Her Dark Secret

(Jared’s POV)

“I am not a womanizer. Friendly, yes,” I tried to sound as if it were a fact. “I’m just being nice,” I emphasized, curling a devilish smile as I looked at my sister and tried to be cute.

It didn’t work. Maddison curled her lips and mumbled a curse.  

I glanced at the road, returned my eyes to the smartphone, and continued reading the article that netizens have been feasting on this week. Me? A player? Every woman I dated and slept with knew I wasn’t looking to settle down. I never really committed to anyone.

My team could have deleted the article, but it was too late. Jana came to the public, overly emotional in the interview, and overdosed on sleeping pills that night. Her family was quiet about it, but the whole world wanted to decide for me, saying I should be a man and marry her.

I scoffed, reading the comments. “A Don Juan? A Romeo? This isn’t right. They didn’t even know the whole story. I can’t even remember her.”

Maddison scoffed, looking at me.

“Hmm... You’re right. Who doesn’t remember a date? A Romeo’s too nice. A lecher! That sounds...” She narrowed her eyes and continued, “Better.”

“Eyes on the road, Maddie,” I snapped. “It’s not fair they took only her side,” I muttered annoyingly, placing the gadget on the side but not leaving my gaze on the twenty-three-year-old woman beside me. “How about mine?”

“Jared, you change girlfriends faster than you change your underwear,” she said.

“That fast, huh? Don’t you think it’s hygienic?” I teased, leaning on my seat and resting my head.

Ït was a waste of time to argue with her. I couldn’t believe I made it through that sixteen-hour flight with her. In my mind, I had strangled her many times for meddling with my choices of food, drinks, and even the activities I wanted to do. Yet, no one was to blame for bringing her but me. I thought this was the best time to hatch a plot and expose Maddison. I knew she was just after the wealth of my family, and she was nothing but a con artist. So, I lied to Grandpa, telling him this trip would be a good opportunity to get closer to my sister.

Maddison, my sister from another mother, showed up in my grandfather’s office three years ago. My father died a billionaire, and she was the tenth person to claim to be Peter’s daughter. Unlike others, Grandpa welcomed and accepted her without question. What irked me the most was his decision to place her in his office, which sparked a rumor that she was his lover.

“Hmm... How else should they call you?” she continued, turning the steering wheel left.

Shifting my seat, I looked at her again.

“Why did Grandpa reassign you to my office?” I asked suspiciously, hoping to change the subject.

It had only been a week, and my two assistants had different opinions about them. Lilian complained a lot about being clumsy and a slow learner. She also disliked her bad taste in fashion. Not that I cared about it, but if Maddison had to face clients, she should at least be presentable. Alex seemed to be fond of her.

“I don’t know,” she answered, adjusting the brim of her oversized eyeglasses. “Ah! Lady-killer?”

I hissed, frustrated that she wouldn’t just let it go. “You’re still alive, Maddison.”

She rolled her eyes, glancing at me. “You know your charm never works on me, right?”

“I wonder what’ll work on you.” I paused, realizing she was right. Any woman would have fallen in love with my killer smile, but not her. “I’ve never interested you, huh?”

“Nope,” she answered immediately.

“Of course, you like older men.” I pressed my lips tightly and looked ahead. I didn’t mean to let that slip, but I was just so irritated.

“Maybe,” Maddison chuckled.  “When you say older, Alex’s age or Grandpa’s?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I like Alex.”

I sneered, remembering how my cousin talked about her. Although he had the same comment as Lilian, he looked possessed whenever I asked about her. He could not stop talking about how beautiful she was. He said that Maddison had these really deep, dreamy blue eyes that made her look stunning. But I couldn’t see it. Sometimes, I wondered what she would look like if I pulled the scrunchie on her hair and let it fall on her shoulders. I was once tempted to remove her oversized eyeglasses or put her hair behind her ears. Maybe Alex was right. Perhaps there was beauty in her face. Squinting, I turned my gaze ahead.

“You like money,” I murmured, sounding upset.

She laughed briefly and said, “Who doesn’t?” She paused, narrowing her eyes. “But I’m not like you, spending every penny -”

“It’s my money, my own hard-earned money,” I growled and just lost it. “Are you afraid I’ll blow your part of the inheritance? How much do you think you’ll get? Then, who’s your next target? Grandpa?”

“Hey! Be careful with your accusations, Jared!” She glowered, locking her gaze on me and stepping on the gas pedal. “I was very clear from the beginning. I’m not interested in Dad’s money -”

“A… A…” A deer! That’s what I wanted to say, but the word got stuck in my throat. “D*mn it, Maddison! Eyes on the road,” I muttered in panic, although it was still far.  I grasped the shoulder belt, imagining we would hurt the crossing animal. “I’m just messing up with you, okay?”

Curling her lips, she looked ahead and slowed down. “If I’m after your money, I shouldn’t be working. I won’t refuse the money Grandpa’s trying to give me.”

I breathed hard. If I were to uncover the truth, I would have to zip my lips and control myself.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured and glanced at her.

Her eyes were narrowed, and her lips were pressed into a thin line, betraying her frustration. There was a faint flush on her cheeks, and the slight tremor on her jaw tells me she was biting back words she didn’t want to say. I didn’t need to ask, but she looked like she wasn’t ready to forgive me.

Maddison remained quiet as we sped down the winding road. I pretended to sleep, but every time I opened my eyes, the trees blurred into a tapestry of green and gold, and their leaves shimmering in the afternoon sun. I wanted to ask her where we were, but couldn’t muster the courage to do it.

When I couldn’t pretend anymore, I sat up straight and gazed at the endless fields stretching on either side, sometimes dotted with quaint farmhouses and grazing cattle. I cleared my throat and glanced at her. She drove with effortless grace even though she had been behind the wheel for nearly two hours.

“Want me to drive?” I offered with sincerity.

“Nah. I’m good,” she said, almost a murmur.

I shifted my seat, locking my gaze on her. “Can’t you forgive me?” I asked, puckering my lips and trying to look cute the second time. “Look. I know you don’t like me, but why did you come?”

“Good question. Why am I even here?” She sighed, slowing and stopping the car. “Ask Grandpa.”

“It’s my idea,” I admitted, smiling sheepishly. “You’re afraid of me.”

At least, I was being honest. Maddison avoided me at home and in the company, and hardly looked at me when assigned to my office.

“I’m…” She shook her head. “I’m not afraid of you. I’ve been plotting your death to have all Dad’s inheritance, and this is my chance.”

My mouth fell open, and I could feel my heartbeat racing, wanting to say something, but the words were stuck in my throat. 

She burst out laughing, pointing her index finger at me.

“Oh, God, your face! Look at you. You’re so white.” She wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes. “Don’t tell me you believe that.”

Frowning, I said, “I’m dead serious, Maddie. You should be afraid because I might do something you won’t like.”

I leaned forward, hoping to look at her better. No matter how I tried, I could not see any resemblance between her and my father except for her blue eyes and auburn hair, which she usually wore pulled back in a bun or ponytail. If she had at least gotten half of my father’s genius brain, I would have believed her.

She scoffed. “You think that’d scare me? Come on, Jared, my income tax’s more terrifying.” She unclasped her seatbelt and then leaned slightly toward me. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of your way like I always do, Jared.”

“Huh?” I blinked confusedly.

Maddison had never been this close to me, and I couldn’t decide which turned my brain haywire. Her sweet and intoxicating scent, or her voice that sent shivers down my spine.

She rolled her eyes, her index finger pointing at the old building. “You think there’re ghosts in there?”

I pressed my lips tightly, rolling down the car window to see more of the place. We would stay at the Dela Torre Residence, a mansion older than my grandfather’s grandfather, so the last thing I wished to see was a ghost. When I followed the direction of her finger, I wondered what we were doing there.

I squinted at the Georgian architecture of a century-old San Jose High School building. Grandpa mentioned it in passing before we left, saying it used to be a residential place and had survived wars of men and nature, but fifty years ago, the land, including the building, was donated to the local government and renovated into a high school instead of a museum. Any ghost would be upset, turning their quiet home into a noisy establishment. Its red brick façade and elegant columns spoke of its strong sense of history, but they didn’t impress me.

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” I said, tilting my head, and glanced at the sky. My eyes narrowed, not sharing the chill crawling up my spine. “In bad omen, probably.”

Good weather greeted us at the airport, but thick gray clouds suddenly loomed overhead. I was never superstitious, but I believed in being cautious. If bad luck strikes me, it would be really bad.

My forehead creased.

“Why are we here?” I longed for a glass of whiskey while bathing in the tub. “I’m dying.”

“Oh, don’t die yet,” she said, browsing her smartphone. “You…” She puckered her lips as she continued to look at her email.

I blinked, trying to brush off my interest in her, but I could not stop myself from staring at her full lips. A groan escaped my mouth when she bit her bottom lip.

She raised her head and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, it took a while. You have an appointment with Mrs. Sullivan.”

“Mrs. Who?” Again, I was mesmerized by her beauty. “Have we met before?”

There was something familiar about her enchanting smile that seemed to draw me in. This time, I found it difficult to look away.

“Jared, I’m your sister, and that joke won’t work on me, okay?” She said. “Not, with Mrs. Who. Mrs. Sullivan.”

I tilted my head, looking at the building again. “No.” I shook my head and raised my index finger. “See the weather? It’s a bad omen.”

She chuckled. “I didn’t know you believed in such things. I thought you’re not a fan of supernatural stuff.”

“I’m not.” I groaned, closing my eyes briefly and regretting coming here. “This is insane. What am I doing here? I’m supposed to be with Dianna this weekend?”

“Nope,” disagreed Maddison, raising the brim of her eyeglasses. “You have a date with Evelyn.” She shook her head, squinting. “Nah! Wendy? Ah, nope! You broke the poor girl’s heart last week.” She paused, eyeing me. “Seriously, Jared, you need a break from being an *ssh*l*.”

“A… A what?” I snorted. “An *ssh*l*? Ha! We haven’t gone inside yet, but you’re already possessed.” I gritted my teeth, suppressing a curse escaping my mouth, and returning my gaze to the large front yard of the school.

“My bad. Sorry,” she said, but laughed hard.

“Where the hell are the people?” I asked, expecting the place to be filled with students. The ground was empty. Eerily quiet.

At this point, I was unsure which prickled me with unease, the old building, looking ghostly abandoned, or getting comfortable with Maddison.

“It’s Sunday, Jared, so no students today.” She exited the car, walked to my side, and opened the door. “Don’t worry. If there’s a monster or something scary inside, I’m here,” she joked.

“You. You’re scarier than a ghost.” I sneered.

My brows lifted with relief when she turned around to face the building. If there was anything that terrified me, it was being alone with her. Two things might happen. First, I might strangle her for getting on my nerves. Maddison lived in her own apartment, and I only got to see her whenever we had dinner with Grandpa or at work. With my two other assistants and three bodyguards following me, I never worried about having her around. Second, I might pounce on her and taste her kissable lips.

She loosened the strands of hair, covered her face, and howled like a cute puppy.

“Funny, Maddison. Funny,” I growled in a low voice, staying in my seat. “Get inside the car and let’s return to the airport. I have a bad feeling about this place.”

“Don’t be such a baby, Jared. Let’s see what you can attract here,” she teased. “A ghost or a person.”

I scoffed. “It’s not my fault I’m a woman magnet.”

She folded her arms. “I don’t care if you possess the center of the earth in your body, Jared, but whatever charm you have on women, please don’t use it here. Women here can be…” Her nose wrinkled, and her eyes narrowed as she searched for the appropriate word.

“Aggressive? Emotional? Immature? Where’s that attitude coming from?” I glanced up, locking my gaze on the window on the second level of the building.

My heart raced, forgetting the words I had to say. I squinted, making sure I wasn’t imagining her. There, by the open window, I saw her staring blankly at the world outside. For a moment, I was enchanted. With her light brown hair cascading down her shoulders and beautiful face, calling her a mere human was not fair. She was an angel.

Or a ghost?

Maddison turned to face me, blinking a few times before opening the door wide. “Just don’t take advantage of the people here. Please.”

"Huh?"

I looked at her, struggling to process what she had just said. My eyes narrowed, glancing at her and returning my gaze to the window. She was gone.

“D-D-Did you...” I swallowed hard, a chill creeping up the back of my neck.

“Did what?” Maddison asked, glancing over her shoulder in the direction I was looking.

“Nothing,” I answered, squinting at the window.

I heaved a deep sigh, brushing off the girl in my mind as I got out of the car. Cursing inwardly, I walked closer to the building and raised my head to look at the window again. What is happening with me? I wasn’t here to get involved with another woman. She’s trouble, especially if she's really a ghost.

Without warning, heavy rain poured as if unleashing its anger on the ground. Cursing, I hurried to the front door.

“Woah!” I froze as the door swung open unexpectedly. “Seriously!” I growled.

A frantic drumbeat inside my chest urged me to run away from the unsettling creak of the aged wooden door. I am a fearless CEO, a chivalrous and manly bachelor, and I can be a philanthropist like my grandfather, but let’s skip the scary things. They may not be real, but I was never a fan of horror movies. 

(Jared’s POV)

“Mr. Jared Dela Torre?”

I pressed my lips tightly together, suppressing a scream as I tried to calm my pounding heart and convincing myself that the sweet-looking woman in her bright yellow plaid dress wasn’t a ghost. For a second, I doubted it because of her hair. With her voluminous half-up hairstyle, she looked like she stepped out from the 1960s.

“Hi! I’m Danielle, Mrs. Sullivan’s assistant,” she said, her eyes twinkling.

Maddison cleared her throat and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Danielle. I’m Maddison.”

“Oh!” Her smile widened but disappeared right away. “Nice to meet you. Mrs. Sullivan’s expecting you in her office. Please follow me,” she muttered, turning around and walking ahead.

“Wow!” She sneered. “You really do have a magnet, Jared,” Maddison said, rolling her eyes.

To tease Maddison, I tilted my head and curved my