Chapter 2: Awkward Encounter

Without warning, the man hurried towards her, leaving her no chance to react, and forcefully pushed her into a nearby hedge.

Tamara was caught aback by the aggressive behavior and temporarily wobbled as she struggled to regain her footing. She instinctively lifted her hands to her breasts to shield them. A surge of fear and anger caused her heart to race.

"What... what are you going to do?"

He expressed his contempt with a sneer. "So what? You're just a specter that needs to be dealt with!"

Tamara could only see his menacing gaze. Trying to reason with him might not be possible. She racked her brain, desperately searching for a plan or trick to escape from the danger.

The guy swiftly pulled his head closer within an inch of hers before she had a chance to respond. The situation felt invasive and threatening, causing her heart to pound even faster in alarm. Aware of the urgency, she realized she needed to take immediate action to safeguard herself against his threatening advances.

Mustering all her resolve, Tamara stepped aside a little to give some space between them. "I may not know everything, but I can see through your tricks, sir."

He spoke arrogantly. "So, you think you're smart, huh?" He moved closer, trying to intimidate her more. "You're just a stupid little girl having fun in an unknown world." His words were hurtful, and he took pleasure in witnessing her discomfort.

As she stood her ground, his sly sneer turned into an infuriated scowl. He was unprepared for her confrontation, as he had not anticipated it. His eyes flashed with uncertainty for a second, but he swiftly hid it with a show of confidence.

When he pressed his body against hers, Tamara could feel his hardness. She froze in her spot as he was about to force a kiss on her lips.

Suddenly, a sharp voice cracked, calling out with a firm shout. "Hey!"

Tyler and Tamara both turned to see in the direction the voice was coming from. Another man entered the scene.

"Enough! Stop this right now!" His commanding voice held authority as he stepped forward. He glanced at Tyler with disapproval and said, "What's going on here, Tyler? You better back off!"

Tamara felt a glimmer of relief when the newcomer intervened, and she held onto the hope that his presence would help to calm down the situation. But she was wrong.

Instead of calming down the tension, his face twisted with anger and frustration as he witnessed the mistakenly intimate scene before him.

Turning to Tamara, his voice laced with disbelief and anger as he said, "Seriously? Were you really making out with him during the funeral?"

His words stabbed her heart like a sharp knife. She couldn't believe how bad his accusation was.

Tamara hastily shook her head with mixed feelings, trying to clarify. "Oh, heavens no! That's absolutely not what happened!"

Even finding the right words to explain herself was hard for her, given the situation.

Tamara felt caught in the middle of this emotional storm and misunderstanding since the situation had taken an even more perplexing turn.

"Tyler, step back now and get your ass back to the funeral!" That other man spoke harshly to him.

Tyler quickly stepped away from her, wearing a sly sneer on his face.

"Alright, Judson. Have it your way!" He gave Tamara a final scornful glare before backing down, trying to show he still had some control over the situation. He gave one last mocking look, then turned and walked away, heading back to the funeral like the other guy told him to.

"Don't forget! I'll deal with you later," Judson, another guy, scolded him, his eyes radiating the immense anger.

Tamara felt both relieved and angry when she realized she had been saved from a possibly dangerous situation, only to be put in another danger she hadn't expected. She wondered how Judson had stepped in to diffuse the situation and stop it from becoming worse.

"Hello there! Who the hell are you to be messing around in my house?" His voice snapped at her.

Tamara jerked her head around in shock.

She could feel her heart racing in her chest when she saw Judson take a single step forward. In his late thirties or something, he had a mysterious yet intimidating vibe as he walked over. His eyes were like burning with rage as he stared at her furiously as if he was stabbing the air with his gaze.

As he moved closer, it had given her a chance to carefully examine his face. Evening sunlight gently stroked his face, highlighting his chiseled jawline and high cheekbones. His eyes were like mesmerizing shade of deep emerald, sparkling with a mix of curiosity and fury.

He stood there, a figure of undeniable allure, his features a captivating blend of ruggedness and refinement. Though the years had traced lines upon his face, they only served to enhance his enigmatic charm.

Damn! This guy had some captivating charm that attracted others to him, much like moths to a flame. His eyes were dark and piercing, adding an air of mystery to his charm.

"You seem to have a knack for igniting troubles." He spoke with his deep, soothing voice and sardonic smirk. "You've definitely messed around in the wrong place for some fun."

"Uh, sorry, sir? I didn't do anything that involved messing around here, like you said. I just saw him..."

"I must say, you have a lot of guts to leverage a sad situation to hook up with a rich man."

Judson examined her with a disdainful look and smirked wryly.

"Don't act like I'm ignorant! Just in case you forgot, I wanted to make sure you knew where you were. I didn't notice you among the mourning relatives and friends this morning, so you must be one of my hired mourners. I've paid you a high price for the best service, but you totally slacked off on your job."

When Tamara realized how badly he had misunderstood and wronged her, her heart sank deep inside the bottomless pit. She never meant to trick him or anyone else. In fact, she had attended the burial as Henry's girlfriend and was weeping along with everyone else. She wanted to defend herself and explain herself, but his accusing look made her feel helpless and unable to speak.

Trying to calm her emotions, she breathed in deeply. Judson was clearly not listening or understanding. He came to believe that her worst traits were true, which caused her more pain than she could express. She was feeling completely powerless to find the correct words to respond. She was so determined to stick up for herself and show him that she deserved to be there, just like anyone else.

"This is a completely baseless accusation, sir! I'm not the one you accused me of."

Although she had an overwhelming urge to tell the truth, she felt utterly powerless as her previous relationship with Henry remained hidden in the dark. With Henry's passing, she found herself without any idea how to defend herself.

"Then what? Do you want to deny your reckless behavior? What else are you planning?"

"Excuse me, sir. I'm not a hired mourner. Henry was my friend, and I came here to pay him my last respects."

"Cut the crap! Thieves always scream thief. Because of your bad service, I want to back out of our deal, and you should give me my money back."

As Tamara was puzzled by his ruthless behavior, suddenly she felt the anger threatened to surge up. She glared at him fiercely as she snapped, "Alright, then. Call the mourner's service and make sure that you’re wrong about all of this. Get all of your money back from them. Farewell, sir!"

Tamara stormed off, angrily stomping her feet.

"Psycho!" She couldn't help but curse under her breath in anger and frustration. The words came out of her mouth like a poisonous whisper.

Tamara just took a few steps away when Judson swiftly ran after her, his face contorted with anger. With lightning speed, he got closer to her and reached out to grab her arm. His tightened grip sent a sharp pain to shoot through her body.

“Don't you dare walk away, not until we've figured out this tangled mess!” Judson's patience wore thin as he shot her a piercing glare.

However, her determination faltered at that moment as she laid eyes on him, completely entranced by the sheer power radiating from his deep, mysterious obsidian eyes. Those eyes were something else. They had the crazy power to just cut right through her. It was like they could see straight into the core of her being, piercing into the depths of her soul.

“Hey, listen up, sir! There's just nothing else left to discuss.”

As he inched closer, the air between them crackled with anticipation. Their bodies moved towards one another, drawn by an invisible force that neither could resist.

Slowly, ever so slowly, they closed the distance until they were mere inches apart. The world around them faded into a blur, leaving only the two of them suspended in a moment that seemed to stretch for eternity.

As she stood there, a faint whiff of his luxurious, masculine cologne wafted through the air, teasing her senses.

“Oh no, we haven't finished yet. You cannot simply walk away after causing all this disaster.”

“What are you going to do, sir? With all these accusations, are you planning to put me in jail?” She cynically sneered. "Let's go for it! I'm not scared."

Judson took a brief pause, fixing his gaze on her with intensity, before finally speaking, "Nah, it's too easy for you. I’ve come up with a great idea. You must go with me.”

He didn't wait for her response and forcefully pulled her away from the garden.

“Go with you? What do you want, sir?”

Judson took her away from the beautiful garden, and she was left with a lot of questions. She had no idea what he was planning, and the tension between them was clear.

She huffed and puffed, desperately trying to keep up with him. Her mind, lost in a cloud of blissful ignorance, remained oblivious to his true intentions.

With a firm grip, his fingers latched onto her arm, his face concealing a whirlwind of emotions that were impossible to discern. Something about him caught her attention, hinted at a tempest brewing beneath his composed facade.

"Well, you'll find out later," he replied, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

As Judson dragged her into a room that seemed a study, his manipulative nature seemed to take center stage. Tamara sensed it immediately, the distinct tension that hung in the air, thick and suffocating. It clung to the room like a heavy blanket, weighing down the atmosphere.

Glancing at him, her gut feeling screaming that he was up to no good. He leaned in, his voice lowering to a sultry whisper. A crackling air stuck between them, unspoken but impossible to ignore.

He shifted his gaze towards her, his voice taking on a softer, more intimate tone.

"Listen up, girl. I think you are much more than what I see."

There was something appealing about the way he held himself among all the commotion and accusations. It felt like there was this secret curiosity, the kind that was hidden away, that was just tugging at him, controlling his every step.

As the words effortlessly spilled from his lips, Tamara found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions. It was a battle within her, leaving her feeling vulnerable and defenseless against his unexpected charm.