The Romance Of Lies

WHEN LIES CATCH UP

Opal had returned to her small apartment, unaware that she had already become a real person’s wife. She took off her shoes and collapsed onto the floor tiredly.

Two weeks passed very quickly after that.

Opal was startled awake by her alarm clock. She rolled around a bit before putting it off. With a sigh, she dragged herself off the bed.

If she did not have to redraft this morning, she would not have even bothered waking up this early. She hurriedly dressed and left her house. Even though she was very early, she dared not take a bus. She flagged a taxi just outside her building and entered.

After indicating where she intended to go, she took out her laptop and started working. It seems she was bound to bad luck, the moment she stepped into the office; she came face to face with Lucy Gruiel, her arch-enemy.

“Oh, it looks like someone barely slept,” Lucy said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

“If you have time to worry about me, you should put more effort into your proposals, maybe you will have more notable works by then,” Opal said, walking away from her to her desk.

“If someone doesn’t know, they may think you are the team leader. You even look down on those who came before you,” Lucy sneered and took her seat opposite Opal.

“It is not that I look down on those that came before me, I Look down on those that feel those that just came should not outdo them,” Opal snorted and continued with her work ignoring Lucy, who let out a curse.

Before she could immerse herself in her work, the Team Leader walked out and invited them both to her office.

“I have seen both of your drafts. Though you are not done, we are already going to pick which direction we will be going,” the team leader said to them.

“But hunter…” Lucy started to say.

“Let me finish,” he stopped her, “ the director says he will be going with yours, Lucy,” he said and a smile lit up her face.

“May I ask why?” Opal asked.

“Yours is too hard to execute,” he answered, and the smug smile on Lucy’s face widened even more.

“I already have an appointment with creative director, Mark Kent, can’t the decision wait till my meeting with him this noon?” she asked and Hunter paused.

“As in, the Mark Kent? You have an appointment?” he asked.

“Yes, confirmed by his assistant,” she answered, and he nodded.

“I will inform the director, so go ahead to your appointment,” he instructed, and Lucy’s face collapsed.

“You think you can get Mark Kent? Keep dreaming.” She snorted and walked past her.

Opal rolled her eyes, she couldn’t be bothered to pay Lucy any heed as she had other important things to do.

She had pulled a few strings to secure a meeting with the elusive Mark Kent. She had received a call last night telling her that she could see him today.

Opal made sure she arrived at Mark Kent’s office on time. She gripped her proposal and was shown into his office.

The man behind the seat sat up the moment she walked in. He politely offered her a seat.

“Mr. Kent, I’m Opal Grey. I’ve been assigned a one-of-a-kind project I think is just up your alley. Please take a look at these styles. It matches yours. I have a feeling you will be interested in our project,” she said, passing the file to him.

Mark sat and read the file. His eyes rough skimmed through the work before looking up, “I have heard of you. It’s nice to meet you.” He said, and she almost raised a brow. Has he heard of her?

For some reason, she had a feeling he was not so interested in the document she passed over.

Mark noticed the confusion in her eyes and chuckled lightly. He decided to lay his cards all out on the table.

“I have already heard of your company’s project. I know you need my skills, so I have a little proposition for you. I work on your project, you work on my project,” he said, and Opal’s heart jumped.

A deal? How? His project?

“What project?” she asked, forcing herself to remain calm

“I’m working on a new venture, and I’d love to look into helping me pass it along for investment. In return, I will help out in whatever way I can in yours” For a second, she thought she had heard wrong. She looked up with a stiff face.

Was he joking, but from the look on his face, he was not.

She was lost. She could help him? How?

“Pass it along for investment?” Opal asked cautiously. Was there a misunderstanding? Was she being mistaken for someone else?

“I will be honest with you, I have no intention of taking any project till June next year. But I would not mind taking yours if you can help me out by looking into my project. We only need thirty percent more funds and we are willing to give your family a fifty percent stake,” he said, and her brain started scrambling.

He was honestly hinting at something but she could not still catch what it was.

He cannot be serious, right? Was there a mistake? He is serious? She wanted to correct him, but if she returned without him, her big project would be scrapped.

Opal started panicking inwardly. How does she get out of this?

Swallowing deeply, Opal responded smoothly, “Oh, is that so? How about this, you send me the details, and let me look into it. You can’t blame me if it doesn’t go well, right?” she decided to play it by the ear.

Mark raised a brow at first, then broke into a smile. “Of course, Opal. I look forward to our collaboration.”

Opal was still confused but tried to hold it in. She needed to get information out of him about what he expected from her.

At that moment, she received a text from her boss and froze. He was asking about the deal. What now? Does she confess that she did not know what Mark was talking about? How does she get it out of him?

She recalled what was at stake, but she also knew that she could not leave here without knowing what was up.

“Why are you sure I can help you?” Opal asked as calmly as she could.

Mark gave her a knowing look and it only confused him more.

“I am sure my request will reach the right place,” he said and they got up to shake hands. Opal was panicking and could not leave without knowing what he meant. While her brain spun trying to find answers, she heard him say, “My regards to your husband,”

Husband? What husband?

His next words gave her all the answers.

“Henry Steele is a man many admire.”

Opal’s head almost exploded.