Brilliant, clear blue hue blanketed the sky with hardly any clouds in sight. Calm waters spread for miles and miles, appearing as endless as the heavens above.
Walking alongside the railing, a cool, salty breeze brushed across her face, letting her breathe crisp, fresh air.
"Hmm!" That was incredibly refreshing, combing the loose strands of her hair away from her eyes.
Her entire life, she had lived far from the ocean. Back then, she had rarely visited the beach. Let's face it, she didn't exactly fit into a good bathing suit. Anyway, even if she did, she was not confident enough to flaunt all her flabby flesh for the world to see.
Needless to say, things changed when she lost weight and disposed of all that excess fat. She could finally wear anything she liked without being embarrassed or ashamed.
"But this is nice." She thought, enjoying this rare experience that might never happen again in her lifetime.
Tilting her head to the right, she watched the most magnificent view of the sun setting on the horizon. It was an explosion of colors that instigated the fading of light and the onset of darkness.
"Enjoying the view?" A deep voice with a sexy undertone spoke behind her. But before she could even turn, she felt a heavy, thick coat draping over her shoulders.
"It's a bit chilly. I don't want you to catch a cold." He casually said as he joined her on the upper deck of the boat.
Honestly, she was just so lost in the scenery that she barely noticed the slightly frigid gust of wind until he mentioned it.
"Thanks, Oliver." She finally looked in his direction, and she immediately realized it was a big mistake.
Clearly, she had forgotten how totally good-looking he was. With the fleeting light, the silhouette of his face only magnified his facial features.
When he turned and caught her eyes, she quickly looked away as if electrified.
Damn! How could she even last a year without catching feelings for this man "AGAIN" when just one look had made her heart go on skipping a beat and doing a cartwheel.
Closing her eyes, she mentally cleared her mind before she lost it and found herself falling for his charms one more time.
"Remember why you are here." She silently told herself, reminding herself that this man was the reason she lost her parents and her child.
"But what about you? Aren't you cold?" She asked, noticing that he was only wearing his black shirt, which clung to his skin, revealing his beautifully built muscles hidden underneath the thin fabric.
Again, "What are you doing?" She shouldn't be looking at him. She shouldn't be noticing things like that.
Her eyes tried to look everywhere else, avoiding glancing in his direction again.
The last thing she wanted was for her eyes to ogle his body and remember all those times that she had run her fingers on those delicious pecks, claiming this man as hers.
But tried as she might, her eyes still gravitated to those perfect jaws that she had loved to touch. Those lips that she loved to kiss. Those eyes that could look directly into her soul.
"No, not at all." He said, but the light tremor on his lower lip told her that he was lying. If she had not been standing this close to him, she might have missed it.
Damn! He always did this, acting tough as if he were invincible. Like nothing could ever touch him. Hurt him.
But then again, he was now the most ruthless mafia boss in the country, maybe even in the world. His name alone could instill fear in anyone's heart. Nobody would dare to lay a finger on him.
"A honeymoon? Is this really necessary? After all, this marriage is just a contract." She asked, wondering what they were doing in this massive boat.
Curiously, she looked around her, surrounded by all the comforts, indulgences, and fine amenities money could buy.
"As our contract stated, we need to make people believe that we are a couple. So, that includes this fake honeymoon." He extended his hand on the handrail, leaning closer to the edge until their little fingers accidentally touched.
In that brief moment, she swore electricity passed through the metallic railing and ran through her entire body.
Fuck! What was wrong with her?
After all this time, she could not deny the effect his nearness had on her body.
How could she hate him and want him at the same time?
"If you want to thank someone, thank my mother. This is her idea of a wedding gift." He made a quick glance at her before he turned his attention to the last tinge of sunlight that was quickly fading on the far side, where the sky met the ocean.
"I'll take note of that." Remembering Dianne and her kindness.
Truthfully, she never expected that Oliver's mother would be nice to her. She thought that the entire Morton family would be cruel and evil, but maybe not all of them.
Somehow, Dianne made her feel guilty for lying to her. But she could not do anything about it. She could not tell her the truth either.
"Actually, this is kinda nice. I could really use a relaxing vacation." She hoped that he bought her act.
Although the idea was tempting, she knew that she could never rest until she had done what she came here to do.
Make the Morton family pay.
However, it was proving to be more challenging and dangerous than she had anticipated. But it didn't mean that she was giving up. She just had to come up with a better plan.
Then, she caught another strong whiff of salty air as the wind blew against her face, but it included a familiar scent.
"Mmm!" Her nose immediately recognized it.
That perfume. It was the same one that she gifted him on their first anniversary.
"Stop it!" She chastised her brain for bringing up old memories.
He might look and smell the same, but he was a completely different man.
But was the man she loved truly exist or was he just a make-believe?
"Why don't you freshen up before dinner is served?" He suggested before pulling his phone out of his pocket.
"Yeah, sure." She couldn't agree more. She believed she needed some space away from him before she did something that she might regret later on.
Of course, they were still sharing the same room. It was part of their arrangement to act as husband and wife in public.
The crew might find it strange if they slept in two separate rooms on their honeymoon.
Oliver made a phone call while she walked away, but she still overheard some of his conversation.
"Are you sure that nobody else knew about this shipment?"
When she glanced back, she noticed his shoulders appeared to be relaxed. Whatever the other person said on the other line, he seemed to be satisfied.
"Great! I'll..." The rest of his words faded with the wind as she stepped inside the yacht, walked in the narrow pathway, and entered their designated VIP room.
The master bedroom was more than she expected in a Superyacht. It had a bed that could easily accommodate two and still had enough space for someone to squeeze in. It had a private area that served as his office and a private bathroom.
On the lower deck, there were enough rooms that could host twelve guests.
Then, the yacht had nine crews that ensured smooth sailing.
Well, sailing on the vast ocean was not exactly what she expected for their honeymoon, but she would be lying if she said that she didn't find it romantic.
Dianne really knew how to play Cupid.
But, of course, Dianne had no idea that this was not a love story, but a tragic tale.
As she moved around the room, she could not help but turn to his private corner. A few papers and folders were piled up on the small table, and a laptop was neatly placed in the center.
"Hmm!" She bit her lips as her eyes looked outside the window. From where she stood, she had a clear view of the deck where her husband was still clearly on the phone.
What secrets could she find if she went through his things?
Tempted, she slowly walked toward his table, spying on the papers spread on the table. It was mostly financial statements. Nothing that particularly caught her attention.
Then, she started flipping through the folders, but it was mostly contracts that probably needed his review.
"What if..." She debated with herself as she eyed the laptop.
If she opened it, could she guess the password?
"Sophia...?" Then, his voice boomed inside the room. Questioning. Wondering.
"Are you looking for something?" He finally asked as he stood behind her.
Caught in the act, her heart almost jumped outside her chest.
Lost for words, she swallowed hard, hoping to calm her nerves.
"I... I was..."