CHAPTER 551: WHO AM I? (1)

It happened without warning and so fast that she didn’t have time to think. Alicia was pulled directly onto Brad’s lap, straddling him and somewhat surprised by his actions. A little yelp left her at the sudden action. He then wrapped one arm around her waist and placed the other behind her head, bringing her face close to his, so that their noses were touching.

Alicia gasped, but all was happening so fast that without even the time to take a breath, his lips collided on hers, making her eyes widen in shock. Yes, she loved the kiss, but wasn’t it too abrupt?

It was indeed true that they were to marry the very next day, which was a few hours away, but Alicia still struggled for a moment, trying to free herself from his grasp. Brad was far stronger than she, and he was also not thinking straight.

His grip tightened, holding her in place, as his mouth pressed against hers, forcing her lips open with his tongue. Brad’s movements were frantic, and it looked like he had no control over himself.

He pushed his tongue inside her mouth and began exploring its depths, savouring every sensation as she squirmed against him.

Alicia moaned as all hesitance and resistance faltered. Her body relaxed, allowing Brad to kiss her even deeper and longer, both of them coming up for breath at the same time. Alicia swooped in for the next kiss, pushing Brad on the bed, and taking over, Brad responding with an equal vigour.

Their tongues pushed and wrestled against each other, each submitting to the other’s will. Alicia pinned Brad’s hands above his head, looking at his glazed eyes, while she panted. He squirmed on the bed, and she could feel his hardon pressing against her bum. She still felt a shudder run through her, still feeling Brad’s lips imprint on hers, as she stared down at him, thinking, ’how did we even get here?’

A few minutes earlier....

Alicia looked long and hard at Shelby, seeing that she was not in a joking mood. But none of the words made any sense.

’Why would Shelby tell me to check on Brad? And so out of the blue like that?’

Alicia looked out of the large glass door, now noticing that evening was upon them already. From here on, she stood up, murmuring some excuse and then headed in the direction of Brad’s West Wing.

Alicia quickened her pace when she noticed that the air in the West Wing was still, the kind of hush that felt too deliberate—like silence that had swallowed a secret. It was strange, and she could not pinpoint why she felt that way, till she asked herself,

"Where is everybody?"

It was unusual for any part of the estate to be that quiet, except for Ian’s Wing. There were always one or two workers walking around and in the middle of a task. However, Alicia had not met a single one since she stepped into the West Wing.

Something tugged at her chest. A wrong feeling. A fluttering whisper that something—someone — was off.

She stepped into the hallway toward his private room, heels clicking softly. One of the maids was coming from that direction, flustered and unconvincing. Alicia would have probably passed this person, on a normal day, but she couldn’t help but pause and ask,

"Is everything okay?" Alicia asked, looking around,

"Where is everyone?"

By now, everyone in the estate knew that Alicia was to be the second mistress, but she should not have been in the estate by then. By protocol, Alicia should have been in her father’s house the evening before her marriage into the Thornston family, which caught this maid by surprise.

The maid blinked too fast. "Yes, miss. Everything is okay, and the young master is resting."

Alicia frowned. The girl’s body language was not correct. "Did you just come from his room?"

"Yes — no. I mean — I was just..."

But Alicia was already past her, pulse racing. She pushed open one inner door, faintly hearing the maid shout,

"Miss, the master is not to be disturbed," But Alicia pushed the bedroom door open, not adhering to the warning.

There he was — half-asleep, but in an awkward way that told Alicia that he was not himself. Brad’s shirt was undone, and another woman was sitting beside him, her hand resting too close to his chest, eyes gleaming with triumph; it was none other than that maid!

Tammy was just in her two-piece bikini-like underwear, her working dress already discarded. On the nightstand was a tray with tea and cookies, and a small incense burner exuded a pleasant fragrance in the air, from a small side table close to the other side of the bed.

"Tammy! What do you think you’re doing?" Alicia’s voice cracked like a whip.

The woman got startled but quickly composed herself. "Master Brad is not well. I was just helping him relax —"

"By climbing into his bed?!"

Alicia was becoming increasingly furious. Though she and Brad were not in a love relationship, she could not even fathom the fact that someone else was going to be intimate with him. Alicia did not like sharing in that regard, and remembering the cold and hateful gaze this particular Tammy person had been throwing her for the past few days, all of it made sense.

She took a hard look at Brad from where she was, noticing that though he seemed out, he had started writhing on the bed, his face was flushed, and he was trying to get out of his tie and clothes.

’He’s been drugged!’ This was the singular thought that came to Alicia. She turned her furious eyes to the girl who still did not attempt to move away from Brad, nor cover her semi-naked body. The woman was indeed bold because Brad had not pushed her away.

"We all know that he’s going to be your husband tomorrow," the girl purred smugly, "Your family arranged it. I’m just... preparing him .... For what’s to come.... Besides, Master Brad called me here and we’ll be committing no sin against you today as you’re not -"

Now, that didn’t make any sense, no matter how Alicia viewed it, and she was not one to be trifled with. Her docile demeanour as a governess had just been for the sake of her job, but the real Alicia was something else.

Wrong move. Tammy was not yet aware that she had touched the untouchable.

In two strides, Alicia was across the room and pulled the clingy woman, practically throwing her aside, and placed herself between them, shielding Brad with her body.

"You need to leave. Now."

Tammy scoffed. "Do you really think he wants you? It’s only an arrangement and a freak fate-"

He stirred then, reaching out weakly. "Don’t yell, sweetheart," he mumbled.

Alicia paled before she relaxed, knowing that Brad was just mumbling. But the endearment seemed to go into Tammy’s head. Forgetting that with the engagement and the impending marriage, Alicia was no longer her peer, Tammy let loose.

"YOU!!!! I should have been the one with him! I was the -"

Tammy opened her mouth, hissing in frustration, but the words had barely landed when Alicia punched her straight in the face.

"AHH! What the heck!"

Blood trickled down her nostrils, and she clutched it in pain. But her words died in her throat when Alicia said,

"You need to know your place and the work you do! Now scram before I lose more patience with you!"

Alicia turned, just as she heard movements at the door, but her attention there did not last, because Brad needed help.

Tammy stormed out — bumping into Erik at the door, who raised an unimpressed brow and made a note in his phone. Tammy clutched her dress against her bosom with one hand, and the other was still on what she believed was a broken nose. Erik could deduce all that had happened with a glance.

"Miss-"

Alicia, recognizing the voice turned sideways, "Deal with that trash!"

Then she let out a yelp, as Brad had somehow gotten up from the bed, and reached for her hand, pulling her onto his lap.

Erik bowed. He had come back after issuing directives on Brad’s friend to check on Brad, only to meet that scene. Erik did not even bat an eyelid when Alicia landed on Brad’s lap, or when Brad started kissing her like there was no one there.

Reassured that Alicia would take care of him, Erik stepped out and then reached for Tammy, who was sneaking away.

Silence returned to the room except for the kissing sounds between the two.

Alicia leaned into him as her head started feeling heavy and she also started feeling flushed. She had assumed that Brad had been drugged from ingesting something, but after a few minutes in the room, Alicia wanted to throw her legs wide open for her fiancée, which was not something she usually did.

Something nagged at the back of her mind, and she was almost gone to understand what it was. Her hands snaked up under Brad’s shirt, feeling his warm, sweaty body and the surprisingly hardened muscles.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Alicia sat up and ripped the shirt open with surprising strength, diving for his flat nipple. Brad moaned loudly, reaching for her, but she panted and held his hand.

She paused, closing her eyes tightly as if trying to clear her mind, with her last ounce of rationality, asking, "Who am I?"

"You’re my fiancée, Alicia, of course! Who else would you be?" Brad asked, slurring his words and then pulled Alicia down for another overwhelming kiss.

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