Forgotten Romance: Take Me Back To You

She was deeply lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the man standing in front of her. 

Although the hall is quite busy and noisy, Jade couldn't help but ponder on the things that Marcus told her a while ago while she was trying to fix his tie. 

The manager managed to bring out their latest dress design and allowed Jade to be the first woman to ever try it out. It was a transparent, bloody red evening dress but the color was fading as it approaches the tip end. Her soft and seemingly delicate shoulder was exposed as well as her back. Her hair was tied into a messy bun with a few wavy hairs that was loosened. She didn't need a heavy makeup but the light touch seemed to have transformed her into a goddess. 

She will surely steal the attention of everyone whom she come across to.

"The dress has a lot of surprises to offer but you can only see it when you dance for minutes." The manager muttered but Jade didn't understand what she meant. 

Maybe she was referring to the fact that the dress was their newest design and the fact that she was the first one to use it makes her the luckiest person. the manager could have mean it that way. She thought and disregarded her words. 

"Did you know that you spent thirty-minutes in total in----" Marcus lazily put aside the magazine that he was holding when he heard the door opened. He was talking as he lifted his gaze but he stood frozen at the overwhelming sight in front of him.

Is that really her? Is she the real Jade? His eyes widened in astonishment. No! It couldn't be Jade, it's a goddess!

Jade on the other hand, clench her teeth shyly. She even rubbed her hands against each other when she saw how the man looked at her. He was looking at her as if she's a totally different person. 

"M-marcus…" She nervously muttered. "Y-you don't like it? I… I'll tell the manager right away!" She quickly apologized and was about to get inside the room once again. However, Marcus' word stopped her. 

"It's fine. The dress looks good on you." He tried to sound cool and motioned the woman to come near him.

She shyly walked near him. To her surprise, Marcus took a small box in his pocket and hand it over to her. 

"What is this?" She innocently asked but her thoughts were running wild. Is he going to give her a real diamond wedding ring now? She might be acting calm in front of the man but the truth is, her heart was beating fast. 

She opened it without delay. Although it was not the ring that she was expecting but her jaw still dropped in awe at what she saw. 

A gold plated necklace with a raindrop-like diamond in it.

"Omo! It's beautiful!" She uttered in wonderment. 

The joy that was painted all over her face delighted the man. Not sure why but Marcus love to see her sweet smile every time. He took the necklace and place it around her neck. And as soon as he finished, he held the woman's shoulder and made her face the human size mirror. 

"Now you look perfect." He smiled while looking at her in the mirror. 

"Thank you." Jade muttered. They can also see contentment on the manager's face as well as the jealousy of the two female staffs who were with the manager. 

Maybe jealous at the fact that she was the first one to ever try their latest design. Or maybe they were admiring the beauty in front of them. Well, it could be because she is with the most handsome guy in the world too. However, his imagination was broken when Jade reminded him of his suit as well.

"Aren't you going to change?" She tried to break the seemingly awkward yet romantic atmosphere between them.

"Who said I won't? I feel burdened to match my woman's dress tonight." He smirked meaningfully before motioning the manager to lead them now to the men's section.

Marcus didn't take long. He came out wearing a pair of black trouser. Although Jade was used to seeing him in suits but the man's new hairstyle caught her attention. He looks so manly that any woman who sees him will definitely fall for him. 

"Oh please no!" She shook her head lightly to dispose her wild imaginations. 

"What's the problem? You don't like my outfit?" Marcus curiously asked since he saw the woman seemingly disproving what he was wearing at the moment. 

"Yes. I-I mean n-no…no… it's good." She heaved a heavy sigh when Marcus faced the mirror was again. He was about to put on his tie when he suddenly saw Jade standing beside him. 

"Let me do that for you." She smiled and took the tie from his hand. 

"You sure you know how?" He teased her. 

"I practiced a lot and I'm sure I can do it." She might have not known it but Marcus had been paying attention at her determination to fix his tie. 

He smiled but frowned after as soon as he remembered something that Rachelle told him. Will he tell her about it? Now he's thinking. 

"Jade…" He suddenly held her hands. She obviously didn't master how to fix a necktie yet. 

"I'm sorry." Jade frowned. She was confident that she can do it but turned out that she only humiliated her own self when she insisted to do it. "I'm sorry…" She could only say those words while her head is hanging low. 

"Jade…" Marcus held her jaw and lifted it until their eyes meet.

"I-Is something wrong?" She worriedly asked while searching the man's eyes. 

"Promise me… that whatever happens, you won't ever leave me."

"Eh?" Jade couldn't believe her ears. "W-what do you mean?"

"The contract… we agreed upon that------"

"I'm not going anywhere until the contract expires." Jade seemed displeased. Her heart skipped a beat when Marcus suddenly want her to stay with him. However, looks like it was only for the sake of the contract! Tsk!

He was as if pleading! Did she mistake the man's arrogance into something impossible---- that he truly cares for her?

"Care if I join you?" The middle aged man was obviously ogling at her. The eerie atmosphere around him tells her to leave the man as soon as possible. 

"W-why not?" She faked a smile. "But uhm, please excuse me for a while, I'll just check on my husband at the other table." She bowed apologetically and was about to leave but the middle-age man suddenly stopped her by holding her arm. 

"You!" She instinctively slaps the man's hand away from her. But then, she herself was surprised at her sudden action. "I… I'm sorry mister!" She apologized. "I didn't mean to d----"

"You!" The man looked at her murderously. "How dare a lowly woman like you to ignore me!" He got mad and his voice was quite loud that it caught some of the visitors' attention—those who were near their table.

"I'm sorry mister…" She kept apologizing but the man seemed made totally. 

"Do you know me? Do you know the man whom you just disgraced?" He spoke arrogantly. "You should know your place woman. A sŀut, even if you dress her nicely, she is still a sŀut. So don't try to act as if you are innocent because you are not!" 

He tightened his grip on her arm. 

"Ahhh… mister, please… I'm hurting." Jade was already pleading. She wanted to push the man away or kick him hard in his core but she was thinking about Marcus. She doesn't want to cause a scene inside therefore she thought of another way. 

The man, on the other hand smirked at the sight of the hurting woman. What he despised the most were women acting all holy and innocent when in fact they are not. It's how he views Jade at the moment.

He arrived late a while ago that's why he didn't see the man who brought Jade in as his date tonight. However, as soon as he laid his eyes on her, he fell for her beauty. He didn't intend to talk to her at first but a beautiful celebrity walked towards him and told him about her. 

"She's a fake girlfriend." The celebrity woman whispered in his ears before she left. A fake girlfriend? The middle-aged man sneered in ŀust. Almost all the business men hired fake girlfriends instead of bringing their wives along and they already know that if someone brought a fake girlfriend tonight then that also means they'll spend the night in a hotel.

In other words, those women are working using their bodies!

Whores!

"You… how much are you?" The man's words came to her as an insult therefore she gathered an amount of strength then kicked the man's core. He knelt in pain. 

"I can forgive you for the physical pain, but not your absurd insult!" She gritted her teeth.

"How dare a whore like you do this to me?! I will surely destroy you!" He threatened the woman. 

"If I were you, Mr. Amaz, I won't even dare to touch the woman." They both heard a voice nearing them. "I think you caught the wrong fish. This woman is Marcus Hanes' wife, didn't you know?"

Hearing Marcus' name, the middle-aged man widened his eyes in terror. What?! No!