“Pretend?” Scott asked.
“Right. Don’t worry. I know what’s real and what’s not, and I know not to fall in love. It’s all just a show as it’s intended to be from the very beginning, right?” Brianna said casually. “I know when she comes back, I will be gone.”
Scott knitted his brows harder and questioned, “Do you think about leaving all the time?”
“Well. Do you expect me to share my husband with other women? You won’t love me anyway. I’m just a replacement.”
Scott wanted to say something, but he hesitated a bit and went quiet. He knew that it was true that if Sol did come back, he would surely ask Brianna to leave. His silence confirmed what Brianna said, and she smiled a helpless smile.
Scott picked up the peach with a grumpy face and threw it into the bin. “Carve a different one. Something nice.” He said and changed the subject.
Brianna got an apple from the plate and started peeling it. She found it difficult to concentrate as the thought that she was merely a replacement haunted her mind. “Ouch.” She exclaimed as she cut her finger accidentally.
“Hey. What’s the matter? This is not you.” Scott said, sounding annoyed and concerned at the same time, and quickly took some tissue to dry the blood.
“I, I was...” Brianna wanted to tell him that she was upset, but she then heard the voice in her mind saying, ‘Who do you think you are to him?’ and she went quiet.
Just then, Levi knocked at the door and came in. “Mr. Scott Anderson, you have a visitor.”
“Who is it?”
“He said you have been looking for him.”
The mysterious man that has ‘saved’ Brianna? Scott thought. “Let him in.”
“Yes,” Levi said and took a look at Brianna before he went out.
Sensitive as she had always been, Brianna thought Levi looked at her strangely. “Is it a certain important client? Would you like some privacy? I can go to the room next door.” Brianna asked Scott.
Scott threw the blood-stained tissue away and put her finger in his mouth, sucking it gently. Brianna gazed at him, shocked by his move. Why is he suddenly acting so caring? She felt the tenderness and warmth of his tongue and mouth and realized that she was actually getting wet. She blushed at her own reaction.
“Why? What are you worried about?” Scott asked.
“Huh?” Brianna didn’t understand, but soon there came the familiar sound of footsteps outside. Chris? Brianna wondered, startled. But why? Hasn’t he been trying to be secretive? Why is he inviting himself to see Scott so suddenly? Is he coming here for me?! She started to panic.
“Scott, honey, I... I want to use the bathroom.” She wanted to hide away, but Scott ignored her excuse and cuddled her intimately, holding her finger still. “Stay here.” He said plainly.
Brianna watched him closely, and she couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. She heaved a sigh and remained quiet.
Levi opened the door, and in came Chris in a white shirt and black trousers, looking dangerously charming as usual. He was about the same built as Scott, both tall and slim, and definitely qualified to be a world top model.
Scott sat up, watched Chris for a bit, and asked icily with a sneer, “Who are you, may I ask?”
Chris extended his hand for a handshake and smiled an exceptionally charming smile, “Chris, Chris Butler. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Scott Anderson. I’m new to Las Vegas, your territory. Hope you welcome new guests.”
Scott shook his hand and replied with a smile, “Ha, Mr. Chris Butler. What an honor to finally meet you in person. You’ve surely brought some disturbance to Las Vegas. I was starting to get worried.”
“Ah, you are exaggerating, Mr. Scott Anderson.”
“Please take a seat,” Levi said as he brought in some tea.
Scott leaned back on the bed and moved closer to Brianna. He took a bandage and wrapped it around Brianna’s finger gently, then held her hand in his casually.
Brianna’s heart was beating fast. She took a quick glance at Chris and looked away, wishing she was invisible.
“I am surprised to see that Mr. Anderson seems actually to care much about Mrs. Anderson,” Chris said with a smile.
“I would not have married her otherwise.”
“I see. My suspicions are unnecessary then.”
“What brought you here, Mr. Butler?”
“To visit Mrs. Brianna Anderson. I’m glad to see that she’s recovering well.”
Scott knitted his brows. Who do you think you are to come to see MY woman? He sneered and said coldly, “Don’t you worry. I take good care of MY loving wife.”
Though Chris sensed clearly the hostility in Scott’s tone, he didn’t mind, and with his usual charming and confident smile, he said casually, “I’ve heard that you have married Brianna merely for the sake of stopping senior Mr. Anderson from bugging you about settling down. I wonder if it’s possible that you would consider letting me have her.”
Brianna’s heart sank. I knew he’d come here to cause trouble!
On hearing so, Scott tightened his grip on Brianna’s hand. “Anyone that covet MY woman is asking for trouble.”
“If you keep Brianna, the woman you love will never come back. What do you think of that?”
Scott suddenly got up, and Brianna, who was leaning in his arms, lost balance and rolled off the bed. Scott was completely oblivious.
He gripped Chris’s shirt and questioned, “What do you mean by that? You know where she is?!”
“Ha-ha. I was just saying. Aren’t you overreacting? And you still want to keep Brianna?” Chris chuckled, then looked at Brianna on the floor and said, “Brianna, you see what a loving wife you are to Mr. Scott Anderson?”
Brianna had bumped her back on the bedside table, and she felt a sharp pain from the wound. She struggled to get up and sat back on the bed. She touched the back of her top, and it was wet with blood, and she knew that the wound was torn open.