Love and Lies

Chapter 22

The next morning, I felt something wet on my face. I opened my eyes to see Alex kissing me. He gave me a bright smile when he saw that I was awake.

"Did you sleep well, baby?" he asked, tucking my hair behind my ears.

"Best sleep of my life," I said, pecking his lips. He smiled and deepened the kiss. I pulled back and smiled at him.

"Let's get ready; we need to meet a client today," Alex said, carrying me in his arms in a bridal style towards the bathroom.

"Me? Am I going too?" I asked him while he was putting toothpaste on my brush.

"Yup, I need you with me today. Don't you want to join me?" he asked as we finished brushing.

"No, it's not like that. I will happily join you," I said, smiling at him. He smiled back and ruffled my hair.

"I need to go home and get ready," I said, realizing I didn't have clothes here.

"You don't need that, baby. Go into the closet," he said. I walked into the closet and found a whole wardrobe filled with dresses, skirts, jeans, tops, and other necessities. They looked to be my size.

"I told one of my staff to bring all the things for you. I hope you like it," Alex said, hugging me from behind.

"You didn't have to do this. I could go home and change. Please don't waste your money unnecessarily," I said, turning around to face him. He pulled me closer to his chest and said, "It is not a waste of money if I spend it on you, and I like doing that, so get used to it." I was about to argue when he placed his fingers on my lips.

"No more arguments. Now get changed and come down for breakfast, love," he said, moving out of the closet.

I quickly changed into a simple dress that fitted me well. I didn't do much makeup, just mascara and some nude-colored lipstick. Once I was satisfied with my look, I moved downstairs, where Alex was setting the table with food. He had made waffles and pancakes. He turned around when he saw me.

"You look so beautiful, love," he said, gently kissing my forehead. I was never going to get used to his compliments. He pulled out a chair for me, then sat beside me and served me the food.

"It's delicious," I said, looking at him, only to see him already looking at me.

"I'm happy you like it," he said, going back to having his breakfast.

After breakfast, I helped him with the dishes. I quickly dropped a message to Sia, asking her not to freak out if she didn't see me at home and that I was with Alex and would be working from here. She didn't reply, which meant she was still with Nick.

Alex drove us to a restaurant, where he told me we were meeting the client.

We arrived at the restaurant, a chic, upscale place with an elegant ambiance. Alex parked the car and came around to open my door, offering his hand to help me out. As we walked inside, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Alex must have noticed because he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Relax, baby. You'll do great," he whispered with a smile.

We were shown to a private room where a man in his late forties was waiting. He stood up and greeted Alex with a firm handshake.

"Alex! Good to see you," the man said warmly.

"Good to see you too, Mr. Park," Alex replied with a confident smile. "This is my girlfriend, Samantha."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Park," I said, extending my hand.

"The pleasure is mine," he said, shaking my hand with a kind smile. "Please, have a seat."

We all sat down, and a waiter came in to take our orders. Once the orders were placed, Mr. Park turned to Alex.

"Alex, before we start the meeting, there is something I need to report to you. This was discovered during the audit done yesterday," Mr. Park said, pulling out a few files from his briefcase.

"Is it something serious?" Alex asked, concerned.

"Yes, Alex, this is the first time someone among us has deceived us," Mr. Park said, looking at Alex. I felt my heartbeat increasing as Mr. Park spoke about one of their closest partners corrupting the company by transferring large amounts of money meant for charity to his own personal account. I could see Alex's face changing into anger as he heard the news. I placed my hands on his to calm him, which he gripped tightly.

"For how long has he been doing that?" Alex asked, controlling his anger. I was now freaking out, thinking about what he would do when he found out I had lied to him.

"He's been doing this for four months now. Chris checked with the orphanages that usually receive the funds and discovered that the money was being transferred to another account instead. We have taken action against him," Mr. Park informed.

"How can an issue like this happen, and no one know about it?" Alex said, getting irritated.

"I have no space for betrayers in my life. Fire him and sue him for double the amount he has taken," Alex said in a cold and scary tone. He wouldn't want me in his life if he found out about my lie. The thought brought tears to my eyes. I controlled my tears and looked at Alex, who was fuming with anger. I was trying my best to calm him by patting his back. He seemed to calm down a bit and looked at me, confused.

"Love, are you okay? Are you in pain?" he asked, holding my face in his palm with concern.

"I'm okay," I said, holding his hand.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this," he said, looking at me apologetically.

"Mr. Park, we will continue the meeting next time. I will inform you," Alex said, turning to Mr. Park.

"Sure, Alex. I'll take my leave. Have a good day," Mr. Park said before leaving the restaurant.

"Baby, I didn't want you to see this. I didn't know Mr. Park would discuss this," Alex said, holding my hands and pulling me into a hug.

I placed my head on his chest, listening to his calm heartbeat. It somehow calmed me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out. I'm okay now," I said, pulling back from the hug.

"It's okay, love," he said, kissing my forehead.

"Let's take a break today," he said, holding my hands as we left the restaurant. Alex took the day off from the office and took me to the beach. We sat on the beach silently, listening to the waves. I have to find the courage to tell him the truth about me. I do not want to lie to him anymore. He hates liars, and I am one of them.