Her heart skipped a beat and it wasn’t because Mimi was attracted to him or something, but that confession had taken her by surprise. Okay, Mimi was not going to lie, she did find Ezra attractive but that was all. It all stopped at physical attraction compared to the deep feelings she had for Victor.
And Mimi has had enough fun with men in the past, she was not about to destroy her relationship and impending marriage with Victor just because a handsome stud confessed his “lust” for her. Yes, it was all lust.
Mimi doesn’t believe in love at first sight. If there was anything that she learned from being together with Victor, it was the fact that it took time for love to develop between two persons. Look at her, she had hated Victor’s ass at first – even though she found him sexually attractive, but then that had been her hormones speaking – and never saw a future for the both of them.
But look at both of them today! They were happily engaged in a relationship with a baby on the way. So what more could she ask for? Mimi had everything that she could need, so a common confession was not about to move her. What were the chances he even meant what he said and this wasn’t a game to him?
So Mimi said to him, “Well, thank you for that amazing confession and I really appreciate it, after all, it isn’t easy for a man to summon the courage to confess his feelings to a woman and get rejected in the end. But don’t worry, I’m not looking down on you -”
“I don’t have problems with my ego and you don’t have to comfort me,” Ezra scolded her.
“Well, good then?” She awkwardly turned to Elijah and said through gritted teeth, “Step on the gas please.”
And Elijah did speed up, but Mimi could see the worried look on his face. They were drawing close to their destination and they still don’t have a plan. Neither could they fool Ezra for so long. He wasn’t stupid and they couldn’t talk anymore with the suffocating pressure in the air now.
An idea suddenly hit Mimi but there was a catch, she hoped Arianna had her phone volume on silent. She pulled out her phone immediately and began to type the message.
.....
[Once you hear the car come to a stop, slowly and quietly slip out of the car while I keep Ezra distracted. Also, turn off the volume of your phone.]
With her heart pounding in her chest, Mimi pressed send and not less than a minute later, two different ring tones were heard and Mimi wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
“What was that?” Ezra was quick to notice.
“I got a message,” Elijah said, picking up his phone and waving it for him to see, without exposing the content of the message.
From the way Ezra’s lips were pressed together in thought, Mimi knew he sensed something. Although Arianna’s ringtone had been faint thanks to being closed away in the boot and she did cut off the tone the instant it rang. However, they were seated in the backseat and if Mimi heard it, Ezra did as well. And the fact that he didn’t speak about it concluded her fear that his suspicion was growing.
“You sent him a message?” Ezra asked her all of a sudden, startling her.
Mimi stared back at him from her uncomfortable position. She began, “You know, I like wild and sizzling romance,” she added with emphasis, “Just not with you.”
Mimi pushed him back to his position as Ezra burst into laughter, shaking his head. She was just so funny and he couldn’t get enough of her company.
But that was the moment Elijah pulled up at the side and turned to announce, “We are here,”
The both of them became anxious as they wondered if Arianna had gotten the signal already. It was time for her to move.
So help them, God.
Ezra looked out through the window, “You have arrived? Didn’t you say you were taking her home? This is a hotel.” He noticed.
“When I said home, I didn’t exactly specify my house. The fiancé you are so interested in knowing is waiting for me inside.” Mimi lied through her teeth. Marcel and Arianna were the ones meeting in the hotel since Elijah prohibited her from returning to the base – it was the only condition under which he agreed to help her.
Mimi saw the moment Arianna slipped out of the car through the rearview mirror and Ezra must have noticed it as well because he tried to turn and Mimi improvised immediately. She quickly cupped his face and shouted,
“Look into my eyes!” Mimi demanded, focusing his gaze on him firmly while Arianna made a clean escape. They worked hard for this, she could not let it fail at the last minute.
Ezra blinked at her, surprised at the sudden change in attitude. She was even touching him? Mimi was a strange woman to understand.
He chuckled, “Okay, I don’t know why you want me to stare into your eyes, not that it isn’t pretty, no offense, but….” Unfortunately, for Mimi, Ezra caught Arianna sneaking away through the side mirror, “It’s a distraction!” He realized.
Without a second thought, the furious Ezra climbed out of the car and tried to go after Arianna who made it to the hotel’s entrance but Elijah held on to him. He turned and punched his brother right in the face, “You bastard! How could you do something like this?! You just broke Natalie’s trust!”
Elijah saw stars from the impact of the punch, his brother had not held back and he was not prepared. Sadly for them, Ezra was determined to bring Arianna back by all means. Natalie assigned this job to him, he couldn’t fail her.
But the moment Ezra turned, he ended up bumping into Mimi instead, knocking her to the ground hard and she screamed bloody murder, holding onto her stomach.