Chapter 2 A Fateful Incident

NewmanTec Inc., a futuristic tech company and the most successful of all the companies under the Newman family. In the CEO's office, two men could be seen. One sat confidently in a swivel chair, his perfectly sculpted fingers gliding over the keyboard of his MacBook, while the other stood in front of him, holding a tablet. “Maxwell, what's my schedule for the day?” William asked in a baritone voice. President William Newman is the only child of Charles Newman, the former president of the Newman Empire. He took over his father's business three years ago and has been excelling ever since. “Mr. President, you have a conference meeting in Paris at 1:00, a meeting with CEO Gustavo at 4:00, and a dinner in Melbourne at 8:00,” Maxwell, his personal assistant, read aloud, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Reschedule my meeting with CEO Gustavo for tomorrow. Have the private jet prepared. We'll be leaving for Paris in half an hour.” “Yes, Mr. President,” Maxwell nodded and turned to leave, but the door swung open, and in came a pretty brunette. “William,” she called out, her expression displeased. “Excuse us,” William dismissed Maxwell, who left immediately. “What do you want, Sheryl?” The woman, Sheryl, strode quickly toward him. “What’s this I’m seeing in the news? It’s everywhere!” Sheryl showed him her phone. "President of the Newman Empire, William Newman, is said to have broken up with his girlfriend, the governor’s daughter and brand ambassador, Sheryl Collins, after dating for six months…" William glanced at the screen, looking entirely unbothered. “Don’t tell me this is true, William. Are you seriously breaking up with me like this?” “We had an agreement, remember? The contract stated you’d play the role of my girlfriend for six months, and in exchange, I’d deposit a monthly sum of ten million dollars into your account. The contract has expired. What more do you expect?” William raised a brow. Sheryl bit her lip. The day she dreaded had finally come. “It’s true, but William… I–I really love you. I’ve admired you for years. We can turn this contract into something real. William, I love—” Sheryl was cut off when William stood up and grabbed his coat. “Are you done? I have somewhere important to be,” William muttered, staring at her with boredom. Sheryl took slow steps toward him, tears welling up in her eyes. “Just give me one chance, please. I promise I’ll help you overcome your allergy. Just give me a chance to show you how much I love you. William...” Sheryl whispered, reaching out to touch him, but her hand froze mid-air at his next words. “Touch me, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,” he said icily. Without sparing her a glance, he left the office. Sheryl collapsed to her knees, sobbing bitterly. Getting out of the Uber, Jessica stared at the massive building in front of her. This was where she was supposed to meet Oliver. Looking at the invitation card in her hand, she recalled Oliver's words from earlier. “With this invitation, you’ll be able to enter the venue. It’s a dinner night, but I booked a room in the hotel. Meet me in Room 48. I’ll be expecting you.” Jessica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You can do this, Jess.” She presented her card to the man at the entrance, who ushered her inside. Some eyes turned her way as she made her way to the event hall. She wore a red fitted gown, her beauty radiant, earning envious glances from onlookers. Jessica checked the time and saw she still had some time before meeting Oliver, so she headed toward the venue. But she froze when she saw the last two people she wanted to see. Louis and Amara entered, both wearing matching outfits. Reporters followed them, throwing questions. “The engagement party was a big success. When’s the wedding?” Louis interlocked his fingers with Amara’s before replying, “We’ll be tying the knot in two months. You’re all invited.” Jessica's heart tugged painfully at his words. Nevertheless, she kept a straight face and walked into the venue, ignoring the gazes that followed her. She took a seat, her eyes wandering around the glamorous setting. She had always dreamt of attending such events, and if it weren’t for Oliver, this would still be a dream. “Jessica Belles?” Jessica's demeanor changed when she saw Amara, Louis’s fiancée, standing before her. “Yes, any issues?” Jessica smiled. Amara smiled back, “I saw you yesterday with Louis. Later, I found out you were his ex. I know it’s hard to get over a man like Louis,” her smile faded, “but I’m warning you—stay away from my fiancé, or you’ll regret it.” Jessica’s smile widened. “For someone like you to give me such a direct warning, I suppose you feel threatened by my charms. Am I too beautiful to overlook?” Amara’s gaze hardened as she glared at Jessica, who simply stood and moved to another table. “How’s the dinner going?” William asked, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie. “Going well, Mr. President. Your cousin arrived not long ago with his fiancée.” The dinner was hosted in one of the hotels under William’s name. He was in one of the rooms, getting ready. A knock came at the door, and Maxwell went to open it. “Here’s your drink, Mr. President,” the waitress said, pushing a trolley. She filled a glass with wine, which Maxwell handed to William, who took a sip. The waitress left immediately. “Mr. President, there’s been a concerning piece of news circulating in the media. Apparently, Miss Sheryl hinted on social media about the possibility of her being pregnant, causing an uproar among netizens.” William smirked, taking another sip from his glass. Knowing the kind of person Sheryl was, he expected her not to give up, but this move was more amateurish than he anticipated. Finishing his drink, he grabbed his coat. “Let’s join the party, Maxwell.” _____ “One more glass, please.” “Miss Belles, don’t you think you’ve had enough?” a lady sitting beside Jessica asked. “I’m alcohol-tolerant, nothing to worry about,” Jessica smiled, trying to sound convincing. To accomplish what she had come here for, she needed to be drunk. “Here’s your drink, miss.” Jessica took a sip from the glass and sighed. Her vision was becoming blurry. Looking at her phone, she saw it was time. “Jessica, you can do this.” With those words of encouragement, she excused herself and went in search of Room 48. Staggering through the hallway, her droopy eyes scanned the door numbers. The alcohol was hitting her hard. Jessica stopped in front of a door, squinting before smiling widely. “Found you!” she slurred. Jessica opened the door and walked into the dimly lit room. Her gaze landed on a figure lying in bed. William was trying to sleep but couldn’t. He had excused himself earlier from the event after feeling uneasy. He thought a cold shower would help, but the discomfort only worsened, especially in his lower region. He soon realized he was aroused, and the more he tried to control it, the harder it became. After another shower, he was lying on the bed when the door suddenly opened, and someone entered. His eyes shot open, and he sat up, only to see a woman standing at the entrance. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” “Let’s get it over with,” Jessica muttered, moving closer. William frowned immediately. Was this a scheme by his competitors? Whatever it was, it wouldn’t work. Before he could think further, Jessica pushed him onto the bed, straddling him. “What the—” “Shh… Don’t act like this isn’t what you want, Oliver,” Jessica whispered, placing a finger on his lips. Her hand trailed down to his shirtless body. William grabbed her wrist, glaring at her. His face showed how hard he was trying to resist. His body was betraying him, though, and he could feel the tension building in his lower half. This had never happened before, and the only thing he could think of was the wine he had earlier. Jessica smirked. “I see you like being in control.” The sleeve of her gown slipped off her shoulder, revealing her porcelain skin and the generous curve of her chest, which didn’t go unnoticed by William. That was it for him. William grabbed her by the neck and crashed his lips onto hers, flipping her onto the bed beneath him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, licking and sucking with such desire that Jessica gasped in response. “Mhm…”