"Damn it! Who are you?" I asked, pushing him away from me with all my might.

Finally, he let me go. I stood a good meter away from him, holding my hands in front of me, warning him not to come near me.

"Who are you?" I repeated. "I don't know you."

He took a deep breath. "Yes, you do, Ash." He replied. "You know me. Maybe even better than anyone else."

"I don't even know your name."

"It's just a name! What difference does it make?"

"A lot!" I muttered.

He took a deep breath again and then he said, "Ryder... Ryder Anthony Van Woodsen."

"See? If you could lie about your name, you could lie about anything else!" I snapped.

"Wasn't it all supposed to be a lie, Astrid?" He asked me. "Wasn't it all supposed to be a sham? Wasn't that what you hired me for?"

"Because I thought you were real... before all that!"

He took a step towards me. "I am real, Ash!" He argued. "Every word I said at that party was true! About who I am. What I do. About my family. It was all me. I wasn't pretending to be someone else."

"But you allowed me to think you were someone else! Why, Ryder? Why would you agree to that deal? Why would you agree to be paid ten grand to pretend to be in love with me?"

He didn't answer. He took a deep breath and then he said, "I don't have an answer to that. Sometimes, I still ask myself the same question."

"God, I'm such a fool! You must have been having the laugh of your life behind my back!" I said angrily.

He shook his head. "I was having the time of my life. For the first time, I was sure that a woman enjoyed my company because of who I really am beneath my nametag."

"I wouldn't care, Ryder!" I said to him.

"I know." He said. "And I liked that. It shouldn't change anything between us, Ash."

I shook my head. "It does." I said to him. "I can't look at... you the same way now."

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I started to take off the ring he gave me but he was quick to close his palms over my hands.

"Don't!" He said. I stared up at him. His face was sober. His eyes were no longer playful and dancing. Is this the real Ryder Van Woodsen? I asked myself.

My phone rang that instant. I took a deep breath and answered it.

"Astrid, where are you? The party's about to end and I need you here." Leilani said to me.

"I'm coming." I replied.

I stared up at Ryder again. "I... I have to go to work."

He nodded. "I'll wait for you up front. I'll drive you home."

"There is no need for that..." I started protesting.

"I'll take you home." He said in a strident, demanding tone.

I didn't answer. Instead, I turned my back on him and walked back to the party.

I kept myself preoccupied. It was too confusing to think about Ryder.

Who does he think he is? The king of the world? Can I just easily forgive him for making a fool out of me? Does he think he can give a very expensive ring and expect me to shrug everything off?

I said goodbye to the guests. I made sure everything is in order.

Finally, I said goodbye to Angela and Jacob. Angela was in tears when she hugged me.

"Bless you, Astrid! Bless you!" She said to me, in between tears.

"Thank you very much, Astrid. It was a job brilliantly done." Jacob said, shaking my hand.

I said goodbye to my assistant and then I went down the front steps. True enough, a familiar McLaren was parked in front of the hotel. As soon as he saw me approaching, Ryder went out of the car and opened the car door for me.

We drove in silence. I didn't know what to say to him. I would have babbled endlessly with Ryder Woodson, the bartender, but I am seriously tongue-tied now, in front of... Ryder Van Woodsen... apparently the richest bachelor in town!

I remembered when I asked him to pose as my boyfriend, he was reluctant at first. He said that I may not be able to afford him! Well, it was so true!

He parked in front of Adam's house.

I didn't live here anymore, but he doesn't have to know that. I haven't spoken to Adam in a while, I still have his keys and some of my clothes are still here, so I figured, it might be a good idea for me to sleepover. I could use a little chat with my lawyer.

"I can't accept this ring, Ryder." I whispered.

He stared at me, raising his brow. "You accepted it before."

"I didn't know it was real then! Haven't you forgotten? I was the girl who couldn't tell the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond!"

"What does it matter if it's real?" He asked.

I took a deep breath. "I don't want to owe you anything, Ryder."

"You don't." He replied.

"With this ring on me, I feel like I do! And worse... it made me feel like... you paid me because of that night." I said quietly.

He sucked in a deep breath. "Whoa!" He stared at me with a hard expression on his face. "That was never my intention!"

"Then what was your intention, Ryder? Because the last time I checked, it is not normal to give thirty thousand dollar diamond rings to near strangers!" I snapped.

"You asked for a ring!"

"I asked for a fake ring! Or a rental!"

"The last guy who gave you a ring gave you a fake one already! I wanted to be original!" He snapped back.

I took the ring off my finger and I placed it on his palm.

"Here's your ring!" I muttered. "Until you give me a better excuse as to why you gave it to me, I couldn't accept it, because every time I look at it and every time I remember what happened between us, I will always feel like... a first-class whore!" I opened the car door, stepped out and slammed the door behind me.

I walked towards Adam's house without a backward glance at Ryder.

I found Adam on the deck, drinking beer and enjoying a cigar.

"Oh, since when did you fancy a Monte Cristo?" I asked behind him.

He almost jumped up from his seat that I couldn't help laughing.

"Jesus Christ, Astrid!" He groaned. "I want my key back!"

I laughed and sat beside him.

"Relax, cousin." I took a beer from the cooler beside him. "If it makes you feel better, I missed you."

"It made me feel better! Loads!" He said sarcastically.

We sat there for a while, listening to the gentle breeze and the sound of the waves.

"What did I do to deserve this visit?" He asked.

I sighed and took a gulp of my beer.

"Funny things happened recently." I said to him. "Do you remember that I was sporting a very lovely ring?"

"The one that was meant to blind the person unfortunate enough to stare at it for more than a minute?"

I giggled and then I nodded.

"So? What about it?"

"Apparently, it was a thirty-thousand Harry Winston."