Two weeks later, there were still odd times when I would replay the moments that Rosalie and I had shared in the tailors' shop. I didn't remember a time that I had had such innocent fun with a woman before that.

The sound of her laugh still echoed in my brain.

It wasn't welcome.

I didn't want to be thinking of a wedding planner in a romantic way when she was planning my wedding to someone else.

I felt like a schoolboy, craving for something just because it's what he couldn't have. Or at least, that's what I told myself.

When Caroline was driving me insane about something, my mind would sometimes tell me that Rosalie would never do the same and I'd have to immediately battle my mind and chastise myself for thinking of her like that.

Two weeks later, Caroline still had the uncanny knack of pushing me to the edge and not in a good way. Sometimes, I wanted to throttle her and her Prada bags, Gucci belts and Jimmy Choo shoes.

The work day was drawing to a close and I had had enough of looking at the faces of all of these businessmen who had almost no soul and even less of a personality.

I eyed Ian among the crowd, trying to find hints of sadness after breaking up with Rosalie, but he showed no emotion. I didn't know whether I should be disgusted by his lack of emotion or impressed by his work ethic. In the end, I decided that I didn't need to have an opinion.

I closed the document we had been going through and got up from my chair.

"I think that's enough for today, everyone," I said, buttoning my suit coat.

Everyone nodded and got up, spreading around the room to do their own thing. I patted Arthur on the back and exited the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Molly," I told my assistant and she smiled at me.

"You have a good night, Aiden," she told me.

She had watched me grow up, working for my father since she was young and since I was a boy. I adored her.

My shoulders didn't relax until I had made my way into my apartment. I could feel the tensions and the exhaustion of the day leave my body as I felt at home.

"Mr. Carlisle, I have made dinner for you," my housekeeper told me, as I walked past the kitchen, "It's Monday, which means you have grilled chicken with vegetables and rice. I added a bit of extra sauce to the vegetables to make them taste good, okay?"

I stopped in my tracks and smiled at her. "Thank you, Carmelina," I said, "You're keeping me healthy. You can head home now."

She gave me grateful smile. "Okay, your food is in the oven, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded, "You have a good night."

She disappeared into her quarters and I walked over to my living room. I took off my watch and shoes and I discarded my suit coat on the sofa, walking over to the piano.

I sat down at the stool and opened the lid. I hadn't played the piano in months, probably over a year. It was Rosalie who reminded me of how much it helped me think. Carmelina had kept it clean, but I hadn't touched it.

I took a deep breath and touched my fingers to the keys.

It was at that exact moment that the bell rang.

My hands thudded down on the keys making a cacophonous noise. I looked in the direction of the door, though I couldn't see it.

"Carmelina!" I called, "Are you still here?"

There was silence.

I sighed and got up to answer the door. The last person I would have ever expected stood on my doorstep:

Decked from head to toe in red, there stood, Caroline Baxter, my wonderful, loving fiancée.

"Aiden," she barked at me and I flinched. She gave me a huge smile and breezed in, easily planting a soft kiss on my lips, before she waltzed past me into my house.

I stood at the door, still holding it open, wondering what in the world had just happened. Caroline and I had never kissed before, but now here she was, walking into my house and kissing me like she had been doing it her whole life. I was worried that she had been possessed.

"Caroline?" I asked, slowly and suspiciously, shutting the door and walking behind her.

"Yes, darling?" she asked, turning around and looking at me, "Is there something on my face?"

"Caroline, did I forget something?" I asked, completely confused.

"I'm sorry?" she said, looking around, also confused.

"Are we supposed to be meeting for something today? Did I forget an event or something?" I asked.

She looked around again. "No," she said, and then smiled. "I came to tell you to accompany me to the gala this evening."

"What gala?" I asked, walking towards the living room.

Caroline followed me. "The press gala that Versatility is hosting," she said.

"I'm really not in the mood, Caroline," I told her, pouring myself a drink.

"But you must be there, Aiden," Caroline insisted, her expression pleading me, "People will look for you."

I turned to her, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "Caroline, I didn't even know such an event was in existence until you mentioned it ten seconds ago. So, I highly doubt that anyone in the fashion industry will be looking for me there. I'm a businessman, Caroline, not a model."

Caroline's face changed as she came closer to me, a smile or rather, a smirk crossing her face. I watched, glass in hand, as she crossed the living room floor, slowly, seductively and came to me, looking at me from beneath her cosmetically enhanced eyelashes.

She put her hands with her perfectly manicured nails on my chest and breathed in deeply, staring me in the eyes. "You could definitely be a model, Aiden."

If I wasn't scared before, I was scared now. I felt like she was just buttering me up to kill.

I cleared my throat and got up, quickly.

"Huh, thanks," I said, giving her a small smile, involuntarily scratching the back of my head.

Caroline looked at me. She hadn't moved from the sofa. "So, you'll come?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"For the gala? Will you come?" she batted her eyelashes at me.

I frowned. "No, Caroline, I told you. I don't even know what this event is. I don't even know anyone there," I said, shaking my head.

"But you know me and you'll meet new people," Caroline insisted.

"I've had enough glad-handing for one day, Caroline. I'm sure your event won't miss me," I downed the last sip of my drink.

"Come on, Aiden, I can't go alone, surely. We're engaged," she said.

I looked at her incredulously. "Just because you wear a ring that I gave you on your finger, I have to go everywhere you go now? Can't I go anywhere by myself? Can't you go anywhere by yourself?"

"Aiden, how would it look if I went for this press dinner alone?" Caroline asked.

"It would look like you're an independent woman with her own career," I told her plainly, "Would that be so bad?"

"Why can't you come?" she pouted her red lips.

"Caroline, you gave me no notice. I've had a very long day and I shouldn't have to explain myself," I told her, walking over to the counter to pour myself another drink. This woman might drive me to alcoholism.

I sighed, as she stood near me, her arms crossed over her chest, extending her long neck in the process of trying to look away from me. "Caroline, please, be reasonable."

She snapped her head back in my direction, with a venomous look in her eyes. "Do you even love me, Aiden?" she demanded to know.

My eyes widened and I scoffed. "Love you?" I asked her, incredulously, "I barely know you. How could I love you?"

"You don't even care about me," Caroline lamented, her expression turning melancholic.

"Like you care about me," I scoffed again, "You don't even want to get to know me."

"Come with me today!" she commanded.

I looked at her and slowly walked closer to her. "Caroline," I said to her, my voice coming out more calculated than angry, "I told you once and I will not tell you again; I will not be accompanying you to your gala today."

"Why don't you care about me, Aiden?" she cried, "Why won't you give me what I want?"

I stared at her with my mouth wide open, as she walked over to my couch and threw herself down on it, dramatically.

"Caroline, how could this possibly translate to that? I've given you everything you've asked for. I bought you the ring you wanted, I got you the wedding planner you wanted, you're getting all the frills and fancies you want for the wedding. How the hell can you tell me that I don't give you what you want?" I asked, flinging my glass around as I gestured.

She looked at me, "But you don't care about me."

"Like you care about me," I laughed, humourlessly, "You only care about my wallet. You would love me only for my money."

Caroline stood up from the couch immediately. "How dare you even say that, Aiden. I'm a model. I'm a pageant winner. I have money."

"Strange that I've never actually seen any of it," I told her.

"Strange how I haven't seen a parade of women in and out of your bed," she said, cocking an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Excuse me?!" I demanded.

"I know all about your playboy ways, Aiden Carlisle," Caroline said, coming over to me with a smirk, "I know how you love your women by the dozen. You'll never get a better offer for marriage than me."

"Is that what you think of me?" I asked her, my expression cold.

"That's what the whole world thinks of you," she sneered, "And none of them would love you, either. I could be married to anyone, but I chose you. I would have dozens of offers."

"Well, Caroline," I told her, looking down at her with a smirk, "Why don't you go marry one of them? Someone who doesn't have the tainted reputation of being a playboy that I apparently do."

I stepped away from her and I saw her expression of triumph falter a little. She looked taken aback.

"No one will ever love you," she told me.

"Neither will you," I told her, shrugging, "So, I won't really be losing anything. Hell, I can go back to having a parade of women in my bed with you gone, because I may be a playboy, Caroline, but I'm not a bigamist."

She stomped her stiletto against my tiled floor. "How dare you attempt to break up with me, Aiden! I could have men who are twice as big as you." she cried.

I laughed, mirthlessly. "Oh, go and find one of them and leave me alone, Caroline. We'd both be happier," I said.

"Maybe I will," she said.

"I'm kindly requesting you to do that," I told her, glaring.

"You don't get to dump me, Aiden! I'm breaking up with you! You try and find someone better than me!" she shouted at me, stomping over to pick up her bag from the table.

"Oh, I will," I said, smiling, glad that she was leaving.

She stopped near me as she walked to the front door. "I will do your family the courtesy of keeping this under wraps," she told me, craning her neck to look taller.

"Oh, how thoughtful of you," I rolled my eyes.

She snapped her head to look at me. "You will rue the day that I left you, Aiden Carlisle. You will never find another like me."

"I'm counting on it," I told her, with a smirk.

And then, in a flurry of stiletto heels against tile, she was gone, leaving me gloriously alone in my home, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

*

Did you see that coming?

Don't forget to vote and comment and let me know what you think!

I dedicated this chapter to Jazie, who gives me a lot of support and I really appreciate it and all the support I get. :)