Marrie was fully aware of what she was doing.
The media erupted into disarray as soon as pictures of her having a cozy dinner with a foreign prince - whispering over wine, caressing hands, and grinning—came to light. The headlines cried out:
"The Secret Royal Romance of Marrie"
"Heiress Captured Kissing a European Heir Late at Night!"
Evan's office lit up with warnings, just as planned. She awaited the consequences. A message. A call. a response.
However, from Evan?
Nothing. Not a single text. No rage. No conflict. Just quiet.
Evan's Suspicious Jealousy Move
Evan was a man of authority most of the time. He never allowed feelings, particularly jealousy, to impair his judgment. However, he couldn't get rid of the sting caused by the way the media portrayed Marrie with the prince.
She was supposed to be his.
He had the weirdest feeling when he viewed pictures of her laughing with the prince over a romantic dinner, her fingers lightly touching his chest while they cracked a joke. His jaw clenched. His heart skipped a beat.
Was it jealousy? Or anything more profound?
He was angry because no one had ever made him feel this way.
Evan gave a planned reaction. He was unable to ignore this. There was a new dimension to the game, but he still had to maintain it. A fresh strain.
Marrie had evolved from a challenge to a conquest. Furthermore, he refused to let anyone - especially a prince - to take her away from him.
His Counterattack - Controlled Chaos
Marrie awoke to a fresh storm two days later.
Every tabloid, feed, and gossip reel's front page:
"EXCLUSIVE: During a private vacation, billionaire CEO Evan Knight was caught secretly dating wild heiress Marrie."
There they were, pictures of her and Evan at an opulent villa. She was wearing a silk robe. On a balcony, him without a shirt. A "candid" kiss on the beach (Stolen or Photoshopped? She wasn't certain. "Mr. & Mrs. Knight" was even signed on a room service order.
For the first time, Marrie was unable to speak as she gazed at the screen.
With her phone in hand, Lancy rushed in. "Girl... What is this? Are you two really…?"
"No," Marrie yelled. "He's making this move."
The Confrontation - Fire vs Ice
The following evening, she barged into Evan's office with a storm in her step, smokey eyes, and glitter heels. She slammed the magazine on his desk and growled, "You think you're clever?"
Evan sipped his dark coffee and carefully looked up as if he hadn't just exploded the internet. "Just keeping up with your energy."
"You made up an entire relationship."
"You did too." He spoke in a composed tone. Smooth and risky.
Her eyes narrowed. "I was testing you."
He got up and moved slowly in her direction. "And I'm testing you. You wanted to know if I had feelings for you. But here's the true question, Marrie…" "What happens when you start falling for me?" he asked, leaning in and breathing at her neck.
Playfully, Marrie shoved him back. "That won't ever happened."
He grinned. "Nice. After that, we'll both have a little more fun with the game."
The Enemy Awakens – Sherline Breaks
Sherline also noticed the headlines. Her heart broke.
"She is now with him everywhere... I need to take action," she said.
Sherline took up her phone for the first time and placed a call.
"To Ronald," she said. "I believe we both want Marrie to leave."
Ronald grinned twistedly as he answered the phone. "Finally," he murmured.
Ronald - The Wild Storm
Ronald was possessed by Marrie, not merely obsessed on her.
He watched every motion she made. He recalled every thing she said. However, he became insane when he witnessed the fictitious controversy involving Evan and Marrie, the chaos in the media, and the lighthearted conflict between two powerful people.
He snarled, "She's not a game." "I own her."
He stopped watching at that point. and began to perform.
The Storm Brewing - Ronald and Sherline's Alliance
"Let's destroy her entire world. Piece by piece." he whispered to Sherline.
Sherline's desire to succeed outweighed her heartache. She had enough of playing this game as a passive observer.
They plotted together. They would work together to defeat the heiress who had captured their interest.
However, what were they unaware of? Marrie cherished chaos. Under pressure, she flourished rather than crumbled.
Now that enemies are casting shadows about her, Marrie is going to demonstrate to them what it means to fight fire - with wildfire.