighter just before pulling my arm towards him, making me twirl back to face him, and I only managed to stop an inch before hitting his chest.

Before I could even process what had just happened, he didn’t give me a chance as he looked at me with those deep and sultry gray eyes of his, making me lose myself in them momentarily.

“Haven’t we met before… Lily?”

Oh god, there he goes again saying my name like it’s a million dollar word, but not only that, I think I just got busted!

My eyes blinked. Once, twice, until realizing that this was the end for Lilith Sinclair. I fought a good fight, but I could not win the war as I hoped.

Sighing, I confessed.

“Yes, Mr. Ares. We have…”

-

Ares Callisto was trying his best to stop himself from bursting out into laughter the moment he caught sight of her.

Once he entered the presentation room, he wasn’t sure if it was Lily, but he would know that long brunette hair from anywhere.

The only thing is that she was wearing awfully ugly-looking glasses covering most of her usually striking hazel-green eyes and a face mask that made her look sick.

Ares couldn’t help but grin but quickly and slightly so that no one around the place would notice it. His employee was really doing the most to keep her identity from him, and he was just enjoying the show.

At the same time, he too was thoroughly intrigued at how she was presenting. Granted, it was mostly the editor who was doing the presentation. Her side comments were enough to prove that she did know what she was talking about.

Ares knew she was hardworking based on tasks given to her as an assistant, but this time with her data research and presentation skills, she continued to prove herself worthy.

He was already certain he was going to invest in the magazine even before the presentation was going to end, but he wanted to, say, play with Lily a little more with a surprise question directed towards her.

It turns out that he was going to be the one surprised as she answered him effortlessly.

Ares couldn’t deny that, as rare as it was, he found himself impressed.

Impressed by her.

So much so that his mind was a little too preoccupied by her that he only realized he had forgotten his phone on the table of the presentation room after he had already left.

When he opened the door, he didn’t expect to see her again.

She was so close to him that he could clearly distinguish her perfume. Pulling her close to him was a big mistake because she smelled so f*****g sexy.

That sweet, familiar strawberry fragrance mingles with the faint hint of lavender and something feminine that Ares could not exactly pinpoint.

It takes a lot of his willpower not to press his nose onto her neck and inhale her. Or taste her with his tongue. Lick and kiss all over her neck while she moans his name.

Oh f**k. He was in big trouble and he needed to get a hold of himself before it got a little too far.

The first thought in his head – avert to a different topic.

“Haven’t we met before… Lily?” Ares makes sure to taunt his employee by the one thing he knew she was trying to avoid this whole time – the truth of who she was.

He immediately noticed how tense she got and in her eyes he saw the unsureness, the panic, and the confusion that drowned her.

All of a sudden, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a while for a lot of people around him.

He felt bad.

He knew that there was a reason she was hiding who she really was from him. It wasn’t rocket science to Ares.

It was obvious that it was because she thought that if Ares knew she was the woman he had slept with that one night, he would fire her, and boy did she need this job.

Resumes aren’t the only thing needed when someone is hired in Olympus. A quick background check was all it took for him to know that Lily was drowning in debt and bills that she will take years to pay for.

Maybe it was also because she knew how awkward it would be when the truth comes out. Ares then got to thinking – if it was that weird for her, why did she have s*x with him again, this time in his office? Out of all the places, it was the riskiest one.

His heart beat faster as he felt something get harder.

Lily wanted him too much that night to decline. That thought turned him on.

“Yes, Mr. Ares. We have met. I’m–”

“The woman in the elevator, right? I do hope you no longer lose your invisible earrings again.” Ares cut her off with a reply Lily did not expect at all.

Ares decided that he would keep her identity, just as she wanted. It was better this way in order for Lily to be able to work without feeling pressured or embarrassed.

For the first time in years, he was thinking of someone else other than himself.

Lily’s face flushed instantly.

“Well, I have work to do. And I assume you do, too.” Ares c****d an eyebrow at her, making sure to indicate that she was still talking to her boss.

Lily quickly snapped back to reality. “Yes! Oh yes, yes, lots of work. Lots and lots. Have to keep up working at such an amazing job at Olympus with such an amazing boss, right?” She chuckled.

“Don’t overdo it, Sinclair. You can only get a pay raise after your probation,” Ares jokes, or at least tried to but he still seemed terrifying to Lily.

After she muttered an apology, she turned around and ran out of the room in record time.

Ares chuckled amusedly as he watched her disappear, seemingly much more energetic.

In a way, he had freed her from her anxiety of hiding. He had done something nice, and this in turn also made him feel… nice.

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang obnoxiously loud. He knew instantly that it was an important call because he had that specific ringtone set for only two people – one, his grandfather, and two, his grandfather’s assistant.

It turned out to be the latter.

“Yes, Xenia? What can I do for you or Pappous (grandfather)?” He exclaimed, already eager for the call to end.

Could the news of the All Ways dilemma have reached his grandfather? Was he calling for a board meeting? Even as the CEO, Ares’ grandfather as the Chairman still held much more power than he did and with just a snap of his finger, he could change everything he had built.

That thought was unsettling to him.

“Oh, Mr. Ares! You finally answered,” his grandfather’s assistant said, sounding rather peculiar.

She seemed out of breath and panicked. He was not expecting it and this made him cautious.

“Apologies. I misplaced my phone,” he confessed.

“Oh, no wonder. Um, the thing is…” The silence and second-long pause was not doing any favors to Ares’ curiosity.

“You need to go to Agios Hospital as soon as possible, but preferably right now.”

Her words take Ares aback. Hospital? That’s something he wouldn’t have expected at least for another twenty or thirty years because if there was one senior citizen that could still carry weights and nag endlessly like he hasn’t aged a day, it would be his grandfather.

Chances are, Ares believed his grandfather must have just accidentally deadlifted too much weights for his back and he needed to recuperate in the hospital he practically bought. He uses that place like some sort of Spa even though he already owned a real one.

Needless to say, it was nothing to worry about.

“Why? What’s happened to him?” Ares asked as he stepped out of the presentation room, walking back to his office as he didn’t think whatever happened was worth fussing about.

Her next words, though, turned out to be quite worrisome.

“He has suffered a heart attack, Mr. Ares.”