Chapter 5 The woman behind the face
Charles POV
I watched as the girl ran out of class in a hurry. Something about her struck me, her familiar scent that filled my nose, and the fact that she looked like Nikki in a way.
I dismissed the thought as it formed.
"It's your first day lecturing, Charles! Don't confuse personal matters with work," I chastised myself.
Earlier today when the Dean of the University called me pleading that I take the class in Advanced Business Strategy, I readily accepted because it was fun impacting my fellow youths and I wasn't going to let anything mess it up.
I received a message from Nikki that jerked me back to reality.
"Charles honey, don't forget dinner tonight."
My stomach turned in disgust and last night's events replayed in my head.
Everything felt so off.
The lady whose virginity I had taken was withdrawn and shaky, unlike the sassy Nikki that I knew.
Her words, though faint, echoed in my head.
"Please be gentle, I'm new to this."
New? Nikki was obviously a runs girl and that was why I specifically requested her virginity, because I knew she couldn't offer it.
I had woken up and seen her sleeping soundly on my chest. Something felt odd. The woman last night hadn't clung to me like this. How had she ended up on my chest?
I knew I had been very drunk last night, but something felt different. The woman from last night and Nikki right now, they didn't match. But how could that be? It was the same face, the same body lying beside me.
"Oh my God! Look what we did!" Nikki had shouted in a way that startled me.
"I can't believe my virginity that I treasured so much is gone." She began to sob.
I looked at her, searching for something, anything that would confirm my suspicions. But what could I say? That she felt different? That she tasted different? I had no proof, only this gnawing feeling in my gut.
"You entered on your own. I didn't force you," I said coldly.
"Is this how you show appreciation for the night?" She said, stroking my beard.
I pulled back slightly. Last night, those hands had been tentative, uncertain. These hands were practiced, confident. Or was I imagining it?
"You know, last night was the best experience ever. I never knew such pleasure existed. Now we can get married and start our lives together. I can't wait..." She continued blabbing.
Married.
The word sent a chill through me, though it shouldn't have. That was the plan all along: marry Nikki Jenkins, secure the merger with Wade Jenkins's empire. The old man was grooming me to take over when he retired, and as his only heir, Nikki was the key to inheriting everything he had built. It was business. Cold, calculated business. The kind of deal that would make Kane Enterprises untouchable.
So why did the thought of it make my stomach turn?
Because last night hadn't felt like business. Last night had felt like something else entirely. Something I hadn't expected. That woman had responded to me with a raw honesty that had shaken something loose inside me. Her kisses had tasted like honey and hesitation and something genuine I hadn't experienced in years. And when I had looked into her eyes, I had seen fear, yes, but also courage. Vulnerability. Truth.
The woman in front of me now had none of that.
But I had no evidence. No proof. Just a feeling, and feelings didn't hold up in business negotiations. I couldn't investigate further because Wade Jenkins expected this marriage. The merger depended on it. Billions of dollars hung in the balance. Walking away would mean losing the deal of a lifetime, the kind of opportunity that came once in a generation.
Could I really throw all of that away because something felt odd?
After she left, I sat on the edge of the bed, running my hands through my hair. The scent of honey still lingered on my skin. I could still feel the ghost of her touch, the way she had trembled against me, not from cold, but from something deeper. Anticipation. Desire mixed with fear.
And the taste of her. God, the taste of her.
I had kissed many women. Slept with more than I cared to count, though always on my terms, always with my rules. But last night had been different. Last night, for the first time in my life, I had felt something beyond physical satisfaction.
I felt a connection.
And now she was gone, replaced by a woman wearing her face but lacking her soul.
Harvey was already waiting for me in the car.
"Boss, you're almost late for the dinner," he said as I entered the car.
"That dinner is the least of my concerns," I said.
"You just have to put up with Nikki, you need that merger, Charles," Harvey said.
"Just drive," I said.
We reached the Jenkins family home and were greeted with absolute silence. The gate was oddly open so we drove in casually. The house was open so we didn't bother knocking.
I saw a familiar young girl on the floor sobbing while Nikki and her mother were hitting her. By the girl's dressing I knew she was the maid.
"What is going on here?" I asked angrily and they froze.
The young girl immediately stood up, wiping her tears. I recognized her from class.
Nikki quickly rushed to me. "Charles, you came!" She said, trying to hold my arms, which I gently declined.
"Mr. Charles! We have been expecting you," Jessica Jenkins said with a pretentious smile on her face.
"Well, it never occurred to me that the Jenkins family abused their workers," I said.
"Oh! Charles you misunderstood it all. This is just a lousy maid that needs to be taught a lesson," Jessica replied
Harvey scoffed. "A lesson? Linda is not a lousy maid," he said.
I turned to him. "Do you know her?"
"Of course, Charles. Harvey was our next door neighbor before his family relocated," Nikki chipped in
"Nice seeing you, Linda," Harvey waved at Linda and she smiled, trying to cover the tears.
"What are you still doing here? Go get the meal for the guests!" Jessica yelled at her and directed us to the dining table.
The young girl hurried away, burying her face to the floor, trying so hard to avoid my gaze.
I wondered why this student would work for a place that abused her and suddenly, I wanted to know more about her. My eyes followed her as she walked out.
"Nice seeing you, Charles. I've missed you," Nikki said, resting her head on my shoulders.
I gently shrugged her off and straightened up.
"Shall we head to the dining room?" Jessica said, keeping that pretentious smile that made my stomach turn.
Nikki held onto my arms as Jessica led the way to the dining room.