CHAPTER 243: TWO IMPOSTORS

Stefan watched Genevieve who was seated opposite him, staring out the window and looking like she was lost in thoughts.

He had received Jamal’s text a moment ago, and it made him wonder what she was thinking right now and what her plan was.

He figured she probably wanted to spend the week with him and then disappear after telling him the truth. Or did she not plan to tell him the truth? He wondered, but hoped she would.

He already had them decorating a room for her at his apartment because he intended to take her back with him.

He had already reached out to a Salon and Spa owner he knew about taking Genevieve under her wings, since Genevieve had said she’d have loved to be a hairstylist and a makeup artist if she wasn’t Dawn.

He wanted to help her live an honest and happy life while pursuing a relationship with her.

Apart from the Jonas, who had taken him under their wings like one of them, he didn’t have a family of his own being an orphan, and he wanted Genevieve to be that to him.

Staring out of the window into the nothingness outside, Genevieve wondered where he was taking her and she thought about how she’d be able to easily sneak away from him when the time came.

She turned when she noticed from the corners of her eyes that he seemed to be staring at her.

"Why are you staring at me that way?" Genevieve asked when she met his gaze.

"Do I need a reason to stare at you that way? It’s not my fault that you look so beautiful and I can’t keep my eyes off you," he said, and she blushed slightly, making him chuckle.

"Get out of here," she said, tucking an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear.

Genevieve looked out the window again, suddenly feeling too shy to look at him. Stefan grinned when he observed that.

"Only if you’re getting out with me. Should we take the parachutes?" He asked with a teasing smile. "I don’t think we will be needing parachutes though. A beauty angel like you must have hidden wings."

Genevieve laughed out loud. "Can you please stop?"

"What am I stopping? Making you laugh? Because I can’t do that. Not when you look this pretty when you laugh. And the sound of your laughter is like music to my ears..."

"That’s so cheesy." Genevieve brushed the tears from her eyes as she laughed.

Stefan grinned as he watched her, hoping that this would ease her tension, since he could tell she was very tensed.

"So, on a scale of one to ten, how much did you miss me?" Stefan asked, causing her to turn to look at him.

Her lips twitched with amusement. "When did I ever say I missed you?"

Stefan chuckled, "You didn’t have to say it. I could hear the pout in your voice each time I failed to call or called too late."

Genevieve laughed. "Twenty."

"Twenty?"

"You asked a question. I missed you more than the scale can quantify," she said softly.

"What did you miss most about me?" Stefan asked curiously.

"How I can be myself in front of you and how you make me laugh like a maniac. I haven’t had such a good laugh since you left," she admitted.

"I wonder why. Is it that no one around you is funny? Or your sense of humor only surfaces when I’m around you?"

Genevieve shrugged. "Maybe there’s just nothing funny to laugh about. So, where are we going?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I missed your beautiful smile the most," Stefan said, ignoring her question. "And I also missed the sound of your laughter."

Genevieve smiled, wondering if he’d like her the same when he finds out the truth. "What if tomorrow you find out I’m not Dawn? What if you find out I’m just an impostor? Would you still like my smile or the sound of my laughter?" She asked before she could stop herself.

Stefan held her gaze. "What does your name have to do with your smile or laughter? You are who you are. You don’t look or smile the way you do because of your name, do you?"

"But you came to me because I’m Dawn, didn’t you?" She pointed out.

"I came to you because you’re Dawn, but I am with you now because of who you are right now. You don’t look or sound like the Dawn I know, yet I’m here. I’m here right now because I love your smile and the sound of your laughter. And I like how you try to be honest and real. Even if I found out tomorrow that you’re not Dawn Hank, I wouldn’t like you any less. You can take that from me."

Genevieve’s heart raced as she held his gaze. Something about the way he looked at her told her he meant every word.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me," she said softly.

"So, back at you. What if you found out I’m not Jamal Jonas? What if I’m just an impostor? Would you like me less if I wasn’t the billionaire Jamal Jonas you think I am?" Stefan asked, and Genevieve tilted her head to the side as she considered it.

Two impostors coming together. Wouldn’t that be nice? She thought with a small smile.

"I think I’d probably love you more and feel more at ease if you weren’t Jamal Jonas," she confessed.

That way she wouldn’t feel like she stole Abigail’s man and she wouldn’t have to feel so guilty about deceiving him. But she knew that wasn’t possible.

"You would love me more?" Stefan asked, amused, "Even if I’m not a billionaire?"

Genevieve laughed. "This is the first time you’ve so much as shown me you were wealthy. I mean flying a private jet. You were pretty average during your last visit and I didn’t mind. So, it doesn’t really matter to me if you’re a billionaire or not. What matters most is that you make me laugh and I can be myself when I’m with you."

Stefan smiled, feeling reassured by her response that he was doing the right thing. He patted the space beside him, asking her to join him, and she did.

Stefan took her hand in his, his thumb brushing her wrist. "You know what I want? I want you to smile and laugh a lot this week. No distant look in your eyes. Forget home and everything and just focus on being happy. Can you do that for me?"

Genevieve nodded slowly. It was what she wanted to do any way. "Yes. I want us to enjoy this week to the fullest."