Anna's POVIt's the weekend already, how time flies... Spending the weekend alone without Marcus... Whatever. I've made up my mind to shut myself indoor, to start cleaning out the house... more than just dust and cobwebs. This wasn’t about the surface dirt. No, this was about the dirt that had stained my life, left by none other than Marcus. There were pieces of him, small and large, scattered throughout my home, I hadn’t realized were still there. But now, I could see them, and I wanted them gone. All of them.I began in the living room, moving from corner to corner, shelf to shelf. In the process of cleaning I found a movie ticket stub. It was from one of our early dates. I held it, staring down at the tiny piece of paper, just staring at it made my heart ache. He had bought that ticket for me. I could remember him laughing as we shared popcorn, him reaching over to hold my hand when I jumped at the scary parts.But then I reminded myself why I was doing this. Marcus. The man who ha
I was still in shock hearing what Brenda said... "Executive liaison to the CEO" does she really mean what she just said. I couldn't even believe it myself. I'm not even sure if I fit into this job. Though I am happy, yes... Who wouldn't be happy when given such position. But I was shocked to my bone marrow... Even the workers present were shocked as well but I don't care about them or whatever they think."Hmmm" Brenda cleared her throat as if wanting my full attention. I gulped looking at her waiting for her to say whatever was on her mind.“So, as liaison,” Brenda continued what she was saying. “you will be the link between the accounting department and the higher-ups. she said as I gulped hard. It's unbelievable."They will rely on you for everything not the other way around because it will make sure things will move smoothly, as long as any kind of issue is brought to the right people for the job to follow. You are the one that will keep everyone on the same page.”I tried to focu
MARCUS' POVRubbing my face, I yawned slightly and opened my eyes. Right beside me was Rachel, who had spent the night with me. On her pretty face was a blissful smile, the kind of smile that sent warmth to my feeble heart and gave me the peace I never knew I could find. I touched her face, her soft, warm cheeks sending a silver of love through me, and a small smile bloomed on my face. I bent to plant a kiss on her cheeks and wiped it gently. "Good morning, Princess," I whispered into her ear. Staring around the suite, I couldn't help but think about how much my life had changed ever since I left Anna. It was as if she had always been a stumbling rock that would never give me the chance to move forward, but the moment I left her, things started changing for good. My life after Anna left was nothing but a dream to the past me, and at the moment, I couldn't help but regret having met her in the first place. "Babe," The tender voice of an angel broke the train of my thoughts and lo
ANNA'S POV"It's sorted. You can return to your office now," Brenda said with a wave of her hand. Her eyes were still fixed on the laptop in front of her, but I could tell there was no more problem. "Can I use your office's bathroom?" I asked, a bit embarrassed, but I really couldn't hold it in anymore. I needed to ease myself, or it might be disastrous. Brenda raised her head. She sized me up with her eyes and nodded, "You're free," her stoic attitude was enough to make people want to avoid her, but well... Brenda was a cool person. "Thanks," I briefly said and rushed into the bathroom.The moment I entered the bathroom, my eyes watered, and I immediately eased myself. It already made me so uncomfortable, and the moment I finished the business, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. I stood up and arranged my dress. A bit of sweat was already on my forehead, but with the help of the mirror in the bathroom, I was able to arrange all the messy things. Even my hair wasn't left behind.
DORIAN'S POV "What is the result of the meeting?" I rubbed my chin with a weary look on my face. I hated video calls the most, but because my assistant wouldn't be able to return until he finished the two meetings we had in California.He was done with one, but he still had one left, "The meeting was in our favor, Dorian. Mr Silvestre was against our objectives at first, but after a few drags with him, he succumbed to our requests and signed the contracts. The only person who wanted to act stubborn was the bald man...""So, did you solve that?" I pulled on my tie as I asked. "Yes, I saw him after the meeting, and we talked a lot more. I spent last night arranging girls for him, and this morning, He called me to sign the contract." He explained, and I nodded my head in approval. He did well as usual. "Have you prepared for the meeting you have tomorrow?" I asked, feeling a bit interested. He chuckled and shook his head, "I wonder when you will get used to this, Dorian. You look l
DORIAN'S POVHis lips quivered, and his eyes widened. "You... Do you agree?" He asked, his eyes showing his disbelief. Maybe this would have been amusing if I had been faced with someone else, but with Marcus, it only served to fuel my displeasure toward him. I dropped the pen that I'd been swirling around my fingers for a while and opened a file, "Do you think I shouldn't agree?" I asked coldly, and his eyes wavered. He immediately clasped his hands and shook his head, "No, Mr Dorian. You've made a very good decision and I will make sure you do not regret it!" He said with excitement written all over his phone, and my eyes went cold. Opening the file to the next page, I immediately signed it before throwing the pen to him, "Sign it then. It's easier to change my mind," I muttered with my head slightly bent. I needed to hide the glint in my eyes...Marcus picked the pen, he was very happy and being an open book, everything he had in his mind was clearly placed in front of me~He
ANNA'S POV "So, how has your stay been? Do you find it fun?" Dorian asked me over the phone. I snorted and rolled my eyes, "As if there's anything fun about working," I replied, but at the moment, there was a smile playing on my lips. Having been in the company for a few days, I had learned the way of the company and made friends with some people. The workers were nice, so that was only natural and including Katt, an accountant staff member who had become my friend. "Really? That's sad. I find work fun, though," Dorian replied, I could hear the amusement in his tone. I rolled my eyes again and smiled but in a low light so he wouldn't hear it, "I'm not like you, Mr Dorian. You are a workaholic while I'm a fragile woman," I replied. "Fragile woman? Why do I suddenly feel like finding that out?" Dorian asked, and my cheeks turned red. I blushed and covered my mouth. I was about to reply when I heard the sound of footsteps, "Let's talk later, Dorian. There's someone coming," I sai
ANNA'S POV Helen's words were shocking. I had intended to apologize to her so everything would end, and there would be peace between us, but who would have thought she was this stuck up?Using my body to claim positions?What was even more annoying was that I wasn't able to reply to her when Dorian walked in, and with the look on his face, he seemed to have heard her. He walked over to my table and had a seat, "What did you say earlier? Mind clarifying it?" He asked, his voice cold and detached. Helen, who had been an aggressive woman from the beginning, grew meek, and all she could do was stare at Dorian with innocent eyes. She looked like someone who had fully surrendered, which was quite surprising. "Helen, I just asked you to repeat what you said. Can't you hear me?" His voice was a bit louder. Helen trembled. She lowered her head, "I didn't mean it. I was just..." She looked at me, "I was just telling her a story about someone. I wasn't insulting her," She forced a very ugl
Anna's POV Immediately, I headed straight to the bathroom, removing my clothes. I turned on the hot water and stepped under the shower, letting it wash over me. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax, just for a second. But that feeling of unease didn’t go away, even with the water pouring over me.When I finally got out, I wrapped myself in a towel, staring at myself in the mirror. My face looked pale, eyes tired, but I couldn’t stay here staring. I had to get ready. This wasn’t some big date where I’d be dressing up to impress someone; it was just a conversation with Dorian. Casual. Simple. But I was very nervous.I slipped into a fresh pair of jeans and a plain blouse, pulling my hair back in a simple ponytail. Not too fancy, nothing that would draw attention. But still, I wanted to look put together. Just enough to feel like myself again, or at least pretend to. One last look in the mirror, and I was out the door, heading back to my car.I drove to the restaurants, and as soon
Sarah's POV Lily rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was already out.It was really Serah just as he had suspected.He couldn't d
Anna's POV “Neron!”Lily shouted out as he got to his feet and fell down again.She rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was alrea
Anna's POV Neron gasped in pain as he clawed at the ground in an attempt to stand up.His strength was fading as the miasma's poison coursed through him. The more he tried to stand up, the more his legs gave way and after a few futile attempts, he gave up entirely.Each breath was a battle and each slight movement he took tormented him. The Beast circled him drawing closer as though it was playing with a meal.Its eyes were glowing with malice and it was buoyed by its victory over the numerous slain Adventurers.Neron knew that he couldn’t fight anymore in his present condition—for one his body refused to obey him, and his vision swam in and out of focus.“Nero!” A feminine voice cut through the haze, panicked but resolute. His ears quickly picked up the voice and his heart grew warm as he recognised Serah.He had been worried about her as he feared that she was one of the many Adventurers that littered the ground.She stumbled toward him, coughing violently, her hands glowing fa
Anna's POV The sun beat down on a lone figure as he trekked through the vast expanse of a desert. The plentiful mana within him had dulled down to the point where he could no longer feel it as he appeared to have used up a great part of his reserve. The intoxicating surge he’d felt while fighting during the dungeon battle now seemed like a distant memory.He had been traveling for weeks, though he had long since lost track of time. His mind was focused on survival now—something as mundane and exhausting as putting one foot in front of the other.The sand stretched endlessly in every direction he could see and sometimes it shimmered in the midday heat. His throat was dry and parched beyond what healing magic could fix.He hadn’t eaten in days, and though he’d managed to conjure small amounts of water using his abilities, it wasn’t enough to keep his strength up. His legs felt like they were made of lead and it was with an effort that he dragged it through the dunes.With each step,
Dorian's POV Staring at the time, I realized it was quite late already. I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. This was one of the days I got to the office late and the feeling wasn't nice at all. "Do you want to rest for today?" My driver asked. I opened my eyes and shook my head. "There's no need to stay at home. I need to work," I replied and picked up my phone. There were several missed calls on it, but none of it belonged to Anna, and that made my heart sink. I stared at my phone for a while, remembering what she said to me last night. The sadness that crept into my heart was indescribable, making me feel the need to leave the office for the day. I swallowed and kept my phone, "Let's go," As much as I didn't feel like going to the office, I knew staying at home wouldn't help either. Anna was someone who had taken root in my heart, and a day off from everything wouldn't uproot her from there. I needed to live my life like I had always done without having to think of h
Anna's POV Styling my hair, I felt slightly nervous. My mind wouldn't stop replaying last night's scene, and I sweated. Seeing Dorian again was something I hadn't truly prepared for, and it made me feel anxious. I let out a deep breath and picked up my phone. It was time to leave home, time to see... Dorian again~ I pressed a finger on my lips and rubbed it gently. Heck, this is hard! I shook my head and dropped my bag on my shoulder. The time wouldn't have waited for me, and as a worker, I needed to get to the office as fast as I could. Leaving the house, my mind wouldn't stop replaying last night's incident, and the more that happened, the more I felt conflicted and wondered if I should just return home. I stared at the company, hiding the thoughts in my mind, but my legs refused to move. A part of me wanted to go in, but a bigger part wanted to run away. It wasn't as if I didn't want to see Dorian... but, Shit! Too nervous~ Way too nervous ~ I hit my forehead and decid
Dorian's POV I held my ground as the mob boss pointed the gun at me. The silly smirk was still plastered on his face and I wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile off his face.“What is this, really? If this is about showing off, you’ve done enough already. So why don’t you tell me what you actually want. What problem do you have with me when I don't even know you.”He chuckled, clearly enjoying my irritation. “You think I’m in charge here? No, I’m just following orders,” he replied with a shrug. “We see everything you do as we have been watching you for a long time. For now, the boss is just toying with you. He wants to see what you’re made of.”I narrowed my eyes, searching his face for any hint of what he was playing at but he appeared sincere which made me all the more confused and annoyed. “And who is this mysterious ‘boss?”He chuckled again, clearly amused by my questions. “Let’s just say he knows you a little better than you’d like. And he doesn’t need you pretending to be
Dorian's POV As we pulled up near the docks, the smell of the night air changed. The atmosphere was damp with salt and so foggy that it was hard to see anything. Naturally, we reduced our speed because of the poor visibility.Besides me, the amateur was shaking like a leaf, I could feel his hands trembling and I knew it wasn't as a result of the cold. He was no doubt scared of whoever sent him.I kept a firm grip on his shoulder to remind him of what would happen if he tried anything funny.Just as we neared Pier 16, beams of headlights cut through the darkness. Three cars pulled in around us, boxing us in. Ben tried to drive back quickly but it was no use. We were already surrounded on every side with no way to escape.The back door of the lead car, and a figure stepped out, backlit by the glaring lights. Several other men followed, each holding their stance with the type of composure that only comes with confidence—or worse, experience.“Step out of the car,” a voice called, echoin