Hai!

Comp is not fixed yet but still alive! Time to pick up from where Sam crushed Scam's hopes and dreams lol.

Thanks everyone for your continued interest in this new story! The favs/follows/comments, it all motivates me so much to write more of this! ^-^

Disclaimer: STILL WAITING FOR THE DAY I OWN TS. SO. MUCH. WAITING.

5 Days Later

Josie gasped in delight, her big emerald eyes lighting up with excitement when she saw the bug that had landed on a blade of grass right next to her foot.

Crouching down super slowly not to startle it and make it fly away, Josie took out the magnifying glass from her pocket that she'd borrowed from her kindergarten teacher Miss Cook and started to study it carefully.

This was a routine activity for her; she'd spend at least half of every recess looking at nature. As much as she enjoyed playing hopscotch, ball, tag, and other fun games with her friends there was nothing that she loved more than discovering something new and unknown.

Any day that she found a new creature or plant she'd never seen before, it made her heart swell up with glee. She remembered that her dear Auntie Clover told her that that had to mean she had a love of science just like her mommy did and that one day, if she kept up her quest for learning and worked really really hard, she may even grow up to be a famous sciencetist!

Closing one eye to focus better on the little critter she noted how it was a bright red color like a ripe tomato and had big black dots.

And she grinned immediately recognizing what it was because her mommy had told her about it before when they'd taken a walk one day and she'd seen one on the sidewalk, pointed to it all hyper, and asked what it was.

"It a wittle wadybug!" She exclaimed joyously.

Putting her magnifying glass away she took out the other items she had stashed in the pockets of her light pink bunny overalls: her nature journal which was a small booklet tied with string and made from white construction paper that had a bright yellow, 3-D bee on the cover (was it called origamimi?) that her mommy had helped her make and a pack of five color crayons.

"Yewwow, bwoo, gween, wed, bwack," she sorted through them and was delighted that she had the right colors to do this and would not have to substitute any like she sometimes had to.

Picking up the red one she drew a large circle in the center of the page and filled it in before using the black to draw a smaller oval at the top of it. When that was done she added two lines to the oval, trying her best to space them out right before adding six smaller dark dots on the big red circle.

Her sketch complete, she neatly scribbled the word "Wadybug" under it and smiled at the finished page. She could hardly wait to show her mommy and auntie her work when she got home. She was sure that they would love it!

"It totawwy posh, no?"

Josie cringed, her moment of bliss interrupted by the familiar and nasally voice of her arch nemesis Monique Luxe.

Slightly turning her head around she watched from the corner of her eye as she stood there in her expensive Versace Young leather jacket, black cotton dress with a pretty lace hem, and a matching beret on her head. Her pointy nose was turned up high while her hand was held out towards a group of girls (Caitie, Dominica, and Mindie) who were oohing and ahhing over a sparkly new bracelet she wore on her chubby wrist.

"Mummy got it fow my unbiwthday pwesent," she explained while slowly shifting her hand around left and right in the sun to let the golden rays hit the diamonds on it and make them shine even more than they already did. "It cost a bajillion and a hawf dowwars."

At just that moment Money's purple gaze drifted off the blonde, redhead, and raven-haired trio fawning over her jewellery and caught the stink-eye she was giving her. And immediately her lips curled into an evil grin that could give Cruella Deville's from 101 Dalmatians a run for its money.

"Poow people like Josieiiiie celebwate one biwthday," she continued with her eyes glued to her face. "But wich people like me get biwthdays evewy day."

Josie felt her fists bunch up at what she'd said and it took every fibre of her four-year-old being not to jump on her and pummel her black and blue for it.

But she had already gotten in trouble once for pulling Money's hair at the start of the school year when she'd made fun of her Photo Day outfit, one that had been stitched by hand by her mommy unlike the flashy brand name John Galliano dress Money had worn for the occasion.

Money had opened her mouth as wide as she could, cried, made a fuss and called her a bully. Her poor mommy had been called in to talk to her teacher because of it and later she'd gotten a big lecture at home about needing to learn how to control her temper. She did not want to go through that again so she did her best to keep her cool and just walk away not giving Money the temper tantrum she was clearly trying to get out of her.

She'd only taken one step however when Money called out from behind her back again tauntingly.

"Wanna tell us your big biwthday pwans, Pwincess Josiiiiie?" She mocked her with that pet name knowing that was what her mommy always called her even if she was no real life princess.

"Are you gonna have a big pawty? A yummy cake? New toys? Or is mommy just gonna make you another scwap dwess this year like aways? Oooh I just can't waiiiiit to see it! Hahahahahahaha!"

Hearing her snicker and snort like the little piglet she was, Josie felt her face turn purple from anger. Her body began to shake and she itched so badly to turn around and scream right into Money's dumb face that she was wrong.

This time was going to be different! She didn't know her big secret! Her deepest wish was going to be granted this year and then everything would be better! She just knew it!

But the pinkie promise she'd made to her Auntie Clover kept her lips sealed from saying anything. She was afraid if she broke her vow then God would punish her for it. She could even lose her daddy!

Yes it was impossibly difficult to stay silent about him after finding out almost a week ago but she'd waited so much longer, almost five whole years now for him. She didn't want to risk ruining this.

Not now.

Watching the three girls who had been drooling over Money's bangle earlier join in in pointing and laughing at her like she was some circus clown, Josie turned and ran as fast as her legs could take her away from them.

Escaping to the Alder tree she'd hidden her backpack behind at the start of recess she took cover there and sat down behind its thick trunk, pulling her knees up to her small chest and hiding her face in her lap as she did her best not to cry.

Feeling tears leaking from her eyes despite her best attempts, she reached into her bag and pulled out the colouring book that had her daddy's picture still placed inside it and pulled it out.

And the second her eyes fell on his handsome face she felt her sobs turn into sniffles and then start to fade away and soon she was smiling, feeling like she had to because he was working so hard to cheer her up with the warm smile that was on his own lips as he stared back at her.

"Daddy ..." Josie whispered as she raised her arm and used the sleeve of her shirt to swiftly wipe away her tears, not wanting them to fall on his photograph and ruin it.

After all this was all she had of him and she could not bear the thought of destroying it in any way.

"I'm not cwying daddy, honest!" She assured him, not wanting him to be sad at seeing his little girl weep like this. She knew it always hurt her mommy to see her upset so it had to hurt her daddy too.

"I'm bwave just like you," Josie said to him, smiling wider now.

She hadn't met her daddy yet but she'd already decided that he had to be brave. All the princes in all the stories were and her daddy was Prince Charming which meant he had to be the bravest one out of them all.

Suddenly she forgot all about Money's meanness and found herself focused on nothing other than her daddy once more, something she'd been doing a lot of ever since learning about his existence.

And she asked herself again what might he be like? Besides bravery, what other traits did he have?

Was he tall?

Was he strong?

Was he smart?

Did he have good table manners?

Imagining to herself about him she found herself doodling again but not bugs or flowers this time, instead covering the pages of her notebook with many drawings of her daddy as she tried to brainstorm just what he was really like.

This task kept her busy till the bell rang 20 minutes later telling her that recess time was over.

Sighing a little, Josie placed her crayons back into their cardboard box and shut it before slowly putting away her daddy's picture in her colouring book once more and shutting it also.

She hated having to hide him like this but she trusted her auntie Clover when she'd told her that her daddy was going to come see her real soon. And recalling that she had also said that he was her real daddy and not the fake one who had heartlessly left her and her mommy before she was even born, she just knew he would not fail her.

Her daddy would not let her down.

Josie's spirits feeling high again she waited for Monique and her friends to leave the playground before she stood up and broke into a skip, bouncing her way back inside her school with a big, toothy, childish grin on her face as she hugged her colouring book close to her chest and her daddy along with it.

Not again ...

Donna Hansen, the famously bewitching blonde heiress of the Hansen Hotel chain, a side venture of her father billionaire adventurer Thomas Hansen (1) smiled tipsily as she admired the glittering city lights in the darkness of just about 3 AM.

Her elbow was perched on the edge of the rolled down window and the wind tousled her long hair.

"What a magnificent view," she thought to herself but then became distracted by the real sight to see, the absurdly handsome man in black trench coat and fitted dark gray suit who was seated right next to her in the driver's seat driving her back home to her Château.

She smiled, unable to help but ogle at him from the corner of her blue gaze. His oceanic eyes were even more breathtaking in the dim lighting of the car's interior. It was hard to believe that it was just this morning that she'd been yelling at him over the phone saying that there was no way in hell that she would ever work with his company after the representative that had been sent to her had failed to impress her in any way.

In the face of her wrath he'd remained calm and asked her for a second chance to earn her partnership, to let him come meet her in person. Even when she'd said no, told him this was over and he'd missed his chance he hadn't given up. He'd shown up to her address just an hour later to convince her to change her mind.

She'd secretly been impressed by his relentlessness when her doorkeeper had told her who was here to see her but still had planned to shoo him away from her doorstep without letting him set so much as a foot inside.

But the second she'd opened her door and saw him standing there with a charming smile on his gorgeous face and a wrapped gift in his hand as a peace offering, she'd began to crumble. And now ...

"You know," she started speaking to him while twirling her golden locks between her fingers. "Before tonight I'd never thought I'd even consider signing your contract but now ..."

Donna trailed off looking at him in awe, mesmerized by the charm he possessed in spades and almost intimidated by it but intrigued most of all. She wasn't sure that she'd ever met anyone quite like him before.

"Tim Scam I swear," she reached over slightly poking his broad shoulder with the tip of her Iced Manicure index nail, the 10 carats of diamonds on it twinkling in the moonlight. "You could get anyone to do anything you wanted them to."

"Could I now?" Tim chuckled not taking note of how Donna practically drooled at the sound of his baritone voice and licked her lips with visible hunger, simply being caught up in feeling glad that his taking this matter into his own hands instead of just letting it slip away had paid off.

Even if it had taken him taking an entire day out of his schedule, delaying all other engagements, and wining and dining her to do it.

He'd even gone the extra mile to bring out his prized Bugatti La Voiture Noire that he'd acquired just a month ago after falling in love with it at a private auto show, even paying a whopping $40 million dollars to its owner Ferdinand Piëch because he hadn't been willing to part with it at all until he'd offered him more than twice its original cost.

In the end it had been an excellent choice as the heiress had recognized it immediately in her driveway for there was only one like it in the world and had been more than eager to be seen traveling around town in it.

That had done wonders in opening the window of opportunity he'd been after; getting her to agree to spend some time with him, get to know him before she pulled out of the deal he wanted her to agree to.

The same that she had now signed and sat safe under lock and key in his briefcase in the backseat.

Reaching her abode he parked the car before turning towards her with a playful half smirk on his lips and half-lidded eyes.

"So if I said that I didn't want our day together to be over just yet and I wanted you to take me home with you ... would you do it Miss Hansen?" He whispered to her smoothly, slightly arching an eyebrow towards her mischievously in an implied challenge.

In reply she surprised him by silently unbuckling her seat belt, reaching over and unlocking the car doors before stepping out and walking around to his side.

She opened the door and reached down grabbing his wrist from where his hand still sat on the steering wheel and soon pulled him outside with her.

Then she tightened her grip on his hand by intertwining their fingers together and began to lead him inside while swaying her hips from side to side and whispering rather seductively to him that he'd just read her mind.

And Scam realized that she'd actually taken him seriously when he'd merely meant what he'd said as a harmless joke about the ability she believed him to have.

Sensing that he was in a pickle now he stopped following her, started lightly tugging his arm back from her, and began to urge for her to release him.

"Donna ... wait."

Turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow and the slightest of offended pouts on her red glossed lips because she was not used hearing no from any man before, Donna released his hand only to wrap both her arms around his waist tightly to stop him from running away from her like he was trying to.

"Why? Don't you want to Tim?" she asked pressing her ample curves into his body and burying her head in the warmth of his muscular chest, clearly bummed out as she peeked up at him from the circle of his embrace with a disappointed frown.

Knowing he had to play his cards right in order to not risk losing her interest again especially after how hard he'd worked to gain it in the first place, Scam stayed quiet for a few seconds choosing his next move with extreme care before he reached up and gently stroked her hair, gave her smirk, and drawled out coolly.

"What's the rush? We've only just met Miss Hansen. Now that we'll be working together there will be plenty more opportunities."

"That there will be," Donna replied buying his lie hook, line, and sinker and batting her smoky eyelids up at him flirtatiously. "I suppose the prospect of mixing pleasure into our business will make it all the more enticing."

Leaning up on the tiptoes of her silver stilettos she planted a drawn-out kiss on his face between his cheekbone and jaw line.

"Till a later opportunity then," Donna moaned contentedly seeming satisfied for now.

While she kissed him neither noticed the split second but unmistakable flash of a bright camera light as a picture of them was taken from behind a bush somewhere not so far away. Both far too desensitized to being spied on to be alarmed by it any longer due to the celebrity lives they'd led for years.

Finally she untangled herself from him but not without letting out a reluctant sigh first as she slowly walked away with a couple of small waves in his direction.

He waved back to every one and once she finally disappeared behind the gilded gates of her towering, 12,000-Square-Foot Greek Revival mansion, Scam dropped his arm and let out a long breath of relief from deep in his lungs.

Getting back inside his car he locked the doors and was in the process of starting up the vehicle for Darren's place to tell him he'd gotten the job done when he suddenly stopped, it hitting him just then like a pile of cement bricks what he'd just done.

Again.

Donna Hansen was unquestionably a ravishing beauty, on an equal socioeconomic footing as himself, and perfect to be by his side in every possible way. He was no less single that he had been five days ago but ever since that night, that unforgettable night when he'd bumped into a certain beautiful face from his past, somehow he felt like he was ... taken.

Scam groaned, messily running a hand back through his brown hair and then down his face in exasperation as he felt that feeling once more nagging away at him.

That he'd somehow betrayed Samantha Simpson by getting this close to Donna Hansen tonight even if it had been strictly for work purposes.

Almost as though she'd be waiting for him when he got home and opened the door. Tapping her foot impatiently in her slipper, arms crossed over her fuming chest in her nightgown, and with a frown on her pretty but weary face which would grow at seeing the hour he was returning back to her at.

And then she would immediately proceed to ask him how he could do this to her.

Express the typical disapproval and discontent that a wife, fiancée, or girlfriend would upon discovering her man to be spending way too much time, any time with any other woman other than herself.

"I need to get a grip," he chastised himself knowing that wasn't the case and never would be. He was as free as a bird flying high in the open blue sky and as much as he wanted Sam to be the one to put him in the cage of her affections he knew it wasn't going to happen.

"She doesn't want you Tim," he tried reminding himself of the epic rant she'd given him screeching how badly she didn't but somehow still wasn't fully convinced by the memory of her shouts still ringing in his ears.

It was annoying how much his ego could still play games with him despite him believing he'd gotten it under check and matured throughout these past few years.

Deciding that he needed a drink and some sleep to get his brain back on track again he reversed his car and drove off towards Darren Evans' home intending to crash there tonight.

And maybe not being totally alone for once when his head hit the pillow would aid him in forgetting Sam in a way that he sadly, despite all tries, hadn't been able to so far.

Hearing a familiar knock in the form of three gentle knuckle raps followed by two louder ones on the front of door his villa, Darren pointed his remote at the TV and paused the Los Angeles Chargers football game rerun he'd been watching.

He'd been unable to catch the live event this afternoon due to being swamped all day at work filling in for his best friend.

Getting up from his comfy couch he ran a hand down his chest and stomach to smoothen out the wrinkles on his T-shirt and look more presentable as he made his way over and opened the door.

He wasn't surprised to see Tim standing there on his veranda who immediately smirked arrogantly and raised his hand up in his face in which he held a document that until just this morning had a blank dotted line at the bottom but now bore the signature of none other than the elusive Miss Donna Hansen.

"You know … I never once doubted you," Darren proclaimed knowing full well that Tim Scam wasn't considered a big gun (more like a freaking cannon) in the industry for nothing as he patted his shoulder in a wordless well done and stepped back to let him inside with a big, proud grin on his face.

Scam smirked harder as he put the contract back inside his briefcase and set it down near the coffee table while he took off his coat and then suit jacket to make himself more comfortable, his long day at last over.

"By the way, you can call Roy and tell him he's off the hook for now," he instructed Darren who asked him if that meant that he was going to give Stephen Roy another shot at doing his job instead of just fire him like most bosses would for almost messing up this big of an assignment.

If he decided he wanted to sack him, seeing how just about everyone was dying to work for Tim he'd be able to find a replacement for the rep as easily as snapping his fingers.

But he had no such plans.

"Course I am," Tim shrugged with no hesitation. "It's my principle after all."

"How can I forget," Darren nodded knowing it was more than that. It was basically his life motto.

Tim believed that everyone, regardless of their situation deserved a second chance because five years ago he'd given himself one and it had done wonders for him.

To say that he admired the guy would be a massive understatement. When they'd met at that business conference held in Moscow two and a half years back, he would have had no way of knowing that the man who'd just delivered a moving speech about his self-run, start-up company which was making shockwaves in the business world was not so long ago a dangerous, and very much wanted felon.

His criminal record had been sealed shut and was inaccessible but Tim had never once kept the truth from him, instead confessing it with honesty.

He'd never been ashamed of his checkered past and unlike most who would use it as a reason to wallow in failure, he'd used his to rise from the ashes like a literal phoenix and find the success that most dreamt of but few achieved.

And he was so honoured to have become the best friend of such a remarkable man.

Fist bumping him to congratulate him again, Darren suddenly stopped dead, his eyes going wide when he noticed something else that Tim had also strolled into his place with that hadn't been there this morning when he'd seen him last.

"So I see a lipstick mark on your cheek," he stated, a sly smile slowly tugging at his mouth as he stared at the bright red print that had obviously come from a woman.

And he thought he knew exactly which one seeing he'd just spent the entire day with her.

"Can I assume that you got a little something more from Miss Hansen than just her signature on your contract?"

Tim broke into a short fit of amused chuckles at his words. "A lot more than just a little if I'm honest," he admitted while using the back of his hand to rub off the lipstick he'd forgotten about due to fatigue and leaving Darren's jaw to fall off and almost hit his carpet.

"You stud!" He exclaimed when he'd recovered giving Tim another congratulatory slap on the back, this one a little harder than the last few had been.

Maybe he'd actually been wrong about Tim being torn up still about his cute redheaded mystery slapper of a week ago. It seemed that he'd already moved on from her onto much more lush pastures.

Eager to know more he went over to the kitchen and prepared their favourite drinks for

the both of them soon returning to the living room with a Gin and Tonic for himself and a Sour whiskey on the rocks for Tim.

"I want all the juicy details," he coaxed handing Tim his glass and grinning as he perched himself on the couch across from him to listen to what would hopefully be a good story.

Donna Hansen was one sexy woman and if his brother had landed her, he just needed to know how he'd done it.

"Tell me exactly how it all happened."

Scam didn't reply at first, choosing to drain half his drink before slowly relaying to Darren the events of the near 24 hours of his Friday that he'd spent with the blonde in question. How he'd taken her out on the town sightseeing, eating, dancing, among other things to entertain her.

When he finally got to the bit about him driving Donna home and Donna all but dragging him to her bedroom after the short yet frisky conversation they'd had in the car, Darren grew excited and egged him on.

"Oh my God!" He shouted with baited breath. "What happened next?!"

"I left," Tim stated bluntly, bursting his bubble and having to bite his own cheek right after to keep from laughing at the perplexed expression that covered every spec of Darren's face.

Never had he ever seen him look so damn cheated.

"Wha-WHAT?!" Darren almost barked, spitting out the mouthful of alcohol he'd been happily drinking just seconds prior as though it had suddenly turned into poison.

The choking sound that he made finally made Scam lose it and he chuckled while shaking his head to himself.

"Oh come on Dare, use your head. Had I gone down that road do you reallllly think I'd have come over here to see your face tonight?"

Tim quipped, smirking teasingly as he sipped his drink once more while glancing at Darren's face from time to time and laughing anew every time that he did because the sour look on it was solid gold.

"But what the hell man?! Dammit, why?!" Darren demanded to know, throwing his hands up in exasperation as he was unable to comprehend why Tim had rejected a desirable woman like Donna when she'd been readily throwing herself at him.

Only a fool turned down a woman who offered herself (2)! What on earth would make a guy as smart as Tim do something so downright ... stupid?

"Work," Scam deflected his true reason to shoot Donna down quickly, rising from his seat and stretching his tired body by rolling back his shoulders as he put his now empty glass on the table and let out a loud yawn.

"You know we have a busy day ahead that starts in exactly—"

He rubbed his blurry eyes with the tips of his thumb and index fingers before glancing at the dial of the expensive Swiss Vacheron Constantin watch on his wrist to check the time.

"5 hours. Had I given into Donna, I'd for sure miss the meeting we have scheduled with Lee and Johansson at 7:00 AM sharp and maybe even the promotional event we've got planned for Sarah Becker's new line at 12 PM."

"Ahhh sometimes I forget just how dedicated you are to your work Tim," Darren responded with a long sigh.

"Yea well, you don't get where I am without making sacrifices Dare," Scam winked, giving him sage advice before starting to mount the spiral staircase that led up to the spare room he normally slept in whenever he stayed over.

"Tim Scam, the Great White shark of the business world, multi-billionaire, and top on the list of America's very most sought-after bachelors turned into Romeo over a single mum of a four-year-old child. Who'd have thought?"

"..."

Scam froze dead on the spot, his foot almost missing the step he'd been halfway into taking and tripping as he heard Darren's voice from behind him.

He whipped around to find Darren standing there, arms crossed over his chest and giving him a knowing and all too smug look.

And he gave up slumping his shoulders with a defeated sigh. He should have known better than to think that Darren of all people would not be able to see right through him and know that citing work to not sleep with Donna was nothing more than a bold-faced lie.

"… A single mom of a four-year-old who hates my guts, probably hasn't thought of me once since that kiss, and definitely wouldn't give a single fuck if I had hooked up with Donna tonight," Scam corrected in a dejected little mumble before turning back around and slowly trudging up the stairs for bed.

Samantha hummed to herself being in a pleasant mood as she sat at her small wooden kitchen table sipping hot coffee for once because it was Saturday morning, the only day of the week she didn't have to run around on.

She smiled relishing the rare tranquility of the present moment. It was near total quiet in her flat, all she could hear were the sounds of cars passing by out in the street from time to time through the singular open window, occasional gusts of wind, the ins and outs of the rhythm of her own breathing, and her baby girl's adorable snores coming from the other room where she was snoozing because it was nap time.

All in all it was total opposite of the last Saturday where that date of the Friday night before and what had occurred during it had weighed so heavily on her mind that no matter what she'd been doing to distract herself, she hadn't been able to find any peace.

Subconsciously she licked her glossed lips as a tingling heat crept along their crevices right then. And not one that came as the result of the steam of her hot drink but one from the steamy memory of another set of lips that had kissed them ever so passionately, so … wonderfully.

Kicking herself in the calf for having that sinful thought, stubbornly obstinate to keep pretending that this was the only instance where she'd somehow thought of him on accident at all since he'd paid her a visit this past Monday, Sam desperately sought a diversion to save herself.

Noticing that her pile of mail sitting on the edge of the counter top had gotten quite large during the rest of the week when she hadn't had the time to spare to look at it, she decided that now was the perfect time to catch up on that chore.

Going over and picking it up she also grabbed a butter knife from the knife block to use as a letter opener for any envelope seals she'd inevitably have to open before settling back at the table.

She sorted through the papers carefully, relieved to find out that none of them were unexpected bills just waiting to give her a heart attack and mostly just harmless pamphlets and flyers from local businesses trying their best to drum up business.

She was almost finished when she spotted the last item in the stack. It was a glossy newsprint volume and without even turning it around she knew it had to be a tabloid having taken Journalism 101 in her first and only year of completed university.

And one glance at the thin spine revealed that she was right; it was indeed a copy of the latest edition of The National Enquirer.

Sam rolled her green eyes feeling immediate disgust. This had to belong to one of her neighbours and had to have been accidentally delivered to her address as she sure as hell hadn't subscribed to it.

For one thing, she was much to broke to be wasting the hard-earned few dollars that she was able to on frivolous purchases like this and second, even if she did have the cash for it she would never want to buy gossipy trash like this.

Anyone with any sense knew that tabloids didn't care for integrity. They were rife with lies and ran on sensationalism instead of the truth. They were responsible for so much unnecessary drama and ruined lives. She would know wouldn't she?

After all hadn't a similar sort of thing caused her agony once? Rubbed salt on her bleeding and open wounds for all to see, albeit on a smaller scale thanks to the student newspaper of Malibu University which had been run while she'd been on campus by none other than the habitual bitch, Mandy Luxe?

It sure had.

Moving to chuck it into the garbage pail in the corner of the kitchen next to the mop and broom where it belonged, she picked it up and was just about to toss it when she suddenly halted having finally seen the front cover of the issue.

She did a double take when she thought she recognized one of the two people plastered across it and was compelled to pay closer attention all the while trying to figure out just who she knew that was even famous enough to be mentioned in such a paper.

And when she did, her eyes almost popped out of her sockets at the shocking image that had been captured in the dead of night that her brain was now struggling to process.

There in the photograph right before her very own eyes was a young woman dressed ultra scantily in a short silver dress that showed ample amounts of cleavage and a high slit that exposed almost all of her thigh. She had her slender but shapely arms draped around a very handsome man's neck and was pressed so tight to his tall and muscular body that her own might as well be leaving permanent dents into his.

But the worst and most disturbing aspect of the snapshot? It was the fact that she was actually kissing him.

Kissing none other ... than Tim Scam.

"N-no way ..." Sam breathed out with her mouth unfastened all the way as she brought the magazine right up to her eyes and stared hard at it in disbelief.

"Th-this can't be real! It can't be!" She decided, blinking a few times and waiting for the face of the guy to change into one of some other rich one that this girl was getting so cosy with, literally any other one in the world but him.

But when his coppery skin stayed just as coppery as ever, his hair appeared in its typical style and roasted chestnut hue, and his telltale sea foam eyes remained exactly that stunning color no matter how many times she looked away and then looked back at that picture, sunkenly she knew that it was truly him.

She tried placating herself then that it had to be photo shopped or something meanwhile with every second that passed without her being unable to pick up any shoddy editing done to the picture whatsoever to prove that theory correct, her heartbeat escalated higher and higher until she could actually hear it banging away inside her ears like a warning bell.

And then she made the absolute worst mistake of reading the headline typed in big, bold, black, block font just above the scandalous picture of him and this girl:

TIMOTHY DEREK SCAM CAUGHT TANGLING IN TANTALIZING TÊTE-À-TÊTE! BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR'S BACHELORDOM FINALLY TO COME TO AN END?

Sam gasped loud as the tabloid slipped from her cold fingers and flapped down to the tiled floor in a chaotic heap.

And right then and there, nothing but biting jealousy replaced each and every drop of the blood coursing through her veins.

(1) Reference to Season 4, Episode 14: "Evil Heiress Much?" Decided to go with another rich character from the TS universe to be the OC heiress' father.

(2) I could not resist using a paraphrase of the quote from the anime Inuyasha here lol. It's from Episode 161: "Miroku's Past Mistake."

Well, well, well ... so much for Sammie not having any interest in Tim. *cackles mwhahaha* I hope this sorta makes up for her insane denial in the last!

I know there wasn't any Clover in this chapter but I PROMISE there will be A LOT of her in the next one and maybe even some Alex, who knows?

I wonder if anyone caught that little tidbit about Mandy regarding Sam's painful past. Hmm ... Also thoughts on Josie versus Money?

Anyway! Thank you muchly for reading this and review please? ^-^

Love always,

Cresenta ^_^