Her phone had beeped several times, and it had rung even more, but Calista’s thoughts were too crowded to bring herself to pick it up.She sat in the café, gazing at her half-empty cup of coffee. The noise of the bustling café filled the air, a stark contrast to the chaos in her mind. She absentmindedly stirred the coffee, mesmerized by the swirling patterns, but the warmth offered little comfort to her frayed nerves.Her mind kept drifting back to the events from a few hours ago. She was still in shock at the sheer intensity of Ranya’s anger. She had never seen him in such a state before, and it baffled her. The memory of how he had almost reached out to wipe her tears sent her heart racing again. Emily must be really sad right now, she thought.Calista sighed deeply. She had spent the last few days avoiding any direct contact with Ranya, trying to process the whirlwind of events that had thrown her life into chaos.Her phone vibrated on the table. This time, she reached for it, her
Ranya’s voice sliced through the tension, his eyes fixed on Calista as he approached. The hallway felt like it was closing in on them.As Anthony watched Ranya walk towards them, he couldn’t help but ponder the words Signoral had shared with him. Could it be true? He couldn’t believe that his brother would have such cruel intentions toward Calista. Now he understood why she had always been so edgy around Ranya.“Do you really believe that sharing a room with our partners will fix this situation?” Ranya’s voice was firm, clearly showing his disapproval.“Why?” Anthony found himself asking. He loved Calista with everything inside him. He had reshaped his entire life because of her. His past wasn’t something he ever wished for her to find out about. “Is solving a mess a good enough reason to want to be in close quarters with the person you claim to love?”His brother might be trying to take her away, but he wouldn’t let that happen.Ranya’s voice was sharp and angry as he walked closer t
When Anthony stepped out to answer his call, Signoral’s phone rang as well, leaving Calista and Ranya alone in the room.Calista immediately turned to go, not wanting to be in the same space with Ranya, but he grabbed her wrist, causing her to glare at him as she struggled to free herself.“Calista, wait,” Ranya ordered, holding her firmly. Her eyes darted around, checking to see if anyone was watching.“What do you want, Ranya?” she groaned, her voice laced with anger.“You know what I want,” he replied, pulling her closer.“You’re not doing this here, are you?” she asked, alarmed by his sudden move. “Your actions only make me suspect you more.”A slight grin appeared on his face. “If you don’t listen to me, I’ll continue to raise more suspicions.”She raised her eyes to meet him. Despite everything, his perfectly built face and his sweet scent invaded her senses.“Anthony and Emily could walk in on us any minute,” she breathed out, leaning back to avoid looking at his lips. It was h
“It’s very much expected of him to do that,” Signoral replied, her eyes darting around the room.After Anthony left, Ranya had maintained his stance on not sharing a room with her. She needed to make Calista understand that Ranya belonged to her, and no matter what love might be blooming between them, she wasn’t going to sit idly by and let her take him—just as Vivian had.Losing him to peasants always made her blood boil with anger as she paced back and forth in her room while Penelope updated her on the recent activities in Texas. Someone powerful had pulled the news down, which she believed was Ranya’s doing.“Mr. Ranya isn’t the one who pulled down the news, ma’am,” Penelope declared, her tone edged with uncertainty.Signoral clutched the phone tightly against her ear. If Ranya hadn’t pulled down the news, then who had? After his father, Ranya was the most powerful man she knew, capable of moving mountains if he wished. At thirty-one, the young man had established himself as a for
“You did a good job,” Ranya complimented, looking down at Calista as the elevator doors closed. Calista cast her gaze away, hoping that whatever she had just done wouldn’t strain her relationship with Emily. She just hoped Ranya was wrong. What she needed to focus on now was how to come up with the right apology. So far, Emily had been extremely understanding.But she couldn’t help but notice the change in Emily’s personality. She seemed different—a lot different—and Calista couldn’t quite put her finger on it.“What did you mean by exposing Emily?” Calista asked, finally gathering her thoughts.“Are you sure that’s her real name?” Ranya inquired, finally releasing his grip on her wrist but staying close, as if she might disappear if given the opportunity.“What?” Calista replied, confused.“Emily. Are you sure that’s her name?”“Of course. You’re the one who doesn’t know the name of the woman you’re marrying,” Calista shot back.Ranya looked down at her and laughed slightly. Thinking
The room was filled with suffocating silence, and tension hung heavy in the air. Even the domestic workers were on edge, afraid to make a sound and get caught in the brewing storm.“What did you just say, Ranya?” Signoral’s voice wavered, her limbs too weak to move. “You’re what?” The words that escaped her lips sounded more like a screech than a question. Signoral tightened her fists, her body trembling with rage. “Ranya, what did you say?”“You heard me, Miss Hamilton.” The boldness in his tone made her seethe with fury. “I’m in love with Calista,” Ranya replied, his hand still firmly wrapped around her waist.Signoral’s eyes darted to Calista, who stood frozen in shock, her lashes fluttering as she tried to process what was happening. This wasn’t what she had expected. Tomorrow was supposed to be the ceremony, and now Ranya was calling off his wedding because of her.“Calista!” Signoral’s voice cracked as she took a step toward her, a murderous look in her eyes. Calista glanced awa
“Ranya!” Mr. Lewiston called angrily, striding over to his son. He couldn’t understand why Ranya was so determined to destroy everything connected to him. “You’re going to marry the young Miss, and that’s final.”Ranya turned, his expression cold. “What makes you think you have a say in my life?” Anthony had tried to follow Calista when she stormed upstairs, but Ranya had held him back, preventing him from pursuing her further.Even though Calista hadn’t accepted his feelings, Ranya wasn’t about to let anyone unworthy near her. She was his to protect, and Anthony needed to understand that.Anthony’s frustration boiled over. He had always been second to Ranya, and now, with Calista, it was happening again. The woman he wanted more than anything was slipping away because of his brother. Fuming, he tried to punch Ranya, but Damian intervened.“You left once, but you came back to take up your responsibilities,” Mr. Lewiston continued, his voice seething with anger. “You can’t back out now
Calista paced angrily around her room. It was already midnight, and too much had happened since she arrived at the White House. Ranya’s unsettling behavior and unexpected announcement had left her feeling completely out of place. She hadn’t intended to hit Signoral, but the nasty things she had said pushed Calista to the edge.The only solution she saw now was to get out of Washington. She might not be able to catch a flight immediately, but she could at least find a hotel to stay at until the next day. She darted towards the closet, contemplating whether to take any clothes. Anthony had bought everything for her, and taking them might make her feel unreasonable, especially since she knew their relationship was likely coming to an abrupt end.Her stomach twisted uneasily. She hadn’t been able to gauge Anthony’s reaction to everything that had happened. She knew he would be shocked and disappointed, but a part of her, cruel as it might seem, hoped he would be the one to end things.The