The Lotus And The Billionaire

Chapter 9: The Beach

Now, I understand why couples that are composed of proud people don’t last most of the time. Being together feels like a battle where both parties are generals who refuse to yield. There has to be bloodshed before either gives up…

This has been the case for the past day. It’s as if there's been this thick wall between us since the first time we came here. And…it doesn’t seem like it’ll cease to exist anytime soon.

Alvarez did check up on me after what happened, but after that, the resthouse was filled with silence. I would often try to turn the television on, but it’s only filled with adult films. I’m guessing this place was prepared by our grandparents.

“I want to go home…”

I really do. But if we say that the honeymoon was finished early, then it’d stir rumors up. I don’t want that! It’s already tiring as it is, especially since there’s nothing to do but swim. There’s no way I’d add fuel to the fire.

Hmm, the place seems to be quiet right now. Maybe Alvarez went out for a smoke. Yeah, he smokes…

Well, I don’t really mind, but he often tries to hide from me when he does. It matters not if he smokes, since it’s his life anyway. He doesn’t really need to conceal that from me.

Anyway…

I feel incredibly bored right now. There’s no one to talk to, and I have no friends to reach out to. It’s only the beginning and I already feel so lonely. I honestly didn’t think it would be this devastating.

I let out a sigh as I tried to go out into the sun, wearing the sheer maxi dress I found in the closet. Perhaps I should go for a swim and try to enjoy the time I’ll be spending here.

“Where are you going?”

Oh, he can still see me.

“I want to swim,” I replied without looking at him.

“Where?”

I sighed and finally looked back at him, hoping he could take a hint and leave. “Can’t you see the beach, i***t?”

“What are you so mad for?” he asked as his brows furrowed in annoyance.

“I’m not mad.”

“You obviously are.”

“Well, congratulations, you’re very perceptive!” I replied sarcastically as I turned my back on him to walk towards the waters.

I knew it, the waters here are very clear and pristine that you’d be afraid to even take a step forward and destroy its peace. Grandpa Emiliano truly loved the sea more than anything else, to the point that he bought property near bodies of water…

That’s one of the many things Grandpa Emil and I shared, our love for bodies of water. I can clearly remember the two of us browsing through books that contained knowledge about fishes while Alvarez watched us from a distance. I would often joke about it with him just to elicit an amusing response from him.

I was quite the brat, wasn’t I?

Slowly, I let the dress fall off my body so I could finally swim. I knew Alvarez was watching me intently from behind. Ha, he really can’t leave me alone even if he wants to.

“Why are you just staring?” I asked him as I freely swam. “It feels nice here.”

“I don’t want to swim,” he replied simply as he sat on the white sands.

“Suit yourself.”

Even after I almost lost my life several times because of the water, my love for it doesn’t fade away. Nothing compares to the comfort it gives me, nothing in this world can.

I wonder if there’ll ever be someone who can be my own ocean…

I glanced at Alvarez, trying to read his expression. He’s always been an enigma to me, one I couldn’t decipher no matter how hard I tried. I knew how he was as a person, but his thoughts were on a different level. It’s like you never know what’s going on in his mind.

That fact scares me…

I often pondered about how I could carry out the plan I’m still trying to formulate. If Alvarez tries to take everything from me, I’ll try to do it before he can. That’s one of the reasons I agreed to this. But with a cunning man like him…it almost feels impossible. Even then, I’ll try.

“Hey, Diaz.”

“What?”

“How long do you think you’ll last?”

That caught me off guard, and I didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t say the context of his question, but I understood what he meant. The answer to that question…

“I don’t know.” I have no idea, but I’ll hold still.

Alvarez intends to make me his plaything because he knows how tenacious I am. He sees me as a form of entertainment aside from being his pawn in the game he’s playing in this industry…one of his many pawns.

But we’re more like venomous snakes placed within a container, fighting for something no one else can see. There’s an hourglass outside the container, and when every grain of sand has fallen on the bottom, the winner will be declared.

No one has tried to bite yet, but sooner or later, the real fight will begin…

“Make sure you don’t croak too early,” he told me as he turned his back on me.

“I could say the same to you.”

I watched Alvarez walk away with his hands in the pockets of the shorts he was wearing. The expression he wore…was similar to the look that he had when we were kids. So calm and proud, yet so full of greed and hatred.

See? He really is a puzzle. I could not decipher whether his question was simply a warning or a declaration of war. Either way, I’m not letting him win this one.

The whole day was filled with silence, especially after that short conversation I had with Alvarez. In fact, it seemed more gloomy than usual.

He didn’t dine with me again. That’s a relief because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to digest my food with him around.

“Hmm, maybe I should call Vin…” I muttered as I sat on the hanging hammock chair in the veranda.

“Don’t.”

“f**k– Oh, it’s just you…” I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed Alvarez standing near me, smoking. “You scared me!”

“Were you so focused on your phone that you didn’t notice me?” he asked as he threw the cigarette stick on the floor and stepped on it until he was sure that it wouldn’t set us on fire.

I rolled my eyes and relaxed my body. “You were in the dark! How was I supposed to notice you standing there?”

He chuckled and sat on the chair near me. “Anyway, don’t call your bodyguard.”

“Why? No one will suspect a thing if he comes here in his uniform. They’d think we needed a guard.”

“I see you’d rather play around with him when I’m just here,” he said as he held onto his chest, acting hurt.

“Oh, please…” I shook my head in dismay as I tried to scroll through my phone instead.

“I miss hearing you say that in bed,” he shamelessly said as he leaned back on his chair.

My eyes widened at his remark, so I shot him a glare. I tried to kick him but he caught my foot! This man has fast reflexes!

“Let me go!” I shouted as I tried to free my foot from his hold. Luckily, he let me go, but he was laughing so hard.

“What are you shying away for?” he asked, still laughing.

“You– Have you no shame?!”

Alvarez just laughed at my words as he looked at the sky, his brown eyes reflecting the stars as they glistened. Now, that’s a look I haven’t seen in years. His eyes…often look dead these days.

I stared at him as curiosity filled me. Until now, I still haven’t figured out his intentions…and neither have I figured out why he’s been acting all cold for the past month. After this night, I don’t think we’ll be able to talk properly again.

“What?” he asked when he noticed me staring.

“Vin avoided me a lot after talking to you. What did you tell him?”

He grinned, one that looked sinister. “Nothing much. I simply wanted him to know his place.”

I glared at him. “Don’t you dare do anything to him.”

“Why? What will you do?” he asked like he was trying to challenge me.

“You wouldn’t want to know,” I replied before standing up to leave. “Oh, by the way, how many more days are we staying here?”

“Two more days, why?”

“Nothing…” I replied before leaving so I could go to sleep.

The truth is, only one bed was unlocked inside this whole place. Last night, Alvarez never went inside the bedroom to sleep, so I figured he chose to sleep on the couch. And when I tried to open the drawers, there were toys and condoms inside. Not only that, but you’d find them everywhere inside the house.

Ha, what a hassle. If they find out we didn’t use the condoms…I don’t even want to know. It’s going to be very, very awkward…

I sighed as I covered my eyes with my arm. Tomorrow, I’ll wake up early so I can cook breakfast. Contrary to what I thought, food was never delivered here. Alvarez had to cook the whole day yesterday because he woke up earlier than I did.

“What’s wrong with that guy?” I muttered as I grabbed a pillow that I could hug. “He sends me signals that he wants me, but he never moves on his own…”

I shook my head in dismay as I shut my eyes tight so I could sleep. I had already set my alarm, so I was sure I’d wake up early.

—————

It’s still too early…

I woke up before the alarm went off, so now I’m just staring out at the sea, savoring the feeling of the seabreeze in the morning. I closed my eyes as I enjoyed it, not even noticing that my dress was already falling off my body.

“Ah, I have to cook…” I muttered as I fixed myself so I could go down. “He really slept here, huh.”

Alvarez was cooped up on the sofa that was too small for him. He was frowning, probably because he was uncomfortable with sleeping in such a small space. Well, I never said he couldn’t sleep beside me, so it was partly his fault!

Anyway, I need to go cook for both of us. The fridge was full of ingredients, so maybe they really planned this whole honeymoon thing out.

Oh, right. Maybe we need to take pictures together so we can post them. Maybe I can tease Alvarez with these as well, so I’ll try to convince him later. I sure wish he would just agree without saying anything.

For now, I’ll just whip up a simple breakfast for the both of us. Eggs and bacon are fine for breakfast, especially since I really can’t eat heavy meals during the morning.

“What’s this…” I muttered as I stared at the apron hanging near the refrigerator.

It was black with laces, and it had a design that says…Bad Girls Will Bring You Heaven. This is absurd! And it’s the only apron available around here! Maybe I should just cook without it.

But then I ended up wearing it anyway. I get conscious when I cook without aprons. I’ll feel more uncomfortable if I cook without it. I just have to finish this before Alvarez wakes up so he doesn’t see this–

“Well, what do we have here?”

Fuck, I jinxed it again!

Why does he always step in during the times I don’t want him to, but he’s not there when I actually need him?! I never should have worn it, even if I felt uncomfortable without them…

I sighed and refused to look at him. Truth be told, I don’t know what I look like right now, but with this lewd-looking apron…I can’t even begin to imagine what Alvarez thinks.

“No, this isn’t…” I muttered as I looked down at what I was wearing.

“Uh-huh.”

I didn’t know what to say anymore, so I just cursed at him. “f**k you.”

“It’s too early for this, you know…” he trailed off as he stood beside me, wearing that annoying grin of his.

“Look, I couldn’t find any other aprons!” I exclaimed as I tried to push him away.

He chuckled as his hands fell on my waist. “You smell good.”

“I taste good, too,” I replied teasingly as I turned the stove off. “Help me serve the food.”

“I want a different kind of breakfast, though,” he replied, teasing me.

“Well, I don’t. Now help me serve.”

He pouted as he helped me serve the food. “Stingy.”

I ignored Alvarez’s presence throughout our breakfast together. It’s not that I wasn’t in the mood to talk, but I simply like eating quietly. Also, it kind of feels awkward because of the palpable tension between the two of us.

Knowing this guy, he wouldn’t touch me unless I give him my consent, so I’d rather remain quiet. I just thought it would really feel like a marriage if we did it while we’re here, and I don’t want that!

“You really won’t bring me heaven?” he finally asked as I took the dirty dishes to the sink.

I froze, wanting to say something suggestive. But “f**k off,” was the only thing I could say before dashing back to our room.

Maybe I should go swimming again today or take a walk around the beach. I can freely do that because this is private property. Who knows, I might find guards stationed around the place! I might find people I can talk to.

Hmm, I’ve decided! I’ll go for a stroll around the property. The place is really pretty, so I guess I should just take pictures of the beach for now. As for the other thing, I’ll do it later or tomorrow. We still have time remaining tomorrow, so it’ll be fine!

And then, after that, I can escape from Alvarez’s grasp by using work as an excuse. Dad said I'd be working in the Alvarez building and that they’ve already built me an office there. It seems the partnership announcement and projects are going well.

Anyway, it’s time to take my phone and take pretty pictures of myself!

“Not so fast,” Alvarez said as he blocked my way while I was running outside. “Where are you going?”

I rolled my eyes. “I want to go for a stroll.”

“I’m coming with you. I’ve been hoping to take a walk around, but I was watching out for you, so–”

“Shut up. Let’s just go,” I cut him off as I walked ahead of him.

During the beginning of our stroll, we were both quiet. I was taking the best pictures I could take while Alvarez simply followed after me, sometimes photobombing when I took pictures from his direction.

I was starting to get annoyed until he made an epic expression that I was able to capture! He didn’t seem to think much of it, but he really looked dumb! His eyes were closed and he was sticking his tongue out!

This is the first time he’s ever looked funny! I’ve never even seen any stolen pictures of him where he looked ugly. I mean, he still looks gorgeous in this, but this certainly made him look like an i***t.

I bit my lip as I made a backup in case he tries to delete it. I’m sure he’d get mad at me if I post this, and I’ll be sure to do it not just because I want to piss him off…but also because this’ll probably make the posts a little less gloomy.

“I’m posting this…” I muttered as I stared at it, chuckling.

“Posting what?” Alvarez asked as he slowly walked towards me. His forehead creased when I took a step back, but I didn’t care. “Diaz, what are you posting?”

“I captured it,” I replied, smiling.

His lips started to curve up into a smile when I did, but he tried his best to stop it. I looked down at my phone to check the photo once again, and I ended up laughing a little too hard!

“Hey, what are you laughing at?” he asked, smiling, as he tried to reach my hand, hoping to see the picture.

Instead of answering, I laughed and tried to run from him. He was confused but he ran after me, still asking about the picture. This is the first time I laughed in the past few weeks…

“I’m laughing at you!” I shouted at him.

“What?” he asked as he tried to reach for me.

Damn, he has long legs! I was already having trouble catching my breath as I ran, and then I slipped on the sand! f**k!

As I fell on the sand, I felt an arm wrapping around my waist. I looked at Alvarez’s face and couldn’t help but laugh again. Before he could take my phone away, I already pressed the post button.

“Too late,” I told him as I smiled widely.

He took my phone and checked the photos I took. I saw how he tried to delete the picture with a smile threatening to show itself! Once again, I let out a giggle before snatching my phone from him.

“I’ve already posted it,” I told him as I remained lying down on the sand.

“It’s fine, I still look good anyway.”

I grinned as I tried to sit upright, then used my hands to support my weight. “You look dumb–”

Oh, he’s too close…

“Do I?” he asked, his voice sultry as he rested his forehead on mine.

That’s when I realized the position we are in. He was in between my legs and his hands were on my side. His face was too close!

“You’re hard–”

Alvarez then cut me off with a sweet, passionate kiss that I longed for. “I know, you don’t have to say it out loud…”