Chapter 39
When Tobias called himself Kaia’s fiancé, Kaia paused in thought, her eyes lowering slightly as she hid the shift in her emotions.
Philip and Casey blurted out at the same time, “Fiancé?” They were genuinely stunned.
They’d seen Tobias at school before and figured Kaia had just hired him to pretend. That was why hearing he was her fiancé threw them completely.
“That can’t be right. I’ve never heard a word about this,” Casey said, still convinced Tobias was a fake. “Maurice, she’s lying. She doesn’t have a fiancé. Her old one dumped her, and she’s probably too embarrassed to tell her family, so she paid this guy to play the part.”
Philip thought Casey’s guess sounded reasonable.
Maurice’s face turned serious as he asked Kaia, “Is he really your fiancé? You’d better not be lying.”
“He is,” Kaia said firmly.
Maurice studied her for a few seconds before turning to Tobias. “Sir, may I see your ID?”
“Sure, Tobias said. He handed over his papers, and Maurice passed them to his assistant to verify.
A few minutes later, the assistant hurried back, sweating, and whispered in Maurice’s ear.
Maurice’s eyes went wide in shock. He shot to his feet. “So you’re Mr. Moreno! I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you. Somebody get Mr. Moreno the best coffee we’ve got–now!”
Philip and Casey glanced at each other, baffled. They had no idea why Maurice had suddenly switched to treating Tobias like royalty.
Tobias didn’t touch the coffee. Instead, he looked Maurice in the eye. “Now do you believe she’s my fiancée?
“Yes, yes, absolutely, Maurice said, nodding repeatedly.
He’d heard the news about Tobias getting engaged–it had been the talk of Morganburg.
His daughter had even complained about being jealous of the lucky girl Tobias picked. He couldn’t believe he was meeting her in person.
“Can I take her home now? Tobias asked
“Of course, Maurice said quickly, bowing sligdaly
“Maurice, how can you just let him walk out with her? Philip cut in, trying to stop them. ‘Even if he’s someone important, you can’t just let this slide
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Chapter 9
Maurice’s tone turned cold. “You claimed Miss Bennett tried to seduce you, and when you turned her down, she lost it–got people to humiliate you in front of your girlfriend, then tried to attack her. That’s your story, right?”
“That’s right,” Philip said, looking at Kaia with disdain. “You might be pretty, but I’d never be into a woman like you.”
“Ridiculous!” Maurice barked, slamming his palm on the table.
Philip flinched. Before he could respond, Maurice said sharply, “Miss Bennett is going to marry the CEO of the Moreno Group. Why on earth would she go after you? Your family only owns one four- star hotel. Do you really think that’s even possible?”
“What?” Philip froze,
a celebrity.
Casey’s jaw dropped. She looked at Kaia, then stared at Tobias like she’d just seen a co
She couldn’t believe the man standing, there was the head of the Moreno Group–the most eligible bachelor in Morganburg,
She remembered the headlines from a few weeks ago about the Moreno Group CEO’s engagement.
“You’re saying that he’s the Moreno Group CEO, huh?” Philip asked, his voice shaking.
“That’s right,” Maurice said flatly,
It was clear from his face that he wasn’t joking,
Maurice stepped toward Casey. “Miss Dixon, I’ll ask you one last time–did Miss Bennett really hire those men to beat you up?”
1- Casey’s voice caught. Her eyes reddened, and she froze, too terrified to answer.
Every lie she’d told about Kaia had crumbled the moment Tobias’s identity was revealed. Like Maurice said, Kaja would have to be insane to choose Philip over Tobias.
“Mr. Moreno, Miss Bennett, you’re free to go,” Maurice said.
“Alright,” Tobias replied. He shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over Kaia’s shoulders. Leaning close so only she could hear, he murmured, “Let’s keep playing along.”
Kaia went along with it, holding the jacket snug and giving him a sweet smile. “Thanks.”
Tobias’s hand curled into a fist at his side, his expression a little tense. “Let’s go.”
At the door, he turned to Philip and Casey. “I hope no one hears about this. If they do, the Snyder Hotel will disappear from Morganburg overnight”
Philip went pale. His knees nearly gave out. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell a soul–swear it.”
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Chapter 39
Casey watched Kaia leave, torn between fear and envy.
“Alright, let’s get back to the case,” Maurice said coldly to the pair.
Casey collapsed onto the floor. Everything had fallen apart.
EX 55 vouchers
In the end, Casey was arrested. Philip’s family dragged him home and warned him to stay far away from her. If he didn’t, they’d make sure he never got to run the Snyder Hotel.
Philip had brothers. And as much as he liked Casey, he wasn’t about to ruin his future over her.
Just then, Maurice suddenly remembered and slapped his thigh.
His assistant jumped. “Maurice, what’s wrong?”
“I just remembered who Kaia really is,” Maurice said, swallowing hard.
“Isn’t she just the future wife of the Moreno Group CEO?” the assistant asked, puzzled.
“You have no idea,” Maurice said. “She’s the famous Dr. Bennett.”
The assistant’s eyes went wide in shock.
*****
It was late when Kaia and Tobias finally stepped out of the police station.
The Morganburg night air was cold. Kaia spotted a baked potato stand on the street corner.
“Want one?” Tobias asked, noticing where she was looking.
“Yeah. Back in the country, I used to eat them all the time. I just couldn’t get enough,” Kaia said with a smile. She glanced at him. “I’m gonna grab one. Want one too?”
“I’ll get it,” Tobias said, not giving her a chance to refuse. He walked over and bought one for her.
Kaia peeled the potato and held it out. “Want a bite? It’s nothing fancy, but it’s got its own charm.”
“Hold on a second,” Tobias said. Then he crouched down in front of her.
Ka
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