ELIJAHI was seated in my library, the faint scent of old leather and aged paper hanging in the air. The room was dimly lit, the golden glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows on the walls lined with books. It was my sanctuary, my escape from the chaos that seemed to follow me wherever I went. But even here, peace was fleeting. Roger stood a few feet away, his arms crossed, his expression grim. “You’re not going to like this,” he started, his voice low and cautious. I leaned back in my chair, the glass of whiskey in my hand untouched. “I already don’t like it, Roger. Just spit it out.” He exhaled heavily, running a hand through his graying hair. “Noel’s reopening the case. The one from five years ago.” My grip tightened around the glass, but I kept my face neutral. “What the hell is on his mind?” Roger shook his head, his expression unreadable. “Maybe to clean his name.”I let out a sharp laugh, though there was no humor in it. “That’s the most stupid reason I’ve ever hea
"Do you want to come with us? You can come." I stopped midway when I heard Uncle Sandro’s voice echo from the hallway. Who could he be talking to? The irritation in the other voice gave it away almost immediately. "Why would I come, Sandro? Aren’t you a little stupid? Why would I put Farah’s competition above my company?” Edmund. Of course. “Chill,” Uncle Sandro replied, his tone light. “You sound defensive.” I couldn’t help but smirk at that, amused by how easily Uncle Sandro could rile him up. I continued walking toward them, holding my composure. “Farah only has two tickets, Uncle Sandro," I said as I approached. "One for me and one for you. Let’s go.” I didn’t bother sparing Edmund a single glance as I walked past him, brushing off his presence like he was nothing more than air."Your father looks like he wants to come with us. We should have convinced him—" I stopped in my tracks, turning to look at Uncle Sandro with a sarcastic glare. "No, he's not," I said flatly
ELIJAHI brought Eloise in the school clinic since it is the nearest medical center and she's losing a lot of blood already.I paced back and forth outside the clinic, my hands balled into fists. The words I threw at Eloise earlier replayed in my mind like a broken record."The world can burn into ashes, but not you."What the hell was I thinking? Saying something like that wasn’t just reckless—it was terrifying. Even to me.I ran a hand through my hair in frustration, leaning against the cold wall. She was already furious, already seeing me as a monster for what I did to that senator’s son. And what did I do? I doubled down, letting my emotions run wild, proving her right.What scared me the most wasn’t her anger or her words. It was the look in her eyes—the disbelief, the hurt. I never wanted her to look at me like that. But here I was, making a mess of everything. Before I could spiral further into my thoughts, one of my men approached, his expression grim but composed. “Sir, we’v
Four days before the wedding...I opened the door, expecting to see Linda or one of the girls carrying snacks or wine. Instead, I froze, staring at the two familiar faces grinning at me like fools. “Edward? Noel?!” I exclaimed, my shock evident. “What the hell are you two doing here?”Edward raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the doorframe. “What? No hugs for your favorite brothers?” Noel, on the other hand, waltzed in like he owned the place, ignoring my question entirely. “Where’s the food? I’m starving.”“Excuse me!” I followed after him, trying to process their sudden appearance. “This is my bridal shower. Bridal. As in, girls only. You’re not even supposed to be here!”Edward smirked as he closed the door behind him. “Well, what can I do, Elo? I’m worried about you, okay? You’re being forced to marry, and now you’re being forced to bond with those girls who don’t know anything but to spend money!”I sighed deeply, my shoulders slumping. As much as I hated to admit it,
Of all the questions she could’ve asked, why that? Why the one thing I’ve been trying to avoid? "Do you know how fucked up it is to see Matthew instead of you on the altar?" Her words were sharp, cutting through the heavy silence between us. I heard her footsteps nearing, the sound echoing in the vastness of my penthouse. I clenched my fists, refusing to turn around. "Do you know how fucked up it was to walk away?" My voice was low, strained, every word laced with the weight of the past. Her silence spoke volumes. She was waiting for an explanation—something I wasn’t sure I could give. "You think it was easy for me?" I finally turned to face her, my chest tight as her eyes bore into mine. "I was doing it for you—" She shook her head and laughed, but there was no humor in it. It was bitter, cutting. "Oh, really? Then you shouldn’t have walked away," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. My jaw clenched at her words. "You think I wanted to? You think it didn’t kill
I stared at the water rippling around my legs, the cold liquid soothing against my skin. The moon reflected on the surface like it was mocking me, reminding me how pathetic I was sitting here, half-drunk, with three empty beer bottles lined up beside me. I swirled my foot in the water, watching the tiny waves it created, and chuckled bitterly. “Three bottles, Eloise,” I muttered to myself. “And you’re still not drunk enough to forget his face.” His face—desperate, broken, pleading. I took another sip of beer, the bitterness matching the taste in my mouth left by his words. Elijah. Damn him. “Of all the men in the world…” I whispered to the night air, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “It had to be the one who ruined me twice.” I leaned back, propping myself on my elbows as I gazed at the sky. The stars were bright tonight, like they were putting on a show for me, but I couldn’t care less. Everything felt heavy. My chest, my head, my heart. Especially my heart. “Why does it alw
The first rays of sunlight were barely peeking through the curtains when I heard the relentless knocking on my bedroom door. I groaned, burying my head deeper into the pillows, hoping whoever it was would get the hint and leave me alone. No such luck. “Eloise! Open the door!” Farah’s voice rang out, sharp and insistent. “We need to leave early if we want to find the perfect dress!” I peeked out from under the covers, squinting at the clock. 9:12 AM. Too early for this nonsense. “Farah, go away,” I called out groggily. “I’m not leaving until you get up!” she shot back. I sighed, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. This was Farah—relentless, energetic, and annoyingly persistent. “Fine!” I yelled. “Give me five minutes!” “Make it three!” she replied, her footsteps retreating down the hallway. Grumbling, I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom. As I splashed cold water on my face, I caught a glimpse of my reflection—messy hair, puffy eyes, a
ELIJAH"Do you really need to say it right to her face?" I muttered, feeling the irritation boil inside me.Michelle was in the car, humming like she hadn't just pulled some passive-aggressive stunt in the boutique. Her little jab at Eloise had been so obvious that I couldn’t even look at her without getting annoyed.“Don’t act like it’s a big deal, Elijah,” she replied, her voice light, as if she hadn't just done what she did. “It’s just Eloise. You know, I’m just having some fun.”I shot her a glance, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "Fun? That was some grade-A cattiness, and you know it."Michelle rolled her eyes, leaning back against the seat as if she couldn’t care less. "Oh, please. She can take it.”I clenched my jaw. “It’s not about that, Michelle. Why push it? She’s already dealing with enough, and you—" I stopped myself before I said something I might regret. The last thing I wanted was to drag this into something more than it needed to be."I don't really get it.
I walked into the office, the smell of fresh flowers hitting me before I even reached my desk. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the bouquet sitting on my table. A note was tucked into the arrangement, the paper crisp and clean, as if someone had put in extra effort to make this as annoying as possible.I should’ve known. It was a message, plain and simple.I ripped the note out and read it, trying not to roll my eyes as I did.“Eloise, I know you’ve been thinking about it, but you haven’t said yes yet. I’ll be waiting for your answer. Noel.”Of course, everyone at the company already knew that Noel had been relentlessly asking me to be his date for the anniversary event. They were all probably giggling behind my back, thinking it was some sort of romance. It was driving me crazy, the way everyone was so eager to gossip about something so trivial.I didn’t even bother throwing the note away. I just crumpled it and shoved it into my bag, walking to my desk to get started on work.
ELIJAH"Do you really need to say it right to her face?" I muttered, feeling the irritation boil inside me.Michelle was in the car, humming like she hadn't just pulled some passive-aggressive stunt in the boutique. Her little jab at Eloise had been so obvious that I couldn’t even look at her without getting annoyed.“Don’t act like it’s a big deal, Elijah,” she replied, her voice light, as if she hadn't just done what she did. “It’s just Eloise. You know, I’m just having some fun.”I shot her a glance, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "Fun? That was some grade-A cattiness, and you know it."Michelle rolled her eyes, leaning back against the seat as if she couldn’t care less. "Oh, please. She can take it.”I clenched my jaw. “It’s not about that, Michelle. Why push it? She’s already dealing with enough, and you—" I stopped myself before I said something I might regret. The last thing I wanted was to drag this into something more than it needed to be."I don't really get it.
The first rays of sunlight were barely peeking through the curtains when I heard the relentless knocking on my bedroom door. I groaned, burying my head deeper into the pillows, hoping whoever it was would get the hint and leave me alone. No such luck. “Eloise! Open the door!” Farah’s voice rang out, sharp and insistent. “We need to leave early if we want to find the perfect dress!” I peeked out from under the covers, squinting at the clock. 9:12 AM. Too early for this nonsense. “Farah, go away,” I called out groggily. “I’m not leaving until you get up!” she shot back. I sighed, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. This was Farah—relentless, energetic, and annoyingly persistent. “Fine!” I yelled. “Give me five minutes!” “Make it three!” she replied, her footsteps retreating down the hallway. Grumbling, I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom. As I splashed cold water on my face, I caught a glimpse of my reflection—messy hair, puffy eyes, a
I stared at the water rippling around my legs, the cold liquid soothing against my skin. The moon reflected on the surface like it was mocking me, reminding me how pathetic I was sitting here, half-drunk, with three empty beer bottles lined up beside me. I swirled my foot in the water, watching the tiny waves it created, and chuckled bitterly. “Three bottles, Eloise,” I muttered to myself. “And you’re still not drunk enough to forget his face.” His face—desperate, broken, pleading. I took another sip of beer, the bitterness matching the taste in my mouth left by his words. Elijah. Damn him. “Of all the men in the world…” I whispered to the night air, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “It had to be the one who ruined me twice.” I leaned back, propping myself on my elbows as I gazed at the sky. The stars were bright tonight, like they were putting on a show for me, but I couldn’t care less. Everything felt heavy. My chest, my head, my heart. Especially my heart. “Why does it alw
Of all the questions she could’ve asked, why that? Why the one thing I’ve been trying to avoid? "Do you know how fucked up it is to see Matthew instead of you on the altar?" Her words were sharp, cutting through the heavy silence between us. I heard her footsteps nearing, the sound echoing in the vastness of my penthouse. I clenched my fists, refusing to turn around. "Do you know how fucked up it was to walk away?" My voice was low, strained, every word laced with the weight of the past. Her silence spoke volumes. She was waiting for an explanation—something I wasn’t sure I could give. "You think it was easy for me?" I finally turned to face her, my chest tight as her eyes bore into mine. "I was doing it for you—" She shook her head and laughed, but there was no humor in it. It was bitter, cutting. "Oh, really? Then you shouldn’t have walked away," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. My jaw clenched at her words. "You think I wanted to? You think it didn’t kill
Four days before the wedding...I opened the door, expecting to see Linda or one of the girls carrying snacks or wine. Instead, I froze, staring at the two familiar faces grinning at me like fools. “Edward? Noel?!” I exclaimed, my shock evident. “What the hell are you two doing here?”Edward raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the doorframe. “What? No hugs for your favorite brothers?” Noel, on the other hand, waltzed in like he owned the place, ignoring my question entirely. “Where’s the food? I’m starving.”“Excuse me!” I followed after him, trying to process their sudden appearance. “This is my bridal shower. Bridal. As in, girls only. You’re not even supposed to be here!”Edward smirked as he closed the door behind him. “Well, what can I do, Elo? I’m worried about you, okay? You’re being forced to marry, and now you’re being forced to bond with those girls who don’t know anything but to spend money!”I sighed deeply, my shoulders slumping. As much as I hated to admit it,
ELIJAHI brought Eloise in the school clinic since it is the nearest medical center and she's losing a lot of blood already.I paced back and forth outside the clinic, my hands balled into fists. The words I threw at Eloise earlier replayed in my mind like a broken record."The world can burn into ashes, but not you."What the hell was I thinking? Saying something like that wasn’t just reckless—it was terrifying. Even to me.I ran a hand through my hair in frustration, leaning against the cold wall. She was already furious, already seeing me as a monster for what I did to that senator’s son. And what did I do? I doubled down, letting my emotions run wild, proving her right.What scared me the most wasn’t her anger or her words. It was the look in her eyes—the disbelief, the hurt. I never wanted her to look at me like that. But here I was, making a mess of everything. Before I could spiral further into my thoughts, one of my men approached, his expression grim but composed. “Sir, we’v
"Do you want to come with us? You can come." I stopped midway when I heard Uncle Sandro’s voice echo from the hallway. Who could he be talking to? The irritation in the other voice gave it away almost immediately. "Why would I come, Sandro? Aren’t you a little stupid? Why would I put Farah’s competition above my company?” Edmund. Of course. “Chill,” Uncle Sandro replied, his tone light. “You sound defensive.” I couldn’t help but smirk at that, amused by how easily Uncle Sandro could rile him up. I continued walking toward them, holding my composure. “Farah only has two tickets, Uncle Sandro," I said as I approached. "One for me and one for you. Let’s go.” I didn’t bother sparing Edmund a single glance as I walked past him, brushing off his presence like he was nothing more than air."Your father looks like he wants to come with us. We should have convinced him—" I stopped in my tracks, turning to look at Uncle Sandro with a sarcastic glare. "No, he's not," I said flatly
ELIJAHI was seated in my library, the faint scent of old leather and aged paper hanging in the air. The room was dimly lit, the golden glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows on the walls lined with books. It was my sanctuary, my escape from the chaos that seemed to follow me wherever I went. But even here, peace was fleeting. Roger stood a few feet away, his arms crossed, his expression grim. “You’re not going to like this,” he started, his voice low and cautious. I leaned back in my chair, the glass of whiskey in my hand untouched. “I already don’t like it, Roger. Just spit it out.” He exhaled heavily, running a hand through his graying hair. “Noel’s reopening the case. The one from five years ago.” My grip tightened around the glass, but I kept my face neutral. “What the hell is on his mind?” Roger shook his head, his expression unreadable. “Maybe to clean his name.”I let out a sharp laugh, though there was no humor in it. “That’s the most stupid reason I’ve ever hea