Chapter 1

I went home in a very happy mood because I had just successfully negotiated a deal with a client. But just as I entered through the door, I saw high heels that did not belong to me on the hardwood floor. 

I headed for the bedroom and heard strange and ambiguous sounds. With curiosity filling my senses, I opened the bedroom door and saw an image that broke my heart.

I saw the love of my life having sex with another woman. Their sounds of pleasure filled the room, and pain tugged at my heart. My throat was dry and adrenaline rushed through my veins.

They could not see me yet and I just stood at the door and watched them. My chest rose up and down in a fast motion and I could feel tears rapidly building in my eyes. 

It felt like my soul was being slowly ripped out of my body each time he thrust into her. A small sound escaped my mouth as I began to sob and the woman finally noticed me at the door. 

I immediately recognized her, and I knew she recognized me too. It was my best friend, Nora. 

“Sh*t, Mark…” Her face reddened and she pushed my fiance off her. When his eyes landed on me, they widened and he knew he had messed up. He cursed under his breath and regret instantly smeared his face.

Before I could let him come up with some bullcrap apology, I bolted.

With tears partially blinding my vision, I rushed out of the apartment sobbing loudly. How could he? How could he do this to me? He was having her in our bed! In our freaking bed! My hands were shaking due to how upset I was. 

This was where I felt safe, a place that I marked sacred to our love, but he had just spat on it by sleeping with my best friend, Nora.

“Lisa! Lisa! Wait, I’m sorry!” I heard him cry as he chased after me only in his boxers. “Just let me explain!”

Explain? His grinding on my best friend was all the explanation that I needed. I was ready to spend my entire life with him. I was ready to settle down, have kids, and live happily ever after; but he had to screw it all up!

“Take your stupid ring! I want you out of my life, I want you dead!” I shouted angrily as I took the engagement ring off my finger and threw it at him. We were outside and the coldness made my nose hurt each time I sniffled.

Mark tried to grab the ring but failed epically. He then searched the ground for the small ring until he found it. “Please, baby, don’t do this.” He stood to his feet and chased me to my car.

I was already in the car and the engines roared alive as I started it. Oh, how I wished he would try to stand in front of my car to stop me from leaving, I would gladly run him over.

“Lisa!” He banged on the car door as I rolled the windows up. “Lisa!” His voice was now a bit muffled due to the rolled-up windows.

I pressed the gas and swerved out of the driveway, expertly guiding the car onto the road. Not looking back even once, I drove out of the neighborhood, but mostly, out of the life of Mark, the man I was supposed to get married to in two to three days.

Tears flowed easily from my eyes as I drove farther away, I just could not stop them. My heart had been broken, and it was bleeding so badly that I felt like I was going to die. 

“Love is a f*cking illusion,” I whispered to myself. I was stupid. I didn’t learn when I found Mark texting Nora three nights ago. He told me that they were just friends and that she reminded him of his hometown, but all those were just lies from the very pits of hell!

I did not know whether I should blame him, or myself for allowing this to happen. I ignored all the signs, I chose to be colorblind to the red flags that were right in front of my face. Now I’m paying for it.

“You have an incoming call from Bradley Specter,” The automated voice of my car startled me. “Accept, or ignore?”

I took in a deep breath and tried to get myself together. Ignoring this call might cost me my job. I just lost my five-year relationship, I could not lose my job too.

“Accept,” I said loudly, and the car made a beep before the call was patched through. 

“Hello, Ms. Morgan?” The voice of the CEO of Eternity Limited flowed smoothly through my car speakers. “I’m assuming that you’re already on your way for our meeting?”

Crap, I forgot! I had gone to the apartment to pick up my binder for the meeting with the CEO, and that’s when I saw Mark and Nora together. Now I have to improvise and get my butt at that meeting.

I worked as a mediator at Powerhouse Designs, and we were an Architecture company. We helped build skyscrapers, homes, workspaces, entertainment centers, and many more. My boss specifically chose me to be the one to seal the CEO as a client. I could not miss this meeting.

“Um, yes, sir. I would be over in half an hour.” Despite my raspy-like voice from crying, my words came out calculated and formal. “At Tobys Bar, yes?” 

“Of course. See you then.” The CEO ended the call, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. 

I have been talking to him for the past weeks concerning the deal but I have not seen him in person yet. He wants us to build him a nightclub, and his designs are very difficult yet achievable. 

The CEO was a hard man to satisfy. But I had been able to keep him from moving on to another company and trusting us. I just needed to sign him as a client for the nightclub project and I would get my dream promotion.

But if I lost him as a client, I either would get fired or lose my current position at Powerhouse Designs. I had not brought in a huge client like this in months now, this was something that I needed.

I set my GPS on the car to the bar where we were to meet at. We could have met anywhere but he chose a bar. This seemed very interesting to me.

The car ride to my destination was quiet and full of me torturing myself with happy memories of Mark and me. I hated that I still loved him. I hated that I wished I would have never come home to see him and Nora together.

“You have reached your destination,” The automated voice of my car informed me, and I found a place to park. Before getting out, I touched up my makeup and fixed my hair a bit so I wouldn’t look like how I felt on the insides.

With a quick gulp of the bottle of water in my car, my voice cleared up a bit. I then headed to the bar with my handbag on my shoulder. 

I pushed open the glass door and walked in. It was almost six pm and the place was filled with people having a good time. Although I forgot my binder, all I needed was right in my head, I did not actually need it.

I reached into my bag for my phone and took it out. Just as I was about to call the CEO, my eyes landed on a very good-looking gentleman at the back. His table was empty and the suit he was wearing must have cost no less than five thousand dollars. That must be the CEO, no one was that dressed in here except him.

I placed my phone back into my handbag and walked up to the table of the gentleman. As I took a seat, he watched me with a small smile on his face. I won’t lie, he was handsome, enough to make me stare at him for a few seconds before speaking.

“You must be Mr. Specter,” I extended my hand for a handshake and he reached out and wrapped his strong, calloused hand around mine. 

“And what gave that away?” We broke the handshake, and he chuckled. 

“Oh, the five-thousand-dollar suit,” I replied to him, and his chuckle deepened. 

“It’s actually six thousand, and you can call me Bradley,” The CEO kept his eyes on mine as he spoke smoothly. 

“So, Bradley…” The name sounded weird on my tongue, considering that I have been calling him ‘sir’ over the phone for weeks. “We have gone over the plans for the nightclub and you and I know that my company is well-equipped to handle your desires.”

“Hmm,” He made the sound as the waiter poured him another drink. “It’s a complicated design.” He reminded me as he offered me a glass of Liquor but I declined respectfully.

“Mr. Specter…I mean Bradley.” I corrected myself. “We are the best Architecture company in the city of Seattle, trust me when I say that we can handle complicated.”  

“Okay…” The CEO said and he downed the last of his drink. He then offered me a glass of liquor once more and I stared at his hand. 

‘Maybe a drink would do me good right now,” I thought to myself as I accepted the glass of liquor from him.

“Okay, what?” I chuckled, and he smiled in response. I took a gulp of the liquor and it burned my throat as it went down. But it made me feel good. 

“I will be your client,” His words made my heart jump with glee, but I held myself from expressing my excitement and instead offered a “That would be wonderful, sir.”

At my mention of ‘sir, he raised his eyebrow to remind me to call him by his name and I laughed while apologizing.

Our conversation got a good result and I could not help but drink too much. I allowed the waiter to pour me more liquor. I did not know if it was because of what just happened back at home that broke my heart, or because of the joy of signing the CEO; I was a little confused.

“I think that’s enough,” The CEO said softly as he stopped me from putting my fifth glass of liquor into my mouth. “You have had too much.” 

“I thought you were the one that wanted me to drink?” I lifted one of my eyebrows and my words slurred. I was not used to drinking this much. My mind was already fuzzy and my vision was hazy a bit.

“But not like this,” The CEO chuckled, and then placed the glass that he took from me on the table. 

“I’m just celebrating,” I laughed for no real reason.

Bradley stood to his feet and walked to my side of the table. “I think it’s time to take you home.”

“No!” My voice was childlike, and then I laughed at how funny I sounded. “I don’t want to go home. I would rather stay at a hotel.” 

I did not want to go back and see the sad scene of what my fiancee and best friend did to me. I wanted to stay away from that house for now. I wanted to stay away from them.

“Okay, sure. Now let’s get you up,” Bradley helped me to my feet and even held my handbag. He placed my arm around his neck and took me out of the bar. 

The cold air sobered me for a few seconds and my heart ached as I remembered how Mark was passionately having my best friend in the bed. I wanted to dull the pain, the alcohol in my system was not doing enough. But I did not know how to.

The truth was I was paying too much attention to everything that was happening to me but did not pay enough attention to what was happening around me.

I did not pay enough attention to the dangerous eyes of the CEO as he helped me…