The Runaway Cheat

Chapter 16

"No, we won't. But Louize may, especially when your shareholders are so desperate to sell the company." I said.

"You wouldn't dare." The calmness shifted into anger and she sneered at me. Seems like I found the opening. I drag a chair and sit in front of her.

" I won't if you answer." But she didn't reply to anything and turned her eyes to some distance. "Why did you lie about your identity?"

"Because it's fun to pretend to be someone else." She replied with a smirk after a minute or so.

"Why did you leave?" I try again.

"I got bored," she said looking around like she is also bored to be here, "Oh, and yeah I ran out of money my papa gave me so I decided to come back." I was just a second away from slamming the chair on the wall.

"But according to the record your family is in Greece?" I asked, remembering the details Ely's PR brought. But at the mention of her family, something flickers in her eyes.

"Greece isn't my place. It's a great place for vacation but I need New York chaos. So I came directly here." She explained like she genuinely wanted me to believe.
She is lying.

"Just like Madrid isn't?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. But she didn't try to defend herself and went quiet. That's what she told me six years ago when I ask about her family.

"Ridge, just because my answers are not what you want doesn't mean they are lies." She said calmly. "I am sorry but whatever you are looking for isn't here. So please let me go."

Her voice was getting quiet and sadness wrap in her gaze. And it took everything in me to not run for her, to hold her in my embrace.

"It may not be what I want but it isn't the truth either. Speak the truth Marilyn and I'll let you go." My voice rang around as nobody speaks. "But if you think I'll let you go without knowing the truth, if you think I'll let you live in peace after you ruined my life you are extremely wrong." I whisper those words. And her gaze wets with tears ready to flow down."Ridge." Finn said as he signal me to calm down.

When she still didn't say anything, "You accepted his fucking ring!" Ely yelled at her which made her flinch. "Step back Ely," I growled at him.

"I know, I know but he was so happy, so excited. I didn't want to break his heart." She finally said looking at me like she was about to cry.

I drop into the floor to get close to her, " I would've...I would've survived that hurt Mara. I could accept all the rejection in the world if you stayed with me. But you left, you fucking ran away."

"I am sorry, so sorry. I got cold feet. And running away is what I know to do whenever I face any problem." Her words fell apart and she let out a sob.

"You should've said something. I was not going to force you into marriage if you were not ready. Do you really believe I am capable of doing that?" I am weak to my knees when it comes to her and it makes me feel defeated that I failed to show her that.

"I know Ridge, I get it. But we can change things from here. So please let me go." She said crying like she was in pain. I went to open her hands immediately but Finn put his hand on my shoulder to stop me. I turn my head around at him with a glare for daring to stop me.

But when he says, "She is manipulating you" with a glare towards Mara my brows shifted to a frown. Finn never acted like that but when I turned my face towards her, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

She was smiling, a smile I never saw on Mara's face but on Marilyn's.

"Did I break your little stone-cold heart Ridge?" She asked with a grin.

"You think it's funny? You think it's a fucking game for you?" Ely launch in her face screaming threats and warning but I sat still on my knees to see her smile.
Cold, empty and toxic.

"You are lucky, you are a woman or else I would've fucking killed you by now for what you did to him." Ely keeps on yelling.

But she was looking at me, "How does it feel Ridge? How does it feel to get manipulated, get played like you are some toy?" She asked, laughing aloud.

"Mara?" I pleaded with her name.

"Mara? She died years ago, more like I killed her. She was too naive to survive here. So she disappeared." She said, still grinning.

"What do you mean—" I started but words got lost in my mouth. "Marilyn, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?" I demanded.

"I am showing you the real Marilyn, Ridge. That the woman you are so desperately seeking within me is not fucking real. Do you understand?" she sounds so cold and empty. Her gaze is distant and there is no light but only void within them.

Like she is dead inside, like something within her is gone.

Fearing to lose her I try again, "What happened six years ago that made you this way?"

"Six years ago? I found a gorgeous toy, so I played with it for a while and threw it away." She replied with a pout.

Something is very wrong. Was this whole time I was really loving an imposter? Who played with my feeling because she could. "I am going to destroy you, Marilyn." My chill voicerangs around the walls.

"You won't." She replied. "What?" I asked, looking at the pair of cold eyes.

"You will not destroy me Ridge, you can't. Do you know why?" She asked revealing a smile which was anything but sweet, "because you are obsessed with me. You do not have the strength to see me sad. Right?" She asked, looking straight into my eyes.

"Ridge, I know you told me how your Mara was all about sweet, soft and gentle but this one? This one is a fucking nutcase. She is a damn manipulative psychopath!" Ely said, voice wrapping with horror and shock.

"I can't destroy you." I repeated her words in my mouth, "I can't see you sad." I said the words like I was forced to do it.

It was indeed all a lie.

"Yes, you can't. You will not dare to touch Louize, do you hear me?" She said to me and I nodded at her words like they meant the world to me.

"You can't hate me." She keeps on going, but I was already in the void feeling numb and aching at my chest. Pain and so much more pain.

"You need to stop talking," Ely screamed at her but she didn't even blink towards him, her eyes were only on me like I am all that mattered, but you are not, you never were.

"You love me Ridge, don't you?" she asked she would ever appreciate my feeling for her.
She won't.

"I said shut the fuck up," Ely screamed even louder but she still didn't remove her eyes from me.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, Finn. "Stand up, you need to leave." He said to me but my body has gone all weak.

She never cared.

I stood up when I felt the pull of someone. I was dragged away from her but she was still looking at me with a wide smile like she wanted me to agree to whatever she said. And like that, I realize the bitter truth.

Mara was indeed dead.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

Another chapter in one day 🤧🤧
If after reading this chapter you say ' what the fuck' 🤯 then don't worry you are not the only one.
Marilyn is a complex character and I do hope people will be patient enough to understand her.
Any way that's it.
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.