Max’s POVI handed the big, burly man a card. He peered at it for a moment before waving me in. I took one last, long look around before walking inside. The adjoining door led me to a private lounge, dimly lit with soft music playing in the background.A few people lingered in different corners, and the servers, both male and female, wore flimsy dresses as they moved across the room carrying drinks. I squinted, scanning for her briefly, and then I saw her, with her back to me. I walked up to her and sat across from her without a word.She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. She wore a black tube dress that clung to her slender figure and high-heeled shoes. “Shots,” she offered, pushing a small tray toward me.I sat up straight. “No, I’m here to talk, and I need to be clear-headed when I do it.”A hint of a smile played on her lips, her bright blue eyes boring into me as she took a sip of her wine. My gaze wandered to her blood-red nails curling around the glass,
Asher’s POVDinner with my father was exactly what I expected: bland, formal, and devoid of anything remotely personal. We sat across from each other in the dim, overly polished dining room, the kind of place where the weight of expectation hung heavier than the chandelier overhead. Save for the tip of the head and a murmured response when we got here, we had not said a word to each other.With my father, I had learned to reduce the weight of my expectation since I was a little boy. My father was never one to show emotions, and no matter how I tried all these years, I could never get him to act like he cared.Once I received the message from him asking me to dinner, I knew it was for serious business. Unlike my mother, who made the effort to dine casually with us even though it was forced, my father never did. I arrived earlier than usual, and to my utter disappointment, he was already seated, waiting for me. Whether he was annoyed or not, his expression didn’t show it. When the waite
Ivy’s POVIt was a whole two hours of poking, prodding, hair-pulling, and all the other things the beauty team had done to get me glammed up and ready. Of course, I was no stranger to fancy gatherings like this, but something about this one had me wound up. Maybe it was because it was my first official event since Asher and I got married, and the media would be swarming over us.We had to look the part - a young, happily married couple filled with so much love for each other. Our task was harder now that we weren’t on speaking terms. I exhaled deeply as I stared at the dress laid out for me on the bed. I slipped it on with the help of one of the assistants.I didn’t have to try on several dresses; Asher had already picked out one for me. It was a black fitted halter neck dress that clung tightly to my slender figure. The dress had tiny silver embellishments scattered about it that made it sparkle as I moved. I stopped to wonder what was going through his mind when he picked out the dr
Ivy’s POVWhen I saw Asher from across the hall, all of my fears, worries, and anger seemed to drift away quickly too. All of it that I had walked into that hall with dissipated into thin air.It was like seeing him made everything good again. I wasn’t angry at him anymore. I didn’t worry that we wouldn’t pass off as a good couple, nothing. He looked dapper in that black tuxedo, and it was hard to explain, but he pulled it off in a way no one else in the room could.He didn’t look like any of the other uptight, snobbish men prancing around. He was more laid back, his slightly overgrown hair fell over his face, those smiley honey brown eyes boring into me, and even in the distance, I could feel the desire swirling in their depths. Goosebumps spread all over my skin.And like a scene from a corny romance movie, we crossed the lengths toward each other, and I was almost close when he stopped in his tracks and looked past me. The desire in his eyes replaced by a stronger emotion, anger.I
Ivy’s POVAsher reluctantly let go of me before he marched off. I turned to Marcus, annoyed. “I don’t know what history is there between you two, but I don’t want to be caught up in it.”I made to walk away, but Marcus grabbed my hand and pulled me back. “I’m sorry, Ivy. It was not my intention; I’m sorry,” he apologized, his eyes growing softer.I was quite taken aback; I didn’t expect an apology. “I...”“It’s just, Asher and I have had a strained relationship for the longest time.” He scratched his brow. “I think he cares for you, and I just feel like you’re the only hope I have to get through to my brother. I...”I glanced at Marcus. It was hard to tell if he was being sincere.“I feel like with you, there’s a chance for us to work things out. This is why I want to be friends with you. I feel like we can get through to him. I...” He took my hand in his. “I’m sorry that it seems like I’m putting you into a corner; I would never do that intentionally.”I glanced at Asher. He was look
Ivy’s POVAsher not-so-subtly dragged me out of the hall; he didn’t bother to answer any of the questions Luca was throwing at him. I swallowed nervously, barely able to breathe with his long strides, my mind going wild with different scenarios.He turned sharply into a hallway and frantically punched the keys into an elevator, pulling me in as soon as the doors opened.The doors pinged, and the elevator shut. He pulled me close and captured my lips in a frenzied kiss. He slipped his hand around my neck, and the other hand went around my waist. I melted like jelly into his arms, giving in to his kiss. I had dropped every last bit of restraint I had on the dance floor. Here we were alone, away from all the prying eyes.I wrapped my hands around his neck, deepening the kiss. He let out a pleasured groan at the back of his throat, reverberating in his chest, sending tingles down to the tips of my toes. I leaned in closer until I was pressed up against him, my nipples hardened nerve buds.
IvyI was halfway through my hair and makeup when Marsha rushed in, wide-eyed and breathless. All eyes in the room turned toward her.“What is it, Marsha?” I asked in a panicky voice. The look on her face made me even more worried, and my mind raced in different directions.“We have a little situation downstairs,” Marsha said, glancing at the women behind me.I turned to them, “Give me a moment, please,” I whispered.I walked up to Marsha, and she took my hand, leading me out the door.“What is going on, Marsha?” I asked as soon as we were out of earshot.“It’s Max. He’s at the reception, and he’s attracting attention.”I halted. “What do you mean he’s attracting attention?”Marsha gave me a look but didn’t say anything. Instead, she pulled my hand and led me toward the reception area. We peeked together.I didn’t know what I was expecting to see, but it was definitely not Max carrying a huge balloon bouquet in one hand and a flower in the other. I exhaled and pulled away, not wanting
Asher’s POVMy thumb hovered over the screen, stuck on the same image I had seen dozens of times today. Ivy, looking as beautiful as ever, with Max handing her a massive bouquet of roses and balloons. The post was blowing up, and I couldn’t stop scrolling. More pictures. More comments. Most people were speculating that the gifts were from me.I tried to push the tightness in my chest away. Ivy wasn’t mine in any real sense. This marriage was just a contract. A convenient arrangement for both of us. It was impulsive, at least for her. I told myself it wasn’t serious. After all, I had explicitly told her I didn’t need fidelity, nor should she expect it from me.It was a lie I told with a straight face. And now I had to deal with this. Just the thought was maddening, and now seeing actual pictures of them together, her smiling at him, made my stomach churn.The door clicked open, and Ivy walked in, her heels clicking sharply on the polished floor, cutting through the quiet. She stopped f