Billionaires Under The Mistletoe

Chapter 7: Royal Visit

[DAPHNE]

For the rest of the day, I made a conscious effort to avoid being alone with either Zach or Damon. While I trusted my brain, I couldn't say the same for my body. It was surprising how I found myself counting down the days until this fake act would end, because it's beginning to make me lose both my sanity and discipline.

To distract myself, I immersed myself in work in Dad's study, and eventually lost track of time. I skipped lunch and dinner, telling Mum I needed to finish up some work, and thankfully, she believed me. By 8 pm, I decided it was time to call it a day, hoping to avoid any further drama.

As I walked towards my room, I heard the soft sound of a guitar accompanied by Zach's voice. I followed the sound and found him on the balcony. He wore a tank top that showcased his tattoos, and of course, of all days, he chose to wear shorts and I could see some print of the tattoos on his toned legs.

I leaned on the doorframe without knowing when a smile spread across my lips as I listened. How could someone who looked so rugged play something so tender?

Zach is really talented. I just believe he'd get there with time, besides some big short artists we have today started from humble beginnings.

It felt like he knew I was there because he suddenly stopped playing and turned his head toward me.

His eyes caught mine.

“Daphne?” His voice was soft, almost shy. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long,” I replied, stepping closer. “But long enough to hear you play the guitar.”

He smiled, his dimple appeared, and I found myself biting my lip. I tried to stay composed so I asked a random question.

“Do your tattoos have a story? I'm not an artist but the design isn't the regular one we see often.”

Zach smiled again and his dimple showed. I found myself smiling just at the sight of it.

"Well, it's part of my heritage," Zach said, his eyes locked on mine.

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Does your family have a certain belief or something?"

Zach's gaze drifted down to his leg, his hand tracing the ink. "No, not really. Sometimes when you're needed to take over a responsibility in a family, you have to get inked."

I raised an eyebrow again, skeptical. "Hmm, that's really weird. I guess some families are just special here in the US."

Zach's gaze shifted to the snow, and a small smile played on his lips before he turned back to me.

"You were absent for lunch and dinner. Is everything okay? You know if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. Especially now that I'm playing the role of your boyfriend." He paused, before continuing. "Let's make it a bit real.”

I chuckled nervously, unsure whether to be direct or beat around the bush.

"Have you ever been in a situation where you see three meals you love, but your appetite is too small to finish all of them?"

I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth.

Zach chuckled. "Come on, we've all been there. In my case, I just take a bite from each of them, according to my appetite size."

I let out a sigh, relieved that he hadn't caught on. If only he knew I was talking about three men. I thinned my lips and nodded shakily. "I guess you're right."

Zach's expression turned concerned. "Why? Are you hungry? I could make you something really quick."

I chuckled. "Come on, Zach. Acting as my chef wasn't part of this arrangement."

Zach smiled. "No, far from it. I took cooking classes growing up. Cooking is just a part of it, thanks to my mum, though."

"You seem to have a good relationship with your mum," I said, narrowing my eyebrows.

Zach's face lit up. "Yeah, she's my best friend. I'd choose her as my mum over and over again if I could. She's the best."

My mind drifted to my own mum, and my face fell. "You're... really lucky," I whispered.

Zach raised an eyebrow. "You sound like someone really hurt you. Did your mum do something?"

I shook my head, unable to reveal the truth about my mum's relationship with me. I'd always felt like I was adopted, with Nicki being the one who received our parents' love and attention, especially from my mum.

Zach placed a hand on my back and gently rubbed it. "No matter what happened in the past between you and your mum, know that she's still your mum, okay? And she loves you."

"I wish," I muttered under my breath.

I stood up, breaking the emotional moment.

"You wanna go in? It's getting really cold out here."

Zach stood up with his guitar. "Yeah. But I have a request, and I don't want you saying no."

"What is it?"

"I want to make you dinner."

My jaw dropped. "Zach, you don't..."

"I insist," he cuts me off.

I exhaled, finally agreeing in defeat.

We headed to the kitchen, where Zach opened the cupboard as if he'd lived here all his life, contemplating on what to prepare with the ingredients available.

I watched him cook, and even when I offered to help, he refused. Finally, a delicious meal was placed in front of me. I took a bite, and it was heavenly. I held out a spoon for Zach, but he shook his head.

"Come on, go on. I don't want to cut you short of it."

I giggled. "A bite won't hurt."

Zach chuckled, and I shoved the spoon into his mouth.

Just then, the light turned on, and we both turned to the switch. Damon and Nicki stood by the kitchen door. I couldn't be more happy that Nicki had arrived, and she got to see Zach and me acting like a perfect loving couple, even if it wasn't scripted.

Nicki, being her usual annoying self, immediately walked back out, leaving Damon standing by the door. His expression was unreadable. He quietly ignored us and reached for the whipped cream in the fridge.

He didn’t say a word, just grabbed a can of whipped cream from the fridge and walked out.

I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Why would Damon and Nicki be in the kitchen together so late, and why was Damon holding a cup of whipped cream? I knew I had no right to assume anything, but my mind was racing with possibilities. Are they...about having s*x?

Damon walked out of the kitchen, ignoring Zach and me, and it felt like my appetite had vanished. I forced myself to finish the food on my plate, maintaining a light conversation with Zach.

We eventually retreated to our rooms and

said our goodnights.

But my body was tingling with the urge to sneak to Nicki's room and eavesdrop, to confirm whether my suspicions were true. But the fear of heartbreak, of realizing that my worst fears might be true, kept me glued to my bed.

---

[ZACH]

The shrill ring of my phone jolted me awake. I hoped it hadn't disturbed Daphne's sleep, but to my surprise, she was nowhere to be found. I could understand though. She was a hardworking lady and a morning person. Very different from me. I was used to having people wake me up and prepare me for the day.

As I checked the screen, my heart skipped a beat when I saw my mum's name flashing. I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Mum?"

"Hiltzachy darling, how are you doing today?"

"I'm fine, just got up from bed," I replied, my voice sounding groggy.

"Oh, I see. By the way, what are you doing in Connecticut? Ariso told me you went there to spend the holidays. I was surprised because I didn't hear you mention that over the phone."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt anxious immediately. I hadn't filled her in on the fake boyfriend setup.

"Uh...I came to see a friend," I stammered.

"Wow, who's this friend of yours?" My mum's curiosity was starting to get under my skin.

I chuckled softly,. "Daphne."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before my mum spoke up again. "Oh, a girl. Is she someone special? Send me the address where you are. I'm coming there."

My heart sank as I sat up abruptly, every hint of sleep disappearing from my eyes. "Mum? You're in Connecticut?"

"Yeah, we're still at the airport. I wanted to spend the holidays with you," she replied, her tone oblivious to the impending chaos her presence was about to cause.

"s**t," I cursed under my breath, my mind racing with the implications. This may ruin everything.