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7. Who's painting is it?

Sarah couldn't help but look away; his gaze, their proximity, and his closeness were too much for her to handle all at once. Her heart beat crazily, and blood rushed to her cheeks. Aaron observed her timid form, loving the effect he had on her. Proud and satisfied, he softly gripped her chin to get her attention. Sarah, being stubborn, closed her eyes tightly, causing him to hiss, "Open your eyes, babygirl." She refused, nodding in disagreement.

She knew exactly how to get on his nerves. "Open it, damn it, or else I will kiss you," he said in his husky voice, his finger tracing her jaw. She gasped and opened her eyes, glaring at him, only to see a charming smile adorning his lips. He rarely smiled, but mostly when he was with her. "Dare you touch me, and I will make sure to make your life hell!" she said through gritted teeth, her voice dripping with hate.

A hoarse chuckle escaped his lips, making her heart skip a beat at his smile. Every fiber of his being, every small action, had an effect on her. She felt twists and turns in her stomach, and only Aaron could make her feel things she had never felt before.

He leaned in closer, resting both palms on the wall. "My fierce cat, you are forgetting that you are being sold to me," he said, playing with her emotions. Her eyes widened, and a frown appeared on her face, to which Aaron smirked, satisfied. He loved being in control.

She tried her best to get out of his steel-like grip. She hates his touch. Being satisfied with the small damage he gave to her, he moves back, winking at her before leaving. Not before commanding, "Don't misbehave anymore, punishment can be worse." She stomped her feet. "Punishment! My foot!" She cursed under her breath. Stomping her feet, she strolls downstairs.

Strolling here and there, she finally spotted the kitchen. Pouting at her growling stomach, she entered the kitchen. Ignoring all the maids and chefs, she pulled open the refrigerator door to see what they had in it. Scanning the whole refrigerator, she finally spotted bread, jam, some eggs, and her favorite orange juice.

Without exchanging a word, she made an omelette for herself and poured juice into a glass. As she prepared her own breakfast, the maids heard footsteps, exchanged glances, and quickly disappeared. Sarah observed all of this, feeling the thick tension in the air. As she walked out with her breakfast, she bumped into a muscular body. She rolled her eyes at the strong cologne.

"Aaron, I..." she paused when she looked up and realized it wasn't Aaron, but his stepbrother, Hazel. Hazel mostly stayed at his warehouse. His eyes, which seemed to penetrate her soul, made her clench her jaw. His hazel eyes scanned her body, and he smirked at her beautiful figure.

"You have a nice figure, sweetheart," he commented, causing Sarah to huff in anger. She placed her breakfast on the side table and delivered a tight slap to his right cheek. The chefs gasped in horror, their expressions filled with shock. No one dared to speak in front of Hazel, as he was the toughest member of the Kenz family - the rudest, a playboy, and a daring personality.

Scoffing at the girl who dared to slap him, Hazel glared at her. Before they could come up with any further verbal fights or arguments, Sophie interrupted by entering the kitchen. "Hey Sarah, oh hey Hazel. I guess you guys already met," she says, sensing the tension.

"Yeah, I guess everyone loves visiting me every now and then," Sarah says with a tight smile. Sophie gave her a fake smile. "Of course, you are a special one, Sarah. Special to Aaron," Sophie emphasized the word. Aaron. Hazel's eyes snapped at Sophie at these words. She gave a small nod, making him understand what she meant. "I will return the favor soon," he says, looking at Sarah with a mixed expression, to which she ignored them highly and finished her breakfast.

Meanwhile, Sophie ordered a black coffee for herself. As they both sat quietly down with their beverages, Sophie decided to talk. "Let's get you a tour of this villa."

"Of course, otherwise you won't let me in peace," Sarah says, rolling her eyes. Slamming her hands on the table, showing how irritated she was around Sophie's presence, she stood up. Sophie, with her regular fake smile, showed her all of her villa.

"And here, this is her room," Sophie says, pushing the doors open of a room which seems to have been locked up for a very long time.

"Her? Doesn't the person have a name?" Sarah asked, confused, though she was not even interested in taking a tour of this villa. But this room was giving her some strange vibes. She felt curious. Sophie sighed with a frown, "we are not allowed to say her name," making Sarah sigh in confusion.

"Why? Is she a witch? Or a ghost?" Sarah asked, bored. "She's someone special to Aaron, darling," Sophie said with a sympathetic smile. This made Sarah even more curious. Who could it be? Who is she exactly? She wants to know now. "Oh, I see," Sarah mumbled, looking around the room. Her eyes widened at the painting hanging upside down. She took steps towards it to place it properly as she touched the frame. A big black lizard appeared, making her scream and get scared.

"Oh no, are you alright?" Sophie rushed over to save Sarah. Sarah nodded in agreement. The lizard vanished behind the bed. "I will scold all these maids. What are they even doing? The room is so dirty!" Sophie mumbled and walked out to reprimand the maids. Meanwhile, Sarah's curiosity was reaching new heights. She licked her lips and, feeling anxious, twisted the frame into the proper position to see who was in the painting.

Sarah's eyes widened at the pretty girl who resembled her in every sense. The girl was in a ball gown, with her partner. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw her partner was none other than Aaron. It seemed like it was their reception picture. Her eyes scanned every detail of the picture. Finally, her eyes went to the date marked with their names: Aaron & Eva. Blocking out all other senses, her mind went numb. "Who is this girl?" she mumbled, trying to ignore the fact that she could be Aaron's first wife.

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