Beauty wanted to ignore him, to just leave, but what would those watching say? Bruno pulling her outside like that had already caused enough drama. If she left now, she'd look like an angry girlfriend.
Since he was the CEO, there was no way she could leave him like that unless something else was going on between them.
"Please," Bruno added, quieter now. "Trust me."
Without saying a word, Beauty climbed into the car. Bruno shut the door and hurried to the driver's seat.
As he started the car and they drove away, the silence between them was heavy, full of everything they needed to say but couldn't.
---
They had been driving for close to an hour now. Bruno's mind was still in turmoil, thinking of what to say, how to explain what had happened.
He had deleted the video last night. He didn't know what impact it could have on her if she sees it.
Plus, he couldn't stop thinking about it—having a video of the girl he loved giving pleasure to another man. She was young, a teenager then, but that didn't make it any easier for him to get it off his mind.
He knew Beauty didn't trust him right now, not after everything with Beyoncé. But what could he say to make her believe it wasn't what she thought? How could he convince her without the video?
His chest tightened as he stole a glance at Beauty beside him. She hadn't said anything during the drive; her silence was only amplifying his anxiety.
It's a good thing though, isn't it?
A sign she wants to hear me out, right?
he thought.
Finally, Bruno pulled into a parking lot, the car's engine humming softly as he turned it off.
The entrance was lined with twinkling fairy lights surrounded by lush gardens, filled with roses, lilies, and cascading vines that gave the place an enchanting, dreamlike atmosphere.
"What are we doing here?" Beauty finally broke the silence. She didn't look at him; her voice sounded harsh and demanding. Bruno had expected it.
They were at Eden's Romantic Estate, a famous place for couples only. He had wanted a romantic apology to make it up to her.
He unbuckled his seatbelt, his heart pounding in his chest. Without thinking, he leaned toward her, cupped her face, and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was unexpected—an impulsive, thoughtless move.
Beauty froze for a split second, and just as Bruno kissed her deeper, she went along with it—or so he thought.
But the next moment proved him wrong.
She slapped him. Hard. The sharp crack of her slap echoed through the car. Bruno's head snapped to the side from the force, his cheek turning pink. He winced, not from the physical pain, but from the realization of how badly he'd messed up.
He shouldn't have listened to Abigail's advice!
"Oh, she's mad because she thinks you cheated? Why not take her to a big, expensive, romantic place? If she's the classic type, Eden's Estate is perfect. She'll be like, 'What are we doing here?' Blah blah blah. Shut her up with a deep kiss without saying a word, then look her in the eyes and apologize. Trust me, it'll work. That's if you're dating a she."
"By the way, how long are you going to hide your lover from us?"
Abigail had told him that morning after pestering him about the problem before he left for work. He was at least hopeful that he would see Beauty at the office, so he decided to share his problem with her.
"Well, the technique sucks!
Thanks to my virgin ass,
And thanks to Abigail—best sister in the world,"
Bruno cursed inwardly.
Suddenly, Beauty broke into his thoughts.
"Open the door! I want to get out!" she demanded, trying to hold back her emotions.
"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, raising a hand as if to calm her, but Beauty wasn't having it.
"Sorry?!"
Beauty's voice grew louder as tears brimmed in her eyes.
"You think 'sorry' is enough? After everything that happened? After Beyoncé...You think you can just kiss me and everything will go away? Seduce your way back into my heart? Oh, the insecure girl will have no choice—a kiss, and she'll melt in your arms, because after all, you're Bruno!"
Her voice broke, and she sucked in a shaky breath, her chest heavy with grief.
"No, no, it's not like that," Bruno pleaded.
He raked a hand through his hair, regret and frustration mixing on his face.
"The thing with Beyoncé... It wasn't what it looked like. She—"
Beauty cut him off with a bitter laugh, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"It wasn't what it looked like? Are you serious, Bruno? You think I'm stupid? You think I didn't see how you were all over her naked body... Kissing her with your pants unzipped? I may be that fat girl, but I am not stupid!" she yelled, her voice cracking as she wiped furiously at her tears.
Bruno's heart broke as he watched her cry that hard.
Why is he not as good as other men with words!
"I didn't cheat on you, baby. I swear. Beyoncé... she set the whole thing up. I had to play along because she was planning to blackmail—"
"Just open the damn door! You think I'll listen to your lies? You know, others accept that they find slimmer women more attractive. Maybe you should do the same instead of lying... just leave me alone!"
Bruno's face went blank at her words. He hated the fact that she wasn't even trying to understand him. He was trying so hard to explain.
"I shouldn't have kissed you... but I'm really telling the truth."