**Lucas** “Sir? Selling the phone to her?” Calvin asked wide-eyed. “Yes, well she seems stubborn and I knew she was going to reject it.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “So I had to come up with something,” I explained, but Calvin just kept staring at me like I was from a different planet. “Goodness, I knew that you were going to screw this. That's why I wanted to help,” he murmured under his breath but I still heard him anyway. I turned to glare at him. “What did you say?” “Nothing,” he replied. “Good. I thought so too.” Then I moved away from the window where I was standing and settled into my chair. “So what do I ask for as payment?” I muttered, rubbing my chin. “You're not really going that route, are you?” He narrowed his eyes in a curious way. I cocked my eyebrow. “What's wrong with it?” “Well she's going to think you want to buy her over. And you definitely don't want her to have that impression about you right?” I tapped my finger on my desk and th
**Third person**“Hey, how are you doing?” Val asked casually.Amelia turned to glare at her. “When did we start exchanging pleasantries?” Then her focus returned to the soup she was scooping onto her plate.“We don't,” Val agreed. “But I just thought you'd like to know that I was attacked on Friday.”Amelia's eyes widened with fear. Did Val already know? But Amelia was backing Valerie, and so Val didn't see the look on Amelia's face. “If Val knew, she'd have already told Lucas, and they'd have come for her,” she thought to herself.Amelia immediately regained her composure, the frown on her face deepening. “And why would I want to know that?”“I just thought that since my life was threatened and we work for the same company, you might want to know,” Val explained, her tone laced with a tint of sarcasm.Amelia rolled her eyes and released a breath she didn't know she was holding. “Well, I'm glad you're fine. You can leave now." Amelia waved her hand. "Shuu…” “Thank you, and Lucas
**Valerie**“Huh?” I stuttered, pulling my hand away from his. I wasn't expecting Adam to be so straight-forward.And wasn't it too soon?"Look, Val, I will provide you with whatever you want; you'll never lack anything,” he assured me.I was staring into Adam's eyes. He looked so sincere. If only he'd shown me just a little bit of this part while we were married... Maybe I wouldn't be so angry.I swallowed. “What about your wife?”“And what about her?” He reiterated as if he didn't know what I meant.“Would she be okay with this?” I asked, trying to study his face.Of course she wouldn't!No woman would be okay with her husband having a mistress, but I was curious as to what his reply would be.He leaned forward and smiled. “Does she have to know?”The irritation in me bubbled up. “She's not even as beautiful as you are,” he continued."Oh, Adam..." I sighed inwardly. How was I able to stay married to him for three years?“Valerie, you're by far the most beautiful woman I've ever s
**Third person** Amelia's mind raced as she sipped her coffee in a corner of the dimly lit cafe. Her eyes flew to the watch on her wrist yet again. She'd planned to leave by 9PM. She swiped her phone screen and read his message again. “Don't forget your deadline is Monday.” Taking a deep breath, she took another sip of her coffee, allowing the liquid to burn through her throat. This wasn't the time to hesitate. She had to carry on since she'd exhausted her only option; her savings. No friends who'll be willing to lend her some money, and definitely not Karen. She had acted on her own accord, and it didn't turn out for the better like she'd expected. That would only make Karen furious. The last option lingered in her mind; it was the only way, and she bet Adam wouldn't even notice. After taking the last sip of her coffee, she rose to her feet. It was already 9PM. She paid for the coffee and then headed out. Amelia made her way back to the office building, her heart pounding
**Valerie**My heart pounded in my chest. What was I going to do?Surely, I couldn't let them find me here.“Think, Valerie. Think fast,” I urged myself. Just then, I looked above me, and a thought came to my head. I'd seen it in movies. “You don't have the right to look around in the CEO’s office,” Amelia scolded.Whatever she did in Adam's drawer, I'm sure she was scared of them finding out.They bickered a bit more, and I used the opportunity to do what I'd thought of. It was my best shot.I heard the drawers open. He was already here. I held my breath as the guard looked under the table.And thankfully, he didn't see me because I clung to the underside of the desk.Phew… It worked.After what felt like an eternity, the voices faded away. The door clicked shut as they all left the room. I let out a shaky breath, my heart still racing. Then I dropped to the floor, my mind immediately flying to Matthew. “Hey, Matt,” I whispered.“Jeezzzz, Val," he exclaimed. "You scared me. What
**Valerie** The women's laughter grew louder, creating a chorus of mocking chirps. "What's that look on your face? Too big to pick up her clutch?" Amelia fired again, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Maybe Karen was right. It wasn't a big deal, after all. I just need to swallow my pride and pick up her bag. This job was really important to me, and I needed to keep it. Just as I stepped forward to pick up the bag, Lucas appeared and picked it up. “Here.” He extended the bag to Karen. He turned to me, his eyes sparkling with a warmth that melted away the tension in my chest. "I've been looking for you everywhere," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. “Uh…” I mumbled, my eyes wide with surprise. Lucas wrapped his arm around me, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through my body. My heart pounded in my ears as I struggled to catch my breath. My mind raced. “Lucas?” I managed to murmur. He smiled at me and cupped my cheeks. “Are you okay?” My eyes moved to his han
**Valerie**I swallowed. And before I had time to process what was going on, a woman who seemed to be in her late fifties was standing in front of us. The woman's lips seemed to have parted in shock, and a young, beautiful, brown-haired lady stood beside her.Lucas's grip on me tightened, and he looked up at the woman with a serious expression. "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Valerie; the one I told you about," he announced.What???!His what??My cheeks suddenly became really warm.Lucas glanced at me again and gave me a small nudge for me to play along.Smiling sweetly at his mother, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stone,” I greeted.Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me.I forced a small smile, feeling her stare burn into my skin. Was she going to say she doesn't like me and disapproves of the relationship? “You're not trying to mess with me, right?” She asked her son, her voice laced with suspicion.Lucas tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. "
**Third person**Adam laid face-up on his bed, his mind replaying the events of the day, and all of them were filled with Valerie. Was she dating Lucas? Could she also date him?No, she can't be dating Lucas. If she was, she'd have mentioned it when he told her that he loved her, right? He squeezed his eyes shut, the image of Lucas's hand wrapped around Val's waist burning brightly in his mind. And then it seemed Lucas was about to kiss Val on the lips.Adam's eyes flew open, a jolt of jealousy coursing through him. No, no, that part didn't happen.Just then, he felt Karen's arm wrap around his chest, and she planted a kiss on his neck. Adam shrugged and pulled away, feeling a surge of irritation bubble up within him.“What is it?” Karen asked innocently, her voice soft and seductive."Nothing, I'm just tired," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper."Then I'll be the one riding you," she suggested, her eyes sparkling with desire as she ran a palm on his bare chest and traced it d
**Lucas**“Valerie!” I shouted as I watched the taxi drive away with her.“Fuck!!” I yelled. I ran a palm across my face, my heart pounding as I pulled at my hair. Why do I keep fucking things up? Just why??!I groaned and then jogged back to the garage, deciding to drive to her house. “I hope she's headed home,” I muttered frustratedly.How was I supposed to explain things to her when I clearly know how this looks? But how do I convince her? I'm quite sure that nothing happened. Even though I was drunk, at least I'd remember bits and pieces of the sex afterwards—that's if it did happen—but there was nothing at all. Nothing.Just as I approached my car, Angela blocked my path. “What are you doing?” she asked.I shrugged, moved away from her and took another route, but she was quick to block my way again. “Why are you going after her when I'm here?”“Angela. Move,” I gritted out slowly, my patience wearing thin.“Why? I'm the one who loves you. I can make you happy.” Then her eyes dil
**Valerie**“Karen?” I echoed, my heart racing, and he nodded.“Just be quiet,” he whispered and gave me a reassuring look before stepping out.After he left, I moved to the door and pressed myself against it, my ears straining to eavesdrop on their conversation.“Hey babe, what do you say about lunch?” I heard him say to Karen.“Lunch?” Came her response.I imagine her face was twisted into a scowl because he continued, “I don't know why you think that about me. I'm sorry, okay? I'm not behind those pranks.”A pause. Then, “Why are you acting so strangely right now?" Karen's voice asked. "You didn't give a shit that I thought you were responsible for the pranks. So why are you apologizing all of a sudden?”“That's not it,” he chuckled, but I could hear the tremble in it. “I thought your meeting ended a while ago. What are you still doing here?” I heard the clinking of heels get closer and closer to the door. Then it stopped.“Let's talk things over. Let's go for lunch, okay?” I ima
**Valerie**I was sitting across from Tessa at work, my mind wandering and a thousand thoughts trooping in.So they're not my parents? Explains everything.Or did Karen just say I'm not her sister to make her seem less bad?But if they're not my parents, then who are they? Are my real parents still alive? Where are they?“Val?” Tessa's voice snapped me out of my daze.I blinked rapidly to suppress the tears welling in my eyes before I looked up at her. “Uhm, yeah?”She studied my face for a moment. “You good?”I nodded. “Yeah, sure." I tried to make my voice seem cheerful. "What's up?”She side-eyed me, her face screaming, ‘I know you're not fine, but it's okay if you don't want to tell me what's wrong.’ Then she pushed a document over to me.My face lit up, my eyes shifting from the document that was now in my hand to her face. “Is this what I think it is?”"Who knows?” She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Check it out."My hands got to work immediately, opening the envelope
**Valerie**“Wait…” He paused, processing my words. Then a proud laugh ripped from his throat. “That was intentional?”I smiled but didn't say a word. I just allowed him to take his time and catch his breath until he spoke up again.“But doesn't that mean you'll lose Adam as an ally?” He asked with a thoughtful expression.I shrugged. “I don't have use for him anymore,” I replied sincerely.“Fucking bastard is getting what he deserves,” Matt seconded with a nod. There was a brief pause on the other end before he spoke again. “There's something I want to tell you about that Gary Miller. How does the weekend sound? It's not urgent.”“Yeah, there's that guy,” I sighed out. “Weekend's fine for me, Matt.”“Okay, good, I'll see you then.”“Yeah, bye.”The line went dead, and I placed my phone away, my mind shifting to the bug in Adam's bedroom and what new recordings it must have acquired.After the bloodbath yesterday, Karen must have had some things to say. Actually, not ‘some’... She mus
**Third person**Karen let out another loud laugh. Her tone was filled with mockery and amusement. “I should have known something was wrong when ‘Ashleeey’ didn't come for you.” She air-quoted the word ‘Ashley,’ disdain resting on her tongue.Then she paused, her smile vanishing completely and replaced with a fierce look. "If Ashley's ghost was truly roaming around, you'd be the first one she attacks!” She spat. “After all, you're the son of a bitch who killed his pregnant wife!”Adam recoiled, taken aback by Karen's words. He scoffed, disbelief clouding his features. How could she put it on him? When she was just as bad.“You must be delusional,” he snarled, facing his wife head-on. “Why do you think she wouldn't have come for you? Aren't you the whore of a sister who was sleeping with her man?!” He let his disgust-filled eyes rake over her. “Plus you fucking killed her too!”Karen lounged forward, her face contorted in rage as her palm flew in the air, aiming for Adam's face. But Ad
**Valerie**Adam's eyes caught mine for a brief moment, and I could see the anger beneath his calm facade. I swallowed and looked away, not wanting to figure out what he was thinking. I wasn't scared, though. I shouldn't be. I couldn't be.Lucas reached for my hand and gave it a light squeeze. I smiled and looked up at him, grateful for the support he didn't even know that I needed.I held onto his hand for a few more minutes, just enjoying the warmth and comfort his touch brought. My gaze roamed the emptying hall, my eyes catching some members of security rushing up to the stage with towels in hand.“Maybe we should leave now,” I suggested to Lucas after a while.At this point, they'd carried Mr. and Mrs. Harrison off stage. The hall was basically empty, save for Adam and Karen, who remained in their seats, and a few workers still roaming about.Lucas seemed to search my face for a moment before speaking. “We could take our time if you want.”Take our time?“Why?" I blurted out with
**Valerie**Even Adam gasped. I watched his shoulders sag in what I believe was defeat.The man’s eyes scanned the room slowly, searching for last-minute bids. Though his eyes lingered on Adam for a while, perhaps expecting him to counter the offer.I rolled my eyes at him. Really? He should end this already.“Pièce de résistance has been sold for twenty million dollars,” the auctioneer shouted, his face beaming.The room erupted into applause as Lucas was declared the winner. I leaned over, my voice barely audible. “Twenty million dollars?”Adam's defeat was satisfying, but I didn't like the fact that Lucas had to spend so much money in the process.Lucas smirked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he leaned forward. “I told you I'd get it, didn't I?” he muttered casually, more of a statement than a question. So I didn't answer; I just shook my head slightly.“Our next piece for tonight is the exquisite ‘Midnight Mirage’ by Alexis LaRue,” the auctioneer announced, shifting our focu
**Valerie** My brows furrowed in confusion. How? Why would he say that? He doesn't even know that I'm married. But before I had any time to process his words, he turned to Freya. "This is Valerie Thorne. She's the most beautiful woman in the world, and she's my girlfriend." He brushed my hair slightly with his free hand, the touch sending a shiver down my spine. Most beautiful woman in the world? My cheeks turned a bright shade of red as I extended a hand to her. The woman didn't take my hand. Instead, her smile faltered, a flicker of disdain crossing her features. "Oh, you're his girlfriend?" she echoed, the words laced with a chilling disbelief. Before I could respond, Lucas cut through the awkward silence. "Yup. And nice catching up, but we should get going." His tone was firm, effectively brushing off her condescension. A surge of pride and satisfaction coursed through me as I watched Freya's smile vanish completely, replaced by a look of stunned disbelief. We moved a
**Valerie**Saturday night,My eyes caught my parents, and I felt the air knock out of my lungs. Mrs. Harrison, my mother, was looking as elegant as usual. She was wearing a sleeveless ball gown, her hair styled into a fringe and ponytail, and her arm locked onto my dad's.My dad, ever the charmer, was laughing with a man I recognized. He was one of the big investors at the Harrisons' company.I could imagine what Dad was saying to the man. ‘We’re on the verge of a revolutionary breakthrough, and with your support, we can make it happen.‘ It was his typical way of luring new investors or encouraging old investors to invest more.Then suddenly, his eyes met mine. I reached for a glass of wine from a passing tray and gulped everything at once, the liquid doing very little to calm my frayed nerves.“Are you okay?” Lucas, who was standing beside me, asked.I tore my eyes from Peter Harrison, my gaze sweeping across the room, taking in the grand ballroom shimmering like wonderland. It was