Luna

On Monday morning, I entered Barry's office acting so cool, like everything's normal. I found Venus there, taking notes of his dictation. She greeted me politely and then left the room.

"You didn't get a tan," Barry looked disappointed.

"No, I didn't. The weather wasn't good yesterday."

He greeted me with a hug and kisses.

Then, there it was again. I noticed the lingering scent of Venus's perfume on his shirt, which triggered feelings of paranoia.

How could her scent stick to his shirt?

I didn't want to assume and start overthinking again. I just reassured myself that it was nothing. My nose is just so sensitive that her strong perfume lingered in my nostrils.

"Next time, we'll take a break together, okay?" Barry kissed me again, and it was even more passionate this time. "I miss you so much, sweetie."

"I miss you more." I reciprocated by embracing him tightly.

I liked this sweeter version of Barry, but it just made me suspicious that he actually lied to me.

"By the way, I have something important to say to you."

"Me too. But you go first," he urged, kissing my temple.

"Tomorrow is an important day." I fixed his tie while his arms went around my waist. "We're going to have a food and cake tasting at the Stavrakos Hotel."

"Oh...does it have to be tomorrow? Can we postpone it to next Monday?" He said reluctantly.

"Barry, we're running out of time. We're getting married in three weeks and the caterer needs to order some ingredients from another country."

Barry sighed heavily and distanced himself from me.

"I can't tomorrow. I'm leaving for Malaysia tonight to attend Mr. Oishi's mall opening on Wednesday."

I couldn't hide my surprise and asked him. "Tonight? Why didn't you inform me earlier?"

"I only decided today while taking a shower. I realized the importance of attending the opening for our company. It's one of the biggest malls in Asia, and Mr. Oishi will showcase our brand."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, you better go. That's important." Although I understood the importance of his trip, I felt a pang of disappointment.

He pulled me back in his arms, then kissed me briefly on the lips. "I'm glad you understand. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you, okay?"

"Okay." I acknowledged it had been a while since he had traveled abroad and that now was the ideal time with his new secretary to handle things in the office. "Can we still have dinner tonight before you leave?"

Maybe tonight would be a good time to have a proper conversation about our issues, but he said.

"I don't think so, sweetie. My flight will leave at eight. I need to be at the airport two hours prior. We'll catch up when I return."

"Of course." I smiled at him. "The company must come first, huh?"

"Absolutely. Especially that it's not doing well right now. We need to work double time before our honeymoon." He looked at his watch, checking the time, then said. "I'm going out. I have to meet a potential investor. Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

Suddenly, I mustered up the courage to ask him about his college buddy. Curious to know what his alibi is.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I met your friend Aiden Harding last Saturday at the kid's sportsfest."

His expression turned stony. He stopped and gave me this look, like he was figuring something out.

"Really? So you already met him after I texted you about his accident last Saturday night."

I felt what I was about to start, backfired at me.

"Um...yeah." I stammered.

He chuckled sarcastically. "I get why you asked if he was there with us at the bar. You were trying to catch me or something, huh?"

Oh wow. Why does the table just flip? I'm the one being grilled instead!

"Okay, fine, I admit. I thought you were lying to me. How did you manage to meet Aiden for lunch last Monday when he had an accident the day before? He was in the hospital."

His frown deepened, giving me a confused expression.

"Did I say I met him? I ran into Venus last Monday."

"Monday? But wait, you said, you met her on Tuesday."

"Did I?" He had a little chuckle and shook his head. "My bad sweetheart, I got all jumbled. I was swamped with business stuff, I didn't know what day or time it was anymore. I read an article on the internet, that's common to entrepreneurs ...blah...blah...blah."

I was left speechless and confused, unsure of what to believe as he made the situation worse.

I couldn't focus on my work all morning. I kept on analyzing what Barry said. He said he didn't see Aiden on Monday, so that's probably true. He straight up lied on the first one. Then he changed his statement about meeting Venus on Tuesday, opting for Monday instead.

I didn't know what to believe anymore. But for sure, I had something to add in my list of his red flags.

***

I saw Colton in the afternoon, and a wave of relief washed over me. Accompanied by his consultants, Ian Murphy and Gerald Peterson, he entered my office with an air of confidence. Since Barry was out at a meeting, I was the one who stepped in to assist them.

"Ian and Gerald will be the ones in charge of your company's account. They will meticulously collect and analyze data. As we implement the changes, we plan to send more people and conduct training and seminars for all employees."

"Yeah, sure." I agreed.

Colton displayed a high level of dedication and commitment to his job. He had a discussion with us about the work that needed to be done and gave instructions to his consultants. During the meeting, he presented to us a variety of new items, including the organizational chart, a new system for implementation, newly established rules and regulations, and several other important updates.

After the meeting, the consultants started working in the finance department, and I was alone with Colton in my office.

"Colton, I confronted Barry about Aiden. He denied ever saying he saw Aiden last Monday. He said it was Venus he bumped into at the coffee shop that day." I rubbed my temple, then continued, "Now I'm confused. I don't know what to believe anymore."

"Don't let him affect you. Remember, you're a strong woman, you can handle this. We'll figure it out if he's telling the truth or not. Okay?"

"We can work on it now. I need to know if Harvey's allegation on Barry is true, and also check his shopping expenses."

He checked the time on his watch. "Sorry, Luna. I can't stay right now. I have a meeting in thirty minutes. We'll do it another time."

"When? I'm getting married in three weeks, Colton."

"Yeah, I know. This week is so hectic, with non-stop business meetings and tight deadlines. My day is full, leaving me little time for anything else. If it's convenient for you, we can plan to work in the evening instead. We can have it here in your office, or mine. Whenever works best for both of us?"

I didn't care when and where. I was desperate to find out the truth about Barry before we got married in three weeks' time.

"Sure, let's do it."

"Great. I'll text you tonight." He said, then bade goodbye.

Since yesterday in Dansville, I could tell that my friendship with Colton deepened. I reaIized he was truly amazing. When I opened up about my childhood trauma, he was warm and filled with empathy. His attentive silence spoke volumes, and the advice he offered was truly invaluable.

He even promised to lend a hand in my quest to uncover the truth about Harvey's allegations against Barry and investigate Barry's suspicious spending habits. His comforting words put me at ease, allowing me to open up and place my trust in him.

Colton

"Sir! Please hold the elevator for me." I heard someone yelling behind me when I stepped into the elevator. I turned around and saw a petite blond girl running towards me. She was carrying several folders in one arm. "Thanks!" She grinned so widely, her eyes checking on me.

"No worries."

"I can't be mistaken. You must be the one and only Mr. Treble."

"Yes, I am." I nodded.

"Since I got her, I heard the ladies gossiping about you. They're right, you're definitely the most attractive guy walking in this building." She giggled, then introduced herself. "By the way, I'm Venus Packer. Mr. Cox's new secretary."

I nodded as I studied her appearance.

I understand why Luna got worried. The woman standing beside me emanated a sense of danger, threatening her relationship with Cox. She was a young, petite, and blond, with an innocent appearance and a curvaceous figure. Her flirtatious nature was clear in the way she batted her eyelashes and leaned in close.

"Congratulations on your new job." I responded. "I hope you find it fulfilling and rewarding."

"I do. Mr. Cox is very kind to offer me the job."

"Hmm." My eyebrows rose. "You must have a very impressive secretarial experience."

"Yeah, I do. I started working early on and at top-notch companies."

"Hmm. Cox must be feeling pretty lucky with you as his secretary. When did he hire you?"

"Last Monday, at the nearby coffee shop."

"Let me make a wild guess. He was carrying his hot coffee and accidentally bumped into you. You burned yourself with coffee, soaked your dress, and can't go to your job interview anymore. Feeling guilty about the incident, he had to hire you for himself."

"That's so cliche." She giggled. "But nope. That's not how it happened. He walked into the coffee shop and noticed me sitting at the corner table, drinking coffee. We locked eyes, and then he walked up to me, and we had a talk."

"Then he hired you the next day. Right?"

"Exactly! How did you know that?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm a mind reader." I smirked.

"Oh, really?" She bit her lip and gave me a sexy stare. "Guess what's on my mind, Mr. Treble."

I smirked. "I can already tell from your eyes. The answer is no."

Her eyebrows rose, then she leaned closer to me and whispered. "I can easily change a man's mind, Mr. Treble."

The elevator opened on her floor, but she wasn't ready to go. She was waiting for me to answer.

"Not mine." I replied.

She smirked, like she took my words as a challenge, then walked out of the elevator, swaying her hips.