The Billionaire's Promise
Chapter 83: She Changed

Chapter 83: She Changed

At the Midnight Club...

"Did you take care of it?" Erik’s sounded tired.

"Yes, Erik. All the photos and articles were deleted." Marlon quickly replied.

"Find out who is responsible and make sure that the person is out of industry tomorrow."

Marlon gagged. How ruthless.

"Uhmm, Erik isn’t it obvious who is responsible? Those photos were taken from Italy."

Erik glared at him.

"Ok, boss! Tomorrow, heads will roll." Marlon laughed lightly.

"You know all too well that I don’t want my private matters on the internet." Erik snapped at him.

"Heh, but the wedding photos with Aryana is okay with you? " Alex butted in.

"That’s different. That’s a commercial." Erik defended.

Alex, Franco, and Marlon chuckled at the same time.

"To be honest, you looked pretty cool there. You look better than a lot of models. I am really impressed. I never imagined that the cold and aloof CEO of Gaeya Corporation would agree to be a model." Alex teased him. He raised his glass towards him before downing it.

Erik looked furiously but he said nothing.

"Those commercials resulted in an unprecedented profit for the company!" Marlon replied on behalf of Erik.

Franco cleared his throat.

"So how was Cassie, my friend? Looks like she still loves you judging by how adoring she looked while you fed her in that hospital ward." He then cast Marlon a sly smile. Marlon’s lips quirked.

"Are you getting back with her? You seemed to have spent so much time with her while you were on your business trip. So how was she?"

"She changed." was Erik’s brief reply.

"Is the change good or bad?" Franco probed.

Erik was silent. He studied the liquid in his glass and was lost for a moment. He then raised it to his lips and drank all the contents.

"She was not the same girl I used to know." Erik stood up and prepared to leave.

"I am heading home. I am still tired and need to catch some sleep. Rest early as well, Marlon."

"Huh. Leaving already? It is still very early. You really changed Erik. Looks like you cannot wait to be with your wife." It was Alex.

Erik just shrugged and exited the VIP room.

Marlon looked at Franco like a cunning fox. "Send that Ferrari to my garage bro! You lost the bet."

"It is too early to say, bro. Let’s wait a few more months. Cassie will not go down without a fight. She was his first love and we know all too well how much he loves her. Erik is just attracted to Aryana but soon he will get tired of her." He said calmly.

Marlon smirked.

"You are a poor judge of character my friend. Erik has already fallen for Aryana. If you have only seen how jealous he was of Aryana...." Marlon paused to drink.

"The funny thing was.. he was distracted by Cassie and suddenly excellent men were lurking around Aryana and it drove Erik mad." Marlon was blabbering.

Franco and Alex were looking at him strangely.

"What are you looking at? I am just happy. I am going to have your Ferrari soon!"

...

Aryana was sound asleep when Erik came back. She was wearing a nightgown and her collarbones and neck were visible. Erik smiled when he saw the traces of kiss marks he left on her skin. He gently caressed the outline of her face with the back of his hand and kissed her on the forehead. She was sleeping like an angel and did not even stir.

He snuggled close to her and studied her face. Her long eyelashes cast a shadow on her face like a small fan. The skin of her face was soft and silky under his fingertips. Her lips were red and luscious. He pressed his lips on them and nibbled a bit. Still, she was sleeping soundly.

He thought about Cassie and tried to figure out his feelings for her. He was not as confused as he was when he met back in Pisa. He turned off the bedside lamp, snuggled beside Aryana, and fell into a deep sleep.

In Italy, Cassie was awakened by the persistent ringing of her cell phone.

"What? Make sure it is important or I’ll make you pay for disturbing my precious sleep." She asked in annoyance.

"Bad news Cassie! The trending topics and all the photos you have with Erik were taken down. You also need to help me." The woman on the other line was frantic.

"What do you mean they were taken down? Who took them down? You are so useless!" Cassie shouted angrily.

"There is a very powerful person behind it. The photos and articles were deleted in just a matter of an hour. Cassie, you have to help me. Please. I did all you asked me to do. Someone investigated me and I am now out of job." She said breathlessly.

Cassie paused. Was it Erik? Why would he do that? Doesn’t he want to be associated with me? Did my plans backfire again?

"Calm down. You lie low for a while. I’ll transfer the money to your account. After some time you can go back to your work." Cassie said calmly.

"Thank you so much, Cassie. Don’t worry, I will do anything for you." The woman sounded very grateful.

’Fool!’ Cassie silently cursed and ended the call. She needed a lapdog so she has to keep her.

She checked the entertainment website in the Central District and true enough, there were no traces of the trending topics that dominated the internet in the last three hours. Cassie gritted her teeth. Erik was giving her a headache. But she will never give up. She will fight for him no matter what it takes. No one can take him away from her.

She browsed her gallery and all the original photos were still there. She can still use them in the future.

Cassie contemplated for a long time. She finally smiled as she hatched a plan in her mind.