SCARLET“And you’ve got yourself a date, honey.” My best friend wiggled her eyebrows, smiling meaningfully. “He’s been head over heels for you ever since forever. I can’t believe you just don’t want to see the other things around.”“You know why, Katherine.”Katherine and I went to the cafeteria for lunch, and Nate still didn’t show up.“I don’t know if I would ever see Anthony that way,” I went on as we settled at a table. “He’s polite, and he doesn’t seem to get tired doing what he does.”“Or maybe you are just refusing to see the big picture.”I shrugged. “I see it, but it’s just not for me.”When I learned about Katherine and Nate, I knew they were a match made in heaven. Katherine was a beautiful, intelligent, and sweet girl, while Nate was a charming guy who believed in a happy ending. But for me, I was damaged enough to know that my soul mate (if they existed) wasn’t born yet. No one could ever keep up with my issues. All of them would end up getting sick and tired of me.“Anth
SCARLETMy best friends were at the restaurant with Anthony when I arrived. The Knights restaurant was a semi-casual-semi-formal restaurant bar with bright yellow string lights that hung on the windows. It wasn’t crowded, and soft jazz music was playing inside.Fortunately, it wasn’t all awkward since I found my friends laughing about something. I knew Nate didn’t like Anthony, but he could be very understanding most of the time.Honestly, I wanted to go home after my encounter with Luke, but I didn’t want to disappoint my friends by leaving them. It was rude. I waltzed towards their table, and they already had an iced cold tea.“Oh, you’re here. What happened?” Katherine asked. “That was quick. This is for you.” She pushed one glass of red tea to my side.“He left early,” I said with a quick smile.“Hey, I heard your brother came, is everything alright?” Anthony asked, and he sounded sincere.“I’m fine, thanks.” I smiled. “What’s up now?”“We’re just talking about Professor Sanders,”
SCARLETWhen we arrived at the apartment, I jumped straight to my bed. Katherine seemed to understand that I wasn’t in the mood, so she asked Nate to go home. I lay on my bed and buried my face in the pillows.I wasn’t a crybaby, but I’d cried a lot before, whenever I missed Mom when I was forced to marry Raoul or the other heartbreaks in the past. I let out my emotions moderately, but it was never like this. Hearing Luke’s name alone could make me cry.I was in too deep. I kept remembering the night I was in his arms, his body, his scent, and the warmth of his skin against mine. It was only one night, and I had already missed him. I doubted I would ever meet another man who would make me feel the same. Katherine came back to my door an hour later. I was reading Luke’s messages from back when he was still Jax.I felt Katherine sit on the edge of my bed.“Hey, you can’t be like this all the time, you know?” she said softly.I sobbed hard. “He’s still texting me, and I’m itching to resp
SCARLET Of course, I was only going to meet Luke to return the earrings. I asked Katherine not to mention anything to Nate.Here I was, being cautious again with Nate. He was only my best friend, but what he would say to me always seemed like a big deal. Perhaps it was because he saved me a couple of times in the past. I just didn’t want to disappoint him.The night after my classes, I received a text from Luke that he would have me picked up by his driver. He asked me if I could come to the office first.A middle-aged, well-built man in a crisp gray suit approached me as soon as I was at the gate. He was standing next to a limousine, which made me instantly realize he was the driver.“Good evening, Miss Carter.” He greeted me with a slight nod. “Mr. Alejandro sent me to give you a lift.”“Good evening, Mister…?”“Call me Rey, miss.” Rey opened the door of the car. “If you please.” He gestured to hop in.“Thank you, Rey.” I stepped inside.The moment I was in, I smelled Luke’s scent
SCARLETLuke kissed me as if my mouth was his favorite meal. He was aggressive, needy, and hungry, as if he were searching for something. My muscles tensed, and my senses stirred up. His hand dropped to my waist, then his fingers slowly slipped into my shirt. I shivered. Immediately, I caught his hand. I’d almost forgotten we were in his office. Anyone could enter at any moment.He stopped the kiss. Our mouths parted slightly, but his gaze remained on mine. My lips felt swollen. I didn’t think I could resist him anymore. I wanted him to kiss me again, but I feared the aftermath. This wouldn’t change the fact that he was hiding something from me. I know I shouldn’t care because it’s his life, but everything becomes a real deal when it comes to Luke.“We can’t.” I swallowed hard. “We can’t make this work.”“Why not?” he muttered. He brushed his fingers along my jaw, eyes fixed intently on mine.“I think you know why. You’ve been lying to me.”“No. I never lied to you, Scarlet.”“But yo
SCARLETLuke pulled away from one of our longest kisses and whispered, “I hate to break it to you, but I kinda have someone to talk to. This won’t take long, I promise.”I frowned. “Do you often have a meeting at this hour? It’s seven-thirty.”“Mm.” He pressed a quick kiss on my lips. “Will you wait for me here?”“Where would I go?”“Don’t walk out on me again, please.”I chuckled. “Okay.”Whenever I was in the same room as him, I tended to lose myself, like there was no point in resisting. It was frustrating. He didn’t even get to tell me about Stacy. All I got was his reputation for being honest—or maybe he was just like me. He wasn’t ready to share this part of his life, just as I wasn’t ready to tell him about my past.It shouldn’t be a big deal for him. Our relationship would be over in two months, and he’d be my stepbrother forever.While waiting for him, I took out my phone and called Katherine. She knew I was going to return the earrings, but she didn’t know I wouldn’t be home
SCARLETWhen I left the building, Nate immediately came in front of me, but he was alone. He stepped out of his car, and his facial expression was indescribable.“Nate, what are you doing? What is your problem?” I shouted. “Where’s Anthony? I thought you were with him.”“He left. He thinks he shouldn’t meddle with your family matters,” he explained. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m telling your stepbrother to stay away from you.”I looked around me, and people were staring. They were watching us with their insulting eyes. I pulled my hand away from Nate before we finally entered the building.“Stop it, Nate. The people are staring!”He seethed. “But you’re not afraid of what the people will say if they find out about you and your stepbrother?”My mouth opened slightly. I hadn’t seen Nate act like this before. Sure, he was furious if I went on a date with some losers, and he had always backed me up. Even if he had to pick me up drunk from a club, get me out of jail, or save me from dying be
LUKEIt wasn’t like me to confess something personal. She had utterly bewitched me and had me bound under her magic spell.I wasn’t my usual self anymore. Normally, I would find another woman after a senseless fuck, but I just wanted to fuck her again. Seeing her enveloped in another man’s arms just made my blood boil.Her lips parted. The only thing we heard was the sound of our breaths.“Why aren’t you saying anything?” I asked.“I’m not allowed to think?”“I think what I said was clear.”“You still don’t believe me. You only see what you want to see.”“Can you blame me?” My eyebrow raised. “I think what I want is simple. I want you and don’t want to see you with any other man. What’s so hard with that?”“I can say the same,” she uttered. “Is that so hard?”I trailed a finger across her lips. “I can promise you that. Will you promise me?”She heaved a sigh, and eventually, she nodded.“Yes. I promise.”“Good.” I set her back in the passenger seat and roared up the car. She sat there
JULIA I came to Le Grandi at exactly seven as Henry instructed. I was already guessing that he and his brother were up to something—and this beautiful lilac dress Adam sent to my apartment was the indication. This was going to be our first official date. We had been fighting all our lives because of endless misunderstandings after all. I realized that Adam and I were always in a situation neither of us could stop. This time, fate brought us back together.Excited and nervous as well, I proceeded to the main entrance. The door attendant greeted me with a wide meaningful grin as if he was expecting my arrival. The lights abruptly shut off the moment I stepped inside, then a single spotlight flashed on.My palms caught my mouth instantly when I found Adam standing next to an elegantly arranged table with candlelight, a floral centerpiece, and linen drapes. He was dressed in an impeccable navy-blue tuxedo, holding a bouquet of white roses. Two violinists stood behind him, playing a soft r
He kissed me as he continued to pound inside me. He looked at me as if I was the most desirable woman he’d ever seen. There was no one else I could want this bad—only him.It was already nine o'clock in the morning when I woke up, and Adam's arms were still wrapped around my waist. Though incredibly exhausted and sore, I felt great for the first time in years. His face buried in my hair. We were having sex nonstop, and if it weren't for my exhaustion, he probably wouldn’t stop.“What time is it?” Adam whispered, finally awake.“It's nine.”“Then, I'm late.” He gave me a tender kiss on my forehead, then swiftly stepped out of the bed. Still undressed, he walked straight to the bathroom, letting the blanket fall on the floor, revealing his round, full butt I’d been gripping with my palms all night. He was ridiculously sexy. I couldn’t get enough of him. My insides were beginning to flare up again.He disappeared into the bathroom for several minutes, and then he came back dressed in a t
ADAMI have to tell Bianca now.Damn it. It wasn't that hard. I could just let them take my site in Thailand, ask her parents to sign the transfer papers, and it’s all done. I just couldn't find the right time because I didn’t want to make a scene. I knew Bianca too well, and I knew that it wasn’t going to end well.I had to, though. Immediately. I couldn’t wait to get Julia back, especially with my possessiveness issue. I was always jealous. I wanted to keep her by my side and shove all those men away, even if it's my brother who was now dragging Julia to the dance floor.I clenched my fists.“Don't you want to dance?” Bianca said. She fucking couldn’t stop holding me in public. “Or do you want to get back to the suite?”“Bianca, please...” I moved her hands away from my neck. “Don't.”She sighed and drank another shot of red wine.“When are you going to stop making this harder for us? Hmm? Or maybe I could just tell Dad to let us get married right away? Isn't that what you wanted fo
I let the running water flow continuously as I washed my hands, letting myself cool. I looked up and then looked at my reflection.What are you doing, Julia? Haven’t you had enough of this? Why did I have to be caught up in this situation all the time? I shook my head, then took a handful of water and wet my face.“You're marrying him?” a deep, dangerous voice abruptly spoke behind me. I looked back in the mirror and found Adam’s perilous stare. He was seething.“Do I need to get your permission?” I asked as I continued to dampen my cheeks.“Is that true what he said out there?”“Why does it matter to you?”“It does matter to me,” he said tightly. “You said you wanted me, but when I didn’t answer, you’re already running to Henry?”I dried my face with a napkin, then I faced him. “Then what is your answer, Adam? No matter what we do, we can’t be together.”“But you can't marry him.” He grasped my shoulders, shaking his head.“What made you think that I will? Now, please leave me alone
JULIALouis ushered me to his table, and since I was already aware that Adam will be right next to us, I prepared myself not to look surprised when I see him with his ex-wife-slashed-fiancée. Why was our world so close? Why did I have to see him in every corner of the world?His answer to me last night was clearer than diamonds. He was not going to choose me. He would not break up with Bianca because they had a deal. There was no way he was going to cut their deal because his company was at stake. I was getting pissed with myself already. Should I talk about it with Henry?As expected, Adam and Bianca were there—only a few feet away from our table. Damn it, and she was wearing the same shade of dress as I was, but her hair coordinated more with her dress than mine.I almost wanted to scream. I tried not to look at them, but damn, I couldn’t help it. Adam was wearing a matching suit, and he was fine-looking as always. Unfortunately, they looked so good together. I did not want to appea
JULIAI didn’t go to the site with Luke the next day. I stayed in my room, and fortunately, I needed to make gazillion calls and check the paperwork for the new hotel. I had breakfast and then ate lunch by myself. Luke and Adam would be working together at the site until the next day. My boss did not call, so I guessed it was fine.It was five o'clock when I finished the paperwork. I was suffering from a backache, but I still needed to prepare for the awards night in the evening. Henry hadn’t called yet, but I was preparing for the event anyway.I opened my suitcase and unfurled the only dress I could bring. It was a strapped, long, crimson-red dress. The neckline was a low V cut. I only wore it once, when Claire celebrated her twenty-first birthday. I would match it with my nude heels.I did not care if I look pretty in front of Henry, unlike before. However, he deserved a friend to be with him, and I didn’t want to embarrass him. He might be expecting an award, and I would be walkin
JULIAThe meeting began in the afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton—the hotel we had checked into along with the staff. Adam came, and fortunately, his fiancée didn’t. I was so nervous since he didn’t even reply to my message.What if ignoring it was his answer?Luke enlightened us about the contract, and then we were now officially in business with Cavendish Enterprises. They both signed the deal and sealed it for legalization. Adam’s company was going to be our contractor for the establishment of the new Hotel B in Los Angeles.As stated in the contract, they would be in charge of the resources, workers, and structural design. Adam initially showed Luke the plan for the new hotel, but we were still going to discuss it precisely with the whole team. My new boss still needed to meet Adam’s architects and designers when we return to New York.“It’s a great pleasure working with you, Mr. Cavendish.”“It’s mine as well. Thank you, Mr. Alejandro.” Adam shook his hand, and then the members of our
The door attendant took her cashmere-made cardigan as she and Adam entered the restaurant. She whispered something in his ear while she was slipping her hands on his arm. Adam smiled slightly at her. My heart suddenly felt like a bomb that was going to explode at any moment.“Cavendish said he was traveling alone,” Luke spoke, “but he brought the blonde. This is interesting.”I rolled my eyes at Luke, heaving out a sharp breath. “Really now?”He chuckled, noticing my boredom. “No, seriously. You're so defensive. Who wouldn't notice her long legs?”“What is wrong with you?” I slapped his shoulders unintentionally.“Aw...” He grabbed his shoulders. “What? I was only joking.”“It’s not a good joke. Er… sorry about that. I almost forgot that you're my boss.”“I'm just so glad Jake isn't here. Sit next to me, Julia,” he instructed.“Why?”“Just do it. Cavendish’s fiancée's with him. Sitting next to me would look like you're my date.”“You are clearly having fun with this.”He laughed. “Why
JULIAThese are the important documents we need for our trip to LA. Have you tried calling—” A knock from the glass door interrupted Luke from finishing his sentence. His secretary was standing at the meeting room door.“Excuse me, Mr. Alejandro. There's a visitor in the lobby, and he said it’s important. It's actually for Ms. Taylor, sir,” Ms. Craig informed.“For me?”Luke frowned as he gazed at me. “Expecting someone?”I shook my head. “Did he say his name?”“Oh, his name is Henry.”Henry. How did he know where to find me? “What did you say to him?” I queried. “We’re in a meeting.”“Ms. Craig, we're about to finish here,” Luke prompted. “Tell him to wait five minutes.”“Yes, sir.” She left.“It's okay, Luke. I could just meet him outside.”“Julia, it's eleven fifty-five. Take a break. Come to my office when you get back. And oh! Please contact Cavendish. I’ve got to tell him something about this project.” Luke grabbed the binders and stood up. He held the door open. “Julia?”“Oh, t