Unwrap Your Desire

OLIVIA

EVEN THOUGH we’ve been together, slept, and made out for how many months, it sure was so awkward to face Chase like this. I couldn’t erase the memory of him getting furious at me the last time we talked.

I became more self-aware of what I was doing, and perhaps I didn’t want to mess it up for him, as I also wanted to give our relationship a chance… Well, our fake relationship and marriage.

I needed to rediscover my motivation to role-play a great wife.

“Reese, are you alright? You’re spacing out.”

His voice made me come back to reality. I glanced at him and offered him a thin smile before I nodded. “I… I guess I can’t wait to see what you prepare for me. It’s quite unimaginable for you to do things like this.”

He let out a sigh and held my hand. “I’ll do everything, actually, anything just to win you back, Reese.”

Those words of promise made me swallow hard. His intense gaze made me shiver.

“Thanks…” A nervous laugh came out of my mouth.

No matter how I tried to act normally in front of him, it would never be the same after that last yacht party. It was like a constant reminder that I couldn’t put my guard down and let emotions take over me because it would be unfair for him.

A knock was heard on the door of our room, and Chase went straight away to open it.

“Mr. Maxwell, your candle-lit dinner is ready. Let me know if you want to go ahead and have your dinner.”

Chase then turned around and looked at me.

“Sure, we’ll be there in a minute,” he said to his men, then closed the door.

I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. I freaking need to switch my persona. I shouldn’t act as Olivia Marie right now. I have to act as Reese Jones-Maxwell, his wife.

“Thank you so much, baby,” I whispered in my low voice and slowly walked towards him.

I wrapped my hands around his neck. However, the way he looked at me in my eyes sent shivers to my spine. My heart was beating so fast that I didn’t feel the same way before. I quickly removed my hands from him and excused myself into the restroom.

I looked in the mirror and reminded myself of my goal. I took a deep breath. I massaged the temple of my nose.

“You can do this,” I said.

Chase’s knock on the bathroom door made me startle. I was so nervous that a single knock startled me.

“Reese, baby, let me know once you’re ready, okay?”

“Sure, baby!” I said with glee in my voice.

I glanced at my hands and they were shaking.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Why was I so nervous this time around? I ignored it and went out of the bathroom. We exited the room, and I clutched his arms.

“Thank you so much again for not abandoning me on this island. I was so scared of not seeing you here.”

He then shifted his body in front of me, and then he slowly touched my face with his hands.

“I won’t ever do that. I won’t abandon the woman that I love,” he said sincerely.

“Are you sure?”

He smiled at me. “Yes, absolutely. A hundred percent sure…”

He then leaned down and kissed my lips tenderly.

My lips quivered when I felt his lips brush into mine. I was certain that I missed the feeling of being kissed by this man. As our lips continued to touch, I saw a staff coming in our way in my peripheral vision.

“Ch-Chase…” I slightly pushed Chase away from me.

We both heard the loud cough of the staff member as he walked near us.

“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell. I am sorry to interrupt. The dinner is ready. In case you need anything, please feel free to call me.”

I was completely stunned by the sudden interruption, but I still managed to give him a nod. Chase also smiled at him.

He held my hand as we left the villa, and then we headed to the shore, where I noticed red rose petals scattered across the glass table. In each corner, there were some long wooden sticks decorated with pink and white flowers. The strips of light-emitting a warm shade were dangling from each post.

Chase then assisted me to sit down on the chair. I heard beautiful music being played by a violinist, and I couldn’t deny that it was relaxing.

“This is such a treat! Chase, I couldn’t believe this was all happening…”

“You deserve all of this, Reese. I want to make you feel that I love you so much, and that I want to win you back,” he said.

His words just made my heart melt. The sound of the waves, along with the lovely melody from the strings of the violin, made this night even more special.

“I apologize for what happened, Reese. It wasn’t my intention to be so harsh on you. I swear, I regret what I said that night,” he confessed and reached for my hand that was resting on the table. “I hope you can forgive me, my wife. I can’t go on a day knowing you’re mad at me.”

“I was the one who’s at fault here, Chase. It was my mistake. Clearly, I put your name at risk. I was aware of the drug trade that was taking place at that party. It was surely a very risky situation that would have put me in the headlines if the media found out that I was involved in it. I’ve disappointed you, Chase. I’m so sorry…”

My face was crumpled and I took a deep breath. I wanted to say more to Chase, but I might end up oversharing it. I might end up sharing my feelings for him as Olivia.

“Reese, you don’t need to say sorry. Really, I was the one to blame here. You might not remember this, but I was always an asshole in our relationship, even way back before our wedding. I mean, the first wedding that didn’t push through. We had a terrible fight, and I kept repeating my mistakes. But this time, I want to do it right.”

He looked me straight in the eyes. I didn’t know how to react, but all I wanted to do was cry, even though it wasn’t the appropriate time. He was telling me a side of the story that I didn’t know about.

“Let’s just forget it, Chase. I want to start anew with you,” I declared.

He smiled at me. “Sounds good to me, baby. Thanks for the chance.”

“I love you,” I murmured.

“And I love you too,” he sincerely said.

My mind wondered why he and Reese got into a fight before their wedding…

“Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, here’s the food that we prepared. Please enjoy!” The server then put the food on our table, and I was pleased with what they prepared.

Everything appeared to be delicious, and knowing Chase, the dishes that were served here were all expensive delicacies. While eating the food, I noticed Chase not touching his food at all.

“What’s the matter, Chase? Are you not hungry? The food tastes well,” I said.

He then showed me a picture of me and him in front of the Eiffel Tower.

“That’s in Paris? Wow, we’ve been there?”

He nodded and smiled at me, then his face got crumpled.

“I do remember that night. You were so scared because your swimming competition was nearing and you were afraid to lose your title. I told you that you don’t need to be scared since you’re the best. But seeing you now, you’re a truly different person,” he stated.

I was stunned when he told me that I was a different person from the Reese Jones that he used to know.

Could it be because I was pursuing a different profession even though I knew that the real Reese Jones was a swimmer? I might still need to convince him that I still loved swimming even though I truly didn’t know how to swim.

“Listen, baby, I want you to know that I still want to go back swimming. I mean, that’s what I usually do, right?”

“You don’t have to, Reese. I’m just saying that maybe it would help you to recover your memories and also help with your medication. Doing the things that you’re passionate about may possibly give you a positive result, right?” He exhaled deeply then massaged the temple of his nose, “Actually, I just wanted to see if that benefited you. I’m sorry, I’m blurting out nonsense. I’m overthinking it and I’m repeating the same mistakes again, I’m sorry… ”

“No, it’s fine, Chase. Yes, I certainly agree with that suggestion. Absolutely, that surely makes sense to me. Don’t worry about it. I’ll give it a try again. Maybe in a few weeks, I’ll free my schedule.”

His face then went relaxed. I realized that he was still hoping for me to remember everything; to return to my normal condition. But that amnesia thing was only made up of lies…

I have to accept that no matter what happens, he may still believe that I am not normal, and I must return to my former self.

The Reese Jones that he truly knew before.

I would just agree with that suggestion from him, and I had no right to object because it’s part of my job to pretend that I’m his long-time girlfriend.

“But remember, Reese, I’m also accepting the fact that you can’t go back to the things that you’re used to. So no need to force yourself, okay? If that doesn’t work right, then drop it. What’s important to me is for you to feel good about yourself.”

I forced myself to give him a smirk, trying not to burst out in front of him. Bitterness was swirling around my system. This would torture me forever if I couldn’t tell him the whole truth. A part of me was really itching to say that I’m not Reese Jones; that I am Olivia Marie Miller, who was just after his money from the start.

I couldn’t help but feel guilty about his situation. I used him to try to change my life and not worry about money anymore.

I bit my lower lip and exhaled deeply.

“Chase, what if I didn’t return to my old self? Or what if I wasn’t the Reese Jones you used to love from the very beginning? Would you still pursue me? The new me?” My lips were quivering as I asked him this question.

He was quite surprised by it based on the expression on his face, and for a split second, I regretted that I asked Chase.

“What do you mean? Well, if that happens, then-” Chase’s response was cut off when a fireworks display suddenly showed up in the sky.

I glanced at the sky and it was such a beautiful sight. My eyes widened when I realized it was a customized fireworks display. Reese Jones’s name could be seen inside a heart shape.

“It’s beautiful, Chase! Thank you!”

OLIVIA

THE fireworks ended nicely. I blinked my tears away as I realized that my future with Chase remained unknown. With the ticking bomb that could reveal the truth at anytime, I knew that I must prepare myself and accept the outcome of the lies I made up.

“Your food is getting cold. Let’s eat, my love.” Chase got my attention.

I smiled at him, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Many thoughts consumed my chest, making it impossible for me to enjoy the food.

“Reese, is everything alright?”

“Don’t worry, Chase.”

I sighed heavily and picked up my spoon and fork to try the food. I reminded myself that I should never give Chase a chance to be suspicious of me. Otherwise, I would end up facing countless lawsuits once he figured out that I was not the real Reese Jones.

Though thinking that I’d be helpless if that happened, the sheer determination to build a business crossed my chest. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so less dignified to get some resources if all else failed. I mean, that’s the plan, after all.

I knew I couldn’t win the battle of love, but I could stand a chance in terms of business… which would lift me up off the ground in case the truth gets revealed to everyone.

Chase had been so romantic all throughout our dinner. After savoring the food that was served, we danced for a bit while the violinist played a great classic song.

“I love you so much, Reese…” he whispered to my ear.

My heart skipped a beat because of his soulful words, ignoring the fact that they were meant for the real Reese Jones.

“I love you too,” I replied, but my voice came off hurt and low.

“It’s getting late. Should we end the night here?” he asked carefully.

“Yeah.” I bit my lip and embraced myself. “I also feel cold and there are tiny insects swarming up to my feet.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. “How about now? Do you still feel cold?”

I pouted my lips and narrowed my eyes as I gazed up at him. My battle to fight my feelings towards him continued because of his irresistible charm.

How could he be so charismatic in every way?

“I think you being close like this is much better…” I said.

We both chuckled.

We then headed back to the private villa. While walking to the familiar garden going to the porch, we noticed that the lights were flickering. The wind was blowing so hard that it forced its way through the windows, making an uncomfortable sound. The glass panes shook and bent a bit because of it too.

“Wear this,” Chase said, taking off his black coat and wrapping it around my shoulders.

He probably noticed that I was quivering even more because of the cold wind coming from the windows.

“Thank you, Chase.”

I felt the warmth, but it wasn’t enough. I moved closer to him and clung to his arm. We walked to the living room, and with one blink of an eye, everything turned pitch black.

“Chase, what happened? Is there a blackout? I can’t see anything,” I stated. My voice was in a panic.

Anxiety went through me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Even when I was a kid, I was frightened in the dark as sharing ghost stories back then was a thing if there was no electricity in the orphanage. I was always a victim of their pranks, especially because of the fact that they knew exactly how I was scared of ghosts.

“I am sorry about this, Reese. There is probably an issue with the electricity. I am not sure if they have generators here,” he responded. “Don’t worry, we can use my phone as a flashlight.”

He then picked up his phone from his pocket and turned on its flashlight.

He then opened his phone flashlight as we went inside.

We walked upstairs, and when he tried to open the door to the master bedroom, it was locked.

“Weird. Why is it locked?” He then reached for his pocket, trying to look for the room key. “Sh*t. The keys are missing.”

“What?” My forehead creased.

“Is it in your purse?” he asked.

Even though it was dark, I managed to check my purse, but I hadn’t seen any keys inside. Then I recalled that I was the one who locked the door and probably forgot to take the keys on the side table.

“I’m sorry, Chase. I think I left it inside,” I said and bit my lower lip.

“That’s alright, baby.” He patted my shoulder, assuring me that it was fine. “Let me go check the locker downstairs and see if there are spare keys we can use.”

“You’re going to leave me here?”

“I’ll just go downstairs for a minute, Reese.”

“No, I am coming with you!” I demanded.

I had no strength to stand here all by myself. I heard him sigh and said, “Alright. Come with me.”

We then proceeded to the locker he was referring to. The lights flickered once again, which made me scream in fear.

“Damn it!” I cursed under my breath. The weather was clearly fine earlier, but now, I could hear the loud sound of thunder. That doubled my anxiety.

“Relax, Reese. I’m here. I’m not going to leave you… or am I?” His tone of voice suddenly changed upon saying those last words.

“What the hell are you saying, Chase?”

“What if I’m just pretending to be Chase Maxwell?” He laughed devilishly. “I’m not your real husband. I am just playing the part, and I will now leave you in the dark! Boo!”

I screamed like a little girl being haunted by ghosts.

He laughed for a bit, but when he noticed that I was in tears, he immediately apologized and embraced me tightly.

I pushed him away and punched his chest.

“Damn you, I was scared for real! How dare you just do that to me!” I snorted.

He was clearly teasing me, but my heart just jumped out of my chest with his tone of voice earlier. It was truly spooky.

“I’m so sorry, wife. Come on, I was just joking!” He fought the urge to continue laughing. “Alright, I promise it won’t happen again. No more scary stuff.”

“It’s not funny, Chase! I’m truly scared!” I scoffed.

“You weren’t scared in the dark before.”

“That was before!”

His face was crumpled. I realized that I went overboard with him by yelling.

I palmed my face. “I just want to go to our room and sleep with you.”

“I understand and I’m sorry again, baby. I found the keys. Lets go upstairs so you can take a rest,” he said.

We went back to the master’s bedroom. Chase saved his phone battery, so I used mine as our flashlight to lighten up the room a bit. I changed my clothes and was ready to go to bed when Chase caught my attention. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and was doing something on his phone.

“Aren’t you sleepy yet?” I asked.

He shook his head and turned to me. “Will you be fine alone here for a couple of minutes? I want to check the electricity source and see if I can fix it.”

I gave him a wide-eyed look. “There is no way I can stay here all by myself, Chase.”

“I promise it won’t take long, baby. I want to get it fixed so we can both sleep properly.”

I let out a heavy sigh and nodded in the end. He stood up and kissed my forehead.

“It will be quick,” he assured me.

“Fine,” I said and went to bed.

He tucked me in first under the blanket before he went out of the room. My heart pounded aggressively inside my chest. The thought of being alone in a dark room sent shivers down my spine. I thought about the happy memories, not letting the fear engulf me, but the mere sound of the wind rustling against the window made it impossible for me to focus.

I shut my eyes, but it made the situation worse as I imagined shadows trying to get near me. With that in mind, I quickly got off of bed and stormed out of the room.

“Chase?!” I called him but no one responded.

I descended downstairs and looked around the villa, but got even more scared. The rustling sound from outside made me panic. I rushed towards the main door and proceeded outside. I was checking over my shoulders as I ran when someone blocked my way and held both of my arms.

I screamed. My fist was about to strike the face of the person who suddenly appeared if he didn’t speak right away.

“Reese, it’s me!” Chase’s voice made me come back to my senses. “Why are you running outside? I told you to stay in our room.”

“I can’t!” I said, shaking my head.

“Alright, I’m here. Don’t be scared, my love.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “I talked to the crew and they said there were issues with the solar panel. They already called someone to come and repair it first thing in the morning.”

“Charles should have invested a lot of money to maintain the solar energy here!” I scoffed.

He laughed a bit and caressed my hair. “Let’s walk to the beach side then for you to calm down.”

I pressed my lips together. Chase gazed at me with a smile.

“Fine,” I replied.