COURTNEY'S POV.

I kept staring at the white contract sheet, words struggling to form in my mouth, but dying instead at my throat before they could even make it past.

The terms were very clear, and I looked at his beautifully molded face.

“You don't understand?”

“I don't.”

“I need a wife, and you'll be her. But at the same time, I'm going to use you to fulfill what we both want. Revenge on Kent. In return, I give you a new face, a new life, new assets, and the opportunity to get back at Kent Bieber.”

My fingers clenched around the contract, as something burned alive in my chest.

“Should you be thinking twice? Perhaps, you haven't seen this.” He said, tossing his phone to me, and I looked at the photo on it.

It was Kent, and his side chick Lacey. The wedding that ought to be mine. In the wedding dress that I picked out, the wedding hall that I personally picked, and supervised, with the flowers I bought and adored.

I gave a scoff, wanting to smash the phone into the ground, as my eyes became hot, and my throat raw.

I wanted to hit something. Damnit. I was in a coma for weeks, with a completely destroyed face, but he was having the marriage of the century after deceiving me, and conning me?

To think that I loved him.

“It is purely business, and we part when…”

Before he even finished speaking, I scribbled my signature away on the contract with fingers shaking from fury.

David put a finger under my chin. “I will make you pretty, darling. Very pretty.” He said, his eyes holding a promise.

~

Weeks later, I sat in the mirror, staring at my new face. We'd done the surgery, started a new life for me, given me some social exposure, and finally, we were preparing for the grand event which we were looking forward to.

That was the day we would ruin Kent.

But first, I had an important mission.

Putting mascara on my long dark lashes, I smiled, knowing my grey eyes would never be enough to make him remember me.

Now, my nose was high and elegant, my lips a perfect, little heart, my chin shaped in a soft V. My hair the brown of autumn leaves, cascading softly down my shoulders in soft, silky waves.

I'd become a piece of artwork.

David and I held a large wedding. The wedding of my dreams, although the bitterness was still there because each smile we sent to each other, each sweet look, each shared kiss was as fake as a bronze ring slathered with shiny gold paint.

But that was fine. Turned out Kent had messed around with more wrong people.

“He also tried to con me, but he will never get away with it. You are my doll, and you'll smash him into pieces for me.” David had whispered into my ear that day after we'd left the hospital.

I picked up my bag, after putting on a little gloss, and made my way out of the house.

David was making tea for himself when I passed by.

Why would Kent mess with such a man? His build alone, and the powerful feeling he evoked was enough to scare anyone away. Why was Kent so stupid?

His gray eyes turned on mine, and I shifted them away. Somehow, his eyes were way too intense.

“I'm going to see Kent.”

“Ah,” A wicked smile stretched on his lips, “Don't get overwhelmed.” He said, and I nodded, before going out.

The driver drove me to the matrimonial home of Kent and Lacey. The home I'd picked, and paid for.

Kent opened the door swiftly, and I stared into his brilliant emerald eyes, feeling the heat spread in my chest.

Slowly, his eyes traveled to the cleavage I'd revealed by missing two buttons of my shirt.

Once a jerk. Always a jerk.

Let's do this.

COURTNEY'S POV.

What was our plan? Ha… our plan was a dangerous one.

And it started with seducing Kent.

Crazy, right?

But I'd do anything to see him beg on his knees. I had only one chance to drag Kent down. He'd sold all my house, all my cars, without me even knowing. He'd robbed me of everything completely.

My chance wouldn't be wasted.

There was the Grand Meet, which was approaching fast.

The Grand Meet was for businessmen across the spill of the country. It was a time when each businessman showcased, and boasted of everything they had. It was also a time for everyone to make more connections, and define the hierarchies.

Kent had decided to donate on that day, a hundred million dollars…

Money that was never his from the start. The hard-earned money from the sweat and blood my parents had spilled to raise fortunes for me.

“Ah, welcome, Mrs. Jones. It's a pleasure to be doing business personally with you.” He said, finally tearing his eyes off my cleavages.

Disgusting. God help me I don't bat his face with something strong before the day ends.

“It’s a pleasure to do business with you too. My husband insisted that I come personally since you're way too important for a secretary to handle.” I said, making my voice more relaxed, letting the tones flow out gently like honey poured onto a pie.

My natural voice wasn't as smooth as that. It was always excited when I was with Kent, and a little bit higher, so I wasn't surprised when he laughed, completely unable to notice any similarities.

“Would you like some tea? Wine?” He asked, and I took a deep breath.

David taught me this. I can do it.

***

It was the day before, and he'd sat me down in the garden, looking into my eyes.

“The rage will be there. The disappointment, the annoyance, but you must look at him like this.” Then his green eyes had carried a softness that had been nothing but mesmerizing, “You let him know you're thinking something in your head, and that you find him a little attractive.”

“That's going to be hard when I want to pummel him, and dip him in hot, burning oil, then chop him in…”

He suddenly tucked my hair behind my ear, shutting me up with that simple gesture.

“Gentle touches on his arm, shoulders, but no form of communication for the flirting. Slowly, till you can break whatever barriers he has put there. We're going to con the con-artist.” He told me softly, and for a while, I got lost in his eyes.

***

Okay! Let's stop there for now. Why am I thinking about David's eyes?

“Wine?” Kent inquired, raising the glass, and I realized I'd been staring into space.

I gave him a pleasant smile that took stepping on thorns to generate.

“Sure. So what do you have in mind for Project 312?” I asked in my honeyed voice, staring into his annoying face, as he poured wine into a glass.

He began, pulling out files, and I did my best to clench my fists, and give smiles, even though questions were already popping in my mind to ask him.

All the time we were together, did you really feel no guilt? Did you have this thought from the start, or it suddenly occured to you that you could use me?

All through the meeting, Kent kept sneaking peeks at my cleavages, getting distracted, and stumbling on his own words, and I kept on being David's doll, smiling the way he'd told me to, and touching him when necessary.

Finally, the day ended, and I was about to walk out the door when Lacey came in.

“Uh…” she began…

“Good evening.” I greeted, and Kent shot to his feet.

“Mrs. Jones. Say that again.” He said, and I turned around, looking at him.

Oops. I'd let my real voice slip out.

COURTNEY'S POV

“I said ‘Good Evening.’ Why did you ask me to rephrase myself?” I asked, slipping back into the cool tones that he knew belonged to Mrs. Jones.

“Ah, I see. I'm sorry. Don't mind me.” He replied, his eyes falling to my cleavages once more, before he quickly batted them away onto his wife who was watching me with disdain.

Not to worry, sweet Lacey. You would feel exactly what it feels like when you're betrayed by someone you love.

Hopefully, you love him, so my plans would sting.

“Have a nice day, Mr. And Mrs. Bieber.” I said, with a slight smile, and cat-walked out the door, heading for my car.

Getting in, I twisted the ignition and drove away as fast as I could.

“Courtney, we have to bear this. It's hard, but it's the path to destroying that son of a bitch!” I said, squeezing my steering wheel with the vortex of rage swelling rapidly within me.

Shortly, I got home, and David was there, having dinner.

“How did it go? Hard?”

“As if.” I replied, sitting on the sofa next to him, as I kicked off my shoes, “He was a dog, waiting for crumbs from his owner. He couldn't take his eyes off me.”

“Attractive. Nice strategy.” He said, and I turned to him. His eyes rose from my cleavages to stare right into mine, and I blushed red. He'd been looking at it too.

“That's not meant for you.” I said, turning away so my clumsy fingers could fix my buttons.

He chuckled, “Is it?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what are you planning when you finally seduce him? Sleep with him?”

“Why? Jealous of your wife being in bed with another man?”

“Ah, I remember. A man ought to be crazy if his wife is in bed with another man.” He said, his green eyes as cool as spring water on a lonely night, “So what will you do?”

“Never would I ever sleep with him again. I have my ways, David. You don't have to worry about a thing.”

He chuckled, “As if.”

~

The next day, I was back again in Kent's house, feeling even better than the last time as the quest for revenge had succeeded in blinding me fully.

We sat on the sofas of the living room, and I crossed my legs, exposing sweet and smooth flesh that he would love to run his hands over.

I'd chosen the color of seduction, a bright red tight skirt, with a red jacket, which did nothing to cover my temptation.

And today, my shirt was missing three buttons, not two.

I shot him sweet smiles as we spoke, and did well to expose my neck, and run my own painted fingers over my thighs.

“So, would you do me a favor, Mrs Jones?”

“Caitlin. Not Mrs. Jones.” I said softly, and his eyes traveled over me.

“Caitlin. I'd love you to recruit a friend of mine into your company.”

“I see.” I said, rising to go to the counter where I mixed drinks. He came to stand next to me.

“She's the daughter of a friend of my mother's.”

The fool had no mother!

“Okay?”

“Can you recruit her?”

“Absolutely.” I said, taking off my jacket to reveal softness and feminity as the white shirt clung to me tightly with its short sleeves, “Send me her resume, and she can start working tomorrow.”

“Just like that.”

Then I turned to him, looking at his lips, as I bit mine slightly, stepping closer to him, “I'm the wife of the CEO.”

“Oh.” His voice dropped an octave, and I pulled down the collar of his shirt, forcing myself to meet his lips with mine.

I was going head on like the bull I was.