Eva’s POVTheir eyes burned through me as I remained somehow partly in their middle. I bowed away carefully, trying not to draw attention and make things between them any more awkward than they already were.Bri, Madam Isabella’s assistant didn't spare me even a glance as I moved to stand just beside her. I had thought her cologne was soothing and inspiring before. Now I thought it terrible. I had to crinkle my nostrils near her.Maybe I was being petty, but it didn't matter. She wasn't looking. Bri had her eyes trained on Gavin and Madam Isabella, especially Gavin.She watched the scene sullenly, her eyes twinkling with a bit of bitterness. She didn't seem to fancy losing her 6-foot-four Greek god, which she’d just begun to crush on, to her boss.Well—she was welcomed to the club of disappointment. Because how in the world could the most renowned playboy in the country coincidentally reunite with his ex-wife just when I had called him to help me seduce her assistant? It was just the
Eva's POV "Manhattan," Luke’s voice echoed in my mind, still laced with the confidence of his lies. Just five minutes ago, he’d told me he was in Manhattan on a business trip. I turned from the café counter in Palm Beach, coffee burning my tongue. He was seated by the window, holding hands with Lucy Radcliffe, the woman his parents demanded he marry and daughter of billionaire Brandon Radcliffe. It was a betrayal I could taste… bitter as the coffee I nearly choked on. The morning had already been cruel to me, but this? This was the final blow. I had lost the deal I came for in Palm Beach because my company was deemed too small and new to execute the deal. Now, I had to deal with this also... Luke’s betrayal. His eyes strayed to me, widening briefly before narrowing with guilt. The unspoken "oh damn" on his face only deepened the snag in my heart. I wouldn’t confront him. Confronting him was making light of his betrayal. I forced my feet to move, heading for the door. I heard him
Eva's POV I dragged my feet with effort up the short stairs to my apartment. I was weak and weary from everything today. My phone beeped and buzzed for probably the fiftieth time since noon. I didn’t need to check. It was Luke. Another attempt to have me rescind my decision as his wedding planner, when I had no plans of doing that. I pushed the door into my modest home, stepping into the familiarity of everything around me. Everything that reminded me of Luke’s betrayal. A leathered couch by the wall reminded me of how Luke would cuddle me while we lay on the sofa watching football. I jerked my eyes from the little portrait of him on the TV stand. I reminded myself to find a befitting trash bin for it later, along with any other pictures of him I had. I strolled into my tiny bedroom and headed immediately to the bathroom for a shower. Thoughts of Luke and his betrayal still preying on my mind. I came out later to find my phone buzzing continuously. I hesitated, believing it was L
Gavin's POV Her overwashed corporate blazer and overwashed pants. Her red hair packed in a bun behind her. She was not Lucy’s friend. She was a stranger. A beautiful stranger. “Who are you, lady?” I asked the third time. My gaze was locked on her eyes. The beautiful toffee-brown pair had an interesting allure to them. It captured me and trapped me to them. She swallowed uneasily. Yet, she didn't flinch from my intense gaze. “Lucy Radcliffe’s wedding planner, and if you don’t mind. I need to leave.” She said flatly. She turned and aimed for the doorknob. I held her arm gently and returned her to me. “So you are the event planner Lucy plans to torment today,” I smiled, recalling my conversation with Lucy about her wedding planner. “Yes.” She answered firmly. “And I think I should go find my client before she is tempted to hang me rather than just torment me.” I chuckled softly, a bit surprised she knew about Lucy's plans. She wasn't naive. She looked… I thought, struggling for the
Eva’s POV Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Luke, including Gavin's. His blue eyes flashed with intense emotion as he looked to Luke. But Luke's gaze stayed locked on me, tight with anger. “Why are you sitting so close to Gavin?” He repeated, his tone sharper this time, his voice heavy with jealousy. I refused to meet his eyes, pretending he hadn’t spoken. I wasn’t going to let him ruin the opportunity I’d endured so much for. "And what is it to you, Luke? She isn't your woman, so why do you care?" Gavin questioned. "Stay out of this, Gavin," Luke yelled back, completely forgetting he was in the presence of his in-laws. Lucy jumped quickly to her feet, desperate to save her marriage. She moved closer to Luke. “Of course. I know you will be worried seeing Gavin flirting with our wedding planner. Don’t worry. He knows better than to drag her off into an unnecessary romance. Besides, she seems committed to her job”. “I sure am,” I added, keeping my tone calm, trying to diff
Eva's POV “What is between you and Luke Hayes?” Gavin finally asked, his tone casual. His piercing eyes flicked up at me over the restaurant menu. “Nothing,” I replied sharply. A clear sign that the topic was unwelcome. Gavin refused to take the hint. “What I saw was beyond nothing. I witnessed a whole lot of emotion between you two. You and Luke Hayes seem like past lovers, or are you his mistress?" he pushed, observing me curiously. I forced myself to appear calm under his gaze. A waiter approached, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts. Gavin ordered for both of us without consulting me. Arrogant as always. As the waiter left, I noticed them exchange a knowing grin. I looked around and realized why he’d brought me here. We were in a private section of a super expensive restaurant, away from every eye. The lighting was soft and romantic. The whole place screamed extravagance. This was his den, and I had a feeling I was his new prey.He returned his eyes to me, nudging them
Eva's POVLuke glared at Gavin, his fingers firm around his collar. “If you know what is good for you, you will stay away from Eva,” he snapped, his expression tight. Gavin’s exotic lips curled in a mocking grin, and despite Luke’s fingers tightening around his collar, he just chuckled, as if this was all some joke. Even with Gavin's amused response, the tension remained tight between them. I stood rigid, a quiver seizing the pit of my stomach as I watched. This was soon to descend into an exchange of fists if I did nothing. “Let him go, Luke,” I snapped at Luke. But he pretended he didn't hear, my words seeming to phase past his ears. Luke’s grip on Gavin's collar tightened. “We might not be officially together anymore, but that doesn't mean you can step in. Eva is mine. She is my woman." Eva is mine. She is my woman. Barely a week ago, those words were enough to send my stomach fluttering with butterflies and send my heart racing with so much love for him. Now. Now, I had no
Eva's POV My beat-up Toyota coughed in agitation for new repairs as I found myself a free spot in the expansive car park before the strip mall, where I had my office. I leaned back, reaching for a small bundle of three iced coffees from the boxes of decor samples, fabric swatches, and cardboard that dominated the backseat. They filled the car with a musty smell that the faulty car AC was ever powerless against. I strode fast to my office. Mia, my best friend and my only staff, was by the door to receive me the moment I stepped in. “Good morning, twinnie,” Mia teased me with a smile. A ploy to keep me off guard, and I fell for it. Because the next second, she lunged for the iced coffee and the little bag of cookies in my hands. Her movement fast and feral. I laughed as I walked deeper into the office, watching Mia munch greedily at the cookies. It was a two-room office. My office and Mia’s. It had always been the both of us against the world since we met in college. Even
Eva’s POVTheir eyes burned through me as I remained somehow partly in their middle. I bowed away carefully, trying not to draw attention and make things between them any more awkward than they already were.Bri, Madam Isabella’s assistant didn't spare me even a glance as I moved to stand just beside her. I had thought her cologne was soothing and inspiring before. Now I thought it terrible. I had to crinkle my nostrils near her.Maybe I was being petty, but it didn't matter. She wasn't looking. Bri had her eyes trained on Gavin and Madam Isabella, especially Gavin.She watched the scene sullenly, her eyes twinkling with a bit of bitterness. She didn't seem to fancy losing her 6-foot-four Greek god, which she’d just begun to crush on, to her boss.Well—she was welcomed to the club of disappointment. Because how in the world could the most renowned playboy in the country coincidentally reunite with his ex-wife just when I had called him to help me seduce her assistant? It was just the
Eva's POVI had no idea why Madam Isabella’s name threw him off. His expression turned blank at the mention of the name. The flirtatious glint that always held his eyes was abandoned for a hardness that now had my heart nearly racing in the entrapment of my chest. The more I stared into them, the harder they burned. “I am sorry, Eva, I can't help you,” he said crisply and spun for his car.“Why?” I yelled after him, the word almost hanging in my throat. He didn't answer. Instead, his pace quickened, as if something was out to get him in the underground car park of the Luminee Palace. “Wait, Gavin. What is happening?"Still, I got nothing. His broad, powerful back retreating from my sight. He threw himself into his Porsche. With no other choice, I threw myself onto the front of the car, blocking his path with my body. I knew he could just simply reverse and drive off, but like this, I thought he would understand my desperation.I wasn't one to seek help from anyone. I was a one-m
GavinThe phone beeped in the middle of the presentation, cutting through the presenter’s monotonous voice.Every eye in the room snapped straight to me, picking me out as the suspect.There was only one person who could dare bring a phone to a presentation, and that was me. Anyone else, and they'll be kissing their jobs goodbye. It was my company. I set the rules and can break them.I took out the phone from my pocket, and it was Eva flashing on the screen. My lips curled slowly into a tentative smile. I reclined on my seat, staring at the screen. I wondered why she had chosen to call. Perhaps she's fallen for me already? The thought made my smile morph fast into a grin, a sly grin.I still couldn't pin down why she interests me so much. She was pretty—yeah, with her red hair and toffee brown orbs, and so were the hundreds of girls I have dated. Yet, I had never felt the urge to chase.Maybe—I tweaked my head slightly… I hadn't tried chasing any lady before now because they were alw
Eva“How do you expect me—” Before I could get my response together, Lucy was marching away from the penthouse. I could do nothing but watch her go. My eyes trained on her retreating figure, swaying away with her bag. She had let her insecurities win over her reasoning and ruin everything herself. Now, she wants me to fix the mess she created. I should grab my purse and leave, just like she did, just like a part of my heart was warning me to, but damn it. I had a career to consider. I have endured enough for this job to let it go as cheap as this. I turned back to the room, letting my eyes trail to the window and lingering on the skyline view while I thought about what to do. Madam Isabella wouldn't fall for my emotional trick a second time. I had to improvise. I raised my head at the steady tap of heels and the strong whiff of the familiar cologne. The lady assistant dropped into view beside me. “You have to leave now, ma’am,” she said courteously, still gifting me one of her e
Madam Isabella Ferara’s assistant, a young lady in her late twenties, dressed in a smart and expensive shirt and pleated pants that made me almost conscious of my over-washed ones, led us through a tiled patio and into the living room area of the penthouse suite. She ushered us to a plush sofa, our shoes clinked on the marble floors, echoing in the room, echoing in my ears. The further I walked in, the more the impossibility of the task screamed at me. The lady had on a cologne, a sweet jasmine smell that lifted not just her spirit but that of anyone around her. It did lift mine. In that moment, I nearly felt a bit confident I could make this miracle happen. “Madam Isabella Ferara would join you soon.” The lady assistant showed the whole of her teeth in a friendly smile. “Thanks,” I whispered with my own smile. Lucy just waved her away. She left, leaving us to admire the luxury—well, me. Lucy seemed not to bother. She had her eyes stuck on her iPhone as if trying to solve the wor
I consulted my wristwatch as I dropped down from my car before the Radcliffe estate.The affluent neighborhood was what I wished my apartment block was, serene and tranquil. But in life, you don't always get what you want. And that I’d learned as far back as when I was still learning to grow teeth. "Three minutes late!” I screamed in horror at myself, my eyes flicking off the wristwatch’s screen. I’d just handed Lucy the weapon with which to bury me. Talk of the devil. I sighed, my chest thumping silently, betraying my calmness, as the estate gate opened and Lucy drove out in a sleek, elegant yellow ride that had Ferrari somewhere on its bonnet. I wasn't so good with cars. Toyotas, Golfs, and pickup trucks were the closest I knew of cars, because those were all I had ever driven.Lucy steered the car for me, and I jumped quickly from the asphalt onto the sidewalk. I still have good use for my legs, even if Lucy didn't mind crushing them down for me with her Ferrari. She parked bes
Eva's POVI thought he was serious, that he was about to choose me over Lucy. That meant there would be no billionaire wedding for me to plan, no billionaire wedding with which to uplift my portfolio. Yet, I seemed to wish that was what he was about to do, choosing me.“I’ll marry her too. I’ll marry the both of you,” he said, looking straight into my eyes, tenderly and dearly, yet hurting me with his words.His eyes begged me to agree with him, but there was no way I would agree to something like that. He wasn't choosing me. He just wanted me to be his mistress. His second choice. As if he hadn't hurt me enough. It felt like my heart was shrinking into my soul. His words shattering whatever hope I had built up in my mind. Hope of us being together again. I turned away from him. I wouldn't let him glimpse the drop of tears that was about to slip from my eyes. He didn't deserve my tears. “Get out, Luke,” I yelled over my shoulder. I managed to keep much of the sorrow in my heart f
Luke's POVI had no right to be angry. I was the one who betrayed her, the one who gave in to my parents threat, and was marrying Lucy instead of keeping my promise to marry her. I was the one who hurt her and led her into the arms of Gavin Sinclair. It felt like hell to know this was happening all because of me. I had come with the red roses bouquet, hoping to make things right as best as I could. Yet, I had to meet this—them. Locked in each other's arms, Gavin’s lips firm on hers. My fingers dug into the fluffy and tender bouquet as I waited for her to push Gavin away. But she didn't. She let him claim her lips in a hot, passionate kiss. With each passing moment, as I watched them kiss, a lump settled at the back of my throat. My throat burned with so much pain, I found it hard to swallow. She eventually pushed him away. Her eyes swirling lethargically, as realization flushed them. Her eyes strayed to me, but she threw them away immediately, as if fearing it would hurt me
Gavin's POVShe took a step back from me as if scared of my closeness to her. “And I don't want to, Gavin. I don't want to kiss you. Rather, I want you to leave," she said. She snatched the door open and jerked her eyes from me to outside. “Please leave,” she said, steel in her voice, yet for a brief moment, it faltered. But that wasn't what gave her away. It was her fingers trembling slightly on the doorknob. She tried to hide it well, yet her body kept betraying her. Her toffee-brown pair shifted uneasily, lingering on me, yet encouraging me for the door. She wasn't immune to me, as she pretended to be. She was merely putting up a wall of resistance. A wall I was soon to break. I never run from a challenge. “And what if I refuse to leave, Eva?” I said, trailing my thumb over my lips, my eyes trained on her. I grinned, relishing her distress. “Then I'll have the security throw you out,” she snapped. “I’d love to see them try.” I winked at her and dropped back into the ro