Carly breathed a sigh of relief after her history period was over. She got her test results, and she did quite well. Luckily enough, she had studied with her newfound friend at college, Harriet, along with others. They had their group study online on their laptops and were able to help each other. Carly was grateful for it. Many of the topics they touched on just happened to be those that came up in the test.
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Harriet sat a few rows in front of her. When she stood to leave, like the rest of the class, she turned around and spotted Carly. After packing her bags, she made her way to where Carly sat.
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"Hey, Carly," said Harriet. "How are the results?"
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"They are great," said Carly. She had finished packing her books and stood to swing the bag over her shoulder. "Thanks for the group study. It really helped."
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"Yeah, it did. It's a shame that we don't take our second courses together. You make a good study partner."
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"Thanks, you too. Are you going out to have lunch?"
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"Yeah, I was about to meet my study buddies for math, but we can go out and have lunch together while I wait for them."
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Carly and Harriet started to make their way out of the lecture hall when Carly’s phone vibrated in her backpack. She slowed a bit to check her phone. Someone was calling her. When she pulled it out, her mouth dropped.
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Harriet noticed that Carly had fallen behind and turned to look at her. She noticed the look on Carly’s face.
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"Hey? Is anything the matter?" Harriet asked.
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"I need to take this call," said Carly, looking up at Harriet. "Can you wait for me outside? This is a little personal."
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Harriet understood and agreed to wait outside. Carly looked around the lecture room, and there were only a few people inside, still seated. She went on to answer the call.
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"Hello?" Carly said first.
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"Hey, is this a bad time?" André asked.
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"Uh..., no. You called at the right time, actually. My history lesson just ended, and I got my results from the test I had last week. I passed."
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"Good for you. I knew you would do well, considering that you had to study hard for it."
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"Yeah, I'm so relieved. Our history lecturer is tough. I had a group study with some friends, and it helped."
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"That's good to hear. Then it's a good thing I called. I'm in New York, and I was wondering if you and I could meet up."
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“Oh, when do you plan to meet? This week, I bet.”
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“Today, actually. I can meet you in the evening.”
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Carly’s eyes widened with surprise. “You want to meet tonight?”
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“Yeah, I hope you aren’t occupied with other plans.”
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Carly shook her head. “Uh, no. I’m actually done with my classes today. I was planning to get out of campus early after I visit the library and rest. We can actually meet tonight. Just tell me the time and place, and I’ll be there."
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“Great! I’ll text you. Mind you, it will be a dinner date at a very nice restaurant.”
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Carly found herself giggling. “It seems I'd have to wear my best dress, then. Okay, you will let me know where to meet.”
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“If you want, I can have a car come pick you up at your place, if you don’t mind.”
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“Huh…” Carly hesitated there. She can’t let André’s chauffeur know where she lives. It would probably raise many questions. Moreover, that wasn’t the only thing that troubled her. How was she going to get out of the house in a dinner dress without anyone asking where she was going? That’s if she had to carry her dress and dress up somewhere else.
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“I think it’s better if I come there on my own instead,” Carly quickly answered. She hoped she answered on time so as not to make André suspicious of her.
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“Okay.” André didn’t question her. “I’ll text you the place. I really can’t wait to see you.”
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“Me too. I’ll see you then.”
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The two of them said bye to each other, and as soon as Carly cut the call, she found herself breathing a sigh of relief. When she thought over the conversation, she couldn’t help but feel a certain thrill and excitement about seeing André again. Then, everything came down to tonight, and it was now that she realized that the important decision she had to make might as well happen today. What was she going to do?
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The excitement left her as quickly as it came, and she found herself sighing in agony. She slowly started to make her way out of the lecture room, and as promised, Harriet was out in the hall waiting for her. The two of them went for lunch, with so much going on in Carly’s mind.
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After lunch, Harriet went off to study with her other study group. Carly made her way to the library. Studying proved to be difficult for her at first when she sat at the table for thirty minutes, staring blankly at her book. She was slowly starting to understand what she was studying, when her phone on the table started to beep. She looked at it and found that Alex was calling her. Goodness. What does Red Lion want now?
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Carly quickly cut off the call. She didn’t have time to go out of the library to take it, so she texted him instead. Her text asked what he wanted, and he quickly replied that Red Lion wanted to see her. Why wasn’t she surprised?
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Whatever it was, it had better be important, she thought to herself. She agreed to meet Alex, and he told her that he was waiting for her outside. If Carly was in the mood to study, going to meet Red Lion during school hours wasn’t going to be an option.
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She quickly packed up her books and made her way out of the library and out of the school premises. She found Alex’s black car parked outside as usual. When she got into the car, she turned to look at him. He also did the same.
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“What is this about now?” Carly asked. “It better be for a good reason.”
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“It’s always for a good reason,” Alex said with no hint of emotion in his voice. “He wants to meet.”
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“Well, he’s lucky that I’m not in the mood for studying, or else I would’ve refused.”
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“I was going to get you by force immediately you stepped out. You know Red Lion doesn’t like to be disobeyed.”
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Carly said nothing more as she put on her seat belt. Alex started the car, and they drove off, heading to the heart of the city. It was early in the afternoon, so there wasn’t much traffic, and they were able to reach their destination with fewer stoppages. Alex drove to a set of apartment buildings. By their designs, rich folks or simply those with a good salary obviously lived in this area. Alex parked right outside one of the buildings and killed the car engine. The two of them stepped out, and Alex led the way inside.
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The immaculate white walls and tiles of the lobby area intrigued Carly when she first stepped in. The waiting area had white Persian chairs with expensive white cushions. The cushions had gold embroidery and golden tassels. On the other side of the lobby was a small fountain with a small angel statue. She started to wonder if Red Lion lived here. If the lobby was as exquisite as it looked, no doubt the apartments here were the same.
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Alex walked over to the desk as Carly continued to look around. He soon called to her to come with him. They went to the elevator, and it opened for them as the people inside were getting out. When they entered, Alex pressed the button they were going to, and the doors closed. The elevators smoothly started to go upwards.
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“So, does Red Lion live here?” Carly asked, looking at Alex beside her.
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Alex turned to look at her. “No, he doesn’t,” he said. He looked back at the elevator doors.
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“Oh. Is it a friend of his then?”
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“You’re about to find out.”
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The elevator came to a halt, and the bell sounded to signal that they had reached their floor. Alex stepped out first, and Carly came out behind him. She slowly looked around the lovely apartment. A small chandelier twinkled above her. Similar to the lobby, there were white walls and shiny white floor tiles. As they went straight to the living room, there were lovely beige couches that matched the floor. A flat-screen TV stuck on the wall. A few feet away from the living room was the dining area, with a wooden table and chairs. Glass doors lay ahead, leading to the balcony. Beyond the dining area was a small kitchen area, with state-of-the-art kitchen devices and lovely white cupboards. Standing near the sink with a glass of red wine was Carlos.
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“Ah, Carly, you’re here,” said Carlos. He turned to put the glass on the black marble counter behind him. He went to open one of the cupboards above him to remove a wine glass. “Let me serve you a glass of wine. It’s too early, but it was Red Lion’s idea.”
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Carly approached the kitchen area, bypassing the dining table. She couldn’t help but look around with every step that she took. Alex remained standing in the living room. When she reached the kitchen island, Carlos had already poured her some wine and held the huge wine glass for her to take.
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“Where is Red Lion?” Carly asked as she took the glass.
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“Oh, he went looking around the place with Hugo.” Carlos went back to get his glass. When he turned to look back at Carly, he noticed her gaze as she continued to look around. “Do you like the place?” he asked.
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“Yeah. Don’t you?” Carly asked him with an eyebrow raised. “It’s perfect for someone with many zeros in their bank account.”
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“You’re right about that.” Carlos turned to look at Alex and asked if he wanted a drink as well. Alex shook his head, denying him.
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“Is Red Lion buying this place for himself?” Carly asked. She took a sip of the wine. She couldn’t help but notice how good it tasted.
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“He plans to,” Carlos answered. He quickly gulped the rest of his wine. “I think it’s too expensive.”
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“Well, you better tell him before he does agree to rent the place.”
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The sound of footsteps came into the hall, and soon Red Lion and Hugo appeared in the living room. They each held a glass of wine in their hands. They noticed Alex standing in the living room, and when they turned to look in the kitchen, they found Carly and Carlos.
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“Good of you to come, Carly,” said Red Lion. “There’s some business we need to discuss.”
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“Like what, exactly?” Carly asked. She felt she knew what it could be.
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“André, of course,” said Red Lion. “Please, let’s go sit in the living room.”
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Carly raised an eyebrow at Red Lion. It was strange that he called her when she had to meet André tonight. Did he call her to hear out her decision over whom she had chosen?
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Red Lion reached the living room first, followed by Hugo. Carly came soon afterwards and sat opposite Red Lion and Hugo, who both sat on one couch. Carlos joined them last, along with his glass and the wine bottle. He set the bottle on the glass coffee table in the middle. Afterwards, he settled on the couch, where he could look at Carly and his two comrades on the other side. Alex stood behind Carly’s couch, ever silent.
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“What about André?” Carly asked.
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“Have you decided to choose him? Or are you going for your boyfriend?” Red Lion asked, gently twirling his glass while looking at her.
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Carly knew this day was coming. She looked at Red Lion, wondering what to say to him. The truth will suffice for now, though it wouldn’t do her any good.
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“No, I haven’t chosen yet,” Carly answered.
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Red Lion sighed. He leaned back against the couch. “What a shame.” He raised the glass to his face to look at the red liquid in it. “Isn’t André planning to visit you soon? You would have to have made that decision by then.”
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“It will be impossible. He plans to meet tonight.”
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“Ah!” Red Lion’s eyes lit up in delight. “Then it’s a good thing we’re meeting like this. Because I want to hear your decision right here and right now about who you’ve chosen.”
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“It hasn’t been easy, you know?” Carly snapped at him.
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“Oh, I know.” Red Lion sat back upright and gulped down the remaining wine. “It must be hard to choose between André and that handsome boy you’re dating. Leo McDonell is his name, right?”
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Carly almost broke the glass in her hands. She shouldn’t be surprised that he knew, given the kind of man he was. She wondered how he could’ve guessed that Leo and her were together when the rest of the world didn’t, except for Angel and Eric.
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“I was expecting a surprised reaction, but I’ve just made you angrier,” said Red Lion as he chuckled.
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“I was expecting the same too,” said Carlos, pouring himself another round of wine.
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“I guess she’s confused about how we know that she was dating Leo McDonell, when in fact, many people don’t know about it,” said Red Lion, smiling at Carly.
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Carly continued to look at him, and she was still speechless. So he knew about that too. How much did he actually know about her and those around her?
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“Don’t worry,” said Hugo. “That wasn’t supposed to be mentioned. But if you ask me, you've got the opportunity to take things to your advantage.”
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Carly turned to look at Hugo. Unlike Red Lion and Carlos, she knew he wasn’t making fun of her.
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“What do you mean?” she asked him.
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“Well, it’s obvious that you love Leo so much,” said Hugo. “Why not date both?”
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“Seriously? Do you want to get me killed?”
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“No, no, no,” Red Lion butted in. “André isn’t going to kill you if he doesn’t know about you and Leo.”
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“And how sure are you that he isn’t going to find out the same way you did?” Carly asked, looking at Red Lion. “He might do some digging, and he’ll definitely find out about who I really am and about Leo.”
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“And you think it was easy for us to know about you and Leo?” Red Lion asked with an eyebrow raised. “Trust me, the same way you’ve hidden from the whole world about your affair, André won’t find out about it either. That’s if you get careless, of course.”
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Carly looked at Red Lion and thought of what he had just said. She had been careful not to let anyone know about her relationship with Leo. Nevertheless, how did Red Lion find out? She thought long and hard about this until she gasped.
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“You hacked into my phone, didn’t you?” she asked.
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Red Lion and Hugo shared a look. Carlos laughed loudly and said, “Oh, she’s smart, alright.”
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“How dare you hack into my phone?” Carly asked with an angry scorn. Still with the glass in hand, she stood up from her seat. “I’m not a pet you have to keep tabs on every now and then.”
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“Of course you are,” said Red Lion. “It took you a good long time to realize it.”
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“I’m not doing this. This whole André thing comes to an end right now.”
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“If you don’t want me to ruin you in a single flash, you won’t leave this place.” Red Lion sounded calm, but the look on his face spoke otherwise.
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Carly growled as she sat back down. Red Lion smiled at her and motioned for Carlos to put some more wine in her glass. As Carlos poured in some wine, Carly looked at Red Lion, taking heavy, deep breaths. She had a burning rage inside her, and if she could breathe out fire, she would.
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“I have so much on you, my dear, that I could ruin you in a blink of an eye,” said Red Lion, smiling at her. “Your dirty past, your secret relationship with Leo, which, if it ever gets out, will receive some disappointing snares. Not to mention you are working for some criminal drug lord and dating the soon-to-be heir of a famous Mexican mafia. Juicy stuff, isn’t it? Imagine if the whole world knew. What would your sister think? Much less, Leo?”
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“I hate you,” said Carly with every haggard breath.
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“I like it that way.” Red Lion leaned forward to put his empty glass on the coffee table. “Now, we all know that you aren’t going to go against me. We do need you to be André’s lover, so you’re precious, Carly. It will be a shame to put your talents to waste.”
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Carly threw daggers at Red Lion with her eyes, making him smile even more. She waited for him to continue what he had to say. Now she knew why Red Lion had called her.
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“Back to what Hugo was saying—he thinks you can pull this off. Date Leo and André at the same time, so you don’t have to make the big decision of choosing either one.”
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"For as long as I don’t mess up, I heard you mention it,” said Carly, sounding rather dull.
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“Yes,” said Red Lion. “For the most part, you two shouldn’t be seen together like a couple, especially on social media. That will attract unwanted attention, especially when you start to hang out with André.”
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Carly looked at her glass of wine for a minute, then she went back to looking at Red Lion. “Is that all?” she asked. “Your instructions seem pretty clear. I need to prepare for my dinner date, which you were well aware of at the time André told me.”
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“Not just yet,” said Carlos, after quickly finishing his round of wine. “After tonight, it’s guaranteed you’ll be labeled as André’s girl, so we need to make sure you remain Loren for as long as possible.”
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Carly looked confused as she turned to Carlos. “What do you mean?”
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“Well, everyone who knows André will eventually know about you,” said Red Lion. “And we wouldn’t want any trouble if any of his henchmen started digging around about your past. It’s the reason why we’re here.”
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Carly looked around the place. “Are you trying to say that you want me to live some double life?”
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“You hit the nail right on the head,” said Hugo.
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“While you’re here, you’re Loren,” said Red Lion, leaning back on the couch and crossing his legs. “Or anytime André plans to visit you. He did want to pick you up, didn’t he? So, you don’t have to worry about anything. Anytime he comes to New York to visit you, he’ll think of this as his safe haven. As long as it’s with you, of course.”
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Carly shook her head in disbelief. “How the hell do you think I’ll pull this off?” she asked. "I've got a life to live elsewhere, and you want me to be here playing Loren?”
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“You’ll do just fine,” said Carlos. “If you can be the Loren he met at the party, doing this will be a piece of cake.”
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“I agree with Carlos,” said Red Lion. “This is why you’re perfect for this. I did tell André that you come from money, so you've got to live the part.”
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Carly thought about it. Still, leaving a double life wasn’t going to be easy. One minute she is Carly Barclay, leaving a not-so-normal life as anyone would put it, going to college, has a sister, and a boyfriend who loves her. The next minute, she has to be Loren, also a college student but living in an expensive apartment in one of New York's finest residential areas. And going out with the soon-to-be heir of a Mexican mafia group. If anyone were to write about her life story, no doubt it would be a best-seller.
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She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see Red Lion stand up from his seat to stand in front of her. It’s only when she heard a thud beside her that she noticed his presence.
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“Get that,” he said, pointing to something beside her.
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Carly looked to see a blue-paper file. When she opened it, she couldn’t believe what she saw. She looked up from her file at Red Lion.
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“Is this a joke?” she asked. “Do you really have to profile my life as Loren…?” She looked down at the file to read the surname. “As Loren Jenkins?”
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“Yeah. So study that file today; you’ll need the information,” said Red Lion with a smile. He turned around to walk back to his seat.
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“I don’t have time to start reading through this. I have a dinner to prepare for.” Carly quickly stood.
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“Not to worry.” Red Lion turned to face her. He sat back down. “You remember Jane, don’t you? I’ve called her here to fix you up. And for the dresses, there will be someone coming too.”
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Carly chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. “You’re willing to do all this just for me to win a man’s heart and put him under your control?”
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Red Lion smiled. “Oh, my dear, when you work for me, you’ll realize that I am more ambitious than you think. When I see something I like, I take it.”
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Carly could see the look in his eyes. He wasn’t joking around. For him to be where he is meant many sacrifices were made, even if it meant staining his hands with blood. No one was to get in the way of what he wanted. If Carly were to mess things up with André, no doubt he wouldn’t hesitate to put her down with his own bare hands.
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She sat back down slowly, her eyes never leaving Red Lion’s. She was tired of talking, and if she wanted to pass time quickly, she had to keep herself busy. And what better way to pass the time than to read the file in her hands? Immediately after she opened the file, Red Lion smiled.
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“Good,” said Red Lion. “You know, once you get used to all this, you will one day realize that you and I are a lot more alike than you think.”
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Carly looked at him and scorned. “There’s no way in hell I am like you,” she said.
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Red Lion opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it as he stood. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said. “Hugo and Carlos will stick around until Jane gets here. Please show her around the place, Hugo. Make sure you help her memorize whatever is on that file. Alex, you’ll stick around, won’t you?”
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Carly almost forgot that Alex was around, and she turned around to look at him, standing behind her. He nodded. She could at least tolerate him, unlike Hugo and, worse off, Carlos. Leaving her with Carlos would be the worst possible thing.
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Red Lion started to make his way out of the apartment. He told the others to call him if they needed anything. He also warned Carly not to get rid of her phone just because she knew she was hacked. To Carly, that never even came to mind.
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After Red Lion had left, she spent almost thirty minutes going through the file. Afterwards, Hugo got the file and started to ask her questions. She answered most of them correctly. The role she played as Loren Jenkins didn’t look complicated on paper, but Carly was well aware that doing it for real might not be easy. She had certain habits that Carly would need to work on. Since she had no family, she grew up with an uncle who happened to be a good friend of Red Lion. Loren also looked up to Red Lion like family. Carly raised an eyebrow when she read that part. It’s sad that she had to still deal with him even as Loren Jenkins.
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Before 4 p.m., Carly had mastered the file like a nursery rhyme. Hugo and Carlos were impressed that she do so at such short notice. Hugo took her around the apartment and showed her the room she would be sleeping in. The place looked a little empty for the time being, as did the rest of the house. He promised that Red Lion would bring in some furniture and other necessities needed to make this place look like there was indeed a Loren Jenkins living in the apartment.
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Jane arrived shortly after Carly had finished touring the place. She was rather happy to see Carly again. Jane came along with another woman named Elizabeth, a fashion designer. She had with her beautiful dresses on moving hangers. Carly realized that picking something for tonight was going to be difficult after looking at the wardrobe presented to her.
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André had texted her the time and place to meet up. She had plenty of time to get ready. Hugo and Carlos were meant to leave after Jane and Elizabeth arrived, but they changed their minds, deciding that they would stick around. Carly wondered if the two had nothing better to do, because Carlos had ordered pizza to cater for everyone, and drinks.
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Jane told Carly to get a shower before doing her make-up. As she went to hit the showers, Carly wondered what to tell her sister and Leo about her not coming home. She wondered how many more lies she would’ve to tell, just to cover her tracks. As she stood in the shower, she couldn’t help but feel ashamed of what she was doing that tears came to her eyes without realizing it.
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***
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“Strange,” said Angel as she looked at her phone. She was seated at the back of the car, with Leo behind the wheel and Eric in the front passenger seat. They were driving back home after a long day of work.
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“What is it?” Eric asked.
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“Carly texted me,” Angel answered, still looking at her phone. “She said she wasn’t coming home tonight. She wants to stay on campus with her friend Harriet for some study group.”
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“She said that?” Leo asked, looking at Angel through the rearview mirror.
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“Yeah. I bet you’ll receive her text too. She’ll be back tomorrow.”
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“Is she studying for a test or something?”
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“Not that I am aware of,” said Angel as she looked out of the window. “I bet if she’ll be on campus, we need not worry.”
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“Yeah, Carly can take care of herself,” said Eric. “And the grounds within campus are perfectly secure.” He turned to look at Leo. “So no need to worry, lover-boy.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
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“If I wasn’t the one driving right now, I would punch you in the face,” said Leo, giving Eric a sideways glance.
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“Oh, you get worked up over so many things. Angel.” Eric turned in his seat to look at Angel in the back seat. “What do you think of Mrs. Lance's blueberry muffins today?”
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“They were yummy,” said Angel. “It reminded me of the ones my mother used to make.”
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"Wait, can you bake as well?” Eric asked.
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"Yes, I do. My mom taught me. Why?”
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"Let’s bake something when we get home. I really want to taste your delicious delights.”
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"Are you serious right now?” Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.
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"Forget him,” said Eric, waving his hand off at Leo. “He won’t get to taste any. I bet your baking is just as good as Mrs. Lance’s.”
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Angel doubtfully looked out the window. “I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t baked in a while, and I might have lost my touch.”
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"Cooking is just like riding a bike," said Eric. “Even when you haven’t done it in a long time, you get to remember once you start.”
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Angel looked away from the window to look at Eric. He had a giddy look on his face like that of a child. There was simply no way Angel was saying no. She sighed and smiled at him.
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“Fine,” she said. “You win. But we better stop by a supermarket to get some ingredients.”
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“Yes!” Eric exclaimed. “There’s one on the way home. At least we left the office early to beat the traffic.”
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“Your baking better be good, Angel,” said Leo. His eyes were fixed on the road. “I can’t be driving you to the supermarket just so you can poison us tonight.”
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Angel chuckled as she looked out of the window again. The sun had set behind the tall buildings, and only the dull orange glow stained the sky, slowly being overcome by the darkness of night. “Then don’t eat them,” she said.
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Eric laughed at Leo. His laughter caused Angel to start laughing too. In times like these, Leo would've frowned, but he didn't. The two who were laughing didn't notice it, but the corner of Leo’s lips was raised to a smile.
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