His Contractual Mistress

Geoffrey made an abrupt turn. It surprised him when he bumped into someone. Fortunately, he had good reflexes; his arm unconsciously reached for the woman's body and stopped her fall. 

Looking into each other's eyes, both were blinking in surprise. 

"Vera?" 

"Geoffrey?" 

Geoffrey straightens up, pulling Vera up to stand properly. He then apologized afterward. "I'm sorry. I actually didn't look at the way." 

Vera smiled. She shook her head, then replied, "It's okay, and I'm not looking either." 

She raised her hand, holding a phone. Geoffrey nodded, showing he understood. As she walked down the hallway, she looked only at her cellphone and was busy typing on it. That is why it was partly her fault. 

"I'm glad that you are here as well," said Vera after a brief silence. She pursed her lips into a sweet smile as she added, "I'm actually thinking of only showing up then going back to my suite as I don't know everyone at this party." 

'How come?' Geoffrey chuckled as he thought, how coincidence is this. He said, "We've been thinking the same. I came to inspect the Lopez Steel Corp. so that it will work for me after tonight." 

"I see." Vera nodded. 

There was a pause of silence as both felt shy toward each other. 

"Are you going in, right?" Geoffrey asks to hide the awkwardness he is feeling in front of Vera. 

She explained, "Yes. I am here to meet Hailee. It isn't advisable for her to travel around now that she is pregnant of three." 

"Yes. She has to watch her condition. Then, I will lead you the way." Geoffrey concurred. He then offered his arm. 

"Thank you," Vera muttered. She lifted her arm and held onto Geoffrey's elbow. 

As those delicate fingers wrapped around his elbow, he felt inexplicably warm in his heart. He could not retract his gaze at Vera as he noticed that Hailee and Vera had a little resemblance. 

For a moment, Geoffrey was in a trance. 

"What's the matter?" Vera asked Geoffrey, looking at him with curiosity in her eyes as he only stared at her delicate face. She is a little conflicted about why Geoffrey is staring at her with intent, and she's a bit uncomfortable because it causes her cheeks to flush pink. 

Coming back to his senses, Geoffrey smiled. "Ah. You look lovely." 

Vera's pink cheeks instantly become like a bitten red. It surprises her to hear compliments from someone like Geoffrey. 

Geoffrey was known for his aloofness around the female circle in the business world, as he didn't enjoy mingling with women. They could only see him standing next to Hailee, in which Bryan was always her companion on important events. 

Most of the time, Geoffrey is more likely the third-wheeler. But Hailee falls in love with someone else. 

She thought that Bryan or Geoffrey would be the lucky man. However, Hailee only loved them as a brother even after she got engaged to Bryan. 

That is why Geoffrey's praise truly shocked her because his eyes only fixed on Hailee, and he seemed never to look at other women. 

Walking down the hallway toward the Grand Hall, Geoffrey broke off the silence between them. 

"So… I heard Hailee plans to launch her new skincare products." 

Vera glanced at Geoffrey. The guy was staring at her again, and this really made her wonder. Now she was shy about being around him. 

'I'm just overthinking.' She convinced herself. 

Vera gathered her thoughts in one place. She smiled and nodded. "Yes. So, I was here to discuss it with Hailee, and she asked my help to choose a beautiful girl's name for our new products." 

"I see." Geoffrey nodded while he contemplated something. "Hailee wanted to name the new products after her daughter." 

"Yes. She was excited to know the gender of her babies. But if it will be all boys, she can be pregnant again." Vera didn't leave her gaze at Geoffrey's solemn face. She knew he was in love with Hailee. And so she guessed Geoffrey had a heartache seeing Hailee was with someone else. 

This guy was actually pitiful. He only kept his true feelings for Hailee for many years, and he never attempted to confess. Instead, he let himself be in the brother zone forever with hundreds of women in the business circle who tried to get his attention, but they never succeeded. 

Geoffrey Wilson is from a wealthy family in Australia. Being an heir to Wilson Group, he served Hailee and was her left hand. He did everything for Hailee, and that's out of his love for her. 

Poor guy. Hailee is getting married to another guy soon, and she wonders what Geoffrey feels about it. She is curious to know if he has already moved on or continues loving Hailee in secret. 

Thinking about it, Vera didn't understand why there was a pain in her heart. Why was she affected that Geoffrey would remain in love with Hailee? 

Why would she have a feeling like this? She has no right to feel this way. She and Geoffrey are actually not that close, but they met because of Hailee. 

"Were here…" 

Vera's train of thoughts was disrupted when Geoffrey suddenly spoke, announcing their arrival at the Grand Hall door. 

There is two hotel staff guarding at the entrance, and they immediately open the door. 

Vera swept her gaze to the entire hall that was decorated ostentatiously. She's been to many parties on different occasions, even at royal gatherings, but this one is something beyond extraordinary. 

"Hailee was here when I left to answer an important call. Let's go to the table I shared with her friends, and maybe she was hanging out with them." 

When Geoffrey mentioned Hailee's friends instead of ours, she immediately guessed that he meant the three girls she got close to here in Metro City. 

"Vera!" 

"Hi, Daisy!" Vera broadened her smile to see Daisy. 

Daisy is her roommate back in her college days at Oxford University. She was happy to have an acquaintance she was too close to. 

"Ah! I missed you, girl! Oh, my gosh! You didn't tell me you already had a boyfriend." 

Vera dropped her jaw on the floor after Daisy made that joke. She wanted to pinch this girl, but it was embarrassing to do that. They weren't young girls anymore, but adult women. 

With blushing cheeks, she glanced at Geoffrey with apologetic eyes. She just knew that this guy only likes Hailee, and so she didn't dare to make a joke about him. There were situations like this in the past when other girls wanted to assume, and Geoffrey remained indifferent and cold toward them.

But she was surprised once again. At times like this, Geoffrey is supposed to wear a poker face or a solemn facial expression. However, Geoffrey had a faint smile on his lips. 

It confused her, but she shrugs off the assuming thoughts playing in her head. 

"She was only joking," she muttered nervously at Geoffrey. 

She wanted to make it clear to him, but shyness hit her hard as the beating in her chest acting weirdly, and she did all her best to calm it down. 

'What is wrong with me?' Vera keeps scolding herself to have unnecessary hopes in her heart. What she is feeling would be in vain, as it will only be unrequited love. She knew that there was nothing to look forward to. 

"Vera!" 

Vera smiled at the beautiful, preggy woman walking toward them. She met Hailee halfway and hugged her tight. "Congratulations, cousin! You are even pretty now that you are pregnant." 

"Thank you, cousin." Hailee placed a loud kiss on her cousin Vera Davies' cheek. The two women release each other. "I'm glad you are here. Come. You should eat first." 

Hailee leads Vera to the table where Gigi and Kelly are chatting with the three young teenagers. 

"Vera, hi!" Gigi slowly got up from the sofa, as she was also pregnant now. 

When Tom saw her throwing up one morning in the bathroom, he immediately guessed she was pregnant. She has no idea yet, but seeing how bright Tom's face was, she immediately had a check-up to confirm if their assumption was correct. And she was now five weeks pregnant. 

Tom was so happy that he would finally be a father as well. 

"Oh, god! You and Hailee surely had talked about getting pregnant at the same time!" Vera teased. Soon, she realized she said something awkward, as she was a single lady with capital letters. Gladly, they were used to joking around with random things. 

Gigi and Hailee only giggle, and both hug her. 

Meanwhile, Hailee noticed how Hazel, Liza, and Nadia dropped their mouths open. Of course, these girls knew Vera through social media. 

"Ahem. Girls, I want you to meet my cousin Vera Davies…." 

"She is the beautiful Director of Davies Cosmetic Company!" Step forward to see Vera closely; Hazel burst out gleefully. 

As someone obsessed with Hailee's skincare products, she followed Vera Davies and idolized her. Now that she met her in person, she confirmed that Hailee and Vera have a little resemblance. "I'm Hazel Khan, and I love all of your cosmetics and skincare products!" 

Vera smiled. "I heard from Hailee that you have been using our products ever since we launched our company." 

Hazel nodded happily. Lately, she, Nadia, and Liza received a complete set of cosmetics and skincare products from Hailee, delivered as a surprise parcel. And in the package, there is a handwritten card from Vera. 

Vera, on the other hand, scanned Hazel from the head down to her red stiletto. After then, she turned his gaze to Hailee and said, 

"Hail, your friend here is beautiful. I think she would be perfect to be an ambassador of our new products." 

Hazel widened her eyes. Suppose she didn't hear wrong. Vera meant she could be a model. 

Not just a simple model, but a cosmetic and skincare model!