Tainted Desires | 18+

51 - Rich Man

Mirabelle Morrison

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room. As I stirred awake, my mind began to register the unfamiliar surroundings. The events of the previous day came rushing back, reminding me of the surprise trip to Greece and the unexpected encounter with the staff member, Michael.

My gaze shifted to the man sleeping beside me—Terrence, the person who had filled my life with love and a few unexpected challenges as well. His peaceful expression as he slept felt like a reassurance.

However, as much as I tried to push aside my discomfort, the memory of being referred to as Eloise lingered. Terrence and I's relationship was a secret for valid reasons, yet instances like last night made me question if the charade was worth it.

Carefully, I prided myself out of Terrence's arms, tucking the sheets around him to keep him warm. As I stood by the window, gazing out at the breathtaking view of Greece, I found myself lost in thought.

Lost in thought, Stacey's cheerful voice greeted me from downstairs. "What's got you up so early? Enjoying the view?"

I turned to her with a small smile. "Yeah, the view is amazing. Just needed some fresh air, I guess."

Stacey stretched her arms and gave me a knowing look. "Fresh air, huh? Something tells me it's more than just that. Do you want to join me for a stretch?"

I joined her downstairs, the cool marble floor soothing against my bare feet. The sunlight seemed to brighten even more as she smiled at me, her eyes sparkling with an unspoken understanding.

"Talk to me, mon amour." My love. I rolled my eyes at her effort in mimicking Terrence's accent and his nickname for me.

I hesitated for a moment. "It's just... last night at dinner, threw me off a bit."

Stacey's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah. Did you guys talk about it?"

"No, not really," I admitted, my gaze dropping to the floor. "Terrence did mention it when we got back from dinner, but I kind of brushed it off. I mean, it's not like I can blame him entirely for what happened."

Stacey's eyes softened, her expression filled with empathy. "Mirabelle, I get that it's complicated, but you deserve to have your feelings heard too. This whole situation isn't easy for you either."

I sighed, realizing that she was right. "I know, Stacey. It's just... there's so much at stake. His arranged engagement, which is in like a month's time. So there's really no point because it's inevitable that we'd have to go our separate ways when the time comes."

"Would you be okay?"

"What?"

"Walking away,"

Stacey's question hung in the air, heavy with its implications. I paused, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Could I really be okay with walking away from Terrence, the person who had become such an integral part of my life?

"I don't know," I finally admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "It's just that... I've grown so used to having him in my life and the thought of just walking away, knowing that he'll be with Eloise... it's painful."

Stacey nodded, her expression compassionate. Silence filled the air around us, and by the time I realized where we were, we had unconsciously walked to the edge of a stone terrace overlooking the azure waters of the Aegean Sea.

The view was breathtaking, and the gentle sea breeze played with our hair, creating a moment of serenity amidst the turmoil of my thoughts. "From the looks of it, I can tell there was no action last night,"