Later that evening…
Shonee’s POV
I paced anxiously in the hotel room Vincent had booked until I heard a rapid knock on the door.
Quickly, I dashed towards the barrier.
“Good, you got my text.”
“Yeah, got here as fast as I could.” Then, Vincent grabbed my waist, capturing my lips in a warm kiss as I shut the door behind him.
Earlier, after the whole drama with Avril this afternoon, I had sent Vincent a text, updating him on Avril’s latest decision to keep me in the house. Then he arranged for me to meet him here for the full story since Avril was still at home.
“No offence,” Vincent began when we pulled back to catch our breath. “But after everything that happened, I can’t believe Avril changed her mind and let you stay.”
“Oh, you’ll definitely believe it when I tell you everything.” I stepped past him to lock the door. “It’s going to knock your socks off.”
Vincent proceeded to yank off his jacket with a chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve been living with Avril for the past six months and I don’t think there’s anything she can do to surprise me.”
“She’s cheating on you, Vincent.”
His entire body froze, eyebrows pinching together in a frown. “What?”
“Today, as I was about to leave the house, I overheard Avril talking on the phone to someone she kept calling babe. I don’t know all the necessary details, but whoever it was made it pretty clear that he wasn’t happy with the upcoming wedding and Avril kept assuring him that this was the best choice for both of them. She even promised to get him a casino in Vegas once you two get married.”
For a minute Vincent appeared stunned, not knowing how to react to the bombshell I just dropped. Then, anger flashed in his eyes like wildfire.
“That two-faced lying hypocrite!” he growled, clenching his fists.
“I know right,” I huffed. “All that time she was threatening to kill me for starting something with you, she was actually doing the same thing behind your back.”
“Oh wait till I get my hands on her.” With balled fists, Vincent headed straight for the door.
“Whoa, wait.” I quickly grabbed his arm. “You can’t leave. We can’t let her know that you know.”
“Then what do you suppose we do, huh?” Vincent threw his hands in the air. “I’m not going to allow her to continue acting like the saint she isn’t.”
“And you won’t.” I laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I have a plan to expose her.”
Vincent looked at me, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity in his gaze. “What kind of plan?”
“A plan, if executed perfectly, can kill two birds with one stone.”
Avril’s threats from this afternoon rang loud and clear in my head but I tuned them. I wasn’t afraid of her now and I don’t think I ever will be.
“It will be so easy to go out there and accuse Avril of adultery, but what if we didn’t do that? What if we used her secret to get rid of the Paynes once and for all?”
Vincent's eyes widened. “I’m listening.”
“What we need to do with this vital information is to use it against her, make it look like your relationship falling apart is her fault. And to do that, we first need to find out who her lover is,” I explained, “then we tip off the tabloids. Tell them who Avril’s lovebird is and where they can find him. Once the news spreads like wildfire, Avril’s father won’t have any other option but to call off the wedding. It’s that simple.”
I clasped my hands, hoping that everything I’d just said would at least bring Vincent some relief. Instead, he just turned around, rubbing a hand over his face. “Unfortunately, it’s not Shonee.”
I blinked in confusion. “What? Is there something I missed?”
“Yeah.” He plopped down on the bed, concern covering every inch of his face. “Honestly, it’s a good idea. But it won’t get rid of the Paynes entirely as we hoped.”
“Ok… can you at least tell me why?” I pressed on.
Vincent remained quiet for a few minutes before saying, “This morning…during the…confrontation with Avril, you remember I received a call.”
“Yeah, from Avril’s dad.” I crossed my arms, listening with rapt attention. “But you didn’t answer it.”
“That’s because I thought it was something trivial… but it wasn’t.” Vincent’s expression was now pensive and it only increased my anxiety.
“Vincent,” I began cautiously. “What’s going on?”
He paused, shook his head and ran his fingers through the tendrils of his dark locks. “Avril’s father has implemented a few…adjustments in our original contract timeline. He now wants our companies to merge a week before the wedding. He’s planned a whole party for it and everything.”
My eyes widened in shock; mouth slightly agape. “Wait…So that means…”
“Even if Avril and I don’t get married, Richard Payne will still have a claim over Beckham Incorporated,” Vincent finished gravely.
I sank onto the edge of the bed beside him, feeling a mix of anger and desperation welling up inside me. “So, all this time…the plan wasn’t just about Avril getting married to you. It was about taking over your company.”
“Yeah…” He slowly nodded.
My mind was still racing, trying to process everything Vincent had just said. For now, it seemed as if we had hit a wall—a wall so high that it appeared impossible to climb over. But there was still a glimmer of hope, a chance to turn the tables on the conniving Paynes.
“Vincent,” I said, taking his hand and squeezing it. “I know this seems daunting, but we can’t give up now. We just need to adjust our plan a bit. We need to find out who Avril’s lover is and expose them before the merge party.”
Vincent looked at me, scepticism written all over his face. “Adjust our plan? Shonee, the merge party is in five days. How are we supposed to find out who Avril’s lover is when we don’t even have a single clue?”
“We’ll find a way.” I met his gaze with determination. “We’ll work together, use every resource we have, and leave no stone unturned until we uncover the truth. It’s our best shot, Vincent. Otherwise, you’ll lose everything you’ve worked for.”
Those last words struck him hard, and he appeared hesitant for a moment, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. But then, slowly, a spark of determination ignited within him. “You really think we can pull this off?”
I nodded, offering him an assuring smile and looking deep into his eyes. “I know we can. We’ll be unstoppable if we’re in this together.”
After a moment of contemplation, Vincent reached out and gently cupped my face in his hands. “You never cease to amaze me, Shonee. Your strength and determination… they inspire me.”
A playful grin tugged at my lips. “Well, I aim to please. I wouldn’t want you to get bored with me.”
Vincent chuckled, the tension easing from his features. “Bored with you? Never.”
With a soft laugh, I leaned in closer to him. “Good, because I have plenty more surprises up my sleeve.”
Vincent’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned in, his lips hovering just inches from mine. “I can’t wait to find out what they are.”
Without another word, our lips met in a passionate kiss, igniting a fire that burned with the strong emotions we felt for each other.
Slowly, I climbed on top of Vincent, pushing him down on the bed as his hands wrapped around my waist. We kissed again, deeper and stronger than the first one, our tongues caught in an intimate dance of desire.
Since I was seated right on top of his crotch, I rocked against him, relishing the friction and heat from the clothes in between us. I could feel his response almost immediately and it made me smile.
“You’re such a tease…” Vincent mumbled and I laughed even harder.
“I am, aren’t I?” Then my mouth descended lower, working with my hands to free his chest from his clothing. Loving the feel of his taut pecks and muscles under my palms, I allowed my hands to roam before climbing back up to kiss the nape of his neck.
“Mmm…Shon…” 
“You always make me feel good, Vincent,” I said, trailing kisses all the way down to the thin line of hair that disappeared into his pants. “Now it’s your turn.”
Reaching his belt buckle, I wasted no time, unfastening it and pulling everything down. The sight of his erection made my pussy clench and I had to remind myself that this was about him, not me. So I wrapped a hand around his length, gently rubbing up and down.
“Oooh fuck…” He cursed, pushing himself up.
“Is that good?” I smiled, loving his reaction to my hand movement.
“Shon…” he whispered, “it’s amazing…nnhnn.”
Chuckling, I knelt down, giving me full access to him as I quickened my hand’s pace and sucked on his balls. His dick twitched in my hand and he sat up, attempting to reposition himself so he could watch me work my magic.
When our eyes met, I deliberately licked his dick all the way from the bottom to the tip.
“Oh… God…” He grabbed a fistful of my hair. “You’ve been holding out on me, huh sweetheart?”
I laughed before allowing my mouth to take him in. “Mmm…”
A rugged moan came as a response, and it only motivated me to quicken my movement, pausing once in a while to suck and run my tongue over the tip.
“FUCK!” Vincent bucked his hips then closed his eyes, letting the pleasurers heat of the moment wash over him. The pleasure that I was giving to him. After everything he’d been through today, he deserved it…and so much more.
“Oh yes, yes…shit. I’m going to cum, Shonee.”
With one last final and deep suck, his dick popped out of my mouth, just in time for his cum to shoot out, spritzing into the air and all over his chest.
“Oh my God.” A laugh seeped past my lips as Vincent pulled me onto him and kissed me senselessly.
“Mmm, I can’t remember the last time I orgasmed like that,” he commented once we broke apart for air. “You are one amazing woman, Shonee Coleman.” He cupped my face, looking me straight in the eye. “Don’t ever forget that.”
I felt my lips pull into a broad smile at the sincerity of his words. “I won’t,” I responded before kissing him again.