Maxine's Pov:
I dilated my eyes in shock as his lips crashed on mine, feeling overwhelmed and unsure-hoping readers connect with my confusion and surprise.

Whaaaaat??

He's kissing me??

I mean...smooching me?

I gasped and pulled away from the kiss, my heart pounding with confusion and fear, revealing my inner turmoil and heightening emotional engagement. 

I panted as I stared into his face, and slowly, my eyes reached for his wet lips.

What am I doing? What's happening??

If not for the sound of the rain, I was scared he'd be able to hear the sound of my heart beating.
With an unexplained speed, we reached for each other's lips again and smooched for a long time.

Oh my God!

A voice in my head kept ringing:

"Stop! Stop!" 

But as he held me in his arms at that moment, I couldn't seem to think straight.

What's happening??

I thought I'd only asked him a question? And next, he kissed me?
What's going on?

He pulled me close and slid his hand into my dress, and I flinched.

"Noah..." I called in deep breaths and unlocked from the kiss, trying to stop his hand. 
But he got hold of my lips again and pushed me gently to lie.

Whaaat??

I tried resisting him this time around but couldn't as he seemed to weigh me down.

I saw him unhook his belt and pinned his hands against my head afterwards.

He reached for my gown again and slipped his hand in, and I gasped when I felt his cold hand touch my thighs.

"Wait..." I muttered and tried holding his hand, but couldn't.

He forced it in and touched the tip of the p*nt, and my fears increased.

Hold on; are we really doing this now?

Like...here??

Oh my God!

Suddenly, flashes of light hit us, and we stopped abruptly from the shock.

I breathed heavily as a sudden relief came upon me. 

Noah left me, peeped through the window, and I saw him groan after doing that.
He looked at me, and the car from outside started honking.

"My driver's here," he said in a cold, detached voice, biting his lower lip-intending to create a sense of tension and emotional conflict for the audience.

Holy Christ! I could still see that hungry look In his eyes.

I stared into his gleaming eyes and gulped but didn't say anything.

"We should get going", he added and finally left the car.

I sat up slowly and placed my hand on my chest, the whole image still playing in my head.

What the hell just happened? Did we actually...

Oh, God!

I buried my face in my palm, but just then, the car honked again, awakening me from my thoughts, and I sighed and left the car to join Noah.
*
*
Audrey's Pov:
I returned home, feeling a little weak.

I couldn't find Ella in the sitting room, and I sluggishly climbed the stairs to her room, and there I found her, watching a cartoon.

"Mum!" She beamed and ran into my arms, and I smiled and embraced her. 

"Hey, baby. How're you doing?" I cooed and touched her hair.

"I'm fine, mommy. Just feeding my eyes," she replied with a broad smile, and I carried her to the bed and sat next to her.

She concentrated on the movie while I stared into her face, remembering her father. 

The moment he had introduced her as his fiancée, I felt a sharp pang of bitterness and pain, exposing my lingering feelings and inviting empathy. 

The moment he had introduced her as his fiancée, I felt bitter and pained - yes. I wouldn't deny it.

Perhaps, the feelings were still there. 

I should probably go away - far away where I wouldn't have to be hurt by all this. 

"Mum", Ella's tiny voice broke into my thoughts.
"Are you alright? You look kind of moody," she said, and I smiled and stroked her hair.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll be fine, okay? Mummy's okay," I replied, and she smiled and turned back to the telly.

"Audrey", I called after a little pause, and she looked back at me.

"I want you to get ready because...tomorrow, we'll be leaving".

She raised her brows at me.

"Leaving?" She asked.

"Yes, dear. We'll be going back to Paris first thing in the morning. I...need to take care of some things over there," I said with a sniff, and for a moment, she didn't say a word.

"Okay, Mum. If you're fine with it, then I'm fine," she replied, and I smiled and kissed her.
*
*
Maxine's Pov:
The drive to the house was overly quiet, as Noah and I didn't say a word despite sitting next to each other.

I wrapped my trembling hands around my shoulders, feeling the cold seep into my bones, as relief washed over me when we finally arrived home, easing my anxiety.

Noah and I stepped out of the car as soon as it stopped, and at that time, the rain had reduced to a drizzling pour.

I walked slowly into the house with Noah behind, and at that moment, I couldn't notice Tammy and Ruby, who were sleeping beside the security house - on the floor.

I just didn't notice them.

I walked into the house with Noah, feeling so uneasy and a little shy.

"Maxine", he called from behind, and I turned to look at him, my entire system spinning.

"I'll...I'll just freshen up", I told him, and he nodded, and I left.

As soon as I got into my room, I leaned on the door for a long while, trying to calm my nerves. 

Gosh! I felt soooo

Geez!!

I scratched my head, took off my clothes, and went into the bathroom for a very hot shower.

Yeah...I really needed something warm.

Throughout out my stand in the shower, I kept thinking about the car stuff. 

What would've happened if his driver didn't show up?

Would we really have...

Holy Crap!

I cogitated for a long time and, as a result, spent a longer time than usual in the shower.

I just couldn't believe Noah made an attempt on me.

I mean....it was unexpected.

After a long while, I turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around myself, then returned to the room.

And as soon as I opened the door to the room, I found him right there - leaning on the wall.

Oh God!