Forced Marriage To The Billionaire (Book 1)

Chapter 18: The Peeving Husband

"Mr. Makris!" Alonso jumped up and moved over to him. "It's an honor to meet you finally. I am Alonso, Lorena's manager." He stretched his hands for a handshake, like a little boy who just met his idol.

Lorena was disgusted. In truth, Alonso was just happy Lorena's husband-to-be was around to keep Tim away. He didn't trust the Frenchman and his saccharine tongue.

"Nice to meet you too, Alonso." He took his hands and even managed a smile. Lorena's frown deepened. She couldn't even muster a pretend smile to save herself.

"Makris, this is my director and head photographer, Tim. He'll be handling the shoot today." Tina said, pointing to Tim.

"Hello, Tim." Makris stretched out his hands.

Tim gave him a once-over before slowly stretching his hand to accept the handshake. Makris grinned when the man applied a little pressure on his hands before quickly withdrawing it. Someone was trying to come off as intimidating, and it would be a damn good day for him.

Tina cleared her throat, interrupting the tension that followed that awkward interaction. Then she turned to Lorena and said, "Darling, why don't we leave you and your fiance alone, so you can discuss the looks you want for the shoot."

"Of course." Lorena smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. All she wanted to do was strangle Makris. He was hell-bent on frustrating her, it seemed. At least, that was the only reasonable explanation for why he always appeared wherever she was.

"Nice to meet you again, Mr. Makris. Lorena, I'll see you in a bit." Alonso patted her back and happily followed behind Tina.

"Mon Cherie," Tim got up from his seat. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to request from me. I'm at your service anytime." He took hold of her hands and brushed a soft kiss across them.

"Thank you, Tim." She blushed innocently. There was another lovely man. The more people she met, the more she realized they were men different from her father and Makris. Actual, generous men.

Makris's face grew from a grin to a frown. He was instantly alert as he watched the exchange between his bride-to-be and the skinny, artsy-looking Tim. He couldn't believe Lorena was letting a man flirt with her in his presence. The man was practically ready to devour her with his eyes. He clenched and unclenched his fist. He needed an outlet for the sudden rage that shook him. It would be even better if it were Tim's face.

"I'll see you later then." He gave her one last smile and moved to leave. He brushed against Makris slightly as he walked out.

"Bastard," Makris muttered under his breath.

"You bring your foul mouth to these good people." Lorena jumped up, her eyes burning with fierce anger. The anger cut so deep she could barely breathe. The force with which she stood up had her staggering to regain her balance, but her eyes never left Makris's face.

"I mean, if my wife-to-be had just told me about the sexy shoot she was going for, I wouldn't have had to hear it through the mouth of a CEO friend of mine." He eyed her carefully, then shrugged casually. He walked to the table and picked up the photo book.

"It is not just a sexy shoot. It is also a way to raise money for the orphanage." She said defensively.

"What does it change? You're still going to lose indecently for the world to see. Almost like selling your body." He said, flipping through the pages.

The fact that he had more or less called her a whore, shocked her. But even more shocking was the casual tone in which he had said it. Her mouth flew open, but she was unable to say anything. She just stared wide-eyed at him as he flipped through the pages. Her whole body began to vibrate. No one had called her a whore before, not even her father, who had a lot of words for her on her worst days.