It is the morning after the best night of my life. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was an exceptionally high ceiling and surroundings that were not my bedroom. I spent a night at Riven's apartment. The emotions kicked my brain instantly, as it felt like my birthday continued.
I turned his head and saw that Riven wasn't in the bed with me, nor was there a presence of him in the room. As he probably went out, I decided to check my phone in case there were any messages from him or Rita. Instead of their sms or missed calls, I saw a message from John, who left me a text just an hour later. I went to a yacht party with Rita.
-Miss Charlotte, I left a gift from Mr.Montrose with the lobby manager. You were not at home when I was there. Happy Birthday.
Oh, the gift from Alexander! I remember he mentioned something...
I chose not to reply because my "reply window" had long expired, and doing so now would only mean I partied hard last night. I don't want him or Alexander to suspect anything.
Elevator doors opened, and I saw Riven walking with a takeaway bag and a few cups of coffee. He went to a pastry cafe while I was asleep and brought breakfast pastries and iced coffees, each brewed to our caffeine preferences. He placed the goods on his yet not cleaned kitchen island and went over to me for a morning kiss. There are zero assumptions in my mind about what he saw as he came back, as I did not wash my face or body, brush my hair, or do any general self-care since the evening before.
But as any fairy tale or romantic movie would do, my look didn't stop him from giving me a soft, long kiss with his slightly swollen upper lip from my last night's bites.
I told Riven, once again, that he is the best boyfriend, then took a hot shower before joining him for a light brunch. As I was showering, I was thinking, why can't I open my mouth and say I love him? These loud words often pass through my mind, and I am confident that what I feel for him is way more intense than just a strong sympathy. Then why didn't I say it back in such an intimate moment, when our bodies and souls collided?
A steamy, "get back to life" shower didn't help solve this math equation, and I went to wash my thoughts down with caffeine, just wearing a bath towel, hoping it would give me one more round of last night.
As Riven and I were sharing a pastry selection, he got a call, making our talk "about everything yet about nothing" pause. I love watching him do any task; he looks so serious and insanely sexy when he is into it, whether he is driving or just having a formal phone conversation. This time it wasn't a formal call, as he seemed to be talking to one of his parents, and the general tone of his voice was slightly annoyed.
"When did you see me?" he said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at me while I listened to the call with childlike curiosity.
"Can I have a peace just for once, Mom?" Riven's face changed from annoyed to angry, and he ended the call shortly after, after which he spent almost a minute in silence, just breathing heavily and staring at the floor.
"Riven, is everything okay?" I said while biting on a fatty, oily croissant, making his kitchen even messier.
"Yes, just my parents once again showed me why I moved out of their place. Their house is huge, but there was never a single square of privacy for me..." he replied while aggressively chugging iced coffee with a cap off.
"Even now, as I am as distant as I can from them, my mom's friend saw us on the yacht last night..."
"Who and how? Does the whole of New York know about you and your family?!" I asked him because finding out about his family's wealth started to scare me a little. First, his yacht, now his family potentially knows about me!?
"I don't know how, but it could be one of Mom's many 'girlfriends". They love yachting, and apparently, we passed them last night close enough to be seen."
"Well, now your mom knows you have a female friend..." I replied while patiently waiting that he would excuse my word and change it to "girlfriend".
"Yeah, and she said she wants to see you at their house," Riven said to me without any prior mental preparation, leaving me absolutely stunned.
He came up to me and placed his arms on my waist, which almost made my loose towel slip from my body. He assured me that this was his plan too, but not as soon as now, since he knows his parents are not the best at responding to his personal life. Part of me wanted to wait a little longer, too, but knowing that being introduced to his parents will bring us one step closer to...marriage is better than waiting for something obvious. In fact, the sooner I get his parents' approval, the closer I will be to breaking the contract with Mr.Montrose.
"Would you be able to visit my parents' house tomorrow? You can stay at my place tonight, if it is okay with you," suggested Riven. While this proposal sounded incredibly serious to me, as I wanted to be liked by them, even if Riven doesn't like his mom and dad.
"Yes, I am free. But I will need your support before we walk into their house, as I am nervous just thinking about it!"
He kissed me once again, making my lips stop mumbling anxious nonsense and just enjoy the moment. My life had yet to experience another upgrade, as my relationship with Riven was getting even more serious.
By the afternoon, Riven dropped me off near my apartment building, which Rita would kill me for, as butlers and lobby managers have eyes.
To keep the secrecy somewhat secure, I asked him to park just a corner before the main entrance, making it look confusing for him again. I gave Riven a quick kiss on the tip of his nose and left the car with a bouquet and his gift from yesterday in my hands.
As I proudly entered my apartment building, a staff member stopped me and handed me a decorative gift bag, saying it had been left for me the day before. I took an elevator to my home, barely holding everything together and counting seconds to finally open the door of my sweet rental. I was also out of touch with Rita since last night, so seeing her home would be just great, as we have a lot to discuss.
The apartment was waiting for us, with its lights from yesterday still on and a slight perfume scent that hadn't yet dissipated in the air. Rita was absent; neither a call nor a text from her. I placed everything on the floor, as my hands were sore from holding everything, and left her a short message:
-I am back, but will sleep at Riven's. I will meet his parents tomorrow. xo
I hope that will clear things for her, as this information is enough to accept the written and not ask anything yet, as I have to undergo his parents' inspection before I can gossip about it with Rita. Seconds after, I got a reply from her:
-OMG! GOOD LUCK! I am with Phil, his wife is out of town
Whatever makes her happy.
I packed my small travel bag with all the essentials for a sleepover and prepared a few outfits for tomorrow, as I couldn't choose just one while packing. Clothes, skincare, makeup, perfume, extra lingerie - all of this went into a bag I used for a short trip to LA with Mr. Montrose. As I got a thought about him, I remembered the gift that I still hadn't opened.
Despite not wanting to feel excitement from a gift from my sugar daddy, I almost sprang to open it as soon as I remembered about its existence. The gift bag didn't say anything on it; it was just a simple, white, structured bag. As I opened it, I saw an elegant bracelet fully paved with diamonds, also known as a tennis bracelet. Apart from this sparkly, luxurious, and eye-catching bracelet, there was a note,
"Diamonds for my diamond. From A.M."
I was amazed by this gift. Mr.Montrose gifted me something I never knew would impress me and make me want to add it. I am in love with high-end jewelry. I immediately tried it on, took a picture of myself with the bracelet on my wrist, and sent it to him with the text, "Thank you!"
Surely Riven's gift is much more important to me, as he put his heart and soul into it, when he could just buy something without any effort. But Alexander's gift is too beautiful to ignore, let alone hate. I hid the bracelet, along with other jewelry, in a safety box and got ready to leave again, this time walking to Riven's place so I could enjoy some time alone.
The decision to walk alone played a dirty joke on me, as John's car was parked near my building this entire time. Did Alexander tell him to stand by always? Does it mean he saw me and Riven? I noticed that John is looking at me through the car window. He walked out of the car. I gave him a hand wave, worried I would look questionable if I just ignored him.
"Miss Charlotte, do you need a ride?" John asked me without a single doubt in his voice. He seems chill and just wanted to do his job for me.
What do I do? If I answer no, it will look weird, as I always use his service, especially when I have something heavier than a lady's purse with me. If I say yes, where and why would he drive me with such a full travel bag?
"Hi John...I was about to dial you, can you believe it?" I replied while trying to buy myself some time. He didn't blink once as he was waiting for my answer.
"Yes, drive me, please. I need to pass this bag to Rita. She is staying at her friend's house today."
Oh, poor Rita, she must be constantly hiccuping from my mentioning when I need to lie and lie well.
John drove me right to the Riven's apartment. I was shaking inside, worrying they would see each other and I would be busted. In this scenario, there will never be a good lie. I live with no chance to make a mistake, as it would mean the end of everything.
Likely, and I was dropped off safely and unnoticed, telling John I want to spend some time with the girls here and to contact him if I need him again. Riven met me with immediate help to carry my bag for me, as he couldn't believe I brought this heaviness by myself.
We spent the evening and night cuddling on his couch, eating takeout pizza, and playing Xbox, which actually was me watching him play. I was so overwhelmed by tomorrow, he ended up "relaxing me" by spending some time between my legs, giving me the best tongue motions down there. Riven knows how to calm me down or lift me up, which is another great thing about him out of the long, never-ending list of why he is the best boyfriend.
Later that night, I fell asleep on the couch, as Riven literally took my life's energy from me in the best, erotic way. He lifted my body up with his arms and put me on the bed, which made me wake up. He gave me a kiss and walked to his office room for some work.
The next morning started with a panic attack and a drive to Riven's parents' house. While I was sleeping peacefully, his mom left a message that they would be expecting us for breakfast. What a weird, wealthy people activity, who gets introduced to parents in the morning?!
"Riven, what should I tell them?! They probably think I am a student in some prestigious university or at least have some reputable achievements! What will I say to them!" I said to him, while not expecting any answer to ease my mind.
"No matter what they will think about you, I think you are the best girl, and I couldn't be more blessed! They should like you, don't overthink..."
Riven grabbed my hand, as he knew it was, in fact, making me less stressed. His parents' residence is located an hour drive from the central area of NY, giving me some time to get mentally ready.
When he mentioned residence, I imagined some big house with a massive fence and automatic gates, but I didn't think it would be this times ten! His parents have a personal driveway to the house, a vast, almost castle-sized gate, and a big fountain in front of the house. The house itself had a Victorian-slash-modern exterior, giving it a posh touch. The garage for cars was a separate construction, giving me an idea of how many vehicles this family owns. I came to a fairytale without knowing it!
Riven parked his car and gave me a kiss before we went to meet his parents for a "family" breakfast. We walked inside the residence, which I prefer to call a mansion instead, and everything found its explanation why Riven owns a yacht and a big loft apartment at his age: his family is extremely rich. They are wealthy to the point I didn't know existed; if not trillionaires, they are definitely billionaires! Riven held my arms as we slowly walked through the hallway.
"Is this where you grew up?" I asked him as I kept turning my head to check out the design.
"Sort of...it is not a happy place for me," he replied while lowering his eyes, as he didn't want to be here.
At the end of the hallway, which connects every room on the first floor, I saw an exit door to an outdoor patio with a big silver barbecue nearby. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman appeared before us, wearing heels, white jeans, and a silk poncho.
"Son! Riven! Glad you came on time!" said the woman, making it clear it is Riven's mother.
He didn't respond with genuine happiness to her; he just gave a slightly fake smile.
"Oh, is this your girlfriend?" she asked while looking at me, scanning thoughtfully from toes to the head.
He grabbed my waist softly and replied, "Yes, Mom, this is Charlotte."
I joined the conversation and introduced myself to her, "Nice to meet you, Missis..."
"Call me Olivia!" she said, smiling and showing off her pearly white teeth, which are probably fake. "Shall we all sit down? Riven, your father will be slightly late; he is still showering." Olivia remarked as she walked to the patio, where some of their housemaids served food.
I noticed a few workers as we entered their house area, at least one gardener and one maid. Can't imagine what other surprises I will see in this mansion.
Riven and I followed Olivia, and we all sat in a beautifully designed patio, decorated with flowers and various greens, making it look like a pixie garden. The table had four plates and food enough to feed half of New York. As we all sat, Olivia started asking me questions, maintaining eye contact and smiling from time to time. I noticed that she had a lot of chunky, most likely crazy-expensive, exotic jewelry on. How does she feel comfortable wearing such heavy metal weights, especially at home?
Speaking of me, I dressed pretty simply, non-vulgar: a long but figure-defining skirt, a silk top, and a light, see-through cotton blouse. Compared to Riven's mother, I looked like a grandma, whereas she was a teenager. Spoiled teenager.
As we kept the conversation going, I answered slightly provocative questions, such as "Who are your parents?", "Where did you grow up?" and "Have I ever been in Europe?"
Olivia was checking my financial background, which is interesting to me, as I thought she would be curious about whether her son's girlfriend is intelligent or well-mannered rather than how much money her family has.
Answering her question, I thought about exactly what I was living by: I have an older sister who has a good job, she supports both of us, and we don't know our parents. Truthful lie, but better than just blush and say nothing.
Olivia was pouring herself a cocktail called "Mimosa". She couldn't stop looking at me, as she had some sort of connection with me. Riven added his words when I would pause to support me and make me look better in her eyes. We were both eating blueberry pancakes and holding hands under the table. This breakfast seemed to be going well, until...
Olivia finished sipping her Mimosa and screamed, "Oh, honey! Finally, you are joining us! Come here, meet Riven's girlfriend!" and whispered to me that Riven's father was eager to meet me when he found out his son is in a serious relationship.
Riven started lowering his eyes as soon as he saw his father, but I sat with my back to the house entrance, so I wasn't sure if I should turn around to see him.
So I did. I turned my head. And I saw Alexander Montrose himself.
This entire time, I was dating Riven Montrose, the son of my sugar daddy, Alexander Montrose. For the past three months, my brain didn't even question asking Riven his family name! His business is located in the same building that is owned by his father! He doesn't like to mention his rich dad because he is generous yet controlling, just like he is with me!
The pieces of a puzzle started to come together, all within a fraction of a second. At the same time, Alexander's walk towards our table was exceptionally slow. He wasn't looking at us because he was texting someone on his phone. Little does he know what surprise he is about to see when he puts his eyes up...
He looked at us. He looked at me and froze, like his legs forgot how to move. Riven said hi to his father, while Olivia stood up and brought Alexander a mimosa, stating that their son had met this girl a few months ago. She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to me, his son's girlfriend, whom he was eager to meet. Alexander smirked and gave the nastiest, predatory type of smile, while keeping an intense eye contact with me and Riven at the same time, moving his eyes like a robot.
My heart wanted to stop so badly, but it was beating as fast as ever before. What will he say now? Is this it, the end of the life I imagined?!
I couldn't do anything except wait for his move, as I was afraid that acting now would only make the situation worse. Despite the panic, I kept my face straight and chose to act accordingly to whatever would be said to me.
Alexander walked over and joined us for breakfast in hell. He took a sip of an alcoholic drink and went straight to talking, as a family's leader would do.
"Finally glad to see my son with a real woman instead of laptops and other bullshit!" he said while laughing it off, as it was a joke. "I am happy we can enjoy this morning as a new group. Hopefully, Charlotte, you will stay with us. My son is not the worst option, isn't he?"
What is he doing right now? Is he hiding the truth, making it all seem casual? I got confused, as my body was prepared for a big, shameful scandal, but instead, he is acting like he never saw me before.
"Yes, Riven is a great guy..." I replied while staring at the pancake plate, moving the fork back and forth.
Riven immediately stood up for me, as he felt this question was beyond weird to ask, "Dad, stop it! You are always making people feel embarrassed, including me!"
"Oh, Riven, I didn't ask anything wrong. Your mother and I are glad you are seeing someone, and Charlotte is a good girl. I can see that..." Alexander shot back at Riven, while continuing to stare at me, as he was an emotional vampire who was starving for my emotions.
This entire time, Olivia didn't see a word, as she was looking at all of us while casually enjoying her drink. Alexander exchanged a couple of topics with Riven, while I tried to swallow a few pieces of food, as not eating would show that something was wrong. As another part of the surprise of today's breakfast at the Montrose family, Alexandor got back to me yet again, after being done with Riven.
"So, Charlotte, I am sure my wife knows how you met with Riven, do you mind sharing this story once again?"
Riven hugged my shoulder and smiled at me, as he wanted to show that he was on my side, no matter how this conversation would escalate. He thought I was uncomfortable with his father, while the truth would make his gut wrench.
"We met near Riven's workplace. He saw me on the street as I passed by."
"Interesting, how long you've been together?" he asked while switching his eyes to Riven.
"I met Charlotte in early May, and we became official soon after," replied Riven, making it all look obvious that I started my double relationship shortly after signing the contract.
"Congratulations! I hope you will feel welcome and comfortable in our family, Charlotte. As far as I know, my son would introduce us to anyone unless he is sure about this person; unless he can trust and, of course, love that girl."
I wanted to puke. My face got a slight greenish undertone, and my hands became icy cold. This is a situation that I wouldn't wish on any of my non-existent enemies. My heart was on the verge of jumping out of my chest.
"Well, well, well, I think we should all enjoy this delicious breakfast. Our chef did his job exceptionally well today. How do you find the pancakes, Charlotte?" he asked me while taking down food on his plate with a big appetite.
"They are great, thank you. Thank you for welcoming me and Riven today..." My words came out from an almost numb mouth on autopilot.
As breakfast was finished, Olivia asked Riven to check her car's condition, since she wasn't sure why it was making a weird sound. Riven double-checked with me to see if I was okay with waiting for him at the table with his father. At the same time, he would quickly disappear with Olivia.
I shook my head in agreement to wait, while Alexander's smile was getting wider and wider.
I was left alone with a person who is entirely in control of my life right now. Alexander leaned his torso toward the table as he wanted to speak closer to me, as we sat right opposite each other.
"So since May...you are worse than the fakest prostitute I've ever slept with, you know that?" he said as he was expecting me to know this.
"What do you want me to say? I know I messed up for both of you. If I knew he was your son, I would never continue this contract with you!"
"So my diamond is in love with my sperm's outcome? How sweet is that! You've been abusing our agreement since one of our first meetings! Are you aware how slut you are?"
"Mr. Montrose, we both know I want to hell under the ground right now. Just let us leave, and I will end everything. My lesson is learnt. "
He suddenly stops talking and goes to his pocket to light a cigarette.
As he releases the first exhale of smoke, he continues, "Do you love my son?"
"Yes, I do. How is this relevant right now?" I replied with a shaky voice.
"Well, as much as I am disappointed in this bastard, I want him to be happy. I saw how he is looking at you, no wonder he fell for you, as you have a unique soul...and pussy.I have another deal to offer to you."
Alexander's words made me feel dissociated from reality, as in no billion versions of the universe would I expect him to react like this.
"What is the deal?"
"Simple. I will allow you to date my son as well as sleep with him, and I won't tell a thing to him. But in return, you will meet me when I want you, and only I can fuck you without protection. I will add additional rules to our contract, as your nasty behaviour makes me want to punish you sexually in every way possible. You must do what I say, and you must find a way to meet me when I tell you so."
"If I agree, how long will this go for?" I asked, trying to calm myself down, because his offer is devastating to me. Still, it is the only way to keep my relationship with Riven. I promised myself to go for all risks and not fuck it up, no matter what the price will be.
"Until he proposes to you, or until you become a family of three or four or five, I will determine the rules. But I promise, the secret will remain under the ground."
"Why are you doing this to me?" I said as my left eye began to shed a single tear.
"Because I want to have you too, just like him. And I am a businessperson, so I want to make a deal that benefits both parties. Your attitude is so sexy when you aren't a pure angel, makes me want to bend you over right here," he replied while finishing his cigarette, throwing the leftover on the grass.
"I have to say the answer now, right?"
"Smart Charlotte, yes, you must. As soon as they come back, I will either know you or not."
"But your wife, how will she react to the fact that you've slept with me?"
"Who said I will say it as I am involved? I will tell you that you are an escort who was hired many times by my friends at business parties...Your words against mine, you think they won't believe?"
I saw Riven coming back, which meant I had only a few seconds to make a decision.
"Yes! I agree, just keep your word, what you've promised!"
He smirked and looked to Riven, asking what was wrong with the car. The rest of the morning, we spent like nothing had happened, and I left Montrose residence with a headshot and a few shots in my heart. Riven was asking me how I felt about today's breakfast, while I knew this was just the beginning of my actual double life, since what had come before had been just a demo version. Time to grow up and take responsibility for my desires and actions.
Riven sent me back home, as now there was no reason to hide myself coming out of my sugar-daddy's son's car. It sounded so twisted in my mind, yet it is the least twisted thing I have in my life.
As soon as I arrived, I saw Rita's cooking, as usual. She had a few designer bags lying on the hallway floor, which meant her date went well.
"Charlotte! You are finally back! We have to talk about everything!" she said as she rushed to greet me with her messy apron on.
I hugged Rita and broke down in tears. I tried to cry myself until I felt ready to talk and tell her everything that happened.