"What will you tell me?" Eva heard a soft female voice that belonged to Louisa.

"Were you talking about me...?" her voice trailed off as she saw Eva sitting beside Liam.

Grandmother was quick to interrupt.
"Come Louisa,take a seat."

Louisa sat beside the old lady. Now that Eva was looking at her again she was feeling even more guilty to break the heart of such a beautiful woman. She didn't want to be the reason of anyone's heart break.

"Louisa." Eva heard Liam speaking. ''I can't marry you."

"It's alright, Liam. Take your time there is no hurry to answer."said Louisa.

"I think I should make it more clear." Liam continued,"I can't marry you because I am in a relationship with Miss Rose."

Louisa looked at Eva and after a minute's pause said," I think I have seen you somewhere..."

'Oh yes, I'm his secretary's assistant and at the moment his partner in crime.'

"Eva works as Alex's assistant." Grandmother supplied.

"And I was wondering who the only girl at Liam's floor was. No wonder you are given special treatment." she placed hand on top of Eva's on the table and said,"It's alright if you guys like each other I have no problem."

Eva could see the woman in front of her smiling, could hear her soft words of agreement about their relationship then why was she feeling uneasy? Shaking all the doubts about Louisa Eva just smiled at her. She was helpless in this situation. If Liam doesn't like this hot and sexy woman who is so rich and beautiful then she had no idea what kind of woman he fascinated.

They ate their dinner in silence. The silence that was occasionally broken by Liam and his grandmother. Eva had no idea what they were talking about. She would just smile at them in between so that it may seem she was interested in their conversation. Once in a while her eyes would meet Louisa's who looked calm... very calm. Eva had lost her appetite. Her brain felt numb. She was just stuffing and chewing on the food but could not feel it's taste.

Finally the tiring dinner came to an end. Liam gave a generous tip to the waiter and helped his grandmother out. Grandmother and Liam were still talking while walking in front and Louisa and Eva quietly followed behind. Who knew the cold and arrogant Liam Richardson was so soft to his grandmother, Eva smiled looking at them.

Just then a hand tapped on her shoulder and she turned around to find Louisa standing just behind her. She had a smile on her face that was anything but genuine. "Evangeline Rose. Right?"

Eva nodded, a little shocked at her change of tone.

" I don't know what trick you have played but I am not going to quit so easily. Even if you have slept with him by the end of the day he will still be mine. So don't think you have hit a jackpot." she said and headed towards her car. Before leaving she looked at Eva and gave a smile that looked like a declaration of a war.

Eva just stood there. Her feet froze to the ground. She couldn't believe her ears. 'Did that actually happen? Or was it just my imagination? Did I just received a threat from the heiress of a million dollars company? Eva questioned herself repeatedly. God! What kind of situation had she gotten herself into? She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and that made her almost jump out of her skin.

"What happened? Are you alright?" It was Liam. He looked concerned but was he was? Or was his concern just as fake as their relationship, she wondered. He was using her as some sort of shield to protect himself from the advances of unwanted women.

He took her hand in his and started walking. For the first time in her 21 years of life Eva was threatened like this and it was scary as hell! She was still feeling the chills down her spine at the remembrance of that woman's cold eyes and venomous words.

Liam stopped and turned to look at her. "What happened? Why are you so quiet  suddenly?" he held her by her arms and rubbed them slowly as if trying to generate some heat in her body.
"You look like you saw a ghost."

The car arrived and Liam opened the door for her. He took his seat beside her and the car started moving on busy streets of New York.

"Are you ok?" he asked again.

She needed to get out of this, she told her self and looked at Liam's concerned face. "Since you are out of this as she has agreed to let you go then why don't we now cancel this.." she looked at the driver in front and said in a low voice," fake girlfriend and boyfriend thing?"

He chuckled. "How can you even believe her words, Eva? Didn't you notice how she was looking at you?"

"No." answered Eva shaking her head.

"She was looking at you as if she was going to eat you up alive."
Eva blinked at him in surprise. 'No wonder he is a successful businessman. He can read people's mind!'

"If one day she came and killed me then wouldn't that matter to you?" she asked looking dead serious. ''And trust me if she killed me then I'll come back as a ghost and will haunt you for the rest of your life."

He chuckled at her reaction and said,"I'll never let anything happen to you."

His words sounded honest but was he..? Eva wondered as Liam continued,"We will have to continue with this till my grandmother believes in us and that women, Louisa give up on me."

"How long will it take?"

He sighed. '' I have no idea."

"Why don't you like her?" Eva asked. "I mean she is rich, beautiful and has a stand in society then why don't you marry her?' said Eva while her brain was screaming,'She can even give threats and I was the latest recipient of one of her threats!'
Eva's question caught him off guard.

"I am rich, have a lot of money and as you say I am gorgeously handsome then why don't you marry me?" Liam asked.

"No! I don't want to marry you because I don't love you."she answered. 'I like you but I don't love you. There is a difference. Moreover, you are way too out of my league and I don't want to get hurt losing you. So I don't plan to fall for you. Ever!'

"So my reason of not marrying her is the same. I don't love her. I don't even like her." he answered and then looked at her as he asked,"Do you believe in love?"

"Yes."she answered with a bright smile on her face. Though her only experience of love came from the romantic novels she had read so far.
"Have you ever been in love?" she asked

"No." he answered without thinking for a second.
"It's hard to believe something you yourself have never seen. I would suggest you too to let your brain do all the thinking and let the heart pump blood into your body because that's what it was made for. Don't burden it with unnecessary baggage like feelings and love. And trust me once you do that you will be happy."

She looked at him. Even though he was sitting just beside her but it felt as if he was at a distant place where her voice will never reach him even if she were to shout at the top of her lungs.
"Are you happy?" she asked and the question was out before she could stop it.

He looked at her and after a minute's silence he finally answered with a small smile.
"Yes. I am."

A smile that didn't reach his eyes, Eva noticed. Though he rarely smiles or laughs but now she was missing the light mood he had earlier. Even if he said he was happy but his eyes looked sad and lonely. And she didn't like it.

She tried to divert his attention and asked,"I need to know for how long are we going to continue this thing."

"I don't know and you have no right to ask this question. I am in this mess because of you so you better take the responsibility."

"Aren't you ashamed of blackmailing and using a naïve girl like me?" she asked pursing her lips.

"If the girl is as beautiful as you then I am not ashamed at all." he chuckled and that brought colour to her cheeks.
The flirt Liam Richardson was back. And she had to agree that the flirt Liam was better than the sad and gloomy one.

"Now you look better." he said gently touching her cheeks. "Earlier you were looking pale as a ghost."

'Should I tell him about the threat Louisa gave me?' Eva wondered but she wasn't sure how he would react...

What do you guys think? Should she tell him about the threat she received from his never- to- be fiance? 🤨