Runaway Fiancee – Episode 1
RUNAWAY FIANCÉE
Chapter 1
Xander’s POV
***L.A. California***
“Mr. Hayes is here to see you sir.” My
executive secretary said over the
intercom. “Can you see him for a few
moments now? He said it’s very
important.”
The mention of the name made my nerves tensed immediately. Mr. Hayes was the private investigator I hired a year ago to find my missing fiancée. Mia Stewart. “Mr. Valiente?”
I looked at my Rolex watch. I hesitated. I
have an important deal to close in fifteen
minutes. “Okay, show him in.”
I was not really interested in finding
fiancée anymore. I gave up looking for her a few months ago.
I did everything to find Mia. Hired a private investigator. Traveled in all countries she’d been in the past years. Asked her family and friends about her whereabouts. But they just said the same thing. They didn’t know where she was or who she was with.
That’s bullshit! I knew her family would die of worry if they never knew where she was, especially his brother, Tristan Latsis. But realization suddenly hit me. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t want to be found. And that made me stopped.
The office door opened and my secretary
came in together with Mr. Hayes.
“Good morning, Mr. Valiente.”
I stood up and shook Mr. Haye’s extended hand then invited him to a seat in front of my table.
“I have good news for you.”
My heart suddenly stopped beating.
“I found your fiancée.” Mr. Hayes
continued.
It was the news I expected. Hearing him
said it still brought a cold tension in my
body.
“Are you sure?”
Mr. Hayes smiled and pushed a brown
envelope towards me. “Positive. See for
yourself.”
I opened the envelope and saw a picture of a sexy hot woman in gold bikini. She has long golden blond hair parted in the middle and its waves flowing over her shoulders. She was posing seductively on a
white sand beach.
The woman looked like Mia. But…
I studied her tanned legs and arms, her
skimpy bikini, then focused my eyes to
her breasts. “No. This is not Mia.” I put
down the picture on the table, feeling
disgusted.
“She is Mia Stewart. She disguises herself as Lily Rojas. A smokin’ hot Latina bikini model.”
I laughed to cover my annoyance. “Mia is very conservative, like a saint. She never wears skimpy bikinis. That girl is good as na.ked!”
“That’s what you think.” Mr. Hayes got another envelope from his attaché case. “I have recent photos of her. This will convince you that Lily Rojas and Mia Stewart are the same.”
I took the envelope and opened it.
There were two pictures. The first pic, the same blond woman was laughing – like she just heard a joke from the man sitting beside her.
I sat forward and looked at the picture
intently.
I studied the shape of her face. Her eyes,
nose and lips. Her hair was pulled up in a
bun.
I frowned and clenched my teeth. She
looks exactly like Mia here.
I blinked my eyes several times and every time I opened my eyes, I was more and more convinced that she was Mia.
I started sweating and became uneasy. My hands trembled as I turned to the second picture. The woman and the man were
kissing, lip locked. Her hand was touching his jaw. F*ckingsh*t!
I was paralyzed on my seat. I knew that
hand so well. The small wrist and slender
fingers… that I used to kiss and laced my
fingers with.
Dammit. There’s no doubt, she’s Mia!
I slammed a hand on my desk, then stood up abruptly. I was breathless with rage. “Where is she?” I ran my hand through my hair, then sat down on my chair again. I clenched and unclenched my hands several times, preventing myself from smashing anything within reach.
“In Colombia.” Mr. Hayes leaned back on
the chair, looking satisfied. “Are you going
to see her?”
Should I see her?
She left me without explanation. Not even a note, a text or an email. She was gone and hiding away from me.
I didn’t know what went wrong in our
relationship. Why she left me all of a
sudden. Why did she do this when I gave
her all my love and attention? Why she
was determined to keep her whereabouts
from me?
Too many questions playing in my head.
Where did I go wrong?
I need an explanation and she has to give
me a very good one or else…
My attention went back to Mr. Hayes
again.
“Yes.” I answered then picked the picture
I tossed on my table of Mia kissing
another man. How could she kiss another
man!
I felt betrayed. Jealousy. Deceived.
My eyes transferred on her ring finger.
Damn it! That was not the engagement
ring I gave to her. I was immediately
clouded with anger. My thoughts were
racing dangerously.
“Who the hell is this man?” I asked Mr.
Hayes.
“That’s Dylan Cooper. A famous telenovela
actor in Colombia. He is Miss Stewart’s
latest… fiancée.”
Fiancée?
I was stunned and my thoughts were
running wild.
Dammit! You have a lot of explaining to
do Mia Stewart.
Lily Rojas
***Cartagena, Colombia***
“Chest in Lily… good… your eyes… give
me a seductive look… more… more… that’s perfect!” Tim, the photographer said. I did what he told me to do and gave him my best seductive pose which I mastered already. For almost a year, I’ve been doing this for a living. Modeling swimwear, beachwear and active wear at Strings Swimwear Company exclusively. The sun was coming up and the heat started biting my arms. But the beach water below my thighs was still cold. “Just this angle and we’re done. Smize… show me your in-love look… think of
Dylan Cooper. Sonrìe con tus ojos (Smile
with your eyes. ) Tim continued taking
photos of me.
“You look tired already. You can’t achieve the look I’m looking. Just give me your
natural smile. Okayyy… that’s it.” He
snapped some more photos then turned to
the people sitting at the shore. “Pack up
everyone, we’re done!”
My personal assistant slash nanny, Carmen Vega, single and in her late fifties, walked towards me. Bringing my hat and white embroidered rope tunic with her. I loved Carmen. She was very patient and understanding with me. She even treated me like her daughter.
We were in a famous five star hotel and Beach Resort in Cartagena, Colombia. We arrived yesterday for the photo and video shoot of Strings new swimwear and beachwear summer collection. “Finally, you can take a rest now.”
“Yeah.” I replied and pulled on my tunic,
covering my black bikini.
Carmen helped me by pulling the hem of
my tunic down. “Dylan called. He said he’s
on his way now.”
“Oh! That’s great.”
“I’m sure you’re very excited to see him
tonight.”
“Of course. I can’t wait. I miss him
already.” It had been a week since I last
saw Dylan. He was in the United States
shooting for his new telenovela.
“That boy is so lucky. Lo amas tantu. (You love him so much. )” Carmen replied.
My fiancée, Dylan Cooper was a famous Colombian-American actor. A Telenovela hearthrob. He was tall, lean and very handsome – with a cute smile. He was funny, outspoken and a good listener. He had good taste in clothes and shoes. He
treated his mother with respect. He loved
music, a good dancer and singer. Many
loved him, men and women, young and
old. He was very dedicated to his work as
an actor and won many awards.
I met Dylan in a photoshoot. Strings Swimwear Company hired him to model their product six months ago. We did the swimwear photoshoot together. It was very awkward at first. It was the first time I partnered with a man – and to think that he was a sensational Telenovela star. But Dylan was a gentleman. He made me feel at ease with him.
The second time I met Dylan, it was in a veterinarian’s clinic. My dog, Bitsy got her rabies shot. Dylan was there to have his dog groomed.
“Are you stalking me?” His eyebrows shot up when he saw me inside the clinic. “Oh! I thought you’re the one stalking me.”
He laughed and we started talking about our dogs for a few minutes. I left ahead of him. Bitsy became irritable after her vaccine.
After a week, I met Dylan again in a
friend’s party.
“You know, if you’re stalking someone,
you should make it less obvious.” An easy
smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“Excuse me? Are you implying that I’m
stalking you?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Believe me. I’m not. I don’t even watch
telenovelas. I’m not your fan.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to lie. I’m used
to it.” He chuckled.
What an arrogant and egoistic man! He
thought that all female species fell for his
charms and looks.
“Sorry to disappoint you. But I don’t find
you attractive.”
He frowned. “Not even a little?”
“Nope. Not all women find you irresistible. Excuse me.” I spun around and left him. The third time our path crossed was three days after, in the gym. I was so upset when I arrived at the gym and saw him there. And what was more upsetting was, he was talking to my personal trainer.
I totally ignored him and started working
on my work out program.
“Are you going to pretend that you don’t
see me?”
“There’s a difference between pretending and avoiding. I’m avoiding you. I don’t want you to accuse me of stalking you again. It seems like you established it in your mind already.” I pressed the cool down button of the treadmill machine and continued walking in lower speed. “I’m sorry if it upsets you…”
“It is very upsetting. And now, I have a
feeling that you’re going to accuse me
again of stalking you! For your
information, I’m a member of this gym
for months already. You can ask anyone
here…”
“I know.” He grinned.
“I don’t know why I keep on meeting you.
It’s just a coincidence.”
“It’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“I knew you’re going to the vet that day.
It was your dog’s schedule of vaccine. I
even borrowed my P.A.’s dog just to see
you. I was about to ask you for a cup of
coffee, but unfortunately, you left in a
hurry.”
I was shocked by his revelation, but
continued to listen to him.
“I invited myself to your friend’s party. I
was meaning to ask you for a date, but
my usual pick up line didn’t work on you.
I was so bothered and felt so bad that
night.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s the truth. Okay, I admit. I’m the one stalking you. My sources said that you don’t go out on a date. You don’t entertain men.” He inhaled deeply. “I just don’t know how to approach you.” “Then don’t approach me. Your sources are right. I don’t date and entertain men.” Dylan was pretty insistent. He courted me. He sent me flowers and wrote poems for me, everyday. He was a very romantic and wonderful man. Eventually i agreed to go out with him on a date… a date that led to many dates.
Last Saturday, Dylan proposed to me and I
accepted it.
.
.
TBC
.
RUNAWAY FIANCÉE
