Spending New Year's Eve Behind Bars

Maya looked at the man with frustration.

Try harder?!

How much harder did she have to try?

He even admitted that he was interested in her. Wasn't that enough?

Maya had always been a determined person. When she set herself a goal, she always achieved it. But...dating had never been something she worked hard for.

Perhaps...it was because she had yet to meet someone that challenged her to 'try harder'.

In primary school, she stood up against the bullies and forced them to call her boss.

In junior high school, she joined the girl's basketball team to prove that girls could play basketball and beat the boy's team captain in a shoot-off.

Then, in senior high, she decided that she wanted to be a designer and studied hard to get into the top university.

Even after university, she was immediately accepted as an intern at one of the top design agencies in LA, and eventually, she worked her way up to becoming one of the youngest art directors.

Her life wasn't smooth sailing like her sister's and she didn't get everything handed to her on a plate, but she still got what she wanted through determination and hard work.

However, dating was something that just seemed to...'happen'. She never had to try hard. Let alone try hard for someone that she didn't even like.

"Why do you look surprised, Miss Yeung? Did you think this was a typical blind date that would lead directly to marriage? If it was that easy, then I would be married already..."

As Maya took in this comment, dessert arrived at the table and she subconsciously started eating it. She didn't know how to respond.

She lifted a spoon to her lips and looked at the man. Judging by his clothes, he looked fairly rich, and based on the fact that he had a driver, it seemed he was quite smart and successful. On top of all that, he was also very handsome. Now that she thought about it...

"Why exactly are you not married yet?" she asked.

Lucas stared into the woman's eyes and saw her genuine confusion. He had never discussed this topic with anyone before. "You must think very highly of me," he said with a smirk.

He then added, "I know, I know, I'm rich, handsome, smart, successful..."

Maya scoffed. Seeing the smugness on the man's face, she couldn't help but cut in, "...and you're also conceited, arrogant, and rude. Now get to the point."

Lucas held back a laugh but his face quickly grew serious.

"Haven't you already answered your own question...?" he asked.

"Why would someone want to marry a conceited, arrogant, and rude man...?"

"Unless...they are after something else..." The man's voice contained a trace of sadness as he said this last sentence.

He then paused and suddenly narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

"Now that I think about it, why are you still keen on marrying me when you know how conceited, arrogant, and rude I am?"

Maya froze when she heard this question. She was also wondering why she was still there. Although she wasn't the one that was actually marrying the man, if he was really as bad as she made him out to be, she wouldn't let him marry her sister either. Lifting another spoonful of parfait to her lips, she thought about how her sister had said that Lucas was actually a nice guy and thought about the two women he had hired to put on an act. Trusting her sister's judgment, she glanced down nervously and replied, "Because I know that's not the real you."

Lucas' eyes lit up with interest.

[Does it take a fake to recognize a fake?] he thought.

Suddenly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something.

As Maya continued to look down, a phone suddenly slid across the table and stopped in her line of sight. Opened up on the screen was Delilah's social media account.

As she looked at it in confusion, she sensed a shadow tower above her and heard a voice whisper, "Just like how this is not the real you?"

Maya sensed that the voice was really close and quickly lifted her head in surprise. She didn't know when the man had leaned forward, but his head was halfway across the table. For the first time that night, she could smell the cologne from his body and hear his gentle breathing. This sudden action made her heart a little flustered.

However, the man didn't seem to notice her reaction as he looked down at the screen and pointed to it, waiting for a response.

Slowly regaining her composure, Maya realized what the man had asked and she bit her lip in nervousness. What did he mean? Had he noticed something? He couldn't possibly know that she wasn't Delilah, right?

Forcing a laugh, she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. That's clearly me."

Just as she said this, the man lifted his head and stared into her eyes as though he could peer straight into her soul. Then slowly, his eyes drifted down to her lips and he revealed an amused smile. Before Maya could figure out what this smile meant, the man stretched out his hand and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. Maya jumped a little in surprise and subconsciously blushed as she realized she had left some parfait on her lips.

However, this reaction wasn't typical of the narcissistic and flirtatious Delilah.

Curving his eyes in amusement, Lucas leaned forward a little more and said, "You've already exposed yourself."

Before Maya could respond, the man suddenly stood up, grabbed her hand, and started dragging her out of the restaurant.

"Where are you taking me?" Maya gasped in surprise.

Without explaining anything, Lucas smirked and replied, "To the police station."

Maya's eyes opened wide in shock. Was she about to spend her new year's eve behind bars?!