His Contractual Mistress

"THE ENGAGEMENT RINGS"

* * *

Pitt and Liam watch the car leaving the parking lot lobby. The vehicle takes a right turn, headed toward the entrance door of Metro City Palace Hall located on the opposite side of the hotel's main entrance. 

"Whatever you are planning, Liam. I dare you not to do it." Pitt warned the guy, who only grins at him wickedly, not feeling threatened at all. 

"Why would I feel threatened just because you told me?" Liam countered Pitt's statement with a mock in his tone. It always irritates him that Pitt is so self-entitled, being the best knight who knows everything. 

"Liam Huo! Are you declaring a war against the princess?" Pitt sneered at him. 

Liam lifted his chin. The corner of his mouth contorted into a smirk as he spoke. "We used to be on the same side. Our instinct is always in sync. We want to eliminate anyone who harms the princess." 

"We drove them away! Not killing them, which is not the princess type to do so!" Pitt corrected the guy. It annoys him how Liam is self-righteous. "Why don't you understand anything at all, Liam? What are you doing now? Aren't you harming the princess by killing the one she loved, huh?" 

"Are you referring to Vincent Shen?" he asked with seriousness in his tone and the way he looks at Pitt. 

"You don't know who you are fighting against," Pitt warned him one more time. "Stop your idiocy." 

Liam remains to stare at Pitt. Later on, he smirked and said, "I don't need to explain myself to anyone. Let us meet on the battlefield, Pitterson Cha." 

Pitt cursed, watching Liam slid inside his car and trotted away. 'Dammit!' 

"Pitt…" Keith walked toward the guy and patted his back. He could see how upset he was. Any minute now, if no one stops this guy, he would start digging a pit for someone. 

Keith was nearby all this time. He's only hiding. He is prepared to back them up if Liam moves toward the princess or against Vincent Shen. And he heard everything about Liam and Pitt arguing about. In his understanding, this is not just an ordinary obsession with the princess. Liam Huo is losing his mind, and his behavior will put the entire city in danger. 

"Keith, let's search the entire area for suspicious movement. We should pay attention to both the hotel and the mall. We have to make sure Liam's men are not around." 

"Okay. I will head to the monitoring room to check all the CCTV's." Keith concurred. 

After Keith left, Pitt phoned Tom. "Liam is officially declaring war. Vincent Shen came back out of the blue. We need to do something asap." 

"Then, we have to plan out how we could take the Princess back to Australia without Liam's knowledge. It would be best if the princess should go back with Vincent Shen." 

"Yeah. We need to talk to her. Ah, Miss Gigi can do that since we can't talk to the princess directly. We must avoid contacting her when Vincent Shen is around." 

"You are right. By the way, you sounded irritated. Liam mocked you to the extreme, is it?" 

"You need not ask." Pitt frowned.

Tom laughs. He could picture Pitt's soured face. 'I just know how those two had the same behavior.' Tom muttered to himself. But there's no way he'll tell Pitt about his thoughts. He just enjoyed his love life. He didn't wish for his grave to be dug at this time around. 

Anyway, even though Pitt has a bad temper, he didn't think of murdering someone to solve everything. Unlike Liam, he never needs an explanation or listens to it but would kill someone on the spot whether this person did wrong or hasn't. 

That's how brutal Liam is, the reason the Princess was very careful to give her whereabouts. And the fact she is controlling the web portal and abusing ATHENA to hide from Liam. Later on, she had more reasons to do every means, and that is protecting Vincent Shen. 

*

Meanwhile, Vince's car was on a halt, following the traffic flow of the vehicles that headed to the red carpet. They are waiting for their turn since more guests arrive ahead of them. 

Since it comes to this, Vince took the opportunity to give Hailey his gift. 

"Hm? I have an early birthday gift?" She jokes. Her birthday will be before the year ends. That would be several months away. 

"Just open it." Vince urges her, and Hailey could sense the excitement in his voice. 

Hailey opens the box and gasps with surprise. She thought it was a necklace, as the box was rectangular. But what was inside were two diamond rings. Ah, no. The ring was in a necklace chain.

Vince took the necklace and put it around her neck. He said, "I will put them on your finger after we get our marriage license." 

Hailey was speechless; she couldn't take her eyes off the two rings. They were beautiful! One ring was tiny diamonds surrounding it, and the other one, also covered with accent diamonds but has a center stone of a Marquise cut. 

"It was lovely," she muttered between her sobs. "I should buy you one as well." 

Vince's eyes twinkle with amusement. This woman never failed to flutter his heart. He leaned over and planted tiny kisses on her forehead. 

"It's okay. I have one too." Vince muttered. He pulled something from his neck, and she realized it was a necklace with an engagement ring for men. 

"So, they are a couple rings!" she exclaimed happily.

"Yes." Vince lifted his right hand and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I need to call Baron to retouch my makeup," she mouthed worriedly.

Vince chuckled, watching how cute she was. Later, a limo stops next to their car. Tim knocked on the window. She learned Vince told Tim to get Baron and get a limousine to change the vehicle. And they will be comfortable while retouching her makeup. 

After Baron made a miracle, retouching her swollen eyes, they proceed to the entrance where hundreds of media reporters are waiting for all the attendees to have their moment showing off on the grand Red Carpet. 

Vincent steps out of the limousine; his appearance surprised everyone. They knew he was often out of the country for his new projects. They have no detailed information about it, but the Shen Group PR promises to announce it soon. 

Seeing him at the event means only one thing. He's here to drop off his girlfriend. And their guess was correct when Vincent helps a woman get out of the Limo. 

Everyone gasps in awe. They snapped the button of their cameras and took this opportunity to take a photo of him and his famous mistress. As usual, the woman never fails to impress them with her seductive charm and beautiful body. 

She was too lovely in her sexy evening dress. 

"See you later. I will book a room for us." Vince whispered in her ear before he let her go. 

They've kissed in front of the media, which nonstop taking their photos. They were too happy to have this kind of display. It will be a big headline tomorrow. 

Hailey began walking across the red carpet, but everyone requested Vincent to walk with his girlfriend. 

"But this was only an all-female event." he reasons out that the media won't stop bugging him. 

Later, Vincent gives in with the requests and joins Hailey to walk over to the red carpet, which she was already halfway through. She waited for Vince. Hand in hand, they walk together and pose several times in front of the reporters. 

Not long, their eyes caught those necklaces hanging around their necks with rings as pendants. 

"It could be?" The reporters are whispering to each other. 

Hailey and Vince halted in front of a backdrop. Mina Lynch, the General Manager of DV Inc. Main Office, handed Hailey a pen and whispered. "Miss, we still have to take your photo even if we will not include it on our website." 

"Okay. By the way, regarding these photos. I want to speak with you in the office one of these days." 

"Okay, Miss Davies." 

Hailey scribbles her signature on top of the backdrop where Gigi, Leticia, and Dana's signature placed above everyone else. 

She handed the pen back to Mina and made several poses once again. After then, she pulled Vincent to pose together. But she could feel his burning stares on her face. She knew that questions now started flooding in his head. 

"See you later, hubby," she whispered in Vince's ear, nibbling it and wink at him. 

Hailey left Vince with a perplexed expression on his face. She climbed the stairs, but Mina followed her. 

"Miss, is that alright?" 

"What is it, Mina?" she asked the manager, giving her a curious look. 

"You used your actual name and signature." 

"Yes. After all the attendees arrived and finished signing, take it down right away and hide it." 

"Okay, Miss." Mina bowed and went back to the lobby. 

Before Hailey takes the rest of the stairs, she turns around and looks at Vince, who is staring at her receding back. 

Their eyes meet, and she gives him an apologetic look. Soon, her mouth formed into… 

"I love you." 

Hailey was already disappeared, but he remains standing on the spot where Hailey left him. Later, Vince drags his feet to the exit door. 

Still, the name and signature on the backdrop keep playing inside his head. The name and signature are too alike from the contract he signed with Davies Group.

The CEO's name and signature were the same on the backdrop signature...

"HAILEE DAVIES"