Facade of Love

Chapter 312 Illusion
Being too close made me feel awkward, so I took a step back and pulled myself together enough to mumble, ‘thanks‘.
I reached up to swipe at my face once more. He let out a gentle laugh, his gaze sincere and open. “No worries, I’ve got the
picture. You should head home. It’s getting late.”
He gave a laid–back wave, signaling the driver, and off they went.
I was totally baffled by his reaction, and for a second, I was convinced I had something smeared on my cheek. I touched my face
without thinking and started walking toward the yard. I had not made it very far when something made me freeze in my tracks.
The dim light of a streetlamp cast a soft glow over the yard, where a man’s figure lingered next to a shiny black Bugatti.
Squinting a little, I could make out the frustration and confusion that seemed to be playing across his face. Our gazes met, and
for a heartbeat, I felt like I had been busted, like I was the star of some gossip–worthy–drama. That weird guilty buzz faded fast,
however. After all, Idris and I had signed the papers, so we were nothing more than two strangers now. Swallowing the mess of
feelings inside, I squared my shoulders and asked him, a bit unsure, “Did you want to talk about something?”
The guy took what felt like forever to finally say something, his voice all rough and low, “Are you two... together now?”
Us?
Suddenly, it clicked that he was talking about Charlie and me. I could not help but frown, and I almost started to set the record
straight, but then I thought, why bother? I switched it up, “Do you need something?”
He just clamped his mouth shut, going back to his silent brooding.
When he did not add anything else, I spun on my heel to leave. Far had I not made it when he snagged my wrist, his voice tight
with emotion, “What am I supposed to do?”
I stood there, totally lost, and turned to look at him. His eyes were rimmed with red, as if he had been crying or had not slept in
days. Suddenly, my heart did this weird little jump, and there was this ache in my chest that I could not explain. I took a deep
breath, feeling as though I was about to give in to something I was not sure about, and started, “Idris, we... uh...” Then, his lips
were on mine. My breath hitched, and I could not even think. While I was still reeling, he softly ran his fingers over my lips. I tried
to push him back, but he was not having it. His arms wrapped around me in a vice grip, pulling me into a hug that felt like it could

swallow me whole.
Everything was a blur. My head was spinning, my thoughts wiped clean, and for a second, it was like I was being consumed by
the moment.
I snapped out of it and pushed him off with all the strength I had.
Slap! In an instant, my shock exploded into a fiery rage, and my hand flew out, striking his face. I was seething, my thoughts a
tornado of fury.
I shot him a glare that could melt steel, my heart hammering in my chest. How dare he?
His cheek was red from the slap Instead of reacting with anger, he just ran his tongue over the sting and met my gaze, his eyes
like stormy seas. We were both too proud, too heated to utter
a word.
There we were, a pair of statues, each marinating in a cocktail of anger and frustration.
At last, I could not take the silence. My voice came out gravelly. “Idris, I really don’t want this to go down with us hating each
other.”
His lips were pressed tight, and his eyes, intense and silent, were fixed on me. It felt like forever before he shattered the quiet,
his voice a low, husky whisper, “Yvette, promise me you won’t fall for anyone else.”
A shock zipped through me, leaving my arms buzzing and my heart throbbing, my voice a faint echo.
I could not deny it: my heart had already done a somersault for him. My feelings for him could not just be shut off.
I pushed through the tightness squeezing my chest, inhaled a shaky breath, and managed to say, “I don’t just give away my love
to just anybody.”
He stopped short. His eyes–a deep, inky black–rested on me, searching, as though he was trying to read secrets in the stars.
Time stretched on until, at last, he broke the silence. His voice was still a bit gruff, but gentler. “Good.”
“Yvette.” The voice seemed to come from thin air, cutting through the thick air between us. It echoed from the yard.

I spun around to find Maxwell, casually standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning against a pillar like he was front row at the
most interesting movie.
Seeing him there, I could not help but frown. Just how long had he been eavesdropping?
I shook off the annoyance nipping at me, turned back to Idris, and kept my voice steady, “It’s late. You should go sleep.“.
Turning on my heel, I strode off, not even glancing back as I made my way into the yard. Maxwell was lounging like he did not
have a care in the world, with a smug grin plastered on his face as he watched the show. “Oops, did I just walk in on something
juicy?” he teased.
I shot him a withering look but did not break my stride, heading straight for the hall. His voice trailed after me, dripping with mock
concern, “Oh, what’s the deal? Are you two caught in a love triangle? Is that old spark getting a reboot, or are you just in one big,
tangled
mess?”