Chloe dreamed of someone with warm arms cuddling her gently, sending a message of cherishing. When she woke to see the face of Christopher so near, it scared the crap out of her. She pushed his hands around her away and sat straight up. Why? Why am I on the bed? With him?

“...” Christopher opened his sleepy eyes and saw her sitting there, with the most surprised look and pulled her into his arms, unwilling to let go. Moreover, he pressed himself against her so she just couldn’t move.

Chloe felt her heart was going to explode. She remembered so clearly that she fell asleep on the couch last night, and this was not how she had expected to wake up after an overnight sleep!

“Good morning.” Christopher’s morning voice was lazy and magnetic. Chloe felt her face was burning, she moved away his hands around her gently and they just bounced back immediately again.

“Good... morning... Mr. Cleveland, could you just... let go of me first...” Chloe panicked deep inside, unable to make up a full sentence.

“Don’t turn you back against me now after the whole night!” Christopher supported his head on his fist and said something very flirtatious on purpose. He liked to see Chloe become all clumsy and panicked because of him.

“No no no... um... of course not!” Chloe racked her brains to recall what had happened last night but nothing could be remembered!

“Now you are stammering?” Christopher pulled her hair gently and his chest muscles and abs were showing generously, like an invitation to something with the unique charm of a man.

“I um.. I just.. Mr. Cleveland, stop making fun of me please!” Chloe begged him without any struggling and covered her eyes with both her hands, then she heard him laughing and felt his hands loosening.

Christopher had his fun and turned to let her go. Chloe grabbed her clothes she’d prepared and ran into the bathroom after she got off the bed. There was a lot of hurry-scurry.

Christopher too stood to dress himself up and sat on the couch, waiting for Chloe to come out. There were some little toys on her table so he just played for a while.

“Mr. Cleveland...” Chloe changed into her dress and walked out. She asked for a day off specially, in the hope that the rumors could exist no more, but if them knew that Christopher stayed overnight here in her place, there surely would be no way to explain.

“Mr. Cleveland, why was... I on my bed last night?” Chloe asked about this awkwardly, intimidated,woke to find herself on the bed.

“I don’t know, when I woke up, you were lying in my arms, maybe you didn’t like the couch and decided to sleep on the bed with me.” Christopher was secretly laughing, but he acted innocent of everything.

“...” Chloe blushed burning again. She would not have asked if she had known it would sound this shameful!

“let’s go.”

Christopher took her to have her hair done and put on make-up. She looked formal, and pretty, the whole dreamy lilac romance brought out the most femininity of her.

“You look very beautiful today!” Christopher complimented her from the bottom of his heart, and was very satisfied with her style today.

“... thank you.” Chloe lowered her head like she was more hesitant to be inviting than shy. Christopher grabbed her hand and left.

At the wedding of Shane and Yvonne, the groom and the bridge were a perfect match, both in their looks and family backgrounds. There were also many famous business leaders and celebrities present. Chloe felt so excited as if she had been using cool plug-ins with her recent life after seeing so many familiar faces.

“Why are there so many celebrities?” Chloe turned to Christopher and asked.

“Shane once acquired an entertainment company, so, many artists are here to say their congratulations.”

“I see, but I think Yvonne is more beautiful than any of those artists.” Chloe couldn’t help noticing and admiring that Yvonne had got everything, she’d got the look and the family background and all!

She and Christopher strolled around for a while and found themselves a table and seated themselves when it was nearly time for the wedding feast. Chloe sat there, unable to stop her eyes from looking around, and at the very far end of the hall, she recognized two very familiar friends!

“God! Is that Cherie with Vincent?” Chloe looked at them and wondered curiously. They look a silent lady together with her silent gentleman!

Why are they holding hands and walking over together in such harmony?

“Hey, Chloe!” Cherie became herself when she caught Chloe in the crowd and dragged Vincent near them and greeted.

“I didn’t expect you to be here!” she wanted to hug Chloe but felt the gaze of the man beside Chloe and decided not to. She remembered the gaze.

“Hey Christopher. And who is this cute girl? You look very good in this dress, Chloe.” Vincent reached out his hand and wanted to pinch Chloe’s Cheek but was stopped by Cherie.

“You behave yourself!” Cherie scolded him without any kind tone in her voice.

“...” Chloe watched them fight like a couple and asked, “how come you guys know each other?”

“My dad asked me to help him in his studio. Our families are friends for generations, so I can’t say no.” Cherie told her, with the intention of showing her very unwillingness.

“Yeah, more of a hindrance than a help!” Vincent teased Cherie with weird tone. Of course the hand in hand thing between them just now was just a false appearance.

“Studio?”

“Yeah, private detective, something like that! kind of fun actually.” Cherie put on her most believable smile. However, she still felt the awkwardness every time she met the eye of Christopher, who had been staring at her the whole time. Though she herself was not conservative-minded, yet she still felt sorry that she had almost climbed onto the bed of her girlfriend,with her man in it, who had been naked. She didn’t even have to think what they had done last night.

“Yeah, being a trouble maker is fun, is that what you mean?” Vincent said. He could still feel the anger in him every time he remembered Cherie had spilled hot coffee on the piles of documents he had just finished. And he remembered that time when they had been on a mission to collect the evidence of the affair of a customer’s husband with his lover! Cherie had forgotten to turn off the sound of the camera so they had to run all the way through several blocks to get rid of them. That had not been some pleasant memory! He couldn’t have said no because Cherie was the daughter of her father’s friend!

“Screw you! One more word and I’ll go blow down your stupid studio! Try me!” Cherie was so loud that everyone around turned to look at them. Vincent only smiled and apologized. Chloe and Christopher exchanged a silent smile and lowered their heads knowingly at the same time.

Vincent calmed everyone around down and turned to glare at Cherie but dared not to say a word, he only seated himself at a chair and started to drink juice in silence.

“Here you are! Thank you so much for coming, I hope you’re having a good time.” Shane came over, holding Yvonne’s hand, like a prince with her princess in a fairy tale. Chloe looked at them with all her admiration, Vincent elbowed Cherie so she managed to squeeze a smile at them, while Christopher made a toast to the couple.

“What’s past is in the past, now we all have our beloved ones in our hands and our hearts, and that’s the most important part. I’m afraid Yvonne and I are walking into marriage ahead of you now, you two should hurry!” Shane toasted back as he was talking, and the six of them all bottomed up standing up. Shane took Yvonne to the next table after he gave Chloe a weird look.

Christopher held Chloe tight in his arms while Vincent looked at them, then at Cherie by his side, and turned away decisively. He had no intention of hugging Cherie now.

“If you don’t want me here now, I might as well just leave, but if your father ask whether you have bullied me or ill-treated me, I think I’ll just tell him the truth,” and a hand was rested on Cherie’s shoulder then. Vincent squeezed a bitter smile and grimaced at her, which put Cherie in a better mood and cheered into laughter.

Cherie had had dinner with Vincent’s father the other day and the wedding of Shane and Yvonne had been brought up on the dinner, so the father simply asked Vincent to bring Cherie with him.

“Cherie, I think you and Vincent, the two of you, look a great couple.” Chloe took a sip at her juice and started to smooth the folds off her dress very carefully. It was an expensive dress for god sake!

“That is only because I’m wearing an ugly dress today.” Cherie disapproved, who wants to look a good couple with that guy.

“Yeah... I don’t think it’s the dress’ fault.” Vincent refuted, with no intention of losing the fight.

“Vincent Durant!” Cherie was shamed into anger and glared at him.

“Damn, I think I have lost my hearing!” Vincent kept on provoking her regardless of Cherie’s warning. Cherie rose to her feet and walked towards the exit in her high heels, Vincent followed up hurriedly, leaving Chloe chuckling there and Christopher watching her chuckle.

“Oh my god, I haven’t seen Cherie this mad at someone for a long time, Vincent is good.”

“I too haven’t seen Vincent this mad at someone for a long time.” Christopher watched them from their back and found it quite intense between those two.

“Hey, don’t be such a baby, you can’t just leave!” Vincent caught up with Cherie at the door and grabbed her hand.

“Why not?”

“Because, you came with ME!”

“Oh that’s not convincing enough for me to stay. I’ll see you!” Cherie turned and intended to leave, only to be hugged from behind by Vincent.

“...”

“... you just can’t go!” Vincent said and started to act like a spoiled child, which made Cherie blushed to her ear.

“...”

“Come back with me...” Vincent grabbed her hand and started back. Cherie suddenly forgot how to refute, only wondering at what Vincent had done.

After the wedding feast had started, Chloe quietly watched Shane and Yvonne exchange their rings, so very envious of them from the deepest.

After the clanging of forks and knives with plates started to come from every table, Chloe played her major role as Christopher’s girlfriend and ate everything Christopher had put on her plate, while Cherie and Vincent watched them and dropped their jaws. Cherie lowered her head and put a piece of beef in her mouth, thinking and hoping that Christopher was serious with Chloe, or she’d never forgive him. They had not been together for many days, and Chloe had not even told her about him. What scared her more was that her innocent Chloe had slept with him! Let alone she ran into the two of them in bed, she had to pretend to know nothing about it, and telling it would be embarrassing after all!

“Who is this young lady with our young Mr. Cleveland? Is she your girlfriend? ” an old man asked curiously and Christopher nodded yes with a silent smile. Chloe glanced at him quietly and slowed down her eating.

“What a charming young lady!” even though she knew it was just occasional compliment, the sudden feeling of becoming a swan from a ugly duckling still made her swoon.

“Ouch!” the bouquet came flying miraculously all the way over the crowd and hit Chloe’s head. It seemed that some guy had thrown it in the air when they fought over the bouquet.

Christopher saw Chloe hold the flowers in her hand and had no idea what to do, so he helped her onto the stage.

“What are y...” Shane saw the curvy evil smile on the corner of Christopher’s mouth, and his mic was taken by him.

“I am most happy that my fiance have got the bouquet, and to the groom and bride, I wish you lifelong happiness.” the crowd burst into applause. Chloe just stood there still and had no idea what to do next.

After the crowd quieted down, Christopher returned Shane his mic and whispered, “Yvonne loves you, treat her well.”

Shane watched Christopher and Chloe walk down the stage, then he turned to pull Yvonne in his arms, he could see the shyness through her well-put front on her face.

“You look so beautiful.” Shane couldn’t help saying with such affection, and gently he kissed her on the lips.

After the kiss, Yvonne gazed at Shane, her handsome husband, and a rare smile curved at the corner of her lips, and there was hardly-ever-shown happiness in her eyes.

“You should smile more.”

“...” For Shane, everything about Yvonne was drug, addictive.

“I love you.” the tenderness and gentleness soothed and comforted her, and being with him was all that she wanted for the future now.

She remembered that night suddenly. Shane stormed out of the house after a fight with her and came back in the middle of the night, soaking wet and drunk, and held her tight in his arms and just wouldn’t let go, she seemed to begin to understand him. Shane had done terrible things, he had almost ruined someone’s life just for his own sake, and fortunately, it had not reached to the point where everything was too late, and all the mistakes were just in the wind now.

Yvonne gazed at Shane’s gentle and affectionate eyes and remembered Christopher’s words, ‘Shane loves you and always wants the best for you, he would never hurt you and deal anything with the gentlest way as long as it is about you. He is lucky to have you, and perhaps you are lucky to have him too. If you keep yourself from feeling it, you’ll never know how much he loves you.’

“Remember to come home early.” Yvonne smiled at him softly and saw Shane was caught in a loss for one second.

“...OK,I promise.”